Anyone Watching Their Weight?

[plasticbunny]

Well, it's been a few weeks since I went on "the diet", and I've lost ten lbs :biggrin:. I've wanted to slim down for a few years now, but now that I'm getting married in four months, it's absolutely necessary!

I'm finding it a lot easier to eat well this time around, but I'm struggling with the exercise portion of it. Funny, it's normally the other way around.

Anyone else watching their waistline? Dieting? Working out? Making changes for their health? Let's support each other!

 

[Kipcha]

I actually have put my entire family here on a diet, I don't think my family is entirely too impressed about it but hey, I'm doing it for their own good. I'm having trouble getting them to do the excersise portion as well. Any ideas on how to motivate people up and off the couch?

Sounds like you're doing awesome though! I think with the excersise part, you have to kind of ease yourself into it and start with little things, working your way up.

 

[nermal71]

I am trying to lose weight..was doing really good till my hubby started being gone 5 days a week....and now I rarely eat and if I do it's not good....so I gained 9lbs...so back to trying to eat healthy...today is day 1...but it is so hard when it's just me and two teenaged boys...they would be happy with pizza and burgers if I let them. As to family exercise try going for a walk on the weekend at a local state park...or if you have a Wii or Kinect you can get alot of games that help you to exercise without you even realizing your exercising. I am working into the exercise again. I have problems with foot pain (I have fibromyalgia) and it makes walking quite painful sometimes. So on those days I just try to make sure I move around a bit and not plop on the couch

 

[Bluesmaven]

I'm trying to diet. Mainly trying to eat healthier;90% veggie, drinking lots of water, exercising.

 

[pamnock]

I've gained 20 lbs. since starting nursing school. Just signed up for a gym membership and really enjoyed it last night!

 

[MiniLopHop]

I have been working on my weight for a while. In November I started to phase out meat and now I am vegan. French fries are my downfall when I am in pain (chronic issues). I go to the gym about 4 days a week depending on doctor's, vet's, etc.appointments that have to go after work.

The key to keep me going to the gym is that it's easyto get to after work, I always have a bag packed in my car, and I love to swim. I found I was making all kinds of excuses to skip the days I had land classes. So I switched to just water classes and walking. It's much better for me to exercise all in the water than not at all. Plus I get all the movemet in and don't hurt after, even with a really good workout. Sticking to what is enjoyable is so key I think, at least for me.

Since November I have lost 25 pounds. I have much more to go, but at least it is going in the right direction. :biggrin2:

 

[gmas rabbit]

I have found the trick to exercising is to have a walking or exercise partner. That way if you don't feel like going, they tell you to get your lazy duff moving. My sister and I walk for an hour every weekday, not usually on weekends. We walk her and my granddaughter's dogs - 3 of them, sometimes the neighbours dog. The dogs start to look mournful about 10 minutes to 8 each morning, so is pretty hard to ignore them even when it is raining ( poured this morning - walked anyway ). The other thing that I have found out is that leptin levels drop if you are not getting enough calories, protein or fiber. They suggest that you have an occasional cheat day, that doesn't mean clean out the cupboards and fridge - but add a few extra calories and treats. This help to trick the leptin levels in your body and still allow you to loose weight. Otherwise you plateau and that can go on for a while. Celery and other raw vegetables use more calories to digest than you consume eating them. Have got in the habit of having a large salad and glass of water with dinner and supper. DON'T skip breakfast. As I told Erin last week, I am down 19 pounds in just under 2 months, but was not eating enough so plateaued ( spelling??). Am back on track, with the psylium, lean protein etc. Much better when you are accountable to someone. This is a good thread.

 

[LaylaLop]

I definitely want to lose some weight for my own health's sake. With taking organic chemistry and a bunch of other hard classes I did not have enough time to study and cook well and exercise.. I had to do well in the class to graduate, sooo my waistline took the punishment.

As for exercise I really really enjoy bellydancing and it does slim down the waistline area. My pants fit a LOT better with less lovehandle when I was signed up for the class and went every time (was only 3-4 hours a week). It made such an improvement and I had better stamina when walking or exercising, as well as better posture since my instructor was big on working us hard.

I have bought an at-home bellydance DVD since I am not enrolled in the school and can't take the class there at the student level..

I need to eat better (my roomie loves carbs/junk food).. Told her we should eat more like bunnies do, with more fiber and fresh raw veggies and cut out sugar.. She agrees then 2 seconds later is begging me to bake something *le sigh*..

Anyways, good luck to everyone and congrats to those of you that are successful! I hope to be one of them soon enough

 

[MiniLopHop]

Kim- It's funny you mention the bunnies. Now when I'm thinking of cheating I ask myself WWBD (what would Becky do)? My minilop keeps me on track. I figure if I put in energy in making my pet's meals healthy for them, then I should do the same for myself so I can live a long, healthy life for them.

I would never give Becky fries, so should I really be putting them into my body? Nope. Granted I eat a lot of beans and rice, but I'm never tempted to over eat beans and rice vs chocolate.

When I'm tempted to over eat due to emotional reasons rather than hunger I hug a bun. It's much better to connect emotionally with a pet then to stuff myself with crazy calories so I don't feel my emotions. Luckily I only eat excessively at home, so a rabbit or cat is always available for a cuddle.

 

[degrassi]

Its been about a year and a half since I decided to get into better shape and I've lost 55lbs. I have health issues and chronic pain(back, headaches, fibro) is one of them. I started going to a pain rehab clinic and they set up a exercise program for me. It was 6 months of hell but I finally got up to working out 5 days a week and was feeling much better, way less pain. I stopped attending the pain clinic but I'm still keeping it with the program. I do light weights and stretching 2-3 times a week and treadmill for about 20-30mins 2-3x/week. Or I really prefer to go to Aquacise classes as that combines the strength training and cardio plus its fun. So I try to do that 2x/week instead of the boring treadmill.

Its amazing how much better I feel. If I'm not feeling well and slack off for a week or so I can really notice it in the way I feel. My pain is worse, my cardio goes to crap, sleeping is worse and I'm tired all the time. Its amazing how fast you can loose your physical conditioning when you aren't using it. So even when I'm sick I still make sure I do my exercises as I have found if I don't I get sucked back into the "I hurt so I don't exercise-> But not exercising causes me to hurt more" cycle.

I've found its helpful to keep track of your activities. I write down everything in a booklet. That way you can see your progress and I find it keeps me accountable as you can see which days you missed.

But its a big choice to stick to it. Even I still have weeks were its hard and I have to get back on track. Just keep at it and you'll notice you'll feel better. Then you'll want to keep doing it because you can see a difference in how you feel. It sucks at first but don't give up.

 

[jujub793]

I have jumped on the weight loss bandwagon too. I joined a weight loss "Body challenge" at one of out local "gyms", it not a gym per say but where they hold classes such as body sculpting, kickboxing, kick and sculpt which is half weights and half kickboxing, and zumba ( which is my favorite!). I need to be accountable and we have weigh in every week, and they suggest you follow the Zone Diet, which is mostly protein with fats, and carbs in very small doses. So far since last Sunday I have attended 9 classes. Today I did back to back classes, body pump and zumba. Tomorrow is my first weigh in and I am nervous, because I really want to do good. We have teams, kind of like Biggest Losers and we encourage each other so that helps motivate. The winner wins $300 a six month free membership, clothes, and other goodies. One of the other team members lost 17 lbs in one week, that will be tough to beat but he was a really " robust" felllow and will have trouble keeping that pace I'm sure. I will be happy if I lost at least 5 lbs and at least 4 inches ( for my first week). Needless to say going from couch potato to strenuous exercise has been painful lol. The first few days I could hardly move but I am noticing an improvement in my stamina everyday, so something is working. You heard the old saying no pain no gain!! Wish me luck tomorrow that my hard work and dieting are working. I have not had sugar, pasta, rice, white bread or soda or alcoholic beverages in two weeks and it's been quite a challenge. I love food, but this zone diet has you eating so much food I have a hard time with it. I feel like I am eating all the time lol.

 

[fuzz16]

i dont diet. i eat better. diets dont work, you have to make a lifestyle change. eat wheat instead of white. frozen veggies instead of canned, no pop, more water. Drink a cup of green tea a day and theres a bunch of things you can do to make you overall healthier without dieting. dieting is hard on bodies...
then excercise...i made a work out plan thats easy and spend 10 minutes 2x a day and get a work out.

so dont use the word diet
think of it as a lifestyle change.
for me i wrote down what i want and look at it daily for inspiration: being able to run up the stairs and not being out of breath. its not about being skinny, its about being happy with myself. and healthy is the new skinny. i would like to be able to loose my hips, and not have rolls when i twist or turn

 

[SOOOSKA]

Brenda you hit the nail on the head. Diets do not work, yeah you’ll lose weight but as soon as you start to eat regular foods again you put the weight back on. I worked in a Diet Clinic (I’m embarrassed to say) many years ago, what a crock. The only thing it did was make the Doctor very wealthy who owned it.

To me the Healthiest way to lose weight is Weight Watchers, nothing fad about following it. It’s all in the portion size you eat.

I’ve lost weight on WW and in the process eat much healthier. I eat 3 – 4 fruits a day. I never ate fruits before WW.

Exercise OMG that’s where I am bad, who’s got time. I’m up at 5:30, taking care of myself and the bunnies. Leave forwork at 7 am, ittakes about an hour to get to work. I’m home around 6, feed bunnies then myself, clean bunnies, relax for a bit, bed up again at 5.

I do have a Wii, i think i have used it once. Hopefully I’ll start to use it soon.

Susan

 

[LaylaLop]

Pets are definitely a good motivator.. I just need to take my dog on more walks/hikes! Sadly, my dog is getting kind of out of shape like I am..

I don't believe in fad diets, and have had many friends do basically all of them, including HCG.. don't even get me started on how stupid that starvation diet is.. but it's all about changing your diet; diet as in what you eat and portion control. More healthy food, less junk food, more exercise, less couch time. Too bad it's easier said than done! I do plan on joining a local gym, it's just hard since I don't really have anyone that wants to go with me and my roommate is a die-hard junk food eater. As in, she always has gummy snacks, oreos, top ramen, picks up McDonald's etc. I try to avoid fast food if I can (unless in an airport), except for subway which is a better lazy option.

There are alternatives to whatever you eat that's bad for you, you just have to find the better options... Oh, and exercise doing something that you don't think of as exercise, like dancing or walking the dog or playing wii fit

 

[SunnyCait]

A simple thing that can help, and ANYONE can do it... Drink water. Lots of it, and cut out the sugary drinks altogether (soda, certain teas, kool-aid, alcohol, energy drinks). That is the easiest change a person can make to their habits, and it really does help. If you're hydrated properly your body is better able to metabolize the food you eat, simple as that.

 

[plasticbunny]

Well, unfortunately I need to lose weight FAST, like, 10 lbs a month. So the way I'm eating is not how I plan to eat for the rest of my life. But I certainly won't go back to the way I've been eating the last few years!

So far, I've lost 13 lbs in just over a month, and I have 40 or so lbs left to go before I'm bikini-ready.

 

[fuzz16]

you know i have had a LOT of self-image issues...i still do. throughout my life, either too bony, too fat, ect. i was never happy with myself. I was 145lbs then got pregnant with my 2nd kid and got up to 210...drs said baby weight. 3 months later and i weigh 190 still from the day she was born until now. I have cried and done adderral to help starve myself and then to help keep my moving when my body was too worn out from lack of intake. and drugs to burn fat...hydroxycut was baaad.
and i know everyone says it...but maybe they say it cause its true...all the stuff about you are beautiful how you are. but if you cant be happy with your image, then how can you be happy with even simpler things? like a person you love, your life, your job? your supposed to make the dress fit you. loosing 13lbs in a month may seem all fine and dandy now, but what happens when you become addicted to loosing weight and it turns into annorexia or some other disorder? what happens when, due to malnutrition, your body starts falling apart? it is not healthy at all to loose weight that fast, and i dont wanna sit here and annoy or upset anyone, but all your trying to do is be skinny. your not worried about your health-mental or physical.

ive come to find out and realize...that "miracle drugs" and other "loose weight quick" people do because they are just lazy and want something now.

id look to loose weight as much as they next person and not have a pancake flap on my stomach or be unable to fit into any of my clothes anymore, but its not worth being too sick to care for my kids or be able to watch them grow up.

 

[plasticbunny]

Thank you for the concern, but I promise I'm doing this right .

Five months to lose 50 lbs = 10 lbs a month, or 2/2.5 lbs a week, which is still considered healthy. A body that is used to eating unnecessary junk foods will initially lose weight quickly if those foods are cut out of the diet altogether. And the first chunk of weight is always water weight/bloat.

My program consists of roughly 1200 - 1500 calories a day (although I don't count, I just estimate). I only eat breads in the morning, so I have time to use that fuel throughout the day. I do something active every day, whether it's walking to work (2.5 miles), yoga, strength training, workout video, jogging with the dogs, etc. I've cut my alcohol consumption down to red wine once in awhile, from drinking beer/white wine almost every night.

I am not using any supplements, drinking lots of water, eating all my food groups, and respecting my body's limits. :biggrin:

 

[jujub793]

I agree the Only way to loose weight is portion control water and exercise. Gotta move more and be less sedentary. So far in one week I have lost 4 lbs and 3 inches so I am pretty proud of that. I have a really hard time drinking water so honestly that has been the hardest part. But I am off to a good start and just have to keep on keepin on!

 

[jujub793]

By the way, if you don't fuel your body on a regular basis your body makes fat. You have to eat breakfast lunch and dinner and healthy portion controlled snacks. This "diet" I am doing requires so much food I can hardly eat it all yet I am loosing weight, I am never hungry and tempted to cheat with junk food. When you starve yourself to loose weight you are sabotaging yourself and defeating all your efforts to lose anything but water weight.