five pounds to lose. what's your secret?

[Anonymous]

Cut way back on carbs.

[Anonymous]

Agree with cutting way back on the carbs. I just did this and lost five pounds in about two weeks. The worst was the carb withdrawal on about day three, but then it was easy. I have since added back some carbs, but am much more mindful of them (no sugar in coffee, eggs for breakfast instead of muffins or bagels, etc.)

Make sure you are prepared with your afternoon snack. I find it so worth it to take some time to prep a nice snack to take to work: plain yogurt with berries and walnuts, wasa crackers with a Laughing Cow cheese wedge and a few olive slices, or peppers and carrots with hummous. I've even done a small bowl of vegetable soup as an afternoon snack.

[Anonymous]

I'm 5'0 and cut out sugar and carbs. My weakness was soda, rice and cupcakes. I started at 117 and four weeks later, I'm at 109 (I've cheated a bit with the cupcakes). I drink only water now. I also replace the carbs in my meal with veggies and eat a ton of seafood. I've never been a breakfast eater. I don't exercise but I know I should. Ideal for me is 105 - 107.

[Anonymous]

op here. day two of trying not to eat every single thing i want. i'm climbing the walls, desperate for sugar, but trying to stick it out. i am evidently more of an addict than i realized...

[Anonymous]

Cutting back on bread and cheese should do the trick.

Probably don't have to go all out and eliminate it all. Just skip it sometimes (50%?) and see how it goes.

I find that if I try to eliminate something COMPLETELY, I end up craving it more.

Just making it a discretionary choice (a "sometimes food") rather than a default option seems to help a lot. I'm more conscious about what I eat and therefore I make better choices.

GL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:op here. day two of trying not to eat every single thing i want. i'm climbing the walls, desperate for sugar, but trying to stick it out. i am evidently more of an addict than i realized...

Strawberries are my go to when I need a sugar fix. Seems to be helping.

The husband cooking homemade pesto on the first week of my no carb diet.........not working so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:op here. day two of trying not to eat every single thing i want. i'm climbing the walls, desperate for sugar, but trying to stick it out. i am evidently more of an addict than i realized...

I was just like you. Drinking plain green tea worked for me. It just seems to cut the sugar cravings.

[Anonymous]

I'm 5'0 and cut out sugar and carbs. My weakness was soda, rice and cupcakes. I started at 117 and four weeks later, I'm at 109 (I've cheated a bit with the cupcakes). I drink only water now. I also replace the carbs in my meal with veggies and eat a ton of seafood. I've never been a breakfast eater. I don't exercise but I know I should. Ideal for me is 105 - 107

I am not the OP but I am too am 5'0 and starting at 117. I have not been able to lose those 10 post-pregnancy pounds 2 years later. What are typical meals like? I don't add sugar to anything, avoid most carbs and exercise 2X a week, but the scale refuse to budge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm 5'0 and cut out sugar and carbs. My weakness was soda, rice and cupcakes. I started at 117 and four weeks later, I'm at 109 (I've cheated a bit with the cupcakes). I drink only water now. I also replace the carbs in my meal with veggies and eat a ton of seafood. I've never been a breakfast eater. I don't exercise but I know I should. Ideal for me is 105 - 107

I am not the OP but I am too am 5'0 and starting at 117. I have not been able to lose those 10 post-pregnancy pounds 2 years later. What are typical meals like? I don't add sugar to anything, avoid most carbs and exercise 2X a week, but the scale refuse to budge.

I don't eat breakfast and don't snack between meals. I haven't really had any hunger pains and usually only get hungry just before a meal.

Lunch will be a piece of fish and a handful of zuchini or mango salad. On weekends I'll have a can of tuna with a tbsp of low fat mayo, red wine vinegar and throw in a little corn and sliced cherry tomatoes. BGR has awesome Ahi tuna wrapped in lettuce or on a salad. I only drink water.

For dinner I'll have a watercress salad with cucumbers and a small spinach and cheese frittata. Dinner this week was also a piece of grilled chicken with black beans and tomato/cucumber salad. Servings are about the size of the palm of my hand.

When I need a sweet fix I'll eat some strawberries or an avocado with red wine vinegar.

I've always been a light eater but it's the rice and sugar that gave me my pot belly. I calculated it and cutting out the soda and sweets pretty much puts me on a 1000 calorie diet although it wasn't intended. I was worried I wouldn't lose anything because I was not starving all the time but I guess the more carbs you eat the more hungry you feel. When you eliminate the carbs and sugar you stop craving them so intensely. Like I said, I've had a few cupcakes over the past few weeks but have completely cut out the soda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You live once. Is 5 pounds worth no cheese, bread, alcohol, etc. just something to think about.

I'd agree with you except for how easy it is for 5 pounds to turn into 10, then 15, in your 40s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You live once. Is 5 pounds worth no cheese, bread, alcohol, etc. just something to think about.

op again - i'm not aiming for an unsustainable weight. just for my normal weight, that lets me fit into my clothes! and also not looking for some crazy restrictive diet. am willing to cut back on some foods till my clothes fit right again is all.

but i agree with your overall attitude, which is that life is a lot about pleasure and enjoyment, and that hard-core deprivation is no way to live.

But once you go back to what you were eating, you'll probably put the weight back on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm 5'0 and cut out sugar and carbs. My weakness was soda, rice and cupcakes. I started at 117 and four weeks later, I'm at 109 (I've cheated a bit with the cupcakes). I drink only water now. I also replace the carbs in my meal with veggies and eat a ton of seafood. I've never been a breakfast eater. I don't exercise but I know I should. Ideal for me is 105 - 107

I am not the OP but I am too am 5'0 and starting at 117. I have not been able to lose those 10 post-pregnancy pounds 2 years later. What are typical meals like? I don't add sugar to anything, avoid most carbs and exercise 2X a week, but the scale refuse to budge.

I don't eat breakfast and don't snack between meals. I haven't really had any hunger pains and usually only get hungry just before a meal.

Lunch will be a piece of fish and a handful of zuchini or mango salad. On weekends I'll have a can of tuna with a tbsp of low fat mayo, red wine vinegar and throw in a little corn and sliced cherry tomatoes. BGR has awesome Ahi tuna wrapped in lettuce or on a salad. I only drink water.

For dinner I'll have a watercress salad with cucumbers and a small spinach and cheese frittata. Dinner this week was also a piece of grilled chicken with black beans and tomato/cucumber salad. Servings are about the size of the palm of my hand.

When I need a sweet fix I'll eat some strawberries or an avocado with red wine vinegar.

I've always been a light eater but it's the rice and sugar that gave me my pot belly. I calculated it and cutting out the soda and sweets pretty much puts me on a 1000 calorie diet although it wasn't intended. I was worried I wouldn't lose anything because I was not starving all the time but I guess the more carbs you eat the more hungry you feel. When you eliminate the carbs and sugar you stop craving them so intensely. Like I said, I've had a few cupcakes over the past few weeks but have completely cut out the soda.

I think I'd pass out from hunger on your diet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm 5'0 and cut out sugar and carbs. My weakness was soda, rice and cupcakes. I started at 117 and four weeks later, I'm at 109 (I've cheated a bit with the cupcakes). I drink only water now. I also replace the carbs in my meal with veggies and eat a ton of seafood. I've never been a breakfast eater. I don't exercise but I know I should. Ideal for me is 105 - 107

I am not the OP but I am too am 5'0 and starting at 117. I have not been able to lose those 10 post-pregnancy pounds 2 years later. What are typical meals like? I don't add sugar to anything, avoid most carbs and exercise 2X a week, but the scale refuse to budge.

I don't eat breakfast and don't snack between meals. I haven't really had any hunger pains and usually only get hungry just before a meal.

Lunch will be a piece of fish and a handful of zuchini or mango salad. On weekends I'll have a can of tuna with a tbsp of low fat mayo, red wine vinegar and throw in a little corn and sliced cherry tomatoes. BGR has awesome Ahi tuna wrapped in lettuce or on a salad. I only drink water.

For dinner I'll have a watercress salad with cucumbers and a small spinach and cheese frittata. Dinner this week was also a piece of grilled chicken with black beans and tomato/cucumber salad. Servings are about the size of the palm of my hand.

When I need a sweet fix I'll eat some strawberries or an avocado with red wine vinegar.

I've always been a light eater but it's the rice and sugar that gave me my pot belly. I calculated it and cutting out the soda and sweets pretty much puts me on a 1000 calorie diet although it wasn't intended. I was worried I wouldn't lose anything because I was not starving all the time but I guess the more carbs you eat the more hungry you feel. When you eliminate the carbs and sugar you stop craving them so intensely. Like I said, I've had a few cupcakes over the past few weeks but have completely cut out the soda.

I think I'd pass out from hunger on your diet.

op - me, too - this isn't enough food for me! but what you're eating does sound delicious. do you have a recipe for the frittata?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to start one of these insane threads where everyone competes to show how much they exercise and how little they eat. Please - no pro-ana here!

Since turning 40, my metabolism seems to have slowed down - yay, joy, fun. Anyway, I've gone from maintaining, easily, a weight of 115 to - I stepped on the scale this morning - now weighing 121. I'm very short, and these five pounds really make me feel different - I just don't like it. But my usual way of taking off weight (mostly ignoring the fact that I need to, but just cutting out sweets and alcohol for a bit) doesn't seem to be working.

I walk a ton, don't eat meat and don't drink soda already. My diet is reasonably healthy, but I do eat a lot of cheese and bread.

What should I try next? I'd really like to get back to fitting into my old clothes/feeling like my body is my body again.

Don't worry about the number, & start lifting weights. Since lifting heavy weights, I've lost inches off my waist & hips, my thighs are noticeably trimmer, I've had to get pants and skirts taken in.... and I haven't lost a pound (just replaced fat with muscle). And your bones will thank you!