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Post by Icctrombone on May 9, 2015 17:00:24 GMT -5
Until a few years ago, the US was the most over weight county in the world. It was beat out by Mexico recently, so you can see that weight gain is a problem in the increasingly sedentary world. Anyone wishing to share their diet stories or methods are encouraged to do so here in order to help other posters that wish to lose weight and get healthier.
I am currently dieting down after eating anything I wanted to eat for the last 3 years. In 2011 I loss 30 pounds and did it primarily by eating only Fish,Salad and water for 30 days. I felt so light and fast and many of the bodily pain that I lived with disappeared .A few days ago I started the Paleo diet which is similar but it includes other types of proteins. As I type this , I am 7 days out from Traveling to Chile to visit my wifes family for the first time and want to trim down as much as I can.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,874
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Post by shaxper on May 9, 2015 18:12:28 GMT -5
Two years ago, I did the Standard Process Cleanse. I'm wary of most holistic remedies, but this thing really did reset my system, made me LIKE vegetables and healthy lean foods for the first time in my life, and caused me to lose 40 lbs. Ultimately, I decided to return to normal eating for breakfast and lunch and gained back a lot of weight, but I still eat cleanse_friendly lunches during the work week, and that keeps me feeling healthier. I might go back on the cleanse this summer. I could stand to lose some weight again. The purchase price looks prohibitive, but you save more than you spend when you consider all the food you're not eating. it's cheaper to eat on the cleanse by far. www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006IIDNC/ref=mp_s_a_1_sc_2?qid=1431212806&sr=8-2-spell&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=stsndard+process+cleanse |
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Post by Randle-El on May 9, 2015 19:31:33 GMT -5
I used to cut weight for sporting events, which required me to be as lean as possible while maintaining muscle mass and strength. So I had to be pretty careful about what I ate. Clean protein, whole grains, veggies, fruit, lots of water. No soda, very little sugar, no junk carbs, no white rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. Frequent smaller meals worked for me, since it generally kept me feeling satiated -- I found that if I got that hungry, rumbling-stomach feeling I would tend to overdo it at my next meal. A cheat meal or two helped me to not feel deprived, and in the long run helped me to stick with my meal plan.
Of course, it also helped that I was working out all the time. I'm a firm believer that you have to increase you activity and not just change what you eat if you want to maintain your weight. Weight control should be a component of overall fitness. I don't mind gaining a couple of pounds if my stamina and strength are still fine. On the other hand, I could not gain any weight, but if I didn't work out after a couple of weeks, I'd feel horrible trying to get back on after the break. Nothing feels worse than the first workout after an extended time off.
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Post by Icctrombone on May 9, 2015 19:34:46 GMT -5
Yeah I've started up going to the gym again. You are right Randle-El, those first workouts after a lay off are brutal.
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Post by The Captain on May 9, 2015 19:48:12 GMT -5
My company pays for gym memberships for employees, so last June I finally got off my ass and joined LA Fitness because they have a location right across the street from my office as well as one just about 10 minutes away from my house where I can go on weekends. In the past 11 months, my overall weight is down about 20 pounds, but my muscle mass is up, so I'm figuring I've lost about 30 total pounds of fat. My love handles are almost entirely gone, my biceps, triceps, shoulders, and pecs are defined for the first time in my life, and I can actually run about three miles without having to take a break. I was going at least four times a week for most of the past year, getting there at 5:30 AM, but lately it's only been two or three due to some illness, pulled hamstrings from doing yard work (moving a lot of old fallen trees from my back yard), and my sleep problems that I detailed in the Meanwhile thread.
My diet has changed a lot. More chicken and beans, less red meat, more vegetables and fruits, less junk food (although I do enjoy an occasional "cheat" day because going completely cold turkey wasn't going to happen), more fiber, less caffeine, and much more water. I probably drink about 100 ounces of water every day I am at work, and I try to get at least 60-75 on the weekends. I'm also eating much smaller portions; I used to make four chicken breasts for the family for dinner and I would eat the two largest for dinner, while now I make the same four but I eat the two smallest while pairing them with large portions of fresh vegetables and salad.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 1:17:40 GMT -5
Me circa 2005 at 275lbs, or around there. I took that pic because I had actually lost a few pounds and was feeling good. Second pic was from about 2 years ago, 175lbs. Last pic was just a few nights ago. 185lbs.  I can't really suggest much to lose much noticeable body fat in a week. Cutting weight wrestler style would mostly be water weight anyway, not sure it would make you look thinner and it will all come back as soon as you rehydrate. But long term I started by downloading the app Myfitnesspal. I worked out and dieted, but found out that it was easier to cut calories than it was to burn them. So I plugged in all my stats and got my net calorie goal. Every calorie I burned was another calorie I could eat. I focused on weights though, because they seemed to burn a similar amount of calories as light cardio, and I don't have the cardiovascular strength or endurance for hard cardio. In the long run the added muscle mass will improve your metabolism and your proportions anyway. I hit a plateau at about 185 for my lifestyle, and to continue I was going to have to either lower my calorie intake or increase the severity of my workouts, and I wasn't up for either long term. I couldn't keep it going at that pace. I promised myself I would hit it hard again if I ever hit 190 again but I haven't since. I don't work out anymore but I did change careers and might be slightly more active. And I don't track every calorie anymore but when trying to meet my net calorie consumption goals and not starve I learned some things about nutrition and made a few changes that I have incorporated into my lifestyle and are no longer a "diet." For example, bread is a rare treat for me. I DO NOT eat pasta unless it's something like that miracle noodle in the bag of water with super low carbs. I force myself to drink at least half a gallon of water almost every day. Some days I easily pass that threshold and some days I'm just gulping down glasses to meet that goal. I like my food on skewers now, and I portion it one meat skewer for every three veggie skewers. If I want more meat I had better choke down more veggies. I feel like by following those steps regularly I don't have to worry about the weekend hamburger. I still have a gut, my stomach will never be flat. But I lost about ten inches on my waist and about two and a half shirt sizes. I can go three sizes smaller on my skinny days, but my nice shirts I buy two sizes smaller and have them taken in a hair at the dry cleaners. |
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Post by Icctrombone on May 10, 2015 6:21:58 GMT -5
Dupont, you made an amazing transformation. Many people never keep it off as you did. I'm concentrating on water and vegetables also. Bread has always been a weakness for me but I have to eat it rarely if I want to get down and stay down as you did. Thanks for posting the pictures.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 13:38:48 GMT -5
I love bread too. I mostly stopped with the Wonder Bread stuff. There are other brands of bread with half the carbs, but even then I rarely have a sandwich on sliced bread anymore. I'll roll lunch meat and cheese up together and eat it without the bread. But I'll sometimes have a good sub sandwich or a little baguette with a certain meal. Julian's Bakery has a bread with almost zero net carbs. It tastes a little like bird food, which doesn't bother me much. But it's expensive and also seemed to mold quickly, which is why I don't buy it. You could check it out if you want though. It's like $8 for a half sized loaf, should be available at any health food store.
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Crimebuster
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Making comics!
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Post by Crimebuster on May 10, 2015 13:46:07 GMT -5
I've been pretty up and down with my weight, though I wouldn't really call it a yo-yo situation, as the weight gains have taken place over long periods of time.
When I was a junior in college I was up to 320 pounds. I got sick and due to illness, lost 40 pounds in a month. At that point I thought, gee, that wasn't so hard! So I decided to keep going, only without the illness part. Over the course of two years I dropped down to 175, before settling in the 185-190 range.
I stayed at that weight for several years, but some lifestyle changes eventually caught up to me. I went from working retail, where I was on my feet and walking for 9 hours a day, to a desk job. Over the course of another 5 years or so, my weight slowly inched up to the 230 range. Eventually I ended up quitting that job and was unemployed for 2 years. During this time I put on a lot of weight, as I was just sitting in front of the computer all day doing nothing.
Well, long story short, I again decided I needed to drop a lot of weight and over the course of 2 years dropped back down to 200 - but then had another pretty major lifestyle change when I became unemployed again. So I put some of it back on.
What I have found from all of this is that I personally find it quite easy to lose weight, and to gain weight. What's hard is maintaining a specific weight. The smallest things can have major impacts. Right now I'm at around 250, and most of the recent weight gain was caused by a surprising thing: A change in my sleep schedule. I used to have to get up at 9:30 every day for work, and created a very specific and regimented eating schedule that went with this, which allowed me to maintain my weight. Nowadays I usually don't get up until 11:30 or noon, and it's played hob with my eating schedule, the result being that I end up eating what amounts to an extra meal, and usually very late at night, which is about the worst time you can eat.
I'm hoping that now that this hellish winter is finally over and it's nice out, I can get some more exercise and whip myself back into shape a little I'd like to get down to 230. I think it's a weight I can maintain easier, and those 20 pounds would make a pretty big difference in terms of my health and just being able to wear what I want. Half of my wardrobe works at 230 but doesn't fit at 250.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 14:01:50 GMT -5
I find simply cutting carbs out is what does it for me.
But, unfortunately, not only are carbs the most delicious things EVER, but to eat a low carb, healthy diet means I have to actually cook ALLL my meals. And I don't have time for that.
If my husband does something as simple as cutting regular pop out of his diet, he drops weight like crazy.
I'm upping my exercise by going from solely walking to getting a rowing machine. I just hope it doesn't screw my lower back up.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,874
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Post by shaxper on May 10, 2015 20:38:11 GMT -5
My tentative plan for the summer is to tightly control what I eat while in the house, but to allow flexibility whenever I am out with others.
While in the house:
Breakfast: Two scrambled eggs. Water.
Lunch: My special organic super-healthy vegan no-carb stew (2 cans tomato paste, 6 cloves garlic, 1 spanish onion, 1 yellow pepper, a giant container of fresh spinach, a whole lot of cayenne pepper, a pinch of black pepper and salt, 6 cups of water = a week's worth of stew). Water.
Dinner: Grilled chicken breast and soy sauce. Maybe I'll allow myself basmati rice. Water.
Snacks: Fresh fruit and veggies.
Outside the house, I can enjoy anything I like with moderation so long as it's with others. I'm treating unhealthy food like an alcoholic treats alcohol -- only as a social experience. Never eat alone, and always do so in moderation.
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Post by berkley on May 10, 2015 21:58:59 GMT -5
I love bread too. I mostly stopped with the Wonder Bread stuff. There are other brands of bread with half the carbs, but even then I rarely have a sandwich on sliced bread anymore. I'll roll lunch meat and cheese up together and eat it without the bread. But I'll sometimes have a good sub sandwich or a little baguette with a certain meal. Julian's Bakery has a bread with almost zero net carbs. It tastes a little like bird food, which doesn't bother me much. But it's expensive and also seemed to mold quickly, which is why I don't buy it. You could check it out if you want though. It's like $8 for a half sized loaf, should be available at any health food store. I wonder if there's a way you could find out how to make something like that yourself with one of those bread-maker machines? I don't have one because I'm another guy who likes bread too much, so I don't want the temptation of being able to make my own. |
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 22:08:09 GMT -5
I think there are recipes, I don't know about the breadmaker. The stuff is really like a bread shaped bird food stick that can hold lunch meat or have peanut butter applied to it. I'm not even sure if it's baked.
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Post by Icctrombone on May 10, 2015 22:51:24 GMT -5
I walk about 5 hours a day because of my job so it's pretty much the massive amounts of junk food that I have to eliminate from my diet. But the downside to being outside that much, is that you're slave to the fast food/chinese places for eating. I find that I have to take food with me from home in order to control the quality of food.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 23:02:05 GMT -5
Yeah when I was a truck driver I'd work 14 hour days and not eating junk food just wasn't a realistic expectation. But there are fast food options that you can lose weight on. Not saying there going to be healthy, but less fattening. A lettuce wrap turkey burger from Carl's Jr is like 200 calories. Two of those is a filling meal
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