Weight loss

[lexus]

I need to drop some serious weight. Ideas for a meal replacement program that has worked for you?

[gastro]

I’ve never tried to lose weight with a meal replacement program but usually when I need to lose weight I cut out sugar and eat healthy. This past summer I finally stopped nursing and had 12 pounds to lose to get to my pre pregnancy weight.
The best thing that worked for me was intermittent fasting. Basically I eat from only the hours of noon to seven and I don’t eat from seven pm till lunch. I only drink water, coffee (Black), or unsweetened tea while “fasting”.
I eat a huge healthy lunch with protein and whole grains around 12:30 and finish with a small treat (dark chocolate).
I snack on fruit, veggies, cheese during the afternoon.
I eat dinner around seven and usually it’s a small portion.
I brush my teeth when the kids do and don’t eat anything after dinner.

Skipping breakfast always sounds like a huge no no when losing weight but for me eating a “good” breakfast just seems to open the flood gates for eating all day. I’m not particularly hungry in the morning so this intermittent fasting has worked well for me.

I’ve lost the 12 pounds and then some after doing this for two months.
Doing this definitely makes me eat less calories all around. I’ve done a bit more physical activity as well (but not much) and am much more toned, defined and have more energy and strength.

[L From The D]

No suggestions for meal replacements, but I highly recommend the MyNetDiary free food tracking app. You put in what you weigh and your goal weight, then it will tell you the ideal amount of calories to be eating and breakdown the percentage of calories for fats, carbs, and protein. I lost twenty pounds in under three months.

[lexus]

I have sixty pounds to lose until I hit my goal weight and even then according to BMI charts I will still be overweight. I did a sugar detox in August, I felt great and was taking an hour long kickboxing class three days a week and I lost nothing. I've counted calories for six months and lost five pounds. I'm just so tired of being so unhealthy. I'm going to grad school part time and working full time so anymore exercise is hard to fit in. I don't mind putting time into meal prep on the weekend if I know it will it off but the sugar detox was a lot of work for no results. That's why I was thinking a meal replacement situation might work.

I will look into the fasting. Thanks for the idea! What time do you get up in the morning?

[gastro]

Oct 28, 2017 15:53:58 GMT -5 lexus said:

I have sixty pounds to lose until I hit my goal weight and even then according to BMI charts I will still be overweight. I did a sugar detox in August, I felt great and was taking an hour long kickboxing class three days a week and I lost nothing. I've counted calories for six months and lost five pounds. I'm just so tired of being so unhealthy. I'm going to grad school part time and working full time so anymore exercise is hard to fit in. I don't mind putting time into meal prep on the weekend if I know it will it off but the sugar detox was a lot of work for no results. That's why I was thinking a meal replacement situation might work.

I will look into the fasting. Thanks for the idea! What time do you get up in the morning?

Google intermittent fasting.
I wake up around 6:30. And go to bed around 11pm.
My after the kids went to bed snacking was out of control, not eating in the morning doesn’t really change my habits from before.
Brushing my teeth early in the evening helps cut down on that a lot.

Ps I’m also not super strict - like if my husband makes pancakes for breakfast I will join in. But the fasting thing just keeps me from snacking all day. Mentally I always see a whole day as a gain or loss. So if I eat a lot/ terribly in the morning I just view the day as a loss and it gets out of control. The fasting thing definitely keeps things in check for me

[penguingrrl]

I’ve lost 20 lbs since July, and now have added weight lifting and my clothes are way looser although the scale is going down more slowly (a lb of muscle is way more compact that a lb of fat, and the muscle I’m building is burning away the fat) now. I log everything I eat on myfitnesspal.com. I got a Fitbit and make sure that I walk or run at least 12,500 steps per day (I try for 15K steps, but 12,500 is my minimum).

I do at least 30 minutes of cardio 6 times per week. Lately it’s just been walking because I’ve gad a bad cold and cough that I can’t shake. Sometimes it’s a 6 mile bike ride, sometimes it’s a run. I lift weights 5 days a week. But, my brother is a karate teacher and his boss is a certified personal trainer. My brother learned from him and is teaching me and guiding me, so he knows how to do it safely (we rotate back and biceps, shoulders and triceps and legs).

I’m 5’0” and am about 2 lbs from the obese/overweight line. My goal is another 33 lbs so that I get just into the healthy BMI range. If possible I will be a few lbs below the line so that I can go a little crazy during the holidays lol!

I would probably be able to lose faster except that I usually do t log and count calories on weekends. We’re busy and it can be really cumbersome to try to guess what and how much at restaurants or parties. But I try to not overeat in those settings, despite not logging it formally. I also really try to have 8+ servings of fruits and veggies per day, which leaves less room in my budget for high calorie stuff.

I find I feel best with a good dinner and eating early leaves me hungry, so I usually wake up at 6:45 but don’t have anything but coffee until noon. Then I input my dinner into myfitnesspal to sort out what and when I need to eat for the rest of the day to ensure the right calories and carb/protein/fat ratios.