Does anyone have any experience with effective weight loss programs?

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 01:46:00 -0400

I've currently been struggling with losing weight. I am 10 pounds over but still able to make tape. I'm just trying to slim down as much as I possibly can. I've tried a few diets and took Hydroxy Cut for a while but neither really helped. Does anyone have any experience with weight loss and would be okay with sharing some advice? I'd greatly appreciate it.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2016 1:47 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 01:47:57 -0400

Just a healthy diet and hard work...

Response by COL Lee Flemming made Sep 12 at 2016 3:14 AM

COL Lee Flemming — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 03:14:42 -0400

Try the Insanity workout program...cut the breads / candy / chips and introduce protein and salads naturally.

Response by TSgt Joe C. made Sep 12 at 2016 5:15 AM

TSgt Joe C. — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 05:15:12 -0400

I'm in the same boat..trying to lose weight. I was told to limit your carbs and eats lots of chicken and fish. Working out as well. With the carbs, I've been cutting back on them but I'm also not having many carbs after lunch time. This seems to be helping PFC Private RallyPoint Member

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2016 6:12 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 06:12:06 -0400

It's all about the calories, Working out is not nearly as effective at loosing weight, mostly because it just makes you hungry. Look at the calories for everything you eat and compare it to time running on a treadmill. ~3 calories a minute, so if you drink a 12 oz Mountain Dew that is an entire hour you need to spend running just to compensate for the 170 calories. That means every Oreo cookie you eat is 15 minutes running. It's all about dieting. When you do workout don't eat afterwards, or you just gained more weight than you lost. Hopefully this gives you some mental tools to watch and avoid foods.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Sep 12 at 2016 6:50 AM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 06:50:14 -0400

1) Don't DRINK Calories. They add up fast. A can of soda is 150 calories. Three of them is like drinking an extra meal a day.
2) Reduce salt. You retain water weight.
3) Reduce oils. They're high calorie, low benefit.

You cannot "out exercise your mouth" aka Reducing calories is how you lose weight. Working out is how you build strength & muscle. Don't confuse the two. Working out more will generally trigger a higher hunger response, reducing "weight loss" benefits (not saying it isn't effective, but it's like hitting the gas and the brakes at the same time).

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2016 8:28 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 08:28:27 -0400

Plenty things:
Eat more than 3 meals daily to prevent your body from hitting starvation mode. These should not be huge meals. Eat healthy snacks - ie. nuts.
Get adequate sleep nightly. "Catching up on sleep" during the weekends doesn't work. Less sleep = More stress. Power naps (<60 minutes) mid day help.
Drink plenty water. Use healthy Miyo alternatives to add flavor.
Assuming you're active duty, work out 3 or 4 times a week on your own - some type of resistance training. Building muscle mass improves resting metabolism which indirectly fights body fat. Strength training (less than 10 reps after you've passed the "stabilizer muscles shaking during ever lift" phase) fight fat. HIIT (High intensity interval training), 30/60s / 60/120s for example, are better for fighting fat than long distance running. You could use your vest for added weight on certain exercises (NOT running), for example.
Find or use more of an outlet for relieving stress, excluding the gym. You need variety. Write, build, read, etc.

Work on improving on all factors and weight will be less of an issue. Habit and mindset is the core of fixing the problem.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2016 8:33 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 08:33:17 -0400

Just to get this out of the way, the definition of the word diet is the food and drink that a person or animal regularly consumes. With that being said, the best advise for you is to change your lifestyle overall to make it healthier. Eat foods that a good for you and nutrient dense, not calorie dense. It's already been said before, but you can't outwork a bad diet. Additionally, a combination of resistance training and cardiovascular training, coupled with a good clean diet, does wonders to help weight loss in a steady, safe manner. Little things like taking your dog out for a walk more often, like before PT or after work, for at least 10 minutes a day will help with overall activity levels and calories burnt.

I know the struggle man as I used to be over 380lbs before I joined the Army and I still get subjected to the tape test to this day even though I can outrun most Privates in my company. Every single time I've come close to busting tape, I've always had to re-evaluate myself and my dietary choices. Just think of it this way: putting diesel fuel in a gasoline car gives subpar engine performance, so why should you put crap fuel in to your body/engine?

Response by PO2 Dave Cutsinger made Sep 12 at 2016 8:50 AM

PO2 Dave Cutsinger — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 08:50:56 -0400

As others have said, the key to weight loss has everything to do with what you're eating and much less how you exercise. Find a app that allows you to enter everything you eat as well as your physical activity. I used Livestrong myself, but there are many others. Eventually it just becomes simple math. When you stay under your calorie intake you will lose weight. When you don't, you'll gain.

Also, as had been said, don't drink your calories. Drink plenty of water instead. Not sure if eight glasses is still recommended, but the more you drink the less hungry you'll be. Good luck!

Response by LTC Marc King made Sep 12 at 2016 9:20 AM

LTC Marc King — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 09:20:43 -0400

I'm one of the "Gray Beards" who struggled with weight when in uniform. 27 years in the corporate world did not help with weight control either. Two years ago I made up my mind to lose at least 60 lbs and try to get back to my "fighting weight ". I went on Nutri Systems (seemed to work for Marie Osmond). Today I'm 60 lbs lighter, blood pressure is normal, back and knees don't hurt any more... It may not be for everyone but it worked for me. I also work out everyday at the gym for at least 1 hour and monitor my Fit Bit. It can be done even when your old...

Response by SFC George Smith made Sep 12 at 2016 9:43 AM

SFC George Smith — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 09:43:17 -0400

Simply increase you exercise caloric burn rate and reduce the overall caloric intake
I struggled with it the last 10 years
I found Spending an extra 30 minutes a day exercising ...
( in my case I hated running but loved swimming... I got a Lot of Pool Time...)
and cut Down on the Junk food and The Fast food and kept and ate several packets of Individual sized servings of nuts to kill the appetite and increased water intake...

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2016 9:57 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 09:57:37 -0400

exercise , cut out soda and fast food, eat natural/organic foods , learn portion control and drink water. It worked for me.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2016 10:04 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 10:04:40 -0400

More water intake, less sodas and energy drinks. smaller spoons and forks. smaller plates. a small spoonful of apple cider vinegar in a warm glass of water, chug that 30 mins before you eat breakfast every morning. What this will do is loosen those bowels up a little and help expel all the crap (no pun intended) still stuck in your colon, which will in turn cause weight loss as you no longer hold in your system unneeded and unwanted extra weight.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Sep 12 at 2016 11:19 AM

MCPO Roger Collins — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:19:58 -0400

They ALL work, for a short period of time, then most revert to the activities that got them there in the first place. Unless you have the discipline to make this a life changing effort, it will be unsuccessful. As was stated earlier, when calories in = calories, can hold your weight, that plus exercise and watching the type of food you are consuming will do it. I weigh less today than when I enlisted many moons ago.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2016 12:45 PM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 12:45:41 -0400

I want to take the time to thank everyone for their input. I evaluated my lifestyle and realized where I'm going wrong (i.e: not tracking caloric intake, not eating a 100% clean diet, subpar portion control and a few other minor flaws) and I plan on rectifying the situation that I am currently in. SSG Thomas Livingston, I'll have to try that apple cider vinegar trick in the mornings, thank you. Again, thank you to everyone for their input. I've written all the great ideas that you all have put forth and I plan on making an extreme change in my life.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2016 12:55 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 12:55:12 -0400

Being 10 pounds over the screen table weight doesn't necessarily indicate a problem, as long as your body-fat levels are still where they should be. I would focus on try to keep by body-fat levels below 16%, and ignore weight. I would also advise you to ditch all the quick and easy fixes because they are only going to cause you more grief down the road.

If you have a weight issue at this point, it's because you have a lifestyle issue. Short term fixes are not going to solve that problem... what you need to do is figure out how you can permanently change your lifestyle is such as way as to obtain and maintain the body-fat percentage you need. In some cases it's as simple as simply swearing off harmful foods like sodas and Twinkies. Sometimes that isn't enough though and what you need to do is adapt some new exercise habits in addition to dropping or at least cutting back on the junk food. Also, keep some protein drinks in the fridge and use them when you need to skip a meal so that your not starving and binging later...

Response by Sgt John Steinmeier made Sep 12 at 2016 1:08 PM

Sgt John Steinmeier — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 13:08:19 -0400

Shed 25 lbs since February through changing what I ate and added more exercise. Went from 3 meals a day to 5 meals a day. Smaller portions for each meal. Four of the five meals includes a fresh veg. Small amount of fruit with breakfast and again with 4th meal. Strictly grilled chicken or fish as main protein with either red or black beans as additional and fiber. Texmati brown rice for carb (mixing in some salt free chicken stock makes it palatable). Only drink water now with a small squirt of Crystal Light to kill the taste of the water. Only places I eat out at if I do on the weekends has to serve "fresh" stuff.

Response by SSG Stephan Pendarvis made Sep 12 at 2016 1:33 PM

SSG Stephan Pendarvis — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 13:33:59 -0400

Diet is half the battle.

Response by SFC Dennis D Joy made Sep 12 at 2016 1:42 PM

SFC Dennis D Joy — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 13:42:39 -0400

I struggled the few years I was in. I found it extremely hard to maintain weight even on deployment. It is a major lifestyle change that has to be made and frankly I didn't do all that well with it. After I retired I maintained for a few years but then I ballooned. Lol. Well not so funny but it's a battle. I got as heavy as 332 lbs. I'm currently 280. I had gotten back to 260 but had to have total knee replacement. I'm working out again , I'll have to try harder. Good luck

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Sep 12 at 2016 2:01 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 14:01:30 -0400

That's me, baby.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2016 5:04 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 17:04:35 -0400

Adonis Program. Comes across as one of those 2am sales pitches. Works! After working for several months on the program (exercise AND diet) I lost 30 pounds. Pay for the membership and ask questions. Losing/gaining weight is about several things all working together:
1) Diet - calories in (don't worry about out) and the ratios of calorie types (protein, fats, carbs)
2) Exercise - More with weights, less with "cardio". Surprised the hell out of me!
3) Sleep - reduces stress, allows fat metabolizers to work
4) Stress - the more stress, the more signals the body has to hold onto calories.

http://www.adonisindex.com/

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Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 14 at 2016 6:36 AM

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 06:36:36 -0400

Count calories. Find out how many calories it takes for you to maintain your body weight and then subtract 500 from that. You need to be in at least a 500 caloric deficit to lose weight. Also don't, not eat because if you do that your metabolism will slow down and you won't loose weight. To speed your metabolism up, eat 4 to 6 small meals a day.drink at least a gallon of water (depending on how active you are). This may sound like a lot but it's not.

Response by SFC Joseph Weber made Sep 14 at 2016 7:09 AM

SFC Joseph Weber — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 07:09:38 -0400

Exercise more, eat and drink less crap.

Response by SSgt Paul Esquibel made Sep 15 at 2016 3:39 PM

SSgt Paul Esquibel — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 15:39:13 -0400

Well it all depends on what your going for short term or a lifestyle:

Short term: preparation H and seram wrap the night before you measure your waist, this will get you a better waist measurement. I don't advise doing the sauna/sauna suit unless your on a waiver where you don't have to do the run as your'e going to need that water, but the preparation h underneath some seram wrap around your mid section for the entire night before you test will help pull the moisture out of the skin and tighten it up.

Long term: I would advise you first to educate yourself with the following book "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubs, this will help dissolve allot of the things you have been told over the years to do/not do, mainly counting calories. The author is a scientific journalist and simply provides are the proven/theorized ideas for weight loss and what has been proven and what hasn't.

An Atkins lifestyle is your best bet to sustainable weight loss: For the first two weeks eat "0" carbs, only eat meat and drink allot and I mean allot of water, this is like a shock to your body make sure you take a fiber pill during this time as you will need a supplement of fiber in order to keep from getting constipated because you won't be eating any complex carbs either. After two weeks re-introduce some carbs back into your life, like fruits but stay clear away from wheat, potatoes, corn, etc. Start eating veggies again, anything that is green is a complex carb, meaning your body breaks it down slowly and does not convert it to fat storage, your high fruitose/sugar carbs which is really anything pasta, bread, potato related your body burns quickly for energy and stores as fat. This is a trial and error type of thing, some peoples bodies can handle carbs better than others so it all depends on you monitoring your own health and the affect of such foods. Primarily what your doing is limiting your carbs which your body uses as energy and forcing it to feed off fat in order to provide such energy. Your body will burn the fat vs muscle first until your body fat percent gets roughly below 10%, at that point you begin to eat what we call mixed carbs like sweet potatoes and bread that is low in carbs so that your body does not burn off the hard worked for muscle you put on. Our bodies function better with a higher protein intake, with that being said if you weight is 200lbs you need to eat 200 grams of protein a day in order to maintain, if you want to build more muscle you need to intake 400 grams a day. Now I know that sounds like allot but it's really not. I good protein shake can usually get you about 2-10 carbs with 50-60 grams of protein. Drink 4 of them a day that's: 240 grams, now eat pork, beef, fish, chicken. Chicken, Pork and Beef have the highest amount of protein. Eat about 4 palm sized meals a day on top of your protein shakes. This keeps your body full all the time and reduces cravings. Have one cheat meal a week doesn't matter what it is or how big it won't make a difference after it all it's called a cheat/treat meal for a reason. Maintain this lifestyle as best as you can, you can relax sometimes and go harder on others and maintain/better yourself depending on you specific goals at the time.

Last, don't let anyone tell that just because something has fat in it that your going to get fat, your body doesn't process food that way, your body actually needs fat in order make the metabolic process work effectively. There is zero proof that eating fat makes you fat zero doctors and scientists can't explain it. Like I said read the book, it will open your eyes allot and from there just base your lifestyle off of knowledge. Atkins website has allot of good reciepes so that eating all this protein doesn't become bland and boring.

Response by MAJ Raúl Rovira made Sep 17 at 2016 1:10 AM

MAJ Raúl Rovira — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 01:10:11 -0400

Input and output. If you put it in the body has to process it. And/or you have to work it out.
Also, you are what you eat. Just because the supermarket sells it and it is edible it may not be the best thing to eat. Read the labels, if you don't know the name of the ingredient, get something else.

Response by Cadet CPL Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 28 at 2022 6:36 AM

Cadet CPL Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 06:36:48 -0400

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Response by Direakaw Direakaw made Mar 4 at 2024 8:04 AM

Direakaw Direakaw — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 08:04:12 -0500

If diets and supps like Hydroxy Cut haven't been doing the trick, don't sweat it. Everyone's body is different, so what works for one person might not work for another. Have you tried incorporating more movement into your routine? Even just adding in some daily walks or hitting the gym a few times a week can make a big diff. Also, watch out for sneaky stuff in your diet that might be stalling your progress. And hey, if you're still on the hunt for more tips, I came across https://fitnessown.com/a-deep-dive-into-supernatural-vr-can-it-really-help-you-lose-weight . Might have some extra insights to help you out.

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