Would like to thin down

[Eeezee]

I'm just looking for something easy, I don't need a drastic reduction in fat or anything like that. I'd even be satisfied if I lost 10-15 pounds over 6-9 months. I'm not looking for exercise regiments (although a few situps per day probably wouldn't help). I don't really have enough time for weight training or long periods of running.

Do some situps each day, run between classes instead of walking, eat less per meal and add to the number of meals, cut soda, drink a lot of water, try to add more fiber. I think these are the big ones. Anything else?

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Eeezee
I'm just looking for something easy, I don't need a drastic reduction in fat or anything like that. I'd even be satisfied if I lost 10-15 pounds over 6-9 months. I'm not looking for exercise regiments (although a few situps per day probably wouldn't help). I don't really have enough time for weight training or long periods of running.

Do some situps each day, run between classes instead of walking, eat less per meal and add to the number of meals, cut soda, drink a lot of water, try to add more fiber. I think these are the big ones. Anything else?

If you "don't have the time" to work out, then you're not dedicated to changing your life(style.) You don't really have any chance at succeeding. You have to change the way you think. Working out should be as much a part of your life as going to the bathroom or eating; you shouldn't feel right without doing it.

You've got generally the right idea on diet. Don't eat out at restaurants if you can't control your eating. I see people all the time at restaurants eating everything on their plates. Maybe they're not aware that the portions are 2-5x larger than they should be.

 

[Nebor]

Oh, and if you're a college student and you can't dedicate time to working out, feeling good and looking good, you're pretty much doomed for the rest of your life.

Get control over your eating and excercise, otherwise the best you can hope for in the future is not making it onto Jerry Springer as a bed-ridden tub.

 

[Icanoutsmokeany1]

Get a dumbell and lift every morning, or when you have spare time. You would be amazed how addicted you get to weight lifting when you start. It gives you a nice little boost of energy. Start small, maybe 25-30 lbs per arm. Work your way up to 50, 75, etc. Pretty soon your arms will be ripped.

Do crunches every night before bed. Just 30-40 a night is fine. Do them in the morning too.

Do weight lifting whenever you can, it boosts your metabolism and builds muscle.

I eat a burrito in the morning. Get lean meat and chop it up with red lettuce, cilantro and tomatoes and you got a great burrito. It takes just a few minutes to cook your meat and make the filling. Add very little sour cream and you got a morning energy food.

Exercise a bit. Ride a bike, hop a treadmill for 30 mins.

The trick is making your own food, not drinking soda, and staying at least minorly active. Drink a lot of water. A lot of people are dehydrated and don't know it. Your tongue should be wet, not dry. You shouldn't have a cloudy head. If you feel tired or can't exercise, you might be dehydrated.

 

[SearchMaster]

I've lost 13 pounds in the last 6 weeks by doing exactly what you're trying to do - moderate lifestyle change. Here's what I've done:

(1) cardio (stationary bike) 2-3 times per week, 45 minutes per session. I've continued to play tennis once a week.
(2) portion control. I eat roughly 2/3 what I used to eat per meal. I try to have a couple of light snacks during the day to control the hunger, usually bananas since they've always filled me up.
(3) initially I cut sodas completely, lately I'll have a diet soda after tennis because I get a "sweet Jones". I used to have them probably four times a week.
(4) I still eat fast food a couple of times a week, but I go for grilled chicken instead of fried, and no french fries.
(5) One day a week, I let myself eat whatever I want. That way I don't have to feel like I'm missing out because I'm dieting.

I've always consumed a lot of water - I've actually involuntarily cut back because of some other factors. I think if you cut back more gradually like I did, it will make it easier to stick with it long after you reach your target.

 

[TRUMPHENT]

I spend two hours a day, five days a week on my exercise machine. It's called a bicycle and I commute on it to and from work. 22 miles a day, 110 miles a week. I'm always eating and always hungry. I have a weakness for vending machine HoneyBuns and Ghiradelli Chocolate.

My coworkers are in awe. I don't consider it such an achievement, I just do it every day. I save a ton of money. I get the best parking place. And the best part is, ladies half my age ogle me.

 

[effowe]

I lost 50+ pounds over the last 8 or so months. I was able to see a dietician to get on a plan and accomplish this, if you have health insurance this is definitely something that you should check out. If not it's a pretty simple diet. Eat several small meals throughout the day, you should get hungry about every three hours. Every meal is a combination of Protein, Good fats, and slow carbs. By good fats I mean Omega-3, Fish Oil, and Olive oil. Slow carbs have to do with whats called a glycemic index. Your body converts certain fruits to sugar more quickly in your body (like a banana) so the key is to eat foods with a low glycemic index (like an apple.) Also, the beer is not a good thing to be drinking if you want to lose weight. I have cut down the beer to about 3 or 4 a week. If any you should keep it to a reasonable number like that, and stick to drinking as much water as you can. I probably drink a gallon a day, not only is it good for you, but it will keep you feeling full so you'll eat less throughout the day.

 

[Mill]

All this advice is great, but his question can be answered with one word: Amphetamines.

Kidding of course. But they do work. :Q

 

[mrrman]

exercise, vitamins, protein shakes, eat well and healthy. I am current doing the Body for Life plan combined with my Bowflex work out program, so far its great. I am doing the lean program. I take the EAS Myoplex shakes twice a day, vitamins every day, work out 6 days/week and after my workout I take a drink of 100 % whey. I am impressed with the results so far. I also do not smoke/drink alcohol. I do not drink or use any thing with sugar in it.

 

[edro]

I'll tell you what worked for me. YGPM.

 

[BlueFlamme]

Originally posted by: Eeezee
I'm just looking for something easy, I don't need a drastic reduction in fat or anything like that. I'd even be satisfied if I lost 10-15 pounds over 6-9 months. I'm not looking for exercise regiments (although a few situps per day probably wouldn't help). I don't really have enough time for weight training or long periods of running.

Do some situps each day, run between classes instead of walking, eat less per meal and add to the number of meals, cut soda, drink a lot of water, try to add more fiber. I think these are the big ones. Anything else?

Is your goal to just have the number on the scale go down or to look slimmer? Adding muscle is likely to keep the scale the same for awhile but your body shape will improve much quicker than on a diet.

Are you saying that you can't find two 1-hour time slots in your entire week to do some basic exercises, or that you just don't want to? In that 1-hour time slot I'm counting the time to exercise (30 minutes) and the time it takes to get ready and shower afterwards. It is important to realize that Beginners see the fastest increase in muscle over the shortest amount of time because there is so much room for improvement.

Compound exercises (which work multiple muscle groups at once) are awesome for having that quick workout. If you are interested I could give you a quick workout routine that focuses on a reduced number of exercises that hit multiple muscle groups at the same time.

Originally posted by: Eezee
A) How do I find out my % body fat?

B) I have to cut beer from my diet????

C) If I just cut down on portions and space out meals, how much of a difference can I expect? I recently dropped soda from my diet and I drink lots of water.

A) You need to get it measured unless you want to buy a special scale. A quick search showed this article that talks about the two methods (skinfold test and bioelectrical impendence analysis)

B) Calories in Beer are similar to soda. From that link it shows that 12 fl oz of Budweiser is 146 calories compared to 155 for a can of Coke. Remove as much beer as you can without giving up the diet (same with soda).

C) It depends on how large a portion size you currently eat. I literally used to heap mashed potatoes until they covered half my plate, now I'm down to a quarter of the plate. One suggestion for when you go to a restaurant, ask them to divide your food between the plate and a carry-out bag before they even serve it to you, that will help you keep your portion size down.

 

[troytime]

i've lost 40 pounds over the last 6 weeks, here's how

i cut soda, drink only water, and i try my best to drink 8 glasses per day

i do my very best to NOT eat chocolate/candy/cake/pie/ice cream/etc

i limit my daily intake to 1200 calories - i keep it balanced, but i don't nitpick about saturated fats and stuff like that

some foods that i've found to make the 1200 calorie thing possible:
- oscar mayer fat free hot dogs (40 cals)
- low cal white bread (35 cals)
- jalapeno mustard (0 cals)
- hilshire farm deli select meat (70 cals for 6 slices)
- fat free cheese slices (16 cals)
- cocoa crispies and fruit loop cereal bars (90 cals)
- fudgesickles that have no sugar added (40 cals, and they taste GREAT)

i find that its 'ok' to go over the 1200 limit once and a while, as long as I go right back onto the diet.

i've also been working out (30 minutes on eliptical) and lifting weights (4 hours/week)

I just started taking xenadrine (metabolism enhancer, like hydroxycut) this week - so far i think they REALLLLLLLLY help (they supress my appetite, give me more energy, and help me burn more fat). they're not magic diet pills, they work - and they were reccomended to me by TWO different doctors.

i also play about an hour of extreme table tennis every day at work, that helps too.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: HN
one big thing that i notice is to cut out soda. just cut it out completely.

QFT... Drink tea, not processed tea, but straight up tea without sugar instead.

Cut out Fast Food as much as possible. Choose healthy fast places like Boston Market or Panera Bread.

Eat less overall and find an exercise that doesn't feel like a chore. Might I suggest biking? Go online and find a bike shop that also does weekly or daily rides and ride with a group that matches your skillset.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: Eeezee

Originally posted by: Crazyfool

Originally posted by: Eeezee
I'm around 220lbs (size 44ish waist). I'd like to slim down into my size 38 pants.

What/how much should I be eating? I can ask 100 different people that know nothing about nutrition and get 100 different answers to this. Can I get an expert or someone that really knows nutrition to tell me?

For example, is pizza acceptable? How many meals per day? How big is each meal? How much meat should I eat? I eat lots of vegetables already.

220lbs and a 44 inch waist? Are you a midget? :laugh:

Anyway, think about joining Weight Watchers or some other outfit that will teach you about portion control and eating the right stuff. Good luck with that... changing eating habits and losing weight takes commitment.

I'm 6'1"? I have a gut that sticks out, but my waist is okay

To be honest, I don't know my exact weight. The last time I measured was a few years ago, and I was 200 then. I just figured I'm 220 by now

Stop drinking so much :beer: as well. Because that is a sure sign of alcoholic beer drinking. Sorry but it is the truth. Don't binge on :beer:. Buy more expensive microbrew and enjoy the taste without drinking a lot.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: EmperorIQ

Originally posted by: HN
one big thing that i notice is to cut out soda. just cut it out completely.

yea, the initial 50lb i lost was done by:

1.) no soda at all
2.) no fast food at all
3.) run 2 miles 3 times a day (this happened over the span of 3 months)
4.) only carbs I ate were brown rice, oats, wheat bread, (anything brown)
5.) weight training 3 times a week, building muscle increases metabolism.

I went from a 42 -> 36-38, but I have a fairly big bone structure already (no, i'm not saying "i'm not fat, i'm big boned")

Great plan! Might seem a bit drastic.

Would brownies count?

 

[NissanGurl]

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/NU99999

 

[Mermaidman]

Also minimize stress and get enough sleep.

 

[BlueFlamme]

Resistance Weight Training With Endurance Training Improves Fat Loss

Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. conducted a study in which 72 over weight individuals participated in an eight week exercise program. The participants were placed in two groups. The first group performed 30 minutes of endurance exercise on a stationary cycle. The second group performed only 15 minutes of exercise on the stationary cycle plus an additional 15 minutes on weight resistant exercises. At the conclusion of the study, the "endurance only" group lost a total of 3.5 lbs.; 3 lbs. of which was fat and a half pound was muscle loss. On the other hand, the "endurance and weight resistive" group lost 8 lbs. with an actual fat loss of 10 lbs. and an increase of 2 lbs. of lean body weight.

The chart on that page shows:

30 minutes endurance
Weight change: -3.5 lbs
Fat change: - 3 lbs
Lean mass change: -0.5 lbs

15 min endurance / 15 min weight training
Weight change: -8 lbs
Fat change: -10 lbs
Lean mass change: +2 lbs

 

[vi edit]

Go high fiber (Oats, whole grains, beans, berries, "stalky" veggies).

Try and consume at least 25 grams of fiber a day. It fills you up quick and can actually minimize the amount of calories your body absorbs in a day.

Also bump up the protien intake with "clean" protien sources - fish, lean chicken/turkey cuts, beans, ect.

Cut out simple sugars (candy, pop) and other impulse things like chips and snack foods. If you drink alcohol, limit yourself to a couple per week.

Combine those with well balances of carbs and more fruits and you well on your way.

I don't know your height, but shoot for 2000 calories a day and just simply walking at 3.5MHP for 30-40 minutes 3x a week on a treadmill. You'll be cutting weight at a reasonable, measurable, and healthy rate.

The key to loosing weight, and keeping it off isn't taking a Nazi approach and just destroying yourself for a month or two to get where you want to be. Once you hit that point you get sick of depriving yourself of stuff you want to have and just fall off the bandwagon.

Do it slowly, do it intelligently, and don't completely deny yourself of stuff you want to have. You can still have a beer here and there. You can still have some Doritos. You can still have a slice a cake. You just can't have several servings of that at a time and an unlimited times a week.

Cut things back slowly and do it at a rate that you don't hate yourself and make a lifestyle change that you can keep doing indefinitely.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Go high fiber (Oats, whole grains, beans, berries, "stalky" veggies).

Try and consume at least 25 grams of fiber a day. It fills you up quick and can actually minimize the amount of calories your body absorbs in a day.

Also bump up the protien intake with "clean" protien sources - fish, lean chicken/turkey cuts, beans, ect.

Cut out simple sugars (candy, pop) and other impulse things like chips and snack foods. If you drink alcohol, limit yourself to a couple per week.

Combine those with well balances of carbs and more fruits and you well on your way.

I don't know your height, but shoot for 2000 calories a day and just simply walking at 3.5MHP for 30-40 minutes 3x a week on a treadmill. You'll be cutting weight at a reasonable, measurable, and healthy rate.

The key to loosing weight, and keeping it off isn't taking a Nazi approach and just destroying yourself for a month or two to get where you want to be. Once you hit that point you get sick of depriving yourself of stuff you want to have and just fall off the bandwagon.

Do it slowly, do it intelligently, and don't completely deny yourself of stuff you want to have. You can still have a beer here and there. You can still have some Doritos. You can still have a slice a cake. You just can't have several servings of that at a time and an unlimited times a week.

Cut things back slowly and do it at a rate that you don't hate yourself and make a lifestyle change that you can keep doing indefinitely.

Yeah, if you take drastic measures, you will yo-yo, depending on how good your will power is. But don't make this an excuse to just cut out a few things, you must take some drastic measures, just don't cut out all indulgences.

Drink a :beer: now and then, but don't binge. The only thing I would say to do drstically is cut out all soft drinks and fast food. You will find that after a month or two, you won't crave the food or soft drinks at all. I find, now, that if I eat fast food (once every 3-4 months), after a few bites, I start to feel sick from the oil. Eat more fiber. Make it a point to eat an orange 10-30 minutes before any big meal. You will find yourself less hungry by the time the meal comes and you will less likely binge. If you eat rice as a staple, use only whole grains. Use whole wheat or whole oats otherwise.

 

[imported_Goo]

Cut fast food, cut soda, cut coffee, cut sweet.

Drink at least 4-5 glasses of water.
Green veg should be 30-40% of your meal
Yogurt
Oakmeal for breadfast(use brown sugar)
If you need to eat between meal eat those weedy bread with light peanut butter(or any of your favor)

this is what my buddy suggest(a health pro) and my weight is 150lb down from 165lb in 1/2 yr.

Remember you should not loss more than 5lb a month.

 

[Tifababy]

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: HN
one big thing that i notice is to cut out soda. just cut it out completely.

QFT... Drink tea, not processed tea, but straight up tea without sugar instead.

Cut out Fast Food as much as possible. Choose healthy fast places like Boston Market or Panera Bread.

Eat less overall and find an exercise that doesn't feel like a chore. Might I suggest biking? Go online and find a bike shop that also does weekly or daily rides and ride with a group that matches your skillset.

Panera Bread is NOT health. Panera Nutrition
Most of their sandwiches are 800-1000 calories, 30-50g fat, and 20-30g of saturated fat. The only thing healthy there is their low-fat soups.

I've lost almost 25lbs in the last year just by slowly eating less. My lunch used to consist of a sandwich, bag of chips, granola bar, maybe some fruit snacks and a cookie or brownie. Each week I'd eat one less thing and now for the last 3 months I only eat a sandwich for lunch and drink lots of water and I still don't feel hungry. So I probably safe about 600 calories on lunch alone.

For dinner I used to eat some meat, a salad, some pasta or rice side and some vegetables. Now I skip the pasta side. I rarely eat dessert, but I can't cut beer out of my diet. I still drink 6-10 beers a week and I'm at my lowest weight and probably best shape since high school (10 years ago).

 

[hondAS2ooo170]

Originally posted by: Leper Messiah
Exercise. Quite Simply, to lose fat, you have to burn more calories than you took in. So you can decrease your caloric intake, increase your caloric usage, or (most likely) a combination of the two. Excersise is far more healthy than merely eating less.

what he said

 

[BatmanNate]

Bicycling keeps me trim, and the season kicks off in Feb, you're just in time. If you're in the Seattle area I hope to see you on the chilly hilly.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: Tifababy

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: HN
one big thing that i notice is to cut out soda. just cut it out completely.

QFT... Drink tea, not processed tea, but straight up tea without sugar instead.

Cut out Fast Food as much as possible. Choose healthy fast places like Boston Market or Panera Bread.

Eat less overall and find an exercise that doesn't feel like a chore. Might I suggest biking? Go online and find a bike shop that also does weekly or daily rides and ride with a group that matches your skillset.

Panera Bread is NOT health. Panera Nutrition
Most of their sandwiches are 800-1000 calories, 30-50g fat, and 20-30g of saturated fat. The only thing healthy there is their low-fat soups.

I've lost almost 25lbs in the last year just by slowly eating less. My lunch used to consist of a sandwich, bag of chips, granola bar, maybe some fruit snacks and a cookie or brownie. Each week I'd eat one less thing and now for the last 3 months I only eat a sandwich for lunch and drink lots of water and I still don't feel hungry. So I probably safe about 600 calories on lunch alone.

For dinner I used to eat some meat, a salad, some pasta or rice side and some vegetables. Now I skip the pasta side. I rarely eat dessert, but I can't cut beer out of my diet. I still drink 6-10 beers a week and I'm at my lowest weight and probably best shape since high school (10 years ago).

They are healthier than a value meal. Calories and fat are not bad things, as long as you portion them, and plus Panera doesn't add certain preservative chemicals (high strand salts) into there items like some fast foods do. I almost always get there Veggie sandwhich anyways.