Alright I'm a Butterball help!

[stx kid]

Diet looks like crap yes huge energy drink fan about the only thing that's seems to help in the morning. Winchesters correct about lack of willpower somedays it's their and then pfft it's completly gone and I'm back to my old habits.

the energy drinks are crap for your liver/kidneys . Drink coffee (pref. black)
eat lean meat and whole wheat/ whole grain.
your will power... well.. whens the last time you got a piece? imho you can use taht to your advantage. It might sound a little strange, but shoot... am I wrong?

I should also add that I lost over 50 lbs doing this... and running 3 miles a day and swimming two...

 

[Texas1911]

You have no will power because your self-image and metabolism are pumping your body full of hormones that make you depressed. Behaviorally this leads to overeating, overdrinking, and ultimately a self-fulfilling fatness.

You need to put yourself on a calorie limit. What you put into your body counts, but ultimately it's calories in and calories out. Drinking a lot of water will help you stay hydrated and will greatly reduce the crash, especially if you are drinking more than 200 mg of caffeine.

The best thing you can do for your mood and overall mental health is some form of exercise. The endorphins and hormonal response from exercise is a major win against depression. It helps to break the cycle, and before long you'll become addicted to it. You don't need to do cardio, you just need to do something. It can be as simple as playing golf, basketball, or going to the batting cages. Go shoot IDPA, while it's not major impact, it's activity.

Get that first 10 - 15 lbs. and you'll feel like a champ. The rest come easy.

 

[TheDan]

You have no will power because your self-image and metabolism are pumping your body full of hormones that make you depressed. Behaviorally this leads to overeating, overdrinking, and ultimately a self-fulfilling fatness.

How do you explain happy fat people?

 

[scap99]

How do you explain happy fat people?

I love to eat.


Sent from V'ger via Epsilon Nine.

 

[stx kid]

How do you explain happy fat people?

Santa?

( santa is a diabetic... he's not really that jolly, he's just in a constant state of hypoglycemia. explains all the cookies and sweets)

 

[Clockwork]

Arriving late to the scene here, but here goes -

What other people have stated is absolutely correct, there are NO shortcuts, NO pills, NO easy way to lose weight. You can do one of two things or both - eat healthy or exercise more. A lot of people who are very overweight feel real pain while exercising or are at a higher risk of injuring themselves while doing so. Because of this I recommend a change in lifestyle for eating to start off with and when you actually feel ready for it to begin working out. Not so much in the area of cardio but more weight lifting. An extra pound of muscle on the body means your body needs an extra 50 calories per day. This may not sound like much but if you pack on ten pounds of muscle your body will need an additional 500 calories daily. That's like a whole meal!

I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist but I am a Unit Fitness Program Manager and PTL for my Group in the Air Force so I deal with fitness a lot. A lot of people on this forum also know that I'm in to dietary self experimentation and one of the things that I've found that works the best is ketogenics. It's similar to Atkins where you're eating <20g net carbohydrates per day, but UNLIKE Atkins you don't actually begin adding carbs back into your diet to find the "sweet spot". A person has to love a lifestyle that promotes the eating of things like bacon. Sometimes it's called Paleo keto or just "Keto". There's a Subreddit for it over on Reddit.com called /r/keto, so check it out if you're interested in learning more.

 

[Texas1911]

How do you explain happy fat people?

Some people are content with their self-image, but the vast majority of overweight people, myself included, are concerned with their self-image and that leads to a lack of confidence and self-pity; ergo a depressive cycle. A lot of people can still be gregarious and happy on the outside, but I think you'll find that a large majority of these people would be happier with a loss of weight.

Being fat is hard on your joints and causes all sorts of problems resulting in pain. It's not an enjoyable lifestyle.

 

[DaRedneck]

I read a book called Eat Stop Eat. Very easy read. It's only about 80 pages and can be read in under an hour. Basically it's about fasting. I now fast once a week, sometimes I'll fast twice a week. I watch what I eat during the week on days I am not fasting but I don't obses or stress over it. On the weekends I'll eat whatever I want. I've dropped 25lbs in 3 months so far.

Fasting sounds hard. At first it is but you get used to it. Anyway, just thought I'd add to the discussion. It's what is working for me.

 

[Texas1911]

Fasting is a good way of kinda cleaning the plate so to speak, but I wouldn't recommend it for periods longer than a day or two. Some people advocate long term fasts for multiple days, even close to weeks, but the human body isn't meant to go without for that long. It'll make due, but honestly a number of nutritional elements need to be replaced on a regular basis, and your metabolism takes a roller coaster ride.

Some people claim to lose significant amounts of weight in short fasts, but honestly it's just water weight and bulk. Omitting caloric intake for a week would only burn approximately 14000 - 21000 calories for the vast majority of us. That's only 4-6 pounds of body weight. Considering a gallon of water weighs 8.3 lbs and the vast majority of the water we intake is from foods, it's not hard to see where that is lost.

To me the true benefit of fasting is to crush the carb cravings and behavioral abnormalities that lead to overeating and eating bad foods. Once you stabilize the blood sugar and get on the wagon you'll do much better, in my opinion.

 

[IXLR8]

There is some good information on here. I might add, stay away from diet drinks like diet coke, or any artificially sweetened drink. They will make you gain weight. How? When you consume a drink with artificial sweeteners, your body see's it as "hey, I just ate something sweet" and cranks up the digestive juices. A little while later the response from the stomach is, no food arrived, send a signal to eat something. The diet drinks make you hungry when you otherwise would not be hungry. Stick to water, and occasional real fruit juice when you just need some satiation.

This is a very long video, but explains in great detail how your digestive system is being exploited by the foods that you eat: Sugar: The bitter truth

 

[coachrick]

It IS a long video...I watched much of it back when this discussion started. Interesting stuff.

I've always heard "Keep a journal of what you eat"...never gave that much credence until I took a 'snack food survey' for a couple of weeks. The survey folks gave us a 'phone' of sorts on which to record all snacks eaten over a two-week period. There were questions about what you ate, time of day, where you were, what your feelings were, etc. It was unintentionally revealing to me when I had to 'process' the 'process' of snacking. Even when I was eating relatively healthy snacks, the question of 'why?' or how I felt while eating them was a bit of an eye-opener...not that I couldn't have done it on my own, but the rigorous recording of the data was thought-provoking. A couple of consistent factors weigh in..."What was I doing while eating the snack?" almost always was answered with 'on the computer', 'watching TV' or 'nothing in particular'. It had little to do with 'taking a break' or 'holding me over until the next meal'. It was out of habit, or boredom, you might say.


Interestingly, I did cut down considerably as the two-week period came to an end. Certainly didn't stop snacking, but I sure gave it some more thought. I come from a family situation in which my father, daily, would consume an entire package of 'whatever' his current favorite snack was at the time...Hydrox cookies(like an Oreo), Vienna Fingers(chocolate covered wafer cookies), Spanish peanuts, Cheez-Its, Boston Beans(candy coated peanuts), and the list goes on. Mom, on the other hand, was a Therapeutic Dietician; but she gave up on Dad when he retired from the Army(after a little WWII and three 'visits' to Korea as an MP). I think I was born with a sugar cube in my mouth!

My latest story is: Dropped 16 pounds by cutting out 'some' sugar and reducing meal size, but have put back on about 5 pounds. I'm hoping the consistently warm weather will keep me riding my bicycle at least three times a week for 15-25 miles each...maybe longer on the weekends. Riding has always helped me pay better attention to my diet since not too many horrible foods work well with two hours on a bicycle in 90 degree heat and 30 mph winds. Realistically, I could lose 20-30 more pounds and still be the same person...any more than that and I would be below my tennis playing weight of 30 years ago!

Best of luck to those who are struggling with all of this and congratulations to those who have headed in the right direction or achieved their goals.

 

[rsteak]

Go to a bariatric specialist. They can help.

 

[scap99]

Santa?

( santa is a diabetic... he's not really that jolly, he's just in a constant state of hypoglycemia. explains all the cookies and sweets)

I thought he smoked weed...

 

[ROGER4314]

I can not stand using exercise equipment! I get bored and simply avoid using it at all costs. For me, the answer was "bicycles". I rode 3,414 miles last year on a combination of several bicycles. It gets me outside, provides valuable exercise and I've loved bikes all of my life!

I invite you to check out my running record of the year 2011 in the "Fitness" section under "First" as a thread name. If you have any interest, I'll be happy to help.

I had some ugly physical issues rattle me this year but I've still managed to ride 501 miles since January 1. It's way off last years pace but it's all I could do.

Flash

 

[TheDan]

Sugar: The bitter truth

I love that video. "You know who drinks Gatorade? ...fat kids!"

Seriously tho, sugar is terrible for you. I'm no heath nut but years ago I realized my sugar intake was stupid high. I cut out all the soda and most of the deserts and snacks. I didn't really lose any weight, but I feel much better now. How you feel is really what counts.

 

[ChunkyMonkey]

I had spnt 2 solid months at the gym, 5 days a week with no sweets or sodas....20 miles biking a day, 30 minutes treadmill, and 1 hour weights/core. I gained mass of course, but no inches truely lost around the waist. I've always been back and forth on the weight coaster, looking for a "fix." I finally gave up and went to a nutritionist and doctor. Ultimately running tests on testosterone, thyroids, etc. One of my biggest factors was a lack on eating. It's pretty difficult at work to stop and snack or get a meal as I'm with a smaller agency and you can just be swamped with calls daily. I'm now eating 6 times a day, along with finding out that my thyroid wasn't being productive......a friend had a very similar issue. He has had a rapid weight loss, but doesn't hit the gym to increase strength or maintain. So far, my current regiment has been good, but won't disclose until I've gone through more to give a proper eval.

Eating more frequently along with drinking lots of water is definitely a step the right direction.

 

[Suzi]

I had spnt 2 solid months at the gym, 5 days a week with no sweets or sodas....20 miles biking a day, 30 minutes treadmill, and 1 hour weights/core. I gained mass of course, but no inches truely lost around the waist. I've always been back and forth on the weight coaster, looking for a "fix." I finally gave up and went to a nutritionist and doctor. Ultimately running tests on testosterone, thyroids, etc. One of my biggest factors was a lack on eating. It's pretty difficult at work to stop and snack or get a meal as I'm with a smaller agency and you can just be swamped with calls daily. I'm now eating 6 times a day, along with finding out that my thyroid wasn't being productive......a friend had a very similar issue. He has had a rapid weight loss, but doesn't hit the gym to increase strength or maintain. So far, my current regiment has been good, but won't disclose until I've gone through more to give a proper eval.

Eating more frequently along with drinking lots of water is definitely a step the right direction.

You have to do what is safe (no bodily injury) and works for you. I've got so many neglected physical injuries that I'm having a difficult time getting consecutive "good" workouts in. I've been working with a good trainer since March. I've only lost about 20 lbs but for the first time in 30 years I'm not in constant pain in some area of my body. It's a slow process and I've changed my focus from loosing weight to getting fit. I figure if I can do that the other will fall into place and not jiggling would be great. Hopefully making it easier to carry concealed also. Much success to you.

 

[ROGER4314]

After riding my bicycles 3,414 miles last year and losing 31 pounds, I thought I has sailing home free. I don't know how else to say this...I broke my ass! Try sitting on a bike seat for 3400 miles and you'll relate! I can't sit on a bike seat every day like I did before so I ride when the pain is less. To date, I have ridden 555.67 miles since January 1 when I reset the bike computers. It isn't much but it's all I can do right now. I regained all but 7-8 pounds but still feel pretty well.

Jake and I take long walks in the park and around the neighborhood and I still mow and work outside but until I heal, that's going to be the extent of my exercise. The big tricycle has been wonderful as I can ride it 6 miles around the neighborhood with Jake in the rear carry basket and get a little exercise.

Last year, I rode 17 miles in the morning then in the afternoon, rode the same 17 again OR ride Jake on the Tricycle for 6-10 miles. My performance this year is very disappointing.

Just do what you can do.

Flash

 

[ChunkyMonkey]

Definitely better than nothing.....I'm looking at one of the Specialized RockHoppers at a local shop as they're pushing them out for 475 since the 2013 models are coming in. I'm looking to get back into trail riding. Until I drop more weight, I'm not going to push the running hard......

 

[#1gunner]

In dieting for about 15 years I JUST FOUND WHAT WORKS FOR ME: read below

Last 12 days I have lost 24 pounds(very excited). I was 295 6'1.

ADKINS DIET:No carbs. What this does it puts your body into whats called Ketosis. It uses fat in your diet to turn into energy and you loose weight even with no exercise. It is also best to do it though. I eat very good although no carbs. You can even have fried food. For instance fried pork chops. Instead of using shake and bake we use Pork Rinds(which I would never eat standalone because I always was against them cause its gross thinking baout it). crunch them up and it acts just like shake and bake.

I drank normally 8-14 drpeppers a day for about the past 2 years(gained 80 pounds also). Now instead we drink Water and CRystal light. You can have Diet products as long as they have no carbs.

Energy Drinks Are Fine<============= Energy DRINK(not 's) As in the only acceptable one is RED BULL TOTAL ZERO. These have no Calories,fat OR CARBS. I have one - two every day. Remember I am loosing 1-3 pounds a day also so it is working.

THIS is all without me exercising<===== Think if I exercised. I would loose at least one more pound per day.

Option 2: HCG DIET. You can get the drops at GNC. They are not cheap but THEY WORK!!! You take the drops one hour before you eat.