Weight Loss

Have any of you had experience with losing weight? I have a substantial amount to lose, and I know to go slowly, but whenever I try a weight loss regimen, I give up after a few weeks. Any tips or success stories? Gym recommendations? (I live in NYC.) Recipes?

I should also mention that I've worked with a nutritionist in the past, so I know that it's a lifestyle change, not a diet, and I know generally what to eat and what not to eat. For me, it's really a motivation issue.

I've lost 80-90 pounds since Summer 2011. I just put that out there as a statement of fact; I would quantify that as 'substantial,' but ymmv.

The below is what worked for me.

- I decided that I wanted to lose the weight because I wanted to, not because someone else wanted it for me.
- I started seeing a nutritionist. My "rule" was that I didn't want to do anything that would eliminate whole categories of food (regardless of what the category was: low carb, no white foods, no sugar, etc.), and I found a nutritionist who worked with me and my rule. I wanted anything I did with nutritionist now to be something that I could keep up for my entire life, I didn't want to do one thing to drop all the weight and then have to "re-learn" another way to eat to keep the weight off after. And I knew myself enough to know that anything involving eliminating whole categories of food was something that I would fail at.
- be prepared for not having food as an emotional crutch anymore. When I'm happy, I eat; when I'm sad, I eat; etc. Having to have something else to turn to instead of food, having to feel feelings, etc- that is still a work in progress for me.
- find an activity that you like. I tried a Zumba class once, and I was bored out of my skull. I despise running on a treadmill, but found I like running outdoors. I found SoulCycle, and yoga, and running, and I like swimming when I have access to it. Find something that you will keep going back to.
- Enjoy your workout, enjoy your food.
- Don't rely only on the number on the scale. Use a tape measure, use how your clothes fit, use photos, etc to document your loss. Most of my weight came off in the first 18 months or so, the number on the scale has fluctuated in a 5 pound range for the past year or so. Yet I have still been losing clothing sizes/losing inches this past year, as I build muscle.

And, last, speaking of the scale, remember that the BMI chart is kind of bullsh*t. My weight fluctuates between a BMI of 24.7 - 25.4, and for my height a BMI of 25.0 is "overweight." Yet my BMI used to be 37.3 "obese." So, do I worry when I'm .3 below the max for "normal," or .4 above the start of "overweight"? Or do I concentrate on the fact that I'm down 80+ pounds, and so far kept it off for a year?

I started because I was ready to start. ONce that happened everything else fell into place.

If you haven't read any of Dr.A's books I would highly recommend them.

http://www.drwayneandersen.com/living-a-longer-healthier-life/

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I have lost a huge amount of weight in the past 18 months. I won't even discuss the 160 pounds I lost since weight loss surgery a year ago. I will instead discuss the 112 pounds I lost in the six months BEFORE the surgery:

HIGH PROTEIN, LOW FAT, LOW SUGAR. WHOLE GRAINS ONLY.

Protein: Three four-ounce servings a day of any of the following: fish, chicken, eggs, low fat cheese, greek yogurt. Red meat on very rare occasions.

Veggies: Three servings a day of non-starchy veggies (no corn, potatoes peas or other legumes).

Whole grains: two servings a day of whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice or other whole grain (quinoa, faro, barley, etc.).

Fruits: two a day.

Dairy: fat-free milk or yogurt - one serving a day.

NO COOKIES, CANDY, ICE CREAM, CUPCAKES, ETC. ETC. ETC.

My weight August 1, 1012: 484 pounds.

My weight today: 206 pounds.

Updated On: 3/6/14 at 07:52 PM