[andrzejpw]

Well, I've decided to lose some weight. I'm currently 5'7" and 170 lbs, but I'd like to be closer to 150.

For the past few days, I've been taking very quick walks twice a day that last about 40 minutes or so. Is walking a good way to burn off fat? Consequently, I've, uh, also given up something else for added incentive. LOTS of energy now.

I've pretty much eliminated sweets from my intake, and I rarely eat out.

So, I'm pretty much asking: is walking ok for now? I remember reading that for burning fat, walking was better than running. Is it ok to split up my exercise, or should it be in one lump?

 

[MERTON]

mow lawns.. it's exhasuting and you get payed.. the city of dallas will pay $55 a lawn and you don't need a business liscense... and also take 20 grams of flaxseed oil a day.. it would cost you at most $25 a month. it works for me.

 

[blessingx]

Believe the no-carbs/Atkins/Zone/etc. hype. I cut 35 lbs over 7 months by cutting out most carbs for awhile then transitioning over to eating only what I burn daily (depending on exercise, etc.). Plus there's the whole mental clarity, better sleep patterns, etc. advantages.

 

[acs236]

Exercise is the best, though not necessarily the quickest way to lose weight, in my opinion. Be it good are bad, humans are well adapted to walking, meaning that we're quite efficient at it and burn relatively few calories when doing it. If you want to walk for exercise, at least make sure you do it at a brisk pace, and not a "comfortable" pace (this likely means that you're doing it efficiently and this is not what you want when exercising).

 

[Russ Arcuri]

Eat a bit less, exercise a bit more. Seems simple, but most people (myself included) have a hard time following that advice. I've had greatest success when I don't cut out any one thing entirely (like you've done with sweets). Instead I'll just eat less of everything. When I go out for lunch to the Chinese restaurant and get the lunch special, I leave a quarter of the plate uneaten and eat only a couple bites of the egg roll. There's a 25% reduction in calories right there! (Yes, I do feel guilty about the poor starving kids in Africa, but I'll also feel guilty if I drop dead of a heart attack at a young age and leave my kids fatherless. I'll waste the food if I have to.)

Walking is very good for you, and easier on your feet/ankles/knees than running. But you should find some way to get your heart rate up a bit while doing so. Walk a route that involves mild inclines, so you're going uphill half of the time. The idea is to get your heart rate up above some minimum number for at least 25 minutes, three or more times per week. There's a formula I found somewhere that takes your age into account and calculates the right heart rate you should be going for. I'll post it later if I can find it.

Good luck,

 

[MagusG]

Water, lots and lots of water. Don't over eat, eat healthy, don't snack, and excercise. Thats about it. Now I just need to convince myself to do all of that again, it worked last time and I dropped weight fast.
-MAg

 

[Rizumu]

Quote:

Originally posted by MagusG Water, lots and lots of water. Don't over eat, eat healthy, don't snack, and excercise. Thats about it. Now I just need to convince myself to do all of that again, it worked last time and I dropped weight fast. -MAg

Heh, exactly. That's what I did and it worked great. I sort of have dropped this and have gained a few pounds but it's not like I'm fat or anything. Hard to convince yourself to start back up, heh. I've actually lost some weight since I dropped sodas and started just drinking water though.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Aviod anything extreme!! Anything that is too extreme will never last. The best way to lose and maintain lost weight is small changes and adding some form of exercise. I have seen too many friends start something drastic and radical to lose weight, and then put it all back on and then some after switching back to a normal diet. That is EXTREMELY unhealthy and hard on your body. Add stuff like vegetables and fruits to your diet to add fiber and good, healthy nutrients.

Do some muscle adding exercises also. Every pound of muscle can burn 7 pounds of fat per year, so add a couple of pounds of muscle and you body will do the rest.

If you just cut out 100 calories per day you will lose like 7 pounds per year. Watch out for stuff that is high in caloric density (ie small amount with lots of calories.)

Fast food is one of the biggest culprits of being overweight. VERY high in fat and low in anything worthwhile. Stay away from fast food, but if you want to splurge once a week or two you should be fine.

 

[john_jcb]

Another thing to watch out for are the foods and drinks that you think are good but will put pounds on you. Stay away from all of the Gatorade type sports drinks. Drink water instead. Unless you are loosing several pints of sweat you do not need the electrolytes they provide. Healthy sounding things like granola bars can also sneak up on you. Pop is also high in calories.

For long term success it is best to eat a healthy balanced diet avoiding sweets, pasta and bread for the most part. Find amounts where your weight does not fluctuate then to loose weight eat a little less and exercise a little more. Activity is the key. When you feel like you are getting stronger increase the level of your exercise.

If you can find someone to exercise with. It makes it easier if you have someone along to keep your interest up.

 

[gloco]

Stop eating junk food as well as fried food, i went from 183lbs to 160 in a matter of a few months and even better: my cholesterol dropped from 250 to 162 and my bad cholesterol dropped from 177 to 117. Plus, my blood pressure is normal for the first time in years. Take that to the bank

 

[skagen]

The basics are excercise more and eat smater.

Excercise:
- Walking is fine as a starting point, but at some point you have to get your heart rate up a bit more (ie run) to get to better build muscle mass - which burns more calories.
-Also your body wil adapt if you do the same thing no matter what it is so you need something aerobic like weight lifiting or somethign that is short-busrt/high power. You mix the two of those types of excercise, and you'll not only lose weight, but build some strength.
- Putitng on some muscle will actually slow down your weight loss, since mucle weighs more than fat, but you'll be more fit and more able to keep it off since you can do more excercise. Also the fitness/eating follow abit of a "virtuous cycle" - the more fit you get, the more you enjoy excercise an activity, which gives you an incentive to eat better - it comes very naturally.

Eating:
- You do have to eat a bit more smarter. Low carb diet is fine for rapid weigh loss but you wont sustain that weight loss-at least not without long term health negatives.
- Eat less fat but do it gradually so that your body can adapt slowly. Otherwise you'll backslide. Cutting yoruself off one day is a waste of time - you;ll just binge later.
- Sugar is a hidden on. Sodas, Snapple, cerals etc are often hidden sugar that turns right into fat.
-With the carbs (you still need some) switch to complex carbs ie whole grains and quit eating simple ("white) carbs like pasta and rice. Its more filling with les alories too
- water fills you up and cleans you out
- proteins: switch from red mead to fih and chicken - which comes with less fat too.
- dairy - is a minefield - good for the calcium but can add fat you don't need. 2% ilk doesn't taste as bad as skim (ugh) but is half the fat or regular - try it.
- timng and volume: eat less - dont eat for fun all the time. Also don't eat a major meal within 4 hrs of bedtime. We're human, you might have a tiny snack but minimize it.

Overall.
-Avoid a mentality of losing a lot of weight rapidly. Losing 1-2 per week is the best thing you can do for your body becuae you will adust better and be better able to keep it off int he long term. If you want a quick fix they are there eg Dr Atkins, but you'll put that weight back on for sure - or damge your heart.
- Also the beginning always sucks and you may not see progress but if sticka t it, and you check like 4-6 weeks later you can seee that you're getting somewhere. It gets easier to maintain after that.

 

[MERTON]

cycling or swimming are the best cardio excercises and they are also the easiest on the joints.

 

[Russ Arcuri]

Quote:

Originally posted by skagen The basics are excercise more and eat smater.

Just yesterday I had to run out to the store and buy another case of smater. My wife used the last can when she made breakfast.

(Yes, I realize it's just a typo. I couldn't resist. I would have made a joke about "excercise" too, but since most people misspell it anyway I figured the humor would probably have been lost.)

 

[Xecter]

I went from 170 to 145lb in literally 3 weeks.


But then again i was 16. =P

 

[nanahachi]

Back from seeing the physical therapist, and trying to overcome my excuse making and laziness, I'd love to get more ideas for exercise. I used to work out 3-4 times a week, but a social life and laziness has since gotten in the way. But my back pain has motivated me to get back into it, ASAP.

While I want to get cut and bulk up a bit, I dont need to cut much weight. I want to burn off some flab and turn it to muscle. At the gym, I was doing about 40 mins on the stationary bike (reading a book meanwhille). I have a hard time running/jogging, mostly b/c i get extremely bored (my mp3 player is on the fritz) and discouraged, b/c I have little stamina. I should probably try things like the elliptical machine, but I think I would suffer from the same probs as running: boredom and stamina. The latter I can conquer by just doing it and gradually building it. Not sure about the former.

Over the past year or two, I have tried to get rid of sweets, excess carbs, etc. Unfortunately, my g/f has a sweet tooth, which hasnt helped. I am trying to monitor what I eat, but I feel so unknowledgable, esp how to shop healthilly. I stay away from junk foods, etc, but then when I shop, I have no idea what to buy. Learning how to cook, and doing it regularly has been my goal for years...

As always, thanks for all the ideas, and please post any other thoughts you might have.