Everyone does it differently and everyone has different ideas of it.

Right now I'm eating 1800-2000 calories a day spread across 3 meals and 2 snacks. Every meal has a little bit of every food group in it. 4oz of meat + salad + some sort of grain with some kind of dairy mixed in somewhere. I take 1 day per week "off" from my diet because i don't think its good to let your body get used to something.
I've also been running 4-7 miles per day and going to the gym for 1-2 hours.
But I've lost 26 lbs and am now gaining weight again but I'm pretty sure its muscle mass cause my stomach is still getting thinner.


Anyway what has worked for you?

7/10/2008 11:14:28 AM

i try to stick to 2 meals a day, no snacking. first meal is around 10 am. i eat pretty unhealthy sometimes but dont put on weight because i only eat 2 times a day.

7/10/2008 11:16:01 AM

eating healthy and exercising

7/10/2008 11:16:03 AM

whats a diet?

7/10/2008 11:16:11 AM

eating 1200-1600 calories a day
10 hours of sports practice a week
6 days at the gym: 2 days of 1 hour of cardio (20 min bike, 30 min elliptical, 1 mile run), 4 days of 30 min cardio and 30 min weightlifting
drinking lots of water

I used to do this...worked VERY well

7/10/2008 11:16:53 AM

^^eating healthy and exercising

7/10/2008 11:17:32 AM

I can assure you exercising is not part of a diet

7/10/2008 11:19:42 AM

is in my opinion

[Edited on July 10, 2008 at 11:20 AM. Reason : i have high standards tho]

7/10/2008 11:19:58 AM

I eat what I want when I want and don't worry about it.

For some reason I think that will come back to haunt me when I'm older.

[Edited on July 10, 2008 at 11:22 AM. Reason : I'm not a fatty either BTW.]

7/10/2008 11:21:40 AM

count calories, and if you want to actually be healthy rather than just skinny, make sure you are getting them from healthy food

exercise helps

7/10/2008 11:22:47 AM

^ yeah that's why i try to make sure i eat something from every food group but to be honest it seems that there needs to be some fat in the food or my body doesn't go into fat burn mode

7/10/2008 11:24:56 AM

Your body does need fat, which is why I hate the fact that so many people thing fat = the devil. I have trouble getting enough of it.

7/10/2008 11:25:38 AM

lol at eating something from every food group

I'd have to bring the fucking pyramid around with me if I was gonna do that

You don't need all that mess anyway...just use common sense

Gee, if I eat this double bacon cheeseburger withe extra mayo, will I fell guilty 10 minutes later ?

7/10/2008 11:26:23 AM

my thoughts on dieting:

I'm SICK AND TIRED of everyone I know talking about it

7/10/2008 11:27:42 AM

But you do need balance. You can't eat nothing but broccoli or some other food that is very healthy on its own and be healthy. Though, of course, if you have good common sense, you probably get a mostly balanced diet without too much effort.

7/10/2008 11:27:54 AM

^^ yeah you're a girl though guys never really talk about it. thats why i wanted some ideas.

^ I was told if you're body gets a little of everything it takes what vitamins etc. it needs and "throws the rest away" if it only gets a lot of one thing it hold on to it trying to get what it needs out of it and pulls a ton more calories from it.

[Edited on July 10, 2008 at 11:31 AM. Reason : .]

7/10/2008 11:29:04 AM

I really hate the concept of "going on a diet"

7/10/2008 11:29:51 AM

Quote :

"i try to stick to 2 meals a day, no snacking. first meal is around 10 am. i eat pretty unhealthy sometimes but dont put on weight because i only eat 2 times a day."

this probably only works because of your age. as you get into your 30's and higher, the exact opposite approach is recommended because your metabolism slows down. It is recommended to eat 6 or 7 small meals throughout the day, rather than 2 large meals.

7/10/2008 11:29:51 AM

I usually eat 4-5 small meals throughout the day

Eating too much at once usually makes me

7/10/2008 11:30:51 AM

I've been working on getting in better shape for about two and a half years now, and I've had a net weight loss of about 43lbs (from 215to 172), but I've probably lost more fat than that since I've also put on some lean muscle in the process.

In my diet, I stopped drinking soda almost completely, dropped almost all fast food (still eat it about once a month because it tastes so good), choose healthier/smaller meals when I eat out, and I always eat breakfast and have a snack between each meal.

For exercise, I'll go jogging about 3 miles, 3 times a week. I do pushups, jumping-jacks, and pullups at the house on the days I don't go jogging.

That's it. It is certainly a slower way to lose weight, but I felt I needed to adopt a plan I could actually stick to, because I know if I start to go to the gym I will just quit after a month, and I wouldn't last long on a hardcore diet either because I love food. But I feel great now, been at or below my target weight (175) for about 6 months now.

7/10/2008 11:31:55 AM

Don't do it. Just eat food til you're fat and happy. You asked.

7/10/2008 11:32:20 AM

I know all the shit you need to do...I just need the motivation for the gym or a gym buddy.

I regularly play sports and all, but I have no problem doing that because I love it and it doesn't seem like exercise. I'm not so fond of being on an elliptical for 30 minutes everyday though

Maybe I just need to sign up for more sports lol. Play something everyday.

Quote :

"That's it. It is certainly a slower way to lose weight, but I felt I needed to adopt a plan I could actually stick to, because I know if I start to go to the gym I will just quit after a month, and I wouldn't last long on a hardcore diet either because I love food. But I feel great now, been at or below my target weight (175) for about 6 months now."

That's what I wanna do!!!

[Edited on July 10, 2008 at 11:34 AM. Reason : something I'll stick to]

7/10/2008 11:33:59 AM

^ i hate elliptical

i also don't really care for running but it helps to get my frustration out.

7/10/2008 11:35:30 AM

Dieting is a good idea in theory. So is Communism.

7/10/2008 11:35:37 AM

and as much as you are working out, you can't really use the scale to chart your progress anymore. just stay off the scale and use the changes in your physical appearance to figure out how well your program is working. if you really need an actual number to see how well you are doing, have a trainer at your gym check your body fat percentage every now and then.

[Edited on July 10, 2008 at 11:36 AM. Reason : s]

7/10/2008 11:35:58 AM

Quote :

" this probably only works because of your age. as you get into your 30's and higher, the exact opposite approach is recommended because your metabolism slows down. It is recommended to eat 6 or 7 small meals throughout the day, rather than 2 large meals."

yea im only 23 now, that makes sense though and its probably the approach alot of people take who end up gaining weight when they get older

7/10/2008 11:36:29 AM

Quote :

"It is recommended to eat 6 or 7 small meals throughout the day, rather than 2 large meals."

Can you please show me a link that claims 6 or 7 small meals a day.

7/10/2008 11:36:38 AM

one for every hair.

7/10/2008 11:37:41 AM

Keeping a food diary is very helpful. After a couple weeks of that you'll get an idea of how to estimate caloric content of individual foods and your daily caloric intake. Pay close attention to serving sizes and try not to eat more than the recommended amount.

Exercising is critical too. 3-4 workouts a week (1 hour each), combined with eating fewer calories than your basal metabolic rate (BMR), should make you lose weight.

Avoid foods with refined sugar and white flour, and make sure your diet has a balance of complex carbohydrates and protein so that your blood sugar won't spike and crash, making you feel hungrier. With a great deal of self-discipline you can ignore hunger pangs and eat only at regular meal times. Keep tempting unhealthy foods out of your house! Don't buy them! 3 years ago I lost 80 pounds and 8 waist inches dieting and working out at the campus gym (mostly weights and some running), but gained back 30 lbs and 3 inches on my waist after graduating because I started sitting on my ass at a computer for 8 hours a day and there aren't any affordable gyms within a convenient distance.

If you're really fat like I was and lose a lot of weight, expect to be left with unattractive excess skin, which only surgery can remove.

7/10/2008 11:37:56 AM

^^^call Gold's Gym on Battleground Ave in Greensboro. That's who told me. But if you really need a link, I'm sure i can find one for you

[Edited on July 10, 2008 at 11:38 AM. Reason : d]

7/10/2008 11:37:59 AM

lol i think people look into that "should have such and such meals a certain times a day etc etc etc" shit



just eat healthy...thats literally about all u gotta do

7/10/2008 11:38:06 AM

Well I can't do the treadmill after tearing my ACL and MCL about 5 years ago. I can run on it for a while, but then it starts to hurt. The elliptical keeps the pressure off my knee even though I hate it.

7/10/2008 11:38:12 AM

^^^I live in Greensboro, how much is Gold's Gym?

7/10/2008 11:39:22 AM

haha i tore my mcl playing tww football...

tried to run by chris and he caught my leg w/ both arms on my way by..... i stopped in a effing hurry!

7/10/2008 11:39:37 AM

I love the elliptical! I have a bad knee and a bad ankle and I've always hated running, even though I've wanted to do cardio. It's awesome.

7/10/2008 11:39:42 AM

Quote :

"yeah you're a girl though guys never really talk about it. thats why i wanted some ideas."

i know...it just drives me nuts. and honestly the main reason it's starting to get to me is b/c i've always been pretty satisfied with my weight and size. i don't think anything is wrong with my diet (though i do need to exercise more). but everytime someone talks about it or says something to me about what i eat i get a little bit more insecure and start thinking i'm fat--even when my doctor has told me i'm not. it's just fucking depressing.

but i count calories (btw 1500 & 1800 per day), rarely drink soda, and my rewards (chocolate & ice cream) are less frequent or in very small portions. i'm just now starting to pay more attention to my daily requirement and am taking supplements to make sure i meet that (like omega 3 capsules). if i exercised more (i'm trying to keep a daily morning run--having difficulty this week doing that ) i'd be set.

7/10/2008 11:41:06 AM

my problem is I am just lazy as shit. and I dont even mean the exercise part, I am fine with that, especially if its an actual sport or game, I will play all damn day... i just hate having to deal with leftovers, get out a ziploc bag or tupperware etc... so much easier to just eat everything, even if I am already full than deal with it.

and I hate having to take 2 showers a day, and going through 2-3 changes of clothes a day, and washing those clothes etc.

7/10/2008 11:41:16 AM

Quote :

"I live in Greensboro, how much is Gold's Gym?"

It depends on when you sign up and what specials they are running. I think my membership for the year was $315, but they broke it up into 3 payments. The best time to sign up is the end of the month, since they get paid on commissions. Let me know if you are interested, I'll give you the guy's name. If I refer 3 more people I get next year free.

7/10/2008 11:42:14 AM

I've just cut out soft drinks and really important too. I snack a little bit during the day but I make sure its not fatty stuff and I constantly drink water. Cutting out the combo's at lunch w/ fries and soft drink really helps too especially cause its just empty calories.

I'm starting to run on my lunch break and when I get home I do some basic exercises like sit ups, crunches, pullups, pushups, etc. Just stuff that I dont need weights to do. I'm not really trying to lose weight, just get back into shape after a brutal freshman year of slammin brews and late night marco's and jimmy johns. I think its important not to "diet" but make a reasonable lifestyle change that you can stick with. I have actually lost about 5-10 pounds in the past few weeks since making the changes.

7/10/2008 11:43:35 AM

oh, and sorry, I was off by a meal. most websites i have come across recommend 5-6 small meals.

http://ekle.us/index.php/2005/05/losing_fat_part_4_eat_six_small_meals_a

7/10/2008 11:44:24 AM

my reward is sunday off!!!

7/10/2008 11:45:23 AM

Quote :

"combined with eating fewer calories than your basal metabolic rate (BMR), should make you lose weight. "

You don't have to eat less than your BMR. That's what moving is for. Some people adamantly say you should not eat less than your BMR, and while I don't think that's the case, I just wanted to point out that you by no means have to eat less than it to lose.

7/10/2008 11:48:00 AM

not to sound disagreeable but i dont agree with ^'s comment on counting calories


because in my opinion there might be days were i eat 3000 and there might be other days were i get 1500...imo it all evens out in the end

7/10/2008 11:48:48 AM

i do 2 days on, 1 day off when it comes to weight training. doing alternating muscle groups on the on days. i run every day, including the off days. I don't really do any sort of diet, outside of cutting out fatty foods and beer. I try to limit my carbs, and don't eat any actual sugar at all. I don't do the whole 6 meals a day thing, I just only eat when I'm hungry, and I don't over eat.

7/10/2008 11:48:58 AM

doctor told me to cut down on the salts and caffeine cause my blood pressure is slightly high (like 4 points above normal)

so I've cut out all sodas and ENERGY DRINKS - which I was drinking 1-2 a day for a while.

I think that just after checking the amount of salt in what I eat, I have been eating healthier overall. Plus, I've strated exercising again so hopefully the weight will come off as well.

7/10/2008 11:49:51 AM

yeah i cut out pretty much all sodas and sugar drinks...all i drink is OJ, milk, or aqua typically

7/10/2008 11:51:06 AM

Counting calories does not mean saying "I will eat exactly X number of calories per day"

You can average, but in vs. out over the long term is what matters. If you don't want to count, then don't.

7/10/2008 11:51:10 AM

my blood pressure is what got me wanting to get back into shape. Mine is really high, stage 2 hypertension, and my dad had quadruple bypass last year. That alone was enough to get my ass back in the gym. and yes, i ask for no salt...NO SALT on my margarita

7/10/2008 11:51:46 AM

my bp use to be like always 155/70 or so(in hs)...they told me that was kinda high...starting in about 2004 to now i've been way more healthy and its always like 125/70 or so

[Edited on July 10, 2008 at 11:53 AM. Reason : .]

7/10/2008 11:52:54 AM

Quote :

"oh, and sorry, I was off by a meal. most websites i have come across recommend 5-6 small meals. http://ekle.us/index.php/2005/05/losing_fat_part_4_eat_six_small_meals_a"

It's probably easier preparation wise for nearly everyone to just go with 3 properly sized meals and 2 healthy "snacks" in between.

If you're active, as long as you aren't eating like complete shit most any sort of reasonable diet is going to be fine.

7/10/2008 11:53:11 AM