On May 28th, I decided to follow my own advice and start my weight loss program over. This time, I am following my own weight loss program. I’ve bought so many weight loss books and have never been able to follow any of them to the tee. So, I’m doing as Frank Sinatra would say, “My Way.”
What I Changed in My Diet
I’ve lost ten pounds since May 28th. These are the changes I’ve made this past month to incur my weight loss:
- Breakfast: I don’t like breakfast and that’s all there is to it. I quit eating oatmeal, grapefruit, and cereal in the morning. I drink my coffee, green tea, and water.
- Lunch & Dinner: I’ve started making my main meal at lunch time instead of the evening as I had done in the past. I now eat salad 4/5 times a week. I am now eating fish 2/3 times a week.
- Snacks: For a snack in the evening, I’ve been eating the apple and cinnamon quaker little rice cakes.
- Liquids: I’ve traded my diet coke in for plain old water.
Mistakes I Have Made
I can’t say I’ve been perfect. We have gone out to eat a few times and I’ve made bad food choices. I’m not beating myself up over it. I not throwing in the towel. Tomorrow is always another day.
Document Everything
I must say, I think the most important thing I’m doing, is faithfully documenting everything I eat and drink. I’ve been weighing myself twice a week and tracking my weight loss in the same notebook as my food and drink intake. This way I can compare the weeks with what I’ve ate.
Do What Works for You!
I’m sure many will disagree with my choice of weight loss…but the important thing, it works for me.
congrats on your weight loss. I too use to hate the breakfast challenge. I started with herbalife, which took the guess work out of it for me. I also have my biggest meal for lunch and then i have a shake(cookie & cream, makes me feel like i’m cheating) and salad with a lean piece of meat for dinner. i’m not big on water but i seem to get it down btwn crystal light and lemon/lime. i’ve lost 28lbs in the past 4mths…gained a few pounds back and then tried something my coach suggested. The labamba, i lost 4.2lbs in 3days and now i’m back on track and losing bout 1-3lbs week. i’m a busy mother of 4 and hardly have time to feed them let alone figure my plan. i love the fact that it takes the guess work out of the equation for me. good luch to you and keep pressing forward.
Fatihfully documentling everything you eat is a real key to weight loss. Once you see how much you’re really eating makes leaving those ckaes and pies alone a little easier. Good luck.
Thanks for your comment Trish. I tried herbalife a long time ago and it didn’t work for me. I’m glad to see you are having positive effects. It just shows why there are so many different programs out there. People succeed in a variety of ways. Good luck to you. I’ve raised 4 kids also and know how hectic that can be. Good luck to you.
What’s great about this, that I think is very important, is that you are trusting yourself again. You may be “dieting” but you are not letting a plan tell you to do something that in your heart of hearts you know is wrong for you. I truly believe that when you do this you can be more successful because one you are relying on yourself, your knowledge, your instincts, your hunger…all that comes with that. And, you create choice for yourself by truly choosing what it is that works for you.
congrats on your loss
I was shocked again. I never get to realize that doing what you did can actually lose 10 pounds in a month.
Breakfast is the most important meal because we are starved for long 7-8 hours. After we wake up, we have the strongest absorption rate.
If we take carbohydrate food, we absorb it at a maximum level. You took water or tea and take a healthy lunch. This is great! And it’s very healthy.
Great job!
Alex
Thanks for your suggestions Alex but I’ve got to stick with what is working for me. I hope others develop their own program and have success as well. Who knows, my method may work for others too.
You know, I have to agree with you too. I know everyone says breakfast is important because it kick starts your metabolism, and they’re right, I’m sure… but its not for me.
I’m not hungry in the morning, so it usually is just extra calories I don’t need. If for some reason I am starving I buy the Nature Valley granola bars in bulk at Sam’s Wholesale club to keep the hunger at bay until lunch.
My mom always tells me not to bother with breakfast too if I’m not hungry and she is as skinny as a toothpick. I think you should just listen to your body.
Night time eating is still my biggest downfall…..
I’m right with you Jenny. It’s the late night snack attacks that get me too. That’s a good reason to be documenting what and when you eat. It is helping me to change my habits. (My mom is skinny as a rail too)
Great job, i also had to find what worked for me. I had tried all of the diets and finally just started counting the calories. I can pretty much eat what i want as long as i work out 4-6 times a week and keep my calorie count at 2500-3000. I’ve lost 110 pounds in the last 18 months without surgery. I wish I had figured this out 30 years ago. It’s still a one day at a time struggle.
Jane (Windsor, Ontario)
I had a hard time with the breakfast thing too – I start work at 7 am and I’m done by 5…I tried having a big breakfast at home before leaving… tried the cereal thing… didn’t work… I now have a glass of water with my multi vitamin, a cup of tea (milk and half a sugar or honey), and a fruit of some sort… A banana is great year round – it’s easy to pack and I can finish it by the time I get down the street… It works for me…around 9 I have more fruit and then by 10:30 I have my sandwich (whole wheat/cracked wheat bread with low fat turkey/chicken with lettuce and mayo) or I’ll have some of a veggie/stirfry from the night before or I’ll have a can of tuna with a little oil and vinegar. Tea at noon. Around 3 I’ll have a peach or apple (holds me over till dinner). Dinner is usually when I get stuck – don’t know how many people are going to be at the house – my son is a picky eater (meat/potatoes/pasta)…summer is easy (chicken breast usually for me). Fruit again as a dessert with another tea. Also with dessert comes a piece of chocolate (when I have the urge) 60-70% cocoa. Yummy. It’s an easy meal plan and you can switch it around alot…
i would love to lose 30 pounds fast. i am 21, about 160 lbs and 5′2. i work as a teacher’s aide and tutor. monday and thusday nights i have class. i am on the go, but the weight is coming off slow. i can i speed it up? i walk everywhere because i can’t drive and i don’t have the time or energy to work out like i would like too, Yes i am in college too. hard time to lose weight
malsue, Slow is the best way to go if you want to keep it off. Keep a couple of apples in your school pack. They are a great snack while at work and school. Walking is the best overall exercise. Keep up the good work. You will reach your goal.
Congratulations, I am very impressed with your honesty and determination. You inspire us all.
Hey i am trying to lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks? can anyone tell me if herbalife is the way to go or the special k diet, please help !
Okay, so for all you who want to lose weight, there are simple solutions. I eat like a damn pig plain and simple. I can lose 10 to 15 pounds in a week if I want to. And no this is not a gimmick or something Im tryin to sell you. My mother as well has a weight problem just as I did at one point in my life. The fastest way to lose weight is very simple. It’s as simple as….
Burn more calories than you consume, meaning that if you use up more calories than you take in then you will simply lose weight. I made a plan for my mom to pretty much walk the weight off. Walking the weight off is the easiest way to lose weight. With that being said, there is no use of drinkin energy drinks or Gatorade or anything like that if you want to lose weight. Water is the only liquid that will not make you gain weight. Everything else will in one way or another.
Plain and simple, just walk the weight off. Continue to eat regular food, but remember that you need to burn more calories than you take in.
Congratulations on your success. Try to keep up the results.
Congrads to everyone that has lost weight…I have had a weight problem my entire life and of all the sites that I have looked at recently…I love this one the best…..No magic pill or hypnosis or hype…..it’s really one of the smartest weight loss plans so far…I think we all have been programed that we need pills and weight loss clinics to do something that we can do ourselves…..Thank you Chris…And hopefullY the next time I post mething it will be about all the weight I have dropped…..Thanks again for your thoughts!
I know this is weird, i’m only 12, but I really want to lose some weight. I weight 130pounds and my new years resolution is to lose 20pounds. I have been looking for something to help me lose weight. I don’t eat breakfast because i have to go to school. I usually don’t eat a big lunch and sometimes I don’t even eat supper. I eat when i’m hungry,so im not starving myself but i do snack a lot. My mom says i eat too many chips but i dont want to stop chips but i will pick healthier kinds. How do i lose weight with my wacky scedule?
Liz,
You need to get up earlier and eat breakfast. Have a bowl of cereal and a piece of fruit. Make healthier food choices for lunch. Cut down on snacks. If you eat a balanced diet, you won’t feel the need to snack so much. You didn’t mention how much exercise you get. Take a walk before/after supper every evening. Use stairs instead of elevators….it all adds up.
Hello evaryone,
i was feeling a bit down this morning. i made a baby eight months ago and i can’t seem to get oof this baby weight. i am so glad i came upon this site-me again looking for solutions. i know i have been eating badly but after reading your comments i am feel inspired to go at it again.today is 28th Feb, 2009. hopefully a month from now i can post back with positive and encouraging results. i currently weigh 230lbs-i know i ballooned during my pregnancy-i previously weight 140lbs so i guess you can imagine how this weight gain is for me!!!! but you guys will definitely hear from me again. thanx everyone for reinspiring me.
congrats.
so im 15 and i want to lose 10 pounds before prom and its in a month.
how do i do that?
Weight weight go away dont come back ever. I hate breakfast to, i find if i eat cereal like spk i’m staving by 10 am. I find a high protien breakfast good, at lunch one piece of wholemeal bread and some meat Chicken or fish then for dinner a stirfry with as much veggies and meat as you like. Snack on meat and veggies. I’ve lost 15lbs in 3 weeks just by making these changes, i promise you wont be hungry either.I do very little exercise. Little bit at work. maybe a mile a day
Paul,
It’s great to see you are doing so well. I’m not sure that losing 5 pounds a week is healthy though. I wish you continued success on your weight loss journey. Please stop back and let me and the readers know how you are doing. Thanks for sharing your weight loss method, I’m sure many of us will give it a try.
I am so glad I came across this! Back in my early to mid 20’s I was in pretty good shape. Now that I’m almost 32 and have had a child, it’s been very difficult to get the weight off and keep it off. I’ve been battling with my weight for over 3 years and have had some successes, but more failures. Back when i was smaller, I also used to skip breakfast, have something for lunch, and maybe have something to eat at dinner. If I didn’t eat dinner, I would have popcorn or pretzels or even a baked potato with just salt. But I was also more active back then as well. It was much easier to go for walks without a child. So, sometime last year, I started doing research and saw that I was “doing it wrong” from what I had found. Naturally, I was frustrated. I saw I had to intake at least 1200 calories and eat about 3 times a day. The only problem with that was, I am not always hungry three times a day. I only eat when I’m hungry. Of course I didn’t always eat the right things, but I ate them more than I did the junk food. So tonight I started getting my meal plan together because I was going by what I thought I should be doing. And by the grace of God, I came across this blog and I am so glad I did! I am so glad that I’m not the only one who is fed up with what the experts say. Since when did they interview all of us to know what is or isn’t good for us? Thank you, thank you, thank you! For giving me the boost to do what I feel is right for me! I’m still going to incorporate fruits and vegetables with chicken and fish (which I love). But I’m not going to stress over how many times a day I eat and if i’m eating enough. Now that I know to listen to my body, I have a feeling the weight will fall off in no time.
Again! Thank you so much!
Hey it’s very nice reading other peoples methods, I recently started trying to lose weight for summer and ive been going on my own diet methods just like you chris. I walk about 6 miles a day which takes me about an hour and a half overall. Replaced any drink with water and eat 1000-1200 calories a day. I’ve currently lost 30 pounds in about 5 weeks and am extremly happy. There is no real secret to weight loss just cut out the calories guys, water is your best weapon guys if you cut out soda’s coffee’s and tea’s it’ll help out alot and walk whenever possible, try to avoid the car.
what is the fastest method to loosing weight?
Holly,
Losing weight fast is not the best way to lose weight. Eating a balanced diet, tracting your food intake, drinking lots of water, and getting exercise will help you reach your weight loss goals. This is the best way to KEEP the weight off once you have reached your ideal weight.
congratgilations on your weght loss i am gonna try what you did it is great advice thank you!!
I have lost 4 pounds, 1 pound per week healthily I believe over the last month. Each morning I eat a two servings of all bran cereal (240 calories) with an apple. I have a piece of fruit mid morning, eat a sandwich with soup for lunch. Sometimes I’ll use the other half for dinner later. I have a piece of fruit mid afternoon and a 500 calorie dinner with no dessert.
If you can find time to walk for a half hour a day, and then exercise 3-5 times a week the weight will start to melt off.
I have completely stopped eating desserts though since October 25th and its been almost 2 months since I have stopped. This helps me eat so much healthier.
I highly recommend All Bran to get your metabolism started in the morning!
no exercise
walkin some weekly
but rarely.
eat fish bake fried yummie. few times a week.even with desseart 2x a wk. no biggie.
eat my ANY cereal at night before 11 pm. few times and sometime grape or juicy red grapefruit at night time no biggie with a tall glad water to wash it all down i additionally at times use BLACK ICE now know as black ace,the secret ingredient is to lose fast weight is ephedra/ephedrine the REAL ephedrine with ALKALOID, i think this how you spell it one or 2 a day not a magic pill nope but amazingly it working for me lost last year around 32 pounds fast within three weeks,then i stop now taking it again and usually i just add in green leaf veggie KALE mustard green,collard greens or corn string bean with all this and i am good to go NO EXERCISE even if people LIE sayin o you need it
NNNNOPE. i lost it with my ephedra product that truly make those lose alot of fat even within days,as water weight as well as FAT and i am happy doing this MY way always eating breakfast if i remember first then small mid day snak CEREAL AGAIN,or few cookies with milk 1 or 2% and i am good to go until din din time fish chicken breast chicken taco even soft or hard shell, rice arroz goya yellow rice on side i been losing much again and i really do believe ephedra product with REAL alkaloid making me lose again lot of weight and healthy and fast,sad the goverment block such incredible weight ephedra product i guess as expert say,”they know when obese or some overweight men woman figure it out it shall then tap into their pockets with all of the other wasted pharmaceutical drug etc. for so called overweight human,bottom line EPHEDRA WORK i am proof 2x over as i lost in 1 day most three up to four pounds,then was smooth sailing since then good luck to all this work for me proving SOME supplement do work,as just EATING less and not too late at night
good luck
from gene.in my late thirties,look feel still mid twenties,all about eating what your liking but LESS cal intake,no need to EXERCISE as many lie and say you HAVE to i am here to say NO YOU DO NOT.
god speed happy new year and good night and happy losing!
I eat Fiber One Cereal for my breakfast. It only has 100 calories and it is good. When I was busy, I would just have a protein shake. I don’t feel right if I don’t have something in the morning.
can you give me ideas on how to lose 20 pounds? i have until may but i am a 14 year old and i already weigh about 189 lbs. but i need a fast and free way to help me.