Looking for some weight loss tips

[Levitt]

Hello everyone,

I am a 21-year-old Male. I am 5'10 1/2" and weigh in right around the 200lb. mark. Ideally, I'd like to be down around 170, and I've come to you all looking for some advice on how I can do it! I used to weigh around 300 pounds when I was around 17, and have since dropped around 100 pounds over the last few years. It hasn't been easy, but I've seemed to stagnate right around this mark. I've only dropped below 200 on a couple occasions (most of which were right when I got up and out of the shower and were no less than 199.7 lol), and I'm looking for some tips on how I can drop (and keep off) these last 30 pounds.

As I said earlier, I've dropped a good deal of weight already. I understand the whole "Be active, exercise, and watch what you eat" part, and I'm looking for a bit more than that.

I know it may be hard to find, but if any of you have any sort of list that would include the following (or care to give me tips), I'd really appreciate it:

-A day-by-day menu. Quite literally, a weekly shopping list that will show me exactly what I should buy, how I should prepare the food, what items to eat in what proportions for what meals, and which items (again, in what proportions) to eat between meals if I get hungry.

-A comprehensive exercise guide. I went to a personal trainer over the summer, so I have a decent understanding of how to break it down. In the training, I had 3 basic types of days: Push, Pull, and Legs - all of which are relatively self-explanatory and each category had it's own set of workouts associated with it.

-Any general motivational tips. The hardest part is actually getting into the routine - not maintaining it. I've gone in and out of the routine several times over the last 12 months and I'm looking to get back into it for good. It seems silly to get this far with my weight loss only to stop short of the finish line.

-(Added this one right before I posted) An accountability partner. Anyone who's reading this who either wants to be healthier on the dayy-to-day or already is in the process but doesn't mind a bit of extra accountability. The times I've had the routine "stick" the best was when I felt obligated to go to the gym because someone was expecting me to go. If anyone out there is up for this, we can keep in touch via MMO-Champion messages or any other form of messaging you prefer. Just let me know!

Again, any tips are so greatly appreciated! And if you want updates on my status after you've read this (or just to be sure I'm not slacking and actually going to the gym lol), feel free to keep in-touch!

[obdigore]

Go to the weight lifting and fitness forum is my first tip, then read the threads like this one that are already there, and you should be well on your way.

[Blobfish]

Buy some lemons from the Supermarket

Squeeze 2 lemons into a glass in the morning , & add warm water.

Drink this every morning. It tastes Sour but its good for weight loss..

So How Does Lemon Juice Help Weight Loss?

It’s amazing how a simple fruit like a lemon can be so effective in helping the body regulate its metabolism and sugar absorption, in a manner that helps you lose extra weight.

The secret lies in the “acidity” content in a lemon. Lemons are rich in citric acid, so when you take a glass of lemon juice in plain warm water first thing in the morning, you introduce healthy natural digestive aid into your stomach. The citric acid, from lemons, end up interacting with the other acids and enzymes in your digestive tract which results in a healthy and problem free digestion.

Lowers Absorption of Sugars: It has been studied that even a little lemon can help you lower the absorption of sugars from the food you eat simply because of its high acidic content.

You can go one step further and eat some lemon peels along with the juice, this acts like a double whammy on weight gain, because the pectin present in the peels helps in weight loss by becoming a gel forming substance in your stomach which reduces the sugar absorption from the food you eat.

Hope this helps..

[Deleted]

Drink LOTS of water - you want to be racin' like a pisshorse. The water will clean you out, keep you regular.

Only sugar from fruit. No soda, candy, etc. Even beer packs on the pounds. You'll be surprised how easy it is to drop weight when you change your diet ever so slightly.

Make additional efforts to exercise while not at the gym. An example would be taking the stairs instead of elevator, walking somewhere you usually drive (of course in terms of miles this isn't really feasible unless you're very dedicated)

Eating veggies! You can snack on these allllll day long and it will keep you full, and not make you heavier. Just be conscious of what you're about to eat. If you have a doubt that it is probably bad, it most likely is. You don't want to overdo the healthy diet thing though. If you go full force at it, you run the risk of burning out and resorting to your old ways.

Pick up a Men's Health Mag or visit www.menshealth.com - lots of good info there.

[obdigore]

Even beer packs on the pounds. You'll be surprised how easy it is to drop weight when you change your diet ever so slightly.

Aye. Switch from a couple beers to two fingers of single malt. Victory for everyone involved

[eucatastrophe]

While I have lost over 30 pounds (and gained then some but in hard muscle), I am no fitness expert. So I don't want to give you wrong dietary advice. While the whole 5 small meals, with snacks in between, etc thing worked for me, perhaps it isn't advisable for you especially at your weight level (sorry, don't mean to be indelicate).

What I do know though is that there is stuff out there that is universally bad.

Get rid of the soft drinks. Just get rid of them. Coke, Pepsi, all that crap. Cut. It. Out. If you need an energy boost, have a black coffee.

That's another thing - no more sugar in your tea or coffee. Excess sugar that you don't need (at this point). Don't have it in your oatmeal, cereal - just don't.
And be wary of coffees from Starbucks, etc. Their drinks are loaded in calories so you might want to lay off those lattes till you hit your first target weight. Craving a coffee? Order it black. Get rid off cream from your life.

No more french fries. These things are seriously weapons of mass destruction. On that note, avoid fried food. It might be really hard, but opt for grilled, baked, broiled, etc. But no more fried food. Once you hit your target, you may be able to reintroduce it as a reward/cheat treat. But as off now, fried is stuff you don't need.

I found that cutting down on bread helped initially - I felt a lot lighter. And switch to brown or whole grain. Whole Wheat English Muffins are awesome; try those.

Milk - switch to skim or 1% or 2%. Similarly, go for the Light cheeses, light mayonnaises, light salad dressings. Avoid mozzarella. Avoid thick crust pizzas.

Oh and if you're eating something that you perceive to be healthy (eg. Thin crust pizza) - don't overdo it. You may end up defeating the purpose of having the healthier option. Eating 6 thin crust pizza slices is a fail. Eating one whole slab of dark chocolate is a fail. Eating half the tub of light ice cream is fail.

I second the poster that recommended Men's Health. If you can spare the cash, subscribe to them. If not, read up their articles online. They have great resources. They also put out editions on food - really taught me a lot.

Get into the fitness mindset. Train yourself so that you start to think "When will I work out today?" instead of "Will I work out today?"

As for motivation... tough one mate. We all struggle with it. There will be tough days.
Guess you have to ask yourself some questions: Why are you doing it? What do you hope to get out of it? What do you want more than this?

Once you have those answers, you have to remember that this isn't an overnight process. You probably already know that having lost 100 lbs - which is incredible btw. If you can do THAT, then you can most certainly do this. The key is that you can not lose sight of this amazing feat you did.

To give up now is to give up in sight of the finish line.

[Deleted]

Eat smaller portions, do at least 30 mins of cardio every day + weight training if you want to build muscle, and dont eat stuff that you know has high fat content. Easy.

[Xami]

One thing I can recommend is to use your breakfast menu for your dinner. For me, cereal is my dinner and it works

[Deleted]

While I have lost over 30 pounds (and gained then some but in hard muscle), I am no fitness expert. So I don't want to give you wrong dietary advice. While the whole 5 small meals, with snacks in between, etc thing worked for me, perhaps it isn't advisable for you especially at your weight level (sorry, don't mean to be indelicate).

What I do know though is that there is stuff out there that is universally bad.

Get rid of the soft drinks. Just get rid of them. Coke, Pepsi, all that crap. Cut. It. Out. If you need an energy boost, have a black coffee.

That's another thing - no more sugar in your tea or coffee. Excess sugar that you don't need (at this point). Don't have it in your oatmeal, cereal - just don't.
And be wary of coffees from Starbucks, etc. Their drinks are loaded in calories so you might want to lay off those lattes till you hit your first target weight. Craving a coffee? Order it black. Get rid off cream from your life.

No more french fries. These things are seriously weapons of mass destruction. On that note, avoid fried food. It might be really hard, but opt for grilled, baked, broiled, etc. But no more fried food. Once you hit your target, you may be able to reintroduce it as a reward/cheat treat. But as off now, fried is stuff you don't need.

I found that cutting down on bread helped initially - I felt a lot lighter. And switch to brown or whole grain. Whole Wheat English Muffins are awesome; try those.

Milk - switch to skim or 1% or 2%. Similarly, go for the Light cheeses, light mayonnaises, light salad dressings. Avoid mozzarella. Avoid thick crust pizzas.

Oh and if you're eating something that you perceive to be healthy (eg. Thin crust pizza) - don't overdo it. You may end up defeating the purpose of having the healthier option. Eating 6 thin crust pizza slices is a fail. Eating one whole slab of dark chocolate is a fail. Eating half the tub of light ice cream is fail.

I second the poster that recommended Men's Health. If you can spare the cash, subscribe to them. If not, read up their articles online. They have great resources. They also put out editions on food - really taught me a lot.

Get into the fitness mindset. Train yourself so that you start to think "When will I work out today?" instead of "Will I work out today?"

As for motivation... tough one mate. We all struggle with it. There will be tough days.
Guess you have to ask yourself some questions: Why are you doing it? What do you hope to get out of it? What do you want more than this?

Once you have those answers, you have to remember that this isn't an overnight process. You probably already know that having lost 100 lbs - which is incredible btw. If you can do THAT, then you can most certainly do this. The key is that you can not lose sight of this amazing feat you did.

To give up now is to give up in sight of the finish line.

Bolded a few points I used when I dropped from 14 stone to 11 stone as a student, though exercise (I was playing football twice a week for 1 hour, and walking everywhere when possible). You need to cut down on carbs and sugars primarily. You can lose more weight without resorting to hardcore exercise if you follow what eucatastrophe said and mix it with plenty of walking. If the distance is under 3 miles, walk. Put your iPod on, and walk. Of course, competing in team sports or taking a bike up the mountains etc does help.

Also, try and avoid any processed lunches. Sandwiches on brown bread, low fat spread, most cooked meats/veg are fine as long as you aren't eating something that could stop a bus in its tracks.

Edit: Also, buy smaller plates.

One thing I can recommend is to use your breakfast menu for your dinner. For me, cereal is my dinner and it works

This is bad. In weight loss you cannot risk starving your body as it will just make it greedier when you give it some real food. I can't underline this enough. On no condition either skip meals, eat a breakfast for dinner, lunch for dinner, etc, or starve yourself. It DOES NOT WORK

[creepyfacebookguy]

Wont make this long but i lost 15 kilos myself a year ago and it's not really that hard.... i just stopped eating candy and shit food and started working out, you don't need some complicated diet or some fat losing program.. just work out and don't eat candy and fastfood.

Edit: i personally watch /watch?v=Sk56VxaeqEQ for motivation and it worked for me ^^ currently training boxing 14 times a week and as you say the problem is getting into the rutine but someday you would want to get fit or the best in some sport that nothing will stop you.

[Deleted]

Drink lots of water and watch what you eat, I know you have probably heard this a million times but it really is the best way to lose weight.

I tend to get bored when going on diets, I miss my junk food too much! I recommend treating yourself 1-2 times a week to something you really like to stop you becoming bored of your diet, 1-2 candy bars wont be that bad and if it keeps you motivated to stay on track then its well worth the little extra calories.

[Deleted]

Cut soda and drink water.

Cut fried food and stuff covered with cheese, butter, oil, etc.

Eat steamed vegetables and lean meat.

Exercise.

It's that simple.

[Deleted]

Don't eat shit. Exercise (even walking instead of driving is fine).

I don't really have this issue, i'm an ectomorph. Which is more annoying imo.

[peterjhon]

Losing weight is not so easy; it’s not an overnight process. It takes time. I think you should need to keep the track of your regular intake. I will suggest you not to eat any snack food out of the box. Eating liquid based foods such as natural smoothies and low sodium soup can help you cut back on calories. Running is the best exercise for those who want to lose their weight.

[Deleted]

Just eat 2 sandwiches in place of 3 just cut some of your food and excersize more I did it and i lost over 11% of body fat in half a year

[Deleted]

Dont listen to people when it comes to Fat.
Fat doesnt matter.
Your body NEEDS Fat.
And you dont get FAT from FAT.
Try to stay away from starches and grains. Bread, pasta etc. Even Whole Wheat.
Starchiest thing you are allowed to eat is beans.
Only thing you should be drinking is either coffee, water or green tea.

---------- Post added 2012-06-26 at 05:23 PM ----------

As Male, never go below 1600 calories.
As Female, never go below 1200 calories.

---------- Post added 2012-06-26 at 06:59 PM ----------

Also stay away from fruit smoothies.
To many fruits that are blended, so your body will go insane from all the sugar ( even though its good sugar ).
Its healthy, but its bad for weight loss.
Lots of carbs in it aswell.
Just stay to the pure fruit.

[scso232]

just make sure your calories are not from fat and youll be starting right

[Golgo Gaming]

For me at least, work very well eat 6 times a day, and eats well (eat 6 times in controled porcions ofc, not a pasta every 3 hour) eat atun, chicken and pasta at lunch, and something small every 3 hours, yogurt, or some fruit/vegetable juice, look for the Jump start regimen (if you doing physical exercise), do not eat after 10 o' clock or nothing to heavy. That allows your body to consume exactly what you need, if you stop eating, your body gonna start to save some grass or just generate to mantain your organism. Actually its pretty good. To lost weight by creating fiber.

[saberon]

I'll skip over the food-portion of your post and get straight to motivation (that being said, eating healthy is 90% of weight loss, so keep at it!).

1. Fitocracy I don't personally use it, however plenty of people swear by it.
2. Try and find someone to go to the Gym with. You'll push each other and will be less inclined to quit. Plus, on days when you just can't be fucked going to the Gym, they'll drag you along (and vice versa).
3. Personally, I have no motivation to go to the Gym. If possible, I suggest you take up some sort of sport. Find something you enjoy, and exercise will no longer be a chore, it'll be a hobby! Personally, I do BJJ 4-5 times a week and Judo once a week, and I think there's been about 2 days in the last 2 years where I had no motivation to go.
4. Set some goals. It could be Distance/Time on the treadmill/bike, Sets/Reps on the weights... whatever. For each one, have 3 goals - What you want to be doing a week from now, what you want to be doing a month from now, and what you want to be doing 6 months from now. Be realistic with the first two, and aim high for the third.

[Azshira]

I'd like to add in to others comments that the one hour you do in the gym is only a bit of the battle, sure you need to make good use of the hour but ultimately it's the other 23 hours of rest where nutrition come in that counts. In other words, get the nutrition sound and you're almost there!