Topic: In need of Weight Loss Advice

[VivianB]

I am 34 years old and I have been trying to lose weight to improve my health and make things easier for whenever I start Transition.

I tried cutting carbs and exercising for 30 minutes a day and haven't lost much weight. I have been using the slim fast diet. I was thinking of trying to drink Green Tea however some people in my family are against it. I just want to know a good way to boost metabolism.

[Nicole70]

Hi Vivian,

I have lost almost 50kg in the last three years, there is no easy way or fast short cut way to do it, everyone has something that works for them.

My method was pretty simple, eat healthy, count the calories to make sure you don’t exceed your daily limit (it is really easy to do that), don’t eat empty calories like treats, they may be nice but they don’t fill you, cut the carbs. Eat fish, thick unsweetened yoghurt, soups to help fill you up.

If you have a bad day and over eat don’t beat yourself up, just carry on the diet the next day.

I wish you every success, stick to it be strong and in a few weeks you will see results and feel better.

[Northern Star Girl]

@VivianB
Dear Vivian:
Weight loss is not always successful and long lasting with some of the fad diets and the various thoughts regarding carbs, fat, special drinks and special food.   

It almost aways boils down to daily Calorie intake. 
For the most part, what we eat is not as important as how much we eat and the calories that we put into our mouths.  For the average person, about 1500 calories per day is a rough estimate, may be more or less for smaller/larger and less/more active individuals.   

A weight maintaining diet usually works if one takes in an amount of calories a day and burns the same amount of calories a day.  A daily weight loss diet involves taking in less calories than are used.

Then, of course with regular exercise and activities additional calories can be used up in that manner as well.
NOTE:  Calories are burnt with normal body metabolism and that can be boosted with regular exercise that will increase heart rate for at least 20 - 30 minutes.

What helps me a lot is portion control.  I basically eat what I want to eat (I love comfort food and treats) but I use smaller plates and smaller portions and I don't go back for seconds.

Of course with any diet, there may be known or unknown medical issues that should be discussed with your doctor when going on a long term or drastic diet plan and starting exercise plans that are not ordinary done and are strenuous.

Just my thoughts and opinions, that is all.   It is better to always check with your doctor about your weight loss plans and goals. 
Be safe, don't be sorry.

Best of luck to you.
I am wishing you well in achieving your goals.
Danielle

[CindyLouFromCO]

Cutting carbs is great and so is exercising.  However calories is the most important factor in weight loss as others above have said. 

It takes a lot commitment if you want to lose weight.  It’s even harder for women to lose weight.  You can do it though! 

I recommend getting an app that tracks your calories and carbs.  The most popular is carb manager.  You can add your calories burned from working out also.

Best wishes on your journey!

[Linde]

Try to do the South Beach Diet, or something other resembling the Mediterranean Diet, and keep up your exercising.  You also have to do some calorie counting to stay below the calories you need each day.

[Allie Jayne]

I have lost 26 kg this year and mostly by just keeping my meals small and avoiding sugar. I have been eating a cabbage soup recipe designed for weight loss, and found it to be beneficial. My exercise regime hasn’t changed, so I’m putting all of my weight loss down to diet.

Allie

[ChrissyRyan]

A healthy person who consumes fewer calories than needed to maintain weight should eventually result in some weight loss.  This may take quite awhile as about a 3500 calorie deficit should result in a pound of weight loss for many people.  Your results and needs may vary.

I have no magic diet but I have noticed not consuming much sugar or carbs results in ME losing weight as compared to me eating foods with significant amounts of those dietary compositions.

Keep at it.

Some people do benefit from writing down what and how much they eat, including condiments, sauces, drinks, etc. 

Chrissy

[Ellie_Arroway]

Google the Hacker's Diet, it worked for me.

Having said that, I was only slightly overweight, but I was still dieting for a couple of months to achieve my target.

[Linde]

As a medical person I would like to point out that some diets are not really good for your health.  I diet like the in Keto, can have long term negative health effects.
You want to be a slim and trim woman, but not a slim and sick woman!

[Rachel]

I am not a doctor (I am a PE and a PI) and I tend to be excessive. I use to be diabetic and no matter how hard I tried I could not get rid of the last 50 pounds and visceral fat.

I now eat Keto. I eat vegetables, healthy fats and protein. I severely restrict carbs.

Dr. Boz on you tube is a good start. She teaches the diet to Navy Seals ( it increases endurance) and many others.

I also do time restricted feeding 18/6.

I go to the gym lift weights 3 days a week and spin twice a week.

I take micronutrients and collagen (50 grams a day of very high quality).

I lost over 50 pounds this year and gained a lot of muscle. I have increased endurance and mental clarity.  My visceral fat is all but gone and my tummy muscles are visible.

I agree with Linde, many people do not know how to use the diet correctly. They do not eat vegetables and salads and they eat incorrect fats. Also, the protein I eat is mostly hydrolyzed from broth and of very high quality.  You either eat keto all the time or do not do the program. All the time means zero variances.

I eat a large lunch and 500 or fewer calories dinner. I do not count calories. I had a blood test about 1 hour after my large lunch and my glucose was 88. My body converts protein to glucose in gluconeogenesis.

It took about 3 weeks for my gut flora to be able to handle the diet change. It is called the keto flue. 

Something to keep in mind. You must eat vegetables and salad on the diet.  It is very important to eat it every day.

With a blood sugar above 100 you secrete insulin. It puts carbs into your muscles and liver. If you ate protein and fat it will be converted to triglycerides and put into a fat cell. Carbs below 90 to 100 and you eat protein and fat and you secrete glucagon and that transports the fat and protein into your cells.

Hunger pains on the 18/6 time restricted feeding is 1/10 when fat adapted. 18/6 allows 2 hours a day of apothogy. I also take apocynin 99.5% pure, 5 grams a day to aid in cell competition.

One thing I want to do is weekly fast for 18 hours. Your stem cells retreat to your bone marrow and when you break fast they come out super charged. It really sounds exciting to try. I will talk to my doctor about the weekly fast when I see her in November.

Oh, I am going to make heavy wiping cream, ground stevia, chia seeds and hyaluronic acid pudding this weekend. No heat needed. I take hyaluronic acid every day. Chia is a natural laxative and heavy wiping cream is yummy but needs a sweater.  I love stevia. Next I will add some cacao. ( ask me about the evidenced based hyaluronic acid naked mole rat and transgenic mice study if you want to know about hyaluronic acids benefits).

Best,
Rachel

[Reeve]

I'd say go veggie or vegan! When I went vegan I lost about 10 pounds (even though I didn't need to). After I figured out the proper nutrition and what to eat, I actually lost fat and gained some strength. It's great for you, the environment, and animals! 

[Stevie]

  Down load a calorie counting app like FatSecret tracking your calories works if you stick to the recommended calorie count you will lose weight. It helps to set incremental goals. 
 That's the mechanics of it, but the most important part of losing weight is mental. I lost 180 lbs and have kept it off for 4 years now. I motivated myself by predicating my transition on achieving weight loss goals, for example one of my major goals was to get below 200 lbs the reward starting HRT.

[Linde]

I take hyaluronic acid every day. Chia is a natural laxative and heavy wiping cream is yummy but needs a sweater.  I love stevia. Next I will add some cacao. ( ask me about the evidenced based hyaluronic acid naked mole rat and transgenic mice study if you want to know about hyaluronic acids benefits).

Best,
Rachel

I use hyaluronic acid twice daily on my facial skin.  I don't use any other stuff, just put sunscreen on top of it during the day, nothing at night.
I would not ingest hyaluronic acid, because a small study like you mentioned is inconclusive and not interpolated onto humans.  Deduced from the data we have on ingestion:
Hyaluronic acid is generally very safe when used as a supplement, but people who are pregnant or have cancer or a history of cancer may want to avoid taking it.  Injected into joints, it showed more adverse effects than positive ones.

[VivianB]

One issue I have is that I have Hypothyroid, which makes things harder.

[Jessica_K]

I also lost about 4st this year and used a cal counting no fad diet that really worked for me and I do not exercise as much as I should
I have a good breakfast, no sugar. No snacks during the day. I usually do not have lunch but a small lunch is doable then a well balanced main meal of about 500-800 cal. Depending on the day, this could be 1000-1200 cals well below the daily requirement. The breakfast is the key do not skip it as it kicks off the metabolism. Then finally and this is another key have a eat what you want day a week. This is something to look forward to and stops your body getting into a routine

Oh and weigh yourself regularly and note it can stay the same, go up and go down do not despair  the trend will be down

It will be slow but slow is good

Good luck

Jessica xx

[Rakel]

One issue I have is that I have Hypothyroid, which makes things harder.

Vivian,

Having a hypothyroid condition can adversely effect your weight. Normal diets are not going to work very well until your thyroid hormone is at the proper level. One possible treatment is thyroid supplements. However, if you are taking any thyroid hormone, your bodies own thyroid production will decrease and you may have to take thyroid tablets daily for the rest of your life. Also, thyroid blood levels must be carefully monitored. Even small dose changes can mean a big difference in your well being and how you feel.

If you are under the care of an Endocrinologist, do what he or she recommends. Endocrinologists can do much more than prescribe the sex hormones. 

[Rachel_Christina]

I restrict myself in no manner, I eat anything and everything I want. Had dominos last night and dominos for breakfast.
Being mobile and physical will be your best friend, along with simply not constantly going for seconds!
It is good to feel hungry now and again!

[Randi]

I have had success with a Ketogenic, intermittent fasting diet.

I try to limit carbohydrates and sugars to almost nothing.  I can have all the meat and fats that I want.  I eat about 6 cups of salad a day, broccoli, cauliflower, romaine mix, cucumbers and avocados.

I only eat between 1 PM and 7 PM. 

There is plenty of information on the web and elsewhere about a "Keto" diet.  The big secret here is that if you can eliminate carbohydrates and sugars, you don't really get hungry.

It is not easy to eliminate carbs.   I eat hamburgers, but leave the bun.  Bacon and eggs but no toast.  Pasta and Pizza are forbidden unless you have cauliflower crust (you can find that in your grocers frozen case).

Sardines, in olive oil, are a nearly perfect food.  Bacon, ham, and sausage are fine, and the fat keeps you from being hungry.

Your reward is that you will be losing half a pound every day after a week to get started.

I went from 270 to 240 in 2 months. 

Randi

[ChrissyRyan]

I think that mtf HRT makes it a bit harder to lose weight than when pre-HRT.

Maybe not. Maybe just a bit.

It is still about consuming fewer calories than you need though to lose weight.

But I do know for me that if I limit added sugars and carbs as much as possible, that helps with my weight loss. Also, eating steamed veggies.

Chrissy

[Linde]

Fish and veggies is what I love, and what helps me to keep my weight under control.  And than..... I binge on French Fries, and all that weight is back again, and I have to suffer for a few days as revenge to get it off again!