Question for People Who Have Lost 30+ Pounds in 6 Months
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I don't crave sugar, so I can't help you with that one. But chips I have a serious craving for. I especially love to dip.
I've recently replaced chips with special k cracker chips. 27 chips for only 110 calories. And they have fun flavors.
For dip attacks, I've switched to veggies and hummus or salsa.
The calories can still add up quickly, but not as quick as with other chip and dip choices.
Love hummus and salsa! Salsa's expensive though... I wish I could make my own!
) I know a good salsa recipe, but not the exact way to do it.... only seen it done by my parents. 0 -
You're young, you should have no problem dropping the weight. I'm more than twice your age and lost 30 lbs in 5 months, with one month of that time just maintaining my weight loss.
Log all of your food, eat breakfast every day and stay away from the highly processed foods that you normally eat.
Keep it simple- lean proteins and lots of vegetables. Watch your sodium, along with your sugar intake and you'll be fine.
Utilize the MFP forums, the internet and books to educate yourself about nutrition. You can do this, good luck!0 -
I've lost about 45 lbs since January 1st (so, 6ish months). Started with counting points, but then switched after a few weeks and have been counting calories ever since.
My "typical" day includes 1200 calories (2 lbs a week for me) - a few days are more, but most are less. I have a TON of veggies and fruit, very little red meat. Lots of chicken. Living in Southern California, I drive past fields every day so the produce is awesome. I also work out on most days. I also drink a TON of water - I log my water generally by mid day at about 9-10 glasses, and then generally don't touch that part of the login screen.
Obviously, I lose faster when my workout is better. If I run, I'm burning 850-900 calories daily, and otherwise, it's at least a 600 calorie day. I don't eat those calories.Workouts typically include at least an hour of cardio - I prefer running, but have also mixed it up with elliptical or swimming. I also take Body Pump classes and do resistance training DVDs (Thank you Jillian), but those don't burn as many calories overall - they're for toning and strength. I wear a monitor to see how many calories I ACTUALLY burn (BodyMedia FIT). Pretty amazing.
My calories for a typical day are:
Breakfast - anywhere from 175-250
Lunch - 300-350
Snack - 100-200
Dinner - 400
I tend to have the same things over and over, and I'm just cooking for me, so I know that makes it easier. My "go to" dinner meal includes grilled veggies (zucchini, LOTS of mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus) with some chicken and topped with parmesean cheese.
Hope this helps - feel free to add me if you'd like!0 -
I started the paleolithic diet exactly 1 year ago today. I've lost 114-115 pounds so far. I didn't keep good enough track, but I think I lost my first 70 pounds in about 6 months. I didn't start exercising until I had lost 70 pounds. I slowly started adding in exercise (once per week or so) until I dropped another 20 pounds and counting the plateau at the end of the 20 pounds, that took me about 4 months. The last two months I've increased my exercise to the point where I'm now exercising everyday and I've lost another 25 pounds.
As for why I didn't exercise at the beginning, the number one reason was that I was lazy. However, I've been told that it was probably better to not start exercising until I got down to a manageable weight. I'm not sure I really believe this, but I don't think anyone really knows whether or not that's true yet. I do know for a fact that I lost a significant amount of muscle in those first 90 pounds, and now I wish I was paying more attention to it back then as I now have to build the muscle back up.0 -
Frozen vegetables are totally as healthful as fresh. Sometimes more! Canned tomatoes are actually better than fresh because fresh ones are picked before they're ripe, to allow for transport time, so they never fully ripen like they would on the vine.
I lost 35 lbs. in under 6 months a couple times. In 2010, I did it by walking 10,000 steps a day and eating about 700 calories on average less than I burned (according to Fitbit). In 2005 or so, I did it on Weight Watchers Core program, which you'd have to read about, but it was unlimited produce, lean protein and small amounts of 'treats' and grains. No calorie counting, though.0 -
I lost 40 pounds in 8 months -
Food: 1200 to 1500 calories/day, mostly fresh healthy food (fruits and veggies etc.).
Workout: at least 300 minutes a week of moderate to intense physical activity, including 4 hours of cardio (mostly cycling to and from work, maybe an interval run or elliptical), and 4 sessions of circuit training.
Here and there I had an off day or a weekend trip where I ate a bunch, but 95% of the time I followed what I did above. Feelin good and lost crazy inches!
PS: I don't at my exercise calories. On occasion I will eat a snack if I'm really hungry, but I never eat all of the calories back.0 -
My advice to you is PORTION control. If you eat at least 1,200 healthy calories per day and exercise at least 4 times a week, drink plenty of water you would bee a difference. What I started doing was substituting my breakfast for a home made smoothie, for lunch and dinner i'd have 2 cups of veggies, 4 oz of lean protein (grilled chicken breast, grilled salmon, etc) and a serving of fruit. Water is very important not the Crystal Light. Pure water. I also started doing Insanity Workout now but back then I did the gym only and within 7 months Iost a total of 47lbs.0
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I have a weakness for sweet, salty and crunchy. One thing that has helped me is Sensible Portions Veggie Chips. They come in different flavors. My favorite is Sweet BBQ potato straws. 38 straws are 130 calories.0
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I don't crave sugar, so I can't help you with that one. But chips I have a serious craving for. I especially love to dip.
I've recently replaced chips with special k cracker chips. 27 chips for only 110 calories. And they have fun flavors.
For dip attacks, I've switched to veggies and hummus or salsa.
The calories can still add up quickly, but not as quick as with other chip and dip choices.
Love hummus and salsa! Salsa's expensive though... I wish I could make my own!) I know a good salsa recipe, but not the exact way to do it.... only seen it done by my parents.
There are websites all over the internet that can give you amazingly delicious and healthy AND simple salsa recipes!!!0 -
I"ve lost 52 pounds since the first of the year and I have to say that on Thursday I weighed in at 198.6 making it the first time in 15 years I've been under 200 so it's a huge accomplishment for me. So it's been 5 months and I have to say it's dedication both to accurate calorie counting (I weigh EVERYTHING!! even the milk I put in my coffee) and I try to keep my calories to 1400 a day. I think you can view my food diary, if not let me know and I'll open it up. Basically, I eat what I want and save enough calories for a treat at the end of the day, and I never feel hungry which is a big one for me. My downfall is sweet stuff, so I make sure I get something sweet everyday....my new favorite is the 100 cal pack of white fudge drizzled caramel corn; they are awesome
I'm also dedicated in getting to the gym. I'm a nurse and work shift work, so I don't always get there 5 times a week but that's what I aim for. I do an hour of cardio (elliptical making sure I hit at lest 85% of my max heart rate for most of my workout) on cardio only days and every other day that I"m at the gym I cut my cardio down to 40-45 mins and then do weight training; my exercise diary doesn't show my weight training because I can't figure out how to put it in, but I add a note to my food diary when I do it. When I started doing weight training, I hated it....really really hated it. My start weight was 250.4 and so I felt like a goof at the gym. My biggest obstacle ME. Once I started seeing a difference when I walk past a mirror, I started feeling better at the gym and now I really miss it when I have a busy week and can't get there.
Good luck on your journey!!0 -
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The water with flavor are those little Crystal Light packs that you put in water bottles... just wanted to clarify. But yeah I know....... ^_^; Vegetables are better than chips. Which vegetables should I be eating? I already eat a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers. Onions go in the food sometimes... what else is there?
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Try whatever is in season. Usually, if you can get it fresh locally it will be cheaper. Besides tomatoes and cucumbers and onions, try carrots and bell peppers. Both of those are crunchy, and can be eaten like chips. You can substitute fresh spinach leaves in your salads in place of some lettuce. Asparagus is great roasted quickly on a cookie sheet in the oven with a *touch* of olive oil and lemon juice. Try grilling slices of eggplant or zucchini.
Add extra beans to chili. I even add finely chopped veggies (pepper, carrots, onion, and mushroom) to my meatloaf. Adds flavor, you can't taste the veggies, and makes it more filling as well as nutritionally dense. There are so many options, and even ways to "hide" veggies if you are not too keen on them.
Also, strawberries and blueberries make great snacks. You can even eat them frozen.
If you really need a chip-like snack, pretzel thins and salsa go really well together.0 -
I've lost 64ish since the day after thanksgiving. I eat all day long-I eat carbs, I eat at night, I eat sugar-free & fat-free and processed food and I probably break every other diet "rule"-but I net between 1400 and 1600 calories a day (no matter what I shove down my throat). I eat a lot of fish and salads and fruit. I eat yogurt & cheese. I have some sort of crack-like addiction to special k snack bars-so I eat a lot of those. I eat sandwiches and soups and pretty much anything I feel like eating-as long as it all averages out for the week in terms of calories. So I still eat pizza and bacon cheeseburgers-but not often. I don't particularly like flavored or carbonated beverages-so I've always really just had water and coffee-and still do (with my artificial sweetener & fat free cream). I eat much better than I did-and I get plenty of servings of fruits and veggies and dairy and protien and whatever else. I've never once looked at my "macros" so I couldn't tell you what they are or if I "hit" them. I just eat-healthy stuff much more often than not-but I'm not above substituting a sugar-free/fat-free/low-cal option to still indulge on occasion-or throw caution to the wind and have the real deal. Whatever fits in my calories for the week is a-ok with me.
For exercise, I run-well slog I guess. I'm very, very slow-but I run 20-25 miles a week. That's all-no fancy DVDs or weight training or gym memberships or anything else. Just running.
I may very well revisit these approaches if they stop working for me - or I'm looking for something different later on. I started from the standpoint of making changes I think I can sustain forever. For me, that needs to be very low maintenance and non-restrictive. What I'm doing now, I can maintain forever. But as a woman, I reserve the right to change my mind without notice and completely alter my approach. We will have to see. But for now-I'm not "fixing" something that isn't "broken".0 -
I don't crave sugar, so I can't help you with that one. But chips I have a serious craving for. I especially love to dip.
I've recently replaced chips with special k cracker chips. 27 chips for only 110 calories. And they have fun flavors.
For dip attacks, I've switched to veggies and hummus or salsa.
The calories can still add up quickly, but not as quick as with other chip and dip choices.
Love hummus and salsa! Salsa's expensive though... I wish I could make my own!) I know a good salsa recipe, but not the exact way to do it.... only seen it done by my parents.
You could make pico de gallo (a fresh salsa). All that is, is diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, and a little jalapeno and lime juice. Basically, you do everything to taste, so there's really no wrong way to make it.0 -
Look up foods that are low in glycemic index. Good luck to you. Also, you may want to get a heart rate monitor. It has done wonders for me. I can go outside and play with my kids and know exactly how many calories I have burned. You can also set the monitor to alert you when you are below your target heart rate. 0
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Look up foods that are low in glycemic index. Good luck to you.
Or you can count calories since that actually works.0 -
I started my journey March 15 at roughly 240 pounds and for the first couple of weeks i just lifted weights. About mid-april,about two months ago, I joined the YMCA and started a full body workout:
In order of succession: *****I do this every other day and run 3.5 miles at about the elliptical at roughly 6.5 miles an hour level1***
1.Machine Squats: Started out doing 3 sets of 10 reps at 95lbs now I am up to 5 sets 10 reps at 120lbs (smith machine aka squat machine)
2. Standing calf raises: Started out doing 3 sets of 10 reps at 95lbs now I am up to 5 sets 10 reps at 120lbs (smith machine aka squat machine)
3. Bent over rows : Started out doing 3 sets of 10 reps at 95lbs now I am up to 5 sets 10 reps at 120lbs (smith machine aka squat machine)
4. Hyper-extensions: Started out doing 3 sets of 15 reps now I am up to 3 sets 20 reps
5. Bench Press: Started out doing 3 sets of 10 reps at 95lbs now I am up to 10 sets 5 reps at 120lbs (I struggle with this not sure why????) (Olympic Bar =45lbs)
6. Barbell Curls: Started out doing 3 sets of 10 reps at 45lbs now I am up to 5 sets 10 reps at 55lbs (alternate between straight and ez(V) bar)
7. Upright Rows: Started out doing 3 sets of 10 reps at 45lbs now I am up to 5 sets 10 reps at 55lbs (alternate between straight and ez(V) bar)
8. Triceps Extensions: Started out doing 3 sets of 10 reps at 20 lbs now I am up to 5 sets 10 reps at 35lbs ( dumbbell)
9. Shoulder Press: Started out doing 3 sets of 10 reps at 30 lbs now I am up to 5 sets 10 reps at 50lbs (machine)
10. Incline leg raises: Started out doing 3 sets of 15 reps now I am up to 3 sets 20 reps
11. 3.5 mile run on the elliptical machine roughly 30 minutes on level1
On my off day I kick the cardio up to 7 miles roughly 30 minutes still on level1
Almost everything I eat is protein based you can check my diary to get an idea but generally i stick to 1750 calories and 200 grams of protein. I have lost almost 40 pounds of fat and added atleast 5-6 pounds of muscle judging by my chest and arms.0 -
For chip snack attacks I usually eat Mary's Gone Crackers (they're made of brown rice, flax seeds and not much else). They have a few more calories than special K chips, but I feel like I'm eating a chemistry experiment when I see the list of ingredients on those bad boys. They also don't taste that good in my opinion. Mary's Gone Crackers have lots of fiber and good fats from the seeds rather than trans fats. I also eat crispbreads, and sometimes I eat Riceworks chips. For dips I use salsa, hummus or smoked fish dip (stick to one serving!).
For sugary snacks I like Kozy Shack rice pudding, which has a fair amount of protein and not a ton of calories and isn't "diet", or Dove mini ice cream bars (I just eat one).
Honestly I've tried quitting snacks cold turkey, or "weaning myself off" them, but I've found that the best solution for me is to to find snacks that are somewhat healthier, as delicious as high-calorie snacks, and (most importantly) stick to eating 1 serving size. If you're punishing yourself or miserable that you can't enjoy food, you're going to fail.
I've lost 34 pounds in 2 months btw and I typically eat 1300-1700 net cals per day with 6 days/week of 45 minutes of gym time (I vary cardio/weight training).0 -
Thanks for all your comments, guys! These are really helpful. I showed my boyfriend all of what you have said; he wants to take me to the store now! And thanks for that pico de gallo recipe, I wanna make it and just eat that for dinner!
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Honestly, for me (on my way to losing 30 lbs in 6 mos, it's 3 mos today since I've started and I've lost 15 so far) is portion control. That's really it. I don't drink a lot of water, because I forget but I drink TONS of iced tea that is black and plain. I don't have a lot of processed foods lately and if I do, it's usually fried chicken or chicken strips when eating out. That's my one caveat. It's really about finding that middle ground and being comfortable. Almost everyday, I have a salad and I started smoothies this week. As far as fitness goes, I run 5x a week for about 40-45 mins and the past 2 runs I've had well over an hour. Planning to have one long run everyweek. I do nothing else.
Portion Control! Everything else is "gravy". I lost 6 or 7 pounds before starting with MFP and 25 pounds with MFP - all since early February. I cut out sweets altogether. Made everything else fit in my calories (1400 to start - 1570 right now). Adjusted macros to favor protein about halfway through. Deficit was set at 750/day at first. Exercise - I broke the rules in that I rarely skip a day. Never less that weights 30 minutes and cardio 30 minutes - usually closer to 90 minutes total. I definitely feel that lifting before cardio makes a huge difference.0 -
One of my favorite things to make (since it's so easy to reheat for lunch at work) is chicken breasts roasted in the oven with a little seasoning and then diced. I throw those into brown rice, along with black beans, broccoli, peas, and any other veggies I feel like eating (onions and carrots make it in sometimes).
It's *extremely* filling, and the only thing in there that has any significant amount of calories is the brown rice, so I tend to go heavy on the beans and veggies. The chicken is for protein, and the brown rice is for fiber (i.e. filling).
I find I don't need to eat much before I'm stuffed, and it's so delicious and full of nutrients. If you find it to be too dry, you can add a tiny bit of low-sodium (or sodium free) chicken stock.
It's also cheap. I got hooked on beans and rice when I was in college. You can get a huge bag of brown rice, black beans, and frozen veggies for just a few dollars, and it makes quite a few meals. 0 -
That pico de gallo recipe was amazing... except I didn't put garlic in, but still it was spicy! I can still feel the burn on my hands from holding the jalepeno. Oops! Ate almost a whole bowl of it for dinner, only used two tomatoes, a half of a half of onion, a little cilantro, half a jalapeno (which was too much, I found out), and some lime juice. Amazing! I wanna eat the rest... 0
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That pico de gallo recipe was amazing... except I didn't put garlic in, but still it was spicy! I can still feel the burn on my hands from holding the jalepeno. Oops! Ate almost a whole bowl of it for dinner, only used two tomatoes, a half of a half of onion, a little cilantro, half a jalapeno (which was too much, I found out), and some lime juice. Amazing! I wanna eat the rest...
Glad you like it! I find that if I remove the seeds from the jalapeno before dicing them up, it's a little less hot.
I also add pico de gallo to my salads sometimes. It adds flavor, and eliminates the need to use dressing.0 -
Oh, and there was an MFP post a couple of weeks ago called "88 Snacks Under 100 Calories!". You might want to take a look at it for some new ideas.0
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Also try local farmers markets for inexpensive fresh fruits and veggies. Local farm stands to if you have any in your area. I never have a problem finding inexpensive produce and I live in a metropolitan area.0
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brocoli, green peppers, carrots, peas, celery.0
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It's absolutely doable. I've lost 25 lbs. in less than two months, with no exercise (yet). Granted, I have a lot more weight to lose than you do, so yours may come off more slowly, but 30 pounds in six months is a very reasonable pace. The key for me has been portion control, and logging everything BEFORE I eat it. I've also eliminated sodas from my diet completely, and eat as few processed foods as possible.
I was not a big vegetable eater before, and made a conscious effort to learn to like them more. Now's the perfect time to start incorporating more vegetables in your diet. I highly recommend visiting your local farmers markets. While frozen veggies are fine, there's nothing like eating something that was just picked that morning. Get to know the vendors - they can offer good suggestions for cooking.
My favorite veggies are spinach, yellow squash, tomatoes, asparagus, carrots, and green beans. I also love pico de gallo, and add it to a lot of foods. Adding vegetables to your meals allows you to eat a lot more with few added calories.0 -
Hi there....my 2 cents...:)
You have to be READY to lose not just want it. You will see more results when you Do rather than Say.... You will have to cut a lot of the sugar and trade your chips for veggies..... you have to be honset with yourself......I have lost 32 lbs in 4.5 months with eating about 1200 -1600 calories most days and have had cheat days but put the breaks on my own stupidity knowing full well I cant have chips every weekend or wine and expect to lose weight........I also slowly made a habit of exercising 30 minutes 3 days a week and am now up to 2+ hours a day after work ...5-6 days a week and when my body is tired I rest for 1-3 days depends on how I deal with daily stressors....
I wish you well and hope you succeed. Form good lasting habits and get moving ...I am sure you will see results much quicker. We all lose at different rates...some by diet alone and others by diet and exercise..... good luck.....I hope you arent miffed if you dont like the advice...afterall you did ask....:)0 -
I would look to minimise veges like potatoes, carrots, corn and peas - all are quite high in carbs.
Carrots are actually a lot lower in carbs than potatoes and corn, and are packed with vitamin A. They're very good for you.0 -
That pico de gallo recipe was amazing... except I didn't put garlic in, but still it was spicy! I can still feel the burn on my hands from holding the jalepeno. Oops! Ate almost a whole bowl of it for dinner, only used two tomatoes, a half of a half of onion, a little cilantro, half a jalapeno (which was too much, I found out), and some lime juice. Amazing! I wanna eat the rest...
Glad you like it! I find that if I remove the seeds from the jalapeno before dicing them up, it's a little less hot.
I also add pico de gallo to my salads sometimes. It adds flavor, and eliminates the need to use dressing.
Actually, you should remove the seeds. My boyfriend was telling me that if you eat the seeds, they will stick to the lining of your stomach and give you ulcers.... just a tip. I don't know if it's true or not, but it makes sense since those are the hottest part of the pepper. And even half was on fire in my mouth! My hands were burning too, almost the whole night. LOL 0 -
I don't think they actually cause ulcers - rather, they cause pain for people who already have an ulcer. Peppers are actually very good for you.Actually, you should remove the seeds. My boyfriend was telling me that if you eat the seeds, they will stick to the lining of your stomach and give you ulcers.... just a tip. I don't know if it's true or not, but it makes sense since those are the hottest part of the pepper. And even half was on fire in my mouth! My hands were burning too, almost the whole night. LOL
I feel you on the hand burning thing, though. It hurts! To avoid this, I buy some of those disposable latex gloves (dirt cheap), and wear them whenever I'm working with peppers. If you are allergic to latex, there are some alternatives available that do not have latex.0
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