My daughter is getting married in September and I would like to look the best I can be at my senior age. I want to lose 25 lbs by then, in a healthy way. This community of women and men must have a lot of knowledge about the best way to do this. I would appreciate any advice. Menus would be great too, for a two week rotation plan. If anyone has tried a diet and exercise plan that has worked for them, that would be great.
By Sheila from Ontario, Canada
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Just try regular exercise every couple of days like a walk around the block and just check the fat and sugar amounts on the side of food packages before you eat it and just eat a small meals 5 times a day and drink lots of water to keep your metabolism working.
Try eating negative calorie fruits and veggies! Like, grapefruit and celery (raw)!
25 pounds is pretty ambitious. Most people recommend shooting for a pound a week, which might be more like 15 by September. But it is certainly possible.
I have had good luck with Weight Watchers. There are lots of systems out there and most of them will work if you follow the steps. I find that Weight Watchers does a good job of teaching you what types of foods to eat and what proper portion sizes are. The tracking and going to the meetings are the two things that have really helped me lose weight. I lost over 40 pounds before I stopped going about a year ago. Since then, I'm up about 10 pounds so I'm back at the meetings until I get closer to my target weight (maybe another 40 pounds).
If you don't want to spend the money, there is a similar free program called SparkPeople, who let you track online and talk to other members. It wasn't enough direction for me but it might be for some people.
One thing that you might try is just to watch your portion sizes. Look at the box or bag and weigh or measure out ONE serving. If you do this every time, you will learn what is an appropriate size. I can't even finish a regular meal at a restaurant anymore, I nearly always box up half for lunch the next day.
Of course, the more you exercise, the more calories you can eat in a day. Some people invest in a pedometer so they can track how many steps. Using tricks like parking away from stores or taking the stairs are a nice way to sneak in exercise. Or a nice walk in the morning or late evening (if the days are hot).
Good luck. I'm sure you will be beautiful and proud of your daughter, no matter how much you weigh.
DH's Dr. said to eat 1/2 of what you normally eat. He gave him 3 months to try and see what happens. This Dr was a personal trainer before becoming a Dr. and in his opinion exercise is not as important in weight loss as the intake of food. ( But walking is good ) Another person lost weight by "grazing" eat something every 2 hours. Small amounts, 5 fruits a day , about 3 walnuts and a tablespoon of craisins or raisins make a good snack, flax seed,omaga3 fish oil. Check with your Dr.
Do not take over the counter diet pills unless your Dr. advises you to. Be good to yourself. Your daughter will be proud of you no matter what.. Meat portions are the size of a deck of cards.Veggies 1 cup, fruit, like an apple/banana is 1 whole small, canned fruit is 1/2 cup.whole grain bread 1-2 slices. If you can wrap your mind around it, my favorite sandwich growing up was yellow mustard on white bread and lettuce...nothing else. Another friend lost weight eating bean burritos as her main meals.
Just use your own common sense. And good luck. GG Vi
Hi,
The best way to lose weight is not to 'diet', but to change your eating habits. Don't focus on how much weight you want to lose. Focus on eating healthier. That way, the pounds will stay off instead of gaining them all back again after the wedding.
Go vegetarian from now until the wedding. Eat as much fruit and vegetables as you want. You will lose weight.
At the beginning of the year I made up my mind that this is the year that I would take care of me in getting more healthy, feeling better & losing weight. I joined a Lifestyle Management Program affiliated with a local hospital. My doctor ok'd the plan & my insurance paid the bill. I attended a 12 week program which included exercising on cardio machines & a 1 hr. speaker once a week. I lost 25 lbs. I learned to use portion control & eating good food. I learned that there are good carbs & bad carbs. When I finished I joined another program continuing to use the cardio machines & my new knowledge that I had learned in the prior 12 week program. I have since lost an additional 10 lbs. totaling 35 lbs.
I still have another 20 lbs. to lose & I realize that if you lose it slowly hopefully it will stay off. I do not deny myself anything to eat within reason. I weigh things like cream in my coffee & salad dressing which I bring with me to the restaurant. It is not a diet but rather a lifestyle change. I have tons of energy & feel wonderful. I've gone from size 18 to a size 12. Hip, hip, hooray. If I can do it anyone can.
Be determined, have lots of motivation & just do it. I also used the sparkpeople website to post my intake of food for every meal & snack. This held me accountable to eating properly. This is the best gift you can give to yourself. Best of luck to you. Your daughter will be proud of you no matter what. Cherish the day.
No-S Diet, i.e no Sweets, no Snacks, no Seconds on days that don't start with "S". There is a website you can google. I dropped 20 lbs in 3 months without missing any of my favorites.
Hello again ,
I am so grateful for the advice I am getting. You are all very encouraging. I started walking with my friend and am trying to cut back on sweets. Hopefully you will continue to give me your input, it really helps me to stay motivated. Sincere thank you.
Sheila
Hi Sheila, this is Sheila from the USA. I am a Dietary Manager and the only way to lose is using Behavior Modification! Push back from the table when you 'feel full', drink an 8oz. glass of water 30 minutes before your meals (it'll help make you feel full), eat your meals on a salad plate and do not get seconds (this is what I do), use Splenda or Stevia in your drinks instead of sugar or no sweetener at all and the biggest thing to do is don't eat after 7pm, if you 'need' a snack later.. eat a piece of fruit.
Don't try to lose to much too fast, because it will come back on. It is suggested to only lose 1 - 2 pounds a week for the likelihood it won't come back.
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