Any tips for weight loss?

Aside from the obvious watch what you eat and excerise?I'm still getting used to the site, so I'd appreciate and help.

According to your other posts you're 13 and you're already a healthy weight.  Restricting food in order to lose weight is not a good idea for someone like that.    Your body will be changing over the next 7 or 8 years still.  It'll probably get taller, acquire some curves, and there are internal changes you are not conscious of....  your weight will change at the same time.  Many children gain a little weight right before a growth-spurt, for example.  You need good nutrition in order to grow and develop properly and 'dieting' is really off the cards.

Instead... aim to improve your diet and be as active as possible.   Choose better foods rather than less food.  This site has some excellent tips on healthy eating for teens and I'll post a link to their sample menu.  http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/teens /weeklymenu/  Young people your age need one hour a day of exercise... do that and you'll probably find you look more toned, which is actually better than being 'lighter'.

So do use the site to understand more about nutrition but try not to focus too much on body-weight or calories.  That isn't appropriate for you.

 

The way I did weight loss was using principle I learned through Fasting. Although my fast was not for weight loss purposes, the same principles underlying it can be used for weight loss purposes. If you are a Christian, choose to fast away gluttony for God or give up those hard to resist items on your list to God. Anyway, during a fast, you commit to eating a certain way or avoiding food all together for God. Usually, when it is done, the person is calling on God to change a situation in his or her life or for a breakthrough. I fasted for this reason and not for weight loss. I've been stuck in a situation for a long time and needed God to move on my behalf.

To do this, I promised God that I would eat only vegetables for 10 days straight.  I did a fast that was in the beginning of the Book of Daniel.

God is someone I value and cherish my relationship with.  I promised God that I would not do something. I promised God that I would not eat food or certain food items for a set period of time. I did not eat those foods because I promised God I would not do it. I can go to the grocery store and look at all the food items in the world that I would have loved to eat but I don't pick it up. For example, I wanted some Tortilla Chips and Popcorn. I had a craving for it and wanted it. I said, no, I'm on a fast and cannot eat this. I said to God, let me just go and look at it. I went to look at it, resisted the temptation to buy it, and went right back to what I was doing.  I have a family member who likes to bring treats, like cake slices and soda pop, home. During my fast, this person bought chocolate cake topped with white frosting home.  The person offered to let me have a slice if I cooked his food for him or packed it away. Instead of eating the slice, I took the slice, put it in a ziplock container and stored it in the freezer until after my fast.  After my fast, I took it out and ate it.  The reason why is because I would not break my promise to God.

I noticed that doing this, making a promise to another person who can hold us accountable for our actions, was very helpful.  During my fast, I only ate vegetables. Doing this helped me develop good eating habits and control emotional eating behaviors -- eating when I am upset, depressed, or stressed out. It also helped me determine why I eat.  If I get a craving after going through a stressful event, I know that this is one of the triggers that leads me to eat food.  Also, I learned how to resist craving to eat by just standing still and calming down or letting them temptation to eat pass over. 

As part of my fast, I also worked out. I walked in place, side to side, and danced for about 40minutes every day to my favorite Gospel songs making sure to sing the lyrics to the songs to affirm God's word. Singing ensures that you take in oxygen and keep breathing during your workout. 

Anyway, all this worked out and I ended up loosing about an inch or two from my legs.  I noticed that a pair of black pants that I bought from NY&Co in 2001, which were really loose fitting on me then and become tighter on me over the years, were loose in the leg region.  I lost also an inch from my derrier also.

When I try to do this outside of a promise to God, who is someone I would not break a promise to due to my respect and placement of value in my relationship with God(if you have a friend you cherish and value, you would not break a promise to them or do something to show them that this is not the way you feel about them), I do not do so well.

For example, over the past week, I've succumbed to temptation. I love Tortilla Chips and my grocery store sells it for $1/16.5oz bag.  I love the salt in it and bought a bag and almost ate the whole bag in one night. 

This past weekend, my family member brought home cake and slice pop after bringing home some KFC mashed potatoes and biscuit the night before.  Again, I got to have a slice and all the mashed potatoes.  I ate the double serving of mashed potatoes and the cold icy slice drink he gave me from the restaurant.  I fell off my diet again on Saturday Afternoon, when he bought home a delicious slice of chocolate fudge cake with chocolate frosting with some chocolate cookie crumbs on top.  I figured that I should take the biggest slice because I helped him/her out a lot by promising to cook his/her food -- Pork Rogan Josh (which is delicious by the way and easy to use with Patak's seasoning) and Turkey Stew(using a recipe invented by the family member).

Anyway, I ate the slice of cake and drank hot Green Tea for health.  Thankfully, my family member put on Michael Jackson Music(Billie Jean, The way you make me feel, and Don't stop till you get enough) while I was eating the cake. I could not resist but dance in my chair while eating my slice of chocolate cake. I could not help but to enjoy every bite of the cake when the encouraging song Don't Stop till you get along played.  I took the man's advice and kept eating the slice of cake while dancing to the song.

If you compare my two situations, the one where I made a promise vs. the other where I did not make a promise but did my own thing, you'll see that I was more under control with a promise. 

My advice to you is to find someone, whom you value or care to have a relationship with, you will not break a promise or oath to.  It does not have to be a person. If you are a Christian, you can write it down and give it up to God and tell God that you promise to not eat this or that food for x amount of days. Whenever you feel the temptation to do what you promised, remember your promise and just walk away from the item. It's really very simple thing to do if you ignore all or any thoughts that says you really cannot do it or you'll look a certain way if you fail, or choose to not try it at all.

If you pick a person, pick someone who is not an abuser of yourself and would love you if you fail to meet your goal.  You should not feel pressured to do this or like you are doing this against your wishes.

You can also try fasting. When you do something for a higher purpose than yourself or commit your way to God, which is what I did as a Christian, things are ordered and you get to your goal effortlessly.

 

Hope you like my advice. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks.

Original Post by ekuemoah:

 

The way I did weight loss was using principle I learned through Fasting. 

 

 CC does not condone fasting or other dangerous/unhealthy dietary habits.  Please respect the rules of the site.

 

Posting Guidelines

Calorie Count's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management. Please help our moderators follow this vision and respect the following guidelines.

• Promotion of starvation diets or habits that exhibit signs of an eating disorder ("pro-ana", "pro-mia", etc.) is prohibited

eukuemoah, your version of a fast is confusing when you compare it to common usage.  The first definition is the most common usage.  We do not support fasting on this site for weight loss.  If you choose to fast for spiritual or religious reasons you should be advised by your spiritual or religious leader in how to do that safely within the parameters of the practice.

fast 2  (fst)

intr.v. fast·ed, fast·ing, fasts 1. To abstain from food. 2. To eat very little or abstain from certain foods, especially as a religious discipline. n. 1. The act or practice of abstaining from or eating very little food. 2. A period of such abstention or self-denial. Posting Guidelines

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