We decided to take a trip with some other couples in a large group in the Bahamas and I seriously need to lose some weight. I don't have 100s to lose or anything like that, just a nice 20-30 lbs :shock: would be great. is that even possible in 4 months? :oops:

I was thinking of trying Slim4Life or Medifast, or something. Anyone try them or know anyone that has and do they really work? I will work hard at this, really. I don't want to endorse anything here, just need some help/advice.

Thanks!!!

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

I lost 22kgs over 12 months.

Cut meat, reduced alcohol intake and went to gym 2-5 times a week doing about 30mins to 60mins workouts.

No real guaranteed quick fixes I can recommend apart from recreational - heavy use of methamphetamine.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

I can't believe my post actually posted!

Thanks nelinho...not willing to try meth, but I have lost 4 lbs/1.8 kg already cutting out breads & rice in one week. Is 4 months an unreasonable time frame, maybe so.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Remove processed foods from your diet completely. Bread (like you said) and also dairy foods

Keep eating meat, fish, veg, fruit, pulses,

Excercise moderately and often, no need to kill yourself in the gym but exert yourself every day..and walk, cycle, swim when possible.

You will lose weight

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

good luck.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

change your food habits, it works. Replace processed flour with more natural options (if you can´t remove flour from your diet). Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, and drink more water. Minimize alcohol, as said before: this is an important point. minimize milk, and milk derivatives. There´s a big lie surrounding milk benefits. Nowadays it´s so processed that the body receive it as an attack. Replace rice with other options. Minimize meat. Walk everyday, do sports (don´t push yourself) It works, you don´t need to starve either. The most important: it has to be a way of living, and not only the 4 months you´ve got before your trip :)

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Are you planning on gaining the weight back after your trip? I ask because I think everyone's body has a happy weight. Mine is 175 for instance, that's where I'm at my happiest. 170 is too thin - 180 isn't bad, if it's muscle.

Turn on the AC if it's warm where you live. Cooler indoor temps raise the metabolism, not cold, but cool (72 degrees)

As already mentioned, foods that are whole, not processed.

Muscle burns fat - start packing on the muscle, for that I suggest studying and reading and finding what works for you.

lastly - I like jumping rope immediately after my ab routine vs. running.

good luck

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

[QUOTE=audrey_w;1118451]Remove processed foods from your diet completely. Bread (like you said) and also dairy foods

Keep eating meat, fish, veg, fruit, pulses,

Excercise moderately and often, no need to kill yourself in the gym but exert yourself every day..and walk, cycle, swim when possible.

You will lose weight[/QUOTE]

This^^^ The trick is to burn more calories than you take in each day. That doesn't mean you have to stay at the gym till you burn off 1200 calories every day; your body burns calories all day long; you just need to fit in some exercise and stay away from processed foods and sugars.

What I did that worked so well for me, was to workout early in the morning before consuming any food. Your body pulls energy from stored fat instead of from food in your stomach ;) Do some sort of 30-45min cardio before your morning coffee, watch what you eat throughout the day, and try and fit in an afternoon workout a couple times a week as well. It'll suck for a week or two, but trust me, your body and mind get used to it. You'll start to crave fitness.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

I cant do it - but staying off copious amounts of booze really helps lose weight.

But fuck that.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

watch a movie call fat sick and nearly dead and start juicing!!!

its the eaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasiest way to lose wait fast you can lose 20lbs in 2weeks no problem...I DID

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Thanks all, such good suggestions. I guess no one's tried or knows anyone whose tried the methods in my op. Ok, I'll try to answer all the questions. I hate milk, hate eggs, didn't know dairy was a culprit of hanging on to weight. I eat lots of seafood and chicken, love turkey. I don't eat processed food, is hummus processed food? I love hummus, have been eating it with cucumber slices and LOVE it. And I'm on my feet all day so exercising at night or in the morning doesn't appeal plus I'm so busy with kids. I think I'm pretty active when I'm not online. I don't use alcohol except on special occasions and from now on will look for low calorie choices there.

YES! I want this weight to stay off and I want the lifestyle change/education. I am eager and willing!!

You made a good point -- I'm not getting my heart rate up each day like the person who jumps rope. I think I'll try to at least do that much before I go to bed or early evening.

I'm interested in learning about juicing, does that work for women as well as men? I think we're different in weight loss aspects than men. 20 lbs in 2 weeks would be incredible. When I think of juicing, I think of lots of natural sugar and calories.

And I guess I don't like my "happy weight"............ I have had doctors tell me my weight is just fine, screw them.... I want to be a size 6 again. I'm learning you have to fuel weight loss not starve your body. I'm so busy during the day, I feel like I'd have to be constantly munching.

How fun it is to finally post and have my post show up!!! yay! Thanks again SO, SO much!!! ~Courtney

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

What are your favorite "always, go-to, gotta have" snacks? Snack ideas I really need to fuel this with. :?:

Thanks again!!

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Craving fitness would be such a positive change I'd happily embrace if I could!! Thanks for the tips!

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

You don't need to go on a commercial program.

Stop sugared drinks/sodas COMPLETELY. Lower the carb intake, if consuming carbs stick to root vege or rice. Carbs blunt fat burning. Up the protein, healthy fats.

Workout, do compound movements like squats, deadlifts, bench, and overhead presses.

You should see a change in a month just doing those, diet and working out is key. They say abs are built in the kitchen.

After a month when your body has adjusted, add cardio. Look up HIIT, high intensity interval training. You can easily squeeze those in at the end of your workouts, they usually don't go for more than 15 mins. Can be done on bicycles, with kettleballs, or just outdoor sprinting. Don't bother doing it on the treadmill.

See how that progresses, diet really is key. Throw in some half-hour steady state cardio like walking on an incline on a treadmill.

Basically you want to progress with this, doing as little as possible to shed the weight until you need to add more tools to the arsenal. There's no need to go all out when you start.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

It's different for everyone - but for me - I find that 30 mins every day with 1-2 days off is easier than 4 times a week or 3 times a week for 1-2 hours.

I don't go to the gym - I eat food that makes me feel healthy, pretty simple for me in that regard. Hummus is great. Quantities are important. It really is a lifestyle, as cliche as it sounds. But eating clean and working out hard 30 mins a day without much rest in between exercises keeps me healthy and strong.

Drink lots of water. Keep it with you. Find a brand or whatever that you enjoy drinking. That works for me at least. I am able to taste waters and I prefer Publix Spring Water's taste. That's just me though. It's not very expensive fortunately.

The world of juicing is huge. I would search forums like "woman's fitness: juicing tips" or something if I were in your shoes.

Snacks - should be a combination of things that fill you up, healthy, somewhat tasty. But learn to find tastiness in healthy foods.

You don't eat any processed foods you say? Sounds like your diet is pretty good already. I usually do 25 reps of abs then 60 jumps almost as high as I can jump per jump.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

[IMG]http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/01/b0/0e/01b00e40fbc18bbf96133e85c940fad7.jpg[/IMG]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Thanks feather! Those tips make sense. Yea that's what I'm learning.. there are carbs hidden in almost everything I thought was only protein. I haven't had soda or sugary drinks in over 4 years and had no weight loss with that. So I need to get some weights to lift and that will help burn fat in doing squats etc. I'm worried a month will go by and I won't have gotten far based on the scale, but I'll give it a try.

I'm having to reread everyone's replies over & over there's so much good info in each one. I really appreciate the support!! :Smiley:

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Forgot in my previous post, watch your alcohol intake too.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

[QUOTE=tiddles;1118548][IMG]http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/01/b0/0e/01b00e40fbc18bbf96133e85c940fad7.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

In process of being implemented at my old workplace.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

[QUOTE=floridaorange;1118542]It's different for everyone - but for me - I find that 30 mins every day with 1-2 days off is easier than 4 times a week or 3 times a week for 1-2 hours.

I don't go to the gym - I eat food that makes me feel healthy, pretty simple for me in that regard. Hummus is great. Quantities are important. It really is a lifestyle, as cliche as it sounds. But eating clean and working out hard 30 mins a day without much rest in between exercises keeps me healthy and strong.

Drink lots of water. Keep it with you. Find a brand or whatever that you enjoy drinking. That works for me at least. I am able to taste waters and I prefer Publix Spring Water's taste. That's just me though. It's not very expensive fortunately.

The world of juicing is huge. I would search forums like "woman's fitness: juicing tips" or something if I were in your shoes.

Snacks - should be a combination of things that fill you up, healthy, somewhat tasty. But learn to find tastiness in healthy foods.

You don't eat any processed foods you say? Sounds like your diet is pretty good already. I usually do 25 reps of abs then 60 jumps almost as high as I can jump per jump.[/QUOTE]

Thanks FL-O! Water tastes so boring to me. I will try to find some. I think you're right about quantities. When I lost my sister, I began unconsciously eating for comfort and exploded my portions without realizing. I do eat healthy. I'm trying to slim portions down now, but find I feel so hungry when I go to bed. Maybe I'll just get used to it and then less will seem like plenty?

When you want to eat something between meals, what do you usually go for? Veggie sticks? ew, I mean it's so diety. Stress too, makes me eat larger quantities. Lately though, I look at a plate of food and immediately think "I can't eat all of that" which is a big change for me. ;)

I'm only 5 ft 3, which doesn't make this any easier. My sister was always a size 2, same height as me. :sigh:

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

To be honest there is no quick fix solution with weight loss/rehabilitation and the likes. You could only trial and error with the above suggested of eating healthy, a mixed exercise routines including weights and cardio, just cutting out crap which I am very sure you are aware of (processed, sugar, fats, alcohol etc.)

One thing I have tried recently that I believe is personally working on my many levels for me is having a routine prior to breakfast. Basically I have alternate days of cardio activities and a 10-15 minute routine of yoga/meditation followed by a cup of green tea. I usually have breakfast at work so I sneak in a muesli bar or some fruits on the run (banana is the perfect candidate for this).

Again, only advise try something radical as in a serious routine for 1 week, and then measure your weight at the end of the week as soon as you get up, But make sure on the night before you eat the same amount as you did the week before.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

And following from Flo-Rida's post I do base my eating on a time based base, e,g,:

1. Fruits/Muesli Bar (6:00)
2. Breakfast - Muesli/Soy Milk/Yoghurt with berries (blue and straw) (7:00)
3. Almonds/some nuts + green tea (10:00)
4. Lunch usually a light wrap/salad/very small portion of pasta (wholemeal). (12:30)
5. Fruit + green tea. (13:00)
6. Eat some left overs from lunch (so what I do is split my lunch in half, having two portions of it spread out through the day). (15:30)
7. If I know I'd be hitting the weights I'd have a banana by now (18:00)
8. After weights/cardio I'd like to stack up on a small handful of almonds and some soy milk .(19:00)
9. A small portion of dinner with half a piece of dark chocolate as a treat on odd days. (20:00)

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Not being funny...headphones at the gym...unless you can workout to cher I believe in love after love..without a transition to pink or miley cyrus.

In the end my workouts were sub optimal because I didn't really vary them...3x 45 mins crosstrainer sessions kept my weight stable in the end.

Culmination of everything everyone else has said.

Good luck again.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Find a staple of some kind that fills you up but is very healthy. For me it's black eyed peas (legumes) and broccoli slaw with extra sharp cheddar, cayenne and olive oil. I use really healthy tortilla chips too. So that's like my go-to staple. I don't eat meat, maybe sushi like once a month. This works for me, I like it. And yes, your stomach/appetite will eventually shrink. You are also right about treating yourself well having a coorelation with stress, and anxiety. So in many ways - losing weight and keeping it off is a lifestyle because it takes pretty much a mental and spiritual overhaul for people to really figure out how to feel and look their healthiest consistently. But there is hope and I do believe everyone can find what works for them, they just have to want it. In your case, you are probably using this vacation as a valid excuse to change some habits. I just hope you can stick with it, because life is better when you just feel good (all around). I do believe also that different peoples bodies are best at different weights. So you may be right about losing some weight, but strive for healthy, not skinny, which imo is sustainable and realistic and a big part of accepting ones true self. Best of luck (again) :)

I snack on - Cliff mojo bars - banana's/apples + crunchy organic peanut butter + water (learn to love it) - but otherwise I'm the wrong person to ask because I get stoked on fresh veggies :lol:. I also snack on healthy cereal, grapes, blueberries, maybe mixed nuts, kombucha with chia seeds.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

in between meals: eat fruit. An apple i.e., and if you´re still hungry, eat aother one. Of course you´ll feel a bit hungry during the process, but remember that the body gets used to anything you give to it. Anything.

A spiritual guru from India said "give to your body only what it needs, because it can turn into your enemy". Pretty wise imo

good luck! choose wisely your food, you´ll be thankful in the future

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

The goal of starting a workout / healthy eating routine is to practice it until it becomes more painful for your body not to exercise and not to eat healthy. Aka a habit/second nature. It won't happen overnight obviously but will happen if you stick with it. Junk food, large portions, not exercising, and I get cranky. You are probably at the stage where it's the opposite. Your body has been trained to eat a bit too much and it doesn't want consistent exercise --- YET!

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Florida Ora -- This stuff tastes good, really? Or is it something you have to get acclimated to? Never heard of it, thanks so much!! It's not high carb content? gonna go investigate it.

[[Kombucha, the beverage the ancient Chinese called the “Immortal Health Elixir” It’s been around for more than 2,000 years and has a rich anecdotal history of health benefits like preventing and fighting cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases. Kombucha tea is made by [B]fermenting[/B] sweetened [B]black tea[/B] with a flat, pancake-like culture of yeasts and bacteria called the ``Kombucha mushroom''.]]

Problem #104... I'm a picky eater. I love fruits and veggies, but broccoli is gross to me, never had the slaw though, is it bitter? Black-eyed peas... um no, can't do it. Wish I could. You sound like you should be writing a health blog or something & it could help lots of people that way. I would subscribe in a new york minute.

Illuminate: You live on only that much food? yea, I'm definitely doing it all wrong. Thanks for the breakdown! I'm finding that eating every 2-3 hours (like you), something small, is the way to go and not the way I've been living for a long time. Kids naturally eat this way until we force them into 3 large meals. I just never really picked up on it before. Right now, it seems like my whole day is planned around eating, you must do a lot of planning it and preparing for the day.

Diegoff: I will definitely keep that quote in mind. I'm trying to be more conscious of my satisfied/full feeling. Thanks!

Thank you everyone for the actual ideas... i love them! Very, very helpful! :D -Courtney

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

"Broccoli slaw with extra sharp cheddar, cayenne and olive oil."

Sauteed in a pan I assume?... I think I could eat anything with extra sharp cheddar..lol... will definitely try this though I typically hate heated broccoli, raw isn't too too bad. Now cabbage slaw I really love. But broccoli is probably better for you calorie wise? ugh... gotta go investigate this too.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

I would really suggest everyone watches this movie....ITS AN EYE OPENER this guy was 400lb and dropped down to 200lb in 3-4months

it doesnt get any easier than this!!!

fat sick and nearly dead TRAILER!!!!!

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv3vEXy_EwU[/URL]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

[QUOTE=Huggie Smiles;1118489]staying off copious amounts of booze really helps lose weight.

But fuck that.[/QUOTE]

lol... x2 :lol:

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

[QUOTE=Illuminate;1118589]In process of being implemented at my old workplace.[/QUOTE]

it's great - i hacked one for my laptop with some boxes a few weeks ago. I don't feel so bad about working in front of the screen for 6 hours since my feet and legs feel tired at the end of the day.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

[QUOTE=sakio pod;1118639]I would really suggest everyone watches this movie....ITS AN EYE OPENER this guy was 400lb and dropped down to 200lb in 3-4months

it doesnt get any easier than this!!!

fat sick and nearly dead TRAILER!!!!!

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv3vEXy_EwU[/URL][/QUOTE]

Ok..... are they replacing meals with juiced fruits & veggies or just veggies? do they ever chew anything or are the drinks used as drinks primarily? And, what juicer do you use? (there are many on the market, I don't want to waste time trying them out)... thanks!!!!!!!!!!

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

[QUOTE=tiddles;1118663]it's great - i hacked one for my laptop with some boxes a few weeks ago. I don't feel so bad about working in front of the screen for 6 hours since my feet and legs feel tired at the end of the day.[/QUOTE]

More of a psychological win than anything...

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Yes it's called juice fasting, you don't eat food!

I have the basic breville off amazon for 100$ joe cross supports breville so can't go wron there!

At first I didnt think I could juice kale, spinach, red cabbage etc, but after a while and you start making some really amazing tasting juices it's awesome.

For the past 1.5 year I usually juice breakfast and lunch about 2-3 juices and then eat one meal at dinner around 4-6pm. Sometimes I eat when I go out or whatever, but the veggies and fruit give me a natural buzz!! I haven't been tired or groggy In a long time!

I go through this on a weekly basis 10lbs of carrots 10 apples 4-8 oranges 10 lemons 2 bunches of kale 6 cucumbers 6 zucchini 6 squash 1 stock celery

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

^you really are a salad tosser

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

^^^ Hahaha!!

When I found electronic club music just over 10 years ago I weighed 45 lbs more that I do now. I decided if I wanted to go out dancing to this music I needed to get that weight off. It took me 9 months to get to the weight I felt happy. I have kept the weight off within 5 lb since then . So it obviously works . This is about the same rate you want to get your weight off .

Rules

Enjoy your food. If you want life time good habits that is important. You don't want to make eating a chore.

Don't cut out any food group. Well you can if you like but I didn't :lol: I eat potatoes, bread, rice and pasta and dairy. But all in moderation. Potatoes are steamed , oven cooked fries with skin on , Bread, soy linseed multigrain from a bakery not a supermarket. Rice, always brown. All tastier. Pasta , fresh from the market. I do eat red meat but smaller portions and trim the fat . Love seafood , fish and chicken. Love butter and you don't need much to add flavour. I love winter , I have some great soup recipes. Flavour is really important , look at herbs and spices. Fresh herbs are wonderful !!

Choose foods you like but the best alternatives. i.e naturally lower fat. Although there are good fats and bad fats. Shame you don't like eggs, they are good fat. Nuts and avocados are good fat also. Fruit and veg in season, taste better and more nutritious. Look at the best ways to cook.

Weigh regularly at the same time of the day. I do it every morning , the idea being if you are putting on weight you catch it early. But weekly is probably ok . Puts you in control.

Personally I wouldn't be too keen on juicing. Have you seen how many juicers end up in garage sales :lol: It's messy work you don't have to do .Eating the fruit and veg whole is better for you anyway. The fibre is a very important part. One of my rules was in fact to eat whole foods. A lot of foods are better with skin on .

I would say don't try anything that you don't do in some form now. You sound as though you do a lot of good things already. The seafood and no processed foods is great. !! It is much more likely to become part of your life if you modify rather than change. It is also teaching your kids good eating habits. Rather than "Mum is dieting" Assuming you are talking about your own kids. :)

Snacks , I tend to eat fruit and nuts. I love small crispy apples. :)

Drinks , juice of half a lemon , grapefruit or orange in a glass of sparkling mineral water. Plain water is dead boring. I very rarely drink alcohol .

Similar rules apply to exercise. Do something you like doing , just do more of it and/or in a more structured way. For me it tends to be walking, some running and lots of dancing. !! :D I could probably benefit from a some weight training :)

Whatever exercise you do, it is really important to do it. Everything works better if your body is efficient. You find you can actually do things faster , your mind works better. Your metabolism works better which means you lose weight faster. It's one of those win/win circles :)

I am a similar size to your goal weight which I would think was a healthy weight to be.

Lastly good luck. !! I know how much better I feel now !! :D

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

I went from 116 kg (255 pounds) to 90 kg (92 kg or 202 pounds atm) in a bit more than a year. I simply changed my eating habits from hot chocolate with buttered bread in the morning to coffee, 2 slices of bread (from a real baker) with some salami or cheese on it. On midday, I eat what I can find. Either a hot meal or a sandwich. On the evening, only fruits or vegetable (that's the hard part). If I eat something else in the evening, my weight stay the same.

Sleeping good and long enough helped me too.

Some friends have started a website where we could enter our weight and see the improvement. That helped me too. Here is my page: [url="http://pounds-off.me/profile/scener-502805890fb0c/last-all"]Profile - pounds-off.me[/url]

Ho, I nearly forgot the most important part: I don't do any sport. Sport is dangerous ;)

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

One thing I forgot that I do . I don't eat after 7.30 at night. It's just automatic now, but I do remember it made a difference. :)

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

I think juicers end up at garage sale for a variety of reasons unrelated to them not providing a means for solid nutritional supplementation.

Common excuses valid or invalid these are the reasons people stop juicing:

They can be tedious to clean depending on the model you buy.

People can't learn to enjoy the taste and stop using it.

People decide they don't want to go through the process of buying fruits and veggies every week (since they go bad fairly quickly compared to food in boxes and freezers)

They have figured out a way to implement enough fruits and veggies into their daily diet without having to juice.

Juicing can be a great way to get back on track or lose weight - nutritionally. The expensive juicers produce less pulp and therefore there are more vitamins and fiber and what not in the juice. There are cold press and the other kind of juicers - cold press is the ultimate since it doesn't heat up the veggies or fruits while pulverizing them therefore "supposedly" providing less waste of nutrients, minerals and vitamins.

Personally, after college I found myself working 14 hour days and not eating right or taking care of myself via my diet. So juicing got me on track and feeling fantastic. My juicer was $50.

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Yea, I prefer whole fruits and veggies... I dig crunchy, but I'm open to a delicious kale recipe/combo so I can incorporate that into my repertoire. I always thought the pulp was the good stuff.

I don't want a machine taking up space in my cabinet that I won't use regularly & hard to clean isn't going to work so what's a good $50 one I'll actually use for some kale, etc?

It sucks not liking eggs.... if I pour some salsa or a ton of spices on them I can manage to get them down, but hate milk & peanut butter too. LOVE cucumber, red cabbage, green cabbage, squash, eggplant, almonds, all nuts except peanuts. I've been sticking to brown rice and spelt bread and didn't lose an inch so I think I just really need to get my heart rate up everyday.

I have a sore throat and cough this week, so cold cucumber and hummus is my staple, just feels good right now! And I've been making mini-eggplant pizzas (with whole tomatoes, no sugary sauce) YUM!

I really appreciate everyone's input so much!!