At My Wits' End In Losing Weight - I've Tried Almost Everything!

[epiphany 10]

How about eating only soup for lunch every day?

[Crayfish 10]

There is only one answer to these threads. Eat better and exercise more.

 

Perhaps finding a regular sports class would help with the exercise part. Gyms have never interested me particularly in the past, although I would be keen to attend one now given time and money.

 

There are a lot of fun things out there. In Sheffield, I can highly recommend Brazilian Jujitsu at Gracie Barra Sheffield, it's a fantastic sport and I have personally seen people lose an awful lot of weight doing this and similar activities. Also a book on nutrition may help to understand what a good diet entails.

 

There will be no quick fix. Expect any method to take a couple of years of regular commitment to see the results you want.

 

Edit: Just read your post on the second page, it doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong. Maybe you just haven't given it enough time?

Edited March 3, 2009 by Crayfish

[Recommended 10]

closed service

Edited May 28, 2013 by Recommended

[laineyiow 10]

In 2000 I decided that I had enough of being fat when my size 16 clothes started getting tight and realised that if I didn't do something about it I would end up being in size 18's.

 

In September 2000 I joined a salsa class and started doing salsa about twice a week. This was the start of my slimming extravaganza!

 

Then a friend at work let me have a look at her WeightWatchers book as I was thinking of joining them. But after reading through it I decided to just eat all the things that I LIKED that were low in points. And I found this really worked for me and that the weight started dropping off quite quickly.

 

After doing a few salsa classes I also started learning modern jive (which I still do but now unfortunately only once a week rather than 3/4 times a week).

 

I went down from approx 10 stone to 8 stone with my dancing and my diet.

 

Then in 2004 I moved to the Isle of Wight and although I haven't got the same access to dancing and I don't do much more other exercise, I do watch my food intake (although I still occasionally eat chocolate and other "no-no's") but have found that I can more or less keep my weight steady (normally under 10 stone) and still fit into my size 12's clothes. I

 

Don't be disheartened I am sure that there is something out there that will be the right thing for you to help you in losing your weight.

 

I personally couldn't stand going to the gym and that's why I went dancing as I don't feel this is exercise as it is something that I really enjoy doing, so maybe the gym isn't really right for you and maybe you need some other form of exercise that you would really enjoy and want to spend more time doing rather than the odd hour here and there during the week.

 

I just wish that I had the opportunity to do more dancing but there just aren't the venues on the Island. Sheffield has far more to offer.

 

Good luck and I do hope that you will be successful in your weight loss.

[bobbie 10]

Out of interest, what do you do about someone who is

 

1) overweight

2) frighteningly fit.

 

I know of someone who was ex-army/boxer who was an fitness instructor, he was fat but very fit.

 

One day, his work colleagues who were poking fun at his flabby frame were given the chance to do a one hour fitness session, not one lasted 20 minutes.

 

He also said afterwards, anyone poking fun at his body had to agree to do a FULL ONE HOUR FITNESS SESSIOn with him, to help him with his body problems.

 

Strangely enough, since that day, the indtructor has not had one comment made about his fat body.

[journo135 10]

Have you ever taken diet pills or drugs from over the internet and they had nasty reactions? Maybe you think they are great and swear by them?

 

I am a journalism student at the University of Sheffield and doing a long feature on diet pills and fake medicines both the good stories and the bad.

 

If you have any information I would really appreciate hearing your stories and information.

 

PM me or email me on job06hb@shef.ac.uk, or simply put your anecdote on here.

 

Thank you very much, Helen.

[CockneyMafia 10]

I've been overweight/medically obese (if you go by BMI) since perhaps the age of 16/17. I'm 5'4" and currently weigh 13st, which isn't healthy for me. I do have a large, curvy frame, with wide hips and a bust, with a nipped in waist, which does do me some favours as I do have a nice figure, but I'm wanting to lose weight for health reasons, as really I should be around the 10st mark.

 

I've tried EVERYTHING to lose weight. Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Paul McKenna tapes, Slim Fast, hoodia appetite suppressants, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, dodgy pills off ebay, and gosh, EXERCISE!

 

I currently go to the gym for an hour 3 times a week and have not budged a pound in over a month!!!

 

I don't eat too much rubbish, and eat lots of fruit and veg (I'm not a 5-a-day angel but am nearly there).

 

I'm seriously considering approaching my doctor and asking what I can get from a medical point of view. I've already had tests for underactive thyroid and similar, which have come up with nothing.

 

I am so frustrated - does anyone have any ideas or experiences of what a doctor might be able to do?!

 

The first thing is to be honest with yourself. How about postting a typical week on here which includes what you eat (and drink) plus what you actually do in the gym.

 

I know a lot of people who classify a 'gym' session as sitting on an exercise bike for 45 minutes reading Hello magazine. You should be raising your heart rate to a decent bpm and genuinely feel knackered by the time you have finished, otherwise it wont make much difference. This is where classes comes in handy as they push you in a group environment.

 

Also, how much do you drink? There can be as much as 1000 calories in 4 alcopops, yet some people dismiss drink when working out calorific totals.

 

Good luck with it. I am no expert on the matter but do a lot of gym and exercise work, and study exercise science privately so feel free to PM me.

 

Mike

[Crayfish 10]

Out of interest, what do you do about someone who is

 

1) overweight

2) frighteningly fit.

 

I know of someone who was ex-army/boxer who was an fitness instructor, he was fat but very fit.

 

One day, his work colleagues who were poking fun at his flabby frame were given the chance to do a one hour fitness session, not one lasted 20 minutes.

 

He also said afterwards, anyone poking fun at his body had to agree to do a FULL ONE HOUR FITNESS SESSIOn with him, to help him with his body problems.

 

Strangely enough, since that day, the indtructor has not had one comment made about his fat body.

 

It's rare, and it's usually a lot of muscle covered by a thin disguising layer of fat, which looks different to pure fat.

 

In my experience, people with this sort of body type who exercise a lot do become scarily powerful and find it equally easy to gain muscle as fat. They might never get the ripped look but they're healthy, and you can still tell the difference between an unhealthy and healthy large person.

 

Quite a few of the world's strongest man competitors have this sort of physique, as do a few professional cagefighters.

Edited March 22, 2009 by Crayfish

[Bago 10]

I tried WW - the cost was ridiculous for essentially being weighed and told to get on with a book. Eating a tiny sandwich which had to made with exactly one slice of ham and x many lettuce leaves and having to count stuff was not a conducive way to keeping me sane!

I don't like those kind of things as well. I think my weight also yo-yoed over the years. Currently, I now know what is good for me, and works for me. Or maybe my body seemed to have settled into a routine.

 

I currently is in a weight club at work, even the managers get into the program too. We just weight ourselves every 2 weeks, on a Monday morning. It does not matter what you did between those weeks, but the average should be a weight loss of 2-3lbs per week, on a steady routine.

 

I normally now tries to do all of the followings:

- cook from fresh, never buy microwave meals if I can help it

- have veg with carbo, or meat with carbo, never have meat and carbo in large quantity together at the same time (this follow the food triangle theory)

- eat enough, and stop

- no sugary drinks and hidden coffees or tea at any point

- 3 meals a day, little in the morning, main in the day, and less during the night

- started increasing cardio as a weight loss, and increases the time i run on the treadmill or cross-trainer

 

I did lost about almost a stone last year over 6 months. But I've almost put it back in 3 months early this year. I have to say, the stress of work did not help, so hopefully, now that the fires are out at work, I can pick it back up again.

[irenewilde 10]

There are pills out there, but can only be perscribed by a doctor. They block fat absorbtion, and can have nasty side effects, hence should be a last resort. I'm really considering taking them

 

Don't take them! I can't tell you how unpleasant the side effects are! If you're talking about Orlistat it's now available off prescription with advice from a pharmacist. As you are only *just* inside the measurement for obesity I'm not sure they'd give them to you. And those obesity measurements are a bit crazy sometimes.

 

Now I *am* overweight but again.... I don't have (and never have had) milk in my drinks, butter or margarine on my bread, I hate fried food and I have to cut every last fraction of fat off my meat because it turns my stomach. I walk over 10 miles a week (the 15 minutes miles they mention on the BMI website), swim once a week & am a keen gardener. And one of my jobs involves a lot of physical work. Can I lose weight? The answer, very aptly, is a big fat no. On the other hand, a long lingering glance at a cream cake results in a weight gain of 3lbs (it feels like that anyway!) so I do understand your frustration.

Edited March 22, 2009 by irenewilde

[Bago 10]

You know, we are always talkng about this at work too. There can be hidden things which you do not think about at all. For example, added sauces or sweet dressings on your salads, or the odd chocolate bars in between meals, and not after the meal. i.e it sends your sugar level pretty high and imbalances it.

 

A lot of the girls find it harder to lose the weight when they are nearer to their ideal BMI. For me, I am a little bit further away so it is easier to see the reduction. I'd imagine once you lose the initial water, you would really work your fat, and start to burn it. So don't give up at that point!

 

You also need to get rid of built up toxins before you see your weight reduction as well. I now also cut out caffeine and yeast as much as I can and where I can. It does help.

 

Don't get obsessed thinking about it. I think I went through the phase of yo-yoing thinking it should work, and when it doesn't, I start eating again too. I did that in my 20s, so now it doesn't really happen any more. What I have noticed is my body being more and more dehydrated than ever before. I don't know if this is because my body is changing with age or not. I am a tad worried that I may have diabetes, so I am controlling it more now than ever before.

Edited March 22, 2009 by Bago

[holidayhutch 10]

I am in a similar situation as the OP. Exercise at the gym 3 times a week and walk an average 10 miles a day through work etc, plus the physical side of daily hutch cleaning etc. Have done all the major slimming clubs, Xenical, even been hospitalised so they can feed me, was recently put on a VLCD that was liquids only and still dont lose weight. Am under an endocrinologist who has done numerous tests and they still cant find out why my weight does not come off.