How do you lose weight?

[tynkerbell]

For me, Ive gone in increments losing weight. I'm all set for a diet, watch what I eat, lose 4 lbs, then I'm back to eating my sweets. I'm a really picky eater so diets are hard for me. I need to cut back on the sweets/soda and exercise more. I started Jan 2 again, and so far have lost about 2 lbs. One thing that has helped me a little, although who knows if they're the best for me, but all those 100 calorie snack packs of stuff. Theres a new Entemans chocolate chip cookie one, and Lorna Doone ones. Each one has like 3g of fat and 100 calories...I NEED my desserts so eating one small bag of these for a snack really helps me, and then I won't go eat 10 bags of oreos later. I have about 8 lbs left I want to lose, so hopefully I can keep up with it this time.

I'm a sugar fiend and those 100 calorie packs have been a godsend! I love the fudge stripe cookie ones and the Lorna Doone's. Yum! I'm also a big fan of those frozen weight watcher desserts, like Key lime cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, double fudge cake, cookie dough sundae, etc... All around 150 calories.

I also gave up sugary soda which I was SEVERELY addicted to. I had a habit of 4-6 cans a day! That's 600-900 calories alone!!! I'm still a soda junkie but now it's 4-6 cans of DIET soda.

 

[TheGoofster]

I also gave up sugary soda which I was SEVERELY addicted to. I had a habit of 4-6 cans a day! That's 600-900 calories alone!!! I'm still a soda junkie but now it's 4-6 cans of DIET soda.

Don't feel too bad, I used to go through 3 liters of Mountain Dew a day.
Talk about getting caffeine and sugar withdrawel headaches when I stopped drinking soda!!!!

 

[crazelion]

I am all about portion control. I try to limited my foods doing the day. Eating fruit and veggies has help alot.

I can't go on a diet either because I am picky to. What I did was write out list of veggies that like and went to grocery bought all the veggies I like. I now like to eat veggies.


Also I join Sister to Together is a 12 week programon eat right and exercise. The best part the program is free. Our class is taught Police Academy teacher to get the police in shape. That is hardes class I had to take in my life.

 

[Sherri]

I run like crazy when I want to drop some pounds quickly. I intensify my normal run by adding more time or running quicker, or up hill a bit (though that could be tough on your back). I have to really want to fit into something badly by a certain time to do the uphill thing.

 

[F1Julie]

I have about 5 pounds or so I'd like to lose so I started out the new year banning fast food (except for salads). It seems to be working, but it's really hard. I'm used to just running through the drive-thru at lunch. Eating healthy is also a lot more expensive.

A few years ago I switched from regular to diet soda and that made a huge difference. Now regular soda tastes way too sweet for me and I can't drink it. At that same time, I did Atkins. It worked really great, but you have to stick to it. The best thing for me about Atkins was it worked quickly. I need to see results that first week to keep me motivated.

I wish I could just redistribute my fat. If I could move it out of some places and into others, I'd be just fine with my weight.

 

[Chattyaholic]

Less food in mouth, more exercise.

That strategy caused me to lose 40 pounds a couple years ago. I watched what I ate, but didn't deprive myself of anything. If I wanted fast food I'd get it (occasionally) but make better choices and then just have a salad for dinner. If you know you're going to want dessert, skip the bread and potatoes for example.

And exercise, that really bumped up my weight loss. I did a lot of walking, usually 2-5 miles 3-4 times each week. The weight just melted off.

On rainy days I exercised to the Walk Away The Pounds DVD's.

Sadly, I got lazy and 18 pounds slowly came back on. But! I'm back to work getting it off again, plus another 10-20 besides.

Good luck to you!

 

[bytheblood]

Good Old-Fashion Excersize.

1 hr+ bike rides 4 times a week. I will ride anywhere from 1 - 2 hours going anywhere from 13 - 22 miles on a stationary bike.

Protein speeds up most people's metabolism.
Stay away from sugars unless they are natural sugars.

Don't drink sodas - even Sprite. On average, if an overweight person will stop drinking sodas, they will lose 10 - 20 lbs in a year and keep that soda weight off if they only have them occassionally.

Personal Info:
Granted all bodies are different and do not respond to the same things, but I have PCOS and if I do not excersize and eat right, I will look like an apple with legs- so if I can lose weight and stay fit this way with PCOS - I think most anybody can.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have about 5 pounds or so I'd like to lose so I started out the new year banning fast food (except for salads). It seems to be working, but it's really hard. I'm used to just running through the drive-thru at lunch. Eating healthy is also a lot more expensive.

Whoa....stop right there. Make sure you check the calories & fat! Some of the fast food salads are worse than having a burger & fries.

 

[Todd&Copper]

Counting calories and exercising. I keep a notebook and bring my breakfast and lunch with me to work, plus 3 days a week I go to the gym, and on 2 of the other days I jog with one of my furbabies. I am down about 3 lbs. after my first week back on plan after the holidays. I keep calories around 1200 for about 4 days in a row, then jack it up to 1600 - 1800, then back down for 4 more days. Like tynkerbelle, if I want a snack, I have it, but account for the calories. I have noticed that, in order to feel fuller, longer, I tend to eat more fruits and veggies than I used to. I lost 35 lbs., then gained 10 back when I slacked off (from Thanksgiving to New Years). I now have about 35 to go.

 

[Harvest02]

I agree that portion control is the biggest thing! I don't have tons of weight to lose(maybe like 5-7 pounds to be happy), so I have been trying to trim my portions down, eat more fruits and vegetables, cut out some snacking, and not eating ANYTHING after dinner. I started on January 2nd, and I have lost 1 pound. Not much, but they say weight loss should be 1-2 pounds a week. I also bought a pilates DVD to work out to since I have been doing the treadmill for a while and felt like my exercise routine was "boring". I also drink TONS of water throughout the day. I do feel better since I started my own little diet so it must be working!!!

 

[sugarpie]

Exercise!!! I work my butt off on my eliptical trainer 4-5 times a week. I hate it, but it keeps me from overeating - I don't want to cancel out all that hard work on the eliptical.

 

[The Mayor]

Eat 3 meals a day and exercise...watching the Fat Grams to Calories on what I eat...my doctor advised 1 gram of fat per 50 calories...I try to adhere to that as much as possible...exercise is also the key for me...I used to run 5-8 miles a night but several knee surgery's have cut that down to a 2-3 mile fast paced walk each night.

 

[Nickunited]

actully 6 small meals a day is great because it keeps your metabolism going faster.

Extercise and Dieting is not easy. Cardio is great but not running - walking on a treadmill uphill is amazing - i lost 40 pounds that way. Also - eat good carbs. No white bread or potatoes. Actully Sweet potatoes or good. It all depends on the Glycemic Level.

 

[Chattyaholic]

actully 6 small meals a day is great because it keeps your metabolism going faster.

I agree. I try to eat 200-300 calories 5 x per day. If I'm eating every 3 hours or so, I know my next meal isn't very far away.

I agree on the portion control too that some have said. It's amazing just how much you can eat if you sit on the couch with a bag of potato chips. It's mindless eating and before you know it you've eaten several servings.
I put one serving (I read the label) in a bowl and that's what I have. It's enough. It satisfies me and I don't overeat the whole bag that way.

 

[JunieJay]

I tried a bunch of things (including low carb, low fat, low fill in the blank) and seriously what works best for me is strictly counting calories. It's not the easiest for everyone, but I found out in my case I was simply over eating. After 2 weeks of being hungry it became easy (I assume my stomach shrank). I do a lot in moderation and I've kept the weight off (mostly... holidays got to me this year, but only about 5 pounds) for a couple of years now.

The calorie counting worked best for me because if I really wanted a sundae, I had one... I just had to make up for those calories elsewhere.

This method is tried and true. I love Weight Watchers, because you are counting calories, and then assigning a point value. Very simple, very sensible.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Actually, what the OP is doing is what finally worked for DH & I.

I was diagnosed with high cholesterol a few years back and had to go on a heart healthy diet. My doctor recommeded I read the Omega Plan and/or any of the Mediterranean diets on the market.

I read as much as I could and adjusted my work schedule so that I would have more time to cook real foods instead of relying on meals in a box/bag.

Funny ... it wasn't until I stopped concentrating on "weight" and "diet foods" that we finally lost a ton of weight (I lost 40 lbs; DH lost 65) and have kept it off for over a year now. Never really felt like we were on a diet, either.

We replaced diet sodas with water, homemade, premium, loose-leaf teas and wine with dinner. We replaced all of our Lean Cuisines and Healthy Choice meals with basically the same types of meals, only made from scratch. Went strictly to olive oil and sugar, if necessary, instead of margarines/spreads and artificial sweeteners. Sure, we might have lost a pound a week instead of two, but it worked because we were satisfied the whole time and it never felt like a diet.

Whatever you do, it needs to make sense to you, you need to be able to enjoy it and it needs to be a lifestyle change. If pasta and breads you can live w/o for the rest of your life, then low carb is probably a good fit. If meats and cheeses you can do w/o for the rest of your life, then low fat is probably a good fit. If you're like me, I can't live without any of it. I need my dairy, my grains, my meats and my fats. The key is researching the heck out of nutrition and learning about good fats vs. bad, whole grains vs. refined, lean cuts of meat vs. fatty, the importance of a variety of colors in a menu -- particularly with fruits and veggies -- and plenty of FIBER!

In my research, I found the healthiest people in the world inhabit the 14 countries that border the Mediterranean -- with Asia following closely behind. I bought cookbooks based on true Mediterranean cooking, whether it's southern France, Greece, Spain or Italy.

When you concentrate on nutrition, activity and lowering stress, the weight falls off automatically.

 

[KTSMOM]

I cut out regular soda and replaced with H20 and diet soda. I cut back on desserts at night. I eat mostly low fat meals at home and save the higher fat meals for when I go out to eat. The biggest thing I did was switch from working out in the pm to the am. I am at the gym by 5:30 am three days a wk and then I also work out on Sat (but at a more reasonable time). I run, lift weights and do the elpitical (not in one day mind you). I would say running has had the biggest effect.

 

[princesspiglet]

The only real way to lose weight without any gimmicks or special diets is to burn more calories then what your body takes in. www.my-calorie-counter.com is a great site to keep track of your caloric intake for the day.

When I needed to lose the baby weight, I limited my calories to 1200 per day and exercised 5 x a week. I still ate chocolate, sweets, etc., but everything I ate was included in my daily allottment. I lost 40 pounds avg 1-2 pds per week and have maintained it for 4 years. My caloric intake now is between 2000-2200 per day based on my weight and activity level. If I do gain any weight, I go right back to 1200 calories.

There are so many great foods you can eat that fill you up but not out. Always buy a reduced fat version of your favorite product, but check the calories. Eat the serving size only. You would be amazed how many calories you consume from mindless eating. If you pack your food for the whole day, you know exactly how many calories you are eating and can control yourself.

I still eat carbs, but focus on the calories. Wheat is always better than white and sugar still has calories! You can't do a low-fat diet and consume gummy bears all day long and expect to lose weight. It's really not difficult to keep track of your calories every day. I like knowing what I am putting into my body and I what I can do to help it function better.

 

[F1Julie]

Whoa....stop right there. Make sure you check the calories & fat! Some of the fast food salads are worse than having a burger & fries.

No worries. I only get grilled chicken on the salads and am careful with the dressing.

 

[*Fantasia*]

I eat little, but I eat often. I think that burns up the calories fast. But then again, it might be my metabolism. It has not slowdown on me. I have maintained 100-105 lbs, but then again, I'm only 5'1", very pettite.