Health, Good Practises, and Exercise

[BoneDaddy]

I almost didn't recognize my own shadow

Haha, damn I have never heard that before. If THAT isn't testimony... And congratulations on your mental strength.

It's good to note to those of you without home, or results. Your body today, is a reflection of your habits in the recent past.

Also, your body reflects your lifestyle. If you work out 4 days a week, and simply eat properly for 2 other days, and on Sunday, you have some of momma's cake and fried chicken, you'r body will still reflect a fit lifestyle. That's why "cheat days" are encouraged.

BUT, if you are mentally weak and/or have a personal relationship with food, cheat days are NOT ok. Because, not unlike a drug addict, as soon as you get that first bite of cake, your mind will be at war with itself, all over again.

Look at food as FUEL for the body and nothing more. Teach yourself not to give a damn about flavor, most times. Don't eat to enjoy yourself, eat for what you plan on doing for the next few hours.

Nutritionists won't tell you this stuff. Most of them, at least. This is why the west if fat and will always be fat. Everything around us is artificial.

 

[BarracksSi]

Teach yourself not to give a damn about flavor, most times.

I'd append, "... at least for the beginning."

What I don't like is sowing the seeds of doubt by saying that healthy eating can't taste good.

When I make myself a salad, I usually don't bother with dressing. One of my coworkers, when he saw me with a dry salad, went, "Ewwww, no dressing?" I said, why bother, when these onions and peppers and jalapeños give me so much flavor?

I don't need to bludgeon my taste buds with salts, sugars, and oils anymore. I load up with fragrant and spicy veggies* instead. Spinach and arugula, not lettuce; grapes and other fruits for "dessert" instead of pudding and cake.

We grill sliced pork sometimes at home. It's Korean-style -- like bacon, I guess, but not salted and cured. Tasty, tasty stuff, especially with roasted garlic cloves, sesame leaves, and gochujang red pepper paste.

Unprocessed foods can taste goooood.

(* knowing now that peppers and jalapeños are fruits, according to my sister and her PhD in plant genetics)

 

[BoneDaddy]

I'd append, "... at least for the beginning."

What I don't like is sowing the seeds of doubt by saying that healthy eating can't taste good.

When I make myself a salad, I usually don't bother with dressing. One of my coworkers, when he saw me with a dry salad, went, "Ewwww, no dressing?" I said, why bother, when these onions and peppers and jalapeños give me so much flavor?

I don't need to bludgeon my taste buds with salts, sugars, and oils anymore. I load up with fragrant and spicy veggies* instead. Spinach and arugula, not lettuce; grapes and other fruits for "dessert" instead of pudding and cake.

We grill sliced pork sometimes at home. It's Korean-style -- like bacon, I guess, but not salted and cured. Tasty, tasty stuff, especially with roasted garlic cloves, sesame leaves, and gochujang red pepper paste.

Unprocessed foods can taste goooood.

(* knowing now that peppers and jalapeños are fruits, according to my sister and her PhD in plant genetics)

Yea, you're right. I say that because people get lazy and care too so much about flavor, that they go with those expensive food plans.

I got to the point where I'd pull a potato out of a bag for a quick afternoon snack, grab a brocoli, but other than that I would cook for 3 days at a time.

But you are right. All food can taste good. I jist think it's a good general rule to get it out of people's heads, that all food needs to taste good. Mainly because of the lack of will power.

 

[BarracksSi]

Haha, damn I have never heard that before. If THAT isn't testimony... And congratulations on your mental strength.

It wasn't quite mental strength -- it was more like, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain -- so I put faith in the program I was following. It even said it'd take six months to reach my goal of losing 30 pounds, so I knew it wouldn't be overnight.

When the first two weeks went exactly as planned, I thought, hey, maybe it's working -- let's see what it's like in a month. Another few weeks went by, the pace of my weight loss hadn't slowed, and I was feeling good.

My total loss, from my peak weight to my lowest (at least since third phase of boot camp), was about 50 pounds. Had to buy all new clothes to fit me, too. Spending money on a new wardrobe is MUCH more fulfilling than buying pills for blood pressure and high cholesterol.

 

[Huntn]

(I realize we're at over half a thousand posts in this thread, and surely this has been covered before... but because this is a recent piece of discussion...)


Thanks for the clarification.

Okay. So....

If you're really ONLY eating these individual meals each day (as in, you ONLY eat #6 on Friday, as an example)...

... and you're running 8-10 miles each day...

You are undereating by around a thousand calories. Or more.

(for now, let's set aside how terrible those food choices are, too)

What you're doing is starving yourself. Your #4 -- Denny's omelette at ~1200 calories -- is already a few hundred calories below the daily needs of a sedentary individual. You ran and burned a thousand calories, so that's almost your entire meal spent on the workout, leaving only a couple hundred remaining to operate your heart, lungs, brain, and everything else in your body.

What BoneDaddy is getting at is 100% correct. You're telling your body to shut down and put all your food intake into reserves commonly known as "fat".

I lost 5 pounds a month, like clockwork, eating between 1800-2800 calories per day, with the higher amounts on workout days. I also didn't solely run (in fact, I hardly ran at all), but I did a big variety of workouts, everything from weights to kickboxing to yoga to soccer. I didn't work out every single day, but instead had one or two off days each week.

And, I didn't work out on a full stomach, either. I still had breakfast (at around 0630), and I still had lunch -- but I'd work out either first thing in the morning or just before lunch.

I went from almost being forced to shop at Casual Male XL to picking my shirts at Express. I could see the "Jesus lines" in my upper hip/lower abdomen area. I still couldn't manage a six-pack because I've got plenty of loose skin and would need a very focused nutrition regimen, but still, the first spring day when I went for a run in a compression shirt, I almost didn't recognize my own shadow -- my torso had become less of a potato and more of a "V" shape.

How old are you?

 

[BarracksSi]

How old are you?

45; why?

 

[Huntn]

45; why?

With age (60ish), diet seems to be more influential than exercise in the weight loss equation, although exercise is important. I started consistent exercise 15 months ago and my weight loss has been minimal. I don't eat a lot, but apparantly too much.

 

[arkitect]

With age (60ish) diet seems to be more influential than exercise in the weight loss equation, although exercise is important. I started consistent exercise 15 months ago and my weight loss has been minimal. I don't eat a lot, but apparantly too much.

Well, as they say, you can't outrun your fork.
I've tried!

 

[BarracksSi]

With age (60ish) diet seems to be more influential than exercise in the weight loss equation, although exercise is important. I started consistent exercise 15 months ago and my weight loss has been minimal. I don't eat a lot, but apparantly too much.

I like to illustrate it by saying that once you stop growing upwards, you'll grow sideways.

It's a lot more complicated, yeah, but I like to condense things into one sentence.

 

[Huntn]

I like to illustrate it by saying that once you stop growing upwards, you'll grow sideways.

It's a lot more complicated, yeah, but I like to condense things into one sentence.

I think what surprises some people is how fast the calories add up.

 

[0388631]

diet seems to be more influential than exercise in the weight loss equation

Diet will always be influential over exercise. It's simple enough to run 6 miles a day, but it's far easier to cut back on junk or overly calorie laden foods. Diet should be a change in your lifestyle, not something temporary.

Let me put it this way. Presume a 200 lb male who's 6'2 runs 4-6 miles a day. Assume the caloric expenditure is 550 at the max range. This number is a rough estimate. 550 calories is quite a lot, but if you're eating unhealthy food on the regular, it could be as simple as 3-3.5 servings of chips, pretzels or a few slices of sourdough.

 

[mollyc]

I've only read the first two pages and the last two pages so far. I will catch up on the middle ones.

I've lost 20 pounds since the beginning of the year by going low carb. I've done little to no exercise in that time. I was doing some Jillian Michaels DVDs, and they definitely helped to tone, but they were also making me hungry. Since my primary goal is weight loss, I stopped the videos until I am closer to my goal weight and then I will add them back in (it is getting closer to summer after all). I actually will probably start back at them next week because I am 5-15 pounds away from my goal. Knowing that muscle weighs more than fat, I am starting to reach the point where I care more about how my clothes fit, rather than the number on the scale. (But okay, I'm a girl, so I do care about the number on the scale. )

Anyway, I have cut out all grains, sugar, most fruits except an occasional apple. I eat a lot of salads. No desserts (other than one square of Ghirardelli 86% chocolate most days). No bread. I do still drink alcohol. I've also started intermittent fasting the past month which has also helped, and my daily appetite has gone way down. I drink black coffee, water, or unsweetened seltzer water (and my nightly glass of wine).

I tried on a bunch of clothes in my closet today and was surprised to find that many of my things from last year are not only a little bit too big, but some that I can actually pull off over my hips while still buttoned. I also found that a lot of pants I've been holding onto for the past 8-9 years finally fit again.

At this stage in my life I am a big proponent of low carb and IF, and while I will eat one or two tortilla chips a week if my family is having them (yes, literally one or two an entire week), or a cookie if I have helped my daughter bake something, I do plan on sticking with low carb and IF for the long term. I had years of terrible back pain that I took Aleve daily for years and it is all gone. No other medical changes other than cutting out crap food. I'm sure it was inflammation, and I can tell if I've eaten something accidentally that I shouldn't have.

I feel better now than I have in years. Oh, and I am 43 and 5'6".

 

[BarracksSi]

I think what surprises some people is how fast the calories add up.

Oh my god, that's completely true. When I started actually counting everything I ate, I hit my daily budget before afternoon. I had to rethink what I was going to do for meals.

It did a couple key things for me:

It made me notice how many calories were in my drinks. A Gatorade here, a Starbucks hot chocolate there... together, that's the same calories as a sandwich, at least. And those drink calories don't actually do anything for the body.

I started hitting the veggies and greens a lot more. I could pile it all on a plate the size of my head (or MB Pro), get all the nutrients they contain, and feel full afterwards, yet it was the same calories or less than a pair of Twinkies.

Let's see, which is a better meal:
Half-liter of Pepsi, a Big Grab bag of Cheetos, and some Ho-Hos?
Or a big glass of water and lemon, grilled pepper chicken, half a pound of spinach, bell peppers, onions, dried cranberries, an apple, and -- why not -- black coffee?
[doublepost=1494012571][/doublepost]Another revelation was the day I weighed a piece of my luggage, which rang in at about 45 pounds.

By that point, I was 45 pounds lighter than I was two years earlier.

Go ahead, carry around a 45-pound suitcase all day. Or load it up in a duffel bag and carry it on your back.

ALL DAY LONG, EVERYWHERE YOU GO.

That's what I was doing to my body for so many years. No wonder it sucked.

 

[Huntn]

Diet will always be influential over exercise. It's simple enough to run 6 miles a day, but it's far easier to cut back on junk or overly calorie laden foods. Diet should be a change in your lifestyle, not something temporary.

Let me put it this way. Presume a 200 lb male who's 6'2 runs 4-6 miles a day. Assume the caloric expenditure is 550 at the max range. This number is a rough estimate. 550 calories is quite a lot, but if you're eating unhealthy food on the regular, it could be as simple as 3-3.5 servings of chips, pretzels or a few slices of sourdough.

I agree with you, but I remember when I was young, when I worked out, the pounds just melted away and I could eat whatever I wanted.

 

[mollyc]

I would suggest the book Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes to anyone who has struggled to lose weight and finds it difficult. I'm sure we all find it difficult to some extent, but it's not really as simple as CICO or sheer willpower. His book is quite enlightening.

 

[0388631]

I agree with you, but I remember when I was young, when I worked out, the pounds just melted away and I could eat whatever I wanted.

I'd put it down to plain efficiency. You could move faster when you were younger. I know I could.

 

[Diana K.]

I had a thread regarding dieting (I thought), but can't find it. I was a chunky kid, discovered exercise as a teen, became an avid runner, went 40 years without a weight issue due to regular exercise, but now in my 60s, I'm about 30 lbs overweight. I'm 5'10" @220 lbs. I can no longer run, but walk a couple of times a week, approx 2 miles. I recently cut out deserts from my diet as I have a sweet tooth, and try to substitute things like Greek yogurt or strawberries for desert, but there are no cakes, pies, or cookies in the house.

I also drink diet Pepsi, which I've heard may not be great for weight loss, but when I consider the million calories, I've avoided, I have to wonder what I'd look like if I had spent the last 35 years drinking sugared pop. I snack on things like baby carrots and drink low cal (5 calories) Cranberry juice which I regard as a flavored water more or less. I cut out milk years ago and drink 60 calorie almond milk on my unsweetened cereal.

My bet is that there are more than a few MR forum members who have weight issues. If you are successfully managing your weight, please report!

My impression is that at its simplest form that weight gain involves two aspects calories consumed vs calories burned, which can be effected by metabolism.

What do you think about artificial sweeteners?
Thanks!

Exactly, its all about math. Your calory intake should be lower than calory release so your body can lose the weight. I do not like sweeteners at all! The taste is horrible. Now I do 1-month experiment - get rid of sugar as much as possible. I do not put sugar in coffee, don't eat any sweets and I limited also some fruits. Let's see what will happen!

 

[Huntn]

Swimming at the Y, Good riddance... this may sound shocking but keep reading.

Normally at the local YMCA, for 18 months, I could plan on a relatively quiet atmosphere, and somewhere between 4-7 swim lanes in a 25 meter pool.

Last summer, the Y hosted Kids Camp and utilized a seperate section of the pool which was 30'x30', 900 square feet stuffed with screaming kids. No problem because I wear ear plugs and it did not impact swim lanes.

However this summer, when school let out, I was shocked to observe that half the main pool has been roped off with only 3 swim lanes to accommodate the much larger Kid Camp participation. The Pool Director in a move to increase revenue has decided to squeeze the regulars. Not only that but when you watch the water clarity drop from 70' to 5' you don't want ask what that's about.

Anyway, the Y is in my rear view mirror, Lifetime Fitness is my new swim location. It cost about a third more, but from what I've observed it's a much better product and you get what you pay for. The sad thing I was looking forward to relying on Silver Sneakers, the insurance feature I could have used next year when I turn 65 to pay for my YMCA membership. Lifetime has a Silver and Fit feature, but my United Health Care Insurance does not include that. Que sera.

 

[jeyf]

evaluate your diet:
write down exactly what you eat for 3-7 average days. Google the calories of each item. Eliminate some items form the list you can do without. If you diet is under 1800 calories you loose weight. There is an accepted ratio of carbs, protein and fat you need as well. There are iPhone apps for this but they tend to complicate the issue. The apps might also track your exercise, life style and age. Dont hold out taking supliments if you lack a spectrum of foods say because you dont have time with work.

exercise
Stay at home, watch Netflix, and dont eat. For example; eat a protein candy bar and gain 300 calories and that is a whole 1 hour medium level session at the gym. If you must exercise concentrate on cardio. While loosing weight you can NOT gain muscle mass. Exercise might help after you have been on a diet for a while and your body starts to shut down.

new food
control what you stuff into your face. do not drink alcohol. empty your house of foods you should not be eating, just put the stuff in the trash. Buy new foods that you like and are good for you. If you eat less the food you need to eat foods that are fulfilling and good for you. Have a plan to transition to a stable weight and keep the pounds off. As you go through life accept that YOU CAN gain or loose weight.

change everything
sometimes a BIG diet change does good; like a Microsoft reset in your life. Go vegan. Today there is a lot more understood of diet alternatives. You dont have to eat the same junk your mother fed you.

Accept everyone is different.

 

[Huntn]

Swimming at the Y, Good riddance... this may sound shocking but keep reading.

Normally at the local YMCA, for 18 months, I could plan on a relatively quiet atmosphere, and somewhere between 4-7 swim lanes in a 25 meter pool.

Last summer, the Y hosted Kids Camp and utilized a seperate section of the pool which was 30'x30', 900 square feet stuffed with screaming kids. No problem because I wear ear plugs and it did not impact swim lanes.

However this summer, when school let out, I was shocked to observe that half the main pool has been roped off with only 3 swim lanes to accommodate the much larger Kid Camp participation. The Pool Director in a move to increase revenue has decided to squeeze the regulars. Not only that but when you watch the water clarity drop from 70' to 5' you don't want ask what that's about.

Anyway, the Y is in my rear view mirror, Lifetime Fitness is my new swim location. It cost about a third more, but from what I've observed it's a much better product and you get what you pay for. The sad thing I was looking forward to relying on Silver Sneakers, the insurance feature I could have used next year when I turn 65 to pay for my YMCA membership. Lifetime has a Silver and Fit feature, but my United Health Care Insurance does not include that. Que sera.

At Liftime Fitness, I met with a trainer that had me stand on a body analyzer, I believe a Inbody 570 Body Composition Analyzer. Among other things, the trainer said he was impressed that my metabolic rate was 1758 calories per day. He was a body builder in his late 20s and told me that his metabolic rate was 2300. He attributed this to my swimming.

evaluate your diet:
write down exactly what you eat for 3-7 average days. Google the calories of each item. Eliminate some items form the list you can do without. If you diet is under 1800 calories you loose weight. There is an accepted ratio of carbs, protein and fat you need as well. There are iPhone apps for this but they tend to complicate the issue. The apps might also track your exercise, life style and age. Dont hold out taking supliments if you lack a spectrum of foods say because you dont have time with work.

exercise
Stay at home, watch Netflix, and dont eat. For example; eat a protein candy bar and gain 300 calories and that is a whole 1 hour medium level session at the gym. If you must exercise concentrate on cardio. While loosing weight you can NOT gain muscle mass. Exercise might help after you have been on a diet for a while and your body starts to shut down.

new food
control what you stuff into your face. do not drink alcohol. empty your house of foods you should not be eating, just put the stuff in the trash. Buy new foods that you like and are good for you. If you eat less the food you need to eat foods that are fulfilling and good for you. Have a plan to transition to a stable weight and keep the pounds off. As you go through life accept that YOU CAN gain or loose weight.

change everything
sometimes a BIG diet change does good; like a Microsoft reset in your life. Go vegan. Today there is a lot more understood of diet alternatives. You dont have to eat the same junk your mother fed you.

Accept everyone is different.

Interesting that you stated 1800 calories to lose weight. See my reply above on my metabolic rate.

 

[jeyf]

... Interesting that you stated 1800 calories to lose weight...

you might assume the person considering weight loss is not too active
i doubt calories can be quoted as an accurate repeatable number

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

As others have said, it's different as you get older.

I used to be able to burn off all of the calories I wanted by exercising. Now I'm in my mid-40s, that doesn't work as well. Last year I aggravated an old knee injury at a muddy obstacle course event. I had to lay off running for 3-4 months, nor could I cycle. I tried to reduce my calorie intake, but it obviously wasn't enough. I put on a few kilos. I could still do some weights on a Saturday, but with work and family commitments, it's hard to fit in mid-week exercise without running or riding.

I've been back to my usual fitness regime, training 6 days a week (3 runs, 2 rides, 1 weights class + 1 spin class on the same day) for 9 months now, and I've barely lost 1-2 kilos. I've also lost a minute per mile in pace (it was more, but I've clawed some of it back). It's v disappointing.

I'm coming to the reluctant conclusion that it's my relationship with food that needs to change. I already eat healthily, but I still have treats. I'm careful about those, but will have to be more so.

I've read a lot on diets and tried several of the better evidenced ones. But the ultimate solution I think is to eat less. Portion size is everything. The temptation to 'clear ones plate' is strong. If the plate looks half empty, psychologically you already expect the meal won't satisfy you and so the temptation to snack is harder to resist. I've even looked for smaller plates, but they're very hard to find. For whatever reason (and I fear it's to accommodate 21st century appetites) plate sizes only seem to increase.

A lot of weight gain is 100 calories a day difference, but repeated everyday. It adds up over time. And the more calories you consume, the more you need, so you eat more. And calories are so easy to acquire, carbs (esp sugar) are everywhere. 'Dieting' by contrast, is a 7 letter word intended to described a protracted period of starvation, during which you need to defy your bodies natural desire to maintain itself, until you give up or reach a desired goal. I don't like dieting, but I fear reduced portion sizes are what's required.

On a separate note, I recommend "That sugar film", a documentary about the impact of sugar and artificial sweeteners on 20th and 21st century diets. It's well researched and presented. It helps you appreciate why you react to sugary (and sugar substituted) foods as you do, and why these sweeteners encourage more consumption. I have Amazon Prime. It was free to watch on there.

 

[jeyf]

might try Kal brand Stevia liquid. Buy it at Amazon. it works in some situations. Stevia might have an after taste.

 

[millerj123]

As others have said, it's different as you get older.

I used to be able to burn off all of the calories I wanted by exercising. Now I'm in my mid-40s, that doesn't work as well. Last year I aggravated an old knee injury at a muddy obstacle course event. I had to lay off running for 3-4 months, nor could I cycle. I tried to reduce my calorie intake, but it obviously wasn't enough. I put on a few kilos. I could still do some weights on a Saturday, but with work and family commitments, it's hard to fit in mid-week exercise without running or riding.

I'm in the same boat. In the past 3 months, I've dropped 10 pounds, but need to go at least another 10. It's the calories. When I track exactly what I eat, I do much better than when I try to rely on exercise. I now primarily skip dinner, but make sure I have fruits, veggies, and a little protein for breakfast and lunch.

For that matter, exercise makes me much hungrier, and I make much worse calorie choices, so it has to be budgeted.

I run/exercise every day. Those hours just don't help as much as keeping track of the eating.

 

[jeyf]

protein you might try Gold Standard brand casein whey protein. some flavors are good enough with just water