great article! great tips!

http://almostfit.com/2008/02/15/33-tips-on-how-to- lose-weight-without-dieting/

hey! great article the new me, i really enjoyed it-well the first half i got through. it took me a while to learn some of these habits, and these last few months, i def feel as if im still learning. such as, dont diet, but make a real lifestyle change. And that it's really important not to look at losing weight and being in shape as just how good we can look, but rather how healthy we are too. im trying to get healty habits down while im young, and hopefully ill keep them forever! anyhoo, with that being said, Thanks for that great article!

tex

tex-you are welcome!! great job in trying to learn now, while you are young. that will help you so much in the future! you cant do everything at once, one step at a time. so dont worry if you cant get them all!! baby steps!! keep up the great work!!

I disagree with some of the tips on there, but I guess everyone will have differing views. For example, I believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and unlike the article I don't believe that have a large breakfast is a precursor to over-eating and is the problem that the author allures to.

Secondly, I disagree with the softly softly approach to excercise and diet. If you want to lose a large amount of fat (as in my case), I believe that there are certain sacrifices that have to be made i.e. Working hard in the gym, if your not working hard and pushing yourself, then your just coasting and doing yourself no favours.

But otherwise I think there are some good tips in there, just not sure how many of them are backed up with research or real experience.

i think its the authors opinion. i dont think it is backed with research. i agree with you in that breakfast is an impt meal of the day. i think she meant it doesnt have to be a huge meal, which i agree. also, in terms of exercise and diet, i think she meant if you find an exercise you enjoy you will be able to stick with it long term. i dont necessarily agree that all exercise and/or dieting will be easy. it is a struggle sometimes but if you find a diet and exercise routine you like, you are more likely to maintain it for life.

I think something to remember about the article is that it doesn't say you will get a hot body by following these things, but you will lose weight and develop a more healthful lifestyle. In my own life, I've found that a more moderate approach has helped me make permanent changes, rather than being all gung-ho and burning out quickly like I have so many times in the past.

yes, good point cindy. i agree.

Greetings, I'm the writer of the article - I'm new to traineo, but I'm definitely glad I found the site, and glad you found some of the tips useful.

On the scientific backing, all of the tips are first personal experience through trying them over the last 20 years, second, based on reading I've done (books like The French Don't Get Fat Diet by Will Clower, and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, for a few examples - both of which are Strongly recommended), and third by drawing my own conclusions based on articles that I've researched.

In other words, its definitely my experience and opinion as The New Me mentions. Basically I've tried just about every popular diet program around, and while they almost always work for the short term (lost 70lbs on Diet Center, for example; 30 lbs on South Beach; 25lbs on Atkins; and the list goes on), my current weight shows that they aren't a viable long term solution for folks like me (meaning the average American following the typical American diet). Not to mention, I think that in the long run I've actually hurt my overall health by trying extremes. I'm now trying something more moderate, that takes a lot more time, but ultimately I think is a more long-lasting solution - for me, and others like me.

On the exercise question, I definitely agree with Colin in some respects particularly as a means to faster weight loss, however I've found that for me I haven't been able to really commit for a lifetime to doing things like running 5-8 miles a day (which I used to do until I was injured). My feeling is there has to be a better way to incorporate general levels of exercise into my life gradually, so that I don't abandon those practices when I'm not "dieting" or when I get bored with the routine. But, adding in aggressive exercise to reach that point certainly works (and has worked for me in the past) -- I've just found that in my case its not sustainable over the following years, particularly because "life" seems to throw it out the window (illness, injury, stress, etc.).

Also, Cindy N is totally right. I'm not pursuing a "hot body" with this approach - I'm pursuing what I consider an "average" body, one that is healthy first and foremost, regardless of hotness. Although my physical appearance is of course a concern, my bigger reason for trying to get fit is so that I can live a longer life without the complications of Diabetes, Heart Disease, and who knows what else. Of my generation, at our current rate, 1 in 3 of us will suffer from Diabetes in the next 20 years. I don't want to be the "1". My Dad is; my Grandmother died from it; my Mom's mother suffers with it; I know I'm doomed unless I can make changes now that will last a lifetime.

At any rate, thanks for reading the post - It is certainly a process for me right now that I'm working out as I go, based on my experience and the experiences of others. Suggestions are very welcome, and please let me know what I can do to support you folks as well. Best, Jeremy (Metroknow)

thank you jeremy and i apologize for not giving you credit for the article. i usually credit the people when i forward an article but i didnt see your name? (im not doubting you wrote it). i just bought the book the omnivores dilemma and i heard in defense of food is the followup book. what is metroknow? thanks!

No worries at all. In fact, it helped to point out that maybe I need to make the authorship a little more obvious.

Definitely read both books. I have to say, there are some staggering pieces of information in the second (In Defense of Food) that really challenge the notion that a food is only the sum of its components (nutritionism's view); when you break food down into its components and put it back together again, it never has the nutritional benefits that the original food did - which is why simply adding in vitamins and minerals to foods is not enough to make the food nutritionally sound.

Metroknow is my online alias - it started out as a business idea that never took off. Originally it was going to be a portal site for local businesses, etc. in Portland, OR, but it never made it out of the concept phase. I liked the name, so I kept it. Metroknow.com is my primary personal blog.

Thanks again for the link - I'm actually really grateful and excited that folks even gave the list a second thought.

Thanks!

im looking forward to reading the book and then i will have to get the followup book as well. ill check out your blog as well. i really loved your tips!! its amazing how knowledgeable one can become just from lifes experiences. thanks again and yes definitely give yourself more credit for writing articles in the future!