In Fall of 2009 I was up to ~195 (5'9"), pretty much not exercising, eating whatever I wanted & drinking too much beer.
Well, I had a physical and found out my triglycerides were too high and my good cholesterol too low. My doctor put my on a modified South Beach diet, which did wonders (lost 20lbs in three months, w/no exercise); triglycerides dropped substantially, HDL went up moderately (to a decent number). Then I decided to start exercising, so I started running (20-30 miles/week) and slowly began reintroducing some foods that were limited/off-limits on the SoBe diet. Things like bread (double-fiber), pasta (whole wheat), fruit (moderate), diet soda (moderate), coffee, etc. Well, over the next six months I lost another 20lbs...and I've kept it off for over a year (I'm now ~155lbs). Eventually, I weened myself completely off of the SoBe diet, though I still try to maintain a low-carb, low-fat, high-fiber diet; and trust me, I'm not suffering in the least (I drink beer again, albeit the low-carb "Ultra" garbage).
BTW: JOD's three tips are spot-on. Limiting the carbs after dinner is key, because most people are very sedentary in the evenings. Another trick/tip that worked for me was to always eat the main entree that everyone else at the table was eating, but to eat it in a moderate portion on top of a big helping of green beans (or other high-fiber vegetable). It might sound strange (especially if you hate veggies), but the beans are low calorie and the fiber fills you up; however, you still get the flavor of the item you really want to eat (ie, spaghetti & sauce, salmon & linguine, chilli, whatever). It works for just about anything except potatoes; if you're big or struggling to lose weight, potatoes will always be a no-no.
Good luck.
M_C
Well, I had a physical and found out my triglycerides were too high and my good cholesterol too low. My doctor put my on a modified South Beach diet, which did wonders (lost 20lbs in three months, w/no exercise); triglycerides dropped substantially, HDL went up moderately (to a decent number). Then I decided to start exercising, so I started running (20-30 miles/week) and slowly began reintroducing some foods that were limited/off-limits on the SoBe diet. Things like bread (double-fiber), pasta (whole wheat), fruit (moderate), diet soda (moderate), coffee, etc. Well, over the next six months I lost another 20lbs...and I've kept it off for over a year (I'm now ~155lbs). Eventually, I weened myself completely off of the SoBe diet, though I still try to maintain a low-carb, low-fat, high-fiber diet; and trust me, I'm not suffering in the least (I drink beer again, albeit the low-carb "Ultra" garbage).
BTW: JOD's three tips are spot-on. Limiting the carbs after dinner is key, because most people are very sedentary in the evenings. Another trick/tip that worked for me was to always eat the main entree that everyone else at the table was eating, but to eat it in a moderate portion on top of a big helping of green beans (or other high-fiber vegetable). It might sound strange (especially if you hate veggies), but the beans are low calorie and the fiber fills you up; however, you still get the flavor of the item you really want to eat (ie, spaghetti & sauce, salmon & linguine, chilli, whatever). It works for just about anything except potatoes; if you're big or struggling to lose weight, potatoes will always be a no-no.
Good luck.
M_C