HELP!!! I wanna lose weight!

[lovelyivy84]

Originally posted by Honeykiss1974
I registered Monday on www.bodyforlife.com for the 2003 Challenge! I am excited and will let y'all know how it goes!

EDITTED:

For those that are interested in losing weight, interval training IS the key. 3 times a week I do 20 min. on the treadmill and 20 minutes if weights (using different machines) and have notices a significant difference.

Congratulations!

I bought the BFL book and started doing the program a looooong time ago. It is a really great place to start, and introduces so many people to the importance of resistance training that it's a really positive force

[Afrochic]

I'm very lazy when it comes to exercise, even though I try...well sometimes. I lost weight without exercising by changing my eating habits. Just think how much weight I would lose if I added a consistent exercise regimen. This is what I did.

1. Buy a George Foreman grill and a steamer. Cook ALL your foods by grilling, steaming, or boiling. Cut down or eliminate the beef in your diet. Eat fish, chicken, and pork...yes I said pork. You would be surprised how low fat pork can be when grilled. Purchase a pork loin and slice it thin.

2. Eat salads and/or vegetables with every meal. You don't have to buy low fat dressing, just cut down on the amount of dressing you put on your salads.

3. Drink water everyday.

4. Eat baked potatoes. It makes you feel fuller through meals but eat a small one. If you love butter, only add a very small amount.

5. Buy fruit. When you want a snack, no matter what time it is, fruit is always the way to go. My preference is grapes, so when I get hungry I can grab a few and be done with it. It also satisfies your sweet tooth.

6. Buy 100% fruit juice. My preference is Ocean Spray Cran-Grape.

7. Don't eat anything heavy after 6. Only satisfy your cravings with fruit or a small glass of 100% fruit juice.

8. When you eat, eat half and then get up and do something else. Stay away from your food for a few mins, then come back to it and start eating again. Trust me you won't have that same desire you did before you left your food.

9. Park your car at the end of the lot and walk.

10. Eat until you are no longer hungry, not full, but no longer hungry, there's a difference.

Try to eat this way for 5 out of the 7 days. On the weekends, eat anything you like but Monday, start back eating grilled, steamed, and boiled foods only. Being able to eat anything you like on the weekends doesn't give you a feeling of deprivation throughout the week.

You can lose about 1-1 1/2 lbs a week which is safe. Also make sure to take a multivitamin.

[Ideal08]

Originally posted by Afrochic
1. Buy a George Foreman grill and a steamer. Cook ALL your foods by grilling, steaming, or boiling. Cut down or eliminate the beef in your diet. Eat fish, chicken, and pork...yes I said pork. You would be surprised how low fat pork can be when grilled. Purchase a pork loin and slice it thin.

2. Eat salads and/or vegetables with every meal. You don't have to buy low fat dressing, just cut down on the amount of dressing you put on your salads.

3. Drink water everyday.

4. Eat baked potatoes. It makes you feel fuller through meals but eat a small one. If you love butter, only add a very small amount.

5. Buy fruit. When you want a snack, no matter what time it is, fruit is always the way to go. My preference is grapes, so when I get hungry I can grab a few and be done with it. It also satisfies your sweet tooth.

9. Park your car at the end of the lot and walk.

10. Eat until you are no longer hungry, not full, but no longer hungry, there's a difference.

DITTO!!

Congrats, HK1974!

[Eclipse]

Originally posted by Afrochic
I'm very lazy when it comes to exercise, even though I try...well sometimes. I lost weight without exercising by changing my eating habits. Just think how much weight I would lose if I added a consistent exercise regimen. This is what I did.

2. Eat salads and/or vegetables with every meal. You don't have to buy low fat dressing, just cut down on the amount of dressing you put on your salads.

4. Eat baked potatoes. It makes you feel fuller through meals but eat a small one. If you love butter, only add a very small amount.

6. Buy 100% fruit juice. My preference is Ocean Spray Cran-Grape.

7

Good points, but a couple of comments (from the queen of dieting information with no willpower! LOL)

A good way to get the creamy fattening dressing that you love is to get it on the side, then dip your fork in the dressing first, then spear your salad. That way you gett a bit of dressing with each bite, but fewer calories!

I can't believe is not butter makes this butter tasting spray that's actually quite tasty.

Ocean Spray Cran Grape is NOT 100% fruit juice. It has a lot of extra sugar in it. As a matter of fact, your suggestion about fruit was much better. It is better to eat an orange (because it had fiber) than to drink a glass of orange juice. Northern makes 100% Cran-Grape juice, but be forewarned, it is going to be bitter after the Ocean Spray because Ocean Spray adds so much sugar to theirs. TO help me, I add apple juice to the Northern.

Otherwise, great suggestions!!

[Afrochic]

Originally posted by Eclipse



Ocean Spray Cran Grape is NOT 100% fruit juice. It has a lot of extra sugar in it. As a matter of fact, your suggestion about fruit was much better. It is better to eat an orange (because it had fiber) than to drink a glass of orange juice. Northern makes 100% Cran-Grape juice, but be forewarned, it is going to be bitter after the Ocean Spray because Ocean Spray adds so much sugar to theirs. TO help me, I add apple juice to the Northern.

Otherwise, great suggestions!!

There are two kinds of Ocean Spray Cran Grape. The one with the sugar, or as they call it "corn syrup" is around 2.50 a bottle and contains between 10-20% juice and the 100% juice is over 4.00. It also contains other fruits to help it taste sweeter such as apples, pears, etc. You have to check for the 100% pure on the bottle. The juice containing corn syrup tends to be thicker because it's only syrup, flavoring, and water.

[alphaiota]

my brother did the body for life routine and lost mad weight. he went from being about 275 lbs to being 180 lbs. and went from a size 42 waist to a 36 waist. he's also become ripped from doing all the strength training and stuff.
i'm trying to do it, but i just don't have the will power. i do go to the gym at least twice a week and get on the treadmill or bike for about 30min. and the george forman grill is my bestfriend. at this point i'm just maintaining instead of losing. whatever?!

shelley j
sigma k

[pretty edAKAted]

I lost 30 pounds in 3 months !!! (lol I sound like a commercial)

But seriously, I did I exercised (walked on the treadmill for about 45 minutes, Running is too hard ) everyday (but Sunday ) Situps until I hurt, watched what I ate (grilled chicken, water, raw vegetables, fruit (green grapes my favorite) and voila!! Every one is like "What did you do you look sooo good?"

I knew I had lost weight when I had to wear jogging suits everyday because all my clothes were too big. I went to the stores and finally I could go to the junior section (Can we say size 4 and 6??) Whoo Hoo!! Yayyyy ME!!

[krazy]

I did a dearch to see who was talking about nutrition...

I have found that regular exercise, healthy diet, AND STICKING TO IT is the best way to lose weight. I think sticking to it is the most important part, and this means you have to allow yourself a little wiggleroom every once in a while. If you start to become to obsesive, you will develop some disorder, allow the candy here and there, or soda, etc. Just don't over consume... Sorry, just wanted to put my2 cents in...

[Prissfit1908]

Here we are all over again. The new year is upon us and with it, plans for a better and no doubt thinner 2004. This is my official boarding date onto the proverbial bandwagon. For those of you who couldn't care less about my desire to get in shape and lose weight, stop reading now. For any of you who want to do this with me, please let me know! I could really use some partners in crime!

Here are my stats, ladies: 5'8", 155 lbs. I am a certified personal trainer, so there really is no excuse for me to be as out of shape as I am.

My goals: I want to increase my endurance and improve my all around physical fitness. I also want to eat fewer refined foods, drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables. I don't feel the desire to take meat out of my diet at this time. I was a vegetarian for a year and my menses stopped... Not the WOE for me...

My plan: I have a nice gym in my apartment building, so I will make more use of it. I also have Winsor Pilates DVD's which are wonderful. I will go to the gym at least 5 days per week and do 30-45 minutes of cardio (treadmill/recumbent bike/eliptical). I will also do 30-45 minutes of weight training Mon.-Sat. Sunday will be a freebie.

Nutrition: I will have a fruit/soy milk smoothie for breakfast (accompanied with a bowl Kashi if I'm very hungry). For lunch and dinner, I will stick with green salads with lean protein tossed in. No iceberg lettuce here, folks. The protein will come from lean cuts of chicken, fish or beef. I will use olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dressing. I may also consider having a small about of carbs (brown rice), lean protein and green/yellow vegetables for dinner. Water, water and more water. I find that lemon juice helps me drink as much water as I need to. I will nix the diet soda that I currently consume too much of. I had been taking a multivitamin pack daily, but I sort of fell off. I will begin taking vitamins again.

So, what do you guys think? Is anyone down with the cause? I could use any positive words you guys could offer up!

Thanks everyone!

[lovelyivy84]

I am going to critique the diet you posted, and I am sure that you as a trainer will already know most of what I'm saying, but I'll post the more obvious bits so that it can be a more informative post for everyone.

I would work harder on the diet.

The diet you describe here is really clean, which is great, but this is not enough food. If you follow it as listed below you will be getting approx. 1000 cal/day, which is too low to burn fat. You will burn your muscle first with your calories that low because your body thinks you're starving. It will hold onto the fat as the best source of energy and burn the muscles you are working so hard to develop. Not the way to achieve physical fitness.

I am curious about what your diet was like when you were vegetarian. I only ask because I know many vegans AND vegetarians, and none of them have ever had a problem with their menses (not saying it doesn't happen, I just have never seen it- plus I am sure that there are any numer of factors that also could have caused it). Disruption of your cycle is something that I have generally seen/heard of when calories are kept far too low over an extended period of time. I don't know how you were eating at that point and so can't say what caused it, but I did find that aspect of your post a bit worrying.

Another reason to increase your caloric intake- if you are working hard in the gym then you need adequate nutrition to fuel those workouts. For your height if you are working out regularly I would add at least 500 calories to that diet. Best way to find out your exact nutritional needs of course is to find out your resting metabolic rate. THere are plenty of calculators online that can help you. Once you know how many calories your body needs to perform basic functions it will be easier to decide how many calories are appropriate for you.

In terms of eating to exercise, I saw my best results when I supplemented with protein. I saw AMAZING progress in terms of strength for myself when I increased my protein intake to 1g/lb of bodyweight per day. I supplemented with whey generally after my workouts on lifting days, and in the evenings before bed other times. I also was on a high fiber diet (varied between 30 and 45g per day), so would eat a lot of fiber one cereal, at least 5 servings of veggies per day, a TON of brown rice and veggies.

Another suggestion on my part is to eat smaller meals more frequently (5-6 times a day). It is easier to follow a WOE when you eat several times a day- you can make good choices because you are never starving and you dont make food choices purely out of hunger.

The diet below also seems to lack somewhat in variety/detail. You want to east Kashi or a smoothie every day? Salad every day?? Maybe you can do that for an extended period of time, but it would be rough, and in the long term might contribute to you giving up on your WOE.

You might want to start considering more things that you can get that are easy to cook, or viable options in fast food (I buy a lot of sauteed veggies at the chinese food store without rice, or go to Micky D's for a grilled chicken sandwich plain, or even a piece of fried chicken without the skin and some steamed veggies). Another good thing to have is substitutes. Instead of ice cream have frozen yogurt, instead of potato chips try some flavored soy chips. Know your weaknesses and find ways to appease them before you go out of control! Some people can be a little bad, and some can't- know what you can stand in terms of eating well. I know that for me, if I give in to a craving it is MUCH harder to resist. I can't have just one cookie at a time. Or worse, I might have one today but on the next day when I remember how good that one was, I'll have four. *sigh* In other words, be prepared for the bad times as much as possible!

I hope this helped!! Good luck!

Originally posted by Prissfit1908
Here we are all over again. The new year is upon us and with it, plans for a better and no doubt thinner 2004. This is my official boarding date onto the proverbial bandwagon. For those of you who couldn't care less about my desire to get in shape and lose weight, stop reading now. For any of you who want to do this with me, please let me know! I could really use some partners in crime!

Here are my stats, ladies: 5'8", 155 lbs. I am a certified personal trainer, so there really is no excuse for me to be as out of shape as I am.

My goals: I want to increase my endurance and improve my all around physical fitness. I also want to eat fewer refined foods, drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables. I don't feel the desire to take meat out of my diet at this time. I was a vegetarian for a year and my menses stopped... Not the WOE for me...

My plan: I have a nice gym in my apartment building, so I will make more use of it. I also have Winsor Pilates DVD's which are wonderful. I will go to the gym at least 5 days per week and do 30-45 minutes of cardio (treadmill/recumbent bike/eliptical). I will also do 30-45 minutes of weight training Mon.-Sat. Sunday will be a freebie.

Nutrition: I will have a fruit/soy milk smoothie for breakfast (accompanied with a bowl Kashi if I'm very hungry). For lunch and dinner, I will stick with green salads with lean protein tossed in. No iceberg lettuce here, folks. The protein will come from lean cuts of chicken, fish or beef. I will use olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dressing. I may also consider having a small about of carbs (brown rice), lean protein and green/yellow vegetables for dinner. Water, water and more water. I find that lemon juice helps me drink as much water as I need to. I will nix the diet soda that I currently consume too much of. I had been taking a multivitamin pack daily, but I sort of fell off. I will begin taking vitamins again.

So, what do you guys think? Is anyone down with the cause? I could use any positive words you guys could offer up!

Thanks everyone!

[Prissfit1908]

Hi Soror,

Thanks for the words of wisdom. You are absolutely correct with regard to the issues that you mentioned. There are lots of holes in my plan say, for someone who was trying to do it as well. From what I described, some could perceive that my diet would be lacking in both caloric intake and variety. However, I was just trying to give a rough outline of my broad goals and the steps I will take to get there in hopes that other Sorors and sisterfriends would join me on my quest to improved health.

About the vegetarian lifestyle and the way it affected me, it had much more to do with a blood disorder that makes me extremely prone to anemia than it did with not eating meat. At the time when I was a vegetarian, I was unaware of this disorder and I was not compensating for it. I know many vegans/vegetarians who have no problem getting adequate minerals/protein into their diet, but it was not so easy for me years ago. I have not ruled out that WOE, particularly with the great advances food producers have made in meatless products since then. I'm sure you've read the Boca thread on this board!

I can see how my diet could be boring to some, but it has helped me maintain/lose weight for a long time. I do the smoothie in the morning whether I'm trying to shed pounds or not. I am not a breakfast person, but I know how important it is to make time for it. With the smoothie, I get my fruit in for the day, lots of fiber and soy. I use fuit (pre-mixed/frozen that I buy from Sam's), soy milk and sometimes I add a little unsweetened pineapple juice.

I know that I do not eat enough protein (nor could I) to maintain rigorous weight training schedule. What protein supplements have you tried and what were your results with them? Thanks so much!

[lovelyivy84]

Originally posted by Prissfit1908


I know that I do not eat enough protein (nor could I) to maintain rigorous weight training schedule. What protein supplements have you tried and what were your results with them? Thanks so much!

I have bought a couple of different protein supplements. In terms of mixes my favorite cheap brand is GNC 100% whey protein. Inexpensive, doesn't taste bad and it works fairly well. My favorite brand that was a little more expensive is the Nitro Tech protein supplements. These are pricey and taste TERRIBLE, but they are full of l-glutamine and all those good supplements. I made the best progress with this supplement, just had to chase it with something else afterwards. blech!). These were good when I was working out at home and could mix them up in my kitchen, also when I wanted a morning/evening protein shake (I was having both at one point- it was hard to eat 130g of protein/day!).

One way to get more protein into your diet would be to mix one or two servings of protein powder into your morning smoothies. 20-40 extra grams of protein in one shot.

With ready to drink protein shakes (for when I am working out at the gym and don't carry a shaker bottle with me) I like Pure Protein (35g of protein, mostly casein as opposed to whey) and the MetRx brand shakes (in the large black can, 40g protein, 2 or 3g of fiber and only 240 calories, it's a winner, even if it is casein protein!).

Just dont waste your money on most protein bars. They are more convenient, but really not worth the money, and FULL of sugar if they are remotely edible. The one (maybe) exception to this is Designer Protein's Detour and U Turn bars. You can get them in small sizes at Duane Reade- 160 calories, 15 grams of protein, 2g of fiber, less than 20g of sugar and they taste like a Snickers! The large size is 300 calories and 30g of protein.

[lovelyivy84]

http://www.muscleoverload.com/Articl..._protein.shtml

[Prissfit1908]

Thanks so much for your insight on this issue. If only it were as easy to do as it is to discuss. I would be RIPPED, girl!

Oh well, I better get my mind right so I can hit the gym tomorrow. Pray for me! I will start with lower body weight training. Sore quads are very motivating to me, and nothing sets off a little black dress quite like em'...

[lovelyivy84]

Originally posted by Prissfit1908
Thanks so much for your insight on this issue. If only it were as easy to do as it is to discuss. I would be RIPPED, girl!

Oh well, I better get my mind right so I can hit the gym tomorrow. Pray for me! I will start with lower body weight training. Sore quads are very motivating to me, and nothing sets off a little black dress quite like em'...

Well I am always happy to help a Soror out!

For me I like having sore lats. In the past I never really worked the muscle to failure, so when it's sore I know I did a good job!

When I work out at the gym (as opposed to home) I also like the lower back machines. When those muscles are a bit sore I feel like I put in a comprehensive workout, lol.

Since I gave you the food advice you can help me out on the exercise tip!

My schedule has changed soooo much since the days when I was ripped (I had a six pack. It was beeeyooootiiiiifuuuul, lol). I am still muscular, but not as lean as I was when I was working out five times a week. I am up at 6 am, and dont get home til 8 pm most nights.

In the past most of my cardio has centered on the elliptical trainer and dance classes. Well dance classes are just out now. No time. What cardio do you think gets the best bang for your buck? According to the calorie readout on the machine the elliptical trainer is best, but I know that those are not always accurate.

What in your experience has been the most effective cardio exercise? What gets you the most bang for your buck (and won't kill the knees, a la sprints)?

Your advice is muuuuch appreciated!