Weight Loss Tips and Tricks

Eat lots of fiber. It's filling, it lowers your bad cholesterol, and you'd be amazed (and horrified) by how much of your weight is actually the contents of your colon. The higher your weight is above your "ideal" weight (assuming it is body fat, not muscle) the slower your digestive system will function (in general). If you are overweight or obese, you may be hiding 5 or more pounds of compacted fecal matter in your gut. This is not harmful, but it will make your belly a bit bigger. Just don't use laxatives unless you've gone more than a week without pooping! less

I fiber. I started a supplement of it and my body just feels better in general. I considered the Activia stuff too but noticed that it actually lacks dietary fiber. *blink* I mean, wtf? Anywho, my favs are Fiber Advance Gummies and Benefiber. An the Metamucil stuff actually contains a laxative which is SO not the same! less

Activia claims to improve digestive health with bacterial cultures (which also contribute to bowel health), not fiber. However, the FDA is having them rescind their claims as they don't contain any more healthy bacteria than any other yogurt. However, my mom says that Activia works for her better than any other yogurt, and she's really irregular without it (placebo effect?) so...take that as you will. less

I just started logging my food and exercise on myfitnesspal.com They have tons of foods in their database, it's free, you can use smart phones and facebook to track your progress and there's a community you can join if you need more support.

I have to admit, it's really addicting and easier to track than a paper food journal like I've used in the past. It's motivating too because you can tell it how many pounds you want to lose in a week and it tells you at the end of the day if you are over/under your calorie goal and then it tells you if you keep that up, what you will weight in 4-5 weeks. (And no, I don't work for them or get anything for mentioning them here. I just know that being healthy and losing weight takes a lot of support!) less

These are the ones I use and so far, I've been pretty successful with slimming up.

- NEVER go into a food style/snack style store when you are hungry.

- I always brush my teeth as soon as I get a craving for something sweet to eat. I read this somewhere years ago, and only started doing this about two months ago. I discovered that as soon as I brushed my teeth that hankering for chocolate or sweets disappeared.

- Cut out all creams from sauces, and never use store bought creamy sauces, instead use a tablespoon or two of sesame paste in your pasta sauce. It thickens it up, gives it a creamy texture, and sesame seeds are high in manganese and copper not to mention other good things. This works really well if you have recently discovered you are lactose intolerant as missing that creamy texture in sauces is a biggie. And reduces your calorie intake huge time.

- Spurt walking. Walk super quick for a minute with really short steps. Then keep the short steps but walk about half pace. Back and forth. Just not so good if you forget to change it up. Which is my thing. This one boosts your metabolism and burns fat lickedy split. And on the other hand, if you use a treadmill, never use it flat, always have it on an incline you burn the fat faster.

- Never drink cold water. This is a Chinese thing; but I swear by it. Always drink room temperature water or warmer, and while eating, only have a small cup so you do not drink too much too fast. According to the TCM doctors, it aids with digestion and absorption of the good stuff of food, then it helps with passing the food, keeping you feeling fuller longer.

- And my personal favourite? The reward program. If I walk between three and ten kilometres a day, I get to splurge and go to the Shangri-la for the day and use their spa facility. A swim, a sauna, the steam baths, the whirlie pool, if I have stayed within my budget for the week an oil massage from head to toe. Sigh...

- Throw out the scale. I used to get obsessed with numbers that read on it and found it was doing more harm then good. Cause a lot of what I am doing is not weight loss, but toning. And that means I am actually gaining weight as muscles weigh more, and even though I know this it was still something to get all wonky about...the numbers. Instead, just look at your clothes and how you wear them. less

I am in treatment for an eating disorder, so please take my tips with caution. I'll share the ones that I believe to be healthy, but I may not be the best judge of that.

There is no way to lose weight besides eating less (calories) and exercising more. Whatever lifestyle changes you make need to be maintainable. If it's not something you could take on for the rest of your life, then you will most likely yo-yo and gain the weight back.

When you prepare your plate, fill half of your plate with veggies (steamed, grilled, boiled, or salads). The second biggest item on your plate should be protein (meat, tofu, etc) and the next biggest item should be whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, etc). You can use any remaining room for a sugary or fatty treat, but make it small!

We all slip up. Never punish yourself for a binge by restricting. Just take some time to examine what made you binge (to see if there's a pattern) but then try to move on. You'll have more success feeling slimmer and sexier, not by making yourself feel like a gluttonous failure.

Anyway, I hope that helped. less

Hey sweetie I hope treatment is going well with you.

I am a yoyo deter the smallest I have been is a size 10 largest 20. Over the years I did manage to give up on soda only have it when nothing else available (get togethers, fast food place) I know I should just have water but soda once in a while is ok.

I add water too my juices cause I honestly find all juices to be to sweet for my taste. I definitely need to exercise more and eat less sandwiches. Last weekend was the first time in a month that I had pancakes.

Like you said I have to maintain a new way of eating and not deprive myself of things. less