Seeking a New Diet Plan

L.,
I know this sounds silly, But I am addicted to "The Biggest Loser" I love the trainer tips from the show, and I am actually considering purchasing some of the books. There is a new one called "master your metabolism" that looks really great. I checked out their website and it was helpful, but you can also get on NBC web page and search for Trainer Tips and watch them all. The show is so inspiring, if 500 lb people can loose half of themselves, I definitely can loose 15! Here are some things that I am doing, and I have lost about a 1lb a week. Recommended weight loss is 1-2 lbs a week.

I got a kitchen scale so I know exactly how much I am eating,

I look up how much calories are in all the foods I eat. I try to stick to 1200-1500 calories a day. That is 300-400 a meal and a small 100 calorie snack in between lunch and dinner.

I have noticed that most things the size of my fist are around 100 calories. So once you start looking up calories and try to relate the size to something that is always with you.

If I Drink 16oz of water before each meal I will not over eat. I notice that I am full when my correct portions are almost gone.

I stick strictly to my calories, for two days, moderately for three and take a break from counting on the weekend, but still follow my rules, but maybe eat a dessert. That way my body's metabolism is not set on one way, and wont store fat when I eat less calories.

I exercise for at least a half hour every day or 1 hour every other. and my goal is to work hard enough that I am sweating a lot.( I have issues with sweat so that is a big goal for me) LOL

I get 7-8 hours of sleep each night, the less sleep you get, the hungrier you are the next day.

These things are helpful for me, seriously look up The Biggest Loser books and website they are great. Mostly I like it because it is not a diet, it is a way to live the rest of my life, it is a maintenance.
Good luck,
E.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi L.,

If you want to drop weight fast but don't want to count calories/measure etc, try doing this: No sugar, no red meat, no processed food, very little or no dairy, no alcohol. You can have unlimited fruits and veg, beans made from scratch, potatoes, grains such as oatmeal, quinoa, barley etc, nuts, seeds and small amounts of olive oil. You will stay full and I promise you you will drop weight if you do not cheat. Plus it is very good for you to get away from all the processed stuff :) Good luck!!

1 mom found this helpful

I swear by Weight Watchers. My husband and I are currently doing it for the second time. We did it eight years ago and dropped a ton of weight. Now, we're getting back in shape after having kids. I love it. It allows you to eat what you want, as long as you follow healthy guidelines and eat in moderation.

Exercise, eight right you know! I can work on a diet plan if you want! Also, take a multi-vitamin, a good one!! Many are junk!

I like taking a protein shake at night for my snack. Mine tastes like a milk shake! YUM! Keeps from the night time snacking and helps body feel full all night. Eat every 2-3 hrs so your body does not get hungry. You always want to keep body fed. Starving is the worste to do, once you do eat you pig out!
Good luck!
M.

L.: I would recommend you go to: www.getthehealthyedge.com
they talk about dieting not as a "diet" but as a way of life. they have a free 2-wk trial for their program. then call my nutritional support person (email me back and I'll give you her information). she'll be your support person to help you set your goals and get you through the program losing what you would like to lose. Good luck. I know i'ts a constant struggle and my goal by joining this program is that I'll be able to even out my own weight gains/losses.

I think weight watchers is among the best. You eat real food and eat what you want, but they teach you how to make the best choices. Also, find what makes excercising fun for you. I do a lot of cross training, but really love my gym and the classes that they offer. The classes are so nice because you also have support...

www.myfooddiary.com is easy and effective.

Exercise 30-60 minutes a day. Track what you eat and eat the correct amount of calories each day. Easier said than done, but it works!

It's not exactly a "diet" plan, but I have been going to Adventure Boot Camp, and it's amazing how in shape I'm getting! (I'm in CA, but they have these camps everywhere - my mom goes to one in Utah.) This will be month #3 for me and my skinny jeans now require a belt to keep them up, and I think I am even seeing some muscle around my tummy area?! They go over diet and nutrition nearly every day, and then there are the workouts! Every day, they're whipping you into shape in a new and fun way. Even though "boot camp" sounds intimidating, it's really not. Mostly it's made up of moms (and some grandmas!) who are trying to get back into shape, so it's a very supportive atmosphere. I actually look forward to it every day and I've never been a huge fan of diet and exercise. I'd recommend it wholeheartedly for what you're trying to do! =) Good luck!

L.,
I would recommend that you check out the Cinch inch loss plan. It is the only one where you loose only fat and not muscle so you avoid the diet yo yo and just gain it back later. I lost 3.5 inches off my waist in 2 weeks. You can check it out at http://www.cinchplan.com/healthforlife. There's lots of online support and things like meal plans.
Good luck to you.
V.

Updated

L.,
I would recommend that you check out the Cinch inch loss plan. It is the only one where you loose only fat and not muscle so you avoid the diet yo yo and just gain it back later. I lost 3.5 inches off my waist in 2 weeks. You can check it out at http://www.cinchplan.com/healthforlife. There's lots of online support and things like meal plans.
Good luck to you.
V.

Hi L.-

I had great luck with the website My Food Diary. I entered what I ate and the exercise I received in a given day. What I liked was that it not only caculated my calories, but a lot of other information, like how much fiber I had that day, good fat, bad fat etc.

It helped me realize what I was eating so I could alter my choices. I watched my mom try diet after diet over the last 20 years. During that time, she lost at least 500 pounds (over 20 years), and gained at least 600 pounds (over 20 years), because she never learned how to eat.

I don't believe diets work unless they teach you how to eat.

R. Magby

I have found that eating more lean protien and less carbs actually works. stuff like fresh fish, chicken and turkey are really good examples and you can get almost anything made with turkey, sausage, bacon and it actually is not bad tasting. another idea is consider buying protien drinks. Even just adding one to two meals a day can help. also try not go more than 5 hours between meals to keep your body buring calories instead of storing it.

Hey! I had great success with Atkins after I had my kids. They have a great online community and the diet is easy to follow. Also, they have a lot of new products that actually tasted great. Exercise too! Here is a link to their site. http://ow.ly/1Aoor

my stepdad teaches a weight loss program that uses hypnosis. the hypnosis helps a person form healthy habits more quickly. i find that it is easier for me to say no to overeating when i listen to the hypnosis cd. i also feel more positive and energetic with it. his website is http://www.hypnomontmagic.com
click on the link on the left for "weight loss home hypnosis parties" and then look for the info about the mail-order package.
good luck!

www.sparkpeople.com
the best thing is to track your food, track your exercise and you'll see the weight come off. the biggest wake up for me was seeing what I was and wasn't eating. my calorie intake was actually way too low most days so my body was hoarding fat. making sure I eat enough, and of the right foods has made a huge difference for me. I lost 11 pounds last month, and this month I have only lost one BUT I haven't put any back on--and I haven't been working out because of family stuff that has been going on (I know that is when I need it most) anyway, I love that it has a fast break section to prep you for being more active and fit and then the weight loss phase and then a maintenance plan. its more about watching your lifestyle than it is a "diet" per say. over the past year my whole family has gotten to where we eat our fruits and veggies, we have added more whole grains to the diet and all of us drink more water and as a family have given up sugar drinks and pop except for on very rare special occasions (we used to be daily coke drinkers~!) I've slowly been losing over the past year and last month was my first month of big numbers for the month. it felt really good. it still does. I am not at my goal weight yet but I have more energy, I'm more active and I just feel better about the direction my life is headed.

Exercise. You can eat anything (in moderation) as long as your exercising regularly. Try to incorporate weight training-it burns more longer even with light weights-and allows you to eat without "dieting". Good Luck!!