Need help losing weight

[Pop Centurion]

I use myfitnesspal as well & it's been a huge help. I'm just mad that after doing so well last year, I went back to bad eating habits & not working out for 9 months after coming home from WDW last year. But I've been back on track for the last month & intend to stick with it for good. I'm really not that overweight but definitely need to loose 15-20lbs as well as lower my BP. When I used to app last year along with running 5k 3x a week I went from 186lbs to 168lbs in 2 months and lowered my BP significantly.

So I definitely recommend myfitnesspal along with some sort of workout plan. As long as you stay motivated you'll have big results.

[slottedpig]

It can seem overwhelmingly hard. What helped me a lot was to break the problem into small, manageable steps. To lose a pound you need roughly to either consume 3500 calories less or burn 3500 calories more than your baseline. So to lose a pound a week you have to improve by 500 calories a day. I split this into eating 250 calories less and burning 250 calories more. Burning 250 extra calories a day is a 2.5 mile walk or run above your normal level. That seems doable. After dinner take an hour walk when you would have watched TV. As your fitness improves make it a slow jog. Eating 250 calories less doesn't sound like all that much either. Switch from whole to skim milk, diet coke from regular, cut out bread at dinner stop at 2 beers when you would normally have a third. Skip appetizers when you eat out. Nothing crazy or drastic -- look for garbage calories that you don't really need. As you start to lose weight you'll get motivated to find more easy ones. Good luck and know you have lots of company and lots of people rooting for you.

[TheVBs]

I have to agree that MyFitnessPal is a great tool too! We often have no idea how much we're consuming. Everyone has different things that work for them. One thing that was huge for me was reducing my portions. I used to use dinner plates, now I use the dessert/salad plates (whatever those smaller ones are called ). I do have snacks in between meals, like a yogurt, veggies or fruit. I don't like to have large meals because that seems to stretch my stomach out and make it difficult to feel full. With smaller meals, I'm satisfied sooner. When you're eating a meal, pause every once in awhile and assess how full you feel. We often keep eating after we're full simply because the food is still in front of us. I STILL make this mistake sometimes! Also, what's your worst eating habit? For me, I was having a large dessert almost every evening. It was far more habit than any real craving. When I identified that I either passed altogether or had a reasonable portion, like 1 cup of ice cream with no toppings instead of a big bowl full with chocolate syrup. It took me awhile to educate myself on appropriate portions and healthy choices. It can be discouraging to think you're making a healthy choice and then discover you're not. But it happens to all of us! Just make a positive change and move forward. Before you know it all of your positive changes will add up to a new lifestyle.

[PlutoToo]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but thank you to whomever recommended the couch to 5k program. I just finished my first week.

[lovewalt]

I have lost 50 (well 49.5) lbs using myfitnesspal.I have also changed the way I eat.I try to shop mostly food from the perimeter of the grocery store.More whole foods and less processed stuff.My whole family have benefitted from this! I've cut out cream in my coffee too and working night shift,I drink a LOT of coffee so I save lots of fat and calories right there!
Good Luck!

[gratuspater]

The most successfull weight loss I have seen relies mostly on consistent monitoring of calorie intake. Consistency being the key, The formula I have heard most often is to multiply your desired weight by 10 to give your average daily calorie intake, ex. desired weight 150lb x 10 = 1500 calorie a day diet. On days that you do moderate level exercise, you can add 100 calories for every hr exercised.
I have seen lots of people exercise, exercise, exercise, but not change their diet, and the results are usually short lived. And I've seen these same people really watch their diet consistantly, with much more success. You can still enjoy the foods you love, just in smaller amounts. And their will be days that you fall off the wagon, you just have to get back on. Maintaining weight loss usually requires a life style change. Mostly just being aware of what and how much you are eating. With a real emphasis on quality calories. I think a healthy diet is the key to weight loss, with aerobic exercise being added calories burned, and good for your heart. If you have any inclination towards weght training, the silver lining there is that muscle is always burning calories, so if you put on some muscle, your daily caloric use will be higher. An easy way to start is with what you drink, you can quickly drink in hundreds of calories at one meal, and if this is done every meal, it really adds up! I quite drinking soda years ago, and now I can hardly finish 1 can, when it does sound good, it's just to sweet now. I pretty much just drink water now, crystal light is good if you want some flavor, or sugar free kool aid, be leary of sprots drinks, advertised as healthy but still lots of calories, but they do have appropriate uses, if you are really exercising and sweating alot. Good luck to all, you can do it.

[brownie]

You have to find what works for you, and what works for one of you may not work for the other. I have biked and worked out for years, and started running almost 3 years ago. I wasn't able to drop any weight until I found and started using Lose It! Once I began tracking the calories I ate and what I used up in activity, I was able to adjust so I ate fewer calories than I used. I've dropped about 30 pounds since the middle of November 2011 and have gone from wearing a 38 waist to a 34.

The Couch to 5K program is a great program. I was never able to run because it hurt my knees too much. I did the Couch to 5K on a treadmill and have been running ever since. I've done some 5K runs and I'll be running my first 10K later this month. I only use the treadmill if it's raining hard or other severe weather. If I can, I run outside.

My bride has tried getting on the Couch to 5K program and using Lose It!, but they're not really her thing. It would be great if the two of you could find something to do together, but I'd focus on finding what works for each of you.

[Hull-onian]

No BREAD, No PASTA, No RICE, No POTATOES and NO FLOUR products. These are like poison to your body, and hard to digest. Cut all those out of your diet, and you will lose weight. Also, if you like eggs and I hope you do, eat three scrambled or omlet style, cooked in Safflower oil. It helps you have regular bowel movements. Eat oatmeal about every other day and you can have raisins and some brown sugar in it. For dinner: FISH, FISH, and more FISH, salmon is ur best bet. You can have steak and chicken with NO SKIN. For a veggie, get veggies in steamer bags, you can have all you want. Salads r good too. Try to have a fruit too. I like pineapple and blueberries. Drink plenty of water and NO SODA of any kind. I know, I have been there and done it. Try and walk at least thirty minutes, you will save your life. Good thoughts are being sent your way.

[comicguy]

I started w/ MyFitnessPro last week and I have already seen some minor results. 2lbs gone in 6 days. I started at 279 and want to get down to a minimum of 199.

MyFitnessPro allows me to have 1600 calories a day. I thought I would be starving but I simply eat less food more often. I will have a yogurt or a hand full of carots.

By logging your food, it really makes you think about what you eat. I use to have at least 2 20oz sodas a day as well as a hershey bar on top of what ever else I would eat!!! I went grocery shopping this past weekend and out of habit picked up the hershey bar and looked at the label and said to my self there is no way that I want to log that into the program!!!

I have to tell you moving away from the "junk foods" has made me feel metally better. Next step is move away from processed foods, although it is hard with the cupboards full of stuff right now!

You can still eat your favorite foods but in smaller portions. I have found over the last week I have quickly adjusted to smaller portions. It also helps to have a glass or water before a meal. I still have Lays Potato Chips, just in the 1oz size bag and I find that is enough to satisfy my cravings for "junk"

I have also found the more I walk, the more I want to walk. Also drink lots of water!!!

I wish you the best of luck, keep us posted!!!

[Dulcee]

For any of your myfitnesspal users, if you'd like a new friend on there feel free to add me
My username on there is trawas01

[Arielfan98]

I lost 50 pounds on WW, myself. I recommend working with your husband side by side and attending the WW meeting each week (except when you go to WDW of course) and it really helps you. The group will support you and both you and your DH will be inspired. U both can help each other by restraining yourself from eating unhealthy and possibly walk around the block once a night. Trust me, working with a partner helps. I would know because I helped lose weight with my mom and I've kept the weight off for 2 years. Good luck!!

[TheVBs]

I fully agree with the person who said that the same thing doesn't work for everybody. You need to do this in a way that makes you feel motivated to continue, whatever that way is. Some people get extreme and can change several things drastically (although that's extremely tough for most people!). Others take one small step at a time to get there. And there's all kinds of in between of course. Don't overwhelm yourself with too many or too extreme changes if you think it will make you want to quit! This is definitely an ongoing, lifetime process.

[LandFan]

This info is all very interesting! It is time for DH and I to get back on the track ourselves

[Hull-onian]

For Cosmic Ray, we would love to hear about your progress and any changes in your diet you may have made......Keep up the good work.....

[DizHawk]

I'm CosmicRay's DH.

It figures that once I start some kind of fitness plan, something comes along to gum up the works. I was playing basketball with some friends at our church. Well, playing is a generous term. I was moving quite slowly in a very hot gym while letting most people go around me. Anyway, I apparently took a wrong step and felt something pop in my knee. There was no immediate pain so I chalked it up to my body loosening up after so long with no activity.

I believe I might be wrong about this.

That was Thursday night and as of tonight I still can't walk on it very well. It's very tender and stiff. My knee is swollen some, though not as bad as it was on Friday. I tore my ACL in my right knee in high school (16 years ago) and this is in the left knee.

All that to say that my fitness plan is changing to more of a diet plan for now. I've lost about 10 pounds in the last couple of weeks, which I know is high and will slow down.

[TiggeRia]

I've been yoyo-ing with 20 lbs over the last several years. I have not been able to find something that sticks with me. I just started using My Fitness Pal (Mishlop is my name) and even though it's only been one week, I'm finding it easy to use and track everything. I do think it overestimates on calories burned for exercise, but other than that I really like it! I also like the couch to 5k. I have done that several times and it really is a good program. Maybe it's time to add that back into the mix, too.

[minnie04]

I know people don’t like to say they do "fad" diets, but what has worked for you? I was wondering just how many people have had success with them. I have done a few in my life time. They worked, but you do gain some weight back.

PS. I joined the "myfitnesspal" this morning and let’s just say I have blown it for today with what I ate for breakfast!! Oh well I will start fresh tomorrow..

[j2k]

I have used myfitnesspal.com before and really like how easy and helpful it is.

I decided to start using it recently as I would like to lose a few pounds before our upcoming WDW trip. I find it very helpful, if for nothing else, just tracking what I eat helps me to make better choices. Not always healthy, but instead of eating a whole pack of skittles I'll just eat a few or instead of having sweet tea (which I love) I'll have unsweet. It's the small changes that make a bigger difference.

[TheVBs]

DizHawk sorry about your injury! It's great that you have not let it derail your plans. Switching your focus to calories is a great idea. You could look into exercises that won't stress you knee too. Even some stretches would be good to do. Keep up the great work!

[Jodi]

Aside from changing my diet and lifestyle to a much more healthy one, I also have found a health product that works wonders!!! I attended a nutritional seminar for Advocare products, all organic, no artificial ingredients, promotes good health habits all around. I have lost 35+ pounds within 6 months. I am feeling GREAT, I am more confident and not embarrassed to look in a mirror! I do exercise every day! Rarely eat sweets or high fat content foods. I am 47 years old and now weigh 135lbs. It does take will power and commitment but, it is also very rewarding!! Stick with a plan and you will make great strides.
Heading to Disney in 16 days and NOT embarrassed to wear a swimsuit this year!