Diets?

JGreenfan2000

Any ideas I am trying so hard but diet and exercise just is not doing it. What have you tried and does it work?

sessionswedding

When I couldn't lose any weight through diet and exercise, I went to the doctor and it turns out I have horomone issues.  You should always go see a doctor before you start a diet or exercise plan, and if you have been unable to lose weight on your own, you may have a medical issue.  What are your goals?

JGreenfan2000

I have talked to my doc. but he doesnt like to rx those types of things there is noting wrong medicaly. Goal is to loose 40 pound bf my wedding june 2, 2012

sessionswedding

Well I lost 30 pounds in a year once by eating 1200 Calories per day and exercising.  Simple as that.

ETA:  I wasn't talking about asking your doctor for diet pills, I meant you may have a medical condition that requires treatment.  I had to do some horomone therapy for a while.

JGreenfan2000

yeah I have been doing that exact thing and my doc has tested me for stuff he just said I am one of those people that its really hard to loose weight 

hckaczyn

My minor is in exercise physiology so I know a bit about this. Also, my mom has been overweight and trying to lose over 100 pounds for years and years now.

If you have something like this available, I'd suggest going to a gym or wellness center (in my area, the hospital has a few of these) and get an assessment by a certified exercise physiologist. S/he can work with you to figure out your strengths, weaknesses and goals, and devise an exercise plan customized to you. Seeing a nutritionist would be really helpful too, as they can figure out what your caloric needs are and how many calories you need to eat a day to lose weight in a healthy manner. It takes time and dedication.

And in my opinion, exercise is more important than diet. But you can't do one without the other. Dieting will put your body into a "starvation mode" where it believes there's a food shortage and so will protect itself by holding onto as many calories as possible. Exercise will help offset this reaction by increasing your metabolism. The key is to really get your heart rate up and challenge it by doing high-intensity interval training. Go as fast as you can for 60 seconds, catch your breath for 2 minutes, and do it again five or so times until you can't any more. That will burn more calories than going at a steady pace for a long time.

What I can tell you for sure is that fad diets and pills do not work in the long term and often, do more harm than good. Even though it may seem now that diet and exercise isn't helping, it's honestly the only way to lose weight and keep it off. Find an exercise you love doing, or take a class to motivate you to exercise 3-4 times a week for at least an hour. Eat less processed foods, cut back on sugar and soda, and don't fall for the diet/natural/low fat/gluten-free marketing scheme because those buzzwords don't mean something is necessarily good for you.

Though I'm not certified and not a professional, I can try to answer any questions you may have. Good luck! You have plenty of time to lose 40 pounds in a slow an safe manner.

ETA: Here is a decent article about HIIT and some good basics of exercise. You don't have to necessarily go too intense, but the interval is what is important as it challenges your body the most. http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_100/135_fitness_tip.html

ALweddingplanr

I agree with hckaczyn, interval training is the way to go! I have used The Firm videos and liked them alot. Also, The South Beach Diet used in conjunction with interval training gets really fast results.

michelle2778

I use MyFitnessPal.com...and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to lose weight (big or small amounts).  It's the best thing!  I've lost 30 pounds in 3 months using it.  It's a place where you record EVERYTHIING you put in your mouth and all the exercise you do.  It calculates a daily calorie goal for you and you try to stay under that.  The more you exercise, the more calories you earn and can eat.  

Just check it out...you may like it and hopefully it will help you as much as it has helped me!  

mallory319

Have you ever tried Atkins?  It's a tough one to follow, but it works.  I'm also working on losing weight for my October wedding.  Since the middle of Feb., I've lost 20 lbs!