How I lost weight the easy way

[John O.]

I second that.

The most effective dietary changes are ones that are subtle and moderate enough for you to maintain over a long period of time. Most people (18+) aren't going to lose weight quickly, and if you remember the old Jim Carrey skit you can get an idea of why - your body's not meant to lose/gain weight quickly; 17 yr old wrestlers and 22 yr old professional boxers don't count.

Best way to get healthier and happier about your fitness level is to make some basic changes you can succeed at integrating into your daily life and that will make you more confident to tackle tougher challenges. For some it might start with getting rid of soda, cutting back on the red meat, cooking oil or fast food (FAST FOOD IS EVIL!). For many, it culminates in big challenges like quitting smoking or drinking, almost doing away entirely with sweets or (for me it would be doing away with red meat).

Overnight changes are overrated and unrealistic. Nobody can go from a non-fitness oriented lifetsyle to running every day. First of all, you'll get hurt. Second of all, before you get hurt you'll be sore and achey every day and think "wow this is what it takes? forget this." But in reality it's not - a carefully integrated workout that you don't rush into isn't going to be hell forever - only at first.

These days the whole process is being streamlined by a lot of gyms. They have intro trial programs for personal trainers and diet plans for like a week or so. One of the most compelling reasons to get a personal trainer is that only somebody else is going to be objective enough to keep you on track. When it comes to setting and achieving our own goals, most people just by virtue of human nature are going to either set goals that are too hard or too easy and this makes taking on a 'solo program' incredibly difficult for someone who doesn't have an athletic background.

The hardest thing about going to a gym is going the first time and the second time; I was intimidated for MONTHS before I finally walked into one. The first time you go, you feel like a sore sack of jello afterwards - and usually looking around your pride hurts as much as your muscles. But everybody starts there - everybody.

Join a gym, get a personal trainer, be honest and up front about your goals, your time constraints, and how you feel about diet changes, and you'll be happier in the long run. I have never, ever heard a person say they regretted trying to tackle a healthier lifestyle. For a lot of people, exercise and healthy eating isn't about punishing yourself and depriving yourself - it's about doing something so that you don't feel guilty when you indulge, it's about adding an activity to your day that allows you to guiltlessly enjoy a cupcake or a chocolate bar. One of the common misconceptions about fitness and healthy eating is that it's this sadomasochistic lifestyle of self-restriction; in fact it's really just about finding a way to enjoy the things you love without it killing you

*I'm 26, 5'7, 145 - weightlifting & basketball in HS, went through Marine Corps training and I'm currently on a powerlifting kick. Bench 220, Leg Press 650, Deadlift 250, Clean & Snatch 125. Crossfit, P90X, Insanity vet.

 

[Maestro]

As I reflect on my life, my difficulties with weight, I have come to several conclusions:
1.) I'm not a very disciplined person. I have always relied on my intellect to think me out of situations, and I've often been successful. What does this have to do with weight loss or fitness? Absolutely nothing. And that's the point -- I can't out think fitness.
2.) Fitness is a lifestyle. It's biking and walking somewhere whenever you can instead of getting in your car. It's having a helping of fruit instead of a second helping of pasta. It's putting your TV in your basement so you at least have to do the stairs to watch it. It's remembering to water you flowers every day. It's taking a walk when you're stressed. It's not sitting on your ass all day at work, even if your work seems to require it. It's not just "well, I'll go to the gym for an hour three days a week." It's all of these things put together.
3.) Open your mouth to a world of food. I love a good steak, beef or tuna. I love tilapia. I love fruit. Eat good things in good variety.
4.) Once you graduate from college, you probably shouldn't eat like a teenager. Savor your first helping so that you don't need to eat a second.

I'm still a fatty. I need to listen to my own advice. Where's my bike and an apple?

 

[Gil T.Azell]

There is a smart ass comment lurking here , but I'll pass on posting it.
Congrats on doing what a lot of us want to do.

 

[Maestro]

OK, 8 days after my whining post above, and I've learned these things... I'm right on all counts above. I've also learned that the more active you are the more energy you have to be active.

We got me a new Schwinn over Memorial Day. In the almost two weeks since, I've pedaled 2 miles a day for 7/11 days. My daughter convinced my wife to take summer karate (my 5 year old is just completing the little kiddie sequence this summer, so she's been in for almost three years). My wife nagged at me, my daughter nagged at me, and I could barely roll out of bed this morning after last night's class.

We've got a good garden growing this summer, and we've finally realized that it's a ton of work.

I'm sore, I hurt, but I want to get the hell off the internet and haul a bag of soil, or get my bike back out, or hit the pool. I've been pushing my self for two weeks and I've got energy to burn all of the sudden.

 

[Pingfah]

The easy way is to snort a line of speed every day.

Of course, that's also the easy way to be constantly ill, suffer from rampant paranoia and lose your job.

 

[Deckerd]

For ladies out there trying to lose weight I recommend the Deckerd method of keeping a check on your progress: throw away your bathroom scales and go by clothing size. If you go down a size, you're winning. If you stay the same size, you need to do a bit more. Easy peasy.

 

[RoJoHen]

I've also learned that the more active you are the more energy you have to be active.

It's such a pain in the ass, right?

This is why it's so hard to get started exercising, but it's a lot easier to keep going once you've been doing it for a while. Eventually you get to a point where you have so much energy that you have to force yourself to take days off.

 

[Maestro]

I doubt I will get to that point. However, I am running out of laundry to wash, yard to mow, weeds to pull, and chores to do. That said, I wish the fucking sun would come out so I could go to the pool!

 

[Gavn]

These didn't work for me:

Diet - boring, cut out too many good things that make life worth living.

What worked:

Moderation - eat/drink same as always, just lot less. Last meal early evening (nothing later).

Not to be a troll but isn't "eating less" the same as going on a diet? I mean, wasn't the original diet just a simple caloric restriction?

The exercise probably didn't help you much in losing weight. Here's an introductory article into the subject. They seem to be finding more and more that diet, more so than exercise, is responsible for weight loss.

Exercise is good for the benefits on the cardiovascular system, the lungs, the internal organs, blood pressure, but as far as weight loss the benefits are marginal. I used to run 5 miles at a time, do dozens up pushups/situps, lift heavy, etc, and it didn't affect my weight loss much. I went on a cyclical caloric restriction/carb modification diet and I'm shedding excess fat like a snake sheds it's skin. Even exercising less due to MTSS.

Further reading:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/19/exercise-dieting-public-health

 

[Kenneth]

We should't skip time of food, some people skip dinner and some drop launch that is most dangerous for our health.We should decrease the quantity of food in spite of skipping dinner or launch. just do exercise to lose the weight.