losing weight? (2 Viewers)

[Always]

i'm not saying its guys specific, its the whole culture that has dictated what is considered 'fat' or 'unattractive'. not specifically to impress guys. though, its definitly the case that what is considered an attractive size now is less than it has been historically, and given the number of girls i've heard convinced they're fat that aren't, i would think it hard to say there's no connection betwenn culture's warped view of healthy weights and people being focused on losing weight

On the very surface, and I think this is the case with the most girls, society's perception of beauty will definitely be a motivator for one to want to look a certain way, if only to fit in with current trends. Back in Jane Austen's days, calling a woman 'plump' was probably considered a compliment. These days, thinness is associated with beauty, femininity, fame, success, control, etc - all positive connotations. There is no way girls will not be influenced by this mentality - but it is more of an indirect influence.

We are more directly influenced by our personal weight loss motivations, which are really not dictated by anyone but ourselves.

 

[nadia-v]

Leading on from this discussion, I really need some advice about losing weight, so any help would be very grateful. I've read this thread, and have picked up some tips however. I dont usually weigh myself (as we dont have a set of bathroom scales), but lately i had a chance, and i was over 100kg i'm approx 175cm tall, which means my BMI is really bad. I usually barely exercise at all, but i've started taking the intiative now, and have been doing a 30min walk around the block almost every day. This probably isnt enough exercise, but i figured i had to start somewhere. The next step would probly be to ride my bike around the block for that long.

And i also have to change my diet to something like this: Breakfast would probably be cereal, muesli, or a smoothie. Lunch, some kind of sandwich with a piece of fruit. Snacks: nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit, yoghurt. Dinner is usually some kind of meat, vegies/salad, and/or pasta/rice/bread, and i usually eat at approx 7.30-8pm. Should i change this timing, since i get to bed somewhere between 9.30-10.30?

Would anyone be able to tell me if these changes to diet and exercise are healthy changes, and if they'd promote weight loss? My common sense tells me that they should lead to some kind of results, if im able to keep it up. And is 30 min of exercise a day enough? I honestly have no idea.

Sorry about the long rant, but as i said before, i could really use some advice/direction. And i know someone at the beginning of the thread said that the HSC year isnt the best time to worry about weight loss, but i'd really like to get onto a healthy lifestyle asap. Thanks!

 

[Always]

nadia-v: Congratulations on adopting a healthier lifestyle. What are your weight-loss goals?

 

[55078]

Don't eat dried fruit! It's so high in sugar. Also, only eat nuts VERY sparingly. So many people think that nuts and dried fruit are a healthy snack and, while they do have nutritional value, they are so calorie-rich that you really must look at them as more of a treat-type snack. Well, that's just my opinion anyway.

 

[nadia-v]

Always: i havent set a definitive goal. I think i'll just see how much change i can make to myself. I would love to be a size 14 for my formal at the end of september though, which is about 1-2 sizes away from now.

Zoe: whenever i find myself hungry in between meals, i've been snacking on dried fruit and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, apricots, dates etc because i always thought they were healthier than like chips, chocolate, and other junk food. Should i just stick to fresh fruit and low-fat yoghurt now?

Thanks for the replies!

 

[kow_dude]

i havent set a definitive goal.

Why not post your goals here?

 

[55078]

Zoe: whenever i find myself hungry in between meals, i've been snacking on dried fruit and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, apricots, dates etc because i always thought they were healthier than like chips, chocolate, and other junk food. Should i just stick to fresh fruit and low-fat yoghurt now?

Oh, they're definitely a much better option than crisps and sweets, which are just empty calories and have almost no nutritional value. However, dried fruit is very sugary so I'd almost consider it as being like sweets anyway. Nuts are really good for you, but you just have to make sure you don't eat too many as they're very high in fat (albeit, "good" fats).

Fresh fruit and vegetables (such as carrot and celery sticks) are always a better option though. So I'd say to stick to fresh fruit + veg, low fat yoghurts [but make sure you get natural yoghurt and not the commercial brands, because they're so high in sugar ("fat" has been taken out and replaced by sugar so as to not lose the taste completely)], and a small amount of nuts (steer clear of things like peanuts though, because they are richer in "bad fats" and don't hold much value nutrition-wise. Stuff like brazil nuts, walnuts, cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, etc are quite good - but also quite oily so be sure not to eat more than a very small handful per day).

 

[The_highwayman]

i could eat cashew nuts til the cows come home.

They're <3ly.

 

[Always]

Always: i havent set a definitive goal. I think i'll just see how much change i can make to myself. I would love to be a size 14 for my formal at the end of september though, which is about 1-2 sizes away from now.

Zoe: whenever i find myself hungry in between meals, i've been snacking on dried fruit and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, apricots, dates etc because i always thought they were healthier than like chips, chocolate, and other junk food. Should i just stick to fresh fruit and low-fat yoghurt now?

Thanks for the replies!

Dropping two sizes is definitely very achievable.

I think your diet is too high in carbs and too low in protein. Both fruit and yoghurt (esp. low-fat yogurt that has been artificially sweetened) is high in sugar, and thus, carbs. I'm not saying you should cut these foods from your diet, but they shouldn't be eaten liberally. Stick to two pieces of fruit and one tub of yogurt a day.
If you increase your protein intake you will find that you are not as hungry as often and you won't need to snack so much between meals.

If you won't mind posting your current weight and also your diet (in detail), I'll count the calories/protein/carbs/fat for you and perhaps help you make adjustments to your diet. It's completely up to you though.

 

[The_highwayman]

doesnt having too much protein and not enough carbs lead to an increase in flatulence?

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

yep!
good ole' sulphur compounds

 

[Ranger Stacie]

im confused about how much meat i should eat, i got told i have an iron deficiency not long ago after i had a blood test and my dr told i should eat more meat and take iron tablets, but i already eat red meat twice and even sometimes 3 times a week, as well as lots of fruit/veg- i always thought i ate too MUCH red meat and should ahve cut down. If i include any more meat, I am going to actually become a cow. I eat white meat a lot too

 

[55078]

errrrrrrrrrrrr you'll just get fat when you eat normally again. yo-yo dieting is no good.

 

[Nakashima]

Yo-yo dieting will only make you fatter and more miserable in the long run.

 

[Olsen]

im confused about how much meat i should eat, i got told i have an iron deficiency not long ago after i had a blood test and my dr told i should eat more meat and take iron tablets, but i already eat red meat twice and even sometimes 3 times a week, as well as lots of fruit/veg- i always thought i ate too MUCH red meat and should ahve cut down. If i include any more meat, I am going to actually become a cow. I eat white meat a lot too

The best source of iron is from any red meat or iron supplements.

I think ur meant to have 3-4 serves of red meat a week with a serve equivalent in size to the fleshy part of ur palm.

 

[Catwalk]

wow.. i can't believe this thread is still going.

6 months later and i still haven't lost the 5kg. lost 2 and managed to keep it off but i can't friggin lose anymore. damn it!

 

[kimi]

Ive lost 8kgs from sleeping. And gained 4kgs from Maccas. All this in 2weeks. Quite funneh really.

 

[vogue]

Ive lost 8kgs from sleeping. And gained 4kgs from Maccas. All this in 2weeks. Quite funneh really.

very interesting

 

[glitterfairy]

I STRONGLY recommend that people don't follow "crash" diets. There's a reason they call it crash-dieting people.

Starving yourself for a "temporary" period of time or ONLY eating something like watercress soup (which essentially starves yourself of needed nutrients) is EXTREMELY bad for your body. While we are young, the effects may not seem so bad, but think a bit before considering any of these "diets".

We don't just eat because we need "energy", we also eat because we need certain vitamins and nutrients from our food in order to function (calcium to avoid osteoporosis, iron to avoid anemia, carbohydrates to avoid the body eating away at internal muscle for glycogen consuption - YES this is why the atkins diet is bad/makes you "loose weight"). The examples I've listed above is only scratching the surface of the things you can screw up your body with by following major crash diets.

Come on people - you are all old enough to know better. People such as Karen Carpenter (remember her? the famous singer?) have DIED because of crash diets such as these. Many others have had to go into re-hab or be sent to hospital, have brittle bones and various other conditions... perhaps everyone thinks that "oh it won't happen to me" or "it's only for a week" but think again. If you do it for a week, the weight will soon come back. What will you do then? Either you will wake up and realise that what you're doing is stupid, or you will develop a dependancy and screw up your life. For however long or short you are on a 'crash diet', you are doing harm to your body in the long run. "Building a healthy body after that" isn't going to suddenly make everything better again.

Either way it's not worth it.

 

[tlodg]

i'm trying to lose weight before school starts again and it's so, so hard. when i go out i eat junk, when i'm home i eat junk as well.

is anyone else trying to lose weight? maybe we could all share tips or something.

im 160cm and i weigh 51kg currently. i wanna be 46kg in 4 weeks time. realistic or not?

anyway, how much do you weigh and how much do you want to weigh?


(btw, im not sure where to post this. just posted in F+L cos i figured more girls browse this forum)

you're not fat. If I were like you I would be happy. 52 kg is thin already (I have a friend who is like that)
I'm thinking about losing 15-20 pounds
it's easy to gain weight when u live in cold places (but that's a bad excuse for me)

why do you eat junk food? is it because you're used to it
not because you like it or that you're hungry
I eat a lot when I'm not sad, and I eat a lot when I'm sad. so that sucks.
some tips:

a skinny girl-friend of mine wrote out a list of food she will never "touch"
(I think that's too harsh especially because she has "chocolate" and "ice-cream" on her list....so that might not work long-term unless you have stamina and consistency)

even though it's possible to get to 46 in 4 weeks time, it would actually cost you future loss because you will regain that weight.....very quick (I lost 5kgs during a vacation but after that I regained it so fast....and even weighed heavier..)
so don't try to lose weight "fast" cuz that would just hurt you later on

some people hold on to skinny-food (for example, just keep eating celery or a certain kind of food) because they find it acceptable and so try to get "addicted" to it in order to become thin
that isn't very good as well because after that your body will crave the things that you lack off and once you eat something OTHER than the one you've been addicted to
your body absorbs it like crazy....