Best way to loose weight/fat and get healthy

[JamesCaruso]

so the majority of my life I’ve been fairly fit, average height, weight, but I love junk food and soda. I’m 5’7 and weight 125 lbs which isn’t overweight, but I’m definitely not as healthy or as fit as I’d like to be. Any advice? Do you eat healthy (lean meat, veggies, fruits, shakes) and work out regularly? Thanks

Someone once told me that if I wanted to lose 20 pounds of ugly fat that I should cut off my head.

While that would wrok, I would not recommend it. I have tried everything. Right now I am using Medifast, a high protein diet recommended by many doctors. I lost 58 pounds, then turned around and put 32 back on. It seems that no matter what diet I try, I end up getting so starved for the foods that I gave up, that at some point my discipline breaks down and I begin to eat the things that make me gain weight. I am struggling now to reverse the process again.

 

[CradleJourney]

I’m currently obese and unlike some others, it’s never been a huge issue for me (I never LIKED it - but other stuff was more important). But recently that changed because my focus has changed.

You see, now I’m really getting excited about adventure racing - I did a Dirty Girl Mud Run last year and had a blast but was frustrated with the difficulties I encountered because of my weight and lack of conditioning. So I set a goal for doing a half-marathon this year - which I trained harder for than the mud run, however, I was only able to make it 5 miles in. That was 8 days ago and every day since I’ve been recording my eating on myfitnesspal.com. (A HUGE change for me!) And each day, in addition to my physical workout, I’m also working on gradually tweeking my “normal” (aka unhealthy) diet to better match my healthy eating goals. My biggest shock was how much sugar I was eating - and the fact that I really wasn’t getting enough protein or carbs. That site’s program really helped me start to see what’s wrong and start moving it towards what’s right.

My goal is to re-enter and this time finish the half-marathon next year as well as do a Spartan race.

My point is that I could/would never have had the motivation or discipline to change my eating, do my training and modify my bad habits, if I didn’t have something more important to me as a goal. Sure, I’ll love it if I can get into a smaller size and I definitely want to live longer - but it’s the idea of finishing that race and taking on challenges that excites me.

So my suggestion is to find something you LOVE - dancing, tennis, biking, hockey or whatever - then once you do, start doing it! Even if you do it badly!
Doing it starts getting you exercising, wanting to do it better will motivate you to make all kinds of healthy changes (I go to sleep earlier, I’ve given up soda, I shudder measure portions). It’s crazy but I get so excited thinking about completing my racing goals (then finding new ones) that I’ll do what it takes (and enjoy the bonus benefits as they come!).

 

[Aggies08]

We don’t buy any drinks (just milk for DH/kids), cookies/crackers/chips/candy. Snacks are fruit, yogurt, or veggies.

If we get those things, it is usually a special occasion- a family party or something. Our moderation is that we get these things are parties or outings we go to. We just don’t keep them in the house. If I really need a cookie, I’ll make some!

Dinner is never a pre-made meal; many things can be frozen or prepared beforehand if you only have 20m before meal time to prepare! You can cook and freeze ground beef (plop it into a sauce frozen, or the fridge in the morning), cut up fruit or veggies days before or the morning before (depending on item), etc.

Much of it has to do with sitting down for an hour each Saturday and making a basic meal plan. I like to have 6-7 dinners on a list I know we can make the following week; the morning of I will decide which we have that evening, and do any necessary prep. I can look ahead and decide we want taco’s tomorrow, and go ahead and cut up my peppers and tomatoes tonight, if what we are having doesn’t need my full 30m (it’s in the oven, or simmering, or whatever). Look ahead- if I’m making tacos, make 2x the meat, and freeze the rest- then it just needs to thaw to eat! etc.

We keep a strict grocery budget- If I have $40 (2 adults, 3 kids) for the week, I take that to the store. It’s hard to impulse shop without a debit card on you!

Eating healthily isn’t bad at any weight.

In order to become more healthy, you do need to get some excersize in. Find something you find exciting, fun, motivational, a good wind-down, whatever- just something you WANT to do each day! Perhaps walking the dog is a nice relaxer for you each evening, or joining a team sport, or swimming, etc. If you hired a trainer, or joined a group, would the accountability help you to show up and get your exersize in?

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

While that would wrok, I would not recommend it. I have tried everything. Right now I am using Medifast, a high protein diet recommended by many doctors. I lost 58 pounds, then turned around and put 32 back on. It seems that no matter what diet I try, I end up getting so starved for the foods that I gave up, that at some point my discipline breaks down and I begin to eat the things that make me gain weight. I am struggling now to reverse the process again.

There is an adjustment period when going from one type of diet to another. It happens to me around the holidays. I might pig out for a few days, then go back to my usual eating pattern. It takes 3-4 days to readjust, and I’m usually very hungry during that period.

It’s also important to get on a healthy eating pattern. Simply blasting off some pounds by calorie restriction will only last so long; you’ll put the weight right back on if you go back to your old eating patterns.

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

I’m currently obese and unlike some others, it’s never been a huge issue for me (I never LIKED it - but other stuff was more important). But recently that changed because my focus has changed.

FWIW, obesity eventually catches up with people. When people are young, their bodies can take the abuse. Once people get into their mid-40s or so (sometimes earlier), major health problems can kick in…heart attacks, joint damage, diabetes, kidney failure, etc. This isn’t something I’ve read either; it’s what’s happening to all my peers that never took care of themselves. I can’t even invite many of my peers to my martial arts class, because their health is so bad that it’s dangerous for them to work out at that intense level.

I recommend taking care of obesity at as early and age as possible, before damage is done.

 

[LilyM]

Sounds like substituting healthier and more nutritious food for at least some of what you currently eat and drink would be enough. I don’t know how much you exercise, but start doing some if you don’t currently. The times I’ve been and felt most healthy have always been when I was getting some exercise.

The key is do it gradually. Aim to improve your diet (and exercise if necessary) week by week, rather than trying to go cold turkey.

Also think about why you eat junk - is it convenience? Boredom? Stress? To give you energy? And make a plan to deal with it - find some quick and healthy food options, or non-food ways to cope with the other issues.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

It’s always good to eat healthy, but at 5’7, 125, you shouldn’t be losing much weight!

[As an aside, for the love of Pete, people,** it’s “lose” not “loose.” Seriously, enough is enough. Lose is the opposite of win. Loose is the opposite of tight. Loose rhymes with several words that also have 2 o’s: goose, noose, caboose, moose and so on.]

 

[CradleJourney]

FWIW, obesity eventually catches up with people. When people are young, their bodies can take the abuse. Once people get into their mid-40s or so (sometimes earlier), major health problems can kick in…heart attacks, joint damage, diabetes, kidney failure, etc. This isn’t something I’ve read either; it’s what’s happening to all my peers that never took care of themselves. I can’t even invite many of my peers to my martial arts class, because their health is so bad that it’s dangerous for them to work out at that intense level.

I recommend taking care of obesity at as early and age as possible, before damage is done.

I totally agree that avoiding obesity from the beginning or correcting it as early as possible is for the best! I wish I had been raised eating a healthy diet (I wasn’t), learned to cope with emotions in ways other than food (I didn’t), and had the money, knowledge and willpower to have made different choices - but life doesn’t always work out that way
My comment was intended to indicate that I have never been someone obsessed with a number on a scale, emotionally devastated because of a dress size, or freaked out and obsessed with the latest diet craze

I am simply stating my own personal mindset that got me to where I am and how I’m now on my way to becoming healthy.

For me, telling me to eat healthy to avoid disease is like telling a smoker to quit to avoid lung cancer. Fear of the consequences would only motivate me a very short time - but a desire to accomplish something (like running 13.1 miles) has and will motivate me for a long time. It’s a concrete thing I want, I can measure my progress on, I can get excited about. I knew when I tried to do the race this year, that I would not be successful in finishing - I’m just not capable of that yet. But I won by starting, and I won by every mile I was able to complete (and trust me grin I counted everyone past Mile 1 as a complete victory!)

It’s interesting you mention martial arts - as a former black belt in TKD, I’m sure your friends, if they are interested, could take beginner classes with instruction tailored to their level of fitness.

I agree someone severely out of shape can’t jump in to intense exercise without risk - but isn’t it better for someone to find a way to start working towards what they want to become? I know if I waited till I was “fit” enough to compete in races, then I’d never get there. Instead I go, do what I can safely, train in-between, and get better with every attempt Just like when I started martial arts and couldn’t even touch my toes but gradually worked up to black belt level before moving on to a different stage in my life. (Oh my - that brings back memories LOL after all that was 5 children, 24 years, 75lbs, and a torn ACL ago.)

CJ

 

[dixieagle]

My husband and I have been visiting a registered dietician to build on what we already know about eating healthy (which we’ve done for years.) She recommends a good balance of protein/carbs/healthy fats, smaller portions, and healthy snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon to avoid serious hunger pangs that lead to overeating later.

She also recommends using as few prepared foods as possible, due to the excess sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats. (About 80% of the sodium in our diets comes from prepared food!) Adding a healthy fat to a whole grain carb (whole grain toast with a tablespoon of healthy peanut butter, for example) prevents you from getting too hungry too quickly. Go heavy on the veggies and fruit, eat lean proteins and only whole grains. Don’t cut out carbs, as that’s your fuel, pay attention to the type of fats, and exercise for at least 30 minutes most days.

 

[dixieagle]

It’s always good to eat healthy, but at 5’7, 125, you shouldn’t be losing much weight!

[As an aside, for the love of Pete, people,** it’s “lose” not “loose.”

Seriously, enough is enough. Lose is the opposite of win. Loose is the opposite of tight. Loose rhymes with several words that also have 2 o’s: goose, noose, caboose, moose and so on.]

That is one of my pet peeves, as well, as an English major, and seems a very common mistake.

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

It’s interesting you mention martial arts - as a former black belt in TKD, I’m sure your friends, if they are interested, could take beginner classes with instruction tailored to their level of fitness.

The people that I’m referring to are beyond that. IMHO, they’d have to start off with diet adjustment and walking, then maybe onto tai chi or yoga.

BTW, I just found out last night that yet another one of my peers that never took care of himself physically passed away. He was 47.

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

She also recommends using as few prepared foods as possible, due to the excess sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats. (About 80% of the sodium in our diets comes from prepared food!).

Salt is a big-time flavor enhancer. Just a little bit can turn a bland meal into a tasting like something made by a chef. That’s why it’s put into everything.

Adding a healthy fat to a whole grain carb (whole grain toast with a tablespoon of healthy peanut butter, for example) prevents you from getting too hungry too quickly. Go heavy on the veggies and fruit, eat lean proteins and only whole grains. Don’t cut out carbs, as that’s your fuel, pay attention to the type of fats, and exercise for at least 30 minutes most days.

Some people freak out about carbs. There’s nothing wrong with carbs, and they’re essential to ones diet. It the processed carbs, which are stripped of their fiber and other nutrients. that are the issue.

 

[ThyKingdomCome]

I am on a medically supervised diet, probably similar to the “medifast” one that a prev. poster mentioned. One reason why exercise is not always possible is that many obese people have joint problems that prohibit them from doing many forms of exercise. For example, my son just started Tae Kwon Do a few months ago (shortly before I started my diet), and I noticed immediately, that my knees would not be able to withstand the twisting motion that is required to do a roundhouse kick, nor would I be able to sit on the ground for stretches at the beginning of class - because getting up off of the ground would require me to kneel. I am hopeful that my weight loss will reverse much of this problem. But just like sticking to a healthful diet is very difficult to do long term, so is exercise. Some folks will find physical activity easier, and others will find dieting easier. I am definitely one for whom exercise is much more difficult (even without my physical limitations).

It is also my opinion that most people who become obese have reasons beyond the obvious for becoming obese. Certainly there can be medical factors, but there are also emotional or psychological factors, of varying degrees. I believe that one of the reasons maintaining weight loss is so difficult (the percentag of people who regain the weight is really high) is that with our diets, we don’t often discover, and address the root cause of the weight gain. What are the emotional triggers that cause us to eat when we shouldn’t, or to not stop eating when we should, or to gravitate towards the wrong foods? Some people have learned bad ways of coping with normal levels of stress and negative emotions, and other people have used food to cope with terrible amounts of emotional pain or psychological stress that they experienced as children. Unless the many of us who use food to cope with our issues really recognize and address the issues, we are likely to turn to food to cope with them again when our motivation to stick to our healthful habits has waned. Being a part of my medically supervised program, which includes weekly group meetings that help to get you thinking about the emotional side of your eating, is very helpful, but also can be expensive. But it’s not all that expensive to google “emotional eating” or to buy a book about weight loss and emotions, or to journal about what you are feeling while you are eating. Probably nothing would take the place for many folks for having one on one conversations with a counselor who is trained to help them sort out their emotions. But considering that is unrealistic for many of us, we have to do what we can.

 

[CradleJourney]

The people that I’m referring to are beyond that. IMHO, they’d have to start off with diet adjustment and walking, then maybe onto tai chi or yoga.

BTW, I just found out last night that yet another one of my peers that never took care of himself physically passed away. He was 47.

I’m sorry for your loss.

When it comes to participation, perhaps we need to agree to disagree. I’ve had classes where some people simply had to sit on a stool and practice punches and backfists from there. Others could stand and do front stance kicks only (no pivots). Some did get discouraged and dropped out. But others got motivated and gradually got healthier and were able to do more. I use to say I’d do this or do that if I ever loss X pounds. Needless to say, it never happened. However, once I started doing them, it really opened my eyes, and enables me to make healthy choices I’d never have made otherwise (like only eating one third of my steak dinner last night) and without feeling a bit deprived or resentful. Different things work for different people.

 

[LaughingBoy1503]

When I was 300 plus pounds as a teenager, there was a lot I could not do. But even someone really obese can lift weights and do a really good job at it. So that is what I did. I lifted weights religiously. I was very reluctant to start jogging because I knew I could not even jog a quarter of a mile. I waited until I lost a lot of weight through diet and weight lifting and then decided to start jogging. I was still probably somewhere between 250 and 270 lbs. I could only jog half a mile if I really pushed myself and I felt like I was going to die afterward. Then I walked until I caught my breath (probably about another half a mile later) and jogged another quarter mile. Then I walked until I caught my breath again and so on. By the time I had lost about 80 lbs I was probably able to do and keep up with any sport I would have wanted to further stay healthy. You need to start somewhere and work your way up when you are so overweight. Also you cannot wait until you feel you “have the energy” to start working out. I have heard people say “I wish I had the energy to work out” Well you need to start whether you have the energy or not. Your energy will increase only after you start to do something.

 

[JamesCaruso]

That is one of my pet peeves, as well, as an English major, and seems a very common mistake.

I hope this is no roose. It’s important, two, that a person choose there food very good, in odor that they prodoose no bad side affects. I am a vegetablarian, and I drink a lot of cous cous juice to make me feel spruce. It trooly works!

 

[NSFrame]

I’m not even sure why this thread is being entertained. OP is 5’7" and 125 and needs to lose weight? Does not compute.

 

[Caroline723]

Rather than dieting, it’s so much better and easier to find a food “lifestyle” plan that work for you and your metabolism.

I really like the “breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, supper like a pauper” plan. The earlier in the day you consume calories, the more likely you are to burn them off. If you eat too little during the day, you are more likely to consume loads at night, which is the worst time to eat. The #1 diet tip I could offer is to eat a big breakfast and avoid after-dinner snacks.

 

[bmaj]

It doesn’t sound like you need to lose weight at 5’ 7" and 125 lbs., but eating healthy is very important for all of us, no matter what our weight or age! It can help prevent so many things like diabetes and heart disease as well as give your self-esteem a great boost when you see you’re maintaining a healthy weight and physical condition!
If you like soda, try a glass of water with just 1/4 cup or less of soda to flavor it. You’ll be amazed how you’ll love the extra zip it gives the water, and it’s so much better for you! I do the same with juices. You could also try Special K snack chips - low in calories and sooo delicious. Also reducing salt and fried foods everywhere and anywhere you can is terrific - for the blood pressure and the weight.
As others above have said, eating a healthy good-sized breakfast and lunch and a small dinner can really help, too. Also much better for sleeping.
Wonderful brisk walks and hikes enjoying nature don’t seem like exercise at all, but they really are, and they burn up the calories, too.
Best of luck at staying healthy and fit!