If you've been able to lose 20+ pounds...

[LAmom]

How did you do it? I try to mostly have real foods in our home. I still eat ice cream, chocolate, things that contain sugar... I consume water and coffee for drinks. I have an obese husband, I'm obese (needing to lose about 70 pounds...if not 80). My one son has love handles and a gut. :( My husband was an extremely fat child and I gained all my weight the first 3 years of college. Then a tiny bit after kid #2 and kid #3. Otherwise, I just maintain. Haven't gained weight in awhile.

 

Anyways, I realize I may have to try to squeeze in time to exercise. Boo. I do have a treadmill that I could use (I just hate it...). Going for a walk with the kids does not get my heart going fast.

 

So, the food part, what worked for you or didn't? I'm always convinced I should cut out carbs but then think maybe just "bad" carbs (chocolate, ice cream, white sugar??). I still think I may need to watch whole wheat products, too. Portion control, support group (?), what?

 

I get really swollen in the summer and this heat is so uncomfortable for me. I am miserable until about December when it finally cools down again! I don't feel as fat as I look when I see myself in pictures. Then I'm like, WHOA, who is that?

 

Anyways, any encouraging stories?

[NoseInABook]

I stayed around 1800 calories and exercised at least 5 days a week. I lost almost 50lbs between babies 3 and 4. I have that much to lose again after baby 4 though.

[redsquirrel]

I lost close to 50lbs about 5 years ago and have kept it off. I did stuff in stages and it took a couple years. My goal was just to lose 10% of my weight. First thing I did was establish an exercise habit. I worked on that for a few months. Then I started managing portions while maintaining the exercise habit. Then I started weighing and measuring food etc.

 

So, take it on one thing at a time. The absolutely best thing I did was to start managing portions and keeping a food log. I started weighing and measuring my food and writing it down. I have never followed any particular type of diet plan, just not eating more than what I need. If I want ice cream I have ice cream, I just measure out how much I eat, log it and figure out the calories. Now I have an iphone and an app and I keep it all there. But, for a while I used Sparkpeople to track my calories etc. It has a learning curve and it took me a couple months to really get into the groove with it. But it was dead helpful.

 

Oh, and I weigh myself every single day and keep track of my weight. It keeps me honest. I had a notebook where I logged my food (that later turned into calorie tracking) and my weight and exercise.

[Tita Gidge]

No encouraging stories, sorry, but one morsel for thought:

 

The one thing that will work is going to be the one thing you can/will follow through with. Consistently.

 

For some people, counting calories works. For others, more exercise works.

 

For some, removing entire food groups works. For others, moderation does the trick

 

I honestly think it boils down to partly genetics ... but mostly consistency and choosing a weight-loss method you can and will follow through with.

 

I think so many dieting failures are due to trying to unrealistic expectations or restrictions from the on-set. That and the learning curve it can take to really get to know your genes and body.

 

Good luck with your weight loss journey, whatever direction it takes - nothing works until you really want it, and it sounds like you're there. You can do this. You've already done a great job of maintaining, and that's no easy feat either.

[Maplecat]

My cholesterol was really high in March. I cleaned up my diet by doing oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and more veggies and a lean protein for dinner. Chocolate stayed, but I really watched everything else. I stopped eating out aside from half a burrito from Chipotle once a week. I also started doing 30 minutes a day on the elliptical daily. The change was really hard at first, but it got easier. About three months in, I thought I would vomit if I had to eat another salad. I found some new recipes and started cooking some different dishes.

 

Now, I'm down 20 pounds and two sizes of pants. I'm smaller and in much better shape than I was four kids ago. I think exercise and not eating crap did it for me.

[Impish]

Gave birth :tongue_smilie:

[mrs.m]

Weight Watchers plan and jogging 3 miles 3 times per week.

[Venia]

:grouphug: Ive lost 60 lbs so far without any gimmicky diets. It really came down to 70% kitchen/ 30% exercise. As in I had to put the most effort into eating better and "some" effort into moving better. That combo really hit the spot for me and the first 50 came off in just over 6 months. The last 20 are still kicking my butt, but I feel fantastic.

 

In the kitchen, I cut out most of the sugar and processed carbs. On the "go to" list, in order, are: Veggies, lean meats, fruits, nuts, then dairy..then carbs. Allowed processed carbs include whole wheat breads and noodles and small amounts of rice. I have to remind myself that breads/noodles/rice "are a flavor, not a staple" IE if the meal is based on them, then there is not much nutrition there. Surprisingly, to me, my biggest sources of sugars were in my drink....sweetened tea or coffee with coffeemate. The minutes I stopped "drinking calories" I saw results almost immediately. Drop those, plus all the hidden sugars (name brand peanut butter, cereals, yogurts, snack bars, fruit cups, etc) and the weight started melting away. That said, I do enjoy a treat once a week. Moderation is key, not type of "treat". Im sorry but ten bland "healthy frozen fruit bars" just do not satisfy that sweet craving like one Hagendaaz ice cream bar. Give me the darn ice cream bar and Im good for the week ;)

 

For exercise I added a 30 minute fast-walk to my day at least 3x a week. I sit on my rear at work, so up and out I went every day for lunch. I bought a pedometer with a heart monitor and walked fast until my shins hurt . Now that I am down so much Ive added a ton more just because I can and I enjoy it now, but the walking alone really did make all the difference.

[tex-bex]

In one word, Paleo.

 

The book It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig was a life-altering read.

 

I'm down 25-30 pounds this year, and no trouble keeping it off. I have hardly exercised, though I'm trying to add it back I. :)

[NicAnn]

I've lost 20 lbs twice- since I made dietary changes I haven't gained more than 5 lbs and I lose it quickly.

I stopped eaing gluten Because my daughter has celiacs and that cut down on a lot of weight. I also don't eat dairy, and I think that contributes to keeping my weight down. We eat very little processed foods, aside from some of the "healthier"junk foods-coconut ice cream, dark chocolate, hansens soda. We eat very little meat.

 

The biggest thing for me was to stop using the word diet, and to look at food as a lifestyle.

[QueenCat]

Tracking my food intake.... general limit of 1650 calories (based on discussions with my doctor, this is a healthy amount to eat and not cause strain on the brain). The loss is gradual, but stays off. No food is off limits. Just staying within my limit most days. I don't track on Sundays or on vacation but my habits have changed so much that I really don't eat differently on those days.

[Ellie]

MediFast. It wasn't cheap, but 20 years of undertreated thyroid made it almost impossible to lose weight on my own, just by counting calories or cutting out carbs (which I did, BTW). Almost 50# since September.

[musicianmom]

I'm 15 pounds into my 70-pound weight loss journey. It's been 5 1/2 weeks. I've had to cut out sugar and most grains. An ideal day of food for me is this: breakfast, oatmeal cooked in unsweetened almond milk, with some chopped banana and almond butter stirred in; lunch, veggie salad topped with protein such as tuna salad or some leftover meat; dinner, meat and cooked vegetables. I eat only minuscule amounts between meals (maybe two pretzels in the afternoon).

 

I eat dinner early, no night snacking, go to bed slightly hungry. I drink water first thing before breakfast.

 

I have had to accept that I have an addiction to certain types of food and that I cannot eat them in moderation.

 

I haven't been exercising much because quite honestly I hate exercise.

 

Hope some of this helps.

[Murphy101]

I wrote about it here bc some gals were really supportive and helpful.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/472394-weight-loss-update/

 

 

[Alenee]

I lost 45 lbs on WW many years ago but I was always hungry and felt deprived. Everything I could eat was packed full of sugar. Then I got pregnant again... This past August, I started cutting out carbs. My doctor was a big proponent of me going low carb. No grains, beans, or sugars. Not even fake stuff. It has made such a difference in the way I feel and I've lost 29 lbs and many inches/sizes. The fat that's coming off is also in different places this time around. I don't have an abdomen pooge anymore but I still have bOOks! :) It can be hard at times but I don't feel deprived anymore. As long as I get enough fat first, then protein, I'm good to go.

[NicAnn]

Oh and we also eat a lot of healthy fats. Tons actually.

 

A sample lunch for me- 1 hard Boiled egg, 1/2 avocado, hummus and vegetables, some olives. I might have the rest of the avocado for dinner, and more hummus as a snack.

 

Breakfast is cold overnight oats with almond/sunflower butter, fresh jam and banana. Made with almond milk. Probably some hemp seeds mixed in.

 

I might have a peanut butter banana "shake" for a snack, or almonds with some dark chocolate.

[VeganCupcake]

I stopped eating refined sugar and white flour, and I started exercising (cardio and lifting weights--heavy weights) 6 days a week. I lost about 40 lbs and kept it off until I got pregnant with my first baby. I did the same thing, pretty much, after my second was born and got to pre-first-baby weight again. Of course, now I'm pregnant again. :)

[DragonFaerie]

I was able to lose 65 pounds just by counting calories. I have a mouthful of sweet teeth, so not having any snacks or treats was not going to work for me. I continued to eat whatever I wanted, but just in moderation. I stuck to a very low calorie count at first and then gradually increased it. I am sad to report that I have since gained back about 40 of those pounds, but that's because I stopped trying, not because it stopped working.

[LucyStoner]

My #1 tip is better sleep habits and reduced stress. Plus, I drastically reduced sugar, cut out drinking calories but for the occasional adult beverage (stevia is pretty good for sweetening tea and coffee), stay very active and practice portion control by waiting if I want seconds to see if I really do. I also don't do much dairy. If I want a little chocolate, I avoid baked goods unless it's a special, rare occasion. Otherwise a small, very small, handful of dark chocolate chips. Not working where there was always a plate of brownies or cookies has been helpful.

 

I have lost over 50 pounds in the last 18 months. I am 4 sizes smaller than I was.

 

Rather that focus on a dieting plan, I focused on permanent lifestyle changes.

[melmichigan]

I lost 25 pounds in about 8 months by increasing my activity using an eliplical three times a week. Then I maintained it for over a year. Two weeks ago I set the same goal again. This time around I have knee problems so no eliptical. I walk 5 miles most days of the week, cut down on calories I drink, and watch my portions. Slow and steady wins the race with weight loss for me, and no "diet". I'm down four sizes to date.

[staceyobu]

I am also working to lose weight. I needed to lose about 50-60 lbs and I have lost 20 so far. I looked a lot on the web for information and came across a lot of good reviews for the book "The Body Fat Solution". It basically says that calorie intake is the main issue, followed by the type of calories (sugar vs protein vs fat). He also reccomends weight training.

 

Losing weight is hard and slow. I will say that after a while my appetite lessened and I am not craving sweets near as badly. So, it will get easier. Good luck.

[elfgivas]

for me, there wasn't a trick, or two or three.... i gained 56 pounds with the first baby, lost 35 of it.... gained 32 pounds with the next one... lost 40 of it.... gained 25 with the next one, lost it. gained 24 with the next one, lost it. and then ten years later lost the next 20...

 

every time, its basically the same drill.

a) i can't eat out

B) 1200 calories a day, every day. that's it, that's all... no less, and no more...

c) walking/hiking/stationary bike/walking videos.... whatever it is, i need to do it every day. for some reason, swimming doesn't do it for me, although i feel better afterwards.

d) and as i've aged, i've had to add in that i eat only things i cook from scratch

e) and that not one single thing may have calories that are more than 30% fat...

f) and i may not sit for more than an hour at a time...

g) no soda... at all :(

 

its so worth it, but whenever i tried to cut corners, i crashed and burned.... now i have to eat to keep weight on, which i never thought would happen...

 

you just keep on keeping on until it works....

ann

[elfgivas]

i forgot to say that like most of what i do, it really worked when i figured out foods/meals/routines that worked. gazpacho is my summer secret..... if i have it for dinner, it forgives many things. (not everything, but many ;)

 

good luck!

[milovany]

Have lost 30-35 lbs. more than once in my life, without exercise (I may have exercised but I don't credit that with the bulk of the weight loss, just feeling good while I lost weight). I did it in the simplest fashion possible: I ate when I was physically hungry and I stopped when I was satisfied (before I was full). Lather, rinse, repeat. Because I was eating so much less than I thought I needed, I was choosing a wider variety of more healthy foods (if I was finally time to eat, I wanted it to taste really good!). I regained the weight because I stopped following this model. Once again, I have about 30 lbs to lose, and I know this is the only thing that will work.

 

Because I'm getting older and would like to be fitter as I press through middle age into old age, I will also begin to do some weight training with my power walking.

[Guest]

I am a small person, but every time I'm pregnant, I gain 50-60 pounds. I've been able to lose it every time. After I have the baby, I relax and don't stress it for awhile. Then, around the time the baby is 8 months, I get to work on losing what I didn't naturally lose. It's hard work. I have to cut calories to about 1200-1400 and run on the treadmill at least five days per week (30-60 minutes each day). I eat junk, but it counts toward the calories I am allowed. I have to be careful because I have hypoglycemia and I will faint if I don't eat enough. I try to make sure my calories are good calories. Oh, and I weigh myself every day (or every other day) and chart my progress.

[LMD]

I did Atkins about 2 years ago. We followed it strictly, and I lost all I wanted to quite quickly - about 15 kilos, just over 30lbs I believe. I've tried calorie controlled diets & exercise and was never able to lose those last 8ish kilos (15 lbs ish I think). When I cut carbs and sugar it just fell off. It also came back on when I started eating them without restriction again (I fell pregnant).

 

I want to try it again when I finish breastfeeding this next baby - so a good 18 months away yet! - but with a better stabilizing/exit plan. I do not want to be trapped in atkins-land forever (though the theory works amazingly for my body) and I do not want to be paranoid about food/weight.

[bettyandbob]

I lost 20 pounds a few years ago and maintained. Drop refined carbohydrates. Avoid breads and pasta.

 

I try to eat more protein and remind myself t choose a protein first. Then large green salad at least once a day. 2of my dc eat salads as meals.

 

You must exercise, but you must remind yourself that just because you exercised you do not get to eat more. It is very easy eat ove calories burned. Do a walk with kids AND something by yourself. If you've done both those things and your neighbor wants to walk and chat grab your shoes and go. I have a rule to never turn down a chance to move. Exercise may not be essential to losing weight for some people, but it changes you inside, so your body works better. Exercise lowers cholesterol, strengths the heart, reduces stress and helps with sleep. Sleep is very important to weight loss.

 

I also try not to eat after 6pm, sometimes earlier. I go to bed slightly hungry.

 

 

[Moxie]

I did it by eating very little carbs. No wheat, no sugar. I had to stop thinking of every occasion as "special". "Well, it's a party, of course I can have cake this once." "Well, I've had a long day so these fries are justified." Plan ahead, stock the pantry with good food and you can do it. Find treats you can have (sugar free jello). When I decided to lose weight, I was putting over 2 teaspoons of sugar in each cup of coffee (and I drank a ton of coffee!)!! Now, that much sugar in coffee tastes awful! It takes time to adjust but commit to changing your life and you can do it!

[happypamama]

Exercise helps, but seriously low-carbing (no bread, cereal, oatmeal, pasta, rice, potatoes, and very limited sweet potatoes and legumes) gets results around here. So we eat mainly eggs for breakfast, something without a lot of carbs for lunch, and for dinner, it's a meat, a green veggie, and either more veggies or a salad. Lots of beneficial fats (butter, coconut oil, olive oil salad dressings).

[4kiddies]

HI protein, low carb, low calories and exercise daily. I actually have CHANGED my life for the better and my whole family is healthier for it. I became a Beachbody coach to help other women in similar situations. PM me if you want details :)

[ktgrok]

i lost 70lbs once, and kept it off for years, until I remarried and got "comfortable" lol. It was eating less and exercising more..sigh. Portion control. I have recently started losing again...need to lose 50-70lbs. I have been reading all the success stories on "3 Fat Chiks on a Diet" and 95% of the people that have succesfully lost weight did it through calorie counting/portion control. Really.

 

I do think too many carbs will screw you up. I get that. But JUST lowering carbs doesn't work for me. Because then I feel I can eat "all the protein/fat I want" and I have emtional/habit/boredom reasons for eating way past the amount my body needs. So I just keep eating and eating and eating. I NEED to learn portion control. I've lost 5lbs in two weeks now with Jenny Craig, a combination of their foods and my own meals modeled after their foods. It is WAY WAY WAY less food than I would normally eat. WAY. I am realzing how freaking often I would sit down and eat, grab a bite to eat, etc etc when I had no biological need for it. Not hungry, just wanted to nosh. I really think it is a crutch for me to deal with anxiety/stress/etc. A way to treat myself that is low budget. You name it, I'll find a reason to eat it.

 

Jenny Craig is teaching me portion control and menu planning without me having to count calories all day. I hate doing that. So I follow the meal plan and I'm good. I know "no, you can't have a snack right now just cause the kids are being quiet and you'd like a treat. You just ate lunch 30 minutes ago, you've had a reasonable amount of food,a nd you need to find a way to have fun without a snack, you crazy person!" I need that structure. But yeah...all about portions. I'm learning to make my plate 1/2 veggies, 1/4 starch or less, and 1/4 meat. I'm eating about 3 oz of meat at dinner instead of 6oz or more. Stuff like that.

 

As much as I want Paleo or Low Carb to be the answer, it isn't, for me. And from what I've found in reading dozens and dozens of success stories, it isn't the answer for most people. Most just have to retrain their stomachs to know what a normal amount of food is. I look at my plate every night and think...that can't be enough! But is IS enough, and i"m adapting. extra veggies helps!

 

And yeah, we've eaten whole foods, non processed, healthy stuff for many years. I still got fat. I was vegetarian for 10 years. Still got fat. Was vegan for 2 years, still got fat. WAs paleo for months/year..still got fat. Only time I haven't been fat was watching actual amounts of food. Boo!

[kwickimom]

I lost 40 on Weight Watchers, 40 on the 6 week Body Makeover (low carb) and 20 on MyFitnessPal counting calories. I am currently on a big long plateau. I have 40 left to lose an dmy body sure does not want to get rid of it!! I am weightlifting and counting calories but am starting to lower my carbs again (which I hate but it works)

[SarahW]

If you have been overweight for a while losing weight will be probably be a lot harder than just doing a bit of walking and cutting a few calories, sorry. My husband has pudge that won't move, and we've had to dig deep to find out how to fix his issues.

 

Hormones, blood sugar function, digestive issues, latent food intolerances, these can all play big factors.

 

Cutting out sugar is a good step. That means ALL sugar. Including the sugar in peanut butter, bread, yogurt, dried fruit, nuts, and a zillion other products. Read labels, always. Cane juice, fructose, etc. are all sugar. To avoid sugar in bread you'll probably need to switch to brand like Ezekiel 4:9 (I only buy their 7 Grain bread these days). You may want to cut out the milk as well, as lactose is a milk sugar.

 

Going low carb has helped many, I know. If you eat excess carbs your body just turns what it doesn't need into sugar or stores it as fat. Cutting out all processed carbs is a good start (cereals, pretzels, etc.) but to lose weight you may need to limit the natural carbs as well, potatoes, rice, beans, fruit, and etc.

 

If you have digestion issues you'll want to think about whether you could be sensitive to milk, soy, wheat, nuts, or anything else. If your food absorption mechanism is getting hammered daily it isn't going to think about nutrients or letting go of fat reserves. The It Starts With Food book talks about this, but if you don't feel you can follow the full diet you can try cutting out a food for a week and then see how you feel when you add it back in.

 

For sweetening I only allow stevia for my dh. The different brands can vary widely in taste, so it's ok if you don't like the first one you try. Stevia tastes sweet on the tongue, and doesn't alter digestion the way that other fake sugars can.

 

And good fats are your friend, Coconut oil, Organic Valley Pasture Butter, and quality meat. Avoid everything fried, though.

[Momma2Luke]

I've lost 35 pounds since January following a GAPS-like diet. I cut out all grains, potatoes, legumes, soy, sugar (except honey) and dairy. Mainly I'm eating tons of veg, fruits, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, butter. I was shocked at how much easier it was than I had anticipated.

 

I've been haunting paleo and GAPS blogs for inspiration... Oh She Glows blog has amazing salad recipes that have left me feeling like I've treated myself.

I find that some Paleo blogs focus on grain free baking - and tons of meat recipes - and I've had to be proactive about first seeking out amazing salad and veg recipes and then adding in meat as a side.... grain-free baking I've kept as a very occasional treat...

[freeindeed]

I eat low carb (Atkins) and exercise a minimum of 45 min. four times a week. I have a "cheat" food once a week, usually on a Friday or Saturday so I don't feel deprived. I lost 35 lbs. the first six months and have maintained that for almost three years. (I did gain some weight back when I was on a certain medication, but I'm no longer taking it & the weight is coming off again.)

[Alexigail]

I read the book Why We Get Fat and it really clarified things for me. This spring I lost 20 lbs doing Whole 30 and then Primal Blueprint. I still have about 30-40 lbs to lose but I'm on my way! The best thing for me is that I feel awesome. It took about a week to get all the sugar and carbs out of my system and feel better but then it was amazing. Unfortunately, I'm a person who gains weight just by breathing near ice cream, but I have to live with the very occasional treat. I didn't miss it once I got into the groove so to speak.

As a personal note, none of this was possible until I learned that I have low thyroid and began medication for that. The thyroid meds helped me stopped gaining and the Whole 30 helped me start losing.

 

Good Luck!

[HollyDay]

I'm in the middle of weight loss, this time with Weight Watchers. 10 years ago, I lost a bunch, about 25 lbs with calorie counting. I set 1500 cal and weighed and measured just about everything. I've also done low carb, high protein.

 

Weight loss is a tricky beast. A lot depends upon your age and stage. It is easier to lose weight in your 20s than in your 40s. Metabolism plays a huge part. Hormone balance is a must too. That being said, calories in vs calories out is a fact as well. Quality calories that are filling and nutritious are important to overal health.

 

I've come to the conclusion that it is not about diet but about lifestyle. A lifestyle of healthy habits. Muscle burns fuel more efficiently, so having strength is important. It also helps stabilize the joints and keep the back strong. Posture, sleep, stress all play a role in weight loss. Now, I try to look at the total person I am, not just the scale. It is hard because the scale measures "success". And on weight watchers, I am losing weight - about a lb and a half a week.

[Mommy22alyns]

I did it with Beachbody Slim in 6 and followed their example diet plan. I'm not affiliated with them, but have used several of their products successfully. I was exercising 6 days a week and eating about 1200 calories per day and lost 12 lbs in one month, the other 8 a few weeks later.

 

I SHOULD get back in gear and lose the other 20 lbs. I was always a size 8 and got back to it after both girls (even 4 weeks of hospital bedrest with Sylvia). I had a severe trauma 3 years ago and just ballooned up to a size 16. Now I'm back to a size 12 but still feel like I weigh too much. But I hate, hate, hate, HATE exercise.

[SadieMarie]

I had fifty to lose after each pregnancy. I lost it the first time with low carb (low, not NO carb) and the second time with weight watchers. They both worked. Exercise has never, by itself, made me lose weight. It does however help keep the weight off.

[Barb_]

Whatever method you choose, use My Fitness Pal to track it. My mom, my dad, and my husband each lost about 30 pounds so far. My husband had been gaining and losing 10 of it and trying to drop the last 20 for years. He's done losing weight but Mom and Dad are still going. I'm at a healthy weight but I had a stubborn 5 pounds that wouldn't come off after my final baby. I lost it with MFP. It took 4 months which is why I couldn't lose it..the increments were so small I just didn't feel like I was making any progress before. Tracking my daily progress helped me to stick with it.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I did Weight Watchers. I have been pretty committed to a natural, whole foods diet for the past 20 years, but my problem was that my metabolism changed after my dd was born. I was in my late 30s and my thyroid stopped functioning normally. Even on medication, I was not losing the weight. Increasing my activity did not work either. How WW worked for me was tracking what I was eating ("if you bite it, you write it") and tracking my activity. In the beginning, I needed the accountability of regular weigh ins. The Points PLus program does a pretty good job of rewarding foods that will help with weight loss and penalizing foods than can be problematic. High carb, high fat foods use up more points. High fiber foods and higher protein foods use up less. Most fruits and veggies are point free (unless dried.) Basically, it is a moderate carb diet.

 

I don't think everyone needs WW to lose weight, but the principle of eating less and moving more works if you are keeping track. It is so easy for the little things to add up, either for good or for bad. I recently bought a fitness monitor. I wear it on my arm and it keeps track of how much I am moving and how hard I am working. It has some online software where you can track food eaten so you can compare calories eaten vs. calories burned. It also has an app for my smart phone so I can get up to the minute progress and I can enter my food on it. I think it is a BeFit monitor. It was on sale for about $100 at Costco. But, it only works if I use it :closedeyes:

[wapiti]

I read the book Why We Get Fat and it really clarified things for me.

 

Ditto here! I recommend this book and The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance. I still want to get the other book by each of those authors.

 

For me, the key to reducing carbs has been to increase the fat. I keep protein to normal (not large, not however much I want) portion sizes. Getting enough fat without too many carbs is challenging sometimes - I probably don't eat enough fat more often than I eat too much fat. I have issues with insulin resistance and have tried many times in the past to reduce carbs but I have quite the addiction - it wasn't until I began to understand the importance of fat, thanks to the above books, that I was able to make substantial changes. What helped get me started was changing my breakfast to Bulletproof Coffee (coffee whipped with 2+ tbsp grass-fed unsalted butter and a little coconut oil) - before that, I had a huge addiction to sugar in my coffee - I could not kick it no matter what tricks I tried until the butter. I actually started slowly by using heavy cream and reducing the sugar as much as I could, but in the end I needed the bulletproof recipe (thanks to a poster here!). Sometimes I have sausage or eggs, usually not. Note that morning is often a *really important* time to reduce carbs for people with insulin issues. High-fat/low carb is a long-term, forever lifestyle change for me and in spite of weak moments I feel pretty confident that I'll be able to pull it off. The alternative is type 2 diabetes and medication for the rest of my life.

 

I do not see many foods I could call "good carbs" - fruit should be limited in amount and I prefer to avoid any grain most of the time (sometimes I have beef in a corn tortilla or two - roughly 10g carb each). It is best for me if my carbs come from vegetables (not potatoes! and very little fruit, usually just a little bit of blueberries or one small bite of something else) and high-fat, low-carb nuts (I tend to eat almonds and macadamia nuts, thanks to Costco). I almost never eat wheat anymore, certainly not more than a nibble of my kids' leftovers (note, nibbles are dangerous!). In the end, from a weight perspective, carbs are carbs, with some carbs carrying greater nutrients-per-carb-grams (vegetables) than others (grains). Chocolate is still my biggest struggle, though a little bite of dark chocolate with sugar is something I prefer greatly over any grains.

 

I vote for some version of high-fat/low-carb and/or paleo. Paleo is probably low-carb enough for me in the long run though I haven't gotten around to committing to it. I like the Bulletproof Diet (scroll down to view) version of paleo because it's straightforward. There have been numerous threads on paleo - check them out :) Good luck!!!

[melmichigan]

If you have been overweight for a while losing weight will be probably be a lot harder than just doing a bit of walking and cutting a few calories, sorry.

 

 

It certainly doesn't make for fast weight loss like dieting might, but it does work. I started out about 80 pounds over my ideal weight, and had been there for almost 10 years. I got to within 20 pounds of my ideal weight in the past by dieting, and gained it all back the minute I stopped. I don't want to diet for life. I increased my activity, watched portions, and lost the first 25 pounds, then I maintained it, which is the most important part to me. It makes sense, for me, to increase my activity and cut back on calories through portion control. I started the beginning of June, and am down 3-4 pounds, slow and steady. It doesn't have to be a difficult and fancy formula, but something you can live with every day.

 

I use myfitnesspal and fitbit. It is about lifestyle change for me..getting enough exercise in during the day, carefully planning meals, declining the social eating opportunities that involve overconsuming carbs & dairy while sitting around. Instead I'm out biking, hiking, playing tennis, whatever.

 

I'm finally using my fitbit, instead of just wearing it. I'm still getting used to myfitnesspal. ;)

[HappyCrazyMama]

Calorie counting and exercise. My Fitness Pal. I'm Happyhomemama there too if anyone wants to look me up. :) I've lost 27 pounds (20 since January) and am about 5 pounds from being in the normal range of BMI.

[Soror]

I lost about 20-25 lbs 12 yrs ago now iirc. I was small throughout school but went on depo and along w/ some bad habits I developed in college and newly married I gained a good chunk of weight over 2 yrs. Finally after going to the dr and being weighed I realized how much weight I had put on, how I hadn't noticed that I kept buying bigger and bigger pants I don't know.

 

Anyway, I resolved to make some lifestyle changes. I resolved to take my time and focus on healthy habits. I started eating at least something for breakfast, at the time that was slimfast or such. I stopped snacking on chips and candy bars and such. I ate mostly real food for my meals. I watched my portions. I wrote down everything I ate. I consistently weighed myself. I ate when I was hungry but just to the point of fullness. I started exercising, first I just did walking. Later I added in weights, workout classes and yoga.

 

It took me a full year to lose 20 lbs. I lost another 5 and maintained around that range and that has been my range since then.

 

I've kept it off since then. I've kept w/ weighing, although not always every day. I did find that last year I put on a few pounds last summer when my scale broke and then I bought a cheap one that didn't work well putting me on the higher end of my usual range before pregnancy. I usually keep within 5 lbs, if my weight starts to go toward the higher end then I start to watch what I eat more to see if I'm eating more than I need or indulging in extra treats or such. I don't generally journal all my food still but have at times after pregnancies. I have gained 30-55lbs w/ each pregnancy. Even during pregnancy I kept an eye on what I ate, ie didn't eat junk and didn't eat past the point of fullness. I've lost my baby weight in 4ish-7-9ish months each time. I'm right around(within a few pounds) my pre-prenancy weight right now at 7 months post partum

[Susann]

The only that works for me is to keep my carbs under 20/day. I lost 60lbs several years ago and was able to easily maintain until my youngest dd became very ill. She's doing much better now so I started monitoring carbs again a few months ago and have lost 45lbs so far. Cutting calories doesn't work for me just carbs.

[Laura Corin]

Just replying to your comment about walking with your children (as I don't have that kind of weight loss experience) I found that walking whilst my children cycled (or ran) worked for a family exercise plan. You could have your oldest running, the middle two cycling and the youngest two in a stroller.

 

L

[Joyofsixreboot]

I lost 50 pounds over the course of a year. (178-128 5'6") I didn't set out to lose weight, just get healthier so I can be here and be fun for my kids. I was turning 50 with a 4 year old. I wanted to be fun and energetic for her. Little steps and just focusing on health worked for me. I log all food into myfitnesspal. I ate about 1500 calories/day. In order to eat that and not starve I ate mostly fruits, veg and lean meats with occasional whole grains (like steel but oats or brown rice). Once a week I would have a planned splurge for example for if dh and I were going out I'd have a glass of wine, salad (minus dressing) fish or steak and a side and maybe split dessert with dh. Sometimes I just saved the spurge and had a giant chocolate bar. Whatever I felt like that week. Occasionally I'd have a serving of chips with a sandwich as long as it fit into my calories and wasn't a daily thing. Or a few m&m's or a beer or whatever. (Get a kitchen scale, portions are hard to eyeball). I started walking daily which morphed into running. It took 6 months so don't think you need to go out and log mileage today. Start walking as fast and you can, then do it again, and again and again. Someone up thread said consistency and what you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life. This is what worked for me (YMMV). What I do know is that I've got new habits and it's not a struggle anymore. My kids did complain some when 'treats' went to a weekly thing for them too but they have adjusted. I wanted them to be healthy and not have this struggle. My dh is still obese but he doesn't want to change and he's an adult. Don't expect your dh to get on the healthy train with you. Just a warning.

[G5052]

I've been on Weight Watchers for a year, and have 20 pounds to go. The time and expense don't make me happy, but it has worked because they address so many different areas relating to weight loss. For me it wasn't any one thing, but a wide range of choices that were making me heavy.

 

And yes, it is tough if you spouse isn't on board, but you may have to suffer in silence and fight your own battles. I make some healthy choices at meals for me, and then I also cook what DH and the teenagers like. So I'll eat my salad and grilled chicken while they have that plus mac-n-cheese, bread with butter, and then ice cream with Oreos. They've agreed not to push their choices on me if I don't push mine on them. And that works.

[hsmom42]

By walking most days and following Weight Watchers, I've lost about 55 pounds.