Weight loss question

[verleniahall]

i have found that if i loose alot right away, it comes RIGHT back

weight watchers is the only thing that has worked for me; it keeps me reallly accountable. i think sparkspeople and my fitness pal are similar but i have never used them

 

[sarah4770]

Why do you want to loose 15-20 lbs in only one month?

I can give you tips though-- drink no calories ( my exception is a glass of soy or almond milk a day). lots of water, homemade iced tea==no sugar, black coffee, lots of tea.. sipping on chamomile or any herb tea you like keeps you feel fuller and settles your stomach.

replace a lot of animal protein with plant based proteins--I do eat wild salmon a once or twice a week-- but otherwise plant proteins are lower in fat and calories.
Are there any bean recipes you like
Right now it is harvest time. Go to the farmers market and get all your favorite veggies and fruits. Nothing like a fresh sliced tomato ,or whatever is your favorite, for a snack.
Eat whole grains== they keep you satisfied longer.

 

[amie416]

Using the free SparkPeople website, I lost 50 lbs over a period of about 7 months by making small, incremental changes to my diet and lifestyle... no drastic program with rigid rules, just tracking my food, watching portion size and trying to make the best choices I could each day. One pound a week seems really slow when you're in the thick of it, but it's amazing to look and see so much change over less than a year. I've kept the weight off for about a year now, and I think I might try to lose another 10 before our cruise.

There are a lot of different ways to lose weight, but the best way to lose weight is the (healthy) method that works with you, your lifestyle, your tastes, your schedule and your family. If you do try a program like SparkPeople or myfitnesspal, just don't sweat the small stuff because it can make you go crazy trying to hit specific numbers for calorie intake/expenditure.

 

[windycitymom]

I've lost 26 lbs. since May 14 on the Medifast/Take Shape for Life program. Basically, I have given up most carbs and sugar and eat protein and greens. Losing weight is more about your diet and what you put in your mouth. Exercising won't help if you are still eating junk food. I have about 5 more pounds to lose before I reach my goal weight.

 

[LilyWDW]

I've lost 26 lbs. since May 14 on the Medifast/Take Shape for Life program. Basically, I have given up most carbs and sugar and eat protein and greens. Losing weight is more about your diet and what you put in your mouth. Exercising won't help if you are still eating junk food. I have about 5 more pounds to lose before I reach my goal weight.

You can lose weight eating anything you want as long as you watch your calories. Weight loss comes from eating less calories then you burn. Period. You don't have to give anything up like sugar or carbs or fat or whatever X diet says you have to. If it fits your Macros!!!

 

[NHTikiBeckie]

You can lose weight eating anything you want as long as you watch your calories. Weight loss comes from eating less calories then you burn. Period. You don't have to give anything up like sugar or carbs or fat or whatever X diet says you have to. If it fits your Macros!!!

This! Of course more fruits, veggies and lean proteins are healthy, but carbs are not the enemy as long as you eat a balanced diet. All about the calorie deficit!

 

[Tinkerboy00]

I would say that 15-20 lbs in a month may be OK depending on how big you are now. If you are morbidly obese it might be OK. If you are just overweight or obese then that is way too much weight to lose in a month. IMO it's unhealthy.

This is exactly what I was going to say. The bigger you are (obese) the faster the weight will come off.

If you only need to lose a few lbs, 15-20 in a month would be a really unhealthy amount of weight loss. Ideally you should lose up to 2lb a week (for a normal, average weight person). That being said the last 15-20 is always the hardest to drop. Trust me I know, Im 15lbs away from my goal weight and hovering here.

Ive found success by doing a low car, no/low sugar diet. Avoid all processed foods, especially anything "white" (white bread, white sugar, etc). Cut out soda and alchohol.

Mix up your workouts - get some cardio, but muscle burns more calories so also add in some strength training.

Keep a food journal so you can track everything you eat, track your calories in/out. I love the Lose It App for this.

 

[Gamegrl1]

It depends what the OP's real goal is...is it to temporarily drop 15-20 pounds, or to reach and maintain a healthy level of weight and fitness over their lifetime?

You could do lots of dumb, unhealthy things to drop weight fast. But if you want to be fit and healthy, it needs to be a lifestyle change.

Only you know how committed you are to it. I'm 30-mumble mumble, weigh 160 and am just shy of 6 ft tall. Have been fit since my early 20's (before that I was thin but didn't exercise on purpose...it just happened). I'd recommend doing several things:
1. Read Covert Bailey's "New Fit or Fat". It's a classic and explains a great deal about how the body works and the importance of both eating healthy and exercising. Sorry...just doing one or the other is not going to be enough for the long-term for a fit body.
2. Get your BMI tested (body mass index). This is better than just knowing your weight because it tells how much fat you have and whether it's a healthy level or too much. I'd talk to your doctor and have them help you set a goal and make a plan. You mentioned you're exercising 3x a week -that's terrific! Depending on what you're doing, it may be building muscle, which weighs more than fat. If someone didn't know that, they might get discouraged and think that the exercise was not helping, but muscle helps burn fat...just read the "Fit or Fat" and it'll explain way more thoroughly.
3. Get rid of the junk food in your house - sodas, sweets, chips, sugary cereal, etc. and make sure you have lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats.
4. Start checking calories and fat per serving on the foods you eat. You may be surprised. There are tasty ways to eat healthy.
5. Watch your portion control on meals. Check w. your doctor on how many calories you should be taking in each day.
6. Check how many of those calories you may be taking in via liquids - drink a lot of water.
7. Don't skip meals. You'll get too hungry otherwise. Snacking on healthy things like nuts, fruit, yogurt, cheese, etc. is good. I eat about 4-6 times a day (counting B-L-D, a morning snack, usu. a granola bar and fruit and sometimes an evening snack of granola and yogurt, sometimes dessert too!)
8. Don't eat sweets when you're hungry. I LOVE sweets and I eat 'em, but if I'm actually hungry before dessert, I'll fill up with that granola and yogurt and then have the dessert - just a small portion. Otherwise what if I filled up on pie, ice cream, etc. until I wasn't hungry? That's too much fat/sugar.
9. Don't think some fad, gimmick, diet, etc. is going to cut it. I have, however, found that a couple friends have found success with Weight Watchers - if you can handle all the "points"...they have kept weight off long term (years).

I wish you all success - health is a great thing.

 

[Gamegrl1]

This!
This is a life-long journey, not a destination~

Your post had such good information in it! I love it. I agree - I remember hearing that it takes 30 minutes of exercise a day to simply maintain your current weight and more if you want to lose weight/be fit.

One thing to add re: the exercise...pick types of exercises you like, that way you'll be a lot more likely to stick with them. For example, I don't care for running or jogging. If that's all I could do to exercise, I'd be heavy and unfit because I wouldn't do it. But I like cycling, walking, yoga and swimming, so I do those. There are TONS of activities and sports out there to choose from. Pick a few you actually enjoy doing and you'll stick with them. If you're the kind of person who needs other people with you to help you get out the door, recruit supportive friends/family or join a club or a class. Or a sports team if you like sports. Your local community center could point you in the direction of a recreational team. Whatever works.

P.S. I agree with the PP's who say to work it into your day. I get 45 - 60 minutes of walking in a day just by going out on my breaks at work. That's in addition to anything extra after work or weekends. Make exercise part of your lifestyle.

 

[bettyann29]

I joined my rec center almost 4 weeks ago and am really loving playing racquetball.. I also work on the machines some and walk the track.. I work out usually 6 days a week for minimum of 1 hour each time.. I've lost about 5 pounds so far, but even better is that I've lost 14 1/2 inches so far!!

I say, don't focus on the pounds, but more on losing inches..

 

[bumbershoot]

This is exactly what I was going to say. The bigger you are (obese) the faster the weight will come off.

There is no "will". There is "can" and "might".

In the same period of time I have lost 82 while he has lost 45ish. If he gets to WW goal he will have lost 200. I'm almost done. I'm female and he's male. We follow the program to the same extent. If it were simple we would have reversed our successes.

 

[patsal]

You could do the pre baiatric surgery liver reduction diet, but you will not keep the weight off if you do not continue to eat a healthy diet.
That said consume 80 to 100 grams of protein while eliminating nearly all carbs from your diet. Just google presurgery liver reduction diet for the details..

 

[Tinkerboy00]

There is no "will". There is "can" and "might".

In the same period of time I have lost 82 while he has lost 45ish. If he gets to WW goal he will have lost 200. I'm almost done. I'm female and he's male. We follow the program to the same extent. If it were simple we would have reversed our successes.

I see you are almost at your goal too. Congrats!!

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

You can but its not really healthy to do so.... any your body might react baldy.

 

[BlancaV]

It may be possible, but don't go below 1,200 calories a day. If you are cutting soda, you should notice a drastic difference pretty quick. I've found that drinking a lot of water is key to dropping pounds quickly and it helps flush excess water out of your body. If you don't like plain water, slice a lime, a bit of cucumber and an apple and put the pieces in a pitcher. Fill with water and keep in the fridge. Just refill every time it gets down to about half.

I'm trying to lose 75-100 lbs by Oct. next year, but it is so important to do it healthily or you'll regret it for years! Trust me on that one. :S