Dieters Unite!!!!!

[KBMaster]

I'm currently dieting (and, yes, it is killing me slowly) and I was wondering what methods worked for the rest of you.
I lost 15 pounds in about three weeks doing DDR and eating less than 1500 calories a day. I ate a lot of salad. But my salads are like sandwiches without bread. So, share your secrets here!

[Sakura15]

Wow! thats awesome, let me first say congrats hehe. I've been trying to jog for 2 miles a day..and I lost two pounds the first week but I kinda fell off the band wagon last week. And another problem im having is my leg started to hurt me, I was doing DDR but hurt my knees..it seems sometimes like im doomed to fail I've also been trying to eat less than 1500 calories. I need to eat more salads. I've been drinking meal replacment shakes for breakfast and lunch.

[KBMaster]

Yeah, I gained back those 15 pounds and then some. I'm trying to lose 10 pounds in two weeks (my youth group is having a pool party. Yikes). I've replaced ice cream with a strawberry-banana delight, lol. I chop up strawberries and bananas, add chocolate syrup and whipped cream, and voila! Hey, it's healthier than cake, and yummier. Have you tried Yourself! Fitness? It's different than DDR, but it might be a bit easier on the legs. It has recipes that are low in calories, but sometimes are a bit out there.
My DDR freezes up after about three songs, so my sister and I have been doing this instead. Maya's (our virtual trainer) gonna yell at us for missing our workouts. -_-;;

[Sakura15]

Ahh, well good luck on losing it again ^-^ (eep, yeah, im glad my yg isnt doing anything with water for summer, atleast not yet. And hopefully by summer I wont have this weight) Hey, that sounds pretty good lol. What do you mean it's different than DDR? jogging? What has recipies? lol. Ahh, well..I need a new DDR pad, when I try stepping on the down arrow it doesnt do anything you have a virtual trainer?? which DDR do you have?

[Aka-chan]

Good luck!

I haven't ever done any hard core dieting, but I've had times (like now) where I avoided sweets, fried food, and other unhealthy stuff and made a point to take the stairs rather than the elevator whenever possible. I also only eat until I'm satisfied, not until I'm completely stuffed. It works pretty well.

[Wise Dragon]

Im trying to eat just Ramen and no snacks. So far I have failed misserably in keeping up with this diet.

[Syreth]

Something I tried for awhile is eating exactly the same amount of food, but speading it out instead of eating it all at once. Like half a meal, wait two hours, finish the rest. I lost five pounds fairly quickly. I think the principle behind it is that your body gets used to burning calories constantly. Also, building muscle helps too. Girls seem to be generally afraid of becoming muscle women, but some strength training increases your metabolism a lot. I'm not an expert, though.

[USSRGirl]

I eat chocolate. Raw chocolate. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It helps me maintain a 95 lbs. weight limit. Then I run around in circles screaming so I get exercise. :: dangles chocolates in front of all the dieters :: Waaant sooome?????

XD But seriously, aside from my cynicalness, try drinking green tea. It speeds up the metabolism and tastes yummy. It's what's in all those stupid diet pills (watch those btw...you could get majorly sick off of them).

[Da Rabid Duckie]

I actually tried that Special K diet, where you eat a bowl of it for breakfast and lunch for two weeks, and you know... it actually worked for me. Your mileage may vary, but I lost about ten pounds, way more than their average. As with any high grain diet though, it's probably just a gut cleansing diet. It also needs to be said though that I eat at least 3-4 serviings of yogurt a day and walk a lot on campus.

[Sakura15]

I eat chocolate. Raw chocolate. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It helps me maintain a 95 lbs. weight limit. Then I run around in circles screaming so I get exercise. :: dangles chocolates in front of all the dieters :: Waaant sooome?????

XD But seriously, aside from my cynicalness, try drinking green tea. It speeds up the metabolism and tastes yummy. It's what's in all those stupid diet pills (watch those btw...you could get majorly sick off of them).

whatever. You people who dont gain weight sicken me lol j/k You're just blessed that you dont.

yeah, im not much of a tea drinker but I try to drink green tea every now and then.

[Sakura15]

I actually tried that Special K diet, where you eat a bowl of it for breakfast and lunch for two weeks, and you know... it actually worked for me. Your mileage may vary, but I lost about ten pounds, way more than their average. As with any high grain diet though, it's probably just a gut cleansing diet. It also needs to be said though that I eat at least 3-4 serviings of yogurt a day and walk a lot on campus.

Hahah! I wanted to try that...but my mom said it would be a waste of money
Thats cool that it worked for you, im not sure if it would work for me or not...if I exercised everyday it probably would. Wow, you eat alot of yogurt lol.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I will admit that I really need to start exercising. My only form of that is... DDR >_> Shameful yet awesome at the same time eh? I don't really count calories though, although I should do that.

I too also like eating cereal for dinner sometimes. Especially Honey Bunches of Oats

[USSRGirl]

:P whatever. You people who dont gain weight sicken me lol j/k You're just blessed that you dont.

yeah, im not much of a tea drinker but I try to drink green tea every now and then.

It's only cause I'm short. XD I'm only like 5'0 so I'm sorta puny and have a hyper fast metabolism from all the tea I ingest...X.x.

What sickens me is teen girls who do nothing but yap about being too fat. My friend is like that...she's probably skinnier than me and she still thinks she has to lose weight cause she wants to be a model or some nonsense. Is rather like talking to a beanie baby with a head stuffed full of fluff and beany things.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I feel like drinking some green tea right now

[Sakura15]

It's only cause I'm short. XD I'm only like 5'0 so I'm sorta puny and have a hyper fast metabolism from all the tea I ingest...X.x.

What sickens me is teen girls who do nothing but yap about being too fat. My friend is like that...she's probably skinnier than me and she still thinks she has to lose weight cause she wants to be a model or some nonsense. Is rather like talking to a beanie baby with a head stuffed full of fluff and beany things.

haha I was just kidding

lol, thats annoying...when girls who arent fat think they are

[USSRGirl]

I was just kiddin' around too, Sakura. I know you're probably not nearly as annoying as some of my "friends" are. It's like...geez...get a hobby! XD

[Sakura15]

I was just kiddin' around too, Sakura. I know you're probably not nearly as annoying as some of my "friends" are. It's like...geez...get a hobby! XD

lol, well...I try not to be annoying about it.

[RubyJewelStone]

It's only cause I'm short. XD I'm only like 5'0 so I'm sorta puny and have a hyper fast metabolism from all the tea I ingest...X.x.

Feh..I'm short too... But I really do need to lose weight. I'm around 35 pounds overweight. It suck because my (half) sisters are skinny, my dad has the metabolism thing, my mom said she was pretty slim when she was young, and I'm the little gluttonous beastie. *teardrop*
But I suppose I don't look too bad for my weight but I still need to drop it. Doctor's orders.
I already do salads. I really should bring the DDR back out while the pad still works.
I might do tea. My mum swears on tea.

[Sakura15]

Feh..I'm short too... But I really do need to lose weight. I'm around 35 pounds overweight. It suck because my (half) sisters are skinny, my dad has the metabolism thing, my mom said she was pretty slim when she was young, and I'm the little gluttonous beastie. *teardrop*
But I suppose I don't look too bad for my weight but I still need to drop it. Doctor's orders.
I already do salads. I really should bring the DDR back out while the pad still works.
I might do tea. My mum swears on tea.

*hugs* it's okay..I know how ya feel, im 30 pounds overweight..and although my doctor hasnt said anything about it yet...I know I need to lose weight. ALL my friends are skinny...so yeah...I feel really out of place. I'd be so much more confident without it. SO! that is why im exercising!

[Puritan]

While I'm not the type that gains weight easily (I inherited a genetic propensity for an excellent metabolism and blood chemistry), I try to simply eat tasty and reasonably balanced meals. A good curry with some lean meat is extremely tasty and can be really healthy if you add vegetables and watch the fat. In fact if you are careful and make sure to eat fruits and vegetables as well as the food you like, there's no reason not to eat what you really enjoy if you eat it in moderation. I think Julia Childs made a good point when she recommended people eat good food, just in smaller portions. If you find the right recipes, mix of dishes, and serving sizes diets don't have to be about meal replacements but can be a good way to try new types of food.

[KBMaster]

Haha, sry about that Sakura15. I meant Yourself! Fitness has recipes and is different than DDR and has a virtual trainer. I not so goodly with words. -_-
I find that substituting actually really works well. Like instead of soda, I'l drink orange juice, and instead of ice cream I have a lowfat smoothie.
Ruby, I'm a gluttonous little beastie, too. I share your pain. I'm always hungry! My sister is both shocked and disgusted when I tell her I'm hungry after just eating. That's cuz she only eats when it's convienent.
Uhm, Puritan, what if you don't LIKE veggies?

[TurkishMonky]

i guess this coudl be condidered my diet :
i skipped eating lunch yesterday and the day before, just because i was too lazy to make it, last saturday i ran on a treadmill for 2 miles, 1/8 of a mile backwards (first real excersize of the year! woot!) while watching friends play smash brothers because i was bored, and finally since we were out of sugar some friends and i used 48 packets of sweet n low to make a gallon of lemonaide! (and it was the grossest lemonade ever made. don't ever use sweet n low as a sugar substitute!)

besides that... well, i'm eating at burger king now so i guess this diet only lasted haf a week. oh well

[Puritan]

You don't like ANY vegetables KB Master? Maybe try them prepared in new ways (like in hot dish or curry) or try new vegetables rather than the vegetables you don't like. If you're adventerous you could try collard greens or mustard greens which are really healthy and taste great if cooked with a bit of ham. I would be really surprised if you disliked all vegetables as even the most die-hard anti-vegetable guy I know likes certain dishes and certain vegetables. You just have to find what you like, or find what you hate the least and get used to it.

[RubyJewelStone]

Veggies are good to me. I love brocolli, but it kinda loses the point when I slather it with millions of calories worth of cheese or something. At least I get my calcium...
I think my problem with weight is that the words "self control" don't exist in my vocabulary. Also it goes right in hand with "Oh, I'll make it up later" and "a little wouldn't hurt." And consistency is not my strong point in a lot of things, especially diets. Very dangerous when grouped with my "see-food diet" and "my favorite flavor is 'free'" mentality. (amazing how much free food you can find when you don't need it)

[KBMaster]

You don't like ANY vegetables KB Master? Maybe try them prepared in new ways (like in hot dish or curry) or try new vegetables rather than the vegetables you don't like. If you're adventerous you could try collard greens or mustard greens which are really healthy and taste great if cooked with a bit of ham. I would be really surprised if you disliked all vegetables as even the most die-hard anti-vegetable guy I know likes certain dishes and certain vegetables. You just have to find what you like, or find what you hate the least and get used to it.

Does corn count? If so, then that's it. I liked some canned veggies, just not frozen or fresh. Maybe I'll try saute-ing(I know it's not a word) some veggies and putting seasoning on them. Oh! OH! I LIKE POTATOES!!!

[Allegro]

I think the key thing to remember when trying to lose weight (as Puritan pointed out) is to simply watch what you eat. My Dad always said that while you're still young, you are free to eat as much as you want as long as you still have the energy to burn it off later. When you get older, however, you really need to start worrying about what and how much you consume as far as your diet (since your enzymes have been re-used for so long during metabolism). In other words, the older you get, the harder it is to lose weight.

Generally, I often watch out for the carb content on the back labels and make any food decisions from there. Along with aerobic exercising, I'd say adding supplements to your diet such as Vitamin B helps, especially when it helps give you a little bit more energy to burn off.

Cutting back on fast foods and soda pop really helped lose a lot of my weight as well.

[Mave]

A few months back, I was around the range of 116-119. I state a range because your body weight does change throughtout the day. One of my yearly goals was to lose weight. Here's my story:

First, establish a exercise regime. No. Seriously. I didn't even bother dieting until I had some physical activity to regulate my calorie takeout. Why be stressed out by solely limiting your calorie intake when you can help your body take out the calories? By exercising, I can still enjoy eating some stuff to a decent level. Once I kept a regular exercise schedule, I was ready to check on my dieting habits. Here are some tips, which worked for me.

Be satisfied with less - I identified my weaknessness: Deep fried chicken. I limit my intake of KFC (LOL) and deep fried stuff to once-a-week and slightly reduced size. Everytime I eat my fav. fattening food, I eat it slowly and focus on enjoying it.

Use Olive Oil Cooking Spray- I drastically reduced my oil intake and my food is less greasy. Trust me, this is the next best thing ever since sliced bread.

Spices/alternate flavoring options: I couldn't help noticing the broccolli comment. I have to admit adding cheese to broccolli was a....new thing for me when I first came to U.S. I use oyster sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seed oil when I stir-fry my broccolli. Yummy! XD I recommend experimenting with spices......I significantly reduced my salt and sugar intake by loading on the spices and the food tastes great!

Consider calories/Read the label: I'm not suggesting you to be paranoid but at least, be aware of how much you're taking in. If you've never done this before, you'll start looking at your food options differently.

Eat out less: It's difficult to control what you eat outside so try to cook more and reserve eating out as special events/treats (where I don't think about calories hehehe). You save $$$ and you know what's going into your food. I usually eat out 1-2 times a week.

Less processed food: Just like eating out, reserve that for special events/treats. There's nothing wrong with taking in preservatives, MSG and chemicals such as artificial flavors/sweetener as long as you don't consume it everyday. Every now and then, I treat myself to ramen noodles or french fries. XD

One thing I do want to caution: It's generally accepted that it's healthy to lose ~ 1-2 pounds a week. IMO, planning to lose 10 times that amount is unrealistic, unnecessarily stressful, terribly unhealthy (if you actually achieve that) and I can almost guarantee you that you'll put back those pounds soon after or even more. Take it easy; it's best and more fun to have a gradual change.

I generally watch my cholesterol and salt intake because my family has a history of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. But at the same time, I wanna enjoy food so I'm motivated to explore eating options and be try out cooking recipes. It's lotsa FUN! Unfortunately, I don't have any useful comments for you sweet tooths. I generally don't like sweet stuff and can easily skip dessert without a flinch.

But in the end, I think it boils down to MODERATION. Your dieting (in the sense of changing what you eat) should be fun and your eating habits should change for the rest of your life.

Enjoy food, be adventurous and enjoy what God has blessed us with!

PS: Oh yeah, I've dropped down to ~ 113 - 115 lbs and I'm pretty happy with my progress even if it looks like it's happening too slowly. It's OK. You see, I must not go below 110 lbs or I'll be underweight. ^^