Quick weight loss ideas?

[fearless]

I cruise in 3 weeks and had all intentions of getting a few extra pounds off before now. :( I usually start eating right and exercising well months before my cruise, but, instead, life has been rather hectic for the past 2 months with family illnesses, work, etc., and I haven't had the time to exercise or the ability to stick with good eating habits. So, are there any quick-fix ways to drop a few pounds before my cruise? :D

[bUU]

The best knowledge available indicates you're likely to be better off not aiming to lose weight over a short period of time, as it tends to catabolize lean-body mass, depressing metabolism long-term, and therefore resulting in a higher tendency towards obesity, even if not obese prior to losing the weight.

 

A better approach, perhaps, is to start now with a long-term health improvement effort, that includes a bit of a break, if you wish, during your cruise (or, if you get into it as much as my wife and I do, perhaps you decide that improving your health is more important than excessing during the cruise, and instead use the cruise as an opportunity to press your health improvement effort a bit further, such as by taking advantage of a training at the gym on-board, or focusing on more active excursions at ports-of-call).

 

(Just a note: While losing weight over a short period of time is found to be harmful, losing weight quickly is not. Confusing, I know. The difference is basically a matter of how much you have to lose to get to a healthy weight. Losing 30 pounds in two months is leaning towards problematic, while losing 90 pounds in six months, under the proper circumstances, is not. Healthy weight-loss "speed," so-to-speak, is closely related to how much you need to lose to be healthy: While you are more obese, there are healthy ways to lose weight quicker. Once you go from "obese" to simply "overweight" the weight-loss "speed" must necessarily decrease, in order for the weight-loss to be healthy, and have a greater likelihood of being beneficial long-term. I can go on for hours on the subject if anyone is interested. :) )

[slavearlen]

Where were you all these months ...???? We cruise in October on AOS. This is our eight cruise. By "our" I mean there are 5 of us ladies, all single, working like crazy since December, 2003 to be Jennifer Lopez!! We started with the Atkins Diet, everyone had immediate success with that except me. So, looking at the calendar I went back to what I've always known and what works. Low-fat! I had a goal to lose 30 pounds! We were all pretty much on the same page as far as that goes. Since the first of the year I have lost 24 pounds, 5.5 in the hips, 4.5 in the waist, and so on. Of course the ideal thing to do is not gain it back so we don't have to stress of this issue everytime. Clothes are a huge part of this for us! Formal wear is carefully picked and fitted, more work than you can imagine.

 

Through all these months we have done research on working out on the internet and talk to just about anyone who would talk to us. To hear to, you could have been helpful. We're all pretty much in our programs. The weight loss for me is the remaining 10-15 pounds, ideally, I'd like to lose.

 

Dieting alone does not work, exercising is very important. As for losing weight in 3 weeks, ugh! That is hard! Bicker is right, just start eating healthy and take it slow. When we board the ships we watch our food carefully for fear of coming home with extra 10 pounds on us. Of course, we then gain that and more afterwards at home .... go figure!!!

[bUU]

Where were you all these months ...????

Appearing on Good Morning America, for starters. :D

Through all these months we have done research on working out on the internet and talk to just about anyone who would talk to us. To hear to, you could have been helpful.

Sorry! It took my wife this long to convince me that taking a cruise was something we wanted to do. :)

We're all pretty much in our programs. The weight loss for me is the remaining 10-15 pounds, ideally, I'd like to lose.

And, of course, the last 10-15 pounds is the hardest. What's worse, having gained back about that much myself over a few years, I know I have to go back through the process of losing those last 10-15 pounds again -- in other words doing the hard part again -- the hard 10-15 pounds , not the easy 90 pounds! :o

Dieting alone does not work, exercising is very important.

No question. My maintenance tracks my exercise compliance, 100%.

[BuilderMan]

bicker - Your post was fascinating! Yes, please go on and educate us on how to lose this weight in a healthy, permanent way! My DH & I decided in February to start eating the right foods (occassional treats like cruising!) and get on the right track with diet and exercise. I feel we have both been very successful (DH 35 lbs, me 20 lbs) and are now looking very fit and lean for the first time since our early 30's! :D

 

Both my SIL's are in town for the weekend. The youngest was on Atkins, then off and now back on. She has about 50 more pounds to lose. The older SIL was on Atkins, went off and is still off. IMHO she needs to lose about 100 pounds. Both we amazed at how we looked which allowed us to open the conversation on diet and exercise.

 

What advice would you give them to keep them motivated?

 

Lynn

 

PS - You're going to love cruising!! :D

[ElaineB2]

Bicker - Are you serious when you said you have been "appearing on Good Morning America for starters"?

 

What do you do for a living?

[bUU]

Bicker - Are you serious when you said you have been "appearing on Good Morning America for starters"?

It was a bit of a joke. I did appear on Good Morning America, along with my wife. Together we have lost over 160 pounds and kept almost all of it off for over two years. We were interviewed along with 10 other members of the National Weight Control Registry by Dr. Tim Johnson. The joke is, while we were interviewed for about two hours, as you can well imagine, the interview was snipped down to four minutes. I started off the segment saying, "I lost 100 pounds," and my wife was mid-way through the segment, with one or two sentences about what was our inspiration. It was fun, though, and nice to have that 15 minutes of fame.

What do you do for a living?

I'm a software systems architect. :cool:

[bUU]

bicker - Your post was fascinating! Yes, please go on and educate us on how to lose this weight in a healthy, permanent way!

Probably the most important thing to keep in mind is that there isn't just one way.

 

My journey is outlined on my web page, along with a picture of the group of us interviewed on Good Morning America: http://brianandrobbie.com/hmr/

My DH & I decided in February to start eating the right foods (occassional treats like cruising!) and get on the right track with diet and exercise. I feel we have both been very successful (DH 35 lbs, me 20 lbs) and are now looking very fit and lean for the first time since our early 30's! :D

And don't underestimate the power of vanity! :) I love the way I look now, not just how much healthier I am, and I use that as inspiration and reward, and here's the big news: There is nothing wrong with that! :p

What advice would you give them to keep them motivated?

Motivation must come from within. Externally-generated motivation sometimes backfires, but more importantly if motivation is externally-generated, and goes away, where does that leave you? The best thing anyone can do to help someone else with a weight problem is to model healthy behaviors.

[slavearlen]

I pulled up your website and I have to tell you how much respect I have for people who have taken control of their lives in this manner. When I try to lose 30-40 pounds and realize just how difficult that can be, then I see someone like yourself and your wife, who have lost over 100 pounds, you get my respect. That is tough. The discipline that this requires is incredible. It does help tremendously when you have a partner on the same page.

 

Great teamwork Mr. & Mrs. Bicker!!! You look wonderful!!!

[Planetsis]

As "Mrs. Bicker", I thank you for your comments. What keeps me motivated is I simply do not want to be fat again. I really, really enjoy my slimmer body and I'll do anything it takes to keep it healthy and slim. That means making exercise a priority, even when I don't want to, and eating healthy always.

 

That doesn't mean that I don't get to have a few slices of pizza now and again. I simply have to walk 8 miles to earn it. I play games like that with exercise and food to balance the calories. Another thing that helps is that I feel so much better than I did weighing 60 lbs. more. That is an inspiration in itself.

 

I now look forward to exercising because I can. :rolleyes:

[BuilderMan]

"Mrs. Bicker" - Those are my thoughts (and my husband's too) exactly! It's almost as if you read our minds! We both like the way we look now after losing the weight, but even more so, we like the way we feel! We have more energy and stamina, my DH's blood pressure is down and we overall just have a better outlook.

 

Congratulations to you and your husband! You both look great!

 

Lynn