Weight Loss

[SweetNut]

Okay any of you pros have an opinions on Powerade or Gatorade? Beneficial or Crap?

I'm 6'3 and a couple pounds shy of 300... along with that comes a family history of high blood pressure so Gatorade is not a good idea because of all the high sodium.

[bellaxovita]

Okay any of you pros have an opinions on Powerade or Gatorade? Beneficial or Crap?

there is a high sugar content in gatorade....it ends up rotting your teeth....like between your teeth. saw it a bunch in athletes when i did my clinicals. and with a high sugar content it doesn't do much for weight loss. honestly...water. take your body weight and divide that in half. the number you get is how much water you should be drinking in ounces. and ICE COLD water will help you more then anything because it burns calories when your body works to heat it up to temp. Bene is okay if you have an issue with crapping. But what people don't really understand is that that is fibers main reason...to keep you regular. if you're already regular...it's not that big of a deal. froasted mini wheats...tastey....high in fiber. skip the orange drink. balance yourself out. fruits or veggies for snacks. water. balanced meals. i know water gets old...but if you can stomach diet soda you can actually sub the last 2 glasses of water you have to drink a day for that and it counts as water.

don't give up.
don't let the world get you down.
every little thing is gonna be alright.

[newjacksm]

It's all about conditioning Stuie. I hate to put it this way, but when you get a puppy you try and condition it to go to the bathroom outside, you have to condition your self to why you want to do then break it down into categories.

Gatorade and Powerade isn't good unless you are severely dehydrated. You should learn to love water, there has been studies that diet soda actually makes you hungrier. Water can fill you up and make you less hungry. If you want something sweet like a soda, just take a sip and put it back in the fridge(this goes for anything that is sweet with a lot of sugar or a lot of calories small smalll portions)

I started taking multivitamins too, 1 in the morning 1 at night. It has helped me sleep better and helped me wake up feeling much nicer ( I am sure the weight loss too has helped too)

Once you start seeing progress and you start feeling the effects Stuie I am sure you will start getting addicted and want to join a Gym. I am in the process of looking for a good Gym I can go to .

I wouldnt cut the amount of food you are eating out of your diet, I would just cut the bad stuff out and replace it with better food. Fish, Vegtables (Grill em! Much better ), Rice, CousCous.

I use to hate fish but I found a new love in Talapia, I put these really nice spices on it and eat as much as I want because its low in calories and it really fills me up and tastes GREAT. Chicken Salad, Oil Vinegar with some onion powder another great thing to eat for lunch.

I've learned a lot from calorie counting and what foods really fill you up with not a lot of calories that taste great. I have no problem today eating those type of foods.

I went to the bar the other day and I use to get these chicken wings all the time I use to get 20 of them and use to eat almost all of them no problem. I could barely finish 10, and my stomach could barely handle all the grease that's in it. After that experience I don't think I could go back to my old lifestyle of eating.

You can do the same man! It all starts from believing in your self and conditioning your self! Edited November 15, 2009 by newjacksm

[Hookah_510]

gatorade/powerade can both be good and bad. the bad side is the sugar content therefore drink with moderation (after/during workout) and the positive side to it is it contains dextrose which is optimal for recovery whether you run marathons, weight lift, etc. I like to drink Gatorade G2 which is half or lower calories (fewer sugars) after/during lifting. make sure to get a good amount of water as that is more important than sports drinks.

[NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD]

its thanksgiving, i think any diet i may have had going has been crushed under 10 lbs of food so far..lol

[Vladimir]

I think I responded buy not sure if I mentioned this or not.

Carbonated water. I used to to go from, at one point, drinking as many as 7 sodas a day to normally declining a soda at the movies. Long story short when I was in Eastern Europe in some places the only bottled water was carbonated and I fell in love with it. You can buy the fancy Canada Dry stuff at the store, or look at the bottom shelf and get the no-name for a friendly price- back when WalMart was convenient I could get a liter for 58 cents. Some don't like the taste, but give it a few days and it might grow on you! They also make like lemon/lime flavored, but I prefer plain. Also- sometimes it isn't with the soda, if you go to the aisle with alcohol mixers it is there sometimes.

This is of course assuming you drink a lot of soda!

[evilded777]

K, I haven't read this whole thread... and of course, YMMV, but my partner and I have lost a combined 80 pounds or so in the last 9 months (and though being involved with someone half our age had SOMETHING to do with it, it wasn't everything). I attribute it to healthier eating. We didn't really start exercising until a great deal of the weight was gone.

It started, for me, with giving up soda. Then my partner was told to cut down on fried foods because his tri-glyceride levels were too high. We started eating apples, skipped potato chips and other snack foods like them. Cut out a lot of sweets, and went for lower calorie snacks.

Its made a huge difference. I weigh less today than when I was at my athletic peak as a high school swimmer. I still go some work to do, and frankly I plan to put some of the weight back on as muscle... but I feel better, look better... and yes, I can keep up with that kid who's half my age a hell of a lot better than I could when I first met him ;-)

[nars2k]

This might not be the healthiest way to do it but this is how i lost 43 pounds. I was 210 and now stand at 167.
The things I was eating were basically as low in calories as I could try. I don't believe in those Atkins and all those diets.

No Sodas, no fats, no fast food.

Breakfast - piece of toast, cup of coffee and twice a week eat a boiled egg
Lunch - Lettuce salad with lemon juice
Dinner - Sauteed vegetables and some grilled chicken

Exercise as much as you can, switch up your exercises. I know it can be hard if you don't have too much time. It will be very had to keep the diet for the first week or so.

[Stuie]

So i have been reading that it takes 21 days to make a habit and 21 days to break one.

So I have decided to do it in steps.

Step 1:
Don't Drink Calories - No Soda, Beer or any calorie Drinks
No Fast Food

I figure this is my big hurdle I need to tackle first.

I am not on day 10 of Step 1. Man I miss Dr Pepper. I have been drink Water, Coffee, Metromint and Crystal Light a lot. Fast Food has been hard, It's just so easy to grab it. But I am cooking more so that's a plus.

After 21 days, I will still maintain this habit, but not declare abstinence on it. I will have a Dr Pepper from Time to Time. But I will be strict on myself to stay to it on the weekdays.

Step 2: Daily Exercise 15 minutes or more a day


Kinda making this up as I go.

I figure This will take me some time. But I would rather take the time to break the bad habits, develop the new ones, and never return to this fat encased prison.

[Stuie]

[quote name='Stuie' date='23 December 2009 - 12:48 PM' timestamp='1261594116' post='441308']
So i have been reading that it takes 21 days to make a habit and 21 days to break one.

So I have decided to do it in steps.

Step 1:
Don't Drink Calories - No Soda, Beer or any calorie Drinks
No Fast Food

I figure this is my big hurdle I need to tackle first.

I am not on day 10 of Step 1. Man I miss Dr Pepper. I have been drink Water, Coffee, Metromint and Crystal Light a lot. Fast Food has been hard, It's just so easy to grab it. But I am cooking more so that's a plus.

After 21 days, I will still maintain this habit, but not declare abstinence on it. I will have a Dr Pepper from Time to Time. But I will be strict on myself to stay to it on the weekdays.

Step 2: Daily Exercise 15 minutes or more a day


Kinda making this up as I go.

I figure This will take me some time. But I would rather take the time to break the bad habits, develop the new ones, and never return to this fat encased prison.
[/quote]

So I have gone soda free and fast food free for 3 weeks now. Working out 15 minutes a day with kettlebells for a few days now. And just for fun I thought I would take a look at my weight.

I HAVE GAINED 3 F@#$)(*$# POUNDS!!!!

This is seriously discouraging. People have been telling me for years stop drinking soda and fast food and weight will drop off. Well I did. And it didn't. I was eating fast food 5-7 times a week. Drinking 2-3 liters of Dr Pepper a day. I cut all that bad crap out and I gain weight. I have been eating at home. This is seriously discouraging. I wasn't expecting a ton of weight loss 1 pound in 3 weeks... at least a sign it's working...

DEPRESSION FTL........

[BBKakes]

@ Stuie

What have you been cooking and eating in the place of fast food? Net-Net, if you are not running a significant calorie deficit on a daily basis, weight loss will not occur. Combine that with lifting weights you technically have a recipe to gain weight (although I'll bet its partially muscle gained from weight lifting). I retained a nutricionist trainer for a year and learned alot. PM me if you want more details.

[Arcane]

KBB in on the right track...as much as you want to lose weight...it's not good measurement to go by...

speaking of measurements, that's probably your best indicator of progress...take waist, chest, and thigh measurements...use these as a gauge for progress....

also, take pictures of yourself and compare them...


weight is an easy way to view a perceived progress, but its so inaccurate...my weight will shift from 138-145lbs in the course of a day....measurements are much more stable..

[Stuie]

Well Kettlebells isn't exactly weightlifting. I am just doing Swings at this point.

Still trying to eat breakfast without getting nauseous, and nothing sounds good to eat in the morning.

Lunch Typically a Turkey Sandwich or leftovers.

Dinner A lot of Chicken, Some Buffalo.

Cut out Junk food also.

I snack on Peanuts in the evening when I get hungry after dinner but never more than a few handfuls

I will get to measuring tonight.

[Arcane]

wish you the best of luck Stuie!!

[Jeff_T]

Looks pretty good so far Stuie, keep it up man. It takes a while, but you'll see some results or at least feel them if you keep up with your routine. I know you said you're not "weightlifting" but muscle does weigh more than fat, so that could account for the change. Also, I'm not sure if you belong to a gym or are interested in joining one, but I just got an email today from bodybuilding.com (which has a plethora of information not just about bodybuilding, but dieting, fat burning, etc.) and it contained this 12 week video personal trainer guide. It does have the participant lifting, exercising in a gym, that's why I asked. After looking it over it seems like a great way to begin/reach your goals. Here's the [url="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/12_week_daily_video_trainer_main.htm?mcid=EJAN010609VideoTrainer5"]link[/url]. Some of the videos are corny, but they have great info and an easy to follow program. I think it's great because it talks a lot about the diet/eating portion of the routine/program as well as the exercising part. Hope this helps a little and just keep motivated, I'm sure you'll be able to reach your goals. It may not be easy, but it'll be well worth it and you'll feel incredible mentally and physically. Good luck man.

[The Russian]

There are about ten million different plans out there that you can take, or you can save some money overall and head to the doctor.

If the doc isn't your thing, diet [b][size="6"]+[/size][/b] exercise are key... most people forget the exercise part, but people were made to walk (which is part of what makes us unique as humans) so I'd start with that. My friend's dad couldn't tie his own shoes due to obesity and his wife started him off by dropping him off at the stop sign on his street and making him walk home (not far, but any exercise you DO is exercise that you wouldn't have done). The obvious things are drinking water, taking a good multi-vitamin (which will help increase energy), cutting down on smoking (I don't personally see the need to limit it entirely, as hookah smoking has helped me regulate my breathing while running), eating fruit (mm, fiber!) and going outside in the sunshine for at least 10 minutes a day for your vitamin D (which gives you energy).

[Decapitated Toy]

the best way to lose weight that i have ever learned is to drink the correct amount of water which seems like ALOT when you first start doing it. then making the time to go walking... start slow.. half mile... maybe a mile... have someone go with you in a car and find the point that you begin to feel tired and you have to push yourself some. next time you go out try to make the round trip a little further than that length and then add a block bi-weekly. before you know it you will be walking 5 miles. as for kettle balls they are more for toning and muscle gain not weight loss. when i was in high school i was trained by an ex-pro body builder and his diet advise was you can eat as many pb&j's on wheat as you want so long as you are doing some form of excersize. they are a source of all the good stuff you need to stay healthy but you do have to keep in mind that all the calories taken in have to be expended(burned).. your body does most of this for you but we are hunter gatherers not sit on our ass and play gamers(slowly raised my hand in shame). when i was on his plan i droped from 240 to 180 in a school year. that is just my 2 cents and if you need a hand or inspirational voice i would be more than happy to call you and yell at you to go walking... hell it would do me some good too because i have worked my way back up the scale some!lol

[evilded777]

Just putting in my plug to hope you are keeping at it Stuie. My partner and I are still doing well, having kept the weight off even through the holidays (I've been right around/under 150 pounds for about 2 months). We've started a more structured exercise routine at home based on ideas from Men's Health.

I know its hard, especially when you are trying. I think that was the best part about it for us: we weren't trying at the beginning, so we weren't thinking about it. But when people started telling us how skinny we were, and we really started to notice that our clothes didn't fit anymore... it was really gratifying. (Ok, yeah, and to have that half-our-age kid come visit at Christmas and say "You guys look even skinnier now!" didn't hurt either.)

I know its hard, man. Believe me. But its worth it in the end, whatever your motivation. That first time you catch yourself in a mirror and say: where the hell did the rest of me go, it'll make up for a lot of the hard work and what what seems like deprivation. Some day you'll be able to indulge in that Dr Pepper again (once in a while!), and it will taste all the sweeter.

[evilded777]

[quote name='Stuie' date='06 January 2010 - 03:42 PM' timestamp='1262810533' post='443575']
Well Kettlebells isn't exactly weightlifting. I am just doing Swings at this point.

Still trying to eat breakfast without getting nauseous, and nothing sounds good to eat in the morning.

Lunch Typically a Turkey Sandwich or leftovers.

Dinner A lot of Chicken, Some Buffalo.

Cut out Junk food also.

I snack on Peanuts in the evening when I get hungry after dinner but never more than a few handfuls

I will get to measuring tonight.
[/quote]

Ok, a few more notes for you.

Peanuts... dicey. While they are good for you, its a balancing act. Almonds would be a better choice for snacking.

Do you ever look at your caloric intake? I hate counting calories, and I think it can be very defeatist... but at some point, you really do need to look at it.

We're probably hovering right around the 2,000 calorie a day mark. I don't know where they come up with that number, but it does seem to be a good goal.

Portion size. Its a good concept to keep in mind. Goes kinda with the caloric intake. Gotta watch that portion size. Look into pre-packaged 100 calorie snacks. There are some awesome ones out there, and they can really help cut the cravings for sweets. There is an awesome brand out there: Fit & Active. I don't know if you can only get it at Aldi's (budget supermarket), but its worth looking into. There food is awesome, and incredibly calorie conscious.

You can do this without totally changing your life, but some things have gotta give.

[SultanofSmoke]

Stuie,

Try making a bet with someone close to you to also lose some weight...this way your held accountable and both of you can motivate/spur each on... helped me make various changes in my life. Also in the same vein - if not bet (although it works great) at least having a workout partner or someone to get through the dieting with also helps.

Sultan.

[duckah]

[quote name='Stuie' date='06 January 2010 - 11:55 AM' timestamp='1262800549' post='443540']
[quote name='Stuie' date='23 December 2009 - 12:48 PM' timestamp='1261594116' post='441308']
So i have been reading that it takes 21 days to make a habit and 21 days to break one.

So I have decided to do it in steps.

Step 1:
Don't Drink Calories - No Soda, Beer or any calorie Drinks
No Fast Food

I figure this is my big hurdle I need to tackle first.

I am not on day 10 of Step 1. Man I miss Dr Pepper. I have been drink Water, Coffee, Metromint and Crystal Light a lot. Fast Food has been hard, It's just so easy to grab it. But I am cooking more so that's a plus.

After 21 days, I will still maintain this habit, but not declare abstinence on it. I will have a Dr Pepper from Time to Time. But I will be strict on myself to stay to it on the weekdays.

Step 2: Daily Exercise 15 minutes or more a day


Kinda making this up as I go.

I figure This will take me some time. But I would rather take the time to break the bad habits, develop the new ones, and never return to this fat encased prison.
[/quote]

So I have gone soda free and fast food free for 3 weeks now. Working out 15 minutes a day with kettlebells for a few days now. And just for fun I thought I would take a look at my weight.

I HAVE GAINED 3 F@#$)(*$# POUNDS!!!!

This is seriously discouraging. People have been telling me for years stop drinking soda and fast food and weight will drop off. Well I did. And it didn't. I was eating fast food 5-7 times a week. Drinking 2-3 liters of Dr Pepper a day. I cut all that bad crap out and I gain weight. I have been eating at home. This is seriously discouraging. I wasn't expecting a ton of weight loss 1 pound in 3 weeks... at least a sign it's working...

DEPRESSION FTL........
[/quote]

Stuie,

Here are a few tips that I have learned, and I'm following in my dad's footsteps with weight loss.

1). Weigh yourself regularly and at the same time, preferably immediately when you wake up. What you eat, drink, and do during a day can fluctuate your weight by a couple pounds. When I work out I lose about .7-1.1 pounds of water weight, even with regular breaks to the fountain. Even though you're telling yourself you're not expecting big change, your mind still is. Make weighing yourself part of learning yourself better, and your expectations will become as habitual as your diet.

2). When you start cutting out the things you've learned to love, you'll start looking to fill those voids with easy filling foods (CARBS). Carbs are evil, but don't cut them out entirely. I grew up on giant bowls of rice and as a poor college student I learned to do wonders with sandwiches and pasta. My basic lunch/dinner changed from desperate turkey sandwiches (two slices of bread = massive carbs and high fructose corn syrup) to a chicken breast, some quick vegetables, and maybe a small helping of brown rice. [b]TL;DR:[/b] I reduced my carb intake and life is getting better. Weight is slowly coming off, I have more energy, and I perform better in the bedroom.

3). Don't forbid anything really. Think of your changes in diet as life changing improvements. You'll never make it if you say you'll NEVER eat fast food again. For example, once in a while it won't kill you if you go to McDonalds. Get your BigMac or Double Cheeseburger, but don't get Fries or Soda. Take it home and steam or nuke some frozen vegetables as a side dish. It takes an extra 5 minutes but hey, you're enjoying a burger today.

More tips later, I'm also thinking of sharing some of my quick fix side dishes on here eventually.

[duckah]

After reading a few more comments, I wanted to offer an alternative to what some are suggesting.

4). Calorie counting is really time consuming, but if you combine portion control it becomes easier to conceptualize how much you're eating than spending all that time counting calories. I learned my whole life to eat every last grain of rice, I may has well have been licking my plate clean. I started out forcing myself to always eat less. I'd cook a massive 16oz steak but then save the other half for lunch the next day. At first it was difficult because I was used to eating more, but eventually I was eating breakfast and 2-3 meals a day with light snacks in between (one handful of nuts, or some fruits).

5). As for fruits, berries are the best. Lots of fruits are actually really high in sugar and don't help you as much as you'd want to believe.

[Arcane]

[quote name='duckah' date='21 January 2010 - 09:05 PM' timestamp='1264143946' post='447038']
Stuie,

Here are a few tips that I have learned, and I'm following in my dad's footsteps with weight loss.

1). Weigh yourself regularly and at the same time, preferably immediately when you wake up. What you eat, drink, and do during a day can fluctuate your weight by a couple pounds. When I work out I lose about .7-1.1 pounds of water weight, even with regular breaks to the fountain. Even though you're telling yourself you're not expecting big change, your mind still is. Make weighing yourself part of learning yourself better, and your expectations will become as habitual as your diet.[/quote]i can tell you right now...this is probably not a good idea. Stuie, you've already had that experience where you suddenly "gain" weight or even lose weight, for what seems like no reason...water retention, dehydration, and plain ol' off days can really mess with your motivation...if your body decided to hold on to 2-3lbs of water one day, you may think "wtf?! now i have to work out twice as hard!!" this sets yourself up for failure, especially if you're making good progress. the extra workload may be a bit too much for your system and your body compensates by either holding on to more fat stores or triggering something in your head saying "hey...food....NOW!!" and that leads to binge eating, etc etc....

stick to photos, mirrors, and measurements...and maybe once a week, weigh yourself just to keep yourself informed.

[quote]
2). When you start cutting out the things you've learned to love, you'll start looking to fill those voids with easy filling foods (CARBS). Carbs are evil, but don't cut them out entirely. I grew up on giant bowls of rice and as a poor college student I learned to do wonders with sandwiches and pasta. My basic lunch/dinner changed from desperate turkey sandwiches (two slices of bread = massive carbs and high fructose corn syrup) to a chicken breast, some quick vegetables, and maybe a small helping of brown rice. [b]TL;DR:[/b] I reduced my carb intake and life is getting better. Weight is slowly coming off, I have more energy, and I perform better in the bedroom.[/quote]no no no! carbs are your friends!! they provide ENERGY! and with exericising and calorie watching, you're going to need it...and a lot of it!! you just have to choose what carbs you intake...complex carbohydrates are great. they tend to be more filling and that satiated feeling lasts for a while. if you're working out, carbs are right up there with protein after your workout. your muscles break down and your glycogen stores get depleted when you workout/exercise. after a good workout, your body is in a state where it will make the most use of any nutrients you provide it. people seem to push a protein shake post-workout like gospel, yet neglect the carbohydrates. why do you think serious atheletes/body builders ingest carbs + protein after their workouts? when you ingest carbohydrates, your body produces insulin which moves glucose from your bloodstream into your muscles and fat cells. don't worry about the fat cells part...the goal is to consume enough carbs to create an insulin spike without having too many calories left over. not to mention, post-workout...your body isn't apt to store any excess calories as fat...and instead, tries its best to find some use for them. so, the protein that you drank/ate is also shuttled into and saturates your muscles (thanks to the insulin). sorry...kind of a tangent there...in any case, don't neglect your carbohydrates...just make sure they're complex (whole grains, fibrous foods, etc). basically, unless you're trying to put your body into ketosis (which is pretty difficult and could be detrimental if you don't know what you're doing)...don't ignore your carbs. Edited February 5, 2010 by Arcane

[PSU Smoker]

I am currently trying to shed a few pounds off myself and from what i can tell in the mirror I have lost a little of my gut. My inspiration for losing weight came when I started taking my nutrition class and just learning about a healthy diet. My recommendations for anyone is first to [url="http://www.mypryamid.gov"][url="http://www.mypyramid.gov"]www.mypyramid.gov[/url].[/url] Here you can put in your height, weight and activity level. It will then give you your personalized food pyramid for maintain your weight and one for loosing your weight. I'll be the first person to admit I don't really follow my pyramid but I always end up thinking about it when I eat now. So although its not perfect i find myself striving for my 3.5 cups of fruit each day and find myself leaving out other snack foods and leaving food on my plate at dinner.

Another suggestion I can give for staying full longer is whole grains. I am currently doing a journal article review on this topic. It is proven whole grains and fiber will make you feel full longer. So if you are not a big breakfast person maybe try just eating a piece of rye bread or whole wheat bread (make sure the bread is whole wheat or grain and not processed wheat). Water and gum are your friends. And as far as smoking goes I wouldnt nesc cut down on it if you dont want to...on occasion I will smoke instead of snacking.

The third part would be exercise. Although I dont get enough physical activity I do walk as much as possible. Usually to and from class everyday, 15 minutes each way, and to where ever else I can walk to. Try even parking far away from stores so you have to walk across the lot, every step more you walk in a day that is not the norm will help. I also do some crunches but not too many because if you work your abs to hard you will build the muscle beneath your fat and appear larger. Other exercises I do are just some simple jumping jacks and running in place and such.

Hope this helps some

[PSU Smoker]

just saw too that mypyramid.gov also has a menu planner where you can input your meals to see the nutrients....dont know how time consuming it is tho...ima mess with it a little more and ill let you know