Help Me Lose 30* Pounds!

["Hollywood" Cactus Matt]

I decided that I'm fat. Well, not morbidly obese, but fat enough to where losing this gut could only do good for me. So I decided to come to you Crappers with my goal, my plan, and some advice.

So far, I've started out slowly, with a regimen that includes watching what I eat and walking for about two hours everyday. I'd lost about 10 lbs. doing this, but I gained it back over the holidays. (good food + alcohol = all that work for naught.) I've been looking to buy some of those ankle weights to offer some resistance during my walks, but with the weather about to turn crappy any day now (it's Michigan, and the weather here has a mind of its own) I don't know how much "outdoor time" I'm going to want.

A vegetarian friend of mine suggested I join "the dark side" and quit eating meat, due to all the fat and hormones and whatnot that are in most meat products. She said she lost 10 pounds in two weeks of being a vegetarian, plus working out and all that. It sounds like a good idea to me, and if I can get used to the idea of eating soy, I'll definitely do it.

Anyway, my query is: what are some things I can do indoors that will help me lose the weight? And what kind of diet plan would you recommend? (for the record, I'm a "vertically challenged" 5'4" and last time I weighed myself I was at 179 lbs., down from 190.) Keep in mind that I have bad knees and have no work-out equipment to speak of, so I'll have to improvise until I get my own place. (got kicked out of my apartment by my fiancee; moved back in with my parents for the time being.)

Also, seeing as how I love meat, is vegetarianism really all it's cracked up to be? Is it hard to quit eating meat? I look forward to your responses and advice. Please note, I am on a very limited budget, so "Jenny Craig" or something like that would be a pointless suggestion.

Thanks in advance.

*Thirty is what I would need to lose to get back down to my "fighting weight" of 145-150, where I was when I was at my "physical peak."

[bigHEADinc]

Find out if any friends/family were on the Weight Watchers "Points" plan and see if you can con your way into getting the books and materials...

I did it for like 3 months and lost a little over 20 pounds and once I got used to actually looking at all the labels and whatnot it got hella easier...

I wouldn't go the Veggie route, but I would make a journal of what you eat and all the calories/fat/etc. that come with it. Take the suggested normal diet for a person (2,000 calories, find all the info online) and cut it by 25%... that should automatically help you start losing weight...

[TsfNugeFan]

Well diet is an important thing, but I don't reccomend going vegetarian. It sucks. You can still eat lean meats like fish, chicken, poultry, and there are also many others that can be prepared so they are low in fat. Avoid most packaged meats, though, and try buying stuff fresh at the deli. That being said some good food includes:

Lean Meats
Fish
Poultry
Nuts
Vegetables (Dark green, orange, yellow, whatever, just eat a lot of them, and get a good balance.)
Fruits (You can drink juice too, but only get 100% fruit juice, and make sure to eat at least some real fruit.)
Whole Wheat Bread
Peanut Butter
Eggs (Some people eat just the whites, as the yolk contains all of the fats and cholesterol)
Oatmeal
Yogurt (Low fat.)
Skim Milk
Cereal (Preferably wheat, but anything that's not coated in sugar will probably do.)
LOTS OF WATER.

There's tons of other food I could list, but that's decent. The important thing to do when you lose weight is to make sure you are burning more calories than you are consuming. That means you are going to have to look at nutrition labels and keep track.

And you can't, I reapeat CAN NOT lose weight with out some exercise. If you have access to nothing else, go jogging for about 35-40 minutes a day. Maybe more, but try and split these up so you're not doing too much at once. Since you've got bad knees I reccomend taking a supplement called Glucosamine. It helps rebuild cartilage in your joints, so it should help. But talk to your doctor beforehand as to what you should and shouldn't be taking. He may have an easier or better alternative.

Also, multi-vitamins are good. They contain many essential vitamins and minerals, and can be bought pretty cheaply. Hope this helps.

[gimmieabreakbrain]

Here is a great exercise routine this one chick I know does.

Step 1. Hold your hand in front of you.
Step 2. Extend index finger
Step 3. Stick down throat
Step 4. Enjoy!

really just keep doing what you are doing. Do some "mall walking" do 50 laps around and go up and down the stairs.

[Lair of the Shadow MaDaBa]

Peanu--I'm sorry, did you say peanut butter? WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. Maybe fat-free peanut butter, but regular peanut butter has 14g of fat a serving!!! My dietician won't let me go any higher than 40.

[Deleted]

I really don't think you need to do anything drastic

Join a gym, go twice a week at least and quit snacking in between meals helped me lost 36 lbs over the past year

[Lair of the Shadow MaDaBa]

I joined the YMCA at the start of December.

I've only been there once because I don't have the energy to go again.

[TsfNugeFan]

mdb913 said:

Peanu--I'm sorry, did you say peanut butter? WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. Maybe fat-free peanut butter, but regular peanut butter has 14g of fat a serving!!! My dietician won't let me go any higher than 40.

www.webmd.com/content/article/98/104798.htm

[Sajoa Moe]

I used to weigh around 240-250 about three years ago. I'm currently at just under 210, standing 6'6". I cut out fried foods, fast food and soda, with my main food/drink products being cereal (no overly sweetened/sugary cereals, stuff like Grape Nuts and Cheerios), yogurt, milk, orange juice, and plenty of water. I started powerwalking over the summer every other day for about an hour, with basic exercises on alternate days (pushups, situps, crunches, etc.).

I occasionally go for some ice cream or soda once in a great while, and there's nothing wrong with that. But there's a Burger King right down the street, and I haven't been there in nearly two years.

I don't have that much muscle tone and my stomach is still a little flabby, but I feel like I'm in better shape than I used to be. Hopefully this helps.

[The"threadicidal"bristolspapa]

Buy a tiger. He'll eventually eat one of your legs.

[Byakugan]

Eat 6 small meals a day

Don't drink soda or eat fast food

Take one day a week off and eat whatever the hell you want

[Big BosskMan]

This will come as heresy in these parts but cut out the alcohol. Or for that matter, any beverage that has calories in it.

Keep up the walking regimen. If the weather is bad, try the mall as someone suggested. Try to walk to wherever you need to go (if possible or reasonable).

Read nutrition labels, especially what counts as a "serving." Drink lots of water. Make sure you eat lean cuts of meat.

Even if you have no exercise equipment, you can do pushups or crunches or other kinds of exercises at home.

Keep moving.

[TsfNugeFan]

thegame243 said:

Eat 6 small meals a day

Don't drink soda or eat fast food

Take one day a week off and eat whatever the hell you want

I like that idea. Maybe on Sundays or something eat a big meal of whatever you want so dieting doesn't get too tedious and so you have something to look forward to every week. He's also right about eating many small meals every day as opposed to a few big ones.

[Byakugan]

Also, cardio is great and all but you really should do weights

I recommend a book called BODY FOR LIFE. If you like that get Eating for Life

It is a program I am on and it really is great. Tough at first but you will see results

[amsiraK]

thegame243 said:

Don't drink soda or eat fast food

Very important. The sodium makes you bloat, as well as the calories.

[Byakugan]

For the 6 small meals BTW

Have a palm full of protein and a fist full of carbs (Healthy sources mind you) like a palm full of chicken and a fist full of brown rice. 2 veggies a day are good too

[TuneinTokyo]

My friend stuck to the Weight Watchers plan and lost 60 pounds. She is huge but became very disciplined about the weight loss thing. I don't even thinks she exercises.

Other than that don't know too much. Most fat people I know are like drug addicts. They don't know control. If you have discipline and control and perhaps follow this weight watchers thing and don't fake out on it . 30 pounds should be easy.

My friend also cooks very good food and rarely eats out. She is a meat eater too.

[Corporate H]

Uhh, don't eat for a month? My friend lost forty pounds that way. I oughta start losing weight myself as I can see it catching up on me. I'm still pretty fit but my doctor wants me to lose forty, not really putting into account that a lot of my weight is muscle mass.

[Byakugan]

bencrocker said:

Uhh, don't eat for a month? My friend lost forty pounds that way. I oughta start losing weight myself as I can see it catching up on me. I'm still pretty fit but my doctor wants me to lose forty, not really putting into account that a lot of my weight is muscle mass.

Anorexia is a terrible way to llose weight

[Corporate H]

thegame243 said:

bencrocker said:

Uhh, don't eat for a month? My friend lost forty pounds that way. I oughta start losing weight myself as I can see it catching up on me. I'm still pretty fit but my doctor wants me to lose forty, not really putting into account that a lot of my weight is muscle mass.

Anorexia is a terrible way to llose weight

Let's call it fasting.