To eat Carbs or not? How to lose weight.... that is the question.

[Angel]

OK, first off... I don't want any of those 'accept yourself for who you are' posts. I am not fat, I am not obsessed with my weight, I simply want to get a little leaner and eat right. I have recently gained 5-7 lbs and it bugs me because 50% of my clothes don't fit now!! I have tried to lose it, and yes, I exercise regularly, but in the process I think I have gained weight. I know when you exercise you gain muscle and therefore weight... but that is not the case here. I think I eat WAY too many carbohydrates and believe that to be the real killer.

So.... I just want to ask if any of you are on a diet currently? It doesn't necesarily have to be a weight loss diet, but rather a healthy life style diet. I want to get back on track with cooking and eating right. I got lazy in that dept. over the last few months and am finding it hard to drop some bad habits... like over comsumption of sugars and carbs.

What has worked for you in the past? What should I really stay away from? Help me please I hate that full 'omigod I ate too much' feeling, and as well as 'that's all I get to eat for dinner'? feeling... Help me find middle ground. I have done weight watchers before and it's really good, but the whole concept of counting points, gets you really obsessed with every little thing you eat and I don't think that's too healthy. Plus I don't want to count point my whole life.

 

[U2Kitten]

Eat whatever you want! Just not over 1000 calories a day. Walk or exercise any way you choose about 30 minutes per day. You should drop those 7 pounds in 2 weeks or less! Good luck.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

hmm. I have found that while gaining muscle sometimes increases "weight" on the scale, it definitely makes me fit my clothes better. So I would ask which of the two things are more critical.

As far as diets...meh. I'm not very good at them. I basically try to limit my intake of carbs and to be sure to eat protein with every meal. Keeping a lot of fresh fruit and veggies around is helpful. And low-fat cottage cheese (protein!) is my best friend.

You might look into the Zone eating plan thingy too. It requires some learning upfront, but is pretty sound from what I understand.

 

[spinninghead77]

Do not stop eating carbs!! Your body needs all different kinds of foods to do different things, and that includes protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and carbs!! People do lose weight when the go on the no carb diet, but that is because they are tricking their body..... and the minute that they start eating carbs again they gain the weight (plus sometime's more) back, which you don't want!!

You say that you don't like counting the points, but I have lost some weight on the ww system, and I found it to be very easy to use. If you only want to lose 5-7 pounds then that shouldn't take you very long and you will be back to your happy weight in no time. As for counting points the rest of your life.... you don't have to do that. What I learned in Weight Watchers has helped guide me as to what to eat, but that's about it. I don't eat salad dressing now, or drink regular pop, because I know how many points they are worth, and to me it isn't worth it..... small changes like that are what keep your weight down once you get there

Good Luck!!!

 

[Angel]

Well.... I wasn't gonna cut out carbs completely, because I agree that a no carb diet is really unhealthy, but I know that I need to cut back on my carbs, that's for sure.
It seems the point counting thing is the way to go.... *Where's my book? lol WW really does teach you good eating habits and maybe that's what I need to do to get cooking healthy again. I too never drink pop or anything like that. My friends hate coming over because I never have anything to drink other than water! lol I think a pound or two lately is the result of my Nestea binge. Bought a big jar and drank two-three glasses every day last week while it was hot. Bad girl!

Well.... it really comes down to self control too, of course, which I have little of.

And yes sula, exercising does make you fit your clothes better. I have noticed those changes too. I had to stop exercising for a couple months in the spring because I sprained my ankle and it took forever to heal. So now that I have been back to regular exercise for the last two months I have noticed a change. Of course a change for the better, but unfortunately I am one of those people stuck between sizes, so five pounds can really make a difference in my clothing. Particularly my pants and suits for work. Ugh
I'll bet any guys reading this must be laughing his ass off right now!

Ok, veggies... fruits... protein... Btw, I should prolly mention that I can't eat dairy. *Craves cold glass of skim milk. sigh......

 

[meegannie]

unfortunately I am one of those people stuck between sizes, so five pounds can really make a difference in my clothing. Particularly my pants and suits for work. Ugh

I'm right there with you.

 

[elevatedmole]

Moderation, moderation, moderation.

If you have ever been to the Food Rocks exhibit in EPCOT in Disney World, you'll understand why I want to say,"Everything in moderation". lol.

Anyway.. like I said before.. moderation. Eating a piece of chocolate cake is okay as long as you don't do it every day. Eating vegetables every day is good but you need variety -- lots of green and brightly coloured vegetables are best. Fruit of course, needs to be included. A certain amount of salt and fat needs to be in there, but if you eat very many prepared foods you'll get a sufficient amount, and in most cases, too much. Bread, pasta, crackers, etc. is very easy to include in meals.

Good luck.

 

[spinninghead77]

You aren't supposed to eat Chocolate Cake every day????

 

[Angel]

Bread, pasta, crackers, etc. is very easy to include in meals.

Pasta = Evil

thx girl!

 

[Peaseblossom]

Hey! I might just be the expert on this. I've gone on every diet there is, from slim fast, to 800 calories a day to everything else. Nothing has worked, until I read the book "Chose to Lose." My god, I sound like an infomercial. Just hear me out here.

The book bases it's diet on counting fat calories rather than fat grams, and giving you a minimum amount of calories that you MUST eat to keep your body running. It's a great book, and in two weeks I've lost two pounds. THat might not sound like much, but after 4 months of dieting, going to the gym three times a week, and hiking 20 miles each weekend, it's a nice change.

Hope that helped.

 

[JessicaAnn]

I like the Weight Watchers Points program because you can eat what you want within reason.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

I've been losing about a pound or two a week for the last month and I must admit that I'm not being particularly fussy about what I eat. I try to be sensible and do all those things I mentioned above (get some protein, don't go overboard on carbs, eat fruits and veggies, etc.) but I think the real key is definitely the cardio workouts and weight-lifting. At least for me it seems to work.

 

[joyfulgirl]

but I think the real key is definitely the cardio workouts and weight-lifting. At least for me it seems to work.

Yep--I agree with this. I've never had a weight problem, but I, too, have been trying to knock off those 5 winter pounds and what I have experienced is that at first it was as if the additional muscle were kind of 'pushing the fat out' so there was the temporary feeling that not only was I gaining muscle weight but inches as well. Then after several months, this feeling that I was gaining inches seemed to drop off suddenly and I noticed I was slimmer, more toned, and fitting my clothes better. I follow a vegetarian diet with a lot of fresh veggies, grains, tofu and a green Superfood drink (mostly protein) every morning. But I don't deny myself goodies like ice cream either--just try to keep it in balance.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

I agree with "all things in moderation."

I also recommend yoga. When people practice yoga, they become more aware of their body and what they are putting into it. This combination of exercise, body awareness, and moderation in eating tends to take people to the weight that is right for them. I've heard of many people who were only able to lose weight and keep it off with yoga. I tend to be underweight, but when I do yoga, things seem to fall into place, my weight stabilizes at a comfortable place, and I feel good.

Edit: I also follow a vegetarian diet, like joyfulgirl. I try to get my protein from beans and soy burgers (which I love), but I'm not militant about it. Again, all things in moderation. If someone offers to take you out for banana splits, say thank you and go!

 

[Bri2k]

I figure I would chime in and put my education to use. I am a personal trainer, but more importantly I just finished my master's in exercise physiology and this topic comes up a lot.

First off the word diet is not a good word. Diet means a temporary fix to a lifelong battle, they don't do any good. Like someone mentioned, you lose weight for a while, then you gain it back. Your body cannot survive on low calories or no carbs. Whoever said no more than a 1000 cals/day is way wrong and doing serious harm to their body.

Now without any anthropometrical (height, weight, body size, activity level, etc...), and not being a dietician, I am not able to recommend a calorie intake to you.

As for losing weight via exercise, I can help. I don't know what you do (weights, cardio, etc..), but if you don't do weights, you should. Plain and simple. It doesn't have to be a lot, but don't trick yourself into believing that if you lift weights, you are going to bulk up. Ladies, you don't have that much free floating testosterone in your body to do that. 2-3 sets, 12-15 reps of major muscle groups. No problem.
Cardio-30 min/day 3x/week. find an activity you like and do it, you don't like running, don't do it. Try doing your cardio in the morn for about 20 min at an interval level on a empty stomach. But don't go too much over 20, your body won't like that.

As for another plan, check out Body For Life by Bill Phillips. He owns one of the supplement companies, but his program works.

hope that helps, if you want any more specifics, email me, we can discuss some things

zootv187@aol.com
Brian

 

[dizzy]

I'm addicted to carbs and it sucks. I tried the Atkins diet before, and I got headaches all the time and palpitations.

 

[ghetofabu]

Moderation, moderation, moderation.

As for the WW thing. I really does work. My Grandmother asked me to do it with her so she has like a support person to help keep her motivated and have some one to do it with. She is paying for it so I thought why not. She started in like January and has lost almost 40 pounds. She gets on her tread mill and does like 2 1/2 to 3 miles in the morning and evening. She is hard core about it. Which is cool, BUT some of you who go to the chat know that. She has gone in the chat before for those of you who don't know.

 

[Angel]

As for the WW thing. I really does work.

Yes it does! When I was at my heaviest I lost 18 lbs through WW and never gained more than 5 back. LOL the 5 that I am trying to get rid of right now!!!! Damn those 5lbs!! Thx to everyone for all your info and Bri2k, I may email you soon.

 

[cass]

ewww the 4 letter D word. DIET
or the 10 letter one...DISCIPLINE
I'm not good at either, it's such a struggle and it shouldn't be (according to my thin friends with burning hot metabolisms)
I have had all sorts of weird reasons fro using food as some kind of weapon, it's taken me a long time to get a handle on it. I think I have finally. This is no help to you Angel, but I have reached a make or break point and it is encouraging to read what other people have to say. Thanks

 

[Bri2k]

Oh yeah, just one more thing. I am a fan of supplements for personal use but I wouldn't recommend any to anyone else. But if anyone is contemplating taking one of those fat burning supplements--DON'T. They are dangerous (metabolife, xenadrine, hydroxycut, ripped fuel, etc...). There have been many documented deaths and many more lawsuits, and what is worse is that many of these things are made by convicted fellons. They are street-legal versions of speed and they can hurt you. You can lose weight in a much safer fashion.

Just my two cents
Brian

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Bri2k--> thanks for the advice, I'm going to try to do my cardio in the mornings now and see how I feel.

Anyway, I was raised to finish everything on my plate. (there are starving children in Africa...." As an adult this has stuck with me. I finish my food just to finish. Ug, I always feel like crap afterwards and I know it's not good for me. To try and combat this need to finish I drink a large glass of water before my meals and it really seems to help me with my disipline problem...
Good luck to everyone out there.
PS I became addicided to the caffine in metabolife. It is the devil, even though I was never hungry when I used to take it.

 

[Danospano]

I was about 35 pounds overweight. 6'1 and 235 lbs. Some of it was fat, a little more was muscle. I worked out a lot. I still had a potbelly and couldn't do anything to get rid of it.

Now, five months later I'm 205 lbs, and you know what did it? I got really sick with strep throat! LOL. Okay, that helped me lose about 20 lbs, but those other 10 lbs were due to aeobic exercise and eatting in smaller portions.

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chizip]

You should accept yourself for who you are, fatso. Sorry, couldn't resist.

I really think you need to lower the carbs in order to effectively lose weight. If you only lower the fat, then the body compensates by converting the carbs into fat, so if you only lower fat and not carbs, you won't get much results. I would recommend visiting this website:

http://www.intense-workout.com/weight_loss.html

It has a lot of good information and is now like the number 1 visited "non-official" website for health and working out. I've followed his advice and have lost 16 pounds in the past 5 weeks, so I have been very happy with the results. But of course you have to stay dedicated, and not really think of it as a temporary thing, but a shift in your lifestyle. Once you do that it becomes routine and you don't even think twice about eating poorly anymore.

So either do that or just puke after you eat. Good luck.

 

[Lemonite]

I like the good ol vague 'Don't eat too much of anything'.. But Duece yourself in fruits and colorful vegetables...

Oh yeah.. Run.

The greatest thing about all these diets.. or maybe the people doing them is that they don't realize that they need to make this change for good.. I mean.. just breathe in this thought anytime someone mentions the cabbage soup diet, or let me see.. anything that has to do with Richard Simmons.. (Hahah.. imagine viewing his videos for the rest of your life.. ) I'll stick to my howard stern/R.S. clips if you don't mind..

L.Unplugged

 

[Angel]

You should accept yourself for who you are, fatso. Sorry, couldn't resist.

lol!! Thx!! But hey, I never said I was fat! Just need to lose 5-7lbs. Anyway, I appreciate the link, I will have to check that out.

Oh, and Lemonite, thx for the words of wisdom. Like we all didn't already know that. You must be one of those skinny, 'I can eat anything I want' people.

 

[STING2]

I know people here hate numbers, but that is really what this comes down to. You have your normal metabilism which burns x amount of calories each day + any exercise that you do. Find out an amount of food to eat per day in which you DO not lose weight but DO not gain weight either. Might take a couple of weeks to establish what that is. Then lock that in place.

The third week start an exercise program with a certain calorie goal for each workout session. Books will have an average estimate on what level of exercise burns how many calories or go to the gym and punch in your info to a treadmill, stairmaster or bike that counts calories burned. If you have not been working out go for a minimum of 500 calories each exercise session and do it at least 4 times a week.

With your diet locked in from the previous two weeks in which you have learned to simply eat according to your bodies daily metabolism without exercise, in the third week, you''ll burn 2,000 calories from four 500 calorie workouts. Thats a little more than 1/2 a pound of fat and a good start. A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. From here, slowly build your work outs but keep your diet locked in and be sure to drink plenty of water. The diet is enough to provide you with plenty of energy throughout the day. The workout dips into your fat reserves. Increase the length and calorie burn from your workouts as your shape improves. As your shape improves you can then start to workout almost everyday. Continue to allow at least a day of rest once a week though. If your only going after losing 6 pounds of fat, thats 21,000 calories. At 2,000 calories a week burned from exercise, you should hit your goal in around 2 months, provided you keep your calorie intake in check so your not gaining and burn 2,000 calories a week from the 4 workouts. Of course the rate can be increased by increasing the level of exercise, but this can only happen depending on what type of shape your in. Stay steady and DO not go to fast in increasing the length and intensity of workouts. Slow, steady and consistent.

Of course something similar to that is what worked for me. Be sure to consult a trainer and a Doctor if you have not worked out in some time though, because everyone is different as far as size, fitness, and current health! That is VERY important! The general principle though is you need to burn more calories than you take in to lose the unwanted fat. A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. Being patient and consistent is very important.

 

[Bri2k]

Losing any more than 1-2 per week is not healthy. Your body responds by losing muscle more than it does fat. When you get ill and drop weight, you aren't losing fat, you are losing muscle. Hate to say it, but you are.

Sting you make some good points, you also burn calories when you eat. It takes energy (calories) to break down and digest food, so you burn cals three ways: Resting Energy Expenditure, Exercise, and Eating. The majority comes from REE.

As for losing weight, it is really as simple as taking in less than you expend. Of course that doesnt mean take in 1000 cals and burn 2000 cals and in a week drop 2 lbs. That is just too few calories to consume. You need to work at it.

Remember, you didn't get to look the way you do overnight or in just a few weeks, so it isn't going to change overnight or in a few weeks. You only get out as much as you put in.

Brian

 

[Lemonite]

Oh, and Lemonite, thx for the words of wisdom. Like we all didn't already know that. You must be one of those skinny, 'I can eat anything I want' people.

A sage I try to be.. Hahah.a. I just want you to know that I now feel discriminated against and feel bad about myself now.. I'm now embarrassed for being thin.. wait.. (Athletically Built).

Anyways, how many times do people gain their weight back?.. apparently people don't know, either that or they lack discipline... That might be it..

L.Unplugged

 

[Ali Rose]

*is supposed to be at the gym right now*

 

[sulawesigirl4]

*is supposed to be at the gym right now*

lol. Go girl! Wanna come down to my gym this afternoon for a workout date?