Disc. Channel: Want to lose weight before riding Voyage?

^I used to be overweight as a kid and especially as a teenager, so I know all about it. I know how difficult it is.

I tried Weight Watchers, gyms, pills, etc.....NONE of them worked for me. I am not saying that they don't work for SOME people but I don't see the point in spending so much money on those things unless you are not going to give it 100%.

I am no fitness expert, from my experience it all has to do with activity. I am lazy and HATE excercise, but I found things that I enjoyed doing that keeps my active. Personally I like walking, swimming, biking, and especially DDR. These are all things I love to do and don't consider them to be a chore. If going to a gym is something you enjoy doing then by all means go for it. :-)

As far as food I believe in moderation. I know a lot of friends who have starved themselves and it did more damage than anything. I have had friends do the Atkins Diet and have got sick. Personally I don't believe in organized diets. I think it's a huge waste of money. I believe in moderate portions, a lot of water, activity, and lots of vitamins.

But that's just me. ;-) I think you can pretty much eat what you want (in moderation) as long as you are active in something you enjoy.

Sarah, I wish you the best of luck as well as anyone else trying to lose weight! Stick with it. :-)

-Tina

*** Edited 1/25/2006 7:25:24 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

Tina, I believe in moderation also. Which is why I watch calories and not some fad diet. I do eat pretty much what I want, just in limited amounts. Weight Watchers Smart Ones desserts are my best friends. The Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae and Chocolate cake are the best things ever! Good tasting food, but portioned just right at only about 150, give or take, calories.

I enjoy going to the gym actually. They have 8 TVs set up and I just walk and watch TV :) They don't have a pool though, so no swimming unfortunately. I like it because it is a rehab center also. I hated my other gym because it was all skinny people working out and that made me very self-conscience. This place is mostly older people going through rehab and a bunch there to lose weight or to maintain their weight.

Bless you, Tina! You said it better than I've ever heard before.

And Sarah, "kick-start" yourself and start peeing more! :)

MrScott

It's a shame this thing is for 18+. I'll admit, I'm only 15, and overweight, at 220 pounds. I had the misfortune of being denied to Millennium Force last year at Cedar Point, and it was at that moment I knew I needed to do something about it. I was at 225 at the end of last year, so only a five pound difference- unacceptable. I've really been trying to lose more weight (Eating less and better, more DDR and walking), but it's still a long road in front of me. A half of gallon of water, huh... I'll be trying that.

My goal is to not only ride the Voyage this year, but really it's all about Millennium. I enjoy coasters so much (That's the first one I've ever been denied), so it hurts. it also makes me want it more. You've heard it here first, next season I'll be on MF.

Good luck to anyone else trying to lose weight. I'm with you- it's sometimes hard to eat right and the like. It isn't our fault that food tastes good!

-nesdude

Whoops... typo that didn't make sense
*** Edited 1/25/2006 8:13:00 PM UTC by nesdude***

You are welcome Mr. Scott!

Sarah, that is awesome! I don't eat sweets (I can't stand sugar) but I like some of Weight Watcher's dinners. It's great you like the gym! I never did. lol.

Don't EVER feel self-conscience, though. I used to but nowadays I just don't give a f***. ;-) I am no model but it's not worth worrying about it.

Nesdude,

I wish you a lot of luck! DDR rocks doesn't it? I do it because I think it's fun, and that is what is most important. The health benefits are just a bonus. :-)

I've been overweight since I was 8 years old, and even though I've tried a bunch of different diets, it just hasn't gotten the job done.

I got fed up this year and started trying to get to the gym, just to make something happen. And it has: I'm down about 20 pounds since the start of September, and though I've been away from the gym for almost 9 weeks because of illness and my winter break, I'm proud to say I haven't gained a pound back.

At the end of the day, I feel like slowly changing the way you eat and live is really the only foolproof way to do it. All the dieting I did never worked once I got off the diet; hell, most times, I gained more than I'd lost. I've still got a solid 50-60 pounds I could stand to lose before I'm truly healthy again, and I really think this show has the potential to join in the ranks of The Biggest Loser and maybe motivate people to want to do something about their lives. I think that's much more important than any roller coaster ride (although the rides certainly do help on the motivational front ;)).

Id be all for it if i didnt already have so much planned this summer and dont have the money. I weight 265 and would like to be right around 195

NitroDave,

That's the whole point. I have a lot of overweight friends but I try to tell them to lose the weight for themselves and their health, not for what other people think. It really doesn't matter what other people think of you.

If this Voyage thing motivates people to get healthier then all the better. :-)

-Tina

I hear ya, Tina. The problem is, most of the time (myself included), all the health warnings don't seem to register in people because they don't feel like it's an immediate concern. When I started noticing myself getting winded doing simple tasks, that was when I knew I had to start thinking about doing something. Any motivation is the right motivation as long as it ends up getting the result, as far as I'm concerned.

--Dave, will starve for Voyage ;)

Sarah,

As one who is still battling weight, I can share some knowledge I've gained over the past year with regards to eating healthier. One thing to look for is whole grains; many cereals now have them (all General Mills). Also, when picking bread, you want whole wheat, not just wheat. If the ingredients say enriched wheat flour, it's not whole wheat. As for the rest, moderation is always key, and if you need to eat out, ask how something is prepared.

A story, I went to the local steakhouse, I don't remember which, and asked how my steak was to be prepared. The answer? In butter, and my broccoli? In butter. Those two ingredients cut the calories by 1/3 and the fat by over 1/2. It's difficult to ask, but it makes a world of difference. I'd be more than happy to see what material I can get from the trainers I know and work with, if you'd like.

Farfel I would love to see the information you could get! I don't eat out a whole lot, thankfully, but like I said, I eat a lot of packaged foods. There is just too much sodium and preservatives in those to actually be a "healthy choice".

I need to learn to cook, that's all there is to it! I like turkey burgers if I add a little seasoning to them. I have these frozen chicken breasts that are to die for. I marinate them in teriyaki sauce. The sauce adds some calories, but tons of taste. I love veggies so that’s a good thing. I just have never really learned how to cook. If I cooked more I could cook foods that are filling and not just there. That’s where I run into problems I think. The packaged foods just don’t fill me like I need to be in order to not snack.

I think one of my biggest problems is snacking. When I get bored I want to snack. I need to stock up on raw veggies to snack on when I get hungry and to be more conscience about when I'm snacking.

Thank you all for all of your wonderful advice and support.

^Oh that is one of my problems as well. Like I said I don't eat sweets but I snack all day. I eat way too many chips and salty snacks. I can go through a whole bag of chips in no time. Sometimes I try to buy the veggie platters which are awesome, but then there is the ranch dip that is sooooo awesome but so bad for you. lol.

I HATE cooking but I wish I could get the motivation to actually do it. :-) I eat a lot of takeout and packaged meals. I am lazy. ;-) I really don't eat fast foods unless I am on coaster trips. Most of that s*** you don't even want to KNOW what's in them. Of course there are some exceptions.

I refuse to see the movie "Supersize Me" then again maybe everyone should as it would probably turn them off fast food forever. :-)

-Tina

*** Edited 1/26/2006 3:39:21 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

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Nitro Dave said:
I hear ya, Tina. The problem is, most of the time (myself included), all the health warnings don't seem to register in people because they don't feel like it's an immediate concern. When I started noticing myself getting winded doing simple tasks, that was when I knew I had to start thinking about doing something. Any motivation is the right motivation as long as it ends up getting the result, as far as I'm concerned.

--Dave, will starve for Voyage

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^Na, I don't think you have to starve. ;-) That's hilarious, though. ;-)

I understand getting "winded" as well. I recently gave up booze since it was becoming more of a problem than a fun thing to do. It was seriously starting to affect my health. Simple tasks such as getting out of bed were difficult. Being that I am 34 my body can't tolerate the affects of booze like it did when I was 20. ;-)

I think losing weight relates in some ways. It's all about health.

-Tina