I need to loose 3 lbs a month between now and April (veggies, overweight)

[pitt_transplant]

Well execise is a joke in taking off calories compared to how fast you can put them in.
For example it would take me about an hour on my bike to burn off a small burger. And not at a slow pace either.

I get take out and still lose weight. Subway is a cheap and healthy option and they have kid's meals too. There are health option at pretty much every takeout place. Even McDonalds has the calories on the stuff and grilled chicken etc. You can cook a lot of stuff just as fast as going for pick up. Stir fry stuff can be easy,fast and one pan cooking. (Minute brown rice in a side pot.)
Sandwiches are an easy way to eat lean,fast and then throw in a "salad in a bag" or zap one of those bird's eye steamers in he microwave.

You can google plenty of 30 minute meals.

Never eat sandwiches? Why?

You can eat anything! Just know the value of what you are eating and sandwiches can be a healthy option. Like that fried stuff...That is suppose to be a once in awhile in small amounts thing if you ever have it. Not your regular dinner. If that is how you eat now..Changing just a little bit is going to make a huge difference. Just figure out a way to do it instead of making excuses not to.

If you say too busy, then you have to ask yourself why until you figure out how to manage your time to get done what you need to.

[ira]

Thanks, guys. You gave some really great suggestions. Just to clarify, I don't eat McD or drink soda, EVER. When I said processed food, it's mostly frozen stuff. I love Trader Joe's frozen dinners. They have some really great stuff, like organic chicken and rice, vegetables, etc. While it's not junk, per se, it's loaded with calories and sodium.

Anyway, will keep you posted!

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by ira

To answer your questions:

I need to loose 15 lbs (or 3/month for 5 months) to get back to my pre-pregnancy shape/size. I have 2 major events coming up in April and I absolutely have to look my best, hence the urgency.

No, I am not breastfeeding anymore, so that's not an issue.

Why can't I lower my calorie intake? In a nutshell, I am weak. I hate to admit it, but when it comes to food, I just can't resist. I love to eat. Plus, I am stay-at-home mom with 2 young children and watching what I eat is really hard. Basically, when they snack I snack. And I don't really have time to cook, so lots of takeouts and processed food - which, of course, is the worst kind.

To lose fat (which is what you want to lose, not muscle), you have to create a caloric deficit of about 500 calories a day to achieve your goal (could be more or less depending on your current weight).

In order to do this you must 1.) eat less, 2.) exercise, or ideally, 3.) do both. There is no other way, no magic pill, nothing. Having young children does not change the fact that you must do 1, 2, or 3 in order to lose weight. Lacking the willpower to not hit the drive through or to not pick up the phone and call Pizza Hut also does not change the fact that you must do 1, 2, or 3 in order to lose weight.

I lost 120 lbs through diet and exercise so I do speak from experience. Serious weight loss takes willpower and discipline. Maintenance takes even more.

[Bosco55David]

3lbs a month is nothing. I was on a variation of the low carb diet and was dropping 4 to 7 lbs per week. Granted, women don't drop weight as easily as men, but you can still do a pound or two a week.

If you're willing to do it, I'll be more than happy to help you lose the weight, but you're basically going to have to give up the carbs.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

3lbs a month is nothing. I was on a variation of the low carb diet and was dropping 4 to 7 lbs per week. Granted, women don't drop weight as easily as men, but you can still do a pound or two a week.

If you're willing to do it, I'll be more than happy to help you lose the weight, but you're basically going to have to give up the carbs.

Actually, studies have shown that any diet that involves a reduction in calories is effective at helping people to lose weight. Low-carb is not a magic bullet. Also, the more restrictive a diet is, i.e. the more foods that are forbidden, the more likely you are to fail.

I never gave up carbs and still lost 120 lbs so I think my results speak for themselves.

[grannynancy]

BECAUSE you are a stay at home mom with two young children is exactly why you should watch what you eat and start there good diet and excercise habits NOW. It is part of that whole benefit your kids get from you being home with them.

I still regret that when I HAD to go back to work, [youngest as 3] life got a lot more hectic with two young kids and I did not take the time to prepare the wonderful healthy foods and snacks I could when I was home with them.

If you can eat a high fiber diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and minimize the processed foods you will be fuller and your kids taste for sugar and salt will not be what it would be if they ate so much frozen. Just a point to consider.

------------

Big D Geek you are an inspiration, my experience with cutting out the carbs is that it was awful, my husband tried it and had a heart attack, and my pounds came right back on with w vengeance. I am using diet software to help me ensure the right nutrients and calories and going slow and steady - I have a long way to go but we are eating better than we have for many years. My mix tends to run about 20% calories protein, 25% fats but good fats, and the rest carbs but very low in sugars.........

Subway is good for calories but sodium is over the top. Amys Vegetarian meals are pretty good, so is Kashi stuff and they keep down the sodium. But the kids can get involved in the food - and its prep [hint, small kids tend to like simple one thing at a time foods instead of things like casseroles but you can do a lot of neat things with them with those foods - - - there is math and physics and all kinds of neat things in the kitchen.

[Bosco55David]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

Actually, studies have shown that any diet that involves a reduction in calories is effective at helping people to lose weight. Low-carb is not a magic bullet. Also, the more restrictive a diet is, i.e. the more foods that are forbidden, the more likely you are to fail.

I never gave up carbs and still lost 120 lbs so I think my results speak for themselves.

Of course if you lower calories enough you'll lose weight. It's simple math.

That said, I'd do it low carb over low calorie any day of the week. Much less catabolic and the weight loss is much, much faster.

[sendmorecops]

Rapid weight loss isn't healthy though, and you're more likely to gain the weight back (I've heard several people say weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint). It's better to make small, sustainable changes to your diet than to denounce an entire type of food. Yes, simple carbs like white bread/pasta/rice should be avoided because they aren't as nutritional as their brown counterparts, but fruit is in the carbohydrate family and very good for you. Just like it's a good idea to avoid most fats, but it's important to eat healthy fats like nuts, seeds, and avocados. You need carbs, fat, and protein to live.

I missed the part where you're a stay at home mom - you definitely have time to cook! It doesn't take much effort or time to make a grain, steam vegetables, and cook a protein. If your kids are picky, you can add an extra element to the meal for them, but really, they should be eating those things too. You can have one night a week that's your 'cheat' meal, like pizza or something, but still try to make it healthier than normal. I think it's better to plan in things like that, if you know you're getting something comforting that you miss, it's easier to be strong for the rest of the week. I make cookies or a small brownie once a week and i've lost 11 pounds in the last two months, without too much effort.

Also, the easiest exercise to get in with kids is to have a dance party with them. I don't know a single kid who doesn't love to dance around to music. I dance in my living room with a hula hoop all the time.

[Bosco55David]

Originally Posted by sendmorecops

Rapid weight loss isn't healthy though

That depends on how rapid we're talking about. With a low carb diet your body is burning fat for fuel, which is why they've been so successful. If you're dropping 5lbs a week by starving yourself (AKA, low fat/low calorie diet) then yeah, that's a problem, but on a low carb diet it's perfectly normal and safe.

and you're more likely to gain the weight back

The rate at which you take it off has zero to do with whether or not you'll gain it back.

(I've heard several people say weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint)

And they're right, to an extent.

It's better to make small, sustainable changes to your diet than to denounce an entire type of food.

I disagree. There are plenty of people (like myself) who do just fine with a complete and total change. In fact, it's required for a low carb diet since gradually weening yourself off carbs won't shift you into ketosis. Understandably that method is not for everyone, but it's the best way to do it IMO.

Yes, simple carbs like white bread/pasta/rice should be avoided because they aren't as nutritional as their brown counterparts, but fruit is in the carbohydrate family and very good for you.

I don't think anyone would argue against the fact that fruits are healthy, but they're not an option on a low carb diet because fruits are basically sugar. It's not really an issue though, since what nutrition benefit they have can be obtained through other means.

Just like it's a good idea to avoid most fats, but it's important to eat healthy fats like nuts, seeds, and avocados.

Fat intake is greatly overrated. Dietary fat is very important to have. Saturated and trans fats are the only ones you really need to watch out for.

You need carbs, fat, and protein to live.

You can live without carbs. Our bodies are naturally meant to burn fat for fuel, and it wasn't until the agricultural revolution that our carb intake started to sky rocket.

[grannynancy]

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

I don't think anyone would argue against the fact that fruits are healthy, but they're not an option on a low carb diet because fruits are basically sugar. It's not really an issue though, since what nutrition benefit they have can be obtained through other means.

Fat intake is greatly overrated. Dietary fat is very important to have. Saturated and trans fats are the only ones you really need to watch out for.

You can live without carbs. Our bodies are naturally meant to burn fat for fuel, and it wasn't until the agricultural revolution that our carb intake started to sky rocket.

David - where, other than synthetic means, are you getting the nutrients you get from fruits and vegetables on the low carb diet? Because it sounds like your argument is based on the idea that a very low carb diet is the natural order of things.

Also - There are plenty of stuides that show one of the problems we have is having an overabundance of omega 6 relative to omega 3 fats - both of which are polyunsaturated - the omega 6s have been implicated in inflammatory processes. Omega 3s have natural sources but you would be hard pressed - and I don't think we were meant to eat nothing but fish and certain nuts. to the exclusion of other things.

Our bodies are naturally meant to burn fat for fuel? Unlike true carnivores, our metabolic pathways REQUIRE carbohydrates to eficiently burn fat - the ketosis from not having enough carbs to fully burn the fat is why these low carb diets cause weight loss so fast. I think all creatures rely on fat as backup fuel.

I gather if you can commit to a life of not eathing carbs it works [maybe not for health but for keeping lean] but the problem is the rebound weight gains from low carb diets is worse than ever, not to mention EVERYONE I know who has been on these diets can go so long before they get sick of the limited food selection. You have to look at the dietary intake of the apes and primitive hunter gatherers and it is still some meat, root foods [which are terribly good for us], frutis, leafy greens, etc..................and our dental structure. Ours is not the set up of a carnivore. My dog gets a grain free diet. Works for him...........If you cut out the PROCESSED foods you will go a long way to eating complex low glycemic carbs than high carbs [and yes, too much fruit is too much but some fruits are not so high like dark berries full of antioxidants]

I think the shame here is she has two young ones who are learning their dietary preferences ------ and it is very unhealthy to set them down the wrong road.