So the fitness goals thread got me thinking about this. I think I'm going to finally take the plunge and try a diet. I've never done this before, and just want to try and lose about 25 lbs. What are some suggestions that some of you all may have?

I've lost over 100 lbs. No special diet. Just cut down on my intake and walked. I stay away from sweets and really curtailed my alcohol intake. I also avoid fried foods. Other then that I pretty much eat whatever I want just in smaller quantities. The exercise is the most important thing.

Is your goal simply weight loss or is it fat loss.

Is your goal simply weight loss or is it fat loss.

 

Fat loss. But I'd say I probably have atleast 15-25 I could lose. The last time I had a six pack(abs) was about 20 lbs ago. Now all you can tell is I can easily put away a 12 pack.

I've lost over 100 lbs. No special diet. Just cut down on my intake and walked. I stay away from sweets and really curtailed my alcohol intake. I also avoid fried foods. Other then that I pretty much eat whatever I want just in smaller quantities. The exercise is the most important thing.

 

I exercise atleast 3 times a week but usually try for 4-5 times. I just know that to get lean and cut like I want to diet would certainly help out alot.

Fat loss. But I'd say I probably have atleast 15-25 I could lose. The last time I had a six pack(abs) was about 20 lbs ago. Now all you can tell is I can easily put away a 12 pack.

What is your diet like now? Go through a typical week. Also what kind of work outs do you do?

Decrease your caloric intake and increase your metabolic output.

For me it is simple and I keep it basic. I am not a bodybuilder nor am I trying to be one. I don't have the time or care that much to go into a crazy diet. I eat under 2,000 calories a day. 1/week or 1/every 2 weeks I have a day where I don't follow this and eat whatever I want. Now I don't go crazy and eat 6,000 calories but I don't really worry about what I am eating. It has been very effective for me in the past and it is working again since I started back into it a month or so ago.

Not that you could tell it by looking at me, but one of the best ways I've had success in the past is by increasing my portions of vegetables and decreasing intake of meats, cheeses, etc. I'm about to go back to that strategy...I certainly need to! But dieting alone won't do it. You have to increase your activity. I absolutely hate going to gyms, so I walk...a lot. And twice a week, I hike. I do make sure my daily walks include hills and steps, which also helps. Currently, my situation has only allowed me to keep from getting fatter. But this week, I'm making the conscious effort to begin an all out assault on my weight. :lol:

Count your calories. If you've got a smart phone, there are all sorts of apps that will help you do that. Write EVERYTHING down.

Working out 3-4 times a week, and eating 5 meals has day is doing the trick for me. High protein, some carbs, some fat, try to stay away from high sugar foods. One thing that really surprised me was the amount of sugar in juices. I used to dring an glass of OJ every day, now it's 8 oz once a week. I normally drink a protein shake in lieu of one of my meals. Snacks are almonds, rice cake, table spoon of peanut butter, something like that. I like HT have 1 day a week that I eat whatever I want. I am approaching 30lb loss. This is since March.

Diet

Don't worry so much about counting every calorie. Figure out what calorie total range you want to stay in and do you best to stay in that range. It's easy to say take in less calories then you use but who really knows exactly what they burn each day. Plus everyone is different. There is no magic formula. Your body knows best when it needs fuel. Eat when your hungry and till your full not stuffed. 3 meals a day with light snacks between if when necessary to curb cravings. Drop SUGARS, grains, cereals, any and all processed foods. Stick to the perimeter of the store when shopping. Eat less on days you don't work out and more on days you do. Lot's of protein, good fats, and carbs from veggies. If you are trying to lose weight I would go easy on the fruit except maybe after workouts.

 

Exercise

Strength training mandatory with some type of conditioning. Strength training can be anything from body weight movements to powerlifting. Conditioning should be short and intense. No need to plug away on a treadmill for 30 or 40 minutes if your not training for endurance. Also you will get better results from shorter more intense interval based workouts then longer same pace type cardio. Now if your training for a marathon you have no choice but to log miles. But if your looking to drop body fat while maintaining for even increasing overall strength/muscle mass then keep the cardio short and intense, 15 mins max on any conditioning workout. sprints, box jumps, pull ups, push ups, jump rope, kettlebell or dumbbell swings, thrusters with light weight, body weight squats would be a short list of different things you can do for conditioning. take 2 or 3 of these, pick a number of reps, a number of sets and see how fast you can do them. If you want some workouts already put together check out crossfit.com, or crossfitfootball.com, or sealfit.com. Some of the workouts they have list are strength workouts so you will have to scroll through and find ones that are more conditioning type workouts. Any of the things they have listed can be scaled down.

 

Always do your strength/weights first and conditioning second. Make sure you take rest days. If you go hard on Monday and Tuesday take it easy on Wednesday. About every 3rd-4th day should be an easy light day. Some stretching or just walk some. Flexibility is also important. I suggested going to mobilitywod.com and doing the daily routine he suggests. I have started doing a lot of what he shows and it has really helped me.

What works for me, and i need to be doing this, is i just stop eating fast food and drinking pop. I also cut out sweets for the most part as well.

Well I've been dieting for over 18 months now. I've tried losing by counting points, calories, and low fat but they have all failed as I was always hungry. I decided on Jan 1 2010 to try the Adkins diet and it worked. My total weight loss is 133 pounds (starting at 300 and currently at 167). Now, I do not eat any more meat than the average person. I exercise daily and have cut bread, corn, and potatos from my diet. I've done blood work and everything came back great.

 

I suggest the Adkins diet. Their website is free to join and you can track your BMI, and chart your weight loss. They have a journal to give you thoughs for each day on your quest to lose weight. Best of all they will send you coupons and free bars to try and a book that counts carbs at fast food chains or at home. Atkins has change my life and I know it can for others. Below are links to their site and success stories. Atkins paid me $300 for mine.

 

http://www.atkins.com/Homepage.aspx

http://www.atkins.com/Program/StoryDetails.aspx

Well I've been dieting for over 18 months now. I've tried losing by counting points, calories, and low fat but they have all failed as I was always hungry. I decided on Jan 1 2010 to try the Adkins diet and it worked. My total weight loss is 133 pounds (starting at 300 and currently at 167). Now, I do not eat any more meat than the average person. I exercise daily and have cut bread, corn, and potatos from my diet. I've done blood work and everything came back great.

 

I suggest the Adkins diet. Their website is free to join and you can track your BMI, and chart your weight loss. They have a journal to give you thoughs for each day on your quest to lose weight. Best of all they will send you coupons and free bars to try and a book that counts carbs at fast food chains or at home. Atkins has change my life and I know it can for others. Below are links to their site and success stories. Atkins paid me $300 for mine.

 

http://www.atkins.com/Homepage.aspx

http://www.atkins.com/Program/StoryDetails.aspx

One of the biggest frauds in health and fitness. Low fat does not work!

 

Your story is a good one. I remember when Atkins first became popular and how I thought it was a joke. That was mainly because I was uneducated on the subject. Where I do think atkins falls short is if you do much more then walk/light running. Correct me if I am wrong but atkins pretty much eliminates carbs of any kind correct? Or is there a set limit you can have?