Any tips for losing weight?

bobo2k4

bobo2k4

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Any of you hot studs willing to share some kind of excerise secrets?

Since its getting warm here i decided its time for me to drop some weight. I try every summer by walking about a mile everyday but by fall the weight comes back. So I'm gonna try to lose as much as possible and try to keep the trend year round.

I am a fatty so dont expect me to run a marathon. I have friends that workout nonstop at gyms but i dont have the money. I just got my trendmill i try to run on every weekend. Walking has helped so i plan on doing it this summer. I also am trying to find another job so i know that cuts down my time.
So any advice for a lazy bastard with no money?
 
Walk on the treadmill a lot, and don't eat bad carbs (sugars) keep fats to a minimum, and assuming you eat meats stick to only low or no fat turkey and chicken.
 
I lost 35 pounds by eating twice a day, eating no more than 5% fat a day, and never eating any snack besides rice cakes or matzos.

I still eat twice a day and closely watch my fat intake, I also pay some attention to calories (though not THAT much). I don't eat meat and love rice and pasta, so fat was the easiest cut (limit cheese, oil etc.) and one I could sustain.

Though there's not problem eating at night. A study was done that showed night eating itself wasn't the problem, it was the fact that people who ate at night tended to eat things like potato chips and candy more often.

Don't be overly harsh. For example, I know if I tried to really control my carb intake I'd never be able to sustain it in the long term. It would cut out essentially all my staple foods (I often go 3 months or more before I have a day where I don't eat some kind of pasta) and leave me with few things I both like and can eat. Try to find one that works for the long term, even if it's not quite as dramatic in the short term. You're less likely to gain the weight back.
 
Yes, like Alonzo pretty much summed up the eating right before bed doesn't mean jack. Your body is still running while you're sleeping, almost as much as when you're sitting around playing video games. Most people who eat a lot at night are eating junk and a lot of it, you know the "midnight snacks".
 
Thanks for the response, guys.

Looks like everyone is going toward a diet solution. Yea I'm going to try to cut down on meat and ice'd cream. Luckily i dont have much of a sweet tooth and I dont try to sneak in any midnight snacks.

I always had that mentality of "rewarding" myself after hitting the treadmill. Like I'd run for an hour and then make myself a bacon sandwich.
 
also you can cut down on portion size, say you usually eat 4 slices of pizza, now eat 2. It can be hard, but its an easy way to reduce calories.
 
Eat a high percentage of protein and a low percentage of carbs & fat. That means lots of tuna & turkey. If you still need carbs, go for simple stuff like rice or wheat bread. As for exercise, you don't need to go to the gym to do it. Since you've got a treadmill, run (if you can) for about 20 minutes a day. You don't have to do the 20 minutes all at once (though it is preferred) but you can break it up into two 10 minute chunks (one in the morning, one at night). It's far better to do cardio every day instead just over the weekend. Breaking a 20 minute run into 2 separate sessions makes it seem easier to manage than one whole session. Same with weight lifting. If you need to do certain focus groups (like chest, abs, etc.) do an opposite group (if you can, it might be difficult early on) later in the day (or night if you don't mind). For example, you can do your chest exercises in the morning and back in the evening. I love back exercises as they help support your weight (especially if you have weak abs). If you don't have any weights, you can do some plyometric exercises for a while until you can afford weights or a lifting machine. Cardio is key though. Even if you do all the exercises, if you're not burning fat, no one can see the muscles. I learned that the hard way with my abs. I used to have strong abs but it never showed since the fat around the belly just wouldn't go away until I took cardio seriously. Just don't overdo anything. Take your time to see your limits. Better to lift a slightly lighter weight than end up with a hernia.

Also, for the first 3 months of working out, don't eat anything past 7pm. Have dinner early as possible and workout (giving yourself some time to digest food first of course). But don't reward yourself afterwards with food. Only water and maybe simple juice.
 
Do what I do... jog a mile a day (at least).

Eat a bowl or two of cereal (semi nutritous kinds) for lunch

Eat a moderate dinner, and jog again if not tired.

Thats what I do daily and it seems to work.
 
Honestly i dont know if this counts. I was a born athelete....i could run down the street and end up in top condition. All those years of playing soccer in college really payed off.

Anyway i seriouly dont even worry about what i eat. I just make sure to run a mile or about 30min at least 1 every other day. Plus i do a mini workout before bed...40 pushups and a couple stretches to keep the body limber.


I dont know anything about watching carbs and all that other jazz...its all about being active man. Go outside and do something, run,bike,walk,jog something and you should be good to go. After work and school i make sure to at least do something before sitting down for 8 hours of video games.
 
I eat 5 small meals a day. It's better to eat a bunch of small meals than 1 or 2 large ones. Sign up for a site like fitday.com so you can closely watch your calorie intake. Basically, if you eat less than what you burn each day, you'll lose weight. I don't believe in Atkins and stuff since I'm an athlete and need the carbs (the good kind) for energy. Of course, avoid those candy bars and ice cream but allow yourself a treat once a week so that you don't end up binging when you can't stand it anymore. For sweets, I usually eat nonfat pudding or jello. Fruits are great as dessert too. Try to alternate your cardio because if you stick with one thing for too long, your body starts to get used to it and it's not as effective as it could be. So if you have a bike, bike for two weeks, then use the treadmill for two weeks, then go back to the bike for two weeks. As for meat, I only eat lean chicken and fish except for that one day a week when I allow myself to enjoy a burger/steak/whatever and some alcohol with my friends :)
 
Start off slow for about two weeks then start to do more. Instead of just walking you should really try to run/jog more and it doesn't have to be for that long at first, 1-2mins on level 4 or 5 on a treadmill is absolutely fine you'll progress. Be more active, there's good weather outside so enjoy it. Most importantly change your diet, if you intensely limit your sugars and snacks you'll be in better shape by the end of summer. My friend slimmed down by going cold shoulder of junk food and basically used peanut butter to fill the void, by the end of summer he was unrecognizable. If you're a heavy eater try to cut back later in the day, since you'll burn through what you eat in the morning. I would also stop eating all together 3 hours before you go to sleep so your body isn't digesting stuff when you're sleeping. Good luck man I hope this helps!
 
Also, don't know if anyone mentioned it but cut your calorie intake down. If you were to cut like 300 calories a day (out of a 2300 calorie diet, for example) then you could lose about a pound a week with no more effort than you put in now.
 
Just eat at bad schedules and low protein meals... and make most your meals snacks or cereal. I wake up around 3pm, eat cereal, eat a late lunch, eat a late dinner usually made up of snacks or cereal and there you go. I lost about 10 pounds doing so, but I really didn't want to... plus it's unhealthy what I'm doing :(
 
One important thing to do is to STOP drinking soda. Its one of the worst things for you, and really can stop you from losing weight. Only drink water and natural juices and that alone will help you lose weight.
 
[quote name='rodeojones903']One important thing to do is to STOP drinking soda. Its one of the worst things for you, and really can stop you from losing weight. Only drink water and natural juices and that alone will help you lose weight.[/QUOTE]

agreed! I used to have about 2-3 cans a day and quit cold turkey over 2 yrs ago. I dropped 15 pounds in 2 months time and soda really attributed to that. I havent had a soda since... Well, the occassional bottle of bawls but I dont count that since I drink it when I need a pick me up, or mixed with some UV blue.
 
I don't really watch what I eat, but it's just a general feel. Here's some suggestions:

chicken breast
steamed rice
can of corn
strawberry juice
buttered grean beans
wheat bread

If you live with others, this is easy and efficient to do for several plates. I live in a city with HEB. They sell a lot of ready made, precooked, frozen meat products. This is how I can eat seasoned chicken breast easily while maintaining an insane schedule. My roommate has a rice cooker. Corn, strawberry juice, and buttered green beans all come in cans or frozen bags. Wheat bread is easy.

For snacks, try high carb, low fat stuff. Wheat thin knockoffs are tastey. Try looking in the freezer section for frozen fruit bars. They have zero fat, lots of carbs, and Vitamin C, and fruit tastes good. Raisans are great snack food to munch on. They're cheap and healthy. Granola bars and fruit cereal bars are good for quelching hunger. Yogurt is available in many flavors.

I buy canned soups often because it's the easiest way to have a quick meal core with vegetables and meats. Progresso, Campbell's, and Hill Country Fare canned soups are pretty good. Grab ones with lots of rice and/or vegatables with chicken.



So, the overall message I'm giving is to eat lots of low fat foods. Rice, chicken, and fruits are the best cornerstones.
 
[quote name='rodeojones903']One important thing to do is to STOP drinking soda. Its one of the worst things for you, and really can stop you from losing weight. Only drink water and natural juices and that alone will help you lose weight.[/QUOTE]

Diet soda's okay. They're supposedly bad for you but I can't live without soda and so I'd die without diet sodas.
 
I dropped 70 lbs using the Weight Watchers point system books that I bought on ebay. I didn't join WW, just followed the book, played Basketball everyday for 1 hour, and when I didn't hoop it up I ran. I started at .5 miles, and by the time I hit my goal, I was up to 6 miles.

I have since put back 20 lbs though since my wife emptied my gym bag in the washing machine without seeing what was in it...my books were destroyed!

Edit: Oh, and one more thing...only drink WATER. Add lemon for flavor, but thats it. The occasional Diet Soda won't hurt either.
 
Two meals a day; no soft drinks.

Most importantly: Exercise.
 
i need to loose weight as well...i usually avarage about 185, but jumped to 200 when i broke up with my gf. :O i wasn't depressed but ate more. Anyways i got a high school reunion to go to in october and i need to loose the pot belly. im starting to feel the giggle when i walk and that is not good :( plus im about to start dating someone new and it would be nice to have her look at something besides my pot belly. :p
 
High fructose corn syrup (the star ingredient of soda, etc) contains a chemical that prevents your brain from realizing when you stop being hungry.
 
I lost a LOT of weight since coming to Japan, mostly because I'm eating actual FOOD everyday, not microwave burritos and other staples of college.

But if you're looking for a quick fix, just eat 1 meal a day.
I've never really eaten breakfast (eating that early in the morning makes me queasy for some reason), I eat a big lunch, and then just have lots of Dakara (like a healthier Gatorade) or juice or water and some fruit or rice crackers (if anything) for dinner.
It helped me slim down for the V-day party and I'm doing it this week for a beach party on saturday. Oh and you still need SOME exercise. I walk to/back from school everyday and I'm on my feet teaching too. Its not much but it does the trick.
 
I'll say mainly working out everyday (unless you are really sick or something) especially if you don't feel like it. This will help out the most. Start slowly with walking and build up to running.

Drink a lot of water.

If you do those two things after a while you will start not wanting to eat as much. If you can cut down on your portions on your own that will help. Try to eat fruits and vegetables instead of candy or chips, etc... It's okay to have something unhealthy every once in a while just not all the time.
 
Whoa, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE SAYING TO EAT JUST 1 OR 2 MEALS A DAY!!!! This is very bad for you, as your body will slow it's metabolism to compensate. It will assume you are starving yourself, and convert more of the food you eat into fat instead of energy/muscle. Eat 3-5 small meals in a day, so your body is constantly digesting and your metabolism will start to increase. THAT is what will help you lose weight. Well, that and exercise. But you already knew that.
 
[quote name='rodeojones903']One important thing to do is to STOP drinking soda. Its one of the worst things for you, and really can stop you from losing weight. Only drink water and natural juices and that alone will help you lose weight.[/quote]

I second this. I stopped drinking soda, except for the occassional diet beverage and just became more aware of my portions. I dropped over 40 pounds in less than six months.
 
The game solution

Dance Dance Revolution (as mentioned abobe)
or
Yourself! Fitness

Only drink water unless you are doing extened high heart rate exercises, then you can drink 1/2 powerade as you exercise.

I suggest signing up for a 100+mile bicycle ride that takes place in the fall and then work toward that as a goal.

T
 
Well my post will probably get lost in the shuffle but here's my advice ...

Join Weight Watchers Online. I lost 40 pounds without exercising. How it works is you get alotted a certain amount of "points" per day based on your gender, height, and weight. So for example I started out with 26 points a day. Each and every food you is given a point value .. a slice of pizza is generally 6 points (this is determined by calories, fat, fiber). So what you do is you track how much you eat in a given day and try not to exceed your points. It sounds difficult at first but its really very easy.

If you decide to pass on this advice I offer this to you as a second bit which is equally or more important: watch what you drink! I dont think many people realize that they're getting incredible amounts of calories from the liquids they drink. Fruit juices such as orange juice have an incredible amount of sugar and calories .. often more than soda. Also, drinking alot of alcohol isnt a good idea (but its one I cant resist ;)).

If you (or anyone) has questions about Weight Watchers Online just let me know and I'll try to answer.
 
i have lost 12 lbs in the past 2 months by eating only 1800 calories per day. i usually eat a good 800 calories in the morning, 400 for lunch, 600 for dinner, and exercise for about a hour after dinner (walk on the treadmill while watching some dvds or tv, DDR, or at 24hr fitness). i really watch how much i eat now.
its ok to drink diet sodas if u crave it like me (usually 2 cans a day for me), 3 bottles of water or milk. but, just dont drink fruit juices at all or sodas.

plus i usually try not to eat for another 5 hrs at a time.
 
Thanks again everyone for your great responses.
I just came back from an hour long walk and I'm probably gonna hit the treadmill after dinner.
Looks like everyone here is against drinking pop which is fine cause I only drink it when im out and really thirsty.

To Maklershed, I am actually interested in this weight watchers thing so if you can please go into detail on it and how do I get into it without having to spend the money i dont have.
 
Do some sport at your school/college. In freshmen year of high school my friend tryed out with me for basketball, mind you he was pretty chubby. Made the team because he was tall and from practicing and hitting the weight room he's ripped now.
 
Ouch, don't drink pop when you are thirsty. When you are really thirsty, that is the time to drink water. Since if you are thirsty, ANY liquid will do. Most people don't drink enough water because it's tasteless and they can't choke down a gallon a day (about what you should be drinking). So make yourself drink water when you are thirsty because that is one of the few times you won't notice how tasteless and blech water seems to you.

You should work to eliminate pop from your diet totally. If you keep working towards drinking only water and a few other (occasional) beverages-- after awhile you won't mind the taste of water.

As for losing weight-

1. No special restrictions on your diet. Don't aim for only fats, only carbs, only whatever. Simply aim for eating more natural foods over processed foods.

Don't waste your time figuring percents of fat or carbs etc. If you eat more natural foods, it won't be a problem.

2. Exercise more. (duh) If you are looking to burn calories, that means aerobic type exercise for 30-45 minutes, 3-5 times a week. Target heart rate should be (220 minus your age = your peak heartrate. Figure out 65-85% of that peak heartrate. That is your target area that you need to be in for those 30-45 minutes)

If you are a beginner, you might only be able to do 10 minutes at that level. That's fine. Do that for the first 2 weeks, then begin to increase it. Go up to 15 minutes for a week, then up to 20 minutes. Whatever you can do. But keep to the routine. If you are a beginner, 3 times a week is probably best since you won't see much more benefit if you went to 5 times a week so soon. Being that you may be terribly out of shape, 3 times will give you lots of benefit. You can increase it later as you become more fit.

3. Find some exercises you like to do. For fatties, I think running is not a good idea. Way too much stress on the knees and ankles. Things like swimming or bicycles can be better options for cardiovascular exercises that don't stress the joints.

It's important to find something you like to do since that will be more likely that you can keep to it. If you truly hate walking or swimming- you probably aren't going to stick to it.

4. Eating several smaller meals through the day is a good idea. It keeps your blood sugar levels more constant and it also keeps your metabolism more constant.

Examples are eating a regular breakfast at 6 am, then a snack at 9 am, a light lunch at noon, a snack at 3 pm, and a regular dinner at 6 pm.

Snacks can be fruit, nuts, or some other type of natural foods. NOT junk foods.


Those are some basics for getting yourself fit and weight under control. Also, remember to think in long terms and not look for instant short term gains. You didn't get out of shape over night and you sure aren't going to get in shape that quickly either.

Good luck.
 
I lost 60 pounds 10 years ago by working three jobs and going to college. I was so busy I didn't have any time to 'snack', which is mostly what I did when I was idle. I went from being a fatass, to my parents trying to get me to go to counseling thinking I was anorexic/bulimic. I managed to keep it off by not snacking and switching to Diet Coke. Trust me, you'll get used to it after awhile, and the real deal will taste like syrup.
 
I run/jog 3 miles a day, I have for the past 3 months, and I have only lost 3-5ish lbs. I was wondering, does that mean I'm gaining muscle? or what? I don't over-eat or anything, just 3 meals a day and thats it.

It's driving me nuts, ive been trying to lose weight forever and even runnings not doing the thing.

I also started only drinking *mainly* water and *sometimes* green tea/low sugar juices.
 
[quote name='projecteightysix']I run/jog 3 miles a day, I have for the past 3 months, and I have only lost 3-5ish lbs. I was wondering, does that mean I'm gaining muscle? or what? I don't over-eat or anything, just 3 meals a day and thats it.

It's driving me nuts, ive been trying to lose weight forever and even runnings not doing the thing.

I also started only drinking *mainly* water and *sometimes* green tea/low sugar juices.[/quote]

It could be you're gaining muscle. It's for that reason why some ppl get depressed when they lose some weight after working out only to gain it back; they don't realize they've packed on muscle. Muscle does have some weight as well. Don't ever focus on weight as it's a misleading indicator of a healthy body. Rather, if you really want to see what's happening to your body, focus on your body mass ratio as it will give you a more accurate representation.
 
[quote name='kaw']I lost 60 pounds 10 years ago by working three jobs and going to college. I was so busy I didn't have any time to 'snack', which is mostly what I did when I was idle. I went from being a fatass, to my parents trying to get me to go to counseling thinking I was anorexic/bulimic. I managed to keep it off by not snacking and switching to Diet Coke. Trust me, you'll get used to it after awhile, and the real deal will taste like syrup.[/quote]
I hear what you're saying. On both points. During the week when I work I could go each day and barely eat anything. But on the weekends, when I sit at home, all I wanna do is eat junk food. And the diet soda thing is probably not good because I'm sure its full of weird chemicals (some of which I hear when combined with stomach acids turn to formaldahyde). But ever since I started dieting a year or so ago I'm completely addicted to it. I need a daily diet soda fix around 11am. Regular sodas taste completely weird and far too sweet to me now.

Also, I sent you a pm bobo
 
Yeah, my boyfriend made the switch from regular to diet soda a while ago. He lost a lot of weight, but he drinks so much diet soda, I'm afraid he's getting all these harmful chemicals in his body. :(

Personally, I only drink water. Sometimes I will have a Sprite/Sierra Mist if I go to a fast food place where water isn't an option, but that's very rare, and I only end up drinking a few sips of it. I don't see how water tastes bad. I personally love the taste (then again, I almost always have bottled water available).
 
Oh almost forgot, what about coffee? I guess its out since i load it with cream and sugar.

Any recommendations for a alternative to Mcdonalds?
 
Drinking cold water. I once read in Newsweek that drinking ice, cold water (the kind that hurts your jaw) burns about 50 calories each time because your body has to burn calories to bring your body temp up due to the ice cold water bring it down.
 
[quote name='bobo2k4']Oh almost forgot, what about coffee? I guess its out since i load it with cream and sugar.

Any recommendations for a alternative to Mcdonalds?[/QUOTE]

You can still eat healthy (EDIT: maybe I shouldn't say "healthy," but at least low-to-moderate calorie) at McDonald's, as long as you choose wisely. Check out their nutritional info on their website and find a low-calorie meal that works for you. I personally really like their Chicken McGrill sandwiches. Just lose the mayo and other extraneous crap and you got yourself a fairly healthy sandwich. Or, get lower portion sizes, like a regular cheeseburger instead of a double cheeseburger, or a small fry instead of a medium or large fry. That will really help out. A small fry and a single cheeseburger/Chicken McGrill w/o mayo isn't really much calories. A small fry is only 210 calories.

Coffee is pretty much out unless you nix the cream and sugar, or use Splenda instead of sugar.
 
Just to re-iterate what someone said previously (which probably got lost in his ramble), DDR is the way to go. You are guaranteed to lose the weight if you a) eat sensibly and b) play DDR every day.
 
I've lost 30lbs over the past two years and kept it off. I kick started paying attention to what I eat and changing eating habits by doing atkins for four months. Got me used to eating salads and more vegetables. However, when I went off it gained 10lbs back cause I went back to eating like crap. So I just cut the same stuff I had cut for atkins, regular pop and watched my sweet intake. Lost the ten again, and am looking to keep losing more.

DDR really helped as well, fun to play, and really good exercise. Give me some 360 achievments to get w/ DDR and I am going to be in shape before long.

If you are stuck having to eat out at a lot of fast food during the week, like I am, it helps alot to learn what to eat at fast food. Wendy's is the best by far if you have to eat fast food. Can get a chili, baked potato, and a salad (watch the dressing) for three bucks and can actually eat a relatively decent meal. If at McDonald's or BK its tougher, but grilled chicken normally isn't too bad, and salads are decent as long as you watch the dressing.. Don't be deceived by chicken tenders though, there is as much fat in those as a Big Mac at McD's.

Hope you succeed in losing weight. I'll reiterate what the guy said above as well, for the coffee fix just use splenda and don't use like heavy cream or sweetened flavored creams in it, use skim milk or a little half and half.

To see if you are really getting healthier, measure your waist, arm size, etc... in inches. Don't worry so much about weight. If you are working out and eating right, you can not lose weight b/c muscle is denser, but if you are losing waist sizes you can see that you are succeeding.
 
No soda
No eating 3-4 hours before bed
Walk 2 miles an evening
Eat just enough to be full, no overstuffing.
Lift some light weights a couple days per week.

Good luck.
 
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