Looking to lose weight

[CaliforniaAlbanach]

Hey folks, hoping for a little advice

I will be blunt, I am about 80lbs overweight, looking to do something that will shed this in a healthy timeframe (hopefully under a year)

Open to advice

 

[Christ_empowered]

I'm in a similar boat. My approach right now is chicken instead of red meat, more fish, whole grains (especially brown rice), fewer soft drinks, fuit instead of candy (big problem for me), coffee black instead of w/ cream, and non-meat protein alternatives (right now, I'm loving edamame).

 

[tim-from-pa]

Just cut the carbs, more proteins and fats. As a matter of fact, most of what they say about saturated fats and cholesterol is bunk. And above all, eat natural foods over processed of any kind, e.g. butter over margarine. Whole milk (preferably directly from a cow) over skim milk. Eggs over egg substitutes. Saturated fats over processed ployunsaturated in oils. In other words animal fats over oils, except maybe olive oil. etc etc

To make a long answer short, just turn everything they tell you to do around 180 degrees and you'll be fine. And then spend time reading some of my posts here in the health section and you will see where I am coming from.

 

[Paul1965]

The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to first create a calorie deficit. In a nutshell, that means eating less calories than you burn. recommended guidelines for a deficit is around 500 calories /day. 1 pound of fat contains 3500 calories, so if you create a deficit of 500/day=3500/week that's 1pound a week you CAN lose. Supplement your diet changes with exercise and you can increase your weight loss.
I agree with Tim regarding reducing carbs, but do not reduce them too much because your body needs carbs for fuel.
With fats, your body needs them for lubrication of joints and even your arteries. Just make sure the fats and oils you eat are NOT trans-fats as they can cause all sorts of problems.
Again i agree with Tim that some saturated fats are ok.

If you're interested, I've actually just posted an article about the above on my new Christian fitness blog, the link is below.

http://www.glorifyfitness.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

The blog is in it's early stages and I'll be posting updates new articles twice a week.

 

[farouk]

Exercise, exercise, exercise...

(Toss the caber more frequently, etc...)

 

[Paul1965]

Farouk, exercise yes, but if you exercise and still consume the same number of calories as you burn including exercise, you won't lose weight. you'll be fitter and tone muscle, but the weight loss will be very negligible. By reducing carb intake and overall calories, your body uses it's stores of fat to metabolize into energy. (Burns fat for fuel,instead of carbs from diet.)
Example if your BMR is 2500 and you burn 500 calories through daily activity and exercise, That's a total caloric need of 3000 calories.
If you eat only 2500 calories, that's 500 calories your body will need to find elsewhere ie:stored fat.
If you eat 3000 calories your body has all you need for that day. so in theory you wont lose or gain.
If you eat 3500 calories (put that chocolate cake down!) your body will store the excess 500 calories as fat.
This is over simplified but gives a good understanding of it.
Good carbs V bad carbs, oxidating energy etc. also play a role but will take up too much space here.

 

[tim-from-pa]

Let me also add something I ought to push more of.... supplementation.

Probably most people are fat because they were feeding off of excessive processed foods, and what does that imply? low nutrients. They were getting (if I may use the cliche) empty calories. This is the so-called rise in heart disease, cancers and diabetes lately.

I'll tell you what I think many people are deficient in that are overweight....

Magnesium. It helps regulate blood sugar, helps with all nerve and muscle function and you-name-it, Magnesium is used in virtually every process in the body.

So it's more than calories excess/deficit. It's not about depleting your body exercising like a joggerholic. None of that stuff makes you healthier and if poorly nourished, will deplete your body like drugs and make you worse off. It's more about getting the body to run efficiently with proper nutrients.

The body has resource depleters and resource enhancers.

An example of the former are stress, exercise, drugs, illness, etc
An example of the latter is proper nutrition, sunlight, breathing, water, positive attitude, restful sleep, etc.

When the former exceeds the latter, then disease and maladies result. Simpler than counting calories which if one does things right, need not do.

 

[tim-from-pa]

Now let me state some foods that are better to eat and what to avoid.

Except the apocalypse is coming, it's best to stay away from anything boxed, canned, containered or jarred. That means its been thru the processing mill. But there are things you can still get at your supermarket reasonably healthy without blowing your budget.

I generally avoid most diaries, but if you must drink anything make it whole milk, not skim. Get plain yogurt is OK and flavor/sweeten it yourself instead of their corn-sweetener or artificial stuff. Butter is OK. Lots of that especially for hot vegetables is good. Skip the heart-disease producing margarine. Margarine has to be the most processed food on this planet. If you knew what it looked like while they made it, you would not think of eating that axle grease, er, I mean margarine.

Meats are OK, the more grass-fed the better (or better quality cuts) as this may be expensive one may not eat as many as what one likes, however, in that case,
eggs, eggs and more eggs. My wife and I go thru 3-4 dozen a week, cheap protein.

Nuts are good, too, but "unoiled' A lot of them have cottonseed oils and other vegetable oils in them. Processed vegetable oils are very bad for you (polyunsaturated fats). The exception is extra virgin olive oil.

So as one can see, so far I concentrated on proteins, saturated fats and monounsaturated fats, the better kind for you.

For the non-meat and animal product end, lots of raw vegetables. Lots of salads. For that I'll give you permission to add some dressing on just to show I'm not a self-righteous kill-joy (I mean, heaven forbid if we should put a little dressing on our salads and make them taste good) You can make your own olive-oil dressing with spices, too. In the summer, do as we do and grow a garden if you have the space. Actually, I look forward to eating salads and I don't understand why people don't like them. As I always joke, you can make it taste like the whopper burger vegetables without the meat. Nobody seems to complain about the small salad on their burgers.

To a lesser degree, eat fruit but not excessively. Berries of various type are good, as are low-sugar fruits. Bananas and pears are examples of some that one needs in moderation as that's too much sugar.

And along that line, CUT THE STARCHES. Most of what people eat are in this category. That includes (but not limited to breads, noodles, spaghetti, pizzas, cereals, and so-called "grain" category). If you have to have bread, get Ezekiel bread (or cereal). I guarantee you one slice will fill you up. This won't spike the blood sugar as badly. I can say oatmeal is also good, but I generally dislike "bland is grand" mentality like the medical establishment pushes. Oatmeal does not do anything for me.

I think I covered all the food groups. These are some healthy eating tips on your way to better nutrition.

 

[Free]

So it's more than calories excess/deficit. It's not about depleting your body exercising like a joggerholic. None of that stuff makes you healthier

This is, of course, wrong. Be careful what information you spread. Exercise does make one healthier and a caloric deficit will cause one to lost weight, especially with a proper exercise program.

Lots of salads. For that I'll give you permission to add some dressing on just to show I'm not a self-righteous kill-joy (I mean, heaven forbid if we should put a little dressing on our salads and make them taste good)

It is more than just tasting good. The fats in the dressings actually help one absorb the nutrients in the salad.


Above all, everyone should take advice here with a grain of salt and always check with your doctor.

 

[tim-from-pa]

This is, of course, wrong. Be careful what information you spread. Exercise does make one healthier and a caloric deficit will cause one to lost weight, especially with a proper exercise program.

I'm not advocating no exercise, Free, but pointless stuff without proper nutrition to back it up. The body was made for working (like I did again outside yesterday pulling up fence posts, picking up stuff for the winter to be put away, moving stuff around, etc) Some people maybe chop wood.

But yes, if one is a couch potato, or aimlessly jog around in circles, regardless of which extreme it is someone with too much time on their hands and exercise will damage a body if it's too intense, or again if there is no nutrition to repair the damage.

Take for example aerobic exercise. Suppose to be good, right? OK, I still say it's a depleter. Why? Because it strains the heart, lungs, etc. But THEN the body sees it as a sort of damage, and then goes to repair it. Thus, it the cardiovascular system becomes stronger because the exercise taxed it. So in that regard it is beneficial--- but only if one has the nutrition to do so. As it now stands, most people are deficient in many things and abysmally deficient in some things. It can't repair itself which is why I'm seeing people who excessively exercise with constant injuries and a proliferation of joggers dropping dead these days. Take a walk is good enough if there's no work to be done around the house or yard.

An analogy. A burglar steals from houses. But then if we have watchful neighbors that chase him away, it makes for a stronger and closer neighborhood and in that regards a crook is helpful to make it stronger. But if the neighbors don't care, then the crook can destroy things. Common sense, no statistics needed for that.

Again, I don't spread misinformation, and am dead serious in what I stated and stand by it.

 

[Paul1965]

I'm not going to get into a slanging match over who is right or wrong. All I will say that as a former state and national level martial artist and health and fitness writer with over 200 published articles, currently studying for Personal Trainers certification AND having turned my life back to the health and fitness level I had when fighting full contact (Since August, I've dropped 23 pounds)
That a COMBINATION of Exercise and Good Diet works. Neither is stand alone.
One supplements the other and that is the truth ...or maybe all the scientific studies and personal results of hundreds of thousands of people are wrong?

 

[Agape]

Hey folks, hoping for a little advice

I will be blunt, I am about 80lbs overweight, looking to do something that will shed this in a healthy timeframe (hopefully under a year)

Open to advice

80lbs in a year, so you need to drop approximately 1.5 lbs a week.
Knowing that 3,500 calories equals one pound of fat, you will have to reduce 750 calories from your daily meals. This seems a lot to me, maybe losing 1/2 to 1 pound a week is more reasonable.

Can you tell us when you started to have weight problems and what your eating habits are like?

The AMDR for protein is 10 to 35 percent of daily calories
The AMDR for fat is 20 to 35 percent of daily calories
The AMDR for carbohydrates is 45 to 65 percent of your daily calorie intake.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/3...irements-for-protein-fat-carbs/#ixzz2C3oQWecV

Compare the Recommended Diet Requirements for Protein & Fat & Carbs with your eating habits and see if there are deficits or excesses (Protein Intake - Protein Requirements = deficit/excess)
Then do the same with Fat and Carbohydrates. I am not asking you to write down all that you eat or give us precise numbers. Just give us an idea so we know what you either overeat or don't eat enough.

It is important to know your body and then make adjustments in your diet accordingly. It will save your time and enable you to find the balance you need to be healthy and fit, but also know how often you can eat what you enjoy.

 

[Paul1965]

Agape, you are 100% correct. 1 pound per week is the recommended maximum target (500 calories/day) More than this as recommended by many of the fad diet "gurus" can actually have a reverse effect. Your body will store nutrients because God programmed it to anticipate famine.
The figures you've quoted for the ratio of Carbs / Protein and Fat are roughly correct, but they do change depending on your overall goal. for weight loss, reduce carbs and fat increase protein to make up the balance. For muscle gain increase protein/ reduce carbs keep fat at normal level etc. to lose the weight i mentioned earlier I used a ratio of 35% protein / 40% carbs and 25% fat. however Iam a very active person working out or doing some form of manual labour at home 6 days per week.
It's harder for people if through some sort of malady, they are unable to do rigourous exercise to elevate their heart rate, or if they live in an apartment with no garden etc.
The most important thing is to get moving while you are motivated about your weight loss / fitness and act upon it.

 

[Fedusenko]

Do a colonic. You will lose 5 pounds in 20 minutes!

 

[LadyLoves]

I'm looking to lose a lot of weight myself. The only thing is my scale doesn't act right lol. So I don't know what my exact starting weight is. I've bought two in-home scales and they both read something different everytime you get on it, in a different part of your house so I'm like, Oh dear Lord lol! Once I find my exact weight, then I'm starting back on my diet. I started completely last year around Feb. then I hopped out for I don't know why lol, I'm looking to get back on it I just want a complete change verall body wise, spiritually just to start an entire new life. Also it will do wonders health wise, especially balancing my hormones.

 

[Mike S]

I'm looking to lose a lot of weight myself. The only thing is my scale doesn't act right lol. So I don't know what my exact starting weight is. I've bought two in-home scales and they both read something different everytime you get on it, in a different part of your house so I'm like, Oh dear Lord lol! Once I find my exact weight, then I'm starting back on my diet. I started completely last year around Feb. then I hopped out for I don't know why lol, I'm looking to get back on it I just want a complete change verall body wise, spiritually just to start an entire new life. Also it will do wonders health wise, especially balancing my hormones.

Good for you for making the effort.

Might I make the suggestion that you don't worry about your exact weight? Just keep the scale in the same place every time you weigh yourself. That way you can get consistant readings and see how you're doing, gaining or losing weight.

 

[Paul1965]

That's Great LadyLoves,Kudos to you,
Mark is right about not moving the scales around. Also weigh yourself in the morning as soon as you get up ONCE a week on the same day every week. During the week, your weight will go up and down depending on your activity level the previous day, what you ate etc. The best way I found was to restrict myself to my target calorie range exactly or slightly less on Saturdays, then weigh Sunday Morning before eating. If you set a pattern like that, you'll not only get an accurate idea of your progress, but sometimes waiting the full week you get a nice surprise by exceeding your target loss without really trying.
If you're interested, I've only just started my Fitness Blog for Christians but add to it daily as I finish writing the articles. I'm actually should be finishing one now darn it I should have all the downloadable stuff for it ready by Sat / Sunday. And I'll be putting together some free workout videos too.They don't need equipment other than a towel and a water bottle. ALL FREE OF CHARGE, NO DONATIONS NADA NOT A BRASS RAZOO lol
www.glorifyfitness.blogspot.com
Best of luck everyone with your goals.
Blessings In Christ

 

[Gordon]

I can vouch for the Tim Ferris (sp?) 4 hour body diet. I used to go by that and was pretty ripped. I am now using it to lose weight and it's working. I totally gave the diet up for a few years and have a lot to lose. In the book they say a calorie isn't just a calorie and if it's a white carb it's pretty bad. If you want I can keep in touch with you and we can report to each other. I am reading about science on willpower and having someone to report to and encourage each other works well. If you search his blog I think he still has the diet on there instead of buying his book. It's like how to lose 20 pounds in a month or something. PM me or anyone else can if you want to make a goal to lose weight and report to each other. I could use all the help I can get.

 

[Paul1965]

Gordon,you're right about the white carbs. Any form of carb that is white except the flesh of fruits should at the very least formless than 10% of your calorie intake. Tim Ferris's diet is one of the better ones out there (hey, he even extols the vitues of a glass of wine or three lol), the paleo diet is okay but it's very fanatical so a lot of people don't succeed with it and is actually not based on historical archaeological fact as stated.
definitely agree having a partner to train / lose weight with too. Keeps you both motivated and encouraged.
Good luck with your goals Gordon and everyone else.

 

[Free]

Some local guys lost 30 lbs in a month using Lyle McDonald's The Rapid Fat Loss Handbook. A combination of a very low carb diet and strength training. Here is a link to Lyle McDonald's site where he has a ton of articles on fat loss, nutrition and training: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/articles A lot of it does get fairly technical but it is still quite interesting.

I think that dieting is fine for those who workout and exercise regularly and are looking to get cut but isn't really the way to look at things for someone looking to lose a lot of weight. That needs to be looked at as a lifestyle change, or it may just become yo-yo dieting. I think that is why many people gain their weight back--they just wanted to lose weight and never made the decision to always do those things to keep the weight off.

I think it's very much about breaking bad habits and forming good ones. It needs to become habitual to avoid certain foods or at least keep them to a minimum, and instead reach for others, like veggies and whole grains for example. And of course exercise also needs to become a way of life.