The slow 20 pounds...help?

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missuswells
missuswells Posts: 35 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. So, briefly...my genetics have made me able to eat what I want while never moving and stay at 110 lbs for years....annnnd now I'm 24, been married a year, and this no longer applies! I've slowly put on weight, which my husband says is harder to work off than weight you put on quickly.

Mostly I want to be healthy. Also I'm pear-shaped and I hate that my waist measures larger than my bust. :(

Okay. So I'm 152 lbs...I'm thinking 130 should be my goal. I want to increase my muscle (I go to the gym 3x/week) and strength. I love the gym, so that's no problem, but I have SUCH a hard time restricting my food.

I'd love tips just to lose 5-10 lbs in a reasonable amount of time...just a little something to get me going. Help? Thanks you guys. :)

Replies

  • nlawing
    nlawing Posts: 36
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    One pound per week is ideal. Especially if you don't have to lose a massive amount of weight.

    Restricting food is tough, no doubt about it. If it was easy, everyone would be thin.

    Take small steps if you have to, develop your willpower skill, keep fighting if you have relapses and good luck.
  • mochagirl262
    mochagirl262 Posts: 10
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    Good Luck! I feel like I'm in a similar situation, except I'm 27 and I know it's harder for me to lose weight when I want to. Since I've been in my relationship, I've been packing on the weight too. I'm trying to drop about 20lbs so the first thing I'm doing is being really strict about cutting soda out of my diet.

    If I can just stop drinking it for a month straight, I can then focus on the rest of my diet. I've heard soda alone can add 5lbs a year!
  • FriendsR4EverTreasures
    FriendsR4EverTreasures Posts: 181
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    I lost 20lbs and it took me almost a year! Why? Because I wanted to do it the right way....slow and maneagable, so I could stick with it and not yo-yo. My motto: "moderation not deprivation, calories in, calories out" simple as that and this formula works for "me". It may or may not work for you but I will give you the information and you use it how you will.
    1. Set your MFP to lose .50 lbs a week, this is manageable without restricting.
    2. There are no "bad" foods, eat what you like and desire, in moderation, and on the days that you do over indulge, train yourself that you have to workout a little extra. Also, don't get so caught up on your daily intake, it's the weekly amount that really matters (3,500 calories saved in a week to lose .50 lbs.) So, if you have a "red" day, don't dwell, move on and do better the next day and strive for a "green" week as often as you can.
    3. Balance your workouts between cardio (calorie burn) and strength training (inches) to sculpt and tone as you go
    4. Try a new cardio exercise that you haven't done routinely. For example, I now am running a minimum of 3 days a week to "supplement' my other workouts (you have to choose something you really like and can stick with)
    5. Eat most of your exercise calories back and stay within 1100-1200 "net" calories a day, I usually eat 1300
    6. Be patient and don''t be in a hurry, the longer you take to get it off, the longer it will stay off
    7. Be persistent in logging, this keeps you organized and in control
    8. Make friends on MFP and motivate each other
    9. Deserts can be your enemy, if you let them, try to cut your desert intake by 50% (but still eat it so your sweet tooth is happy)
    10. Set mini goals that will be the steps to your larger goal of obtaining your goal weight, and once you reach your goal weight, continue to use MFP to keep you on maintenance and reward yourself along the way.
    Stay focused and don't dwell on challenging days, move on and keep your eye on the prize!!!! :) BTW, I'm 47 and was never fortunate to eat anything I wanted without gaining, weight (too much of it) has always been a struggle for me.
  • leasha77
    leasha77 Posts: 5
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    Good luck to all of you. I too am trying to lose about 30lbs. I recently had a baby and now it is time to lose some much needed weight. This was baby #4 and I am 34 so it it so much harder to lose the weight. I plan to run, jump, and play with the kids and hopefully they will help me reach my goal. I have already cut out soda, changed to wheat products, and I have cut out fried foods. Lets see where this take me.
  • leasha77
    leasha77 Posts: 5
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    I like what you said and yes slow and steady wins the race. :)

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