how have you lost weight?

Re: how have you lost weight?

I lost 65 pounds on Weight Watchers in 2007 and have kept it off. I would like to lose 30 more on Weight Watchers between now and June. Definitely doable.

The thing is, you have to be really ready and committed. I lost about 40 pounds on Weight Watchers in 2004 and gained it back. The difference is, this last time I was completely dedicated and committed. I'm gearing up for the commitment to lost the extra 30. You can't just want to lose; you have to REALLY WANT to lose and dedicate yourself to it.

Re: how have you lost weight?

i lost 80 pounds from october 2006-august 2008 on my own mostly, with the help of a personal trainer 1x/week.

it is HARD. think about it...if there were a magic wegithloss cure, dont you think Oprah would have it? almost any "program" or plan will work if you do it and keep doing it consistently.

for me, it was 100% diet and exercise. i pushed myself at the gym almost every single day to go a little faster, longer, farther. i worked out cardio 5 days a week and weights 2 days. i watched my diet pretty closely, though i never really got into strict counting or tracking. everything in moderation, as far as food. i still ate and eat chocolate almost every day. the only thing i absolutely stopped doing was consuming alcohol, just because i feel that its not compatible with my health and fitness goals but obviously that is personal.

i know a ton of people of all ages and backgrounds who have done really well on weight watchers. if i had more weight to lose and was having a hard time, i would join weight watchers in a heartbeat. as of right now i still want to lose about 12 more pounds, but its not enough to join.

Re: how have you lost weight?

Eat healthy, control what i eat and exercise.
I go on the treadmill for an hour and do around 100-200 sit ups a day. I stayed away from rice, breads, sugars and fizzy drinks. College made me gain weight too

Re: how have you lost weight?

i just learned about the master cleanse, so i'm gonna start doing that probably tonight for at least 3-5 days. I have already kickstarted my workout plan, but I want to get rid of the crap that has accumulated in my system that exercise won't get rid of.

Re: how have you lost weight?

I lost about 30 pounds in 9 weeks a few years ago by eating less and working out. Simple idea but hard to follow sometimes. Anyway I'd recommend trying lots of new foods and recipes and exercises to keep yourself from getting tired of a routine. That helped me a lot. I love hula hooping, group gym classes and jumping rope. I'd recommend strength training too so you don't get skinny-fat. Spark people is a really good place to start.

Re: how have you lost weight?

I have lost 7 lbs in the past 2 weeks..I just started walking on my treadmill for 40 mins every morning no matter how bad I hate it...and if I want to get it over I run it so it goes faster and I'm off in 20 mins. I don't eat after 7pm....I gave up soda (Shimmer is clapping I know) I drink lots of water and tea and just limit my portions. I cave in to sweets every now and again...But in moderation...If I want something sweet I grab grapes or sugar free popsicles.

Re: how have you lost weight?

I lost 53 lbs on weight watchers.but I have a love/hate relationship with weight watchers, I always gain weight once I get off of it, I need to train myself to stay on right track and not pig out. The "holidays" have fcked me over. I'm starting January 19th the cabbage soup diet for 7 days to get the sweets, the caffeine, all that outta my system, ridiculous right? and then diet & excercise, so much coming up. Girlfriend's 21st bday in vegas around the pool in midmay and wedding in september

Re: how have you lost weight?

First of all, getting of medication, but I still needed to lose additional weight.

I then cut soda, and fast food. I drink lot of water instead of other liquids and have changed my eating habits. I try to eat more protein and veggies and less carbs, I have not cut sweets/carbs (hey, i like sugar) out of my diet, but I have reduced quantity for quality. For example, I eat one slice really, really good cake instead of gorging myself on crappy cake (This helps me because I have limited money and and if I eat better foods, I won't can't eat a lot of it and I can enjoy the taste of the better food). I have been doing this for 2 years, so I'm used to it now.

While I was on the meds, I had been working out 3-4 times a week in the gym, which helped me keep me weight stable, but not loose it. I continued that and started running.

I have lost 55 lbs and have kept it off for 2.5 years now. I have also learned that it is a change in lifestyle and that it's not always quick. It took 7 months for me, but it's been pretty stable now. In my first attempt, I lost 40 lbs in two months and it made my period stop and then I just gained all the weight again.

Re: how have you lost weight?

A lot less binge eating, and a few salads a week instead of a regular lunch helped me a lot. I never deprive myself, but I replace some unhealthy foods with healthier ones. I also try to limit eating sweets to the weekend, which is tough cuz I have a sweet tooth! I try to go to the gym a few times a week, and I never go a week without at least going once to the gym.

Small changes like that make you lose weight slowly but you can keep it off for longer, trust me! Also, it's ok to cheat once in a while and eat a nice big plate of pasta!

Re: how have you lost weight?

The funny thing for me is, I am losing weight IN college but when I visit home, I gain all of it back. grrr. I need to get serious though.

Re: how have you lost weight?

what did you do to lose so much in such a little time??

Re: how have you lost weight?

Climbing.
Poledance.
Weights (heavy ones).

Re: how have you lost weight?

I lost a dress size doing the couch to 5km running program . I also tried to eat healthier food to give me energy for exercise & not drink so much alcohol, but without deprivation (still eat out with friends a few times a week, for example).

I am super anti crash diets and meal replacements, because rapid weight loss does more damage in the long term. You should be aiming for overall health rather than being thin!

Re: how have you lost weight?

I have lost 27 pounds by doing Weight Watchers and working out. I work out about 5 times a week. I do Hip Hop Abs level 2, or Jackie's Workout or Jillian Michaels. Like the other poster who lost with Weight Watchers said, you have to really be committed and know that you want to lose the weight and make a lifetime commitment to it. If you are looking for a quick fix, then you are most likely going to regain the weight. You have to make lifestyle changes. I found that for me I couldn't cut things out of my diet, because I knew that once I went back to eating them I would regain all of the weight. Instead, I just used a healthier option. Instead of ground beef, I use ground turkey, fat free cheese to replace cheese, more water, fruits and vegetables. If I want something sweet I get the Weight Watchers fudge bars or chocolate chip cookies or the 100 calorie snacks. It is hard, but if you set your mind to it, it can be done!

Re: how have you lost weight?

If you're serious about losing and keeping it off then all those diets or restrictive programs are not the way.

1. Eat more food that comes out of the ground (not in a box package etc) fresh food; try to avoid eating junk obviously but there is no need to cut portions drastically.

2. Work out at least 4x a week more if possible to kick start your metabolism
10-15min warm up running, biking whatever you want
30min at least of weights this is key and lift heavy no girly pink 3lb weights
3 sets of 15 well done crunches, doing millions of situps won't get you a six pack or reduce the fat on the tummy.

3. Drink tons of water I mean at least 2L more depending on your size

If you do all that you will see meaningful results in a month for sure, hth.

Re: how have you lost weight?

I went on a crazy diet, (eating only beans and veggies), and ate about 500 calories a day, and exercised a lot. It was a BAD idea. I ended up becoming very sick and gaining all the weight back.

Re: how have you lost weight?

These are things that work for me going from 128 lbs to 113 lbs in about 3 months, while putting on muscle and eating and living healthy.

I'm not sure if this pertains to you, but the number one thing that made me lose weight was getting off the pill. I lost ten pounds in a month & half. So if you take bc and do not want to get off, you may want to switch to one with a lower estrogen level...I heard that Yaz is good.

The number one thing you should take into consideration when trying to lose weight is your diet. You really need to be eating healthy and taking vitamins (multiB, A, C, E...) and essential oils (I like salmon oil). Taking oils and vitamins daily is awesome for your bod, hair, nails and skin. You should eat four to five smaller meals or snacks a day and you can throw in a 6th if you are very active or have long days.

Eating breakfast is a must! You really need to kick start your metabolism early. You also need to cut back on processed foods and fillers that have no nutritional value (fastfood!) and foods that have a lot of preservatives in them. Foods with preservatives do not digest well and those foods will stay in your stomach longer, feeding your body fat and poor nutrition. Eat foods high in fiber (apples, bananas, avacados, fiber cereal...) to help your digestive track and intestines out. Def. need to be eating the five food groups, as cheezy as that sounds. I take enzymes as well, this helps digest things that are nomally harder for our bodies to do on their own. This is gross, but work to get you digestive track up to par...so you can take healthy and frequent #2s (once a day at least). I would not recommend doing a colon cleanse, doing so could remove a lot of helpful bacteria in your colon and lead to infections.

Sushi is awesome, fish in general is soooo good for you, just make sure it IS wild and not farmed, because much of farmed fish are like farmed chickens with poor diet and pesticide contamination. They put them in huge nets and they eat waste, live in pollution, and are more than likely fed growth hormones. Beef is good every now and then, it is somewhat dificult to digest especially the more rare it is. Chicken has good protien, easy on the fried chicken...thats one of those once a week things too.

hmmmm...what else???

drink LOTS of water!! drink green tea!! it helps digestion and boosts your metabolism. Brew some of your own at home and put some honey in it, yum. I never drink soda, maybe once a month, but I drink tea, every juice, wine, ocassional gatorade.

Eat as much organic as you can! A lot of foods you get at the grocery store have preservatives and pesticides on them. This is very important with dairy! I only buy Horizons or Trader Joes, because so many dairy farms use antibiotics, growth hormones and cloning! Sick. Horizons even put on their lable "no cloning" lol. Go to your farmers markets or really read the ingrediants at the grocery. They are seriously putting the worst stuff in our foods these days. Everyone needs to be aware and research that. For instance, Coca Cola was caught like a week ago with 300 times more pesticides in their orange Fanta than the legal limit in a bottle of water!!! WTF? I'm getting off topic now, but everyone needs to check this health website out...I read it religiously Arsenic Contamination of Drinking Water Promotes Diabetes. This guy knows whats up in the food and health world. Another good thing about knowing what is in your food, is you will NEVER want to eat McDonalds or Totino rolls or tysons chicken wings etcetc again. You would be disgusted, so educate yourself and you will not be near as tempted.

Back to what we were talking about...

Eat Slower too, it helps you to realize when you truly are full, so you do not over eat. Keep in mind, you do not have to give up sweets and junk food, just slow your role when it comes to it. I will allow myself once a week to eat at In N Out or Sonic and I get the works, lol.

I know this seems like a lot to take on, but people do not understand that you cannot just do "something" for a few months to lose weight and actually keep it off. You have to change your lifestyle and probably your pallet. A lot of people do not like to eat vegetables, fish, fruit, granola, but you know what? Suck it up and learn to like it!!! It's not that hard to change your eating habits and it is soooo worth it. And no one take this the hard way, but IMO there is no reason food should have power of someone to the point they are battling their weight. Like I said, eat what you crave, just limit it! A lot of times after a few bites you're over it anyways.

Last, but not least

Exercise for sure. Sure cardio is good, but toning is a must too. People that only run and do not do any sort of weights are selling themselves out. I hate running, absolutely hate it, so I do other things to do cardio. Basketball, roller skating, take the dog out, even walking is good! Palates works really well for me, it tones and lifts everything. I like to lift light weights and do a bunch of circut training. Even though I like to be thin and healthy, I still like to have a booty and curves. So I do exercises that help accentuate my assets...lots of hamstring, quads, inner thighs and booty. These are the things I want a little juicer so I work out with light weights and focus on these target areas. For abs, calfs, and arms I just tone, I do not really focus on building muscle here. Swimming is also awesome, it puts an equally amout of pressure and resistance over your whole body and works every muscle. Really push yourself, when you want to give up just picture how you want to look in a bikini or hot, tight dress and you will keep pushing, lol. I do this all the time. People think that when they go to the gym they have to go for hour and run for like 30 minutes on the treadmill....NOT. I get in and out in thrity minutes. Just stick to your target areas for that day (do legs and butt one day and abs and arms the next) and work hard and you are in and out. Then the days you don't feel like going to the gym go for a hike or walk. Take the dog out or play volleyball or what have you. Roller skating is awesome and you can wear cute little things when roller skating, lol.

I love junk food, but I am lucky and also love healthy organic foods.

Things I like to snack on that taste really good...
Natures Valley Granola Bars- OMG their sweet and salty almond bars are AMAZING!
Hummus and Crackers
Apples and Peanut Butter
Whole grain english muffins and light cream cheese
All Fruit
Avacados
Greek Yogurt and Granola
Turkey and bacon sandwiches
BASICALLY EVERYTHING AT TRADER JOES!
Also, when I have a sweet tooth, I will drink some chocolate milk (horizon only) or apple juice and that will fix it sometimes...sometimes it doesnt lol. I really like english muffins and jelly for something sweet as well. And if you splurge on your once a week or twice a week munch out, make it up to yourself in the gym. Do an extra 50 crunches and 50 lunges.

Sorry to rant on but these are things Americans really need to take seriously! There is no reason for young children or teens or young adults to be obese or battling weight. I'm not claiming to be a professional, I am just stating what I know personally, as well as the obvious. If I come off harsh, it's all out of LOVE . So for those of you that say "I want to lose weight but don't have time to work out and do not like eating healthy, like I said, SUCK IT UP! If it is important to you to lose weight and be healthy then make time and find healthy foods you like. They are out there, just expand your horizons and try things and make sacrifices. Just say no to crash dieting and say yes to living healthy and happy, dude.

**Also if anyone is having pimple problems use Tea Tree Oil directly on your pimple, It has worked sooooo good for me, better than ProActive or anything else out there and it is not harmful to your skin like Pro and Benzo. It stings a little, and really drys out the area, so use plenty of moisturizer. I on my face and shoulders and am thanking God everyday I started.**

PEACE OUT xoxo

Re: how have you lost weight?

I lost 14llbs on the Atkins Light diet. I managed it in 3-4 weeks and did no excercise. So it was the atkins diet but I only ate chicken and lotsa fish salads and didnt go OTT on fats like oil and butter and cheese.

I have since regained but totally let go (idiot!) - I'm gonna give it another go to get bulk of weight off and then downgrade to the GI diet principles.

Re: how have you lost weight?

Weight Watchers (and have been maintaining it) and cardio with a strength training program.

Re: how have you lost weight?

I'm no weight loss guru by any means, but I've managed to lose a small amount of weight, just by cutting out my sodas altogether. I might allow myself to have 3 diet sodas a week, but that's it. I gave up my Coke and the first week was hell. I drink about 4 bottles of water everyday, either plain water or filled up with those green tea or white tea mixers.

Re: how have you lost weight?

i,ve went from 160 to 139 in about 4 months by weight lifting proper heavy weights and eating clean real healthy foods, no need to deprive yourself just on't eat anything that does your body harm and exercise and build some muscle et voila!!!!!! i should have done this years ago xxx

Re: how have you lost weight?

This may sound really lame (seeing I think most of us are over the age of 16) but I use Seventeen Magazine for my workouts.

Lame right?

Let me explain.

In almost ALL issues of Seventeen Magazine there is a Health/Fitness section. They offer diet advice but most of all they usually offer a set of workouts geared around certain goals. For example, some of the moves shown might be yoga inspired, some might involve weights, some might involve dance moves etc.

So I buy an issue and I automatically got the "workout section" as I call it. I do the set of workouts about 3 days a week and then when the new issue comes out I switch to whatever plan is in that issue. So on and so forth. It doesn't get boring and its always something different for me.

I have so far toned just about EVERY body part, my butt is banging and my legs are looking killer. Since I'm switching everything up each month I'm working different parts of different muscles so I'm getting an all over body hual without even knowing it.

As far as food...well...I love food. A LOT.

Mainly I eat what I want I just work on my portion control. If I order pizza I don't have to get extra cheese and pepperoni and I don't have to get a large. I can get a small with grilled chicken and whole wheat crust etc. If I go out with friends I either split a dish with someone (saves $$$ too), or I get a doggy bag.

However, diet and exercise won't help anyone unless you KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE!!!! I know that I will never look like a victoria secret model. I have an ass and I have thighs. Now, I can either sit around and complain out the cellulite in my thighs or I can do some squats and tighten it all up. Some people are just naturally big and its your choice about if you wanna be "flabby" big or "toned" big.

Confidence is what makes a girl sexy, not the size of her jeans.

Re: how have you lost weight?

These are all really great tips but what would you guys recommend for someone like me who NEEDS to lose weight due to health but I dont have the will power to eat smaller portions or eat like snacks in between. I also dont like veggies I have tasted them but me no likie LOL. Any help tips to try and get over the veggie taste would be great. Thanks guys

Re: how have you lost weight?

suck it up and drive on.
Do it for your health.
There are no cheats...either you want it bad enough to change or you don't.

Re: how have you lost weight?

portion control. I really didn't realize how much i ate until i wrote everything down. Half the time i ate i wasn't even really hungry, just bored.

Re: how have you lost weight?

I have only started working out to Jillian Michaels's 30 Day Shred. I dont think I have lost any weight yet (I've only done it for a week) but I can definitely see improvements as my body is much more toned. I've also cut down on eating sweets and having more fruits.

Re: how have you lost weight?

I've found that drinking large amounts of water has really helped - you do end up running to the toilet more often, but flushing out toxins is good for your skin

Throughout the day I make sure I always have a glass of water nearby (btw I drink water from a pint glass, lol) and before meals I down half a glass or so of water, which makes me eat slightly smaller portions. Plus some exercise will help. I hate the gym with a passion, so I bought one of those dance games + dance mat, it's fun and burns calories too

HTH.

Re: how have you lost weight?

I lost my post-pregnant weight by eating nothing but this special broth made with chicken and certain herbs that are spose to help the bodies recovery and rice for a whole month, 6 small meals of it a day. Also only drinking warm water and a little juice. It may sound weird to you, but in my husband's culture, when a women gives birth, she must only eat this and drink water for one full month so that her body internally can recover and return to pre-pregnant shape/weight. BTW I had to do this two time, one year apart from each other. I was pracitically in bed rest during that time too, because in both my husbands and my cultures, the women must stay in bed for recovery for that whole month too.

As to just losing weight, I try to eat in moderation, be active and stretch whenever I can. If I can't work out, I'll do house chores, dance, or play on the wii.

Re: how have you lost weight?

I am 5'1" tall and when I was 18 years old, I used to weigh 95 lbs. Needless to say, I was thin and felt beautiful.

When I got married I gained 10 lbs and my weight stayed at 105 lbs. I still looked and felt beautiful.

When I got pregnant with my first baby in 2007, I gained a lot of weight, and became 158 lbs (My feet and hands were also swollen). My nurse told me to be careful and stop eating rice and pasta (I eat rice everyday because of my south asian heritage). I knew I was getting bigger than I should, but I was too excited about my first baby. I still listened to my nurse.

After 6 months post-partum, I lost weight and became 125 lbs. I still looked and felt a bit big.

I re-started my studies and work in September/Late July, and after 1 year-postpartum, I went down to 115 lbs.

I am struggling to lose the last 10 lbs and become 105 again. (105 lbs is my goal)
(I am still nursing my 16 month old son), so perhaps the weight is staying put because my body is in "genetic/environmental mode" and wants to keep a supply of adipocytes for "times of famine" for both mother and child. It will not let go of the 10 lbs, errr!!!
(funny because in our modern McDonald's fast food era it is hard to die of famine in Western culture ).

I know exactly where my last 10 lbs is located on my body: 2.5 lbs on each thigh, and about 2.5 lbs on my stomach and 2.5 on the behind.

Anyway, I have been trying to drink lots of water, green tea, I am making up my fasts from previous Ramadans (still got lots to go), and I started leg exercises. I have also been keeping track of what I am eating, and gave up large portions of my rice. I gave up on crunches, but my doctor said to continue them if you really want to lose the tummy weight.

I hope to restart crunches. I have been walking a lot, but not enough. Anyway, I hope to lose the 10 lbs this year!! I cannot wait till the weather gets better, I can take my son out for walks with me in his stroller. I'll power walk, and he can enjoy me exercising too! Yay!!
Please God, let the snow melt soon!

By the way, I think it is good to lose weight, not just for cosmetic purposes, but for health reasons. Especially since excess weight in females is associated with breast cancer, visceral fat around the stomach is associated with heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, the number 1 killer in North America is heart disease. Thus, for people criticizing us for losing weight for only our aesthetic purposes, we care about our health too darn it !

Good luck to the rest of you ladies!
Best wishes.