What's your best shape up/lose weight tip?

ashbosity · May 2010

I bought my wedding dress a few weeks ago one size too small (against the better judgement of some of you all!). I've given myself the deadline of October to get into it so that I have time to shop for something else if I need to, or start getting alterations going if I fit it. I would like to lose about 20lbs. I lost 53 a few years ago, so I figured this would be easy, but its not as easy this time around now that I have a fiance that eats like 6000 calories a day and never gains weight. I started doing pushups against the wall every time I go to the bathroom, which I think I got from someone here.

Is there anything you do that makes eating healthy or shaping up easier? Any favorite healthy meals or snacks?

Blonde407 · May 2010

Buying a size smaller... shame shame shame lol. I think knowing your dress is currently a size too small would be enough motivation... for me anyways lol.

AileeneG · May 2010

Drink water. LOTS of water! I try to keep a 16-24oz. bottle of water at my desk and refill it throughout the day. I usually will drink about one of those per hour, though you probably don't need to drink that much. It really helps to keep me away from needless snacking, or eating too large portions at meals.

Pretty Parula · May 2010

Here are the nutrition guidelines I generally live by:

Instead of dessert have yogurt. (Or gelato if you really need something sweet. Or have a hard candy, it'll last longer.)

Make burgers with half turkey meat and half beef. Or be hardcore and skip the beef all together.

Hummus is your new bean dip.

If you drink/use milk, switch to the next lowest fat percentage. I can't make myself go to skim, but I can't tell the difference between 2% and 1%.

Drink water like it's your job. Like, you should have to pee every 1-2 hours. At least 6-8 big glasses of water per day. No more soda or sweet tea.

Once a week, cut up a bunch of carrot sticks or whatever other veggies you like to eat raw and keep them in a tupperware. Stick a handful in a snack bag to bring with you to work instead of bringing chips or going to a vending machine.

Eat breakfast. Breakfast = cereal and/or eggs, fruit. NOT donut, egg mcmuffin, or soda. Try to eliminate coffee.

Restrict alcohol consumption.

Exercise:

Lots of cardio. Get your heart rate up and break a sweat for at least 30 min. consecutively, at least 3 times per week.

Check out onehundredpushups.com and onehundredsitups.com... these will help you tone. There's also a onehundredpullups.com (or is it chinups?) but I haven't been brave enough to venture into that one.

Also add strength training if you aren't doing it already - muscle is leaner than fat so you won't look bulky I promise, and it consumes a lot of calories, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when you work out. Try to do it at least 3 times per week.

Good luck!

mlharbis · May 2010

I love questions like this because this is my interest!!!! I majored in Nutrition and Dietetics and am contiuing to a dietetic program at Baylor to become a registered dietitian.
Alyssa has really good information.
One thing that people tend to forget is that while working out you do need to eat carbohydrates- just make sure every grain you eat whole grains (like whole wheat cereal, whole wheat pasta and bread, brown rice- look at the ingredients the first ingredient has to say whole wheat for example).
Make sure to eat 35 grams of fiber per day (good sources of fiber are whole fruits and veggies and whole grains), but if you do you have to remember to drink half your body weight in ounces of water (ex: you weigh 120 pounds, you should dring 60 ounces of water a day).
Don't just add a bunch of protein, try to keep a balanced meal- for balanced nutritional information go to mypyramid.gov. It is an excellent website that will customize your nutrient requirements for you.
Anything extra you eat more than is required to maintain your weight will turn to fat. Despite many common misconceptions this is true for extra protein too!
Make sure to bake, briol, boil, or grill everything you eat that needs to be cooked. These are the leanest methods of cooking because fats (oil etc) are not needed to facilitate the cooking.
Eating clean is not the only thing that you need to focus on. Cardio and muscle tone is very important to help boost weight loss (for the exact reasons Alyssa stated).
You should be able to shed those pounds by October!!!!

Pretty Parula · May 2010

I forgot to mention my ABSOLUTE favourite snacks - dehydrated fruit and veggie chips! There's a guy at the WPFM who sells dried fruit and veggie chips, but you can get veggie chips in the produce section at Publix as well. I'm working up to attempting to dehydrate my own fruits/veggies. OMG I could eat those all day.

[Deleted User] · May 2010

The user and all related content has been deleted.

jln555 · May 2010

I've lost 45 pounds in the past 6 months. The one thing that helped me is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch..(bowl of oatmeal strawberrys and a whey protein shake for breakfast and a grilled chicken or tuna salad for lunch is what i always eat)...boring I know...but knowing the exact calories and already knowing what your going to eat for both breakfast and lunch helps keep you focused on eating a healthy dinner. ITS HARD. Good Luck!

Maggie214624 · May 2010

All these tips are great! A website that has helped me tremendously is Dottie's Weight Loss Zone. The website has a ton of nutritional information on restaurants so that you can really see what you caloric/fat intake is at these places.

http://www.dwlz.com/restaurants.html

Also, doing weight watchers online is a great tool to really keep yourself accountable and track your progress.

mlharbis · May 2010

yes weight watchers is really good to help keep you accountable! I have friends that do weight watchers and they like it.

Alyssa- I dehydrated apples and peaches one summer and they were so great!!!! I just sliced them up as I would to make a tart (using a mandoline is very helpful and makes the slicing go by so fast) and I used the dehydrater FI uses to make beef jerky. It took a few hours and was really easy- just sliced fruit layed out on a dehyrator. They were soooooo yummy! That just gave me an idea for lunches next year! Its great bc you can buy in bulk when a fruit is on sale and keep it dried longer than it would keep fresh in the fridge.

Maggie214624 · May 2010

OK, now you ladies have me wanting to add a dehydrator to our registry! Sounds yummy!

mlharbis · May 2010

Do it!!! You can make lots with a dehydrator!!! FI makes the best beef jerky! It is so much different than the bag kind

Pretty Parula · May 2010

MLH, what kind of dehydrator do you have? Our toaster oven has a dehydrator function, but I'm not sure if it would be as effective as an actual dehydrator. Guess I won't know till I try!

mlharbis · May 2010

ya i would try it- it cant hurt. I don't know what kind FIs is but I know it wasnt a heavy duty or fancy one. It has like 5 layers and like a small motor on top. Its def nothing fancy but it works well.

SarahSmile23 · May 2010

this thread is awesome!

ashbosity · May 2010

Alyssa and MLH- I love dried fruit, but you have to watch the store bought stuff because it usually has alot of added sugar.

Does anyone have a pool workout? My new house has a pool and it would help because I am more motivated to work out after work (i.e., after midnight). I looked up "beginning swimming workout" and the ones I found involved like 1000 meters of swimming various strokes that I can't do and cautioned to limit workouts to 75 minutes when you first start! I can swim a few freestyle laps, but anyone have anything else?

Thanks to everyone. Keep them coming!

therockisblinding05 · May 2010

I run for 30 mins in the morning (it jump starts your metabolism) and I eat lettuce before hand because it contains the complex carbs needed...who knew huh? Don't protein up until after your work out. I've lost a few pounds not for my wedding dress, but because I wanna look great in my honeymoon bathing suit! GL!

Pretty Parula · May 2010

Ash, you're totally right. That's why I won't get dried fruit at the grocery, just at the farmer's market. The Publix veggie chips have a little salt on them, but nothing like you'd find on processed potato chips.

meghanmcadams · May 2010

Ashbosity, see if you can find some information on AquaFIt at home, you can always jog in place, tread water, do crunchs, arm resistance and more. It won't be as effective as land workouts but water provides a great low impact workout. Last night I did Aqua Zumba and I can feel it in my shoulders a little.

If you don't mind running, try the Couch to 5k program, a lot of people have had success with that. Since the FI and I started running he has lost 15 lbs.

sarajenae13 · May 2010

I did the south beach diet, and that was a huge success for me. I went from a size 6 to a size 4. And lost about 15 pounds. It's a tough diet to start, but once you are on it for 3 days or so its very easy! What part of the body do you want to loose weight from? And about your fiance being able eat what ever he wants, MINE does the same! It kills me hahah! Good Luck!

AileeneG · May 2010

In Response to <a href="http://orlando.weddings.com/Sites/weddings/Pages/main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_florida-central-florida_whats-shape-uplose-weight-tip?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:66Discussion:d7b2ff56-1853-4f3e-a5a0-8a4b7da6220bPost:12c18421-cdb1-476c-8a41-47216bbae330">Re: What's your best shape up/lose weight tip?</a>:
[QUOTE] If you don't mind running, try the Couch to 5k program, a lot of people have had success with that. Since the FI and I started running he has lost 15 lbs.
Posted by meghanmcadams[/QUOTE]

I really wish I were a runner! I even downloaded a C25K app for my phone so I could run with it, but I haven't done it. *sigh* I've heard really really good things about it, though. Maybe one day I'll stop being the world's worst runner and I'll start to enjoy it... :)

meghanmcadams · May 2010

Aileen we weren't really runners at all either, actually in college when I played lacrosse I was always dead last and dying on our runs. The biggest thing for us has been intervals, it is the Galloway training and we even did it in our races. Personally I do 6:30 run :45 walk, but people in our beginning running group do anywhere from 3/1 to 5/1. In 3 months of training I finished my 1st 5k 2 weeks ago at 30:06 and this past Sunday at 29:08!

Pretty Parula · May 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_florida-central-florida_whats-shape-uplose-weight-tip?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:66Discussion:d7b2ff56-1853-4f3e-a5a0-8a4b7da6220bPost:f842b11d-5617-46bf-99b8-1c0fb8e7c7ba">Re: What's your best shape up/lose weight tip?</a>:
[QUOTE]\What part of the body do you want to loose weight from?
Posted by sarajenae13[/QUOTE]

<div>You really can't lose weight from just one part of your body. You can tone muscle in an isolated part of your body, or if you have larger areas of fat in certain parts of your body you may notice the weight loss more dramatically there, but actually isolating weight loss doesn't happen. All fat cells will react the same way, no matter where they are.</div>

AileeneG · May 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.weddings.com/Sites/Weddings/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_florida-central-florida_whats-shape-uplose-weight-tip?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:66Discussion:d7b2ff56-1853-4f3e-a5a0-8a4b7da6220bPost:fdaacf25-bfb5-44b7-a123-187136ccd4fb">Re: What's your best shape up/lose weight tip?</a>:
[QUOTE]Aileen we weren't really runners at all either, actually in college when I played lacrosse I was always dead last and dying on our runs. The biggest thing for us has been intervals, it is the Galloway training and we even did it in our races. Personally I do 6:30 run :45 walk, but people in our beginning running group do anywhere from 3/1 to 5/1. In 3 months of training I finished my 1st 5k 2 weeks ago at 30:06 and this past Sunday at 29:08!
Posted by meghanmcadams[/QUOTE]

Wow! I would be so proud if I could finish at 29:08! I usually run 5k's in about 42-45 minutes, but I walk a good amount of them. I saw that Track Shack has a Galloway training, btu I thought it was for marathon training, and I'm nowhere near that point yet! I think there's just a correct way to run, and I don't know how. I can stay on the elliptical for a good while, but if I'm on a treadmill or outside, I have a hard time breathing when I try to run, so I'm sure I'm doing something wrong.

Pretty Parula · May 2010

Aileene, I would agree that the interval training will probably help build your endurance the most. Just keep upping your running intervals and you should see improvement fairly soon if you're consistent. I say this, and I haven't set foot on a treadmill in over 9 months, and I hate street running for the very same reasons you mentioned...

meghanmcadams · May 2010

Aileen check out at Fleet Feet in Altamonte- No Boundaries, they have another one in the fall. We just finished the program, started in February and ran 2x a week with a group and coach. Not only did we run we did strengthening. Honestly we are thinking of doing it in the fall again to improve our times, and it was only $80.

mlharbis · May 2010

Alyssa- I was at kohls today and they had a dehydrator for like $70. I have no idea if that is a good prie but I just that was funny because we were talking about it and there it was! Granted it was at a Kohls in MS, but if they don't have it in FL they prob have on online if the dehyrdator setting on your thing doesnt work.

hmmsarcasm · May 2010

another good website for all things nutrition/exercise/calorie tracking/blogging etc. is :

sparkpeople.com

mlharbis · May 2010

Alyssa- FI came home from a business trip today and I asked him about his dehydrator and he said he got his at Bass Pro or some store like that and it was like $20.

What's your best shape up/lose weight tip?

Re: What's your best shape up/lose weight tip?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards

What's your best shape up/lose weight tip?

Re: What&#039;s your best shape up/lose weight tip?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards

Re: What's your best shape up/lose weight tip?