Weight Loss Plans?

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lucky3
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Weight Loss Plans?

Post by lucky3 »

Any Bogleheads out there try the weight loss plans of Medifast or Nutrisystems?

Non-insulin dependent diabetic lost 40 lbs on Medifast (Take Shape for Life) diet. Got A1C down to a good level then started to go off the diet a little and experienced "weight creep".

Thinking of going on Nutrisystems, costly, but if it works......anyone have any good experience with it?

Lucky3
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cheese_breath
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by cheese_breath »

Best weight loss plan I know is eat less, exercise more.
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
slopecarver
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by slopecarver »

Never pay for a weight loss plan.
Use an app like MyFitnessPal to track calories, eat 500 to 1000 calories less than maintenance. Eat whatever you want but you'll be looking for more filling food if all you eat is calorie dense junk. Do some searching for calorie deficit. No other rules or anything, eat whatever I want, whenever I want but I can't go over my calorie limit for the day. Exercise grants me more calories to eat for that day.

Source: I lost 50 pounds in 6 months doing just this,
berntson
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by berntson »

Here is what I did to lose about 50 pounds. (1) Calculate your resting metabolic rate here http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_BMR.php. (2) Keep a daily food diary recording every calorie you eat. If you can't figure out the calories in something, don't eat it. (3) Keep your daily consumption under the number you got from step one. (4) As much as possible, find foods that are filling with a low glycemic index. Oatmeal for example. (5) Find some kind of light (or not so light) exercise to do regularly. Since you're eating less than your resting metabolic rate, any physical activity of any kind goes entirely to weight loss. (6) Keep in mind that you need to run a 3,500 calorie deficit to burn one pound. So expect the results to be slow but regular. A pound a week is really moving fast. 1/2 a pound may be more realistic for most people.
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Ged
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by Ged »

cheese_breath wrote:Best weight loss plan I know is eat less, exercise more.
Easy to say and hard to do.

I found that weighing yourself on a daily basis, and writing down the results helps a lot. The feedback you get from doing that, and being able to look at the results going back over a period of time is a great motivational help.
gregw
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by gregw »

slopecarver wrote:Never pay for a weight loss plan.
Use an app like MyFitnessPal to track calories, eat 500 to 1000 calories less than maintenance. Eat whatever you want but you'll be looking for more filling food if all you eat is calorie dense junk. Do some searching for calorie deficit. No other rules or anything, eat whatever I want, whenever I want but I can't go over my calorie limit for the day. Exercise grants me more calories to eat for that day.

Source: I lost 50 pounds in 6 months doing just this,
+1

I lost 70 pounds over the course of a year tracking calories using the SparkPeople app. I exercised some, though not as much as I should, but the key was controlling how much I consumed. I came to the conclusion that I no matter how much I exercise, I could always eat more. I'm still trying to increase the amount I exercise for general health, but weight loss is all about portion control. I haven't eliminated anything from my diet, but tend to stick more to the healthier options (lean meats, whole grains, fruits & veggies) and make sure I stay within my daily calorie limit.
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climber2020
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by climber2020 »

http://www.oa.org

If you want lasting change, address the core problem.
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Ketawa
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by Ketawa »

I read Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes and implemented a low carb diet. So far, I have lost about 1 pound per week. I have eaten bacon/sausage & eggs for breakfast every day and one week I had steak 6 times in 7 nights, celebrating the fact I bought a new grill. I just eat until I am satisfied and stop, no counting calories.

Good luck with your efforts. I have a feeling this thread might end up locked.
Andyrunner
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by Andyrunner »

I have heard medifast work but much I bet it is just like adkins or paleo or any of those fad diets.

My wife's uncle and mother had great results with the Mayo Clinic Diet, I think its just a book. From what I understand it is a regimented program to scrap out all of your sweets and unhealthy foods and start exercising 30 minutes a day. Goal of it is not to be a fad diet or temporary weight loss program, but to change your lifestyle.

Also much cheaper then those programs.
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runner9
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by runner9 »

http://www.sparkpeople.com

Totally free, has tons of recipes, exercise tracking, eating tracking, community, etc.
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dm200
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by dm200 »

I am no medical, health or nutrition professional.

HOWEVER, in 11 months beginning over two years ago, and ending just under two year ago, I lost 55-60 pounds. I did not enroll in or use any of the known "programs" . I spent NO money on anything but a few books and the good food I ate instead of all the crap. I viewed this (and still do) as a permanent change in eating and exercise. I was just into the "OBESE" category from the chart on my doctor's wall and am now just a few pounds into the "normal" area.

The #1 thing I did was "stop eating crap"
The #2 (actually tied with #1) was eat a health breakfast each day. [That means whole grain cereal, such as cooked regular oatmeal or no/low sugar added cold cereal with fruit and skim milk or soy milk]. I also eat a few almonds and walnuts and, sometimes, a spoon of all natural peanut butter.

I go to the gym almost every day.

The books I read and that inspired me (and still do) are: "Younger next year", "Thinner This Year", "Healthy heart Miracle" - Dr Gabe Mirkin, "Eat, Drink and Be healthy" - by Dr Walter Willett, and "The Okinawa Program".

It is my firm and strong belief that "diets" like "No Gluten", Low or No carbs, Low fat, High Protein, cleanses, etc. are NOT the best way to achieve long term weight loss. I now eat in a way that I plan to eat for the rest of what I hope to be a long and healthy life. In this process, I got off statins (cholesterol) and my cholesterol numbers are OUTSTANDING. I also got completely off two blood pressure medications that I had taken for decades. Blood pressure is great.

I suggest starting with "STOP EATING CRAP" - and go from there.
Randomize
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by Randomize »

My wife has lost 25 pounds or so over the last 6 months doing a couple things. First, she tried Advocare and lost maybe 15 pounds in 2 months but it's expensive and a lot of the "cleanse" pounds came back after they stopped taking the Fiber shakes. Since running out of the bundled Advocare stuff, she's continued buying their Spark energy drink which she really enjoys. In addition to giving you a jolt of energy, it seems to be very effective at suppressing hunger. She's basically cut out the junk (soda, candy) in favor of Spark and seltzer water and left most of the rest of her diet the same. Between that and exercising 2-4 days a week (mostly hiking but some high-intensity and weights), she's continued to lose weight and feels great.

Personally, I've found that having something decent for breakfast helps tremendously. I take a couple chewable multivitamins when I wake up at 7 which keeps me from feeling at all hungry until maybe 9, and then have an inexpensive nutritional shake (Walgreens knock-off of Ensure). I feel much, much better and less ravenous going into the lunch hour compared with the traditional office breakfast of donuts and coffee.
ddunca1944
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by ddunca1944 »

Ever since I turned 50, I've struggled with my weight. I did try Nutrisystems. I lost about 40 lbs with it, but within a year I had regained it all. The problem was it did not address the core issue: emotional eating and dislike for exercise.

Weight watchers is the only program that has worked long term for me. The group support helps me with eating for the wrong reasons, the program is nutritionally sound (my dr recommends it), and they focus on healthy choices and activity. There is nothing you can't eat (or drink) on WW. It is all about portion control and planning.
dowse
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by dowse »

I, too, lost 50 pounds without paying a penny to any program. Have kept the weight off for almost 3 years. That said, I know some people need the discipline, support, tools and organization that a paid program can provide. Find what works for you, but realize that it can be done on your own if you maintain a stubborn commitment. My "program": eat less than I burn, but specifically:

1. Portion control - size of your palm for meat/fish/poultry portions, size of your fist for sides - one side, not two, unless total equals fist size. In restaurants, try to leave about 1/2 of the obscene portions one typically receives. I make sandwiches with 100-calerie slim rolls or wraps instead of bulkie rolls. Very limited cream sauces and dressings. Balsamic vinagrette salad dressing instead of blue cheese.

2. Cut out almost all junk food. Substitute healthy snacks. I like almonds as a healthy snack. On weekends, will have a few high-fiber crackers with hummus instead of cheese spread. Have fruits and vegetables with almost every meal.

3. Study nutrition labels and choose foods with higher fiber content as well as moderate in calories and sodium. Beans are great for this, but watch for high sodium. Don't have to do this much anymore as I've settled into a routine I can follow with confidence that I won't gain weight.

4. I stay rather paranoid about putting the weight back on. I'm content with what I eat, now, and it's something I feel I can do for the rest of my life. I weigh myself several times per week.

5. I go to the gym 4-5 times per week. This is not nearly enough by itself - I was doing that before I lost the weight. I see far too many people who seem to think they can get by on only an exercise program, but keep in mind that each session burns only a few hundred calories at best. When I first joined a gym 30 years ago, after finishing a workout, the trainer said to me "congratulations, you just burned off a cookie". However, the exercise is still very important for maintenance and other benefits, so definitely get some exercise.

6. Initially, I counted calories of what I was eating daily, then figured out how to cut the 3500 calories needed to lose a pound over the course of a week. I lost the 50 pounds in about 6 mo. , so I actually did better than that. That's an indication of how bad my habits were.

BTW, my initial trigger - avoiding weight surcharges for a sightseeing helicopter ride in Hawaii that was planned a couple of months ahead. I came in under the limit!

Good Luck!
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tetractys
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by tetractys »

If someone has trouble loosing weight and keeping it off on their own, a program will only help them fatten up someone else's wallet. What's one to do, become a lifetime member? No! Eating right and exercise is the way -- it's up to you to figure out how to get there. But of course we all have our faults, and while during the course of our lives we can release many of them, most likely some we will cling to till death. -- Tet
SHB
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by SHB »

Lost ~50 LB's (200 down to 150) just by eating less and running around more. These "systems" are a joke and an expensive one at that. As others have said MyFitnessPal is a great app to help.
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greenspam
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by greenspam »

I agree with most posts here, DIY, don't pay someone else for your weight loss...

About 6 months ago I went to my once-a-decade Dr.'s appt, and he said "you're fat."

I said I wanted a second opinion; he said "ok, you're ugly too..."

seriously, he said i also had borderline high BP and cholesterol.

he gave me Rx for BP and cholesterol lowering meds.

i filled the scripts, but never took a single pill.

now i have dropped 20 lbs and BP/chol down as well

just did these 'lifestyle changes' instead of pills/diets:

1) eat breakfast every day, usually oatmeal with fruit, milk, honey, cinnamon.
2) brown-bag lunch with turkey sandwich (no cheese; no mayo) or PBJ on whole wheat bread and bring at least 2-3 pieces of fruit.
3) snack at work on carrots or an admixture of almonds/dried cranberries/etc...
4) dinner could be chicken, pork, fish, or cottage cheese plus always some veggies
5) have added lots of nuts, avacado, olive oil to get the benefits of "good" fats
6) havent even thought of having a cheeseburger, fries, cake, ice cream, cookies.... in fact the thought of these now disgusts me.

the bottom line is, 20 lbs are gone, i look and feel better, and i enjoy this type of food better than some of the crap i was eating before.

good luck you can do it !!!!
Last edited by greenspam on Tue Sep 17, 2013 3:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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stemikger
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by stemikger »

lucky3 wrote:Any Bogleheads out there try the weight loss plans of Medifast or Nutrisystems?

Non-insulin dependent diabetic lost 40 lbs on Medifast (Take Shape for Life) diet. Got A1C down to a good level then started to go off the diet a little and experienced "weight creep".

Thinking of going on Nutrisystems, costly, but if it works......anyone have any good experience with it?

Lucky3
I hate to say this, but I know so many people that tried those two systems and yes they did lose weight and yes they all gained it back over time. Really the best method is to eat everything in moderation and exercise daily (i.e. walking or any activity at least five days a week). Start off with small goals and don't look to lose weight fast. Change you lifestyle slowly. If you like McDonalds, don't stop, but cut back, if you don't eat veggies, start with once a day. In other words, dieting is very much like investing. The real deal is not sexy or exciting, but over the long term that is what works. Good Luck.
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Ketawa
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by Ketawa »

Ketawa wrote:I read Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes and implemented a low carb diet. So far, I have lost about 1 pound per week. I have eaten bacon/sausage & eggs for breakfast every day and one week I had steak 6 times in 7 nights, celebrating the fact I bought a new grill. I just eat until I am satisfied and stop, no counting calories.

Good luck with your efforts. I have a feeling this thread might end up locked.
Sorry to quote myself, but I'd also add that I am starting from a point where I'm already in good to great shape. I'm mainly trying to see if I can slim down a little to get a six pack. I lift weights 5 or 6 days a week, and I get some form of cardio exercise 2 or 3 times a week for about 20 minutes.

So far, the low carb diet is working, and the food is excellent and enjoyable.
Breakfast: sausage/bacon, eggs, coffee with heavy cream
Lunch: grilled chicken, salad
Dinner: beef/chicken/fish, vegetables, salad
Snacks: nuts, salamis, cheese, beef jerky, diet soda

I do have several beers (4+) most Friday & Saturday nights, which is outside the diet. Most types of liquor are acceptable.
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eengstro
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by eengstro »

I will second (third?) the recommendation of MyFitnessPal. I easily lost about 40 lbs doing nothing but calorie counting with MyFitnessPal, targeting 0.5 lbs lost a week. Here's a few points that I've learned along the way:
  • This isn't about dieting, i.e. something that you do for a while and then stop. It's a permanent change in lifestyle.
  • Don't weigh yourself every day, or even every week. Once or twice a month is sufficient. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning.
  • If you've never read the Nutrition Facts labels, you might be in for a shock. I couldn't believe the high caloric density on certain foods.
  • Cut out the sugary crap. Sodas, ice cream, candies, high-calorie coffee drinks, white breads, etc. This is both the simplest, and hardest, lifestyle change to make.
  • Look for foods that are both filling and low in calories. (Lean, low-fat or "lite" equivalents of foods you already eat are excellent for this.) Simply eating smaller portions of high-calorie foods will leave you feeling hungry.
  • Leaving yourself feeling hungry will almost certainly lead to failure long-term.
And a few points about MyFitnessPal specifically:
  • The smartphone app, and especially its built-in barcode scanner, are very convenient. For me personally, this convenience was the key to keeping up in the beginning.
  • MyFitnessPal over-rewards for exercise by 30-50%. (E.g. compare MyFitnessPal's estimate on calories burned to your treadmill's estimate.) This is the app's major shortcoming. I compensated for this by entering less exercise than I actually did.
  • I found that after a couple years of calorie counting that I had internalized what and how much to eat, and I didn't actually need the app's guidance anymore.
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eengstro
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by eengstro »

stemikger wrote:In other words, dieting is very much like investing. The real deal is not sexy or exciting, but over the long term that is what works.
YES. I hadn't thought of it exactly like that, but that's exactly right.
snyder66
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by snyder66 »

Stop eating processed foods.
longview
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by longview »

I recommend the iPhone apps: LoseIt and FatWatch.
(To color my comments: my situation is ER trying to make a large portfolio that is 99% taxable last 45 years)
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dm200
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by dm200 »

1. According to what I consider to be reliable, medical and nutritional books, publications and advice - The basic equation that one pound = 3500 calories. To lose weight, you MUST consume fewer calories OR expend more calories OR some of each. If you consume 300 fewer calories per day for six days a week AND increase activity/exercise to burn 300 more six days a week (and keep the 7th day just as now), that is 3600 calories and you should lose about 1 pound a week. Cut those numbers in half, and that is 1 pound every two weeks.

2. I do NOT believe there is a right answer to how often you track your weight. Many books, and my own current practice, recommend every day. Do what works. The first few months of my losing weight, I had not started daily exercise and weighed myself infrequently. I had lost 15-20 pounds. Then, when I started going to the gym, I weighed myself there every day. The loss continued for another 40 pounds.

3. Look at most healthy, thin people (around the world). I am not aware of any that eat high protein diets, use cleanses, eat gluten-free, eat no or low carbs, or anything like that. Read "The Okinawa Program" [Comments related to medical claims removed by admin LadyGeek]

4. "Thinner This Year" makes a big point about the amount of "dead food" most Americans eat - just calories, often saturated fat and added sugars - with no nutritional value.
dowse
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by dowse »

I'd also like to add that my cholesterol went way down, and my blood pressure also came down. My doctor cut my statin dose in half and discontinued blood pressure medication. I feel much better not dragging that extra weight around all the time. Had to purge my pants, as my size went from 40+ "relaxed fit" (including those expandable waistbands that support the delusion that one is still a size 40, when in fact that's not true) to a size 36 (no expandable waistband - classic fit. So, if you can lose weight without a paid program, you may need to put the savings towards a new wardrobe, but that is a joyful set of purchases.
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jamacq
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by jamacq »

caloriecount.about.com is also a good website for keeping track of food, activity and weight logs. It helped me to lose a significant amount of weight and continue to track.
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wilpat
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by wilpat »

I have had some success in controlling weight. My method is simple:
Don't change anything you eat, just eat less of it. (Sounds stupid, but it works)
This one really sounds stupid, use a smaller plate! Helps!!

I am 73 and weigh less than I have since I was in grade school. I was 6' 220lbs at age 14. I am now 5' 11" around 102lbs.
Contrary to the belief of many, profit is not a four letter word!
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Riprap
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by Riprap »

Look back at photographs from the 1940s and 1950s. Fat and overweight people were the exception, skinny people were the norm. Look at photographs today. Fat and overweight people are plentiful and skinny people are more rare. What has changed? For one, the author of Wheat Belly says the nature of wheat has changed with genetic breeding but our body's response to metabolizing it has not. One of the best books I have ever read on general nutrition written by a medical doctor.

If you eat a lot of supposedly "good for you" whole grain wheat foods in the hope you will become healthier, you are doing precisely the wrong thing.

In a nutshell, you can lose a bunch of weight by avoiding wheat. Just as investing is simple but not easy, so too is avoiding wheat in today's world.

http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose- ... m+davis+md
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frugaltype
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by frugaltype »

wilpat wrote: I am now 5' 11" around 102lbs.
I hope that's a typo.
masteraleph
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by masteraleph »

I'm going to toss out another recommendation for being careful about portion size and eating sensibly. Lots of vegetables, fewer carbs and proteins. I've lost 30 lbs. so far doing this, and am still headed down pretty quickly.

Some keys to this, from my standpoint:
1) Really switching to vegetables. Lunch most days is a salad (usually with chickpeas and either an egg or a scoop of tuna, so there is some protein there). Vegetables can also help to fill you up if you really find yourself wanting to eat a lot- on a few occasions I've made large amounts of kale chips, which are both filling and relatively low calorie.

2) Acknowledging that "healthy" food isn't the same as "healthier" food. Whole grains are healthier than refined grains. But if you eat half a loaf of whole wheat bread, that's still as many calories (or more) as half a loaf of white bread. So you can't just eat "healthy" foods without acknowledging this truth. This isn't just carbs; fish is healthier than red meat, but fish is still a solid hunk of protein with all the calories of protein therein.

3) Similarly, home made food is better, but you have to be sensible here, too. I like to bake, which ends up with home made food. But those foods are also relatively dense in calories. Again, two slices of bread are fine, 6 are not.

4) Cutting out snacking, or finding healthier snacks. Fruits and vegatbles help. I've also found that jerky (beef or salmon in my case) helps too- you feel like you're eating "real food," it takes a while to eat, and it's actually pretty low calorie.

Overall, you're looking for a permanent change, not a diet, as others have said. And you don't need to cut foods out, but to cut food.
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frugaltype
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by frugaltype »

What worked for me was writing down the calories in everything I ate. My doc said eat at least 1200 calories a day, so I aimed for that. It took about three days to get over the feeling that I was starving.

Also, start exercising, even if you start at 2 minutes a day and add 1-2 minutes a day. Walking is good.

I use some of the weight watchers frozen foods, since they are convenient - pretty decent but low cal. I substituted real vegetables for the horrid stuff like zucchini and broccoli in them.
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AustenNut
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by AustenNut »

A little over a decade ago I did Weight Watchers and lost 40 pounds. I kept about 30 of those pounds off for over 5 years, and then gradually gained back 20 more (so -10 from when I started WW). It's a good program...the gain back was because I stopped going even though I had earned "lifetime" status.

This time, I did myfitnesspal to track my food consumption, and my food choices were guided by Dr. Willett's Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy. My focus was not on losing weight, but on being healthier. I still need to increase my exercise levels, but I've lost 20 pounds so far without feeling deprived. Lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and going light on the protein, and very light on potatoes/white carbs. I also highly recommend salads for lunch. Cooking Light has a cookbook out called Big Book of Salads that will really help spark your creativity there so you don't get bored.

Good luck!
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dm200
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by dm200 »

Riprap wrote:Look back at photographs from the 1940s and 1950s. Fat and overweight people were the exception, skinny people were the norm. Look at photographs today. Fat and overweight people are plentiful and skinny people are more rare. What has changed? For one, the author of Wheat Belly says the nature of wheat has changed with genetic breeding but our body's response to metabolizing it has not. One of the best books I have ever read on general nutrition written by a medical doctor.

If you eat a lot of supposedly "good for you" whole grain wheat foods in the hope you will become healthier, you are doing precisely the wrong thing.

In a nutshell, you can lose a bunch of weight by avoiding wheat. Just as investing is simple but not easy, so too is avoiding wheat in today's world.

http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose- ... m+davis+md
In my successful weight loss and keeping it off, as well as my continue eating patterns (that I intend to be for the rest of my life), I include plenty of whole grains and fiber, including wheat. I eat shredded wheat, high fiber cereal (many different grains, including wheat), bran flakes (mostly wheat), whole wheat bread, raisin bran mostly wheat).
likegarden
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by likegarden »

I agree with what someone up front wrote : eat less and exercise. I would like to add : Do not eat sugary and fat foods, eat more vegetable, fruits and proteins instead of fatty and sugary foods.

I remember how people looked after 1945 in central Europe. Most people were slim because there was not enough food. Do the same : eat less and you will become slim. That's the plain truth.
livesoft
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by livesoft »

Congrats to all the folks who have lost weight and/or are motivated to lose weight.

Can I ask how to get motivated to lose weight? Or how to motivate a loved one to lose weight without pissing them off?
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cheese_breath
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by cheese_breath »

Ketawa wrote:I read Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes and implemented a low carb diet. So far, I have lost about 1 pound per week. I have eaten bacon/sausage & eggs for breakfast every day and one week I had steak 6 times in 7 nights.
I hope that's not your standard diet. It sounds delicious, but you could be trading weight loss for a heart attack.
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
dowse
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by dowse »

My favorite web site for nutriion info:


http://nutritiondata.self.com/

It has a lot of great info, and gives you a graphical and numeric description of the nutritional value of foods, how satisfying they are, and which ones are best for weight loss. You can find out what foods are in the "sweet spot" - i.e. nutritious, satisfying and good for weight loss programs.
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by nhdean »

I too was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 2 years ago. I cut out most of my carbs and lost 25 lbs. It is hard to do but it gets easier as time goes on. Not only does cutting out carbs help with weight loss, but it helps keep your sugar levels down.

I do have week spells, like right now, but I just focus and I get right back on track. I also notice that when I exercise regularly, 2-3 times a week, I find it a lot easier to eat better. Maybe it is just in my head.

I really struggled hard when I was in Norway last month. They love their bread :)
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mike143
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by mike143 »

These systems may provide the kick start you need but you need to learn to cook healthy for yourself. The best I ever did with weight loss was following Body for Life. Eating 6 times a day, working out 6 days a week and a day off of regimented food and working out. While it did work well it wasn't sustainable. My primary issue is poor eating habits coupled with a desk job.
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by LadyGeek »

The subject of weight loss is borderline on giving medical advice. For a lot of reasons, opinions expressed in an anonymous internet forum can result in the wrong advice and is why we do not permit medical issues or conditions to be discussed. See: Forum Policy

The secondary discussion about the citizens of Okinawa constitutes a medical discussion and is off-topic for this thread (posts removed). Discussions on the health benefits of various diets are also off-topic (medical advice).
Medical Issues

Questions on medical issues are beyond the scope of the forum. If you are looking for medical information online, I'd like to suggest you start with the Medical Library Association's User's Guide to Finding and Evaluating Health Information on the Web which, in addition to providing guidance on evaluating health information, includes lists of their top recommended sites in the following categories: consumer health, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. They also provide a larger, but less frequently updated, list called Top 100 List: Health Websites You Can Trust.
The OP's question was related to paying for a weight loss plan. Let's see if we can stick to answering this question.
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covepatrol
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by covepatrol »

I have lost 30 pounds in 5 months on the 5 and 2 diet
2 days a week I limit myself to 600 calories
5 days a week I eat a normal 2400 calories
Caloric restriction is also being linked with increased longevity and cognitive improvement.
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wilpat
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by wilpat »

frugaltype wrote:
wilpat wrote: I am now 5' 11" around 102lbs.
I hope that's a typo.
oops! 202lbs :happy
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bzcat
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by bzcat »

snyder66 wrote:Stop eating processed foods.
Funny because its true. As a side effect, I had to spend much more to higher quality food. It seemed very un Bogleheaded at first, but the weight came off.
letsgobobby
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by letsgobobby »

Per this thread and other sources, this is what you should avoid to lose weight:

processed carbs
wheat
well, just carbs of any kind

red meat
corn fed meat
factory chickens
shellfish, for the cholesterol
fish, for the mercury
well, just meat of any kind

tofu
actually soy of any kind, for the estrogens

high glycemic index fruits like melons, papayas, mangoes
well, avoid most fruits because actually fructose makes you leptin resistant

high glycemic index vegetables like potatoes
the dirty dozen vegetables which retain the residue of dozens of varieties of pesticides even after a high power pressure wash

dairy products like cheese, cream, and butter
skim milk is ok, but only if organic and again, lots of lactose, so maybe you ought to skip it

beer, unless gluten free
spirits, linked with various cancers

of course added sugars, salts, and fats
any oil which isn't monounsaturated and high in omega three vs omega six

Did I miss anything? No? Good, I think I'll go nosh on my organic, dressing free lettuce with an amuse bouche of salt free almonds. Sounds positively scintillating.

Whatever you pay for make sure it's not a diet that tells you to stop eating actual food.
engineer1969
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by engineer1969 »

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It
by Gary Taubes

Key Points:

You don't have to starve yourself to lose weight
There is very little correlation between exercise and your weight (especially as you get older)
Eating right is the key and it was surprising to me what is actually good for you.

I've lost over 30 lbs since January just by adjusting my diet. Lots of cheating allowed!
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by mhalley »

I concur with the above recommendations of myfitnesspal. Nutrisystem etc are only forcing you to eat the desired amount of calories to lose weight. Using the system, you are not learning how to eat properly in the real world, so when you stop eating the prepared meals, you won't know how to go out to dinner and know whether you ate a thousand or 2 thousand calories, or how many calories in your home made meal. If you look at the price per meal, it is not that bad compared to a frozen meal at the grocery store. In sum nutrisystem etc will work, but at the end of the diet you will still need to learn how to eat at maintenence.
My fitnesspal is free, and they have a very active and helpful forum. I lost 70# using it, so I would go with something like that as opposed to paying big bucks.
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by Balance »

I read the Taubes book "Why we get Fat" and "Good Calories bad Calories" which are both very good and will help with weight loss. I would also like the add "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. His mantra is "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants". I am all for whole foods first and cutting out all the processed foods. Stick to good protein and fat sources like wild caught fish, organ meats, grass fed beef, pastured poultry and eggs. Reduce your omega 6 intake by cutting out polyunsaturated fats (from processed foods and GMO vegetable/soy cooking oils). Omega 6 is pro-inflammatory while omega 3's are anti-inflammatory. If you are implementing a workout regimen make sure you get some good carbs from quality sources like fresh in season fruit, sweet potatoes and yams. If you live in an area with moderate climate take your workout outside instead of using a gym so you can get fresh air and so that you can get adequate amounts of vitamin D. If you workout outside it is free and a major stress relief! Best of luck to you :)
lindisfarne
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by lindisfarne »

cheese_breath wrote:Best weight loss plan I know is eat less, exercise more.
It's really not that simple, as a lot of research in the last 10 years has shown.

But, avoid processed foods - almost anything in the grocery store, with the exception of cuts of meat, fresh fruits & vegetables, & milk (+ some cheeses & real ice cream) is going to be processed. Perhaps bread with very few ingredients might also qualify. Processed foods are designed to keep you eating more & to not fill you up, so you can keep eating more.

Avoid "food-like" substances (=most food at the grocery store), as Michael Pollan defines them.
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by lindisfarne »

covepatrol wrote:I have lost 30 pounds in 5 months on the 5 and 2 diet
2 days a week I limit myself to 600 calories
5 days a week I eat a normal 2400 calories
Caloric restriction is also being linked with increased longevity and cognitive improvement.
Caloric restriction (=cutting calories to 30% below that of a normal diet) has not been shown (according to available scientific evidence at this point) to produce increased longevity in humans. I don't know of any studies that show any meaningful cognitive improvement, either.

But, removing garbage from your diet will help with both!

http://www.nature.com/news/calorie-rest ... un-1.11297
To those who enjoy the pleasures of the dining table, the news may come as a relief: drastically cutting back on calories does not seem to lengthen lifespan in primates.

The verdict, from a 25-year study in rhesus monkeys fed 30% less than control animals, represents another setback for the notion that a simple, diet-triggered switch can slow ageing. Instead, the findings, published this week in Nature1, suggest that genetics and dietary composition matter more for longevity than a simple calorie count. ...

Meanwhile, there is a dearth of evidence that caloric restriction slows ageing in humans. Observational studies have found that people of average weight tend to live longest3. Nir Barzilai, a gerontologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, says that the centenarians he studies have led him to believe that genetics is more important than diet and lifestyle. “They’re a chubby bunch,” he says.
From the non-scientific media: http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/29/w ... estriction
Indeed, the NIA study implies that the benefits of simply eating a balanced, healthy diet may provide as much life extension as dietary restrictions can produce. The meals received by both groups of animals in the study were carefully balanced for nutrient content and even shifted with the seasons as the monkeys’ natural diet in the wild would.
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Re: Weight Loss Plans?

Post by White Coat Investor »

lucky3 wrote:Any Bogleheads out there try the weight loss plans of Medifast or Nutrisystems?

Non-insulin dependent diabetic lost 40 lbs on Medifast (Take Shape for Life) diet. Got A1C down to a good level then started to go off the diet a little and experienced "weight creep".

Thinking of going on Nutrisystems, costly, but if it works......anyone have any good experience with it?

Lucky3
Real, lasting weight loss is all about lifestyle change. I lost 13 lbs this summer, most in the last month. The secret? Get on a bike more days than not and ride for an hour or more. Ever seen a fat professional cyclist?

People say it's not that simple, but I don't see any of them training for triathalons and I know a lot of people who used to be fat before they took up cycling/swimming/triathalons/running/whatever. The real tricky thing is when you've been fat so long that you've developed conditions that keep you from being able to exercise (bad knees, bad back, coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure etc.)

As far as eating, I think it is far less about what you eat and far more about how much of it you eat. Buy smaller plates, and don't refill them.

When people are running an hour a day and eating half as much food and still not losing weight I'll start buying into all those other weight-loss theories and programs. My wife is really into the Paleo/Eat real food stuff. Reads about it a lot and eats lots of squash. But one of us gained weight this summer and one of us lost it. I just find the First Law of Thermodynamics a rather compelling theory.
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