I haven't been watching what I was eating and drinking lately until...today...in front...of the...mirror... *screams* My tummy grew! :-( So, its back to an effective diet...crackers and water for me. Who else is dealing with the crisis? Heck, its not even New Year to file for resolution, but I'm going to get this tummy...back...down...again.

I feel your pain. I've been working hard not to eat carbs after 4:00pm and drink LOTS of water. So far this method is working great. Plus and walk/jog like a mad dog at Hefner a few times each week. After one of my killer walking in the 106 degree weather last week I decided - IT IS SO MUCH EASIER to not eat bad things compared to working my butt off keep the pounds under control.

I'd love to go walking at Lake Hefner as soon I adopt Tazzy but only when the weather is much cooler. Working at Crest, it helped to keep me in shape. Not working brings me to be like Santa.

Lately walking at Hefner is somewhat dangerous. TONS of bikes everywhere causes me to pay close attention. Tempted to stick out my thumb for a ride...lol.

After one of my killer walking in the 106 degree weather last week I decided - IT IS SO MUCH EASIER to not eat bad things compared to working my butt off keep the pounds under control.

That is very, very true. People who have never had a weight problem don't know squat about weight-control.

Cut out the soda and watch sugar/carb in take. Of course don't sit behind a desk for 18 hours a day and keep moving.

Crackers and water probably isn't your best diet plan, Thunder. Listen to your adopted mother. =)

Doing what Venture said, cutting down the soda. Drinking water here. Okay, I cheated this morning by drinking milk. Other than that, I still got my water here. Penny, crackers and water is very effective for me. Its different for each person.

You are what you eat......................

Instead of shoving food in your mouth every second, stick a lolipop in your mouth and suck on that. Get the ones with gum in the middle. Now instead of 500 calories, your only getting 100.

When I finally crossed the line where I was able to put on weight(around28) I just quit eating meat. Now my weight doesn't fluctuate whether I workout or not.

I haven't been watching what I was eating and drinking lately until...today...in front...of the...mirror... *screams* My tummy grew! :-( So, its back to an effective diet...crackers and water for me. Who else is dealing with the crisis? Heck, its not even New Year to file for resolution, but I'm going to get this tummy...back...down...again.

I started changing my diet after picking up an exercise routine (rowing/kayaking), due to noticing a fairly quick difference in muscle tone & definition, I think I may have washboard abs by the end of this year. I would recommend nuts, fruit and vegetables over bread though.

I have lost 22 pounds in the last 2 months. I switched to Cherry Coke Zero, cut back on food portions, and started riding a bike 3X a week. For the first 10 days or so I was starving constantly so I had to eat a few late night bowls of cereal but for the most part I just fought through the hunger. After 2 weeks the hunger was gone and the smaller portions filled me up (try the 330 calorie Oscar Mayer deli meals - they are pretty good). I still eat everything I ate before, I just eat less of it; 6 oz steak at Outback instead of the 9oz, a single patty burger instead of the double, and no more buffets. Started out on the bike just going two miles (1 mile out and 1 mile back). I am now up to 6 miles. If I lose any more weight I will need to buy new clothes so now I just want to maintain. I went from 230 to 208.

I have lost 22 pounds in the last 2 months. I switched to Cherry Coke Zero, cut back on food portions, and started riding a bike 3X a week. For the first 10 days or so I was starving constantly so I had to eat a few late night bowls of cereal but for the most part I just fought through the hunger. After 2 weeks the hunger was gone and the smaller portions filled me up (try the 330 calorie Oscar Mayer deli meals - they are pretty good). I still eat everything I ate before, I just eat less of it; 6 oz steak at Outback instead of the 9oz, a single patty burger instead of the double, and no more buffets. Started out on the bike just going two miles (1 mile out and 1 mile back). I am now up to 6 miles. If I lose any more weight I will need to buy new clothes so now I just want to maintain. I went from 230 to 208.

I've done basically the same thing for the past few years. It's amazing how your stomach seems to shrink (whether it actually does or not I don't know). If I'm not mistaken I believe Brian Bates is doing the same thing. What we are doing is the best thing, IMO. All the diets seem to be fads, you will lose the weight, but put it back on twice as fast. Doing some type of steady exercise and eating less portions is the way to go. It's not a diet, it's changing your way of life. The solution is really quite simple for those of us who are able to exercise. Oh, and as mentioned before, DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES. For those that haven't tried it, drink a full glass of water 30 minutes before you eat (you should drink more and more water throughout the day as well). IMO, this is one of the most important things you can do.

Gaining weight and losing it actually go together in the fact that once it starts, the snowball effect is tough to break. Just get the snowball going in the right direction and enjoy the challenge.

I've done basically the same thing for the past few years. It's amazing how your stomach seems to shrink (whether it actually does or not I don't know). If I'm not mistaken I believe Brian Bates is doing the same thing. What we are doing is the best thing, IMO. All the diets seem to be fads, you will lose the weight, but put it back on twice as fast. Doing some type of steady exercise and eating less portions is the way to go. It's not a diet, it's changing your way of life. The solution is really quite simple for those of us who are able to exercise. Oh, and as mentioned before, DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES. For those that haven't tried it, drink a full glass of water 30 minutes before you eat (you should drink more and more water throughout the day as well). IMO, this is one of the most important things you can do.

Gaining weight and losing it actually go together in the fact that once it starts, the snowball effect is tough to break. Just get the snowball going in the right direction and enjoy the challenge.

I agree. Don't deny yourself the foods you love - simply limit their quantity. Get into a routine (exercising more, avoid fast food) and it eventually just becomes habit and then it becomes a lifestyle. Its no more complicated than simple math. Subtract more than you add (calories) and you're all good. Make sure the calories you add are nutritious and then you're great.

We still do pizza (Hideaway on Friday), Big Truck (migas Saturday morning), we just share everything. We keeps lots of fruit and veggies around the house for snacking and I keep my calorie intake no more than 1,500 and ideally closer to 1,200 (use the LoseIt app). I keep track of the calories burned with a polar FT60 watch. I know I've shared all this before, but I think it warrants repeating whenever the topic comes up. The value of good health is immeasurable.

For those of you that have lost weight, I have found it. If you want it back, contact me privately and I will try to work it out, or is that "off". By the way, the weight that I have found cost me $280 a year in my health insurance. I just found that out Thursday. OH well, I'm retired and lazy so if nobody contacts me, I suppose I will just live with it.
C. T.

One thing I have had to teach myself as an adult is that it is ok to not eat everything on my plate. Children are taught they must eat everything on their plate. I think this contributes to obesity.

Bigray in Ok

It doesn't help when one considers an all-you-can-eat buffet as a challenge (as I do)...LOL

Well, I am off to Pancho's!

It doesn't help when one considers an all-you-can-eat buffet as a challenge (as I do)...LOL

Well, I am off to Pancho's!

lol I know the feeling

One thing I have had to teach myself as an adult is that it is ok to not eat everything on my plate. Children are taught they must eat everything on their plate. I think this contributes to obesity.

Bigray in Ok

I am pretty frugal and I hate wasting things - especially food, so not eating everything on the plate was hard to get over. We tend to eat out a lot (5 nights a week) and not only would I finish everything on my plate, but I would bat clean-up on the kids food as well. What I started doing was getting a to-go box as soon as the meal came out and putting half my food in it right from the start. That became tomorrow's lunch. I also started trying different menu items like just getting a large bowl of soup instead of a burger. I can still bat clean-up on the kids food but I am not over doing it. The problem I have now is stopping the weight loss. I simply can't eat as much as I could just 3 months ago.

My wife annoys the crap out of me though. Every time she starts a diet she goes and buys boxes of Snackwells and Weight Watchers ice cream bars. For some reason she is under the illusion that eating diet food makes her lose weight, when she isn’t even eating regular ice cream bars to begin with. I tell her if you aren’t eating regular Klondike bars, then adding diet Klondike bars isn’t going to help. Women!

... I simply can't eat as much as I could just 3 months ago.

I teach a class, lol. Let me know when you are in town

I teach a class, lol. Let me know when you are in town

Some of my fat friends tell me not worry. They say it is like riding a bike and it will come back to me. I guess that is the difference between a temporary diet and a lifestyle change. My new lifestyle doesn't give me the opportunity to over do it. Yesterday afternoon I was mowing the lawn and all I could think about was trying to get done before dark so I could get a bike ride in. Once I realized I wasn't going to make it I turned the mower off, yelled into the house I was going on a bike ride, and took off. The lawn can wait - it isn't going anywhere.

Some of my fat friends tell me not worry. They say it is like riding a bike and it will come back to me. I guess that is the difference between a temporary diet and a lifestyle change. My new lifestyle doesn't give me the opportunity to over do it. Yesterday afternoon I was mowing the lawn and all I could think about was trying to get done before dark so I could get a bike ride in. Once I realized I wasn't going to make it I turned the mower off, yelled into the house I was going on a bike ride, and took off. The lawn can wait - it isn't going anywhere.

The bike can wait, it isn't going anywhere. Mowing the lawn is exercise plenty. Finish what you started. If no time to ride the bike, do it the next day.

The bike can wait, it isn't going anywhere. Mowing the lawn is exercise plenty. Finish what you started. If no time to ride the bike, do it the next day.

Well let's see.

I have been mowing the lawn for 30 years and I reached 230 lbs. I started riding the bike and lost 22 lbs. Which one do you think is better for me? Plus, I still had to finish the lawn the next day so it isn't like I skipped out on it.

I agree. Don't deny yourself the foods you love - simply limit their quantity. Get into a routine (exercising more, avoid fast food) and it eventually just becomes habit and then it becomes a lifestyle. Its no more complicated than simple math. Subtract more than you add (calories) and you're all good. Make sure the calories you add are nutritious and then you're great.

We still do pizza (Hideaway on Friday), Big Truck (migas Saturday morning), we just share everything. We keeps lots of fruit and veggies around the house for snacking and I keep my calorie intake no more than 1,500 and ideally closer to 1,200 (use the LoseIt app). I keep track of the calories burned with a polar FT60 watch. I know I've shared all this before, but I think it warrants repeating whenever the topic comes up. The value of good health is immeasurable.

1200 calories is dangerously low. That's what a 12 year old girl should eat. Your metabolism has all but stopped and you will eternally have a layer fat underneath your sweaters with no muscle tone. But convince yourself you are being healthy. You are eating processed foods with all nutritional value stripped out and you are undereating like an anorexic girl.

It all depends on the purpose. just looked at a label and it said for an "average" 2,000 cal/day. Obviously 2,000 is going to vary for the height/weight/gender/body type of the individual and what weight they are trying to achieve. If you want to gain, you eat more than whatever the amount is to maintain a certain weight, if you want to lose, you eat less (and/or exercise more/less). Then once the desired weight is achieved you figure out what calorie intake is needed to maintain that level (again, taking into account height, excercise etc). it is going to vary for everyone. What is important isn't a particular number on the scale, but if you are healthy. Also recommended that the weight loss be gradual, no more than 1 to 2 lbs a week. I try to weigh myself at the same time of day as my weight can vary 5 pounds or more in a 24 hour period.

1200 calories is dangerously low. That's what a 12 year old girl should eat. Your metabolism has all but stopped and you will eternally have a layer fat underneath your sweaters with no muscle tone. But convince yourself you are being healthy. You are eating processed foods with all nutritional value stripped out and you are undereating like an anorexic girl.

What a load of crap Trent. Thank you, but I'll take my doctors advice over yours. I've lost 50+ pounds under doctor supervision and an average of 1200 calories a day. All my vitals are excellent and the Mrs is loving the muscle tone. My resting heart rate is also only 44BPM which the doctor said is incredible for my age (41). AND, even with only 1,200 - 1,500 calories a day I workout 6 days a week without issue - and I don't mean meandering around the gym. I mean mostly high intensity classes.