A bet on losing weight

**lisettelovebug** · 08-21-2008, 11:39 AM

I was sitting on the couch working on my school work when a commercial for The Biggest Loser came on (I love that show). I told dh that I could lose weight too if I had a chance to get that much money. Talk about motivation!!! PLus you're in front of millions of people on tv!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was like "I'd lose weight if someone gave me even $100". THat's how I am - bet me I can't do something and I wil prove you wrong everytime. So dh made me a deal that if I lost 20 pounds before Xmas that I could take $100 and do whatever I want with it. It was a deal! I am at about 195-200: my weight fluctuates quite a bit during the day. I will weigh myself later before showering and see what my starting weight is. If I lost 20 pounds I would be down around 175-180! I would have clothes that fit!!! lol. I have some nice pre-pregnancy clothes and would love to get back in them (haven't seen them since before my 2 year old was born!

So I need as much advice as possible on how to lose it. I do have limited time to work out. I have classes and homework (2 classes) plus the 2 little ones to chase after and a house to keep up with. Plus we are at the beginning stages of building a house. I want to start taking the kids for daily walks (weather permiting). I am also thinking about just doing portion control and reducing my calories. I know I can do this and possible lose more than 20 pounds!!

**StaceyS** · 08-21-2008, 12:32 PM

Oh! I wish I had someone that would motivate me! My weight just keep sgoing up and up! I bought a treadmill a couple of months ago (used, of course!), but I just can't get motivated to use it everyday.

Good luck to you!

PS - portion control is the key!

Oh, and I LOVE Biggest Loser, too!

**lisettelovebug** · 08-22-2008, 06:47 PM

Ok. I weighed myself today to get my starting weight. I am 198! gasp!!!! I am trying to eat a little less of everything and I am going right now to get a bottle of water, which I will refill when I'm done and put in frig for later.

**missyali** · 08-22-2008, 08:49 PM

I am walking on my lunch hour for 20 - 30 minutes. Drinking a glass of water before eating and stopping eating after 7pm. Once I master those things, I'll bump things up. I'd like to say that I am planning to workout three M-W-F, but at this point, I think I am kidding myself. 172 at the doctor today! Yikes!

**Frugal Nurse** · 08-22-2008, 09:26 PM

Diet!!

To lose 20 pounds by Christmas - let's say.. 20 weeks.
That's one pound per week. Not that bad.. right?
One pound equals 3500 cals. Wow! how did that weight get on considering that it takes 3500 cals to make a pound. (that was me thinking of what happened to me)

1. drink lots of water.
When your body thinks it's hungry - it usually only needs water.
2. Spread your calories out throughout the day. Eat about 1200/cal/day. 300/100/300/100/300/100. This way, the body never thinks it's starving and slow the metabolism down. You're BMR is probably about 1520/day so you'll want to eat 300 less than that per day. For seven days a week is 2100 cals (not quite a pound)
3. Since you don't want to go under 1200 cal a day. NOT GOOD! You'll need to increase your exercise.
4. Walk. Simple. Walk walk walk. Take ONE HOUR per day and walk briskly. In one hour you should have completed a 4 mile trek. Measure it. Walk it. time it. Beat it. What? you don't even have one hour? ok.. how about 45 min. You abosulutely want to walk briskly for more than 30 min. It takes 30 minutes for the body to use up the glycogen stores from the carbs you ate - then anything after that is fat burning. So, I'm sorry... you'll NEED to walk for at least 45 min briskly. Keep your heart rate up there.. (I'm thinking about 140 bpm) Yep.. you'll sweat.
5. Lift some weights. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Muscle is leaner than fat. Fat is bad. Okay? NOW! Hop to it!!

Oh.. btw. I wouldn't measure on the scale. Here is why.
I am currently with a personal trainer. In the last 3 weeks I lost only 3 pounds. WAAAAAAAAAAAT!!! I was sooooooooooo mad!!! Working my butt off like that! paying HIM big bucks!!
But here's the kicker. I lost 6.2 pounds of the "F" word and gained 3.1 pounds of muscle. I am a bit trimmer and stronger. So even though I didn't 'lose that much" I really lost a lot of the "f" word and gained new muscle.

I use a special scale called 'impedance scale' [google]. that measure the fat mass and the fat-free mass.

What I'm saying is.. perhaps you should use.. "I will fit into a size 16" or something.

**Domestic Gal** · 08-23-2008, 04:44 PM

If you do not have an hour to do a workout or walk. I would recommend that you get Jillian Michaels (from biggest loser) 30 Day Shred it is 3, 20 minute workouts. You will be sweating buckets and feeling the pain the first couple of times you do it. But you only need about 25 minutes in front of the tv with some small weights and you are done.

Everyone in this house has lost at least 7 lbs or more doing no extra exercise. Here is how we did it. I have eliminated as much as possible all Partially Hydrogenated oils and High Fructose Corn Syrup from our diets.(this stuff just makes you think you are still hungry and have sugar cravings) We are eating less. We are eating more natural, whole grain as much as possible. Lots of fresh fruits and veggies. I am cooking about 80% from scratch. Plus the savings from not buying the junk that this stuff is in is allowing more $$ for fresh ingredients.
You can drop some weight just doing this as I know it works.

I lost 10 lbs. from November to February and maintained until June.
I started tracking my calorie intake again in June and have lost another 12 lbs since. But I do try and walk at least 10,000 steps a day. I know this will be hard for you with little ones but they do add up faster than you think.
I eat about 5-6 times a day. Little meals so I do not get hungry. I eat lots of fruit and veggies as these are low calorie foods and you get a lot of nutrients from them. I do not deprive myself either if I want a brownie I have it as long as I do not go over my calorie intake.
I only have 3 lbs to get to my goal weight and I should be there in a couple of weeks.

You can easily do this. Heck maybe your DH will lose a few lbs. to if you eliminate this from your diets.

**Mom23boys** · 08-23-2008, 04:55 PM

:goodluck:You can do it!! Just remember to walk daily and drink lots of water. Drink water with your meals! Do not discouraged if you do not lose what you expected to lose each week. One week you may lose 3 pounds and another nothing! Most people lose 1-2 pounds a week, but others don't. Just do not give up!! We will be here cheering you on!!