I need to lose weight

[Snapplewee]

I'm about 5'10'' and I'm 177lbs.

Last year about this time, I was 5'8'' and I was 124lbs.

I know I was TOO skinny last year, but I've gained 53lbs in a year, and not all of it is muscle

What tips do some of you have for losing weight?

Don't say exercise, I'm already doing the 300 workout.

I'm not happy with my gut, so thats why I'm asking you guys for help

[Static]

EXERCISE!!! hehe jk... dunno how much you eat in a day but whatever the amount you eat is, you could always try eating slightly less then what you do eat daily and be careful on what you eat as well, and im not saying go on a diet cause i dont believe in those too much.

Ex: if you eat 3 meals a day and snack alot... lets say 4 times a day, try eating meals like you do normally(maybe taking a bit less in your plate, by a bit i dont mean half, i mean it more like if your eating spaghetti, eat about 5/6th portion of what you normally eat) and also, you could try snacking less.

This example is most likely not gonna be how much you eat thats for sure(cause its possible to eat a little and gain weight while someone eats alot and doesnt gain), but im just giving example on how much to reduce eating.

Hope this helps you

Just out of curiosity did you just start exercising? or have you been exercizing for few years alrdy?

[Loveless]

A recent study has once again confirmed that people who closely follow ?the Mediterranean Diet? live longer than other Europeans (1). So what exactly is the Mediterranean diet and how does it exert this spectacular effect.

The Mediterranean diet is not a specific diet plan or diet program but a collection of eating habits that are traditionally followed by the people of the Mediterranean region. There are at least 16 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and food habits vary between these countries according to culture, ethnic background and religion. But there are a number of characteristics common to them all?(2).

* A high consumption of fruits, vegetables, potatoes, beans, nuts, seeds, bread and other cereals
* Olive oil used for cooking and dressings
* Moderate amounts of fish but little meat
* Low to moderate amounts of full fat cheese and yogurt
* Moderate consumption of wine, usually with meals
* Reliance on local, seasonal, fresh produce
* An active lifestyle

Protection from chronic diseases

In a recent study (1) the diets of more than 22,000 people living in Greece were ranked according to how closely they adhered to the traditional Greek style Mediterranean diet. During the 4 years of the study, it was found that the closer people followed the traditional diet the less likely they were to die from either heart disease or cancer, with slightly greater protection against heart disease than cancer. Overall, people following the Mediterranean diet most closely were 25% less likely to die during the study period than those who did not, suggesting that those closely following the Mediterranean diet end up dying later than those who do not.
The secret ingredients

Since mortality statistics first identified that Mediterranean populations were living longer than other Europeans, scientists have been trying to deduce which components of the Mediterranean diet are responsible for its considerable benefits. Here are some of the candidates so far...
Olive oil

Olive oil is first choice for investigation as it is used almost exclusively in Mediterranean cooking instead of butter, margarine and other fats. Olive oil is a rich source of monounsaturated fat, which is protective against heart disease, possibly because it displaces saturated fat from the diet. Olive oil is also a source of antioxidants including vitamin E. But it is important to remember that olive oil is used to prepare vegetable dishes, tomato sauces, salads and to fry fish.
Fruit and vegetables

A high intake of fresh fruit and vegetables has been shown to be protective against both heart disease and cancer; probably because of the antioxidants they contain (3). Tomatoes have come under particular scrutiny because they feature so heavily in Mediterranean food. Tomatoes are indeed a major source of antioxidants and heat processing such as cooking, as in the preparation of tomato sauces is recommended as it increases the availability of lycopene, one of the main antioxidants in tomatoes.
Oily fish

It has also been suggested that fish, in particular oily fish such as sardines, have important health benefits (4). Oily fish are a source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fats and the complex long chain derivatives of these fats appear to be particularly beneficial to heart health because of their anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory properties, which keeps blood flowing smoothly.
Wine in moderation

Throughout the Mediterranean wine is drunk in moderation and usually taken with meals. For men moderation is two glasses per day, for women one glass per day.
Wine, especially red wine, contains a vast array of plant compounds with health-promoting qualities called phytonutrients. Among them, polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants, protect against LDL oxidation and other pathologic sequelae of the oxidative process. Other phytonutrients play a role in the inhibition of platelet aggregation, vasodilation,etc.
Combined effect

In the Greek study (1) individual components or food groups of the Mediterranean diet did not provide any significant protection. In practice it is likely that a combination of all the different ingredients of the diet make it so healthy. Not only that but other factors such as a more relaxed attitude to eating, plenty of sunshine and more physical activity are likely to be contributing to the overall healthy lifestyle in this region.
Times are changing

But times are changing and nowadays fewer people have the lifestyle to follow the traditional diet. Professor Lluis Serra, President of The Foundation for the Advancement of the Mediterranean Diet (5) believes this is both an opportunity and a threat. ?Sociological changes mean that people are less likely to spend time in the kitchen preparing food, but at the same time it is a great opportunity for catering outlets and restaurants, especially as Mediterranean people now know that their traditional fare is very healthy? he said.

[Wired]

Staying on your chair playing games is the ultimate reason of gaining weight usualy since all you do is go snack when you dont know what to do...Instead of eating during those moment, I bought 2 dumbbell and Im doing setup when its boring ingame loll try that

[Lysander]

My deal is workout + super good for me foods. I eat at 7am, 12pm and 5pm, no snacks and I found that made the biggest difference for me.

Loveless is quite right, for one of my electives I took a business / health class that centered on an office and the eating habits of those in the office, their productivity and their diet. The most productive healthiest people were the ones that didn't eat very much red meat (it is all about the fish) ate a 'metric-shit-tonne' of fruits and veggies everyday and did not eat any junk at all. Oh yeah, they also exercised everyday *thumbs up*

So if you are concerned with losing that little bit of weight try to eat fish instead of red meat, and eat veggies and fruits with your meals instead of those damn carbohydrates .. and if you have to have carbs (like me, I love my pastas) then go for the whole wheat variety of everything that makes it a lot better for you.

[Général_Argos]

5'6 and 205 lb here, I won't give any advice.

[Former-GM-Mystra]

I can only give the advice that worked for me: Anorexia

It solves all your problems!

But now I'm back to 175 lb... lost around 20 lb in 2 months and now I'm keeping that weight :S. Last year I was 165 and very sexy hehe.

5"6 and 175 lb might sound huge, but I have alot of muscles and am big boned... and I wear 32 jeans... still to big for me though!

[Frogboy]

i have high metabolism so i can't offer much advice, but i have heard eating a lot of small meals throughout the day helps as well as exercising. meaning if you eat 3 big meals a day, make it 5~7 smaller meals as it'll digest better. this is what i've heard from trainers, not what i've tested so i dunno how well it works.

[Général_Argos]

This kind of advice won't help anyone mystra..

[Hollybee]

Most diets or "lifestyle" changes people suggest to me don't work because either I can't afford the food, or I don't like the food (fish, ick!). Usually when I need to lose weight I simply make a point to get an hour (or more) of exercise a day, I watch my calorie intake closely, and I cut nearly all sugar from my diet (The pounds peel off me when I don't have much sugar in my diet). You also have to get a good handle on portion size. You can eat the healthiest food on the planet, but if you're still eating too much you're not going to see the results you want.

A few years back I weighed 230 pounds. I starved myself for a few months and got down to 180. When I stopped starving myself though I saw all the weight come back and I realized it wasn't a good long-term solution. From then on I just started eating less and I cut nearly all junk food from my life. If I had a major craving for a piece of cake or something I'd have an extra-small piece, or I'd ask someone for a small bite of theirs and be done with it. I stopped having seconds at dinner, I stopped eating out, eating alot of meat (although I was never big on meat to begin with), or eating things that were particularly greasy. I started walking every day for an hour. Eventually that turned into jogging 2-4 miles every day, because I liked getting my workout done faster. I've now been 145-150 pounds for the past 5 years, and am working on getting my weight below 140.

I keep a scale in my bathroom and weigh myself everyday. When I see an extra couple pounds popping up (this usually only happens on a birthday or when family or friends want to take me out or buy me a cake) I'll go on a one-week banana-soup diet where I eat nothing but soup and bananas, or something else super low-cal that I know will help me get a handle on my weight. Even when I'm not in "emergency weight-loss mode" I still try to be very careful with my intake. I try not to eat candy or cookies, I don't snack between meals, and I try to keep my portions small (which is hard when you live with a man who loves to eat...) Even while eating like this though I'm still mostly dependent on exercise for improving the shape of my body. If I feel as though my jogging routine isn't giving me the best results, I'll switch it up and move to pilates for a little while. Sometimes a small change in routine like that is all you need to bring about change to your body.