Trying to drop a few

[Hadassah]

I know there's another thread on dieting, but it's getting lengthy, so I thought I'd start another...
I need to lose 15 lbs. Since I'm going to be getting paid to do shows in the near future, I'd like the option of going without a tummy cover from time to time. I've always been a meaty girl, so I don't want to be skinny, just firmer and less fluffy.
I've done South Beach, which caused me to drop 10 in two weeks, but it's too restrictive to me. Any suggestions? What works best, the fastest and safest.
Plese, no TrimSpa - I almost choked to death on one! No way, baby.

 

[Suhad]

Easiest? It's a combination of things:

1. exercise more, and harder. If you don't presently lift weights, add a light weight workout to your routine at least twice a week. If you do lift, add extra cardio via doing sprint/burst routines. Moving yourself into anaerobic workouts briefly can really improve your aerobic stamina and your metabolism will really kick into overdrive. Ditto for adding weights; muscle weighs more than fat, takes more calories to maintain, and takes up less room on your body.

2. eliminate simple carbs of all sorts from your diet. If you normally eat white rice, substitute brown; if you like potatoes, eat yams; if you like white bread, eat TRUE whole wheat instead (I'm a compulsive label reader, myself).

3. switch to organic meats -- they're more expensive, but the growth hormones used in most animals here in the US cause lots of us women above the age of like 20 or so to gain weight -- cuz that's what they're fed to the animals for, and we get them straight from the animals via the muscle we eat.

Hope that helps!

 

[Moon]

I'm not a diet-expert but I think the tips Suhad described are very good (I didn't know the organic meat thing, good to remember!)

I personally think it's not a good idea to follow a diet which makes you lose weight very fast. It's not healthy and there will be a chance you will gain weight faster after the diet (because then, your body wants to be prepared for another "period of starvation").

I think more exercise and healthier food is the best advice.

 

[Amulya]

I personally think it's not a good idea to follow a diet which makes you lose weight very fast.

Agree on that! I lost quite some weight recently. I just followed a very simple diet. I cut down carbs, but not completely and replaced them with lots of fruits and veggies. I started breakfast with home made fruit juice, I just put fruit in a blender together with some orange juice, so I didn't lose the fibers. I drank about half a liter a day. It really fills up and you don't feel hungry. Then I ate lots of soups and salads, they make sure you don't get hungry either. So you can still eat a big amount of food and don't have to get hungry. It just takes some time to get used to.
Of course this needs to go with exercise, I just danced more then usually and it really helped.
I used to have a Dutch size 44 (some years ago) and dropped to 40, but it still didn't feel right for my type of body so I started losing weight in january and I am a size 36 now and am very happy about it.

Good luck

 

[miss_shimmy]

hi

Agree on that! I lost quite some weight recently. I just followed a very simple diet. I cut down carbs, but not completely and replaced them with lots of fruits and veggies. I started breakfast with home made fruit juice, I just put fruit in a blender together with some orange juice, so I didn't lose the fibers. I drank about half a liter a day. It really fills up and you don't feel hungry. Then I ate lots of soups and salads, they make sure you don't get hungry either. So you can still eat a big amount of food and don't have to get hungry. It just takes some time to get used to.
Of course this needs to go with exercise, I just danced more then usually and it really helped.

I am doing same,plus i do super callanetics twice a week,and dance every day,as much as i can.

i recently added some yoga postures with help from my yoga instructing friend,all that combined,i gone from uk 36 to a uk 32 in a mnth and a half.

best of luck,you have our love and support

hugs

miss shimmy
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[da Sage]

I'm not a diet-expert but I think the tips Suhad described are very good (I didn't know the organic meat thing, good to remember!)

Maybe in the Netherlands they don't use BGH (Bovine Growth Hormone)? I think in Europe, farmers use fewer chemicals and medicines, than they do in the USA. Check it out before you get worried.

 

[miss_shimmy]

hi

what are your eating habits like at the moment?
do you drink lots of water?
how much excercise are you doing?

hugs and smiles


miss shimmy
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Moon]

thanks, daSage

 

[Thara]

Hi!
I think that drinking lot of water helps, because we ofter mistake thirst for hunger. For me also was good reducing salty products, it went rather easy in habits.

 

[Yshka]

Suhad's tips are very good. About that organic meat (what is organic meat anyway? can anyone tell me? Can't find a word that explains for me).
I don't know about the use of BGH in the Netherlands really, but cutting down on meat intake in general really worked for me. Instead I eat lots of white fish, salads and vegetarian meat (like fake-meat made of vegetables and stuff).

Plus I drink tons of water and fruit juices. Nuts are also very helpful for me if I feel I REALLY REALLY need a snack.

Amulya, that's amazing! I also used to be Dutch size 44 but are currently sized 38/40. I feel I could lose some more since I'm rather short, but I don't feel like becoming completely thin. I like my hips and 'certain other body parts' like this .
I upped the amount of excercise (dance and crunches/sit ups, some running at times for cardio), which also helped a lot. I try dancing at least an hour a day (before I did half hours a day, I just started doing hours a week ago lol).
I'm thinking of taking up yoga as well.

Dieting IMO doesn't work really. You lose weight fast, you stop dieting, you gain weight even faster! Changing into a healthier lifestyle and keeping it that way works way better.

Good luck everyone!

Iris

 

[da Sage]

Suhad's tips are very good. About that organic meat (what is organic meat anyway? can anyone tell me? Can't find a word that explains for me).

In the USA, food animals are fed antibiotics regularly in their food to make them grow bigger/faster. BGH is given to milk cows to make them produce more milk (and maybe given to meat cows too?).

Organic meat is meat from animals that are only given medicine if they are sick (and perhaps some immunizations from disease).

 

[Yshka]

Thanks da Sage, I think that's called 'biological meat' here. I think those growth hormones are being used here but I don't know exactly how much they are being used anyway.

I try to eat it more often than the 'usual' meat, but till now I've been eating less meat anyway so I don't know if I lost weight because of the organic meat or just reducing my meat eating.

 

[Moon]

Unfortunately organic meat is very expensive. If I have to cook for other students I just can't buy organic meat.