Six Great Ways to Lose Weight

Chuck Frey says on October 3rd, 2008 at 9:47 am

I lost about 30 pounds in the last year using the South Beach Diet. It’s not hard, but it does require some discipline. The main thing is to avoid highly processed foods (such as white breads) and anything with a lot of processed or natural sugars. Tend toward white meats (chicken, pork and fish) vs. beef. I found I can eat some fast food, if I do so judiciously (such as McDonald’s snack wraps and Taco Bell’s quesadillas and taquitos). And if I go out to a restaurant, I’m careful what I order (example: I may order an omelette, but ask for a side of fruit instead of breakfast potatos). Exercise helps, too – I like to walk. SBD is a way of “tricking” your body into utilizing its stored energy (in the form of fatty tissue). It’s also heart healthy, which is important when you’re middle aged like I am. :-)

Shanel Yang says on October 3rd, 2008 at 10:14 am

It’s amazing but one very accurate sign that you will have difficulty losing weight and/or keeping it off is something most people rarely think about: the ability to throw away perfectly good food still left on your plate.

Psychologically (perhaps from too many years of our parents reminding us of the “poor starving children in China” — though in my house it was my parents’ own war stories of their own childhoods) we cannot bear to throw out food that we otherwise would love if we weren’t already full.

Some people call this issue “portion control” but calling it that doesn’t speak to the fact that we experience anxiety that we aren’t going to have enough if we put too little on our plate so we tend to err on too much (or order too much in restaurants). Then, when we realize that, in fact, it was too much, we can’t stop eating it either because of our anxiety about scarcity (in the world and in our own future possibly — possibly as soon as a few hours from now when we fear we’ll regret throwing out the rest of this yummy meal if we don’t gobble it all up right now!), and, hence, fear of future regrets (for throwing out perfectly good food that we wish we didn’t after all).

What’s the answer? Recognize that this is happening. Question your habitual thoughts/feelings/fears/anxieties about scarcity and regret when it comes to your food. It’s just a meal, right? Good! That kind of thinking is going to help you lose the weight to begin with and keep it off for the rest of your life. Also, to help adjust to any new major lifestyle changes or shifts in mindset, nothing beats a water fast. I wrote all about how to do that in a “Fasting Log” at http://shanelyang.com/2008/07/.....log-day-1/

Shahar says on October 3rd, 2008 at 11:41 am

I first thought you meant something else by “Do it with your partner.” Good sex can help you lose weight by burning calories and making you feel good about yourself – which is actually more important than losing weight, isn’t it? Admittedly, other forms of exercise will do too.
Regarding diet, if you adopt a vegan lifestyle, and stay away from processed food, you’ll be healthy and thin, and do a big favor to the animals and to the environment.

Kim Siever says on October 3rd, 2008 at 11:44 am

I’m confused. You first say to avoid high carbohydrates, but then you go on to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, which are very high in carbohydrates.

Marc Rohde says on October 3rd, 2008 at 12:19 pm

There’s really only one great way to loose weight, consume less calories than you burn. The rest are all hints on how to eat less calories or burn more.

This is the one and only trick to loosing weight.

Brent says on October 3rd, 2008 at 1:33 pm

Shahar – Vegan sounds great on paper but the truth is you should consult a doctor or dietitian before doing adopting such a lifestyle. It can be as dangerous as anorexia and bulimia. Iron deficiency is a common ailment to vegetarians/vegans. I agree, stay away from processed foods but you can also eat organic meats and still be environmentally friendly.

Going outside and not reading blogs all day helps too :-)

Shahar says on October 3rd, 2008 at 2:03 pm

Brent,
On paper?! I have been vegan for a decade, I’m very healthy [e.g. I run marathons], I do not take any supplements, and I regularly donate blood [believe me, they wouldn't take it from you if you have low iron].
It is much more important to consult a doctor/dietitian if you are a carnivore. I would say that many more carnivores suffer from a variety of ailments [obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc.] than vegetarians suffer from iron deficiency.
And although organic meats are certainly better for the Earth, abstaining from animal-based food altogether would solve so many environmental problems: water contamination, GHG pollution, energy, and more.
Back to the original topic, I do concede that whatever lifestyle you choose, it is important to eat a balanced diet [i.e. make sure you have enough of all nutrients] and pursue outdoor activities.

Silke says on October 3rd, 2008 at 4:52 pm

You have just prompted me to walk to the store instead of driving (20 minutes walk there and back). It’s such a nice afternoon and I’m having a hard time concentrating anyway (it’s Friday). I’ve been on a health kick and one of the dieting tricks I use is to write down the calories. I’m really learning how much an ingredient or snack here and there add up.

Vintage Mommy says on October 3rd, 2008 at 6:36 pm

Eat less, move more. That sums it up for me.

Cody Frisch says on October 4th, 2008 at 2:53 pm

I would only like to state, that while eating processed foods is obviously a bad thing. I am not sure I can say I agree with this one size fits all approach. Some people have body types and chemistries that demand lots of meats and fats – and they are actually healthier as a result. But almost nobody demands high grain (especially wheat). But this aversion to red meat is just not logical as people have different metabolic types that demand different diets.

realityocheck says on October 6th, 2008 at 9:43 am

smoke CRACK. You will loose weight for sure.

Who said anything about being healthy?

Chris G says on October 6th, 2008 at 1:16 pm

Eat food. Not a lot. Mostly plants.

Jamie Nischan says on October 7th, 2008 at 3:43 pm

Good article Paul.

Too many people are looking for instant gratification. If they don’t see results after a week or even 2 they convince themselves that it does not work.

Also far too many people try to adhere to a weight loss program that is just not possible in their particular situation.

It’s most important to find something you’re mentally ready to follow through with.

grave says on October 8th, 2008 at 12:03 pm

Eat more fruits -> remember that fruits contains sugar so you’ll not getting lose weight if you eat a lot of them.
Remember to burn more than you eat and you’ll be fine. And avoid junk food with E additives in it.

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jay says on November 27th, 2008 at 7:34 am

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chloe says on December 5th, 2008 at 5:31 pm

“Eat plenty of…cheese and eggs”? are you serious? Enormous amounts of fat and cholesterol sound like a fantastic idea when trying to lose weight. Be sure to enjoy that heart attack you have coming up in the near future.

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