Losing Weight for Good
Ann Donaghy* knew she was overweight after graduating college. “I realized I had a problem when I went to the doctor and she told me that I weighed 225 pounds,” Ann says. “Even my 5’11” frame couldn’t hide the weight.” It was that moment when Ann realized something had to change.
According to national data, nearly 66% of all Americans (about 144 million of us) are overweight, nearly double the statistics of the 1980s. With a diet and exercise routine, Ann was able to lose 80 pounds over the course of a year, and you can too.
When it comes to losing weight, “the most important thing is to start,” advises Greg Joujon-Roche, founder of Holistic Fitness, which provides specialized programs to Hollywood actors.
Your Ideal Weight
To first step of your weight loss journey is figuring out your current and ideal body mass indexes (BMI). To determine this, you should schedule an appointment with a doctor or registered dietician. Also, information is available online at the Center for Disease Control’s web site or Revolution Health.
One way to find the right weight loss goal for you is to “think about the lowest amount of weight you’ve been able to sustain as an adult,” says Elisa Zied, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and author of So What Can I Eat?!
No matter how much weight you need to lose, a sure path to success includes setting realistic weight loss goals. A healthy weight loss rate one to two pounds a week and dropping pounds any quicker may be damaging your health or setting the stage for yo-yo dieting. “Anything that is worthwhile takes time, and you need to give yourself time to make the healthful weight loss habits stick,” Zied explains.
Fueling Fitness Through Food
When creating your diet plan, look for the basics of healthy weight-conscious eating, including lean protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and water.
Derek Zar was able to lose 200 pounds by paying attention to his diet. He gave up soda and late-night food runs, and started listening to his body’s hunger cues. “After a while, I started to see the difference in my cravings: This type of craving meant water, this type of craving meant food,” he says.
Exercise is the other essential ingredient for losing weight. Most experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate activity three days a week to maintain your weight. In order to lose it, you’ll need even more activity. A pound represents 3,500 calories, so to lose one pound each week, you’ll need an average 500-calorie deficit each day.
- 1
- 2
The Diet Solution Program helped me lose weight for good! I lost 50 pounds and I feel like a new woman! Here's the link if you would like to try it too.
Link
Ok. Here I go again. I can't tell you how many times I "began" a new diet. They don't seem to last longer than 10 minutes. I need help. I'm 5'4". 225 lbs. 57 yrs old. I'm a compulsive snacker. I've never been this big in my life. I feel very unhealthy, no stamina, weakened immune system, not to mention what this is doing to my feet and knees. I'm a nurse aide in a nursing home so I'm on my feet a lot and getting slower...
I'm hoping I will be able to "do it" this time.
This web site seems SO good!
Thank You for Being Here!
My max weight was 220 by the age of 21, I managed to get back down to 145 at age 25. Since we moved back to Mississippi I have gained my weight back, I am sitting at 180 right now at age 28 and I am so unhappy. I don't like going out because I have nothing to wear, I am so worried about my weight, I hate how I look, I don't like ppl taking pictures of me now, but I can not find the motivation to lose the weight. At 145lbs I felt so free, now I feel like a prisoner in my own body ...once again!!! I have three daughters and my husband to cook for, the girls have snacks in the house, for me to diet is difficult, I can not afford to cook two separate meals... I just don't know...
My weight has gone up and down through the years. When it reaches a certain (up) point, I have an epiphany that says "You are fat!"" and "Holy cow, you weigh as much as your DAD". Then I get depressed which starts the next part of the cycle: starvation.
I always used an "anorexic" method when it came to losing weight. I am so impatient and lazy that I would not eat, or eat very little, just to see the scale change number. I often didn't exercise. Sometimes I'd use diet pills. Not eating was a form of punishment for getting fat. Sure, I'd get headaches, dizziness, crankiness, fatigue. It worked for a while, but it was not a sustainable way of life.
This time I'm doing it differently. I started yoga practice. I cut out alcohol (something I never thought I'd do!). I've made a commitment to being active and eating healthily and regularly. I stopped weighing myself multiple times a day. I walk my dog every day. I eat a piece of fruit 3 times daily. I have a bite of something decadent now and then. I eat breakfast.
I'm hoping that being kind and forgiving to myself is something I can make a habit of.
learn to waste food. Not all the children in china will go hungry if you don't clean your plate.