Weight Loss for your trip?

[maslex]

I've been to WDW 3 times so far. The first time was back in October '93 for our honeymoon. While I was a bit overweight, I was fine walking around all day with minimal blisters and such. The second time was in May of '01. I had gained quite a bit of weight since '93 and it was a struggle to walk all around all day (I had blisters so bad, the whole bottom of both my feet were one complete blister, no lie) By the 4th/5th day, I ended up having to rent one of those electric wheelchair things. While it was nice not having to walk on those miserable feet, I felt I ruined the vacation for my hubby and two boys. Then we went again in June '05 with my family, my SIL's family and my MIL & her husband. My MIL had to rent one due to a hip replacement and she rented me one also, knowing I would need one by the end of the day.

Okay....now after that long-winded explanation, we are planning a trip in October '07. That gives me a year & a half to lose weight before we go. Granted, I'm not trying to lose weight just for Disney (even though I'm sure it'll be a great incentive) but I really need to lose a "bunch" of weight for my health. Plus we're going on our first cruise this year, and I'll really like to lose some before we leave (August)

I've done Weight Watchers, Richard Simmons, etc and nothing seems to work. What are some of your tried and true methods of taking some extra pounds off? Thanks for listening.

 

[trampslady]

I, too, have struggled with my weight for years--most of my life. I am 37 years old and was diagnosed with diabetes in January. Since December 19, I've lost 48 pounds by watching my food intake-specifically carbohydrates. I was a bonified carb junkie, but with diabetes, it's those carb things that cause a rise in blood sugar. I limit my carb intake to about 30 carbs per meal and 15 carbs per snack. It's working. I've also added three 10-minute walks per day. Good luck! I'm looking forward to a lighter me for our May WDW trip!

 

[luapgib]

I lost about 45 pounds two years ago and what worked for me was cutting out soda and just limiting my portion size. It took a while but the year and half that you have given yourself would allow. I also know that my parents have had alot of succes with the discovery health challenge which is something that has helped them lose a combined 90 pounds in just a few months. Just a few things for you to think about.

 

[maccalovah]

i've lost about 40 pounds over the past year, mostly just watching what i eat, and most importantly, making sure i exercise every day. it doesn't even need to be anything strenuous. if you have cable, try taping denise austin's daily workout on lifetime. she's on every morning, and her workouts are very low impact, but they actually do work, if you make the effort. or take a walk each day- my boyfriend lost a bunch of weight just from doing that (he's not much of a dieter )
i know a lot of people don't do well with 'diets'. if you feel like you're being restricted from eating something, it usually makes you want it that much more. i've found that if you are making an effort to be active throughout the day, you are much more free to eat the things you want to eat.
also, make sure you drink enough water throughout the day. take the lessons you've learned from the various diets you've been on in the past, and apply them to what could work for you. i personally think it's all about portion size, getting your daily water in, and exercise. it might be hard to get into all of this at first, but eventually it becomes second nature. good luck!

sarah

 

[pooh2001]

Go with the flow and enjoy.

I have been trying to lose 10 pounds.
Has not happened - been trying for 8 months.
My doctor says I am fine - it's my age.

So - I bought some black bathing suits to wear and we leave in 2 months.

 

[amybinion]

I did Jenny Craig...it was the only thing that has ever worked for me

 

[kimand3kids]

I have tried just about EVERY diet out there - and finally found one that worked for me. I joined LA Weight Loss, paid a lot of money and it worked! I've lost 40 lbs and am almost at my goal. You can do it! If you want more info on LAWL, feel free to PM me

 

[CdnDisneyFan]

I don't have any advice, I just want to tell you that I know how ya feel, I was extremely overweight when my friend and I went to DL in Sept. With all the inclines, and all the walking, I was out of breath, and achy, and never want to experience that ever again.

Good luck with finding a solution!

Jules

 

[BeckWhy]

My success has only been with extreme caloric intake. And I'm not going to suggest it because it is not healthy at all. But one thing I do find that helps is I only drink ice cold water. Drinking 8 8oz glasses of ice cold water burns about 300 calories (probably more if you are larger than the average person). Also I have had some success with green tea and calcium suppliments. I took 1000 mg of Calcium a day and about 300 mg of green tea a day (it varied on the pills I got). But doing each of those activities will burn 4 + pounds a year (if you don't already do it) for each one. Another thing that I love is spinach. You can eat pounds of it and its like one of the most healthiest things you can eat; and there are barely any calories in it.

You might want to go to Walmart or something and pick up some weights. Find what your limit is. Don't get 2 pounders if they don't make you work. Find something that makes you work. I have 10 and 15 # dumbells. I do 10 bicep curls for each arm, 10 shoulder extention thingys and 15 tricep extensions a day. If you can increase your muscle mass, you will burn more calories over all which will help you lose weight.

I do feel that to lose weight its a compromise between exercising and watching what you eat. But I know that if you haven't worked out it is very very hard to do. But doing anything like standing while watching tv or something like that, instead of sitting will increase how many calories you burn a day.

Diet wise, I guess if you eat a lot of meat, eat only lean meats: sirloin instead of tbone or something, or even get ground turkey instead of ground beef (here it's cheaper). Also cut your meat portion and increase your veggie portion. You can eat a TOOONNNN of veggies and you won't get as many calories or fat as you will from meats. I would stay away from deep fried foods. You can learn to saute veggies in olive oil and that's much more healthier.

For fast food I like Healthy Choices. I think they taste great (well except the ones that have rice, those are icky). They take just as long to heat up in the microwave as it does to go through the drive through at McDonald's (but McDonald's and Wendy's have very yummmy salads). And you can even eat two Healthy Choices and it would be less or the same amount of calories as fast food, but with less fat and grease and that other stuff.

Also when looking at salads, vinegrettes are good salad dressings. But I try to go for whatever dressing has the lease calories. Low-fat or whatever dressings taste just as good (to me) as regular salad dressings. But I would look for whatever is lower in calories and whatever fits your taste.

Cutting carbs does help you lose weight. I'm not going to lie. But cutting carbs is a lifetime deal. You will need to keep your carb intake down for the rest of your life to keep the weight off. Also (I never did low carb) I was told that if you live a low carb lifestyle and you eat foods that are high in carbs (which you probably will do when you go on vacation) then you feel really tired. Like I said I never did it, so I can't verify it.

That is what I have to say, for whatever its worth.

 

[Jillpie]

Just finished losing 80 lbs the last year and a half.

Three things you need to do and you WILL succeed.

1. Make the decision to JUST DO IT. Thats it, just do it. No more excuses.
2. Join a gym and go every day. I did step aerobics and still doing it four nights a week.
3. Portion control. No diets. Watch what you eat and how much of it your eating. I eat at least every 3 hours during the day.

No secrets here. Just alot of really hard work. I was determined and ready. If you are just plain sick of it, take me seriously and do the above and you'll lose about 10 lbs a month. But work really hard at it and let nothing get in your way. The next trip to Disneyworld, you'll be a brand new person. And there is nothing like walking everywhere and at the end of the day, feel like you can still walk 5 more miles.

 

[lovedvc]

I just wanted to give you a suggestion about your blisters. In 2000 we went to WDW by the 3rd day my dogs had had it. I had such huge painful blisters that I went back to the hotel and thru out my sneakers. A friend told me what she does to avoid blisters. Before you put your socks on put a coating of vaseline on your feet. I know what your thinking sounds gross and gooey. But, let me tell you I did it last August for 12 days at WDW and not one blister. You don't even know that you have the vaseline on. There is absolutely not gross feeling. It actually made the bottoms of my feet a lot smoother. I will never go on long walks again without my vaseline.

Good Luck to you with your weight loss. Last December I had it with myself and declared do or die. I started going to WW and started the Core Plan. 19 weeks later I am 31.4 pounds lighter. You can do it. There is a certain time for everyone to start weight loss. You have to be in the right frame of mind. So many times I would start a diet in the morning and by 12 noon it was over. This time I just said that's it, I have to do this. You can do it and we will all be here for you if you need help and encouragement.

 

[thelionqueen]

I highly recommend the 6 week body makeover. It is offered in an infomercial and has a 100% money back guarantee. Let me tell you, it works and it conforms to you individually. You really have nothing to lose, they give you 6 weeks to try it and you can return it at any time for a complete refund. There is the website www.provida.com or 6weekbodymakeover.com (I think)

 

[°O°Joe]

maslex, it might help if you describe what you eat in a typical day... while excercise is great for your health, I don't think there's anything as crutial to your weight as your diet. I consider my eating habits on the healthier side, I'm a 5'-8" 145lb man, and people are always asking me "Why do you want to lose weight?? You're already skinny!"... People always think I'm dieting. But that's not the way I see it at all. I'm not trying to lose weight, I just like to eat right for my health, I'm not "on a diet" so to speak, I just choose to eat healthy...

I guess my point is - unless you have a naturally high metabolism and burn off everything that goes into your mouth - you're not going to lose the weight (**and keep it off**) unless you change your eating habits for life.

Don't get me wrong - I splurge from time to time - I can put down as much food as about anybody I know. But my eating habits the rest of the time are what "trains" my metabolism... And if you need help figuring our what are the right things to be eating - ask around or do some research on the internet... you'll find plenty of help. But I warn you - try not to read too much, there are too many things out there that are contradicting. Find something that works for you and then stick with it. It's too easy to get caught up in all the hype and change you eating habits (diet) from day to day.

To me the most important things (that are fairly easy) to do for your diet in my opinion are:

1. Eliminate soda (yes even diet soda). Studies have shown that soda has taken over bread as the number one source of sugar in the American diet... and some doctors believe that the artificial sweetners in diet soda so closely resemble the sugar molecule, that your body can't tell the difference, so it stores it as sugar. Think about it - how many people do you see drinking diet soda that are at an ideal weight. Not alot and the ones that are usually would be thin even if drinking "real" soda, again, the naturally high metabolism people.

2. Try to get the 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. I usually try for more vegetables, simply because I LOVE fruit, and if I didn't make more of an effort to eat more vegetables, I'd probably eat nothing but fruit.

3. Cut down on bread, or similar grains or high starchy foods... breads, pretzels, white potatoes, corn (a grain, not a vegetable like many believe)... choose whole grains when eating bread.

4. Drink lots of good clean fresh water.

Try to stear clear of "weight loss supplements". Most of them are way to expensive and don't work. If you want to lose weight please do it the right way and eat the right foods...

Also, if you are overeating, or knowingly eating "comfort foods"... try to think about why you're doing it. If it is just pure hunger, read up on things you can eat (mostly things high in fiber) to suppress your appetite. If it's stress, try to find another outlet for your stress (meditation, excercise, etc.).

Do you have a dog? If so take it for long walks, it's good for you and your dog. If you don't have a dog, get one. It's a good motivator to take long daily walks.

Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night - maybe more if you are active... Your body does a lot of good things when your sleeping. Try not to eat after 7:00pm... It is better to go to bed on an empty stomach, so your body can use energy to do the things it needs to do, rather than use energy to digest food.

I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any questions about my aproach to healthy eating... I'm 28 and my goal is to be able to do the things I can do now when I'm 60 through proper diet, fitness and alternative health...

These are some of the things that I apply to my everyday life, once you get into the swing of things it really becomes a way of life and you don't have to try so hard anymore... and sorry this is so long - but you asked and health is something I'm passionate about.

--Joe

 

[scoolover]

I am down 110 lbs in 4 months with weight loss surgery. Funny thing is that is is still about diet and exercise. I would recommend it to anyone who is willing to do the work (which is about any big person) Take care and enjoy your trip.

 

[Miniefan]

Hi, I hope I can give you some thoughts to ponder on your weight loss goal, because like you I do struggle with being overweight... Here are some of the things that I realized, and I hope you can put my own personal thoughts and experience into something useful for yourself.

#1 I had to realize that if I was going to do this I was going to do it for me, not for my hubbie, or kids, and not to prove a point to anyone, only for myself. #2 There is no quick fix, no miracle diet and I don't care what anyone has to say about this one, for me it is the truth. Atkins, weight watchers, Jenny Craig, all of this works, but what happens when you stop eating these types of meals? The weight comes back, usually pretty quickly. #3 True weight loss and maintaining it requires a lifestyle change, but, you can't change everything overnight. While learning and coming to these realizations I have become a healthier and more fit person....I haven't exactly reached my weight loss goal but then again I didn't have a pound goal, my goal was to be healthier, feel better, and look better, and although the scales haven't moved that much I do feel like I have reached that goal. Just remember Rome wasn't built in a day, I have been working with a personal trainer and she always tells me, " you didn't put the weight on overnight, you can't expect it to come off overnight. For me it helped to make some small changes in my diet and activity levels. For instance, I started baking a lot of my family's foods instead of frying and using leaner cuts of meat to cook. One of my family's faves is my meatloaf and the only thing I did was change to the leanest choice of ground beef and reduce from one cup of bread to one-half cup, it still tastes great and none of them even know the difference. drink more water each day and get moving. Only you can motivate you, and we are always our biggest critic. I wish you all the luck in the world because I know it is so hard! I have often thought that eating and being overweight in my situation was like being a drug addict only my drug was food....You know, what kind of a "drug addict" would be able to kick an addiction if someone said, you have to do it every day of your life three times a day,but only then, and don't let it get out of control??? And yet, people who have an "addiction"( to food,if you will) have to deal with regulating their "usage" every day of their lives.....Kind of seems crazy when you think of it like that, but I guess in life this is why so many of us are overweight. I hope that this time it works for you, Best of Luck!
Kim

 

[Hobbes]

Snackystacky where are you? Having seen your before and after photos, you are definitely the best person to answer this one..

 

[maslex]

WOW, thanks guys. I never would have imagined so many replying to this message. There have been so many good points throughout your posts. And it's weird, I KNOW what to do, can easily tell other people what needs to be done (lower your food intake, exercise and water) but when it comes down to actually doing it myself, I can't seem to get it through my head. I know that I have a MAJOR addiction to chocolate and that's where my biggest problem is (aside from the fact that I don't exercise) But I LOVE drinking water (or crystal light) so that's what I mainly do. I only drink soda on occassion, but I have to try limiting the chocolate. I've tried the sugar free stuff and my stomach cannot handle that (I won't go into detail) But let me tell ya, I'm ready for this. I need to start using that brand new treadmill downstairs (have had it for a few months now) I might have to brush off the dust off of it. Or even start using a few of my exercise tapes that I have (I have Richard Simmons, Biggest Loser and a few more that I can't think of right now) I will have to start small though (I have over 150 lbs to lose) wow, that's sick to even hear that. But I'm gonna take baby steps. Is there a board on this site for people who are trying to lose weight before their big trip? I haven't seen one but would bet a lot of people would benefit from one. Thanks again for all your help.

Pam

 

[TiffJ]

Good luck! Diet & exercise have been the only things that work for me. Its hard but definately worth it. I've lost 50 lbs so far & working on the last 40. Come over to the WISH boards. There's alot of people in the same situation & it will provide alot of support & motivation for you.It's because of them that I've lost the weight, done the WDW 1/2 & going to be doing the Minnie Marathon 15k & DL 1/2 in Sept. (obviously DW is my motivation to get me off my butt )

 

[Twinklee]

I lost 100 lbs. through Weight Watchers. It took me about a year and a half, but it was worth it. I gained 10lbs. back on our Disney cruise last year and am now working to get that off before our Disney World trip the last of next month.

I don't think it matters much what approach or plan you use, as long as you stick with it. I lost mine through WW, but I never went to a meeting. I put the whole family on it and dh lost about 40lbs. That's the only way it would have worked for me because I had to get ALL the junk out of the house. Even my dd slimmed down just because she wasn't eating all the junk she used to.

Hang in there and don't give up. If you're really dedicated you'll loose the weight.

Toni

 

[knovak]

Myself and 3 of my closest friends are all on WW. I have lost 12 1/2 so far, and my friends are down 52, 32, 24 respectively.

It does work and this is all with little exercise at all. You just need to count those points! Good luck!