How long did it take?

[Pug Ugly]

Hey folks, I've been doing LC for just over a month now and have lost 13lbs.. I know everyone loses weight at different speeds, but it seems like I should be losing a little quicker and I know there's stuff I can do that I haven't been doing to make that happen.. Anyone got any LC weight loss secrets? Anyone taking those green tea supplements? How about a summary of what your low carb plan is? (eg. Under 20g Carbs, 30mins excercise a day, low cal, strength training, no salt, no dairy, etc. with a total weight loss at the end.)

I don't know if there's a thread like this already, but I think your answers will help me immensely. Respect to those who have stuck with it for so long!
-JMO

[Dorr185]

Drinking a ridiculous amount of water has been key for me. If you drink tons of water, you body will stop having a need to retain it. It also helps get rid of the sodium.

I also find that smaller dinner = bigger weight loss for me. If at all possible, I try to make my big meal lunch and have a lighter fare at night time.

[ValerieL]

13 lbs in a month is pretty good, I wouldn't worry about the rate you are losing much just yet. I started about your weight and lost about 10 lbs a month for a while.

I really believe in doing what is easy to do for the first while. Save the tricks for when you get close to goal and the weight loss slows down. If you make your regime too strict & difficult to follow with too much exercise, supplements, low-cal, very low-carb, no salt, no dairy, etc, etc, it's harder to keep your motivation to stick with it.

I heard a good line the other day - habits started together end together. Start one good habit (low-carbing) and stick with it until it's part of you, then add another good habit, like exercise. It really does seem like that works best rather than trying to change your whole life in one day.

[WildCherry]

When I did lc a couple yrs ago (i just started again) I lost 25lbs in 3 weeks.. I was 215lbs then,and worked really really hard.. under 20 grams a day....and worked ALL the time...always walking and on my feet.....slept when i wasnt busy,and ate when i was hungry, which my carb count ended up being 15 grams or under because i never had time I lost 100 lbs in about 9months or so, but like i said.....i worked really hard...not eating. :thup: Good Luck to you!

[Jetlagjen]

Like Dorr, I too drink the daily requirements of a horse in water. To the point where if I slack off one day and don't drink enough, I find I'm really really thirsty.
I've lost 14 in my first month, which pleases me to no end.

[j13]

13 in a month isn't bad; at my fastest I was losing around 15/month. Some lose more, some less. Your body is your body, someone else's body is someone else's body. Don't compare results. Don't worry about results, other than that they continue to be positive. Worry about making good decisions. The results will come.

I drink a ton of water. I almost never drink anything OTHER than water. I keep my carbs low (generally under 20). I avoid frankenfoods. I try to avoid foods with too many additives - I feel better when I eat cleaner - whole foods. A steak or chicken is better to me than a bunless burger from BK or a bunch of peperoni, even if the carb count is the same. I try to avoid artificial sweeteners. I eat lots of green vegetables. I make sure I'm eating fat. I supplement - omega 3 fish oil, a multivitamin and an antioxidant. I don't make excuses for bad behavior. I don't cheat. I work out for an hour a day, nearly every day. I don't look at it as a diet, which has an end, I look at it as a way of life that I don't intend on quitting someday. I never think I'm going to go back to the way I was living before that got me where I was - this makes not cheating much, much easier. I eat and exercise in a way that makes sure that having it as a way of life is possible - I don't, for the most part, treat it as a "crash diet," with habits that will be hard to maintain long-term. I keep constant track of my progress with multiple forms of feedback (the scale, the tape measure, the body fat analyzer and ketostix). I do *not* get discouraged or put much credence in any given day's reading. I look for longer-term trends (4 days or a week minimum). I don't get down on myself if things aren't going well, I get active with a solution. I work hard on the underlying psychological and emotional issues that drive my unhealthy eating. I make my health my #1 priority, above work, my job, anything. Without health, those things are worthless. I remember how bad it was, and I reaffirm regularly that there's nothing that makes going back there worth it.

That's about it. There are probably things I'm missing, but that's the basic list.

-j.

[SRabbit]

I read once that if you eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper your body has more opportunity to burn it off when you are trying to drop weight.

I don't always eat breakfast like a king (or in my case queen!) but I do eat a much larger lunch than dinner, and after that I try not to eat or just have a good, on plan, smaller snack later.

Each person's body is different and aren't you also working out? So you might want to look at your measurements as well, if you're losing inches that is a good reinforcer too.

I also try to keep my carbs under 20 a day most of the time, and the very highest I go is 30.

It depends on what works for your lifestyle too, I have a job where I sit a lot so have to get my exercise outside work, you also sit a lot with tatooing so make sure you are getting exercise and that will help firm you up if not help you lose.

13# gone---that's terrific!

[Pug Ugly]

Yeah guys, you kick ass.. All the input in these forums really help! I'm gonna put some of this knowledge to use.

[WildCherry]

just wanted to add looking at your stats you're doing pretty kick ass yourself!Also, people always told me that if you find yourself not losing, or something try journaling (even if its not on here ) what you're eating, and then go back over what you ate when you lost weight. Sometimes it just takes a good 5 less carbs, or just a day or two of waiting..I bet in 2 weeks, you'll find you've lost more weight.....

keep up the good work! :thup:

[joylorene]

Hey let us know what you decided to do and how it worked for you. Always interested to see what people do and if it helps. Good Luck!!

[2cute4u_04]

i lost 30 pounds my first month.. i drank 100 oz of water everyday...exercised for about an hour a day and ate chicken, eggs and veggies,, hardly any red meat.... no salad dressing or anything with carbs except the veggies...only ate once a day... i dont recommend eating once a day...but...you asked lol.. but also because i was so strick.. i quit and gained most of the weigh back