I need to lose weight fast, anyone recommend a good diet??

I cruise on Aug 5th 2012 and I NEED to lose some weight before we depart! What is the most effective way/diet to loose the most weight within 2.5 months???

I am looking to lose at LEAST 20 pounds :eek: How can I do it?

Thanks!!!

Any diet that gets you to lose that much in 2.5 months will cause to gain what you lose plus more . Losing weight is a long term project not a short term . I went on a diet last Aug 2011 and lost only 17 lbs. I have to fight to not gain any weight on a cruise .

Are you serious?

And I don't mean this sarcastically...just honestly...because so many people come on this board and look for a quick fix for losing weight quickly before their cruise.

You are looking at over 10 weeks time...and wanting to lose 20 pounds...that's an average of 2 lbs/wk, which, depending on your starting weight is not entirely unreasonable...but leaves NO ROOM for moderation. You will have to be absolutely on target with sensible eating and exercise.

There are some risks involved in losing more than a pound a week...the biggest risk is that your skin elasticity may not be able to keep up with your weight loss. It is possible therefore that you will not actually be able to realize the "look" of weight loss because you will have some more lose and saggy skin in places where your skin couldn't rebound and shrink at the rate that your underlying body shrank...

And depending on what you do with your diet and exercise...it is entirely possible that you will lose lean body weight and not fat...you need to be absolutely careful in walking the line between calorie deficit (diet) and calorie expenditure (exercise) because if you cross the line, your body WILL go into starvation mode...and while you may still be able to lose weight, you will NOT be losing fat...which should be your goal...but instead, your body will do everything it possibly can to store fat in as large a quantity as it possibly can because it thinks that you will eventually NEED these fat reserves when you finally run out of the insufficient food you have been feeding it. You will lose lean body weight, which will result in NO INCHES lost...which may mean that your weight will decrease while your dress size remains the same or INCREASES...because a pound of fat is bigger than a pound of lean body weight.

Depending on your current state of diet and exercise...simply increasing your water intake and doing some body brushing can help you lose excess water weight...which could result in a huge, sudden drop of the scale...thus kick starting your weight loss journey.

Again, depending on your current diet...simple changes could make big results...

Do you drink any alcohol? Do you eat high-sodium foods? Processed foods (everything from canned soup, jarred tomato sauce, frozen food, salsa, pickles, etc.)? Do you eat restaurant food? Diet soda? Do you eat fiber? 30 grams of fiber a DAY?

Even without watching calories...simple changes, like NOT eating restaurant food, prepared foods, alcohol, diet sodas, and getting your recommended daily fiber can help you lose weight that doesn't necessarily have to be permanent weight. Doing this combined with moderate exercise...the kind that will kick in your metabolism, get your body moving...but something that you can SUCCESSFULLY do, consistently, building a routine...not overwhelming...not overly ambitious. Because seriously...an increase in exercise that is too much will just make eating right that much harder...because more exercise generally increases your appetite, making portion control that much more difficult. And also, pursuing something that is too ambitious will work against you...IF you don't succeed, the mental and emotional damage could totally undermine all your efforts...whereas, pursuing something that you CAN do, could only boost your esteem...and these feel good emotions carry over into other areas of your life...helping you pursue and succeed in other small goals that will ultimately add up to big change.

And one AMAZINGLY difficult change to implement is also beyond simple...eat when you hungry...eat slowly...eat purposefully...eat deliberately...and STOP when you are full. Even more than that...STOP when you feel satisfied...even if you COULD EAT MORE...DON'T. Learn to be satisfied, NOT stuffed.

These are the SMALL changes that can make BIG immediate results...depending on the current state of your diet and exercise regimen. And you may be surprised...these changes may not result in the loss of EVERYTHING you wanted to lose...but it could be very close...and this success could actually be the catalyst of the lifestyle change that will ultimately result in greater health and fitness.

EXCELLENT post, Anita Latte :)

Weight watchers (online) + exercise 4+ hrs per week. 20 may be possible, but even half that will make you feel better.

Doable? Yes. Doable without pressure and self sabotage? No. Notice on these boards that many have been on so called "diets" for years and keep losing weight and gaining it back, mostly because they don't make serious life changes. They lose the weight and resume eating the way they used to. You can't do that.

Anita Latte is right. You can't fix a problem that took years to develop over night.

Make small changes to get a sense of control over what you are doing. I mentioned in other posts that I work in behavioral medicine and have worked a lot with doctors and nutritionists.

The best thing is to seriously curtail the eating out and alcohol, and portion sizes. Even if you take everything you like to eat now and eat a proper portion size, that's a huge change. Measure a cup of Spaghetti and see how much that is versus the 3-4 cups your probably eating in one sitting.

Ask yourself: "Yes, I want a cookie now but do I NEED 5 if the serving size is 3"? My favorite: "If this were a bowl of fruit, would I eat the fruit because I am truly hungry?" If the answer is no, then your not really hungry. Another: "I have the rest of my life to eat a McDonald's cheeseburger. Why do I have to have it now?"

Read the labels on foods..seriously..if you saw what was in a McDonald's cheeseburger do you want that crap in your body? Eat whole foods as much as possible. That means you may have to cook, and face scorn by others you cook for. Don't be a people pleaeser with food and worry about upsetting Aunt Edna if you don't eat a piece of her chocolate cake. You can say "No thank you, I'm not hungry right now" instead of going into a big explanation of why your on a diet, and then let someone talk you into it.

Exercise. Eating is only half of the equation. If you cant join a gym, take a walk every day.

Losing the weight is technically easy. Keeping it off long term requires a change to your lifestyle.

To get the weight off for your initial goal, go see a bariatrics physician and they might put you on a special diet that will cause you to lose weight rapidly (don't cheat!).

If your budget is lower, try carb cycling. Google it.

Keep in mind that to maintain your goal long term will require that you will have changed your lifestyle by the time you reach it.

Excellent advice...Anita

I started a new eating lifestyle April 1st..have LOTS of time before my Dec cruise so I know that losing 25lbs will be doable.

Shasta...10lbs for you by the time you cruise is more realistic..but I promise you will FEEL 20lbs lighter and if you work-out you will have more energy and feel stronger.

I've not felt this good in 10yrs!..Have lost @10lbs so far..am never hungry and have not cheated..If you stay within a reasonable calorie goal, increase your fiber etc..you won't even feel hungry.

The myfitnesspal app (or your computer online) is amazing..a great database..and a great motivational tool. Between that and 'publishing' my weight on these boards keeps me going.

Best of luck to you...if you set smaller goals they more easily obtained and you'll keep the weight off.

I set very small work-out goals for my self the first week or two and found myself doing more as time went on...now I add more reps and more exercises to my routine every week because I enjoy it so much and seems so effortless!

Spot on Anita. To the OP, if you are really serious about losing, you have to start with determination. Hungry? Drink water ... lots of water. You will actually start to crave it. Eliminate any added salt, including condiments and dressings. For a few weeks try to eliminate or greatly reduce starches and carbs. Stick to fish, leafy greens and brightly colored veg, then gradually introduce carbs and starches. Egg white omelets with fresh chives and black pepper make for a very filling breakfast. After 2-3 weeks, cravings really change, so if you are determined to live healthy, try to tough out a fairly strict regime for that long. You will start to see and feel changes, and once you get past the initial ( largely psychological) hunger, you will find yourself enjoying cleaner foods. There is no secret recipe; you have to want to make a lifestyle change and be willing to stick with it. If you have this mindset from the getgo, you will start to appreciate "actual" hunger pangs and learn to appreciate small morcels of naughty foods but really want to fuel up on healthier foods. And exercise ... Any way you can. Take the stairs, walk where you can, do jumping jacks while watching tv or cooking supper. Every little bit will help. And in the end, you will gain a much greater appreciation of the food you are eating. You can do it, but it will NOT be easy, and it WILL be a lifestyle journey, way past the weight goal destination. Good luck!

Clean Eating - aka, no processed food, only lean meats, no sugar, no table salt (sea salt is okay).

I recommend Tosca Reno's Just The Rules book which is essentially a Cliffs Notes Version of the Eat Clean program. Processed Foods are loaded with garbage. I started the program in November, and I've lost 35 pounds. Most of that was in spurts, then I would hit a plateau, etc. There are alot more books on the subject, but that one is a quick easy read that gets the key points across without going into extreme detail.

If you're really interested in changing your whole mindset on food, I recommend several documentaries: Food Inc, Fat Sick & Nearly Dead, Food Matters, and Hungry for Change.

Those videos, plus what I've learned about clean eating, was the swift kick in the pants that I needed to change my ways.

Good Luck!

I am on my 3rd week of the Ultimate Reset from Beachbody. I've had a great intro to clean eating, learned tons of new yummy recipes, lost 6 pounds so far, am sleeping better and haven't had to use any allergy medicine since I started! I love it!

I have lost 33lbs since feb.1, I don't drink sweet tea or eats sweets anymore and I drink a gallon of water every day and walk 2-3 miles a day..I use a small plate and do not eat 2nd's...I still eat pretty much what I want (other than the sweets) and I feel real good and I am proud of myself...I can't walk alot at once so I walk 15 min. at a time and walk 3-4 times a day..I lost 20lbs the first month because I use to drink 1/2 gallon of sweet tea a day and eat lots of cakes and candy a day so just cutting this out helped me ALOT!!!! I know when we go on vacation I have got to becareful about what I eat..and walk and walk and walk..good luck:p

Depending on how much you have to lose (heavier people drop weight more quickly because they have more to lose)... 20 pounds is not unreasonable. I have already lost more than that (35 lbs) in the last month by cutting out grains, soda and sugar and stepping up my exercise. I eat small amounts of dairy, lots of veggies and moderate amounts of meat and never feel hungry because I do NOT try to cut calories or eat low fat. Fat keeps you satisfied so you are not hungry and that is the most important factor in my success. I eat healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil and butter and try to eat at least 2000 calories a day.

Interesting point: They are figuring out now that fat is actually good for your heart, it is wheat that causes most heart disease. I am not tolerant of wheat (it makes me sick) so I avoid it like the plague! Wheat, corn and other grains are what you should avoid along with sugar.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/wheat-gluten_b_1274872.html

Here is a great article about the effects that wheat is having on people. It is written by a doctor and includes references for the information. I promise if you cut out sugar and grains, you will drop weight like you cannot imagine! :) Good luck!

Depending on how much you have to lose (heavier people drop weight more quickly because they have more to lose)... 20 pounds is not unreasonable. I have already lost more than that (35 lbs) in the last month by cutting out grains, soda and sugar and stepping up my exercise. I eat small amounts of dairy, lots of veggies and moderate amounts of meat and never feel hungry because I do NOT try to cut calories or eat low fat. Fat keeps you satisfied so you are not hungry and that is the most important factor in my success. I eat healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil and butter and try to eat at least 2000 calories a day.

 

Interesting point: They are figuring out now that fat is actually good for your heart, it is wheat that causes most heart disease. I am not tolerant of wheat (it makes me sick) so I avoid it like the plague! Wheat, corn and other grains are what you should avoid along with sugar.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/wheat-gluten_b_1274872.html

Here is a great article about the effects that wheat is having on people. It is written by a doctor and includes references for the information. I promise if you cut out sugar and grains, you will drop weight like you cannot imagine! :) Good luck!

Refined wheat can be an issue but there are tons of studies that show that whole grains (including wheat) lower the risk of heart disease. I agree with your comment on cutting our sugar and all refined grains should be cut but not whole grains. If you are intolerant of wheat it shouldn't be eaten.

Whole wheat is a lie. Whole or refined, they all affect our bodies and blood sugar the same. Human beings cannot even digest grains unless they are broken down into flour first which tells me we shouldn't eat it. Research is your friend!

Here is a quote from the article I mentioned...

"Here's the downside. Two slices of whole wheat bread now raise your blood sugar more than two tablespoons of table sugar.

There is no difference between whole wheat and white flour here. The biggest scam perpetrated on the unsuspecting public is the inclusion of "whole grains" in many processed foods full of sugar and wheat, giving the food a virtuous glow. The best way to avoid foods that are bad for you is to stay away from foods with health claims on the labels. They are usually hiding something bad.

In people with diabetes, both white and whole grain bread raises blood sugar levels 70 to 120 mg/dl over starting levels. We know that foods with a high glycemic index make people store belly fat, trigger hidden fires of inflammation in the body and give you a fatty liver, leading the whole cascade of obesity, pre-diabetes and diabetes. This problem now affects every other American and is the major driver of nearly all chronic disease and most our health care costs. Diabetes now sucks up one in three Medicare dollars."

Refined wheat can be an issue but there are tons of studies that show that whole grains (including wheat) lower the risk of heart disease. I agree with your comment on cutting our sugar and all refined grains should be cut but not whole grains. If you are intolerant of wheat it shouldn't be eaten.