Wading through the diet "fluff"

steve-in-kville

steve-in-kville

Joined
Dec 25, 2001
Messages
1,139
As some here have read, I am on a mission to loose some weight and get a little more active. I am looking at cardio programs for myself and am trying to find some diet info online.

I never did a search on diets before... looks like there's a lot out there. Most seem to be a racket or at least a scam artist's dream. I tried a low-carb diet a few years ago and seen some positive results, but it was the negative ones that made me drop it.

So, for a guy in my shoes... what dieting disipline should I research? Low carbs? High protein? I don't mind taking a few suppliments, but ain't no way I'm dumping hundreds of bucks at GNC on some magic powder and milkshakes that taste like latex paint (although I've found their meal replacement shakes to be useful).

Again, any suggestions are appreciated:thumbup:

steve
 
I'm doing 1500 - 1800 calories per day, consumed as 300 calories every 2-3 hours. Stopped the multiple cokes per day. Spreading it out in several smaller "meals" keeps you from having to go too long without food. Depending on your size, you may want to up the calories a little, so long as you are operating at a several hundred calorie per day deficient. I do 30 minutes per day of elliptical.

I'm only a week into it, and am down 5 lbs to 194. Would like to see something in the 160's.

Check out johnstonefitness.com for how the weightlifter types lose weight. Pretty informative IMO.

There are other ways (weight watchers, Atkins, etc.), but ultimately it comes down to consuming fewer calories than you burn, and doing it in a way that you can sustain. Thats one downside I've seen others have with Atkins, for example. For many, the weight falls off, but then you get back to a regular menu (because you can't live on Atkins' cheese and meat forever), and the weight comes back. JMO.

:thumbup:
 
I will be switching to a 5 meal/day schedule in a few weeks. The new job is 3rd shift which will require some extra eating at night, but not as much during the day.

Another question I thought of... what about alcohol consumption? I've been making the gradual move from beer, bourbon and scotch to strictly wine. Any sense in this? I've read that wine has a lot of health benefits compared to the other adult beverages out there.

steve
 
Steve- I checked in on your other thread. Exercise and fitness are kind of a passion for me. I'm not big on denying myself anything I want. Something I have seen work is to change the proportion of the kinds of foods I eat, rather than cutting things out all together. When you make yourself a meal, shoot for lean meat, a lot of vegetables(1/2 the meal...I know, it sucks), and a little starch.

1 grilled chicken breast, 1/2 of a small broccoli crown (steamed), and 1/3 cup of mashed potatoes.

Grilled sirloin, 12 asparagus shoots (also good grilled w/ lemon juice and pepper), and 1/3 cup rice.

Also, carbs are important for powering you through the day, so cereal is great for breakfast, but as the day goes on, your focus should shift to proteins. If you (and people that have to be around you) can handle beans, they are a wonder food. Walnuts, almonds, beef jerkey(watch the salt intake) make great snacks and can help you onto the 5 meal plan. Drop me an email if you want. If there's something I don't know off the top of my head, I know a few personal trainers who could help. Good luck bro. Yikes, sorry for the long post.
 
Good suggestions so far! I dumped 55 lbs on Atkins a few years back, went from 290 to 235 in about four months. Stopped Atkins 'cause I was getting sick of sardines and pork rinds and I had reached my target.

Step two for me was reducing portion size and pushing away from the table! After a few weeks of smaller portions my hunger decreased due to my stomach returning to a more normal size. I've managed to stabilize at 235-240 over the last year or so I'm satisfied.

All of the diet programs "work": Jenny Craig, Atkins, Zone, South Beach, Grapefruit, etc. The key as powernoodle stated is to burn more calories than you take in each day. Exercise more and you can eat more, sit at your computer surfing blade forum and you'll need to reduce your calories even more!

J-
 
as a cyclist, i see a lot of diets come and go. but theres nothing better than just proper nutrition and exercise. avoid foods high in fats and eat a lot of fruits and cooked veggies. (note: uncooked veggies contain toxins unless the root is eaten like carrots and beets). also, take care of your muscles. lifting weights is important. protein, along with lifting, is key. the proteins found in beef are perfect for quick rebuilding while the proteins found in soy are perfect for slow builds. after working out, a small fatless steak is good, as is a grilled hamburger. grill it yourself, dont buy a manufactured burger. typically they are cooked on a heated slab where the fat sits in the beef. overall, eat beans, oatmeal, bananas, white rice, and rice-based pasta. be sure to cross train too. if you ride like i do, your bones start to weaken. keep running alongside riding. take a multivitamin if you need one. talk to your doctor about that need.
 
Like killing yourself, there are lots of ways to starve yourself to death. You have to ask whether you simply want to waste away or do you want to reduce your weight and improve your health?

The healthiest way to diet is to reduce your overall calorie intake by reducing consumption of animal fats (meat and dairy fats) and high glycemic index carbohydrates (sugars and refined grains). The number one killer is inflamation of the blood vessels. The main way that this kills you is through heart attacks and strokes. Butter fat, meat fat, and sugars not only screw up your cholesterol, they inflame you arteries. There are even indications that beef protein itself is an irritant. The Atkins diet can kill you, it killed Atkins. Go for a low glycemic index diet more like the South Beach diet. The healthiest diet is the Mediterranian diet with a lot of vegies, fruit, nuts, coarse grains, and fish. Above all else the Med diet includes olive oil. The olive oil alone carries much of the cardio protective influence of the med diet.

You have to be reasonable about these things. One of the easiest ways to start to lose weight is to substitute some high bulk food for low bulk/high calorie food. Make salads the primary volume of your lunch and dinner rather than just a little side dish. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Completely cut out all candy (except for small amounts of dark semi-sweet chocolate). Cut red meat consumption way down. Look for the fiber content of breads and other grains. Go for maximum fiber.

It won't help you lose weight, but to improve arterial health eat more nuts and use olive oil where you might use butter. Olive oil is the elixer of life. It is almost as good for you as dark semi-sweet chocolate. If you have a sandwich make it peanut butter on high fiber bread. The combination will have a low glycemic index for health and hunger suppression.
 
The rule is: eat less and exercise more.

Just eat less. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will loose weight. It doesn't really matter if the calories you eat are fats or carbs or proteins or what, as long as there are fewer of them than you burn. It's that simple.

At any book store, you can get a "calorie counter book" that lists the calories per ounce for any food you can imagine. These books are not expensive. Get one.

At any kitchen supply store, you can get a digital kitchen scale that will measure in 1/4 ounce increments. They're not expensive. Get one.

Now you can eat whatever you want as long as it's in the book and weigh out the portion and count the calories.
 
Thumbs up to Jeff for thinking about longevity in conjunction with diet.

Not sure if the Adkins diet killed Adkins; I thought he fell down and hit his noodle, but thats neither here nor there. My father in law was doing Atkins 4 years ago when he died of a heart attack. 59 year old mini-marathon runner, 5'10" 230 lbs, no history.

For giggles, here are a couple of 300 calorie "meals":

- half cup (before cooking) oatmeal, slenda, cinnamon, 1 oz walnuts: 300 calories, that half cup swells into a large portion, its filling and good for you

- sandwich ("sammich") of 35 calorie bread (x2), 3-5 slices of thin deli turkey, dijon to taste, giant slab of lettuce; plus one can of Campbells low fat cream of celery or chicken soup = 300 calories; filling; not bad for you. I'm actually full after that one.

- can of sardines, chased with 1 cup of Cheerios or Special K and 1/2 skim = 300 calories.

Edited to add: 1 cup of frozen blueberries (nuked) is 80 calories; 12 frozen brussel sprouts, nuked, with salt, is about 90 calories; when dieing for dessert, a Weight Watchers ice cream cone is 140 calories. Jello sugar free cups are something like 10 calories, and their sugar free pudding cups are 60.

Do this, or something similar, at 9am, 11, 1pm, 3, 5 and 7. Keep your belly busy during the day with 1/2 gallon of green or black tea with Spenda. And/or water.

To speed it up, hit the elliptical for 30 minutes, or go for a good walk.

Do it for a week, and honestly, you stop wanting 5000 calories a day and it gets sorta easy. Watching the scale go down reinforces.

There are many ways to do it. This is just one.

right on :thumbup:
 
The rule is: eat less and exercise more.

I don't believe it. I actually agree with Mr. Gollnick. :D

Hmmmm. Eat less and exercise more. That can't work. It doesn't make the authors of diet books any money and it doesn't give you anything to discuss with your friends. :rolleyes:

The truth is that most "diets" don't work. People get tired of them and go back to their old eating habits. Also, when you starve yourself, your metabolism slows down and after losing a few pounds, the body tries to maintain it's weight. If you eat a balanced diet and just cut down on the portions, this probably won't happen.

Forget the fad diets. Use your noodle. Oh that's a carb!;)
 
Gollnick said:
The rule is: eat less and exercise more.

Just eat less. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will loose weight. It doesn't really matter if the calories you eat are fats or carbs or proteins or what, as long as there are fewer of them than you burn. It's that simple.

At any book store, you can get a "calorie counter book" that lists the calories per ounce for any food you can imagine. These books are not expensive. Get one.

At any kitchen supply store, you can get a digital kitchen scale that will measure in 1/4 ounce increments. They're not expensive. Get one.

Now you can eat whatever you want as long as it's in the book and weigh out the portion and count the calories.
Click to expand...

Right on the money.:thumbup:
 
Gollnick said:
The rule is: eat less and exercise more.

Just eat less. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will loose weight. It doesn't really matter if the calories you eat are fats or carbs or proteins or what, as long as there are fewer of them than you burn. It's that simple.

At any book store, you can get a "calorie counter book" that lists the calories per ounce for any food you can imagine. These books are not expensive. Get one.

At any kitchen supply store, you can get a digital kitchen scale that will measure in 1/4 ounce increments. They're not expensive. Get one.

Now you can eat whatever you want as long as it's in the book and weigh out the portion and count the calories.
Click to expand...

Agreed 100%, but you have to WRITE IT DOWN.

If you don't you will lie to yourself (not remember) and you will always make yourself look better than you really are. Link to article, the table of what people eat vs what they think they eat is interesting http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1654364&cr=dietAndNutrition

Also write down everything you drink too. People often forget to track the Mtn Dew or the 5 squirts of flavored creamer.

I intentionally vary y weight by about 40 pounds per year, and have for 20+ years after college. I still have to write everything down.
 
PS. Soft drinks are really bad, even the diet soft drinks. They screw up your sugar metabolism.
 
My future daughter-in-law's sister and husband basically cut out fast food, measure and weigh food they do eat and limit alcohol. She has lost 60 lbs and he has lost near 100 lbs. in less than a year....I am impressed!
My Doctor and I both have a weight problem...he manages his better than I have....I've even asked about bariatric surgery....He is adament...it is calories vs calories burned....and exercise is Good!
I found that when I was most serious and successful about loosing weight, diet and exercise, and basically deleting alcohol almost completely was most effective....
We've all read somewhere that a bit of wine (red) had benefits, even a bit of hard liquor is beneficial...but there alot of empty calories in a drink, usually consumed in the evening, slows metabolism so helps put on rather than use up calories...
It isn't easy, especially if you enjoy friends/food/and adult beverage....I'm "part of the problem, not part of the solution" at the moment.

Good Luck!
 
i read a while back about high fructose corn syrup suppressing the full feeling you get after eating causing you to eat more. it also acts similar to the same sugar that is in milk for thoes of you who are lactose intolerant. its also in every kind of fruit and some veggies too. you might start reading the lable to see what foods contain corn syrup and avoid them, its worth a try.
 
Steve,

Two things:

First, search Google for a Basal metabolic rate calculator to determine just how many calories you'll burn on a given day. You can't possibly know how much to eat without first knowing what you burn by just breathing and "being."

Second, count calories. Get a program like DietPower and input EVERYTHING you eat during the day. Learn to estimate portions by carefully measuring at the beginning.

Every fad diet utilizes the same philosophy but they make it easier to do without thinking. Cutting carbs (sugars, breads, etc.) is a quick way to reduce calories but it can also leave you craving those things--not a great thing when it's so easy to fall off the diet wagon.

Eat what you like but eat less of it. Don't deny yourself.

B
 
I know everything I should do. I just need the discipline to do it. Get a schedule, adhere to that schedule. Take a day off from your new lifestyle (not diet), and the next day, go back to your lifestyle.
 
In order of ease and value:

Eat smaller portions.
Avoid empty calories.
Avoid added sugar, fat, and salt.

Regular activity, preferably some vigorous.
Write down everything you eat.

* ****** **** ****** *

Eat prepared foods at your own risk.
Read the labels carefully if you don't believe me.

if it comes in a can
or it comes in a jar
i can make it myself
which is better by far

i hate to be picky
i hate to be rude
but packaged nutrition
is not really food

it's bad for ya, dude!

it's loaded with sugar & salt & with fat
you really don't want to be eating all that
 
Lots of useful advice here. I found a site that had some good diet info... pushed the cardio type activities (which is the least expensive exercise, IMO). It didn't rule our carbs, but was big on smaller meals and more fruit/veggies

I like sandwiches. Give me a loaf of *real* italian bread and I can turn any combo of meat, cheese and veggies into a four-star sandwich (at least my stomach thinks so!!).

I can really like soup, too. Since I'm gonna be working nights, this kinda complicates the issue. I'll be on a 5-meal/day schedule. I hear thats a good thing, but I want to do it right.

steve
 
Skip the high glycemic index Italian white bread and go for Oroweat Double Fiber (with 6g of fiber per serving).
 
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