so tired... need help

[PushMyButtons]

I feel like i can't get anywhere with my weight. It's like a yo-yo. I lose 20 lbs.. and then gain 10 back! I wish I could stick to something that's more consistent! I am at my wits end and i really need to lose 30 lbs by the end of this year or til mid January. I have a wedding coming up that I am in and i'd like to look good.. but also feel good about myself. because at this rate.. my self-esteem is not all there! :(

Well, how many blocks can you go before your legs begin to hurt?

From personal experience, if in 2 blocks you begin to get tired, then try to walk at regular pace for 15-30min a day. If your muscles/bones aren't used to moving so much, stick with 15min a day for 2 weeks. Every 2 weeks, gradually increase by 15min until you can walk 1hour a day. Basically, do as much time as you can, but make the effort to increase the time.

Don't expect fast results, because fast results usually end up backfiring on you. You need to get your body used to a routine exercise by slowly introducing it to an activity its not used to. Same with foods. Don't starve yourself. If you do, the body thinks there's something wrong so your body will want more food.

What I do is cut down my proportions in half. What I would normally eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner, I only eat half of its portion. When I eat 5 meals a day, I make the portions less than 50% of my regular portion, say like %35, every 3 hours. For 4 meals a day, a meal every 3.5 hours.

I'd give up eating beef, just fowl or fish for meat. Shrimp cocktails are my fav for satisfying cravings.

If you're a soda drinker, I know how difficult it is to give that up. But the high fructose corn syrup doesn't help anyone. But you don't have to give it up completely. I cut it down to one can a week (and you don't have to drink it all). I used to drink one can every 2 days, bad idea. Worse for whose who drink more than one a day. If you prefer, drink sparkling water if you crave that bubbly-ness of soda.

Cut off the beer completely, or any hard liquor for that matter.

Avocado's got some of that good fat.

The usual fruits are good alternatives from crisps or sweet breads.

Vitamins, vitamins, VITAMINS!!!11one

No take-out! If you must eat outside, try finding a place where they prepare your food from fresh ingredients. Japanese food (the good kind) isn't greasy at all, stay away from Chinese food. In no way should you justify eating at McD's or Carl's Jr./Hardee's.

Again, don't expect results to be quick. Good things take time. Don't give up.

When is the wedding? Rent or buy (tux)?

Bow tie or tie?

Snog the bride for me.



PS: (don't take this as medical advise, just something to give you an idea.)


.

[Ophelia]

^what Phoenix said. spot on.

[Blackmask]

It's like a yo-yo. I lose 20 lbs.. and then gain 10 back! I wish I could stick to something that's more consistent!

Don't think of it as a diet but a change of lifestyle, so whatever you do has to be something you can still be doing in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years time. All that advice Phoenix gave is a healthy lifestyle. If once you get to a goal weight you then go back to the old ways then the weight will come back on.

addendum:

Eat raw nuts for snacking, preferably almonds, unsalted. Cashews... unsalted as well. To flavour, add your own amount of salt, light amount, and a squeeze of lemon. Some chili sauce if desired.

Also, red onions are great for antioxidants. Use red onions on salads and sandwiches. Oh, speaking of sandwiches, substitute the lettuce with spinach. By comparison, spinach has more fibre than lettuce. I'd also recommend garlic: excellent for ones health. But try not to over-cook onions or garlic, just lightly cook em. I eat them raw. Oh! Ever had garlic paste? I think the Greeks use that as some sort of dipping sauce.

High-fibre meals help in weight loss, too. I know oatmeal isn't very popular for breakfast. But be creative: chop some fresh apples and bananas. You can find out more information about other high-fibre foods like fruits and vegetables at your local Google search.

Something we do (family), I donno if others do this, but we "drink" our oatmeal. That is to say that we drink it as if we were drinking tea. In a cup of hot water, we throw in a tablespoon full (sometimes 2) of dry oatmeal, stir, and add just a bit of sugar for flavour. Taste pretty good, especially during cold mornings and nights.

[Jocasta]

i really need to lose 30 lbs by the end of this year or til mid January

It's just 2 weeks until the end of the year, about a month til mid January... a good amount to lose a week is 2lbs so you're setting yourself an unrealistic target. I think you need to forget about scales but start thinking about what you really want. Never mind that the holidays are never an easy time to lose weight.
You're never going to look good while you feel so low, think about why your self esteem is down at the moment, talk to a friend, someone you can trust.

Or just post about it... at the Arts forum.

[Ophelia]

Jo's right, 30 pounds in 2 weeks is impossible and you're setting yourself up for failure...which could lead to more weight gain. One thing that would really help is extra exercise. If your body is feeling firmer and healthier even though you haven't lost all the weight by the end of the month, you will look and feel better about yourself which will come through in your appearance.

[open32]

Very good advice Phoenix. The only thing I would ad is also watch out for some of those breads. Some bakery breads, white bread, and egg bread has crazy calories.

Its never quick or easy. I’v tried to lose weight plenty of times over the years, since high school, got discouraged because it was slow. Over the last 8 months I have actually stayed very committed, did most of what phoenix mentioned; cut red meat to once a month, just ate white meats and fish; cut the soda, still drink about a cup of diet and lots of tea; added lots of vegetables (fresh not canned, it has to much salt) to dinner and lunch to help fill up; switched to wheat pasta; and went to the gym a lot.


Don’t eat to little and dont only eat rabbit if that’s not to your liking, if you hate doing it your likely to cheat and do off of it.

But ya, its slow. Also the first few weeks you start, you lose a decent amount of weight faster, after that it slows to 2, 1, or even 1/2 a pound a week. You just have to understand its going to be slow and stick with it.

[Blackmask]

Wow, I missed the 30lbs by mid January. I agree with the others, that's not healthy unless you plan on doing a Biggest Loser type regime with close supervision. Even then, it's questionable whether they actually achieve their weight loss rates in weekly buckets.

Just plug away at it bit by bit and you'll get a lifestyle change which will then keep the weight off long term. Exercise and eat healthy. Cooking for yourself, fresh foods is good because you know what you actually eating. Eventually it'll just become habit and you won't miss those foods you thought you couldn't live without.

Another trick is to avoid supermarkets. Buy vegetables at green grocers, meat at butchers, places where they aren't teasing you with lots of high fat and sugary foods strategically placed on the shelves so you'll buy them. And exercise. It doesn't even have to be a lot of exercise, just walking will do it, get those 10,000 steps into your daily routine.

[Moshe..]

I can't understand how people on weight. The more I eat the slimmer I get. It's probably genetic yeah. But the advice is you have to be varied! and try not to go to restaurant every day!

Yes. Restaurants, especially in the U.S., serve you a ridiculous amount of food. One meal can feed 3 people!

So-called "healthy" restaurants that are more sophisticated [you won't see a drink fountain in one of these] will cut down the portions but for some reason they're more expensive.

[Moshe..]

And so much salt! Also french chefs always cover everything in butter, they love their butter. BUt it's good as long as you don't go every single day. Some people go three times a day - seriously! It's worse for you than cocaine.

[Ophelia]

cocaine is easier on the waistline.

numbing...

[Jocasta]

Originally Posted by Moshe..

I can't understand how people on weight. The more I eat the slimmer I get. It's probably genetic yeah. But the advice is you have to be varied! and try not to go to restaurant every day!

Moshe either has some kind of wasting disease or worms.

Parasites. Pineapple and Papaya fruit gets rid of them.

[Moshe..]

Wow how did you know, ok yeah I admit my worms give me an unfair advantage, some of us are just lucky to have them, jealously won't get you anywhere.

[Jocasta]

Yeah, I want your worms, can you spare a few?

[Blackmask]

So-called "healthy" restaurants that are more sophisticated [you won't see a drink fountain in one of these] will cut down the portions but for some reason they're more expensive.

Possibly because they can charge more and people will pay it. The quality of the food and the chefs are probably better as well. The large amounts for less is ecause they load up with cheap ingredients like sugar and flour.

It's the same with processed food. If you were to cook yourself a pasta sauce you'd likely use tomatoes and whatever else you like. You probably wouldn't pad it up to more volume with sugar, water, flour etc.