weightloss: what works?

sylorna · Apr 7, 2006

I've been battling my weight for my whole life, and frankly am ready to "release" a good portion of the fat on my body. I've been working at loosing weight more diligantly as of late, but I seem to keep on hovering over the same 5 pounds (2 up, one week 2 down the next) and I need some inspiration as to what to try next.

So far I have been eating more vegetables, and avoiding carbs at dinner/in the evenings. I've been avoiding fatty foods pretty much all together, and trying to limit my sugars. I try to go for walks, but it's hard to motivate myself to do so. I DO, however, do some weight lifting for my arms, some squats for my legs and have just started adding crunches to my list in the evenings before bed.
So my question is if anyone has successfully lost a good portion of weight healthfully (I don't want a diet that's just a diet, I want a new way of life that results in a release of weight) and how they did it.
Second question is if anyone has any good ab workouts. I've tried doing leg lifts, which worked for a few days, but now I don't feel anything doing them, and a crunch just isn't doing it either. I'm wondering if my abs are so weak that I'm just not able to isolate them properly or something.

Any thoughts are welcome! Hopefully by this time next year there will be a healthier me to announce.

Thanks guys
Jess

maddensmom · Apr 7, 2006

I don't know a whole lot about ways of losing the weight besides move, move move!!

I do however, know a great ab workout, but you need another person to help you. You lie on the floor flat on your back and have your partner stand with your head between thier feet (one foot above each shoulder). raise your legs straight up until they are parallell with your partners body. Then your partner should grab your ankles and push your legs toward the ground. Your job is to keep your legs straight, and don't let them touch the ground, then bring them back up so your partner can push them again. This really works!
You can have your partner push as hard as you want when you get used to the pressure that they are already pushing you at.
I love this exercise, and strangely enough, my hubby LOVES helping me do it! LOL I think he likes to watch me struggle toward the end!!
Good luck!

babyharley · Apr 7, 2006

Weight Watchers!

My mom was on that for about 3 years and the first year, she lost 50lbs!

Check it out - its a great program, they have great reciepes and you can eat what you like, cuz its all based on a points sysytem!

turtlecat · Apr 7, 2006

I have lost 62.6 lbs on Weight watchers. It's a lifestyle more than a diet. Ther's a losing phase, where you eat a certain way to lose, and then you eat that way, but more to maintain. And it's really versatile. Today for lunch I had a bowl of homemade curried lentil soup, and it was fantastic!!

pombina · Apr 7, 2006

You are doing weights etc which are great for burning fat and toning, but you do need to get your heart rate up aswell.
Walking is an excellent way but if you've been doing it for a while and nothing is happening, step it up. Try jogging. You don't have to be super fit, you can run a little, walk a little. Even run for a minute, walk for 2, run for 1 walk for 2. You'll find within no time that this gets easier and you can go faster, or for longer.
It is so hard to get motivated but once you do you won't look back. Just MAKE yourself do it. Think of the end result. Think how good you will feel when your clothes get looser and looser and you can outrun all your friends.
If running doesn't appeal, try a step. You don't even need to buy one of these! You can just step for 10 mins a day, then 15, then 20 and so on. Listen to music while you do it!
You could also buy a health and fitness magazine which will have great tips and recipes in it!
Good luck! We are all cheering you on!!!

fwan · Apr 7, 2006

Instead of taking the car, walk.

I lost a good 15 kilograms in 11 months, but my mistake was that i didnt tone it, i just got my heart rate up by thinking certain things that excited me.
Plus i walked everywhere as i was scared to take the train and we didnt have a car. To start off with, walk really fast about 500 metres for 1 week, then extend it to 1 kilometre.

Also if you excersize first thing in the morning then eat you burn food alot quicker that way.

pombina · Apr 7, 2006

Originally Posted by fwan

Also if you excersize first thing in the morning then eat you burn food alot quicker that way.

Thats true but I find working out at night works better for weight loss. You have eaten everything you are going to eat that day and it is all still there to burn off. If you go to sleep on it they say 'You're not resting, you're digesting'. If you exercise in the morning their is not as much there to work off.

solaritybengals · Apr 7, 2006

I did the fat flush 7 day detox program. Its supposed to just detoxify your body ultimately ending in a juice fast for one day. I think I lost 7lbs on it. But it wasn't easy and I was hit with massive cravings during the 7 days.

I'm also sort of stuck. I'm working out 3 days a week and the weight isn't budging. I think what I'd like to do now is do a colon cleanser. Those can work wonders and are a good compliment to other weight loss/excerise programs.

pombina · Apr 7, 2006

Originally Posted by SolarityBengals

I think what I'd like to do now is do a colon cleanser. Those can work wonders and are a good compliment to other weight loss/excerise programs.

I have had this done. Only once though because I haven't been able to afford it again. Its very pricey. It was fantastic, afterwards anyway, at the time it was pretty awful.
They try and encourage you to go regularly, but if you do, be careful not to go too much because your bowel will get lazy and you'll struggle to go normally. This also happens with regular laxative use.

babyharley · Apr 7, 2006

Originally Posted by Pombina

Thats true but I find working out at night works better for weight loss. You have eaten everything you are going to eat that day and it is all still there to burn off. If you go to sleep on it they say 'You're not resting, you're digesting'. If you exercise in the morning their is not as much there to work off.

I agree!

I go to the gym at nights around 8PM, that way, I've eaten all my meals for the day so I can work it all off. If I eat after I've gone to the gym, I feel like I went for nothing!

pombina · Apr 7, 2006

Originally Posted by babyharley

I agree!

I go to the gym at nights around 8PM, that way, I've eaten all my meals for the day so I can work it all off. If I eat after I've gone to the gym, I feel like I went for nothing!

I generally dont want to eat after either because I'm on a high and feel like I've done good! If I do eat I'll have a wholemeal bagel or a bowl of cereal.

amandaofcols · Apr 7, 2006

A friend of mine battling the same thing, got himself a diabetic cookbook and only ate foods that were approved for diabetics, and he would walk every day and he lost what seemed like oodles of weight, and has managed to keep it off!!

solaritybengals · Apr 7, 2006

Originally Posted by Pombina

I have had this done. Only once though because I haven't been able to afford it again. Its very pricey. It was fantastic, afterwards anyway, at the time it was pretty awful.

?? I don't think they are that pricey. Depends on the program you go with I guess. Most are just taking a bunch of fiber shakes through the day and other tea detox things at night. Every program is different but I know some that are just pills. I think the best are the ones where you are taking a fiber throughout the day.

I've been recommended the one at herbdoc.com by Dr. Schulze. Think I might give it a try when I get my next pay. I guess it does cost a bit but its not just a one-time use, I think there are multiple depending on how much you end up taking (self-regulated). I've heard its good to do a cleanse once or twice a year. At most I've heard seasonal but I've never done one before (well one time I had to do an x-ray and they gave me some stuff to clean you out, that was awful - is that what you were talking about?).

The good thing about the colon cleansers is to get you regular, which most people nowadays aren't (2-3 times a day...).

pombina · Apr 7, 2006

Originally Posted by SolarityBengals

?? I don't think they are that pricey. Depends on the program you go with I guess. Most are just taking a bunch of fiber shakes through the day and other tea detox things at night. Every program is different but I know some that are just pills. I think the best are the ones where you are taking a fiber throughout the day.

OK my bad, I thought you were talking about a colonic

solaritybengals · Apr 7, 2006

Originally Posted by Pombina

OK my bad, I thought you were talking about a colonic

Oh hehe. I'm not sure what that is, but I can imagine!

lunasmom · Apr 7, 2006

You've start off right, lowering carbs and getting rid of Fatty Foods. Also don't skip ANY meals, eat in smaller portions but more through out the day. Such as have a meal or granola bar for breakfast, have a banana around 10 am, then eat a light lunch, such as a salad and roll at 12 or 1, then have a mid afternoon snack, dinner.

A great ab workout? Try Gaiam's Pilates Beginning Mat Workout with Ana Caban. This is an AWESOME ab workout. Believe me, I would do a hundred crunches a night and never came close to the the abs this DVD has given me. If you're new to pilates, start off with this. Then get the Intermediate Workout of hers because she does a full 30 minute program instead of breaking.
I really like the way this video is set up. I did the Denise Austin one which is good, but she was too cheesy for me. Ana Caban talks about the movements like you're an intelligent human being.

laureen227 · Apr 7, 2006

Originally Posted by Amandaofcols

A friend of mine battling the same thing, got himself a diabetic cookbook and only ate foods that were approved for diabetics, and he would walk every day and he lost what seemed like oodles of weight, and has managed to keep it off!!

that would probably be similar to Sugar Busters, which was developed for diabetics. basically, it's a low-glycemic diet, with smaller portion sizes. there are several places on the web to look up a food's glycemic index, but the basic rule of thumb is: whole grain carbs only - natural [fruits] sugars only, hi fiber carbs. lean protein - similar to south beach or atkins in many ways. i am definitely carb-sensitive - i always lost weight more easily on low-carb plans. weight watchers has a low-carb plan if you're looking at that.

solaritybengals · Apr 7, 2006

Originally Posted by lunasmom

A great ab workout? Try Gaiam's Pilates Beginning Mat Workout with Ana Caban. This is an AWESOME ab workout. Believe me, I would do a hundred crunches a night and never came close to the the abs this DVD has given me. If you're new to pilates, start off with this. Then get the Intermediate Workout of hers because she does a full 30 minute program instead of breaking.

I'll have to look into this. I used to LOVE pilates!! I took a class and adored it. But I'm so out of shape (if I don't keep it up I fall to pieces fast). I need a good beginner one and have been intimidated to go back to pilates because I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to do it again. I did love it though...

I think my other video is Denise Austin. I like it but yah..."Smile your having fun!" gets tiring!! I'm not really having fun.... Slim In 6 is great! Not that I could do it like they are doing everyday but I love the routine and the people are real people, she also talks like a real person.

tari · Apr 7, 2006

I've been doing Weight Watchers, too, and I've lost 62 lbs since last September. I've tried for years to lose weight and managed to do OK on some diets, but they were always really hard for me to stick to for an extended length of time. I think a big part of why WW has worked for me is because it's really flexible and easy to live with. You can still have all the foods you love...you just have to balance them with some better choices.

timestreason · Apr 7, 2006

What I'm doing is weight lifting three days a week (weight lifting seriously boosts your metabolism and KEEPS it up much longer than cardio), walking, and belly dancing. I've lost almost 20 pounds since october...I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but I havn't exactly been strict on my routines.

I've also been doing low cal, low fat, high protien, my cals ranging from 1000 to 1500 a day. Depending on the foods I eat, I ususally don't even eat THAT much, and I'm still stuffed.

I also try and drink green tea and water...water helps you feel full, flushes out all the toxins, and if you drink ice water, you burn more calories because your body is expending them to warm up the water to body temperature.

weightloss: what works?

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Darksome Duo!

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member