# Book diets that work



## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Looking for reviews I guess on books that guide you in your quest to loose weight...

I tried Atkins nd lasted 3 days. Couldn't get through day one of nutrisysstem. 


Suggestions?


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## JaphyJaphy (Nov 15, 2012)

I know people who have done WeightWatchers and has tremendous success. From what I hear, it is an easy to follow program with reasonable expectations.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

LOL, my name is RM and I am a dietaholic...

I do know one thing, to lose weight you have to work with your body, and your anabolism or you are doomed to failure.

I suppose starting point is are you a couple of pounds overweight, fat, obese or morbidly obese, each starting point may need a different approach.

Next, what do you like to eat? You need to find a diet that you actually can follow and can believe in. Example, I am very obese, and I want to lose a bunch of weight quickly and safely, so I have chosen to start my journey on a meal replacement diet. It is very easy, and effective, and I like the food, but I hate that it isn't actually food, I'm living on a bunch of synthetic crap and genetically modifies soy protein, but I love that it works.

Once I get down to nearer a 'normal' weight problem I will transfer to a diet that is based around high protein and low carb, because that is my success area. I will also be looking to eat mainly organic, and fresh healthy 'real' food.

So very many diet books out there, so you have to do the first leg work..

What do you like to eat
What do you avoid.
What is the problem that has caused you to gain, and is that something that you need to address as well as your diet changes.

Tell us more and we will try and help:wink:


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Do not do Atkins, it's not sustainable and won't carry you through to your older years! You need an eating plan for life. Try your government's recommending healthy eating guide, if they have one. If not try Health Canada's.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I have a friend who, starting 20 years ago, has been on every diet that has been in print. The results? She's much heavier than 20 years ago. She'd go great guns for a while, maybe 6 mos or so then the "what the hell" attitude would return. She'd wind up heavier than when she started, the become enthused for the next diet. Over and over. She's bo't every magical piece of exercise equipment thinking that would do it. She has finally figured out that every time she thinks she wants something to eat she heads out for a walk, a good workout walk. She has changed little of how she eats at meal time and she is down 3 sizes. Her biggest change was to stop drinking diet pop which makes the brain think you haven't eaten, to green tea.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

^^^^ Yes. The key is to eat less/better and exercise more. If you can't do anything else, stay away from sugar and starch...they are your enemies.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## JaphyJaphy (Nov 15, 2012)

waresbear said:


> Do not do Atkins, it's not sustainable and won't carry you through to your older years! You need an eating plan for life. Try your government's recommending healthy eating guide, if they have one. If not try Health Canada's.


How come Atkins isn't sustainable?


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Because it sends you into ketosis. I don't want that because I don't want to burn muscle fiber, ketosis burns fat & muscle. I want my muscle thank you, higher percentage of muscle in your body, the better your metabolism, ergo the more calories you can consume before it goes to fat. Once you understand how foods works and how your body uses things, it is so easy to achieve what you want.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

waresbear said:


> . If not try Health Canada's.


LOL, I tried it, put on weight, to many starchy carbs!!


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## JaphyJaphy (Nov 15, 2012)

Golden Horse said:


> LOL, I tried it, put on weight, to many starchy carbs!!


Yeah, the North American Food Guides are terrible to go by! They aren't based on what is nutritionally the best balance for us.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Ok then, I will try to explain it, do not eat any processed carb and all the carbs you will eat will be whole grains. Read the package, if it doesn't say WHOLE, then don't buy/eat it. So no sugar, white flour, white rice, breaded anything. Eat more protein than carbs, which means more veggies than grain products. Avoid fatty foods, it harms your heart, only fat you want is from plants, like olives & avocados. Eat whole grains first thing in the morning, it will help sustain you throughout your day. So if it's processed don't eat it, if it's high fat, don't eat it, look at every package you buy, look for the calorie count, fat count and sugar count, look at the ingredients, it has sugar, don't buy it, if it is a cereal product and it doesn't say WHOLE grain, don't buy it. You eat like this for the rest of your life, once a month you can have a treat, that's it. Oh, & sorry to say, you have to exercise and to rock it into a fit body, you got to spend some time in the pain zone. Sorry, you want results? They don't come for free.


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## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

It's an older book, but I had success with The Three Hour Diet by the Jorge Cruise.
He has newer stuff outm but the one above is still available.
Like many I had tried all kinds of stuff after the baby (Atkins, South Beach, WW, etc...) but for the way my body works, this was it.

The basics are to eat a small rationed meal or snack every three hours.
It's tasty food you make at home, not some exprensive food you have to buy.
And if you stick to the portion sizes (proteins should be about the size of a deck of cards) and ratios on your plate (1/4 part protein, 1/2 part veg 1/8 part healty fat and 1/8 part complex carb... or something along those lines) it seems to work well.
Because you don't go too long between healthy meals, you don't have a chance to get hungry and while certain things are limited, you can still eat just about anything you want.
The key is to have lots of veggies but along with some protein and complex carbs at every meal. Keeps you sustained all day long and kicks the metabolism up a notch.
While I'm not hypothyroid, I'm on the very low end of normal, so kicking the metabolism up really helped me a lot.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I hate you eat right and exercise people!!!!!

Ok. The weight gain I think has to do with the fact that the big 4-0 is very near. On my wedding day at 27 I was 115, which was probably a little too thin. My average weight from high school to 30 was about 125 with a five pound fluctuation. I had my son at 30 and since then my thinnest has been 135. I weighed in today at 148.

I walk and I ride for exercise. Tomorrow I am going to check out the Y because I think I need more.

I have slim fast for breakfast and eat naughty at lunch so I just bought some lean cuisine and weight watcher microwave meals.

I m a really picky eater. I like chicken and steak. I'm a huge bread eater....


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Dump the bread!!!

Little and often is good, Chicken and steak are good, so is fish!! I have one 'real meal' a day, usually one of those 3 proteins with Broccoli and or red pepper


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Ok. I'm really going to try to dump the bread. I don't do fish. Yuck.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I didn't do fish until a couple of years ago, HATED it, but when I was on a diet last time around I promised that I would try all the vegetables that I have been scared to try, or hated because my mother boiled everything until it was dead. I also tried new protein sources each week, and found that salmon done on the BBQ was good. Now I can do a lot of different fish, as long as you can promise me that there are no bones


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Don't dump bread, dump white bread, but limit your bread to one or two slices of whole grain bread, but definitely dump the slim fast, it's not helping your muscle mass. As we age, we lose muscle mass and thats what makes weight gain easier. So you have to get the muscle mass back, whole grains help with that. The reason for eating them in the morning, to maintain the muscle, if you have something like slimfast, it will not burn fat, it will burn the muscle first, you don't want that.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Why not dump grains? Even whole grain wheat is not good, well not good for some people? I simply do not believe that we NEED bread in our diets and I know for me that bread is simply a trigger food, if I ban it I lose weight a lot easier. Lean protein, fruit and a good selection of veggies gives you all you need.

Also a question about muscle building? How do whole grains help with muscle building? Exercise and a good balanced diet surely build muscle?


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Believe me it works, I am living proof. If you are against bread of any kind, eat oatmeal in the morning and brown or wild rice later on. I read & watch numerous MMA fighters training DVD's & meal plans, ALL included whole grains in the morning. I was in pretty good shape but when I switched to the whole grains in the morning, the metabolism kicked into high gear, in fact I had to back off the strenghth end of my work out, I was getting too much muscle.


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## JaphyJaphy (Nov 15, 2012)

Golden Horse said:


> Why not dump grains? Even whole grain wheat is not good, well not good for some people? I simply do not believe that we NEED bread in our diets and I know for me that bread is simply a trigger food, if I ban it I lose weight a lot easier. Lean protein, fruit and a good selection of veggies gives you all you need.
> 
> Also a question about muscle building? How do whole grains help with muscle building? Exercise and a good balanced diet surely build muscle?


You're right about that. Biologically, our digestive systems are not designed to process grains of any kind. Clearly, we can do it, but it is hard on our bodies, and the components of the grains are not broken down as well as they should be for optimal nutrient absorption. 

Also, fat (both saturated and unsaturated), which has been given a terrible name over the past 40 years, is VERY good for you (yes, even in amounts higher than the "Food Guide" recommends) and is _required_ in the body for multiple things including nervous system function.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

waresbear said:


> Believe me it works, I am living proof.


I 100% believe it works for you, I just don't believe that the same diet works for every human, same as the same diet does not work for every horse.

Oats I have less issue with, because they are still close to the original ancient grains. Sadly the wheat that we grow today is not the same as it used to be, a with so many things it has been developed for yield, disease tolerance etc, and with very little thought given to the affect on the consumer.

I am always very very wary of saying to any one "you SHOULD do this diet" and why people need to do their research, and ask themselves what works for me, in terms of both dietary preference, and how their body copes with it.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Glad it is working out for you.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I chose oatmeal over cereal this morning. Fruits ok for snacks?


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Raw fruits & veggies are the BOMB!!! Great fibre sources, especially apples. Now I will recommend a go to workout DVD that costs less than $20 on Amazon, simple, uber effective moves, will kick your butt, make you sore as all get-out for a week or two, but will give you a body like dream of IF you do it at least 5 times a week & eat like I mentioned above. Jillian Michaels Burn Fat Boost Your Metabolism. The best DVD I have found to make you WANT to eat lean & healthy because you will have crazy energy for this work out after doing it regularly and see results quickly. Don't wimp out, you won't die, you can master within weeks, after 3 months of doing this workout & all you need is a mat & a towel for sweat & some space in front of your TV, talk to me again & I can give another recommendation.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Wolfetrap (Jan 7, 2013)

Whatever one you choose make sure it's not a "fad" diet. And think more "life style change" NOT "diet"! Look for one that has healthy balanced eating/drinking and exercise plans! Go to your local book store (or online store..amazon) and start reading the different books and different reviews. Atkins didn't work for me. I tried it on and off for a year, yes I lost weight but I then over ate carbs...can you say 6 cupcakes!!! For me exercise and being aware of what I'm eating has worked the best and has kept my weight maintained through the years. Losing weight isn't always easy, especially in the beginning when you're making all those life style changes! good luck


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

The zone diet worked for me when I stuck to it and for many its an easy life style change because the meals are not small and fill you up. And you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks - so it seems like you are always eating. Unfortunately I got stuck on the recipes and I hate cooking and used that as an excuse to stop. I really should get back and start incorperating it into my life again - I felt so much better.

But the simple version of it is is to take your plate and divide it in thirds. In one third place a proper size portion of meat - i.e. size of a deck of cards. Fill the other 2/3 rds of the plate with veggies and some fruit and finish out with a small amount of good fat - olive oil, avacado, black olives, almonds, etc. Easy and the website has tons of free recipes. Main thing is to keep the right balance of protein to carb to fat ratio and eat several times through the day to keep your body in balance.

My favorite part is I could have a small glass of wine and a bit of cheese as a bed time snack once in a while.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Wolfetrap said:


> Whatever one you choose make sure it's not a "fad" diet. And think more "life style change" NOT "diet"! Look for one that has healthy balanced eating/drinking and exercise plans! Go to your local book store (or online store..amazon) and start reading the different books and different reviews. Atkins didn't work for me. I tried it on and off for a year, yes I lost weight but I then over ate carbs...can you say 6 cupcakes!!! For me exercise and being aware of what I'm eating has worked the best and has kept my weight maintained through the years. Losing weight isn't always easy, especially in the beginning when you're making all those life style changes! good luck


This.

You can try all of the expensive, 'fancy' so called diets that you like, but honestly, a very low percentage of people actually lose the weight then keep it off for more than 12 months if going by those diets. 
The ones that try to fool you into thinking you can lose weight while sitting on the couch is a crock of rubbish. 

The BEST way to lose weight and keep it off, is to exercise more than what you eat. Simple as that. 
I thought that I was fairly fit and active, and ate really quite well but wasn't losing much at all. 
Joined the gym, within 2 weeks I had toned right up and felt great. LOTS of hard work, feeling like you're going to vomit, is required, but hell is it satisfying when you see the weight melt off.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Kayty said:


> LOTS of hard work, feeling like you're going to vomit, is required, but hell is it satisfying when you see the weight melt off.


Errr doesn't sound like something I'm lining up to do, sorry, not sustainable..


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I may get "lucky" and get a special diet come Friday... I apparently have high cholesterol.

So... Now I geuss we are nixing butter and fried foods huh?

Are eggs good or bad?


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Yes, nix butter and fried foods. If you have high cholesterol, eggs are not a good choice.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Katy is so right, there is nothing that is going to allow you to sit around, do minimal effort and be fit. You spend some time in the pain zone exercising and eating healthy foods to fuel your body, you feel like you never felt before, look incredible and will look forward to working out and won't crave things that hinder this. It is the first month that is the killer but the effort pays you back tenfold.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Golden Horse said:


> Errr doesn't sound like something I'm lining up to do, sorry, not sustainable..


It is sustainable! I was always a fit, active person, then I got older & tore my ACL, things slowed down. I gained a few pounds, around 5 to 10 but I was okay with that, nothing major. Then the knee was swelling up and really slowing me down so I had the surgery and had 5 months of doing pretty much nothing, I wasn't eating like a hog or anything, pretty much the same stuff I had always ate but I had some years on me & the metabolism slowed down & I lost muscle mass. I gained another 15 lbs, forget that, I had a good knee I was going to use it. The first month was the killer but after researching foods and picking a few good work out I could do at home, I was back in the garage doing kickboxing like before the injury. It's been 3 years now and I crave the exercise because of how it makes me feel & look. It's only the first month that you suffer & it is really only less than an hour, after that you are stronger & have that "bring it on" stamina. I am nobody special, if I can do it, most anyone can if they commtmit to it. It's only an hour a day out of your time and no gym is required, why wouldnt you? Anytime I would make the excuse I was too busy or too tired to eat properly or workout, I would tell myself, there is somebody else much more busier & more tired than I am doing it right now. That mantra always gave me the kick in the rear I needed.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Ewwww, since my accident I've gained 20+ pounds.
I lost a few this fall but have been steadily putting it back on, especially after my holiday hiatus!

I don't prescribe to any book, just healthy tips and smart choices. So far I've lost 5 again, I have to get thin for a wedding come April! (Watch DR. Oz, great tips and ingredients you can explore.)

My tips:
Eat tons of food with fiber. Cabbage, broccoli, celery, kale, etc. Fiber keeps you feeling full, you can eat bucket loads of it because they have very few calories, and are a great source of vit C. Add those fiber packets to water if you really really hate veggies.

Instead of bread, eat crackers. Not Ritz like ones, but saltines. That little bit of carbs will keep you from going insane. I also add a small handful of uncooked ramen noodles to my salads for that extra crunch. Better than bacon, or corn, or croutons.

Make a HUGE bucket of vegetable stew. I've been making homemade soups, do not eat out of a can! Those canned soups are LOADED with sugar, salt, etc. Take it to work in a thermos. 

Eat at Wendy's for lunch/dinner when on the go. Not that it's great, but their chicken nuggets (4 piece) only have 180 calories and 11 grams of fat. Pair that with a side caesar salad, minus dressing, and you are only eating 320 calories. Way better than a bacon cheeseburger and fries.

Drink water. Try drinking 9 ounces every hour. I pee a lot! Too much is bad so don't over do it, I always have tea (very little caffeine) and water with me.
Do NOT juice, juice and fruit are NOT your friends (even though they are "simple" sugars) they will add calories. Wanna fatten a hog or cow, feed it apples or pears, ya see?

Go through your pantry and THROW AWAY condiments with high amounts of fat and sugar. (Or go on a major binge and eat them all up!) Like Wares said, sugar is your enemy! It's in everything!
I am addicted to mayo and ranch, kills me! So I make a homemade vinaigrette that's pretty tasty, I douse everything with it.

Do yoga. Even 20 minuets a day will strengthen and lengthen your muscles. I hate cardio, so I do chores. Today I scooped out the coop for 20 minuets, tomorrow I'm picking up sticks out of the yard, stacked wood the other day, I stand when folding clothes and put the pile across the room from where I stack them. Get a step monitor. You really need to take 15,000 steps a day to maintain your weight. Look at the monitor and then go vacuums the house, it adds up!

Take a fatterday! Save one day a week where you allow yourself to indulge. Pretty soon you will find that what you used to eat tastes gross and you can feel it impact your body, last sunday I had bloody marys (bad bad sodium!) and gourmet pizza! It was amazing, then it set in and I wanted to be sick. That's only after two weeks back on a healthy eating habit.
Eat _*a bit*_ of chocolate, or whatever you love in the evenings. Don't deprive yourself, that's where you will fail and fall off the "wagon". I buy really expensive chocolate, that way I force myself to savor it and make it last. Cheap stuff? I inhale it.

It's not a diet, it's just reducing the foods that are harmful or those that should only be eaten in moderation. Good Luck!


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## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

Cat said:


> The zone diet worked for me when I stuck to it and for many its an easy life style change because the meals are not small and fill you up. And you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks - so it seems like you are always eating. Unfortunately I got stuck on the recipes and I hate cooking and used that as an excuse to stop. I really should get back and start incorperating it into my life again - I felt so much better.
> 
> But the simple version of it is is to take your plate and divide it in thirds. In one third place a proper size portion of meat - i.e. size of a deck of cards. Fill the other 2/3 rds of the plate with veggies and some fruit and finish out with a small amount of good fat - olive oil, avacado, black olives, almonds, etc. Easy and the website has tons of free recipes. Main thing is to keep the right balance of protein to carb to fat ratio and eat several times through the day to keep your body in balance.
> 
> My favorite part is I could have a small glass of wine and a bit of cheese as a bed time snack once in a while.


This is exactly like the Jorge Cruise plan I mentioned before.
Because my infant needed some serious round the clock care and daily trips to the hospital, Doctor, or specialist I only had time to work out on the weekends. 
I didn't end up working out, followed the plan, was able to have a small bit of chocolate each night and something extra on the weekends and lost 30 lbs and kept it off.
No pain required. Because the eating habits in this plan were healthy and easy, they stuck with me after the weight was off.



FlyGap said:


> Make a HUGE bucket of vegetable stew. I've been making homemade soups, do not eat out of a can! Those canned soups are LOADED with sugar, salt, etc. Take it to work in a thermos.
> 
> Eat _*a bit*_ of chocolate, or whatever you love in the evenings. Don't deprive yourself, that's where you will fail and fall off the "wagon".


This. I make soups, stews, and casseroles loaded with veggies and one of the best "get it off quick, but feel full while doing it" healthy soups I found is Lentil soup chocked full of extra veggies. 
A bowl of that topped with a little cheese for a good fat... and YUM!


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Kayty said:


> The BEST way to lose weight and keep it off, is to exercise more than what you eat. Simple as that.
> I thought that I was fairly fit and active, and ate really quite well but wasn't losing much at all.
> Joined the gym, within 2 weeks I had toned right up and felt great. LOTS of hard work, feeling like you're going to vomit, is required, but hell is it satisfying when you see the weight melt off.


While I agree exercise in some form or another is part of a well-rounded fitness plan, you should not have to work out to the point of feeling like you are going to vomit to make it successful. I lost over 60 lbs and kept it off for over 5 years and not once did I exercise to that point. 

And sometimes simply slowing down and paying attention while we eat helps as well. Put the fork and spoon down between bites, taste your food and don't eat with distractions like the TV! And stop eating when you are no longer hungry rather than waiting until you are feeling full. Our minds need time to catch up. And get out of the clean-plate club. Tell yourself it is okay to not listen to mom and not clean your plate. Food left on your plate is food not going to your hips.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

waresbear said:


> It is sustainable!



Not exercising to the point of wanting to vomit, that may be desirable and sustainable for you, scares the beejeezus out of me, and that sort of advice will leave my fat butt welded to the couch.

Of course you need to get mobile, most people now recommend a mixture of cardio and aerobic to get the best results, but yet again, body type will probably regulate what sort of exercise will be most successful. Also the type of body you want will determine the exercise routine.

Again different strokes for different folks, I'm glad that you have a successful regime for your health and fitness, just don't expect that your recipe will work for everyone.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I have never felt like I was going to vomit in the beginning, but I sure felt like stopping as I was exhausted, but after a month, it feels a lot better. Unfortunately, many peops say, no this won't work for me, how would you ever know if have never tried it? Is it easy, no! Is it worth it, yes!!!! I am not anyone special & if you want to change your life and feel good, energetic and be healthy and no worry about your weight, it's only an hour a day. If you are not willing to do that for yourself, I have no answers for you.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Ok my comment got blown out as usual!
The 'feeling like you're going to vomit' is to give the idea of just how hard you need to work initially. A little jog until you're a bit puffed and a touch uncomfortable will burn off a single square of chocolate if you're lucky. You NEED to get your heart rate right up, cardio exercise is what burns fat. Nothing else will do it as effectively. You can starve yourself, sit on the couch and watch TV, but the most you'll lose is a bit of water weight and I assure you, without exercise the weight will pile straight back on. 

Again about exercising until you feel like vomiting - I know A LOT of people who whinge and whine about their weight, how they must just have a slow metabolism or how their weight is 'genetic' because they go to the gym!
Then at the gym, they do a bit of a shuffle on the treadmill, don't even break a sweat, then head off and buy a can of Coke on the way out. 

The dieting ads are trying to make money, and they aim their campaigns at larger people who are quite lazy and can't deal with some discomfort. You WILL be uncomfortable if you want your exercise to make a difference, thats just the truth of the matter. Your heart rate has to go up, and you need to break a sweat. You need to push past that 'oh I feel a bit uncomfortable now' stage. This is why I got a personal trainer. I've never been 'big' but I did put on 10kg last year from being slack with my exercise and working an office job. 
My personal trainer has pushed me beyond what I ever would have pushed myself if I was working on my own. And yes, I've felt sick, I'm been exhausted and I've been sore for 2 days after. But I didn't die, I COULD push that hard. 
It is ALL about mind over matter. Your mind will give up 1000% times before your body does. 

What else can I say but 'Suck it up, get off your butt and push yourself'. I assure anyone looking to lose weight, if you get your heart rate up for 30mins/day, you WILL lose weight and keep it off. You don't need to push that hard once you've lost the weight, to maintain it. The reward is so worth it, if you REALLY want that good body, want to be healthy and fit, then you will not allow the weak part of your brain to try and talk you into losing and laziness.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Was the comment blown out of proportion? There is a huge difference between getting your heart rate up 30 minutes/day and getting to the point of feeling like you have to vomit. HUGE difference - I've been to the point of vomiting many times when I was doing long-distance running and not once did I get anywhere near that point when I was exercising to lose weight and being successful at it. You might want to watch how you say things if you find people are misreading your intent as we only have your words to go by.

Getting your heart rate up 30-60 minutes/day is a good thing. I agree there. But unlike what you indicate above - it can be done with a jog/fast-paced walk. I know - I did it and maintained it for years - and I'm not talking no measily 20 lbs. 

What a lot of people miss is that you have to combine exercise and a healthy diet plan. One without the other will get you no where - or you have to take the one to the extreme - extreme exercise or extreme diet - which neither is really healthy in the long run. But a moderate plan of cutting calories and choosing better foods while increasing activity level will create overall weight loss in a sustainable fashion.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Yes, it CAN be done with a brisk walk/slow jog - BUT the heart rate has to go up, stay up, and you have to go past the point of feeling 'a bit uncomfortable'. Not sure what is hard to understand about that???? 
As I said earlier, less calorie intake than put out and the weight will come off. If you're exercising but going out for take away straight after, you're not going to lose much at all, if any.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Kayty said:


> This.
> 
> LOTS of hard work, feeling like you're going to vomit, is required, but hell is it satisfying when you see the weight melt off.





Kayty said:


> Yes, it CAN be done with a brisk walk/slow jog - BUT the heart rate has to go up, stay up, and you have to go past the point of feeling 'a bit uncomfortable'. Not sure what is hard to understand about that????


There is a world of difference between these two statements, and as Cat says all we have is your words to go on. 

Everyone would agree that you have to go out of your comfort zone, and actually put the effort in, but when talking about sustainability and maybe even common sense, the unfit and overweight should be gradually building up to an intense exercise program.

Makes me laugh though, we are all horse people, can you imagine the row if someone suggested that the best way to take weight of their horse was to work it until it is dripping in sweat, and then do some more. When we are talking about horses we are (nearly) all agreed that lots of walking and trotting, starting with small amounts and building up is the way to improve fitness and take off weight. Well guess what, we are animals just the same and the same rules should apply to us.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I don't push myself the way I should when I excersize. Although, when I go up my driveway, you'd have thought I ran a marothon!

I replaced butter with cheese today. Is that "better"?


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

A bit better girl! You can replace it with olive oil based margarine too, it has the heart & stroke foundation recommendation. I found a really good tasting soy cheese in both cheddar & mozza flavor, some taste nasty but this brand even fools my little granddaughter who is a mini cheese expert. It is these little changes that make a big difference. 
Katy, I love your posts, heart rate has to be elevated for a good period of time, that is the fat burning zone. When you feel the burn, that is the muscle building zone. This summer I was invited to a private gym for muai thai, the trainer gave me some excellent tips for avoiding nausea & premature fatigue before a workout. Eat a small amount of whole grains, a bit of protien and a bit of caffeine. So before I workout I have a slice of whole grain bread with a coffee & cream and a piece of turkey bacon. Wow, what a difference! After the workout, it's an apple or an avocado, for the rest of the day it feels like your batteries are charged. I know we all want to look good by being slender & fit, but the biggest benefit is how you feel. I feel strong, energetic and sleep so soundly, why would I not want to sustain this?
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