Obesity Discussion Forums

[chanmui04]

Hey all, I'm new.

I'm 18, I'm 4'9'' 1/2( I don't suffer from any type of dwarfism, I'm just short, my great aunt is 4'7'' and my uncle is 5'1'') and last time I was weighed,a month ago, give or take, I weighed 188-198. My weight usually stayed between 170 and 175, but it skyrocketed this year and I hadn't even noticed!! I was a twig as a kid, but as I got to be a teen I started getting chubbier. I eat when I'm bored, theres my problem! Plus computers were starting to become big, and once I moved back to the us (lived in Germany for 3 years), I didn't go outside much or anything.

I can't be this young, and weigh this much, and I CAN'T run the risk of getting diabetes, so I'm really going to buckle down this time and do what I need to do!! I do have issues with my blood sugar, which I'm afraid could be the onset of diabetes, or even hypoglycemia, but I'm pretty sure its just from being overweight. So I'm going to try my hand at losing some weight first, and if the problems still persist, I'll see a doctor.

March 15th I stopped pop and coffee, and energy drinks, tea (I might allow myself some decaf tea if I can find it), basically anything with lots of caffine in it (I still eat a little bit of chocolate when I'm on my period).
I cut down what I ate drastically, but I only started eating HEALTHIER this week. We went out and bought lots of fruits and veg, and rice crackers (the good kind), lots of nuts (walnuts, pinenuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds- unsalted of course) and veggie sticks (alternative to chips). We forgot the whole bread and the milk (we are switching to organic milk, or skim, haven't decided).

I lost about 3 lbs in a month, I'm assuming from not drinking pop, since I only just started eating healthier.

If I keep up the good eating (not a problem) and keep the pop out (not a problem either, caffine's lost its hold on me- I went from drinking 7+ a day to NONE), plenty of water, plus the vitamins I've been taking: fish oil, & regular vitamins(found out I was low in zinc) and couple that with exercise, what can I expect to see next month?

What exercises are best? Obviously walking/running, but what about sit ups, push ups? I hear breathing exercises are good to do, too, if you're confined in a cubicle at work, or at school, or can't do anything. Is this true?

[Obesity Discussion]

Welcome!!

Some nutritional suggestions....I would go skim milk as you're going to be consuming less calories and fat. Be careful on the rice crackers....loaded with carbs, and depending on the type of rice could be simple carbs which aren't great for you. Nuts are good but in moderation as they are very high in calories.

There's no way to predict what you're going to lose just by what you've told us. We can guestimate if we know how many calories you're going to be consuming on average each day and know what type of exercise you're doing for how long each day and how many days a week.....

Breathing exercises are worthless for weight loss. The best exercises are the ones that get your heart rate up and keep it up. Running is good, as are treadmills, elliptical machines, active sports, stationary bikes, bicycles, etc. Running is better than walking, and the longer you can keep your heart rate up the better. Situps and pushups aren't going to do much of anything for weight loss. You might gain some muscle in your arms/chest from the pushups, but that's about it...pushups and situps burn minimal calories, and if you're looking to lose weight, that's what's most important......reducing your calories in and ideally increasing your calories expended.

Confined in a cubicle there's not much you can do to lose weight or build lean muscle. Maybe use a resistance band to build some very minor muscle and increase strength.

[jus4boyz]

I consider myself a healthy eater, but step my eating plan up a notch. I have only lost 4 pounds in a month. I think it depends on your routine as well as your diet. I sit at a desk all day, run home to four young boys , which leaves me little time to workout. I do try to walk (back & knee problems prevent me from running) but it has been hard since I am in the process of moving. Don't give up!!

You're body needs to get used to the changes you have made before you will see the results you want. I am frustrated too, as long as I can still fit in my clothes at least I know I'm not gaining weight. You also have to incorporate those oopsie days, that alone can slow your weight loss. That is my opinion and what I have found happening to me.

[cookiedibs]

Originally Posted by chanmui04

Hey all, I'm new.

I'm 18, I'm 4'9'' 1/2( I don't suffer from any type of dwarfism, I'm just short, my great aunt is 4'7'' and my uncle is 5'1'') and last time I was weighed,a month ago, give or take, I weighed 188-198. My weight usually stayed between 170 and 175, but it skyrocketed this year and I hadn't even noticed!! I was a twig as a kid, but as I got to be a teen I started getting chubbier. I eat when I'm bored, theres my problem! Plus computers were starting to become big, and once I moved back to the us (lived in Germany for 3 years), I didn't go outside much or anything.

I can't be this young, and weigh this much, and I CAN'T run the risk of getting diabetes, so I'm really going to buckle down this time and do what I need to do!! I do have issues with my blood sugar, which I'm afraid could be the onset of diabetes, or even hypoglycemia, but I'm pretty sure its just from being overweight. So I'm going to try my hand at losing some weight first, and if the problems still persist, I'll see a doctor.

March 15th I stopped pop and coffee, and energy drinks, tea (I might allow myself some decaf tea if I can find it), basically anything with lots of caffine in it (I still eat a little bit of chocolate when I'm on my period).
I cut down what I ate drastically, but I only started eating HEALTHIER this week. We went out and bought lots of fruits and veg, and rice crackers (the good kind), lots of nuts (walnuts, pinenuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds- unsalted of course) and veggie sticks (alternative to chips). We forgot the whole bread and the milk (we are switching to organic milk, or skim, haven't decided).

I lost about 3 lbs in a month, I'm assuming from not drinking pop, since I only just started eating healthier.

If I keep up the good eating (not a problem) and keep the pop out (not a problem either, caffine's lost its hold on me- I went from drinking 7+ a day to NONE), plenty of water, plus the vitamins I've been taking: fish oil, & regular vitamins(found out I was low in zinc) and couple that with exercise, what can I expect to see next month?

What exercises are best? Obviously walking/running, but what about sit ups, push ups? I hear breathing exercises are good to do, too, if you're confined in a cubicle at work, or at school, or can't do anything. Is this true?

Hi Chanmui04,
You know, as much as we would like it to be different, there are really no secrtets. Every time I meet someone who has lost weight, I ask, HOW DID YOU DO IT?? It's always the same answer: diet and exercise.

Here are some things I've learned after years and years of trying:
There are no shortcuts. You have to eat less than you burn in calories. Learn how much you can eat (how many calories) and how many calories you use a day. Then, write it down until it becomes so automatic that you know automatically.

You say you've cut out caffeine. That's a good thing to do, but caffeine has no calories: Sugar does.

Weigh yourself EVERY day. Write it down. Write down what you eat. Understand how many calories you burn in a day. There is no magic formula. Understand that you have to change YOUR LIFE if you want to beat this permenantly. In studies, most people who lose weight and keep it off, exercise an hour a day and eat healthy foods. That means keep away from things like rice cakes, which have very little nutritional value. And make sure you monitor how many nuts you eat. They are good but VERY high and calories, and you can blow a whole days calories on nuts very easily.
Water won't help you lose weight (although it's good to drink enough water).
The only thing that will help you lose weight is eating less and exercising more (besides surgery, which you are not heavy enough to consider).
Good luck!
Let me know if you need any help!

[Erin]

I don't agree with weighing yourself every day. Your weight can flucuate from day to day depending on how much food/water you've consumed and whether or not you've recently gone to the washroom. Most people lose 2-5 lbs after their bodies dispose of fecal matter, as disgusting as that may sound. By weighing yourself every day, you're just going to frustrate yourself. I advise you pick one day to weigh yourself each week. I like to weigh myself on Sundays, because it prevents me from pigging out on Saturdays, which is always my worst day (friends always want to go to restaurants on Saturday nights, etc.)

Also... while water doesn't directly help you lose weight, it does help to fill you up so you don't eat as much during meals. People often mistake dehydration for being hungry, so just by constantly drinking water throughout the day you are preventing this from happening, which means you can avoid excess snacking.

[cookiedibs]

I just came back from Structure House, a residential weight loss treatment program (like the Duke Program) in North Carolina. After 30 years of monitoring people who are losing weight, they recommend weighing yourself everyday. You are correct, there will be fluctuations - but that's normal. If you chart your weight, you will still see that with water fluctuations, the trend is still down. One of the dieticians there said she was initially surprised to discover that overweight people tend to weigh themselves far less than normal weight people. All that being said, everyone needs to do what works for them. I weigh and chart my weight, because it helps keep me focused.
Also, studies have shown that water does not actually make you less hungry. It does not target the same "receptors" (my words) that food does, so it does nothing physically for satiety. However, if you feel it works for you, then keep doing it!

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by cookiedibs

Hi Chanmui04,
You know, as much as we would like it to be different, there are really no secrtets. Every time I meet someone who has lost weight, I ask, HOW DID YOU DO IT?? It's always the same answer: diet and exercise.

Here are some things I've learned after years and years of trying:
There are no shortcuts. You have to eat less than you burn in calories. Learn how much you can eat (how many calories) and how many calories you use a day. Then, write it down until it becomes so automatic that you know automatically.

You say you've cut out caffeine. That's a good thing to do, but caffeine has no calories: Sugar does.

Weigh yourself EVERY day. Write it down. Write down what you eat. Understand how many calories you burn in a day. There is no magic formula. Understand that you have to change YOUR LIFE if you want to beat this permenantly. In studies, most people who lose weight and keep it off, exercise an hour a day and eat healthy foods. That means keep away from things like rice cakes, which have very little nutritional value. And make sure you monitor how many nuts you eat. They are good but VERY high and calories, and you can blow a whole days calories on nuts very easily.
Water won't help you lose weight (although it's good to drink enough water).
The only thing that will help you lose weight is eating less and exercising more (besides surgery, which you are not heavy enough to consider).
Good luck!
Let me know if you need any help!

Very well said, but I too question weighing oneself every day.....on one hand it can keep you focused on your goals acting as a reminder of what you're trying to do, on the other hand weight fluctuates day to day so I'd have for someone to get discouraged after a good few days of eating only to see they haven't lost anything or even put on a pound. The other issue is if you start exercising and put on muscle, even though you're losing fat too, conceivably the scale might not move, and that could be discouraging to people as well.

As far as water goes, I don't want people to get the idea that water isn't important in the weight loss process, because it's VERY IMPORTANT.

[dontgiveup]

weekly weighing seems the best to me. That way you can focus on your weight loss methods instead of what the scale thinks of you.

[Deliciously_Saucy]

chanmui04: put down the fork.

[SunShine]

Chanmui04, This support group is here to help you so call on us anytime ok.

[chanmui04]

Okay, so march 15th I stopped pop, coffee, energy drinks. In a month I lost about 3 lbs.



So then I started eating better. No cookies, no candies, no chocolates, no chips (aside from my quaker rice snaks and my veggie sticks, I hardly ever eat them though, they are more for "treats"), no white bread. I hardly EVER eat bread anyway, but when I do, I eat that whole 9 grain bread.



I started eating lots of fish, lots of chicken, and I kept beef in my diet (we just bought half an organic cow, so it HAD to be eaten), I eat lots of fruits and vegetables now, plus I take fish oil tablets and a multivitamin pretty much every day. Lost a few more lbs, in all I've probably lost 6-7.

Is there anything else I should be cutting out, foods that might have "hidden" sugars or hidden bad things that I don't know about? I d on't use salad dressing on my salads, I use lemon, btw, and use spinach and nuts and stuff.







PS: I graduate high school in about 2 weeks, so after that I'm devoting my time to exercise. I realize i've been puttingit off, and i don't have any excuses. I will start walking/running/whatever after I graduate HS.

[Chrisydj]

Be careful with the amount of fruit you eat since it has alot of sugar..it is natural sugar but to much of anything even natural isnt a good idea when trying to lose weight...i use salad dressing myself but i use vinigrettes i love the balsamic vinigrette mmmm yummy

[hollandoforange]

why is caffiene bad?

[chanmui04]

Originally Posted by hollandoforange

why is caffiene bad?

it makes me crazy, my skin gets bad, my hair gets bad, i'm addicted to caffine, really. i'm amazed i've stayed away from it for so long and am not actually craving any right now. it had way too many sugars, if i had a 24 pack of pop, i'd probably drink 5 within a day. that's how bad i was.

so i just figured i might as well cut all caffinated drinks out and see what happens, and i'm happy with the results so I decided to drop it completely. I'm TRYING to stay on a "if it was man made stay away", but I reall yjust mean added chemicals and stuff. everything i buy is grown (they even spray the fruits and stuff with waxes, how gross is that) or organic (organic cow, lol)

[SunShine]

The only caffine I really get anymore is in my coffee. I have given up all soda's now.
I am strickly doing Atkins low carb and its working good for me.

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by chanmui04

Okay, so march 15th I stopped pop, coffee, energy drinks. In a month I lost about 3 lbs.



So then I started eating better. No cookies, no candies, no chocolates, no chips (aside from my quaker rice snaks and my veggie sticks, I hardly ever eat them though, they are more for "treats"), no white bread. I hardly EVER eat bread anyway, but when I do, I eat that whole 9 grain bread.



I started eating lots of fish, lots of chicken, and I kept beef in my diet (we just bought half an organic cow, so it HAD to be eaten), I eat lots of fruits and vegetables now, plus I take fish oil tablets and a multivitamin pretty much every day. Lost a few more lbs, in all I've probably lost 6-7.

Is there anything else I should be cutting out, foods that might have "hidden" sugars or hidden bad things that I don't know about? I d on't use salad dressing on my salads, I use lemon, btw, and use spinach and nuts and stuff.







PS: I graduate high school in about 2 weeks, so after that I'm devoting my time to exercise. I realize i've been puttingit off, and i don't have any excuses. I will start walking/running/whatever after I graduate HS.

Fruit is the biggest hidden sugar culprit, along with dressings/condements. Congrats on graduating high school! Looks like you're great so far eating healthier.

[SunShine]

I am always reading labels and seeing what is the foods these days. it takes me forever to shop anymore for groceries because I stop and read all the labels.
I do know fruits have alot of sugar in them so when you do eat them just limit them to every now and then.
I feel if we can learn how to eat sensibly and not over induldge in food we can lose the weight.
I am practicing on how to eat slowly and portion my food sizes and eat like a normal skinny person would and not get in such a hurry and eat fast and gulp your food down.

I take my time eating now and I really enjoy it to. It has taken some work in order to accompolish this but I am learning fast.

I also have done alot of research on obesity and what it does to your health to and it really scares me to know that I could develop alot of health problems from being over weight.
I already have bad arthiritis.

ChanMui maybe if you can plan your meals in a more healthier way and cut out the junk foods you will be able to lose your weight.
I am here anytime you need someone to talk to about it ok.
Take good care of yourself.

[chanmui04]

I do eat MORE OFTEN, but in all I eat less than I usually do. I used to get up in the morning, not eat, then by the time I got home from school, stuff my face with EVERYTHING I found. Now, I eat 3 meals a day and 3 snacks, and I hardly EVER get hungry anymore. I don’t eat fast food, and I dont’ eat microwavable food, the ONLY thing I eat that comes in a box that you can mircrowave is occasionally on a saturday I’ll have a lean cuisine chicken alfredo meal.

I’ve been eating more like this lately.... Lets just say 3 days out of the week:

day 1breakfast: some cheerios with milk, with some bannas, strawberries, sometimes raisons or blueberries if I have them, and a glass of water

day 2 breakfast: almond butter on whole grain bread, glass of water, some fruit ifi want it

day 3 breakfast: creamy garbanzo bean hommus spread on whole grain crackers, a glass of water, and a plum or something if i want it

snacks: pineapple, plums, grapes, oranges, occasionally those chewy 99 calorie bars. also spinach salads, with pine nuts, sometimes sunflower seeds (all unsalted), tomatos, whole grain crutons, and lemon juice instead of salad dressing.



And when I go to subway (rare, thats pretty much what I concider FAST FOOD these days, anyway) I get turkey on whole grain bread, with spinach, banana peppers, cheese, and mustard.



Then Dinner: Whatever mom makes, usually fish, chicken, beef, or pork, with some sort of fruit or vegetable. (Last night we had cabbage rolls: cabbage, pork/beef and some rice(Should I switch to brown rice?I have it, we just hardly ever eat rice) in tomato sause yum)



Am I doing okay? Is there anything I’ve "fooled" myself into thinking is healthy here that needs to go? I FEEL better, and I'm obviously losing weight, but I'm still new to this healthy-eating thing.

Things I don’t eat:
Fast food
soda pop
caffinated drinks
coffee
energy drinks
white bread
sweets, candies, chocolates
sugary cereals
chips (I eat quaker rice snacks and veggie sticks instead, which is also rare that I eat those)


thanks so much.