Posted: 3/20/2005 5:33:45 PM EDT
| I've put on a bit of weight lately and am looking for sensible way to lose it. I don't want to go the way of a fad diet like Atkins or the South Beach, etc etc. Is the best bet for me just to eat less as well as smarter and exercise more? |
Yes. You don't have to kill yourself to do it either. Just keep at it and your body will do the rest. |
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I'll tell you what I did. Since I turned 30 a few years ago and stopped smoking, I've noticed I gained a few pounds. I've lost the 20 pounds or so that I gained and have kept it off by simply watching what I eat. I don't allow myself to eat stuff I love like pizza, chocolate cake, etc whenever I like anymore. When you get older your metabolism slows down, and the only way you're going to avoid becoming a fatbody is excercise (I use a treadmill) and watching what you put in your mouth. I eat 3 meals a day and don't snack. Junk food will ruin you, so remove it from your house. There's no such thing as a quick fix that will work long term. You have to make a lifestyle change. Damn, I wish I was 18 and could eat whatever I wanted to again. 
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Watching what you eat (best way is to actually set a caloric goal, and record everything you eat - it's often the small snacks and soda between meals to blow out your calories), and exercising. My fiancee started eating 1400 calories a day and exercising 5 days a week (for an hour) and has lost 15 lbs in two months. |
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It's a game of numbers. Too many calories you gain, too little you lose. Reduce your calorie intake and add some activity to burn extra calories. Don't expect quick results, just stay with it and the pounds will come off. Slow weight loss is better than quick loss IMHO. |
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Easiest way is to just eat smart and exercise. I weighed in at 237 about 2 months ago. I stopped drinking soda, substitued water, started eating normal portion sizes of food and continued my exercise (whch for me is playing ice hockey at least once a week). Two months later I'm at 202 and still losing a little more, albeit slowly. I feel better and I'm happy bout it too. joe l. |
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I went through the same thing about a year ago...here is what I did (to lose about 45 pounds and 5 inches on my waist, and keep it off for over 6 months) Cut down on obvious bad foods (double cheeseburgers, cheesesteaks, desserts, fast foods, fried stuff) Try to eat less fat...carbs arent a problem....fat is....and ultimately, the ONLY THING THAT MATTERS is calorie intake. Calories are EVERYTHING.....doesnt matter if its carbs, proteins, or fat....calories control how mych you will weigh. If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in....that is the only way to do it....science and math, nothing to do with fad diets and best selling books with celebrity endorsements. How can you burn more calories? I started a basic running routine....every other day. When I started out, my first day I could only run 1/10 of a mile...I made up a course that was 2.8 miles...ran as far as I could, then walked the rest, and ran for periods when I had caught my breathe. Over time I was able to run further and further unril I eventually didnt walk at all. You will burn approximately 100 calories for every mile you cover (whether you run or walk...its about the same either way) You dont need to kill yourself working out, and you dont need to starve yourself either. A moderate reduction in calories combined with a 45-60 minutes of cardio excercise every other day will do the trick. If you try it, you will see results...I lost a significant amount of weight in about 4 months. I started losing inches on the waist after about the first month. The more miles you run, the faster the process...but it doesnt take much to make a positive change. Good luck...IM me if you have any questions about what I did...(it really did work and it changed my life) 
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There are a lot of things you can do to help yourself out other than JUST diet and exercise: 1: Make sure you drink at least 10 12 oz glasses of water a day 2: Do not snack between meals 3: Do not eat with in 3 hours of going to bed 4: Work out to your full potential [if you can carry on a conversation you're not working hard enough] 5: Eat at least 4 servings of fresh veggies a day 6: Take Multi Vitamins Patty |
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I turned 29 a couple months ago and had managed to put on about 15 lbs each year for the last 3 years, some muscle some fat. My muscles are bigger now than they ever have been...but so is waist line. Since I met a completely trim hottie about a month ago I decided it was finally time to trim down again. In little over a month I've lost about 10 lbs. Here's what I've done. Cut out daytime snacks. Used to get pop, candy bar, cookies...ect. No more. Cut out fast food. I would go at least once or twice a week. Eat healthier foods. Instead of going to a restuarant and getting a burger I would get chicken. Cut down the amount off food and number of times I would eat at home. I used to get home at 5pm and eat, then eat again around 7pm and then snack again around 9pm. Now I eat a smaller meal and do so at 5pm. If I snack it's on carrots or something healthy. The only way I've been able to do this is to keep very little ready to eat food around the house. I also added excerise back into. I prefer the treadmill but the ellipical machine burns a lot more calories. I still have another 10lbs that I want to lose. If I stick with it I should be able to lose it just in time for summer. |
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I know a guy who lost weight just cutting down on bread. I think reduced carbs is the best way to go. Just make sure and exercise. And you don't need to kill youself. I workout 3 days a week and try to take a brisk 20 minute walk 6 days a week. I'll probably increase the walking to 30 minutes, but that's about it. |
 www.paleodiet.com/ |
No offense, but that's largely just a myth. (assuming I didn't misunderstand your post) Your body will convert fuel into whatever it needs - carbs might be slightly easier to process, but the differences are going to be on the margin. The equation is simple: If you TAKE IN more calories than you BURN, you will gain weight. If you BURN more calories than you TAKE IN, you will lose weight. Differences in things like carbs, fat, etc. might make some small differences among different people, but the basic equation doesn't change. (Sorry if I misunderstood. Obviously, if a guy eats a lot of bread, and cuts it out of his diet without adding something else it, then obviously that will result in weight loss - since he reduced he caloric intake). |
), wham, no more eating everything in sight...
Crystal Meth and pushups. |
I lost 50 lbs after college doing the low carb thing. No additional exercise, I just restricted my carb intake to less than 100g a day. I've kept the weight off for more than five years. |
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Low carb foods. Up protein, drink tons of water, small meals through out the day. Will see results immediately if you throw in regular exercise 3-4 a week… guarantee to loose 2-3 pants sizes by June Did I mention to Up the WATER!!! (most important part of weight loss) GOOD LUCK!!! |