About diets...

[yummy]

To make a change, let's talk about how to lose weight.
Being the kinda guy who sits around all day, due to both work and hobbies, I've starting to build what you would call lovingly a "life-buoy".

Not that I have anything against life-buoys in general. In fact, I kinda like them because they're life savers and all, but when you begin to build one in your own body, with contents largely different from air, it starts feeling weird.

I mean, I've lost some abilities: I'm now nearly unable to whistle. It's dramatic, when there's this music theme, with flutes and all, or when you want to whistle the theme from the Kwai river bridge... Well, it's easily solved by humming instead, but I kinda look like a fool...
Ah, but whistling the theme of the Kwai river already made me a fool in the first place.

So.

To remedy this, I've been practising a little, eaten less fatty things, less sugar too, more green lifeforms, thick white substances (no it's not what you're thinking, I'm talking about milk and cheese).
I've been aiming at losing about 6kg (13.2 lbs) this year, already lost 3, gained 2, lost again 3... And this keeps going on and on.

Since I'm lucky because I'm a guy, my metabolism demands more energy thus, simply having some workout should make me lose these extra 42 kcal I want to be gone.
The fact is, it's more complicated. I've learned that instead of thinking about a net worth loss, I should aim at a range, around 42-50kcal of loss.
As you burn 7000cal for one kilogram, you lose fat, but at the same time, you build muscle, that outweights fat because it's more dense.
And the water.

So, anyone got some advices? Pweety please?

[Silvere]

Try it like me! When working [replace it with anything ~ This was during holidays] I only had breakfast and lunch in the evening. In 3 weeks I lost about seven kg ~.~
And I´m still loosing weight - I´m not THAT hungry and eating all day around. Somehow I got accustomed to it in the 3 weeks and .. Well, I´m easily feeling stuffed after a meal °_°
And with all this I can still happily go on and eat what I want! Bwhahahaha.

Win-Win!

[yummy]

Se-seven kg?! Wah! (O.O)
What kind of spartan life do you have? Like, eat tree leaves? XD
I mean, this is just awesome. And in three weeks?

I guess it's time to hit the road, running and all. I've just calculated that I had to run 577 kilometers to lose these 6kg...
Without eating nor drinking, of course. It's just like crossing my own country from the north border to south border straight. Ugh.

[Silvere]

Ahahah, no - Maybe my body is just nice in this things? :/
Actually a friend of mine did the same thing and REALLY lost a lot of weight. You wouldn´t believe how he looked before that.

I´m still eating the same things as before.. Lot of things with LOTS OF calories *_*
Although I´m not going to MC that often anymore But sometimes I can´t withstand.

Aww, screw that running. (Although I don´t know how you look - If there´s really lot of unnecessary skin running is surely the better option)
Why not trying running around in DisneylandParis and everytime you can´t go on anymore just visit a rollercoaster? Oh yeah, im a freaking GENIUS <3 *luv disneyland*

If you think about doing it like I do, it could be that at the start it could hurt a bit (depending on your breakfast - There are times I dont even eat breakfast). It´s not the funniest time of your day, but if you live through it, your on the way to success! (At least I hope so)
I often tried it too with swimming etc. but I was just too lazy for that stuff... Not eating something fitted pretty well into all that.

And where am I now? Everyday in front of the PC, not even trying to move a bit. And still loosing some weight... I love this!



Nevertheless: Good luck with your diet/whatever, you can do it!

[Fawn]

I actually used to work at a weight-loss gym, so I have some tips!

For exercise: You gotta exercise too, it's not all about diet. DON'T start out running- It's best to start out slow. Just take walks, they're a lot more beneficial than they may seem. If you have a dog, play with him/her as often as you can, they hardly get tiered and chasing them around is great exercise. Later on when you're close to your ideal weight I suggest you try more demanding exercise like jogging.

For diet (so many things haha, but this is basically what I eat usually): Remove all sugary things from your house and replace them with fruits and nuts. Fruits like mangoes, strawberries and blueberries are just as sweet (or sometimes sweeter!) than things flavored with refined sugar. If you really need sweets, try dark chocolate (I usually eat 60-60% cocoa chocolate, though it's a bit bitter for most tastes) or sugar-free chocolate. The cocoa in chocolate is good for you and has a little caffeine to keep you energized.
Also try Greek Yogurt if you're interested in dairy products. It's thick, tangy yogurt that goes good with a lot of things. I put melted dark chocolate or cinnamon on mine and it's like a tangy icecream sundae without the guilt!
If you eat a lot of pasta, try tofu or rice based noodles instead. Oh, and eat lots of whole grain like steel cut oats. It keeps you full for a good while so you won't want to eat extra.
Finally if you're craving something fatty, eat an avocado. They're pretty much 100% fat in a fruit form, but it's healthy fat with lots of fiber, so it'll satisfy your craving for fatty stuff and keep you full too. As for meats, eat chicken, turkey, fish and pork- other meats can be fattening and are unnecessary in your diet.
On top of all that, eat reasonable portions and SAVOR your food! It should be about how yummy it is and not how much you can eat at once.
I live in the USA, so not all the products may be the same. But if you can find the foods I've mentioned, you should try them!

As for my weight on this diet, I'm about 48.53 kg (107 lbs) at the height of 160 cm (5'3). I eat mostly frozen fruits, steamed vegetables, wheat bread, avocados, fish and dark chocolate. I have a sensitive stomach though, so I actually HAVE to avoid unhealthy foods- one bad thing and I'll be sick all night.

[PyTom]

I've been on a diet since very late march (I began on the 27th or so.) I've lost over 65 pounds (30 kilograms) since then, by cutting out carbohydrates while eating plenty of meat and cheese. This is basically the induction phase of the Atkins diet, and similar to what Good Calories, Bad Calories recommends.

Dropping out carbs has also gotten rid of the tiredness I used to have in the afternoon, which is a nice side effect.

While I'm still very overweight, I'm moving in the right direction at a rate of 2-3 pounds per week - hopefully I can keep it up.

[Efreet]

Diets don't really work, it's your attitude to what you eat and exercise that works! =p (I should add, a friend of a friend was on a diet, but she binged on chocolate, snacks and alcohol thinking it was alright)

It's the usual, avoid junk food (greasy, fatty, high sugars) and eat more fruits and greens. Being Asian it's kinda hard to cut down on the carbohydrates (carbs get stored as fat and burn the most slowest) so try to minimise your intake, such as going for whole grain bread as to soft white (which is just full of sugars). But I still eat more than my brothers and sisters, so I guess I might have a high metabolism rate... >_>

Exercising is going to be hard, no matter how you look at it though with that being said, starting is usually the hardest. If it makes you sweat, it's good for you. I suppose you're looking to reduce your weight than to build muscle, so anaerobic exercise would be better, it'll get your heart pumping! Or for an easier change, get out that bicycle!

[Silvere]

@Fawn:
Seems hard to stay good-looking, ew?



This are times I´m happy for being a guy!

[Fawn]

haha, well, I guess my tips are mostly for girls' diets ^^; Men like yourselves do need your meat. But, I really suggest trying avocados and greek yogurt no matter your gender! They're soooo good for you and super yummy.

[Efreet]

I'm not too keen with avocados... I've tried that "recipe" where you fill it with olive oil... Not very nice... But greek yoghurt is nice!

[Fawn]

@Efreet : I wasn't either, but I really started to like them once I learned how to separate out their flavors in my mouth. I know that sounds super weird but, if you only focus on how creamy they are, it really makes a huge difference. Putting a little sea salt on them and focusing on the creaminess almost tastes like you're eating butter @__@

[papillon]

Bodies are different. What works for another person may not work for you. That does not mean you have done something wrong, and it doesn't mean they were wrong, it just means that's not your solution. So, really, take *any* advice as just an idea and not as how things actually work.

Almost any change in diet/exercise that you make can cause you to lose weight. It can be something as simple as cooking all your meals from scratch, if you didn't already. For many people, starting to do food preparation means that you get _slightly_ more activity (from cooking) and are also likely to perform more conscious portion control, since you're thinking about how much you're making, rather than relying on someone else's idea of a 'meal' which may be far too big for you.

Really - something as simple as that CAN make someone lose weight, if it's a change from their earlier patterns. Any change to what your body is accustomed to is likely to alter things, at least for a while. After about six months the body tends to adapt to its new settings and may start returning to normal - this is true for most official diets as well.

If you're changing what you eat as well as how much, be careful that you get a wide enough range of nutrients. Women in the US have a strong tendency to suffer from low iron and calcium because they've cut meat and milk out of their diets and failed to replace them with anything.

For most people, conscious exercise really only burns a tiny fraction of their daily calorie expenditure, even if they do lots of it. There are some exercises that this isn't the case for, but most of them, it is. Exercise is a great thing. It improves your overall health EVEN IF it has no effect on your weight (or, in some cases, mildly increases it due to muscle gain). Weight is not the same as health. Do maintain a regular exercise regime, don't expect it to make you super-thin.

[Nebi]

Here are my suggestions:

a. drink water
b. lean meats
c. fruits & vegetables
d. grains
e. exercise

Some people might call that the caveman diet but in essence you are eating the essentials and reducing the intake of processed foods. This is assuming you live in an environment where all the above are readily available and affordable. While I agree that there is no single miracle diet pill for every person, losing weight should not have to be rocket science. I read an article a while back about how eating may actually be shortening our lifespans and that those who eat less over the course of their lifetime seem to live longer. Then again who wants to live until they are a hundred?

Cutting calories from your diet is definitely a good way to start. I would even recommend cutting down salt in the long run.

In my opinion, exercise is an important part of the equation. According to studies swimming is one the best types of activities. It is easier on the joints and puts many different muscles to work. As others have stated you should start off with light exercise and gradually work your way up weekly or even monthly depending on what you are comfortable with. My suggestions are:

a. vary the activity
b. vary the intensity
c. warm up/cool down
d. at least one activity that involves other people
e. rest days so your body can recover
f. know when to stop

Using weights may help build certain muscles but does not help so much with the life buoy. From my observation trimming the life buoy requires a combination of all of the above with a concentration on the abdominal area - supposedly the one group of muscles that can be trained daily - and cardiovascular exercise. I have seen people lose a chunk of their life buoys just by following a regular routine of spinning, rowing, swimming, or jogging.

It is very easy to, uh, expand the life buoy if you are not careful. Once you stop, only forced starvation will keep the life buoy from bloating. It is a habit and a lifestyle of choice. Of course many people in developing countries have no choice. In developed countries, it is up to the individual and their own discipline.

Is walking or biking to work an option? If not, why? I believe you if you say it is impractical (weather, road conditions, distance), but if it is a matter of being lazy then give it a second thought.

Wow that's the longest post I've made in a while!

[dstarsboy]

I actually do horrible when I don't get to eat whatever I want, which is why I can't go back to low carb (must have nachos!).

I got ahold of those "hollywood" cookie diet things. But I'm tweaking the diet a little, where I eat one meal of whatever I like and as much as I want (I usually do horrible, like, 5 slices of pizza, etc) and for the rest of the day I just have 3 cookies and plenty of water. A cookie and a bottle of water makes you feel incredibly full for a good 3 hours and food doesn't really cross my mind. I'm losing a lb or 2 each week and at worst I maintain my weight (I'm not actually overweight).

I kinda like this considering I don't have any real restrictions on what I can eat for my one meal per day. Some days i change it up and make the one meal a huge breakfast, but most of the time I do lunch unless I know I have dinner plans with friends.

The second benefit is that these cookies are around 70 cents each, so... substituting $2 in cookies for 2 meals of the day really saves alot on my grocery bill.

I'm single, so it makes it easy/beneficial to eat like this, I can imagine this would be harder with families and spouses and stuff.

My SECOND diet tip is to change up things a bit when you eat out. You can actually kill around 400 calories from a Red Robin burger by just changing the bread to whole grain, swapping turkey for beef and holding the mayo. That's almost a 40% calorie drop with little effort and you still have a good tasting burger. I never did this picky crap before because I thought it really only saved 50-100 calories, if that, but after doing some research it's much more significant.

[LVUER]

Lots of people already giving their good tips, so I just give some of mine that others haven't give:
1. For sports, it's better to do less intense sports but in far more often frequency (it's better to do 10km walk every 3 days than a 10km full-speed running once a week.
2. Be careful with those "diet" or "low-sugar" products. Indeed they have lower calories or sugar content in them, but if you abuse them (eating them in large quantities) in the end you even eat more calories and sugar.