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I was fat as a kid, and I got made fun of for it at school. Did it make me want to lose weight? No, it didn't, if anything it made me go home and eat more and feel bad about myself.
What did get me motivated? Going on a hike with one of my friends and getting my a$$ kicked, huffing and puffing the whole way, and knowing that I'd live a lot longer and healthier if I got in shape.
"Tough Love" may work on some people but on many, many other people it just makes them feel even worse and resentful.
Absolutely. And for others anything but tough love is pointless.
What has worked for me diet-wise in the past and is working for me now (although slower after 2 babies) is cutting out a lot of the sugar. I'm not doing a low carb diet per se, but I've been told it's similar. Why? Because I have removed things like pasta, crackers, and potatoes from the house. I kept the bread, because I've never eaten a lot of it. I've even cut back on fruit, because I ate truckloads of it. I completely gave up beer and only drink wine (not a big fan of liquor).
I've been doing this for 6 weeks and I'm down about 10 pounds, so this hasn't been a quick fix. I've also been working out with a group of people 3 times a week. Work out buddies are great to have. They can hold you accountable. I'm even increasing my exercise; I just posted yesterday about running, because I'm anxious to lose the last 15 and want it now.
As for diet, I started with removing all of the prepackaged, sugary things. My breakfast is usually a bowl of non-sugary, healthy cereal or a piece of peanut butter toast (the natural kind), V8, and a piece of fruit. Lunch is usually leftover dinner - I make sure to have extras. Our dinners are basically a protein and a vegetable now. The pasta, rice, and potatoes are nearly gone. I miss the rice a little, but I'm saving that for important things like sushi. I only buy whole wheat pasta and find that I can't finish a bowl of it anymore. If I eat it, it's now as a small side. I used to eat bowls of it. The potatoes I haven't missed one bit, so I don't buy them anymore. But, I don't think they're bad for you - unless you fry them or load them up with sour cream and butter (like me). I now only eat about 2-3 pieces of fruit a day. It's good for you, but has that sugar. But, I don't drink juice at all now since all the good fiber is gone. I only drink skim milk, water, and a little bit of V8 (and wine). I don't drink any other liquid. No diet sodas or that crazy vitamin water stuff - I understand they sabotage weight loss, as well as your health.
My snacks are now fruit, carrot sticks with hummus, green peppers, cucumbers, pickles, celery with peanut butter or fat-free cream cheese, and sugar free yogurt. To help get the raw vegetables down, I sometimes dip them in some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I bet there are some low calorie, sugar free dressings out there. If you don't use a lot, they would probably be okay. I also eat cashews and pistachio nuts. But, nuts have a lot of fat, too. I've been cutting back on fat, too, but do allow myself the good kind like in nuts and olive oil. I think the fat helps you feel sated, too. The snacks aren't as glorious as a lot of things, but the clincher is that I'm not feeling hungry or snacky quite often. I forget to snack.
Dessert was never an issue with me except for ice cream. I don't buy it, because I can also eat that by the truckload. I think I'm trying Fierce_Flawless' idea of angel cake with strawberries, because I plum forgot about that option. Maybe those sugar free fudgsicles will taste good to you. There are probably other things in the freezer, but I try not to walk down that aisle. Dessert is my wine, I guess.
Also, there are days when I eat cake and ice cream - birthday parties. If I go to someone's house and they serve me lasagna and tiramisu and a beer, you better believe I'm going to partake. I just don't keep partaking the next day and the next day. It's not an all or nothing thing when you're trying to make dietary changes. It's a process, so there will tweaking to do from time to time. Like for me, after having 2 kids in 3 years.
I'm not a nutritionist. I can't follow strict diets. I can't count calories. This is just what has worked for me, because it is simple. If it's sugary in a bad way, I try to avoid it. And, this only worked, because I got fed up with myself and really, really, really wanted it. I committed to my program of changing my eating habits (this isn't a diet - it's how I eat) and exercising.
Good luck!
Last edited by fjtee; 07-31-2008 at 04:29 PM..
Reason: an addition
Just cut out soda, that alone will save you hundreds of calories. It's hard at first, but you get used it.
Track your food. It's hard at first but after a week or so becomes fun. Write down the calories you eat... 1 donut, 250; Starbucks frapachino, 800: Big Mac, 550.... oh shoot... already over my daily limit!
Two eggs, 160; Glass of skim milk, 80. Grilled Chicken salad from McDonalds, 250; Grilled Chicken, rice, veggies for dinner.... 400. YAY! I'm way under my limit! Cool! I can have ice cream tonight!
It actually can become interesting and fun.
Do it for just a couple days, you will be shocked to know that you probably eat 4000 calories a day. I'm serious, it's that high if you remember to include every snack and drink.
If you make that 3000 calories a day you can still eat greasy fried food that you love, and lose weight because it's less than you used to eat.
Also, snack all day, even on sunflower seeds with shells. They keep you busy and the flavored one's are fullfilling, and since you have incoming small amounts of food you don't need to eat as much junk, and you keep your metabolism up ALL DAY creating weight loss.
You have gotten some fantastic advise so far....I also learned to play a mental game with myself...it also takes work but you can do it.
I'd look at a snickers, want one, then force myself to think about how much better an orange, apple or handful of grapes would taste. And more refreshing too. After the 1st few times of eating the friut instead of candy, you really don't want the candy.
Fill in the blank of something bad for you and replace it with something good for you.
I'm not an after work exercise person either, so I go before work. I'm lucky I have a gym at work so I don't have to pay for a membership.
I promise myself that if I have a good workout, I can have more than normal for breakfast. I usually don't because then I tell myself that I just wasted all the energy working out if I ate junk.
I didn't eat fast food for a longggggggggggggg time and one day coming home from the beach stopped at McDonalds....I'll just say it didn't set too well because my body wasn't used to that kind of eating anymore.
Start slow, but be steady. You're not going on a diet, you can still eat what you want, you just have to change your mind on what you want.
If you make that 3000 calories a day you can still eat greasy fried food that you love, and lose weight because it's less than you used to eat.
No, to be clear, weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you take in. Eating less isn't enough. It has to be less than you burn up. So, eating 3,000 calories a day is still a lot. It means you'll put on weight more slowly.
No, to be clear, weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you take in. Eating less isn't enough. It has to be less than you burn up. So, eating 3,000 calories a day is still a lot. It means you'll put on weight more slowly.
Yeah, I've never lost anything by eating less. In fact I've done the dumb reverse thing and sent my body into starvation mode.
I can get away with a LOT when it comes to food though, as long as I exercise.
3000 calories a day can be a lot, depending on the person and activity level. My "maintenance" calories are 2800 and I'm 167 pounds. If the OP is 250 pounds, he could probably eat 3000 and lose weight, at least until he lost enough body mass to where 3000 became his new maintenance calorie level.
In theory if you eat less than you burn daily, you'll lose weight, and this works for most people. When I was in high school I did all sorts of manual labor working for a trucking company and I'm sure I burnt a LOT of calories working 12 hour days moving heavy loads, but I was still fat as I ate crappy (Sonic was right across the street for lunch/dinner, haha). Diet is 3/4 of the battle of weight loss IMO, while exercise is a GREAT addition to any weight loss and fitness plan, if you are still eating crappy, you won't lose weight.
3000 calories a day can be a lot, depending on the person and activity level. My "maintenance" calories are 2800 and I'm 167 pounds. If the OP is 250 pounds, he could probably eat 3000 and lose weight, at least until he lost enough body mass to where 3000 became his new maintenance calorie level.
In theory if you eat less than you burn daily, you'll lose weight, and this works for most people. When I was in high school I did all sorts of manual labor working for a trucking company and I'm sure I burnt a LOT of calories working 12 hour days moving heavy loads, but I was still fat as I ate crappy (Sonic was right across the street for lunch/dinner, haha). Diet is 3/4 of the battle of weight loss IMO, while exercise is a GREAT addition to any weight loss and fitness plan, if you are still eating crappy, you won't lose weight.
True. There were days when I was doing triathlons and not losing weight. It was the crap I was eating. I also agree it can be more complicated than calories in, calories out, but it's generally true. I wanted to quash the idea that you can cut down on calories a bit and still gorge yourself on junk. Your example is perfect!!
1. Drink only water
2. Eat lean meats and fish, whole wheats only
3. Bulk up on fiber
4. No refined sugar- choose fruit and yogurt instead
5. Work out at least 30 minutes a day (walking will do it)
6. Smile and laugh as much as possible
7. Take vitamins
This is the secret to weight loss!
Good luck!
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that's not exactly the way to get your point across..... I agree with you but you didn't have to be so mean about it 
