Losing weight is a challenge for the tough!

1. 76

   Aislaposted 14 years ago

   Have you ever been on a diet that really worked?
   If it was out of a packet how long did it last before you began to feel tired etc?
   If it was diet pills did you eventually get ill using them?
   Has anyone gone down significantly and maintained their new weight?
   What is happening when you starve yourself, exercising like mad and the scales don't budge?
   There are so many questions many people are asking and need an answer to to be really successful.
   Maybe you can help by sharing what you know.

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   1. 64

      prettydarkhorseposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I never had any weight problem, am not sure if I am skinny though, 98 lbs now, way below my BMI but I never get sick. I always eat vegetables and fruits! I drink juice and water a lot. I keep on walking every morning even during early winter. I try not to be stressed out too. It helps.

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   2. 61

      Hestia DeVotoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes.
      It was not out of a packet.
      It was not diet pills.
      If I lose weight slowly, then I am able to maintain the loss.
      I don't starve myself while exercising like mad, but hitting plateaus or spots where you don't seem to be losing as much is a natural part of dieting.  If you are doing a healthy diet, the weight loss picks up again.

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   3. 92

      Just Ask Susanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I used the slim fast diet and it did work. Lost about 20 pounds which is what my goal was. But since then have put it back on which is the case in most diets if you do not maintain what they tell you to do after loosing your weight. Will probably try the slim fast route again when I am able to afford to do so. I found it expensive and if you do not have a buddy to go on it with, it makes it harder. When I went on the slim fast diet the first time my husband went on it with me. Right now he does not seem interested in going on any kind of diet, yet he really needs to.

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   4. 61

      Ian Turnerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Just posted a hub on this very topic! Have a read and let me know your thourghts!

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   5. 61

      UrbanMadonnaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      My oh my...where do I begin?!?  First of all let me make one thing clear.
       
      Lasting weight loss is 10% about what you put in your mouth and 90% about what's going on in your head!
      
      People need to realize that transforming bad eating habits into good ones is no easier than quitting smoking or overcoming a drug addiction.  If it were, you could go on any diet program that's out there and find success. 
      
      I lost 20lbs and 5% body fat over 10 years ago and I've kept it off with the principles I learned about carb addiction and fat loss.  I'm in the works to put my fat loss strategy together and it will be ready for launch on Jan 1st, 2011 (just in time for New Year's resolutions...LOL!)
      
      Here a link to my blog if you want to know more about how to unlock the mystery of lasting weight loss:
      <snipped - do not post links in the forums, please>

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   6. 70

      Maddie Ruudposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      First of all, starving yourself slows down your metabolism, so your body will stubbornly hold onto weight even longer if you go that route.
      
      Secondly, the focus on losing pounds is completely misplaced to begin with.  Weight is about as heritable as height -- they both have to do with nutrition, yes, but they are mostly determined by genetics.  The number on the scale is completely arbitrary, and will vary wildly from person to person of the same size.  Also, muscle weighs more than fat, and the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism is.
      
      The point being, you should mentally emphasize getting healthy, rather than getting slimmer.  Exercise because you want your body to be strong and capable.  Eat good food because it better nourishes your body than junk.  The rest will take care of itself.  You may not end up looking like a movie star, but chances are you weren't designed to.

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2. 61

   SomewayOuttaHereposted 14 years ago

   ..yea it was tough....go through a divorce...i lost too much and couldn't keep it on...didn't have much to lose in the first place...and then had to stuff whatever fat food into my mouth i could get my hands on just to maintain.....it was fun at first, being able to eat whatever crap I wanted.....took me a year to get back to normal.......no more pizza and ice cream for me!....it worked...but i don't recommend it.......

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3. 42

   Mikeydoesposted 14 years ago

   I was 240 and now I try to stay around 200.
   
   It is really easy to maintain weight. Just be active and don't over-eat. Eating after 6 is a big no-no. Going to sleep with all those calories is a sure way to gain weight.
   
   I lost weight just eating less and working out for at least 5 minutes a day, not even hard. Its just discipline.

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   1. 61

      Suzie Parkerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      5 minutes a day?
      
      Consuming more calories than you burn causes weight gain (not eating after a certain time). So if you eat a ton of food before six, you will gain weight, no matter what time the calories were consumed.
      
      To maintain weight, you have to consume the right amount of daily calories and exercise regularly - that's the bottom line.

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4. 94

   Gabriel Wilsonposted 14 years ago

   Diet is the way you should eat for life, ie a healthy diet. Popping pills and starving yourself is ridiculous. You have one body to last a life time. You have to eat an extra 3500 calories to gain a single lb in weight. The crucial thing to loose weight is knowing the calorie and fat content in your food. A lot of  foods (especially ones you don't realize) are high in both. Exercise is a necessity for a healthy and fit body inside and out. The average woman needs 2000 calories a day, the average man 2500 calories a day. So if you eat your recommended calories but walk 5 times a week for 45 mins at a time you'll burn an average of 900 calories extra a week. Of course you can cut back your calories by eating more low calorie foods like chicken and fish. So if you reduce your calories from 2000 to 1600 a day you will add 2800 calories to your 900 = 3700, which means you should loose an average of 5 lbs/ month. That works out at more than 4 stone in a year. Loosing weight this way or similar will keep your skin elastic (drastic weight loss will give you saggy skin) your energy levels high and your sweet tooth happy. Good luck.

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   1. 76

      Aislaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      There is some really good advice here.
      I would like to add a little bit too.
      Did you know that if you starve yourself and pump up with vitamins from a store, it is not sure that you will get the full benefit. This is because the fat soluble vitamins A,D,E and K need fat to be transported into the blood stream.
      A healthy diet will keep you fit and fresh longer.
      Gabriel is right about the saggy skin and unfortunately this becomes more of a problem as you get older. The next unfortunate thng is that many of us don't need to diet until we get older. Losing the weight slowly but steadily will help solve this problem.
      Keep the advice coming we all have alot to learn from each other.

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5. 61

   Alfursanposted 14 years ago

   Plenty of good advice has been posted.
   
   Here I add from personal experience:
   
   A healthy sensible diet all the year round can help you maintain a healthy weight. Eat a little of everything, don't overfill yourself and leave the dining table feeling a little hungry!
   
   As I said don't refrain from too many things but do NOT over-eat. Eat fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, plenty of water but ALL in moderation.
   
   Involve yourself in physical activity - if nothing else walk a coupole of kilometres every day.

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6. 34

   DrMikeFitzpatrickposted 14 years ago

   all great comments and correct up to a point. for 11 years i have been eating gluten free, dairy free, hormone and steroid free (we raise all our own meats organically)no GMO food, all organic, no HFCS, and had no fat and hard body except for a gut-i do not drink beer either. when i was able to remove the plaque from my arteries organically and increase my blood flow, the fat burned off like a hot knife through butter. Blood flow is key to removing fat. We have too many foods that have crap in them like hydrogenated oils that are not found anywhere in nature-man-made to help preserve food longer and goes straight to the arterial walls. i have a buddy of mine who was up to 310 pounds and by eating fast-food he still lost 60 pounds and got off his diabetes medicine just from clearing his arteries out. Dr. Mike

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7. 57

   annieloulaurelposted 14 years ago

   I am really satisfied with the "after 6 diet". In 1 month, I can loss as much as 10 lbs, not bad for starters. Veggie diet is also effective; however, you need to take it slow because it will really starve you to death if done abruptly.

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8. 80

   LondonGirlposted 14 years ago

   I've done it. I was overweight before I got pregnant, and 6 weeks after my son was born, I didn't weigh more than before, so I decided to lose some more.
   
   To start with (as a breastfeeding new mother) it was easy, as you can eat a lot when you're feeding a baby and still lose weight.
   
   Over about 18 months, I lost 2 stone and 10lbs, which left me nice and slim. (That's about 38lb, I think).
   
   I do a lot more exercise than I used to. I play netball twice weekly, and also cycle a lot.
   
   Since I finished losing weight, about 3 years ago, I've re-gained about 4-5lb. I think that's because I've developed more muscle. Certainly I don't look or feel "fatter" than I did at 4lb lighter than I am now.

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9. 60

   SharkAlposted 14 years ago

   I lost 31 pound in 3 months and have maintained that for a further 5 months.
   
   I didn't find it very difficult either, just reduced my sugar intake, I stopped eating low fat foods (they are high in sugar).
   
   Eating like a caveman is the way forward, you just eat meat, fish, game, vegetables, fruit. Its healthy too and easy to maintain.

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