Can anyone suggest any proven ways for weight loss?????

[mimitabby]

simple:-)
calories in has to be less then calories out.
So write down everything you eat and add up your calories. Then figure out what you are expending.

If you have a defecit, then you are set:-)

in other words, put down the food.

no, no, in other words, GET ON THAT BIKE!

[ehirsch83]

no, no, in other words, GET ON THAT BIKE!

Very true Mimi:-)
I do now a few people down here though(men and women) who ride a bunch, but they eat horrendously(sp??) and they could use to alter the food.

Main thing is, portion control. Everything in moderation!(except no fried food, preservatives,no fast food, cream based, etc. stick to shopping around the edges of the grocery, only go in for things like pasta,rice, whole grain cereal and oatmeal). I get told I must have no fun with how I eat, but I love it- if I eat junk food I feel sick to my stomach.

[lph]

Well, I shouldn't be knocking something I've never tried, but it strikes me whenever I hear about it - how does anyone have time for calorie-counting??? I think if I had to do that to lose weight I'd just think ah, to heck with it, I have other things to do! Or isn't it as time-consuming as I think?

I'm more in the ride-a-lot and eat-all-you-need camp, as long as your fridge is stocked with only healthy stuff, that is. But then, the idea of getting hungry and carefully dosing food terrifies me a little. I'd much rather just RIDE MORE!

[latelatebloomer]

My weight loss stalled in the past year or so, so I asked my trainer to look at my food intake every week. Writing it down and turning it in to a very disciplined, high-level athlete has helped a great deal. I thought I ate plenty of veggies until I started the journal - and over a few month's time, we have really shifted my eating habits, with great results. One thing I'm in the middle of achieving is an early-evening cut-off time, and getting used to going to bed with some hunger. I don't get on a scale, but I'm getting great comments everywhere I go on changes in my appearance, and it's really showing up in my riding.

It was so easy to feel that since I had done a good ride or spin, I could eat what I wanted as long as it was on the healthy side. Or have a couple drinks. But if I want my weight to go down, i have very little wiggle room.

Can you find someone to do this for you?

By the way, though I had weight issues my whole life, no doctor every checked my thyroid 'til I started with a holistic clinic about the same time i started with my trainer. I'm now on a high dose of thyroid supplement. The old docs made assumptions that contributed to years of struggle.

The "new doc" also said, as we embarked on making me healthier and leaner (I was about 300 lbs) - "don't focus on how you look, you won't lose weight fast enough and you'll get discouraged. Focus on how you feel." My trainer said almost the exact same thing. It was a concept that helped me stick to slow, steady change that has accumulated over years into lasting change.

Feel free to pm me with any questions you have, or if you need a little support. You just need to find the right path for your body and your head/spirit!

[Trek420]

The "new doc" also said, as we embarked on making me healthier and leaner (I was about 300 lbs) - "don't focus on how you look, you won't lose weight fast enough and you'll get discouraged. Focus on how you feel." My trainer said almost the exact same thing. It was a concept that helped me stick to slow, steady change that has accumulated over years into lasting change.

I like your doc

+1 to lph, how anyone has time to work, eat, sleep, ride and count calories I don't know. Yes there are programs, online tools and gizmos galore. I barely have time to log miles into bikejournal, I can't be logging food.

I think it's a good when you begin on the path to healthy food. Often we're unaware of how much of what we eat. I could see it for a while to gain that awareness but all the time I'd couldn't post to TE uh, Trek, that's our point, go log your food

Instead I focus on performance, how I feel on bike or in the dojo, how my clothes fit. I've dropped a lot of jeans sizes and weigh the same. Go figure. This week I am not feeling good, I feel weak and a little "off". Rather than wait for a planned rest week, I'm doing it now.

My system if I have one is to eat food that's made from food. I don't have a sweet tooth, I have a dairy tooth. Cheese, butter, sour cream are my downfall. I'd never make it as a vegan Who here said to "eat from the edges of the store"? That's smrt think produce aisle not freezer first.

With the remodel and no kitchen it's hard to cook but I try to fit vegies and fruits in and always read labels. If you need a chemistry degree - don't buy it. If the first ingredients are HFCS don't eat it.

A coworker who is really morbidly obese was talking with a group of us after a training. "If I go on a diet what will I drink??" she said holding a liter of Sprite. I felt like saying "lay off the soda, will ya'?" Other than a rare root beer I don't drink pop. If I want something cold and caffeinated there's iced coffee, unsweetened iced tea are fine. And water? How about water?

Most stuff you see advertised on TV I figure all their budget went to the ad not my nutrition.

Yes, I admit a weakness for cheese crunchies even the TJ's brand and Ruffles chips but I try to eat fresh and local.

I'm off to the farm market right now!

[ehirsch83]

I guess if you eat simple foods, like I tend to, logging calories is not to hard.

For example

english muffin-160 calories
sandwich with chicken, basil, olive oil and balsamic and tomato- we will say roughly 450
luna bar-180
propel-25

umm that is it for today so far. might have a snack and then dinner.(I also only did a 30 minute recovery ride on the trainer this morning and then 3 or so miles of commuting so far, will probably put in another 30 minutes tonight, but super easy heart rate around 100) so this is food for an off day.

I tend to eat simple but healthy, I eat a ton of eggs, brown rice, whole wheat pasta and protein(chicken, pork chops, and red meat). I don't use fat based substances except for olive oil, oh and I rarely eat out I have a thing about knowing what I am eating.
I find it is actually quite simple to keep track of food, I don't even write it down anymore- I usually find myself adding it up in my head at some point during the day.



but...... I have a weird obsession with numbers!! and things for me have to be even, so I am probably an extremist and not one to follow, just take ideas from :-) I get kind of obsessive with my food at times and even though I think it is normal, especially the lack of junk food, alcohol, and anything with artificial sweetner in it, most people tell me I live a very boring life because of it and they don't understand how I deal- for me, splurging is eating all natural peanut butter with a spoon out of the jar.

So please don't think I am being harsh or anything else, I know what I am saying is not realistic to most people, I hope it just gives you some ideas.

[cyclinggrlUT]

Losing weight can be hard, especially if you are trying to! But I think sometimes we need to remind ourselves that everyone's body is different.

Everywhere we look there are pictures of stick thin people and then we think to ourselves, we have to look like that to be healthy. In reality as long as you are eating healthy, working out, and going to your Dr to make sure everything is ok that is all that really matters. I know the more I stress about food, the more I eat! I have come to the conclusion I will never be a size zero like I was in high school, but I know that I am in the BEST shape of my life. I work out regularly and I love riding my bike! And although I am not perfect at eating healthy 100% of the time at least I try! And I'm happy with who I am.

As for losing weight, it takes time, a lot of time and its hard to see how it is all going to work in the long run. So just make a goal of a few pounds a week, and if you dont make it just keep trying. Never give up!

[Duck on Wheels]

Well, I shouldn't be knocking something I've never tried, but it strikes me whenever I hear about it - how does anyone have time for calorie-counting??? I think if I had to do that to lose weight I'd just think ah, to heck with it, I have other things to do! Or isn't it as time-consuming as I think?

I'm more in the ride-a-lot and eat-all-you-need camp, as long as your fridge is stocked with only healthy stuff, that is. But then, the idea of getting hungry and carefully dosing food terrifies me a little. I'd much rather just RIDE MORE!

Yeah, but you are one lean, mean biking machine, L. I've seen you on your commuterbike. As for counting calories taking time ... well, it does to begin with if you really go for accuracy, but you quickly get a ballpark feel for it. If you're struggling to lose weight, it can be a good idea to track your eating and exercize carefully for a week or two, just to be sure you're not kidding yourself about how little you eat or how much you work out. Once you've gotten honest about your habits and learned what they count for in calories, it's probably easy to work out how what changes to make to lose weight yet still have enough energy for your activity level.

[Ciao]

Agree with everyone so far....

Here's what I've learned about my body that may resonate (find out the quirks of your body):

1 - Not all carbs or fats are processed the same in my body. I can eat pasta daily with no weight gain - but 1 meal with bread or rice and I'm instantly up. All cheeses are fine, even the gooey double brie's - but 1% milk is not. Go figure.
2 - Forget the processed or packaged foods.The foods my grandparents would prepare are all fair game - a purely Mediterranean diet. And it's better to purchase small amounts more frequently so that things are fresh and taste better.
3 - Morning vs. Night - A sweet pastry in the morning with my caffe latte is fine. Forget having a sweet at night. My stomach is a natural night owl... but a bowl of healthy cereal and I'm up in weight, a hard boiled egg and I'm down in weight.

When I get in a rut cooking wise, which can lead to disaster and eating the wrong things, I open up a Mediterranean cookbook, the South Beach cookbook or get online to give me some ideas.

Good luck to you!!! -- and to all of us trying to lose those pesky pounds!

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Like other people said, make the big difference between what you eat and what you burn. It's not a real big mystery but it's hard to put to practice. I have been counting calories for years, and it is a pain in the butt. But then I realized, I was cheating alot and miscounting, and I finally said..what the heck, am I going to be counting for the rest of my life?

Don't think that there is just one end all to 'getting in shape'. Souza's "Happiness is a Journey..." quote comes to mind. I started off above 250 lbs (I never got back on the scale after I saw 250) and I'm now at 190. I did get down to 170 last summer courtesy of riding and really minding my portions, but ya know, the New England winter and wanting to eat all the chowdah I could ...well you get the idea...

I think the big thing is what works for others may work or may not work for you. But don't give up. Keep trying things. But above all....GET ON THAT BIKE!!!!! Your best bet is to work it into your day. I did really well last year because I commuted to work ...can you commute to work? Look for opportunities to build it into your day and it's a no brainer. For me in NE, it's hard for me to mtn bike because I have to cart my bike 30 minutes away. SO I got a commuter bike and started riding in the a.m. and off and on to work --16 miles one way!

The only other thing that really was a realization for me, was like the study someone quoted...the Surgeon General recommends 90 minutes of exercise for those that want to maintain weight loss. So you know to lose it you have to be out there doing more. But you don't have to do it all at once. I do notice when I ride in the a.m. I lose faster (before I eat) than if I ride at night. There is a huge debate whether it promotes fat burning, I could care less. For me, it just works.

Good luck and PM me if you get in a rut!!!!

[Tabby]

Gipsy,

There has been lots of great advice here and it does boil down to “calories in, calories out”. I’ve dropped 45 pounds since Jan 2007. Not too fast, but consistent and consistent has worked for me. I started out with the goal of getting healthy not necessarily to lose weight. I knew I needed to get more fruits/veggies, etc. and cut back the crap. Any weight loss was a bonus; I just wanted to get healthier. I don’t know if you want to be overloaded with one more suggestion, but I would be pleased to share the charts I created for myself which helped me achieve my weight loss if you're interested in one more idea. If so, send me an email.

PJ

[alpinerabbit]

You're still talking to the troll ?

[Tabby]

You're still talking to the troll ?

Huh?

[alpinerabbit]

The original poster only ever posted once, a couple days later a new user asked the same question. never came back.

there are other such instances happening on the board.

Likely a troll...

I've fallen for them too...

[crazycanuck]

You can smell a troll post km's away...!!!

Why people don't notice is beyond me..