AlienQuilter

I need to quit procrastinating and loose some tonnage.

Do you diet and exercise or just diet or just exercise?

What plan has been successful for you?

I need something that my husband can also benefit from.

Looking forward to discussing this. I imagine there are several success stories out there. Thanks in advance.

NJ Quilter

I followed Dr. Peter Gott's 'No Flour; No Sugar' plan. Was very successful. I lost about 65 or more lbs. in just over a year. It's really as simple as the title suggests - no refined flour, no refined sugar. Natural sugars/starches are fine so you really do have a balanced diet. It does require quite a bit of label reading at first, particularly if you're used to buying lots of packaged foods. As with any diet though, you have to make it a life-style change, not just a diet. I'm not as diligent as I was for the first few years so have gained a few lbs back (about 15-20) but could easily drop that again. I still follow this eating plan about 8 years later. There are books available for this but you really don't need them. There is also a cookbook to give you some ideas for different ways of making various dishes. Use oatmeal for filler (like meatloaf, etc.) and the like.

Good luck with your journey.

ptquilts

I noticed a difference (lost 10 pounds) when I started walking at least 2 miles a day, or more.
the experts say 30 minutes exercise 3 times a week - that is bull-hockey and will not do a thing. I aim for 1-2 hours a day, almost every day.

Also, do not keep foods in the house that you shouldn't eat. It is a lot easier to resist temptation ONCE in the grocery store, than multiple times at home.

luce321

In 1972 I weighed 159 lbs. I went on Weight Watchers and lost 29 lbs. in four months and have kept the weight off since then. I now weigh 130 lbs. and weigh in at WW once a month. I used to exercise a lot, but I had a few falls and now I am afraid to walk outside. I eat pretty much what I want, but do not eat greasy and fried foods. Also, watch how many sweets I consume. I have learned to change my eating habits, that is the only way to be successful.

Tartan

I've been trying to lose the same 20 lbs. for 10 years. I have given up and just try to eat healthy and go for a 30 minute walk every evening. I comfort myself with the thought that at least I'm not gaining weight.

QuiltnNan

i recently started using myfitnesspal.com. i have lost 7 pounds. i am not an exerciser and never will be, so my only other choice is to watch what i'm eating. i like that the site tracks your calories for the day and holds me accountable for everything i put in my mouth. i use smaller plates and take much smaller bits. i have 1 or 2 sweets a day, but savor every morsel of it.

MattieMae

South Beach Diet, love the energy I get. I go back on it every couple of years just for fun.

moonrise

Several years ago, I fell in the shower and messed up the ligaments in one of my knees, leaving me unable to walk very far or exercise much. As a result, I've gotten rather fluffy.

DH and I enjoy driving through a nearby park on weekend mornings (lots of deer), and one morning we saw two of the STRANGEST bicycles we'd ever seen. They had 3 wheels, and the riders were sitting down, reclined in a chair rather than being upright on a regular bike seat. Suddenly I realized I might could do that! I can't ride a regular bike, thanks to my unstable knee, but by golly, I might could ride one of those 3-wheeled bikes!

We hurried home and got online to see what those bikes were called. Aha! They're recumbent trikes! Where can we buy one, and how much are they? I was soooo excited!

... until I found out that a decent starter trike costs anywhere from $1,500 to $2,200. Instant bummer.

We got to poking around online, and found where a few people had built their own recumbent trike. DH is pretty handy. Maybe he could build one!

And he did exactly that! He finished it up about 3 weeks ago, and as soon as I started riding it, I also started counting calories. Between the trike riding and watching what I eat, I can tell I've already lost some. My legs have gotten quite a bit stronger, too! At first I could only go a couple of miles, but now I'm able to ride almost 9 miles in a day.

So basically my plan is to pedal my fanny off, and try to keep it under 1,800 calories a day. (I'd actually like it to be a little lower than that, but I get horribly irritable and headache-y if I feel like I'm "starving".)

Here's my trike. I'm so proud of it, and proud of DH for building it for me! He's building one for himself, too.

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earthwalker

Move it and you'll lose it. I have to keep a little on the lean side to ease stress on my arthritic joints, so just stick to a healthy diet (nothing extreme, just healthy choices) and exercise daily...oh and doing warm up yoga stretches first thing each morning.

Love that recumbent trike! We live in the hills so dog walking and gardening are my main things to do. The incline to get to our house from one direction is very steep, so a bike of any sort isn't in my future.

Sweeterthanwine

I use this site also. It has been a big help to me to be accountable for everything that goes into my mouth. My weight loss has been slow but steady. Since starting last Oct. at 180 lbs, am now down to 160 and I feel so much better. My niece also uses this site and has lost 34 lbs in the last about 8 months. Good Luck on your journey.