Most effective ways to loose weight?

red.raven

hi, just wondering what is the most effective way to loose weight, asking upon your own experiences? Has anybody tried the acai berry course of tablets if so did they work, are they worth the money and would you recommend them? i need to loose a stone and a half in a month, is this possible?
i look forward to your replys. thanks again ladies.

Silverfish

Exercise and diet.

And I don't mean dieting, I mean changing the way you eat, permanently.

You can take all the faddy tablets or do all the faddy diets, and sometimes you will lose some weight, but as soon as you stop it'll all go straight back on.

Have a look at the fitness forum, there's a good few threads on this there.

WesternNight

At the risk of sounding glaringly obvious:

Eat less and exercise more.

Also, eat better food and drink lots of water.

It's really not difficult to figure out, surely?

AARRRGH

Don't waste your money on rubbish like acai berry courses.

#1: Improve your diet.
#2: Lift light weights and go jogging three times per week.

There are no shortcuts when it comes to losing weight.

Regarding losing 1.5 stone in a month. This is not possible. However you could lose about a stone a month...

WesternNight

AARRRGH wrote: »

Regarding losing 1.5 stone in a month. This is not possible. However you could lose about a stone a month...

Of course it's possible. Whether it's possible to do it in a healthy way, though, is the question.

AARRRGH

WesternNight wrote: »

Of course it's possible. Whether it's possible to do it in a healthy way, though, is the question.

That goes without saying really...

rannerap

i found the best way to loose weight personally was to become unemployed:P i used to eat junk every day when i worked but as soon as i left the job the weight fell off,im now around a stone lighter.I just walk everywhere to save money and eat better

Aisling!

Hey,

I compete in mixed martial arts and the paleo diet (it's basically, meat veg, nuts and berries, there's loads if you google it) is the diet we use for dropping body fat when coming up to fights, 10kgs in a month is not too extreme and I would recommend this as the most healthy way of doing it, this lifestyle change would be beneficial for you in so many other aspects of your life. That diet along with exercise for an hour 3 times a week and the weight will fall off you.
Hope that helps,
Ais

Jesus Wept

Aisling! wrote: »

10kgs in a month is not too extreme and I would recommend this as the most healthy way of doing it,

It really, really is.
10kg/22lbs in a month?

Lia_lia

Aisling! wrote: »

Hey,
10kgs in a month is not too extreme
Ais

What? That's ridiculous.




I've never intended on losing weight. But anytime I have done it's been due to illegal stuff. So, I don't know. Exercise and healthy eating I guess!

jellie

red.raven wrote: »

hi, just wondering what is the most effective way to loose weight, asking upon your own experiences? Has anybody tried the acai berry course of tablets if so did they work, are they worth the money and would you recommend them? i need to loose a stone and a half in a month, is this possible?
i look forward to your replys. thanks again ladies.

thats 21lbs, 21/4 = 5.5lbs a week.. that cant be good for you. afaik a healthy weight loss rate is 1-2lbs a week.

molli85

really you can loose weight by taking illegal substances, my guess is coke. would you just 'live' off that and lots water for a few days/weeks? it'd be expensive but id do anything to shift a few pounds! has anyone ever done this before? advicccccccccccce........... x

Lia_lia

^ Are you serious? How stupid. No one is going to give advice on that kind of weight loss.

K4t

What is 'loose weight'?

Dudess

red.raven wrote: »

hi, just wondering what is the most effective way to loose weight

Regular intense exercise, healthy low-cal food, limited carbs (and only high-fibre ones - get rid of anything "white"), lots of water, very limited high-cal treats/alcohol.

Has anybody tried the acai berry course of tablets if so did they work, are they worth the money and would you recommend them?

Any kind of tablets for weight-loss - steer clear. There really is only one way - and if you're looking for the most effective one, that's it. All these faddy diets are such bullsh1t. The body is not supposed to be put through that.

i need to loose a stone and a half in a month, is this possible?

Yes, but only through starving oneself. Why do you "need" to lose a stone and a half in a month?

Aisling! wrote: »

10kgs in a month is not too extreme

For one month perhaps (in such exceptional circumstances as, in your case, upcoming fights) - long-term, it's very much too extreme.

Silverfish

K4t wrote: »

What is 'loose weight'?

I have it on my thighs, the bit that wobbles when I run :pac:

Khannie

10KG of fat in a month = roughly 2.5KG a week = doable but ultimately unsustainable. You'd need to produce a calorie deficit of around 2500 calories a day. I don't know if that means anything to you, but to me that means living in horrible horrible pain. Cold hands all the time. Constantly hungry. Wasting away your useful muscle mass.

I wouldn't advocate Paleo either. Too strict IMO (e.g. porridge would be out on a paleo diet).

OP: Why do you need to lose this weight so quickly?

Jules

Molli85 - do not advise using illegal drugs as a way of losing weight, its jsut plain...illegal!

allabouteve

Khannie wrote: »

10KG of fat in a month = roughly 2.5KG a week = doable but ultimately unsustainable. You'd need to produce a calorie deficit of around 2500 calories a day. I don't know if that means anything to you, but to me that means living in horrible horrible pain. Cold hands all the time. Constantly hungry. Wasting away your useful muscle mass.

Does that sort of huge short term loss not bugger up your metabolism?

10KG in a month sounds dangerous, you'd surely be lightheaded and miserable in the attempt too.

Xiney

Jules wrote: »

Molli85 - do not advise using illegal drugs as a way of losing weight, its jsut plain...illegal!

Also, stupid.

Handsome Bob

red.raven wrote: »

hi, just wondering what is the most effective way to loose weight, asking upon your own experiences? Has anybody tried the acai berry course of tablets if so did they work, are they worth the money and would you recommend them? i need to loose a stone and a half in a month, is this possible?
i look forward to your replys. thanks again ladies.

I've shed four stone so I think I can give you a decent insight. The most important thing is that you are doing it for yourself. Not for your Family. Not to impress your Friends. Not for some bloke. For you. If you are doing it for other people you might last a week or maybe two. However you will inevitably become pissed off at some stage when you are starving and feeling like you are not losing anything. You'll resent the people you are trying to lose the weight for and you will buckle. So it is really important that you have the desire and determination to do it for yourself. This way if you hit a brick wall you will be able to motivate yourself with the thought that you are not doing justice to yourself if you throw the good work you've already done out the window.

I'd also suggest taking regular photos to record your progress. Sometimes you'll feel disillusioned because you might think that you are not getting the results you deserve. However if you take regular photos you will be amazed at the progress you've made and that will give you back the desire to keep going.

Finally I'd suggest surrounding yourself with positive people. Sometimes self-absorbed people can be so wrapped up with themselves they can make hurtful throwaway comments that will knock your confidence. Stay away from these people, you have no idea how many times my "freight train" (that's what I called my regime ) has been derailed because of idiots making thoughtless comments.

That's the best advice I can give you, I'm sure other posters can give you much better advice in regards to diet and what to eat. Good luck OP.

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

Khannie wrote: »

10KG of fat in a month = roughly 2.5KG a week = doable but ultimately unsustainable.

:eek: You're a mod on the fitness forum and you think it's possible to lost 2.5kg of fat a week. Impossible. Anything over 2lbs a week after the first week is gonna be muscle.

Khannie

georgiecasey wrote: »

:eek: You're a mod on the fitness forum and you think it's possible to lost 2.5kg of fat a week. Impossible. Anything over 2lbs a week after the first week is gonna be muscle.

It's not possible to lose just fat anyway. I think my point was obvious and I think you're pedanting. Nice that you didn't quote the "wasting away useful muscle mass" part.

allabouteve: Sure would yeah. I wasn't advocating it in the slightest. I obviously didn't emphasise the negatives enough. My own view is that any attempt to remove > 1KG a week in the medium term is no good.

Elliee

Exercise and eat healthy.

idontknowmyname

A stone and a half in a month is insane!
I want to lose the same amount but know it's going to take at least 2-3 months. I'm doing it the safe and healthy eat- eat super healthy but realistically, if I want a small treat I have a small treat. I've also joined a gym on a 3 month trial so fingers crossed.

Handsome Bob

idontknowmyname wrote: »

A stone and a half in a month is insane!
I want to lose the same amount but know it's going to take at least 2-3 months. I'm doing it the safe and healthy eat- eat super healthy but realistically, if I want a small treat I have a small treat. I've also joined a gym on a 3 month trial so fingers crossed.

You'd be surprised. If you are carrying a fair bit of excess weight and you really dedicate yourself to the weight loss regime, then weight can drop quickly. I dropped my first stone in a week and a half.

It's only when you get rid of the ridiculous excess weight then it gets really tough to shift the final stone or two. It's such stubborn fat.

That being said, I can only speak from personal experience.

Healing Dream

Silverfish wrote: »

Exercise and diet.

What he said.

Macha

red.raven wrote: »

hi, just wondering what is the most effective way to loose weight, asking upon your own experiences?

Permanently? No shortcuts:

DIET
1. Eat about 5 meals a day (smaller than your usual meal, of course)
2. Eat lean protein at every meal
3. Eat vegetables/fruit at every meal.
4. Eat carbohydrates only after you exercise
5. Eat good fats (nuts, nut butters, avocado, olive oil)
6. Create a calorie deficit by figuring out your daily needs and subtracting 500 calories

EXERCISE
1. Get lifting some weights (get a gym instructor to show you how)
2. Build up to doing sprint intervals (Swimming, running, rowing, cardio machine)
3. Stretch property after exercise

PSYCHOLOGY
1. Get in a positive frame of mind
2. Surround yourself with supportive people
3. Reward yourself with non-food items
4. Get rid of all treats etc out of your house.

It didn't take you a month to put on the weight, it's going to take more than a month to get rid of it

peepeep

Everybody knows how to lose weight. No disrespect, but put down the chocolate bar and get off the couch. It's simple.

Pythia

It all depends on how much weight you have to lose. A 14 stone woman can lose 1.5 stone quicker than a 9 stone woman can.

Wibbs

peepeep wrote: »

Everybody knows how to lose weight. No disrespect, but put down the chocolate bar and get off the couch. It's simple.

True in theory, but if it was practical as well as true then no one would be overweight.

Weightbearing exercise I personally think is better. I would be of the type that would see the paleo diet and exercise regime as being the one to aim for. The cavewoman angle. Then again what it doesn't take into account is that in the last 6000 years(since the advent of farming as such) we have evolved more as a species genetically than in the proceeding 50,000 years. Most of those adaptations have been in the diet(ability to absorb gluten, lactose, alcohol of all things and a few others). So the caveman diet may not be applicable to may now.

I've done a couple of diet regimes, not for weightloss (as I'm a scrawny git) but more to see the impact on personal health. The paleo diet was hard initially, but I personally felt more energised on it and toned up on it with little extra exercise. Ditto an almost exclusive protein Atkins type diet. I've even tried the CRON longevity diet(high nutrient, very low calorie diet). Again I personally felt good on the diet.

That said that's just me. I know others have tried some of the above and found themselves seriously wanting. IMVHO I do think different diets do not suit all. Not unnaturally depending on our individual makeup. many of my family are coeliacs. I'm not, but bread makes me feel decidely meh. Others have no problem at all.

I would say after all that guff that on the diet front it's down to portion sizes more than anything(IMHO). That and taking those small steps to exercise. The beauty about weight bearing exercises is that they build muscle and muscle tissue burns calories like a bastid, even when it's just sitting there doing nothing. You won't bulk up either, especially as a woman. If it was that easy to bulk up, then bodybuilding blokes wouldn't be looking to "other means" as often.

Hermione*

Pythia wrote: »

It all depends on how much weight you have to lose. A 14 stone woman can lose 1.5 stone quicker than a 9 stone woman can.

Even a 14 stone woman can't lose 21 pounds in a month in a sustainable, healthy way.

O/P, as others have said, eat healthier - more fruit, more vegetables, less processed foods - and exercise more. It's that simple. The trick is to want to lose two pounds more than you want to have a chocolate bar.

Aisling!

The-Rigger wrote: »

It really, really is.
10kg/22lbs in a month?

Not as extreme as I've heard no not at all, professional fighters can cut 10kgs of just water weight by dehydrating in a Sauna, probably not the most healthy for your body but the reality is, it is done

Khannie wrote: »

10KG of fat in a month = roughly 2.5KG a week = doable but ultimately unsustainable. You'd need to produce a calorie deficit of around 2500 calories a day. I don't know if that means anything to you, but to me that means living in horrible horrible pain. Cold hands all the time. Constantly hungry. Wasting away your useful muscle mass.

I wouldn't advocate Paleo either. Too strict IMO (e.g. porridge would be out on a paleo diet).

OP: Why do you need to lose this weight so quickly?

I'm not condoning that kind of weight loss either not for someone who isn't competing or a professional athlete, it ISN'T a great way of doing it long term but it is doable for the short term. If the OP was so desperate to lose weight they'd have given themselves more than a month anyway.

Paleo is strict but weight loss like that isn't going to leave much room for cutting corners.

Paleo is the diet our strength, conditioning and nutrition coach recommends for lowering body fat percentage. It makes sense nothing processed just natural, healthy stuff.

anyway the only reason why I offered this advice is because I'm going to be running my own women's health and fitness classes in September and wanted to see how I could handle queries.

We know hardly anything about the original poster anyway for all we know they could be morbidly obese already consuming an excess of 2,500 calories a day which in that case 10kg would be lost rapidly.

Lia_lia

Aisling! wrote: »

professional fighters can cut 10kgs of just water weight by dehydrating in a Sauna, probably not the most healthy for your body but the reality is, it is done

Wow, 10kgs? Really?

itsallaboutheL

Lia_lia wrote: »

Wow, 10kgs? Really?

30lbs off and then back on in two days if you really wanna talk extreme!!

http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/node/4462


EDIT: Different day same result http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/node/5774

Aisling!

Lia_lia wrote: »

Wow, 10kgs? Really?

Yeah it sounds crazy I know but it is regularly done. American college level wrestling is reknowned for it's competitors cutting very extreme amounts of water weight to make weight before a competition. I believe 10% of your bodyweight is the recommendation for dehydration but in sports when everyone is deperate for the competive edge it can get ridiculous to where people are damaging themselves.

Again I'm not saying it's the right thing to do and probably not a great idea if you want a healthy long life but it is done.

I didn't mean to make this thread over sports related, I was just making the point, extreme to one person is not at all to another who knows/experienced different.

Wibbs hit the nail on the head there too, lifting weights is great exercise even for women, women aren't naturally prone to building muscle so it would take alot of effort for a female to develop large amounts of muscle like a body builder. After you've lifted weights you are still burning alot of calories during recovery, unlike cardio related exercises where you're only really burning calories while you are moving.

Aisling!

itsallaboutheL wrote: »

30lbs off and then back on in two days if you really wanna talk extreme!!

http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/node/4462

I think Thiago Alves cut about 15kg for his last fight in the UFC against George St. Pierre. Very extreme!

I think he walks around about 92kgs and weighed in at 77kg and was most likely back up to 92kgs come fight time.

I was just making the point, 10kgs in a month is not so extreme if you think about 10kgs in a day.

Mr Benevolent

red.raven wrote: »

i need to loose a stone and a half in a month, is this possible?

Not really unless you go in for some very, very high power workouts. Recommended maximum weight loss is 2-3 lbs per week. I've averaged about 1.9lbs loss pw over the last 6 weeks. I've done it by:

1. Cutting way back on the crap I used to eat (bread, biscuits, takeaways, beer, crisps etc). I do allow myself some stuff at the weekends.

2. Walking 5 miles per day every day at a fast pace (for me).

Breakfast (a yoghurt or Readybrek), lunch (a sandwich) and dinner (chicken and potatoes or something) as usual. Two biscuits and a cup of tea at about 9pm. That's it.

Dudess

Aisling, the contexts you're referring to involving such weight-loss don't have any relevance to a non athlete's lifestyle. They're a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Khannie

Dudess wrote: »

Aisling, the contexts you're referring to involving such weight-loss don't have any relevance to a non athlete's lifestyle. They're a means to an end, not an end in itself.

+1 on this. Weight cut for a fight is only lost very temporarily and involves fairly extreme discomfort, especially at the 10KG or above range.

shivvyban

When I was in weightwatchers last year I hit that point where nothing was coming off because I'd changed my diet and hit my exercise limit, so I tried those Go-Cal tablets. I thought these were really good. They're herbal, which I liked. When I was taking them (with the healthy food and exercise) I lost 5 pounds in a week and 2 per week after that. (if you try them don't leave them in your mouth too long before swallowing them, taste SOOOOOOO foul!).

Then again, thats all great in the short term... when I stopped taking them, my weight-loss also stopped. The weight only began to creep up again when I left WW.

badolepuddytat

Hi op, I'd advise you to take it easier on yourself and give your body a respectful and reasonable amount of time to get in the shape you want to be in. If you don't already exercise, starting off an appropriate programme will make you feel much more positive in yourself and in a month and a half you'll be much happier with your body.

I've used the website sparkpeople.com with good success in the past, you input your weight and other details and it suggests a diet for you to follow to achieve weight goals. It's free and has a nutritional and fitness tracker so if at first your goal is to lose weight and you're starting at a very low level of fitness, that's what it starts at. You then may change your goal to toning up and the exercises recommended change appropriately. I found the breakdown of foods you eat into nutrients was great to ensure that I was eating the right balance of foods and the way you get reminded to do cardio/shake up your regime in order to achieve your goals.

The only drawback is that it's american so all of the premade stuff is american but you can input a food and fill in the nutritional info on it. Same goes for any homemade foods you eat, just input the base ingredients and it'll work out how much carbs, fats, minerals etc is in each portion. Because of that initial inputting it can be a bit time consuming at first but soon you'd fly through inputting your days food and exercise input. I like that it has a more holistic approach to weight goals and the forums are quite supportive too. Good luck and hope this helps.

Aisling!

Dudess wrote: »

Aisling, the contexts you're referring to involving such weight-loss don't have any relevance to a non athlete's lifestyle. They're a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Sorry my bad

Dragan

AARRRGH wrote: »

Regarding losing 1.5 stone in a month. This is not possible. However you could lose about a stone a month...

I lost 27lbs in about 8 weeks once. You can do a lot if you put your mind to it.

OP, yes, you can lose about a stone and a half in a month and a half if you really try. To make a big physical difference in a short space of time you really need to focus on it as your priority, not expect it to happen just because you want it to.

Anybody , male or female, that i have seen make a hugely impressive physical transformation in a short space of time was genuinely busting a nut ( or an ovary ) every day at it. Food was always on target, gym session were gruesome and gruelling.

I think that is the main thing people make a mistake about...the gym. The people who make the big differences go through hell in the gym, going far beyond the point of discomfort to genuinely push themselves.

Basically, if you are willing to suffer for your cause, you can do it.

Snowie

Lia_lia wrote: »

Wow, 10kgs? Really?

Apparently I've no evidence to back this theory up.

But i have heard that kayakers doing the Liffy decent can loose up to 2 stone in water doing that race. I'm not sure if it is true but something I have heard.

ztoical

Dragan wrote: »

Basically, if you are willing to suffer for your cause, you can do it.

and the second you stop you risk putting it all back on again. There's little point in killing yourself for month or two if you don't make lasting changes to your lifestyle. You can't keep up with the intense workouts forever, unless you make it your full time job. Look at all the people off shows like the biggest loser, they are put through hard workouts and controlled eating for two months and take loads of weight off but once the cameras are gone nearly all of them put the weight back on and then some. Its more dangerous for your health to yoyo up and down, your putting alot of strain on your body. Most people take years to put weight on so it's not smart to try and take that weight off in a short time. Make lasting positive changes to your lifestyle, walk to the shops rather then drive, eat smaller meals, cut out extra snacking, cut back on alcoholic drinks - you'd be amazed how the little changes will make the bigger impact in the long run.

And OP if your just crash dieting to fit into a dress or something, just go to a tailor and have it altered, and think long term about your health.

rantyface

molli85 wrote: »

really you can loose weight by taking illegal substances, my guess is coke. would you just 'live' off that and lots water for a few days/weeks? it'd be expensive but id do anything to shift a few pounds! has anyone ever done this before? advicccccccccccce........... x

If you have enough money to do coke- get a personal trainer!

Anyway, you'll be surprised. You might be delighted with your results after only a stone weight loss, it could bring up your confidence and you could do it healthily. A stone can make a big difference.

Dragan

ztoical wrote: »

and the second you stop you risk putting it all back on again.

Who said anything about stopping?

All i am talking about it eating right and true effort in the gym, nothing special.

ztoical

Dragan wrote: »

Who said anything about stopping?

All i am talking about it eating right and true effort in the gym, nothing special.

The people who make the big differences go through hell in the gym, going far beyond the point of discomfort to genuinely push themselves.

I would call that special....we're taking about losing a stone in a month, which people can argue back on forth on wither it is doable or not but the fact is the effort needed to lose that much in a month is alot, esp if your going from nothing activity wise to full force, and most people aren't going to keep that amount of effort up forever. Someone with sense would put in the big effort but have a sensible plan after to maintain their weight, but most don't, most go mad, take off loads of weight then think woohoo I've done it and go back to their old habbits.

Macha

Dragan wrote: »

Who said anything about stopping?

Heh...Grr where's my teamtest evil face smiley!!

Dragan wrote: »

All i am talking about it eating right and true effort in the gym, nothing special.

So true. If you don't leave the gym feeling like your arms or legs are going to fall off or red in the face from cardio, you're doing it wrong:

beks101

taconnol wrote: »

If you don't leave the gym feeling like your arms or legs are going to fall off or red in the face from cardio, you're doing it wrong:

I don't know about that. I've lost weight in the past that way, working out frenzies in the gym, crashed out with injuries and gained it all back.

I think the key is consistency. Having the patience to eat all the good stuff and little-to-none of the bad stuff on a regular basis, combined with regular exercise, without giving up when you step on a scale and it doesn't give you what you want to see.

I've been dieting and over-exercising for years but gave it up a few months back and decided to ease up on myself, and I've lost nearly two stone this way. I wasn't even that big to start with, but dropping the extremes in behaviour is the trick for me. I don't feel the way I did in the past, when I lost bucketloads of weight virtually overnight - like it was only a matter of time before it all came crawling back on, and panicked when I couldn't make a gym session or ate a few pieces of chocolate. Life's too short for that.

Quit the fad diets and the pipe dreams about overnight weight loss. You're not an athlete or a celebrity so as fanciful as the notion is, you don't need to do that to your body. Accept that it's a long term thing and you'll have to ditch the sofa for a few evening runs, and the chips for vegetables. Then you'll start seeing changes and they might actually last.