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Weigh-Less diet

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Ruby Dragon, Apr 1, 2016.

  1. Ruby Dragon

    Ruby Dragon Well-Known Member

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    I believe it's called Weight Watchers in some places.

    I started on this diet towards the end of November last year and lost 4kg (Around 8lbs) in the first week, and 1kg (around 2lbs) each week for the next two weeks I was on the diet. I stopped the diet because of the Festive Season coming up, as it would've been futile to stay on it with all the "bad foods" I would've been eating (There's no way I would've been able to resist). Well, I currently weigh 306lbs and my goal weight is 85-90kg (187-198lbs). I am 5'10.5" tall and have a large bone structure in general. I have to lose 50-55kg (110-121lbs) and it's not going to be easy.

    I know that it works for me, so I'm going into this with a positive attitude. If I manage to lose at least 1kg each week, starting next week, I would have lost 38-39kg (83-85lbs) by the end of December, which is a huge portion of the weight I'm supposed to lose, and I'm sure my health will have greatly improved by then. Due to me being overweight (or actually obese), I suffer from high blood pressure. It used to be the normal 120/80 but I've gained more and more weight over the years, and I'm not even sure where it's at now, I just know it's high. Not high enough to warrant medications, but high enough to be concerned about.

    My knees will also thank me once I've lost the extra weight, and I'd be able to get back into horseback riding again. I am determined to see this through, and I know it won't be an easy road, and there'd be lots of temptations along the road, especially when the Festive Season arrives again. But I know I can do it. I just know I can.

    I just wanted to share it with someone, so that it's black on white, and that would motivate me to keep going. Just knowing that people all over the world will know about my "battle of the bulge" and my plans on doing something about my weight. I also want to become more active. At this stage, I lounge in front of the tv when I get home from work, and I know it's not good for me. I want to start going for 30min walks again. I started with it, but lost motivation and fell back into old habits. My biggest weakness is junk food and chocolate. So if I can reduce the frequency that I indulge in those things to say once a month instead of once a week, it would also help in my "quest". Thanks for reading. Here's to beating the battle of the bulge... :icon_bigg
     
  2. Ram90

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    Good for you! The important thing is for you to motivate yourself. You're already doing that so it's working. Keep at it.

    I'm trying to lose weight myself, so I know how hard it is to start and keep it going. I weight 240 pounds currently. I did lose 15 pounds over the last few months, but am in the dangerous zone of putting them back. So I'm working on a healthy diet and exercise twice a day.

    I like to do Zumba for 45 minutes in the comfort of my home. I used to go to Class 3 times a week, but it was too far and too early in the morning for me to go, so I stopped. I just do various stretching exercises, jumping jacks and jogging in my front yard every morning so that I can get atleast 30 minutes of rising sunshine. I heard that's really important as Vitamin D can help too.

    In order to curb my craving of chocolate I did something. I bought a bag of bite size chocolates and gave them to my mom. I asked her to give me one bite size piece every three days to eat, only if I've exercised as per my plan for those three days. So far it is working, though it depends of me not opening the fridge and eating chocolates on my own. I even asked her to keep count of them and make surprise checks of my room and car to make sure I'm not buying junk food on the sly and hiding them anywhere. It's pathetic in a way and tough, but it's working so far. I hope I won't have to rely on her much longer for this.

    I have to lose 86 pounds (~39 kg) myself to be absolutely fit and within the safe range a person of my height (5'10") and age should be in. So I totally get where you're coming from. It also helps that I'm seeing a nutritionist/doctor of surgical and non-surgical weightloss procedures once every two weeks.
     
    #2 Ram90, Apr 1, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2016
  3. Ruby Dragon

    Ruby Dragon Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for your post - it's nice to know I'm not alone in this struggle :slight_smile:

    My mom told me something that I think about often: "Before you put something in your mouth (meaning food-items, of course :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:), ask yourself if it's good for you and base your decision on the answer"

    Sometimes my cravings override my sense of what is healthy vs unhealthy, and I give in to temptation. That's going to be my biggest struggle. I have to learn better self-control, and I think things can only get better from there :grin:
     
  4. Ram90

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    My pleasure. :slight_smile:

    I totally agree with what your mom said. That is totally true.

    Cravings are exactly that. They exist to override conscience :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:. I'm sure with practice you can overcome them totally. I'm working on it too. :slight_smile:
     
  5. SiennaFire

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    I've lost 15 lbs or so since the New Year by creating new eating habits that will stick, rather than dieting.

    I've done this by eating fewer refined carbs and doing minimal eccentric training (negative reps). I still eat some refined carbs and use artificial sweeteners to avoid cravings / the sense of depravation. I've found that managing cravings via willpower is too hard, so I can still eat pizza or chocolate on occasion. I also flavor plain Greek yogurt with chocolate and other goodness for a guilt-free treat.

    I've found that the problem with intense workouts is that they make you hungry, which has sabotaged my previous weight loss attempts where I was also counting calories. It's so easy to justify eating more after an intense workout.

    My current approach is based on the science presented in Jonathan Bailor's Smarter Science of Slim / SANE Solution, namely, eating refined carbs raises your blood sugar and your body releases insulin which causes your body to store fat. The key to losing weight is eating fewer refined carbs so you get your hormones in balance, rather than trying to limit calories while eating a more conventional diet.

    For now my goal is to get my hormones in balance by eating fewer refined carbs. Once I've firmly established my new eating habits and get to a reasonable weight, I'll return to a more conventional workout plan to build muscle.
     
    #5 SiennaFire, Apr 1, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2016
  6. Calf

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    My partners father lost 182lb (82.5kg) over the last year year by following the 'Slimming World' diet which is similar to weightwatchers so it possible to use a calories controlled diet and increased activity to reduce your weight but the ultimate goal (once you reach your weight goal) should be a healthier diet and lifestyle as Sienna highlighted.

    I always go on about this but I strongly recommend anyone loosing weight to buy/use some good quality weighing scales that can measure your body fat, visceral fat, muscle mass and weight. Your weight gives so little information about your overall health and fitness so without the other information you can easily get obsessed with fad diets and pre-weighing cheat techniques. Often there comes a point when losing weight slows down and people become frustrated but this can be a positive sign. After an initial substantial loss of fat, a person becomes more active and starts to build up muscle as a result, which can result in weight stabilising or slightly increasing. Being able to measure your fat and muscle enables you to see the bigger picture and avoid losing motivation or giving up when this happens.

    As for cravings for unhealthy foods, the best solution is to reprogram your brains food knowledge. Try to eat as many different new healthy things as possible so that your body can readjust it's cravings and make more suitable foods. You'd be surprised how quickly you start craving fruits and vegetables that you never really liked -instead of the typical junk foods- once you've tried them a few times.
    If you find that your will power just won't stretch far enough it could be because your body is vitamin deficient and the only place it knows to get it is in the trace values found in certain junk foods etc. To get through the initial transition to a healthier diet without cravings taking over, it can be very helpful to take daily vitamin supplements. It sounds crazy but it really does work and should help you to eat less in between meals. It shouldn't be a permanent solution but like I say, it's a good help at the start.

    Finally, I think it's a great idea that you've decided to share your goal because it really is a great motivator. I hope you keep us updated on your progress and share any learning and tips for others that perhaps have the same goal as you but not the same drive to achieve it. Good luck and don't give up! :thumbsup: