beth

I'm not on it, but a lot of people I know live on it and are much slimmer than I.

But I did give suggestions as to how I eat. The nuts are very good for the brain, too, so you won't get all foggy from restricted eating. But I do suggest cutting sugars, eliminating fruit juices, and drastically reducing pasta, rice, and starchy vegetable intake. Bananas are lso high in starch, but good in potasium.So perhas you should eat a small(they sell petite or jr. size) banana to help reduce achiness in the muscles and joints.

beth

This is vital. I am Pellegrino nut, I also drink plain carbinated water(club soda) at home. It's only $.80 fo a two litre.

HelenM

I've become a La Croix addict. (It's fruit-flavored or plain carbonated water - but there's no sugar added to it - it has no calories)

I find that if I'm thirsty I crave unhealthy food (I mean, things with lots of fat and/or sugar in) much more. I don't know why but I've noticed that.

Whatever exercise you can actually get yourself to do and stick with is the right exercise for you, in my opinion . Remember that exercise not only has weight loss benefits - it also helps your mood and helps you sleep better.

Helen

Godot

You're gorgeous and you know it Beth. Trolling for compliments seems to have worked in your favour this time.

Quote:

But I did give suggestions as to how I eat. The nuts are very good for the brain, too, so you won't get all foggy from restricted eating.

Despite nuts being of some benefit, they are also particularly high in fat content. Consuming large amounts of them can adversely affect your triglyceride levels.

Quote:

But I do suggest cutting sugars, eliminating fruit juices, and drastically reducing pasta, rice, and starchy vegetable intake. Bananas are lso high in starch, but good in potasium.So perhas you should eat a small(they sell petite or jr. size) banana to help reduce achiness in the muscles and joints.

I just happen to be enough of an asshole to call you on the assertion that drastically reducing CHO intake is recommended/desireable. Of course, you'd first be required to define what exactly you mean by "drastically reducing" anyways. Not to mention providing valid evidentiary support for your stance.

beth

Well Godot, babe. I wasn't fishin', but thanks for the complement.

Anyway, I was thinking of a way for Rider to begin to drop fat and not lose muscle. I do think that higher insulin diets that solely reduce fat and calorie consumption lead more to muscle loss and not fat burning.

I live off of nuts. My triglicerites are where they are supposed to be, so it works for me. But I usually eat no meat, sometimes salmon or a chicken breast, though. So I get my protien from the nuts. Sometimes tofu, but I am a glutton for punishment and actually enjoy nasty tasting food just for variety's sake.

My favorite meal is cottage cheese mixed with blueberries and raspberries, yum yum. There are also these really yummy veggie Italian sausages in the freezer case, they are really, really good.

As far as drastically reducing CHO intake, I am going on the assumption that he is a meat and potatoes type of guy. Since he raises his kids, I am sure he makes the easiest meals, ones that are high in starch, filling, and require less dishes.Chicken and yellow rice,spahetti, tater tots or fries, mac and cheese, that type of stuff. Not that they are bad, persay, but they shouldn't be consumed all the time. Oh let's not forget frozen pizza, a man's staple(at least when my husband cooks).

I just think he needs to eat more veggies that are less starchy and have a higher nutritional content. These veggies also tend to be lower in calories. I also assume that he cannot afford to spend a fortune on his diet after reading his posts, I mean, he is raising kids himself, so I was trying to suggest modification of the diet and that way he doesn't need to buy seperate foods for his kids.

I might add my downfall and weakness, lemon pepper rotisserie chicken. I know, reminds me of that wacked, laxitive addicted psycho chick in Girl Interrupted.

brighid

Rider,

I also highly recommend the thread The Other Michael posted.

If you have a natural inclination to being overweight you may have a more difficult time losing weight then an average person. I would recommend getting a fitness evaluation with a personal trainer and a complete physical with a doctor before beginning down the road of weight loss (including a thyroid test.) It is important to eliminate any physiological and/or health problems you may be experiencing (but are unaware of) in order to maximize your weight loss and new fitness lifestyle.

Here are some tips I have found very effective in the beginning of any program I have recommended to personal training clients:

1) For one full week record EVERYTHING that you eat (and do not cheat and leave things out or this will only hamper your progress.) Be sure to record the time of day you ate these things and portion sizes (approximate as you aren't expected to measure 1 cup of this, 5 oz of that.) When you can also record the protein, carbohydrate, fat and calorie content of each item. I know this seems a bit laborious but it will really help you (and a personal trainer and/or nutritionist) pin point your problem areas. You may find out you are consuming TOO few calories, or you might find out you are eating a lot more then you ever imagined. Be sure to include what you drank as well, such a 3 cups of coffee each with two spoonfuls of sugar and half and half, etc.

2) Also keep a similar exercise log for that week. If you haven't exercised be honest. If you took your dog for a walk record how long that walk was and what pace you took (slow and leisurely, mild, vigorous)

3) Identify activities that you like to do (but perhaps haven't done in a while.) Do you like hiking in the woods, swimming, cycling, etc.? It is often easier for people to stick with a fitness program if they are doing things they like because it doesn't really seem like they are "working out."

4) Get an exercise partner/buddy! It is a proven method of motivation as many people find it is easier to keep a committment to a friend then it is to keep a committment to ones self. It will also make taking an exercise class or weight routine more enjoyable. It may also motivate you to work harder and it is very positive to have someone next to you, egging you on.

5) MAKE A COMMITTMENT to yourself and above all else be consistent.

6) STOP SLIMFAST IMMEDIATELY! It is nothing more then a liquid candy bar and it bothers me that it can be promoted as health food. If you are interested in some healthy meal-replacement shakes and ones that actually taste good I highly recommend the myoplex line of products, especially the Cappuccino Ice. If you go to http://www.vitaglo.com you can get them at a discounted rate because they can be expensive. However, they are worth it. I have tried almost every protein/meal replacement shake on the market and they are my personal favorite. They are also NOT loaded with sugar and slim fast IS ... this is not good for someone desiring to lose weight and keep it off!

7) As catalyst recommended begin a weight training program. It is VERY important to execute the exercises properly and I cannot stress this enough. Invest in a personal trainer, even if it is only for one day a week so he/she can make sure you are doing the exercise properly. The importance of weight training cannot be emphasized enough, especially if you have a resistent metabolism. Lean body mass (LBM) is metabolically active (and in a resting state burns calories) and body fat is not. The more LBM you have the more calories your body naturally burns. Add 10 lbs of LBM to your frame and your body will burn approximately 500 more calories p/day. This addition to your body can mean a 1 lb p/week fat loss. If you are also restricting your calories and exercising you can increase your weight loss to 2 lbs p/week.

8) Don't get discouraged because your weight fluctuates. I don't recommend weighing yourself every week. Keep it to once p/month. You should measure your success by what you Body Mass Index is, and not your weight. A personal trainer will take your BMI measurements to determine how much body fat vs. LBM you have and from there make determinations as to what sorts of exercise plan you require.

9) Start eliminating one bad food item p/week or two- if you drink a lot of soda start there. You can cut SOOOOOO many calories out of your diet by simply eliminating sodas. If you love pizza limit yourself to one pizza night a month (and only have a few pieces.)

10) In the exercise thread I recommend Body For Life and BodyRx programs, however they might not be for you. There is no ONE right program for everyone.

There are many more recommendations I can make to you, but I am afraid this post will get too long.

If you would like you can email me at [email protected].

Brighid

Oh - one last thing - YOU MUST EXERCISE and EAT RIGHT ... you will not be successful in losing all the weight you want OR keeping it off without both of these components. It is simply a fact of life, especially for those of us (like me) that have resistent metabolisms.

catalyst

Not really a fan of this. The food pyramid is very high in carbs, and if a person is not active, this is a simple way to consume a great deal of sugar that will be stored as fat. Even with a person starting to exercise, cutting *some* of the carbs is a simply way to reduce caloric intake.

Actually, many people have done quite well on ketogenic-type diets, including myself when cuting weight during the off season. Also the Innuit seem to have a certain degree of success with this form of diet.

However, in diets where a true ketogenic diet is contraindicated, why is reducing the amount of sugar consumed a bad thing?

Why? some of the greatest benefits of resistance training are directly related to the hormonal response of intense lifting, such as GH release, elevated testosterone levels, etc.

Monkeybot

If you can stick to it, Weight Watchers seems to be a pretty workable diet. My mom has lost about 25 pounds since she started a couple of months ago. Better yet, by now she's been doing it for so long that she's "internalized the process" -- the point system is second nature. Calculating your points is also a really good way to stop yourself from eating that tempting cinnabun, or what have you.

And exercise is important too.

RevDahlia

Another thing you can do to improve your eating is learn how to cook. If you're living on convenience food you're eating a LOT more salt, sugar and fat than you realize, guaranteed. If you make all your own food from scratch, you know exactly what's going into it. You can put wheat germ and almonds in the oatmeal cookies, and nice olive oil instead of butter on the broccoli, and so on.

It does require an initial time investment, but once you have a few techniques down it's a snap. You can do most of your week's cooking on the weekend, and freeze things to be reheated later.

Don't start with complicated recipes or you'll get discouraged. I'd recommend Laurie Colwin's books "Home Cooking" and "More Home Cooking" to any novice -- she is so friendly and reassuring, and her recipes are good, if a little heavy on the fat.

When I started cooking for myself I began to respect food more, and realize where the flaws in my eating habits lay. Now I buy only raw ingredients, no prepared foods at all, and I'm in much better shape -- with a fatter wallet, too. Prepared foods are so dang expensive.

brighid

RevDahlia makes a good point about cooking your own food vs. eating out. This alone can you reduce your caloric intake enough to have a positive impact on weight loss.

Almost every Sunday I do our weeks worth of shopping. I come home, wash all the fruits and vegetables and if I don't already have a plan, I create a plan for what we will eat rest of the week. I do almost a weeks worth of food prep at this time and freeze most things. This way it is super easy just to throw something in the oven, or cook it quick on the stove.

I'll usually have boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lean ground beef, chicken and turkey, turkey sausages (like hot italian and bratwurst from the Turkey Store) and possibly some fish, shrimp or other shellfish if it is on sale on hand as sources of lean protein.

I start chopping my vegetables and dividing them into different bags either to freeze, or refrigerate for easy use.

I add 4-6 chicken breasts in a quart or gallon sized ziploc bag and fill it with about 1 cup or so of a favorite marinade - olive oil, lemon, Mrs. Dash Italian seasonings, Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce mixed with Chili-Garlic Sauce, Teriyaki, etc. I pop those bad boys in the freezer. When I want to cook them I thaw them in the morning, wrap them in tin foil (but not individually), place them on a baking sheet, put in the oven at 375 for about 20-30 minutes and voila dinner is almost done.

I'll also prestuff peppers with lean ground beef or turkey, make but not cook meatballs, or an eggplant lasagna (with the eggplant as a substitute for the pasta), pre make hamburgers, etc.

I have salad greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes for a quick salad on hand but I don't chop those ahead of time. I pull out a frozen bag of brocolli, cauliflower or some other vegetable (or perhaps a medley for a stirfry) and either steam or stir fry them with some olive oil and chili-garlic sauce.

It sounds like a lot of work, but a few hours spent doing all of this on Sunday is a HUGE help during my very busy week. I can make sure my family and I have home cooked meals most nights, with plenty of left overs for lunch so my husband and I aren't tempted to pick up fast food.

It really has helped keep us on track and on the road to weight loss and lean body mass goals.

I also know what I am eating, how much fat, sodium, etc. is my food and not worry so much about my weight.

Brighid