What's your secret weight loss weapon??

Do any of you out there have any one thing in particular (be it green tea, jello, mirrors etc.) that make this easier for you? Unfortunately for me, I am the only one who has a problem with myself, therefore I am the only one who has a reason to change my ways... and I am not necessarily the best at that. My boyfriend is happy with the way I am and he says it wouldn't matter if I got fatter or thinner or what ever. I respect that but I wish he would push me! He has to eat alot because he's a very big man (6'8, 320 lbs) and for some reason I can (and often do) eat the same amount of food as he can and not be stuffed... I get ahold of something I like and its gone before you can blink. I have a horrible relationship with food. I love it and it loves me, but IT HATES ME!! I can not control myself and I can't put it down!! And no I am not one of those anorexic types looking for compliments. I am 21 years old, 5'4 and about 230 lbs. Help? I need some serious appetite control, and some real motivation. I can't find any here!!! If anyone wants to be a daily mentor/motivator for me... let me know please... I'll do the whole msn thing or message over here or what ever. My dread is that I will have to go through another summer wearing pants if I don't get some help and learn about this strange thing called self control... Thanks in advance!! I just ate the worst brownie in the world by the way... and I refuse to eat another!! I guess thats a step...

Hello everyone, I am 27 and getting married in October. I am a VERY active lady. I workout everyday (weekday) and sometimes on the weekend. I have tried every diet as well, and in the end maybe counting calories is the best. For fear of overeating I dont think I am eating enough. So for all of you big losers please let me know how many cals a day you thinki should consume to drop these lbs!!. I spin every week (hard 45 mins) and do elliptical training (very vigorous) weight train and sculpt.  I know im stronger, but this nuber doesnt go down. any advise would greatly be appreciated. Im 240 lbs. and my small goal is 10 littlE LBS!! pLEASE HELP!!!

At 240 lbs you should have at least 2400 calories a day as long as you have a good workout for at least 30 mins a day 5 days a week it should work out, bear in mind if you eat any less your body gets confused and you will have no or little weight loss

I didn't read this entire thread so my apologies if my advice was already stated. I limit myself to one coffee and tea a day, because although it's good for metabolism, lots of cream, milk, and sugar are alot of extra calories. I take only milk now, it does take a bit of getting use to if you like sugar and cream, but you will eventually. Other than my one coffee/tea, I drink only water. Water is KEY. Not only is it energizing and refreshing, but it's nice to know you can quench your thirst with 0 calories. Also I eat only vegetables past 3pm, this helps alot with burning calories even if your not excesivly exercising. Before I eat anything I make sure it will benifit my body in some way. Also, keeping a food journal is helps SO MUCH when losing weight. Set weekly goals that are realistic. It feels great when you accomplish them!

Hey Mary! Fabu advice. Seriously. I bet you're already 1 step closer to achieving your goals! All I can add is making small tweaks to your diet. For instance, I am a big fan of mashed potatoes, but a few years ago I started making mashed cauliflower instead. It's at least 1/3 the calories, and practically no carbs! I also try to mix Lite soft tofu into many dishes to bulk them up, add protein, w/o adding the extra calories of milk, butter, cheese, or egg. I use olive oil spray instead of reg. olive oil so I don't accidentally pour 3 tablespoons instead of 1 into my skillet. 

I find calorie counting super helpful. When you log your calories (after a "good day") you feel so proud of yourself! I drank a few glasses of wine, and had a dessert on Valentines day, and I felt so lame when I was logging my calories! 

Good luck, Mary! Stay in touch if you need motivation!

 

 

Advice for flygirl27:

I'm sure this is NOT the advice you want to hear, but I'm gonna say it anyway. I got married last year and worked so hard to lose weight and get toned. I DID, and it was great, but it was an unmanageable goal. I ended up gaining some of the weight back gradually over the next few months. Now I almost get mad/sad when I look at my wedding pictures because it makes me feel bad about the way I am now.  Maybe if I'd found a compromise I could've had a great wedding w/o the repercussions of gaining it back! But maybe that's just me. Good luck, to you. And CONGRATS on the upcoming wedding!!!

What works for me:  

I think the hardest part of controling my calories is planning ahead and having the right foods purchased ahead of time. 

 I don't have high cholesterol so I can eat a lot of eggs.  For breakfast I make 2 scrambles eggs with the works, green pepper, mushrooms, dices ham, tomatoes, and shredded cheese.  This fills me up until lunch when I have a big chef salad. Again boiled eggs, ham, green pepper, cherry tomatos, mushrooms, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and dressing.  I have the same advise as another post, just dip your fork in the dressing for each bite.   Snacks I go for something with fiber.  Fiber One makes a great tasting Oats & peanut butter bar that works for me.

 For Dinner a meat and vegetable with dessert of fruit.  I love steak but chicken breast broiled with a slice of mozzarella cheese put on at the end is really good.  I love ranch dressing so I dip the chicken into it for a little more flavor.

 For exercise I enjoy mixing it up between treadmill, pilates, weights, and elliptical machine.   I just hit a milestone this morning of being able to run on the treadmill for 7 minutes before slowing back to a walk.   

Hope this gives you some ideas to customize and fit your life.   Sometimes I wish someone would just give me a list of what to eat so I didn't have to think about it.

But what works for one person may not work for the next.

 Good luck

I chew sugar free gum between meals to keep from snacking.  This help cause I used to eat a little of this and that all day long along with my meals. I have a long way to go and its hard.  59 more pounds to lose before I reach my goal.  Good luck.

 

I think the best idea is think of the one food you crave the most, and find the best substitute that is healthy. My example is I LOVE cheese. Like, it would be the one food I would bring to a desert island. I found Laughing Cow Gourmet Cheese bites. They are about the size of dice, and you can eat 5 of them for only 35 calories! Usually when I feel like I want to snack ( not really super hungry, but bored ) I have a few of those and I'm satisfied. So I would say find a healthy alternative to whatever you like the best, and keep it on hand at all times.

 

Good Luck

I will tell you the only thing that keeps me from going overboard is eating when I am hungry... And eating the RIGHT foods. Before I used to eat junk when I got cravings for it-- now I replaced the junk with "good junk".. VEGGIE CRISPS are a personal fav... and when I crave sweets I head for the chocolate rice crisps.. They're low on calories and better than you'd imagine!

I think of it as a 'lifestyle' not diet.  Diets never work.  I'm off the diet-merry-go-round after 26 years of it not working.  No more hitting that brick wall.

I had to face the facts that this is a much slower way to lose the weight but I'm so happy with this new lifestyle.  I took a chill pill.
It's working. 

You can gain weight eating healthy, I know.   So, counting calories matters.  For me I eat when I'm hungry and only when I'm hungry.
I don't get caught up in when.  I try to eat all healthy things.  But if I want a treat I have it.  I just eat less of it.  I count the calories.
I never feel deprived.  I participate if our family goes out.  I even eat at parties now. 

We are creatures of habit so make some good habits you like.

Here is my formula:

*Eat healthy

*Eat treats in smaller amounts

**EXERCISE 6 days a week!  (A new love for me) I walk outside          and elliptical machine 2-3 times a week and if I have a treat
    I to my elliptical machine extra.
 
*Logging my calories so I can "locate" myself.

I use to drink a ton of water but now I do only a fair amount. 
I think I took that too far so I backed it down some.

Been at this new lifestyle now for about 10months and have lost about 18lbs.  I feel like the slowest looser but at least I'm reversing it. 

All the Best
DWF

There IS no one 'secret weapon' to lose weight... eat right (good healthy foods), watch that sodium and fiber, drink lots of water, and get regular exercise. Actually I take it back - the charts on this site are the best weapon you can get, because they tell you if you're getting everything else right! Watch that deficit! Too much is as bad as too little... with time, you'll find the 'sweet spot' for your particular metabolism and activity level.

There is no one single thing but a combination that has helped me!! So I shall do a list!!

Seeds! Number 1 super food. Full of goodness and great for snacking and adding to breakfast cerial.

Salad! You can snack all day on the stuff! It can accompany anything, and full of goodness.

Fruit! Again, I snack plenty on fruit. Instead of jelly babies, I now snack on grapes!

Chicken! A versitile meat low in fat that can make a meal of anything. My favorate is seasoned diced chicken breast, fry off with extra virgin olive oil spray (so you use very little but still get benefits!) add in different spices, I like red and black pepper, garlic, chilli's, seseme seeds. Then put in wholemeal or wholegrain pittas and fill it out with salad. yum!

My extra virgin olive oil spray! I use it every day to flavour salad and to cook with!

Plenty of water! Obvious benefits!

Having breakfast every day!

Exercise! I ALWAYS feel better for working out and it keeps me motivated!

My spice rack!! I come up with new flavours all the time! Having it by my cooker lets me experience a whole range of different tastes to stop me getting bored!!

Regular snacks!! No need to starve, no need to eat 3 square meals a day. In fact it's better to eat snacks of fruit nuts and seeds, I have set snack times (well roughly) and I take the opportunity to drink a glass of water at every meal and snack and extra's when I exercise.

Enjoy your food! Chew every last bit. Eat slowly. Have a short break whilst eating. Eating slowly allows you to enjoy your food, and allows you to stop eating before you have over eaten. Eating until you are uncomfortably full is not good for you!

No secrets really just common sense, and everybody is different so what works for one won't work for someone else!!

Original Post by kajikit:

There IS no one 'secret weapon' to lose weight... eat right (good healthy foods), watch that sodium and fiber, drink lots of water, and get regular exercise. Actually I take it back - the charts on this site are the best weapon you can get, because they tell you if you're getting everything else right! Watch that deficit! Too much is as bad as too little... with time, you'll find the 'sweet spot' for your particular metabolism and activity level.

to a lot of people, that is a secret weapon. i'm sure there a lot of people who don't know that too much or even too little sodium is bad for you. that could be their one problem so to them, if they stop that, it could be their secret weapon.

I am starting this whole diet thing again, my sister told me about this site so I am hopeful it will help.

I am 38 years old 5'4 and 236! I have got to loose this weight or I will not do well long term.

Here's praying everyone will have success! 

You and me, kiddo...

praying, supporting, sticking to accountability...

(that's a toughie!)

besides, you have to stick around for the long term...

or I will kill you!

(I am angie869's sister, so I can say that) 

love you baby sis!!!

we can do this!!! 

Hi Mary!

You've created a great thread here! With all this advice and your 10 pounds loss you are off to a wonderful start.

My Weapons:

STAY POSITVE: We are what we think. We are the secrect to our own weight loss. There are no magic bullets, magic diets, magic pills, or magic exercises. There is only the magic within us that says, " This is it. I'm changing because i really do love myself."

WATER: Never be without it. Drink all you can every day.

MOVE IT: Walk, dance, move your free weights beside the TV, use your dog as your personal trainer... whatever it takes, do it! Fit TV channel 368 ROCKS! There are so many different workouts that you never get bored.

DON'T GET LONELY: Feeling sad or upset can trigger a binge for me. When I am lonely, I read the motivation forum or play some of the games in the Challenge Forum.

SHOP SMART: Stock up on fresh fruits and veggies, lean proteins, high fiber breads, and low cal snacks.

Please feel free to add me! I'd love to make friends with others who are developing healthy habits.

hi mary I'm 23 with 3 kids and I'm 5'5 and 210 Ibs. I know exactly where youre coming from.Its so hard!I wish you all the luck!

Hi Mary,

I can totally relate regarding food.  I sometimes thing that it must be easier to quit smoking or drugs - at least then you could quit cold turkey.  You can't do that with food, since you have to eat. 

After many, many attempts at losing weight, the only thing that I've found that works for me is to become more aware of what I'm eating.  The way I do that is to write down EVERYTHING that I eat, along with the calories.  For the first week or so that I was doing this, I didn't even have a specific calorie goal, I just wanted to see how much I was eating.  Now, I've been doing this for a month and a half, and have lost 30 pounds.  I've still got a long way to go, but this is longer than I've ever stuck with any other diet.

Another tip, that sort of goes along with the first one, is to measure your servings.  I found that I had a really distorted view of what constituted a serving.  A bag of shredded cheese that is supposed to have 8 servings, I would finish in 2 or 3.  Now, by measuring, I'm eating a lot less.  

One of the main things I've found is that if I have a variety of tastes, I don't need to eat as much, so I try to mix up what I'm eating as much as possible.  On the other hand, I know that some people find it easier to stick to eating just a couple of things, so you need to experiment, and find out what works for you.

But seriously, try writing down EVERYTHING that you eat.  That means that even if you slip, and eat a candy bar / bag of Doritos / whatever your particular weakness is, you still have to write it down, and figure out the calories.  Somehow, seeing it in writing helps me become more aware of my eating patterns.  Knowing that I'll have to write it down makes me think twice before eating stuff I shouldn't.

The final tip I have is, if at all possible, don't keep foods that you find hard to resist around.  Purge the house of brownies, chips, etc, and stock up on healthy, low-calorie foods. 

What I've been doing (only a month, but I've gone from 147 to 139 and aiming for 130)... My number one goal other than keeping my calorie count within bounds (1300-1500) is to leave every meal sated, and it isn't all that hard to manage!

1. I only drink water, tea/coffee and tomato juice. Most drinks including fruit juice have a depressing number of calories, BUT tomato juice can be very low cal and can be very fresh and tasty. A half pint of Marks & Spencer (UK) tomato juice is only 60 calories!

2. Steamed veggies. At dinner I eat loads of steamed asparagus and broccoli (fresh, but frozen is fine too). It's very tasty, has almost no calories, goes with everything and fills you up. And all the anti-oxidents are a bonus.

3. Yogurt with cereal. I find cereal with milk to be BORING, but for some reason I am love it with yogurt. Plus you get some protein for breakfast.

4. Grilled trout. It's every bit as tasty and good for you as salmon but less fatty.

5. Chocolate. I'm not a chocolate freak at all, but my partner likes it, and I'll sometimes just have one small square (1/20 of a bar). Provided the bar is already divided into squares, I can limit it to that, and its a nice little treat at the end of the night.