What's the best way to lose 5 pounds?

I did a little extra eating over the holidays and I now weigh about 5 pounds more than I'd like to. I never see discussions about losing those couple of stubborn pounds. I don't think I need to embark on something complicated like Weight Watchers or anything, I'm just looking for some easy and quick tips.

BTW, I am already drinking a gallon of water a day and I do yoga.

Ride the Snake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pzuEg6NjYU

Put Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell together, even on SNL, and you get something funny.

:eyes: :D

:hi:

But the increased veggies is probably an excellent suggestion. I never eat enough vegetables. I really need to eat something other than salad though - I'm never in the mood for it in the winter. And I'm not a big vegetable cooker. I probably have some recipes somewhere...

My Dr. told me to double my veggie intake (easy, since my intake is pretty much non existant) and to add a power walk every other day.

Believe me, it'll do something. :) I've never sweated so much in my whole life!

Broc/asparagus/potatoes/cauliflower/brussel sprouts and tossing them with a little olive oil and salt and pepper is my favorite way to eat them.

Also, you could get some cut veggies and eat them with hummus or plain as snacks.

I could live on veggies alone.

for tartness...

If so, try a colonic. There's about 5 lbs of undigested meat in your intestinal tract.

And where do you get them performed?

if you decide to think about maybe trying it :)

You can DIY with some over the counter products your pharmacist can tell you about. Just clear your schedule for about 36 hours LOL.

Oh! Right. Ew. And LOL! Thanks.

Well, that's my favorite way of exercising anyway

I've never been a fan of biking. :shrug:

Find a trail that offers great scenery and you'll be hooked, like the New River Trail in southern Virginia



ps: With the right outfit you can stay reasonably warm even when it's freezing outside

that just happens to be basically in my backyard? http://www.fairmountpark.org/

Yeah, I should probably take advantage of that, huh? ;-)

My city has about 10 miles of trails. I have to drive 80 minutes to get to the New River so I can only do it occasionally

Yes, get out there and take advantage of it

I can't stand the harsh wind in my face and it wreaks havoc on my skin. Do they have some sort of space-age polymer item now that acts as a ski mask but isn't as annoying?

I live in NC where the temps never get too bad and I don't have sensitive skin. I'm sure they have new products that keep your face warm but don't annoy. I have ear muffs designed for biking that don't interfere with your hearing so I'm sure some smart person has figured out face protection.

:7

:D :spank:

Jump rope, jog, walk, ride a bike, go up and down stairs - whatever you have available. Jumping jacks work too.

A gallon of water shouldn't be necessary - half that should be sufficient.

I started back to the gym this week. The cardio is killing me...but I feel much much better. :)

but yeah, it works. I love the ellipticals - no knee stress, and I sweat like a pig!

I have an elliptical (and I do love it!) and you could come over to use it.

I wish we could do that. :)

stairmills

and sweating like a pig means you are working hard enough to lose weight!

5 lbs should be no trick to lose, keeping it off is harder.

too high. I should do stairs, but oh, how I hate it! I want an elliptical machine, but in my studio apartment, I'd have to remove the bed to make it fit! Heh. My knees are crappy from running cross country in high school so I don't run much anymore. Perhaps I'll join a gym...blergh. Thanks. :hi:

It worked for me!

j/k (well I'm not, but I'm not advocating going that route. lol)

I think several small low fat and healthy meals throughout the day is the way to go. That way you are never hungry but your calorie/fat intake isn't any greater (or better yet a bit less). More exercises is good, but remember muscle weighs more than fat so can be deceiving. I love Pilates.

Good luck! I personally don't think you need to lose a pound. :hug:

12 pounds in 2 weeks. Not really a good way to go. :)

I've been trying to find healthy things to snack on at work, since I'm here all day. Today I brought some pistachios. Better than Tasykakes, right? :D

Thanks for the encouragement. :hug:

I run five days a week. That in itself won't reduce my weight. What helps is to avoid fast food and if I can help it, junk food and pop.

If you need to take it a step further:
wheat vs. white bread
skim vs. whole milk
bran cereal vs. "Sugar Bombs"

Not sure how many calories yoga burns. I would say 30 minutes of walking >= 3 days is adequate.

I already drink skim milk. The cereal is another story. :D I like my sugary cereal - not like Cap'n Crunch, but Cinammon Life is so yummy!

I think I need to eat less dairy. I eat a lot of cheese and sour cream. But what's life without cheese and sour cream?? :cry:

Is my treat to myself whenever I need a respite from bran cereal. (Keep in mind even that stuff like that has sugar).

I know of no substitute for cheese, however.

Just do whatever you did before, because that seems work very, very well.

:blush:

You're a sweetheart. :hug: Thanks.

:evilgrin:

other than that, your plan is fine. It just may not be as fast as you want.

"Help! There's a man dressed in a Ren Faire costume with a surgical scar chasing me around my neighborhood!" :D

Never seen anyone like that. :shrug:


:rofl:

Act normally EXCEPT:

Only eat fresh fruit throughout the day and eat a normal dinner every night. You should lose it in a week or two.

No breakfast, no lunch. Just keep a bunch of bananas, oranges, blueberries, grapes, etc. around and snack on them continuously throughout the day.

I used to do this every spring to take off winter/holiday weight; now I live in NYC and walk everywhere so I don't really need to anymore -- but the principle is still the same.

I like this! I might try this. Thanks a lot!

If you try it, I hope it works out (no pun intended).

I've been a fan ever since the first time I tried it. You don't have to starve yourself, it's not unpleasant or rough on the system, and it has also had the unintended consequence of generally increasing my consumption of fresh fruit.

There's a simple formula that allowed me to lose about 75 pounds when I was younger. I have since gained it back, but only because I stopped doing what I'm going to recommend to you and strated drinking beer again frequently. :)

If you burn more calories than you take in, you WILL lose weight. Unless there's some medical issue I'm unaware of, this will work for everyone. It's a mathematical certainty. And I'm not trying to be a smart ass either.

The average recommended caloric intake is something like 2000-2200 calories per day, I think. I would eat 3 meals per day, and not snack. Each meal, I would try to keep at 500 or fewer calories each. In order to be able to eat more, I would usually drink water or calorie free soft drinks. Plus, I would work out (either by swimming, jogging, or playing basketball at the YMCA) for at least 40 minutes per day trying to achieve a stable heart rate of about 150-160 the whole time.

So the short answer to your question would be watch what you eat and exercise.

You should be able to drop 5 pounds within a week or two.

I know you're right, of course. :) It's just so...NOT SEXY. LOL! Thanks for the info.

...a sexy way. :) Try anorexia or bulimia, then. Those seem rather popular these days. ;)

Kidding, of course.

No, I mean more like the fruit diet above. Something frivolous and weird that will still work. Counting calories is SO...practical. Reasonable. Sane. :D

Now its sexy!

:D


ps: this method allowed me to loose 15 lbs last year

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Thanks! :hi:

want to lose 10 ugly lb?

cut off your head


:crazy: :silly: :wtf:

Wow, haven't seen you around in ages. Great to see ya! :hi:

XO, janesez (aka catpower2000)

I had no idea you were catpower2000:loveya:

:loveya: too!

You risk an electrolyte imbalance.

I've drunk a gallon of water/day whenever I'm dieting for years now. :shrug: It really helps take the weight off, and I've never had trouble with it. What are the symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance?

bad carbs (sugar, especially)! You look so slender and fit in the pics you've posted, so I'm sure you live a pretty healthy nutritional lifestyle to begin with. I'm not talking about any kind of Atkins-type crap, where you remove every last carb...that's a ridiculous way to live. You need the carbs to manitain a decent energy level, and just make sure they're good ones. I eat whole-grain bread all of the time, eat fruits and vegetables, Triscuit crackers, and have cut out the chips in favor of nuts as a snack food. I even bought some whole-grain Eggo waffles to make this amazing breakfast dish I saw prepared on Bravo's Top Chef. I don't consider myself anywhere near the paragon of nutrition perfection, but the little changes I've made over the last few years really have made me feel better physically...

I love waffles!

I know you're right. It was over the holidays that killed me. All that rich food, desserts, etc...it's not the way I normally eat. A couple of years ago, it would have fallen right off after I resumed eating the normal way, but at 34, it doesn't seem to pop right off the way it used to! Thanks. :hi:

http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef_2/recipes/episode_7/elim/elia.shtml

I made two of them as a brunch/lunch dish last Sunday, and had the same meal for dinner a couple of nights ago! I couldn't find coppa ham, and used prosciutto as a substitute...worked great!

It's easy to gain that extra little bit in that 3-4 week period leading up and through the holidays...how can you not, just hanging out with friends and family, and perhaps the worst part of all, looking at all the treats that are brought into work. Even the most disciplined eaters must faind it hard to resist that kind of temptation. I totally hear you on the age thing. Through high school and college, I ate like a pig and never put any kind of weight on, either fat or muscle. I was nearly 6' tall in high school (eventually ending up at 6'1") and weighed in the mid-130s. Started to put on a little bit in college and approached 150, but still looked very skinny. It wasn't until I passed age 30 that I started to put on weight, and I wasn't pleased with how I looked. Began exercising, and then started lifting weights in my late 30s, which is when I finally got serious about the way I ate. I weigh around 175 and still wear the same waist size pants that I wore in my early 20s, so I figure I'm doing something right! :hi:

I love, love prosciutto so I won't mind substituting that, for sure. :D

Oh, the work treats are the KILLER. "I made pound cake!" "I made iced cookies!" "I made fudge!" AAARGH!!!!!!!!!! :D

You're definitely doing something right, it sounds like you're extremely fit! You're at the age where most guys really let themselves go, so you should be very proud of yourself! :hi:

:blush: ...it probably helps that I live on my own, with no kids to worry about (except for a new fur-kid I just adopted, but that's another story), and that allows me to be a bit self-absorbed and narcissistic, I guess, about my health and fitness. I can't imagine going back to my old, lazy ways, no matter mow much my life circumstances may change in the future, as long as I'm physically capable of exercising. :hi:

Edit: DREADED DUPLICATE POST!!

:D

:blush: :D

and after you dish your food onto your plate, immediately scrape 1/4 of it back into the pan.

Thanks! :hi:

rice, bread, pasta, rolls, bagels etc. If you must eat carbs get some sprouted grain breads sucsh as Ezekail bread or manna bread, and leave it at that . Sugar is in non-diet sodas of course.
It's no that hard and perhaps you'll get used to eating that way, which is a way better way to live.

If I am truly honest with myself about what I eat and what works for me, making sure to control portion size is the easiest way to go. A meat portion is, for example, the size of a deck of cards...I know most portions of meat I am served are way bigger than that and have a lot of hidden calories in them! I also try to find other ways to manage stress without snacking.

I heard this good line somewhere that I repeat to myself when slipping -- "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips!" If it takes so much work, time and thought to burn off food, when choosing my "fuel" I try to make sure it's something I would really enjoy eating vs. an impulse. Mindful eating matters. Don't snack while surfing the internet, watching TV, or otherwise distracted. Carbs aren't all bad, but they are not filling and you can eat a lot of calories without trying. I eat whole grain carbs now.

I now buy more fresh produce that I enjoy eating with little prep time (baby carrots, sliced red bell pepper slices, mushrooms, grapes) I bank on my laziness re: grocery shopping by simply making junk foods unavailable. I may now eat fast food once a month, and only if a social gathering. I also no longer drink diet beverages of any kind and only drink water. After doing it for 6 weeks, my body feels so clean and my remaining flab is a lot less lumpy.

I make myself work out at least 30 mins 3x a week. Calisthenics, resistance training, cardio, brisk walks, all alternating. Sometimes I wish I could do more but it seems a busy life creeps in, and it's good I have any routine at all, truthfully.

Good luck!

seriously. this has worked for me twice. I now do it a few times a year just to detox. health stores should have kits. I have used a two-week kit. Whole Body Cleanse is the name.

I mean, can I still go to work and everything? Will I have...accidents? I really want to try this, but I'm a bit concerned about my public decency. :)

or even near accidents. but I'm not a doctor and I can't say whether or not you will.:-)

and even if you don't lose weight, it's still nice to detox every now and then, imo.:hi:

:shrug:

:D