My wife wants to lose some weight. I need help

So my wife has been saying for awhile that she wants to lose some weight she is tired of her clothes being too tight. She talked about it and talked about it so I start working out at home thinking that it might give her some motivation. We've both dl'ed the myfitness app on our iphones. I keep up with mine everyday, but I think she gets frustrated b/c the app is telling her she can't have but like 1,200 or at the max 1,500 calories (if I remember right). This morning is was in a raging mood and I was like whats wrong? she says she wants to lose some weight, but don't know how. So guys/gals I need your help in getting something started for her. Is there a supplement she can take? She has been reading about green coffee been extract. I don't know much about weight loss b/c I've always been on the smaller to medium size and I've been just watching what I eat and not eating as much. She said its so expensive, I said well we will worry about that later, you just have to set a goal and work towards it. I know I'm gonna need a meal plan too for a week so we can prepare meals at home. Sorry this is so long. I need your help steering her in the right direction.

 

No expert but I read some good books on the subject, and it is critical that I need to loose weight myself, fatty liver holding up a life-saving cancer therapy, so this is serious matter to me.

There is no magic potion there.

First, you can only loose one pound a week!
That is the maximum rate of fat depletion the human body can do.

Then, there is the trifecta of refined sugars, refined wheat products and fat in dairy and meat:
- go to whole wheat, or at least multigrain, cut out potatoes, white rice.
- greens, lots of greens! No need for supplements all the good vitamins are found in greens, onions, garlic, cuciferous like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus...
- serious cut-down on dairy products and red meat

Also very important
- find an alternative to sugar-laden sodas. 32 g of fast-acting sugar in one pop, lots of calories there!
- be very careful about snacking
- very moderate alcohol consumption
- oops, I forgot excercise..!!

The above is practiced by a good friend of mine, who also has a potentially critical medical condition requiring weight loss, and he does extraordinary well with it, including controlling his weight.

Go to the library and look up author David Servan-Schreiber, his book " Anti-Cancer - A New Way of Life" (approximate title). Very good explanations on nutrition... even if you don't have cancer (but may, eventually, given poor nutrition, leading to inflammations, paving the way to cancer).

 

The best way is exercise. You burn way more calories running than walking and it probably speeds up the metabolism. Running is the best way I can think of to lose weight. I'm not talking about a mile or two jogs but 6-10 miles a day. Try running but if your joints are no good swim contentiously for an hour or two each day.

 

Proper eating is 90% of weight loss. Reduce your fat, calories and carbs and you will see a weight loss. After dinner snacking adds a lot of unnecessary calories so watch that.

Exercise so you're sweating at least for a half hour a few times a week and that will speed up weight loss. Exercise speeds metabolism, builds muscle and makes you feel good.

Do whatever you can that you are able to maintain. Weight loss is only good if you keep it off.

Good luck

 

Dont listen to the app. Its never good to go from 3000 or 4000 calories (just an example) a day right down to 1200.. Just be progressive about it. I also answered your question in the gym workouts thread as far as workouts go

 

It is 90% diet to lose weight. My wife and have been using the MyFitnessPal app. My wife has lost nearly 30 lbs in about 6 months. I have kinda fallen off the wagon, I had lost about 20 lbs before thanksgiving but put about 10 lbs on over the holidays I've lost about 15 total now. Gonna get back to running a few times a week now that the weather is nicer and get back in the app. It's really not so much about eating less, but eating better. You can still feel full without having a huge amount of calories. You could eat a whole pound of carrots for the calories in one candy bar. It takes commitment and it is not an immediate thing. If you expect to see results over night, you will be disappointed. The best thing to do is to set goals. We decided we would lose 1 lb a week for 40 weeks. That's a measurable goal that we can compare progress to, to see how we are doing along the way.

 

Read everything you can at marks daily apple. This is not a diet, it is a life style change.

 

Read here, Us an News Reports reviews and rates "popular" diets:

http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-overall-diets

 

Calories in vs calories out. Yeah 1200-1500 to lose weight is correct. Its not easy to keep in that range if you like to eat. But loose the idea of "oh maybe a pill".
In reality its not hard if one wants to loose weight if you can get into the right mind.
Water is the best vitamin for everything.

 

I read the first several posts, and I think they were very good. Hopefully my .02 will just help reinforce.

I've got a few friends who used to be in the 3-400 lbs. range. 4 to be exact. All but one of them has said about the same thing. The other had a gastric bypass.

They've all said "You lose weight at the table. You get in shape at the gym."

All of them have had to change their mentality at the table. First, eat smaller quantities. Second, select better foods. I don't think "cutting out" a certain food that you like completely is the answer, but I do think you can reduce the amount of it that you consume.

In addition to the change at the table, you have to get your activity up.

Two of them walk. That's it! They just walk. The one who I've spoken to in the most detail says that he walks 2 miles every night at a rate of 18 min. per mile. That's really not THAT fast, but that's not a stroll in the park either.

The third guy got into street bikes. He's a bit obsessive and rides for miles upon miles 3 days a week. It's great for him, but I can't bring myself to ride a bike with skinny tires....or wear those skin tight clothes.

The one that had the surgery eventually got his activity level up. He physically couldn't eat as much. He didn't start exercising or anything, but he found that he had more energy after losing the weight. His activity level went up as a result of the weight loss.

My advice: Eat smaller quantities, reduce the amount of soda (and/or alcohol) and find something that the two of you like to do.

My wife and I take the dog for a walk often. We walk pretty fast. We also find that the conversation starts flowing a lot better than it does when we are in our house. I think that has helped our marriage out tremendously. She started running (obsessively) and has dropped almost 40 lbs. in the last year. She looks great! To the point that now I feel like the fat slob. I need to get out and do more exercise, but I just don't have that obsessive personality.

 

A lot of good advice here. I think your first response from jaymousse was great.

If your wife really wants to loose weight then she needs to realize she needs to change her habits! No excuses!! That means changing what she eats, what she drinks and her exercise habits. If you cant grow it or kill it don't eat it. Stay away from processed foods AND DRINKS drink a lot of water and no soda. Cut alcoholic drinks out. Cook healthy food. When I am hardcore and want to loose weight I will go to a chicken and fish diet with wild rice and veggies. Oatmeal in the mornings. I never drink sodas. Juice has a lot of sugars in it so I will drink brewed tea. If you actually compare prices of eating healthy its cheaper than eating processed foods! If it does cost more y cutting out sodas and crap you DON'T need you can make up the difference.

There is no excuse other than laziness. There is no pill or potion to magically loose the weight.

Good luck and have fun! My advice start doing all the lifestyle changes yourself, for yourself and she will come along especially if she sees you getting thinner and healthier and as a result happier.

 

Make lifestyle changes and understand that things take time. The problem is most likely that she is not seeing the weight loss fast enough. They point is not how quick you loose the weight but to loose the weight. I cut pop out of my life, except for a slush once a week. I only drink water. I also cut way back on fast food. I was around 234 lbs a about a year and a half ago. I am now 215. That is a 20 lb loss just by making lifestyle changes. Have not introduce much exercise over what I already do and I am an engineering designer who sits for 50 hours a week. I have lost about 1.25 lbs/month by cutting out pop and bad food. Most people are not content with loosing such little but it adds up over time.

 

I've started working out about 2 weeks ago at the house thinking that might give her some motivation and I guess it has if she's gotten to that point of wanting to know what she needs to do. So far I will tell her to drink plenty of water and watch what she eats and limit portion size. Which she doesn't eat a lot at a time, he deal I think is once she eats a couple hours later she is hungry again and I'm like wth. She's not that overweight.

 

RUN!

 

Cardio. Lots of cardio.

 

Change what she eats then. Eat lots of veggies and nuts/berries. It will fill her up, and be less calories. Also, you get all your nutrients that way. Cut the carbs and replace with good fats. Eat your bacon, eat your avocados. GOOD fat along with a good exercise routine is key.

Oh, get rid of dairy as well. Its another empty calorie, and it turns to sugar in most peoples bodies.

 

Try this. My girlfriend and I are doing it, and we both feel great already. A lot of success stories with it.

 

As others have mentioned, it's not going to be an overnight, miracle pill/drink/ritual thing. And you don't want it to be because as soon as you stop, it'll all come back.

In my personal experience, it's MUCH easier to get people started exercising by highlighting things they like to do. For example, I hate running on the street, but I love trail running, so I'll do that instead. Take something she likes doing, and do it for a little longer than usual, with more intensity, or add something extra to it.

Eating often is fine, and is actually a good thing if she wants to lose weight, but the content of the meals is most important. I know the "cheat meal" idea is argued quite a bit, but it works for me. Just make sure that doesn't creep up to a "cheat day" or "cheat weekend".

I agree with Navar's comment about you getting your train rolling and having your results motivate her. Soon you'll be addicted to working out and that'll make you crave healthier foods!

 

Her food intake is obviously important. I recommend trying to find a good nutritionist, they'll help get things in order. Shopping around for a good reputable trainer wouldn't be a bad idea either, to get her going.

She needs to do resistance training to help build and tone her muscles. Running and cardio for days will only get her so far. That's what most people especially women think are the keys to "losing" weight and or toning up. They're normally afraid of "getting buff", so they refuse to lift any weights or do any other form of resistance training. And thats a BIG mistake. Also resistance training then after doing cardio is a good way. Ask anybody who "really" knows what they're talking about and they'll agree.



It's easy for people especially if they're out of shape or over weight to become overwelmed and discouraged by not having instant results etc.
It's important for her to understand, she didn't get where she's at over night, it took some time, so it's gona take some to get to a place she'll be happier with.
And if she's the type talking "I wana look good this year for summer", that's fine, but it can't be the main motivation, it's gotta be bigger. Being and staying fit is a life style, not some seasonal thing. It just doesn't work like that.

Good luck.