Weight Loss HELP!!

[cole_b27]

Im a new poster to the boards but I have been looking around for awhile. I was wondering if you guys have some good advice on weight loss. I am looking to lose about 30 lbs before the wedding. I work retail so it is all different hours of the day and night and im not too great at not giving in the the food court lol. Any tips world be great!!! Thanks everyone Nicole

[KMS]

I think that it's really important to know the best choices in your surroundings. For example, the food court always has some good options. Find out what they are and make a game plan. Figure out how many calories you are going to eat each day, like 1500, and divide it into however many meals you are going to eat. That way you know how much you should be eating at each meal and if you overeat in one meal, then you know that you're going to be really hungry later when you don't have any calories left. Is there any way that you can pack your meals? Then you could avoid the temptation all together. Just don't deny yourself completely because if you're anything like me you just might give in and eat a whole cake rather than just a cupcake!

[neebelung]

I agree -- packing your lunch is the safest option. Also pack a couple of small snacks (fresh veggies, apple slices, granola, etc...) to have during the day -- eating about every 2-3 hours keeps your metabolism going which in the longrun burns more calories.

And if you're not already working out regularly, try to incorporate some activity into your schedule as least 3x per week, even if it's just a brisk mall-walk for 30 minutes.

[bichonlvr]

I say cut the carbs...I lost 30 lbs since June 1, by doing this! It is pretty cool! BUT it has to be a lifestyle change, not just a quick fix!

There are tons of good choices at the food court :) Just stay away from the cookies and the Cinnabons!!!! :)

[KMS]

If you do decide to cut carbs, make sure that you do it safely. It has the possibility of being unhealthy. If you cut out all of the bad carbs and leave the good, that would definitely help you lose weight since a lot of our indulgent foods tend to be bad carb heavy. For example potato chips, french fries, ice cream, white bread, etc would all be good to cut out! You need atleast 50% carhobydrates in your daily diet though. Think whole wheat breads, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, beans, barley, veggies, fruit, etc.

Also, make sure that you have protein, fats, and carbs in all of your meals. This well rounded combo of food helps keep you satiated longer.

[neebelung]

If you do decide to cut carbs, make sure that you do it safely. It has the possibility of being unhealthy. If you cut out all of the bad carbs and leave the good, that would definitely help you lose weight since a lot of our indulgent foods tend to be bad carb heavy. For example potato chips, french fries, ice cream, white bread, etc would all be good to cut out! You need atleast 50% carhobydrates in your daily diet though. Think whole wheat breads, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, beans, barley, veggies, fruit, etc.

Also, make sure that you have protein, fats, and carbs in all of your meals. This well rounded combo of food helps keep you satiated longer.

I agree absolutely.

ANY "diet" that requires you to cut out or drastically reduce a particular type of food is not healthy in the long run. BALANCE and moderation are key.

[bichonlvr]

Totally agree...I did the South Beach Diet and I love it...like I said it is more of a lifestyle change then a quick fix!!!

[twu]

I agree with what the other ladies here are saying. You need a healthy, lifestyle diet. You need to enjoy that diet so that you are less likely to break it. On top of that, I have some other suggestions:


EXERCISE! Your exercise routine should include both cardio and strength training. Luckily, you get an endorphin surge after exercise, so once you start it's easy to want to keep doing it. The hard part is starting.

Cardio, every day if you can. Work this up gradually. At first you may only be able to do 15 min, but try to get to the point where you can do 40min at least of cardio. You want to be slightly breathless, still able to talk, but not sweating like a pig during cardio. This way, you will be more comfortable, able to do it longer, and therefore burn more calories and be more likely to enjoy it.
Low impact exercise, such as on the elliptical. Although I'm not 100% sure of the veracity of this, my friend (a body builder/trainer) told me that high impact exercise for women pushes fat cells in-between muscle fibers, resulting in cellulite.
Strength training-- ideally about 2x per week, to the point where your muscles will feel sore the next day. This burns lots of calories while you are doing it, and it burns calories while your body is trying to recover from doing it. Once your muscles recover in a few days, do it again.
If you can, get an exercise buddy! That can help you keep your schedule. Maybe your FH or a friend can go with you, or just try advertising for a workout buddy on craigslist!DIET tips:

If you have a sweet tooth, try to get rid of it gradually or satisfy it in a healthy way. Fruits, for example, instead of soda. I managed to ween myself off of soda by drinking fruit juice and cutting it slowly with sparkling water to reduce the sugar concentration. Now, soda is sickeningly sweet for me, and I barely ever crave it.
Drink lots of water. It makes you feel full, and it's healthy for you.
Take smaller portions of everything. Try to just put 1/2 of what you normally would on your plate, finish it, and see if you're still hungry. If not, then don't go back for seconds. We usually want to finish everything on our plate when it's there, so you can cut back on what you eat just by doing this.

[twu]

PS: Good luck! Hope you've planned it all out with how the dress will fit on your too!

[LVBride2Be]

Since being stuck at a desk and not really exercising as I should I had probably added a good 10 lbs...but those 10lbs will keep getting bigger...so I bought a workout video like 3 months ago......I really need to do that. But I've gotten a lot better with not eating out as much as I used to and trying to cook at home more...so I don't want to gain anymore weight before my big day or after....I have some work to do!!!!!

[cole_b27]

Thanks everybody for all the advice. I do always pakc my lunch but I get to the point in the day where I am just like I want pizza or something lol. I started walkin on my treadmill daily about 20 to 30 min a day. My FH is slim and can eat anything so he tries to stick on a diet with me but I feel bad having him suffer lol. I used to take every diet pill under the sun so I have a feeling that it killed my metabolism. Thanks again for all your advice. :D :gathering:

[twu]

Thanks everybody for all the advice. I do always pakc my lunch but I get to the point in the day where I am just like I want pizza or something lol. I started walkin on my treadmill daily about 20 to 30 min a day. My FH is slim and can eat anything so he tries to stick on a diet with me but I feel bad having him suffer lol. I used to take every diet pill under the sun so I have a feeling that it killed my metabolism. Thanks again for all your advice. :D :gathering:

That's great that you've started walking on the treadmill! Do you use a heart rate monitor while you work out?


Good luck and have fun with your new, healthier lifestyle. And grats on getting off those "quick fix" diet pills.