Weight Loss

[M.K]

Hey everyone. It's a sensitive subject, but I really want to share my experience with other people.
I've been trying to lose weight for...FOREVER. I'm a springboard diver, and I'm an active person, but I can't seem to drop this weight. I'm 15 (going on 16), 5'9", and 207 lbs. I really want to drop about 20-25 pounds.
I enjoy working out, I really do! But the problem is eating. I don't know how to keep myself motivated, and I occasionally slip up with eating. I'll say to myself "it's ok, you worked out today, you can eat that bag of chips." and I KNOW this is the wrong way of thinking, but I can't stop myself from doing it.
I don't LOOK unhealthy either. I mean, you see some fat people and your like "****, they are unhealthy." I'm just sort of....large....I guess.
I LONG to be of normal weight. I really, really want the compliments, and I want to ENJOY shopping for new clothes.
I'm going to stick to it this time, and I'm gonna do it! I AM!
If anyone has any suggestions or tips, please, please please share them with me. I'm desperate at this point!!
Thanks fellow Smashers for reading, maybe you could share your stories here too?

~(soon to be normal) Meta-Kirby...

 

[_Phloat_]

Don't buy chips, or have them sitting around. I am trying to stay healthy, and my dad and brother drink gallons of coke... So I move it all to the bottom so I don't have to look at it =D.

I also find it helps to have a food that you like, but is way healthier than the food it is substituting. I have a box full of clementines next to the candy, so if I even wonder over there, I just grab one to satisfy.

Find foods you like that are healthy, and avoid fad diets. I don't know much about weight loss, I have a great metabolism, but I do try and eat very healthy and I understand the temptation to do something else. Try eating a healthy fruit slowly, if you are someone who eats just to do something (I am).

 

[DTP]

Hmm.... I've never had that problem, but I have become less active ever since I graduated from high school. So to make sure I stay decently healthy I've quit eating fast food. I still have a sub every once in a while but I haven't eaten fast food for months now. But I don't know how much of a difference it is making. Maybe I just have a high metabolism
Um.... I'm kinda bad with advice actually lol. Thats all I can think of :embarrass

 

[ndayday]

Hmm, well I'm about 5 pounds less then your goal, and I consider myself...not fat, but just...pleasantly plump.

I suppose I could offer the advice that you can't get big results by just dieting, you have to exercise. Not weight-lifting and other things like that, but jogging or doing something with your cardiovascular system is a lot better since muscle weighs for then fat. (You'd be more in shape...but heavier)

Constantly remind yourself to make the right choice, (apple > Oreos) and if you tend to get seconds for your meals, don't. Try making things yourself, not taking out the box of cereal and filling eating that. Fruits and vegatables are something you can rely on for breakfast, and since quite a few are sweet, you can eat those if you have a craving for something sugary. Cut down on soda, and if you seriously want results, you have to push yourself--just not to unhealthy levels. It takes determination, try your best!

We should round up people that want to loose weight and have some kind of step every month to help. (ex. try walking, jogging, or running everyday!) Then you could report how much your weight has changed, and hopefully you could develop habits to keep you healthy!

(And why don't you have a santa hat? D= )

 

[Wrath`]

Try a healthier chip, tortia chips are good, biggest thing is portion controll, it will do wonders. Also find a good healthy food you can enjoy a lot of.

I can't realy offer much any advice besides that, I used to be 214( but i only looked 170), then I got horribly sick and dropped to 149, now I am back to 167. so my loss wasn't worked hard at.

But I learned that portion controll is the best way.

 

[Mini Mic]

Might I make the obvious recommendation of going to the gym? Trust me, if you do it on a regular basis it will become part of your routine and won't even feel like an imposition any more.

 

[ExCeL 52]

Do exercises YOU like ...

I loooove tennis .. so I play it alot..

And ABSOLUTELY eat things that are healthy that you like for snacks.. Never eat lays, dorritos , or any crap like that it kills you. Apples, oranges, tangerines ( its the season ) , are all great!

Dude I got hit hard with weight .. At age 12 I was Diagnosed with Chron's disease .. A stomach disorder that had me weighing 70 Pounds.. They put me on Prednisone to help Chrons - A type of steiroid and I SOARED to 140 .. I lost the weight in three months weighing 110.. Im age 14 now and weigh 120 .. its all about discipline..

YOU CAN DO IT

 

[ExCeL 52]

Try a healthier chip, tortia chips are good, biggest thing is portion controll, it will do wonders. Also find a good healthy food you can enjoy a lot of.

I can't realy offer much any advice besides that, I used to be 214( but i only looked 170), then I got horribly sick and dropped to 149, now I am back to 167. so my loss wasn't worked hard at.

But I learned that portion controll is the best way.

Wow dude me and you sounds like were in the same boat

 

[notftomearth7]

Hey everyone. It's a sensitive subject, but I really want to share my experience with other people.
I've been trying to lose weight for...FOREVER. I'm a springboard diver, and I'm an active person, but I can't seem to drop this weight. I'm 15 (going on 16), 5'9", and 207 lbs. I really want to drop about 20-25 pounds.
I enjoy working out, I really do! But the problem is eating. I don't know how to keep myself motivated, and I occasionally slip up with eating. I'll say to myself "it's ok, you worked out today, you can eat that bag of chips." and I KNOW this is the wrong way of thinking, but I can't stop myself from doing it.
I don't LOOK unhealthy either. I mean, you see some fat people and your like "****, they are unhealthy." I'm just sort of....large....I guess.
I LONG to be of normal weight. I really, really want the compliments, and I want to ENJOY shopping for new clothes.
I'm going to stick to it this time, and I'm gonna do it! I AM!
If anyone has any suggestions or tips, please, please please share them with me. I'm desperate at this point!!
Thanks fellow Smashers for reading, maybe you could share your stories here too?

~(soon to be normal) Meta-Kirby...

As long as you're active, eat right, and all that other stuff, and are not losing weight, maybe it's in your best interest to come to terms with your weight. Your weight doesn't really represent your health overall. I'm 140 pounds, haven't been dropping weight since I started working out 3 years ago, but I feel great.

 

[M.K]

As long as you're active, eat right, and all that other stuff, and are not losing weight, maybe it's in your best interest to come to terms with your weight. Your weight doesn't really represent your health overall. I'm 140 pounds, haven't been dropping weight since I started working out 3 years ago, but I feel great.

Well, I'm not as active as I should be. I can definetly stand to lose a couple pounds for sure.

 

[ndayday]

You just have to look around for resources...hmm.

Look! Your sig has dancing Wobbuffet. Try dancing like them, and try to copy any gif sigs you see. You'll be dropping pounds like bunnies drop droppings!

 

[_Phloat_]

You just have to look around for resources...hmm.

Look! Your sig has dancing Wobbuffet. Try dancing like them, and try to copy any gif sigs you see. You'll be dropping pounds like bunnies drop droppings!

You know that GIF of that guy's head exploding.

He lost weight.

 

[DTP]

Yeah, those Wobbuffets are pretty good.

*Goes and enlists in dance classes so I can serve the wobbuffets*


On topic, all of the advice above is great. Finding something healthy that you enjoy eating is always a bonus, unless you want to exercise more.
This might sound weird, but I've been eating eggs almost every second day since I was like 6. I'm sure thats helped me somewhat. (Eggs are considered healthy right?)

 

[ndayday]

Eggs are healthy on certain levels, according to this: http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2008/05/08/eggs_healthy_or_not.php

It's supposed to be good to prevent breast cancer if you're a female, but it says that middle-aged men who consume more then 7 eggs a week die sooner. It also probably depends on how you cook them.

 

[Dolente]

Okay, here's what's up. Weight loss is a product of your body using more calories than it is taking in, and if you are being honest about staying active (which I assume you are, unless you are a really crappy diver) then there are two possible issues:
1) Caloric intake - If you eat too much, obviously this won't work. Easiest way: Don't buy as much food. If you don't have it lying around, and if you have enough self-restraint to not go out to Taco Bell whenever you get hungry, this will be a LOT easier. Easy ways to keep yourself from overeating are to engage in some kind of distracting activity until you forget about it (I often use research, tinkering with my network/computers, and sex) or to go to sleep.
2) Metabolism - When you eat less, your body adjusts to burn fewer calories. Ways to combat this include simply eating less food more often (i.e. eating six very small meals instead of two large ones) or vastly increasing your body's energy processing needs (via rigorous physical activity or a metabolic enhancement suppliament).

Of course, excercise is the most important factor in maintaining a healthy weight, because you don't want to lose a bunch of weight and end up a scrawny stack of bones like most vegans, would you? Yes, calm down, that was a joke.

 

[~N9NE~]

Jog. Nothing like an evening jog to clear your mind whilst also providing a great means of exercise.

I want to lose some weight aswell so I've been jogging steadily for the past few weeks. Mini Mic is right, the exercise you choose will become part of your routine. The most important thing is to just stick to it.

 

[slave1]

but I can't stop myself from doing it.

this is the one phrase that i really hate to hear people say. don't ever say you cant do it and please never say because its "too Hard." addictions are hard things to stop but everything can be overcome.

learn to controll your thoughts. it will be hard at first but the longer you try the better you will get at it. and this is coming from personal experience.

keep it up. if you want it strive for it. do everything in your power to get to that point.

 

[M.K]

You are absolutely right, slave1!

It's not someone else's fault that I am the way I am, it's MY fault, and I need to take control of it.
I'm going to the gym today. I figured I would do the Elliptical (SP?) Machine, which I LOVE doing, and then jogging a little bit on the track. (I don't like running on treadmills...). Any other suggestions?
Is the Bike a good machine?

Also, whenever I start to think "I'm hungry", I stop myself from getting food and instead I grab a bottle of water or Diet Lipton Green Tea w/ Citrus. It fills my stomach but it doesn't add any nutritional value. I've done the research, and this seems like something good to do. Any thoughts?

 

[Dolente]

You are absolutely right, slave1!

It's not someone else's fault that I am the way I am, it's MY fault, and I need to take control of it.
I'm going to the gym today. I figured I would do the Elliptical (SP?) Machine, which I LOVE doing, and then jogging a little bit on the track. (I don't like running on treadmills...). Any other suggestions?
Is the Bike a good machine?

Also, whenever I start to think "I'm hungry", I stop myself from getting food and instead I grab a bottle of water or Diet Lipton Green Tea w/ Citrus. It fills my stomach but it doesn't add any nutritional value. I've done the research, and this seems like something good to do. Any thoughts?

If feeling full is your goal, fiber is your best friend. Learn to love whole grains. I don't recommend drinking those things in excess, as too much water constantly will eventually dilute your electrolytes and cause some fairly serious physiological symptoms. Many delicious foods are extremely high in fiber, and the Internet is rife with alternatives. Also, celery is a very interesting food, because it has negative calories.

 

[Wrath`]

Wow dude me and you sounds like were in the same boat

Wow I never thought I'd find someone else with Crones, what the internet can do for you.

Eh, reliving hunger with diet liquids I haeard is bad, specialy with all of the thing in there that most people can't prononce, I suggest a light fruit snack, or if like tea, brew your own herbal teas and take a thermos, or put it in the firidge for iced tea.

 

[saggy_brown]

From experience, I can tell you that cardiovascular exercises work the best when it comes to dropping body fat. Going into tenth grade, I was 5'6 and 170 pounds looking pretty chubby. That year, I joined track, and the only part of my diet I changed was soda to water because it caused horrible running cramps. About four months later track season was over and I was 140 pounds. Now I used to work out at the gym all the time before this. Although working out makes you more muscular, you won't really be burning any fat because your heart isn't really pumping hard.

I would definitely suggest you try running (or biking that works great to but takes much longer). If you do, before you begin go to one of those running specialty stores and have them fit you with the correct pair of shoes for your foot, don't just go out buying whatever shoe looks good because if it's not correct for your foot, your going to get hurt really badly over time.

Get a watch and start off doing 30 minutes runs, trying to spend as much of the time not walking as possible. Once you can run for a full 30 minutes work your way up to 45.(It's possible you may already be able to do these)

Then start trying to run a certain number of miles each week, start yourself off with 15 a week and have ur week looking something like this:

Sunday- 3 miles
Monday-0
Tuesday3
W:3
TH:3
F:3
S:0

Increase your mileage by 10% each week and eventually you'll probably find yourself peaking at something that looks like this

Total Miles 53
Monday- 8
Tuesday-6
Wednesday-10
Thursday-7
Friday-8
Saturday-7
Sunday. Maybe run, maybe rest

I suggest if you start running, to focus more on becoming a better runner than worrying about your weight. You'll see your weight drop really fast. Who knows you may even find that you really like running =). I started running about two years ago and I've lost 45 pounds and now 125, and I even became really competitive cause I got so hooked and competed in the state championship in cross country this year.

Also, it's amazing how much weight you can lose with a stationary bike and an Ipod, I suggest you try stationary bike first.

 

[1048576]

I haven't had fast food since I moved out at age 18. I haven't had soda since then either. I play basketball every day. I make sure I get my 5/day, and I still weigh 300 pounds.

It's just harder for some people than it is for others, I guess.

Last week, I was really sick, so I didn't eat anything at all the whole week. I didn't lose a pound. How the hell is that even possible.

There's no excuse for being 300 pounds, though, so I guess it's time to exercise harder. I don't want to go to the gym, though. People always glare at me, like the gym is fit people's turf or something. It's really uncomfortable.

I run sometimes, but its really boring. My mile time is 8:00. Maybe I should start running two miles at a time.

 

[Wrath`]

Ummm, walking actualy burns more than running, low impact is fat burning, high impact is cardivacular endurance, not as much fat burning.

 

[saggy_brown]

Ummm, walking actualy burns more than running, low impact is fat burning, high impact is cardivacular endurance, not as much fat burning.

I suppose it's possible that if you walked 8 miles as opposed to run 8 miles you might burn a bit more calories. Right at my weight, whenver I go on an 8 mile at about 6:30 mile pace I burn a little over 600 calories. Lets say if I walked it I burn 800. Yeah I burned 200 more calories. Here's the thing, it'll take me fifty something minutes to do those 8 miles. If I walk it, it will take much much longer. It sounds like he's in high school, so at his age(and weight) he shouldn't really have any trouble with running other than the fact that it has some getting used to. Also, I think what you said was incorrect. In order to get your body into a real calorie burning mode, you have to reach a target heart rate for 30 minutes before it starts burning of some real fat. This rate is normally above 120. You don't reach this target heart rate by walking, and if you do, you have some serious problems.

 

[ndayday]

You could do whatever you wanted for losing weight through cardiovascular exercises. I'm pretty sure that a harder workout requires less time, and if you do something like walking you have to increase the time. (Usually by a lot)

You should find your target heart rate to optimize your work out, and so you're not overdoing it (when you go over a certain point, you start working out a different part then your cardiovascular system) or underdoing it. Here is a little thing to find your target heart rate. Now, a true 'resting heart' rate is as soon as you wake up, or are extremely relaxed. The site says to sit and relax for ten whole minutes, and then take your beats per minute. (bpm) Unless you want serious results, just do it at the computer...you're probably sitting down anyway.

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/articles?id=calc004

It'll give you your ideal heart rate for a nonactive, moderatly active, and very active workout. Hopefully this will help. =P

 

[marthanoob]

Learn to deal with your insecurity and use it as a tool to rip yourself off the snacks.

 

[Frown]

Frown's optimal workout
​

Needed:

1 Exercise bicycle
1 Wii
1 copy of Mario Kart Wii

Put the bicycle in front of the TV and there you go!

 

[JLynn943]

All my life I've been overweight. When I graduated high school 2 and a half years ago, i was 5'10" and 250 lbs. Since going to college though, I've been more active and haven't been eating as poorly as I was. (Then again, anything would have been an improvement). I lost 70 pounds, getting myself down to 180. I've been struggling lately though, and I'm back at 192.

I'd like to go to the gym and try to actually get in shape, but I'm incredibly insecure about my appearance. I go to a school full of jocks, and I get intimidated by it. :embarrass

 

[1048576]

Wow, 70 pounds. That's incredible. I don't eat poorly to begin with; in fact, I definitely eat fewer calories and more nutrients than all my fit friends, save one. I guess I just have to eat better though. No more cheese or bagels for me.

 

[Mini Mic]

At the moment I have in my house:

- 50 short breads
- Half a Cheesecake
- Box of home made cookies
- 2 boxes of Tim Tams (type of Australian chocolate biscuit)
- A block of chocolate
- A chocolate cake
- Box of another kind of biscuit
- Various assorted Christmas chocolates

And that's just what I can remember. That combined with the fact that I'm home alone for the next 2 weeks should be an interesting time for my body. As of yet I have a very hard time putting on weight but the next two weeks should be a real test for me.

 

[1048576]

Oh geez... go buy some dried fruit