My first time being serious about losing weight. Advice?

CICO. It's all about the deficit.

jaymikhail69 wrote: »

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

CICO. It's all about the deficit.

Sorry I have no idea what CICO is?

CICO=calories in calories out

sounds good

Best advice ever = its a marathon, not a sprint.

You will find what works for you, make adjustments, fall down and get back up. If you refuse to quit and work hard you will get there.

Best of luck!

Sounds like a great plan. If you find yourself losing energy or stalling out you may want to eat back some of your exercise calories. Good luck to you!

I lost 70 lbs 6 years ago, and then kept it off until last summer and fall when I fell into some very old habits when under stress.

Here is the advice list I used to give to people:

*****

(1) Just keep hacking at it. The image in my mind is of a stonecutter creating a statue. S/he doesn't create it in one whack! You have to chip away at it. Keep making a lot of small changes in diet, exercise, and your overall lifestyle.

(2) I do weigh myself every day, and I find it helpful. I can see my normal body fluctuations and I have learned to less judgmental when the scale pops up 2-3 lbs b/c it is that time of the month or I had something salty the day before (which I don't normally eat, so it is really noticeable).

(3) Build in breaks. You have a lot to lose, and it is going to take a while to come off. That means, you will have life stuff in the middle of the dieting. For example, on vacation, I don't overeat. But I don't diet, either. I pay attention to my body and listen. When I'm full or not hungry, I stop. On the few occasions when I have tracked my food on a weekend away, but not dieted, I found that I naturally only ate until I was around my (new) maintenance weight.

(4) Set little goals. My initial goal was to get down 1/2 a size, b/c I was about to be a whole new size I'd never been. And I'd never been the size I was then, either. Then, my goal was to get down another size. Then, my goal was to cross over from "obese" to "overweight" on the BMI. Now, my goal is to get down 1/2 a size and get my BMI into the "normal" range. (Notice, that although I weigh myself daily, I consider weight to be one part of a larger context; I am focused on a healthy BMI, not my scale weight per se.)

(5) Take up yoga. The style is up to you, but I find the slower yoga (not the flowier yoga) forces me to get out of my head and back into my body. Each person has their own style preference, though. Yoga forces you to pay attention to your body and what it is actually saying. I've read it is proven to help with weight loss because of that, but I don't have the citation. It does make you more mindful, and mindfulness with eating is key to weight loss.

(6) You know when stressful times hit. Put your health first. Barring that, if you absolutely cannot diet, then track your food, anyway, and resolve not to go above your maintenance calories on those days. In other words, you may not be able to lose weight, but make it your goal not to gain weight, either.

(7) Make your goal to be healthier and feel better, not "to restrict my food". It is a slight adjustment, but a change in words can make you feel so much better. Use the analysis tools to compare your actual nutrition to the recommended allowances. For example, when I first started using CC, I discovered protein was only 12-15% of my daily diet. It needs to be 20-30%. Protein not only helps you build muscle, it helps keep you from getting hungry (I believe, but I can't find the citation for that). Spend some time reading through the established health and medical sites regarding nutrition, if you haven't already.

(8) If the weight is not coming off, or you are having problem dieting, step back and figure out why. Is there a "foundation" problem you need to fix? **Don't** judge yourself when you do it. Are you sabotaging your own efforts without realizing it?

For example, the first month I began dieting to lose the 1/2 size (but ultimately, the 50 lbs), I could not stay on the diet. I stepped back to figure out why. I realized...my sleep schedule was ALL over the place. I had to spend 2 weeks forcing myself to go to bed and get up at a regular time. I began yoga again to help to relax my mind. I did not diet during this time, but I did not overeat. Once my sleep schedule got on to a regular schedule, THEN I was able to diet, and began dieting, because I could eat and exercise at regular times. Plus, when you don't get enough sleep, you tend to crave carbs, you are tired and dragging and don't want to exercise, your cortisol goes up...this information is online, also. You may want to look up the relationship between sleep and weight (gain), if you aren't familiar with it.

In this instance, I was sabotaging my own efforts by not getting regular sleep, but I had to observe it and figure it out. Now, I know on days when I have not slept well, I tend to overeat. B/c I am mindful of this, I have figured out how to work around my habits on "tired" days.

So, as you start this/get going, be prepared to adjust course as needed, or fix "foundation" problems to enable yourself to be able to diet.

(9) Water. Get enough of it. How much you need/don't need may vary on your geographical location (desert vs. forest) and height/weight size. You may want to poke around online to figure out how much you need per day for your own situation. Water also kills hunger pangs.

(10) Treat weight loss like it is a class. For me, exercise is my "class" and I don't skip it, even if people get upset b/c I won't do something with them. This is what would happen if I were enrolled in a class. Journaling (food log, exercise log, weight log, and journal) is my "homework". And, like any long-term study, like getting your high school diploma or any other degree, there will be ups and downs. Adjust course as needed. :-)

(11) Don't be afraid to address the psychological issues that may have led to your weight gain. Seek out professional counseling/therapy/a pastor or other spiritual/religious guide. There are safe ways to let out anger/grief/sorrow, etc. Read self-help books. Join a free self-help group via meetup.com or this site. Write a journal. (Said in case you haven't or aren't addressing this part.) Some meditation time in these areas can help a lot with letting go of any emotions that might be holding you back from your goals, and you'll come out ahead and better off physically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically.

Long term weight loss is an entire lifestyle change that affects you at every level; it isn't just about dieting. It is about the physical, mental, spiritual, emotional sides, too.

I hope my long-post helps. Good luck. It is worth it. It has taken me a long time to lose this weight, but I feel so much better. Inside and out.

Three things:

1. I don't know about running and lifting without having eaten. You need food to fuel your workouts.
2. Beware an "all or nothing" mentality. You have an elaborate, detailed plan. Which is great, if that's how you motivate yourself. But really all you need to do is eat better (less) than you have been eating. So if you mess up one day on your plan, don't throw in the towel. Or if you don't have time to do all your planned exercises in a day, just do something. Too many people get all gung-ho and make lists and plans and promises, and then it just becomes too much so they give up entirely. Just do a little better each day than you've done in the past, and you're on your way.

Good luck.