I know this isn't the same thing at all, but on Thursday night I entered into a bet with my housemate that I could lose one stone (fourteen pounds) in one week.
The way it happened was, he saw a programme on TV about fat people trying special diets to lose weight, and one woman who weighed 30 stone (420 pounds) lost a stone in a week. I put forth the opinion that a stone in a week isn't that difficult.
Thus the wager was made, we did the initial weigh-in right away, and I have until midnight on Thursday to lose one stone.
Initial weight: 11st 13.4lbs (167.4lbs)
Current Weight: 11st 5.6lbs (159.6lbs)
Target Weight: 10st 13.4lbs (153.4lbs)
Weight lost so far: 7.8lbs
Weight Loss Remaining: 6.2lbs
Time remaining: 3 days, 8 hours, 32 minutes
Anyone else trying to lose weight?
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A Gunslinger
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...yer right...unless you can squeeze in that 1/2 of meditation mid-day. you'd be SHOCKED at how much it helps!Cail wrote: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.
"I use my gun whenever kindness fails"
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MsMary
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Portion control is key for me. I don't usually overeat at meals, but I tend to do a lot of snacking and sometimes it's high fat snacks like cheese crackers. One of the good things about tracking my intact on the diet website I'm using is that it makes me think about what I am eating.Cail wrote: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.
I have almost no soda or fast food, so that's not a concern for me, and I do drink lots of water.
Just cutting sugar and fat made a lot of difference for me, in the past, but it doesn't work as well as it used to. I guess age is catching up with me.
I also have cut my sodium intake over the years. Our family eats a lot less sodium than we used to, cause I cook with less now. It's pretty amazing how things you used to eat taste too salty or too sweet after you have cut back on salt and sugar.It's harder for me to cut carbs, as I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but I do think it makes a difference if you are eating complex carbs rather than refined carbs.
And you are so right about booze, Cail. People don't realize how many calories that little drink has.
One hour of exercise a day is a nice goal, but I can't make it right now. On the days I dance, it's usually for 2-3 hrs. But I would like to exercise more.
"The Cheat is GROUNDED! We had that lightswitch installed for you so you could turn the lights on and off, not so you could throw lightswitch raves!"
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- Is all right special Time Lord code for really not all right at all?
- You're all irresponsible fools!
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- I'm always all right.
- Is all right special Time Lord code for really not all right at all?
- You're all irresponsible fools!
- The Doctor: But we're very experienced irresponsible fools.
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MsMary
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That's a great point, Guns. People don't realize that insufficient sleep can make you gain weight (or make it harder to lose).A Gunslinger wrote: Add in at least 6 hours of GOOD SLEEP. Or perhaps a 1/2 hour of meditation.
I actually read somewhere, recently, that you need to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night in order to lose weight.
This is something I need to work on. I try to get 7-8 hours a night, but it doesn't always happen (partly cause I am playing on the computer instead of sleeping.
)"The Cheat is GROUNDED! We had that lightswitch installed for you so you could turn the lights on and off, not so you could throw lightswitch raves!"
***************************************
- I'm always all right.
- Is all right special Time Lord code for really not all right at all?
- You're all irresponsible fools!
- The Doctor: But we're very experienced irresponsible fools.
__________________________
THOOLAH member since 2005
EZBoard Survivor
***************************************
- I'm always all right.
- Is all right special Time Lord code for really not all right at all?
- You're all irresponsible fools!
- The Doctor: But we're very experienced irresponsible fools.
__________________________
THOOLAH member since 2005
EZBoard Survivor
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aliantha
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This is a great topic, MsMary!
I have a *lot* to lose (about 70 lbs. now). I joined Weight Watchers last fall, backslid over Christmas, and am still fighting to get back where I was in mid-December.
I should make it there this week, though. We weigh in on Fridays (which is a great day for a weigh-in -- if you screw up over the weekend, you have all week to fix it. 
)
Weight Watchers has two plans: Flex, in which you count points (which they figure based on calories, fat grams and fiber per serving); and Core, for which they give you a list of foods you don't have to count. The list basically boils down to lean protein, fat-free dairy, whole grains, fruits and veggies, and a bunch of condiments. If you stick to the list, you don't have to count anything at all -- and btw, you're eating a very healthy diet without even trying.
I'm so sick of tracking calories/fat grams/points that I decided to do Core, and it seems to be working. The key is to pay attention to your hunger level and quit eating once you feel full (but not stuffed); I'm still working on that part....
I need to do more exercise. Right now I'm trying to take the stairs at work, and walking to & from the Metro (I get off one stop early). I've done yoga in the past and I keep saying I'm going to start again. Uh-huh.
I also keep hearing about weight conditioning but I loathe going to the gym. We've got a gym at work; my apt. complex has a fitness center, too, and even offers free sessions with a personal trainer. I've had it in the back of my mind to call the guy for weeks, and still haven't done it. Clearly I've got a mental block about this.... Maybe one of you guys can give me a compelling reason to make the call?
I have a *lot* to lose (about 70 lbs. now). I joined Weight Watchers last fall, backslid over Christmas, and am still fighting to get back where I was in mid-December.
I should make it there this week, though. We weigh in on Fridays (which is a great day for a weigh-in -- if you screw up over the weekend, you have all week to fix it. )Weight Watchers has two plans: Flex, in which you count points (which they figure based on calories, fat grams and fiber per serving); and Core, for which they give you a list of foods you don't have to count. The list basically boils down to lean protein, fat-free dairy, whole grains, fruits and veggies, and a bunch of condiments. If you stick to the list, you don't have to count anything at all -- and btw, you're eating a very healthy diet without even trying.
I'm so sick of tracking calories/fat grams/points that I decided to do Core, and it seems to be working. The key is to pay attention to your hunger level and quit eating once you feel full (but not stuffed); I'm still working on that part....I need to do more exercise. Right now I'm trying to take the stairs at work, and walking to & from the Metro (I get off one stop early). I've done yoga in the past and I keep saying I'm going to start again. Uh-huh.
I also keep hearing about weight conditioning but I loathe going to the gym. We've got a gym at work; my apt. complex has a fitness center, too, and even offers free sessions with a personal trainer. I've had it in the back of my mind to call the guy for weeks, and still haven't done it. Clearly I've got a mental block about this.... Maybe one of you guys can give me a compelling reason to make the call?
EZ Board Survivor
"Dreaming isn't good for you unless you do the things it tells you to." -- Three Dog Night (via the GI)
https://www.hearth-myth.com/
Yes, I definitely need to lose weight and get my body into a more healthy routine. I'm taking up hiking, so I am hoping that will help with the exercise portion. I lost quite a bit of weight, kept it off for over a year, then gained about half of it back in the last 6 months. I got really stressed, and completely lost focus. So I'm working on dealing with my stress level and making healthier choices. I think if I had someone like Cail for a personal trainer I'd be set. I don't know if I'd enjoy the process, but I'd definitely be fit! 
Heh....Yeah, not gonna touch THAT one.....No sirree.....Nope, not gonna do it........<whistles aimlessly>
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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ye gods and little fishes. . .....ain't I just a stinker?
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
I'm betting I would......
Ya gotta make exercise fun....
Ya gotta make exercise fun....
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
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emotional leper
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Good thread...before i went back to school to finish my RN, i was a competitive bodybuilder (i miss the 6-pack, but not the posing trunks).
A few things I've learned along the way:
1. The 90% rule. Whether you eat 3 times a day or 6, if you eat like you should 90% of the time, you'll have success. You'll also have some play room for date night or some beers with friends.
2. You cannot out-train a bad diet...ever. I got this quote from Alwyn Cosgrove, he's scottish and let's not hold that against him, he is dead on. All the cardio in the world won't help if you cannot eat with some common sense.
3. This one is for the ladies of the watch...don't be afraid of weights. You will not have 18 inch biceps and weigh 225lbs lifting weights, you don't have the hormones, end of story. Resistance training will be your metabolic trump card...the hormonal response, the increase in basal metabolism and the tissue microtrauma are stellar for improving body composition...you don't have to swear off cardio, just make sure the weights get some of your time too.
4. If you hate meat, for the love of god, don't go on the atkins diet. Low carb diets do work, but they are not for everyone. You can keep carbs around the 20% of total caloric intake and still get some of the benefits from dropping carbs (insulin sensitivity will improve more with weight training and a moderate carb intake than tons of cardio and a ketogenic diet). The best diet is one that you can stick to and gives you the nutrients you need.
5. Fiber...at least 25g a day, no exceptions. It improves satiety, maintains GI health, keep it in your diet.
6. *rant* Red meat and eggs will not kill you *rant* First, red meat has too many vitamins, too much protein for you not to eat it. The "let's ban steak" mantra has been effected by a group of people who don't know nutritional biochemistry from basketweaving. Moderate amounts of saturated fat are not the devil, there are several citations in medical journals listing the beneficial effects of saturated fat on hormone synthesis and body composition...eating huge amounts of saturated fat with a high glycemic carb is the devil. Eggs...they have cholesterol, big frickin deal. They also have omega-3 fatty acids, which you need. Eggs taste a lot better than fish oil caps! As for the cholesterol, this is like the "fat makes you fat" nonsense. Athersclerosis does not happen solely because people ingest dietary cholesterol...cholesterol is a sterol ring structure, it has to be manufactured via a hormonal synthesis reaction, the small intestine does not randomly package cholesterol in your food and superglue it to your arteries. So please, don't be afraid to eat some eggs in your diet, if you are worried about cholesterol, limit yourself to 2 yolks and use egg whites for the rest.
7. Enjoy the process of exercising and changing your eating habits...diets are temporary, but developing healthy eating habits can last a lifetime and make you healthier, make you look better and improve your sex life...all important things.
A few things I've learned along the way:
1. The 90% rule. Whether you eat 3 times a day or 6, if you eat like you should 90% of the time, you'll have success. You'll also have some play room for date night or some beers with friends.
2. You cannot out-train a bad diet...ever. I got this quote from Alwyn Cosgrove, he's scottish and let's not hold that against him, he is dead on. All the cardio in the world won't help if you cannot eat with some common sense.
3. This one is for the ladies of the watch...don't be afraid of weights. You will not have 18 inch biceps and weigh 225lbs lifting weights, you don't have the hormones, end of story. Resistance training will be your metabolic trump card...the hormonal response, the increase in basal metabolism and the tissue microtrauma are stellar for improving body composition...you don't have to swear off cardio, just make sure the weights get some of your time too.
4. If you hate meat, for the love of god, don't go on the atkins diet. Low carb diets do work, but they are not for everyone. You can keep carbs around the 20% of total caloric intake and still get some of the benefits from dropping carbs (insulin sensitivity will improve more with weight training and a moderate carb intake than tons of cardio and a ketogenic diet). The best diet is one that you can stick to and gives you the nutrients you need.
5. Fiber...at least 25g a day, no exceptions. It improves satiety, maintains GI health, keep it in your diet.
6. *rant* Red meat and eggs will not kill you *rant* First, red meat has too many vitamins, too much protein for you not to eat it. The "let's ban steak" mantra has been effected by a group of people who don't know nutritional biochemistry from basketweaving. Moderate amounts of saturated fat are not the devil, there are several citations in medical journals listing the beneficial effects of saturated fat on hormone synthesis and body composition...eating huge amounts of saturated fat with a high glycemic carb is the devil. Eggs...they have cholesterol, big frickin deal. They also have omega-3 fatty acids, which you need. Eggs taste a lot better than fish oil caps! As for the cholesterol, this is like the "fat makes you fat" nonsense. Athersclerosis does not happen solely because people ingest dietary cholesterol...cholesterol is a sterol ring structure, it has to be manufactured via a hormonal synthesis reaction, the small intestine does not randomly package cholesterol in your food and superglue it to your arteries. So please, don't be afraid to eat some eggs in your diet, if you are worried about cholesterol, limit yourself to 2 yolks and use egg whites for the rest.
7. Enjoy the process of exercising and changing your eating habits...diets are temporary, but developing healthy eating habits can last a lifetime and make you healthier, make you look better and improve your sex life...all important things.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
F.E.M.A. "Ferocious Educational Medical Aptitude" -Esmer
"Honestly; by the end of the Chronicles Lord Foul isn't going to be the Despiser anymore (we all knew he had to come to an end), however I find it vexing that the only reason is because he feels unworthy of the title and resigns to let Linden take his badge, Illearth Stone, and the keys to Linden's Creche."-Revan
F.E.M.A. "Ferocious Educational Medical Aptitude" -Esmer
"Honestly; by the end of the Chronicles Lord Foul isn't going to be the Despiser anymore (we all knew he had to come to an end), however I find it vexing that the only reason is because he feels unworthy of the title and resigns to let Linden take his badge, Illearth Stone, and the keys to Linden's Creche."-Revan
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emotional leper
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Keev Furaha
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emotional leper
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