I was wondering what all of you do for exercise and eat to be able to the lose the weight you have. I'm having a difficult time staying motivated when I'm not seeing the results I should. I've seen a lot of your before/during/afters and find it very inspiring but also wondering what you did you achieve that at the same time. Also how long did it take you to see results on this new lifestyle? Is walking alone going to give me the results I want. I've tried doing strenght/weight training in the past but it seems that whenever I do that it completely stalls weight loss(inches and scale) which I don't understand, I heard someone say once if you were an athlete in school then your muscles are different and you have to do things differently, but I don't know if thats even true. Please let me know what you have done that has given you results and if you ever felt like it wasn't working at first.
Questions for those that have lost some pounds!
- Thread starter hotmama2b
- Start date
Consistency is what gets results - finding something that you enjoy doing and sticking with it.. and having reasonable expectations...
when you have more than a couple of pounds to lose... It's all about lifestyle change and not diet... changing those habits that got us 50, 75, 100 or more lbs overweight and changing what you thought you knew...
It's rare that anyhing seems like it's working at first - but over time... it does.
Spend some time reading the stickied threads around the forum - you'll get much needed advice on a reasonable exercise program, nutrition, and varied stuff in the On Topic thread.
Walk does give results but you want to up the speed/distance/instensity over time - you want to continually progress..
when you have more than a couple of pounds to lose... It's all about lifestyle change and not diet... changing those habits that got us 50, 75, 100 or more lbs overweight and changing what you thought you knew...
It's rare that anyhing seems like it's working at first - but over time... it does.
Spend some time reading the stickied threads around the forum - you'll get much needed advice on a reasonable exercise program, nutrition, and varied stuff in the On Topic thread.
Walk does give results but you want to up the speed/distance/instensity over time - you want to continually progress..
IMHO, that's a mental issue (both staying motivated and feeling there's a certain result you "should" be seeing), not a diet and exercise issue.
When I started out, I was having foot / leg problems that kept me from even walking short distances, and it took me about 45 pounds lost through improved diet alone before that resolved. And I gradually added exercise (mostly walking) as I felt inclined from there. Exercise doesn't burn a huge amount of calories, so I exercise for the health benefits (and sometimes because I really want an extra 100 calories to eat), not because exercise alone is a good way to lose.
Omega
Moderator
Walking made a dramatic difference for me - but as Mal says - it has to be consistant. I walk a lot - but I do so every day - that includes Christmas Day, New Year, my birthday - every day.
I found that it helped to wear a pedometer all day long. Put it on when you get dressed - take it off as you get into bed. Find out how many steps you do and record it in a notebook or spreadsheet. Let it challenge you to do more. I now walk between 11 and 12 miles a day - but I certainly am getting results with it. I didnt start off doing that distance - but I built up to it - and make no mistake - if I stopped losing weight I would even now add a mile on each day and see if that started things up again.
In April I was rushed into hospital for emergency abdominal surgery. I got out of hospital on the Saturday and by the Tuesday I had built back up to 10,000 steps. Obviously I kept on building up each day until I was back up to the 11 to 12 miles that had been normal for me. The surgery went very smoothly which almost certainly would not have been the case if I had still been at my start weight. That in itself is a huge insentive to continue this lifestyle change - you dont always want to spend hours walking in the rain!
I am also good with my food too - and prior to surgery I was doing some other forms of exercise which I am only now allowed to restart.
I found that it helped to wear a pedometer all day long. Put it on when you get dressed - take it off as you get into bed. Find out how many steps you do and record it in a notebook or spreadsheet. Let it challenge you to do more. I now walk between 11 and 12 miles a day - but I certainly am getting results with it. I didnt start off doing that distance - but I built up to it - and make no mistake - if I stopped losing weight I would even now add a mile on each day and see if that started things up again.
In April I was rushed into hospital for emergency abdominal surgery. I got out of hospital on the Saturday and by the Tuesday I had built back up to 10,000 steps. Obviously I kept on building up each day until I was back up to the 11 to 12 miles that had been normal for me. The surgery went very smoothly which almost certainly would not have been the case if I had still been at my start weight. That in itself is a huge insentive to continue this lifestyle change - you dont always want to spend hours walking in the rain!
I am also good with my food too - and prior to surgery I was doing some other forms of exercise which I am only now allowed to restart.
Kasey23
New member
Here is a sample of my daily food and exercise routine.
BFast: 1 serving of Kashi Go lean cereal 1 cup of skim milk. 1 cup of mixed [fresh] fruit/Pineapples, watermelon, strawberries, grapes.
Snack: EITHER 1 cup of mixed fruit [same as above] OR 1 serving of dry roasted/unsalted peanuts.
Lunch: 1 can of chunk light Tuna, 1tbsp of low-fat Mayo [mixed together with pepper], either eaten like that or made into a sandwich using 24grain whole wheat bread and a banana [if I dont have the Tuna, I have Turkey breast either with the bread or a whole wheat Pita pocket]
Snack: Same as mid-morning snack
Exercise Time: Run 1.5-2 miles [sometimes 3miles]
Dinner: Grilled Chicken or some kind of red meat [like small chuck steak] and steamed veggies.
I drink 64oz's or more of water everyday and I take 1 Multivitamin and 3 Fish Oil supplements everyday.
Thats what I do in a nutshell. You have to have patience and you have to understand you are going to have "slow" periods where you won't lose as much as you did the month before. Your body is a machine and in order to work that machine the way [YOU] want to, you have to fuel it with the right foods [don't forget portion sizes!], exercise, patience and most of all motivation and determination!
BFast: 1 serving of Kashi Go lean cereal 1 cup of skim milk. 1 cup of mixed [fresh] fruit/Pineapples, watermelon, strawberries, grapes.
Snack: EITHER 1 cup of mixed fruit [same as above] OR 1 serving of dry roasted/unsalted peanuts.
Lunch: 1 can of chunk light Tuna, 1tbsp of low-fat Mayo [mixed together with pepper], either eaten like that or made into a sandwich using 24grain whole wheat bread and a banana [if I dont have the Tuna, I have Turkey breast either with the bread or a whole wheat Pita pocket]
Snack: Same as mid-morning snack
Exercise Time: Run 1.5-2 miles [sometimes 3miles]
Dinner: Grilled Chicken or some kind of red meat [like small chuck steak] and steamed veggies.
I drink 64oz's or more of water everyday and I take 1 Multivitamin and 3 Fish Oil supplements everyday.
Thats what I do in a nutshell. You have to have patience and you have to understand you are going to have "slow" periods where you won't lose as much as you did the month before. Your body is a machine and in order to work that machine the way [YOU] want to, you have to fuel it with the right foods [don't forget portion sizes!], exercise, patience and most of all motivation and determination!
Pancake Batter
New member
I went to the library. They have a whole freakin' shelf of diet books, so I read the backs of some that looked promising, picked the one with the most accolades on the cover, and stuck to it. Choose the diet that you think'll work for you. The one I picked (the GI Plan, for the record), let me eat similar foods to what I had before -- sandwiches for lunch and pasta for dinner. There are so many books that you can't help but find one that suits.