Q. I want to lose 50 pounds, but it is really hard to stick to my diet. What can I do? How do I get motivated?
Thanks!
Thanks!
A. Hello WoW,
A diet is only as good as your ability to stick to it. Research has found that most plans will help you lose weight, regardless of typeâlow-fat or low-carb, for example. What counts is whether you can stay on it long-term. And with restaurant meals, dinners with friends, and hot fudge sundaes to tempt you, adherence is an understandable challenge. Here are five tricks for making your diet stick:
1. Gather the troops. You need support, be it from a friend, a group like Overeaters Anonymous, or even an online community. Research suggests those who go it alone are most likely to fall off the wagon. That's why some diet plans have a formal support componentâWeight Watchers connects dieters via weekly meetings, while Jenny Craig members are assigned counselors for advice and encouragement. If you're not comfortable talking about your weight face-to-face, log online. By signing up for the free program PeerTrainer, for example, dieters can interact and track each others' weight-loss progress, pose questions, and swap diet and exercise tips. "It's important to have people who will pick you up when times are tough and cheer you on when you have successes," says registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, author of The Flexitarian Diet. Plus, she adds: "Healthy habits are contagious."
2. Hold yourself accountable. A couple chips here and a few cookie-nibbles there may seem harmless, but mindless munching adds up. Record everything you eat and drink in a food diary. Most of us don't realize exactly how much we consume, so making conscious notes will put each meal, snack, or splurge into perspective. In a 2008 American Journal of Preventative Medicine study, dieters who kept food diaries for five months lost nearly twice as much weight as their non-journaling peers. Journaling can reveal the problematic cues, triggers, and habits that could be sabotaging your weight-loss efforts. You might notice tendencies to overeat on deadline-heavy days, for example, or discover that your morning frozen coffee packs an extra 400 calories a day.
3. Keep motivation high. Give yourself ample cause to stay the course. Post encouraging notes on your mirror, keep listing why the diet is worth it, or buy a new pair of jeans in the size you're determined to reach.
4. Don't deprive yourself. Diets that eliminate entire food groups or forbid the occasional splurge are likely to fail, research suggests. If you don't indulge every once in a while, you're more likely to give in to cravings and binge. Remember: Moderation is key. It's OK to have a slice of birthday cake; compensate with extra time on the treadmill or by getting back on track the next day. One slipup doesn't mean your diet is doomed. "Don't throw in the towel if things don't go as planned," says Jackson Blatner, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "Think of it as progress, not perfection."
5. Have many measures of success. "Don't just judge a diet by the pounds on the scale," says Jackson Blatner. "Monitor energy, sleep quality, mood, clothing, and self-esteem. On weeks when the scale doesn't tell you what you want, you can focus on other motivating results to keep you going."
Take Care, Mama Bear
Source(s):
http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/articâ¦
A diet is only as good as your ability to stick to it. Research has found that most plans will help you lose weight, regardless of typeâlow-fat or low-carb, for example. What counts is whether you can stay on it long-term. And with restaurant meals, dinners with friends, and hot fudge sundaes to tempt you, adherence is an understandable challenge. Here are five tricks for making your diet stick:
1. Gather the troops. You need support, be it from a friend, a group like Overeaters Anonymous, or even an online community. Research suggests those who go it alone are most likely to fall off the wagon. That's why some diet plans have a formal support componentâWeight Watchers connects dieters via weekly meetings, while Jenny Craig members are assigned counselors for advice and encouragement. If you're not comfortable talking about your weight face-to-face, log online. By signing up for the free program PeerTrainer, for example, dieters can interact and track each others' weight-loss progress, pose questions, and swap diet and exercise tips. "It's important to have people who will pick you up when times are tough and cheer you on when you have successes," says registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, author of The Flexitarian Diet. Plus, she adds: "Healthy habits are contagious."
2. Hold yourself accountable. A couple chips here and a few cookie-nibbles there may seem harmless, but mindless munching adds up. Record everything you eat and drink in a food diary. Most of us don't realize exactly how much we consume, so making conscious notes will put each meal, snack, or splurge into perspective. In a 2008 American Journal of Preventative Medicine study, dieters who kept food diaries for five months lost nearly twice as much weight as their non-journaling peers. Journaling can reveal the problematic cues, triggers, and habits that could be sabotaging your weight-loss efforts. You might notice tendencies to overeat on deadline-heavy days, for example, or discover that your morning frozen coffee packs an extra 400 calories a day.
3. Keep motivation high. Give yourself ample cause to stay the course. Post encouraging notes on your mirror, keep listing why the diet is worth it, or buy a new pair of jeans in the size you're determined to reach.
4. Don't deprive yourself. Diets that eliminate entire food groups or forbid the occasional splurge are likely to fail, research suggests. If you don't indulge every once in a while, you're more likely to give in to cravings and binge. Remember: Moderation is key. It's OK to have a slice of birthday cake; compensate with extra time on the treadmill or by getting back on track the next day. One slipup doesn't mean your diet is doomed. "Don't throw in the towel if things don't go as planned," says Jackson Blatner, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "Think of it as progress, not perfection."
5. Have many measures of success. "Don't just judge a diet by the pounds on the scale," says Jackson Blatner. "Monitor energy, sleep quality, mood, clothing, and self-esteem. On weeks when the scale doesn't tell you what you want, you can focus on other motivating results to keep you going."
Take Care, Mama Bear
Source(s):
http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/articâ¦
Can I get to 15% body fat in 100 days?
Q. Right now I'm about 21% body fat. I was wondering if anyone thought that I could get to around 15% in 100 days? I've got a flawless diet plan and a rigorous weight program.
A. There are pros and cons to reducing body fat at a fast pace but its definately possible - you just have to find the balance between weight loss and fat loss - you will have to loose weight as you go (im 99% sure of that, people claim you can just burn fat but I dont really accept it personally, from my experience as well as what I read)
You can drop the first section off just by being active with weight lifting and sprinting style cardio (10 minutes, but 5x 20-30 second sprints as fast as you can go)
Check out this article on the hierarchy of fat loss from T-nation(sources). I really agree with what its saying and basically reflects my understanding of the processes.
Also, cardio is helpful, but I found the best fat loss from high teens down to 16.5% was sprints (im 13% bf now but the first big leap was sprinting, the rest took time) - ive put a second link in, in regards to a study on fat loss on a sprinting group and an endurance cardio group - the sprinters faired much better.
Dont go crazy, but experiment with calories on a weekly basis, dont do stupid crap like do 500 calories one day and 1500 the next, then binge on 3500 and compensate with another 500 - that will just ask for fat - but you will need to lower calories for the process to work, or your reserves wont be tapped into (why would they if you are eating enough to fuel you by daily intake alone).
Lift weights with short rest intervals (1 minute 30 on big lifts, 1 minute on isolation - youtube "Barbell complexes" too)
Sprint during cardio sessions - make them shorter but more intense
Try to avoid carbs late on/when you arent active (some are ok, dont think this is atkins, you just want to reduce how long your insulin is high/spiked - so less sugar, more fat is the way to go for this - fat wont make you fat, sugar/carbs with too many calories in the day and lazyness make you fat)
You can drop the first section off just by being active with weight lifting and sprinting style cardio (10 minutes, but 5x 20-30 second sprints as fast as you can go)
Check out this article on the hierarchy of fat loss from T-nation(sources). I really agree with what its saying and basically reflects my understanding of the processes.
Also, cardio is helpful, but I found the best fat loss from high teens down to 16.5% was sprints (im 13% bf now but the first big leap was sprinting, the rest took time) - ive put a second link in, in regards to a study on fat loss on a sprinting group and an endurance cardio group - the sprinters faired much better.
Dont go crazy, but experiment with calories on a weekly basis, dont do stupid crap like do 500 calories one day and 1500 the next, then binge on 3500 and compensate with another 500 - that will just ask for fat - but you will need to lower calories for the process to work, or your reserves wont be tapped into (why would they if you are eating enough to fuel you by daily intake alone).
Lift weights with short rest intervals (1 minute 30 on big lifts, 1 minute on isolation - youtube "Barbell complexes" too)
Sprint during cardio sessions - make them shorter but more intense
Try to avoid carbs late on/when you arent active (some are ok, dont think this is atkins, you just want to reduce how long your insulin is high/spiked - so less sugar, more fat is the way to go for this - fat wont make you fat, sugar/carbs with too many calories in the day and lazyness make you fat)
Who else has experience of Quetiapine side effects?
Q. I had a very serious mental breakdown over 2.5 years ago, suicidal, delusional thoughts etc. Now feeling much better (beyond expectations tbh), life seems to be returning to normal and I realise the world is for living in, great !! :):)
However, enter the anti-psychotics...
In early 2010, my weight was around 13 stone (I had been very fit for the previous 10-12 years, karate, competive cycling, gym etc - basically an athlete) and I was prescribed olanzapine, then later switched to quetiapine.
My weight 1 year later?... 19.5 stone !!
A 6 stone increase and none of it muscle :(.
Now I realise that this stupendous gain was not all meds-related, but also due to the destructive aspect of mental illness, with associated loss of interest in myself/health - all manifesting in extreme comfort eating.
.
I regained my interest in healthy eating and fitness last July / August, I'm now in the gym 4 x week, including free-weights & 2 x kickboxing, I eat 6 small healthy meals a day and am on a (self-researched/designed) comprehensive weight loss program;
I calorie count every meal in order to stick to my weekly budget.
I eat mainly fresh fruit, veg, meat, fish, pulses, wholewheat and have eliminated dairy. I've lost over 3.5 stone. I occasionally buy treats and a bottle or two of beer (twice monthly).
Over the last few months I've lost virtually no weight (despite my workouts increasing in intensity) and although this can be common in dieting, I noticed over the same time period that, I've been binge eating around midnight before bed and also in the small hours, with no rational explanation - just an urge to consume food!!.
I take 50mg Quetiapine in the morning and 350mg at night, I know it helps me sleep, but I suspect that this is the main cause of the food cravings (as well as the planned calorie deficit for weight loss).
I seem most prone when the dosages are starting to peak (around 1.5-2 hrs after ingestion and into the night ). One night I was just about to go to bed, feeling quite drowsy, I then found myself sat on the sofa with a pack of oaty breakfast cereal, where I was alternating between a light sleep state and awakening to continue pushing cereal into my mouth - drug induced behaviour or what?
Its totally ruining my weight loss plans at the moment, I was supposed to hit my goal weight of 13.5 stone in April - I've continually had to reset my target day to a month further on etc, etc. Its really getting me frustrated and a bit angry too, with all the effort I'm making being undermined by this drug. I'm fast coming to the conclusion that this stuff is just chemical crap - the doctors/psychiatrists themselves would be unprepared to put up with the known side effects.
I think it's all about cost benefit analysis and realising when the fulcrum point is reached where the costs outweigh the benefits...??
ps
I also notice that within an hour of taking my night-time Quetiapine, I start to feel really crappy - does anyone else get/remember getting this? I've not even started on the memory and 'performance' quashing aspects of this lovely little pill.
However, enter the anti-psychotics...
In early 2010, my weight was around 13 stone (I had been very fit for the previous 10-12 years, karate, competive cycling, gym etc - basically an athlete) and I was prescribed olanzapine, then later switched to quetiapine.
My weight 1 year later?... 19.5 stone !!
A 6 stone increase and none of it muscle :(.
Now I realise that this stupendous gain was not all meds-related, but also due to the destructive aspect of mental illness, with associated loss of interest in myself/health - all manifesting in extreme comfort eating.
.
I regained my interest in healthy eating and fitness last July / August, I'm now in the gym 4 x week, including free-weights & 2 x kickboxing, I eat 6 small healthy meals a day and am on a (self-researched/designed) comprehensive weight loss program;
I calorie count every meal in order to stick to my weekly budget.
I eat mainly fresh fruit, veg, meat, fish, pulses, wholewheat and have eliminated dairy. I've lost over 3.5 stone. I occasionally buy treats and a bottle or two of beer (twice monthly).
Over the last few months I've lost virtually no weight (despite my workouts increasing in intensity) and although this can be common in dieting, I noticed over the same time period that, I've been binge eating around midnight before bed and also in the small hours, with no rational explanation - just an urge to consume food!!.
I take 50mg Quetiapine in the morning and 350mg at night, I know it helps me sleep, but I suspect that this is the main cause of the food cravings (as well as the planned calorie deficit for weight loss).
I seem most prone when the dosages are starting to peak (around 1.5-2 hrs after ingestion and into the night ). One night I was just about to go to bed, feeling quite drowsy, I then found myself sat on the sofa with a pack of oaty breakfast cereal, where I was alternating between a light sleep state and awakening to continue pushing cereal into my mouth - drug induced behaviour or what?
Its totally ruining my weight loss plans at the moment, I was supposed to hit my goal weight of 13.5 stone in April - I've continually had to reset my target day to a month further on etc, etc. Its really getting me frustrated and a bit angry too, with all the effort I'm making being undermined by this drug. I'm fast coming to the conclusion that this stuff is just chemical crap - the doctors/psychiatrists themselves would be unprepared to put up with the known side effects.
I think it's all about cost benefit analysis and realising when the fulcrum point is reached where the costs outweigh the benefits...??
ps
I also notice that within an hour of taking my night-time Quetiapine, I start to feel really crappy - does anyone else get/remember getting this? I've not even started on the memory and 'performance' quashing aspects of this lovely little pill.
A. SNAP!
I'm on these as well, thankfully not the Olanzapine as that's the worst one for this nightmare.
You're doing far better than me in terms of exercise and healthy eating so congratulations on the amazing progress so far.
Don't wonder, be assured the quetiapine is responsible for the weight gain and the cravings, It's like being pregnant without the excuse of a baby! You end up looking pregnant though! Well I do but I'm female.
I've had sugar craving a lot but eat fruit instead if I have some or add calories free sugar to them. I've also had craving for all sorts of odd things, including healthy stuff but I just can't stop eating them. I've been out at 3am buying the items that are the current craved and needed thing for my body. Chocolate is one but not hugely craved, ice cream is my worst one. I've had cheese sandwiches, cheese and onion sandwiches and cheese and coleslaw ones. Why I have no idea. Tomato soup, chicken soup and now chicken and sweetcorn soup, bread (a specific one) with butter at times. Crisps/chips, onions, chicken dips, sweet chilly sauce, I forget what else but it's horrible craving them and feeling you MUST have them even if not hungry. One won't do either you need a few of them to stop the cravings.
I've switched to part Abilify/aripiprazole as they don't have any weight gain or cravings. Now I have quetiapine at night to sleep (300-350) then 15 Abilify at breakfast to get me going again. They really wake me up and give me energy and boost my antidepressants as well.
All you can do is ask to try them. If I can I will continue to switch to the Abilify and see if I can stop the quetiapine but I really need them at night so may not manage.
Good luck
I'm on these as well, thankfully not the Olanzapine as that's the worst one for this nightmare.
You're doing far better than me in terms of exercise and healthy eating so congratulations on the amazing progress so far.
Don't wonder, be assured the quetiapine is responsible for the weight gain and the cravings, It's like being pregnant without the excuse of a baby! You end up looking pregnant though! Well I do but I'm female.
I've had sugar craving a lot but eat fruit instead if I have some or add calories free sugar to them. I've also had craving for all sorts of odd things, including healthy stuff but I just can't stop eating them. I've been out at 3am buying the items that are the current craved and needed thing for my body. Chocolate is one but not hugely craved, ice cream is my worst one. I've had cheese sandwiches, cheese and onion sandwiches and cheese and coleslaw ones. Why I have no idea. Tomato soup, chicken soup and now chicken and sweetcorn soup, bread (a specific one) with butter at times. Crisps/chips, onions, chicken dips, sweet chilly sauce, I forget what else but it's horrible craving them and feeling you MUST have them even if not hungry. One won't do either you need a few of them to stop the cravings.
I've switched to part Abilify/aripiprazole as they don't have any weight gain or cravings. Now I have quetiapine at night to sleep (300-350) then 15 Abilify at breakfast to get me going again. They really wake me up and give me energy and boost my antidepressants as well.
All you can do is ask to try them. If I can I will continue to switch to the Abilify and see if I can stop the quetiapine but I really need them at night so may not manage.
Good luck
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