Rider

This has probably been posted before, I do apologize if I copy someone. Here is the situation.

I am 6' 247lbs. 26 years old

I have been chubby almost my entire life. There was a point between 13 and 16 where I got skinny and muscular. Anyway, I've tried a lot of things to help me get my weight down.

Stacker 2
Numerous other diet pills

Now I'm on Slim-Fast, well the Costco version of it because it's half the price . Yay Kirkland! Anyhoo, it's not doing anything for me. I fluctuate between 244 and 247 for two weeks now. I drink two shakes a day and eat a regular dinner. Is there something I am doing wrong?

I know I'll get the response that I need to exercise, and I would agree but I have 0 time to do so. So if anyone has any ideas about weight loss or even ideas about exercises that are fast and effective can you post here please? Thanks. :notworthy

beth

Try the Zone Diet. it reduces carbs. Cut out all sugar and switch to Splenda and foods(candy) that are made with sugar alcohol when desiring something sweet. eat cottage cheese. Eat berries, all berries are packed with nutrition and are low in carbs. Eat grapes and cherries fo deserts.Eat chicken a fresh veggies. Reduce bread intake and pasta, potato, and rice consumption. Try eating whole foods. Eat lotsa nuts, unsalted, or lightly salted...

Plus excercise. Good luck.

The Other Michael

Get thee to the exercise and physical fitness thread and read it all. There is lots of good nutrition info there along with the exercise stuff. If you have questions on any of the information ask in that thread as we keep bumping it up, and you'll probably get more responses.

I think many people who claim they don't have time to exercise probably aren't looking at their schedule very closely. If you want to fit it in, you'll find the time. 30 minutes a day 4-6 times a week is all you really need to come up with.

cheers,
Michael

Viti

Burn more calories than you consume by decreasing calories and increasing activity. Try to eat a variety of healthful foods that give you some kind of nutrition with those calories. Break your entire days menu into 5 or 6 snacks instead of large meals and eat something every 2 or 2.5 hours...this keeps you from feeling hungry and lets your body know it is not, in fact, starving and does not need to store fat. Increase your water consumption...I drink 100 oz a day (NOT all at once!).

Try something like this (vary it so you don't get bored.)

Early Morning: Hot or cold cereal and skim milk with 1/2 cup of blueberries (excellent antioxidant)

Mid-morning: A bagel (no schmear) or a cup of low fat yoghurt with granola and a piece of fruit.

Noontime: Tossed salad (field greens and leafy dark green lettuce and spinach with tomatoes carrots etc....iceberg gives you nothing!). Mix in or have on the side 4 ounces of chicken, lean steak, tuna, or a hard boiled egg.

Midafternoon: A protein shake or Slim Fast and a banana, or cheese and fruit

Early evening (dinner): 4-6 oz of lean meat broiled, a baked sweet potato (beta carotene) sprinkled with a little brown sugar and nutmeg and/or steamed mixed veggies (yellow squash, zuchinni and carrots makes a pretty and healthy dish)

Desert or mid evening snack: (choose one LOL!) Sherbet, a homemade oatmeal cookie or two, mixed berries with a tiny bit of whipped topping, popcorn

Allow yourself a hamburger or other favorite food one day a week (not all day, just replace one of your normal snacks)

I lived on something similar to the above for two years and never felt hungry and all the nutrients needed are built in, though I did take calcium supplements.

Rider

Wow thanks everyone for your responses. Especially LadyShae

One more request... anyone have any good exercise regiments that they do on a daily basis? Thanks!

catalyst

Please check out the thread the Other Michael directed you to.

And when you get there, please post what type of exercise you are interested in.

Godot

This generally doesn't sound too bad apart from the bit about the zone diet. Don't go on it; it is pseudoscientific claptrap.

RevDahlia

I have to be very thin, because my job demands it -- I'm a naturally thin person, but I have to be about 10-15 pounds under my natural weight for my work. So... I've been a one-woman diet lab for years... here is what I've gleaned.

Of the formally-delineated diets I've tried, the Zone works best. Before anyone jumps down my throat about the pseudoscience involved, I've determined that the reason why it works is that with so many foods offlimits, you simply eat less. Also, in this culture we get addicted to feeling "full" ... not just satisfied or un-hungry, but actively stuffed. i think it makes us feel like we've got our money's worth, in a sick way, and gorging on starch is a shortcut to feeling replete. It's not such a bad idea to get more carbs through vegetables and cut down on the breadpotatoespasta consumption a titch.

So screw the Zone. Portion control is the name of the game here, combined with a fair amount of cardio. Also, learn to pay attention to your body. Eat only until you're not hungry anymore, not until you're stuffed. This is actually kind of fun... I carry on a running dialogue with my carcass, have given it a voice. It feels good to pay attention to what your body really needs.

Don't eat just because it's time to eat -- and don't allow yourself to get too hungry. Those diet shakes are kind of a bait-and-switch, because they kill your appetite for awhile and then stop working all at once -- you're starving and feel like eating Brazil, and unless there's another magic-bullet shake within arms' length it's easy to give in and binge.

I find that strange cravings are the body's way of telling you something important. I'm not talking about the urge for a Jumbo Jack or a bag of Chee-Tos -- prepackaged snack foods and fast foods are devoid of nutritive value and the desire for them is created by their manufacturers. But if you have a sudden urge to eat an entire bunch of bananas or a whole bag of red peppers, by all means do so. That's your ol' body talking, and the point here is to dump old habits and listen to your flesh.

As for exercise, I highly recommend taking up an unfamiliar sport -- like crew, or squash, or an obscure martial art, or something. Your brain will be engaged enough so that you'll forget you're exercising. And come on -- a half-hour a day? That's all you need-- make the time.

(Edit-- and drink a lot of water. Don't shock your system with gallons a day immediately -- you have to phase it in or you'll lose it. I splurge on ritzy carbonated water -- Appolinaris or Pellegrino. It's expensive, and it's worth it. You'll be amazed at how much more energetic and sleek you'll feel when you're properly hydrated.)

catalyst

I am obligated to promote the benefits of a properly designed and executed resistance training program.

Not that I am biased or anything.

pariah

You need to do the following:

1. eat a GOOD diet. not a "diet", but just eat the food pyramid, whenever you are hungry, dont overeat but dont eat too little. ZERO EXTRA CALORIES. no soda, no candy. sugar in cofee is fine though, hehe, just use very very little oils/fats that are excess. make sure all of your calories are from nutritious food. you wont miss it once u start to lose weight and kick the habit.

2. CARDIO. this is the best for burning fat. its essential. i reccomend you start run/walking a mile 5 times weekly. jog at a pace where u can still carry on a conversation, if u get too tired walk a bit. once u can do that then run a mile, when you can run a mile work up to 1.5, then work to 2, then...you say you have zero time to do so. you dont have 10-15 minutes a day? please dont tell me that you are so busy you cant get up 10 minutes earlier to run before you shower. it is fast and effective.

3. i wanted to advise a light weight high rep workout program but you say you have no time, well this actually would take time so that sucks. =( you could still get a few dumbells and do a FEW exercises, if u have 30 minutes or so every other day.

aim to lose about 1-2 pounds a week. if you arent losing a pound a week, eat less exercise more. if you are losing more than that, exercise the same, eat more.

good luck. its a slow and though process but it will work better than anything else.

look, its an incredibly simple concept. eat well, exercise. if you do those two things, you cant fail.