Weight Loss Strategies? - DHS,MD

Eat "real" food, eat smaller portions, drink more water, move more than you normally do. If you are looking for a "quick fix" it won't last. Good luck.

Weight Watchers - between the accountability and support you will lose weight if you follow the program.

I disagree completely with the idea of juicing 3-6 times a day! You need to add healthy fats (nuts, seeds, olive oil, peanut butter) and lean protein (tofu, chicken or fish especially). You should NEVER be hungry on a diet! But you shouldn't fill up on empty calories. I use a comprehensive supplement to make sure I get all my nutrients in a liquid form with no additives so I get great absorption. Reduce or eliminate entirely the processed convenience foods. If the first ingredient listed is "enriched flour", don't eat it. It's been stripped of its key nutrients and then they just threw a few vitamins into it.

I agree with fruits/veggies, drinking a lot of water (if you are hungry, drink 8 ounces of water and wait 20 minutes to see if you are still hungry), exercising more (I know it's hard with 2 kids). Try to find a walking buddy or a class at a gym that offers babysitting. I have a great class with great women who motivate each other, and class is just a social time where we actually lift weights and work out hard. DO weight training - it builds muscle which burns more calories.

Have some go-to snacks for when you're hungry. A handful of almonds, for example. A spoonful of peanut butter spread on celery instead of a cracker. A fruit smoothie with all the great seasonal fruits out now. I make mine with frozen fruit too, which carries me through when I run out of decent fruit or during the winter. I just put it in a blender or magic bullet type appliance and whirl away. I keep a bag of frozen chopped kale on hand and throw some of that in too

Park farther from the store than you have to. Walk to a friend's house instead of driving. Take the stairs instead of the elevator in an office building. I got a Fit Bit and it tells me I walk 14-16 miles a week just doing my class and my regular errands & dog walking. That's before I get on any treadmill.

Stop body shaming and hating yourself - that just saps your energy, increases your depression, and makes you more lethargic. Get enough sleep.

If you can get all your family members eating this way, you'll be happier in the long run. Skip the snack bags of pretzels and goldfish, the sugary yogurts and the convenience foods. You'll be happier and they will develop great habits too.

1. cut out all sodas even diet ones....your body still thinks it is getting sugar and acts like it raising your glycemic index.

2. cut out sugar...and it is hidden everywhere read labels and try to avoid processed boxed foods. (this is easier said then done....I really am addicted to the stuff and this one is very hard for me)

3. only use stevia as an artificial sweeter (the best tasting brands are trader joes and whole food's 365 brand liquid stevia OR stevia in the raw).

4. healthy oils...coconut, avacado (they sell this one at costco), olive, and flax seed.

5. lots of veggies, nuts (no peanuts), some fruit and treat meats as a side dish rather than a main dish.

6. some sort of relaxation everyday...prayer, mindfulness, yoga, a hot bath...stress is bad

7. exercise is only 20% of the weight loss hurdle so don't go over working yourself out to excess. a nice walk everyday even in the mall because it is summer and hot.

Good luck and don't beat yourself up. I gained 30 pounds after my second baby. It took me about two years to get it off slow and steady and it has stayed off because I changed my eating habits a bit at a time and kept them that way.

You can do it...slow and steady.

A good friend of mine gave me this advice and I took it and lost 15 lbs.- here's what she said just 3 little words: "Watch your carbs". For me that was the secret to weight loss. I hope this helps and best of luck to you.

Eat all the fruit, vegetables and meat/fish that you want. Don't eat processed foods. No bread, cake, ice cream, pretzels, crackers (basically no sugar or flour) etc. Only drink water, tea and milk.

I found the book "Body for Life" very motivating. Check it out at the library or just buy it.

Good luck!!! You can do it!!!

How about the eat more diet? You halve whatever you ordinarily eat. You start each meal with a glass of water and a healthy snack then you eat 1/2 of your meal followed by a glass of water. 2 hours later you have a glass of water a healthy snack and as much as the second half of the meal as you can manage and a glass of water.

In theory you will be filling up on healthy food, not feeling deprived and slowly eating less and less of that 2nd half.

The catch. Your snacks have to be healthy, you have to be honest about what 1/2 a meal is. You shouldn't net more calories at the end of the day than you were before.

Best
F. B.

Eat in moderation, drink lots of water, exercise.

NO soda. Cut sugar.

Everything in moderation! If WW doesn't work for you (which it did for me), try spark people or my fitness pal. Basically it's a matter of balancing calories in and out.

A word about juicing & other trends like 21 day fix: they are a great starting point, but may not be a true lifestyle.

One last bit: get a physical check up from a doctor first before any physical exercise if you have been inactive.

Losing weight after your first pregnancy is easier than other pregnancies to come. The second one took a year of true dedication. I recommend weight watchers. You don't have to go to meetings just do it on line. It's the only thing I found that worked because the food was real and not prepackaged. Lots of water. The more you drink the more you get rid of. You don't have a formal exercise routine. How about yoga or if you have a treadmill. The easiest thing is to get a pedometer which counts your steps and 10,000. steps a day is your goal.
I have tried it all (I have 3 kids all in their 30's now & 2 grandchildren). One thing I am using now is garcinia cabogia. It is not a fad. It works but you need to make sure to get one with at least 65% garcina and only potassium added. DO NOT GET one with calcium. It blocks the plant from having any effect. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't work right away. It took a whole month for that to kick in.
Give it a shot and don't give up. Just finds something that works for you.

I followed a method as described in the book The Harcombe Diet: Stop Counting Calories and Start Losing Weight.

The only cost might be to buy the book/ebook if your library doesn't have it. You eat real food and there are no related products to buy.

As the title suggests, there is no calorie counting. It explains why calorie theory is bad science, despite people remaining obsessed about it.

In the beginning 5 days while you get things sorted out, it does have to measure out portions of certain carbohydrates. Otherwise, you eat when you want and as much as you want. You're not hungry with this method.

You may have cravings for junky foods and the hard part will be resisting that. There will be time for indulging later, but in the beginning of your path it is something you will have to fight. If you're accustomed to eating a lot of sugar and junk, you may even feel run down like you're going to be ill for a couple days as you wean your body off of it.

My efforts were sparked by my clothes being uncomfortably tight. I didn't want to buy larger clothes. In only a month my current pants were much more comfortable, but by the end of the 3rd month they were falling off and I had to buy smaller clothing. So much for avoiding shopping!

I agree with Weight Watchers. I lost 70 pounds after our first baby. I was on the way to getting back to my pre-baby #2 weight when life got really stressful. I'm a stress eater and with everything going on in our lives I didn't have time (didn't make time) to go to meetings. Not having that weekly support group that helped me stay accountable and gave me ideas I started picking up all my bad habits again. I've gained back a lot of weight. Once we get back from vacation this month I'm going to start going to meetings again. I loved how the focus was on making life style changes, controlling portions, being more active, knowing what your triggers are, and the health benefits that came from weight lose. The focus wasn't on what size I was wearing, but on the fact that my knees didn't hurt anymore, that I could sit comfortably on the floor with my baby and run after my toddler without getting winded. I didn't have to stop eating anything. I don't have to prepare special meals or drink shakes. I just had to learn how to limit what I was eating and how to make healthy substitutions. There was nothing I totally cut out of my diet. I never felt deprived. I still ate out several times a week. But, I've learned that I can't do it on my own. I need to go to the weekly meetings. You can skip the meetings and use the online tools, but I need more than that, especially when I'm just getting started. Good luck! I totally feel your frustration!!

it's all about what goes in your mouth. Working out is just a bonus.
Find an app you like (SparkPeople, Calorie Counter, etc...) and start noting everything you eat. EVERYTHING. The creamer in your coffee. The handful of chips you grabbed. The rest of kiddos dinner....
Without knowing your size it's hard to advise on calories, but the average woman should take in around 1800/day in maintenance mode, and 1500 when trying to lose.

I'd figure out if it's an unhealthy food you're eating in any quantity (like snacking on chips) or if it's a habit (eating from boredom) or if you're not exercising enough - and make changes. When people just cut back calories, it usually backfires.

If you have to do a major overhaul, then water, moderation and exercise you enjoy and can keep up - daily, and you should start seeing changes.

Juicing, 3-6x daily will detoxify you, remove your cravings and help you to lose fat and inches. Oh and your energy will sky rocket.

When I'm serious about dropping some pounds I eat an early, light dinner and nothing else the rest of the night.