Weight loss - What worked for you?

I can lose weight doing a lot of things.  In my lifetime, I've lost hundreds of pounds.  I am only able to consistently keep them off with low carb.  Like cheesebiscuit, I have insulin resistance and auto-immune issues, as well as some other things.  And, like cheesebiscuit, I have food addiction issues centred around carbs.

I would love for things to be different for me, and I could keep things off by "eating less and moving more".  I actually don't like eating meat.  I am me though, and I cannot control my consumption of sugars and starches for long periods with out cutting them down drastically.  I was successful maintaining a significant weight loss with low carb by eating some starches and sugars in small amounts, but my health problems returned.

I think that people approach obesity and weight loss from the wrong angle.  They constantly treat it like it's a defect of character and about personal weakness.  However, those who maintain a weight within normal weight limits naturally shouldn't break their arm patting themselves on the back.  Their bodies tell them when to eat and when not to eat.  Fat peoples' bodies are out of whack in that regard.  Otherwise, before the discovery of the calorie people would have ballooned wildly or lost too much too quickly.  People who aren't fat or aren't too skinny would be constantly monitoring their daily activity (taking into account their lean body mass on that day as well), weighing their food, weighing themselves.  The margin of error for weight loss and gain is too narrow.  Off by a hundred calories a day (about a UK slice of bread), and you gain or lose ten pounds in a year.

I am not saying that I've never overeaten when I knew I shouldn't.  I am a food addict.  That's what we do.  I have found something that works for me to boost my self control a bit.  And no, it's not about limiting food choices.  I have plenty of tasty things from which to choose.  I am eating none or very little of the food to which I am addicted.  It fixes whatever has gone wrong with my food monitoring system, and I can eat but I don't eat to excess (often).

I am not saying that it's the only way.  If people have found other ways of doing it, I feel great for them.  I just don't know where I would be without low carb.

It's not how the media portrays it.  Sure, some people might eat only meat and cheese on it, and that's their business.  I eat mostly whole foods, green vegetables, and yes, meat, eggs and cheese.  I never rely on supplements such as Atkins shakes, and I always recommend that people avoid them unless it's an emergency.  I eat what you might find in a gastropub almost every night.  I am happy, losing weight (albeit slower than when I was at my heaviest over a hundred pounds heavier than I am now), but more importantly, I am healthy.  

One of the things that have saved me has been finding a low carb plan that works for me.  I think this is important no matter what sort of weight loss method works for you.  For some people, moderation works, but for others, they need something more structured.  I found Neris Thomas and India Knight's "Idiot Proof Diet" (not to be confused with diets of a similar name).  They have an excellent cookbook to go with it with tonnes of recipes, especially for "problem" meals like breakfast or packed lunches.  It's sort of a no counting low carb plan.  It's not perfect, and it's definitely geared to UK dieters (a plus for me actually), but it's what I've come back to after about 9 months of trying to return to vegetarianism (my mind's "ideal" diet).  It's very geared towards women, and there's a lot of self-help stuff in the plan.  But I've low carbed for years and know the ropes.  For a beginner, I'd recommend Atkins, but beware of the processed stuff.  Aim for whole foods, and Atkins is an excellent plan.

Again, I am not trying to say it's the only way for everyone. It's the only way for me.

As for weighing: I weigh every day.  It isn't always great to do that.  You can get discouraged, but it does help especially when you're not dieting to keep an eye on gains.

As for exercise: I did a lot more structured exercise when I was starting out on low carb in '07.  I do periods of semi-idleness followed by big adventurous bursts of activity.  I manage both fine and probably better than some people a lot thinner than I am.  I am considering starting a moderate weight training regimen.

Whatever you choose, know that there are others that have been where you are.  Millions others.  I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that things go well for you.  Drop me a PM any time you'd like encouragement.

Honestly, hearing about Leg's Experiences on this board over the last year have been a real turning point for me and I don't think she's realised how much she's helped me come to terms with myself and my own body.

I used to feel horribly alone with my weight, that no one really understood why I was so overweight, recognising that I do have food issues centred around carbohydrates and that insulin levels were a major issue, has really helped me.
Before I felt that I  has a much better diet and exercise balance than most people I know but could never understand why I'd never lose anything or even maintain a weight, and slowly found myself getting bigger and bigger.
Discovering a low carb way of life has changed my life (I am using idiot proof rather than Atkins) , because I know there IS a way for me to lose weight, it can be hard but it does work, no other diet/exercise combination, has ever done anything for me, even if stuck to rigidly. (i have a good fun, balanced diet of lots of fruit and veg, lean proteins, some cheese etc)

Ultimately my weight and I seemed to  be balanced on a knife edge, on a strict low carb diet I could lose weight, but a teaspoon of ice-cream or a sugar alcohol in something that I missed would stall me, the constant battles and to be frank obsession that I had with food was not going away and I need to move on from it. So I decided to have gastric bypass surgery, I don't have a date yet but it is within the next six months (I'm not recommending this to you, it's just information). Sounds like you've got a long journey ahead of you to work out what feels right, portion control, calorie counting whatever it is, be kind to yourself and be healthy. Exercise, up your fruit and veg, decrease your sugary snacks, all of these things can be done safely and healthily whilst you plan your weight lose journey.

Firstly, you're lovely and never let bitchy horrible people tell you otherwise, some people have real deep seated self worth issues that they take out on other people. but saying that, wanting to change your weight to be healthy is a great step, and something that's very worthwhile.
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My tips--- portion control-- eat small amounts- more frequently. EXERCISE-- I hate it, but I couldn't have done it without it. It had double benefits besides burning calories I found I craved food less when I exercised. I didn't do a lot-- wii fit 30 minutes a day-- I started at about 10 minutes a day and built it up or I walked or rode a bike.
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The fact is there is no secret answer.....I hope you can find your motivation

Just remember one thing.  It isn't done in one day.  And you can't succeed or fail in one day.  You will succeed by not giving up.  If you have a bad day, it's just that, a blip.  .....
As long as you hang in there and try, try again, it's never failure, just a momentary setback in a longer journey.  And if you refuse to give in, you'll get there.  But it will, and probably should, take years, so don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen quickly.  Quick weight loss doesn't stick.

What you have to make sure of, in my opinion, is that you're doing it for YOU. If your reasons for wanting to lose weight aren't really personal (i.e., because of idiots calling you fat), then it probably won't work.

For what it's worth, I'd rather be a size 20 than a size 0 or 4 ... but I realise I may be alone in thinking this.

No, you're definitely not alone in that!  Personally, I think I would look ridiculous if I were that size - it wouldn't be a good look, for me. 

I lost a bunch of weight after I moved to England, by walking far more than I ever did in the sedentary US lifestyle that I had (not saying it's like that for everyone) and by making small changes in my diet - mostly due to DH because he's a pretty healthy eater (also thin as a rail - grrrr).

Anyway, I've lost a bit of ground the last couple of years, but I need to keep working at it because my health is at stake.....

Good luck, IME & hope you find what works out best for you.

Another thing I forgot to mention is I feel it is really, really important not skip meals. Your metabolism works better if your body doesn't go into starvation mode and can count on its next meal. There have been lots of studies done that many overweight people don't eat a lot more calories- and many don't eat breakfast.

All of these things I have found to have truth and I have had health ups and downs like Mrs R.

For me, it has been a permanent lifestyle change; or rather, making time for exercise like I did when I was younger plus giving up smoking.

I gained weight through a combination of quitting smoking and a sedentary lifestyle and the lifestyle issues centred on a schedule that was 'live to work': long commutes, no time for exercise or proper eating and fatigue. Moving to a location where we could have better life balance works better for us.

I try and focus on maintaining health: eat healthily, exercise regularly and enjoy life. I use BMI and body fat percentages, as well as maximal oxygen consumption as my gage for health.

That means, for me, getting a sense of caloric intake: I kept a food log before and so now I have a sense of how much I can eat in a given day, give or take, to be healthy. 

And getting enough sleep has been super important to me, as I find I eat when I am tired to stay awake and also making sure I am hydrated.

I try to focus on changing my habits for a lifetime, rather than necessarily focusing on weight. It's better to have a healthy lifestyle regardless of weight. On the plus side, I find that exercise is a big helper on the stress level and mood regulator front.

Good luck on finding the balance of health & happiness that works for you, IME. 

You are a beautiful person!!!  You're more than your weight, you're more than a number on your pants. People are just mean and stupid and spiteful. If its not your weight, they'll pick on your hair colour or you clothing style or the way you pronounce your T's or whatever.  People are just stupid. You're beautiful and amazing and a wonderful person and don't forget that.     

All of these things I have found to have truth and I have had health ups and downs like Mrs R.

Agree with all these too!

I've been in the morbidly obese category for most of my life and have struggled losing and gaining and losing and gaining. I've just recently, thanks to illness and stress made it to my highest weight ever and its not pretty.  I have a very healthy diet, I easily eat my 5-9 portions of veg a day, 2 or 3 fruit portions, whole grains/complex carbs, low fat meats, skimmed milk, low fat cheese, and nothing is deep fried or cooked in butter. I eat almost no sweetened baked goods.  My biggest downfall is portion sizes are far too big, I stress eat big time, and I love beer and wine far too much, and I don't move my body.
So......that said, I'm on a slow loss, this time, I'm doing it differently. I'm not on a diet, I am on a healthy lifestyle movement.  Its ok for me to have a blip, but instead of derailing myself and turning a bad meal into another into a bad week and into a bad month,  I need to get back on immediately after.  I have also been actively trying to increase my activity levels.  I have health problems where I am in constant pain and I struggle with moving.  However, swimming and walking and if its a good day, bike riding, have been excellent for me.  So try to find a way to increase activity.  30 minutes a day they say, and it doesn't need to be 30 minutes at a time, so I've been finding out.  10 minutes here, 10 minutes there, 10 minutes later on. It adds up. 

Evaluate your diet. And like cheesebiscuit says, keep a food journal, no matter what you eat.  Its amazing to see what you put in your mouth, if you're not concious of it.  Journal every bite, spoonful, lick, taste, crisp, piece of candy, etc.  Get a set of scales and measuring cups and weigh out and measure food so you can see what is an actual portion size is. Slow and steady. Sparkpeople journaling is great. Or weight watchers if you want group support or want to pay for the online tools. You can join the UKY shrinkers thread, we're helping each other on as well.   

I definitely recommend that you get your thyroid checked out, if you haven't already. I have hypothyroidism, which means that my metabolism is naturally very very slow. It was affecting so much of my life (not just the weight, there are other symptoms as well), and I'm so happy to have been diagnosed.

Learning about the food that I eat has also really helped me. I've become a bit addicted to food blogs, and I find that that personally motivates me. I also like using fitday, which tracks not only my calories, but also whether I'm getting enough vitamins. I think that that has made me so much more aware of nutrition, and forces me to eat healthily. (I also learn to choose fruits and vegetables -- so that I get the right mix of vitamins, rather than say, bread -- which doesn't have as many healthy benefits.)

Exercise of course is super important, though I'm still struggling to be really motivated. I walk a lot already, though that doesn't have a large impact (though I think it does make me happier all around). I'm not very competitive, and organized sports have never really worked for me -- elliptical machines, cardio, and weights are much much effective.

Best of luck to you!

Spark People helped me lose weight, it's free and it makes sense - you just track what you eat, try to keep it balanced and measure and control your portions and drink lots of water. The site has a lot of aspects to it, so it's confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's great. There are forums you can join on there for different interests or whatever, articles on healthy eating and exercise, social networking - kind of like MySpace, where you have a page and can post pictures and leave comments and post blogs, etc., and the main thing - which is the calorie counter and exercise log. Plus it has a recipe website where people share healthy recipes and you can calculate the nutritional information in your own recipes. Basically, it has everything. It can be a bit time consuming at first to enter in all your foods, but once you get the hang of it, it gets much easier and quicker.

Other than that, I've lost weight in the past by just focusing on healthy meals like salads, veggie wraps, etc., replacing burgers with veggie burgers, and so on. It can be easy to lose weight if you just think of it in simple terms - like when you reach for a chocolate bar, get a banana instead, or if it has to be chocolate, have a light hot chocolate instead of chocolate cake. Swap most of your drinks for water. Have a poached egg instead of a fried one. Switch to brown rice and wheat bread instead of the white stuff. Measure out your portions and put your dinner on a smaller plate (this helps me a LOT - we have these massive square dinner plates and then we have some that are half that size, so I only eat what will fit on the smaller plate). Buy a vegetable steamer and add some veggies into your diet. If you don't really like veggies, try drizzling them with olive oil and roasting them, you might find you like something new. Slow down when you eat and put your fork down between bites, take your time instead of eating too quickly (I tend to be a fast eater sometimes if I let myself get too hungry, so don't skip meals and eat healthy snacks to keep from feeling starved). I bring fruit to work with me so I have a snack if I need one instead of going to the vending machine. I sometimes make lunches ahead of time, like pasta salad or hummus or something like that, and then I package it in individual containers so I only eat the right portion. Just be sensible and try to swap some unhealthy habits for healthy ones and you will definitely lose weight! 

Thank you guys so much for all the encouragement and advice. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond.

I bought cute new journal to use specifically as a food journal. I'm keeping it in my purse and writing down every bite that I eat. I think I would benifit from an online program or an iPhone app, but I've always kept journals and like having a pen and paper in front of me. I've been writing down what I'm feeling when I want to snack/stress eat. Or today I had to deal with a nasty phone call and frustrating situation and ate a huge brownie without even realizing it, so I wrote what I ate and why I ate it.

My weight goal for right now is to be 150 pounds. That was what I was when I  was a US size 10/12, and that's a size I am happy with. At least for now. I might decide to do more later, but that's going to be a major place to get to.

I was going to sign up for a bootcamp program - 3-5 days a week and they do different types of workouts every day. But I think I'm too out of shape. I'm going to start walking at least 30/mins a day, increase the duration/time from there, and when I've lost some weight sign up for the bootcamp.

I love doing group fitness programs, but we can't afford to join a gym right now. It's just not in our budget. And my job makes it very hard to commit to something on the same day/time every week. My hours are never the same day to day!

I have stopped drinking sodas. All I drank before was diet coke or cherry coke zero. I was bad and had a cherry coke zero over the weekend, and it gave me the worst headache. Serves me right for cheating!

My next goal is to drop the chocolate. I've been cutting back, but chocolate is my drug of choice. If it's there, I'm going to eat it and eat it all. I think I just need to quit all together. Today the peanut m&m's were calling me from the snack machine at work, but I drank water and wrote in my food journal and I resisted the temptation.

I think I need some accountability to keep up the journal/exersize. I don't talk about it at all with DH. He doesn't know what size I am (I cut the tags out of my clothes) or how much I weigh. He still loves me regardless of my size, but I would be embarrassed to tell him!

IME, you sound like you are being sensible. Changing to healthy habits and lifestyle is more important than wight or size, for your own wellbeing. Good for you! 

It sounds like understanding what motivates you to eat is also going to help you make decisions about eating. Maybe if you are stressed, you might instead choose to ring a friend or go for a walk in the park or whatever, instead of eat.

For me, I don't like to cut out what I love, like chocolate, just portion size. Also dark chocolate is healthy in small amounts. I like to allow myself a little bit each day - quality of the chocolate also makes a difference if you are going to cut portion size. Also for me, 'out of sight out of mind' works for junk food! I also love to bake and freeze stuff, so if I am eating crap, I know what's in it and I can do portion control.

I agree with MLG that I'm no good at completely cutting stuff out of my life. It just makes me want it more! For chocolate, I would by those little fun packs of plain M&Ms (the size you give out at Halloween) and eat one of those if I had a craving. The rest would be placed out of sight. If I was at work and I was DYING for some chocolate, but only had the vending machine, I would buy a Twix bar, eat one bar and find someone else to eat the other one (or throw it away). Then I would hit the gym on my way home!

I agree with MLG that I'm no good at completely cutting stuff out of my life. It just makes me want it more!

Same here.  I really try to focus on moderation rather than elimination on items that I really don't want to do without forever.  I dearly love ice cream and the thought of cutting it out entirely is just...sad.  But I am happy to substitute lower calorie Skinny Cow stuff.  So it's 100 calories vs 250 cals for something like a Magnum vs 800+ cals for a pint of B&J's.  It makes the choice easy when I am alert and mindful. 

I do, however, focus on cutting out/down reflex eating.  I eat when I'm stressed, bored, lonely, etc.  If I can just stay ahead of those urges, that's thousands of calories that never get consumed.  It's not easy, though, and after years of disordered eating, I know it's something I'll probably struggle with forever.  But at this point, I'd rather acknowledge the struggle than play ostrich any longer.

 

for those that eat when bored, try always having glasses of water on you, I keep drinking water which helps with that desire to put something in mouth and I am finding it helping, plus the added benefit of drinking lots of water.