Hey Everyone! I posted this on another thread, but was suposed to do this to begin with.

Just registered after learing about this forum. It's cool to know there are people who feel like me or similar and share stories on here. So here goes mine. 2 Years ago I was only 175 Lbs when I got married. I gained a lot of weight (BACK) over two years and finally got the guts to go to the doctor for a blood test. Weighed in @ 227 and found out about HIGH Cholestorol after the visit. SO HERE IS WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO SINCE.

Started Nov. 11 04. (227 Lbs)

I started off with a 20 min walk a day at a comfortable pace and kept it up for about a week. Before this, I was totaly out of shape. Lazy, over eating when I was bored/sad/depressed. During that week, I was eating "Lean Cuisine" (200 Cal each meal) 3 times a day w/ no snacks in between and trying to drink plenty of water.

Then, I increased my speed (walking) and went up to 30 mins. This has helped me get my energy back. After the second week, I went up to an hour for the first Monday after getting so pissed @ myself for missing 3 days (Thanksgiving Weekend).

SO, the hour was'nt too bad! I actually kept it up and started two hours a day (for 9 Days now). I weighed myself today and discovered that I lost 17 Lbs! I feel good, but also worried at the same time. Will I keep it off this time?
Friends are saying that I lost it too fast and it is not good for the long run. Can anybody tell me if what I am doing is good, or am I missing something?

Thanks for ur time.

Hi welcome like2walk
The fitness trainer posted this in a nother thread a few days ago,

This common weight gain is usually referred to as the “yo-yo” effect. You lose a few pounds, then gain them back – lose a few more only to gain those back as well.

The reason for this effect is actually quite simple.

In the process of attempting to rapidly lose weight, one might actually impair their metabolism. There are three main reasons why one might slow their metabolism:

1) A loss of muscle weight – muscle tissue is the most metabolically active tissue available in the body. A slight loss in muscle tissue will result in a slower metabolism. Even if you are exercising regularly, you will still lose muscle if you eating habits do not support your exercise routine.

2) Loss of water weight – Hydration levels play a huge role on how “active” your muscles cells are. A slight decrease in water weight can cause a huge reduction in your metabolism. The majority of your body weight is water weight, water loss is usually the fastest form of weight loss (and probably the least effective and most dangerous)

3) Over-training – Exercising too frequently and not eating enough can cause a negative effect on your metabolism as well.

I would forget about the actual amount of weight being lost or gained. Take before and after pictures frequently and use the way you look and feel as a reference point instead of the number a scale gives you. Body weight can fluctuate rapidly.

…and remember, don’t rush the process. Do everything in moderation and you should be fine.

I hope this was helpful
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Personal Fitness Trainer
DiscoverFatLoss.com
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However I have lost a big chunk of weight in the the first month or so as well, but I also put this last chunk of weight on fairly rapidly since end of summer. I started an excersize program, and am eating 1200 to 1500 calories a day.

So ...here is the unsolicited laymans advise....Dont worry what you have already done....its awesome you have gotten yourself kick started and
a nice bit of weight off is a such an awesome motivator.
Try to introduce some more calories throughout the day...fruit, veggies inbetween meals. Maybe aim for 1200 calories...to keep the metabolism going and burning that fuel, and keep on walking. Try to keep in mind your RDA . (recommended daily allowance) check out this website http://fitday.com/WebFit/Home.asp
It may help you to learn more about RDA, splitting calories by fats, protein and carbohydrates.

Keep up the motivation,..you are on your way.

Thanks for the reply. I think if I increase my calorie intake to about 1200-1500 daily it would be better.

As far as walking 2 hours daily, should I keep that as part of my daily ruitine untill I reach my goal? I am considering adding weight training 3 days a week, but am affraid of turning the fat into muscle before I reach my goal. Unless, I am mistaken and using weights would actually help burn fat. This part confuses me.

HI there,

I responded to your post in the other forum, but for your question about weight training. As Jennifer stated, muscle burns the most amount of calories, so if you add weight training and you build muscle you are actually using more calories and you will burn fat. So to answer your question - yes, add the weight training 3 times a week, just don't overdo it...your muscles need rest to be able to grow.

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Lisa
Team Weight-Loss-Forum.com

Thanks for the tips Lisa!

JFYI, I do drink about 10 cups of water daily (sometimes more). Also, one multivitamin daily. I dont have the appetite to eat 5-7 small meals per day.

What if I were to eat 500 calories each meal 3 times a day, and snack on veggies, fruits or yogurt in between? I would love to have your opinion on this.

Thanks again

That is what I try to do like2walk, as I think small meals can consist of just that a lil bit of protein, or veggies or an apple and small yogurt. I think the really important concept here is not to let your blood sugar drop too low, and not to become so hungry by not eating through the whole day that you pig out at the end of the day. Small amounts of food fuel the fire, and keep the metabolism going and keep hunger under control
That amount of walking is so good for you. I had a friend that lost 50lbs through walking alone,..it turned into a pretty high paced power walk, she still does it and has kept her weight off.

Great work! I am proud of you. You are awesome for walking and excercising. You are doing great. Keep up the the great work.

Thanks Lil Mrs!

Actually Jennifer, for me hunger is not an issue. I eat 3 times a day which would total to the amount I would have ate almost one meal. Now, I have controll over my old habits but, the only thing that concerns me now is wether that is enough fuel like what you have mentioned on your last reply. I need to find some kind of snack that I can eat between meals and would enjoy eating even though I am not hungry. Any ideas?

Hi like2walk,

three meals plus snacks are just as good if you prefer that. Some snacks you could try are ... Celery Sticks, Baby Carrots, Cottage Cheese, plain lowfat yoghurt....if it needs to be sweet, mix in a bit of jam or fruit. And then there are all those nutritious snack bars. Depending if you want to go lower on the carbs, some good ones are Zone Bars or Slim Fast Bars, but there is also Power Bars, and lots of different kinds and styles....I even have the oatmeal to go and Special K or Nutrigrain Bars every once in a while.
If you still want to stay within your calorie limit, you have to watch it with the bars, as they have usually between 150 and 300 calories.

Hope this helps and keep up the good work - you are doing great

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Lisa
Team Weight-Loss-Forum.com

Thanks Lisa,

After reading you last post, I found something I can try.

There is one more thing that I am confused about and after I find out, I will be either more picky about food or maybe less.

CALORIES From FAT! (On most Nutrition Lables)

Is the amount of Fat Cal shown a part of the total cal per serving or is that something totally different? For example, one meal contains lets say 200 Calories, and next to that it says "Fat Cals: 50". Dose this mean that the meal is really 150 cal plus 50 from fat which equals 200 or fat cals are a not included in the total amount.

If someone could help me figure this out, I would appreciate it! Thanks