melanie in mary
05-14-2004, 11:05 AM
hi everyone. Any ideas on how to jump start my metabolism? I had a baby in September. Most of my weight came off except the last 10 pounds. I noticed as I have gotten older that it seems harder to lose weight.. by the way age is 36 years old. I tried TruLean nutritional supplement and it scared me.. made my heart race. I know to exercise and I do but the extra weight (which by the way is in my lower stomach haha), just will not come off. Thanks everyone melanie in Maryland
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Jess75
05-14-2004, 12:26 PM
hi,
ironically, i also had a baby in september but it was 2002. anyway, i'm not a professional, however i have experienced yo yo dieting and finally found a regimine to stick with. first off, to answer you correctly, i have a few questions. do you exercise? if you do, how often and what are you doing? exercise is a must when trying to boost your metabolism. anyways, i lost 30 pounds after i had my baby and i was on the slim fast diet. i love it because you don't have to count calories, and the meal bars, snack bars and shakes are delicious. for example, i would have a meal bar for breakfast, a piece of fruit or veggies for a snack, and like fat free pretzels for another snack before lunch. lunch would be a shake, and i'd snack on fat free pudding, yogurt, or again fruits and veggies and have anything i wanted for dinner. although, i had reasonable portions and that is the "KEY"! also, i would exercise one hour a day, at least 6 days a week. i lost 30 pounds in 4 months. and, i even cheated every other day, like a piece of cake or something but it had to be a small piece, like i said. slim fast may not work for you but it helped me control portions which helped me use common sense when i went off it. in other words, i learned how to control portions. however, i did gain 8 pounds back recently and tried the low carb slim fast diet, lost 6, but felt extremely tired. i guess cause i workout frequently, if you don't, this would probably work better for you(low carb). if not, eat a higher protein ratio as opposed to carbs and fats at every meal, but include all three, just increase protein intake. i found workout videos, particularly kathy smith a blessing because i hate the gym and i live in a either cold or hot climate so it's hard to workout outside. i.e. running, walking. i hope this helps. the weight loss workout by kathy smith is what i primarily used when i lost all that weight. that WILL boost your metabolism. there is no getting around exercise whan boosting your metabolism unless you want to take dangerous pills. do you exercise? if so, how often?
ironically, i also had a baby in september but it was 2002. anyway, i'm not a professional, however i have experienced yo yo dieting and finally found a regimine to stick with. first off, to answer you correctly, i have a few questions. do you exercise? if you do, how often and what are you doing? exercise is a must when trying to boost your metabolism. anyways, i lost 30 pounds after i had my baby and i was on the slim fast diet. i love it because you don't have to count calories, and the meal bars, snack bars and shakes are delicious. for example, i would have a meal bar for breakfast, a piece of fruit or veggies for a snack, and like fat free pretzels for another snack before lunch. lunch would be a shake, and i'd snack on fat free pudding, yogurt, or again fruits and veggies and have anything i wanted for dinner. although, i had reasonable portions and that is the "KEY"! also, i would exercise one hour a day, at least 6 days a week. i lost 30 pounds in 4 months. and, i even cheated every other day, like a piece of cake or something but it had to be a small piece, like i said. slim fast may not work for you but it helped me control portions which helped me use common sense when i went off it. in other words, i learned how to control portions. however, i did gain 8 pounds back recently and tried the low carb slim fast diet, lost 6, but felt extremely tired. i guess cause i workout frequently, if you don't, this would probably work better for you(low carb). if not, eat a higher protein ratio as opposed to carbs and fats at every meal, but include all three, just increase protein intake. i found workout videos, particularly kathy smith a blessing because i hate the gym and i live in a either cold or hot climate so it's hard to workout outside. i.e. running, walking. i hope this helps. the weight loss workout by kathy smith is what i primarily used when i lost all that weight. that WILL boost your metabolism. there is no getting around exercise whan boosting your metabolism unless you want to take dangerous pills. do you exercise? if so, how often?
melanie in mary
05-14-2004, 12:47 PM
hi:) you are exactly right!!and thanks for responding. I think I will go to Walmart and try to find that workout video. I don't really workout alot and after reading what you wrote I am going to start..after all one hour a day isn't bad:) I am throwing that TruLean out!!!it was just a spur of the moment purchase anyway and my health means much more to me as well as being there for my 2 children. Yes I had my baby on Sept. 23. It was funny because that is the same date as my brother-in-law's birthday. As you, I hate going to the gym by myself and my husband works alot so I will try this video. :angel:
thanks Jessicca
thanks Jessicca
DonutsNCoffee
05-14-2004, 03:37 PM
Any ideas on how to jump start my metabolism?
Here are some ways:
1. Don't cut calories too much. The more you cut calories, the slower your metabolism gets, even if you're not in starvation mode.
2. Exercise. Exercise raises your metabolism. If it's low intensity, it will raise it during the exercise session. If it's high intensity which included weight lifting, it will also keep the metabolism high for some time after the exercise is over.
3. Eat more often. If you go more than 4 hours between meals, your metabolism will slow down.
4. Include lean protein with every meal. Protein is the hardest nutrient to digest and requires more energy to process. 30% of the calories from protein are used just to digest it.
5. Drink lots of water. Every biological process depends on water and a lack of water will only slow down those processes, including metabolizing fat. Plus insufficient water causes the kidneys to dump some of their workload onto the liver, which then can't do it's main job, burning fat.
6. Build more muscle. This last one I only include cause you'll always hear people say that the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. While that's true, gaining muscle is not easy. Losing fat requires a caloric deficit. Gaining muscle requires a caloric surplus. Gaining muscle as a means of boosting metabolism is a good long-term strategy, but in the short-term, you should just focus on burning fat. Build the muscle after you've slimmed down.
Here are some ways:
1. Don't cut calories too much. The more you cut calories, the slower your metabolism gets, even if you're not in starvation mode.
2. Exercise. Exercise raises your metabolism. If it's low intensity, it will raise it during the exercise session. If it's high intensity which included weight lifting, it will also keep the metabolism high for some time after the exercise is over.
3. Eat more often. If you go more than 4 hours between meals, your metabolism will slow down.
4. Include lean protein with every meal. Protein is the hardest nutrient to digest and requires more energy to process. 30% of the calories from protein are used just to digest it.
5. Drink lots of water. Every biological process depends on water and a lack of water will only slow down those processes, including metabolizing fat. Plus insufficient water causes the kidneys to dump some of their workload onto the liver, which then can't do it's main job, burning fat.
6. Build more muscle. This last one I only include cause you'll always hear people say that the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. While that's true, gaining muscle is not easy. Losing fat requires a caloric deficit. Gaining muscle requires a caloric surplus. Gaining muscle as a means of boosting metabolism is a good long-term strategy, but in the short-term, you should just focus on burning fat. Build the muscle after you've slimmed down.
Jess75
05-14-2004, 05:04 PM
the last post was the tip of the iceberg. i also wanted to add that the weight loss workout combines weight training, aerobics, and squats throughout the workout. the title appealed to me (weight loss workout). it's really fun and easy after you do it a couple times, and you really burn up a sweat. the only thing is that it is from the early 90's but i don't care. it is a good intermediate workout that has modifiers (people doing low impact) that you can follow. kathy smith is a good start, now i buy advanced videos from collage and do some quite intricate step work. i love stepping, weight loss workout isn't but there are many step workouts on the market. i also wanted to mention that using a step burns more calories than regular aerobics. it is actually equivalent to running 7.7 mph!! the best part is, it is very very easy on your joints. after i started with the weight loss workout, i bought fat burning break through step workout. stepping is my ultimate metabolism booster!! i don't know what level you are at in your fitness state but a step is something that i feel is absolutely great for burning calories. even if you are intermediate though, weightloss workout is a toughy. the last post indicated that you should lift weights after you slim down but everyone is different. it HELPED me lose weight during the cardio sessions. i actually toned up instead of GAINING muscle like she said. it may not have worked for her, but i know that weight lifting contributes to weight loss for me. btw, i had my daughter sep 25 02. good luck!!
melanie in mary
05-15-2004, 09:20 AM
Thanks to both of you for such excellent advice. I will certainly incorporate all of your suggestions into my diet plan. I am excited and feel like I am on the right track now :) What types of lean protein should I eat? Skinless chicken breasts,fish,tuna, beans?? Please let me know. I really think a huge part of the problem has been that because I don't eat alot it is probably slowing my metabolism down, plus I do not drink near enough water. So I got the new exercise video to help me start off and need to know about the protein that I should eat. I really believe the not eating as much has slowed my metabolism down, any suggestions on what things I should eat? You both have been great and I can tell ya'll know the right things to do. See my husband doesn't eat a ton, on the road alot with his job and all, he loses weight that way but with me it is totally different, I definately believe I have slowed my metabolism doing that....Melanie in Maryland :angel:
Jess75
05-15-2004, 05:05 PM
Thanks to both of you for such excellent advice. I will certainly incorporate all of your suggestions into my diet plan. I am excited and feel like I am on the right track now :) What types of lean protein should I eat? Skinless chicken breasts,fish,tuna, beans?? Please let me know. I really think a huge part of the problem has been that because I don't eat alot it is probably slowing my metabolism down, plus I do not drink near enough water. So I got the new exercise video to help me start off and need to know about the protein that I should eat. I really believe the not eating as much has slowed my metabolism down, any suggestions on what things I should eat? You both have been great and I can tell ya'll know the right things to do. See my husband doesn't eat a ton, on the road alot with his job and all, he loses weight that way but with me it is totally different, I definately believe I have slowed my metabolism doing that....Melanie in Maryland :angel:
i think you have the idea about which meats to eat. like i said, i usually eat whatever i want for dinner, but eat moderately lean through out the day because i workout. i don't know how much time you'll have or how much you will be working out. don't forget, you need fat in your diet. the good fats are like almonds, olive oil, nuts, flaxseed, anything that is monosaturated. like i'll have a great big salad with vinegar, tablespoon of olive oil, and bacon bits LOL (only 1.5 grams of fat per tablespoon). that will keep me satistfied for a while. if you don't workout very often, cut out the carbs :nono: like white rice, pasta, bread and replace them with wheat. also, give up pop(soda) for a while and just drink water. sorry if this seems disorganized the way i'm saying this but i'm saying whatever comes to my mind right now. eat more fruits and veggies :D (LOL). i would buy chicken breast, lean cuts of top sirloin, turkey breast, and fish for my dinners/protein. with each piece of meat include a serving of brown rice and a salad, (greenest leaves). if you don't feel slim fast is for you, a good example of some low fat foods would be:
oatmeal, fat free yogurt with a tablespoon of flaxseed and a little bit of almonds, fat free pudding with fat free whipped cream, tuna (2x a week), cantelope and watermelon(keeps me full for a while), v-8 juice, apples with a tablespoon of peanut butter, lowfat popcorn, fat free pretzles, most of these things you can snack on when your hungry. but only keep this stuff in your house and tell your husband to keep his junk away from where you could snatch a few bites of whatever. i had a problem with that at first cause mine would always keep them on the table or something which drives me NUTS!! basically exercise, eat lots of fruits and veggies ( i don't like very many veggies so i just eat salads, brocolli, and v-8) i usually eat more fruits, not too much though cause their high in sugar. plus, for your tummy, denise austin has a great video called 6 minutes a day or something like that and it really will tone up you tummy. btw, did you purchase the weight loss workout yet. i hope this advice helped, as you see, my snacks are low in fat but my fat includes olive oil, peanut butter, and almonds for sustained energy and to have enough fat in my diet because it is also very important. do you drink pop? do you eat white bread? rice? how often do you workout? let me know! :)
i think you have the idea about which meats to eat. like i said, i usually eat whatever i want for dinner, but eat moderately lean through out the day because i workout. i don't know how much time you'll have or how much you will be working out. don't forget, you need fat in your diet. the good fats are like almonds, olive oil, nuts, flaxseed, anything that is monosaturated. like i'll have a great big salad with vinegar, tablespoon of olive oil, and bacon bits LOL (only 1.5 grams of fat per tablespoon). that will keep me satistfied for a while. if you don't workout very often, cut out the carbs :nono: like white rice, pasta, bread and replace them with wheat. also, give up pop(soda) for a while and just drink water. sorry if this seems disorganized the way i'm saying this but i'm saying whatever comes to my mind right now. eat more fruits and veggies :D (LOL). i would buy chicken breast, lean cuts of top sirloin, turkey breast, and fish for my dinners/protein. with each piece of meat include a serving of brown rice and a salad, (greenest leaves). if you don't feel slim fast is for you, a good example of some low fat foods would be:
oatmeal, fat free yogurt with a tablespoon of flaxseed and a little bit of almonds, fat free pudding with fat free whipped cream, tuna (2x a week), cantelope and watermelon(keeps me full for a while), v-8 juice, apples with a tablespoon of peanut butter, lowfat popcorn, fat free pretzles, most of these things you can snack on when your hungry. but only keep this stuff in your house and tell your husband to keep his junk away from where you could snatch a few bites of whatever. i had a problem with that at first cause mine would always keep them on the table or something which drives me NUTS!! basically exercise, eat lots of fruits and veggies ( i don't like very many veggies so i just eat salads, brocolli, and v-8) i usually eat more fruits, not too much though cause their high in sugar. plus, for your tummy, denise austin has a great video called 6 minutes a day or something like that and it really will tone up you tummy. btw, did you purchase the weight loss workout yet. i hope this advice helped, as you see, my snacks are low in fat but my fat includes olive oil, peanut butter, and almonds for sustained energy and to have enough fat in my diet because it is also very important. do you drink pop? do you eat white bread? rice? how often do you workout? let me know! :)
melanie in mary
05-16-2004, 04:09 PM
hi again
:) I went to Walmart and purchased Kathy Smith lift weights to lose weight2. It was the only video of hers that the store had. I exercised yesterday and I definately feel a difference!! The video says to workout every other day, so I will do that and maybe add in another video on the other days. I am taking your advice, One hour a day devoted to exercise, that will just fit into my schedule too. :cool: I will stay busy strolling my baby around the neighborhood and using my son's workout jump rope as well. All this seems very easy to stick with as well. I also started the slimfast diet. I don't feel life I am cheating myself out of snacks because the slimfast tastes good anyway!!!!!! :wave: I just have those few extra pounds that will not come off but I feel like this will help alot. I think my main thing was that I want to look more tone and exercise is the key there. I just feel so good.. like I have a sense of purpose,,, like I am doing something good for myself that will make me healthy. Thank you for your suggestions. I incorporate everything you say because you are right!!!!!!THANKS :angel:
:) I went to Walmart and purchased Kathy Smith lift weights to lose weight2. It was the only video of hers that the store had. I exercised yesterday and I definately feel a difference!! The video says to workout every other day, so I will do that and maybe add in another video on the other days. I am taking your advice, One hour a day devoted to exercise, that will just fit into my schedule too. :cool: I will stay busy strolling my baby around the neighborhood and using my son's workout jump rope as well. All this seems very easy to stick with as well. I also started the slimfast diet. I don't feel life I am cheating myself out of snacks because the slimfast tastes good anyway!!!!!! :wave: I just have those few extra pounds that will not come off but I feel like this will help alot. I think my main thing was that I want to look more tone and exercise is the key there. I just feel so good.. like I have a sense of purpose,,, like I am doing something good for myself that will make me healthy. Thank you for your suggestions. I incorporate everything you say because you are right!!!!!!THANKS :angel:
melanie in mary
05-16-2004, 04:21 PM
hi Jessicca.. Just wanted to tell you that I wrote down all your suggestions on the food and snacks!!!!!You are great! Last night I made a huge salad and added extra cucumbers, raisins, a few eggs.. just a few, I even added some grapes that I had in the fridge and pickles. Is it ok to eat an egg in the morning? What do you usually eat for breakfast? Right now I am doing Slimfast but just wanted to get some ideas. Thanks, Melanie :angel:
Jess75
05-17-2004, 12:20 AM
hi Jessicca.. Just wanted to tell you that I wrote down all your suggestions on the food and snacks!!!!!You are great! Last night I made a huge salad and added extra cucumbers, raisins, a few eggs.. just a few, I even added some grapes that I had in the fridge and pickles. Is it ok to eat an egg in the morning? What do you usually eat for breakfast? Right now I am doing Slimfast but just wanted to get some ideas. Thanks, Melanie :angel:
i am so flaghtered that you took my advice!! i didn't think you would go the slim fast way, good for you! aren't they good? that's why the slim fast diet works for me because i have a major sweet tooth and those bars and shakes eliminates my cravings most of the time. in the morning i'll either have the peanut butter granola slim fast meal bar, or a bowl of cereal called nutritious living which is organic and i buy it at the whole foods store. anyway, an egg could even be a snack, it is a good source of protein especially if you are doing kathy smith's lift weights to lose weight. i have number 1 and 2! lol. anyways, it sounds like you are doing the right thing. i also buy healthy choice packaged dinners and eat those occasionally. they are low in calories and taste great. oh, and the healthy choice icecream is also good. slim fast also has icecream bars which are delicious too. which brands of slim fast do you get? i get the vanilla shakes, the peanut butter granola, and the peanut butter crunch snack bars which are sooooooo good and only have 4 grams of fat in them. my problem before i lost weight was portions. the amount of food on my plate was usually too much. in my opinion, if everyone trying to lose weight cut their portions, the weight will come off much easer. reasonable portions is the key. and, allow yourself a treat like the ice cream or snack bar so you don't pig out one day from deprivation. what flavors did you choose? i'm very flaghtered that you took my advice!!
i am so flaghtered that you took my advice!! i didn't think you would go the slim fast way, good for you! aren't they good? that's why the slim fast diet works for me because i have a major sweet tooth and those bars and shakes eliminates my cravings most of the time. in the morning i'll either have the peanut butter granola slim fast meal bar, or a bowl of cereal called nutritious living which is organic and i buy it at the whole foods store. anyway, an egg could even be a snack, it is a good source of protein especially if you are doing kathy smith's lift weights to lose weight. i have number 1 and 2! lol. anyways, it sounds like you are doing the right thing. i also buy healthy choice packaged dinners and eat those occasionally. they are low in calories and taste great. oh, and the healthy choice icecream is also good. slim fast also has icecream bars which are delicious too. which brands of slim fast do you get? i get the vanilla shakes, the peanut butter granola, and the peanut butter crunch snack bars which are sooooooo good and only have 4 grams of fat in them. my problem before i lost weight was portions. the amount of food on my plate was usually too much. in my opinion, if everyone trying to lose weight cut their portions, the weight will come off much easer. reasonable portions is the key. and, allow yourself a treat like the ice cream or snack bar so you don't pig out one day from deprivation. what flavors did you choose? i'm very flaghtered that you took my advice!!
melanie in mary
05-17-2004, 12:25 PM
hi Jessicca :) Yes, your ideas have been so helpful!! With the Slim Fast I feel like I am not depriving myself of anything. So I don't crave chocolate throughout the day. I agree with everything you say!!!!! Weight loss is not about depriving yourself out of eating..and just knowing you can have a small treat makes things more manageable for me!!!!!!! It was good to hear you say all those things because I feel like I am on the right track!!!!! THANK YOU :wave: You think of things I never would have thought of..like the v8 juice..what a good idea. I wrote everything down. And I feel like this is something I can handle on a daily basis.... I just recently started on the slim fast (as far as everything I have tried so far), I like the rich chocolate royale drinks, and the peanut butter breakfast and lunch bars. There are lots more flavors I want to try as well My only problem at this point is getting enough water in my system. I am not much of a soda drinker or anything I just need to be creative with getting so much water in during the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Any ideas??you have been GREAT!!!! Melanie
Jess75
05-17-2004, 04:27 PM
hi Jessicca :) Yes, your ideas have been so helpful!! With the Slim Fast I feel like I am not depriving myself of anything. So I don't crave chocolate throughout the day. I agree with everything you say!!!!! Weight loss is not about depriving yourself out of eating..and just knowing you can have a small treat makes things more manageable for me!!!!!!! It was good to hear you say all those things because I feel like I am on the right track!!!!! THANK YOU :wave: You think of things I never would have thought of..like the v8 juice..what a good idea. I wrote everything down. And I feel like this is something I can handle on a daily basis.... I just recently started on the slim fast (as far as everything I have tried so far), I like the rich chocolate royale drinks, and the peanut butter breakfast and lunch bars. There are lots more flavors I want to try as well My only problem at this point is getting enough water in my system. I am not much of a soda drinker or anything I just need to be creative with getting so much water in during the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Any ideas??you have been GREAT!!!! Melanie
all i can say is keep a bottle of water around you all day and sip from it. and, the best thing about the slim fast diet is it's healthy, and full of vitamins which gives me alot of energy. the low carb kind makes me real tired. keep me updated about your success!! i know you can do it. remember, when you get hungry, grab a piece of fruit or something low fat right away so you don't pick something else. sometimes i crave something else like something full of carbs (refined) but if i hurry up and pick something lowfat quick, i succeed. i know you can do it. like i said, do alot of sit ups every day to get your abs back in shape cause i had the same problem and now they look good cause i worked hard. i also posted a thread about some more ideas for lowfat snacks, you may want to check it out and get some better ideas. i can always use more. good luck!! :angel:
all i can say is keep a bottle of water around you all day and sip from it. and, the best thing about the slim fast diet is it's healthy, and full of vitamins which gives me alot of energy. the low carb kind makes me real tired. keep me updated about your success!! i know you can do it. remember, when you get hungry, grab a piece of fruit or something low fat right away so you don't pick something else. sometimes i crave something else like something full of carbs (refined) but if i hurry up and pick something lowfat quick, i succeed. i know you can do it. like i said, do alot of sit ups every day to get your abs back in shape cause i had the same problem and now they look good cause i worked hard. i also posted a thread about some more ideas for lowfat snacks, you may want to check it out and get some better ideas. i can always use more. good luck!! :angel: