Your plan is almost exactly the same as Southbeach! You have added the calorie counting which I think is a very good suggestion. It is too easy to overeat...even with on-plan foods!
Rhonda over the years my attempts at weightloss were really very feeble. No heart in them at all. Which is why they didn't last. My method was just cutting back and trying to elminiate most of the junk. It just didn't work. When I got serious this time, I really tried to set myself up for success. In order to do that I had to get real. And that meant being totally and completely upfront and honest with myself. So, yes I most certainly have to track my calories. I have to be aware of them. I have to set limits for myself. Again, it is a small price to pay for all of the vast rewards.
I just first wanna say that every single woman that has replied in this thread ia absolutley amazing!!!! Every day when I come home from work, exercising, or just being out and about, I cant wait to log on to this website.....!!!! Even with some of the emotional and financial struggles that im going through right now, being apart of this website and interacting with u ladies, makes me feel soo much better, I know loosing weight will help me with my emotional struggles. Now for the financial issues, **** as long as im sexxxy and broke instead of FAT and broke i'll be the happiest person alive!!! Atleast I can hit up tjmaxx and get a cute outfit for under 20 dollars instead of going to Lane bryant and paying 200 dollars for one!!!!
I have been on my weight plan for about 2 months and some weeks, I have lost about 35lbs or so, and for the most part I am doing good, I started at a size 22, but yesterday I went to the mall and tried on some 18's and they FIT. I didnt believe it, I figured it was just that designer's particular sizing, so me and my best friend went to wal-mart after, and tried some 18's over there, and they fit too......so am I an 18 now????????????????????????? When I look at myself in the mirror and dont see any change, my stomach still looks exactly like it did when i first started HUGE AS ****....yea the clothes are looser, but i still look the same(in my eyes), I'm guessing i wont actually see a major change in the mirror until i get under 200lbs.
Some days im able to do the 6 small meals, and then there is some when my schedule is soo hectic that i only do like 3....but whatever I eat its always small, I havent ate my old portions since I have began my life change. Now I have eatin at restaurants about 4 times this week and I had salads on each visit...and i still felt guilty after I left the restaurants, but I have already 3lbs this week, so maybe my exercise is balancing with it.
For you ladies that have lost 50lbs or more, is this biggest part of your body always the last to loose the fat or the first....cuz my gut is REDICULOUS im 21 and I look like I have already had bout 5 kids....that dang gut hangover....gosh I just wanna cut it, i run and walk my butt off and crunch it up as much as I can, but I wasnt sure if the oversized belly was gonna be last on the fatloss list, The places that i have lost inches the most are my shoulders, chest, and arms.
But anyways girls, sorry for the long post!!! Enjoy yalls Easter!!!!
Angela.. you are doing amazing yourself girl! 39 lbs! I've been on this diet since Jan 15 - just before you started and I've only lost a lousy 13 lbs. You rock!!
I guess the exercise really helps.. I don't do much at all.
For right now I am also losing weight quickly. I'm on a very low calorie doctor-assisted diet, and have lost 18 lbs in the last 3 1/2 weeks. This is my second try with the same plan, but this time I've worked out what a working maintenance plan is for myself. I lost 87 lbs in 26 weeks last time on this diet, that was 3 years ago. Back then the transition diet didn't work out, even though I followed it religiously, and I gained most of the weight back over the next year. But I did learn what worked, and for the last 2 years I've maintained effectively. For me, a bit of trial and error was involved, but not a total loss!
So, this time I'm on a combination of low-carb protein shakes, measured amounts of lean meat or fish, low-fat cheese or the occasional egg, leafy or stemmy greens, an occasional small amount of starchier salad vegs, 2 - 3 liters of water or weak teas, and LOTS of supplements. Calorie count is below 800 per day, and my electrolytes are getting monitored with every 20 lbs lost.
I am in semi-starvation, and that means there are several medical concerns, so I would never try this type of dieting on my own. I've learned to pay strict attention to carbs for any success, and of course, exercise. But even with Atkins, South Beach, etc., plus calorie-counting and exercise, I only maintain weight, and so it's medically-mediated semi-starvation to get to goal. Only this time, I have good maintenance habits in place, to keep at goal, and that will make all the difference for my health down the road!
For exercise, right now I'm just doing stat-cycle 5 or 6 days a week, 5 to 10 km (3 - 6 mi) per day, and when the sidewalks are clear of snow or I go to a mall, maybe 20 mins of brisk walking. I hope to start using my old free-weights routine within the week, and am already feeling "dancey". Soon, I'd like to try my daughters' DDR kit - on the most novice level, of course!
I don't care if I lose weight at 4 lbs per week, or at 1. Most important is my health! I'm doing what works for me, and whatever it takes - that's healthy - I'll do. It has to be workable, though, because I'm doing it for the rest of my life. Reading everyone else's stories is going to be a factor in keeping me on track, too, and SO many of you are incredibly inspiring! Thank you so much, all of you!
Angela - You'll get there! You're doing great already. At the end of two months I was at 35 pounds, btw, so keep doing what you're doing and you'll be at 50 pounds in no time.
I'm an average loser. Some weeks I'll have a 3+ loss, but mostly they are between 1 and 2. I eat about 1750 calories a day and exercise 4-5 times per week. I could probably drop my calories a little lower and lose a little faster, but I'm not a happy camper when I'm hungry. So I've decided I'll take my slow losses and not feel bad about them, because I know this is for LIFE!
But you big losers, you have no idea of how much motivation you give me. It makes me stay on plan and commit even more, because I know one day I will catch up to you!
Angela.. you are doing amazing yourself girl! 39 lbs! I've been on this diet since Jan 15 - just before you started and I've only lost a lousy 13 lbs. You rock!!
I guess the exercise really helps.. I don't do much at all.
Happy Easter.
Charbar, nothing is lousy about 13 lbs! Every single pound we lose is one pound less to go. I am proud of what you have accomplished!
Lots of great replies here already, but I thought I'd chime in too. I'm averaging about 3.5 pounds a week since last September. I've basically done this by calorie counting (I average between 1400 - 1500 a day) and developing a love of running, which I do 4 times a week, and I'm averaging about 25 miles a week these days. I lift weights a couple of days a week (off-running days) and will sometimes do yoga too, although that's more for the stretching benefits than as a calorie burner.
So there you have it - for me, it's as simple as "eat less, move more". A formula that truly does work.
Wow Rachel, Ur exercising, is off the tha chain girl!!!!!! thats good that u have the passion for running and u make it sound so easy, thats like 6 miles a day that you're doin right????? Im trying to get there, I dont mind running, but i cant do a whole mile straight without stopping yet......your basically down to a 100lb loss in what looks like less than 7 months...!!! good job!!! My best friend said that running is a mind thing, and that anyone can run without stopping if they put their mind to it....i told her yea right, cuz she has been an athlete all her life so what would she know!!!!
Angela, good job on the size 18's! You're young and you will get to where you want to be very soon! Keep healthy! Oh, and keep posting!! I love your views and style!
Dana - 13 pounds!! It is awesome. Don't discredit that at all.
Tiffany - Keep it up. You're doing great.
I am a slow loser (evidently), but love to hear from those who are getting to goal even faster. I'm proud of you all and I'll be coming along with my goal, too, one step at a time. Turtle steps....
While this is a thread about losing quickly, I want to let slow losers know that persistence counts! While I did reach my Weight Watchers goal, I'm still working on the last 6 that will bring me to 100 lbs. even, and am still looking toward the 6 more. And it took me 4 years to lose the 94. My motto is Never Give Up! I could have gotten discouraged when I didn't lose 100 lbs. in the first year like I thought I could. And maybe a few times I did get discouraged. But I've managed to keep that weight off I lost in that first year, and add more to it over the next three.
So, please, if you don't lose weight as quickly as you'd like, don't give up.
Hi...sorry if i'm a bit late getting in here. Just noticed my name at the top.
Any whoo...I have to support everything that has already been mentioned. With that said, I am also proof that it doesn't last forever. It definately depends on where you were, what you were doing before and how bad it was...I was pretty bad... I started by losing about 5-6 pounds a week. Of course some was water, but after a few months it really started to bother me and I wanted to slow it down. I'd lost weight in the past very rapidly and suffered a number of consequences, losing my gall bladder was one. I'm NOT going there again!
When I started my level was about 1300 calories of only whole foods (no flour, sugar, dairy, caffine, salt, chemicals), very little starch, most carbs from veggies, over a gallon of water with half of that mixed with a cup of natural unsweetened cranberry juice, about 8 ounces of lean meat/fish a day and more protein from whey and eggs, my fats were exclusively from flax seed, flax oil and supplements of borage oil (for a good combination of omega 3's & 6's). I prepare all my own food and eat some small balance meal or snack every 2 hours, and NO, I don't believe hunger is necessary. It is simply a natural trigger for us to eat, to indicate a lack in the body. If i'm taking care of my body it's not an issue. The whole foods, particularly the combination of veggies, proteins and fats, provide a lot of volume to keep me satisfied. It was a formal plan called Fat Flush. Overall I thought it a good plan but very involved/restrictive and found I wasn't going to be able to follow that for the rest of my life so I modified it and am very happy with what i'm doing now.
Slowly I increased the calories to about 1800-1900, reintroduced certain foods one a week such as NF plain yogurt, whole grains, beans and flourless bread products such as Ezekiel and Manna and was still losing, albeit at a slower pace. For a while I was putting everything into Fitday to see if my percentages were right and just kept the routine. Periodically I go back in and do the same for a few days just for a reality check. The only exercise I do is a bit of walking although after 90 pounds I know I really need to get into weight training.
Today i'm losing at about 1/2 pound a week and that's fine. I actually feel like my mind has to "catch up" with my body. I'm toying with lowering the calories, but i'd like to put that off as long as possible and work with the exercise component first.
I understand the need to be inspired (By the way, I have to say i'm always blown away when I look at what "Rockin" has been doing! ), and I really have no idea what it was that clicked in my mind this time. It was very slow and as I mentioned in another thread, there wasn't any actual "moment" when I said "this is it!" It was just a slow down hill of to much pain, depression, and apathy. I did one small thing at a time. My first move was getting rid of the soda...cold turkey. Then it was drinking more water and giving up salt. Everything just snowballed from there. My mind was just in "that space" and when I found that plan it seemed to go along with a lot of what I was doing so I tried it for a number of months and had the courage to say "hey, there's some good in this, but I can modify it for me!"
I think that's a problem many have...they either don't take the time or don't have the idea that they can figure out what is best for them. We have to experiment, not look for a cookie cutter solution. Tweek, tweek, tweek!
All the best to you!
Last edited by cantforgetthis; 04-08-2007 at 02:51 AM.
Today i'm losing at about 1/2 pound a week and that's fine. I actually feel like my mind has to "catch up" with my body.
I'm fine with maintaining my weight loss for now or losing very slowly too! I've never weighed this little as an adult and am finding I haven't adjusted to my new body yet!
So I've decided I'll take my slow losses and not feel bad about them, because I know this is for LIFE! 
I started by losing about 5-6 pounds a week. Of course some was water, but after a few months it really started to bother me and I wanted to slow it down. I'd lost weight in the past very rapidly and suffered a number of consequences, losing my gall bladder was one. I'm NOT going there again! 
