those of u who lost how did you do it
 

hello all im fairly new to this site im 23 im trying so hard to loseweight but i cant seem to do it i cant seem to stop over eating and i try i guess not hard enough im tired of blaming it on the fact that im a stay at home mom with 3 little boys i mean i want to look and feel better why cant i just stick tosomething i need help please those of you who have lost tell me how and what i can to to follow in your footsteps i need to lose at least 80 pounds im only 23 and i want to feel like it right now i feel like an old lady im letting my weight take over my body i mean my legs look likecottage its groos help please

Hi. For me, low carbing (Atkins) along with cardio (treadmill) and Curves (3 or 4 days a week) has helped me go from size 20/22 to a 14. I still have 20 or so pounds to lose -- but am currently in maintenance mode until after my vacation in September. Then, gung ho again to lose the last 20 pounds and get into a size 12.

Good luck with your efforts.

Hi,
I try to eat 5-6 small meals a day, with protein in all of them. I eat a few (3 or 4) for a snack even if I'm not hungry. It's worked in the past and it's starting to work now. I also feel much better. I do not drink any soda or coffee just green tea and sugar-free lemonade.

I walk and do Tae Bo everyday. Also as "Mad 4 Sting" said eat 5-6 smal meals a day (2 of those are snacks). I eat my carbs before 1:00pm. Only meat and veggies for dinner. I do drink coffee :) I don't think I can do without it.

I concentrated on eating for long term health, weight loss was a happy by product. I did not diet, I have changed the way I eat forever.

I've written a post called "My Big Weight Loss Secret" that you can find as a sticky at the top of this forum. :)

What I would suggest right off the top of my head is do as much research as you can about how you want to change your lifestyle. Don't get into a "diet mindset" - that usually implies a temporary situation. You need to find the way to eat that works for you and that you can keep doing permanently. The "learning phase" would be educating yourself about healthy nutrition and exercise. One good place to start (other than right here at 3FC) is the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans - which can be found at www.nutrition.gov.

Don't fall for the marketing of the diet industry - we've all seen those ads and infomercials featuring self-proclaimed fitness gurus with their latest miracle diet/exercise plan. There really is only one way to lose weight and keep it off permanently - that is to reduce caloric intake while increasing calorie burn - but the diet industry is run by brilliant marketers who know (through market research) exactly what to say in their ads and who their target market is. It's VERY important to keep in mind that THERE IS NO SECRET - you just need to find the key that will unlock your 'door'. (okay that sounds really hokey...I know...)

Exercise is a VERY important part of the equation. You don't need to join a gym or buy any of those infomercial exercise gadgets - you can start by just getting a decent pair of walking shoes, opening your front door, and taking a walk :) which is how I started. (an MP3 player or walkman helps too - Music is a great motivator!)

The exercise key IMO is to find something you ENJOY. If you start with walking, walk as briskly as you can while enjoying the fresh air. Better yet, if you have a significant other and/or some friends that are interested, get a walking group organized! If you decide to go the gym route (I happen to be a confirmed gym rat!) shop around and find a gym you really enjoy with a motivational atmosphere, that is conveniently located and with good hours. Most gym chains (24 Hour Fitness, Bally's, Gold's, Curves, etc) offer trial periods from 3 days to 3 weeks. I encourage you to give the trial period a try prior to signing a contract, to ensure that the facility you are considering is the proper 'fit' for you.

As far as the scale number goes - IMO it's not a really good idea to focus exclusively on the scale, especially early on. If you start eating healthier and moving more, you should soon experience other benefits - both physical and mental :) (paraphrasing Lance Armstrong - "it's not (just) about the scale"!)

There are so many weight loss/fitness/diet books out there. A lot of them are (quite frankly) crap. However, there ARE some very useful ones - a recent one I'd like to recommend is Body for Life for Women by Pamela Peeke. (you should be able to find it in your library).

Whew...so much more I can say but I'm out of time :dizzy:

I do cardio 3 times a week, and weight training 3 times a week. I cut out all soda (except Diet Sprite Zero), use Splenda in the gallons :s: of tea I drink a day, and (try to) count grams of protein -- with a goal of 100 grams per day. I don't actually count calories or carbs or fat grams, but I try very hard to make sure that my meals are based on protein FIRST, with only *some* carbs and good fats added in. Like some other people have said, I also make sure I eat something every 2 - 3 hours, even if I'm not hungry. It keeps my metabolism fired up and I find I'm not *too* hungry at mealtimes, which makes portion control much easier.

Welcome to 3FC! :)

Please share your diet secrets!!
 

Some of you have lost so much weight - Please share with the rest of us how you do it!!!! :gossip:

Good topic! This will be interesting and informative!

I'm doing a Bible study from the website settingcaptivesfree.com. It's called The Lord's Table and it's free! I'm loving it!

This seems to be a popular topic today :) so I took the liberty of merging the two threads about this subject...

thank all you so much for replyin im going to take what all you said and get right i want to lose weight andone day be thin

I follow a modified version of Atkins, with about 50% of my calories from fat, 10-15% from carbs (net, not total; I don't count fiber), and the rest from protein.

When I weighed about 170 pounds I could eat 2150 calories a day and lose about 2 pounds a month. Now that I am down to 145, I can only eat about 1900 calories if I want to lose. I don't know how many calories I was eating when I was 200 pounds because I wasn't counting calories then.

I keep track of all this on FitDay.com. http://fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJourn...Owner=Newbirth

At any rate, this works for me and keeps the horrible carb cravings from my meds under control. :D

Just keep at it until you find what works for you. Low fat/high fiber seems to be the key for me. I find that I never have to feel hungry as long as I make the right choices, and I can eat enough food to always feel satisfied. Sweets are my weakness and I've learned to replace my sweet cravings with fruit. Now I get hungry for fresh peaches, watermelon, strawberries or pineapple, and can indulge without guilt. I don't even miss the high-fat, sugary junk I used to eat. With exercise I started slow (sometimes only 5 - 10 min. per day) and didn't want to do it and had to force myself. 7 months later I love exercise and can't skip even a day.

Lifestyle changes are always difficult at the beginning...but before you know it they become habits. It gets easier all the time for me, and the results make it so worth the effort.

The big secret, as MsJim said, is a complete lifestyle change. It isn't easy, but it can be manageable.

In my case, I basically changed the way I eat- it didn't happen overnight, I started with small changes. I cut out colas and other nutritionally void drinks like fake fruit juices and switched to fat free milk. I switched to whole grain breads and pastas, cut out almost all fast food and eat only 1/3 to 1/2 of meals at restaraunts and take the rest home. I eat breakfast every day now- something like cereal with fruit or a wheat uffin with peanut butter and fruit. Snacks are now fruit, yogurt, a homemade smoothie, veggies with a small amount of dressing, etc. I do still eat sugary foods, but instead of having a big bowl of ice cream, I will have one serving (1/2 cup) or one cookie or a couple of miniature candy bars. I still drink instant espresso coffee drinks, but for all those items, I limit the portions and don't have them ALL in one day. I personally look for foods that have the least ingredients on the label. That said, exercise has been the hardest part for me and I still struggle to find the energy and the ambition to do it. It comes down to deciding it's time to educate yourself and be accountable for your actions (or inactions).

Find something you like
 

I know what you are going through. I have been there before and continue to face the challenges of trying to lose weight. I have recently lost 60 punds through making small changes and doing things that I like. I had success with eating meals that were lower in carbohydrates and fat. I also made a point to treat myself one day a week. It might be something as simple as having ice cream or eating out at my favorite restuarant. By treating myself one time a week (and keeping the treat within moderation) I did not feel deprived. I also shopped and tried different foods. I would try different low carbohydrate muffin mixes or recipes.
As for exercise, I would do something that suited my mood. If I had a bad day, I would do kick boxing or lift weights. When I was feeling more depressed, I did something that made me smile like Richard Simmons (I admit he does keep work outs fun). If I wanted to take it easy, I would walk on the treadmill or simply take my dogs for a walk around the block. You may also be able to think of some activities that you children would enjoy doing that you could do as a family, such as playing a game of tag or softball.
I hope this helps. The main thing is to try different things. It is better than doing nothing at all.

Jenn

My diet secret was...don't diet. I've tried that before. It only works short-term. To make things worse, I generally gained back more weight than I'd lost. So I was determined to NOT diet. Instead, I just replaced unhealthy foods with healthier choices and found ways to make exercise routine and sometimes even fun. It was the daily exercise that boosted my loss, but just changing to lean meats, whole grains, more fruits and veggies, etc. helped as well. I eat when I'm hungry. I just choose to eat something other than grease and sugar now. And if I'm not in the mood to exercise, I find something else I AM in the mood for that makes me exercise. IE: I still like eating out, so taking a jog or walk past Wendy's allows me a salad and/or chile or a fruit bowl. I also don't like paying for something I won't use. So joining an exercise program puts me in the mood to exercise and make good use of my monthly fee. I also have to go places. If they're close, a bike over instead of a drive over accomplishes the task and gives me the exercise to boot.

There are a few things that have helped me succeed on this last (and it is my LAST) weight loss journey.

First, I'm not in any hurry to reach my goal weight. In the past, I've had a "let's hurry up and get this over with" attitude. The thing is, this is never going to be over so what is the rush? I plan to keep this weight off so it isn't as if I'll stop eating healthily or exercising just because a magic number pops up on the scale. My goal is to lose a reasonable amount of weight each week. I like watching the numbers on the scale go down as much as the next person. But, as long as I know I've done all that I can and if I am honest with myself when I don't then the scale holds no surprises for me. If it doesn't move, then it doesn't move. I like to think of those weeks as maintainence practice since I won't have the scale to validate my efforts week after week once I reach my goal either.

Second, I've learned to only pay attention to what works for ME. There is so much information out there and it can be overwhelming. I still read as much as I can on nutrition, weight loss, and exercise. I still want to hear what other people's experiences have been. But I know what my body responds to. I take the information I've collected, pull out the bits that make the most sense to me, and apply what seems a good fit with my lifestyle. If it works I keep it, if it doesn't I drop it and move on. Along the same lines, I don't do anything that I don't enjoy doing. I don't care how many studies or testimonials there are telling me that it is the be all end all in health or weight loss. If I try a certain food or exercise a few times and still don't like it, I'm done with it. I intend to enjoy my new life and there is no room for what other people swear by if I have to force myself to do/eat it. That isn't to say that I don't push myself out of my comfort zones - but I think we all know fairly quickly whether or not we'll acquire a taste for something. I am constantly evaluating where I am and where I want to be. My goals change often as does my plan to get there.

Finally, and probably most important, I've learned to cut myself some slack. I don't expect perfection in any other part of my life. Why should my weight loss be any different? The truth is that I am going to make poor choices sometimes, I am going to give into cravings sometimes, and I am going to plan indulgences sometimes. As long as I MANAGE these situations properly I have no reason to feel guilty or worthless and they are certainly no reason to give up all together. Again, in the big scheme of things one meal, one workout, or several for that matter, is a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands of healthy choices I'll make over the course of the rest of my life. Plus, I've found that my feelings and attitude while I'm eating is a better indicator of whether or not I'm off track than WHAT I'm eating. So, those are what I try to pay more attention to anyway.

Flexibility is the key. Our lives change, our ideals change, our goals change. You have to have an eating and exercise plan that can keep up and be willing to make adjustments when it doesn't.

I try to eat 1200 calories per day and end up averaging more like 1500 over a week. I use fitday.com and try for 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fats. I try to bike, walk or row almost every day. I try to weight train 3 or 4 times a week. For me it's an inexact science :) based on move more and eat less.

For me, exercise is easier than dieting....but I changed to more fish, less oil, more veggies, less pasta, less sugar, more water and herbal tea...i never really like soda, but I do enjoy seltzer with a splash of fruit juice or lemon...sugar isn't really my thing, but give me a bag of chips and it's like a feedbag. now I use fat-free sourcream for dip and celery, raw snow-peas, a few baby carrots, radishes for a crunch-fest. I also love V-8 with extra hot sauce , worsch. and lemon for a snack.

I've found that exercising first thing works best as the day gets away from me... I mostly do interval training with a variety of tapes and dumbbells (Firm Tae-bo, who-ever is on TV)...i try to work at a harder intensity (75-80%) for the cardio.

that was really good information i know i need to try what works for me so i cut out some stuff i cut out white stuff i cut out candy chips soda and i drink lots of water i cant really afford to stick to a certain diet right now but i exercise for 2in a half hours each day except for sunday i just walk on sunday i think i finally understand now thank you all so much for replieing this website really is up lifting thank u again

Shh don't tell anyone this but>>>>>>>
 

I DON'T DIET!. I can eat anything I want in moderation. Moderation for me means 40% Proteins 40% carbs and 20% percent fats
but here is what I do instead
I exercise 6 days a week
my usual routine is as follows
Monday
walk 5 miles ( I just upped it from 3 miles) I do this 6 days a week
upper body weight training at the gym (chest,shoulders, back, triceps, and biceps)
bike ride ( 5 miles per day 6 days of the week)
elliptical trainer 20 minutes per day
Tuesday
I do all the above except instead of upper body weight training I do lower body
(Quads, hamstrings, calves and abs )
Wednesday
No gym
I do pilates
bike and walk 5 miles of each
Thursday
same as Monday
Friday
Same as
Tuesday
Saturday
walk 5 miles
bike ride 5 miles
Sunday
Now that's my day of rest (motivation day: my favorite mantra You will either live with the pain of discipline, or the pain or regret)
I exercise my mind as I envision the body I want and the price I must pay
then I pray for the fortitude to do what I need to do
http://www.3fatchicks.com/weight-tra...9/120/144/.png

work that body and soon you will become an addict plus I have to eat a lot of calories and as my muscles increase the fat cells or breaking down and I want be left with flab .
every 8 weeks I change my regime and I take a week off