Fat Enders

Started by Dr. Dread, June 12, 2009, 10:16:17 AM

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Dr. Dread

Let's lose weight.

This morning I was at 272.  :o Which is outrageous (even if I am tall).

I want to get down to 220.  ;D

We can post our weights here every day (or nearly), give each other support and advice. Kind of like the smoke-enders thread for fat guys.

Unless I'm the only guy here with this problem.  >:(

Scarpia

Quote from: MN Dave on June 12, 2009, 10:16:17 AM
Let's lose weight.

This morning I was at 272.  :o Which is outrageous (even if I am tall).

I want to get down to 220.  ;D

We can post our weights here every day (or nearly), give each other support and advice. Kind of like the smoke-enders thread for fat guys.

Unless I'm the only guy here with this problem.  >:(

Start weighing yourself in kilograms.   ;D

Dr. Dread


Dr. Dread


Holden

#4
I'll put it in simplistic terms - it is all about the speed of your metabolism.  As we get older our metabolism has a tendency to slow down, unless circumstances dictate otherwise. There are two major factors in this which are inextricably entwined, diet and exercise.  Try to use one without the other to lower your weight and you are doomed to failure. For most people it is the exercise that is usually avoided as it carries the most pain, though for some people I know it is the other way around as they compensate for their heavy gym session by responding with a bit of a pig-out.

A couple of rules here that are important to remember.

1 A poor diet will slow down your metabolism
2 Regular exercise will speed up your metabolism


So, change your eating habits and exercise more. It sounds simple and it is.

Rule number 1 is the foundation of programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers
Rule number 2 is responsible for the massive numbers who inhabit 'the gym'.

Neither of the above are necessary (unless you have no will power) and neither work properly when not in conjunction with the other.

What I am saying is that you don't need to join an expensive gym and take up a calorie counting program which actually provides/sells you your food to lower your weight.

So here is some things I propose that you could do.

#1 - No more fast food (fast is an anagram of fats). Take back control of what you eat. Prepare something where you know the ingredients that went into it.

#2 - Start walking (or cycling). A brisk walk that raises your heart rate will eventually do wonders for your metabolism. You  must do this for at least 45 minutes/3 days per week. It's not hard. If you can put hills into your walk then it's even better. Could you walk to work every day?

#3 - Don't count calories, change your diet instead. Honestly, what is your intake of fruits and vegetables? Is it adequate? How many processed foods do you eat? If it comes in a packet you can assume that it's processed and it's not good for you.

#4 Drink plenty of water. Many dietary regimes don't take into account the purgative and excretory powers of good old H2O. At least 6 litres a day is a basic requirement. "I'll be pissing all the time." you think. Correct ...and flushing all those toxins out of your body in the process. In fact, if you do this and nothing else you will begin to lose weight.

#5 Choose the right snacks and cut down on your regular meals - especially dinner. Look at it like you will be spreading your three main meals across the whole day. Your metabolism was actually designed to respond to this form of eating from aeons ago. I vary my snacks between fruit (whole or dried), nuts, cheese, sandwiches, etc. Breakfast is my biggest meal and dinner is my smallest. I don't need that much energy to sleep do I? Whatever happens, unless you are eating excessively, don't reduce your caloric intake! This is the main fault of most diets and your body is not designed to deal with this. It's a quick way to regain even more excess.

#6 - Make sure you include protein (preferably lean), carbs, vegetables/fruit, dairy and a small amount of fat in your diet to keep it balanced. If you think it's necessary take vitamin supplements -  a 'B' complex is the one with the broadest spectrum and a good energy booster to boot.

#7 - Finally, treat yourself now and then. Use it as a reward for your diligence and perseverance. Schedule in a fast food or whatever night. You've earned it.

A couple of things that helped me a few years ago when I decided to remove the extra 15+ kilograms I was carrying.

I bought a pressure cooker giving me speedy cooking that tasted so good. Modern pressure cookers are very safe and easy to use. I also counted steps instead of calories. I bought and used a pedometer to keep a track of how far I was walking each day. It gave me a perverse feeling of pleasure to see the kms roll off day by day. I also swim once or twice a week though as a former competitive swimmer this was no chore. It can be very boring following the same black line up and down the pool.

I used my knowledge of exercise regimes combined with some research on diet to come up with this scheme. It took me  a while to get used to my new regime (any form of change carries a degree of discomfort initially) but I was patient and the weight has come off and has stayed off. It's the patience part that is the hard part but being able to check on progress was easy. I did it by belt notches! As I pulled in the belt a notch at a time I felt good about it and after punching notch holes that weren't there and eventually having to buy a smaller belt I could see I was making progress. For God's sake don't weigh yourself - its a poor indicator of of your progress and it fluctuates so much (did you pee before you went on the scales?  1L weighs 1 Kg) that it gets confusing and depressing.

Anyway, this is the patented "Holden's Metabolism Booster" scheme. Please send me your cheque in the mail. Seriously - good luck. Report back via this thread on your progress. I am happy to elaborate on any of the above
Cheers

Holden

Dr. Dread

Thanks, Holden!

I actually know a lot of that stuff (I lost 40 pounds a couple years ago but had an appendectomy, then gained it all back), but it doesn't hurt to be reminded and I think you have a little extra going on there tip-wise, so I'll be sure to study it--repeatedly.  ;D

Just got back from a walk/jog, by the way...  8)

Brian

#6
Holden has only left one base uncovered: creating threads about double cheeseburgers is not good for the waistline, either.  ;D

In the past I've generally hovered around 175, but then I reached 182 last August (I'm 5' 8" and that was a new personal record) and in the ten months since then, I have gotten down to 165. It has been simple (as in: very difficult, but straightforward) for me, maybe because I'm still young. I just eat food very slowly, and the moment I start to feel full, I stop. It's tough, and Lord knows I've broken the rule many times by, say, getting that 5th cookie because the 4th one was so good  ;D , but when I really stick to it and just eat the leftovers the next day for lunch, the difference is pretty clear. Oh, by the way, split meals!! I split meals with my roommate's girlfriend for quite some time last year, but then he started worrying that we were planning to share more than food, so we stopped as a reassurance. (N.B. We weren't planning anything.) And, over time, I've noticed that it takes less food to get me feeling full. Much as I love eating, I don't fight that. I like not being dead better.  :D

I'll participate in this thread too (and add to signature). My goal is to get down to 157 this August 14th (i.e. 25 pound loss over a year). My long-range goal is to establish a new "average/standard weight" of about 150-155, hiking up to 155 around Christmas and Easter and dipping back to 150 when I can.

Holden's advice is superb and I will try to follow it too. One current habit of mine, which I advise others NOT to replicate, is that I skip breakfast. I've had breakfast maybe 4-6 times so far in 2009. On the other hand, during the school year I played tennis twice a week and that was good. Tennis is a great game because even if you stink at it (like me), it's still a good workout, and also, even if you stink at it, you can have quite a bit of fun.  :)

EDIT: Just saw your new post. Huzzah for walking! At college I walk TONS and it is an enormous help and a great joy. I have some rather highly cherished memories of walking our university's "Inner Loop" with Atterberg's Third playing on my iPod. My record for a single day is 6 miles, when I decided to walk back from the movie theatre once.

Dr. Dread

Great to have you along, Brian.  :) I promise not to create any more food threads.  0:)

Good luck!

Keemun

I too have this problem, however I can't say I'm motivated to jump on board this thread at the moment.  :-\  So for now I'll be a bystander, contemplating whether or not I should try (once again) to lose weight.  Perhaps I'll feel differently tomorrow.  :)
Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. - Ludwig van Beethoven

Dr. Dread

Quote from: Keemun on June 12, 2009, 05:53:45 PM
I too have this problem, however I can't say I'm motivated to jump on board this thread at the moment.  :-\  So for now I'll be a bystander, contemplating whether or not I should try (once again) to lose weight.  Perhaps I'll feel differently tomorrow.  :)

Whenever you're ready, bud.  :)

Mozart

You don't need to eat as much as you think you do. The things Holden said are fantastic but maybe I can add a bit. I onced weighed 220 and Im probably around 180 now. Still should loose 10 or 15 more, but then again I'd need completely new clothes if I did that and can't afford them now.

Drink water before eating anything in the morning, I've begun drinking most of my water in the morning, I will have 2 liters upon waking and maybe 1 more liter throughout the day.

Eat fruits in the morning after the water. It's an energetic start to the day and it will help empty out whats in your colon as fruits quickly leave the stomach.

I like to have oatmeal for breakfast with honey, cinammon, and flax seeds. And I suppose you can just dumb anything else you like in it, almonds, dried cranberries, raisins... It keeps you full for a long time.

Make sure you have a decent amount of fiber with every meal. It's pointless to eat better if you don't digest well.

And on that point chew chew chew chew chew x10000...chew! Let it be your mantra when you eat like your a damn locomotive chew chew!! Chewing will make digestion much easier, and you will realize you fill up with much less food. I've read that just by chewing  for awhile, your brain will tell you its full.


Im no cook so what to eat for dinner? I eat rice with with lentils and then plain yogurt...things high in fiber carry a punch and fill your belly fast. Chickpeas for me are tasty, but I constantly underestimate them and will say this won't fill me up...but boy do they...beans...

Popcorn is a fantastic snack, by an air popper....

Other than that don't eat late at night, if you sleep at 11 eat, stop eating at 7.

Don't drink much fluids after or during you eat, its best to have them before.

Don't be afraid of fats, just choose good fats like olive oil. Nuts are high in fat but they are fantastic things.


The benefits of a good diet are far more than loosing weight, keep track of your moods and if you get headaches or pains...you'll notice they don't come anymore with a good diet.

You can also try fasting, which might be taboo to some people...I personally enjoy it.

All aboard.....CHEW CHEW!!

good luck!
"I am the musical tree, eat of my fruit and your spirit shall rejoiceth!"
- Amadeus 6:26

Bogey

I am in, Dave.  220 at 5' 11".  The doc says 182 for me.  My goal is 199 by August. 
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

Joe_Campbell

I'm sitting at 6 ft, 190 lbs...goal is to be just as strong, but about 10 lbs lighter. This is tricky as strength tends to fluctuate with body weight...

Holden

Quote from: Joe_Campbell on June 13, 2009, 12:08:43 AM
I'm sitting at 6 ft, 190 lbs...goal is to be just as strong, but about 10 lbs lighter. This is tricky as strength tends to fluctuate with body weight...

Don't go by body weight - this is the fallacy that so many diet programs feed on (pun intended)! Muscle weighs at least 30% more than fat and if you exercise you build muscle to replace fat. The paradox is that while you are actually doing yourself some good, your weight initially increases. It goes down rapidly later. So go for strength and don't bother with the scales as they are telling you lies.

Mozart - good to see that you appreciate the value of water. I didn't know about the chewing - I'll follow it up.
Cheers

Holden

Novi

Quote from: Brian on June 12, 2009, 02:29:03 PM
On the other hand, during the school year I played tennis twice a week and that was good. Tennis is a great game because even if you stink at it (like me), it's still a good workout, and also, even if you stink at it, you can have quite a bit of fun.  :)

Bah, I disagree! There is a minimum stink level for enjoyment. Stink like Brian, you may have fun. Stink like me and net every other ball, not good ;D.

Quote
EDIT: Just saw your new post. Huzzah for walking! At college I walk TONS and it is an enormous help and a great joy. I have some rather highly cherished memories of walking our university's "Inner Loop" with Atterberg's Third playing on my iPod. My record for a single day is 6 miles, when I decided to walk back from the movie theatre once.

I run to Prokofieff - good stuff :D.

Quote from: Holden on June 12, 2009, 02:13:08 PM
#4 Drink plenty of water. Many dietary regimes don't take into account the purgative and excretory powers of good old H2O. At least 6 litres a day  is a basic requirement. "I'll be pissing all the time." you think. Correct ...and flushing all those toxins out of your body in the process. In fact, if you do this and nothing else you will begin to lose weight.

:o :o :o Isn't that too much for ordinary activities?


Durch alle Töne tönet
Im bunten Erdentraum
Ein leiser Ton gezogen
Für den der heimlich lauschet.

Dr. Dread

Glad to have some more folks aboard and additional helpful hints.  0:)

I lost 2.5 pounds in one day!

I did eat a lot on Thursday. More than usual because there was a lunch party at work (KFC) and I went out to dinner (pizza) that night.

Anyway, 269.5 now...

I know it gets harder to lose as it goes down...  :)

Lethevich

Quote from: Holden on June 12, 2009, 02:13:08 PM
#3 - Don't count calories, change your diet instead. Honestly, what is your intake of fruits and vegetables? Is it adequate? How many processed foods do you eat? If it comes in a packet you can assume that it's processed and it's not good for you.

This one is really good - I changed my diet for health rather than weight reasons, but by ignoring calories and focusing on ingredients and portion sizes (accompanied by exercise, naturally), I managed to lose some fat that I wasn't even aware that I had :D

I think one key thing to realise is that a common story I read from a lot of people is that they have made great efforts to lose weight but despite cutting out all the "bad" foods and exercising regularly, still have trouble. This is often simply because they are eating too large portion sizes. Perhaps experiment with smaller meals (very gradually), or ramping up exercise if you want to keep meals larger. Smaller meals could also allow you to eat more filling snacks, by redistributing the "saved" food. Any one depends on the person's preference, really.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

Mozart

Don't check the scale every 5 minutes buddy, you're going to end up the same as a teenage anorexic girl. You will feel the loss, you don't need a scale to confirm it. Buy yourself a big belt, and just see that you are moving down it. Weigh yourself monthly, at most weekly...

As for the 6 liters, I don't see it a problem to drink a lot of water, as long as its done at the right time. Theres a million different opinions and humans tend to form ideas based more on cow turd than real evidence. But water with meals or after, I've read anyways, isn't good for digestion. Neither is cold water as they stop enzymes.

There is also a short of addiction...I went through not exactly withdrawal but damn difficult to get rid of junk in your diet, you get intense cravings. It took me about a whole year to finally not get them anymore.

"I am the musical tree, eat of my fruit and your spirit shall rejoiceth!"
- Amadeus 6:26

snyprrr


Holden

#19
Quote from: Mozart on June 13, 2009, 07:49:25 AM
Don't check the scale every 5 minutes buddy, you're going to end up the same as a teenage anorexic girl. You will feel the loss, you don't need a scale to confirm it. Buy yourself a big belt, and just see that you are moving down it. Weigh yourself monthly, at most weekly...

As for the 6 liters, I don't see it a problem to drink a lot of water, as long as its done at the right time. Theres a million different opinions and humans tend to form ideas based more on cow turd than real evidence. But water with meals or after, I've read anyways, isn't good for digestion. Neither is cold water as they stop enzymes.

There is also a short of addiction...I went through not exactly withdrawal but damn difficult to get rid of junk in your diet, you get intense cravings. It took me about a whole year to finally not get them anymore.



The best way to drink water is to sip it. At work I carry a water bottle with me and sip constantly but then again I am a PE teacher working in a warm climate. However, the habit has stayed with me and a water bottle goes with me in the car as well as other places. I'm not sure about the water with meals idea though I do remember reading somewhere that this wasn't good and that you should eat first and drink afterwards. Whatever the fact, drinking water will help you lose weight. There is a very simple test to see whether you are drinking enough water. Your urine should be perfectly clear. If it's coloured in anyway then you have not put enough water into your system. The backlash for this further down the line is the likelihood of kidney stones.

I agree about the addictive qualities of both fat and sugar. If you have a heavy fatty meal you frequently find yourselves with the 'munchies' about an hour or so later and it's a similar thing for sugar.
Cheers

Holden