Reducing portion size and cutting snacks, plus exercise....will it work?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Okay, so I had my annual physical yesterday. Everything looked good....except the number they told me for my weight. I consciously avoid scales for a long time, simply guesstimating my weight. Well, there was no getting around it this time, so I've reluctantly accepted the fact that after years of great metabolism, I just can't eat like I used to.

My plan is this: No fad diets. No cutting out major food groups. No nutritionists. All I want to do is scale it back about 10-20 pounds or so. So I've planned to cut down on portions, give up having seconds on meals, and cut out the snacking that I've done during the day. And continue to exercise.

For exercise, I swim. Approximately 500 yards a day, 4 to 6 days a week.

There are also some things I do not want to do:

1. I don't want to substitute any of my meals for weight loss shakes. A shake isn't a meal, sorry.
2. I don't want to do the whole no-carb thing. Sandwiches without buns are an abomination. I understand cutting down on breads, but I will not give it up.

Then there's the matter of snacking. Before, I'll admit, I'd nibble daily on chocolate or cheese sticks. I don't plan on doing that anymore. The only question is, is there anything small and healthy to substitute instead? And how much can I have? Right now I haven't had any snacks at all, but I worry that might cause me to overeat at dinner.

Reducing portion size, cutting snacks and exercising seems to make perfect sense.....but is it as easy as it sounds? I need some advice from experience here.

[cyberswede]

1. Grapes are a really easy snack...

you can freeze them for a frozen treat. Baby carrots are good too - lots of chewing, and no prep time.

I also like cut-up watermelon and pineapple for snacks. Dried fruit chips are good, but can be spendy.

If you want something with protein, a serving of natural almonds is yummy - and the protein makes them more filling.

Low-fat Greek yogurt is also a good source of protein.

Best of luck to you!

[sharp_stick]

2. I found just cutting the snacks

especially the after dinner before bedtime snacks and the junk from vending machines has done a lot without a heck of a lot of pain.

For 10 - 20 pounds you can do it just by doing what you've mentioned. Don't expect miraculous results with it but over time it should do the trick.

[hack89]

3. Get rid of sodas - lots of wasted calories there. nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

4. FWIW, I've long gone to diet sodas only.

Every once in a while, I'll have a Mello Yello for old times sake....supposedly they sell Mello Yello Zero, but I haven't seen any being sold around me.

Other than that, I stick to the no-calorie version of the sodas.

[hack89]

6. There are some studies that link diet soda to weight gain

So it's okay to switch to diet soda, right? Not so fast. Two new studies presented recently at the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) Scientific Sessions have linked drinking diet soda to weight gain and that the artificial sweeteners in them could potentially contribute Type 2 diabetes.

In one study, researchers from the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, looked at aggregate data from 474 older adults in the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging, or SALSA. At the time of enrollment and at three follow-up exams thereafter, all participants reported their diet soda intake and were measured for height, weight and waist circumference. The researchers wanted to track any association between diet soda drinking and body fat over time.

People who said they drank two or more diet sodas a day experienced waist size increases that were six times greater than those of people who didn't drink diet soda, according to researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Researchers said their results were adjusted for other contributing factors like diabetes status, leisure-time, physical activity and age.

The data didn't say why diet sodas might play a role in weight gain, but previous research suggests it has to do with the idea that the brain is wired to expect a big load of calories when foods taste sweet or fatty, but because diet foods fail to deliver, it throws the brain out of whack. Studies in animals suggest that artificial sweetener consumption may lead to even more eating and weight gain -- perhaps in part because it triggers the body to start storing more calories as fat.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joanna-dolgoff-md/diet-soda-health_b_893625.html

It is not settled science but you should consider giving up diet soda if you are still having problems losing weight.

[flamin lib]

5. If you can forego carbs and alcohol for 4-6 weeks you can try the

South Beach diet. Unlike Atkins the SB classifies carbs as good and bad. You can bring a lot of carbs back into your diet selectively.

Both diets begin the same but diverge with SB going low cal/low fat and unprocessed carbs.

I'll admit to having erotic dreams involving mashed potatoes but lost 30 pounds in two months. Gained a few back but it took a year.

[Adsos Letter]

7. If you have an I-phone, or something similar

(I think you can also use it on computer, we only have the I-phone versions)

A very helpfull app: My Fitness Pal

http://www.myfitnesspal.com

My wife lost 35+ pounds using this tool, and I lost almost 60 pounds.

It's free.

It works.

[erinlough]

25. I've lost 57 pounds this year using my fitness pal.

The thing I like about it most, other than its free, is that it isn't preachy. I wanted a change that didn't eliminate any food types. I'm 62 and I had been heavy for the last 20 years. My activity level was low. I just began by logging what I eat, everything I eat and drink. I didn't make judgements about the food I was consuming until about three months in when I noticed if I cooked my own food rather than eating prepared food I lost weight. This led to me enjoying cooking and getting creative with it. This winter it was more difficult to get exercise, which is no problem for me in the summer due to my love of gardening. So I bought a fitbit force to keep track of my steps and used you tube for walking videos. I am now in the normal BMI range, which was my goal. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Adsos Letter]

26. My wife uses fitbit!

I think fitbit and myfitnesspal combine for a very powerful weight loss tool.

Congratulations on a healthier life! May it be a long and happy one.

[Xyzse]

8. That makes a ton of sense and it will do quite a bit already.

Add a bit more exercise makes sense too.

Snacks, I'd go for nuts, as raw as possible.

Oh, also, if you could, try to make a food journal, figuring out your caloric intake, and see what works.

Good luck!

[oberliner]

9. What is your current age/weight?

That has a lot to do with it.

[hedgehog]

10. There are a couple free on-line sites that allow you to track your calories -

it's a real pain at first, but after a while you learn how much to eat. You may find that spreading what you eat into several small meals is the way to go - it's not snacking that's the problem, it's the overall calorie count.

I think the composition of what you eat has a lot to do with your ability of staying on a low cal diet. Cutting all carbs had me climbing the walls. But, carbs alone tend to leave me hungry 20 minutes later, so I found that getting 20% of my calories from proteins, 40% each +/- from fats and carbs allowed me to lose weight while not feeling starved.

Other tips -

slow down when you eat - that's hard for me because my husband is a very fast eater.

you'd be amazed at the volume of lettuce and other greens that you can eat for about 50 calories.


http://www.loseit.com/

http://www.sparkpeople.com/

[CBGLuthier]

11. Yes, but you will have to start making the calories count nutritionally.

The fewer calories you consume the harder it is to get the required nutrients. I did this and have lost around 50 pounds over the last year or so. Being a vegetarian makes it a bit of a challenge to stay on top of protein but if you eat meet or eggs you should not have to worry about that.

Nuts, dried fruit, granola with yogurt are my snacks. A small amount of dark chocolate in various forms once a week or so.

My exercise is a 50 minute walk in the morning and a 30 minute walk in the evening. Swimming might be enough exercise if it takes at least half an hour or more.

[Avalux]

12. My advice....

I've maintained a normal weight/BMI for most of my adult life and feel as if my overall excellent health is a direct reflection of how I eat. I am not blessed with skinny genes, just had to figure out what worked that wasn't a diet but that I could do for the rest of my life without feeling as if I was being deprived.

There are certain things I have on my black list, like soda and other sugary drinks, artificial sweeteners, and highly processed foods (added chemicals). During the day, I drink black coffee (morning), water, and tea (usually green or other flavors but with nothing added). I eat bread but only whole grain with no HFCS - I try to make sure that what I put in my mouth is as close to fresh and without chemicals as possible. I cook at home a lot. Snacking is ok, in fact smaller meals throughout the day that include snacks are fine. It's what you snack on; I usually have a handful of nuts, fruit, avacado, hummus. Nuts are excellent because they have a high protein content and will keep you from being hungry longer.

I don't eat in the three hours before I go to bed. I am not overly concerned with fat and carb consumption as I am the types of fat and carbs. Portion control is good, you should never feel uncomfortable after eating a meal so only eat until your hunger is gone. And that's another thing - only eat when you're hungry, not just because it's "time to eat".

And always, always, EAT BREAKFAST. Your metabolism needs that morning fuel to function properly.

I also exercise - yoga, weights, walking. Yoga and weights several times a week and walking on the weekend.

That said - there are times when I eat whatever the hell I want. If I feel like having a bowl of ice cream or fried food, I'll do it, but not very often. I think telling yourself NO to food you love only sets you up for failure.

Good Luck - and like I said, this works for me.

[sammytko]

30. I never eat breakfast and eat late at night, but still lose weight

My body is just on a different time schedule I guess.

First meal of the day is around noon. Right now I had a peach, a banana and Greek yogurt. My biggest meal is late at night. Sometimes as late as 10PM. If its good enough for the Europeans and they are slim, good enough for me!

[The Second Stone]

13. Moderate exercise every day is going to be number one even before diet change

according to most of what I've read.

[NYC_SKP]

14. Snacking is good, but only if the foods are good (apple slices, almonds).

Avoid the crappy carb-rich snacks.

[mainer]

15. Swimming tends to make people gain weight, strangely enough.

It's good for you, but it's not for weight loss. It may have to do with cold water's effect on appetite.

Try a treadmill instead, and dial up the slope so you're walking hard uphill for at least half an hour a day.

Precede every lunch and dinner with a salad or non-creamy soup. It will fill you up.

Get plenty of sleep; sleep deprivation makes you gain weight.

Any way you look at it, losing weight is hard.

[alarimer]

16. If you are burning more calories than you take in, you will lose weight.

It is that simple.

Eat less, move more.

I'm sort of in the same bind myself.

Another good idea is to track what you eat. There are a number of websites that can help.

[noamnety]

18. I'm going to add to that, because it's not quite that simple.

Eating anything with sugars (carbs) will spike your insulin, which will increase your appetite, making it harder to control what you eat.

If you have enough willpower, you can just cut off calories when you hit your daily goal. But if you're still feeling hungry, proteins and healthy fats will make it easier to stick to your goals.

Also, high intensity interval workouts that are shorter, and strength training, are more effective for building muscles which in turn burns more calories during resting hours.

And if you are sticking with carbs, a few minutes (just like 2 or 3) of high intensity workouts, like 90 seconds of deep squats, right before you eat them, will change the way the carbs are processed. I'm not gonna lie, I forgot the technical reason for that, but what stuck with me was do the squats before the carbs.

[Arugula Latte]

17. Here what has worked for me...

Last edited Thu Jul 31, 2014, 12:03 AM - Edit history (1)

I've been struggling with those damn ten-to-twenty extra pounds for a long time. Weight Watchers did get it off, but then it crept back up. In the last few months I've been slowly losing weight.

I did it by:
- Being realistic about my calorie threshhold. As a middle-aged woman, I probably don't need much more than 1500-1600 calories a day to maintain weight. To lose weight, I need to get a small daily deficit going, so I should be in the 1300-1400 calorie range. Those calories add up quickly.
- Finding "go to" small meals that are satisfying but relatively low in calories. I rely on things like scrambled eggs (no toast) with tomatoes, hummus on pita (with veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, onions), Greek yogurt with fresh fruit, greens and vinaigrette tossed with chicken breast, Greek salad with plenty of feta, a small corn tortilla with black beans, cheese, lettuce, etc. Remember, these "go to" meals have to be something you love and that you look forward to eating. You can probably figure out your own favorites pretty quickly.
- Eating small snacks (preferably with protein) in between the small meals (like, a handful of almonds, a BabyBel cheese round, a couple of crackers with peanut or almond butter, an apple spread with Laughing Cow cheese, etc.)
- I do like sweets so I do let myself have a little something every day. Also, I like wine, so I have been drinking a nightly glass or so and am still able to lose weight.
- I still eat things like white pasta and mashed potatoes, but I just make sure I have a small amount when I do. With pasta, you can add things like lots of veggies and garbanzo beans to bulk it up and give you some protein.

I'd say overall I follow a Mediterranean diet. I haven't eaten red meat since I was a teenager. I do exercise regularly, and I love it, but I realize that diet is 80 percent of the weight battle.

Good luck!

[wyldwolf]

19. water

Lots of water.

[mythology]

20. Apples are a good snack

they fill you up due to the fiber and the extra fruit can't hurt. Also before eating, try to have a glass of water.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that they can have my carbs when they can pry them out of my cold dead hands. The paleo diet holds absolutely no appeal to me because I know I'd never be able to stick to it. The trick that I've found is to keep the changes small and do them one at a time. So one month say I'm going to have a piece of fruit at least every other day instead of a candy bar. Then the next month take out/reduce soda. But make sure to give yourself time to adjust and to build the better habits. If you try to make a lot of changes at once, then you're going to almost inevitably fall short as it takes a lot of will power to hold to radical changes. Instead build your will power by making smaller but sustainable changes that begin to reinforce that you can change.

I think for most people, eating less, and exercising more leads to better health and lower weight. The trick is finding whatever exercise you like and then turning it up a notch. Push a little harder at the last lap in the pool, or sprint the last tenth of a mile. And then expand by either doing an extra lap, or pushing harder the last two laps.

[magical thyme]

21. revised portions has worked well for me

I changed the portions to piles of high fiber veggies, and smaller amounts of non-veggies. I ensure I'm getting plenty of nutritious foods -- colorful fruits and veggies, plus some mushrooms, nuts, etc. My goal is to have enough filling foods (meat, fish, brown rice, potatoes) that it sticks, but fill up mostly with veggies for the nutrition, flavor and fiber.

I still eat the occasional sandwich on whole grain breads, preferably the type that have chewy, nutty germs in them. Otherwise, I use pita bread for sandwiches (Joseph's has a whole grain with oat and flax that is just lovely).

I work p/t at a horrible, sedentary (can't leave the desk), frustrating and boring job at a company that fosters a culture of junk food and obesity. We are practically required to participate in monthly "food days" that are supposed to boost morale by destroying out diets and health, with peer pressure to waste our little pay and free time buying and preparing piles of food, and then overeating it. As you may have guessed, this isn't exactly boosting morale.

So to over come my frustration on that job, I bring piles of veggies and munch them almost continuously until I simply have no room for more.

I have "go to" favorites that are easy to prepare, nutritious and leave me feeling pretty full:

*Sugar snap and/or snow peas dipped in roasted red pepper hummus. Very high fiber, a couple handfuls of pea pods leaves me feeling really full. (otherwise, pita or carrot sticks in place of the sugar snaps). Now that sugar snap season has ended, I'm going to try substituting celery -- another high fiber dipper.

* Carrot ginger salad, with pecans and finely chopped baby kale or cabbage. 2 small or 1 really large grated carrot, plus a lesser amount (maybe half) of chopped kale/cabbage, a tsp or 2 of grated fresh ginger (or sprinkle on ginger powder), a tbsp or so of frozen oj thinned with 2 tbsp or so of water (really, I just splash in some water), and a couple tablespoons of either pecans or walnuts.

* Chicken caesar salad with piles of greens and chopped tomatoes, small amount of chicken

*Brown rice with pecans, a couple tbsps of dried fruit and piles of mixed veggies stir-fried in olive oil. 3+ cups of veggies for every cup of cooked rice.

Another thing I'm trying for the stubborn last inch of so of fat I just read about last week. Your liver can only store 12 hours worth of glycogen, so every hour that you fast after that is an hour of fat burning. So the idea is to eat the reduced calories all within an 8 hour period, and fast for 16. 8 of those 16 I'm asleep.

I don't really feel hungry when I get up in the morning, and even if I do, it's a "good" hunger. So, for example, I ate my last snacks (cherries) last night around 7pm. So other than coffee, I held off breakfast until 11 this am. I felt a little hungry this morning, but not lightheaded, weak, or queasy, so I just stayed focused on chores. I will have lunch shortly and then leave for my other p/t job, where I'm rarely if ever sedentary or bored.

[Arugula Latte]

27. Our strategies sound similar.

See my post #17.

[LeftinOH]

22. Start seeking out sugar-free/fat-free versions of the foods

you normally consume. Yogurt, salad dressings, jams & jellies, mayo, milk, ice cream...etc. This alone won't make much of a dent, but it's another step in the right direction.

[eShirl]

23. another good ready-to-eat snack, baby carrots

[rurallib]

24. Our daughter showed us "Forks Over Knives" probably saving our lives

I see it cost $4 to watch online. here is their website: http://www.forksoverknives.com/

We started on June 10th. In 7 weeks my BP has gone from 160/78 to 120/65. My wife's is at 110/60 as of today.
She has lost 15 pounds in 7 weeks. Her a1c dropped from 7.5 to 5.9. She is a type 2 diabetic, but her physician believes that in a few more months she may be able to drop most of her pills if she keeps it up. She had a small checkup today. She has a disability and has always had a hard time exercising. Now she is on a stationary bike daily.

I have no idea what I have lost, but it is a bunch based on my clothes. I get medicare in September and will be able to get my first physical ever. It will be interesting.

My allergies have cleared up and I am sleeping so much better.

It is a vegan type diet, very little processed food. But let me tell you what I eat: Bean burritos with fresh fixings and fresh salsa. Fresh veggie pita sandwiches. I dip fresh veggies into all-peanut peanut butter or picante sauce or hummus - delicious. Fresh fruits and veggies. Nuts and dried fruit, lightly salted peanuts. On and on. Yams with fresh corn and beans. Black bean salads.

We are making up our own recipes daily and seldom repeat a meal weekly. Many Mexican restaurants have vegan food. Actually there are lots of restaurants that have some tasty offerings.

Check it out.!

[Populist_Prole]

28. Yes, yes, and yes.

Cutting carbohydrate based between meal snacks and "bad fat" ( cheese, red meat, sausage etc ) will work. Eat "good fat" ( salmon, avocados, nuts, olive oil by the bucketful ). Fat can be your friend. Sharply, but not completely cut starches.

Now listen: The reduced portion size however will come naturally in time as you get used to feeling sated with less and less food than you did before, so don't put the cart before the horse and go cold turkey on portion size or the hunger pangs will drive you up a wall and you'll cheat your way out of your diet sure as hell. Trust me, you'll see.

I lost 20+ pounds by doing this, sharply reduced LDL cholesterol, and feel loads better with NO additional exercise, though I'm hardly sedentary as it is. Obviously more activity will burn more calories.

You'll find that by feeling fuller more readily, and getting used to not eating certain foods anymore, that you won't even miss junk food.

[sammytko]

29. yes it does,

I have thyroid issues, but have managed to lose weight and keep it off by cutting back on junk food and sugar.

I walk about an hour four days a week

[Baitball Blogger]

31. Two more things you need to add: Be happy and sleep alot.

That's not a joke. Stress creates enzyme changes that are responsible for cortisol belly fat.

And the more you sleep the more the body has a chance to rest up, and the less you eat.