I gotta lose weight...critique my plan?

[Christ_empowered]

Here's the thing: since I moved to this town, I sank into a pretty deep funk ("psychotic depression") that's only now improved, thanks to meds and therapy. I put on a lot of weight because I ate to numb my paranoia and sadness, and also b/c my agitation and social phobia were so bad that all I could eat was fast food (that way I wouldn't have to be around people--gotta love the drive through).

Anyway, at this point I need to lose 60lbs. That's right--60lbs, possibly more. I also need to tone up (not very strong)...basically, I need a whole body transformation.

Back in the day, I'd go on juice fasts when I get chubby. It worked, but it made me crazy and besides, I don't think its terribly healthy to live off V8 Fusion for weeks on end.

So, I was reading about how other people lost weight QUICKLY (I know, slow is better, but I need a bit of instant gratification, especially in the beginning), and I stumbled on a sort of modified juice fast. Unlike normal juice fasts, which involved juice, and only juice, in this diet (I found it on a website for people doing juice fasts for political reasons) you get plenty of protein through whey protein shakes and you also drink lots of water and fruit+veggie juice (you can also put fruit in your shake).

So here's how they laid it out: 2 whey protein shakes per day, possibly with fruits added in to make a smoothie. In between, you can drink juices, water, tea, whatever. Since I'm a fat boy, I'll also be doing my pilates video and going for frequent walks.

Does this sound reasonable? The thing that I think ruined juice fasting for me was the lack of protein. I mean, I guess that's the point, but its not really sustainable--it makes your stomach hurt, there are energy dips to deal with, mood swings, heightened anxiety, etc. Not good, especially since I'm already on psychiatric medication to deal with "issues."

So I was thinking: AM, whey protein mixed in with milk and some frozen fruit. Start drinking water instead of soda (I know, I know--basic stuff) and drink some V8 Fusion (love the stuff) now and then. When I get seriously hungry, whip up another whey protein shake with fruit. If I take a whey protein shake 2x daily, that should cover my protein needs, although I guess I could add another one to reduce hunger. I'm only going to be doing pilates and walking to start with (too out of shape to go gung-ho just yet), so its not like I need serious athlete-level protein supplementation.

Comments? Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mike]

CE, about 8 years ago, my family and I came home from a vacation, and I weighed in a personal high of 200 pounds. That's not a lot for some people, but I'm only 5'9" with a small frame. This really shook me up, and something finally snapped in my mind to commit myself to conditioning. Four years later I completed a 26 mile marathon. I'm not bragging, because my time was awful. But I invested a lot of time learning about exercise and conditioning for the purpose of wellness but also weight loss.

For one thing, I would highly advise AGAINST radical diets. You need to set yourself in a direction that you can maintain. No, you might not lose quick weight in the way you would with an extreme program, but you will begin noticing changes in a few weeks. And these changes stand a much better chance of lasting. It will also give you the feeling of being healthy, and this is motivation itself when it happens.

Here's the deal. The best way to lose fat is to combine sound nutrition, cardio workouts and weight baring exercise.

Nutrition - Don't make big changes and completely knock out things you enjoy. You'll find yourself dwelling on them and have even stronger urges. Moderation, moderation, moderation. Protein, fruits and veggies. Don't count fat grams - pay attention to calories. :yes

Cardio - BY FAR the best thing you can do in order to lose fat (and you want to lose body fat - not weight for the sake of weight) is to walk briskly on a treadmill or outside. You can also use an elliptical, stationary bike, rowing machine, etc. But you don't want to be too overzealous with the speed. When your heart rate goes up too high, you are burning sugar - not fat. So raising your heart rate moderately for ~40 minutes without raising it too high will burn fat. You should mix up your exercises with different machines if possible. If you're doing it at home, change the time of day frequently. The body gets used to regimens when they are held at the same time every day. So exercise in the morning, afternoon and at night interchangeably if possible.

Weight Training - Muscle tissue is "living tissue" that burns energy. Fat is not. In order to burn more energy, it is highly advised that you build muscle. Now, this can be disheartening because muscle adds weight at the same time you're burning body fat. But would you rather weigh X amount and see little impact on your waste line or X+20 pounds and fit into clothes you haven't in years? Hopefully, that's a rhetorical question! As with cardio, mix it up. Muscles, especially, have "memory", and you don't want to do the same thing all the time. The body will adjust, and you will plateau. If you are weight training at home, do what you can with body resistance - push-ups in different angles, pull-ups, put your feet up high against a wall with your stomach facing the wall and push your body up. Also, hold something heavy and do squats. Core strength is important, and doing Planks is great for the core. Stomach to the ground as straight as you can, balance yourself on your elbows and toes for 1 minute 3X. Mix it up and do both elbows, one, then the other. If you haven't done these, your body will hate you and you might hate me , but you will get results!

This is probably more info than you were expecting, but I learned from many fitness experts, and I've kept the weight off. I'm now about ~160 and knocked 6 inches off my belt.

Just don't make radical diet changes that won't last. It's not good for the body to go yo-yo with its weight. All the best, brother!

 

[Sparkey]

You've asked for suggestions so here's mine: Don't forget breathing.

Doesn't sound like much, I know, but while exercising it is easy to start taking deep diaphragmatic breaths (don't hold) and doing full exhales. Even when you're relaxing (a couple times a day) take a couple minutes --while your sitting still is fine and practice breathing. Start with a full exhale, pause a slight moment then blow out again. Breathe in like you were pouring water into your lungs and fill the bottom part first. Deep breath then hold a moment and release. Repeat.

After a bit of practice check how many breaths you take in a minute. Unfocused breathing usually has a respiration rate of 15 to 20 breaths per minute and it is easy to get that down (by taking deep focused breaths) to 10 per minute. There are a many benefits. Not only are you getting more oxygen in you're also getting more carbon dioxide out. Everybody knows about the circulatory system and how the blood flows but few know that we have twice as much lymphatic fluid in our bodies than blood. This is the stuff that helps de-detoxify. The lymph system had no pump (like the heart for the circulatory system) and relies on our movement for circulation. Breathing well is the best thing for you and one of the easiest changes that can be made.

Remember though --if you are exercising, don't hold your breath. Use two different methods, one for relaxed and resting (or walking normal pace) and the other (take more breaths, don't hold) for when you exercise.

I'm no expert on diet but am sure that there are others here who can answer your question in a more direct fashion. Deep breathing, eating well, exercise, getting enough rest and sleep are simple habits that will combine to invite good changes to both your body and state of mind. May I also encourage prayer? It is a Christian site after all. The Lord cares about every part of us. ;) Our prayer lives needs exercise too.

 

[Pard]

I lost 60 lbs in a half a year with my diet. Still on it, weight comes off slower now, but it's a diet I can sustain for the rest of my life and that is the single most important thing about diets!

You MUST find a a diet that you can sustain for the rest of your life (or as long as you want to keep the weight off). That is the problem I see with this juice diet. It's not sustainable. Can you honestly look yourself in the mirror and say that you can only drink juice for the rest of your life? I don't think so...

A diet cannot just be a short term change, it has to be a total life style change, or it will fail.

So here is what I do for a diet:

I eat no more than 20* carbs. per day. On a normal day I probably eat less than 10. This means no sugars, no starches, no fruits. Yes, no fruits...

People say fruits are essential for a healthy life, but let's put that into context, shall we? I don't know about you, but my family hails from Scotland and Sweden. Do they grow many fruits there? Nope... My family did just dandy without fruits, so why should I now need them?

But don't worry, you can still eat blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries, as they are mostly fiber.

So what I eat on a normal day:

Breakfast: Eggs and sausage in the morning, sometimes spinach but usually water crest.
Lunch: Wrap (4g carb per wrap), with turkey bacon and water crest (yes, I love water crest). I cut the wrap in half and have some now and the rest two hours later.
Dinner: Meat + Veggies. My favorite is ground beef with peppers and onions. Remember, seasoning is your best friend in the entire world!

Snacks: Pepperoni, Pork skins, Veggies, cold cuts, pickles, cracklings

Best part is that as long as you stick to no more than 20 carbs a day you do not have to worry about how much you eat and when you eat. You eat when you feel hungry. Snacks are fine, up to two diet sodas per day (no more because the stuff in diet sodas actually stops fat loss from occurring). I drink seltzer by the liter (usually go through three 2 liter bottles a day, for a grand total of $1.50). In the morning don't eat until you feel hungry.

I lost 60 lbs between April and August on this diet. For me it was easy, I am use to not eating what I see, as I cannot eat milk products. My parents find it very hard because they are not as well disciplined as I am, but even they got used to it. No exercise is required, and I didn't do a lick of exercise between April and August.

My other recommendation is to take green tea extract pills with each meal as the stuff in green tea helps kill useless fat cells (meaning it will be harder to gain the weight back).

Also, I have played with this diet. I can eat up to 100 carbs in a day without gaining any weight. I can eat whatever I want once every month without seeing any real spike. The real when doing this is LOTS of water, like I literally drink 2 liters of water at a meal and then another 2 liters between meals.

*When carb. counting you must remember to subtract fiber, sugar alcohols, and other insoluble carbs.

 

[tim-from-pa]

Here's the thing: since I moved to this town, I sank into a pretty deep funk ("psychotic depression") that's only now improved, thanks to meds and therapy. I put on a lot of weight because I ate to numb my paranoia and sadness, and also b/c my agitation and social phobia were so bad that all I could eat was fast food (that way I wouldn't have to be around people--gotta love the drive through).

Anyway, at this point I need to lose 60lbs. That's right--60lbs, possibly more. I also need to tone up (not very strong)...basically, I need a whole body transformation.

Back in the day, I'd go on juice fasts when I get chubby. It worked, but it made me crazy and besides, I don't think its terribly healthy to live off V8 Fusion for weeks on end.

So, I was reading about how other people lost weight QUICKLY (I know, slow is better, but I need a bit of instant gratification, especially in the beginning), and I stumbled on a sort of modified juice fast. Unlike normal juice fasts, which involved juice, and only juice, in this diet (I found it on a website for people doing juice fasts for political reasons) you get plenty of protein through whey protein shakes and you also drink lots of water and fruit+veggie juice (you can also put fruit in your shake).

So here's how they laid it out: 2 whey protein shakes per day, possibly with fruits added in to make a smoothie. In between, you can drink juices, water, tea, whatever. Since I'm a fat boy, I'll also be doing my pilates video and going for frequent walks.

Does this sound reasonable? The thing that I think ruined juice fasting for me was the lack of protein. I mean, I guess that's the point, but its not really sustainable--it makes your stomach hurt, there are energy dips to deal with, mood swings, heightened anxiety, etc. Not good, especially since I'm already on psychiatric medication to deal with "issues."

So I was thinking: AM, whey protein mixed in with milk and some frozen fruit. Start drinking water instead of soda (I know, I know--basic stuff) and drink some V8 Fusion (love the stuff) now and then. When I get seriously hungry, whip up another whey protein shake with fruit. If I take a whey protein shake 2x daily, that should cover my protein needs, although I guess I could add another one to reduce hunger. I'm only going to be doing pilates and walking to start with (too out of shape to go gung-ho just yet), so its not like I need serious athlete-level protein supplementation.

Comments? Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Yeah, I have a few simple ones. Forget all the stuff they say about saturated fats, cholesterol and salt as it is a bunch of bunk. Eat a well balance of everything and anything, but the more back to nature (less processed), the better. Get from all food groups, some beef (meats) eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, olive oil etc. But just eat less, that's all --- but don't take the lame-brained philosophy that this or that or the other thing is "bad" and then skimp out on certain nutrients in doing so. Then take a lot of vitamin/mineral supplements in case you missed anything.

Some examples of closer to natural vs processed: butter over margarine. Eggs over egg substitute in a carton (and don't listen to lame-brained stories about separating the yokes from the albumen as if God put a poisonous yolk there for us to eat!). In short: eat everything (for nutrients) but just less. You get the idea.

Oh, one last thing to "put meat on your bones" Hamburgers are healthy, but to watch the calories and carbs, you can grill an all beef patty and sandwich the meat between romaine lettuce instead of a bun.--- Put other veggies on it like tomatoes, pickles, onions and you can make your own mayo from scratch if you want to avoid processed kind. Nothing more delicious or healthier and the calories are not that high at all.

 

[Christ_empowered]

Thanks for all the input. I think I'm going to keep on with 1-2 whey protein shakes daily (I tried it today, and even though they taste awful, they keep my hunger at bay) and then eat lots of fruits and veggies (not so much drink all my fruits and veggies). I'm also going to start exercising, and I think I'll still indulge in something delicious now and then, like pesto or a hamburger.

I don't think I can pull of the low carbohydrate diet. I'm too attached to fruit and milk. I do, however, realize that I need to get soda out of my diet.

Thanks again.

 

[Mike]

CE, let us know how it's going! Maybe we can have a monthly weigh in like in Weight Watchers. We'll be cheering you on!

Prayers for you, brother. I truly believe that being clear minded thinking is helped by being by feeling well physically. And being thinking with a clear minded allows for a better focus on the Lord. I pray that you lean on His strength to be strong for you as you head down this road.

I realize I went overboard with all my advice, but my extreme body makeover was one of my much better things I've ever done. I would love for everyone to feel their best. Ultimately, though, I don't desperige people who are comfortable being over-weight (but not morbidly obese). If someone is at peace, then that's great. But if they are conflicted and feel they should do something, I like to share what I learned that worked for me.

Be blessed.

 

[Christ_empowered]

hey Mike. I'm definitely looking to stop being overweight, but I think I realize that a crash diet isn't going to do it; like you said, gradual weight loss and a sustainable eating plan is better than an over-the-top diet.

My initial thinking was "get this done, NOW!," but after reading your posts and a couple others, my thinking is now more "stop eating junk, get exercise, and give it several months."

Thanks again for your posts.

 

[Gazelle]

I am interested if you lost the weight yet? Your plan didn't say if you are still on medication. Most of the meds for depression cause weight gain. If you are still on one, and haven't lost the weight you wanted to take off, talk to your prescribing physician and see if they can switch you to one of the (few) meds that don't cause weight gain.

You probably do need to curb your carbs...but not all of them. There's nothing wrong with balanced complex carbs in your diet. The sugar highs and lows that some carbs cause can be a big part of the problem... as well as the sugars and fake sugars in sodas. I don't recall if you drink those, but giving up sodas--and any teas etc that are from the "fountain" at a restaurant-- will help your system work best.

Drink plenty of water. I'd fill a pitcher of water daily and make sure it's empty at night. ;)

So do you want to share how you're doing??? I'm interested.

 

[Sauterine]

When I graduated high school in 2007 I weighed 255lbs with a pant size 40. By mid 2008 I weighed 175 with a pant size 32. 2011, I am 256 with a pant size 34.
Proper Nutrition and exercise are the only way to reshape your body. What you don't want to do is not eat enough. Also, don't worry about weight loss. I suggest hiding the scale while you start a program. Judge by the mirror. I am far happier with my body at 256 than when I was 175. Muscle weighs more than fat and takes up less space. I also suggest taking before pictures of yourself, along with pictures every few weeks. VIsible results are more accurate than numbers on a scale, as stressing over losing pounds can become unhealthy.

Reshaping the body is comprised of two things, Diet and Exercise. Diet is easily the most important of the two. You want to eat at least six times a day. Small, high protein meals are the way to go. Small frequent meals keep the metabolism high. High metabolism=fat burn. Eating clean is the next major part. Clean food is simply food that isn't junk. Multi grain complex carbs, lean meats, healthy fats, fruits, and veggies are all clean foods. Look for any magazine or book based on clean eating. It will give you a good starting point.

When it comes to exercise, you don't want to over work your body. You should weight train 3-4 days a week, and do 30-60 minutes of cardio on your days off of lifting. Have at least one day totally off.

Cheat on your diet once a week. Cheating keeps your body from getting used to eating healthy, thus shocks the metabolism again.

Never skip breakfast and always eat within 30 minutes of exercise. Your body needs food to repair itself (when you work out you tear down muscle tissue) and rebuild itself. If it doesn't have adequate nutrition it will seek it's own protein source, it's own muscle tissue. You want to rebuild your body, not let your body eat itself. Examples of this are the men you see lift every day and not see results. Food is everything. Also, drink a protein shake or have some lean meat before bed. Your body does the most repair during sleep, it needs something to use through the 8 hour fast that sleep is.

Whey protein is great, but don't go overboard. Don't get me wrong, I love protein supplements, but they are simply supplements. Never think a protein powder can be an adequate replacement for whole foods.

Drink lots of water! I promise that if you are active and get in the habit of drinking water, your body will CRAVE water. It is FAR more satisfying than soda or juice!

Anyway, please post your progress! Good luck

 

[Christ_empowered]

I'm just now losing weight, lol. I had to go an antidepressant in addition to relatively high dose antipsychotic (mental illness is *awesome*, btw) and I stabilized at a tubby weight. Then I dropped the antidepressant, my doctor added in an anticonvulsant used for depression and reduced the antipsychotic, and now I'm not only more energetic, I'm also more active and food doesn't seem to "stick" to me in terms of weight as much. The atypical antipsychotic I take (one of the new ones) is supposedly "weight neutral," but I think that it a) tranquilizes, so you have less interest in activity and losing weight (especially at higher doses) and b) does something to the metabolism to make it easier to gain weight. I've done google searches, and it seems that a lot of people on this new, "weight neutral" antipsychotic are packing on the pounds; same gain so much that they have to switch medication.

Anyway, my "diet" now is fairly simple. I'm vegetarian for the time being. I focus on legumes, plus fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and a hefty amount of plant-based "healthy fats," usually from olive oil or avocados.

I've dropped a little bit of weight, but more importantly, I *feel* better and I feel like I'm taking control of my life and actually making some progress.

Thanks for all the interest.

 

[reba]

I've dropped a little bit of weight, but more importantly, I *feel* better and I feel like I'm taking control of my life and actually making some progress.

 

[Gazelle]

Feeling better is key, for me. Way to go!

Anyway, my "diet" now is fairly simple. I'm vegetarian for the time being. I focus on legumes, plus fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and a hefty amount of plant-based "healthy fats," usually from olive oil or avocados.

Stay the course. I was just reminded (I need that alot when it comes to foods) how when we eat or snack, to eat one of each of 3 groups together... protein, carb, fruit/veggie and not just snack on one ...but all 3 at once each time...this way the body processes them to our benefit. Sounds good to me :D