Ten Diet Tweaks to Lose Weight for Life!

I wish I had learned years ago that once you gain a fat cell, you have it forever. Had I known this, I would have been far more careful in my twenties with what I ate. I probably also would have opted out of 2 years of anti-anxiety meds and forgone the 15 lb weight gain side effects. Now in my late thirties I have to be extremely careful to eat simply at every meal or the pounds start piling on. The good news is that with the right diet (lots of vegetables and chicken) and exercising 4-5times a week, I can maintain a steady weight. The bad news is that it only takes one rich meal or a chocolate-laden dessert to see the effect -- bloated face and stomach, jowls under my cheeks. Yes, only one meal! My advice all the young folk out there -- start your healthy eating and exercise habits now. Once you gain the weight, you may be able to lose it, but it takes a lot lot lot of work to keep it off!!

Responding to Jennifer on the Weight Loss Q&A page about entering peri-menopause and not being able to lose weight. I am turning 41 in a few months and have been having the same issue of not being able to a) lose weight; and b) firm up my tummy. I changed a few things in the last few weeks and have been experiencing slow but real success. Here's what I did:

1. I started working out with a personal trainer (half hour sessions) 2x a week doing core training (lots of stomach work). After this session, he makes me do 45 minutes of cardio. Before this I was working out 4-5 days a week at the gym by myself and obviously something wasn't working!

The interesting thing that I have learned from my trainer is that you don't want to keep doing the same kind of cardio day after day. Your body becomes very efficient and burns fewer and fewer calories. You want to jolt your system by changing the kind of cardio. So now one day I jog lightly, the next session I do 45 minutes of ellipitical, then another day I do the bike. The personal trainer has been a great investment, I must admit.

The next thing I have taken ahold of is my diet. I am eating only simple foods that are easy to digest. Wheat products now basically out, as are starchy carbs like rice and potatoes. Cheese is out too (slow to digest). I have also cut radically back on my sugar intake, since that appears to be the big impediment to weight loss. I have half a teaspoon of organic brown sugar in my tea a few times a day, but that's it. I have lost 3 lbs in 2 weeks, but the most noticeable change is in my face where the skin right under my chin is firming up (no more jowel forming!). My stomach is slowly slimming too.

Oh, one more thing... weight training adds more weight to the muscles, so you can't always go by that. Better to measure body fat than your weight.

Hope this helps!

I had to lose weight in three months. i started working out in the mornings after a cup of hot coffee (South Indian version) and hit the gymn for 30 mins burning nothing less than 400 Cal. Being in India means lot of rice and pulses and veggies in diet. I had to carefully wean away from them. I had only two chapathis ( Indian Bread) for Lunch with lots of steamed carrots and cabbages ( avaoid potatoes) with onions. Dinner again consisted of two chapathis with lots of pulses and veggies. I had Lemenade with mint or ginger juice in it after my lunch.. i noticed visible changes in my skin tone ..it became more clearer.. Weekends i used to indulge in rice and regular south indian food(high caloried).

Taking apple cider Vinegar plus Honey is very good for pain. And Drinking 8- 10 glasses of water a day, do not skip meals downsizing all your meals but eat alot of fruits and vegetables and you will lose weight. I lose 5 lbs in one week and another 5 lbs in second week.You add exercise, 100 percent you will lose weight Stay on this Plan. I do bicycle exercise. From 192 lbs i am now 180 pounds. Do not forget drinking 8 to 10 glasses a day.