I have found (through my own weight loss trip) that portions are a big problem in USA. We simply do not know what a proper food portion looks like so we "super size" everything. Basically it takes a cut of approximately three thousands calories to lose a pound of fat sooooooooooooo if you were, for instance, to cut 1000 calories a day, over the course of the week, you would lose approximately 2.3 pounds a week.(1000 x 7 = 7000 divided by 3000 = 2.3333)

Now how to cut 1000 calories?? Well this is were portions come in big time! I recommend talking to a licensed nutritionist to develope a meal plan for you. I like the kind of meal plan that instead of saying eat this or that at this or that time (my days are just not that planned out) instead says:

At breakfast you need to eat X-oz's of a protein x-oz's of a dairy product x-oz's of a fruit. The same for lunch and dinner plus in-between snacks.
It is important to not allow your blood sugar level to drop too much as this sends a signal to your brain to eat. Eating a little something every 3 hours or so helps avoid that eating reflex.

In this way I have already lost about 30 lbs and I eat exactly (with small modifications or exceptions) the same food as my family does at meals. That makes it so much easier as I am not "off on my own" eating at different times or different foods than everyone else. I now know what normal portion looks like as well, so I can occasionally eat out. I simply tell the wait staff to not add any oil, cream, or sauces to my meal and eat exactly what I need to eat and no more.

It really works very well and I feel soooooooooooooooo much better than i had felt overweight. I am fitting into size 12 clothes nicely now with size 10 right around the corner. I intend to stop at 8-10 given my age and height. I think that should be just fine for me. Once I reach my goal weight the nutritionist will show me how to add calories back into my diet to the point were I do not lose or gain but maintain my weight.

I sure hope that helps some!! :))

IHavehadenoughofhaters wrote:

---

In this way I have already lost about 30 lbs and I eat exactly (with small modifications or exceptions) the same food as my family does at meals. That makes it so much easier as I am not "off on my own" eating at different times or different foods than everyone else. I now know what normal portion looks like as well, so I can occasionally eat out. I simply tell the wait staff to not add any oil, cream, or sauces to my meal and eat exactly what I need to eat and no more.


-- Edited by IHavehadenoughofhaters at 09:19, 2008-12-02

---