Anyone attempt large amount of weight loss?

[rob_s]

You're right about the sodas. People don't realize just how bad they are.

Start drinking nothing but water and you'll see some results just from that.

Remember that your body is a machine. You need to eat to your level of activity. You can be sedentary and not be fat, if you tailor your diet to your activity level.

Check out The Zone, best nutrition plan I've seen, and Body for Life if you get into combining it with a workout program.

[ST911]

I lost 80 pounds a few years ago using Atkins. A friend did about 50lbs doing South Beach, and another did about the same using Weight Watchers. We've all kept it off to date with minor seasonal fluctuations (+/-10lbs).

Whatever program or method you choose, their cores are fundamentally the same: Eliminate or limit junk foods. Moderation in all others. Exercise.

Involve your doctor early in the process. If you're looking at losing a lot of weight, which it looks like you are, you'll want him to baseline you at the start and monitor you throughout.

I would NOT recommend cutting back to 1200-1500 calories a day. Though it seems odd, you need to eat to lose weight to keep your metabolism in gear, and to promote healthy eating habits that will endure. Crash dieting with drastically reduced calories (and cals are not the only important variable) will require an equally drastic shift when you near the finish line.

It's also important that you satisfy the occasional craving. Eat a piece of cake when you want, but make it small and make it infrequent.

As you diet, log everything you eat. I created spreadsheets with caloric and carbohydrate contents so I knew where I was every day. I also had the nutritional guides for most of what I ate, and places I ate, downloaded on my PDA.

Different personality types will have more success with some methods than others. You'll find that most folks that had significant losses, and kept them off, used more structured programs and comparatively more discipline throughout.

Good luck.

[Gutshot John]

Another suggestion is to stop thinking of it as a "diet".

You need to make it a lifestyle change which is why you have to experiment and find foods that are not only healthy, but you enjoy eating. It won't work if you feel like you're depriving yourself.

Formal diets are usually a sure-fire way to yo-yo. Atkins is not something I'd recommend as it can lead to health problems in some people. The South Beach cookbook has some great recipes to use however, but it stresses that you can't just go on and off. South Beach is more about changing how you eat instead of dieting. It's high protein and low (not no) carb with lots and lots of veg.

You mentioned chicken salad...

Grilled Chicken Salad:

- Brush a chicken breast with your favorite fat-based dressing (ranch) as it will keep the breast moist.
- 5 minutes a side on your grill (or broiler if you have one) then cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Slice it up and over your favorite salad.

This is a great meal to cook if you don't have a lot of time. It's way easy.

[Failure2Stop]

A few years ago I discovered that I had acquired a large sum of fat that was slowing me down and holding me back. Diet and exercise seemed to get no result, no matter how much I pushed.

So I divorced her .
All better now.

[rob_s]

Another suggestion is to stop thinking of it as a "diet".

You need to make it a lifestyle change which is why you have to experiment and find foods that are not only healthy, but you enjoy eating. It won't work if you feel like you're depriving yourself.

Formal diets are usually a sure-fire way to yo-yo.

This is why I like the Zone. It's a nutrition plan, not a "diet". You calculate your needed intake based on weight, activity level, etc. and then eat in the amounts and proportions the plan tells you to. Become more sedentary? Recalculate and reduce intake. Become more active? Recalculate and increase intake.

[Gutshot John]

This is why I like the Zone. It's a nutrition plan, not a "diet". You calculate your needed intake based on weight, activity level, etc. and then eat in the amounts and proportions the plan tells you to. Become more sedentary? Recalculate and reduce intake. Become more active? Recalculate and increase intake.

I've only heard of the zone and didn't check it out until you mentioned it. Some of those recipes look very good just from a taste perspective and should be quite healthy. With the exception of protein powders/energy bars I'm skeptical of pre-packaged meals as it's mostly marketing and invariably taste like MREs.

I will say that I don't think anyone needs to buy their official "organic olive oil" in this economy. The generic kind you get at your local store is almost the exact same. Extra virgin for salad dressings/marinades. Use the regular/cheaper/clearer kind for cooking.

[rob_s]

Yeah, I wouldn't buy official anything.

Even when we did Body for Life, we got off the EAS products with the quickness and stuck to either real food or cheaper alternatives that gave us the same nutrition.

[Magsz]

Gutshot john hit the nail right on the head.

You cannot diet and win. If you go on a "diet" as a temporary means to lose weight you will be right back on that "diet" in a year or two.

The key to losing weight is to change your lifestyle for the better. Increase your activity level, cut out sugars en masse and stop drinking soda.

Input must=output.

I lost over 100 pounds several years ago after deciding that i wanted to do more than just sit around and stare at a computer screen. It was hard, really hard. It took a hell of a lot of effort on my part and its something that i struggle with every day.

Both of my parents are overweight and lead sedentary lifestyles. My mother eats as healthy as can be, my father...yeah, hes a junkfoodaholic. Ive learned from their mistakes and i do everything in my power to apply that knowledge to my daily life.

Here are some pointers i can give you.

1. Try not to count calories. This will drive you INSANE for the rest of your life unless you are extremely self disciplined, ie monkish kind of levels of self restraint. What i would do when you are just starting out is to make a food log. See what you're eating on a daily basis before making any changes and count the calories. See which foods are taking up a HUGE chunk of your caloric intake and get rid of them or reduce the amount that you are eating. Make a conscious decision to look at the amount of food that is contributing so many calories to your diet and say to yourself "ok, i must eat less or this or do away with it". After you've mapped out what you need to change see #2 on my list.

2. Eat sensibly. I find that you can eat as much of what you want (within reason) so long as you're eating the right foods. Cottage cheese, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, natural yogurt, skim milk, etc, etc. Also, reducing your caloric intake to 1200-1500 is way too little for an active man, WAY too little. You're going to end up burning muscle mass and you're going to find it very hard to do anything strenuous, ie lift weights without proper nutrition.

3. Treat yourself in moderation. A slice of pizza is good for you, its got a ton of protein, good fats and enough carbs to supply you with energy. Three slices of pizza=bad!

4. Try not to do more than 30 minutes of cardio exercise every day. After 30 minutes you start to burn muscle instead of fat.

5. LIFT WEIGHTS. I cannot stress this enough. Muscle burns more calories and eats fat like oprah at a cookie festival. When i dont have access to weights i literally throw some dumbells into my eagle AIII assault pack and go walk/jog around the neighorhood. Its hell on the shoulders but with enough padding its quite strenuous and not terribly uncomfortable.

6. Make these changes as permanent additions to your life. Diets do not work, you will lose the weight and then gain it back when you go back to your old life style.

I am dealing with this now. I work for myself and my activity level has decreased exponentially, ive put on 20 pounds although thankfully ive retained the muscle that i had gained while lifting weights so i dont feel too out of shape. Its a struggle and its going to be a struggle for your entire life. Just know that it is 100% worth it to ensure that you are doing everything on your part to maintain your health.

As cheesy as it sounds, every time you walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded it is a small victory. Every time you go urban prone or pull off that shot from around cover due to core strength it is a victory. If you are more than just a recreational shooter and your life may depend on your firearm staying in tip top shape could do more than just make you feel confident. It could save your life in more ways than one.

Go out there and do it, you will feel better and your quality of life will be vastly improved.

[zippygaloo]

1. Stop drinking sugar soda.
2. Drink coffee.
3. Don't eat at night.
4. Eat smaller portions or not at all.
5. Buy yourself an elliptical.
6. In general, move a lot.

[bkb0000]

i took a great class in college that was half lecture half lab.. one day we'd learn about health and fitness in a classroom, the next we'd put it into action in the gym. learned a ton, and watched a lot of disgusting fatbodies lean up.

you might check with your local community college and see if they have something like this available.