I've heard so much about the 3-day diet. Does it really work? What is a proper diet for someone like me who wants so much to lose weight?
The Three-Day Diet is nothing more than a very low calorie diet. Will it work? Anything that low-cal should work -- temporarily. Why temporarily? Because you can't keep it up for very long. Hunger and boredom will eventually overwhelm you then you will be back to where you started.
The solution to losing weight has always been to "eat less and exercise more". Eating less should not involve starving yourself, which will only lead to binge eating.
Try to remove sources of unnecessary calories -- soft drinks, junk food, desserts, ice cream, chocolates, candies, cookies, etc. These are the foods, which don't do anything good for your health and pile on the pounds fast.
Fried food and high-fat food sources like cooking oil, mayonnaise, butter, cream, etc. are things you can easily eliminate or reduce to cut down on calories.
Fruits, vegetables, beans like mongo, grains like rice, lean sources of protein (chicken, fish, beef and even pork) are what good nutrition and a low-calorie style of eating are made of. And, of course, eating these foods in moderation!
Physical hunger is different from "mouth" hunger. Eat to satisfy the hunger in your stomach, not your mouth (eating out of boredom, eating mindlessly in front of the TV, etc.).
Don't forget to exercise. You can walk -- even ten or fifteen minutes in the morning and another ten or fifteen minutes in the afternoon. Losing weight this way is slow but steady -- and you will keep it off for life because it is realistic and easy to maintain.
I'm trying to lose weight. Two months ago I was 130 lbs. Now, I'm already 118 lbs. I don't know why I'm not losing any weight anymore. The good thing is I'm losing inches. Someone explained to me that I'm not losing weight because the fat is turning into muscles and muscles are heavier. Is this true?
It is normal to go through a "weight plateau" -- your weight doesn't seem to go down no matter what you do. Scientists aren't sure exactly how this happens but they think the reason is that the body is trying to protect you because it thinks that you are starving. So it lowers your metabolism by conserving energy and hoarding all the calories you eat. That may be the reason why your weight doesn't seem to budge.
Another reason is that when you exercise, your muscles get heavier (that's how they get harder and more "toned') and your fat cells get smaller. Muscles are more dense than fat. In other words, one kilo of muscle weighs exactly the same as one kilo of fat but the muscle occupies a smaller space! That's why you are losing in inches. Muscles do not turn to fat. They are two different kinds of cells.
My body is slimming down but I still look fat because my face hasn't changed yet. Is it normal for the body to slim down first before the face?
Consider yourself blessed that you have what you call "chubby cheeks". You won't look old and haggard. Yes, it is possible to look like you have lost weight, for example, in the lower body before the upper body. This depends on your own specific fat distribution pattern. In your case, it seems to be body first, face last. Like I said, you are one of the lucky ones. Other people get very thin and haggard looking in their face but their body doesn't show much sign of weight loss. I would rather be in your position.
Is it normal for someone my age (19 years old) to weigh 114 pounds and stand at 5'4"? Can you please publish in your next column the ideal weight for a certain age?
Many nutritionists now recommend using the Body Mass Index guide for finding out whether you are the right weight for your height. Here is the formula:
Divide your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in meters squared). Compare the answer you get with these figures:
I'd like to lose some weight but it's so hard to shed even a pound. I play tennis twice a week and do some 10-15 minutes of exercise the rest of the week. I eat a lot.
You mentioned that you have a hard time losing weight in spite of exercising. The answer is probably in your sentence: "I eat a lot". If the calories you eat are greater than the calories you burn, you will gain weight. In your case, what you eat and what you burn are about equal thus you just maintain your weight.
I would like to seek your help regarding the matter of losing weight in the fastest possible way -- a month. You see I have received word that I will be part of the entourage of my cousin and I don't want to look the way I am now. I have gained 20 lbs. over the last 2 years and I would like at least lose 10 lbs. in time for the wedding. Would it be possible? How shall I do it? It might help you to know that I spend most of the time in the office. I can hardly workout or exercise ... what would you recommend I do?
It is possible to lose 10 pounds in a month's time but it is not the safest thing to do. Considering that you do not exercise at all, the only way to do it is to cut your food intake in half. It is not something I would recommend, but if you are insistent on losing the weight, you can give it a try. After the wedding, the weight will return because you cannot continue to eat only half of what you are eating now without getting ill. To keep the weight off, I suggest that you walk at least 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the afternoon, remove or reduce all junk food, soft drinks, dessert, fatty food (fried food, fatty pork, etc.) but eat moderate amounts of food. The best and safest weight loss (the type that won't return to haunt you!) is slow but sure. After all, it took you two years to put on the extra 20 pounds.
My problem is how to gain weight. I've been eating several small meals during the day aside from the regular ones yet I still have a small frame. The only thing however, is that the "bilbil" gets more pronounced. What exercise can you recommend to take that away? Will it still work even at age 40?
Eating more will not necessarily solve your problem as you have found out from the appearance of the "bilbil". If you are serious about reshaping your body to add more shapely mass instead of just fat you need to start a weight-lifting program. You would start with light weights but eventually you will need to lift heavy weights to add the needed mass to your muscles. Using weights will require you to eat more (continue with the many small meals throughout the day) but the calories will go to reshape your muscles rather than just add "bilbil" to your body. Will this work since you are forty? Definitely! It's never too late to start.