I know there is a thread on physical fitness, but diet is important in in weight loss. For those of us in the Northern hemisphere it's winter, and it's time to start to shape up for the spring. I not only have that Christmas weight to lose, I would be happy to lose more, as my BMI is not what it should be. I'm sure there are others 'down under' who want to shed a few pounds.

So, how about posting how much you want to lose (you don't have to give your actual weight) and how you're doing it. Post tips you are using, and let's help each other!

Please let's keep this positive, and no nasty comments on people who are overweight. It doesn't help to be abused when you are trying your best to lose.

 

To make a start, I'm using Weight Watchers for my regime; I'd like initially to set myself a small goal of half a stone, or 7 pounds. I'm hoping it will take a month or so, but two would be fine. Losing weight fast is not healthy or sustainable.

Something that's really helping me at the moment is to sit down to eat when possible, and have a glass of water by my plate. I take small sips between mouthfuls - there are a few advantages to this simple method

1 it takes me longer to finish, and it feels like eating a meal is an occasion rather than a filling stop
2 it cleanses my palate so I really taste and enjoy the food
3 it gives my stomach time to register when I'm full
4 I tend not to drink much, so it ups my water intake, which is a really healthy result.

 

I am really really really planning to go on a new diet next week! (This week is impossible because I have exams and not eating crap while studying is torture!) I am planning to go on one of these low/none carb diets because I´ve never tried it before and it should shake up my metabolism pretty well because my diet is pretty much based on carbs right now!

Also I go to the gym 5 days a week for 2 hrs, but I´ve only lost a little weight through that (about 8 Kilos) and for the last year or so my body seems to have gotten used to it

I do hope I manage to stick to the diet! I like the idea of this thread Cija I hope we can help each other!

 

Ok I'm 14stone 4 pound and do a bit of exercise But I love my food and eat too much. I plan on losing another stone and my beer belly hopefully eating less and the exercise should do this but I Need tips for losing my beer belly

 

The eating slow is right Cija! I also heard you should try not to do anything else but eat (no tv, reading) talking is good and being with other people because you normally hold off a bit more when in company and you don´t talk with your mouth full. Laying down your cutlery between each bite is supposed to help as well and you should always try to feel inside you and see if you´ve already eaten enough and if you have stop! Better to eat more times a little bit than to overeat appearantly

 

I love my carbs too much to try that approach! I have Mr Babe to contend with, in that I have to cook to please him too, and he's already looking rather trim

The only time I ever tried the gym out, I found I was ravenously hungry after! I go to a friend's Yoga class - he does Ashtanga, which is more vigorous and pretty good for burning the fat off. It helps you to be flexible, calm and focussed, and still gives you an endorphin high.

Otherwise, I have got myself a WW pedometer that I wear all day. For my height and weight I need to take about 4000 steps plus just as a minimum, and when you go over that, you start to 'earn' points that you can exchange for food. It's been very useful to help me to see how active I am and how much I need to do on a daily basis.

 

Weightwatchers is a great source. The wife went to them a few years back and we both practiced it successfully. They have a proven an easy system to follow and you can eat pretty much anything you want once you know how to count your intake.

anyhoo, here's a tip somebody told me and it works pretty good.
Before every meal, drink a full glass of water. It helps fill you up. Then at dinner, eat as much salad as you can before your main course. Now you've pretty much filled up on stuff that won't cause weight gain and you won't need to eat much else.

Good luck losers!

 

That sounds good cija I used to be so hungry after the gym as well but I am not really anymore! I love the gym! It makes me feel good and I get to watch all the hunky men work out!

I do love carbs, but I think I can do without them for a little while

I did yoga once...I am very bad at it :lol: and it made me hurt everywhere so I do believe its a pretty good workout for sure

 

I love food too, and joining a slimming programme helped me to be more aware of what I eat. I know the value of most foods, how much is a healthy amount, and what to avoid or eat in moderation. I don't rule out high value foods, I'm just more careful about how much of them I eat.

I can't help with the beer belly thing - maybe be aware of the calorific value of the beer you drink, and try to cut down a little on how much you have, or drink less often. Moderation may be enough, don't make yourself miserable trying to cut it out altogether - though sometimes that can work if you are determined.

It reminds me of something I read on a slimming site - everyone has a six pack, it's just buried under the flab! I'm a little sceptical about that, you have to have some muscle tone. So just general weight loss is good, plus maybe some exercises to tone up the abdomen.

 

Nooooo the saying goes like this: Who wants a six pack if you can have a keg? :excited:

 

It is an excellent programme, and I've been back over and over - sadly I tend to get bored or sidetracked, otherwise I'd be at goal. I actually can't imagine I'll ever get to the goal for my height as I have a large frame, but I know where I'd be happy. About a stone and a half less would be fantastic.

Great tips there Rixer, though I'm not fond of water so sipping is easier for me. I do like salad so I'll try that out some time

 

I forgot about the hunky men

You have to start out slow with Yoga, it's easy to overstretch and try to copy exactly what the teacher does; they are way more flexible and able to do things you won't be able to for a while. It's a good idea to drink plenty of water after any exercise session to prevent the aches and pains the day after (I find it's 24 hours). As you move and stretch in unfamiliar ways, you will release toxins from long underused muscles and stiff joints, and lactic acid can build up if you overdo things. Water will help to flush them out.

If anyone else has comments on that aspect, I'd be more than interested to hear.

Lol

 

I've cut out my beer altogether and looking into weight watchers

Another tip I'm doing is leaving I mouth full of everything on my plate so im not eating as much

 

Great idea!
So I can order that 72 oz rib eye and leave a mouthfull on the plate. brilliant!

 

No more bacon for you for a while Miss Jamie.....oh dear.

 

I'm envious of the men on WW - as men have greater muscle to fat ratio, they tend to burn the fat off faster, and have a bigger point allowance. Leaving a mouthful is a good tip too, as we all tend to consume too much nowadays.

Lol now don't cheat, portion control is important too

 

Just a word of advice; don't go no carb. Your brain uses varbs to operate and if you don't have any in your system you start producing ketone bodies, which can be toxic in the long run. Eat carbs, especially if you're lifting weights. Just choose to eat complex carbs instead of simple ones.

Women; make sure you get enough protein in your diet. I hate to sound sexist/biased but most women really underestimate the amount of protein they need or they assume protein and/or lifting weights will make them jacked. It won't. Simply put you don't have the hormones to make you look like Schwarzenegger. It also helps if you fill up on mainly vegetables. Plenty of fiber will also help emulsify fat.

So in quick summary; eat plenty of protein, make your carbs complex, eat fiber, and plenty of veggies! Oh, and don't be afraid of a little fat, it's ok (and optimizes hormonal function). Good luck y'all!

 

Thanks Beastly - they do also say that eating a good amount of protein helps to satisfy your hunger. That's not easy for me, as Mr Babe is vegetarian, and eats a lot of cheese which of course is very calorific. You can only eat so many beans before becoming a social outcast! Vegetarian diet advice always used to cite flour (ie pasta) and grains as a source of protein, but from what I've seen of current nutritional information, the levels are rather low. In any case, I love fish, and will have that at least once a week, and have some meat when I eat out.

I'm not out to build a lot of muscle, as I'm getting older - just good tone, flexibility and a good range of movement are enough for me. I used to go to karate, and it was amusing watching some of the more muscle bound men trying to do yoga stretches - the sheer bulk of muscle sometimes meant they couldn't stretch properly!

 

I do yoga, and am one of those bigger guys that has trouble stretching.:excited: But don't be afraid to lift heavier, it won't necessarily mean you'll get bulky and it'll give you some nice tone. Just exercise intelligently.

Eggplant is a good vegetable source for protein. Guava and avocado are also high protein fruits if you can find them. Just remember, moderation/balance makes the best nutritional plan in most cases.

 

Bacon doesn´t have carbs

well veggies and stuff have carbs too! Its not totally no carbs and the one I wanna do has some carbs...I dunno I just wanna try it! I know its not so good for the long run but I am just curious!