Getting Weight loss to "stick"
 

I got a stomach bug that lasted almost a week. it really sucked, but i lost about 15 lbs. and i want to get a silver lining out of the dark cloud of how much it sucked to be sick. i'm quite overweight to begin with, so i'd like to make the change stick. any advice on preventing my body from "bouncing back" to form like it usually wants to while staying healthy?

For starters: Bear in mind that this 15lbs. could be from anything: water, muscle, fat. Losing weight from sickness isn't usually a good thing, as it's often considered "wasting away."

That said, it would just be best to eat a balanced diet and stay active. Drink lots of water, get lots of rest.

Don't feel bad if you gain some or all of the weight back. If it's water or muscle you lost, it would be good to get this back.

If you get just a little active (45 minutes of moderate activity 5 days a week) and just cut a small number of calories (like 200-300 a day of the junk calories) you will keep it off and probably continue to lose.

When you get better, go on the diet my trainer gave me:

First and foremost, avoid all 'white, processed food" like bread, rice, pasta.

7-8 am 4 eggs whites and 1/2 cup oatmeal made with water; (Egg whites are bleah but if you add lots of dill and some mrs. dash, they're ok. With the oatmeal, i add splenda and cinammon).

10 am Protein shake (100 calorie Muscle Milk or equivalent EAS product)

Noon Chicken and vegetables. No oil, use pam.

2 pm Apple

4 pm Shake (see above)

Dinner Chicken/Fish and vegetables for dinner (Must be a 'white' fish like tilapia, halibut, even snapper. Tuna has too much mercury and salmon is too fatty. My own doctor said no more than one can of tuna per week - even less if possible. He doesnt eat any because of the contamination).

Take 2 multivitamins daily, take 4 Omega 3 capsules. Lots and lots of water. Gotta flush out the system.

Next, go to the gym 5-6 days a week and get your heart rate up for at least 40-45 minutes daily. Cardio, light weight lifting, squats.

Stick to that and you will lose weight. I have dropped a bunch of weight. I am starving mostly. I take sundays 'off' - no exercise and if i want pizza or a burger or ice cream, i have it. But only on sundays (you choose your own day of the week you want off).

Happy starving. :)

For the record, I can burn body fat while consuming as much as 120g of fat/day.

I don't starve. It's harder to burn fat while you're starving. Fat is your body's defense against starvation: the preservation of calories stored as fat.

Body fat isn't the same as dietary fat.

UPHS Nutrition Care Guide: How Much Fat do you Need?

Exercise and watch the calories, while I don't doubt the composition of the food (fat, carbs, and protein) may make a slight difference in the speed of weight loss. You need to have a diet that you can live with and enjoy, and exercise is key to maintaining.

15lbs in a week = *maybe* 5lbs of fat lost. Some muscle. Mostly water (which will come back the day or two after re-hydrating). Further, your hunger will be higher and your metabolism lower after a week of no food. Not the best start to a weight loss journey, but I suppose everyone has to start somewhere.

For me, long-term weight loss came from better food choices (whole foods, very few processed carbs, high protein, lots of veggies). Keeping it off involved building muscle to increase metabolism.

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner.

This sounds very similar to what worked for me. I've kept off a 45 lb. loss for a year and a half now.

I recall that you have impressive biceps, Shaindra. ;)

I've kept off a 65lb weight loss...although I've fallen off the horse when it comes to gym time. My weight has stayed the same, but the clothes are getting a little tighter. Time to get real again.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...Picture162.jpg

And where did I start?

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...er/fat_me3.jpg

If I may be so bold..... "Hubba hubba"

That is all.

hot diggety, shaindra. thx for the advice all. i have a good update to report. i lost 3 belt loops, and so far have kept them off after 2 weeks of being normal and even some mom-made corned beef and cabbage, which i was worried would put back all the fat. it's weird, but i think getting that sick had a similar effect to one of those cleanse flush things people do... not only did i lose the weight, it cleared me out, and i'm naturallly drawn to keeping it that way now... i'm actually craving fruit for bfast and salads a couple times a week and i have strong aversions to too much bread or sugar now. the only thing i have to do now is implement some excersize.... i just always have a hard time getting the ball rolling on that, but once i do i can sustain it well.

well, guys, I have lost 28 1/2 lbs since the beginning of November. I now weigh around what I weighed in college, which is pretty damn cool because I thought I'd never see this weight again. I wonder how long I'll be able to stay within 5 lb of where I am now. I'm pushing 50 so it's not easy.

Iliftrocks beat me to it!!!!!

Dang' girl ... **wolf whistles**

Shaindra, if you ever take up rasslin, I'll be your throwin dummy.

Weight loss and maintaining weight is a lifestyle change. I cringe every time I hear someone say that they are trying a new diet.

It was already said, but eating natural, non-processed food is the way to go combined with an exercise routine. It takes a while to train your body to not crave the junky food. I notice that when I have a slip, it takes me a couple of weeks to kick the 'I need grease, sugar, and/or salt' urges.

Some of my favorite snacks are: tangerines with almonds, berries and bananas mixed with yogurt and granola, and grapes and gouda. I generally snack instead of eating meals. I find that way I'm never hungry or stuffed.

It takes work at the beginning, but then it just becomes a part of your daily life. Good luck!

Been working out (strength 2-3 week, cardio 3-4 week) for about 9 months. Definitely tightened up from that, and some weight loss, but nothing significant. For the last two months, I've changed my eating habits. 40% carbs (whole grain), 40% protein, 20% fats, 5-6 times a day, usually a total of 2000-2200 calories a day. Also do 1 "cheat" meal a week. I weighed 335 or 340 at the beginning of July 2008, and I just broke 300 today (299.4). 25 lbs of that is since changing the eating habits at the beginning of February.

I have to say that I am liking the gradual weight loss. Rather than going for an immediate big bang, I have slowly integrated the exercise and eating into my daily life. I actually get anxious if I can't exercise for a day or two now. Although 300 is still too much, I feel I can make it to 240 or 220 because I have no real desire to "finish" my diet. Just gonna be how things are.

Anyway, just wanted to share in case someone could benefit (and so I could brag a little bit...).

Vince

This is one of the basic tenets of low/controlled carb eating. Absent sufficient carbs, (and within reason) dietary fat WILL NOT turn into body fat.

Lindy

Quite so.

But I mention this in the context of consuming 300g or more carbohydrates a day as well.

I use the athletic approach to burning fat (and building muscle). This requires a lot of fuel. (Delicious fuel.)

I've tightened my belt up two notches in the past month.