My Weight loss Blog

[Deathmineral]

If you don't mind a little advice, try not to over do it. I know we all want to get through getting to a healthier us as fast as we can but that's pretty difficult to do unless you're really dedicating everything, like taking time off work and avoiding family kind of dedication. I think the most effective way to a healthier life style is in smaller bits. Work on one or two things at a time so you aren't making yourself unhappy and uncomfortable.

 

My recommendation is to start with the diet, change eating habits, this is the easiest place to start in my opinion, what's easier to do than saying no? Just say no to something really bad for you, and once you've conquered that one, choose another. I would say the best place to start is soda, candy, or similar sugary items. That's what I did anyway, I started out quitting (that's what I call it because I've always been a good quitter, figured I could use that negative and turn it into a positive) sweets, for me that meant cake, candies, cookies, ice cream, you know, things that are all sugar, fat, corn syrup. The next thing I quit was soda, I will admit there is a bit of grey area with that I think, it's up to the individual what they consider soda but for me that was Mt Dew, Dr Pepper, Red Bull, Monster, even Kool-Aid (sugary kind, sugar free I still drink, it helps me with a cold or sore throat). Once you quit a certain kind of food or drink, after a while, there is no temptation in it, you can literally look at it up close, hold it in your hand, and you don't even want it. It's a pretty cool feeling to be at a party and say no to cake, it makes you a more interesting person to those around you for sure.

[Fogel]

It's a pretty cool feeling to be at a party and say no to cake, it makes you a more interesting person to those around you for sure.

 

I agree with this statement!   It means more cake for the rest of us! :tongue:

 

Though I don't feel like I am one to give advice, even though I have lost weight, I agree with something DM said.   I think it is a lot healthier to lose weight, and keep that weight off, doing it slowly.  Many people who plow through weight loss tend to get it back. 

 

But one thing that I think I will disagree with him on is a trap I see a lot of people fall into.  Some of us, obviously not all, are sugar fiends.  I know I am at least.  So sometimes quitting sugary treats really means it is just a temporary solution and when we go back we typically binge and lose all that we worked for.  Instead of quitting, I recommend being more sensible about it.  Some days you can go without sweets but the days you want them you have the willpower to be responsible about it.

 

I think if you can build up your metabolism naturally (no crazy workout plans) its possible to eat anything you want - but be modest about it.   Introduce a workout plan to complement it.  One trap I fell into was I lost 40lbs with no workout - just very small diet and lifestyle changes - but when I went back to working out full time my body couldn't keep up.  I had doctors litterally tell me I was pushing myself too hard and that I shouldn't expect to go from Zero to Hero so quickly.  Even though I was at a weight I would consider to be pretty close to what my natural weight would be and felt good, I introduced a lot of problems training as hard as I did.   Obviously I'm not smart enough to know the best solution but if I was to do it again I would do the small changes again to build my metabolism and start implementing a workout plan slowly.   Then when the strength built back up I would start worrying about switching things up and confusing the body.   Diving right into 3-6hr martial arts sessions and CrossFit wasn't my brightest move.   Least I didn't sign up for Strongman or Ironman.

 

 

Good luck guys!

[Deathmineral]

 

It's a pretty cool feeling to be at a party and say no to cake, it makes you a more interesting person to those around you for sure.

 

I agree with this statement!   It means more cake for the rest of us! :tongue:

 

Though I don't feel like I am one to give advice, even though I have lost weight, I agree with something DM said.   I think it is a lot healthier to lose weight, and keep that weight off, doing it slowly.  Many people who plow through weight loss tend to get it back. 

 

But one thing that I think I will disagree with him on is a trap I see a lot of people fall into.  Some of us, obviously not all, are sugar fiends.  I know I am at least.  So sometimes quitting sugary treats really means it is just a temporary solution and when we go back we typically binge and lose all that we worked for.  Instead of quitting, I recommend being more sensible about it.  Some days you can go without sweets but the days you want them you have the willpower to be responsible about it.

You're more than welcome to it, I don't need any stinkin' cake!

 

You're right though, most people can't actually quit sugar. I know I didn't, I quit sweets, sugary junk food kind of stuff, but make no mistake, I still take in a good amount of sugar. The important thing is that it's the right kind of sugar, like fruits. When you take in sugar from a cake, it has all the wrong kinds of fat and carbs involved. Where as fruit, a good example being the apple (my favorite), is a good source of fiber and good all around for vitamins, but most importantly it has the right kind of carbs. Thanks to an apple's good carbs and fiber, your process will process it slowly and give you more time to work with the energy. There's a reason you don't get a sugar rush from eating five apples compared to guzzling a whole soda even though you would get more sugar from all those apples. Another example of healthy sugars is honey, real natural honey that is, honey is one of the "best bang for your buck" kind of sugars out there, it will provide more sweetness per calorie than sugar cane or maple syrup and many other forms of sugar, and honey has other properties to it that makes you healthy, it's use in medicine, both old and new still, should be evidence enough that it's a good form of sugar should you feel the need. Personally I make my own home made granola bars and I always use honey in them. Trust me, I'm no stranger to being a sugar fiend.

 

I didn't mention that stuff before because I wanted to keep it simple, I've often times found many people just starting out on a path the get healthier feel overwhelmed when presented with too much information at once, but make no mistake, information is the most important factor in becoming healthier, it's all about learning the different qualities of foods, diets, exercises, and much more.

 

Like I said though, I wanted to keep it short and sweet, no pun intended honest , I figure I can offer a little advice and personal wisdom but ultimately my own experience can't apply to everyone. the best thing for anyone to do is to find and join a community of people with healthy lifestyles and those trying to achieve similar goals and ask about whatever they're curious about at the time, although google works pretty good too. Joining something like Livestrong like ComputerEd suggested is the best idea in my opinion. I personally don't go there but I've read many of their articles and a lot of their information is helpful and balanced, which is what you want in a community. I wouldn't a site like bodybuilding.com, it's geared towards advanced training mostly and you probably will find a good amount of "do you even lift?" mentalities there. That's not to say it's a bad reference either though, it's also a good site with good information but most of it is simply not for beginners.

[CheeseMan42]

Best of luck everyone. I lost just over 30 pounds last year and will continue going this year. I don't have a specific weight target in mind, I just want to lost my gut. I have made good progress and hopefully don't have much more to go. I hate cardio so much, but unfortunately I got to the point where dieting wasn't quite enough by itself.

[Phil]

I just stopped eating sugar in all forms and no simple carbs.  That means no bread, which sucks, but there are still a lot of good things to eat.  I thought i would be tearing the doors off the kitchen cabinets in the middle of the night, but it's actually been pretty easy.

[AddictedGamer93]

I went from 195 to 155 give or take, in 3 months, without trying to lose weight. Medical tests did not report anything out of the ordinary, so I am just blaming it on my change in eating habits after graduating high school. I would eat a full breakfast, I mean full, like 3 scrambled eggs, 2 slices of bacon, sausage, 2 pieces of toast, and a large glass of milk every morning, and lunch, when in most cases I got 2 of everything they had, and another large dinner when I got home. On top of that I was in and out of the kitchen at least once an hour after something else to nibble on or drink. I obviously have an enormous appetite, saying that I am a bottomless pit is an understatement. I can go to Red Lobster and order an Admiral's Feast, clean the platter, and be hungry again in an hour, like double cheeseburger with fries hungry. Plus, I can't sleep if I am hungry, I just lye there thinking about how tasty this or that would be. Now I know I am only 19, so my metabolism is insane, but that won't last forever, sadly, lol. Anyways, Good Luck to you guys on reaching your goals I'll probably be right there with ya in 10 years. 

[Fogel]

You're right though, most people can't actually quit sugar. I know I didn't, I quit sweets, sugary junk food kind of stuff, but make no mistake, I still take in a good amount of sugar. The important thing is that it's the right kind of sugar, like fruits. When you take in sugar from a cake, it has all the wrong kinds of fat and carbs involved. Where as fruit, a good example being the apple (my favorite), is a good source of fiber and good all around for vitamins, but most importantly it has the right kind of carbs.

 

Oh you are absolutely 100% correct!   Those are the best kinds of sugars.   Sadly though, my comment went a bit deeper when I said I was a sugar fiend.  I can quit sugars, I can quit bad sugars and replace them with good sugars ...but I know its a replacement and I always go back to sugars.  Eating an apple just isn't the same as eating a homemade pastry my mom makes at Christmas time. 

 

So for me it is easier just being responsible than trying to quit altogether.   You said it best , everyone has to work out a plan that is best for them.

 

Best of luck everyone. I lost just over 30 pounds last year and will continue going this year. I don't have a specific weight target in mind, I just want to lost my gut. I have made good progress and hopefully don't have much more to go. I hate cardio so much, but unfortunately I got to the point where dieting wasn't quite enough by itself.

 

Congratulations man!  I know that point.  My friend has a brother who does body building competitions and models on the side and he was saying that no one can keep those 6-pack looks for long because the dieting constraints are too wicked.  Sadly the last two places we guys lose fat is in the neck and the stomach ...which makes losing weight on the stomach area very hard ...at least the last bit.   He said there is no way to target where to lose fat.  The best way is to eat just below your means so your body has to pull in from the reserves.

 

I don't know how true any of that is because I still have a bit of a rubber tire around me.  I got just about most places shaved off but the belly is being stubborn.   So if I knew how to get rid of belly fat I would feel awesome right now.

 

I just stopped eating sugar in all forms and no simple carbs.  That means no bread, which sucks, but there are still a lot of good things to eat.  I thought i would be tearing the doors off the kitchen cabinets in the middle of the night, but it's actually been pretty easy.

 

Sounds like you went paleo.  I have a friend who keeps trying to get me to go Paleo.

 

I thought this was a pretty funny way of explaining Paleo.

[Phil]

 

I just stopped eating sugar in all forms and no simple carbs.  That means no bread, which sucks, but there are still a lot of good things to eat.  I thought i would be tearing the doors off the kitchen cabinets in the middle of the night, but it's actually been pretty easy.

 

Sounds like you went paleo.  I have a friend who keeps trying to get me to go Paleo.

 

I thought this was a pretty funny way of explaining Paleo.

 

 

No not Paleo.  I'm trying to rid myself of a gut full of Candida Albicans.

[Scott P]

I like to believe that you should limit, not eliminate any food group. There is nothing "toxic" about carbs for most people. It is all about quantity and quality. I tend to lean towards whole grains and carbs from real fruit. I go for brown rice, whole grain pasta and quinoa. I mix fruit in my post workout or breakfast smoothies. Using MyFitnessPal allows me to see the actual effects of various foods or meals on my calorie target. I am not a bodybuilder, professional fitness model or athlete.I'm just a 41 year old guy that wants to lose his gut and be able to take his shirt off.

 

It's amazing what losing 50 lbs did for me. I went from a tight size 36 pant to a comfortable 32. Now that I gained 10 pounds back, I feel that I let me myself go. I still weigh less than I had in the past15 years, but I look down and see a gut that sticks out. I know damn well that I won't get to the point where I see a six pack.  I just want to get to the point where my stomach is flat, I can run at least a 5k and just maybe see some sort of ab definition.

[Phil]

So how's everyone doing?  One month for me today, I'm down 15+ lbs. 

[bp9801]

I've restarted my weight training as I put on a few pounds and a couple inches over the holidays. Kind of got off my eating habits too, but back on those now.

 

Already lost the inch I had put back on around my hips and one of the two around my stomach. Haven't checked weight yet as I tend to do that on Saturday or Sunday, so we'll see. Goal is to get down to what I weighed in high school, so that's roughly another 70 pounds. Lost 35 last year, so a ways to go still, but I'm more concerned with losing inches and building muscle right now.

[Phil]

 but I'm more concerned with losing inches and building muscle right now.

 

Yeah, that's a different ball game, you're essentially losing fat and gaining muscle, which is denser and weighs more.  So you're gaining and losing ay the same time.