Weight loss/Dieting Thread

[Iskaral Pust]

[quote name='Mexal' post='1640553' date='Jan 7 2009, 10.50']I'm not entirely sure. At the moment, I'm 6' and weigh about 150 lbs. I'd like to get that up to around 170 if possible.

I'm not really motivated which has always been my problem. But it's a new year so...[/quote]

I feel your pain. I'm 5'11 and 165lbs. I used to weight lift a lot, and part of it was a desire to gain weight and bulk up. I started out at 145lbs at the start of uni and I put on a lot of muscle and was seriously ripped, but I couldn't get beyond 175lbs, and as soon as I slackened the intensity of weight lifting I would drop back and stabilize at 165lbs.

If you are an ectomorph too, and you sound like it, then it's hard to gain a lot, short of taking steroids or just adding fat. But 10-20lbs might add a lot to your frame, and that's doable.

The way I did it:
Boost your calorie in-take. Look for at least 3,000 high quality calories a day (no junk). Carbs are good for fuel so long as they are complex and unrefined. And every meal should have 30g of protein (you don't absorb much more per meal). Chicken and tuna are good lean sources, but you'll get tired of them.
Workout with cardio and lots of weight training. I did three weight sessions a week throughout uni. Your big growth exercises are squats/leg press, bench press and dead lift. Do them on different days. Do the minor exercises for the same muscle group on the same days. That way you give the muscle groups plenty of rest. E.g. do chest, shoulders and triceps on Monday, legs on Wednesday and back and biceps on Friday.

Edit: your age matters too. At younger ages you produce more testosterone, which helps develop muscle mass. From mid-30's onward you have to work harder for that new muscle mass.

[Mexal]

[quote name='Iskaral Pust' post='1641237' date='Jan 8 2009, 00.27']I feel your pain. I'm 5'11 and 165lbs. I used to weight lift a lot, and part of it was a desire to gain weight and bulk up. I started out at 145lbs at the start of uni and I put on a lot of muscle and was seriously ripped, but I couldn't get beyond 175lbs, and as soon as I slackened the intensity of weight lifting I would drop back and stabilize at 165lbs.

If you are an ectomorph too, and you sound like it, then it's hard to gain a lot, short of taking steroids or just adding fat. But 10-20lbs might add a lot to your frame, and that's doable.

The way I did it:
Boost your calorie in-take. Look for at least 3,000 high quality calories a day (no junk). Carbs are good for fuel so long as they are complex and unrefined. And every meal should have 30g of protein (you don't absorb much more per meal). Chicken and tuna are good lean sources, but you'll get tired of them.
Workout with cardio and lots of weight training. I did three weight sessions a week throughout uni. Your big growth exercises are squats/leg press, bench press and dead lift. Do them on different days. Do the minor exercises for the same muscle group on the same days. That way you give the muscle groups plenty of rest. E.g. do chest, shoulders and triceps on Monday, legs on Wednesday and back and biceps on Friday.

Edit: your age matters too. At younger ages you produce more testosterone, which helps develop muscle mass. From mid-30's onward you have to work harder for that new muscle mass.[/quote]

I appreciate the info. I'm only 24 so I got a bit of time before my mid-30s.

What would be considered high quality calories? And how do I tell what carbs are complex and unrefined?

I really do hate the gym. I think I'm going to need to get someone to come with me to increase my motivation. I just get bored when I'm by myself.

[Frosty]

Height: 5’11”
Start date: 2003 ?
Start weight: 308 lbs.
Current weight: 230 lbs.
Goal weight: 190 lbs. (and we'll see from there)
Unfortunately I gained 10 lbs over the wicked Holiday Seasons.
(I was down to 220 at DenCon in August 08)
Morning: Protein shake with low fat milk
Lunch is whole wheat sandwhich with lean turkey and light salad
Afternoon: Raw banana or raw potatoe
Night: Senior portion healthy choice tv dinner.
Sleep: Dream about barbecued ribs, briquette, sausage links, pancakes, cheesecake and chocolate ice cream.

I refuse to give up one or two beers a week, I refuse.

[Lucky Pierre]

[quote name='Argive' post='1640967' date='Jan 7 2009, 17.38']I think this thread should be renamed the "healthy lifestyle" thread. Or something similar. If you go on a diet, loose weight, then resume your old habits, then you'll gain all the weight right back. You gotta find a healthy and sustainable way to live your life for the indefinite future.[/quote]

+1


So, last night I drank dinner... 5 vodka and sodas... :rolleyes:

[Iskaral Pust]

[quote name='Triskele' post='1641872' date='Jan 8 2009, 14.59']It's no so much complex vs. refined. It's complex vs. simple and refined vs. unrefined. The latter example is more important. Refined you could almost substitute for "processed." Things that come from a box or that are baked or fried. So think of lots of stereotypical snack foods made by Nabisco. Bread, crackers, cookies, all that stuff. These thing typically have had some of their nutrition removed with unwanted substances like hydrogenated oils and preservatives added.

On the simple vs. complex...I understand this less well so someone can correct me...I think most fruits are simple. So is sugar. But candy made of sugar has a much worse impact on your body than fruit in its whole form.

Complex I think is stuff like rice and potatoes. But even though it's all complex some are better than others. Brown rice is better than white rice. Sweet potatoes, counterintuitively, are better than your garden-variety brown potatoes.

Processed stuff out of the box is the thing you really want to avoid the most. Almost nothing good and everything bad.[/quote]

Yeah, I meant brown rice, oatmeal and sweet potato. All complex and unrefined. Those are your best carbs for fueling up.

Fruit is good for you too, but I wouldn't double my fruit intake to carb-load, I would double my brown rice.

[Tobin]

Damn, I kept reading "brown rice" and "brownies" from Iska's post.
Guess I really should have stayed out of Publix where brownie mix was 2 for 1 on sale, :cry:

Willpower will force the tasty Turtle Brownies to stay unmade in their box and locked in the pantry!


:leaving:

[Dancing Queen]

Height: 5'8"
Gender: Female
Highest weight: 202
Current weight: 185
Goal weight: 150?

I've been doing much better about eating healthy and not overeating, but have not been consistent with my exercise. I'm enjoying lots of games on my new Wii (DDR, tennis, My Fitness Coach), but I need to get in the habit of moving my body every day.

[quote name='nazfyratu' post='1640589' date='Jan 7 2009, 11.19']Conventional wisdom says vegetarians tend to be healthier, but I know this to be a myth, especially for Indian vegetarians. Most of our veggies are prepared in oil or ghee, which is bad. We try to use "good" oils like olive and canola, but oil is oil. And since we eat no meat, we tend to overload on carbs - pasta, rice and potatoes are the big culprits. Being vegetarian also means that following any particular diet is that much harder to follow (South Beach or anything like that.)[/quote]

Hi, I'm a vegetarian (almost vegan) too. It doesn't help that the vegetarian food pyramid actually recommends 6-11 servings of carbs per day! I have been able to lose 17 lb. in 6 months (with only sporadic exercise) by limiting my carbs and focusing on eating more vegetables. I allow myself one (whole-grain) serving of carbs per meal. Serving size is 1/2 to 3/4 cup cooked. If I want garlic bread, then I ditch the pasta and eat the sauce with a spoon. Oh, and no carbs for snacks. If I want a snack, it's nuts or raw veggies or a glass of vegetable juice, which has much fewer calories than fruit juice. Once a week, I allow myself something carbariffic like chocolate cake. :D I look forward to it all week, but knowing it's coming [i]later[/i] helps me be okay with not having it [i]now[/i].

[Iskaral Pust]

[quote name='Tobin' post='1641933' date='Jan 8 2009, 15.49']Damn, I kept reading "brown rice" and "brownies" from Iska's post.
Guess I really should have stayed out of Publix where brownie mix was 2 for 1 on sale, :cry:

Willpower will force the tasty Turtle Brownies to stay unmade in their box and locked in the pantry!


:leaving:[/quote]

Sure. The brownie mix will sit there until mysteriously stolen by the evil brownie elves, who also sprinkle incriminating crumbs around you while you nap. And that's definitely a nap, not a mild insulin coma from eating a whole batch of brownies.

They are evil little bastards.

[Muttering Bill]

[quote name='Tobin' post='1641933' date='Jan 8 2009, 15.49']Damn, I kept reading "brown rice" and "brownies" from Iska's post.
Guess I really should have stayed out of Publix where brownie mix was 2 for 1 on sale, :cry:

Willpower will force the tasty Turtle Brownies to stay unmade in their box and locked in the pantry!


:leaving:[/quote]
Damn you! I have pretty serious brownie addiction (easily the greatest of all desserts). I managed to kick it - gave them up when I started to get serious about losing some weight back in August. Well, the gf did make me some for my brithday, the devious bitch, but that was still quite a while ago. Just seeing the word is giving me cravings. :drool:

Well, the scale was not my friend today. I didn't think I had done too badly, not good to be sure, but I figured I'd at least break even. Nope. Up 0.4 lbs. :cry: I guess I did take a few too many trips to Starbucks. And maybe there was an additional snack or two (per day) that wasn't scheduled. But considering what I did over the holiday break, it was a damn good weak. :dunno:

I've been dreaming of the day that I would get under 200 lbs again for the past 10 years (not that I was that big for 10 years, it was a slow incline), and now that I'm only a few pounds away I'm going to blow it! No, must have discipline. Time to get back on track. I can't afford to put on weight again (I just replaced all of my fat clothes with new skinny clothes, so I'll need to buy all new stuff again if I start going back up). So I'm stripping my diet clean again, and this time I'm going to be stick to it. For at least another 5 lbs. After that I may have to celebrate with a big batch of brownies. ;) (Damn you!)

[Frosty]

I totally screwed my diet.

Chinese food.
Then Italian.
Then Brooklyn style subs.

:(

[Lord Bloodraven]

Ok, so yesterday signaled the end of me eating shitty food. I ate a lot of crap last week as a farewell gift to myself. Today so far I've had some toast for breakfast, some green tea later on, and some chicken for lunch (not fried). Other than that, water, water, water. I also went to gym this morning, did some non-free weights, some treadmill, and that bicycle thing. I felt worn out a little after I finished, but awhile later I had a bunch of energy, and I feel excellent now. :cheers:

EDIT: For anyone whose knowledgeable; should I try and eat multiple small meals throughout the day? I've heard this a lot.

[Iskaral Pust]

Exercise routines were sacrficed for clearing snow and ice over the weekend. But at least I made lunches for work throughout the week. If I bring two home-cooked lunches each day then I eat better and I am not starving when I get home and stuffing myself late in the evening, ruining any chance of a late work-out.


Bloodraven: yes, many small meals is better.

[Lady Cheesevillage]

Really random question: For someone who is not necessarily looking to lose weight, just eat more healthily, and has cholesterol in the extremely desirable range, how many (whole, not separated) eggs a week can/should you eat?

I find hard boiled eggs to be an extremely easy breakfast (along with a piece of fruit) to bring with me to work. Since my cholesterol is fine, I've assumed that 5 a week is fine, but seeing everyone talk about egg whites makes me question myself.

[s'vrone]

I need somewhere to confess to. Considering the terrible crimes I regularly commit against good nutrition, I'm lucky to be at 155 and 5'8'', but I can visualize my arteries crusting over with cheesy trans-fat scum. Not good. I'd also like to improve my running and losing weight is definitely a good move in that respect.

I work so hard not to eat sweets. I swore that I was giving them up, but just now some guy came by with a load of brownies and cookies he didn't know what to do with and asked me to take one. "GLADLY!!!" Delicious foods fall from the sky to tempt me.

So the plan is to neg the sweets, other processed shit, and drinks with calories and step up the running routine. Some of you might have the self-control to eat just one cookie/piece of chocolate cake/brownie/etc, but I most definitely don't. I can eat a whole batch without experiencing that insulin coma, just guilt, so I really have to cut them out entirely.

[Minaku]

[quote name='Lady Cheesevillage' post='1646608' date='Jan 12 2009, 21.09']Really random question: For someone who is not necessarily looking to lose weight, just eat more healthily, and has cholesterol in the extremely desirable range, how many (whole, not separated) eggs a week can/should you eat?

I find hard boiled eggs to be an extremely easy breakfast (along with a piece of fruit) to bring with me to work. Since my cholesterol is fine, I've assumed that 5 a week is fine, but seeing everyone talk about egg whites makes me question myself.[/quote]

Well, we eat egg whites because that's where the protein is. If you're going to be fat-conscious, why not do one egg with yolk, one egg without? Then you get two eggs, or one and a half, but without the fat of the yolk.

Me, I eat 3-4 egg whites daily, but when I eat yolks, I limit myself to two, and not every day. But I have high cholesterol - it's genetic.

[Eponine]

I think that egg whites by themselves are gross.

This is totally anecdotal, but when I was in my early 20s, I ate about 5 eggs per week if not more. It never caused me to gain weight or get high cholesterol (mine is naturally quite low).



[quote name='Lady Cheesevillage' post='1646608' date='Jan 12 2009, 21.09']Really random question: For someone who is not necessarily looking to lose weight, just eat more healthily, and has cholesterol in the extremely desirable range, how many (whole, not separated) eggs a week can/should you eat?

I find hard boiled eggs to be an extremely easy breakfast (along with a piece of fruit) to bring with me to work. Since my cholesterol is fine, I've assumed that 5 a week is fine, but seeing everyone talk about egg whites makes me question myself.[/quote]

[Pebble thats Stubby]

I am minus 1lb from last week. and even better I ran up the stairs to my office today and I did not colapse into a quivering heep.

I call this progress.


Lets just hope I can continue the progress this week and I am able to spend less time ont he Wii Balance games and more on the Arobic and mussel ones. Although this is gonna be my tough week as its night shift. So this is where I usally snack of choclate and other goodies.

[Angalin]

[quote name='Iskaral Pust' post='1642755' date='Jan 9 2009, 11.45']Sure. The brownie mix will sit there until mysteriously stolen by the evil brownie elves, who also sprinkle incriminating crumbs around you while you nap. And that's definitely a nap, not a mild insulin coma from eating a whole batch of brownies.

They are evil little bastards.[/quote]
:lol: Isk, if I didn't have a massive girl-crush on Emma Thompson, I would trade the Bavarian sugar cookies for your brownie elves.

I discovered today that it is very difficult to run over snow while pulling a toboggan laden with 90lbs worth of small children and snowsuits, but I should be better at it by the end of the week.

[Callum]

I started off alright this morning, made myself an ommelette, then a banana for a snack. Then it went downhill from there and I started snacking on a lot of bad stuff...

I kind of redeemed myself, and went for a bit of a run. (First real exercise since I said I would get into shape...) I started the Couch to 5K program, which can be found at www.c25k.com if anyone's interested. I suspect this will be good for me, as I'm definitely not a fit person, and it slowly builds you up. I suspect having an actual target will greatly increase my motivation too.

[Adelle Tully]

Yeah, my diet didn't hold up today at all...nope...not...at...all...

I've been really stressed with finding a new house, but then you pile work on top of that and I've been all call which means that people can and do call me at all hours of the night. I've had little sleep and I'm so tired my eyes are burning. I tried to take a nap, but I was too tired to sleep even.

So today while looking for houses, I had a hedgehog slice piece which I couldn't finish so I gave about half of it to the kids. Then I had a granola bar and some milk. Then, because I had no time due to TRYING to sleep before work, I had some McDonald's chicken dippers...I restrained from getting a coke and fries because I was thinking how big my rear end was going to look by the end of the week if I keep this up. Then they had a goodbye party for me at work and I had a medium sized slice of mudcake and pretzels. I am currently refraining from raiding the work fridge and eat the other 1/4 of the cake left. I'm not really hungry for dinner, so I may just skip it. Can't really work out in the office due to calls coming in at odd times. Oh well, I have the rest of the work week off until Saturday.