Weight loss tips?

[Mairte]

Does anyone else have this problem? I find I cant drink water straight away in the morning or I start vomiting. My stomach is ultra touchy in the morning. No,lol, I am not pregnant!!! I generally have to sip the first glass down and then later on I am okay.

[irish]

If you 'feel' hungry, drink water, wait a bit, then see if you do need food. I have started to do that. I find I wasn't really hungry at all.
I do not keep anything sweet or snack type foods, in the house, now.
If I really want something, it means I have to get dressed and go get it! LOL!  Too cold to run out....hahahaha! 

*** LOL!, Lady Kett!***

[Becky10]

Does anyone else have this problem? I find I cant drink water straight away in the morning or I start vomiting. My stomach is ultra touchy in the morning. No,lol, I am not pregnant!!! I generally have to sip the first glass down and then later on I am okay.

I am the same way, I cant eat or drink in the morning it kills me. My dad made me a huge breakfast this morning and I felt so bad telling him I couldnt eat it.

[Mairte]

And they always tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! I am lucky if I can eat anything before noon!

[Merlin the Elder]

There are certain thing I just don't buy anymore, because I have ZERO willpower... Girl Scout cookies is one thing I'll buy, but strictly limited to 4 boxes a year. That's down from 17 CASES I bought one year (Yes, it's true, and, no...I didn't eat them all!). It sux when you have several GS nieces, and all of your friends have GS daughters. A big glass of milk and a box of Girl Scout cookies= one snack.

Lay's Potato Chips..."Bet You Can't Eat One!" One chip...no. But one BAG! NOW you're talking.

My solution: Stay the hell away from temptation.

[Mairte]

Sigh. Its what I have been doing and it actually IS getting a little easier. As said, it helps when I dont have to cater to anyone elses food needs in the house!
I do find myself eating apples as snacks, I love the Braeburns.
LOL, LOVE that cartoon!

[crashbot]

Getting the extra pounds off is one thing, but keeping them off is a daily battle that requires support, education, and will power.

I lost 60lbs, going from 220 to 165 like this:

1. calculated how many calories my body needs at total rest, ate less.
2. portion control
3 removal of  all temptations in the home.
4. allow rewards once a week.
5. split meals.
6. read labels.
7. eliminated fast food
8. pack lunches with known calorie counts.

Do not skip meals, eat breakfast, even if you don't like it. You will adjust. 
Don't 'save up calories' for bad food. That is hooey.
Even things you might think are "good for you" might not be. do research.


I lost that 60 lbs in 5 months and have gained a single pound back in 2 years.

[Mairte]

Very good tips crashbot.
I HAVE heard that much we think is good to have on a weight loss diet, absolutely is NOT.
Grocery shopping this week, I think I am better at not choosing the bad foods as I once was. Or I like to think so!!

[ladybootlegger]

At my current job they have free workout equipment. So, for the first time in (literally) decades I bought a pair of tennis shoes. Not just any tennies I bought the Danskin version of the Shape-Up shoes. And let me tell you, THEY WORK! I can actually feel what muscle groups they are meant to target when I'm doing time on the treadmill.

So, just a thought, for those of you who walk for your workout, you may want to consider these shoes.

Walmart sells the Danskin version for $21.44 (if I remember correctly). They also have a Dr. Scholls version for $30 or so.

[William_MacKean]

Eat less  (duh - start a journal and write down everything you eat and at what time)
Eat healthier foods  (no fast food, soda, fatty foods, processed foods, etc.  eat fresh when possible.)
Exercise more (a lot of eating is due to boredom.  find something fast paced to do with your time.  walking, shopping, chores, large projects, etc.)

Anything else is voodoo fads and merely tricking your mind to do the above.

It's all about will power.  Thin people have it.  Large people don't.

Egads I want a BK bacon double cheeseburger!  Have not had more than 5 in the last year, if that.  200# down to 180#.

Also:

This 'drink a lot of water' thing is WRONG.  Your body wants electrolyte balance.  Drinking water can dillute this.  this will force your body to expell water.  If it cannot expell fast enough, it will store it in the fat cells.  Exercise loses electrolytes as well, so you have a recipe for disaster.  Drink vitamin water.  Take 1/2 of a multi vitamin every day.  NO MORE.  Those can toxify a system and cause the bodt to purge too much.  Besides, the body cannot safelt absorb most of it at a time, anyhow.

[Merlin the Elder]

You should drink plenty of water, but William MacKean is correct that too much is harmful. How harmful? How about heart failure?

Too much water, especially when doing heavy exercise, can reduce your serum potassium to a dangerous, even fatal level. Loss of sodium can be equally dangerous. Replenishment and maintaining a balance of electrolytes is essential. It's not going to be much help to exercise if you're not going to be around to enjoy the fruits of your labours. There are plenty of bottled and canned electrolytes at the grocery store. For heavy exercising, you should have some around.

For less intensive exercising, like walking, just having plenty of tap water along is fine (unless it's egg-frying hot out). Unless you're perspiring heavily, most of the moisture loss is from expiration—breathing—so you have to replace the water so that the sodium, potassium, and other mineral levels don't get too high.

The best weight loss tip? Moderation in all things! Anything excessive that you do to your body, be it food, water, alcohol, binging, purging, sex, et al, are all bad!  well...not sex.....

[Mairte]

So far things are going good. I was glad to get the info about the water. It was something else I didnt know.
I have been eating more fish, chicken etc. not so much red meat. Though once in a while I HAVE to. (Cravings)
There have been some pretty noticeable changes. I just hope I can keep motivated when I hit a plateau. I am sure I will though...because I feel so much better once I exercise. I havent felt this well in quite a while.
HEY. I bet even excessive sex might be bad for someone after a while,lol.

[William_MacKean]

If your exercise is cardio-based, white meats and fish are the way to go.  If you do any strength training or stretching (yoga, pillates, etc.) then you need some red meat to rebuild muscle.

If ever you get injured, be it a sprain, tear, strain, or even a muscle ache, you need red meat.
If your joints experience pain, then you need more fish and chicken.

Fish oil pills are a good idea, but only 1 every 3 days.  In the morning before the afternoon exercise is OK, too.

[Mairte]

I have been doing both so will have to re-think the whole eating thing. I will get it figured out!
One question, since I have been building up more muscle, I have found myself to be hungrier. Is that normal?

[William_MacKean]

Yup.  Hunger assiciated with workouts is a protein callout.  When hungry, eat a beef jerky & a vitamin water.  Maybe eat chicken, steak, or rice & beans.

Also VERY important:
Avoid Gatorade unless working up a monster sweat at a gym or something.  I mean a monster sweat.  It is formulated for football players and high impact athletes, not for average people like us working out.  Vitamin water is better.  Gatorade can add too many electrolytes and toxify your system causing abnormal thirst variations and water retention.  Hard on kidneys for light athletes.