best way to loose weight and not kill yourself.

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iancburgess
iancburgess Posts: 8 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi. I'm trying to loose weight but having gone full throttle for 4 months and then fell of the wagon. I kinda want to wind down a little an not, not enjoy myself, but still loose wight. I lost 2 stone in 3 months, but have put a little over 1 stone back on and am just kinda looking for inspiration to loose weight again. I am poor lol so gym is out of the question and am running again which is good. My food is the the hardest though I am limiting myselft to under 2500 calories from over 4000 a day. Any suggestions?
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  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,411 Member
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    Slow and steady. Once you find your calorie goal and set a reasonable (slow) weight loss goal be faithful in logging. I also try and eat something about 6 times a day, keeps me from getting famished. This should be a total lifestyle change of eating healthy and keeping active, that way it really works. I have been in maintenance since August and only struggled slightly through the holidays, so I know now I can keep the weight off, you will too.
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
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    <
    poor too.

    Have you actually checked into gym prices? Mine's only $19.95 a month. You could cut out two fast food meals a month to pay for that. :flowerforyou:
  • norma67
    norma67 Posts: 255 Member
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    Now this is for me.....and what I do...
    I do not deny myself the foods I like. Of course I stopped fast foods because they are just flat out bad for you.....I might once every 3 months but no more then that.

    I eat what I like....I just reduce how of it I eat.
    This way I don't feel like I am losing anything taste wise.

    I go walking each and every day

    and there are you tube videos that you can do work outs with

    One of the best things I have found is having the friends that I do
    They are fun and amazing
    we joke around but we are all here to get healthlier and slimmer
    each motivates the other
    and for me that is the most important thing.
  • crazyk8
    crazyk8 Posts: 8 Member
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    Gold's has a $10 membership for the basic stuff.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    If you dont have weights you could buy resistance bands. Thats how I got started. Not too expensive.
    As for food intake I notice you dont track the most important macro...protein!
    Having the right amount of protein will insure you keep as much lean mass while dieting down.

    Let me know if you need help finding the proper dietary numbers.

    Good luck!
  • sonjawi
    sonjawi Posts: 46
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    Hi and good for picking it up again! I lost most of my weight by doing Low Fat 30 (the theory is that fat calories in a food or in a recipe should stay below 30 % of the complete calories) and kept it off for a good while until I did not care for checking the calories on food anymore (and eating out makes it sometimes hard to know what you put in your mouth). As fat has 9 calories and carbs and protein only have six, you can save more calories by cutting down on fat (not cutting it out). What helps me too is to indulge a little bit in my "bad foods" e.g. having half a cookie instead of two. Like this I still can enjoy the taste and don't feel like everything is forbidden. I read somewhere that Science found out that your satisfaction goes out of the window after 3 bites anyhow.

    Running is a great tool to lose weight. There are also free workout videos available all over the web. Just google free workout at home video.

    Good luck for your journey!
  • Sweet13_Princess
    Sweet13_Princess Posts: 1,207 Member
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    I agree with the above poster. You don't have to beat yourself to lose weight, you just need to have patience and understand that the process takes a while.

    I've decided this year that I'm just going to be healthy and not have an unrealistic body ideal. I am who I am. I'll never be skinny with abs of steel, but I can at least be healthy!

    Shannon
  • Ashleysh22
    Ashleysh22 Posts: 209
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    I found and downloaded a free yoga app the other day. It has 20 and 40 minute yoga exercises, there might be other such apps. Or as someone else mentioned, youtube is a great place to start.

    frankly though, running/ is a great exercise and if live someplace not too cold, I am sure just that alone can be enough!
  • debbiequack
    debbiequack Posts: 275 Member
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    I don't know what the "best" way is, but I will tell you what helps me:

    1) I lose slow and steady as well. Over the past 3-10 years, I have lost 37 pounds and I've kept it off. My goal is not weight loss, per se, but change of lifestyle.
    2) during difficult periods (i.e., vacation, the holidays), I reset my goals to "maintenance". That feels more "achievable" to me and then I can enjoy some foods I normally wouldn't (and drink a couple of beers, rather than just one).
    3) remember, "relapse" is part of the whole thing. One day at a time, as they say in AA.

    I have VERY cheap equipment and mostly work out at home. I have an exercise mat, a few dumbells and a good pair of running shoes. When I started, I began with walking, so I really didn't need good shoes. My TV cable comes with exercise TV so that helps. I've added a yoga DVD.

    I hope that helps, and good luck to you!

    Debbie
  • philOHIO
    philOHIO Posts: 520 Member
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    just doing simple walking occasionally will help. Keep busy, and stay away from the mindless snacking. Balance your diet, and you can google ways to prepare the good-for-you foods in ways you never imagined.
  • loftus2005
    loftus2005 Posts: 61
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    When I started at my gym I went to the orientation thing and this is what the trainer told me: Weight loss is 70% your eating habits and 30% what you do in the gym. So, I say if you can get your eating in control first with some running/ walking, then worry about working out you will have a higher success rate. Also, it might help you stay on the wagon and make a life style change rather than trying to change everything at once and get overwhelmed!! Good luck!!:smile:
  • Hambone23
    Hambone23 Posts: 486 Member
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    Honestly, when I started here, I wanted to lose weight fast and went for the 2 lbs. a week setting. I soon found out that compared to what I had been eating, this was pretty low calories for me, and I didn't think I could handle it right away and long term. So I set my goals back to the recommended 1 pound a week, and that's helped me immensely. I'm losing slower, but losing. And I don't feel as deprived as my body settles into the lesser calories. I figure tapering down gradually is better than setting myself up for failure right away with something I can't maintain right now. But everyone is different, and you have to do what works for you. I don't starve myself. I eat my calories. I plan my day before I even have breakfast and tweak it as things change. And I still lose weight as long as I stay within my calorie range. And as I lose, MFP will recalculate my calories for me.
  • JessicaEPope
    JessicaEPope Posts: 88 Member
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    Hi! Firstly, well done for coming back on here, at the least it shows you want to change, now it's just time to keep at it. Take each day as it comes, life gets in the way sometimes and you can't beat yourself up if one day you go over, but f you are regularly going over your calorie allowance then maybe you could find a way to change? Instead of cutting down completely, try finding healthier ways to cook, healthier options. I find even by changing the bread i eat, I find a calorie difference of 50 calories.

    On the other hand, at home DVDs are a one off payment if you can afford that (I used these at first because I couldn't stand the thought of people watching me exercise lol) or even by upping your walking every day by half an hour can help.

    If you really want to lose weight, you will try find all these little differences and instead and instead of feeling like you're killing yourself, they will eventually become a normal part of your life, and then you can actually sustain the loss.

    So basically, finding healthier options (even small ones add up!) as well as trying to squeeze in even a short walk in the day can help keep calories low whilst still feeling full and hopefully healthier too.

    Keep at it!
  • jltother
    jltother Posts: 14 Member
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    I would do anything that you couldn't see yourself doing for the long haul. If you cheat yourself of all the "good stuff" just to loose weight, it will all come back when you stop. I try to get a good amount of protein in because it keeps me from getting hungry so much. Protein is expensive though. Definitely check in to local gym prices and see if that is an option. The city gym where I am is ridiculously cheap, even for folks that don't live in city limits.

    Long story short, figure out what works for you and stick with it.
  • iancburgess
    iancburgess Posts: 8 Member
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    Wow. Thanks for the quick replies. I'm in England so we get really ripped off on gym memberships, at least where I live. 40 pounds for the all day membership which is what i would need as I look after my 2 yr old in the day and work at night. I think that running to and from work is gonna have to start as its at least a good 2 mile trip. Work is the hardest for me as I work in a call centre and it is so mind numbing that i tend to snack. I have found the solution, or my wife has, and that is not confiscate my wallet. No money, no mars bar lol.

    Food is hard as I am so difficult. I really don't like much. Beef, chicken most meats actually and potatoes. That is what I tend to eat. I don't like much else lol. I think i need a new pallet as well lol.
  • Kendra7107
    Kendra7107 Posts: 122
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    HAMBONE23 - I find the same strategy works for me too. Slow and steady wins the race. I have also noticed that if I have a bad weekend or even a bad week, and we all have them, that I'm less likely to put back on any weight, just a few ounces. By trying to lose 2 pounds a week, I would put a couple of pounds back on after a "fall of the wagon" so to speak. I would feel awful, then want to eat and the cycle would start all over again. Setting realistic goals is the key I think.
  • jumperchick
    jumperchick Posts: 79
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    i just try to stay busy. that way i dont just eat because im bored. and when i do feel like eating, i always ask myself first, am i really hungry ? if i wait ten minutes and i am i eat, if not i find something to do like walk my dog.
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
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    Wow. Thanks for the quick replies. I'm in England so we get really ripped off on gym memberships, at least where I live. 40 pounds for the all day membership which is what i would need as I look after my 2 yr old in the day and work at night. I think that running to and from work is gonna have to start as its at least a good 2 mile trip. Work is the hardest for me as I work in a call centre and it is so mind numbing that i tend to snack. I have found the solution, or my wife has, and that is not confiscate my wallet. No money, no mars bar lol.

    Food is hard as I am so difficult. I really don't like much. Beef, chicken most meats actually and potatoes. That is what I tend to eat. I don't like much else lol. I think i need a new pallet as well lol.

    Then I would find a workout buddy and a good jogging stroller. Find a track or nice scenic area where you can take your sweet little one with you for a jog.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    Food is hard as I am so difficult. I really don't like much. Beef, chicken most meats actually and potatoes. That is what I tend to eat. I don't like much else lol. I think i need a new pallet as well lol.
    You will probably find as you start eating better that the things you used to dislike will taste better to you (and the unhealthy stuff won't be as good as it used to be)....so keep trying new veggies - or old veggies in new ways, and keep an open mind.

    Good luck!
  • iancburgess
    iancburgess Posts: 8 Member
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    thanks guys. I think the gym is out, not sure if i'd go anyway. running is what I like to do so will keep on that. Am planning on shorter runs but increasing the speed so can burn more. I think that that is gonna be a better challenge aswell, abit more of a goal than just loosing weight.

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