Tips for successful weight loss

angelamendieta

Hello! I'm new to the group. I've been taking meds for 10yrs and I have gained about 10lbs per year for a whopping 100lbs that I did not need to have extra! I really decided to focus this year (march 2013) and I've lost 48lbs so far. At the beginning it was slow...so very slow...maybe -1lb per week now I am avg about -3lbs per week which is great. From the beginning (march) I have had a personal trainer 1hr 5xs per week, then I added a weight loss doctor (HCG shots and monthly monitoring of my thyroid with weekly nurse check ups), then a masseuse to help my muscles recover because I was working out hard (at one point I was working out 2-3 hrs per day), a nutritionist (when I hit a plateau in August/sept) and family and neighbors who go hiking/biking/swimming with me to help me stay active. For me the turning point I think was when I saw no weight loss for 5 weeks and I was working out 3hrs every day, eating healthy, etc. it was just so frustrating. We discussed going to fat camp...bc they would restrict my food even more and make me work out even more...instead I decided to try biking 500+ miles across NC on a ride called mountain to coast at the end of sept. Right before I left I saw my MD and voiced my frustration and he offered once again appetite suppressant pills (I abhor drugs) but that day I said "yes" I mean I was throwing everything at my damn thyroid, why not this too? The bike ride was a challenge but it worked. I dropped 7lbs bc of biking and kept on losing..I think I've lost about 16lbs since the beginning of October and I am working out just with my trainer 1hr a day with 2-3 bike rides per week and sometimes a volleyball game on the weekend. So no more crazy 3hr workouts which frankly scared me bc I knew once I went back to work I could not keep that up. Now I really really control my calories. If I eat 1200 I maintain , 800-1000 I lose .5 per day. I use the Atkins shakes for am and pm bc quite frankly they taste yummy, I use the sun warrior warrior blend (plant based protein powder) powder for a post workout shake, a fiber shake, a lunch that I can chew that is about 300-400 calories and plenty of water and oolong tea. My MD and I argue about my calories but as I keep telling him...look at your dang chart! When I follow his 1200 idea then I see no weight loss. In any case my regular argument is...I have so many dang people watching over me that if I was actually dizzy someone would have noticed by now. So what I have shared some of what works for me and I added the other details because I do t want you guys thinking I am crazy and went shotgun with my experiments. I've literally had a team of people dragging me through this to get me to my almost halfway mark. I would like those of you that have also lost a good amount of weight to please share what has worked for you. I like to have backup plans because every few weeks I get bored and switch things up. Thank you!

KendraGrothGalle2014

I envy you to be able to afford a personal trainer 1hr 5xs per week, a weight loss doctor a masseuse and a nutritionist. A lot of people aren't able to afford that luxury. I'm 60 and retired and I'd have to travel 30 miles to the nearest "gym" and w/the price of gas and then the price of a membership it is just not in my budget. I'd like to get some "poor mans" tips if you can help w/that.