Weight Loss Advice

C

Ciddy

Cathlete
A very good friend of mine who has been overweight for years called me this weekend looking for advice. She's feels like she's finally in the right state of mind to start losing weight. I could help her with the workout advice she was looking for, but she was also asking about different weight loss programs which I really don't know to much about. My sister-in-law did the LA Weightloss program after my nephew was born and she did very well on it, but from what she's told me it sounds really expensive and my friend needs to lose about 120 pounds to be at her goal weight. Another friend of mind did Weight Watchers and she did ok, but seemed to struggle. I think a lot of it had to do with her hectic schedule and having 3 kids to chase after. She didn't have the kind of time necessary to plan meals and snacks ahead of time. Have any of you or anyone you know had great success on these or any other plans? I'd really like to help her because her excess weight is eventually going to cause some health problems, but I think she needs help beyond my telling her how I eat and giving her my support. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.:)
 
Hello! I have tried a LOT of things and was never quite happy.

I ended up doing the SouthBeach Diet which is wonderful.

It is basically replacing everything that is white, like white rice, white flour, white bread, for whole grains and 100% whole wheat.

I love this diet because I don't feel deprived and I am sticking to it for the rest of my life.

It starts a strict for two weeks, but then it gets better after that.

If your friend wants, she get first check out the book for the SouthBeach diet from the Local Public Library (I do this a lot), try the diet and see if she likes it.

I eat everything 100% Whole Wheat and Whole Grains, nothing fortified or Cured Meats, Lean Meats and Poultry, Fish, etc.

Vegetables, Salads, Red Potatoes instead of white potatoes (less starch), Brown Rice, Rice Pilaf, Oatmeal, 1% Milk, Fruits, etc.

It is a very balanced diet. There are lots of SouthBeach Diet products out there and major companies such as Kraft that have teamed up with SouthBeach to aid people in making healthier choices for their diets.

Tell you friend to give it a try!! She has nothing to loose but weight!!!! ;-)
 
Go to www.bodyforlife.com

It is very simple. It is not a diet . It is a healthy lifestyle eating plan.

You measure the portion size using the size of the palm of your hand. He also has a very simple cookbook. BTW, I am domestically challenged and cannot boil water to save my life. But this cookbook was easy for me, and my kids and DH (who is a really good cook) actualy liked what I made out of this cookbook.

I don't follow the excercise program (it is very good also) but the healthy lifestyle of eating he goes over in detail gave me really good results.

Again, with 120 to lose, a lifestyle change is what your after. This is it. Good luck!
 
Two years ago, I started out with Weight Watchers (again). I tried many different programs (Jenny Craig, South Beach Diet, etc) and either they were too expensive, or just didn't fit my lifestyle. I kept going back to WW. I have lost 70 lbs over the last 2 years with Weight Watchers. Now, over the last 4 months or so, I have evolved that into clean eating and haven't lost a whole lot more weight, but have lost body fat and have gained a TON of muscle definition (Thanks, Cathe!!).

Like the previous poster, it's going to take lifestyle change to lose that much and please remind her that it's not going to come off fast!

Another tool I use is www.sparkpeople.com. It's a free online food program (she can use their recommendations or not) to track calories and her exercise. They have support message boards as well as informative articles to answer all her questions. I love it and use it everyday to track my eating.
 
I lost 35 pds last year by just counting calories,eating healthy portions of food,drinking plenty of water(all I drink seems like)and just watching what I ate basically! I't was hard at first,but if just became a lifestlye,just like everybody else says. I didn't really follow any program,I exercised about 4 times a week,walking,step aerobics(was hard at first,but became easier)a little wieght lifting. I did cheat one meal a week,to kinda "reward" myself. I measure myself once a mnth,and wieghed about once a mnth.

I still have about 40 more pounds to go,I know its gonna take me a while,and it can get frustrating,but in the end,Im worth it!

Tell your friend,shes worth it!!!!!

Good luck to her!

Amy:)
 
I second Weight Watchers.

(See my link)

I've kept off 50 pounds for over 8 years now. I also have 3 kids and an insane schedule. It really isn't time consuming. If you are usedto convenience foods just choose them in a manner to stay at your Points Target!

I wish her well!:)

Terri
 
I"m 45 and have controlled my weight for years, until 40 - its become more difficult...I find the Body for Life program to be the most reasonable to live as a regular way of life...and more an more programs seem to be modelling after it.....if she's really new to weight loss, I'd start with Dr.Oz's YOu on a DIet....and then move to Body for Life....Keep away fro La weightloss - a gimmic a nd she'll put it back one. If she has the time and money, there's good old weight watchers which has a proven track record of sustained weight control for folks...
 
Ciddy, I recommend that your friend consult with a nutritionist. They can design a plan that is based upon your friend's particular likes and dislikes and can give her something that will work for HER.

The eating plan my nutritionist gave me is similar to the South Beach plan, and, like Maria, I love it. I find that avoiding simple sugars and starches helps me to have fewer cravings so I'm more in control.

Nancy
 
I can't comment on the BFL diet, although I'm assuming it's pretty sound based on what I know about the author. That said, I would advise your friend to learn as much as possible about nutrition. I say that because there are tons of programs out there that have you eating pre-packaged meals from a box, all the while not really know what you are eating or why it may or may not be working in terms of weight loss.

Knowledge is power when it comes to weight loss. Also, I would have your friend steer clear of low carb diets that reduce the intake of fruit and emphasize protein over other nutrients. It is imperative that you have LOTS of fiber in a healthy diet. These diets downplay the importance of fiber (so important in fighting a variety of cancers), and emphasize the importance of protein, which can be damaging on the kidneys in the long run. You can tell that they are low in fiber because many of them require you to have a fiber substitute which is void of all the micronutrients found in food that naturally is fiber dense. In addition to being potentially dangerous, these diets are VERY difficult to follow over the long term. My personal experience with them is that EVERY person I've known who has followed these plans eventually gave them up and ended up gaining back the weight, sometimes putting on more weight than they lost.

Low fat diets can be good BUT they must be nutrient dense. Meaning, you can't expect a diet of crackers and low fat ice cream to be healthy, much less help you lose weight. Sadly, many people don't think low fat diets are worthy because many low fat diets can be void of nutrients. My advice is to eat a nutrient dense low fat diet (lots of fruits and veggies). The book I like to follow (and some others on this forum follow as well), is Eat to Live. The author recommends a diet that is 90% clean and 10% everything else. Many people find this approach very restricting but it is nutritionally sound. Personally, I am working up to the 90/10 ratio. My diet is more like 70/30 at the moment, which is a huge improvement for me. Some days are better than others, but overall I have found myself eating more fruit and veggies than ever. I feel better and I have found ways to enjoy veggies (and I wasn't a huge veggie lover to begin with).

Anyway, that my 2 cents. Hope it was helpful:)

Carolyn
 
I think someone who is very overweight is going to need a lot of support, so WW is probably a good choice.

The problem with self-education is there is so much conflicting information out there. It's confusing to those of us who follow it regularly so I can't imagine how overwhelming it might be to someone who is new.

Good luck to your friend!

Marie
 
>
>The problem with self-education is there is so much
>conflicting information out there. It's confusing to those of
>us who follow it regularly so I can't imagine how overwhelming
>it might be to someone who is new.
>
>
I'm surprised that you would argue against self education, Marie. I agree there is a lot of conflicting information out there but there are some basic rules that apply. Eating food that has lot of nutrients is always good, eating food that is high in sugar/fat but low in nutrients is bad. You'd be surprised at how many people don't know that much.
I would suggest setting up a meeting with a registered dietician who can help sort out the confusing info. There are some really knowledgeable people out there who can help educated people who are just starting out. This is what I would consider self education. Once you get a good understanding of healthy eating, it's pretty easy to tell the good from the bad info. Personally, I started out 11 years ago basically knowing nothing about exercise and nutrition and thanks to my self education, I now feel pretty confident about both subjects (not to mention I've just started my masters in exercise science, but I digress
;-) )

Carolyn
 
Thanks for all the great suggestions. I've printed out all of your replies and I'm going to pass them along to my friend. I want to help her anyway I can because she really seems ready to do this. Thanks again.:)
 
I think WW is an excellent choice. I've lost 50 lbs on the program. In my opinion it does take planning to be successful, but I think that's the case with any "diet" or weight loss program. There's no magic fix that doesn't require time and effort. I used to eat convenience foods and hated to cook, but I realized I was going to have to cook to do the program. Some people can eat out and still follow the program, but I'm not one of them. I actually like to cook now (on my days off). On my days off I go to the grocery store and I cook food for the whole week and seperate it into seperate servings so that it's already to go for my lunches, and for dinner I cook simpler meals on the days I work and save the more complicated or time consuming meals for my days off. I think it's so much easier to have a program to follow rather than going it alone. Like one of the other posters said there is a support system with weight watchers that can really help. I've totally changed my eating habits through Weight Watchers. Good luck to your friend.
 
I am no expert, can only say what has worked for me. There is so much conflicting information out there and there are so many nutrition programs that require calorie counting, measuring portions, eliminating entire types of foods, etc. that I found all of it overwhelming. I have lost 40 pounds over the past year and I started by simply adding 10 minutes a day of moderate exercise (using exercisetv on demand) and cutting my portions down by approximately 1/3 (using my own willpower). I literally would take food off my plate, and in a restaurant I would ask them to package half the entree to go and bring me the other half. I lost my first 12 pounds this way, in about 6 weeks, and when I got on the scale and some the success it really put me in a frame of mind to push further - and a huge smile on my face. At that point, I started exercising more regularly, planning my meals, differentiating between the misinformation available out there, and so on. I really think because I had a lot of weight to lose it was important that I started with 1 or 2 simple but significant changes based on my lifestyle. Seeing the initial success was the turning point for me.

I have no experience with programs like weight watchers or LA weight loss, so I can't comment on those.

Hope this helps,
Wendy
 
Sort of off topic, but I would also recommend your friend pick up a couple of magazines to help her. I think both the Weight Watchers and Looking Good Now magazines offer realistic role models, good food choices, as well as sample diet and exercise routines.
 
>I'm surprised that you would argue against self education,
>Marie. I agree there is a lot of conflicting information out
>there but there are some basic rules that apply.

I wasn't arguing against self-education, Carolyn; I was suggesting that when someone is first starting out, this is probably not the easiest path to take. Just go into any bookstore. There are literally hundreds of books suggesting different approaches, allegedly magical diets, and a focus on quick hits. I'm not saying she shouldn't become self-educated, but if I had a friend in that position, I would suggest she take a more guided approach in the beginning, which might take the form of a dietician or WW, if she can't afford the former.

Marie
 
>I am no expert, can only say what has worked for me. There is
>so much conflicting information out there and there are so
>many nutrition programs that require calorie counting,
>measuring portions, eliminating entire types of foods, etc.
>that I found all of it overwhelming.

Wendy, thanks. This was exactly my point.

Marie
 
>
>I wasn't arguing against self-education, Carolyn; I was
>suggesting that when someone is first starting out, this is
>probably not the easiest path to take. Just go into any
>bookstore. There are literally hundreds of books suggesting
>different approaches, allegedly magical diets, and a focus on
>quick hits. I'm not saying she shouldn't become self-educated,
>but if I had a friend in that position, I would suggest she
>take a more guided approach in the beginning, which might take
>the form of a dietician or WW, if she can't afford the
>former.
>
>Marie

I agree that there is a lot of information regarding nutrition out there. I guess I just wouldn't want someone to give up learning about the subject just because of that. Nutrition is so important to overall health that it is my opinion that the more you know, the healthier you will be. I would not give myself over to a program negating my responsibility to learn about nutrition. That's my point.

Carolyn
 
I think the key for any kind of weight loss success is planning and having the right foods on hand for snacking and meals. If weight loss is a priority, you just have to make the time.

<--- mom of 3, hectic schedule, does Weight Watchers
 
>>I am no expert, can only say what has worked for me. There
>is
>>so much conflicting information out there and there are so
>>many nutrition programs that require calorie counting,
>>measuring portions, eliminating entire types of foods, etc.
>>that I found all of it overwhelming.
>
>Wendy, thanks. This was exactly my point.
>
>Marie

Very good point!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top