Words of wisdom about losing 10 pounds

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, April, 2003

My plan to lose that last lovely 10 pounds is a two-parter: The first is to not go home until I go to the gym, even if I do just 30 minutes on the cross-trainer. I know that once I go home after work, it's all over, but if I pack my gym bag and take it to work, I have no excuse not to go. That way I'll get in some form of workout five days a week, and if I do more on the weekend it's a bonus! I've lost 4 pounds in two weeks doing this--so we'll see!

Second, I have to find something to work toward. Last year I was in a fundraising in-line marathon, which I finished in three hours; this year I need another event to keep me motivated. Not just to lose those 10 pounds, but to be healthy and active. If I focus on something other than just my weight, I find my esteem doesn't get as damaged. Instead I feel positive for having done something helpful that I've never done before.

Those are the two things that will workfor me this year: consistency and a challenging goal.

Marna Sleno

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I lost 25 pounds in the last year and have kept the weight off. The initial weight came off by upping my cardio and weight training, and cutting back on a few food luxuries. I also quit drinking soda, and quit eating french fries and potato chips.

Not drinking soda helped me lose 10 pounds fast. I still cheat on goodies every now and then, but when I do, I buy smaller sizes. For example, if I'm craving a milk shake I'll order a child-size version. I also switched from whole milk to 2%. Just changing my lifestyle a little at a time made a big difference.

Erin Pennington

Carmi, Illinois

When I was dieting on my own, the lowest weight I could ever manage to get to was about 129 pounds (I'm 5'4"). I just figured that was my "set weight," and that I'd have to deal with it. I was up to 136 pounds when I joined an online diet program. This helped in several ways. First, they set a weight for me that was well below the 129 I'd reached in the past, so I knew it was reasonable to want to lose 10 more pounds. I also found a support group of other women who had "those last few pounds" to lose, and we supported and encouraged each other. Last, I've become diligent at staying within a certain calorie range, and exercising consistently and with a lot of variety.

So far I've lost 13 pounds and am currently at 123 pounds. My goal is 118--just 5 pounds to go!--and I feel confident that I'll reach it.

Nathalie Andrews

The key is planning, planning, planning! Most of us know what we need to do to get back into shape, but I need to force myself to stay disciplined. I always eat my worst when I'm lazy or hurried, so I avoid this tendency by planning for the week ahead. I get psyched up with a big shopping trip on Sunday, cook some meals in advance that afternoon, and am raring to go on Monday with my daily food journal.

Writing everything down really does help me eat better, more frequently and in smaller portions. I even schedule my exercise for the entire week, usually adding a new program that I'm eager to master. Log your progress, have a specific goal in mind and figure out in advance how you plan to reward your success. And tell others about your plans--that will keep you honest and motivated!

Christine Smith

Ossining, New York

My strategy to lose weight is to take the "social" approach and attend cardio/weight classes at my gym. It's so much easier to exercise with people--it motivates me to keep going when I feel like quitting, and attending weekly classes keeps me on track with a plan. I know that if I attend classes all week, I've hit all my bodyparts.

Rynnel Guess

I have a bad habit of snacking at night, so I plan to eliminate all snacks after my evening meal. That should save me 250-500 calories a day, or about 1,750-3,500 calories each week. So I can lose a possible 1/2-1 pound a week. I'll drink water or other calorie-free beverages to help curb my appetite at night. I plan to do this for about a month, after which I hope to have developed a habit of not eating at night.

I'll still eat small treats occasionally during the day, but eat more fruits and raw veggies for snacks. I plan to eat six small meals a day, drink 8-10 glasses of water, and consume protein within an hour of my workout to help build muscle. I'll also continue with four days of running, two days of cross-training and three days of weightlifting each week.

Lisa

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