Weight Loss / Curving Appetite

Like you I am also trying to lose some weight , I am not hugely overweight but would like to shed around 14lbs just to make me feel a little more comfortable. I also love my food and I got to the point from Nov last year up until and of Jan where I literally was eating all the time , not meals but just picking all the time. I tried to cut down but felt like I had a continual hunger pain. So at the beginning of Feb I decided (for 1 month) to try an actual weight loss plan , I chose slim fast (I am not a fad diet person and am well aware that you cannot do this long term) , but what I have found it has helped to do is decrease my appetitte , because I have gotten used to eating less , when I do have a meal I don't need as much as I used to. I am doing this for 1 more week and then I am going to introduce breakfast and lunch gradually BUT with smaller portions (that was 1 of my big faults aswell) , that and going to the gym 3 times/week I am hoping to keep off the 7lbs that I have lost so far and lose a little more and keep it off.

Good luck

In my opinion liquid calories are the absolute worst. When you drink your pepsi you are ingesting TONS of calories that could be spent on good food and your body doesn't register those calories in making you full. You would be better off having a cookie or slice of pizza for those calories even b/c at least they would signal satiety to your brain and you wouldn't go on to eat anything else. So I would suggest starting there. It may be hard at first but after a week or so you will be fine. As for chocolate-the darker the better. Let yourself have a square or 2 a day and then give the rest of the stash to your husband to hold and not give you. THis is what I do as I have the same addiction! As for the rest of the weight here is a sample of what you may want to try:

Healthy breakfast with a protein and a good carb. I like Thomas whole grain light english muffins with all natural peanut butter.

Fruit for AM snack

Large salad with a protein for lunch

Triscuits and low fat cheese for pm snack or hummus and veg

Dinner is protein/veggie/brown rice

One more thing-be so mindul of every little bite. It is those little bites, licks and tastes (BLTs)that will do us in. Each one has at least 25 calories which can mean a lot when losing weight.

I would honestly give the lemonade-cleanse a consideration. I have never done it, but i know some who have. Not just to lose weight, but to cleanse out all toxins from your digestive system, and save a TON of money. You will be drinking water with fresh-squeezed lemon, with a tad of 100%PURE maple syrup and a bit of cayenne pepper if you wish.. You don't eat or drink ANYTHING else, (besides maybe some laxative herbal tea) and after the 10 days, you start with some good-pure orange juice, and slowly progress with some good organic raw foods :) GOOD LUCK! I'm ROOTIN FOR YA!

www.sparkpeople.com

Totally free and lots of community support. Go at your own pace, use their menus or your own. NOT A DIET, it's a lifestyle.

Hi T.,

Are you getting enough sleep? What do you do when you are stressed besides eat chocolate and drink pepsi? Can you cut some of your obligations out of your life so that you have more time to exercise and relax? As long as you are dealing with stress by eating, then anytime you are stressed, you will gain weight, right?

I personally never count calories. I avoid all artificial sweeteners and processed foods, white sugar and white flour when I can. I snack when I am hungry. But not 100% of the time. I eat something filling for breakfast like oatmeal or bacon and eggs and wheat toast. I don't drink juice. I try to eat a big bowl of green vegetables every day. For exercise, what works really fast for me is to walk a minute at a fast pace, then run/jog for a minute very fast (not sprint), then back to walking. Do this for about 45 min 3 days a week. It is great for losing weight.

If you need a pick me up because you are tired, try taking a 20 min nap or eating something with protein in it, like almonds.

Try Weight watchers.. I have been going since Jan and lost 14 lbs (about 2 lbs a week and average). It works.. Also you do not have to starve. They show you foods that are filling with less calories and a few changes in the diet, it works it works it works and there is plenty of time to lose the weight between now and June and keep it off forever! It works it works.. I swear.

With weight watchers, you can have everything in moderation. No keeping anything out of your diet. You just need to count it. They have a new scale now and you type the food in there and put it on the scale and hit points.. it tells you how many points you are eating. it is wonderful. And you eat your own food.. it is the best thing out there and it is proven to work if you work it.
Also exercise helps with stress..

Good luck

There are some good suggestions here, but I would really like to emphasize SLEEP and RELAXATION!! Stress is never good. Long-term heightened cortisol levels work against you in weight loss, along with other critical health and emotional issues. You can read more here:
http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm
More importantly, your daughter loves you for who you are NOT by how you look. You're her mom! She would want you/needs you to be happy and enjoying yourself at her wedding more than anything instead of you worrying about your weight. Try to take at least 15 minutes a day to do something that you enjoy, remember to relax, and praise yourself for all of your accomplishments (being a loving mother is a huge one!). If you find yourself stressed out, take two steps back and a few deep breaths and remember what's really important to you. If you need to cut back on a few activities, do it! It's okay to say no sometimes! Weight loss (among MANY other things in life) is SO much easier when you're happy and enjoying yourself. Best wishes with everything and may your daughter's wedding be a time that the two of you will always cherish together! <3

Um. Learn this certain mantra, "When I say "yes" to this, I am saying "no" to that..."

If you do not allow yourself a good breakfast, then you are saying "yes" to indulging yourself just to get an energy kick.

If you say "no" to the Pepsi, and guzzle some water, then you are saying "yes" to the dress.

It looks like you feel so overwhelmed that you would like someone to come in and make your food decisions for you. Which is silly. Set a reasonable goal. Look at your pitfalls. Plan against them - like the military does with rogue factions. "I tend to get attacked here... so I'm going to pull out my big guns... HERE!"

When you say "yes" to planning, you are saying "no" to being left helpless and at the mercy of your binge cravings, cuz no matter how hard you wish it, Cinderella, ain't no one else gonna do your work for you and get you ready for the ball. Good luck! Though... in the end, it will have nothing to do with luck...

If it makes you feel better popcorn is actually good for you :o) It's the stuff we put on it that's not so great for our bodies. I have the same vices as you do lol. I LOVE my pepsi and chocolate. Heres what I do...try keeping a bag of kisses in the freezer and reward yourself with just one when you need it. They are wonderful frozen and take longer to eat so you can savor it a little longer. Switch to diet pepsi or only drink one can a week. Hard to get used to but better nothing. Keep a water bottle filled with ice water with you at all times possible. That helps. Invest in an air popper and either learn to like it plain or try a low fat spray butter. And above all excercize wherever you can fit it into your busy life. Even parking at the other end of the parking lot helps :o) Good luck dear!

I use herbalife and have lost 12 pounds in the last 3 weeks! It tastes great and it is just "shift spending." I use the shake for a meal replacement for breakfast, along with my supplements to enhance body function, metabolism and weight loss (I got the ultimate plan). I added the apple fiber and the extra protein (personalized protein) to the shake.

This company has been in business for over thirty years, and is the Number 1 health and wellness company in the world! They are publically traded on the NYSE and are in the top 1,000 stocks of the NYSE. They have been producing double digit profits even in this economy. You can not reach those heights based on hype! Their products work very well and are safe.

Also, for healthy drink options, they have many options that taste good. Diet drinks contain dangerous neurotoxins in them, which is trading one bad thing...sugar, for another bad thing and maybe worse thing...toxins!
You can check all these things out at www.healthystronglife.com.

I am an RN who is currently in massage therapy school. I graduate from that school in May....oh yeah!! My goal is to open up a wellness center in the near future. I have studied nutritional and functional medicine on my own. There are many reasons why I love and use the Herbalife line.

I am actually going to start teaching their Weight Loss Challenge classes in two weeks! I consider myself a wellness coach. If you want more information about those classes, let me know. We can do a one on one coaching if you like.

Try using the Herbalife line, they are exceptional products that help you to lose, gain or maintain your weight. But they do that using a healthy, cellular based, nutritional approach. Its a great home based business option as well where you can help other people and actually feel good about what you are doing!

By June, if you try the products, you will have a brand new you with a healthy weight, energy and a beauty from within and from without that shines through! Yes, they are that good!!!....lol. I kid you not!!

Check out my site, www.healthystronglife.com, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me! Or you can contact me at ____@____.com

B.
Herbalife International Distributor

What I am about to suggest is for short term weight loss...it doesn't mean it will last long term. I work in musical theatre and sometimes for parts, I have to lose weight and fast. I am a mother of 3 and the past two costumes I wore were like glorified bikinis....I didn't know how I was going to do it! (I have stretch marks even above my belly button!)...I lost almost 40 lbs in 4 months by looking up metabolism speeding foods and sticking to those only plus a ton of water and anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and a half of excercise (always cardio, for longer workouts adding strength). Point is, I worked out every single day no matter what. I also utitlized the Master Cleanse for 10 days...tough, but I lost 16 lbs in that time. I kept it off and with excercise, the weight loss included muscle gain which weighs more than fat. So really, my weight loss was much more than just that...I was very, very toned (muscles!) and ended up in a size 4. Unhealthy fast loss? Maybe so, but you should've seen me in my costumes...I couldn't even believe myself that I have 3 children! And of course, I didn't continue that way once the shows were over...I've maintained between an 8 and a 10 with only excercising 3 times a week. You might think that you need the chocolate and Pepsi, and I believe that for myself more often than not...but I guess faced with such revealing costumes in front of large audiences was good motivation for me!...and trust me, I do not have a ton of time on my hands...at all.

Go to www.kristiapproved.com it's the "Live the Life" diet/lifestyle. I'm not a representative or anything, my husband and I have been doing this diet for about 5 weeks now, with good results. Basically you buy the book and it out-lines what to eat, even gives you a grocery list. They have you eat every 2-3 hours which speeds up your metabolism. You eat the same 6 meals every day for a week and then it changes for the next week. The food is great (protein shakes, BBQ chicken and veggies, omlets, chicken/rice bowls etc...) We buy the food on Sat. and prepare all of our meals for the week on Sat/Sunday and seperate them in to ziplock bags or tupperware containers. So by monday morning all I have to do is eat meal 1 at home then take meals 2-5 to work with me. And prepare meal 6 after work. The book also includes an exercise guide and they have videos you can view online to learn how to do each exercise.

Anyway look in to it. I love it so far. And I know people who have had great results. The key is to prepare all you meals ahead so that you always know what you are going to eat, and can easily take it with you wherever you go! Good Luck!

Best way to loose weight is count those calories!! You can still have your chocolate as long as you stay below the target caloric intake! Good luck!!

Sleep! Make getting to bed a priority. When you're tired, you crave high-fat, high-sugar foods. At one point in my life, I was walking and walking and walking. You'd think I would have dropped weight fast! But I didn't get enough sleep for the amount of energy I was exerting, and I packed on the pounds. When my lifestyle changed back to a more normal one, I slimmed down almost effortlessly, even though I'd hurt my feet and couldn't exercise at all.

Stress also makes you crave the wrong kinds of food, so see if you can cut any stress out of your life. Easier said than done, I know. But it really helps!

And drink lots of water.

Try the South Beach diet. The first 2 weeks are designed to rid your cravings for sweets. It really works. I haven't had sweets for 3 weeks now. Another benefit of the South Beach is that you drop 10-15 pounds the first 2 weeks and then it returns to a normal weight loss pattern of 1-2 pounds a week as you add more allowable foods to your diet. It keeps you motivated to stay on the diet to see big results early on. It does allow for some sweet treats that are sugar free. Good luck!

check this out www.myshakeology.com/kristijean

I highly recommend the Weigh Down Workshop. They have online classes.

If you really want to make this weight loss last, and I would think you would, you need to make this a "diet" that you can live with long term. South Beach Diet has some good advice but it can be expensive. It would be best if you could cut out your Pepsi-at least for a while. I am willing to bet you wouldn't miss it so much after a month. Don't go for diet drinks. There are studies that suggest that the artificial sugar makes you eat more and if you drink too much of it (huge amounts) it can be carcinigenic. I would think that any quick fixes (herblife, nutrisystem, weight watcher will work while you are on them but when you get off, will you gain the wieight back? I think if you watch what you eat, curb your appetite for Pepsi and chocolate (eat dark chocolate it's better for you ) and schedule some exercise in your day, you will drop the weight and be able to keep it off. You have a whole list of friends here wanting to help and cheer you on. Good Luck!

I've always been into nutrition, so the advice I give comes from a little knowledge and experience. You need a whole foods way of life. Don't call it a diet! If you are on a "diet" it is only short term. Everything you do can come back if you go back to your old lifestyle. I have a really good blender called Blendtek. I make whole food smoothies that are fantastic. Get several different fruits like strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, whole grapes with seeds spinach, carrots, brocoli, cucumber. Freeze your fruit, except grapes, so your smoothie will be cold. Put in the blender 4 strawberries, a couple of pieces of pineapple, several blueberries, a handful of grapes then put in either soy milk or rice dream. You decide how much. Then add a handful of spinach, 6 or 7 small carrots, and a half cucumber. blend all this together. It should have the consistency of a thick shake. It is so tasty. If you have one of these shakes a day, you get all of your fruits and vegies in one meal. It is full of antioxidants. You can also add a protien powder if you want, so you get a good variety of good carbs, protien, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Don't ever go back to drinking Pepsi. It is very harmful to you. High fructose corn syrup is the leading cause of diabetes. And if you drink diet, you subject yourself to 92 disease symptoms. Just don't do it. Every time I see someone picking up a can of soda in general I think to myself "Do they know how poisonous this good tasting stuff really is?" Well go and do some good for yourself without regrets. Good luck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQv1JBZ197Q

watch this...using his method to curb those cravings for things I "have" to have has really helped me a lot...
I haven't had sugar for 19 days now.
and I used to have a coke a day...loved my sugar cookies and ice cream sandwiches. lol.
its only one part of the process but getting rid of the empty calories is really helping me a lot.
also check out sparkpeople.com they have great ways to track everything. its eye opening when you see how many calories you are actually eating vs. what you think you are eating. I track not just my weight but also my measurements of my body, biceps, waist, thighs, calves and neck. sometimes the scale isn't moving but overall on my body I've lost an inch or two it helps me stay focused. I've lost 10 pounds in the past month and I haven't put exercising back into my regiment yet. just cutting out empty calories and making sure I eat all my meals every day.
we also keep fresh fruit out on the counter all the time.
I see you are in Ogden, so one way to do that without breaking the bank is to join one of the local food co-op's they are for everyone, its a group of people who put in large enough orders that we all get the grocery stores price before they mark it up and turn around and sell it to the consumers.
www.bountifulbaskets.org is one that I use, they have bi-weekly deliveries to sites, and in some areas weekly. I also do one that is once a month https://www.foodco-op.net
they have meat shares you can get as well as produce
its helped to keep our cost down and keep the house stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables. and we have gotten to try out things we normally wouldn't have. this past week for instance we got watermelon turnips. turns out we really like the light sweet flavor of them in our stir fry. I never would have bought them on my own. we have also learned we really like lentils in some of our soups, and Kale. all things I probably wouldn't have tried on my own. most of the things that come in the orders are the things we are used to seeing and getting but once in a while there is a new product and it is fun to try them out and really really healthy too.
I don't keep snack foods in the house now except those fruits and veggies and my kids all eat and love them. and so do my husband and I. these are some of the little changes we have been making. I'm not on a deadline like you are so I have implemented one small change at a time gotten it into habit for several weeks then added another. it helps me to make it a lifestyle thing and not just a lose weight thing. the weight loss is coming along with it, but for me it works to work on one thing I know will help make my life healthier get that one down and then start working on the next one.
another thing that really helps me is chewing gum. I like to chew and when I am bored I found I was eating just to do something with my mouth--so I chew gum at night now while watching my show after the kiddos are in bed instead of having a snack.
good luck

Others have had several great suggestions. It is so hard to lose weight/ and or keep it off. I had an easier time when I was single and only feeding me. Then I could eat soup all the time...my all time favorite meal!

One idea I have for you is to maybe replace your favorites with something similar. Maybe Diet Pepsi instead, or Crystal light if you are just needing a drink that is sweet. For the chocolate you could try chocolate cheerios...they are awesome! I have a huge sweet tooth and they actually satisfy it. For the popcorn, make sure you get the 100 calorie bags without butter. For flavor you can add some cayenne.

I'm not sure how to say this without it sounding crazy. This is kind off hard to do, but after a week or 2 you won't even think about it. Are you ready for this...Don't eat anything you know is fattening.
If you want a hamburger--don't get cheese or mayo, only ketchup and/ or mustard
Some one wants to go out and get pie--skip it
Make lots of meals using chicken--one of my faves is frozen broccoli, onion, and seasoned chicken tenders wrapped in foil and baked in the oven. Chicken tenders or breasts also make good chicken soup

I did that one summer and lost 30 #s. It's hard though, especially if you are like me and love to eat.

Good luck!

People don't want to hear "exercise and eat fewer calories" but really, weight loss is the law of thermodynamics. Take in more energy (calories) than you use and you'll store it. Use more than you take in and it'll be pulled from storage (the fat is how our body stores energy).

Frist, set aside 15-20 minute each morning for a bit of exercise. Then go to the library and browse through their workout videos for one to try. If you like it, you can renew for another week. If you don't, take it back with no money lost :) (Exercise is very important for bumping up your metabolism, and a bit of resistance/weight exercise can really help this). Lean muscle also takes up less space and burns more calories than the same weight in fat, so you'll look and feel better too. Exercise also is a great stress buster, and stress can definitely lead to weight gain!

About 5 years ago I was tired of the baby weight (he was 1 1/2 and it was still hanging on). I started going to the gym daily and I kept a food log. For the first week, write down everything you eat and how much. Look up the calories and see where you are. Then cut out 300 calories a day by snacking on veggies, reducing your portions (I used a measuring cup), drinking water before you eat (and making sure you drink minimum 2 quarts a day of water), and using less butter, mayo, dressing, etc. Cut back on the soda - instead have 2 cups a day of fat-free milk (women who did this lost weight faster than those who drank diet soda) and mostly water. Go ahead and allow yourself 1 small soda a day if you need to (I do! lol). One thing that really helped me control the cravings was having a big bar of dark chocolate stashed away and a quart of my favorite ice cream in the freezer. When I absolutely needed a chocolate fix I could have 1 square of it (and knowing it was there kept my from buying candy bars in the check out aisle). And if I was enough under my calories I could have 1/4 or 1/2 cup ice cream at the end of the day (eaten slowly with a small spoon so I could savor it longer). There were plenty of days where I looked at the bag of chips or whatever and said "Do I really want these or would I rather have my ice cream tonight?" Usually I opted for the ice cream.

And for popcorn - if you can eat it unbuttered you'll drop a lot of those calories. And even if you get the lightly buttered, and measure out 1 serving (usually a cup) it is not as naughty as it seems! It is bulky so you feel full faster, and not too calorie dense.

eat a piece of fruit every 4 hours. it SERIOUSLY helps.

I feel you! I would definitely see if there is a way to cut out the soda. For me, carbonated water (seltzer, perrier) worked. Seems that I needed the bubbles more than the sweet, who knew! If you have to have some, get the 8 oz cans instead of the 12, and make sure you cut back the amount. Make sure that you give into your cravings occasionally, otherwise, you will binge. Of course, the normal eat less, exercise more, but I have trouble with both of those. I did find that if I had some prepared, healthier snacks around, (carrots, etc.), and ate more often, I wasn't sooo hungry at meals and eating everything in sight. My latest find was some granola crisps in the organic cereal section at Walmart. Gives me that crunch, yet much better than that chocolate I really want. Good luck!