Hi there! I hope you are all having a wonderful day.

I was just reading through some of the threads here in the Weight Loss section and a few pressing questions came to my mind...

Outside of the amazingly helpful section in this forum, what other avenues have you tried in order to lose weight?

...Has anything worked for you? ..and why do you think it worked?

...What have you tried something that hasn't worked...and why do you think it didn't work?

...Where have you gone to find information that you really trust?


These are all pretty general questions, and scattered throughout the forum, but maybe getting some answers in one spot will be more efficient.

Weight loss can be a very difficult thing to deal with.. and if we all share, maybe we can help someone else out who stumbles upon this thread.

Thanks for your participation!

First, I think that someone has to be 100% committed in order for any program to work. They need to not only have a goal but a huge why they want to reach their goals. I want to lose 15 pounds is not enough. Why do you want to lose 15 pounds? To fit into skinny jeans for your high school reunion, to wear a bathing suit on that trip you have planned, to be able to be active with your kids? Everyone needs to have their own personal reason.
Second, I think they need to choose a plan that works for them. If someone hates preparing specific meals they are going to fail if they choose something where every meal has to be prepped. If they love their glass of wine, they are going to fail on a plan that allows no flexibility.
Third, they need to think of it has a long term lifestyle change. Don't go for the quick fix diets because if you don't change your habits, the weight is going to pile back on plus some when you are finished. And don't expect weight that took years to pile on to come off in a week and stay off.
Finally, I think accountability and motivation are HUGE. Find a friend, find a support system to do it with. And be sure to add some exercise as well, even if it is just walking to start.

Woo!

Well said!

Thanks Alli

Anyone else...?

Alli,

You hit the nail on the head! Well said, girl!

I have tried quite a few things over the years. Some worked some haven't. My opinion is that a healthy diet can be a really individual thing. What works for one person, really may not work for another..... having said that.... I tried the 4 hour diet written by Tim Ferriss. It's pretty extreme but if you follow it exactly as outlined, you will lose weight. It's a pretty sparse diet, you can basically only eat protein, vegetables, beans... I think that's about it! LOL. However, once a week , you can have a cheat day. He actually encourages you to have a cheat day and insists that you will lose more weight if you have a cheat day.

The only thing about this diet, however, is that you can't eat this way forever, so the bottom line still remains, I found that it was important for me to find a diet (for nutrition purposes ) that would work long term.

I lost 30 pounds with Tim Ferriss' diet and then went to a nutritionist and started the Eat Right 4 Your Type diet. I love it and it changed my whole way of eating for me and my family. Anyway, that's what worked for me!

I've tried many of the latest greatest methods over the years ....Some that focused on exercise ,some boosting your carb ratio,some boosting your protein, Etc., etc. these all had a little effect on my weight loss
But none of them gave me any way to sustain the lifestyle change that needs to go with it
In the end I have wound up with a routine in which I focus on 80% healthy foods (something that is personal to body types,you just have to research and test) and 20% exercise

I just try to work this percentage of balance into my very busy days and make sure I take 20 minutes a day to meditate (calm down). I use running,swimming and yoga for the exercise and minimum meat with lots of veggies and fruit

It's not complicated so it works for me

Good stuff here, Glad to see some fellow SF peeps as well

.Has anything worked for you?
What worked for me is doing a complete lifestyle change. Going on these fad diets did not work for me nor did exercising 6 days a week. When I was looking to find a way to lose weight, I wanted something I can stick with forever that was healthy so I educated myself and read a lot of books and did my research online through videos and articles. What has worked for me is eating some protein (no more than 15 grams per meal), lots of green non starchy vegetables, a serving of fruit (approx. 1 cup on a empty stomach), no processed foods, no sugar or artificial sweeteners and no grains. In terms of exercise, I do either a brisk walk of several miles a day or go on my treadmill and do a 20 minute interval combo of running/walking.

..and why do you think it worked? Eliminating the processed foods, sugars, grains and starchy vegetables keeps my blood sugar stable which has helped me to lose weight and keep it off. I don't believe any one diet works for all, however, I do believe it is necessary to eliminate processed foods, sugar and artificial sweeteners (other than stevia) to reach your weight loss goals and achieve a healthy body.

...What have you tried something that hasn't worked...and why do you think it didn't work? Tried to exercise myself to death to lose weight and it simply did not work. I would work out 6 days a week and did not shed not one pound and that is why I strongly believe it's 80% diet and 20% exercise. I've tried many diets as well from South Beach to Atkins to Glycemic Index and more, and they just didn't work for me. I would lose it and then gain it right back.

...Where have you gone to find information that you really trust? Dr. Mercola's website has an abundance of nutritional information. I also particularly enjoy Dr. Hyman's Books and videos and agree with his philosophy to weight loss.

Through all this research, it has inspired me to go to school and become a certified holistic nutritionist coach so I can help others reach their weight goals, in addition to educating people to eat the right foods for overall better health!

JoannO, I'd love to know more about the training you're doing. Can you please share where you're getting your training from? Thank you!

I am currently attending an online school called "North American Wellness" which is a one year course. Unfortunately, I cannot in good conscience recommend them. Too many contradictions in the literature and videos in supporting holistic nutrition so me and my fellow classmates are thoroughly frustrated with the material they have provided. If you would like to check out others, there's Integrative Nutrition which is really popular but it pretty expensive (around $6,000). There is another one called Ace Fitness and they also have an online course as well. I would check them out. Best of luck to you.