Weight Loss - Atlanta,GA

The registered pharmaceutical company whose products I use, has meal replacement products for losing weight. The company also has a website that offers weight control recipes, tracks calories, cholesterol, etc from the daily consumned foods, offers how much exercise for each day, etc.
P. S

I am actually on the Atkins diet now - and I swear, I eat more than I ever eat and have much more energy. I am in the third day of my second week - and I lost 3 1/2 pounds the first week. The hardest part for me was switching from sugar to Splenda - and drinking so much water. People think that it is unhealthy because you eat so much meat & no veggies - but I am eating more vegetables than I ever had!!! - salads, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. What I do is eat an Atkins breakfast bar in the morning with a bottle of water with crystal lite mixed in on the way to work each morning - then about 10:30, I will be hungry, so I will have a snack - maybe celery or 2% string cheese - then for lunch I will eat a salad with chicken in it, or tuna salad, or some low carb soup I made the night before (there are a lot of yummy recipes out there.) - then about 3:30, I will eat another snack - and I will have dinner at my usual times - and for dinner, we even eat out - I've had steak, fish, shrimp, etc. And I just try to drink as much water all day long as I can - I have found the little Crystal Light packets help a lot. - I just weighed myself from Sunday to Sunday - and I can promise you it works. Also, if you are a coffee drinker - you can have heavy cream (crazy right.) and Splenda makes flavored packets - like French Vanilla - AND if there is a Cheesecake Factory near you, they have a low-carb cheesecake that is AMAZING with only 6 carbs.

It's all a numbers game. Calories in (food) - calories out (exercise). I kept complaining that I couldn't be taking in that much, that I never ate big meals. My son (personal trainer) suggested I put a piece of paper on the fridge and keep a list of everything I put in my mouth for one week. Honestly put calorie counts by each item. You'll be shocked.

I was not eating big meals but I was taking in about 1400 calories a day. Little things - creamer in my coffee-35/tbl=70 per cup because I like a lot of cream. So my 2 cups of coffee every morning started my day with 140 calories and I hadn't even had breakfast!!

Keep it under 1000 calories, and walk, run or bike every day, at least 30 minutes. I also weight train 3 days a week. It will come off and stay off. I am losing a consistent 2 pounds per week and have so much energy.

I have finally made this a priority in my life. That is very important. Good luck, M.. You can do this.
Dawn

Both my husband and I have used the Shaklee Cinch inch loss plan and loved it. We lost weight, didn't feel hungry, and stayed full of energy! This is not a hype diet but one based on science which was very important to me. I beleive we must take care of our bodies and harming our body to get to a healthy weight is not an acceptable answer to the problem. You can check this system out at www.cinchplan.com/takecontrol. This is my personal web site as we are distributors but used Shaklee products for about 13 years before that so we really trust the products. We have used them for about 24 years now. The Cinch plan is newer than that though. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any help to you!

Sincerly,
K....
God bless you on your quest to weight loss and health!

Weight Watchers works. I added walking and free weights. I lost 37 lbs. in six months.

I lost and have kept off 100 lbs. belonging to Weight Watchers! They teach you how to balance your foods and it really works! I'm living proof. See my article at: http://ezinearticles.com/?Weight-Watchers-Program---Guide....

Let me know how you're doing - S.

Hi M.,

I am a registered dietitian in Cumming, GA. About a year ago I was approached by a friend of mine who is a personal trainer about a new weight loss program. I was very skeptical since I felt I knew it all being a dietitian. I had gained 30 lbs. over a 10 year period and knew I just needed to exercise and I would get my body back since I already ate pretty good. Well, what I decided to do was listen to my friend and I read the medical research behind the program and it made sense to me so I tried it out as a little experiment on myself. I am glad I did because I lost 28 lbs. in 10 weeks! That was almost a year ago and I am maintaining my weight loss which is the most important thing of all. The program really teaches you new lifestyle habits and to balance your blood sugars, and that is the key. There is a group of us here in Atlanta spreading the word about this program. It works on everyone I have coached so far unless they really do not want to follow the guidelines. Very easy for our hectic lifestyles that is what I liked best about it. The quick weight loss is completely safe with medical research to back that up. It also keeps you motivated when you see results quickly. We have support groups throughout the Atlanta area and exercise advice. If you want to find out more let me know. Thanks, J. Fusia RD,LD (Registered Dietitian)

No diet plan will be long lasting, what you have to do is alter your lifestyle. stop eating anything that comes out of a can because canned foods are loaded with salt (that makes you retain fluids)
eat only healthy foods- no more fast foods, no more fried foods, no more "ready meals" that are pre flavored. dont eat anything white- white rice, white bread, etc.
Start by lowering your red meat intake, as they are harder to digest so they stay in you longer. add a fish course at least 3 times a week- they are high in protein and omega 3 (heart healthy)
up the vegetable intake- and use fresh veggies. add tons of fruit to your daily intake, because fruit will help to burn fat while raising your immune system.
start off by eating 3 small healthy meals and always snack at least once in between meals- but only snack on things like fruit or nuts or vegetables- the snacking in between meals helps raise your metabolism naturally.
Add a little exercise- just walk around the block once a day, simple easy excercise to help your body burn more calories than you are taking in.
Dont go back to a "standard american diet" (microwave meals, fast food, anything pre flavored or from a can) after you lose the weight or it will come right back.
I would suggest that if you have cable, watch "you are what you eat" on BBC America. it is a wonderful show.

No kidding, when I changed my family over to eating like this- heartburn, headaches, cramps all went away within a month and my husband lost 15 lbs. Now if I could get him off the beer, he would lose more weight..lol

M. there is really no pill or anything else that will work besides hard work at not dieting but eating well and changing your lifestyle. I have lost about 60 lbs this past year from exercising and eating well. Trust me, until you realize this, you may loose weight but you wont keep it off.

Crash diets only wreck your metabolism. If you starve your body, it receives a signal to store more fat when you go back to your old eating habits. That's why some people gain more weight back after each diet plan. I recommend getting the book "Nutrition for Dummies" (no offense, just the title of the book). It's a great resource to help you determine what you should eat. To sum it up: lots of vegetables and fruit, some meat, some starch, eat whole grains and fiber, avoid sugar, avoid soda, avoid dieting. And if you've dieted a few times, then you HAVE to exercise regularly to get rid of that extra stored fat. It can be as simple as going for a brisk 30-minute walk after you wake up and/or before dinner on a daily basis (like walking the dog), taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and doing 20 pushups and 60 crunches before bed.

Best of luck to you!

Hi there M..

My name is K. Simmons and I'm a Personal Trainer, I was very over weight, morbidly obese and I made the decision to have gastric bypass surgery in Sept 07, since then I have lost 130 lbs and have transformed my life into a healthy and fit lifestyle.

I believe that diets don't work, I believe that eating healthy and working out, and I mean really working out is the way to go... I know once I made the choice to stop being unhealthy all I had to do was live, not diet and not think about working out just live healthy...

I hope that you are successful in finding what will work for you.

If you do live in the Savannah Ga area I work with the YMCA of Coastal Ga, we have 6 different Y's I train out of. Also I see clients in public parks and at their homes.

I create a personalized program for each client based on their physical abilities and their individual goals. I keep excellent records and keep my clients motivated and take their journey with them.

I can be contacted at ____@____.com
and http://www.myspace.com/katiesimmonsfitness
###-###-#### is my cell/work number

Hi M.,

I have tried every diet and almost every pill and shake out there and nothing ever worked.....it never does. I'm very sorry to say you really do have to change your eating habbits and exercise regularly. It's gotta be a lifestyle change or you'll gain it back after you lose. I started using www.sparkpeople.com at the end of October and I've lost about 16 lbs. It's kind of like mysace for people that want to lose weight. You make your own page and list your goals, put up pics and you have "friends". There are message boards for support and questions. There are countless articles on health and fitness. But most importantly, when you get set up, you enter in your goal (like 20 lbs by April 4th) and they will design a plan that will help you make your goal. They give you personalized meal plans or you can eat what you want and log all of your calories, fat & carbs - they give you ranges to stay in to make your goal. When I first started, it was amazing to see the amount of calories I was consuming in a day! I had no idea! Then they tell you how many calories you need to burn everyday and you log the exercise you do. It really helps keep you accountable. This is the ONLY thing that's worked for me! It help to have support from people who are going through the same thing. If you decide to do it (it's completely free by the way), look me up. I'm joija723. I hope you find what your looking for, the most important thing is getting healthy in a way that works for you!! I had a chance to read a few of the other responses and I was shocked to see that one suggestion was to eat less than 1000 calories per day!!! You MUST have atleast 1200! Your body uses calories for every move you make from breathing to blinking. If you don't put in enough calories for all of your activiity throughout a normal day, your body will go into "starvation mode". Your metabolism will slow to conserve energy which causes you to hold on to your weight and to feel drained too. Please be healthy with whatever route you go. Best of luck to you!

God Bless!
~J.

The only thing that worked for me was a low carb diet (well low on the bad carbs that is) and eating protein and veggies. By eating protein and veggies most of the time, it kept me full and full of energy. My husband and I both lost weight while having fun on doing it this way. I kept my weight off until I got pregnant and of course I have about 10 pounds to lose to get to where I was at and then I want to continue losing more. (Still nursing)

Hi M.,

Good nutrition is the only way to lose weight. I've said this here many times, my husband lost 110 pounds on an absorbable multiitamin/mineral complex and has keep it off. My husband's best friend, my sister-in-law and myself included have also lost weight just trying to get healthy with this multi.

If you're interested in knowing more, feel free to email me and we can coordinate to discuss it. It's actually quite simple and not expensive at all.

Regards,

M.

Weight Watchers DOES work and it works well combined with exercise. I lost 37 pounds in 8 mos, but I quit going and gained it all back. The reason WW worked for me was because of the money I paid and the accountability I had with weighing in at the meetings. I put the weight back on because I quit going and thought I could do it on my own. I could have, but without that accountability, it was easier to cheat. It also works because you can do it forever and it's not unhealthy. If you make it to being a life time member, then you're membership is free as long you maintain your weight loss and go to at least one meeting per month. I recommend it, but I also liked the sound of the sparkpeople website. That sounds great, too because you'd have kind of a support group. I wish you luck. I feel your pain being overweight again myself.

What worked for me is a 'life change'. Making permanent changes in the way I eat.
1-I cut out all sugary drinks except maybe at dinner for a treat a few times a week. I drink a lot more water.
2-I never EVER fry anything.
3-We do not eat red meat anymore except a roast maybe twice a year and boy do we feel it!!
4-Fill up your plate with more veg and less starch.
5-eat alot of fish
6-snack on nuts and apples.
7-Turn white to brown. No white bread, no white rice, or reg pasta. Although, on occasion I will make white rice for my kids because they like it better. So we will all have it sometimes for a treat.
8-We eat alot of really delicious vegetarian meals.
9-The biggest- portion control!!! Just remember if you have less starch its okay to eat alot of veggies and fish or chicken. You never hear of people getting fat of veggies!!

***These are changes I made permanently. I think consciously making a few changes at a time is more real then crash diets. ITs been a slow but a more long lasting weight loss change. Goodluck.

Weight Watchers...they are the best because they show you how to change your perception of food and eating. A healthy approach to life that lets you "live" a little every now and then (for lack of better terms). Good luck!

M. P
Steady weight loss comes with consistent exercise and portioning of meals. Eat at least 6x / day. Three regular meals and 3 snacks should be taken to fuel your body throughout the day. Aerobics- example treadmill fast walking or bicycle 30 mins / day and 30 mins of weight resistance training is ideal. Initially , you probably won't lose weight because you are getting toned, then the weight loss will begin. The first 5-10 lbs will be water. When you begin your exercise plan eat plenty of protein and vegs to replace protein and water and potassium loss. Portion size is very important . You will need some guidance.Join Weight Watchers , if you can ! I know it can be expensive , but wait for the most reasonable plan that can be offered. Check with MD before beginning weight loss plan and exercise plan

M.,

Hi! I know it might seem hard to keep off weight, etc. I am a mother of three small boys and find it difficult to "make" the time to get to Lifetime...and they have childcare! Running around after them helps the metabolism but until I get back to a steady routine, I hold true to one thing regarding food: Is this vital to my body's needs? Meaning, how am I going to feel 5 minutes after I eat this? I choose triscuits over wheat thins. I choose popcorn over pretzels. I choose a few pieces of dark chocolate over cake. I drink a lot of green tea. Another thing, I nibble throughout the day to maintain my metabolism instead of eating three big meals. Grazing. When people ask me how I maintain, this is truly how. I try to choose the foods without empty calories. That way, when I do celebrate a birthday, go out on a date with my hubby, I splurge and don't feel guilty at all! I hope this rambling helps!

Weight Watchers really works and it's works after you've lost the weight because you learn how to eat healthy food in healthy portions, and how to splurge on occasion without ruining your weight! You have to really do the program, but the meetings are great and you will lose weight. It's not a quick fix and you need to exercise, but it's no gimmick -you won't be popping pills or eating specially packaged meals or anything. I have been VERY successful on WW and so have several friends of mine -losing 80 and 100 lbs a piece!

As much as it pains me to say this, the only way is through diet and exercise. I denied this for years only to realize I had ballooned up to 250 lbs. I started exercising 3 days a week, 45 to 90 minutes a day and eating a diet based on the Diabetic Diet. I lost 10 lbs. in less than 3 weeks. Cutting out things like Soft drinks (even diet drinks), breads, sugars and simple starches helped me the most. You'll find that it is really a lot of food, and it's the right food that your body needs to get balanced out.

M.,
Weight Watchers really works. So much of overeating is due to emotional stress. Weight Watchers teaches you how to eat better, how to exercise, helps you discover why you overeat, and gives you the support that you need to lose the pounds! I highly recommend it. Yes, it does cost money. However, that is part of the incentive to really work hard at it. Once you lose the amount that you need to lose and keep it off for six weeks, you become a lifetime member. You can weigh in each week for free!
Weight loss is a lifelong journey. There are easy times and tough times. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

Hey ! It sounds like everyone has great advice. Ultimately, It comes down to burning more calories in a day than you consume- which is what every plan that works basically does. A lifestyle change is the only way to keep it up- as Moms we tend to put ourselves last. You have to make your weight and health one of the most important things you do for your children. I heard it said like this- If an airplane were to lose pressure and the oxygen masks drop, mothers have to put theirs on first or they will be unable to help[ their children. This is the same for your health- exercise and eating right are non-negotiables. As the mother of four children(Ages 6-12), I have had to learn to have a certain amount of selfishness in this area- it has not been easy and it requires much compromise but it can be done.
Also,if your looking for an easy plan for weight loss that is quick but helps jumpstart you along the way check out the Fatsmash diet from Dr Ian. It is an easy way for me to rid my body of sugar cravings and I lose ten to twelve pounds.(Both of these unwanted things seem to creep up at the holidays). It consists of foods that are simple to make and that most of us already eat - it works well for me because it requires that you exercise and the structure of it for three weeks really keeps me on track because I don't get refined sugars. It gets my metabolism fired up so I don't have problems with keeping the weight off- except for the holidays but I don't stress alot because I know how easy it is for me to get back on the plan.
Good Luck and God Bless!

M.,

Arbonne has a weight loss plan. I have yet to try it since I am nursing. You can look it up at www.helenbrown.myarbonne.com It is the Figure 8 series. Best of luck to you. As soon as I quit nursing I will be in the same boat.

M.,
I too tried every diet known to man...weight watchers: let's be serious the only thing I watched was the food I wasn't able to eat...Jenny Craig: who wants to eat processed, pre-packaged food for the rest of their life...Atkins: I missed the food I wasn't allowed to eat.

I then tried this lifestyle program called Transitions Lifestyle System. The program teaches how to read labels, how to destress, how to choose the right foods that don't raise your blood sugar which stores food as fat. Now, I'm able to eat real food all the time. The program focuses on changing body composition and creating good habits for a lifetime.

In 12 weeks, the avg. weight loss is 12 pounds, 4% body fat and 12 inches. I personally lost 25 pounds, 4% body fat and 15 inches...and I've kept it off for a year. The loss in body fat makes it look like I lost a lot more weight than I actually did. Plus, continuing to follow the program will allow me to continue to get the body I want.

I became a certified coach through extensive training offer the program to my patients. They are doing extremely well and also have kept the weight, inches and body fat off.

Visit www.drtucker.nutrametrix.com and click on Transitions on the right side of the page to learn more or you can contact me.

Hope this helps.

Hi M.,

#1 Eat breakfast!!!
#2 Eat every 2 hours...a piece of fruit, veggies, nuts, small amounts, but make sure it's every 2 hours.
#3 Eat a salad at least at one meal...make sure you have some fish, chicken, or a little protein of some kind with it.
The most important is to eat small amounts often of healthful foods. This will keep your energy levels up and keep your metabolism going.

L.

Weight Watchers works! If you are serious about following the plan. I lost 45 lbs on the plan over the course of 1 year. However, you have to be serious.

Note to Stephanie T:
Weight Watchers is an outstanding program. You can eat anything you want, as long as you ACCOUNT for it by writing it down & doing ample exercising. Again, you have to be serious for any program to work.

& if you know of a program that allows unlimited pizza, cakes, and ice cream... SIGN ME UP!

If you struggle alot and have tried the exercise and diet combo, you may want to consider either going to Progressive Medical, who will do workup on your adrenals and thyroid, or read up on the thyroid issues. www.www.stopthethyroidmadness.com describes some of the issue related.

Hope that helps - J.