I’ve been on a diet since the day after Christmas because I am trying to stop being so much of a disgusting fatbody, and I am really finding it so much easier this year than in previous years. One reason, of course, is that I am not thinking of this as a diet this time around, but rather just changing my lifestyle habits. I’ve cut diet soda out of my life and now basically only drink coffee (in the morning) and water or Pellegrino with water. I’m not acting like I need to lose the weight and then can switch back to old habits, I’m reorganizing how I shop, eat, and live.
But I also think one of the main reasons is because there really are so many cheap healthy frozen foods out there that are really, really easy to prepare. The Birdseye steamfresh line is amazing, my local store, Kroger, has a line of food called Private Selection that has excellent frozen vegetables, and they aren’t the frozen vegetables you had as a kid. A couple minutes in the microwave, and they are fresh, crisp, and retain much of their taste. It isn’t the same as fresh, but it is pretty good. For lunch today I had a bag of green and yellow frozen beans with a little olive oil and some salt and pepper and a Fuji apple. It was delicious, very low calorie, but also very nutritious.
Just thinking out loud, I guess.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
You will be amazed (and possibly alarmed) at the difference cutting soda makes.
You Don't Say
I am thinking about giving up *gasp* sugar and flour, which, truth be told, is all I eat.
Good luck with your ‘lifestyle changes.’
Oh, and if you like bubbly water, think about getting Sodastream. I got one for Christmas and love it! We just make bubbly water with it, but you can add other stuff to make soda.
ThresherK
Pellegrino with water?
I’m one of those crazy fools who takes his Pellegrino straight or maybe on the rocks.
Yutsano
U r doing it rite. Just keep everything in moderation and you’ll be amazed how much better you feel. You can always tell if a dietary change is working because your mood will change as well. Next step sounds like trimming portion size a bit. Then you’ll have figured out what your body needs on a daily basis et voila!
Bud
Congrats…I’ve been watching what I eat, too, in order to lose 20 pounds that have so far evaded my attacks of four times a week at the gym, no alcohol, and no sugar. I finally decided to go vegetarian and while the food has been tasty I am hungry all the time.
aimai
Mr Aimai and I have had to go on a diet. After he was in the hospital–and remember, you are still in recovery from your bout with your shoulder–he put on weight and so did I. After a while you realize that the whole thing is making you sluggish and your daily chores and rounds aren’t keeping you fit. Its been good to take hold of what we are eating–I’m an inveterate and inventive cook and I like to follow WW because it allows me to experiment with lots of things that can be beautiful, complex, and filling without being bad for us. But its tough cooking for a family and staying on points.
However, killer recipe for low fat chocolate truffles:
6 ozs Fromage Frais mixed with
2 TBS (or less) confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla (or you could add coffee for a mocha version)
6 ozs melted bitter sweet chocolate.
Mix, chill for an hour and roll into 24 small truffle shaped balls. Then roll these in cocoa powder. They are 1 point on WW.
aimai
Cat Lady
Make sure you get protein and fats too – olive oil obviously is good. Avocadoes, hard cheeses, nuts all have good fats, and are sating. Eggs are your friends, also too.
tim serbo
i’ve had to totally overhaul my eating habits since my heart attack last month. i tell people that if i eat any more salmon and sweet potatoes i’m going to start looking like john boehner. the transition hasn’t been awful–i’ve always liked vegetables and fatty fish like bluefish–but i’ll confess to the occasional craving for salt and cheese and such. on wednesdays, the busiest day at my workplace, we usually have pizza delivered for lunch. i never much cared for this particular pizzeria’s product, but today i was casting longing looks at the pepperoni and sicilian slices, while i went about preparing my delicious tuna and greens in vinaigrette. and without giving TMI, my body is still getting used to the stepped-up fruit and vegetable intake. things can suddenly turn windy, if you know what i mean.
Elizabelle
Good luck John.
cmorenc
Diet alone, no matter how appealing rather than disgusting you manage to make it, won’t cure the “disgusting fatbody” syndrome, it requires in at least equal complementary parts a regular exercise and physical activity regime. Not only that, but the exercise/activity component won’t be any easier or more likely to stick with for long-term than the diet will, UNLESS you find exercise-y things you like doing for their own sake, and not just for their workout/health yield. Not just activities you try to tell yourself are enjoyable because of the health benefits, activities that really are enjoyable even apart from their health benefits. Although the feel-good bodily results therefrom do provide extra positive reinforcement, without the independent attractiveness of and satisfaction from the activity for its own sake, the feel-good from exercise will always suffer from very strong competition with the feel-good from sitting on a couch drinking beer and since the latter is easier, it has a considerable advantage.
Dan
7-11 has 2 glazed donuts for $1 all month. Mmmmm, donuts ….
mark
@JohnCole:
What we are seeing is a Disenfranchisement Campaign.
What do you do when you have a monolithic shrinking demographic? If you are 10% less than the opposition, you simply have to make 10% of your opposition disenfranchised. If young people feel hope and optimism and vote in record numbers, you make sure next time at least 10% of them don’t feel as optimistic and hopeful enough to bother participating. If Independents are swinging to the other side because they are sick of the lack of civility in politics, you double down so at least 10% feel its worse now than before and just give up. If minorities start to feel hopeful that the nation is accepting and inclusive, you make sure that at least 10% of them no longer feel its worth it to participate either.
If just 10% more good, decent people feel its not safe or not worth it to even run for office on the other side, you win.
If you are in the oligarchy and If the unemployed and poor start to resent you, start yo organize, and actually show up for an election, you do everything you can to make sure they feel things dont change or get worse for it under democrats, just enough for another 10% of them not to bother with elections next time. If all the independents want is a return to civility, you make sure at least 10% of them feel their participation made things worse. You make the naïve feel as if things are worse under democrats because you actively make them worse.
And if it worked so well in the midterm elections, why on earth would you stop now instead of continue right through 2012? This is what Limbaugh, Palin, McConnell, Levin, Beck, et.all are doing and why you see a refusal to back off. You want 10% of the people to think that under Democrats, leaders seem to get shot. Of course it wasn’t you, but that’s what manages to happen.
It’s a sick combination of disenfranchisement, intimidation, collective punishment, discrimination, and a modified southern strategy mixed together as something new. No longer is it simple voter intimidation, it’s a way to bully the opposition from even running proper candidates.
And no one is talking about it.
aimai
@mark:
I thought you meant that there would be 10% less of John Cole to vote next election, if the diet works. Now that is a scary thought–because I’m sure there’s going to be 20 percent more Haley Barbour.
aimai
BalJu Commenter #2401
Weight Watchers saved my life. OK, I’m lying… having a smoking hot GF that is also a WW Leader saved my life. Don’t tell her I said this, tho.
tim serbo
@mark: go back and try again. this comment isn’t complete without a recipe.
Violet
I’ve given it up but it’s hard to keep on it. I think if I had a medical necessity (celiac or something) I could do it, but I love chocolate and baked goods too much. It’s a challenge. I felt a ton better, though.
John, make sure you eat protein and fat. They help regulate your blood sugar so you don’t feel hungry later and are less prone to snack on whatever is available. The olive oil is good but the protein keeps you fuller longer and the blood sugar spikes flatter. Tuna, chicken breast, even nuts are good.
I’m still a fat slob but finishing up the Christmas goodies and hope to be eating better soon.
Bob
Progresso has a line of high fiber/low cal soups. The Chicken Tuscany is okay but the Tomato is really very good. (Yeah, a high fiber tomato soup.) Kinda hard to find, here in KC, and if Kroger does not have it you might say something.
bemused
I rarely drink sodas anymore, diet or non. I get an occasional craving for a soda but they are oddly unsatisfying when I do have one. Soon after I feel very thirsty. There must be salt or whatever ingredient that makes you want more….probably some diabolical plot of the soda makers to make us soda guzzlers.
Fruit juice can pack a lot of calories but when I crave that, I cut the fruit juice with carbonated water.
mark
@tim serbo:
I thought this was an open thread!
And it does include a recipe: a Recipe For Disaster™
srv
This is the reason you are fat.
All those microwaveable foods might be scrumptious and lite and all, but the evil of the microwave is convenience.
It means another scrumptious burrito is just 60 seconds away. You need to go old skool and back to eating just twice a day.
stuckinred
@cmorenc: Ding, that’s why I drag my ass to the Y every day, especially those when I don’t want to go. After 30 years of hoops and running I’m relegated to the pool but I’ve learned to love it.
jibeaux
@aimai:
What is fromage frais? Anything like creme fraiche? I would like to try it.
Ditto on the protein bit. I find that if I try to eat a meal without it, I’m hungry, oh 14 minutes later, and usually have a headache to boot.
One thing that works for me is to find a salad dressing that I really, really like — the Japanese style carrot ginger dressing works for me, as does a Thai peanut sauce from a local restaurant. I use the dressing sparingly and try to eat tons of vegetables with it.
cyntax
If you’re looking for tasty, healthy recipes, I’ve been very happy with the ones I found in Dr. Walter Willet’s books (head of Harvard nutrition). He worked with Mollie Katzen (of Moosewood fame) on many of them. They’re also easy and quick.
Phaedrus
This topic is close to my heart. How the hell do you deal with stress related munchies?
merrinc
@Bud:
If you are eating vegetarian and are hungry all the time, you may not be getting enough protein. I eat vegetarian most of the time. (I try but can’t resist seafood.)
If you like grains, quinoa is an excellent source of protein. Cook some quinoa in broth and mix it with corn, black beans, a can of Ro-Tel and some fresh cilantro. Yum!
Of course soy is also a great substitute for animal protein and while I love soybeans in my homemade vegetable soup and can eat edamame like nobody’s business, tofu and I have a tense relationship. My husband describes the texture of tofu as ‘congealed paint and I’m inclined to agree.
There are some great recipes at WeightWatchers.com. One of my favs is a pesto made with silken tofu and fresh basil, over whole wheat pasta.
joes527
Drink a surprising amount of water. No, more than that. More … More …. More … OK. That should do it.
It is amazing what drinking lots of water will do if you are trying to lose weight.
It also gives you an excuse to get up and move away from the computer every hour or two.
Lee
I made a similar change last year.
One thing that I have found that is those rice chips. They are nothing like the rice cakes of long ago. They are very tasty.
Just Some Fuckhead
The secret to losing weight is to burn calories. If you simply inhibit your caloric intake, your body will just horde whatever it gets by slowing down your metabolism.
Sweating is the key. I recommend you take up running for six weeks. Start short, a half mile, then a mile. Try to work up the mileage over time. I’m sure it wouldn’t take long to get one or the other dog running with you.
Once you shock your system into burning calories, it will get easier. But six weeks is generally the minimum to see physical improvement.
Chyron HR
It’s okay, you can admit that you’re asking for diet tips for Tunch. We won’t judge him.
Comrade Javamanphil
I just finished losing 30 pounds, along with my wife who is up to 40. Although we used ww (whom I despise for a variety of reasons not least of all their amazingly awful software), I don’t believe it was necessary for our success. Tracking the food you eat does help alter your eating lifestyle, though. I now am much more aware of the portion sizes I used to take versus what I should take. I also made the strict choice: dessert or alcohol but never both.
Best of luck!
Omnes Omnibus
@stuckinred: Fine, I will go run the steps in a little bit. In the winter, I do the steps in my building from basement to 3d floor four of five time as week, currently at 20 reps + push-up and sit-ups. I was thinking of taking today as a rest day, but you shamed me into it. Maybe.
KRK
Welcome to the party, John! I’m down 40 pounds since August due to a return to eating whole foods and portion control. If you like numbers, physicsdiet.com is a great tool.
The thing that has surprised me the most is how important sleep is to weight management. I’ve had a crappy sleep schedule, mostly voluntarily, for years. Getting serious about getting 7-8 hours per night and having a regular routine has been a significant part, I believe, of making my progress thus far so…easy. Not effortless, but entirely painless.
teak111
Friend turned me on to calorie counting and been losing weight ever since (thehackerdiet.com). Already an excersizer and agree with above, find something you like to stay consistent. The beauty of CC is you don’t have to go without, just with a little less. And veggies are the because they satisfy without blowing your count. Whats cool though is just in time eating. Couple bits when you feel hungry, that’s it. Starved rats live longer.
enplaned
Good for you. Don’t forget the exercise. If you just reduce calories without keeping up the exercise, your body will just, to some extent, get more efficient at using calories — i.e. metabolism may slow to adjust. Half-an-hour of aerobic exercise every day will do the trick.
Mark H
Try sparkpeople.com. It’s a bit of work to follow the daily plan, but it’s free and it’s fun if you’re into cataloging and tracking data in general. I’ve lost 14 lbs in the first 7 weeks and I’m eating three satisfying meals a day plus a good late night snack. I highly recommend it.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Phaedrus:
Smoking.
tim serbo
@mark: too-shay. i meant to say, btw, that i think your analysis makes a lot of sense. i would say as a general rule that a defining characteristics of today’s right-wing authoritarians (i won’t call them conservatives) is their unblushing embrace of coercive tactics and eagerness to disenfranchise.
still, if you have any bean recipes, i’m all ears.
and i would also note, non-sequiturly, that when you become food-conscious you find out how every packaged food product on your grocer’s shelves is positively drenched in sodium. they’re poisoning us, people!
maye
easiest way to lose weight: skip dinner. If you can’t get to sleep because you’re starving, have a spoonful of peanut butter. (I know, I sound like one of those girls in The Devil Wears Prada).
Have a decent breakfast, a big lunch, and zero dinner.
licensed to kill time
Triple thumbs up on the no-soda move. That stuff…you know, when you think about it, it’s a very strange thing. Small amounts of flavor added to carbonated water and tons of sugar or chemicals of some type that taste like sugar. I loved soda as a kid but as an adult I just find the whole concept odd. It has been very successfully marketed to seem like an actual daily drink, though. I kind of cringe when I see those 2 liter jugs on dinner tables.
At least back when Coca-Cola was first invented it had an ingredient that made it interesting and risqué.
teak111
BTW, a lb of fat is 3500 calories. Think about it.
BGinCHI
@stuckinred: Yep. Diet won’t do much without exercise. At minimum, walk. Better yet, get on a spin bike at a gym.
Punchy
Fizz’icksed
pragmatism
portion control is the key. best way to shrink the nalgas, ese.
valdivia
kudos John. I went through this about a year ago–totally changed the way I eat–and though I do let my glutton come out and play from time to time it really makes a HUGE difference. I sleep better, feel better, look better.
And if you had told me a year ago I would be training for a triathlon in a year I would have laughed and told you you were crazy. But indeed I am.
Keep up the good work. For me personally it has been about cutting all sugar and processed carbs out. That really really helped.
stuckinred
@Omnes Omnibus: IMHO the worst thing is a bunch of dogmatic fuckers telling people what they should and should not do. Running is great for some people and will totally screw up others. Walking , yoga, gardening, dance. . .find what you like and make it part of your life.
Omnes Omnibus
@licensed to kill time: Where did you get the third thumb?
cathyx
Good on you John, I don’t know how old you are, but the older you get, the more crucial it is to not be overweight.
Hopefully, after you get really comfortable making and eating frozen vegetables, you can switch to buying fresh, cut them up into smaller units, and put them in a pot with a lid and a 1/4 inch of water and steam them. It takes about 10 minutes. Not too much longer than microwaving them.
Suffern ACE
@Just Some Fuckhead: Unfortunately, that used to be true for me. Now I just chew the heck out of pen caps and try to keep munchable food out of the house.
suzanne
I’m eager to lose all my baby weight, but I’m breastfeeding, and not supposed to be doing any exercise more vigorous than walking for three more weeks. It’s hard. I want to go outside and go running really badly.
I read an article by Mark Bittman, in which he said that he lost a bunch of weight by going vegan every day until 6pm. I used to be a vegetarian, so I’m tempted to try it.
Omnes Omnibus
@stuckinred: I agree, but that ain’t getting me to the Zumba class my wife is trying out tomorrow.
Martin
@Just Some Fuckhead: This.
Unless you’re bringing in a real surplus of calories, dieting won’t get you very far. I need to lose about 20 pounds but I only eat about 1500 calories a day on average. Cutting that back won’t help because you need a certain intake just to keep everything working. Instead, I’ve just got to burn more. Started the exercise this week.
Now, if your intake is 3,000 calories, then sure, cutting that back below 2,000 will help, but it’ll only take you so far.
stuckinred
@BGinCHI: When I ran I did the crappy mexican route, Mean Bean to the Taco Stand and back!
licensed to kill time
@Omnes Omnibus: It grew when I was drinking diet soda ;)
Davis X. Machina
@stuckinred:
Sage advice. I have always taken this stance, however much the neighbors complain about the llamas, the troupe of dwarf Hungarian jugglers, and the Buddhist monk. Il faut cultiver, etc, etc…
aimai
@jibeaux:
Fromage Frais seems to be one of those things like Fromage blanc, Quark, and ricotta that are low fat or sometimes non fat yogurt like cheeses. Each of them has different qualities: some can be heated and some can’t, some can be added to sauces without curdling and some can’t, some are more tangy than others. I found this Fromage Frais stuff under that name at Whole Foods along with Quark which one cookbook recommended but which is significantly higher in fat. I think that Labne or Greek yogurt might work just as well in this truffle recipe. I really didn’t think it would solidfy enough to roll into balls (it did, however) but it was actually pretty killer as a kind of quickie chocolate mousse. If you wanted to plop it into small demitasse cups and serve it soft, with raspberries, it would probably end up being 4 or five points on WW. But still very worth it.
aimai
stuckinred
@suzanne: My bride is a lactation consultant and I believe she would consult you to go slow on that weight loss.
matoko_chan
why not cut the awful glibertarian junkfood from your front page, Blogmaster?
its nothing but toxic empty calories and poisonous corn-based sweeteners and feedlot drench, like “we are the same” and “conservatism has good ideas too”.
/gkick ED Kain
Suffern ACE
@maye: You actually sound more like you’re punishing a child for swearing at the dinner table…but whatever works for you.
jibeaux
@tim serbo:
re: bean recipes. Especially if you have kids, try these lentil tacos. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tasty-Lentil-Tacos/Detail.aspx They’re seriously quite tasty, and lentils are super cheap. You can even sub out all the spices and just get prepackaged taco spices if you’re not a chef.
I don’t know what you do with stress munchies, as I get that myself. But a friend who lost 80 pounds swears by cinnamon tic-tacs (I couldn’t find em, got mini altoids.) Gives you something non-food to mull over and more suitable for work than gum.
Michael
Yogurt is great for controlling your weight.
suzanne
@stuckinred:
WORD to this.
homerhk
I feel you JC. I’m trying to lose about 10 kgs (I guess about 22 pounds). Found controlling eating, cutting out alcohol and regular gym visits to be helpful. I also downloaded a killer app on the ipad to let me keep a daily journal of food, calories and exercise so I can monitor how I’m doing. lots of taking stairs instead of lifts (elevators to you). also if you smoke, here’s tip. Don’t give up while you’re trying to lose weight. I put on most of my weight giving up smoking for 6 months during which I started eating 2 or 3 lunches a day to make up for it!
Omnes Omnibus
@Davis X. Machina: Sounds like a zoning issue.
Jasper
One suggestion that worked for me was to eat a lot more small meals – five or six per day – and to include some protein in every one of them. That and writing down what I ate every day really succeeded in changing how I thought about eating. It’s usually easier to avoid ice cream at 10pm than having to record it for posterity.
stuckinred
@Davis X. Machina: Do you know about the Marathon Monks?
The greatest athletes in the world today are neither the Olympic champions nor the stars of professional sports, but the “Marathon Monks” of Japan’s sacred Mount Hiei. Over a seven year training period, these “running Buddha” figuratively circle the globe on foot.
Mark F.
I recommend cutting back on the carbs. Last year my wife and I started on a diet where we tried to keep our total carbs per day between 120-150 g/day. I looked at the Southbeach Diet and The Zone, but knew I’d never be able to follow those. So we started looking for low-carb alternatives to stuff like pancake mixes, bread products, ice cream, etc. There’s quite a few out there now. Breyer’s makes a REALLY good low-carb ice cream (“Carb Smart”). Unfortunately it only comes in vanilla and chocolate, but at l like both those flavors so it works out fine. I was even able to keep my beer/alcohol intake the same by going with lower carb beers (Rolling Rock is a good example of a decent cheap beer that’s not high in carbs). One just has to pay attention to carb counts on the labels on the back of everything you eat. It wasn’t that hard either. I ended up loosing ~30 lbs, and my cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar levels were fantastic. My doctor gave me the official OK to not loose any more weight back in December so now I’m just in a maintenance phase.
TheMightyTrowel
@Phaedrus: mixed dried fruit and nuts. Also, alcohol.
Legalize
I can’t recommend enough Cooking Light Magazine. The recipes in there are delicious and healthy. It’s really good if you like spicy, strong tasting food. I spent this past summer grilling salmon, pork loin, steak, chicken breasts, etc. Mrs. Legalize and I gave out subscriptions to everyone we could this past Xmas. It’s pretty cheep, and like I said, a gold mine of recipes.
Anyway, I just started training for a half-marathon in May. Running is my calorie-burner of choice. After the holidays, it’s no so difficult for me to change my diet, but it’s a real trick to back off on the winter beers, wine, and Jameson. That’s where I’m struggling now.
morzer
@Davis X. Machina:
Whence do you obtain the dwarf Hungarians for your jugglers? Is there a special outlet?
suzanne
@stuckinred: Yes, I know. I’m trying. I’m already fitting into most of my regular clothes and she was only born three weeks ago, but I hate not being physically active. Arrrrrrgh.
c u n d gulag
John,
This sounds illogical or silly, but it’s true.
Today, in many, if not most cases, frozen veggies have a ton more nutrition than their fresh counterparts at the supermarket.
Even canned ones, in some cases.
The frozen and canned ones are picked at peak ripeness and processed immediately afterwards. The frozen ones, obviously without the salt and water are better.
The fresh ones we buy at the supermarket are grown who the hell knows where, picked who the hell knows when, sprayed to keep from ripening, they sprayed to ripen when they arrives – by the time we’re ready to buy them, they’re chemical bombs with little nutrition.
Of course, fresh & local beats everything. But I’ve seen photo’s of your great garden, so I know you know that.
Good luck.
PS: I lost over 130lbs a few years ago by lowering my carbs and spreading out meals over 6 smaller ones per day. Also, working out. Btw – 1 to 2 pounds per week is ideal, more than that, and you’ll get it back.
I’m unemployed and living with my folks, so some of it’s come back. We’re Ukrainian and Russian – the kings or carbs and fats!
You’ve inspired me!!! I’m going to lose what I’ve regained.
stuckinred
@Michael: Bickram or Hatha?
Phaedrus
@some fuckhead
LOL. Brevity is the… something, something
aimai
@suzanne:
Hello??? Breastfeeding? This is your time in the sun, babee! Icecream and steak as much as you want. Plus, beer is very good for your milk supply.
All joking aside giving birth is really tough on the abdominal muscles. What you feel is extra weight may really just be a (temporary) bagginess around the former baby tummy. Don’t push yourself to diet or to excercise more than makes sense for you. Do keep up your intake of water and have healthy things around to snack on.
Treasure this time, take it easy on yourself and just enjoy being with the baby. Very, very, soon you are going to be cooking real meals for the entire family (or watching your significant other wrestle with this problem) and the issue will arise again: what is healthy for all of you longterm. Its not going to be a captial ‘d’ diet, but a good diet which is sustainable for the long haul.
aimai
valdivia
I would totally second the advice about finding some exercise you like that you can make part of your life. And also–variety. Makes a huge difference. For me swimming has been a savior and am lucky to be at a gym that has a pool.
stuckinred
@aimai: That’s what she said!
DougJarvus Green-Ellis
I’ve been trying out the South Beach diet the last week, not to lose a lot of weight (I’m shooting to lose 10-20), but because I’ve noticed that I really do get those intense hunger cravings when I eat too many processed carbs. It’s working out well so far. The recipes are good.
stuckinred
@DougJarvus Green-Ellis: Are you doing stage 1?
Davis X. Machina
@Omnes Omnibus: Maine? Zoning? Get aways from the smell of salt water, and we have a minimum number of non-running-motor-vehicles-per-lot requirement. And those planters made out of truck tires — three per half-acre. There’s a complicated formula that converts un-registered snow machines to non-running cars, and granny-fannies into truck-tire planters, but no one understands it.
It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s the law.
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
Good for you, John. Lifestyle change is the ONLY way to go. I made the same kinds of moves a couple of years ago and lost 18 pounds. I found it took several weeks before I stopped craving potato chips and cheeseburgers, but being able to get into clothes I hadn’t worn in a few years (heck, just being able to tuck my shirt into my jeans waistband!) was a big help in sticking to it. Whatever you find gives you motivation – looking nekkid in the mirror, charting your weight loss, just feeling better – concentrate on that when you feel tempted.
As others have mentioned, calorie counting can be enlightening and useful. For example, the amount of calories I consumed as alcohol was pretty damned eye-opening. I can recommend The Daily Plate (livestrong.com/dailyplate) from experience but there are other sites out there that do a good job of tracking calories, exercise, and weight over time.
Omnes Omnibus
@Mark F.: A few years ago, I found myself quite chubby and also found that, despite exercising a lot, I was unable to lose weight. The exercise kept me from gaining, but I was at a plateau. For a year, I did Adkins. I did the strict version, but only for a month at a time. I would then take the next month off. I went from about 205 to 180. It worked for me. I don’t know that it is something for everyone.
Davis X. Machina
@morzer: The same people who provide bowling alleys with their dwarves. It’s a racket, all run by one extended family.
morzer
@Davis X. Machina:
Damn well-endowed dwarves if they service entire bowling alleys. One feels almost weak with envy and despair.
Omnes Omnibus
@Davis X. Machina: I have only been in the coastal regions of your great state. The rest of it sounds like northern Wisconsin/UP to me.
Tsulagi
I’ve always eaten whatever I want. Never got people who think there’s some magic diet out there, obsess over weighing foods or whatever the magic diet calls for, or buy into something like Weight Watchers and their meals. Or think their blubber is due to some sort of metabolism or health problem. Billions are spent looking for magic when it’s simple math: calories in, calories out. If you can visibly see you’ve been taking in more than you’ve been putting out for a while, simply close your mouth and move your ass.
I use my jeans as my barometer. Wear the same size as in my later teens. Nothing hangs over my belt. When they start feeling a little tight, start cutting down intake or even skipping meals like breakfast or lunch and/or workout more. It’s not that complex.
fucen tarmal
i had some decent weight loss just eating when i am hungry.
i know, it sounds retarded, but think about it, how many meals do you take when you really aren’t feeling it, but figure, hell, not sure when my next chance to grab a bite will be…believe me, hunger will make you prioritize. now there are odd social situations that arise, where eating when you aren’t particularly hungry is expected, but, oh well.
for me the next step is the soda, i can’t seem to get off the coke. which would be fine, because i really enjoy it, sometimes, but that puts it in reach more often than that.
Carnacki
Here’s how I lost 45 pounds in six months at the age of 45.
I lifted heavy weights to build muscle. I did some cardio, but mostly lunges, squats, jumps and some cardio after my strength workouts. I cut out soda and most candy, but I ate about the same amount of food each day. However I also spread it out over four or five meals instead of two or three. I drank lots of water.
meh
@matoko_chan:
holy shit, did he break up with you or something? Your fatwa against ED is becoming unseemly bordering on oddly stalker-like.
Ryan
I still drink a ton of diet soda, my last vice really. I mostly eat eggs, kale, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, dried fruit and nuts and get take out from a falafel joint a couple times a week (yummy hummous, baba, tabulleh). I make sure I get at least 3-4 miles of walking in a day as well. I was closing in on 400 lbs. a couple years ago and was down to 195 last year, maintained it so far.
suzanne
@aimai: Heh. I don’t eat red meat at all (haven’t had a steak in over ten years, I think), and I don’t drink much due to being epileptic. I will cop to a bit of a sweet tooth—hey, I’m Italian! My people make great desserts! I eat well for the most part, though diet soda has been a big weakness of mine that I’m working on cutting out. But I love vegetables and fruit, and mostly keep the carbs to whole-grain high-fiber stuff. It’s just that four years of graduate school and then a high-risk pregnancy interfered with my goal to run a marathon, and I’d like to get back to it. And I don’t like feeling like I don’t have muscle tone. ARRRRRGH!
flukebucket
It’s all about portion control. You know that steak you like? Now imagine a deck of playing cards. That is how much steak you are supposed to eat during a meal. A couple of bites at most.
But take heart. You can eat all of the fucking broccoli you want. Just don’t salt it or dip it into anything.
DougJarvus Green-Ellis
@stuckinred:
Yes.
Omnes Omnibus
@meh: She is still in the Angels & Bikers thread serial posting and demanding that ED answer for some thing he apparently said in 2009.
J.W. Hamner
I basically just changed the one meal I was eating terribly for… lunch at work. No more burgers, no more fries, and no more soda. Then I tried to commit to at least 20 minutes on the elliptical 5 days a week. Nothing dramatic, but I’ve lost a few pounds and the exercise makes me feel great.
eemom
I swear by a low-cal, vitamin-rich energy drink that I make from a recipe an old international banker friend once gave me: one part crumbled matzoh, two parts Christian child blood, preferably fresh but canned works ok if you’re —
Oh wait….which thread am I on?
Tonal Crow
I’d advise pursuing moderate changes, but with consistency. The body tends to object to large, sudden changes, which makes them difficult to sustain. And if you don’t sustain changes, then there’s not much point in making them.
It took me 3 years to go from weekends-only exercise to 30-40 miles running/week plus 20-30 miles biking/week plus weights, and from a somewhat better-than-average (but too plentiful) diet to something much more sustainable.
SteveinSC
@BGinCHI: First of all, most people are more sedentary in winter, so we add weight. With nothing much to do we get bored pump a little adrenaline and then grab a snack to burn it up. It’s the horny/get unhorny cycle. Exercise can do a double benefit: take your mind off eating and burn the calories. What really worked for me was getting into some competitive sport, in my case soccer: outdoors or, in winter, indoors. I suck at the game, but love it. Here in the arm-pit of nearly the most atavistic state in the union, I play with the Mexicans, since the white boys are all a huntin’ and a shootin’ and a drinkin’ for their “aerobic” excercise. So, I think whether it’s tennis, team sport, etc., you can use exercise to help control weight. On a side note, running (or trudging) up and down stairs, if you don’t get a heartattack is way better than just walking. The old “work (calories) is force times distance” is what’s doing the good.
Turgidson
Well-timed thread. I’m relatively thin, but have high blood pressure (it’s in my family) at the tender age of 30, so I’m trying to get serious about regulating my sodium intake. This is excruciating for me because I love salty foods more than breathing. Well, maybe not. But it’s close. And I surely exacerbated my hereditary condition in my carefree younger days by eating whatever I wanted, whenever. And that was a lot of potato chips, burgers, and pizza. Because I didn’t gain weight (I was 6’6″ 170lb – skeletal – in high school, then “ballooned” to 190 in college and pretty much stayed there for a decade) I thought it was harmless. Hopefully it was, but probably not. So I’m trying to cut out all salty snack food, use little to no salt when my wife and I cook, and pick the less-salt option when we eat out when I can (which is tough when it’s Chinese food, for example). It’s tough. Everything tastes better with some salt in or on it. But I’m working on it.
I also fell off the exercise wagon a couple months ago when work was insanely busy for a few weeks straight – 6 or 7 days a week, 10-16 hours a day – and I really didn’t feel like I had time, much less the energy, to work out. But once that was over and my schedule normalized some, I couldn’t drag my lazy ass back into the gym. So I finally bit the bullet this week. Also hard, because I got accustomed to the 1-2 hours of extra free time I gained by not going to the gym. But even after just two workouts, I’m remembering how much better I feel, and feel about myself, when I’m making the effort.
These bodies of ours. So much maintenance.
maye
@fucen tarmal: There’s a book that outlines this very concept: Overcoming Overeating by Jane Hirshmann. It’s excellent.
Michael D.
@Bob:
Unfortunately, all of Progresso’s Soups (although I agree they are very good) are super high in sodium. Also, almost none of their soups are vegetarian. Even the vegetable soup is made with chicken stock.
The Chunky Tomato soup is awesome though.
jl
Cole must exercise more too in order to lose weight permanently. Dieting alone doesn’t work.
And unfortunately (at least for me because I do not enjoy it much) this stupid ‘strength training’ garbage has to be included in the exercise in addition to aerobics. So, you have to do at least some calisthenics, like squats and such, with walking and running.
All that stuff is what it takes for me to lose weight.
Joel
I was having a different sort of health problem last year; an old back injury was starting to cause foot and knee problems during my runs. I hadn’t touched a weight or even done body-weight exercises for years so there was hardly any muscle build to take the strain off my body. I took a TRX class and fell in love with the system. But at $180 it was just too rich for my blood, so I built my own. Feeling stronger than ever, especially on my calves and hamstrings. Huge improvement.
Joel
I was having a different sort of health problem last year; an old back injury was starting to cause foot and knee problems during my runs. I hadn’t touched a weight or even done body-weight exercises for years so there was hardly any muscle build to take the strain off my body. I took a TRX class and fell in love with the system. But at $180 it was just too rich for my blood, so I built my own. Feeling stronger than ever, especially on my calves and hamstrings. Huge improvement.
JRon
Good for you john, I changed what I eat (cut out sugar and flour) based on the fact that my triglycerides were about 1200 points above the danger zone, and dropped about 35 pounds in a few months, which put my triglycerides back in order. I went right back to my high school weight from 25 years ago. And you’re right; it’s a lifestyle change. The grocery store takes forever now because I have to read every single label.
(I didn’t add an exercise routine at that time, but needed to later to work on my cholesterol. I also don’t worry about portion sizes at ALL.)
I’m gained some back since, but mainly because I haven’t been able to stick to the diet lately due to so much work travel.
Whether you follow the book’s advice or not, “Protein Power” gives a good run-down of the science behind how we slow or stop processing sugars and carbohydrates as we get older, and one reason why so many people today are becoming diabetic.
eemom
@Omnes Omnibus:
I don’t wanna scare anybody, but you know, one of the lessons we’re supposed to have learned from the recent tragedy is how to spot people who NEED HELP……
OC
That’s a good way to do it. Congrats on cutting out soda. People tend not to realize how much excess sugar can contribute to weight gain/loss.
Have you found any other good frozen items?
HyperIon
My two cents: try to get a raw milk connection. Drinking it can really extend time between meals, which is the hardest thing for me when I’m trying to take off a few pound. It’s hard to eat less when you are hungry all the time.
It contains a compound called conjugated linoleic acid which is known to suppress appetite (demonstrated in both animal and human studies IIRC). Plus the omega3s are good for you.
suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus:
matoko_chan is just contributing to the dieting discussion by having a bulimic episode all over the blog.
Joel
As for soups, I live off that stuff. It’s super easy to make delicious soup of your own. Wash 1 large onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery. Don’t peel. Chop and put in a good sized saucepan or dutch oven. Toss with vegetable oil. Roast uncovered for 1 hour at ~350 degrees. When the vegetables are nice and browned, add 4 cups of water and simmer for 20-30 minutes or so. Strain out the veggies, salt to taste. That’s your basic stock, far superior to anything you can buy. Cheap as a motherfucker and you can make whatever you want from it.
Bud
@ merrinc
Thanks – I like the quinoa recipe (I’ll use parsley instead of cilantro – why use cilantro when I can just grate a bar of soap over my food?)
I may even try it tonight!
And I laughed out loud and “congealed paint”
jack
@Tsulagi:
A car needs gasoline to drive fast. If there isn’t enough gas to power the engine, it won’t go. Therefore, all you need to do to slow down your car while driving is stick a hose in the gas tank and siphon it all out. It’s basic mathematics!
Violet
@maye:
This actually works for me. Dinner is the meal I’m least interested in. I eat a big breakfast and lunch and then I’m not so hungry at dinner. I lost quite a bit of weight by switching to small plates for my dinner meal. I found I was just as satisfied and the small plate reminded me to keep the portions small. Worked like a charm until the holidays rolled around and then I increased my eating.
Ash Can
@eemom: I just think she smokes up right after breakfast, then posts here wrecked, to amuse herself.
John Cole
@srv: I think you missed the point. I’m eating microwavable vegetables. I’ve never eaten poison like microwavable burritos. I think the last time I ate crap like that was in undergrad at 4 am after a couple quarts of liquor.
Mnemosyne
@aimai:
Yes, but are they Points or Points Plus? ;-)
Full disclosure: I lost 30 pounds with Weight Watchers and now I work for them on Sunday mornings, so if you want to take what I say with a grain of salt, feel free.
The big change they’re pushing right now is that protein really is important for keeping you full, plus your body has to work a little harder to process it. This isn’t Atkins talk, though — you need lean protein, not a T-bone steak, to get the right effect, and you still need your fruits, veggies and whole grains, too.
The good news for vegetarians is that your body doesn’t care what source the protein came from. As far as it’s concerned, tofu is chicken is dairy is quinoa. So you can continue telling the people who tell you you “have to” eat meat to STFU.
The other message is: not all calories are created equal. With the old Points program, a banana and a 100-calorie bag of chips were both 2 Points, but obviously the nutritional value of the two is not the same. So now bananas (and all fruits) are 0 PointsPlus and the 100-calorie bag of chips is 3 PointsPlus. You can still have the chips, but at least you’re no longer misled into thinking they’re equally good for you.
Mary G
I lost 122 pounds on WW but have gained it back because I quit writing my food down. Amazing how I just forget what I eat when I do it mindlessly.
Another thing that helped me, along with almost all of the suggestions above, was sort of tricking the eye. I rarely use a dinner plate anymore, just a large salad plate. Makes small portions seem much bigger. Also things like mini whole wheat pitas at Trader Joes – 3 little sandwiches seems like a lot even though its less calories and carbs than 2 slices of bread.
Also, I try to stay away from thinking of myself as anything like a “disgusting fatbody.” Learning to love myself just as I am made it possible to change, in a weird way. I think part of my eating was self-punishment disguised as indulgence and knocking off calling myself names was a big improvement. John, you are a smart, kind articulate animal lover at any weight.
E.D. Kain
Lifestyle change is the only thing that works. But there are a few things I can’t give up: good beer (to hell with lite beer), cream in my coffee (I just can’t do black unless I have to) and…well that’s about it. My drugs of choice.
And exercise is super important not just for the weight loss but for state (and peace) of mind. It’s been really hard for us to find time and energy lately with the baby but it makes a world of difference in my moods which are, admittedly, rather prone to hills and valleys.
merm
All of you interested in diets should read Gary Taubes’ books: Good Calories, Bad Calories and Why We Get Fat.
Excellent books that help dispell the terrible nutritional science of the past 30 years. http://www.garytaubes.com/
Using many of Gary’s ideas (and the Paleo diet paired with weight training and tabata conditioning) I lost over 70 pounds and I feel great. My blood work is nearly perfect even though I eat fatty foods and almost no carbs.
PeakVT
Not dieting here, just trying to cut out sugar (store-bought sugary foods, actually, as I bake some kind of muffin twice a week, and those include sugar.)
I like Pollan’s seven rules for eating, which I came across a few days agao. I’m consistently bad at number five (stop eating before you are full), that’s something else to work on.
Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)
@Turgidson: DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet baby. Although I’ll admit that I haven’t reduced the salt as much as I should (I looove salt), my blood pressure’s waaay down. I was pre-hypertensive and my doctor was thinking of putting me on meds because of my family history but now it’s not necessary. And I lost weight without even meaning to because in order to eat all the veggies and fruit required each day, I had to cut back on the cookies and other junk I was eating.
The Grand Panjandrum
I recommend you escape from your house. When Lily and Rosie drive around (in a panic) looking for you they will eventually find you. You can chase them home while they snicker and look at you in the rearview mirror.
E.D. Kain
@maye: The only problem with this (though I think it’s probably a great idea) is that all the best food I eat is at dinner!
Davis X. Machina
@Omnes Omnibus: Pretty much. I’ll take my clam shacks and lobster pounds over wherever it is you get your pasties, but otherwise, rural, white, and passed over looks pretty much the same everywhere. I drove out to Fallingwater from Pittsburgh by back roads in PA this summer and it looked pretty much like back home….
There are other peculiarities — every fourth car is a Volvo, albeit probably a ’94 or ’95, and MOGFA (the Maine Organic Gardeners’ and Farmers’ Association) is the nation’s oldest and largest — hell, it’s at least as big as the NRA up here.
Mary G
@Violet: Whoops, you got the small plates in before me.
Giving up diet soda is hard for me. I’m hearing that all over so I’m sure it’s a good idea, but my inner brat is stubbornly determined that giving up drinking and smoking is enough already.
Jason
@eemom: People should not politicize John’s weight loss within hours of a diet unfolding. That…is reprehensible.
aimai
@suzanne:
My college roomate ran the NY marathon after giving birth and stopped at various points to pump milk for the baby. Needless to say that isn’t the way I handled giving birth! I never got a chance to tell you directly how beautiful the baby is! Congratulations. I, too, had just finished grad school when I had my first. Can I recommend a fun book that you might like? The Philosophical Baby by Alison Gopnik. It looks like her earlier book “The Scientist in the Crib” might be better and more detailed on the science. But this is a really enlightening read on the latest baby brain research.
aimai
debit
@cmorenc: Yep. I hate exercise, but I love biking. Also, too, running on my treadmill (hate doing it outside for some reason, just like I can’t abide using my bike inside on a trainer).
John, you can get these flexy things that attach to a bike’s rear axle for exercising your dog. I suspect a few miles running alongside your bike will tire out even Rosie.
Carnacki
@Chyron HR: Tunch will make you pay, but I admit laughing too.
cathyx
@DougJarvus Green-Ellis: If you like the Southbeach diet, you should check out this one. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
I’ve been doing this for more than a year now, and it’s the best thing I ever did.
meh
fywp
meh
ED has been spotted in this thread – incoming matoko_chan rant about how he is nothing but a glibertarian douche for not standing up for the original WW points system instead of this fascist Points Plus.
aimai
@Mnemosyne:
Mnemosyne,
Good point! These are points plus points. I just rejoined WW after the new system kicked in having been on the system years ago, very successfully. I like the new pointsplus because of its emphasis on healthy eating choices. I’ve always been fascinated by the psychological manipulation of all these diets and how there’s a diet for every kind of personality. I even gave a paper on it, once, years ago at a cultural conference. I think the WW people are extremely sophisticated in the way they are thinking about how people actually lose weight in a society in which many people are sedentary, many people don’t know how to cook or have time to cook, and many people are divorced from their sources of food and from healthy habits generally.
aimai
Sasha
At the risk of of politicizing this thread, I just realized:
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is a Jew who is expected to make an almost miraculous recovery from a head wound after an assassination attempt.
How will LEFT BEHIND end-times, fundamentalist Christians react?
Emma
On the exercise front, one of the best things I’ve found is one of those “peddlar” things that looks like somebody took the pedals off an exercise bike and put them on a stand. It’s sometimes used for rehab patients after knee or hip surgery. I bought a good quality one, with resistance control and a doohickie that monitors speed, time, and calories burned. Since I spend a lot of time at work, I have it in the office and use part of my lunch and one of my breaks to “ride the bike”. I’m up to five miles going as fast as I can, twice a day.
For the diet part, I am religious about counting calories. It helps to visualize. I’m lucky in that I like fruits and veggies just fine, and love fish and beans like garbanzos and lentils. I’m unlucky in that I love sweet stuff, but I allocate some calories to that per day and… so far so good.
BGinCHI
@stuckinred: Oh, I know that route. So tasty. I miss the T Stand!
Redshift
@OC: I’ve found some great microwave vegetarian Indian food. Yum!
Turgidson
@Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people):
Yeah, my doctor pointed the DASH diet out to me, and I conveniently forgot about it for a while. Thanks. I’m trying to phase out excess salt and replace those foods with DASH-friendly foods, and doing kind of a mediocre job of it. My will power and discipline ebbs and flows based on life’s twists and turns (stress from work or elsewhere—> I eat what I crave too often), and I don’t monitor my food as carefully as I should. I’m trying to move in the right direction, even if it’s gradual. I don’t think I would do a good job sustaining a sudden and immediate overhaul.
LM
If you get tired of frozen veggies, it’s almost as easy to nuke raw veggies in a ziplock bag as it is to nuke frozen veggies.
Any single veggie or combo of fresh veggies in a ziplock bag (not fully zipped) will nuke up great in 3.5 minutes (3 if you like more crunch). I first discovered this with asparagus. Then broccoli crowns.
If you get sick of veggies straight up, put a tiny bit of oil into a frying pan (fry onion & garlic in it first if you want to be fancy), then the nuked veggies plus eggs (or just the whites) for a scramble. If you toss in a couple of big handfuls of raw spinach, it wilts down to the perfect amount in a couple of minutes.
I hate to cook. I get by with the microwave and one pan, which I won’t stand over for more than a couple of minutes. So I totally grok.
geg6
@Just Some Fuckhead:
I agree (though I can’t run because of my 50-yo knees). I walk about 5 miles per day 5-6 days per week, preferably outside but I use my treadmill this time of year. I eat and drink pretty much anything I want, BUT moderation is really a key. During the work week, I eat my large meal at lunch. When I get home from work, I do my treadmill and, perhaps, eat an apple with peanut butter for an evening snack. I still drink my Pepsi and I refuse to give it up. However, I only drink about 16 oz. of it per day. Weekends are free-for-alls. I eat anything and everything at any time of day or night that I wish and all my alcohol consumption happens then.
I still wear a size 8 with no problem and often dip into my “skinny” size 6s every now and then. Perhaps I am just genetically gifted when it comes to weight.
Violet
@Turgidson:
Tip for salt cravings: cook without any salt and add it at the end. If eating packaged food, opt for low or no sodium products and add it at the end. Same with restaurant food. Tell them to prepare it without salt and add it at the table.
The main problem with sodium is how much is used in prepared foods. But if you don’t use salt when cooking and only add it at the table or at the very end, you’ll use much, much less salt/sodium and still get that salty taste.
Redshift
I gained more weight than I’d like over the holidays, and I’m trying to take it off. A few years ago I had amazing results with Protein Power (which is like Adkins but less cult-like, plus it’s just a book, they don’t sell their own food.) I need to get back on that.
I also started swimming a month ago when I was re-caulking the shower. I was a competitive swimmer growing up, and I love the water, but it always seemed hard to find the time to go, so I’ve been walking instead. Walking is nice as long as the weather isn’t too hot or cold or rainy, but that cuts out a lot. Anyway, after going, I realized that going to the pool on the way to work and showering there doesn’t actually add up to a lot of time, and I’ve been getting there pretty regularly.
I haven’t lost much yet, but now that the Christmas candy and baked goods are mostly out of the house, I expect that to change.
stuckinred
@Redshift: You know the Bean is a now a limey joint?
MoZeu
If you can manage to work up a swimming addiction, you will find that you can eat any kind of goddamned thing that comes into your head to eat, any damned time you feel like it. It’s worth a try.
MoZeu
If you can manage to work up a swimming addiction, you will find that you can eat any kind of goddamned thing that comes into your head to eat, any damned time you feel like it. It’s worth a try.
morzer
@Sasha:
By yelling “Blasphemy!” and demanding that Giffords cease sullying our Lord and Savior with this hateful resurrection of herself?
stuckinred
@Redshift: Good on ya, my only problem at the Y is all the New Year’s resolution people clogging up the lanes until they get tired of it and go away for the rest of the year. Takes about a month.
SteveinSC
Vis-a-vis dieting, I think there was a study done during WWII in which a bunch of over-weight recruits were given good diet lots of Army exercise and they all slimmed down to ideal weights. Six months latter or so they were rechecked for follow-up. After being left to themselves to keep it off, they were back to where they started. Lesson is, there is a weight your body seems it wants to get to and you can’t do much about it. Apropros–Some years ago, I quit full sugar sodas and promptly dropped 5 pounds. After a couple years I grew it back. Still drink diet drinks. Why add insult to injury?
elmo
@J.W. Hamner:
Almost exactly what I did. I started bringing my lunch, and instead of going out to eat, I would eat at my desk and go to the gym at lunchtime. Forty minutes on the treadmill, every day. Forget that “three times a week” crap — God love ya if you can do it, but for me, if I’m allowed to skip a day, “today” is always the day I skip.
At first the forty minutes got me 2 miles. Then 2.25. Then 2.5. The BIG GOAL was to get to 3 miles in 40 minutes, and I thought that was completely pie-in-the-sky, until I did it. Yay me! I’m actually RUNNING now, which I’ve NEVER been able to do, and I lost 20 pounds in less than six months.
Then, of course, I had a stress fracture in my ankle, and everything went to hell.
Redshift
Consumer Reports had an article recently about weight-loss habits, and I was interested to see that eating more protein to control appetite has apparently gone mainstream. They report that while it was controversial a few years ago, it’s pretty well-established now, and it was one of the recommendations on their list.
Bulworth
What’s the matter with diet soda?
stuckinred
@elmo: The combination of distance and a stopwatch is a surefire recipe for injury.
Redshift
@stuckinred: I’m lucky in that my work hours are pretty flexible. I go in mid-morning and there’s no one there but older people, even right after New Year’s.
catclub
@TheMightyTrowel: “mixed dried fruit and nuts. Also, alcohol”
Rum soaked fruitcake? I’ve heard that no one actually eats those, maybe that is why it will help you lose weight.
Jade Jordan
Now we know why Tunch is fat, fat parent, poor role model. Glad you decided to straighten your life out.
Did you mention a change in exercise habits? Walking the dogs twice as far would be good.
stuckinred
@Redshift: I am one of them there older people!
Turgidson
@Violet:
Good point. Some of the things I’m having the most trouble giving up are the relatively salty sauces and marinades I put on chicken to make it taste like something worthwhile. But you’re right – adding a pinch or two of salt to food prepared without it is a great way to get some flavor but limit the damage.
Redshift
@catclub: I love fruitcake. It’s one of the reasons I put on weight over the holidays. :-)
Alan
@cathyx: I also did the SB Diet while exercising daily and counting calories. It was unsustainable. I gained most of the weight back.
Almost a year ago I found MDA and began eating a Primal/Paleo diet. My goal was mainly to cool the inflammation in my system and prevent myself from keeling over from a heart attack.
It’s been amazing. I don’t even feel like I’m on a diet yet the weight keeps coming off. Not fast, mind you, but pretty consistent. I now know, it’s not how much you eat but what you eat. I avoid grains and avoid “healthy” vegetable oils. Which pretty much means I prepare all my own food. :)
I’m with you, it’s the best thing I ever did.
R-Jud
While training for my last marathon I didn’t do any kind of portion control, and as a result, I didn’t lose weight. After the race, I kept eating the same way, but didn’t run much, thanks to injury, illness, and wacky work schedules. So I packed on 12 lbs in 2 months.
I’ve been counting calories and weighing portions this month, just to restore some perspective to my meal sizes, and have lost 4 lbs so far. I keep my carbs on the low side– under 200 g/day– and eat six times daily, including a glass of wine and a few bits of chocolate.
Keeping a food journal– what you plan to eat vs. what you actually ate– is pretty crucial. I’m using Livestrong.com because it’s free and has lots of UK food products in the database. I’m planning to do this for two months.
cathyx
@Alan: I’m glad you’re having success too. I have also adopted the intermittent fasting technique and that has really helped once my weight got down to a level that my body seemed to want to settle at. I work out in a fasted state, and my energy is greater now than it ever was when I ate breakfast. And Mark is a real role model for anyone over 50.
Omnes Omnibus
Just finished doing the steps for today. Thanks for motivating me not to make to day a rest day.
eemom
@SteveinSC:
For some reason this reminded me of what happened in “Full Metal Jacket” after the drill sergeant caught Pyle eating a donut….
Jager V. Wilfork
@morzer@Davis X. Machina:
That would be “Tykes ‘R Us” Tinytown, Ca (part of LaJolla) the godfather of the operation for many years was Billy Barty. I heard the new CEO is the MBA hubby of the Doctor on the Little people Show.
Ruckus
@stuckinred: @Mary G:
Both of these comments are great in that they tell a truth many don’t want to hear. Each one of us is different and require/can only stand certain things.
Running. I love running, can’t get enough. My knees though, that’s a completely different story. My ortho doc told me after the last MRI the next step(no pun intended) is aftermarket knees. So no running.
You have to do what works for you. Many of the things listed are great and will work in some fashion for everyone. But they usually need to be adjusted for each individual’s needs and issues.
Jman
Get a bike, those West Virginia hills are your friends.
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
@The Grand Panjandrum:
Please marry me. I can cook and everything.
Mnemosyne
@SteveinSC:
Unless they were eating the exact same things that they did in the Army with no extras and doing the exact same exercise without slacking off, I think the lesson is that it’s easy to lose weight if it’s regimented for you, but it’s much, much harder to keep it off once you get back to real life.
I’m over my goal weight right now (Bad Weight Watcher! Bad!) and am at what I think of as my “eating crap and not exercising” weight. That is by no means the weight that my body “wants” to be at. It’s the weight my body settles into if I don’t take care of myself.
LM
@Sasha:
I had to google to remember the bit in Revelations:
I haven’t seen anyone else mention this yet–great catch. End Times here we come!
stuckinred
@Ruckus: I’ve got a great friend who is very active in the Knoxville Track Club and was a very serious runner. This summer he said if he had listened to his orthopod 2 years ago and backed off he’d could have run for 5 more years. It’s over now.
Omnes Omnibus
@Jman: He could also dig out his old army rucksack, fill it with books for weight, and hit the roads.
Sasha
@morzer:
Actually, more like suggesting that she’s the anti-Christ (whom some fundies believe will be a Jew who survives a head wound).
eire
Judging from how much John walks the dogs (in good weather, at least), I’m guessing he’s good on the exercise front.
Oddly, the way I dropped my bit of extra fat was doing fewer major gym workouts – I’d been a distance runner for years and did weight training about every other day. Then my knees crapped out and I started doing the elliptical instead of running but still did the weights.
And then, for some reason, I noticed that intense exercise had become basically like binge eating for me. I’d work out really hard and then sit on the couch for the rest of the night. The tiredness was complicated by the fact that I’d have a major mood crash (like crying spells, major self-loathing etc.) after the endorphins wore off. Plus, I started taking in more calories than I was burning off (hell, even an intense 30 min on the elliptical will barely get you to 400 kcal, which you can negate with a cookie.) Now I just watch the calories, walk everywhere I possibly can and do a full workout maybe 2x/wk. Started doing more again last fall and, whaddaya know, my jeans started getting tight.
It’s hard to get more movement in your daily life, particularly if you have an office job, but it works really well as (part of) a lifestyle change leading to weight loss.
Just my 2 cents.
Wile E. Quixote
It’s interesting that you gave up diet sodas. There was a study that showed that you have what essentially amount to taste buds in your gut that function in the same way the ones in your mouth do. When you eat something sweet these receptors tell your digestive system to go into calorie absorption mode. What they’ve found is that it doesn’t seem to matter if the substance you eat is caloric or not, the artificial sweeteners that trick the tastebuds on your tongue into thinking they’re getting sugar also trick the ones in your stomach. There was an interesting article on this in Science News last year.
Admiral_Komack
John Cole:
Do you exercise?
If so, that and watching your caloric intake and drinking water will help you lose weight.
If you don’t exercise, find something you like and can stick with, then go to it (if you can have your doctor check you out beforehand, like a physical, that’s great).
If you have an iPhone, I recommend the Lose It! app (after you put in your age & sex & weight and what weight you want to reach, if will give you the amount of calories you can take in daily to use weight and you can add what exercise you do. As you lose weight, your daily calorie amount changes.
If anyone had told me five years ago that I would love counting calories, I would have told them they were crazy as hell!
One year ago, I weighed 276 lbs; as of this morning, I weigh 205 lbs.
If I can do it, I know you can.
Go for it!
Sir Nose'D
Lots of good suggestions here. If you want to get into fightin’ shape:
1. Eat lean protein with every meal
2. Eat vegetables with every meal (one cup’s worth)
3. Eat other carbs (i.e. other than veggies) only after you exercise for at least 30 min. And then you should go for the whole grain/complex carbs, not the crap.
4. Do some type of aerobic activity for 300 min per week.
Admiral_Komack
@Admiral_Komack:
Ahem…
“If you have an iPhone, I recommend the Lose It! app (after you put in your age & sex & weight and what weight you want to reach, if will give you the amount of calories you can take in daily to lose [not use] weight and you can add what exercise you do. As you lose weight, your daily calorie amount changes.”
Fixed.
asiangrrlMN
Cole, frozen veggies are actually better for you than fresh because they retain more of the vitamins.
I have started getting serious about cutting out wheat and dairy (I’m intolerant to both wheat/gluten and dairy), and it makes a difference. Many years ago, I cut out wheat, sugar, and dairy for health reasons, but I fell back in my old ways. It really is about eating more healthily and not dieting. Good luck!
ulee
Fidget. Pace while thinking. Do housework. Eat almost nothing. Drink good beer.
elmo
@stuckinred:
What? Why? It’s the only thing that made running at all interesting!
Admiral_Komack
@flukebucket:
You eat fucking broccoli?
Mine just lies on the plate.
I guess I prepare it all wrong.
anticontrarian
For those in Seattle thinking similar thoughts about changing to healthier eating styles, or who have dietary restrictions, my partner has recently expanded her personal chef business into a meal delivery service. You can check it out here.
Apologies if my pimping is inappropriate or unwelcome, but the business is fledgeling, and the service she provides is amazing, the food as local, organic, healthy, and allergen-conscious as can be (you won’t even notice that it’s all gluten-free), and she brings it to your door. Check it out.
lojasmo
Meat, eggs, non-starchy vegetables. This is ALL HUMANS SHOULD EAT.
Frankenfoods like vegetable oils, nondigestable foods like grain (especially wheat) and processed sugars are not fit for human consumption.
Oh, and exercise does not contribute to weight loss, but strength training will make one look like a human, rather than an amorphous blob.
Eat more protein and saturated fats. /thread.
MoZeu
@stuckinred: Same here. There are all these goofy white guys all of the sudden whom I’ve never seen before. At 5 am no less. Wonder how long they’ll last?
bubba
I’m a pretty healthy old guy eating mostly lean meat and lots of vegetables, but I don’t understand dumping the Diet soft drink. Been drinking them about all of my adult life and I find a 20 oz diet coke does a good job of perking me up and dampening my appetite in the afternoon at work. Even mix my Jim Beam with diet. Everything in moderation. I call it a Slim Jim.
MoZeu
@lojasmo: Eat bacon but don’t bother to exercise. Oy ve.
Alan
@cathyx: I haven’t really gotten into the exercising part of it. Though I do move around a lot when I’m not at my computer. I bought a kettle bell that I’ll eventually use regularly.
I don’t IF. Though I only eat twice a day–breakfast and dinner. Maybe when I get to that last 10 lbs I’ll start. I’m nearly there. :)
ericblair
@elmo:
Apparently speed training is the hardest on your joints. I use my GPS watch on all my runs, though, not just the speed runs. Automated training logs do help out with motivation and understanding just how far you’ve come as a runner.
Training up for a marathon will work those pounds off. Still, you can’t just eat whatever and expect to lose weight. Lots of runners are surprised that they don’t lose much weight doing it, but the health benefits far exceed just weight loss.
englishmajor
Oh god – DON’T DIET! Every time one of my overweight friends tells me she’s going on a diet I cringe and wait for the inevitable lbs. rebound (and then some). What you’re doing – the total veggie, low-fat thing – is destined for failure.
Here are the things that work:
– Walking. Not running (if you’re not already athletic). Personal experience and scientific studies show, high levels of exercise will make you hungrier (esp. running). Seriously – this is true. If you’re just looking to lose weight, walking – as fast as you can as often as you can – is your very best bet. Guys have a hard time with this because they feel girly, but who the fuck cares?
– Don’t cut out all fats. You will feel hungry all the time and fail. Eat some foie gras, some brie (that whole French diet thing is true) with your veggies etc., just don’t eat a lot. You will see that you are more satisfied.
– Do cut out sugar (esp. desserts) as much as possible. Sugar leads to craving. Takes about 3-6 days to stop wanting it. You have to practice total abstinence or you’ll keep suffering. But, DO eat dark chocolate. Just some. It’s good for you and rewards you without making you crave big fatty empty calorie desserts.
– Go slow! It’s fun to watch the numbers drop fast, but you will just bounce back. Take it easy. Accept reasonable goals (a great piece of advice I got – make one easy goal for yourself and you’ll be more likely to achieve the harder ones – for example, I tell myself I’m just going to put on my exercise clothes, that’s all. If I don’t go, it’s ok, I’ll have accomplished my goal anyway – but, of course, once I’ve done that, I’m far more likely actually to go – walking of course. And, if I don’t go, I don’t let myself feel too bad about it).
– Wellbutrin. Go on it. It took ten pounds off of me and I’m skinny. Or wait for the diet pill they’re making based on the same compound, because Wellbutrin can also make you ADD and crotchety as hell (plus you talk a lot).
– Weigh yourself every day. My mother in law taught me this. I thought she was so uptight, but now I realize that it’s a lot easier to drop the 2 or 5 lbs you gained over the weekend, than to drop the 20 you gained last month.
I know this is long and probably won’t be read, but there is SO MUCH BAD ADVICE out there (and above). What I’ve written won’t make you into beach volleyball material, but you will be far less likely to yo-yo (read about it – it happens to almost 99% of dieters) and you’ll enjoy your life.
Phoebe
My brothers both lost a ton of weight by walking their dogs. I know you already do that, but keep doing it, and possibly do it more. Plus, the dogs love it, of course.
Phoebe
Oh, the person above me also endorsed walking, good, but I disagree with Wellbutrin. They put me on that for anxiety and for the first time in my life I thought I should never have been born. I looked it up on the internet and found out one of the side effects is “suicidal ideation”. Also it made my heart pound like a pile driver. Not worth it!
lyle
I’ve been low-carb paleo (PaNu version), and have easily lost 55 pounds in about 8 months. My doctor suggests I’m right where I should be. Blood pressure, hdl cholesterol, tryglicerides, and a1c are outstanding. Mood and muscle–never better (and I’m 52). Gluten, fructose, and vegetable oils bad! Grass-fed beef, cream, and butter, and pastured eggs are my staples.
luc
… and now for something completely different.
The so called “paleo” lifestyle, contradicting a lot of the conventional weight-loss advice e.g.:
http://freetheanimal.com/2011/01/man-comes-here-to-have-a-laugh-losses-65-pounds.html
http://freetheanimal.com/2011/01/yikes-look-what-all-that-starch-did-to-my-triglycerides-and-alcohol-to-my-liver-new-lipid-panel-and-alt-test.html
They are mainly advocating cutting out most processed foods, grains, beans, and of course sugar and soda; instead enjoying lots of butter, bacon, eggs and meat.
I am only halfheartedly following this theory but it does work for me.
Aaron Baker
@cmorenc: That’s just not true. Losing weight is purely a function of calorie intake vs. calorie output. Physical exercise will increase output, and it’ll definitely make you healthier and happier, but cutting 1000 calories from a 2800 calorie diet is a hell of a lot easier than doing 1000 calories of physical activity. Eating less won’t make you ripped, but it will make you skinny, and saying otherwise is just ignoring the laws of thermodynamics (ie, the law of conservation of energy).
englishmajor
Wellbutrin for anxiety is quackery. Whoever the “they” are who prescribed it for you should get an AMA-sponsored time-out. That being said, if you’re on it for the right reasons, it happens also to be a kick-ass weight-loss drug. No lie.