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I will admit: Mine is vanity, pure and simple. I've been invited to a friend's wedding, which is in six weeks. I have the perfect dress to wear, but it is a bit snug.
For those who have successfully taken it off and kept it off, what's your best tip? And btw, congratulations to you for doing it!
I lifted weights and walked most all my life, so I have been fit for 90% of it. However, about two years ago I had bad lower back injury ended that. I was couch bond for about a year, followed by (yes I admit it) a year of being lazy. I gained a whopping 22 pounds. On top of a muscular build, 22 pounds of fat does not look great. The good thing, is that once I decided to get back to it, I got in shape must faster then most people do, because for most my life, I had been fit.
What got me going again? I started noticing minor health problems creeping up, that I knew as I aged would be come worse if I did not get rid of the excess weight. My blood presssure, for the first time in my life was high, I was having trouble sleeping well and I noticed blood sugar things, like the shakes if I did not eat all the time. I was slipping and I knew it. I also started having bad heart palpitations and anxiety.
I started out by just loading up on fruits and veggies, with lean meats, cut carbs, etc... I walked and wallked some more. Worked my way up to walking briskly for 5-6 miles per day, 5 days a week. The pounds just fell off and I felt better. Once back to my usual weight, I started lifting weights again. My blood pressure has since returned to optimal levels and I feel great! It is amazing how much being over weight can tax your body. It trickles into all apects of your life and health and none of it is for the good.
The thing that works the most is exercise! When I walked 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day for 4 months, I lost 45 lbs.
Watch what you eat as well, cut down on portion sizes. Baked instead of fried, cook with water instead of oil. By changing little things, they can really add up to big weight loss paired with exercise.
If you only change what you are eating and don't exercise, you will see minimal results.
I was in a size 18. The only way to go from there was into the women's department, so I was scared into losing weight.
I did it by joining a gym and going there regularly for both cardio and strength training, and cutting back somewhat of my portions. I still eat whatever I want. I just won't allow myself to eat as much of it. This routine has helped me take off 30 pounds and two sizes.
I don't know what the final decision maker exactly was but when I realized I was 60 lbs overweight, I just knew I needed to do something. Once I really made up my mind, I was able to do it. I haven't lost the full amount but 40 lbs of it. I plateaud at Christmas and haven't lost any more since BUT I haven't gained it back either.
I did weight watchers. It is mostly about learning how to eat right and portion control. I mean ultimately it is calories in and calories out but it almost sort of became a game. I was logging what I eat daily and the exercise that I did and you can literally eat ANYTHING, but just not as much or not everyday. You figure out that you can eat a buttload of this but just a couple of bites of that, etc.
A couple of years ago, my dad had a heart attack (he was 59) on my birthday (I believe I was 31 then). That was one wake up call. Then I watched "the biggest loser", and did some challenge thing online. It was a game for me. I am 5'6", and I was over 200 lbs (I'm female). But the game changed when I started liking what I was seeing in the mirror, and I was feeling better. So I went pound by pound, pant size by pant size, and now I hang around 135ish. I started by walking, walking turned into bicycling, and I've kept at it for a couple of years now. Something as simple as a bike made a HUGE impact on my life.
When my pants got too tight. There was no way I was going to "graduate" to the next size up. NO WAY!
I stopped eating fast food, changed to Bud Light, ate smaller portions, exercised and stopped eating after dinner. I quickly dropped ten pounds and my pants are loose.
When my size 18 pants (that I had JUST bought) were too tight (highest weight about 200 lbs, ww starting weight 194, height, 5'5). I had fought weight my whole life and lost until that point. A gal I worked with was starting weight watchers and I thought I would try it out. Luckily I didn't NEED the ww partner because she lasted two meetings and quit (she really didn't have much to lose, maybe 10 lbs). I took it very seriously by changing my eating habits in a realistic way that I could live with (much trial and error in trying to get the most food for the least amount of points) AND exercising religiously. I found though that I needed to change up my exercise routine to keep the weight falling off. I did spinning, kickboxing, pilates, weightlifting, recumbant bike, treadmill, and eliptical. I saw the most results from the cardio kickboxing. It worked EVERY part of my body. The best part about this is I was NEVER hungry. I never understood the people in my meetings that didn't change the TYPE of food they ate but ate less of it. Not much change going on there.
Now almost 9 years later, I am keeping my weight at about 115 (sometimes lower by a couple, sometimes higher by a couple) and a size 4. The times I have gained a couple of pounds, I know exactly why and tell myself that it is because I "allowed" it and since I had the ww plan down, I knew how to take it back off.
Knee pain, turning 30 and looks.
Keeping it off tips:
-Look at what got you there. Dont do that.
I think its most important to make a custom diet that works for you intead of following a format made up by someone else. Look at what your general nutrition needs are first and improve your food types you like. Don expect to go from couch potato to fitness queen in a month. Be realistic about it.
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