Diets

[Aurian]

Yes, I know diets are not very good and it is better to eat healthy, but I would like to try a short-term diet to lose some weight. I already eat pretty healthy, and my weight stays the same all the time. I don't eat fast-food, don't eat cookies or ice cream or anything like that. My vices are Pepsi and the occasional chocolate. I have already tried switching to diet stuff for a month, but no weight loss and that diet stuff tastes cruddy anyways.

 

I am very frustrated at this stable weight because I have given up so many treats and goodies in the effort to lose some weight. I used to love fast food, chips and cookies often (probably why I am up here However, it has been 6 months now and I am getting frustrated and just getting tempted very much to just go binge on all the stuff I am missing! Even taking up high-intensity exercise classes for 3 months didn't do anything to the scale either.

 

So, I'd love to just drop 20 pounds quickly and then stay "stuck" at a better weight. I think if I lost a bit of weight, it would make me feel a bit better about staying put too.

 

So... suggestions? I am a carb fiend - I crave bread, pasta and such, and have already switched to smaller portions and whole grains. My other problem is feeling hungry a lot.

[easyguy]

Do you know what your family history is? Has there been a history of cases such as diabetes, heart disease, etc. in the family?

[Mr.Mister]

For me, I count calories, and I use Diet Power to log it all. There are a ton of different programs that help you diet, so maybe you should check into getting one of them. I also would say eating better doesn't help too much unless you are exercising. Just a little walk around the block may mean the difference between going down a bit in weight and staying the same.

 

Also, the "Special K" diet (as advertised on tv) seems to work well. They say an inch of your waist in 2 weeks, by replacing two meals a day with two bowls of Special K. I love cereal, and Special K isn't bad. It works with pretty much any cereal, but stay away from ones with lots of sugars and things. I love Cheerios and so I replace meals with that all the time. It helps. Total is probably the best one to do it with, since it has even more nutrients and things than Special K, but I don't really like the taste of it. Just some ideas. Good luck.

[shikashika]

make sure you eat 5-6 small meals each day instead of 2 or 3 big ones..

 

Make sure in all your meals you are getting protein at each meal.. your muscles need this to stay strong.

 

When you do lots and lots of cardio, you can lose muscle as well and this isn't good... you need muscle to burn fat..

 

The best thing to do is to start the day off with some HIIT (high intense interval training) cardio and do some strength training with HEAVY weights at least 3 times a week.

 

If you want to lose fat... you have to lift heavy weights.

 

Its not about weight but about size... think of it this way... If you had 10 pounds of fat... it would be about the size of a beachball... if you had 10 pounds of muscle it would be the size of a baseball...

 

The more muscle you have the more fat you burn when you are RESTING.

 

You have to make sure you feed your muscles correctly so you can have stronger muscles which in turn will burn the fat off

 

Good luck!

[easyguy]

But remember, you will appear and feel the desired weight, but in reality, you will weigh more if you chose to weightlift, because muscle weighs more than fat. Given that you refer to to the scale (which I seldom use), it is something to keep in mind.

[shikashika]

But remember, you will appear and feel the desired weight, but in reality, you will weigh more if you chose to weightlift, because muscle weighs more than fat. Given that you refer to to the scale (which I seldom use), it is something to keep in mind.

 

 

yes, muscle weighs more than fat.. but it is more compact

 

but... you can have two girls

 

1. girl one is 5'5, 130 pounds... she weightlifts

 

2.girls 2 is 5'5, 125 pounds.. she does not

 

girl number one is a size 2, girl number 2 is a size 6...

[Aurian]

Do you know what your family history is? Has there been a history of cases such as diabetes, heart disease, etc. in the family?

 

Diabetes run in both sides of my family, which is why I am worried about being a bit overweight.

 

For me, I count calories, and I use Diet Power to log it all. There are a ton of different programs that help you diet, so maybe you should check into getting one of them. I also would say eating better doesn't help too much unless you are exercising. Just a little walk around the block may mean the difference between going down a bit in weight and staying the same.

 

Also, the "Special K" diet (as advertised on tv) seems to work well. They say an inch of your waist in 2 weeks, by replacing two meals a day with two bowls of Special K. I love cereal, and Special K isn't bad. It works with pretty much any cereal, but stay away from ones with lots of sugars and things. I love Cheerios and so I replace meals with that all the time. It helps. Total is probably the best one to do it with, since it has even more nutrients and things than Special K, but I don't really like the taste of it. Just some ideas. Good luck.

 

I think I do enough exercise - I walk at least an hour a day, take the stairs instead of the elevator at work, and do an aerobics course as well. Might be worth trying out that Special K diet for lunch or "mini-meals" while I am at work.

 

make sure you eat 5-6 small meals each day instead of 2 or 3 big ones..

 

Make sure in all your meals you are getting protein at each meal.. your muscles need this to stay strong.

 

When you do lots and lots of cardio, you can lose muscle as well and this isn't good... you need muscle to burn fat..

 

The best thing to do is to start the day off with some HIIT (high intense interval training) cardio and do some strength training with HEAVY weights at least 3 times a week.

 

If you want to lose fat... you have to lift heavy weights.

 

Its not about weight but about size... think of it this way... If you had 10 pounds of fat... it would be about the size of a beachball... if you had 10 pounds of muscle it would be the size of a baseball...

 

The more muscle you have the more fat you burn when you are RESTING.

 

You have to make sure you feed your muscles correctly so you can have stronger muscles which in turn will burn the fat off

 

Good luck!

 

Weightlifting might do the trick... I was thinking about doing that when the spring classes "open" in January. Would be good to burn more calories when I am doing "lazy" stuff like reading, gaming, doing art or sitting on my butt at work all day!

[easyguy]

Aurian, I don't know your body specifics, but I think it would be best if you consulted a doctor for specifics. If you are naturally large-framed (sort of like me), then losing a lot of weight might be a tough endeavor to not only accomplish but sustain. But... if you are disciplined and motivated to lose the weight, then I bet you will get there.

 

If you run the risk of potentially getting diabetes later on in life, in either situation of staying where you are at or losing the weight, watch your sugar intake. Some people go into brief diabetic comas (sleep, tiredness, etc) if they have consumed too much sugar at once. My mom's side of the family has always had weight problems, going back to my great grandfather. My grandpa [on my mom's side] had diabetes and died because of it. Fortunately, I started taking control, and am down to a reasonably healthy weight (after being very obese as a young teen/teen).

 

Just educate yourself, especially when there is a family history of diabetes.

[Aurian]

I asked my doctor about weight loss before. I got a pile of tests to see if I have any unlying conditions (no), and the only advice I got was to do more exercise. Thing is, I have not found a form of regular exercise I enjoy, so I feel like I am going through boredom/pain for no gain! It would be so motivating to see it DOING something! Instead, I am feeling frustrated and irritable. Just seems like if I saw some results, I would feel happier about the extra exercising (yawn) and the goodies I have cut and am missing.

 

I am very tall and large-framed yes. I should also mention that half of my family tips the scales at 300 pounds plus, and I do NOT want to go there!

[easyguy]

I hate to break it to you, Aurian, but doing cardio such as running and things of that nature are just that- cardiovascular. It won't do a thing to make you lose weight. All cardio does is give the heart a work out. When you are overweight and try to go for a jog, your heart begins to pump really fast after a while, right? That is because the heart is a muscle, and because it hasn't been conditionally worked constantly, it has to work twice as hard to pump out a regular amount of blood in order to keep up to the demand of the body. Same thing happens when you run up a flight of stairs.

 

This is why athletes who run constantly can do what they do for so long without getting easily drained, because their heart is pumping out huge amounts of blood in regular or even slow secretions. Thus, their oxygen supply is so dense.

 

Lifting weights is another thing. You can burn fat by lifting weights. But you have to really work your muscles in order to reap the benefits. When doing crunches, squeeze your stomach together as if you were squeezing an orange; don't just lie on your back. After a certain amount, you should start to feel it. If you aren't, then you are not pushing yourself enough. When you lift weights, make sure you are doing the proper motions and not just whizzing through without paying attention to form. That is how some people miss the point and never get results. Take your time. The faster you go, the more tone you develop. But if you ramp up the weight to something difficult but doable, if only for 7 reps, then you are adapting yourself to a weight that you should be using. If you adapt yourself to a heavier weight, then you will start to notice some changes.

 

By the way, don't overdo it on the carbs. Carbohydrates are your friend before a workout, because it provides energy for the body. But it is meaningless if you eat it constantly.

[unface]

A low/no carb atkins derivative is probably the fastest way to lose fat (diet wise). The weight loss is shocking... my brother lost close to 30lbs in one month. You just have to be careful when you stop. Some people over-do it on the carbs when they come off and bounce back up.

 

If you're just experimenting, it's fine to try for a few weeks. It's fun to see how long you can hold out (takes a lot of will power)... but the weight you lose in the first 10 days or so will amaze you.

[Aurian]

Okay, I think I'll try a weight lifting class to go with a cardiovascular class. I do like the feeling of more flexibility and such from the exercise classes, but they didn't really do the main goal (lose weight - zip, or meet guys - all girls). I might give the Atkins thing a shot for a short period to kinda jump-start things and give me a motivational boost.

 

Signing up for weight lifting course for January! Trying to decide on a good secondary course though... Half-thinking a figure-skating one, that might be more fun than doing jumping jacks