Anyone else trying to lose weight?

[MsMary]

I've added some pounds and inches over the last several years (especially when I was relatively immobile after surgery to repair a broken toe a couple years ago). So, now I am trying to lost some weight and get more exercise.

If anyone else is trying to do the same, I thought we could use this thread to encourage each other.

So, let me know if you want to join me.

[Infelice]

Over the past 12 months ive lost 47kg which equates to roughly 103 lbs eek... sounds horrendous but i feel great now.
I used a combination of methods.
Firstly went to my doctor to discuss what options there were because i was going to have to maintain a long term weight reduction regime.
Of the options she presented me I chose to start taking a weight loss drug "Reductil" which suppressed the appetite centre in the brain and also revved up your metabolic rate a bit. Theres lots of literature about it...i used it for approx 6 months. My eating behaviours changed sufficiently that i felt i didnt need to be supported by it anymore and i could manage on my own. With reductil i lost 25 kgs in that 6 months. Towards the end of that first 6 month period i began to use a meal replacement programme that is quite popular here in Australia.... and have lost a further 22 kgs and am still reducing, nearly there.
Im someone who needs structure, this programme was perfect for me, easy to follow, simple guidelines, easy to prepare stuff, and inexpensive.

As well as the diet side of things I began exercising daily... starting out with 20 mins on a treadmill daily at home (cos i was too shy to go to a gym) and now I exercise daily for 1 hr 45 mins at the gym... which i love. The improvement in my physical capabilities amazes me .... i feel fantastic and the insecurities and depression that plagued me before have disappeared.

Ms Mary, im sure you dont need to lose as much as I did, but having a support network is a fantastic idea and I'll be glad to lend support and encouragement and give little tips and ideas if it can help.

[Worm of Despite]

The improvement in my physical capabilities amazes me .... i feel fantastic and the insecurities and depression that plagued me before have disappeared.

I'm so glad you feel better, Infelice. I was 300+ pounds in 2002, and I know the feeling of hopelessness and impotency. True loss is gradual, and healthy habits need to exist a long time before they become a part of you.

I lost a lot of weight quickly; I did some pretty extreme stuff to my body from 2004 to 2005, and I went from 250 pounds to 155 pounds in a year. Simply because I thought success was interlinked with appearance. I learned very intimately that you are NOT your weight. I'm sure none of you are trying to become supermodels, but I think it's easy to confuse improvement with perfection. Being moderately overweight is fine. Some people are just not genetically predisposed to look fit, and you're going to kill yourself if you try to do it.

The hardest part is not attaining the weight but keeping it. You can be a 180 pound body with a 300 pound mind. You'll look normal but feel half-starved: food cravings can be incredibly hard to suppress, and you might dread exercise. It took me a long time to adjusted to my current weight (185), but it's not impossible.

[drew]

I just want to lose about fifteen pounds.

I figure I'll hapen over lent, as I'm giving up Coffee, pop, chips, junk food, beer and possibly meat.

[MsMary]

I am in the "small potatoes" category of weight loss.

Kudos, Infelice, on all the weight you lost!!! Sounds like you really found the motivation, once you decided to lose the weight.

True loss is gradual, and healthy habits need to exist a long time before they become a part of you.

The hardest part is not attaining the weight but keeping it.

These statements are so true, LF.

I am more in Drew's category of weight loss. Just a little overweight, and frustrated about clothes that don't fit me anymore.

I'd like to lose at least 10 lbs; a 20 lb loss would bring me back to the weight at which I looked the best. But I am going little by little. I am trying to eat sensibly, and cut back on sugar, fat, and snacking.

Exercise is the hard part. I do folk dance twice a week, and it's pretty strenuous exercise. I make a point to walk up and down stairs instead of taking the elevator. I need to add in at least one more day of exercise and some weight training. That's hard to fit in around work. When I am not working, I need to be doing some work at home, as well as studying for a re-certification exam that I need for my job. So I begrudge the time I need to take off to do some exercise/weight training (except for the folkdancing, which I try to never miss).

I joined the website Sparkpeople and am using it to track my eating and exercise.

[drew]

I get lots of exercise throughout the day at work. The trouble is, I end up having a coffee and a couple of dounouhgts for breakfast...and a a big bag a of chips for lunch

[CovenantJr]

I am more in Drew's category of weight loss. Just a little overweight, and frustrated about clothes that don't fit me anymore.

Likewise. If I could shave two to three inches off my waist measurement, I'd be happy. And I probably could, if I tried. Unfortunately I'm incredbly lazy.

[balon!]

Thats good advice LF. When I graduated I bought my bike, not a car, and have been gradually losing weight since then.

My advice is to incorporate daily excercise in a way that isn't a hassle, cause if it is then you wont do it. Walk to work, or after work. Something like that.

[CovenantJr]

Thats good advice LF. When I graduated I bought my bike, not a car, and have been gradually losing weight since then.

My advice is to incorporate daily excercise in a way that isn't a hassle, cause if it is then you wont do it. Walk to work, or after work. Something like that.

Heh, yeah. Sadly, the only places I ever go are university and the supermarker. The building where I have all my lectures is a ten minute walk away, and the supermarket is on the way there. Heh.

[balon!]

Thats good advice LF. When I graduated I bought my bike, not a car, and have been gradually losing weight since then.

My advice is to incorporate daily excercise in a way that isn't a hassle, cause if it is then you wont do it. Walk to work, or after work. Something like that.

Heh, yeah. Sadly, the only places I ever go are university and the supermarker. The building where I have all my lectures is a ten minute walk away, and the supermarket is on the way there. Heh.

HAHA. Time to find a roundabout way, eh?

[DukkhaWaynhim]

I managed to lose ~45lbs in the Dec 2006 to March 2007 time frame, doing a modified version of the Atkins diet and a little then a lot of running. I gained 10 of that back over the rest of 07, but that 10 is now back off and I'm mentally ready to lose another 20bs. Doing so would put me well within my 'normal' BMI weight for my height, and give me a huge sense of accomplishment. I won't say losing all that earlier weight was easy - it wasn't - but once I had resolved to do it, that means I had already made all the hard decisions well before mealtime and exercise time came about, so it got a lot less difficult.
I'm hoping to accomplish the next 20lbs through re-adopting the modified Atkins, along with running (I'm at 3miles per run, 2-3x per week) and by adding in some pretty serious weight-lifting - this will be the hardest part, because I #hate# weight-lifting.
Food-wise, I have been able to succeed at all this by acknowledging and accommodating my food habits. At home I'm usually ok, because we no longer stock food that is really bad for us or especially tempting.
Fast food is a necessary evil, however, and managing it is key for me. This is the modern age, and I know that to keep my job and other things in my life going, I must eat convenience foods, including fast food. So, I have taken the time to come up with a list of items I can safely order (and occasionally indulge in) at the various FF and other restaurants in my area.
Exercise wise, I belong to a fitness club that happens to have a franchise location very close to my home as well as one just around the corner from where I work. This is convenient, because I can either go very early in the morning, or if I snooze-bar one too many times, I can go after work on the way home. In good weather, I jog around our neighborhood with the dog - who thinks I am King of the world when she gets to run with me!
Running helped me lose a lot of weight. It burns serious calories, plus if I know I'm running, I tend to avoid physically heavy foods & meals, as these make it very uncomfortable to run.
To echo some of the thoughts of the above posters, it really is all about building the right habits & keeping them, while figuring out how to lose the really bad ones without sucking all the fun out of life.

And if you go ON a diet, at some point you must go OFF that diet - this creates a yo-yo effect on your body weight. Don't be a yoyo.
[/ramble]
dw

[Worm of Despite]

Thats good advice LF. When I graduated I bought my bike, not a car, and have been gradually losing weight since then.

My advice is to incorporate daily excercise in a way that isn't a hassle, cause if it is then you wont do it. Walk to work, or after work. Something like that.

I wish I could do my exercise in such a way that it's not a hassle. With making As in college, I find that I only have time for three things: reading books, surfing the Net, and then dragging myself out to jog.

So basically, a lot of vegging and then intense activity. I wish I was a trophy wife. Then I could dispense my exercise evenly.

And let me say: I hate diet plans. Only use them to get to your ideal weight, then when you're fit and enjoying exercise, you can eat whatever you want.

[The Laughing Man]

Refusing to sit down while doing things you normally sit down to do. If you want to watch TV all day, then watch it on a treadmill. Find some reward time for some favorite things to do while resting, but the majority of your leisure time should not be spent leisurely.

[Zenlunatic]

Yes, I'm trying to lose a little, per my New Years Resolution, but I figure if I just cut out all the crap I eat I should be fine...but easier said than done for a junk food junkie...

[DukkhaWaynhim]

Good resolution, ZL.

BTW, I gotta say your Omen avatar creeps me out more than a little...

dw

[Ki]

i need to lose about 15 lbs. i've lost about 15 since last spring, but i want to kick it into gear for the summer. exercise is always something i need to do better about. not only for the weight issue but also b/c it does make me feel better. i sleep better, i can manage anxiety better and i just feel more confident. anyway, i am up for giving and receiving encouragement in this battle. i'm glad you started this thread, ms. mary! and always, tips are great.

[MsMary]

I agree, KiGirl, that feeling better is what it's all about. I feel better when I am not carrying around extra pounds and when I get enough exercise.

I think I did pretty well on my calorie intake for today.

I went out folkdancing and danced for two hours, than came home and did some strength training and stretches. So I feel pretty good right now.

[Cail]

I dumped 45 pounds in a year.

-No sodas. None. Not diet, not "Zero", not anything. No. Soda.

-No fast food. Almost. I might have had Taco Bell 3 times.

-Lots of water and juice. Well over a gallon of water every day.

-Portion control. I used to eat well, but I'd eat a week's worth of calories every day.

-Eat the right foods. Don't obsess over nutritional labels, but be aware of your sodium, calorie, sugar, and carb intake. You'd be surprised what you eat without realizing it.

-No booze. A night out with the boys was a 2000 calorie affair.

-At least one hour a day of exercise.

[A Gunslinger]

That's a good recipe for health, cail.

Add in at least 6 hours of GOOD SLEEP. Or perhaps a 1/2 hour of meditation.

I need to get back to the gym, and gain some weight back. I used to be able to bench 205, but since I moved back down to the Madison area...I'd be lucky to heft 160. I weigh all of 160-165.

[Cail]

Sleep is important. If you're really exercising a lot, 6 hours isn't enough. At the level I'm going, I don't feel right unless I get at least 7, preferably 8 hours.