Help needed!!Top tips for weight loss?(long)

[islandgurl]

i think i have been having a bit of an information overload by trying to read alot of whats been written in this forum. i see lots of great advice but i'm not quite sure how to incorporate it all into a new healthy way of eating. i want to keep things relatively simple. i have alot of weight that i need to lose and am dying to do something which will lead to long term weight loss. i'm feeling really down and can never seem to start anything. things gotta change!!!!

what supplements would you recommend?
i've just started omega 3 fish oil and multivitamins

what do you think of protein shakes and which would you recommend?
wouldnt know where to start!!

examples of;
breakfast
home made juice, porridge with apple raisin and skimmed milk

lunch
wholegrain cheese sandwich

dinner
wholemeal pasta and homemade pasta sauce (tomato based), or grilled salmon and rice with veg

snacks
yogurt-low fat

drinks
water, tea, coffee with agave as sweetener. trying to incorporate herbal teas

tips to reduce appetite
clueless about this one. always seem to be hungry no matter how much i eat


ways to get over major sugar cravings
umm!!!!:blush:



i have a few exercise dvds which i intend to reinstate (yogalates, davina mcall, 2 kundalini dvds on order). i also walk everywhere. i rarely eat meat so protein is often a problem.i've seen lots of women here who've lost alot of weight so i would also really appreciate their input. feel free to PM me
TIA

[islandgurl]

BUMPING!!!!!
any advice ladies?????

[cheetarah1980]

what supplements would you recommend?
I don't take supplements. I try to get all of my vitamins and nutrients from a balanced diet. Maybe another lady can answer this one.

what do you think of protein shakes and which would you recommend?
I'm a fan of protein shakes, but I make my own (controls calories and sugar content). You can add a scoop of protein powder to to milk w/ crushed ice. Or you can add some to a fruit smoothie. Adding it to a fruit smoothie is a good way to get both fiber and protein in one shot.

examples of;
breakfast
home made juice, porridge with apple raisin and skimmed milk - I recommend not drinking your calories through juice. It won't keep you full. Instead I'd eat the whole fruit (i.e. orange, banana, apple, berries, etc.). I'm not seeing much protein in this meal so I recommend adding some egg whites w/ cottage cheese. If that's not appealing you can add vanilla protein powder to your porridge or oatmeal.

lunch
wholegrain cheese sandwich I'd try to get more veggies in at this meal. Make sure you're using lowfat cheese when making this sandwich. You can add a vegetable soup or salad to this meal to make it more balanced and nutritionally complete.

dinner
wholemeal pasta and homemade pasta sauce (tomato based), or grilled salmon and rice with veg I'd make sure to halve the serving of rice (make sure it's brown rice) or pasta even though they're whole grains. Dinner is later in the day and you're probably not as active after dinner as you are before so you won't be burning as many calories. Best to load up on the proteins and veggies at this meal w/ small serving of complex carbs. Your body will digest it better and there won't be excess to store as fat.

snacks
yogurt-low fat make sure the yogurt is low sugar as well. Sugar is just as damaging as fat. I also recommend fruits, raw veggies w/ hummus, string cheese, and nuts

drinks
water, tea, coffee with agave as sweetener. trying to incorporate herbal teas

tips to reduce appetite
It seems that you're not getting enough protein and fiber. These two nutrients together take your body longer to digest, thus keeping you fuller longer. A good source of both fiber and protein are beans. Try making a taco salad w/ romaine, beans, a bit of lowfat cheese, nonfat sour cream, loads of salsa, and your choice of meat (or no meat).
Also make sure you're drinking water throughout the day. Oftentimes what we mistake for hunger is actually thirst. When you want to eat, ask yourself are you REALLY hungry. Drink a tall glass of water first and then wait a half hour. If you're still hungry then eat a small snack. This will help you distinguish hunger from stress, boredom, nervous energy etc.


ways to get over major sugar cravings
I eat fruit. I find that when I cut out the sweets for a while, my sugar cravings go away. Your body begins to crave what you feed it. So if you feed it good stuff it will crave the nutritious food.

[The New FastGirl]

oftentimes the thing we need to do to begin to lose a lot of weight, take a lot of effort. As a regular faster I would recommend you begin there. after so many years of poor nourishment the body begins to loose it's ability to digest metabolize and eliminate the "foods" we put into our system.

I would recommend you eat as close to God and the ground a possible for as long as possible. This means eating anything in it's original form. raw fruit, raw and slightly steamed vegetables, lots of salads, nuts, seeds, LOTS of water infused with lemon and cucumber for PH balance. No Dairy (milk and all milk products are growth agents, designed specifically to grow baby cows), no white products, no meat.

you will get more than sufficient amounts of calcium and protein from the green vegetables and nuts.

and of course i recommend you take a single 24 hours of your week, from sunrise to sunrise and fast, drinking only water. This act alone cuts out between 2500 and 3000 calories from your diet. It also gives your body a chance to catch on it's digestion and elimination activities as the energy not being used in digestion is immediately transferred to other vital "projects" that the body needs. if you are interested in fasting support check out the FastGirls community.

best to you,

jasai
www.thenewfastgirls.blogspot.com

[R4L]

Try adding a little bit of exercise into your routine when you have down time. IE, when I'm doing laundry and I'm waiting for the water to go in, and a I have a few minutes, I do some squats. As you incorporate more activity to your life it will become second nature.