effective weight loss tips?
how many times a week should i work out?
what kind of foods should i eat? (baked, grilled, sauteed, etc)
how often should i weigh myself?
i don't drink 8 glasses of water. instead i drink 2-3 1L bottles of Smart Water a day, is that okay?
Is it safe to drink juice? gatorade? vitamin water?
what key foods should i avoid during a diet?
how long should a diet last?
i feel that the answers to these questions would be my key to help me lose weight that i'd wanna lose.
another thing is, if i monitor my weight by keeping a log of my progress and foods i eat, how do i know the amount of calories i'm intaking?
for example; the foods we eat are normally homecooked so i wouldn't know what the calories of grilled steak, sauteed asparagus, with mashed potatoes and/or green beans is.
does chewing gum satisfy hunger cravings?
i'm quickly trying to get my eating habits back on track as i am going to be going back to school soon and beginning a job. if allowing to splurge, how often should be allowed? i have a thing for caffeine that i've been slowing breaking as well.
thanks for all advice! any extra tips are welcome.
August 26th, 2010 - 15:25
I recently lost 35 pounds, so hopefully I can help you out, too :-)
Baked, grilled, sauteed, even fried foods are fine, but moderation is, of course, key. Don’t assume anything is healthy because it says its grilled, not fried. I ate fried chicken often, but I had one piece.
Weigh yourself twice a week at the MOST. Daily weigh-ins only discourage you. Peoples weights fluctuate day to day, which can make you have a panic attack (I sure did)
Drink as much water as you can, it’s always good. Though, I never get the recommended amount.
Dont drink juice, it’s packed with sugar and secret calories. I’m not positive on Gatorade, but most likely it’s full of sugar and should be replaced with water. I drink Vitamin water 10 (the 10 calorie version) it actually tastes better than the 150 calorie stuff.
Avoid nothing, if you want pizza, have a slice or two, but not the whole pizza ;) depriving yourself of the foods you loved will never work.
As for how long to diet, I haven’t got the faintest clue.
You can often find the calories of foods online. I used a neat apple Ipod touch/Iphone app called ‘Lose it!’ that tells you calorie counts and lets you log your food.
Chewing gum is fine for a distraction, but I find it makes you actually think about food more.
Splurge often, but in little amounts. halve half a bar of chocolate, or a bit of ice cream.
Extra tips: Burgers. Burgers burgers burgers. I eat fast food burgers 3-4 times a week. they have lots of fiber, protein, and even some vitamins, and they aren’t even that bad for you! Just dont have the fries and soda when you have a burger.
This sounds weird, but learn to enjoy feeling hungry. I actually eat less when I’m hungry because I enjoy it. Not in a masochistic way, but you actually feel very light and energetic when you’re hungry.
And finally, dont ever feel like a day is ‘lost’. dont think that ‘because I had that doughnut my day is ruined and I should just have the whole box since it doesn’t matter anymore.’ Really. Have the doughnut, go for a 10 minute jog around your living room.
Sorry for such a long answer, hope it helps! Good luck!
August 26th, 2010 - 15:25
I’m 5’8" and once weighed 165lbs. and didn’t exercise much. A friend suggested I go a whole day without eating and it would shrink my stomach and the next time I ate to eat less than I used to. Well it was hell not eating a whole day but it worked. I slowly lost weight and got down to about 150. I’ve been as low as 140 but my goal is to keep it below that 150 mark. It’s also 30 yrs. later.