Weight loss/Dieting Thread

[Adelle Tully]

Let the loss of flubber begin. I guess we should start with a general body profile and our strengths/weaknesses (if you're willing to go this far).

Height: 5'1"
Start Weight: 220 lbs.
Current Weight: 190.03 lbs

Weakness: Hand over the chocolate and you might still have a hand when this is all through.

Strength: I love going to the gym because it's like a social outing.

Weight Loss/Gain History: After 3 kids, I was still only 125 lbs. Then I was put on bedrest and lost the baby but remained on bed rest due to almost losing the good ol' kidneys. I ballooned to 298 lbs. I lost some of the weight in 2004-2005 but was still only down to 210-220 lbs. I started my current diet in October of 2008 and have lost about 30 lbs.

Strategy: Resist the junk, keep portion sizes down, exercise when possible, rest when I can.

We can also record what we've eaten during the day (if we cheated) and what kind of exercise we've done. This can help us be accountable for what we're doing.

Today: 1 Bowl Muesli Cereal with 1/4 c milk
1 piece of bread with lowfat peanut butter and baked fries w/chicken salt
1 Apple
1 cup beef stew with carrots and potatoes and peas.

It was a busy day today with the gym, the kids and work. Not much food there...I generally eat more.

[Lyanna Stark]

I rejoined the Weight Watchers. As I normally don't need to lose a lot of weight, their schedules and control tools really help me to stay focused and keep track of things and get those last kg:s off. Plus you don't need to eat weird things, just re-proportion what you already do (well, I do at least :) ).

[tenalpia]

[quote name='Lyanna Stark' post='1638169' date='Jan 5 2009, 10.14']I rejoined the Weight Watchers. As I normally don't need to lose a lot of weight, their schedules and control tools really help me to stay focused and keep track of things and get those last kg:s off. Plus you don't need to eat weird things, just re-proportion what you already do (well, I do at least :) ).[/quote]

Yep Weightwatchers does the trick for me too - especially because I can do it online :D Although if I'm struggling with avoiding the carbs then I'll got for Slimming World - their green plan is great for carb addicts!

[needle]

Migyht have to join weightwatchers, I think!

My mother stuffed me & Zak like christmas turkeys over the hols.

Immediate action - give up coke ( which replaced booze) and crisps, and cut portion sizes. Re-aquaint myself with the gym.

[Adelle Tully]

Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig are nice, but I find with my friends/family, when they've used Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers it was the first expense to go when things got tight in the wallet and many felt that it would work without going to the gym. Hence, they put on the weight within short order of quitting said programs. I think it's wrong to be reliant on programs, especially ones that cost money. But hey, whatever works for you.

And whoever came up with the "cut the carbs" BS ought to be shot. There's this wonderful thing I've only recently paid any heed to. It's called the food pyramid. There's a reason carbs are included in a [b]balanced[/b] diet. The body needs them. Cutting carbs out of your diet may help you lose weight quick, but it doesn't seem like a seriously healthy option besides the opinion that weight slowly lost is harder to regain.

When it comes to carbs, I think the best thing in some cases would be to replace regular carbs with complex carbs. An example would be making your fries out of baked sweet potato instead of regular potatoes.

I was reading an article in a magazine tonight saying how Brittney Spears lost her weight. She did it fast. She cut carbs and sugar...even natural sugars like fruit. This seems wrong in so many ways. She may look fantastic, but thanks to the skin, we can't see how things are ticking inside.

The biggest WTF thing I've seen today is low carb/low calorie alcohol. Because you generally get shit faced drunk for better health right? It's like "I'll have a low carb, high alcohol content drink because I'm watching my figure and my figure it watching my kidneys go to hell in a bottle of low carb wine".

[Lyanna Stark]

[quote name='tenalpia' post='1638172' date='Jan 5 2009, 11.21']Yep Weightwatchers does the trick for me too - especially because I can do it online :D Although if I'm struggling with avoiding the carbs then I'll got for Slimming World - their green plan is great for carb addicts![/quote]


Yeah I got the online version too! Much better than having to remember to note everything down.


You should totally try it Sis, it's not as bad as everyone says plus right now you get 2 weeks free.

[Anubiel]

I need to lose around 5 kg to get my BMI back to 21. This will require massive efforts on my part to avoid the freshly baked buns in the cafe at work and reminding myself that chocolate pudding is not proper dinner.

Cutting certain carbs works wonders for me. I cut out potatoes (don't like them anyway), white bread, rice and white pasta.
I walk to work every day (around 7 km) and since it's uphill all the way home I get a nice little workout. I also ride twice a week.

I lost 1 kg during my Christmas break doing absolutely nothing. Weird.

[Pebble thats Stubby]

Me, erm short and fat should describe me rather well. Oh and very unfit.

4'10" and 12st 4lb - As of yesterday according to my Wii

Weaknesses - Food no or very limited exercise

chocolate, and fatty snacks - especially when on night shift or during shark week. (and when the 2 combine ……)

Oh and overeating. In short my diet consists of all the wrong things, eaten in large quantities and eaten far too often. I also had some things happen last year which meant on top of my normally bad diet I was also eating for comfort and made me

Total lack of exercise during the "day" I work in an office so don't move around much while "working"
Low endurance levels so when I do exercise I can't do it for long. And if its "exercise" I don't enjoy it because it’s a chore, and I'm self-conscious that I'm either not doing it right and will collapse into a quivering lump after a few mins. This means that although I may start something, I never keep it up and do it regularly. This also means going to the Gym or doing anything where other people can see me is also out. Yeah I know they are not all watching me and laughing at me when I think about it. But you really expect me to be rational? I have even tried doing exercise DVD's in the comfort of my own home (not only do most of them seem to be way above my ability level) but I also get bored with them very quickly, and I don't enjoy doing them.

I know I need to do something, and I need to keep doing it. (I also know I should start small and gradually build up, but I have trouble just doing the small bit regularly) Sometimes I feel like I'm a lost cause. I have in the past managed to reduce my portion size and eat healthier foods, but again I always slip back to where I was before. I don't seem to be able to stop my weight increasing (well maybe for a couple of months if I'm really trying) If I could keep it stable it would be some comfort, yes I would be very overweight, but at least it wouldn't be getting worse.

1 month before Xmas it was my birthday and I was given a Wii with Wii Sports. And I have probably spent nearly everyday playing a few games of Wii Tennis (expect when in on holiday starting riots in Athens) - I just love that game and because the games are so short I can catch my breath and rest before starting again. I have noticed that I am playing for longer before I need to rest so I guess it is doing me some good.

For Xmas I was given the Wii Fit and I have found it fun. I have gradually been adding these games / exercises into my daily routine. The good thing about the Wii Fit is it has exercises and games I can do without having to worry about what other people may be thinking. It is also ok for my ability level. The other thing about the Wii Fit is that it has made me face up and admit to my weight. Before Xmas I had no idea what it was apart from very very bad. (I have avoided scales for over a year). It has only been a week and since Xmas day (after stuffing face with turkey and Pud) I have lost 3lb, hey I know its early and I have still been munching of xmas chocolates (still got loads left, and I will gradually eat them slowly over the next 2 months. - Take away my chocolate and I will kill you. Let me have just one or two chunks/squares every few days and I'm happy) Other than the Xmas excess I have not changed the diet, just increased the amount I move around.

I'll be working on portion size over the next few weeks. And hopefully I can maintain and increase the exercise level. Hey maybe after a while I'll be able to do some stuff out of the house. I'll keep you informed and maybe you can keep me motivated.

[Guest Raidne]

Okay count me in here too. I'm 5'5" and my start weight is 155 lb. I'm actually somehow a size 8 at that weight, but I'm all kinds of lumpy and misshapen, probably because I haven't committed to any serious kind of work out regimen for, oh, 10 years. And my husband weighs less than I do, which is intolerable. I was up to nearly 170 lbs in law school, and only took that off 15 lbs then because I had mono. At least I've managed to keep that off for the last year and a half. I'd like to lose at least 10 lbs, but it seems like I should be shooting for 20 based on recommended weight for my height.

Since I've been doing [i]nothing[/i], I'm going to start with daily walk/runs and see where that gets me. If I actually get a job sometime during this process I'll join and gym and start some weights too, but I'm going to start off slow. I've been off fast food since the bout with mono except for rare exceptions and do nearly all of our cooking, so I'd like to avoid making adjustments to my diet, if possible. I already watch what I eat to the level that I'm willing to commit to - few simple carbs, low-fat. Fortunately my husband has a tiny appetite, so just keeping my portions down to what he's eating keeps them well within the realm of reasonable.

My Mom and my aunt both lost [i]loads[/i] of weight on Nutrisystem and have kept it off, but I'll have to get pretty damn desperate before I think about eating their food. I think the secret there is really in the big salads with ultra low-cal dressing anyway.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 215
Goal (long term): 160

So I have a lot to lose. I was in the 160-170 range when I met my husband, but slowly added on a few pounds a year as I hit my late 30's. At 37-38 I got pregnant and went over 200. My high weight was 230 2 years ago and I did get down to 195 at one point, but then couldn't seem to lose any more weight.

I almost never lose weight with just diet. I work in an office, have an hr drive each way, so spend 12 hrs a day sitting on my ass. I tried working out over lunch time, but I never made it back within the hour (Curves +shower at work)

When I do finally get home, I have a 6 yr old to take care of. Hard for me to get much done with him.

I do have some exercise videos that I really like (belly dance for fitness) that I plan on starting up with again this week.

Breakfast today: Oatmeal, a boiled egg and an orange. Lunch will be grilled chicken breast, rice and green beans.

[Minaku]

Adele, the sweet potatoes thing is great. I make idiot-proof sweet potato fries. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato, peeled
Salt
Olive oil

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut sweet potato into long fries about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch thick, depending on how crispy or how mealy you like your fries. I tend towards 1/2".
3. Take a sheet of aluminum foil and line a baking tray with it. On the foil, drizzle some olive oil.
4. Toss potato fries in the olive oil, making sure they are all coated.
5. Sprinkle with salt, for taste.
6. Throw them in the oven on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Remove, flip all fries, then return to oven for up to 15 minutes, depending on how much you like char. (I love char.) Remove from oven a second time and plate. You're done!

[Greywolf2375]

[quote name='Adelle Tully' post='1638185' date='Jan 5 2009, 05.47']Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig are nice, but I find with my friends/family, when they've used Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers it was the first expense to go when things got tight in the wallet and many felt that it would work without going to the gym. Hence, they put on the weight within short order of quitting said programs. I think it's wrong to be reliant on programs, especially ones that cost money. But hey, whatever works for you.[/quote]
Agreed...the issue I have had with those plans is that they make you reliant on staying with them rather than teaching a person how to eat outside of going to the meeting - this may have changed more recently, but the feedback I have received from clients is that it is still a dependency based effort.

The way my wife and I teach lifestyle management is like a college course - 12 weeks, once a week to show a person how to adjust their lifestyle within their comfort to lose body fat, improve health, etc. Done in a group setting as there is no question that a group setting does have a significant positive impact on people having success in their efforts.

One thing often left out of any plan though is the stress management. If you're having issues with stress (and who doesn't have some in their life) then you've got a serious impediment to success. Stress triggers all sorts of switches in the body, unfortunately one of them is related to fat burning. And the other part being stress also tends to lead to "comfort food" - trust me, my mother is in the hospital, I have a Hostess chocolate cupcake for the first time in 20 years.

Did taste damn good tho.

[Tobin]

[quote name='Greywolf2375' post='1638281' date='Jan 5 2009, 09.59']Agreed...the issue I have had with those plans is that they make you reliant on staying with them rather than teaching a person how to eat outside of going to the meeting - this may have changed more recently, but the feedback I have received from clients is that it is still a dependency based effort.[/quote]

This isn't necessarily true - well, about WW for me anyway.

I never officially joined Weight Watchers but mom shared her books and charts with my sister and I. Within the first month I had lost almost 10 pounds just by changing my portions.
Part of WW is the meetings, but the lessons themselves about portioning and points you can take with you.

The failing point of programs like Jenny Craig or that Nutra-System is that they require you to buy pre-packaged food. Once you're out of the food - what do you do?
WW teaches you how to eat normal food in everyday settings, like going out to a resturaunt or a friend's house.
The trick is discipline and determination - if you sorta do WW, then you may not get the results you want and get discouraged. Changing your diet is like breaking and addiction - constant vigilance until you cement better habits, and even then you have to be aware of slipping.
WW was great for me because it didn't ban foods I loved. I could have stuff like chocolate or soda, as long as I had the points to cover them.
Seeing the point value of what I had been eating before was a real eye-opener. Before WW, I'd have thought nothing of eating two double cheeseburgers and a medium coke - now a Big Kid's meal from BK is over half my daily budget of points.
I'd imagine that having the support group with WW is also what helps a lot - weight accountability and all that. For me, I have done ok on my own.

WiiFit is awesome - between that and WW I've lost over 25 pounds without really trying. I have a ways to go, but I'll get there.

My stats:

Height: 5'3"
Start Weight: 220lbs.
Current: 192lbs.
Goal: 135lbs.

[Zoë Sumra]

I may need to keep out of this thread from now on for fear of bad influences on the rest of you, as I'm in more than a bit of a negative mood about dieting and weight loss.

My formal stats before starting:

Height: 5'6"
Current weight: Eleven stone 4 (158lbs).
Goal: Ten and a half stone (147lbs) - but to stay there

I weighed ten and a half stone from about thirteen years old to twenty. I'd taken up fencing at eighteen but hadn't seen any changes in terms of weight, shape or fitness in two years; a trip to the doctor and an asthma diagnosis prompted me to drop two dress sizes over the course of half a year, and to significantly improve my cardiovascular fitness. I was down to ten stone and size 10 dresses when I left university in 2002, but had also gained a dodgy knee fencing which stopped me doing exercise.

By 2006 I'd got up to eleven stone and a size 16, which was bigger than I'd ever been, and I was very unhappy about my appearance and fitness in general, so I started going to the gym two to three times a week and trying to cut down on the amount of crap I was eating, particularly at lunchtimes. Somehow I managed to balloon close to 12 stone in early 2007 but then dropped to ten and a half in October 2007. Since then it's crept back up; I was relatively steady at 11 stone throughout 2008, but weighed myself today and found I was more like 11 and a quarter. This may have something to do with hardly having been to the gym in December due to severe illness, but for whatever reason, it's annoying.

In the past I've not normally cared about my [i]weight[/i], per se, for a mixture of aesthetic and functional reasons. What concerns me more is fat deposits - particularly the one around my stomach, which I never had until a few years ago. I want to look good rather than paying attention to a weighing scale. Even with my recent weight gain I'm still only a size 12-14, rather than a 16, which is a win in one respect.

But, yeah... knowing I'm gaining weight now, instead of losing it, is very annoying.

[Callum]

Height: 6'4" (ish, not too sure)
Current weight: 90kg (198 lbs) - not much of it's muscle
Goal: Not a goal weight wise, just appearance.

Most of my excess weight appears to sit around my waist, with some extra above and too much under my chin.

I haven't done any real exercise yet (working all day), but will start soon.
Eating healthier: had a banana and a nectarine for breakfast, that's more fruit than I'd normally have in a week. Some rolls for lunch and potato and chicken for tea (maybe a bit too large a portion). I'm a bit hungrier, but know it'll take time for body to get used to it.

I'm hoping just eating healthier (more natural) and exercising more will get me headed in the right direction, it seems fairly complicated with carbs/no carbs, good fruit/bad fruit etc.

Will check back regularly so I don't slip up.

[Minaku]

Callum, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Start things right, get up a bit earlier to fix yourself a nice hearty breakfast. Have a protein like eggs (I personally eat 4 egg whites a day), and marry it with a complex carb (oatmeal or whole wheat bread) and a fruit, if you'd like. Fruit's simple sugars get burned quickly, and can spike your insulin and then drop it. You want to eat things that your body will burn steadily until lunch.

Think about the food groups - you need proteins, you need carbs, you need fruits and veggies. Balance your diet around what portions are the best for what your body needs.

[delete this account pls]

Good luck people. Just remember it's diet and exercise. One without the other won't be as successful. And if you haven't exercised in a while, start slowly and build yourself up, or you might do some damage. my brother slipped a disc in his back last year when, after months of inactivity, he started jogging every day.

[Yagathai]

Height: 6'
Weight: 252 lbs.

I was 247 before the holiday season, but I'll admit I went a little overboard. "It doesn't count if you're on vacation!"

A decent amount of that is muscle, but I figure if I can cut 30 lbs of fat, I'll be in a good place. The plan: Decrease/maintain calories overall, decrease (but not cut) starchy carbohydrate intake (ie bread, pasta, potato), and continue a reasonable level of exercise. Also, replace beer with hard liquor or wine.

[Lucky Pierre]

5' 7"

I'm at 154.6 today. I started December at 167.8. My goal is 145. In 2008 my lowest weight was 151. My heaviest recorded weight was 193 back in December of 2001... AND I still smoked then.

in 2007 I gave up ciggys and caffeine so those vices are behind me now. Looks like alcohol is on the way out now too.

Here is what I ate yesterday (I'm doing yesterday because it more typical than today because I'm traveling):

Breakfast:
Yogurt
Canadian Bacon
La Tortilla Factory whole wheat tortilla (these are WONDERFUL).
Egg whites cooked in olive oil.
Silk light Soy Milk (in tea)

Snack: Apple

Lunch:
Left over Pork Tenderloin
Left over Scalloped potatoes (but I scrapped off all the cheese)

Snacks: Pistachios

Dinner:
Stir Fried Quinoa w/ Sun Dried tomatoes and grilled chicken breast and a little lite soy sauce and olive oil.

All Day long: lots of Diet Rite Tangerine Soda (like 3 liters... :o )

All of that ended up at 1200 cals and 37g of fat 128g carbs and 33 grams of fiber and 110g protein

I did 40 minutes of mod-heavy sweating on the elliptical in the morning
I rode my bike at a leisurely pace for 5.5miles in the afternoon sunshine!

I put together my new weight bench! :D

[Lucky Pierre]

That is easy.... Stop Smoking... no question about it... the stat that I remember reading is that smoking alone is the equivalent of carrying 35 extra pounds on your body.

Also-just to clarify... I gave up the ciggies for 6 months before I even attempted to do anything about the weight. There's no way in hell I could have done both at the same time.