Trying to Loose weight...what Is the Best Way?

Hey N. -
You DON'T need any fancy diets or supplements to lose weight!! What you (or anybody) need is diet control and exercise. I'm not a trainer or dietician, but I've been a competitive athlete for almost 20 years of my life (I'm 28 yrs old). (I figure skated for 16 yrs and I'm a triathlete.)

1st: get control of your diet!! Teach yourself to eat the right foods at the right time. You do need carbohydrates in your diet, especially before your workouts, otherwise you'll burn out and feel fatigued and get discouraged. Weight watchers is a good place to start. With their plan, you learn to manage your hunger without overeating and nothing is "forbidden", it just comes with a cost. I also like the "Body for Life" book. Even if you do it solo - log your food/water intake!!!!!!

2nd: start with workouts that inspire you. Set a goal: "today I'm going to do 50 crunches", or whatever works for you, and gradually increase them as you get stronger and change them up so you don't get bored. Create a schedule for yourself that you stick to instead of just saying that you'll go work out today. My kids love to go to the kids' center at my gym, so it's not like you're torturing them! I force myself to take the time to workout - you can always fit it in to your schedule (and I have 2 kids and I work).

Also - it's really important to have a support system. Teach your kids about healthy eating. If your husband is not on board with changing his diet too, it will be harder for you. My husband is not a competitive athlete, but he works out daily and eats the way I do, so it helps me stay focused.

If you have questions, you can PM me or email: ____@____.com

Good luck!
C.

P.S. I forgot to mention that changing your body and your habits are never easy, so don't expect them to be! And, I know how you feel - I was injured as I was trying to get back into shape after my 2nd baby and couldn't run, and got discouraged and stopped exercising. I gained weight like when I was pregnant and was even more discouraged. But, I took care of my injury (plantar facitis), got better, started again and lost 30 pounds. I am competing in a triathlon on 10/5/08 and 6 months ago was 3 sizes larger than I am now.

N...do check out a Weight Watchers class..they even have a program for nursing mothers; it's not a matter of dieting..it's a lifestyle change and WW can help you obtain it!
Continue the exercise though; it will help you get to your goal faster.

I did Weight Watchers and it was easy. I liked the meetings and the accountability. I lost the weight I wanted and have been a lifetime member for 3 years.
Good Luck and no matter which way you choose,make sure it's healthy
J.

Don't be so hard on yourself -- I'm wearing maternity pants right now and my daughter is 7 months old! It can be a real bear trying to lose weight, but don't give up. I just finished reading "Body After Baby" by Jackie Keller. I've been loosely following her diet plan and I lost 5 pounds in 11 days. You can find this book and others like it at the library. Oh, and beware of quick-loss diet plans -- they never work long-term. The way I see it, it takes 9 months to gain all the weight and it should take 9 months to lose it. Good luck!!!

In the last year I have cut processed foods and white flour out of our diet, and I have cut sugar back to rare treats. In the last three months, I have lost 20lb. I walk and swim for exercise.

Unfortuately losing weight is not easy at first. But once you make lifestyle changes, it becomes like second nature! I lost 25 pounds 7 years ago and have kept it off through 2 kids.

Heres the deal, you have to combine exercise and eating well to be healthy. The best way to lose weight quickly is by exercising 4 times a week for at least 1/2 hr. At least 20 min should be good aerobic/cardio workouts. The other 10 minutes can be light weights. If you don't have 4 days to committ to this, you can combine 2 days into 1 hr. But only once a week. (So you would be working out 3 days/week) The goal is to keep your body working throughout the week, so try to do every other day. When you hit a point where it isn't uncomfortable to do your workout anymore, you need to switch it up or go longer. Always try to push yourself a little. Also try to do little things like taking stairs when possible and packing/unpacking your own groceries etc. Just think if you are physically able to do it, you should. The other part of the plan is eating good foods. Yes, cut out as much processed junk as you can. Stick to whole wheat and things with natural sugars. Eat your fruits and veggies. The darker or brighter the color, the more nutrients the fruit/veggie has. Fiber is a must! You body actually does not digest fiber so it helps clean your body out. When it does this, it takes some of the otehr calories with it. You can actually eat more calories if you are eating a high fiber diet and lose more weight than someone who is eating less calories and less fiber. You should also check portion control. Take your normal portion and then take half of it off your plate. Eat that and wait 20 minutes. If you are still honestly hungry, take a little more. You might find you don't need to eat nearly as much as you have been. Drink lots of water and eat calcium rich foods. Calcium helps to naturally curb your appetite. You can go online to several places and find an estimate on the number of calories you need to eat in a day. It should be based on your height, weight and activity level.

I don't know how much of this you already know, but it may seem overwhelming. Like I said, once you make the initial changes, it gets really easy! Don't buy things that tempt you to eat poorly, and you will be much better off. Buy fruits and veggies and wash and cut them up right away. You will be more likely to eat them if they are easy to grab. Well, that is a lot. If you want to ask any more questions, feel free to e-mail me!

Oh yes, and always eat breakfast! All meals (4-6 a day) should be a good mix of protein and carbs!

Let me tell you about my personal weightloss experience. In January 2007, I discovered Calorie Count (caloriecount.about.com). It's a free website full of great information, tools, calculators, etc. to help you determine what your ideal weight should be and how to get there by counting calories. Between January and July, I lost 40 pounds! (5'5" started at 220 lbs.) And that was just from counting calories. I planned all my meals in advance (even eating out - I only ordered if I knew the calories for the menu item) And logged every bit of food that I put in my mouth on that website. I allowed myself a cheat meal once or twice a week (sometimes it was unavoidable because of guests in town or work dinners). I didn't beat myself up when I had a bad day or two. I just started fresh every morning. I started adding exercise to my routine (some Walk Away the Pounds videos, which I love) and logged that on the website as well.

By August 2007, I needed more exercise. I joined Jazzercise!! And did that 3-4 times a week between August and December. During that time, I lost another 10 pounds and lost tons of inches on my arms, waist, hips, thighs, you name it! If you're already doing Jazzercise, you've already got half of what I needed to be successful. Now you just need the other half - the eating part. I did Weight Watchers once before and had success with it, but didn't stick to it. The important thing to remember is portion control. Get a food scale, if you don't already have one, and start weighing your food to make sure you're getting the right amount (and calorie count) for what you're supposed to be eating.

Today, I've regained the weight I lost in Jazzercise, but not much else. Unfortunately, the class I attended was canceled in December and I haven't found anything as effective (and at a time that works for me) and there aren't any other Jazzercise classes near me. I'm still searching for something similar, but at least I still remember all the things I learned when I was logging my food. I'm still aware of the calories in my food, but I don't log them every day like I used to. Sometimes I log for a day or two, just to refresh my memory.

Good luck on your weightloss journey! It was a great day when I packed all my "fat" clothes away in boxes, only to be taken out one day when I'm pregnant and need something bigger. :)

Sounds like you are on the right track. My daughter is 6 months old and I am just out of maternity with still about 10 lbs to lose to get back to where I was. Don't expect to just drop the weight that fast. After my first baby it honestly took about a year to get my body back. Your exercise sounds reasonable. If possible step it up a little more to at least 3, ideally 4 times a week. I am doing a rigorous boot camp, which has helped a ton with muscle, but no weight loss from it! Watch out for those extra calories you may be consuming. Like someone said, soda can add a lot. For me it is coffee (with all that yummy creamer). Keep healthy snacks on hand so as you aren't tempted to eat cookies and other junk. Good luck, and just don't fret about it. Your body has been through a lot in the past year. Give it a break :)

Hello! I have been hearing comments on my weight loss these days, and I was surprised myself! I tell you what I am doing: I try not to think about food, and when it pops in my head, I distract myself with a small snack and try to do something else around the house instead, like cleaning. My house has been so clean, and I am getting my groove back!

I don't know if you drink sodas or not but I lost an extreme amount of wait just by switching to diet soda and flavor splash water. Keep up the exercise it'll help for sure. You also might want to try eating more often but smaller meals.

I've just lost several lbs in the last 2 weeks. I'm on a special diet and I get some additional medicinal help through the doc office, but I will share my sample menue with you. It's healthy and might help. Warning though, it is not a lot of food - just the essentials. A diet like this with good workout routine ought to get you somewhere fast, and then you can start adding additional foods to your diet once you reach your target. A friend told me a personal trainer had her on a similar diet for weight loss.

Morning: whey protein shake (low sugar, fat & carb)
Morning snack: 2 low fat saltines and one fruit - such as an apple, orange, handful of blueberries or strawberries or grapefruit
Lunch: a protein from the list below and as much of one of the listed veggies as you want
Afternoon snack: 2 melba rounds and a fruit (like above)
Dinner: a protein from the list below and as much of one of the listed veggies as you want

Proteins: 4 oz skim cottage cheese, 4 eggs (minus 3 of the yolks, 4 oz chicken breast, salmon, turkey breast, veal, london broil, shrimp... there are a few others
Veggies: spinach, broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, celery, cucumber, onions... there are a few others

Good luck with whatever you decide. I know it is hard!

Hi N.!! I know exactly what you are talking about. When I was a stay at home for my 2 and 1/2 years is when I gained most of my weight. I felt awful and not very attractive. When I began working again (teaching), I lost 35 pounds. I must say now I feel a lot better about myself and it has also added to my marriage. My husband didn't complain either but it was mainly how I felt about myself which wasn't all that great.

What I decided to do was to change my eating habits and since we have to walk our students almost everywhere, that helped also. For breakfast I usually eat yogurt and a fruit, for lunch a fruit, carrots, a lean cuisine and maybe a sugar free jello, for dinner, carrots and maybe another lean cuisine or a tuna sandwich along with a fiber one bar. Additonally I drink about 64 ounzes of water daily.

Hopefully this helps!1
Good luck!!

S.

Well at least you are being positive thats the first step. Now add to your workout for your stomach were the stomach belt not too tight when you walk or do aerobics theis helps sheds extra inches. And if you have excess to a sauna or steam room do 15 minutes then come out then go back for another 10 and in two weeks will see a difference. Food eat alot of fruit and veggies and protein with out the fat.

N.,
My husband lost 30 pounds in three months and never was hungry while doing it. He loved the program. Email me with any questions. The great thing about the plan is that you lose inches as well as weight. The diet consists of replacing two meals a day with shakes or meal bars. There are snack bars and tea to help. The third meal, usually dinner, is a normal healthy meal. The shakes and meal bars are packed with protein, fiber and leucine........which helps maintain your muscle mass and metabolism, preventing yoyo dieting. If you do this and exercise you absolutely will lose weight, and you will feel great. The plan is called CINCH and it is put out by Shaklee. I'd be happy to help you. I'm a believer... Everyday my husband is living proof that it works.
www.shaklee.net/healinghappens

If you want to eat healthier and exercise more for you, then that's okay. But please don't worry so much about your weight when you have a four-month-old!! Many women (myself included) just can't lose the weight while they are still breastfeeding. Once I stopped, the pounds almost magically disappeared (really ... I didn't change my habits that much). Even if you aren't still breastfeeding, give your body a chance to recover. I know its frustrating to be post-baby and still have the extra weight but it takes some time. Good luck!

N.,
I'd be glad to help with a product called Herbalife. It really works! I lost 32 lbs in 6 weeks and have kept it off for 5 years. I also went from a size 16 to a size 10. Herbalife is a meal replacement that really works!

If you're willing to try Herbalife, I give MamaSource clients 10% off their first order and you have a 30-day money back guarantee.

All you can lose is your weight!

D.

Hi N.,

For help with both weight loss and reducing stress, I recommend checking out www.VitalHealth.TunguskaMist.com

Read all the info on adaptogens, and the new fast acting oral adaptogen sprays called Tunguska Mist. Adaptogens are a category of herbs that help the body deal with stress, restore balance, and support normal metabolic processes. Often times stress causes us to overeat as well as produce excess cortisol (causes the body to store fat). Adaptogens support weight management by regulating blood sugar, insulin metabolism, and cortisol levels; aid in digestion; and increase energy. In fact, adaptogens have the ability to shift the body's metabolism to a greater use of fat for energy.

The rapid release delivery system of the adaptogens in Tunguska Mist Pure and Tunguska Mist Slim will help bring your body into balance, reduce stress at the cellular level, and suppress your appetite to quash cravings. They are convenient to carry with you and take whenever you feel stress coming on, or need the extra willpower to support your weight loss program.

You are definitely doing the right thing by working out...Keep doing that (The fact that you're having fun and feel really good afterwards is AWESOME! That's gonna help you stay committed). Are you also weight training? Lean muscle mass will help speed up your metabolism, thus you will burn more calories. Avoid fast food, processed foods, and especially all types of soft drinks, if you are not already. Eating 5-6 small healthy meals throughout the day, while drinking plenty of water helps keep your engine burning!

2 great books that I recommend are: Living Lean, by Larry North and Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief by Winston and Maimes.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or need further advice/encouragement. I've studied health, wellness, and Kinesiology for many years and have a passion for helping people change their life.

Believe in yourself and focus on your goals! You can do it!!!

Best regards,
N.

N.,

I have a botanically based skin care, health and wellness company.

I've incorporated out weight loss regiment and lost 16 lbs in 3 months. I know that doesn't sound like a whole lot but it's better/healthier to lose slowly and keep it off than to lose it real fast. I lost that weight just by using these products and I didn't even work out. So I can just imagine if I did even a little working out what the results would be.

All of our products are botancially based, hypoallergenic, no animal products or by products (vegan and vegetarian certified), never tested on animals, and contain no mineral oil. Every ingredient is pure, safe and beneficial!

Take a look at the Figure 8 section on our website.

Take care and God bless!

M. Atterberry
Independent Consultant
Arbonne International
Consultant ID 17301540
www.arbonne.com

There is no clear cut way to do this as everyone is different. I am having the same problem myself. Here's what my skinny & weight body conscious friends say. When you exercise you need to keep your heart rate up for 45 minutes. Don't walk for 20 minutes it won't give you what you need. Keep it up for 45 minutes. Cardio a few times a times a week and strenght conditioning a few times a week. Remember muscle burns fat.

Cut SODA if you drink soda out of your diet and drink water. My brother-in-law cut soda and nothing else and lost 17 lbs in 3 months. Do not eat late in the evening. Make healthy food choices and avoid processed foods.

I wish you all the luck! I've been doing pilates twice a week and have actually seen a diffeence in my waistine. But I'm not doing enough cardio to burn the calories I need.
Keep trying and don't get down on yourself. Remember 9 month on, 9 month off.