I had a heart attack earlier this year and the doc says I should lose some weight. He figures organized groups are more successful than flying solo.

Does anybody have any pros, cons or recommendations for groups like Herbal Magic or Weight Watchers or any other groups?

Thanks for any input.

 

Well, there are bunches of different programs, but I kind of just did my own thing due to blood pressure and cholesterol issues.
I've slowly lost 35 pounds in the past 1-1/2 years by:
Eliminating alcohol from my diet
Watching what I eat
Exercising regularly

Most weekday mornings I get up early enough to put in 35 minutes on our old Nordic Track ski machine. We've had it for years, but I got away from it for a very long time.
Light breakfast of fruit/juice.
Lunch (lately) of rice and beans smothered in tobasco sauce.
Regular supper of whatever the wife cooks, taking extra portions of veggies and less of the fatty stuff.
We have also been on the "no sugar, no flour" diet for about 3 months now. Google it and you'll see information by one Dr. Gott, an M.D. who writes a syndicated daily newspaper column in the states.
Doesn't mean I don't eat sweets or flour products at all, I just eliminate them whenever possible (flour products) and avoid sweets as long as I can take it.
Just slowly and relatively painlessly have lost about a half pound per week. I have a goal of losing 15 more pounds, but the weight seems to come off much more slowly in recent weeks (or maybe it is not as noticeable because all my clothes fit so loosely/well comparatively)
Was 235 buck naked when I started it. Was 197.4 Monday morning (weigh-in day).
I call myself 6' tall, but really measure 1/2 shorter thanks to age and gravity.

You can lose weight. Just understand that it will not happen overnight. Slow and steady is how you put it on and slow and steady is how it should come off.
Don't get discouraged when you blow your diet once in a while. I did it plenty of times over the past year and a half. Just recommit yourself and get back on track. It'll happen if it is truly what you want to have happen.
I am not a doctor, don't play one on TV, and did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I know that cutting back on inputs and upping calorie burning activity is a guaranteed sure-fire way to drop the pounds.
Plus, you'll feel better than you can remember feeling when the pounds start coming off and you build some stamina and endurance.
I get up at 4:30, turn on the coffee, do my stretching for 10 minutes then hit the machine for 35 or so. Nice and easy pace, resistance not set impossibly high or anything. 20 minutes of cool down, shower, have breakfast and drink coffee while checking overnight postings on FTE and hit the door for work at 7 am.
Exercising in the morning and doing something for myself at the same time, really puts a positive note on my day. I have so much more energy. Hit the rack by 10 and asleep in 10 minutes or less and do it again the next day.


That is just how I did/do it. I am sure others will have plenty of suggestions as well.
Good luck and get yourself healthy for your own well-being as well as for those that love and need you.

 

I think Kal made some really good points. However, if you feel you need a support type of environment then I'd strongly recommend weight watchers over any of the others.

Your doc should have given you some good diet and exercise suggestions, why not try that route first?

Losing weight is addictive. Once you start to see some results you become highly motivated to keep on going.

Do yourself and your loved ones a favor and give it 100%!

 

Kal makes some good points. I did the early thing for many years at the local Y. Had a group I would meet and run with and it made all the difference. Don't know that you have to be a runner but working out with a few regulars can be beneficial. Good luck with your program. The most important element is to start.

 

My wife has had cancer recently, and got through that with some residual health issues. She is well overweight, and decided it was time to do something about it. Her doctor referred her to LA weight loss. They don't sell you meals or such, but rather teach you how to eat better. They do have some food products that help you along, but you learn the right way to cook, and what foods to be eating. She gives some things up for a while, but they gradually bring back in a lot of the things that you love. She has lost over 50 pounds in the 3 months she has been on it. They estimate it will take about a year and a half for her to hit her target weight, which is a little over 150 pounds lighter than where she started. Slow and steady is the way. The issue with Weight Watchers is that they give you the foods, then once you are done, they haven't taught you to eat right, just eat what they give you. Heck, I lost a few pounds due to our diet changes...

 

weight watchers worked for me 5 years ago,kind of a motivational factor when you are there in a group and you got stand in front of the cute lady and see how much you lost that week. They let us do it at work on our lunch hour,so it wasn't on our personal time. I lost 40 pounds. Sad to say I have since slipped up and gained 25 back,but that has to do with my discipline or lack thereof and not WW.

 

The bottom line is that there is no substitute for exercise. There are many, many options, but for the best results, you'll need a blend of aerobic and anaerobic activities. Aerobic is basically anything that keeps your heart rate at 60-80% of maximum (220 minus your age), along with elevating your breathing. Anaerobic is strength training. This will increase your muscle mass and decrease body fat while increasing your metabolism. With a higher metabolism, your body will burn more calories even when you are doing (essentially) nothing. A higher metabolism will also allow you to go back to eating a wider variety of foods, with the occasional "treat" thrown in, but it's still best if you learn to like the healthier foods.

Most people experience at least some decrease in metabolism during adulthood, but many do not ever change their eating habits to match. I see many people who I know were very active in high school (sports or other fitness activities), but then with college and a new career, they didn't have time, so their metabolism dropped as they lost muscle mass, along with the natural slowing of the metabolism as they aged. But they never changed their eating habits, and in many cases, their diet got worse as they could afford more food of the wrong kinds. The result is 35, 50, 100 extra pounds in all the wrong places.

About 10 months ago, I was at my heaviest ever, and at a point where I was close to having to buy all new pants due to my increasing waistline. I've always been regarded as thin, but I was starting to grow a spare tire. My job is physical (painting contractor), so I have more muscle mass than 15 years ago, but I also was eating too much and had no regular aerobic activities. So I started consciously eating less and within two weeks had dropped about 5 pounds so my pants continued to fit comfortably. Then, this spring, I started riding a bicycle again so that I could go on a 7-day, 360-mile tour in May. I subsequently dropped another 10 pounds or so. I got busy over the summer and didn't ride, but took it back up again around the 1st of Sept so that I could do a 2-day, 120-mile ride two weeks ago. Now I've gained those 10 pounds back--in muscle--due to the hills I regularly encounter on my rides (the strength portion of my exercise). So, right now, I'm 6', 180 lbs (wearing only shorts), just 5 lbs short of my heaviest weight ever, but can still wear my 32"-waisted pants comfortably. I would still like to get rid of a little more body fat, but that will come with time, as long as I keep riding. I do plan to try to incorporate some push-ups and sit-ups and the like into my routine sometime.

Jason