No secrets to lose weight and maintain it.

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Hi everybody, to all who have a lot of weight to lose I would recommend not to get in radicalisms and set for instances 500 calories below the maintenance needs.
Diminish carbs in general, avoid high glycemic carbs like white bread, cookies, etc, and compensate with protein and fat.
Do light exercise like walking 30 to 60 minutes a day in a fast pace, or the same on an elliptical or treadmill, avoid running for a long time if you’re too heavy, if you can do work-out a little with heights 3 to 4 times a week.
And that’s all. Loosing weight and maintain it, is all about changing our life style, eating and exercise routines. At the beginning it is an exercise of discipline and will, so the process is a self-development tool. Later on it will become a way of living with higher self-esteem, confidence and contentment.
Good luck.

Replies

  • shellyb17
    shellyb17 Posts: 144 Member
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    Good advice. :)
  • jdyg81
    jdyg81 Posts: 48 Member
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    Exactly when its all said and done. Bump
  • challenger9509
    challenger9509 Posts: 286 Member
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    I like how you summed this up..best advice. Thanks!
  • Vivian06703188
    Vivian06703188 Posts: 310 Member
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    You look to be at your goal or close to your goal. Congratulations on your success. Thank you for the good advice I am not following a specific diet but doing just what you are saying. I am trying to keep my numbers are close to the myfitnesspal suggestions as possible. In the beginning I was hungry and as I have changed my eating habits to more fruits and veggies I am having trouble consuming enough calories. I do have a sedentary lifestyle and due to injury I can not change that. Don't get me wrong I do push myself to do as much as I can on any given day but it will never be what a normal person's daily activities are. The last few days I have been getting that warning about consuming to few calories. Will this really hurt my weight loss? I am eating a lot of food. Initially in the first two weeks I lost 13lbs and at that loss I was consuming all my calories and going slightly over in my sugar (all natural sugar from fruits and veggies). I will not weigh again until July 1st.
  • yellowsnowdrop
    yellowsnowdrop Posts: 154 Member
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    I think that's EXCELLENT advice. It sure isn't rocket science this loosing weight thing it's all about eating less and moving more and that's it in a nutshell.
    I think it may be worth adding in these tough economic times that a gym membership isn't all that necessary just a commitment to walk/cycle/swim as often as possible and small steps can change lives.
    I'm a fair way from my goal but today I walked 6.5 miles (I use my walking time to think of what I need to accomplish in the week ahead) and I feel a million dollars tonight, like I really acomplished something. If I can do it then anyone can.
    Good luck to ALL in the MFP community.
  • CMay16
    CMay16 Posts: 144 Member
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    It really IS that simple. Hard work and dedication go a long way:bigsmile:
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    It really is simpler than that:

    Eat less than you need to lose.

    Eat what you need to maintain.

    How you go about that is a matter of individual preference and I personally don't feel the need to preach to anyone else about the methods I think are best for doing that.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Diminish carbs in general, avoid high glycemic carbs like white bread, cookies, etc, and compensate with protein and fat.

    This is an example of correlation vs causation. Congrats on losing weight, but body composition comes down to total calories eaten and protein and fat minimums. Yes if you stop eating cookies you will probably lose weight, but not because cookies are sugary, because you're eating fewer calories in general. As for the glycemic index, it is largely irrelevant. If high GI foods are eaten in the same meal as protein and fat, their effect is negligible. The glycemic index tests were performed on people eating only the specific food being tested, and eaten in a fasted state. This almost never happens in daily life, and thus is why the GI system is not a big deal anymore.
  • vasp65
    vasp65 Posts: 11
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    Hi Vivian,
    Thank you for the compliments. There’s no need to follow a specific diet, but it’s important to eat all the macronutrients (protein, fat and carbs) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) as well. When I’m hungry I drink water, as much as I can and than drink a coffee, it helps me, maybe you should try it.
    Fruits have a lot of carbs, as long as there are carbs on your blood, your body will not use the fat you want to lose as fuel, so maybe you should avoid fruits and eat only an apple per day, veggies eat as much as you can but along with fish or meat and don’t forget to eat fat too. Buy some protein supplement powder, Gaspari brand tastes delicious, it’s what I snack.
    I do have a sedentary lifestyle too because I work in a office, but I wake up one hour sooner in the morning and do cardio, and I workout with weights in the afternoon, so I’m, pretty active.
    Don’t push yourself too much but establish an exercise routine and try to do it. Increase it gradually but never push too much, there’s really no need, It’s better to do a 30 minutes walk every day, than 15 minutes oh hit 3 times per week, because when you push to much your recover will be slower, your nervous system will be very excited too, and as the time goes by it might cause you stress, which will not be good in a long term perspective. When you get to be in a good physical shape, then you can push it harder because your body has adapted, even thou to much of something, to many times, is always bad.
    Consuming to few calories will not help you in your goals, by the contrary, that way you are triggering the body defenses; you metabolism will get slower and you will burn less calories per day, besides as the time goes by you’ll start to feel tired, and maybe sick, it will affect you psychologically too, just thinking in dieting and exercise will make you feel bad, with time you may quit your goals. Eating too little is one of the biggest mistakes. Forget to lose weight fast, be patient and persistent, give your body the time he needs to adjust. Instead of measuring only your wheight try to measure also your body fat percentage, because fat is what we all want to lose, not muscle.
  • vasp65
    vasp65 Posts: 11
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    Hi AGerick,
    I agree when you say “body composition comes down to total calories eaten”, the main thing it’s to eat less calories than you need. But then you can manipulate the macronutrients as the second tool. I don’t know if are familiarized with Dr. Mauro Di Pascuale concepts, if not google it and then tell me what you think.
    High glycemic foods usually are calorically dense so it’s not the best kind of foods if you’re restrain calories.
  • vasp65
    vasp65 Posts: 11
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    Hi yellowsnowdro,
    You only need a gym if you want to work-out with heights. Alternatively to maintain muscular tonus one can do calisthenics; push-ups, free squats, sit-ups, Inverted Rows, calisthenics. I think walking in a fast pace is one of the best exercises to loose weight, plus it maintains your heart in the correct hart beating range where the body uses fat as the main fuel.
  • totalsham
    totalsham Posts: 217 Member
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    Hi yellowsnowdro,
    You only need a gym if you want to work-out with heights. Alternatively to maintain muscular tonus one can do calisthenics; push-ups, free squats, sit-ups, Inverted Rows, calisthenics. I think walking in a fast pace is one of the best exercises to loose weight, plus it maintains your heart in the correct hart beating range where the body uses fat as the main fuel.

    um, not really

    best is the elliptical. It is by far the easiest on the knees of heavy set people and they can go harder and longer on this over fast pace walking. The cost of the machine tends to lead people to the gym.
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
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    Calorie deficit until at goal weight. Eat at maintenance for goal weight. Aaaaand done.

    Things worth adding in along the way would be heavy lifting and a little cardio if you're feeling frisky. They do wonders for body composition and overall health.

    I would add that your "diminish all carbs" suggestion is a little bit of radicalism that you suggest to avoid.
  • Jennaissance
    Jennaissance Posts: 212
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    One more thing: do not drink excessive amounts of alcohol.

    Women: No more than 2 a day or 7 a week.
    Men: No more than 3 a day or 12 a week.
  • vasp65
    vasp65 Posts: 11
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    Hi shutupandlift,
    I didn’t say “diminish all carbs” but “diminuish carb in general” not eating carb is going ketogenic and that’s radical, I would recommend avoid any of the macronutrients, but if weight loss is the goal favor Protein and fat over carbs.
  • vasp65
    vasp65 Posts: 11
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    Hi totalsham,
    Eliptical is one of my favorites, it has no impact so it’s great for the joints, especially to overweigh people, but if you haven’t access to an elliptical, walk will do it as well.