Weight Loss

[Apets22]

Count your calories, Id try to stay under 1500 a day, and it should consist of mostly protien.
Interval training for 20 minutes a day, 30 seconds at sprint pace (bike, running, rowing), 1 minute at a jogging pace.
-Make sure your sprint pace is hard.
-Make sure your jog pace is allowing your heart rate to drop 20-30 bpm
Think of your heart like an engine. Once your car is doing 70 its still taxing on the engine, but when its going from 30-70 constantly, that will make your engine hate it self.

This will allow you to maximize the little time you have. Alot of diet programs recommend a cheat day. Which is good as it gives you something to look forward too. But, cheating doesnt mean shotgunning 12 cokes and then scarfing down a chocolate cake. It means give your self a delicious meal, a big steak or pasta dish, a meal that will make you happy, while not consisting of empty calories.

The biggest thing with any thing is that you stick with it. You WILL plateau, You WILL be hungry alot. You WILL be tired and lethargic.

As far as Im concerned you dug yourself a hole, and its gonna suck to climb back out. Edited October 15, 2008 by Apets22

[Doubon]

Im not a nutritionist or anything but under 1500 calories for a 300 pound male imo is starvation. Starvation doesn't work. Im not a doctor.

[Tati]

Nurse Tati says:
DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF!

Proteins and fiber keep you feeling fuller for longer. You can find protein in milk products, like yogurt and cottage cheese (look for low fat or non fat). You can find fiber in whole fruits and veggies, beans, seeds, whole wheat anything.
I like: Kashi Go lean crunch cereal with yogurt.

Eat a big breakfast, average lunch, small dinner. With plenty of healthy snacks in between.

Theres a computer program that helps you log what you eat everyday. It even has stuff for fast food and restaurants. and you can add in your own recipes. i think its called diet analysis something.

[gaia.plateau]

For how active Stuie currently is, and unless he's doing a high-protein diet with rigorous exercise, 1500 calories definitely isn't starvation.

The more active a person is, the more calories they should consume.

Bowl of flax-based cereal for breakfast with a bit of skim milk and a small glass of OJ = ~250kcal, about 120 without the juice. Apple or fresh fruit snack = ~120kcal. Leafy green salad for lunch, light olive oil-based dressing = ~100kcal. Bran muffin snack = ~90kcal. Baked chicken breast with light masala sauce and steamed asparagus for dinner = ~270kcal, about 170 without the sauce.. A couple handfuls of almonds two hours before bed = ~90cal. That's a perfectly balanced and delicious energy intake of under 1,000kcal.

Want to add a can of doctor pepper somewhere in there? That's like, what, 180kcal? Do 25 minutes on a bike to burn the equal amount, and you won't have to make any adjustments to the rest of your diet.

Edit: this might be considered drastic for many people, but if you're willing to make the sacrifice you can cut a TON of calories by simply removing all dairy from your diet, with very few consequences for your health or energy (just find your calcium and probiotics elsewhere). To put it in perspective, 20oz of skim milk contains about 220kcal, more than soda and stout beer. Most yogurts, even the healthy ones, contain quadruple that or more.

Dairy is the devil, and fun fact, we Cro Magnus have been around for about 100,000 years, and have only been consuming dairy after infancy for less than the past 8,000. Edited October 15, 2008 by gaia.plateau

[erufiku]

Hey a lot of good advice here, I am no expert on dieting (maintaining myself at 6"/170lb but may take the plunge for +5lbs soon) but I have some knowledge about nutrition, so here it goes, hopefully it'll be of help.

1) Do not starve yourself. If you reduce your calorie intake your body will just switch to 'power saving' mode, slowing your metabolism and resulting in a constant feeling of tiredness.
2) Diet smart, not hard. Pay attention to the nutritional value of the foods you eat. You should cut back on carbs, especially those that have a high IG because they burn really fast, raise the insulin level through the roof and are cause of all woes in general So, candy, sugar, anything bread-related is bad, while wild rice and even white rice (mid IG) is good. If you have to eat the same amount of carbs, substitute the ones with a high IG with low IG ones instead - they are digested slower and will distribute calories evenly through a few hours (esp. important since you work long hours).
3) Count your energy expenditure. You'll have to look for this online, the only resource I have is not in English. Basically you calculate how many calories you realistically burn per day while working/exercising/etc. Substract 500 cal from that total and build your diet according to that sum. In a few weeks, knock off 500 more calories, adjust your diet accordingly, and so on. Ideally you will be losing weight which will reduce your necessary calorie intake as you progress with your diet.
4) One more note on nutrition: avoid mixing carbs and fat in one meal! At the same time, fats are an essential part of one's diet, but learn to distinguish good fats from bad fats. Thus, olive oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, fish oil, etc = good. Get a lean grill and don't fry stuff in vegetable oil - I use a misto with peanut oil and fry everything with a minimum amount of fat (maybe 1/2-1tsp).
5) Eat smart: a big breakfast is a must - get lots of protein and carbs. For dinner, try to stick with good protein (chicken breast, lean red meat, etc) with veggies. Also, avoid cooking vegetables as it increses their IG and can destroy up to 90% of their vitamins. If you feel hungry, snack on some veggies (baby carrots, celery, etc) - it fills you up, gets you the vitamins you need, but doesn't make you gain weight.
6) As someone mentioned earlier, eat small meals 6x a day. It will increase the speed of your metabolism. I know you may not have time to cook each meal, but in that case just divide one meal in two.
7) Exercise is important, but don't neglect your diet. Both weight gaining and weight loss are 60% diet and 40% exercise, so set your priorities right.
8) Give it time. Some people start seeing results after one week, others need to wait a month for their weight to budge. Each person is different, and so are their bodies. The important part is to keep your weight down, not lose X pounds in Y weeks.
9) Snoop around bodybuilding sites. You'll find a wealth of information about nutrition and exercise. Just don't believe in all the hype about supplements - so many people start taking hydroxycut to lose weight, but that's just plain dumb; supplements like these are geared towards semi-pro athletes who want to look their best for a competition. Waste of money for a regular joe.
10) Good luck and keep us posted.

[gaia.plateau]

8) Give it time. Some people start seeing results after one week, others need to wait a month for their weight to budge. Each person is different, and so are their bodies. The important part is to keep your weight down, not lose X pounds in Y weeks.

This is excellent advice. My current girlfriend, for example, can put on 5+ pounds in a week if she happens to go carb-heavy in her diet, and lose it in 2 or 3 days without actively doing anything at all. In contrast, if I slack off for 2 weeks, because of an essay or whatever, it takes me months to get back to where I was. Hang in there. (And if you find that it's taking you a long time to notice a difference, because you genetically have slow metabolism, look at the bright side - in the event of an apocalypse you have a tremendous survival advantage over the metabolically quick.)

And on that note, if you're serious about getting into better shape and start an exercise regime, don't be discouraged if it's difficult to begin with, the hardest part about any workout program is getting in the habit. Make it three weeks sticking to your program every day, and you're golden, you've basically won right there. It's a good idea to craft a program yourself that works for you, (have a bad back? Do more weighted squats and lunges, avoid deadlifts, do standing freeweight laterals, avoid bending ones, etc. Have bad wrists? Do more presses, and pullups, avoid pushups, etc.) Print it out, tape it to your wall, load it to your PDA for the gym, whatever - just focus on getting in the habit. And it never hurts to have a buddy.

One last piece of advice; don't look at a scale. Weight is an atrocious measurement for progress of a healthy, active lifestyle, because one of your top priorities is to build muscle, which passively and constantly burns fat. Instead, pay attention to your watch and belt being looser. The Body Mass Index is useless, what you want is to index your body fat. Edited October 15, 2008 by gaia.plateau

[SuburbanSmoker]

I know a few things about being big and loosing big. i was 230 at 5'7 when i was 15 and lost over 75 pounds in 5 months. First thing to know is that you ahve to take baby steps. Some people can go cold turkey but it usually ends up ruining a diet. Its ok to splurge on food every once in a while like having a beer and a dog at a sports game or something, just dont be very frequent.

WATER. Its a natural appetite supressant, and will go leaps and bounds to helping you cut weight. soda is empty calories, diet soda specifically aspertame, tells your body to store fat...stay the fuck away from it.
Cravings last for around 14 minutes, i used gum to supress mine.

Exercise- doesnt have to be at the gym. Try pacing while on the phone, or taking the stairs, or parking at the back of the parking lot. EVERYTHING COUNTS.

You can also look into supplements. Dont use the diet supplements, its bad for you and does not typically give good results, however there are natural supplements you can take that encourage fat loss. CLA is an amino acid found in red meat that encourages your body to burn fat rather then muscle while exercising. Wont tip the scales without the diet and exercise but does increase weight loss by a considerable amount.

if you ahve questions feel free to pm.

[gaia.plateau]

Objective and recent studies have actually shown that CLA is both ineffective and hazardous for your health.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/5/1203
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/29/health/29real.html

Ignore the huksters, eat avacados instead.

[Tuscani]

2 1/2 years ago I was 6 foot even 310lbs... doc said I was a pre-diagnosed diabetic and I had to lose wieght or I would have to start accue checking myself, and possibly taking insulin, well I started lowering the amount of food I ate, running, and going to the gym slowing working up to where I am now. now im 6'2" 195 I run 5-10 miles a week, and lift weights at least 3 days a week.

[Exano]

Workout at least 30 minutes a day. Your burning carbs for the first twenty minutes of cardio, and fat for the other ten. This is the most important thing, you need to work out. I'm not saying bust your balls on a gym membership, but seriously try and input at least that much time into your day strictly for cardio. Biking and stairstepping work great for this until you lose more weight and can start jogging. There are a few things you can do at home if you dont have access to these: Push-ups are great, crunches are great, and squats are amazingly useful. It will be hellish at first to get started, but trust me 2-3 months into a real workout program and you will feel way better than you thought you could. Remember: Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you start bulking up and have a weight gain, dont be discouraged at first, because muscle also BURNS calories just by being muscle, fat does not do that.

Do a daily food log, do not fail to write anything down. Even if it is a handful of peanuts, or a cake, or a single smartie, write down EVERYTHING and analyze it. Stop any kind of white bread you are eating, white bread is basically bread without any nutrients and "bad" carbohydrates. Do NOT diet, diets do not work. You restrict your body of the calories it needs and you WILL slow down your metabolism and gain weight, period. Instead, replace fatty meals with healthier meals, and stop snacking on fatty foods and grab an apple or a fruit isntead. Take your vitamins daily, make sure you are getting enough protein, ect.

Another thing: Stop the soda. Completely. Do not drink any more soda, whatsoever. Soda contributes to weight gain in ways you can not even imagine. One soda a day, 365 days a year. There are ~ 100 calories in a doctor pepper, thats 36,500 calories in a year. This is TEN pounds in soda alone!

It is going to be really hard for you to change the first couple of months, but after you do it is like you never did anything different, trust me =)
Hope I could help you :-) Edited October 15, 2008 by Exano

[Bulldog_916]

One thing that is often overlooked is taking the stairs. I am up and down stairs constantly and ladders as well, carrying 30+lbs of equipment. It burns calories fast. Take 20 mins and a couple of 10lb bar bells or running weights (those ones that you might see women power-walking with sometimes) and take the stairs a few reps up and down, rest a minute or two and take them again. You dont even have to go at a fast pace, just keep the weights next to your chest or stomach. It works your arms, legs and chest. The cool thing about it is that stairs are all over the place and if you see them, you know where to go.

Another method is using a heavy punching bag. It's fun, it relieves stress, and gives you a pretty decent workout if you utilize kicks, punches, and body movement.

As far as diet, dont cut carbs fully. Eat whole wheat pasta or granola or cereal in small portions before your scheduled workouts. It gives you instant energy and it is easily burned off because it is converted very quickly into sugars which give you energy.

Buy fish or eat fish you have stored yourself. Talapia is a very inexpensive fish and has a very mild taste to it. Catfish is the same way. Put it in a vegetable soup with broth and olive oil, some seasoning and you have a full meal and left overs for the next day.

Frozen vegetables are also a very good alternative to buying fresh. A good sized bag of mixed stir fry vegetables at any store is between one and 2 dollars. It doesnt hit you in the pocket book, allows you to have a lot of options for how to cook it and it is easily resealed and put back in the freezer for later, no rotten veggies.

[r1v3th3ad]

one thing that helps me here and there:
I go through periods where I drink nothing but pop/soda or milk and juice. If I switch it up to crystal light, I almost always lose ten lbs fast and then steadily lose a few pounds a week, but thats the only thing I can have to drink with the exception of water. NO ALCOHOL.
Another thing in the past that helped was lessening the, I'll call them, breads....bread, pasta etc....Stepped it up on meats, would of with veggies, but I dont eat them.
But the crystal light works wonders.

[erufiku]

Do NOT diet, diets do not work. You restrict your body of the calories it needs and you WILL slow down your metabolism and gain weight, period.

I don't agree. A diet is essential to losing weight. I'm not talking about the two finger down the throat type of diet, but about getting all the essential nutrients in appropriate proportions.

One thing that is often overlooked is taking the stairs. I am up and down stairs constantly and ladders as well, carrying 30+lbs of equipment. It burns calories fast.

Wouldn't go too crazy in the beginning. Knees are a bitch to heal if you damage them. My dad once damged his knee while jogging and it took him a month to recouperate, but it was 3 months before he could jog again. But +1 to taking the stairs all the time. Every little bit of exercise adds up.

Another thing in the past that helped was lessening the, I'll call them, breads....bread, pasta etc....Stepped it up on meats, would of with veggies, but I dont eat them.

Good pasta is not bad for you. Just make sure it's pure semolina and always cook it al dente. If you overcook, it'll change the pasta's properties, raising the IG = fattening.

[gaia.plateau]

I don't agree. A diet is essential to losing weight. I'm not talking about the two finger down the throat type of diet, but about getting all the essential nutrients in appropriate proportions.

I think they meant "gimmick" or "yo-yo" diets. Since, you know... all living creatures have... a diet. It's an ambiguous and largely unuseful word, really.

one thing that helps me here and there:
I go through periods where I drink nothing but pop/soda or milk and juice. If I switch it up to crystal light, I almost always lose ten lbs fast and then steadily lose a few pounds a week, but thats the only thing I can have to drink with the exception of water. NO ALCOHOL.
Another thing in the past that helped was lessening the, I'll call them, breads....bread, pasta etc....Stepped it up on meats, would of with veggies, but I dont eat them.
But the crystal light works wonders.

Milk, soda and high-fructose juices are all far worse than alcohol if your goal is to burn fat.

Buy fish or eat fish you have stored yourself. Talapia is a very inexpensive fish and has a very mild taste to it. Catfish is the same way. Put it in a vegetable soup with broth and olive oil, some seasoning and you have a full meal and left overs for the next day.

Frozen vegetables are also a very good alternative to buying fresh. A good sized bag of mixed stir fry vegetables at any store is between one and 2 dollars. It doesnt hit you in the pocket book, allows you to have a lot of options for how to cook it and it is easily resealed and put back in the freezer for later, no rotten veggies.

Good points to make.

Fish is excellent because it's high in Omega 3 fatty acids which actively promote fat burning, you can also get free-range Omega 3 eggs.

Frozen veggies are actually better for you than 4 or 5 day-old raw ones, because freezing them takes away less nutrients, vitamins and fiber than does allowing them to experience enzymes and decay. This stuff is brilliant.

Porridge is another excellent fat burning food, throw some flax seeds into it for crunchiness.

If you get a sudden craving right before you have to go to sleep, eat a bit of unprocessed turkey breast or organic green vegetables, that way you won't raise your blood sugar and lose out on the natural fat burning process that occurs during sleep. Edited October 16, 2008 by gaia.plateau

[Stuie]

2 1/2 years ago I was 6 foot even 310lbs... doc said I was a pre-diagnosed diabetic and I had to lose wieght or I would have to start accue checking myself, and possibly taking insulin, well I started lowering the amount of food I ate, running, and going to the gym slowing working up to where I am now. now im 6'2" 195 I run 5-10 miles a week, and lift weights at least 3 days a week.

Think you could elaborate a little more that sounds awesome!

[crashrebootrepeat]

Hi! I used to drink a lot of soda (coke and Dr. Pepper) and eat candy all day long. Now I have cut a lot of that out but completely because if you don't allow yourself to have a little then you are just going to want it more.

What I have started to do is eat a grape fruit in the morning with a glass of water and just walk around the block a few times. Then I make myself a green smoothie or green juice for breakfast. Blend or Juice spinach or red leaf (or both) with some apples, carrots, and lemon for breakfast.

[Bulldog_916]

I just weighed myself at work yesterday. Turns out that in the last month and a half, the time I've been in school, I've dropped 2 pounds. I think part of that has to do with the fact that I'm not eating quite as much. The other part is that I'm walking constantly between classes. If you dont have a bike you're pretty much stuck walking to each class, which isnt a bad thing. Carrying a backpack is helping me burn off calories. Went from 6' 165 lbs to 163 lbs. Doesnt sound like a hell of a lot but I notice it in my stomach. I need to get a smaller belt.

[joytron]

1) Dont drink anything but water (no soda, all other drinks are empty calories) abd always drink a cup before you eat and you wont be as hungry. I mean when you pee it should be clear.
2) No one is to busy, if you watch tv get a stationary bicycle and use it while you do it.
3) fruit on an empty stomach, especially mangos, you digest them fast and gives you energy to get of yo' ass.
4) break your meals down. (that doesnt mean 2 hours later eat some more it means only eat a little bit so 2 hours later you will be hungry)
5) dont eat if you are not hungry.
6) walk in the sand (at the beach or the desert doesnt matter, it burns more calories and isnt as bad for your joints.
7) dont smoke so much, if you are smoking you have free time you arent using for excersize.
8) there is a reason you are depressed and if it is because you are fat well than man I applaud your determination because this will be a tough road.
9) you need to work out long enough to get your heart rate up so if you are going for a walk make it a good one.
10) get friends and family to help, jsut tell them whats up they will support you.
11) make a list of nevers (one of mine is soda) like no fried food, no ice cream and no matter what stick to it.
12) find an excersize you like to do, i surf and ride my bike but that is it becasue i cant stand to life weights.
13) fat and sugar are addictive so if you cut them out completely you wont crave them any more.
14) find healthy recipes that taste good, i eat food that is good and tastes good. Whole wheat pancakes with fruit. oatmeal with flaxseed and bananas. Yogourt fat free granola and mangos
15) we all have your back and good luck, this is gonna be really hard but might be the best thing you have ever done.

[Stuie]

6) walk in the sand (at the beach or the desert doesnt matter, it burns more calories and isnt as bad for your joints.

I wish I was close to sand man

14) find healthy recipes that taste good, i eat food that is good and tastes good. Whole wheat pancakes with fruit. oatmeal with flaxseed and bananas. Yogourt fat free granola and mangos

Genius! Hey Guys post your favorite healthy recipes

[gaia.plateau]

2) No one is to busy, if you watch tv get a stationary bicycle and use it while you do it.

While decent stationary bikes can be very expensive (mine was $600), this is a great way to make stunningly-boring cardio more mentally palatable. Personally TV and movies don't cut the mustard for me... I read or play video games.

Also, recumbent bikes are better for burning calories than stand-up ones because they don't allow you to "cheat", they're better for your back and more comfortable.

5) dont eat if you are not hungry.

This is not supported by studies... it's actually better to eat before you get hungry, for two reasons. 1) calories are converted into energy more efficiently, because fat cells are more active when you're hungry (meaning that consumed fat will attach themselves more vigorously).
2) you'll have more control over what you eat, because when we get hungry our bodies naturally crave fat, but if you eat before you get hungry, you'll have an easier time choosing healthier foods and eating smaller portions.

Just be sure that you're eating dietarily, not out of boredom. What I mean by that is to pay attention to the time, and eat a very small meal about every two hours, alternating roughly between 50-100 calorie meals and 100-250 calorie meals. The trick is to start thinking about food as fuel.

11) make a list of nevers (one of mine is soda) like no fried food, no ice cream and no matter what stick to it.

This list should probably be pretty small, especially since a lot of foods we think of as unhealthy are actually good for us in small amounts, and since cutting entirely from your diet all the things you enjoy will probably end in failure. Red meat, for example, contains Omega 3 fatty acids which actively promote fat burning, and red wine and dark stout contain tannins and antioxidants which reduce cholesterol. Unprocessed white cheeses, like emmental (swiss) and Monterrey Jack are also fat-burning foods when taken in moderation.

Fried food and ice cream, like joytron said, should be cut out entirely if you can manage it. Soda really isn't that bad for you, but if you're serious about losing weight fast you should try to reduce it to as little as possible. Personally I like to enjoy a coke zero with rum and lime every now and then.

12) find an excersize you like to do, i surf and ride my bike but that is it becasue i cant stand to life weights.

Cardiovascular is one half of burning calories, but muscle building is equally important. The former actively burns fat, the latter passively burns it, you need to do both for any program to be effective.

13) fat and sugar are addictive so if you cut them out completely you wont crave them any more.

This isn't accurate... firstly it's part of our genetic makeup to crave fat, you can't fight tens of thousands of years of evolution. Secondly, consuming fat is critically important for burning fat, just make sure you're consuming the right kinds. What you want are polyunsaturates, which you can find in unprocessed red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and other health products. You should be intentionally consuming at least one relatively fatty meal a day, whether it be a small steak or oatmeal biscuits.

Genius! Hey Guys post your favorite healthy recipes

Google actual recipes for these, but some great ideas are...

Homemade brown rice bread.
Hummus, with things to dip like snow peas, cherry tomatoes, crimini mushrooms, green olives, onion slices, or baked pita.
Guacamole (no sour cream) with baked pita to dip.
Salsa (homemade).
Bean Dip.
Pumpkin Spread.
Risotto.
Baklava.

If you want some actual recipes, PM me your e-mail address, I have dozens of PDF healthy cookbooks. Edited October 17, 2008 by gaia.plateau

[joytron]

wow good advice as far as addictive foods what i meant is cut out refined high amounts of refined sugar and fats like cheeseburgers for a few days nd you wont crave them as much. I dont recoomend removing all fats.

try whole wheat pasta
a healthy marinara sauce, (just make sure everything in it is real food)
saute some bellpeppers and mushrooms
add turkey meatballs if you like
salad with avacado bpeppers all that good stuff and a light dressing
sourdough bread.



burrito
blackbeans
rice
avacado
grilled chicken breast

instead of cheeseburger try turkey or my fav salmon (chicken breast is great too)
okay yeah avacado pretty much goes with everything, ton of nutrients and good fat

[Stuie]

Interesting arcticle I came across this morning

http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/2217...ts-deprive-body

[gaia.plateau]

Interesting arcticle I came across this morning

http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/2217...ts-deprive-body

1-4 are basically all the same... 5 and 6 are pretty obvious/ridiculous...

Regarding 6 though, while it's clearly unwise to eat only one thing all the time, something that can be very helpful is to eat only one thing per meal, and to constantly change what you're eating. (eg 9:00 whey protein shake, 11:00 bowl of lentils or chic peas, 1:00 steamed green veggies, 3:00 apple, 5:00 some sliced turkey breast, 7:00 some carrots, 9:00 bran muffin). That way you're basically dumping nitroglycerin into your metabolic engine. Edited October 20, 2008 by gaia.plateau

[xebra]

I would recommend to start a diary.

Post a picture of today, and your exact weight, and try to update it every week. You can get a simple overview, and the community will help to get motivated.

[duckah]

There is lots of good advice here, but I wanted to share the three biggest things that've helped me. As I began to start working out originally, here's what I did:

1. No soda/pop. Cut it out, water trumps all.
2. No mayonnaise. That includes cake frostings and cream-based salad dressings (ranch, caesar, 1000 island, etc). If you're having a salad, go for oil/vin or just a splash of olive oil. Fat free ranch = fat free mayonnaise.
3. Eat a light breakfast (1 pc plain toast, 1 egg), and don't eat late (if you sleep at midnight, stop eating around 8-9p).

I came up with these things after seeking advice and working in the food service industry for 6 years now. I learned a few things after watching how both processed and fresh foods have been prepared. Plus you get used to watching the average 250lb+ person ordering a "healthy salad" with ranch dressing and a large diet coke. Healthy? I think not. Edited October 27, 2008 by ewsang