Best way for me

[SnakesInTheGras]

I think I just posted this in the wrong area.

I'm a female, 5'5", currently 195 lbs. In my adult life, my weight has yo-yo'd between 150 and 215 lbs.

My problem is this: if I consume 2000 balanced calories a day, I gain weight. If I consume 1200 balanced calories, my weight stays the same. My time is limited, but I work out 30 minutes a day generally. If I consume less than that, I feel dizzy and my hands start to shake unless I don't work out at all. As I get older, it is becoming much harder for me to loose the weight. What do you think would be the best way for me to loose weight? I'm just trying to find a healthy caloric/workout routine.

 

[Steve]

How are you tracking your calories?

 

[Stacy G]

I know that when I was trying to loose weight I was watching everything I was eating. I mean that everything that contained sugar was tabooed for me, I did not eat any processed foods and did not consume any white wheat. It seemed hard at first but soon I found out that fruits were much better than sweets, salads were much tastier than cheesy pasta and I could easily live without any type of red meat. I am loosing weight whenever I start eating only natural healthy products that fill me with energy and make me full without making me fat.
A few years ago I even tried raw veganism for four months. I lost weight (even too much) but I can not say that it was completely healthy for me. Now I use this diet sometimes if I want to clean my body - just one week usually gives amazing results.
You also said that you exercise every day and this is really great. I do not know what type of exercise you do but you might consider trying something new because your body gets used to the same routine over time and you stop loosing weight.

 

[Steve]

I know that when I was trying to loose weight I was watching everything I was eating. I mean that everything that contained sugar was tabooed for me, I did not eat any processed foods and did not consume any white wheat. It seemed hard at first but soon I found out that fruits were much better than sweets, salads were much tastier than cheesy pasta and I could easily live without any type of red meat. I am loosing weight whenever I start eating only natural healthy products that fill me with energy and make me full without making me fat.
A few years ago I even tried raw veganism for four months. I lost weight (even too much) but I can not say that it was completely healthy for me. Now I use this diet sometimes if I want to clean my body - just one week usually gives amazing results.

So you're going to assume that she isn't losing weight b/c of the foods she puts in her mouth before assuming there's something going on calorically?

No type of food is going to make you fat in the face of a caloric deficit.

You also said that you exercise every day and this is really great. I do not know what type of exercise you do but you might consider trying something new because your body gets used to the same routine over time and you stop loosing weight.

Not really.

 

[Stacy G]

What I meant was that when you eat healthier foods you usually do not overeat so often. If you eat sweets, drink sodas, eat fatty foods than you are more likely to eat more than you are supposed to. It is usually difficult to keep track of how much you actually ate and these foods do not make you feel full for a long time that is why you keep eating more than you are
supposed to. The amount of calories that you consume is important but it is also important where these calories are coming from. I am not claiming myself to be an expert I am just telling what works for me, that's all.
And about exercise - trying new types of fitness usually makes you more interested in what you are doing and you work out more efficiently.

 

[Steve]

What I meant was that when you eat healthier foods you usually do not overeat so often. If you eat sweets, drink sodas, eat fatty foods than you are more likely to eat more than you are supposed to. It is usually difficult to keep track of how much you actually ate and these foods do not make you feel full for a long time that is why you keep eating more than you are
supposed to.

This I can agree with.

The amount of calories that you consume is important but it is also important where these calories are coming from.

Agreed, and never suggested otherwise. I questioned you simply b/c in my experience, making sure calories are right should come long before worrying about quality of food. Calories are the foundation that a healthy, balanced diet should be built upon. In other words, would you start hanging the curtains in a house that you've yet to put a roof on?

I am not claiming myself to be an expert I am just telling what works for me, that's all.

No need to explain... this is all fine. I'm just discussing. That's what we do here.

And about exercise - trying new types of fitness usually makes you more interested in what you are doing

In some cases I'd certainly agree with this. That's not what you said above though. Or maybe you did, I don't remember at this point... but if you did, it's not what I was disagreeing with.

quote]and you work out more efficiently.[/QUOTE]

Can you explain this a bit please?

 

[Stacy G]

Can you explain this a bit please?

Let's take for example a basic gym workout. I go to the gym pretty often and I look at different people who exercise there. Frequently a new person starts working out on an elliptical machine and he/she does a really good job sweating and pushing themselves. I pay attention to the same person in a few weeks. He/she is now watching TV, reading a magazine while doing the exercise, and their legs are moving much slower than the first time and they are barely even breaking a sweat. At this point their muscles are already used to the same routine every time and they could almost do the workout in their sleep. People do not even notice that they do not work out as hard as they were working out at first. Simply try to put the same person on a tread mill and he/she will do a much better job because they will have to concentrate more on what they are doing.
I was teaching Pilates for several years and often picked up new people in my classes that came to me when they got bored with cardio classes. They were not loosing weight any more and that is why they decided to try something new. The ones who were working out and gave it all they had ended up loosing several inches around their waste and hips. The difference in weight was not very considerable but everybody who saw them said that they must have lost a few pounds. They were simply using another group of muscles and their bodies started working in a completely different dimension.
Trying something new that you like makes you more motivated and you are more likely to work out harder, longer and lose more calories.

 

[Steve]

Okay. What you're discussing isn't really efficiency in the physiological sense. You talking about people who get lazy and work less hard and don't focus on progression. That's a big difference.

Your use of the word is what threw me off.

A lot of trainers believe you start burning less energy for a given workload b/c your body adapt. This isn't true to the extent they believe.

 

[thundaflash]

heya,

I'm new here but figured I'd add the ol' 2 cents.
The best way for someone is not always the best for someone else.
I always pick up the running shoes and get started...for me it's the best way to break the ice.
Going running jump starts my metabolism and gets me excited...mostly to look as fit as some of the girls that run by (lol!) Then it's to the gym to hear a million contradicting things....
Good luck!

 

[Steve]

I can agree that what works for one doesn't necessarily work as good for another. That said, that doesn't really apply here... there are a core set of fundamental 'laws' that all of our bodies are confined to outside the realm of disease and illness.