So what IS your plan? I mean, what are you doing to lose weight--a commercial program like Weight Watchers, or low-carb like South Beach, or something totally different?
Basically, I am counting calories. I have a food and activity journal where I track everything I eat, and I mean EVERYTHING! Including the M&M's I had yesterday! So far I do not feel deprived of anything in particular. As long as my calories for the day are between 1600 and 1800 I feel I have had a successful day.
It's not rocket science...but it gets the job done.
I'm exercising and experimenting with fruit vegetables. I don't count calories as such, but I know that I'm eating fewer of them, and less carbs too. I eat what I want though, as a treat if necessary.
I eat until I'm not hungry, and hope that as I'm eating fairly healthy stuff, the actual quantities don't make too much difference. One thing that helps me is that I eat exactly the same every day at work - I take in my breakfast for after the gym, fruit and low fat yoghurt for snacks and a lovely fresh tomato soup for lunch. It makes it easier to resist temptation, because I've got the food on hand, planned, and easy to sort out in the morning.
It's definitely working. There's no science to it, and it would be hard to describe it, but the weight's dropping off.
I'm counting calories too. I can't actually join any "real life" clubs, but I've done enough commercial plans in the past to know what will work for me. And besides, I'm jiggered if I'm going to fork out dosh for them to tell me what I already know! Heh, I come here and get it for free!! No one but myself can alter my mindset and that's what has been the biggest block for me, not lack of nutritional knowledge.
I'm aiming for 1500-1600 kcals a day plus free veggies like cabbage, lettuce, etc.. (I still count peas, beans, corn, and the like.) I set a minimum intake of 2 litres of water-based beverages, and although I do count it, I'm always way over that anyway. I haven't exercised for years so I decided to add a 2 mile walk every day to get me moving. Some days it's easy and I do more than that, other days I don't manage to get it all in.
I find the above is working out really well for me. Because I've been working on controlling my portions too, I'm finding that eating what I want to (mostly healthy choices, of course) almost always results in my not going over my kcal limit. When I started, I was unconcerned about how those kcals were made up. Now, I'm finding I choose healthier options without thinking about it. I still manage to work in a few drinkies and not-so-healthy snacks here and there so I don't feel I'm being deprived.
I'm counting calories and exercising. I'm basically doing moderation and exercise. I'm trying to stay within 1500-1700 calories per day. I can't afford a formal plan. I do write down EVERYTHING that I eat and all the exercise I do. I keep track of my calories, carbs, and fat. I also keep track of my exercise time, cals burned, fat cals burned, and distance. I am keeping it all in a notebook. I also take my measurements weekly. I feel motivated by any positive change weather it be losing inches or pounds. I tend to lose inches first.
YP1, I noticed you are from Leeds....my boyfriend is from Preston..... do you follow football at all? One of our players for Preston North End has signed on to play for Leeds now....we were sad to lose Eddie Lewis....
And shiela: Thanks! I am happy I was able to keep off that last 20 lbs, so I wouldn't have to do it AGAIN!!
YP1, I noticed you are from Leeds....my boyfriend is from Preston..... do you follow football at all? One of our players for Preston North End has signed on to play for Leeds now....we were sad to lose Eddie Lewis....
And shiela: Thanks! I am happy I was able to keep off that last 20 lbs, so I wouldn't have to do it AGAIN!!
No, I don't follow football at all - I'm a rugby girl! Not that I support Leeds, but that's a long story...
I count calories, aiming for 1500-1800 on most days, and 2200 to 2500 on treat days. I also aim for protein with each meal, whole grains whenever possible, and 3 fruits/veggies a day. I do not have a formal exercise program, but I'm trying to move more. Taking stairs, stopping a stop early on the Metro and walking the extra four blocks, gardening, swimming with my family. Stuff like that.
I didn't start out with any plan. Mainly I started out by adding exercise twice a week (Tae Kwon Do class ) and gradually worked up to exercising 6 days a week.
Then I switched slowly to skim milk. I'd already been eating whole grains (whole wheat pasta, bread, brown rice) but I stopped buying sugary cereals and started buying Kashi and other high fiber cereals. I now buy low-fat or fat free items but only if by not having the fat in the food it reduces the calories significantly.
I also stopped getting fast food after work-used to get fast food at least 3 times a week.
Currently I'm using the exercise plan outlined in 8 Minutes in the Morning for Extra Easy Weightloss by Jorge Cruise. Not following it the meal plan 100% yet. Baby stepping my way into the meal plan with the goal of following it 100% by October at the latest.
Following Weight Watchers for the first time. I've kept some of the things I liked about South Beach such as avoiding "White foods". I've switched to brown rice, multi-grain bread, sweet potatoes and trying to stay away from processed foods.
My household has always been like the Mediterranean diet with lots of fruits, veggies, olive oil, etc....my issue has been portion control and skipping meals and then eating one giant or continuous meal.
Exercise is key for me and it all comes down to baby steps.
I, too, am following "my plan." I'm aiming to stay between 1500 - 1800 calories a day. I'm watching my carbs too - but I seem to be eating a lot of carbs (a former Atkins follower) so I'm letting that go for now a bit - we'll see how it plays out in the weight loss. I already get quite a bit of exercise from chasing my two kiddos around - but I'm going to try to do some more formal exercise whenever I can. I've only just begun, so I'm still figuring everything out.
Started my diet totally vegan. I think that helped me get clear of a lot of cravings. I've added back in yogurt and some cheese after consulting with a registered dietician who assured me they shouldn't cause too much tummy trouble from lactose intolerance. I also added very limited amounts of chicken back to my diet. I usually get 64 oz of plain water every day. I try to exercise at least 5 times a week.
I eat every 3 hours. My normal day follows:
Breakfast
3/4 c Raisin Bran
1/3 c rice milk
Snack
4 - 6 oz fatfree yogurt
Lunch
Tomato Basil wrap (12 grams of fiber and only 100 cal)
mushrooms, onions, and bell pepper sauteed in Pam
salsa
lettuce
Snack
small banana
Dinner
Lean Cuisine.
I'm counting calories too staying in between 1500 and 2000. But I keep messing up like for three days in a row I went over like 600 calories. Now I do work out at least 5 days a week I want to do 6 but sometimes thats kinda hard. I have to keep tellin myself that if I don't stop (going over) I'm not going to see any results. Anywho I gotta get back on the ball as far as my eating.
I should clarify something from my original post....
I posted that before a dr's visit. I was doing the calorie counting on my own. Because I have PCOS/Insulin Resistance, she recommended a low carb diet. So.....that is why my sig says I started South Beach today!
Last year I lost just under 80 pounds in 8 months by doing what I'm now going to do again. Here it is:
Eat 5-6 meals/day
Aim for a WEEKLY overall average of 1500 calories
Allow myself a weekly or biweekly off plan treat (like pizza) that's planned and fits in with my overall guidelines (so if I have 2 slices of pizza on one night, it's tilapia for me the preceding night, and grilled chicken the night after!)
Cycle my calories within the week (keeps the body guessing)
Aim for an OVERALL daily/weekly average of 40% protein / 35% carbs / 25% fat (if I'm off by a couple of percentage points, I don't sweat it)
Log all my eats and exercise in Diet Power, my nutritional software -- this is non-negotiable
Almost no alcohol (only on the rare occasion)
Stick to almost all low-glycemic or complex carbohydrates
Try to eat protein with my carbs whenever possible
Get 40 grams of fiber every day
Limit my sodium to maximum 1800 grams
Limit my saturated fat to no more than 10% of my total fat
Drink 120-140 oz. water daily
Exercise every day (I didn't do this last year, but I will this year -- nothing like getting Stage IIIB cancer to give you the "Come to Jesus" feeling -- even if your cancer is not at all lifestyle-related!
No -- or ALMOST no -- added sugars
Very few processed foods
Weight training lifting to failure with free weights and my Cross Bow 3 times a week, some cardio every day (ultimately with intensity intervals -- I love HIIT!)
Regular, ongoing presence here -- it's been so key to my success!!
This may sound intense to some of you, because I know it sounds really, really regimented -- but I swear I was very quickly on auto-pilot! My goals in all of these guidelines are to be a healthy person, not just a slim one. To streamline things, I do batch cooking, and I supplement with no carb/no sugar/no sodium protein drinks that I get from body building sites.
SOAPBOX ALERT! SOAPBOX ALERT!
I am more convinced than ever that my body and my life are precious gifts that I have not earned the right to squander. I am not playing at regaining my health. There's not much wiggle room in making the decisions that get you from 284 to 140 (or something thereabouts).....and I'm not messing around. It's all intentional. It's all purposeful. I'm on a mission from Gaaahd.
Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan
No one but myself can alter my mindset and that's what has been the biggest block for me, not lack of nutritional knowledge.
so I don't feel I'm being deprived.
My plan that's not really a plan
) and gradually worked up to exercising 6 days a week.
My plan
SOAPBOX ALERT! 