I started out counting calories. It was really working for me and then I just got stuck. I started WW online this week. so far I really like it!
I'm working out between 30 minutes to an hour typically every day if I can get to the gym (I'm working on being more consistent!) I stopped lifting weights but I plan to start again this week
Through years an years of experience, I have decided that as you change (age, cognitively, physically, lifestyle, etc.) you must also change how your diet/exercise.
When I first started dieting I was in high school and did Weight Watchers. Which in my opinion gave me a great foundation for the basics of eating healthy; this program helped me understand portion control, reading nutritional labels, the importance of fiber, exercising, and so forth. I lost 25pounds.
Later in life I wanted to become even more health conscious, especially when it came to food. Weight Watchers concentrated mostly on calories, fat, and fiber. I took this to another level for myself and started to look at other nutritional values such as carbs, sodium, etc. When I was doing WW religiously with all of their food products (like Lean Cuisine) I was always so shocked that most of those meals had tons of Sodium. Since then, I have really eliminated most frozen foods from my diet.
This then progressed into an unprocessed food plan for myself, which was sparked by the local farmers market near my house : ) Yummy. Now I am continuing to eat an unprocessed food lifestyle which has led me to be very creative in the kitchen when I am preparing food.
As far as exercise I try to go 3times a week for an hour. I have always gotten the best results in terms of losing weight when i hit the 500cal mark at the gym. I also think that being involved in group classes at the gym help me be more accountable (i hate the idea of leaving earlier and everyone watching...haha).
Hope this helps!
PS I was always under the impression that when you are at the gym you should do weights first then cardio. I am assuming the idea is that when your muscles are nice and warm after a few reps they will burn more fat during the cardio workout : ) Also, if you use small weights and high reps you will get tone, if you do the opposite you will get more buff. Just a tip that I have noticed with myself.
Last edited by dust2bunny; 09-11-2011 at 02:13 PM.
I'm eating between 1200-1500 calories a day, using an iphone calorie counting app on my phone.
I don't typically cook for myself (I've never been big on cooking), so I usually eat a combination of premade meals and out at restaurants - I'm just careful to keep track of the calories using their online nutrition information. For snacks I eat quick-grab things like small packages of Greek yogurt, protein shakes, and "100-calorie" packs.
I don't currently have an exercise regime - I bought some weights to lift at home but haven't started yet. In the past I would fail at my exercise first, then get discouraged, say 'what's the point' and give up on the diet/exercise entirely. I just find the diet a LOT easier personally than adding in daily exercise. So, this time I decided I would start with the diet till I saw significant success and then slowly try to work in some exercise that I find manageable.
So far this is working out well for me - it's only been a little over 3 months but this is the longest I've consistently stuck to a plan, and I'm still feeling good about it. I don't feel deprived of foods - I still go out and drink too much with friends every now and then, or share a dessert - but overall I keep track so I know it can slow my loss but I'm not going to be derailed long-term.
I know everyone says you "have" to exercise to make it work, but I say do what works for you. It's obviously better if you include exercise (for both vanity and health), but don't think it's impossible to do it without.
Calorie counting (1200-1500/day.) The rest for me is just being mindful of mealtimes and hunger. I always used to graze, and now I'm actually planning when I eat a little better. For hunger, I just limit carbs and sugars, and often snack on protein bars, fruit & veg. I'm still trying to eat healthier, but I've made a lot of progress.
I'm relatively active, but I don't really count it toward any weight loss effort. I just mind what I eat, and I only exercise to feel better. I'm vegan, but that hasn't had anything to do with my weight loss (or else why would I have gained? lol)
I eat a clean whole food vegetarian diet, I do intermittent fasting almost every day and I exercise (not too much lately )
No counting, planning, preparing..
I'm starting WW this week, actually today was my first day!! I was already eating healthy, but I needed a plan that would allow me to eat what I wanted while still monitoring my intake...I was counting my calories, but I need that support since I'm not getting at home...I've seen people around me get great results from the program, my grandma lost about 100 lbs. I don't need to loose that much, but 20-35 lbs. would be nice.... I was wondering if anyone else has has done weight watchers and how long it took them to see results?? Thanks
I use a high protein diet. and it's been working for me. I've lost 10 pounds in a month and I had to give away some pants because I lost a bit of my gelly-belly . I don't have an exercise plan , can't seem to prioritise that with my schedule, but I try to include more exercise in my day to day life: I do park further at the grocery store and at school and I use the stairs.
Last time, I went from 288 to 160 in a little over a year with no exercise before 180. I counted calories, eating around 1400. Now I eat 1200 and use a bodybugg to estimate the value of my exercise, averaging 1250 calorie deficit/day. I've lost almost 30lbs in my first month and a half.
I calorie count and try to stay <1600 a day, but sometimes its <1800 a day if I worked out a lot. I just started juicing today!
I go to the gym everyday, doing a large amount of cardio and weight lifting and I do the Insanity workout DVDs. I usually work out about 90 minutes a day.
I count calories (1200 to 1500), drink water and have just started C25K (which I am loving!).
I've found that the more water I drink, the better. So I literally carry around a 1L bottle of water and aim to fill it up 3 times a day. Besides water, I squeeze half a lemon into warm water before breakfast (to help with digestion) and drink green tea! That and keeping a diary of my weight and what I've eaten really helps me with sticking to this diet.
Calorie counting It's the most intuitive, simple, and flexible method for me. Plus it's a lifestyle change, not something I can only participate in if I subscribe to it.
Also doing IF (intermittent fasting), eating lower carb (150 g a day), and lifting 2x a week, cardio 1-2x a week. These are for fitness and health reasons purposes, not weight loss purposes, though.
I eat whole foods, meal plan, calorie count and/or weight watchers (I go back and forth with how I feel like counting, but they end up the same), and exercise when I can - I'm single mom to a four year old, so we go for walks together, my friends and I like to hike, and I go to the gym for running/lifting - but I'm not really religious about the gym due to time constraints.
How are you losing weight?
)
. I don't have an exercise plan 
