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I need to lose about 50 pounds. I recently gave up drinking soda and started drinking mostly water and occasionally sweet tea. I have been trying to control portions. Eating a lot less fast food. I thought maybe by giving up soda that I might lose at least a pound or two. But I weighed today and I've actually gained. =(
I know I need to make more time to exercise. I'm moderately active all day at work. I stand all day and am constantly on the move. What else could I do to lose some weight and boost my metabolism?
How much does stress contribute to blocking weight loss?
I'm so disappointed that I hadn't lost even one pound and that I've gained like 5.
First of all, don't get discouraged! It can be frustrating, but keep at it!
Eat breakfast!
Drink lots of water!
Eat small portions, and eat frequent meals
Don't eat late at night
Exercise...not just move around at work-get out and walk or work out at a gym. Come home and do 30 minutes of walking or exercising in the house.
Also, write down what you eat and when...this is a huge eye opener.
Yes, stress does play a role in weight loss, but exercising significantly reduces stress!
I need to lose about 50 pounds. I recently gave up drinking soda and started drinking mostly water and occasionally sweet tea. I have been trying to control portions. Eating a lot less fast food. I thought maybe by giving up soda that I might lose at least a pound or two. But I weighed today and I've actually gained. =(
I know I need to make more time to exercise. I'm moderately active all day at work. I stand all day and am constantly on the move. What else could I do to lose some weight and boost my metabolism?
How much does stress contribute to blocking weight loss?
I'm so disappointed that I hadn't lost even one pound and that I've gained like 5.
What else are you eating/not eating? Fruits and vegetables tend to be few in calories and have fiber in them, which suppresses appetite.
If you eat pasta or bread, try to get the whole wheat varieites (check the fiber content on the label, if it's only 1 or 2 grams per serving, it's low fiber. You'll want 5 grams or more per serving).
Also, lentils and beans of all kinds have a lot of fiber and protein and can act as a substitute for meat.
Also, I don't know if you drink, but alchohol has a lot of calories, so reducing that helps.
I recently read that foods with high fructose corn syrup increased weight gain in rats more than regular table sugar. HFCS is in A LOT of things. Check the labels on your foods (including bread, cereal, etc). Don't buy anything with HFCS in it.
I need to lose about 50 pounds. I recently gave up drinking soda and started drinking mostly water and occasionally sweet tea. I have been trying to control portions. Eating a lot less fast food. I thought maybe by giving up soda that I might lose at least a pound or two. But I weighed today and I've actually gained. =(
I know I need to make more time to exercise. I'm moderately active all day at work. I stand all day and am constantly on the move. What else could I do to lose some weight and boost my metabolism?
How much does stress contribute to blocking weight loss?
I'm so disappointed that I hadn't lost even one pound and that I've gained like 5.
Good job on dropping the side. That can be a ***** to do (I'm a self admitted Pepsi addict) and yet it's absolutely crucial for weight loss. Now you need to find a diet and exercise regimen and stick with it.
I need to lose about 50 pounds. I recently gave up drinking soda and started drinking mostly water and occasionally sweet tea. I have been trying to control portions. Eating a lot less fast food. I thought maybe by giving up soda that I might lose at least a pound or two. But I weighed today and I've actually gained. =(
I know I need to make more time to exercise. I'm moderately active all day at work. I stand all day and am constantly on the move. What else could I do to lose some weight and boost my metabolism?
How much does stress contribute to blocking weight loss?
I'm so disappointed that I hadn't lost even one pound and that I've gained like 5.
Sorry to hear and props to dropping the soda. Next, drop the "sweet" tea - drink it unsweetened. That sugar (even if it's Sweet and Low, etc. which WILL contribute to weight gain...and it is NO good for you) will only hinder you. Cut fast food altogether, want a glimpse to see exactly what it does to you?
Eat 5-6 small palm-sized mini-meals a day. You need it for your metabolism, it will give you a lesser rushed release of insulin and it's easier for your body to digest. Do not skimp on eating, you will only plateau and your body will switch into survival mode and hold onto every calorie you take in.
I understand you are on your feet all day and move around, but you need to exercise. That does not constitute "exercise," unfortunately.
People have been under stress for thousands of years, it is not the stress "itself" that makes people gain weight, it's the symptoms that stress induces - such as, eating more, grabbing for less healthy food, a result in your blood sugars yo-yo'ing due to terrible eating choices, emotional eating, a lack of motivation to exercise - (real exercise), etc.
Serotonin in your brain is affected by stress, it's basically your neurotransmitter - it creates the "feel good" in your brain. When you are under stress, your adrenal glands will pump out cortisol - and not serotonin. When this happens, your body will begin to crave things you should NOT have - when you eat them, it provokes the serotonin through the "feel good" sensation from unhealthy empty sugars and carbs----then you crash, feeling even more stressed out and crappy - then repeating the cycle.
I have had similar issues in the past and have had success by adding fiber, cutting out dairy products and def the sweetener. I think sometimes, no single diet works for everyone and you need to figure out how your own body reacts to diff foods. Trying a food elimination diet and then adding back in common allergens like dairy, soy, corn, gluten, etc. certainly might be a good first step.
I need to lose about 50 pounds. I recently gave up drinking soda and started drinking mostly water and occasionally sweet tea. I have been trying to control portions. Eating a lot less fast food. I thought maybe by giving up soda that I might lose at least a pound or two. But I weighed today and I've actually gained. =(
I know I need to make more time to exercise. I'm moderately active all day at work. I stand all day and am constantly on the move. What else could I do to lose some weight and boost my metabolism?
How much does stress contribute to blocking weight loss?
I'm so disappointed that I hadn't lost even one pound and that I've gained like 5.
Stress can definitely be an inhibitor of weight loss. If you are stressed your body holds onto what it can to help combat the stress. I've been doing Medifast and have been quite successful on it. I do drink a lot of water, walk a few times per week, ride bicycle too because at work I can only sit all day and walk now and then.
when I'm at home and since starting this, I've cut my caloric intake, upped my water, I never did drink soda and don't recommend it (empty calories), I don't any longer eat fried foods, breads, cracker, snacks, etc,...
The fact is, until you are done stressing, you are just going to have a harder time losing the weight. when you are happy, your body seems happier and more willing to comply - sounds corny but it's true.
Well I don't think its stress really. Its extra calories, poor nutrition/food type, extra salt in your fast food. Stress does not create extra calories. It can slow a loss but it won't create a gain without the help of calories usually. You can blame stress when you are eating properly and not the junky stuff.
They both do the same thing basically. Strange eh?
You have to eat better than fast food. Let me explain you a cycle:
fast food = no nutrition + bad stuff (salt, fat, high calorie, chemicals)
poor nutritional intake = prone to stress chemically, resistant to weightloss (nutrients can affect speed of loss)
prone to stress = prone to impulses, cravings, and additions
which makes it go back to step one: fast food
The thing that sucks is that it can take awhile for good nutrition to really take hold. I think that is one of the reasons people say "exercise". I think the exercise feel good high hits you a lot faster than the food intake improvement high.
Before you lose weight or when you change your intake, people tend to put on water weight. You could just be a little bloated. But ask yourself:
Do I know what a proper portion is?
What am I measuring with and is it accurate?
Am I sneaking mindless bites or tastes of things? (this can really add up for some)
It is a myth that you need to exercise to lose weight. You just need to eat less than you burn. So unless you are under 140 lbs you can get away with just using nutritional control. It may go slower, but its easier to stick to. You may feel like exercising more when you have 20 lbs gone too.
To improve your results right now:
- stop all fast food. Go to the deli and get some turkey breast meat and a cut up veggie or fruit platter. Its just as easy. Find a 24 hour grocery store in your area.
- stop with the sugar in the sweet tea. Ideally it would be best if you switched to all water only. Try to shoot for that. But if you want a sweet tea try one with stevia (zero cal) or agave (kinda like honey,low cal, low GI). The chemical fake sugars can create cravings, spike blood sugar and are 3 calories per little packet. Diet pop actually does have calories too. Less than 5 a serving so its legal to list it as zero. But if you drink a lot of beverages that can add up.
- Eat the proper amt of food. Too much or too little can mess up your loss.
Google: spark people diet. It will give a total guideline and its free. Plus it will give you workout stuff you can do at home. The only challenge will be the cardio part. The starter exercises don't take very long at all. I think it was 20 minutes maybe? I forget but I do remember being glad that it was not something that took forever and I could do it while watching tv. I did not need to make "special time" for starting out. So don't be afraid to start. Maybe grab a pedometer too so you can see how much moving you do in a day to get a more accurate calorie need suggestion.
I am excercising anywhere from 45 minutes aerobic [85% max HR] to 90 minitues plus slow [eg walking-65% max HR] - the aerobic excercise burns more calories but more of it is glucose and I get famished on aerobic days but not so much on slow days. On those days I am just drinking more, eating more fiber and hanging in there with every ounce of will power I can muster.
Excercise is not about losing the weight; it is about budiling health and fitness. To loose the weight I am controlling my calories with a planned approach making sure I get what I think is the right blend of macronutrients for ME, primarily about 30% protein and LOW sugar [ok with complex carbs]
Many folks wind up eating more because of hunger induced from the excercise and it does not take much. For example - one handful of trail nut mix - = 160 calories. So, I burn about 160 calories walking 2 miles at a leisurely pace. One handful of nuts will undo all that.
Losing 50 pounds at a rate of one pound per week will take all year; so, don't fret. You need to ask your doctor for a recommended daily allowances or for a reference to someone (registered dietician) who can help you with your diet.
This is what helped me...
Controlled portions... Limit (don't eliminate) your carbohydrates because your body needs carbs in order to survive. I eat 180 grams of carbs per day (60g per meal or 45g per meal with 15g reserved for each between-meal snack). An example of a 15g snack - a fist-sized orange.
Carbohydrates consist of three parts: sugars, starches, and fiber. Minimize the sugar and starches, maximize the fiber, because the body doesn't digest fiber and helps slow down the processing of sugar and starch. It also helps alleviate hunger and fiber doesn't count against my carb budget. I would ease in to the high fiber diet until your digestive system gets used to it.
Eliminate trans fats and saturated fats; limit polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. I have eliminated anything fried or battered. I grill, roast, or bake, now. My meat portions are the size of a standard deck of cards and are very lean cuts. I eat nuts and beans along with the meat for the protein.
Also, I eat a lot of vegetables; Up to 3 cups of salad per day, radishes, celery, etc. Picking vegetables with a variety of colors works for me.
I get recipes from a diabetic cookbook because I am diabetic and the recipes come with serving sizes (pay special attention to this stat) and nutritional information. I wish all cookbooks came with the nutritional info.
The nutritional info you find on food labels and in the recipes will become your best friend. Use that info.
50 pounds is a lot of weight to lose and it will take dedication and discipline. Keep track of your weight loss on a calendar hung up where you can see it every day. And, for goodness sake, weigh yourself once (maybe twice) per week, not everyday. Don't go totally nuts over this.
Good luck!
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