Weight Loss - Chicago,IL

I just posted a similar question last week. I'm now on Weight Watchers and really like it. I'm finding out now a lot of my friends have used them and that's why they look great! It really teaches you to think about exactly what you're eating and rewards you for exercising. I'm only on the first week, so can't say how well it's going to work for me, but I'm really optimistic after hearing how well it's worked for my friends and people on this board. It's not a crazy diet, but based on sensible eating and not starving. WW has an all online program, too, if you're like me and don't have time for meetings.

The way my body loses weight is : dramatically, plateau, dramatically, plateau, dramatically, plateau.

One of the things I've found that helps is to take exercise breaks when I start plateauing. Still be active (walking a couple miles a day, etc.), and eating healthily, but not to be doing actual physical training.

One trick I learned years ago to pull inches off your waist doesn't actually cause weight loss, but it has a dramatic visual effect, and works quickly (over the course of several weeks). It tightens the INTERIOR abdominal muscles, which pulls in all your organs and slims your waist like crazy... but it's will not actually cause either weightloss or tone your abs.

Here's how it works:

- Take a broomstick sans broom head.
- Lay it across your shoulders behind your head
- Lift your arms up and drape them across the broomstick.
- Twist, left and right.

Do this a few thousand times a day. (Sounds crazy, right? But it's not actually that long. When I do this, I do it while watching TV. You get about 1000 twists in per hour show).

The broomstick is reeeeeeally necessary as it corrects posture and your arms resting on it keeps your lats and abs and shoulders from working, and instead the muscles that are working are primarily those interior abdominals.

Probably not what you want to hear but I would say workout more. There is a flyer up at our gym that says to maintain your weight work out for 45mins 3 days a week, and to loose weight workout 45 mins 5 days a week. So I would try to get at least two more days of workouts in. Good luck to you!

Portion control is one thing, strict calorie counting is another. I used My Fitness Pal app on my iPod. But they have several of these calorie counter websites. You put in your current weight, desired weight, and how much you want to lose per week. Then it gives you how many calories/day you should have. ALL foods are listed. So for breakfast, you type in what you have and it adds it up for you. You have to measure everything and maybe get a kitchen scale so you can weigh stuff. It takes dedication and after about a week, you'll start noticing you just measure everything and it becomes habit. This worked miracles for me when I was stuck. And I wasn't even working out. It is work, but if you have a goal like a wedding, I think it is very worth it.

You should be commended on your accomplishments to date - that's really impressive, and I hope you reach your goal.

My best advice is to focus less on the actual number and more on how clothing fits. Lean body mass (muscle) weighs more than fat, so it's all together possible your working out is building more muscle and keeping the scale stagnant.

I just ran my first 1/2 marathon and thought I'd easily lose the 15 lbs I could stand to shed in the training process. Nope. Lost 7 lbs but my proportions dramatically changed.

If possible, I'd really advise you to speak with 2 professionals (if financially feasible).
1. Dietician - all hospitals have RDs on staff who can work with you on developing a weight loss plan based upon a safe level of calories and a maintenance plan once you hit your goals (Weight Watchers is based upon this principle). They'll work with what you like, how to recognize portions and how to create good meal plans to support your goals.

2. Personal trainer - for me, I am really short waisted and put all my weight on my abdomen. So, I'd really be able to gain some good knowledge from working with a trainer to help me focus in on the trouble areas.

I've been involved in the world of Diabetes for many years - weight happens to be a big component in that world. Normal, healthy weight loss is ~0.5-1 lb/week. Calories should seldom drop below 1600 (1800 is generally advised for women with weight loss. Changing how we eat is one of the biggest components - most of us (including myself) eat way too quickly, don't eat enough fiber, have enough water with our meals to help us feel full more quickly and for longer.

Good luck!

I have a great weight loss program that is healthy and you will feel great, but I can't promise you that you will lose that much weight in such a short time. You will lose inches and sizes AND YOU WILL FEEL GREAT and you will retain muscle. Let me know if you would like to know more and I'll send you some info.

Increasing exercise should help you to lose more. I believe walking 40 minutes a day, or 1/2 hour twice a day 5-7 days a week will do a lot more for you than 3 days for an hour.

HI B.,

Portion control is not helping. Weight loss is usually tied to eating a LOT of the right foods. Your body needs fuel to go through it's daily routine so feed it. Just make sure it's the right food and enough nutrition. My husband lost 110 pounds 5 years ago and has kept it off. I started him on an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex and the weight started dropping off. I have recommended this vitamin to his best friend (who lost 50 pounds) and my sister in law (who lost 15). The nutrition in the vitamin helps your body get to where it is supposed to be.

I never keep my husband from seconds on what I fed him. I just made sure I didn't feed him sugar and the wrong kinds of fats. If you'd like any information on the vitamin I'll be glad to get it to you.

Regards and best wishes!

M.

I did an online food tracking/calorie counting website - www.myfooddiary.com it's $9 / month, easy to use and I lost 30 lbs in 2 months! Some other suggestions: do not skip breakfast ever, eat a lighter dinner and earlier (don't eat about 4 hrs before going to sleep), I do small exercises every chance I get while doing chores. for instance, when I'm cooking I do curls with cans of food, in the shower- I stretch and do squats, every lil bit helps and i'm too busy to do a real workout. When parking the car, park a little further away and walk, take the stairs always, drink alot of water, eat spicy foods, cut down on carbs, eat Luna bars- they are yummy, try spinning. I know that's alot, take what you can use. Good Luck!

What kind of workouts are you doing? If not already, add some weight bearing exercise-increasing muscle will help burn fat. Your weight might not decrease at first but since muscle is leaner you will see the difference in your clothes. Also, a friend of mine hit a plateau after losing 50 pounds. It is so frustrating when those numbers don't move. She saw a nutritionist recommended by her doctor and she was told she needed to eat more. Sounds odd but she added a small meal to her day and after 2 weeks the numbers started to go down again. Now she just has a light snack twice a day in addition to her regular meals.

I would HIGHLY reccommend the Michael Thurmond's 6 week body makeover system - it is a whole eating and exercise system - you take a questionnaire at the beginning ( in depth - 180 questions, if i remember right) and it gives you a customized diet plan and exercises specific to your metabolism and you trouble areas on your body. You keep all the food groups, and you eat smaller portions, 6 times a day, fruits, veggies, complex carb and protiens....and you walk 60 minutes a day, and then do targeted toning exercises 2-4 times a week.

I lost 14 pounds in the first 2 weeks when I first did it - then I had to quit, since i got pregnent unexpectedly right then! I am planning to start back up really soon.

I have also recently pruchased an exercise program called T-Tapp, focused on inch loss( trains your muscles in layers, to use them as an internal "girdle"), and overall wellness. There is a web site for it, www.T-Tapp.com and you can try some exercises before you buy onthere, and learn all about it. She has a book called Fit and Fabulous in 15 minutes, as well as numerous DVDs. I really like it becaue it is low impact, no equipment needed, no music or jumping around, and anyone can learn it, although it does take some practice.

Good Luck!

Jessie

I cut out soda from my diet a couple months back and I dropped two pants sizes in less than a month!!