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

[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!

[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...