What's the fastest (and healthiest) way to lose weight?

[Rattlesnake]

I went running today, weighed myself afterwards, and noticed I gained 10 pounds in the last month (yikes.) I heard running was the best way to lose weight, but I hate running. Is there an easier and faster way to lose weight or do I need to keep my running shoes on?

The main thing I need to do is ditch the pop. I drink six cans on average per day of Mountain Dew.

[CO Liberal]

1. Six Cans of Mountain Dew Per Day....

...at 150 calories per can equals 900 extra calories.

Switch to Diet Mountain Dew. I switched to diet soda a few months ago to help keep my cholesterol down. After a few days, I didn't even notice the aftertaste of the sweetener.

[Rattlesnake]

2. 900 extra calories...

and on top of that I eat a lot of sh!t food. I probably eat on average 3200-3500 calories per day. Yikes!

[TXlib]

3. Go to the gym, and use the elliptical machine

I can burn 1000 calories in an hour on one of those.

[Rattlesnake]

5. Really? We have those here...

I should probably jump on one of those. I'm sure it's much easier than running too.

[7th_Sephiroth]

23. try atkins, i lost 60lbs in 3 months

seriously

[Lostmessage]

4. Walking is the best way

When I was a kid I walked 50 pounds off and I didn't even diet. You don't have to swing your arms like a nut either. All you have to do it walk at your own pace. Go to your local mall and walk walk walk.

[WealthAndDemocracy]

6. I think it's 3500 calories to a pound isn't it?

You could drop a couple pounds a week just by switching to Diet Mountain Dew. Keep running and there's a few more pounds a week. A diet too and even more pounds. Depends on how much weight you want to lose in how much time.

[Rattlesnake]

8. I want to lose 40 pounds actually...

by about July. Is that possible?

I'm definitely going to ditch the pop. Thanks for the heads up!

[Tripper11]

11. I lost 70 in 4 months...

mind you I was on unemployment at the time.
But what I did do was cooked out of a diabetic cookbook..great all natural food, light on calories and sugars, and you can barely eat what you take on your plate.
I would work out in the morning, mostly cardio stuff, with light weights, and then I would go back in the evening for more cardio stuff only. I would do weights every other day, but the key for me then was the cardio, get that heart rate up! I also got into squash(the racquet sport, not the veggie) big time and boy talk about a calorie burning activity, especially if you play someone better then you and are somewhat competitive!
Also walking is about one of the best low impact but positive things you can do. Great calorie burner as well.
Oh, and water water water...drink til you sink!!!

Good luck I am starting up my own program as well.

Edited to add : I maintained that weight loss for over 10 years. Then I got married with children and wooops! Being a stay at home Dad eating bon bon's watching my stories caught up with me. :evilgrin:

[WealthAndDemocracy]

15. Sure, you could do that by losing just a couple pounds a week

[no_arbusto]

7. 6 cans of Mountain Dew is around 700 calories!

That IS the main thing. When I quit drinking pop and beer, I dropped about 5 pounds in one month with rigorous exercise. That same month, I went on a modified Atkins diet (gluten free due to a medical condition). I went from 190 (overweight for me) to 155 (underweight for me) in about 3 months.

Also, gaining weight is not always bad. I usually gain about 10 pounds of muscle when I first start working out again after a long break. Are you a male or female?

[Rattlesnake]

9. 150 * 6 = 900.

There is about 150 calories in a can of Mountain Dew. On top of that, each can has 46 grams of sugar...and that converts to fat eventually.

[no_arbusto]

13. That's why labels are deceiving.

Mountain Dew has 110 calories per 8 oz.

I just assumed that was for 12 oz. Just cutting the 6 pack out daily will help a alot. I'm no dietician, so I can't give you specifics. Also, I don't recommend switching to diet pop because of the chemicals. There is also the whole Rumsfeld/Aspartame thing http://www.rense.com/general33/legal.htm

[Rattlesnake]

17. Not only that...

I have a history of diabetes in my family. Gives me all the more incentive to quit the pop.

On top of that, I heard that yellow #5 found in Mt. Dew shrinks a mans balls. I don't want that to happen to me.

[Kanary]

19. With a history of diabetes,

I would definitely suggest you start on the Atkins plan, as it will get you started on how to eat right the rest o your life to avoid diabetes, which would certainly put a large crimp in your life.

By following the Atkins plan, you will not only lose weight rather quickly, but you will learn the glycemic index of foods, which is very important to know to avoid diabetes.

I hope you will consider this. It isn't that hard, and it sounds like your health may depend on it.

Good luck!

Kanary

[crimson333]

22. well according to the 12 oz can in front of me of Mt. Dew

1 can has 170 calories

so you are drinking 6*170=1020 a day

just to make you feel better :)

[peacebuzzard]

12. beer is certainly fattening.....

I gained so much during Iraq war drinking Corona Lights.

[peacebuzzard]

10. it hurts...but I quit eating so much....

I have coffee only in the morning with a small cup of yogurt and then I starve myself until I can not stand it and then eat as little as possible as healthy as possible. But very very little. I have successfully lost 7 lbs in a month. I am hungry now but I have lost my gut this month and it is worth it. (I am drinking some wine now, tho)

[Venomous_Rhetoric]

14. Calories

come in different forms.
there are "good" calories, and "empty worthless" calories, like pop and beer.
It's much harder to get rid of calories that your body won't burn than it is for your body to burn good healthy calories.
If your very active, and you eat good food most of the time, you can eat alot, and still stay slim.
If you eat alot of junk, then your body just won't burn it, it will burn the good stuff first. that's why your hungry, active, but not loosing wieght. Add more good stuff, and cut down on the bad stuff.
That doesn't mean you can't have "bad" stuff, just fill up on good stuff first. have bad stuff for desert, like fresh stawberries, strawberry syrop, a banana, and real good creamy ice cream, a home-made sundae. Thats good "bad" food.

[corporatewhore]

16. ilost six pounds in three days by going to the FTAA protests in miami

So if you really wanna lose weight fast just get chased by the cops
Riot dont Diet !!!!!!!!!!

[eileen from OH]

18. Absolutely ditch the pop, including diet pop

I'm a firm believer that whatever is in that crap may not have calories but it does something to your body that stops it from losing.

Switch to ice tea, with no sugar, or just a bit.

If you're a beer drinker, switch to white wine spritzers.

Smaller portions. Avoid fat and carbs as much as possible, but don't go nuts with it. Sweets (not a big temptation with me) in small amounts.

It's not fast, but I lost 30 lbs in about 5 months this way. And it's stayed off for 2 years.

eileen from OH

[Venomous_Rhetoric]

20. Activity

Is important. If you are active, then suddenly stop, injury,illness, or just something life causes, like a sit down job, or something, it's hard to adjust your eating habits and metabolizm. I broke my knee and was off a year, gained 30 lbs just like that. Wasn't so easy to take off.

[Frangible]

21. I've lost 50 lbs so far

Diet and exercise, nothing amazing.

First of all log EVERYTHING you eat. This may sound dumb but it is VERY important. Make daily tallies of how many calories you take in.

Aim for like, 1800-2000 calories imo. If you're going hungry all the time after a day or two, eat more. You don't want your body in starvation mode.

Drop the pop. Drink tea, diet pop (diet sprite, diet orange, diet vanilla coke/pepsi are my favorites). Aspartame has a nasty ass aftertaste that completely disappears with fruit.

A warning-- sweetness is addictive, at least to me, mentally. If I have something sweet, no matter how low calorie it is, I will want more. If I can avoid it entirely I am not nearly as tempted.

Exercise: if you can substain running for 30+ minutes you're in pretty good shape already. Buy a cheap Polar heart monitor ($50) and make sure your heart rate stays at about 145-155 BPM. You need to do it for more than 30 minutes at that heart rate, because that is when your body sends signals to better develop yourself for aerobic capacity.

Don't sweat running. Do ANYTHING, just as long as it keeps your heart rate at 145-155 BPM and lasts about 45 mins. Sex (hah), jumping rope, biking, whatever.

Weightlifting is also good. Just remember to split it up and don't overtrain. Work your entire body, not just your arms. Fuck that "stretch and lots of repetition" shit, you want to stretch, but do 3 sets of 12ish reps of the heaviest weight you can lift.

More muscle bulk burns more calories and increases your metabolism. You will not look like a bodybuilder lifting casually without steroids, ever. So don't worry about that.

I can't overstress the calorie counting enough. My main failure is not the exercise, which I can will myself to do, but rather being lazy and not counting, then in a few days lapsing and taking in 1000+ additional calories I shouldn't be.

Don't make excuses and put off exercise. It's too easy to get off track.

Also, you'll lose a lot of water weight at first. Don't assume this is fat loss.

Drink lots of water. Dump the pop, carbonation temporarily degrades your capacity for aerobic exercise.