Help! I need your tried and true weightloss solutions

[ronniegwilliams]

I keep notes on everything I eat and how I feel at the beginning and end of each day.  I'm much happier at the end of the day knowing that I didn't succumb to mowing down on chinese food earlier in the day.  I don't have much time at all for exercise and I work in a kiosk makes it easy for me to gain unneeded weight, so if I eat nothing but protein bars in a day I'm alright with it.  I fell off the wagon for about a year and now that I'm single again I really want to get back into the shape that I was when I was happiest about myself.  These ProMax low sugar protein bars I just started buying are actually really tasty.  I think I'm going to start doing yoga at my apartment since I don't have any time to go to the gym. 

[IanRees]

I keep notes on everything I eat and how I feel at the beginning and end of each day.  I'm much happier at the end of the day knowing that I didn't succumb to mowing down on chinese food earlier in the day.  I don't have much time at all for exercise and I work in a kiosk makes it easy for me to gain unneeded weight, so if I eat nothing but protein bars in a day I'm alright with it.  I fell off the wagon for about a year and now that I'm single again I really want to get back into the shape that I was when I was happiest about myself.  These ProMax low sugar protein bars I just started buying are actually really tasty.  I think I'm going to start doing yoga at my apartment since I don't have any time to go to the gym. 

 

P90X it up bro. I personally like the Clif Builder bars but i might look into the ProMax.

[ronniegwilliams]

P90X it up bro. I personally like the Clif Builder bars but i might look into the ProMax.

 

I would like to do p90x, but I live in an apartment, a cat filled apartment, so mix cat fur and sweat and you get creepy awful combination.  I've just made my bedroom feline free so I may look into turning that into a workout space until summer when I will have time to start hitting the gym again.  

[3arl]

I ate only protein for about a month and dropped 25 pounds

[IanRees]

I would like to do p90x, but I live in an apartment, a cat filled apartment, so mix cat fur and sweat and you get creepy awful combination.  I've just made my bedroom feline free so I may look into turning that into a workout space until summer when I will have time to start hitting the gym again.  

i have a dog that sheds like crazy, for anything on the ground just get a yoga mat.

[ronniegwilliams]

good call, i'm gonna download (er, I mean legally purchase) p90x tonight

[IanRees]

My buddy was telling me good things about P90X2 also, but i havnt personally tried it yet. Lemme know if you have trouble get any of the documents. I have a good excel file that lays out all the workouts and whatnot for you to fill in your reps.

[steviex2shoes]

Lots of good stuff in in here.  Just want to echo the sentiment of cutting out major carbs(breads, pasta, regular soda) adding vegetables to your diet and eat more proteins.  As well make sure to exercise.  I lost about 80lbs last year, in the first 2 weeks of doing this I lost about 15 pounds and then averaged about 2-3lbs a week.  Really the key is sticking to a diet and workout schedule once you stick to it its easy to continue the weight loss.

[noodle]

For my best results - for me it's toning rather than losing weight - I do the following:

 

Eat boring, which also means healthy.

Protein shake in morning - 7

Fiber bar / cliff bar / oatmeal - 10

Chicken + veggies for lunch - 1

Some healthy snack 3

Dinner - combo of any (seafood, chicken, tuna, turkey)

 

Lots of water, no pop, and yes, I do "cheat" - but in moderation occasionally.  I also take a gummy vitamin every day.  I take nothing else.

 

I go to the gym 4-5 days a week, sometimes 6 (sometimes I do weights in morning and 30-40 min light cardio in evening).  Yes, I understand that may be scientifically unnecessary, but I surely am not fat.  I do that mixture of cardio and weights.  I don't give a damn if you are female or male, lifting weights will help speed up loss of weight.  The gals I see at the gym that do light weight lifting (10 lb curls) versus those who just do cardio look alot better.

 

P90x... meh, tried it.  Good results, but damn repetitive.  Crossfit.. you can take pictures of yourself with oversized weights and look cool.

 

I can go into protein/carb/calorie ratio or paleo diets or any other fad diets...  but the key is to burn more than eat - which has been said here before.  That is your #1 key.  Just be smart about it. 

 

you can do it.

[thebiglebowski]

^ weight lifting is never bad but someone with 30 or 40% body fat should probably spend all (or maybe 90%) on cardio. This is that range where someone is so out of shape that it just flies off with exercise (ie, more than 15 or 20 pounds in a month). When this stops, then it's time to bring in the weights and change things up. Just a little wrinkle to what you said.

[thebiglebowski]

And not saying protein bars are horrible, but I never use them. Every bar is different, but bars are usually lower quality protein, take longer to be digested by the body (when I take a post workout protein I want it to be used by my body right away), and are full of sugar and other carbs that are unnecessary. I'd only eat one if I was say, low on time and needed to pick something up from a CVS instead of fast food. Wouldn't be a part of my regular diet. 

[ronniegwilliams]

And not saying protein bars are horrible, but I never use them. Every bar is different, but bars are usually lower quality protein, take longer to be digested by the body (when I take a post workout protein I want it to be used by my body right away), and are full of sugar and other carbs that are unnecessary. I'd only eat one if I was say, low on time and needed to pick something up from a CVS instead of fast food. Wouldn't be a part of my regular diet. 

I typically do shakes, but protein bars are a nice change and they allow me to trick myself into not wanting food from the food court because I'm actually eating something instead of just chugging it down.  

[GradedOnACurve]

Speaking of shakes and juicing, any recommendations for blenders? Specifically high quality ones? Or should I just get a Vitamix with my tax return money. I want to kickstart a better diet myself.

[thebiglebowski]

Yep. That's what they are good for. I'm just really skeptical of anything that tastes pretty much like a candy bar as something that is healthy for me.

[thebiglebowski]

Speaking of shakes and juicing, any recommendations for blenders? Specifically high quality ones? Or should I just get a Vitamix with my tax return money. I want to kickstart a better diet myself.

 

Works fantastic:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Sundesa-BB28-SC08-BlenderBottle%C2%AE-Classic-28-ounce/dp/B001KADGMI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363126158&sr=8-1&keywords=blender+ball

 

Or are you asking for something to blend solid foods? Or a juicer?

[IanRees]

I have one of those, works great for mixing my protein w/ lactaid milk or apple juice.

 

for a normal blender i just got a $30 one from bed bath and beyond, works fine for simple ice, milk, protein and frozen fruit smoothies in the morning.

[AdventureIsOutThere]

I prefer shakes over bars because of the calories that are usually in the bars as opposed to the shakes. To compare, the best selling protein bar on amazon is the cliff builder (I'm sure others that you can buy at the grocery store and what not are much less nutritionally beneficial) and it has 20g of protein + 270 calories. I personally have Optimum gold standard shakes and with 2 scoops I get 48g of protein + 240 calories. Obviously this way is more beneficial, in my opinion, on comparing only cals + protein.

[GradedOnACurve]

Works fantastic:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Sundesa-BB28-SC08-BlenderBottle%C2%AE-Classic-28-ounce/dp/B001KADGMI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363126158&sr=8-1&keywords=blender+ball

 

Or are you asking for something to blend solid foods? Or a juicer?

 

I meant something with more juicing capability. I had looked into the juice cleanse for a little bit but never committed to buying a blender that was acceptable to the guidelines. They recommended a vitamix, which I would love to pick up at a non insane price.

 

That looks blenderbottle does look interesting though.

[thebiglebowski]

I meant something with more juicing capability. I had looked into the juice cleanse for a little bit but never committed to buying a blender that was acceptable to the guidelines. They recommended a vitamix, which I would love to pick up at a non insane price.

 

That looks blenderbottle does look interesting though.

 

Bought a juicer, used it a few times, gave it to my sister.

 

I think the key thing to look for is "single-auger" in a juicer, which works really good for things like kale and other green stuff. I bought a different one, which is more catered for just fruit. Would pump an entire bag of kale in there for a shot glass of juice. Not worth it.

 

If you use it a lot, definitely a good investment. I just gave mine away and eat some fruit and a lot of veggies whole.

[GradedOnACurve]

Yeah I plan on it. I was using a regular home blender and nut milk bags to get a few bottles of juice, which drinking it alone for several weeks help me lose 10 pounds. It started to crap out on me and I got lazy. Do want to start again though.

[JessRD]

I have a Vitamix, it's awesome. I'd totally say it's worth the investment, you can do a whole lot with it. Also, if you get the right sales rep on the phone, tell them your doctor recommended you get it. They have this MD referral thing, they give you 100 bucks off.  I didn't even have to tell them a reason, or send them a note from a doctor. Someone else I knew had gotten it discounted so I gave it a try. First sales person said they had no idea what I was talking about, second one just gave me the discounted price.

[youmightbewrong]

After I drop the kids off at school every morning I start to turn left to go home, but turn right and head straight to the McDonald's drive thru for the #2. I dont even have to tell them any more, they just know. Pretty pathetic. I dont think mild stimulants will be a problem, since I'm not craving the meth any more at alk. So I may be able to combine something like that with a better diet. I need to switch to black coffee also. If it isnt fast food, it's a caramel macchiato. Im so ready for this. Ive done it before, but with starvation, so I know I have will power in here somewhere.

[GradedOnACurve]

I have a Vitamix, it's awesome. I'd totally say it's worth the investment, you can do a whole lot with it. Also, if you get the right

sales rep on the phone, tell them your doctor recommended you get it. They have this MD referral thing, they give you 100 bucks off.  I didn't even have to tell them a reason, or send them a note from a doctor. Someone else I knew had gotten it discounted so I gave it a try. First sales person said they had no idea what I was talking about, second one just gave me the discounted price.

 

 

Thanks! Leaning towards looking for one.

[JessRD]

There's been a lot of solid advice in here, just like to echo the point, real/whole foods are always your best choice. Protein bars and stuff are good for some people, they are easy/quick, but mainly they are derived from whey protein which is just going to raise your blood sugar and consequently raise your insulin level, which just promotes fat storage.  

 

Eat small/frequent meals, limit starch, eat lots of lean protein/veggies, do some cardio, try not to eat a few hours before bed.

 

If you're motivated and patient, it'll happen.

[ronniegwilliams]

After I drop the kids off at school every morning I start to turn left to go home, but turn right and head straight to the McDonald's drive thru for the #2. I dont even have to tell them any more, they just know. Pretty pathetic. I dont think mild stimulants will be a problem, since I'm not craving the meth any more at alk. So I may be able to combine something like that with a better diet. I need to switch to black coffee also. If it isnt fast food, it's a caramel macchiato. Im so ready for this. Ive done it before, but with starvation, so I know I have will power in here somewhere.

 

It's honestly all about building good habits and getting rid of bad habits.  Go two weeks without McDonalds and you won't even crave it anymore.  The problem is, fast food is addictive, there are actual food scientists that have the sole purpose of making that food addictive.  Get it out of your system and you wont want it anymore.  Once you start seeing positive change, maybe a pound or two, or a pant size, you'll crave more change and it just snowballs from there.