[JenMarie82]

I seem to have gained 10 lbs since starting school in August and I'm not happy about it! I know part of it is that I haven't been able to fit in as much time as I like for exercise and I'm used to working on my feet at least half of the day and now I'm sitting in lecture or studying most of the time. ANY tips at all would be greatly appreciated!

[MikeyJ]

This isn't really a "tip" but I run 3 or 4 miles a night (4 nights a week) and do a long run (usually between 7 and 10 miles) on Sundays.

Although, there was a time a few years ago when I didn't have time for any type of exercise but I wanted to shed a few pounds. The way I did it was cutting almost all sugars, fats, etc. out of my diet. I ate fruit and vegetables between meals and cut my meals in half and I lost 7 pounds in a 6-week span.

And I know of a friend who was a little bit heavier, and to lose weight she only ate half of what she usually ate. So when she went to a restaraunt or cooked for herself, she would only eat half and save the rest for another meal. She also cut out all sodas and snacks out of her diet. She lost 20 pounds in a few month span!

But exercise coupled with a healthier diet is by far the quickest way to losing weight. I have lost a substantial amount of weight over the last 1.5 years (almost 50 pounds to be exact).

[Daytonite]

As someone who fought weight all my life and now has to deal with Type II diabetes there isn't much I don't know about dieting and weight. The only way you are going to stop the weight gain is to cut out the complex carbs: anything made with processed sugar and grains and that includes all the cookies, white bread, noodles, cakes--basically, the good stuff. As my doctor very simply explained it to me, any food that is processed on or by a machine of any sort is off limits. That pretty much leaves you with fresh vegetables and fruits; broiled, boiled or poached lean meats; and, whole grain foods.

Go to the library and look at the lists of acceptable foods in the Zone diet book. They used to post them online for free on their website, but don't anymore. Now, you have to buy their book. The Zone diet is a low carb/low glycemic index diet that even Weight Watchers has incorporated into their program. It's really hard to gain weight on a diet of natural foods (fruits and vegetables). But when you start adding the complex carbs and the fats that come from processed grains and sugar you will start to put on pounds.

[Cherish]

Please check out weight watchers. Daytonite is speaking of the core plan which is one of two options weight watchers has. Not alot of people enjoy the core plan and flexpoints is still by far more popular than the core plan.

Also check out 3fatchicks.com

[fmrnicumom]

Also, make sure you're drinking enough water and getting enough sleep. Those are two things that fall by the wayside as you're trying to fit everything in and learn everything you need to know. Those two things can also affect your weight. One thing I try to do is find excuses to have a little more activity throughout the day - little things, like parking farther away, taking stairs instead of the elevator, getting up and stretching and maybe doing a few little exercises, taking a quick walk, etc. I need to incorporate more structured exercise, but getting more activity in when you're time crunched can be difficult. Sometimes you have to be really creative. lol

Sometimes it can seem overwhelming to totally change what you're eating. What you can do then is to change one thing at a time. Maybe first you could drink half the amount of soda/juice/drinks with calories and substitute the rest with water. Once you've done that for a bit, you can make another change, like make it a goal to eat a cereal with 3 or more grams of fiber for breakfast, while still maintaining other changes. Then, make a goal to eat a certain number of servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and so on. When it's gradual, it ends up being easier to maintain, and more likely to become a healthy lifestyle change.

Good luck!

Tiffany

[MikeyJ]

I must add though that losing weight is much easier if you don't focus on the weight. That can be an underlying goal; however, I think if you focus on leading a healthier life that the weight will fall off. That is why so many people who go on a certain diet will typically gain most if not all of their weight back. It is because they are not changing their life. The goal should be to choose a healthier lifestyle.

[TheCommuter]

Weight-lifting and strength-training are powerful ways to lose weight, although most women avoid them out of the irrational fear that they are going to "bulk up" and look masculine.

Each pound of lean muscle mass burns 50 to 60 calories hourly around the clock, but each pound of fat will only burn 2 calories hourly. In other words, muscle is far more metabolically active than fat tissue. Strength-training will boost your metabolism and get your body in the "weight loss" mode. In addition, most women do not possess the hormones that will cause them to "bulk up" or look like men after lifting weights.

[jlsRN]

Originally Posted by JenMarie82

I seem to have gained 10 lbs since starting school in August and I'm not happy about it! I know part of it is that I haven't been able to fit in as much time as I like for exercise and I'm used to working on my feet at least half of the day and now I'm sitting in lecture or studying most of the time. ANY tips at all would be greatly appreciated!

My best tip is to eat less and exersise more.

[bethin]

I cut out my daily coke and sugars and lost 5 pounds in a week. I also started walking and taking the stairs. I know you've heard that before, but it does work. I also bought a pedometer and wear it. My daily goal is at least 10,000 steps. I believe the experts say that 10,000 steps is what is needed to maintain your weight.

No more kiddie cereal which I really really miss my Princess cereal. I only keep water in the house along with unsweetened tea.

For me, what worked best is not completely cutting out something that I love. It just made me want it more. So once a week I allow myself a candybar. And when I eat out I ask for half the serving and if I don't eat all of that I pour lots of salt over the remainder. That way I won't sit, chat and pick at my food. I've also noticed that since I'm living by myself that I eat less and don't buy sweets at the store. Living with my parents and with a mom who loves to cook and bake, I was eating huge meals 3 times a day. Also, I hate to cook and I hate to do dishes so I don't cook big meals.

For exercise I do pilates and yoga, walking and swimming. I finally jumped in the deep end at the Y and told myself it's sink or swim! I swam and found out that I love it and can't believe I missed out on it for 27 years. I live in a studio so big workouts aren't possible, but I bought Walk Away the Pounds. You walk in place and do some other small exercises. Also bought a boot camp workout dvd which I think would kick the military's butt.

The experts say 30 mins of cardio daily, but I lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks doing pilates only. No dieting. People noticed a huge difference.

[equinechick]

It's good that you have noticed this now. I recently lost 70lbs, i was overweight before i started nursing and it just got worst. I worked nights for a long time, so i raided the vending machines quite often as well as eating 3 big meals a day. When i had a bad day, it was nothing to finish a quart of ben and jerrys or a large bag of m and m's. I cut out the bad carbs and eat what i preach as a cardiac nurse to my patients. I went on the south beach diet but many other diet plans conform to this way of thinking. I also got serious about exercise, i bought myself and elliptical and exercise 4 x a week on it or run 5 miles when the weather is nice. Here's free information on southbeach with a great discussion forum. www.southbeachdietguide.com