Weight Loss Strategies???

I have someone who is a healthy lifestyle coach - send me a pm or email
at ____@____.com and I will give you her info

Hi, here's what works for me. I use www.myfitnesspal.com to track my daily caloric intake and the amount of calories I burn. I'm always looking for local "pals" and I see you are in IL so if you'd like to join the site (its free) you can look me up under ChelleSpoon. There's a lot of support on this site!!!! I was a size 16 and now I'm wearing size 10-12 in jeans. My tops are no longer XL but M or L.

I don't have a car to make it to the gym but I do have Zumba2 for my Wii, and a plethora of cardio DVDs. DH just got us Insanity with Shaun T as well. For me, it's all about the mental state. When I was ready, I began changing my eating habits. Once I was mentally stable with that, I added exercise. Then I made adjustments along the way until it became a lifestyle. I also stay away from the scale because I realized that some of my workouts (esp the ones with hand weights) caused muscle gain so sometimes the scale would show a gain instead of a loss. Many people get discouraged when they see this, so HIDE THE SCALE. Allow your focus to be on becoming healthier. If you focus on the scale, it could hinder your progress.

Good luck!

I agree about My Fitness Pal...I started in February...got used to eating a set amount of calories for a few months, then started walking a little in late April, by June I was walking 5 days a week and actually enjoying it. I have lost 70 pounds and have not felt cheated in anyway. Vacations, parties, etc, I eat and drink and am merry lol. But unlike Chelle below, I am probably obsessive about weighing myself. It keeps me in check. Do what works for you! As an aside, I really feel the food part is more important than the exercise...I know it can be hard to make time for that, great if you can, speeds up the weight loss. Good luck!

I have answered many posts like this in the past and I feel like it's never the answer people want to hear. But it is what it is. Diet is not the answer. Lifestyle change is. I'm 42 years old with two small children. In 2012 I learned my lipids were high enough to warrant medication and my doctor and I agreed that answer wasn't for me. I chose a lifestyle change of diet and exercise to get healthy, lost 33 lbs and 3 dress sizes in the process and have maintained that loss for over a year, even during the hectic and food driven holiday seasons.

It's really so simple and so hard at the same time. You start by making healthy switches - whole grains only, including brown rice, whole wheat or quinoa pasta, etc. Steer clear of processed foods and eat as much food as you can closest to its natural state. Limit alcohol, sodium and sugars. Next, establish your calorie total to put you in weight loss mode. For me, that number was 1,359 per day. Then stick to that number. Believe or not, I was able to do it without being hungry. It's plenty of calories if you make the right food choices. Log everything and track what you eat so you know you're staying on track. I use caloriecount.com. This will give you nutritional values too, so you can see if you're eating balanced and keeping things like sodium and carbs in check. Then log honestly. Measure everything you eat so you're not just guessing. A cup of cereal is probably less than you think. So is an ounce of meat. Once you start measuring, you'll be able to eyeball in restaurants or at parties too. Don't forget to count cals you can't see, like the olive oil you use to cook your food. Those things add up fast.

Once you start logging, I mean really tracking, you'll be amazed to learn what you've been putting into your body. A single Oreo, so small and so innocent, is 75 cals. You can eat a quarter cup of natural almonds for the same amount. And for only 90 cals you can have a whole scoop of lowfat no sugar added vanilla ice cream. You start to see where those switches make a lot of sense. You're fuller on less and feeling better too.

Exercise is the other piece of the puzzle. And you don't have to go crazy. 30 minutes a day of the right exercise and you'll lose the weight fast. I was down 20 lbs in the first 10 weeks just by logging my food and doing 30 minute Denis Austin videos in my family room 4-5 days a week. I am chasing kids too and can't commit to an hour of exercise in a day, but I can usually find 30 minutes.

Once I hit my goal weight, I didn't change much other than raising my calorie limit to 1,600 a day (with the occasional weekend and holiday splurge of course!). I still log and will probably always log for my own edification. It keeps me honest about what I'm doing. I don't want to hit that slippery slope.

If I can do this, you can do this! The first few weeks are the hardest. But then the changes will become the new norm and you won't want to go back to the way you ate before. You'll look better, feel better and have more energy than you ever did before. You'll also find you're cooking healthier for your family too and setting good eating examples for your kids. It takes serious commitment but the results are so worth it. Life will improve, not just your waist line.

I hope this is helpful! Try taking a peek at caloriecount.com and thumb through the news feed. You'll find tons of inspiration there from other people who are in the same boat. They post about their successes, their failures, and everything inbetween. I find it a great source of support. And no one there judges you. I can't say enough about it.

Good luck and happy holidays!

Stage 1 - eating less of what you normally eat. I don't drink a lot of sugary drinks so if you do, I would cut those out immediately... or at least cut back. Stage 2 - focus on what you are eating. Try to go for more fresh veggies sprinkled with some protein. Chew your food thoroughly - don't rush, just enjoy it.
Stage 3 - start cutting out the foods loaded with sugar, fats, and processed foods. Do give yourself one day where you get to have a treat (don't go over board though).

Give yourself a 2-3 weeks before you from step 1-3. Doing all three steps at once I think is the downfall/de-motivator for most people.

Exercise - you can easily incorporate exercise into your daily routine without special equipment or going to the gym. Squats, push-ups, an assortment of abs, and even the trendy crossfit moves can be done anywhere. Heck, I do a set of burpees (10) in the office every couple of hours. That's almost 50 total in a day. When I first started my legs, arms, abs were sore for days. I also have a jump rope for cardio and of course actively play with your kids. Our little ones love going for evening walks and playing chase in the yard.

Someone told me once that "you get fit in the gym, skinny in the kitchen"

Oh I should add that I have two little ones (5 and 3), age 41 and weigh less than pre-preggo weight =) Exercise alone was not working for me this time around; however, watching how much I eat made a huge difference. Now I'm watching what I eat just to be even healthier - not so much for loosing weight.

I have been on a diet and I can tell you what has helped for me. I diet Monday through Thursday. soups, salads, healthy. No to the junk food and snacks. No bread. And I make sure at least 3 days a week I eat some sort of protein like chicken, sausage turkey. But on Fri, Sat Sunday I make sure I eat food real meals. I eat pasta, burgers. You name it. I still stay away from the junk food and maybe only a little bread. I use to be a very bad eater until a dear friend kinda woke me up. When people diet they try to just go cold turkey. So as soon as you stop dieting and eat real food it will go to the hips. Good Luck

Speak with a doctor before commencing any diet or exercise program. Make sure you are healthy, and your weight/ health goals are reasonable. That your blood and hormones are correct. Then remember slow and steady wins the race.

I am a fan of the eat more diet strategy. You don't eliminate anything, instead you split your meals in half, add water and add healthy food. It should work to change your palate, cut your calories, and have you eating more healthily in the long run.

i.e. if your breakfast is now a latte, a sausage egg and cheese muffin and a hashbrown.
on the eat more diet,
1. you start with 8oz of non caloric beverage, black coffee, water, unsweetened tea.
2, then you eat a portion of something low cal and healthy, i.e. a dozen baby carrots, a handful of spinach, some nuts, a half a grapefruit, a cup of strawberries
3. then you eat 1/2 of your ordinary breakfast selection. 1/2 the latte, 1/2 the sausage egg and cheese muffin, 1/2 the hashbrown.
4. follow with another 8oz of non caloric beverage.
5. mid morning, you can eat as much of the second half of your breakfast as you can manage to, in the same fashion. beverage, something healthy, the 2nd half, and beverage.
6. split your lunch, and split your dinner too.

you will eat 6x a day, have silly amounts of water, feel sated, and get healthier.

this will work for you only if- 1. you can listen to your hunger cues. 2. you are vigilant about adding the healthy and keeping it low cal.

Best,
F. B.

I was able to lose weight after both my pregnancies, and have a plan in place after my 3rd child is born.

You can try to do it on your own or find help in others (I.e. pay money). I was able to do it myself, and stay motivated.

First, Check with your doctor to verify there is no medical condition ( like hypothyroid). I was hypothyroid after my first daughter. I was so sluggish and didn't have energy. I thought it is what came with parenthood. In my case, it wasn't

What worked for me has been different both times on how I did achieved results. My life was in different places. After my 2nd child, and working full time, I had to be realistic. I gave myself one year to return to my pre pregnancy weight. I didn't need extra stress of unrealistic goals.

My advice for you:
Find a tracking device that works for you. A few have been recommended to you. Another that is free is www.sparkpeople.com. Measure yourself not in weight only, but waist, hip, thigh and arm measurements. Spark people has lots of motivational stories, recipes, excercises and groups to join to keep you going. And it's free. Tracking is food intake and exercise. Spark people can give you recommended calorie intake and food ideas based on you measurements, goals, and exercise patterns.

Focus on being and remaining healthy. That will mean something to you and something different for another person. These are life changes. My goal is that I am an older mom, and I have to be in the best physical shape possible so I can keep up with my kids. My kids see me as an active part of their lives, doing lots of things with them (swimming, outdoor play, etc). That has been great motivation.

I've had to introduce change slowly. That was part of being realistic. After baby#2, that meant starting to exercise, at night when kids were in bed, for 10 minutes a night. Then I was able to ramp that up and get to 20 or 30 minutes. I figured something was better than nothing. My library had videos that had 5 different 10 minute workouts. Cardio is important, but so is strength training. Start with 3lb weights to get started.

I found inspiration in "No Excuses Workouts". I found Johnathon connected to fly lady. It's what I needed. There are lots of people with challenges I don't have exercising. I had no excuse myself.

In the end, what works best is a combination of healthy eating habits and exercise. Find something exercise related that you like to do. My exercise change as the season changes. It helps keep things fresh. I learned how to swim at age 43, because my daughter wanted me in the deep end of the pool. I didn't want to tell her I can't. I told her next year i will and then I did!

You have to want it bad. It takes work. It takes planning. Know that you can do it. One step at a time. Each day won't be perfect. Just because I had one of day doesn't mean to throw the whole thing out the window.

Be realistic, find small changes that work for you and stick to it. Baby steps can lead to great change.

You can do it!

Joining a gym was the best thing I did.
MAKE time!
Join a 24 hour gym--you can get there 3x per week, O. hour visits.

The problem is you are "dieting" and that never works long term. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to make small changes you can live with for a life time, and make them slowly over time. Like one week cut out soda and increase water intake, then the next week try to cut out extra sugar like candy and make it more of an occasional treat. Don't just say "no desserts" because then you will feel deprived and will end up cheating, instead just eat them in moderation. I decided a long time ago that I was going to stop trying to reach some ideal teenager size and that my ideal size would be where ever my body settled at living a normal healthy lifestyle, that includes eating healthy most of the time, splurging often on wonderful cheats, and being active at least some daily. And being active does have to mean the gym, play with your kids at the park, take a bike ride together, a walk, or go for a swim. That way the whole family will be living an active healthy lifestyle. If you are not sure how to eat healthy then talk to a nutritionist, they can give wonderful advice.

Blessed Be

You give yourself away..."For the first month or so I can stick to it, but then I start to slide".

This is because you don't make permanent changes, you don't like what you're eating and it's not what you like.

SO to lose weight and make permanent changes you have to look at your diet and evaluate it. You may be eating foods that are fine, that are just right. But not taking time to go somewhere and walk, or jog, or swim, that may be what you need to do.

I know I don't eat healthy at all. It's really not that big of a deal to me. We have the same life expectancy we had 15 years ago because of medical breakthroughs that treat illness like flu, pneumonia, heart disease that comes from our genetic makeup and not what we eat, and other medical issues that are not from our foods.

If we look at what we eat everything is gross. I don't think about it. I buy milk from a grocery store, I cook meat, I eat chocolate, I cook Hamburger Helper several times per week, and I do not buy organic anything.

Making permanent changes to how you feed yourself and your family is your choice. Taking a few months to diet and lose a few pounds then go back to how you ate before is not very smart to me. You'll just gain the weight back if you go back to eating the way you were before and still not exercising.

First of all, you have to stop thinking of it as a diet and think of it as a new way of life. Don't know if you have any junk food in the house, but get rid of it! Your kids don't need it either! Eat more fruits and vegetables. Cut out as many bread-like items as you can. Eat smaller portions. Eat a couple small meals instead of three large ones throughout the day. Drink lots and lots of water.

If you don't exercise, can you take walks with the kids. Get outside and play with them. If you take them to the park, don't sit on the sidelines - get up and play with them. Climb the monkey bars, go on the slide, etc., with them.

The older you get, the harder it will be to take the weight off. If you change your eating habits now, you will not only do a good thing for yourself, but also your children.

Good luck!!!

I think if nothing else is working you have to exercise.

I used to be really skinny and thought if you gain weight, just quit eating. Now that I am bulging here and there and I just had to give my pant size to my hubby, I know it is not that easy.

I eat well, don't care for snacks, and exercise enough to walk the dog when it is my turn, maybe 3 times a week. It's not enough. I am pretty sure it would change if I was consistent.

It also takes a little time for somethings to work. I know with a new exercise program, it takes at least couple of weeks for any change to happen.

I am a weight loss counselor for a center. I think what is key to my client's success is #1 ACCOUNTABILITY and #2 Being realistic.

Instead of focusing on a diet, focus on small lifestyle changes.
drinking more water, 60oz or more
eating more fruits and veggies
consider juicing or blending atleast one meal a day
walking or climbing stairs 20-25 minutes a day
making better choices and weaning yourself from bad ones
keeping a food diary

These things have helped many. I hope they help you. I am a member of a site called MyFitnessPal. Please add me as your buddy if you choose to go this route. Its been helpful for me and others, (username Tai WrapNYou)

Edward Heart Hospital now has a medical weight loss clinic with Tuesday morning appointments available. I am doing one of the programs recommended by its medical director and have lost 70 lbs (25 were from baby weight, the other 45 from the diet) since September. The program I've been doing is called Medifast and, although expensive, it is very easy to do and requires no exercise.

You will lose weight very rapidly, but eventually will need to wean off it, back to a normal, but healthy diet, and start to incorporate exercise into your life.

If you'd like more details you could either PM me, or just go to the Edward website and look up their weight loss clinic.

This Medifast program I'm doing is just ONE method that they can use with you, and the physician can help guide you to the one that fits your needs the most. Some of them include working with a nutritionist, psychologist, and/or a personal trainer. With obesity now being classified as a disease, your insurance may even cover the cost.