<p>Here is my situation. It is the summer after my senior year and I am planning on losing some weight before I go to Romania this summer. I am leaving on July 27 so I have more than two months to pursue this goal. Currently, I'm 5.8 and 180 lbs... and I play tennis regularly. I will be getting a membership at 24 Hour Fitness to help me acheive my goal. My goal is to lose about 20 lbs in two months. Most of the problem I have now is the fact that we have so much junk food around my house... not by my choice but because my parents buy junk food and sweet cereal and such. So I also have to change the way I eat. What is your advice for me? How should I best go about losing this 20 lbs?</p>
<p>Just don't eat the sweets...:p</p>
<p>Yeah right.</p>
<p>Buy your own healthy food and make yourself eat only the food you bought, telling yourself that your parent's food is off limits. Plus exercising everyday I guess...typical weight loss guidelines</p>
<p>Remember that losing weight isn't your goal. Getting fit is your goal. I'm 5'8" and 175 lbs or so, but I run miles and miles a day and my BP is consistently in the 105/70 range. I couldn't care less about what I weigh.</p>
<p>Romo, start doing some research on nutritious diets, and find one that fits your eating style the best. If you can see a GP for a physical, you might get some advice from him as well. A diet has to be an idividual thing in order to have lasting effects. I can tell you that for me the Atkins or Perricone diets have immediate results for me, but I can't stick with them, even on maintenance as I am a true carb junkie. So for me to keep my weight down, I have to be realistic about how I like to eat and know that a low carb diet is not one that I can easily incorporate in my lifestyle. It does not work for me to crash diet on the protein heavy stuff and then try to somehow incorporate my carbs in there. I am not considered heavy, but want to keep my weight right where it is. Even 5 lbs on my small frame causes wardrobe problems and at my age I don't lose the flab even if I lose the weight, so I am being careful.</p>
<p>My D has always been a big girl, and she lost a lot of weight last year and has kept it off and has the same carb problems I have. She had to work on maintaining an equilibrium, and it still is hard for her. I suggest looking at several diet books and finding something that is the most in line with the type of foods you like to eat.</p>
<p>no pop, seriously I don't think people realize how much pop/soda they drink.</p>
<p>My two cents is this (I guess I'm one of those so-called health nuts): first, congrats on wanting to do something productive. Second, diet is important, but so is exercise. I'm not trying to be confrontational, haha, just trying to point out one fact: if you succeed in losing weight with dieting, which is very possible, without exercise you'll just gain it back like so many others have done. The problem is that you have a set metabolism right now, but with dieting your metabolism won't change for the better. In fact, your body will respond like you are being starved: it'll start saving energy (i.e. putting on weight). This is why so many people go up and down with their weights with dieting alone. Exercise increases your metabolism naturally so your body doesn't start "saving energy."</p>
<p>Good luck with everything!</p>
<p>I've been trying to lose some weight for so long and I had problems controlling my eating habbits, so I decided whenever I feel like eating I grab a diet coke. It worked like a miracle and I lost 10 KGs in like 3 months. The problem is that I developed kind of addiction to diet coke :) but I adore myself now.</p>
<p>Now I only eat a sandwich for breakfast and eat supper, nothing at all in between. I just don't feel like eating that much anymore. </p>
<p>I'm not sure if that's healthy, but it worked for me and a friend of mine.</p>
<p>BTW, I'm an athlete, I do fencing.</p>
<p>I hate diets, and I have never been able to stick to one. I've alwasy been pretty thin, and maybe if I had a weight problem, I would stick with them better, but what I do whenever I decide to 'get healthy' is cut out one food completely. Not something healthy, but pop or chips or something like that. It only works if i just NEVER eat it. Pick out some unhealthy high-calorie food or drink that you eat a lot of, and either quit eating it or replace it with something else. Example: I always used to eat chips when i was driving. I drive a lot, and I would usually eat the whole bag--and everyone knows the bigger bags are a better value...I replaced the chips with seedless grapes to eat while I drive, and I don't go around feeling bloated and fat anymore. </p>
<p>I second the no pop suggestion too. </p>
<p>For exercise, I've found that I have to get into a routine or I won't stick with it. I hike in the woods around my house in the evening every day, and only skip it if I have something I have to do. Then I do an short workout before I go to bed every night. I've tried doing a bigger workout a couple times a week, but I always put it off and don't do it, so for me it has to be every day.
Good luck!
oh, and don't weigh yourself all the time--go by how your clothes fit. I know I gain weight in muscle during cross country season, even though I get thinner.</p>
<p>I'm the naturally slim dancer/vegetarian daughter of two parents who are constantly battling with weight...
My advice is to keep healthy snacks with you at all times. It is when you're pressed for time or on the road that you are more likely to reach for something quick and unhealthy. Keep baggies of fruits and veggies in your bags, tuck granola bars in your pockets, etc. If you feel the urge to snack, fill up on those instead.
Another thing which is quite well known is to eat several small meals a day instead of having a few large meals. Stay constantly full on healthy meals so you won't have the binge snack attacks.
Something I am addicted to-- WATER. I drink water all the time. Not only is it neccessary for good health, but a glass of water before a meal will help fill you up, replacing calorie laden food. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times. Nemesis seems to be doing this trick with Diet Coke, but beware of diet sodas, as the sugar substitutes can be bad for your health, and hell on your smile.</p>
<p>I'm another vegetarian. My advice:</p>
<p>*Eat breakfast - something like an apple.
*Beware of drinking your calories. Smoothies, mochas, anything from Starbucks - all off-limits. A Starbuck's drink has about 300-400 calories.
*Ask your parents to stop buying the junk. If they don't, buy food yourself - lots of fruit (easy to eat), vegetables like carrot sticks & hummus - stuff that is easy to eat and somewhat sweet. I'm a fruitfly (practically live on sugar), and the apples/plums are great for my sweet tooth
*Obviously, exercise.
*Portion control. Forget all that stuff they taught you when you were little about cleaning your plate. I honestly think that I had gained weight in part from the desire to eat everything. Eat until you are satisfied - not full, not stuffed, but satisfied. Eat a bit later (which you would probably do anyway). It's part of that "many small meals every day" idea. When you are at a restaurant, really, feel free to not eat about 1/2 of what they serve. </p>
<p>****Don't get too hung up on small weight fluctuations. If you drink a lot of water, you'll gain weight (1 gallon = 8 lbs) - but water is good for you. Dehydration can also mimic hunger, so drink water before you start eating.</p>
<p>Eat fruit salad for lunch everyday.</p>
<p>Unless you're built as hell, you shouldn't be over 160 pounds if you're 5'8". 140-150 would be ideal. Working out is important, but the MOST important thing to do is to eat less than you your body burns naturally. You're going to have to become one of those calorie counters. Try cutting down to a 1500 calorie diet, and combine that with tennis (none of that hitting back and forth crap. Run your ass off). In two months, you'll lose some weight.</p>
<p>I'm 175 lbs, and I'm hardly built as hell. I don't know how much I agree with that statement, because I'm also not overweight or unhealthy.</p>
<p>I am an athlete (swimmer).</p>
<p>My advice is that you consume carbohydrates only in the form of wheat flour (WHOLE wheat breads, rice, pasta, etc.) The less carbs you eat, the better off you will be. You still have to have some.</p>
<p>Excercise in early in the morining. I get up to swim at like 4:30. It starts your metabolism early and keeps it consistent. Also, you have all day to recover for your afternoon workout.</p>
<p>Meals: Eat a large breakfast (this will also help stimulate your catabolic cycle). Eat a normal lunch and a fairly light dinner. It's important that you eat dinner fairly early. Try to eat at like 5:00 or so and eat nothing else all night.</p>
<p>Sweat all you can. 20 lbs is a lot for 2 months.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I'm a 5'8 woman. At 135, I'm slender but very muscular. On a different frame, anything up to 160 would still look fine. </p>
<p>If you are a guy (which I'm guessing is the case), then 160-180 would probably be a good weight. Some people I know are about that height and weigh ~200 but look fine - just have stocky frames. They look emaciated when they get below 190. </p>
<p>I, for one, get ravenous when I eat dinner early, so I eat ~ 8, which means that I only want a few crackers or some fruit before I go to bed. </p>
<p>I've noticed that "thin" (i.e. low body fat or thin for their frames) people eat differently. If they go out to eat, they order an entree and eat enough to be satisfied. More heavyset types tend to order an appetizer (even salad, when you put dressing on it, has quite a few calories - think 300 w/ dressing), an entree (which they eat all of), and then dessert. That's just too much food. As I said, it's all about portion control. The six small meals will regulate your metabolism much better than larger meals.</p>
<p>4 lbs a week is a lot. Think in terms of body fat or clothing sizes - because, ideally, your weight will plateau but you'll get slimmer as you gain muscle. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses. It is interesting to see the variety of suggestions. At this point I think I have to eat differently, continue playing tennis, and work out a lot this summer. The starbucks suggestion is huge though... I guess I didn't give that much of a thought. I'm from Oregon and STARBUCKS IS HUGE HERE, in fact, Starbucks is a hangout on weekends. Thanks again.</p>
<p>definately watch out for any of the big chain resturaunts (applebees etc.) as their portions are insanely large for most things and usually not so healthy (although I think its chiles that has a really good fish dish that I ordered once before even noticing that it was on their diet menu).</p>
<p>Watch for the pop for sure. I am addicted to mountain dew (both the caffiene addiction and I just really like it) but about 2 years ago I cut myself down to no more than 1 can per day. I usually dont drink the whole thing as a serving of pop is supposed to be 8oz but on cans they just up it to 12. It seems wasteful but I would rather be healthy than save some dew from going down the drain.</p>
<p>I'm 5'10" and when I was 160 pounds, I was a little chubby. I certainly didn't think I was chubby, my stomach didn't stick out enough to be visible and I felt pretty well built, but looking back at those pictures it's pretty obvious. Now I'm 140 and I still have a pretty big build. Most people who look at me think I'm 150-160 pounds. All the weight I lost was from tennis, biking, running, and cutting off soda (I probably eat more now than I did before). I'm certainly stronger than I was before (my biceps and chest are still big, the only stuff I lost was the puppy fat). But I'm just going by me. And I'm a vegetarian, so maybe that makes a difference. Maybe 5'8" 180 pounds is okay, but if you added 20 pounds to my frame 2 years ago, I think I'd be certifiably fat. All that really matters is that you can run a mile without dreading the thought of it, and you don't have to suck in your ponch.</p>
<p>run 3-6 miles everyday...does miracles</p>