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[StoOgE]

I'm down to 180 from 210 back in January. I started off doing the healthy diet thing, but plateaued at 195 after 2 months. Stuck to the diet for a few more months but the weight didn't go down(bf did go down though). Did some reading over at the BB forums and found that the guys there believe in just keeping the calorie intake down. I ended up giving it a try and I've started to lose weight at about 2 lbs a week. My diet is still dirty, eating fried chicken, pizza, and Chinese food, but the weight continues to drop. The great thing is that my lifts have either maintained or increased in weight. On top of that, I can still eat whatever I want, just making sure I don't exceed my calorie intake for the day.

You can lose weight this way, but you won't be healthy.

 

[StoOgE]

So, I hit 184 yesterday.. which I figure I haven't touched since about 2000 or so. I still have a guy going, but the fat is not centered around the middle of my gut so I have a defined "stomach" and not just a lump of fat that extends from my rib cage to my pants and around to the back.

My original goal weight was to hit 185, so I've gotten to there, but somewhere around 190 I realized 175 was a better goal, so I'm now trying to get there.. Hopefully about 6 weeks away.

 

[BronzeWolf]

Just curious. I did not know it existed. Some guy at a wedding reception was telling me about some sort of "semi-contact" flag football league he was in but I thought he was full of shit.

Yes, look for flag football.

There is contact on the first 5 yards, and then, you have to pull the flags.

It's meant for people that like football but don't like or need to get fucked up every time they play

 

[Al-ibn Kermit]

I'm not saying everyone on a high carbohydrate diet is going to develop hyperinsulinemia. But probably about 1/3 of the population as my best guess. People's sensitivity to insulin varies with genetics it seems.
I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the Japanese diet. Any Japanese gaffers reading this? I'm under the impression they eat a lot of vegetables (land and sea based), fish, brown rice, fermented soy, eggs, and meat.
Brown rice is better than white (it infuriates me that one doctor somehow recommends low fat from this data):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10307790.stm
It's not just as simple as the glycemic index. Minerals also play a role, and anti-minerals like phytic acid from wheat and soy. Phytic acid is especially high without fermentation, which we don't do.
Brown rice also has more minerals:
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/02/dietary-fiber-and-mineral-availability.html
Particularly magnesium:
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2010/02/magnesium-and-insulin-sensitivity.html
The japanese get several times the iodine than Americans:
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/05/iodine.html
which counters the toxic nature of soy on the thyroid (probably, need more studies):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18281260
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20463299
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17472472

How did you estimate 1/3 though? WRT minerals, you do have to consider that processed foods and tap water are fortified with them. Obviously now you're getting into industrial scale food production so the question is what mineral deficiencies does the general population have and what are the most effective ways to deliver that to the population. But my point is that living on a modern, agrarian, even carb-centric diet can be healthy. Of course two individuals can be on the same diet and have totally different results though.

Do you have any data to support this?
Because basically this infers that the human body's hunger and fat metabolism are inherently broken and always have been. That people always will overeat. Pretty bold claim. Are there any accounts of high rates of obesity in any country before 1970?
And to counter this, refer to the link I gave to Taubes lecture, later part of part 1/7, and beginning of part 2/7. There are tribes that were reported to have an over-abundance of food in the early 1800s - meat, fish, berries, some grains, vegetables, that were reported remarkably fit and healthy. This same tribe then became impoverished and was provided government rations of which were 50% grains. This tribe is now studied because it has the highest rate of diabetes in the world. There are mothers > 40% body fat with 2000 calorie diets with skinny as a rail children. This tribe is the Pima.

Nope, I'm just guessing. My guess is that people aren't eating more because it takes more food for them to feel full, not unless you're talking about an obese person with leptin withdrawl, but that the reason people are eating more calories is because it just tastes better.

Honestly it could be either leptin or insulin that causes obesity. Sort of a chicken and egg scenario.
One thing is certain: not all fat people respond to leptin (the study below they injected people with leptin, some didn't respond at all):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15743109
" Whereas leptin has been successfully used in the treatment of leptin-deficient obese patients, trials in hyperleptinemic obese patients have yielded variable results. Long-acting leptins have been tried but with no greater success. Other strategies including the use of leptin analogs and other factors that bypass normal leptin delivery systems are being developed. Identifying the mechanisms at the molecular level by which leptin functions will create new avenues for pharmaceutical targeting to simulate the intracellular effects of leptin."

What causes hypletinemia? That supports what I said about leptin deficiency at least.

There are a few theories on this, to which I'm not too familiar.
1. High carb diet causes high triglycercies, and high triglycercides reduces the amount of leptin that can cross the blood brain barrier to reach the hypothalamus. Here carbs/insulin are the cause.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15111494
2. Hyperinsulinemia creates scar tissue on the hypothalamus, making it less responsive to leptin. Here carbs/insulin are the cause.
(taubes refers to this, too lazy to look up right now)
3. Lectins from wheat somehow play a role (here leptin is the cause, but it just so happens insulin/carbs are by chance also around):
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/04/leptin-and-lectins-part-iii.html

For the first point, you're saying that the triglycerides formed by a person having a disorder like hyperinsulilmia could cause them to have too many triglycerides, which could then cause those problems with lepting getting across the BBB? But even if you somehow transfered 100% of your carbs into fat, it'd produce less triglyceride molecules than if you were eating the equivalent amount of calories in fats. Unless I'm missing something here.

To make public dietary nutritional advice, yes I agree.
The implication of having low fat be government approved is that even doctors that agree with the insulin/leptin theory cannot recommend their patients without fear of getting sued for malpractice if the patient has heart problems for another reason.
It also redirects funding for studies under the assumption that Ancel Key's diet-heart/lipid hypothesis is correct. It totally breaks the scientific method and basically halts scientific research in human health.

Yes, doctors are very tightly bound by what they can recommend. My point was that normal people could look at data and make a guess and run with it. Especially wrt health, I think most people really can't stand the idea of their being so many arguments for and against any diet depending on a range of factors. It ultimately means that one diet for everybody just doesn't work.

The advantage is avoiding the chronic and degenerative diseases that kill most people today. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes... admittedly only relevant for those that don't have high insulin sensitivity.
I don't agree with this because if you have an insulin sensitivity problem, the solution is to reduce insulin and tag team glucose metabolism with fat metabolism. The answer isn't to run on a wheel like a hamster while ignoring hunger in hopes that you'll balance an energy equation that's regulation by hormones. That would be like a man injecting himself with estrogen and then doing 200 pushups to spot reduce fat on the chest.
Or a more medical example a gigantism patient eating less to avoid vertical growth instead of inhibiting growth hormone.

In this case, it's important to first show that insulin sensitivity is the problem. And then if it is the problem, you have to figure out whether it is caused by a genetic condition or if it is caused by the person's diet.

Do you have any data showing that native americans ate maize as a major part of their diet? They didn't have groceries, that stuff was seasonal. They hunted bison and other wild game and ate vegetables too.

I actually never looked up the statistics but wiki at least does mention that it was a staple crop of the Native American civilizations. There's conflicting views on when and how it was domesticated but the most common one I've heard was that the Native Americans made a hybrid of 3 different grass species over a period of 150 years. The fact that it would have taken a very long time to domesticate it, and that corn is so domesticated that it can't even propagate itself in the wild, is what made me think that it was a staple crop of pre-Columbus Native Americans.

There are bad things about corn though wrt corn subsidies or too much sugar in the western diet.

Something called 'internal starvation' might have something to do with it. All energy is sent straight to fat storage in individuals who have a highish insulin response. Meaning cells in the body aren't receiving the energy they need and trigger the hunger reflex, becoming a vicious cycle. I'd say I have experienced this personally. I can (or did; I don't any more) smash down a 250g bag of lollies without a second thought, then a tub of ice cream, potato chips etc. Try doing it with steak and you won't get very far.

You will find one thing with Japan's diet though - serious calorie restrictions. Or it used to be like that anyway. The Japanese are getting fatter just like the rest of us. Their diet started changing after WW2 to a more western diet. No doubt McDonalds and co have a hand in that.

Thanks for the explanation, I'd actually read about that a long time ago and forgot all about it. But to me, it seems that internal starvation is caused by a sedentary lifestyle coupled with poor dieting. I don't see the point of doing any sort of diet if you're not keeping the calorie count down and if you're not at least trying to do daily cardio.

 

[whitehawk]

Just to clarify, I dont stay away from "bad foods" like the plague. I've just found with my food intake change (to healthier, more sustaining foods) my desire to ingest unhealthy foods has dramatically declined. Its almost like...I know what my body needs, certain nutrients etc, and when I eat things that contain a lot of grease or sugar or (worst one for me ->) empty carbs I can feel the ill effects even hours afterwards. Headaches, sluggish feeling, bloating. Its just not worth it, and I'll find an alternative.

Its funny how people think you are "Starving yourself!" and "oh you should treat yourself with this giant slice of cake for loosing that much!" Funny, because my mindset has completly changed. My rewards are hiking, and swiming somewhere new, and maybe buying better fitting clothes at goodwill. Not food.

Same here. It's why I've started to go to mcdonalds very occasionally. I try to avoid fast food whenever possible.

 

[teh_pwn]

New evidence showing that mineral deficiencies can play a role in obesity:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20142823

 

[teh_pwn]

How did you estimate 1/3 though? WRT minerals, you do have to consider that processed foods and tap water are fortified with them. Obviously now you're getting into industrial scale food production so the question is what mineral deficiencies does the general population have and what are the most effective ways to deliver that to the population. But my point is that living on a modern, agrarian, even carb-centric diet can be healthy. Of course two individuals can be on the same diet and have totally different results though.

I estimated 1/3 based on the difference of the prevalence of obesity before 1970 (about 10%) to what it appears to be climbing to (40%).

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zULJExxrW54/SUX2Ms0CGBI/AAAAAAAAAVg/9TgAdvZkECA/s1600-h/Data+1.jpg

source

What's significant about the 1970s is that was the USDA published the food pyramid with 9-12 servings of grains, and various government and media forces made the public believe that low fat was healthy. And the data shows an increase of calories pretty much exclusively from carbohydrate in that period, tightly correlated with the rise in obesity.

The 1970s was also when HFCS was introduced, and general sugar consumption skyrocketed. So fructose may be playing a huge role.

Nope, I'm just guessing. My guess is that people aren't eating more because it takes more food for them to feel full, not unless you're talking about an obese person with leptin withdrawl, but that the reason people are eating more calories is because it just tastes better.

So in the millions of years of hominid existence we just by chance happened to start overeating in the 1970s in tandem with an increase in carbohydrate & fructose?

Do a little experiment/comparison. Compare how easy it is to eat 2000 calories of:

1. Buttered popcorn.
vs
2. Steak.

If all macronutrients are equal, the difficulty should be identical.

For the first point, you're saying that the triglycerides formed by a person having a disorder like hyperinsulilmia could cause them to have too many triglycerides, which could then cause those problems with lepting getting across the BBB? But even if you somehow transfered 100% of your carbs into fat, it'd produce less triglyceride molecules than if you were eating the equivalent amount of calories in fats. Unless I'm missing something here.

You don't need hyperinsulinemia to have triglycerides. You just need excess blood glucose. So if you drink a soda, you'll convert a significant portion of those into triglycerides and store into fat. Insulin resistive people store more, and have a greater insulin response (because the body is trying to lower glucose but muscles/organs aren't using it because they are resistant, fat cells are not).

You don't "somehow" convert carbs into fat (triglycerides).

Free fatty acid != triglyceride.

Triglycerides are formed by binding 3 fatty acids from glycerol-3-phosphate, a byproduct glucose metabolism. Another way of saying this is that body fat accumulation is impossible without glucose.

Please read the links. I'm happy to have a discussion but I'd rather not get redundant.

 

[teh_pwn]

I started a low carb lifestyle change this time last week. I was 121 kgs then and will go buy some scales later today to see if there is any difference.

I've gone down one belt hole on my belt, which is about an inch. This is the first time in 2 years that I have been able to fasten my belt to that point. It was a very happy moment for this chubster.

The first few days were tough. I had gone cold turkey and I was cranky, a bit miserable and listless. I have some 'ketostix' that you pee on to see if there are any ketones in your body. The ketostix started showing ketones on the afternoon of day 3 (hooray! Another happy moment) and have been showing ++ since then.

For snacks, I have a tiny bit of 80% dark chocolate or some pork skins. Other times I munch on a 'twiggy' which are salami sticks.

My meals have been pretty good actually. I'm eating better now than I was before. Breakfast is bacon and scrambled Tofu (no eggs - my nephew is really allergic to them) along with some green sprouts with Japanese egg mayo (0 carbs - and delicious!).

Lunch is usually some kind of protein with more salad greens. For dinner I have been trying out new stuff. Made an awesome curry tonight with coconut cream, green peppers, chicken breast, shrimp and zucchini. Great stuff!

Dessert is diet jelly, whipped cream and frozen berries.

After day 3 my energy levels have actually increased a lot. I'm a teacher at the moment and I used to really get exhausted after 4 or 5 lessons. On Thursday I did 8 lessons and didn't lose any enthusiasm at all.

Some people have already commented that my face looks slimmer, and that belt hole revelation was another highlight of this week.

Again - thanks to all of the inspirational folks in here. I figure I will have no problem keeping this up for a long time.

Same experience here.

The initial loss on waist length is very rapid on ketogenic for a couple of reasons:
1. Insulin causes the kidneys to retain more salt, which in turn causes you to retain more water weight.
2. The bacteria in the gut that causes bloating are sugar loving kinds. The gas is their own digestive waste. Ketogenic diets starve this bastards.

Just keep in mind that you probably won't see an inch per week after this, depending on where you're starting. Keep the carbs low, especially the non-vegetable variety. Little green veggies is alright.

 

[zero margin]

Not sure if it's been mentioned but all you guys should give metamucil or something similar a shot for a week or so. Just to uh, clean yourself. I would not be surprised if you feel a lot better also.

 

[teh_pwn]

How did you estimate 1/3 though? WRT minerals, you do have to consider that processed foods and tap water are fortified with them. Obviously now you're getting into industrial scale food production so the question is what mineral deficiencies does the general population have and what are the most effective ways to deliver that to the population. But my point is that living on a modern, agrarian, even carb-centric diet can be healthy. Of course two individuals can be on the same diet and have totally different results though.

I missed this part in my initial reply.

Enriched flour doesn't have as much nutrients as the whole. But another factor to consider is phytic acid. Grains, especially wheat and soy are loaded with phytic acid. I've talked about it in earlier posts, but phytic acid inhibits the absorption of minerals.

It explains why people, myself included, have been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia despite eating 200% iron from cheerios, while eating spinach and beef and taking a multi-vitamin.

Talks about how tea/coffee and phytic acid inhibit iron absorption, vitamin C increases.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/32/12/2484

Phytic acid has a strong binding affinity to important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. When a mineral binds to phytic acid, it becomes insoluble, precipitates and will be inabsorpable in the intestines. This process can therefore contribute to mineral deficiencies in people whose diets rely on these foods for their mineral intake, such as those in developing countries.[8][9] Contrary to that, one study correlated decreased osteoporosis risk with phytic acid consumption.[10] It also acts as an acid, chelating the vitamin niacin, which is basic, causing the condition known as pellagra.[11] In this way, it is an anti-nutrient, despite its possible therapeutic effects (see below). For people with a particularly low intake of essential minerals, especially young children and those in developing countries, this effect can be undesirable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytic_acid#Food_science

It was concluded that if bran is used to increase the dietary fiber intake that would interfere with the absorption of iron. However, if the intake of ascorbic acid and/or meat are sufficiently increased in the bran containing meals that would effectively counteract the inhibition of the iron absorption by the phytates in bran (wheat fiber).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2820048

Calcium magnesium, and silicon balances were significantly lower on the high than on the low fiber diet (P less than 0.01).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/474478

It is concluded that food preparation that decreases the phytic acid content improves zinc absorption.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2824731

This is why I recommend avoiding wheat for people on moderate carbohydrate intake. Fructose and wheat, based on the data we have, seem to be the worst carbohydrates.

 

[~Kinggi~]

So, things are getting better for me! Since May 28th i have been trying to lose weight. I started at 209 and i am now 196! First week i lost the most, then every week after im losing 2-3 pounds.

I have completely changed the way i eat and i do a 40 minute elliptical workout 5 days a week. For breakfast i have some juice, no fat plain yogurt and maybe a piece of fruit. For lunch i have a low calorie half-foot Sub with wheat grain bread. And for dinner i alternate between steak and chicken. I am becoming a connoisseur of the various spices i can use on my meats to make they tasty without dipping them in crazy marinades.

Im hoping in the next 2 months i can drop to the low 180s!

 

[poweld]

Ch-ch-ch-ch changes!

I was a pudgy kid the first 19 years of my life, but over the last 4 years I turned myself around. I found that my physical discipline carried over to my mental and work discipline, which I needed in order to succeed in college.

Anyway, here was me when I was nearly failing out of school a few years back (220 lb)

Then I went kind of overboard. Ran almost every day and lifted weights maybe 4 days a week intensely. I became a little stacked. (185 lb, lots of muscle)

Now I am working and unfortunately don't get as much exercise as I'd like, and I don't lift at all. However, my dietary habits have remained pretty good, so I'm not in terrible shape, just not a beast anymore. (170 lb, modest muscle)

I highly support everyone here who is working hard to reach their goals. Do it in a healthy way and you'll be rewarded with a great body and more sharp mind.

The trick for me was setting personal goals and being extremely hard of myself if I didn't meet them. My goals, however, were more about reliability and not performance. For example, telling myself that at X time I will go for a run. During that run I CANNOT stop running, even if I have to slow down to compensate.

For me the diet came fairly easily with a strenuous exercise regime. I didn't want to eat shitty food, instead I craved lots of lean meat and fruit and veggies. Granted, I ate a whole fridge's worth on some days, but I never really wanted to pig out on fatty stuff or desserts. I'm not sure if others are the same way, but my body just wasn't interested in that stuff when it was working so hard.

I never took anything unnatural to help this process. The only supplement I took was some protein during the heavy lifting as well as calcium supplements to make sure I was well fortified.

Good luck everybody!

edit: I am 6'1"

 

[Guileless]

Yes, look for flag football.

There is contact on the first 5 yards, and then, you have to pull the flags.

It's meant for people that like football but don't like or need to get fucked up every time they play

I see. When I played intramural ff in college, linemen weren't allowed to make contact with their arms or hands. Basically you could just set picks for the QB to get a throwing lane.

I can't imagine the commitment it would take to compete in a full contact adult league with multiple games. I'm sure that would keep you in shape.

 

[CrushDance]

So my diet the last week has been:

Chicken(broiled)
Pork(grilled)
Celery(Everyday with protein)
Lettuce(Everyday with protein)
Centrum multi
Fish oils
A subway sub...with bread(I was starving after work and it's the only carbs I've had apart from...)
5 timbits <--small doughnut balls covered in icing.

And I'm getting my gym membership tomorrow so that I don't become a sack of loose skin. Plus I'd love the muscle.

Okay?

 

[teh_pwn]

Looks like dark chocolate is going to be a regular part of my diet.

Magnesium deficiency seems like it could be a huge player in terms of causing insulin resistance. But it looks like we shouldn't go crazy with supplementation because benefits stop after a certain point.

As shown in table 5, magnesium intake was significantly associated with insulin sensitivity when magnesium intake was lower than the threshold (ß = 0.0659/100 mg, p = 0.008) and was not associated with insulin sensitivity when magnesium intake was higher than the threshold (ß = –0.0008/100 mg, p = 0.87)

http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/164/5/449

CONCLUSIONS—The association between magnesium deficiency and IR is present during childhood. Serum magnesium deficiency in obese children may be secondary to decreased dietary magnesium intake. Magnesium supplementation or increased intake of magnesium-rich foods may be an important tool in the prevention of type 2 diabetes in obese children.

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/5/1175.full

Check out these plots (are we allowed to just embed them within the post, or do we have to host the image ourselves to do that?):
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/vol164/issue5/images/large/amjepidkwj246f01_lw.jpeg

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/5/1175/F1.large.jpg

Pretty convincing correlation. Assuming they're not Ancel Key'sing the data, they may be on to something.

 

[Lee N]

Just a little update, 84 kg (~185 lbs) now. I've lost 64 kg (~141 lbs) in total.

 

[Lamel]

Just a little update, 84 kg (~185 lbs) now. I've lost 64 kg (~141 lbs) in total.

Keep it up, still looks like you can lose some more fat off the chest.

 

[Lee N]

Keep it up, still looks like you can lose some more fat off the chest.

chest, belly and thighs really. Working on it, but it takes time...

 

[Xavien]

Something else I've noticed is that losing pounds =/= losing "weight". As I said in my previous post, I've only lost 6 pounds, but feel way better and look much thinner. And that's only from 274 to 268. I can tell my clothes are fitting better and all that good stuff.

I know this is bit late but i agree.

I lost all of 6 pounds so far but my waistline has decreased by 5 or so inches (from 38 to 34-33). I always assume its because although you're losing fat around the waistline and other areas by doing vigorous cardio, you're also gaining weight in muscle in places too, so you don't lose weight that fast or at all.

Right now I'm literally stuck at 171lb at 5' 9", i exercise 4 times a week (with Interval Training and weight training thrown into the mix) and my weight will not drop below 171lb, but my body fat has dropped by about 10% (25% to 15%) in past 3 months or so.

 

[StoOgE]

I would suggest everyone get a scale that does body fat %. They cost all of about 40 dollars for a halfway decent one on Amazon. They do a better job than the calipers as a general rule and give you a truer sense of your actual "weight loss" than just weight. Like some have said, if you are working your muscles for the first time in a very long time you will probably have lost more fat than your weight loss shows.

Anyway, I'm down to 14% body fat and I'm about 4" off of my waistline since I started this and around 30 pounds in the last 3-4 months and down closer to 40 pounds over the last year. I want to get down to about 10-12% body fat, lose another inch of my waistline and figure that will be down about 7-9 more total pounds before I get there.

I had hoped to be most of the way there by the end of this month but I had a really bus week at work that led to too much fast food.

My biggest fear right now is there is a chance I may be moving before the end of July and that could really be a huge set back as working out/cooking my own food will be very difficult for a few weeks.

 

[StoOgE]

Right now I'm literally stuck at 171lb at 5' 9", i exercise 4 times a week (with Interval Training and weight training thrown into the mix) and my weight will not drop below 171lb, but my body fat has dropped by about 10% (25% to 15%) in past 3 months or so.

I have definitely seen that. I'm not a doctor and don't exactly get how it works but it seems that when I've shed weight there have been 2-3 week periods where I only drop 3-4 pounds total, but shed a lot of fat. Then my body kicks into some crazy mode where I drop 5 pounds in the next week despite not really changing anything.

It's frustrating during the weeks where you don't lose weight, which is why I bought the body fat scale and started measuring my waste circumference so I could still appreciate the results.

It's also really nice to go to a store and find pants in your size more easily. It was very telling when I was buying jeans with a 38" (or even 36" waste) and most of the jeans were much longer than I needed mine to be :lol Now that I'm down to 34" jeans I can find a lot more in my size.

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Should have hopefully lost 10-11 pounds by this weekend, mostly just from carb cutting and doing weights. Need to stick with carb cuts, keep cheatin myself.

 

[funkmastergeneral]

So after playing my first basketball game in years the other day and being winded after running up the court thrice, I realized I could really use some fitness tips. I'm currently 5'11'' 174 lbs, so not too fat, but my diet is awful and and I'm in horrible shape. My lunch and dinners tend to be something frozen and full of fats and sodium, does anyone know of a website with some easy to make/healthy recipes for a cooking impaired guy? My breakfast right now is some combination of cheerios, oatmeal, or fried eggs so I'm not too worried about that.

Edit: I couldn't find a general fitness thread so I posted this here.

 

[vas_a_morir]

I started dieting again... it's a bit nostalgic. Before I left the country, I spent about 3 months of hardcore dieting and everyday 1 hour cardio exercise. I lost 40 pounds. Actually, I lost closer to 47 pounds. I was 240, and at my lowest, I was 193. I'm 6'0 by the way. Because of my final graduation project at Uni, I had to really crack down and study to prepare for a huge debate and grad paper. For those 2 weeks I did not exercise, and as you know, once you stop, it's hard to get back into it! So, by September, I had climbed back up to about 208.

When I first came to this country, I lost ten pounds the first month. In part, it was because walked a lot because my college had not started classes yet trying to see the big city a bit. However, the real reason is I did not really like the ethnic food available to me at that time. As time went on, I found things I liked, and settled into my life here. I ate nothing but processed garbage for a year, so I got back up to 92 kgs and stayed there no matter what I did. But, I also got more daily exercise during my routine than what I ever did in America, so I began to wonder why I stayed large. Then i realized that I drink alcohol about 3 times a week at least. So, I have decided to take control of my life here so I can return to America and my friends looking the best I can, and subsequently, feeling the confidence necessary to find a good career in the coming months. So here is basically what's up:

1. I'm eating breakfast, even if I'm not hungry when I wake up. (Important)
2. I'm eating less that 1000 Calories a day. (Controversial, but it works fast for me)
3. I will not drink alcohol more than once a month.
4. I ride my bike at least 20kms a day. One day we went 140 Km's to Kamakura from Saitama. That was hell, but that should give you an idea of what kind riding we do. Our goal is to bike from Tokyo to Osaka the week before we head back to West Virginia.
5. NO cigarettes.

Although, I am considering eating more. And this is why I want your advice, weight-loss GAF. Today, I played a gig at my college with my rock band club (They call it "kei-on") and I had only had 160 Calories at that point. I was sweating, rocking out, and getting assaulted with a very stressful situation... and I felt very unpleasantly light-headed about 20 minutes after the show. I went and bought dinner, which was about 500 Calories (Grilled chicken breast, lettuce, and noodles)... but even then that puts me at like 700 Calories a day. Considering how much I'm exercising, I seriously think I should eat closer to 1200 Calories a day, as an active young man my size likely burns double that. Is it safe to eat so few Calories in a day? After all, I would fast if I thought it wouldn't kill me. I am so tired of being overweight it's beyond sad. (I am currently 6'0, 195)

TL;DR - Is it safe to eat less than 1000 Calories a day for a prolonged period of time?

 

[Zoe]

TL;DR - Is it safe to eat less than 1000 Calories a day for a prolonged period of time?

No. You're bordering on the anorexic/starvation level.

 

[industrian]

I've been eating under 1000 calories per day for a few weeks now.

Hell, last week I probably ate 2000 calories over the entire week.

It's unhealthy, but last week I couldn't eat due to my fucked up sleeping patterns and a bit of stress. That and I didn't feel hungry at all.

 

[BronzeWolf]

Eating less than 1000 calories a day is not healthy

I see. When I played intramural ff in college, linemen weren't allowed to make contact with their arms or hands. Basically you could just set picks for the QB to get a throwing lane.

I can't imagine the commitment it would take to compete in a full contact adult league with multiple games. I'm sure that would keep you in shape.

It's very fun actually

 

[pubba]

2 weeks of low carb lifestyle. Some quick notes..

My digestion is fucked. I really need to start taking some kind of fibre supplement. I'll go buy some psillium husks tomorrow when I do my weekly shopping.l

Been learning heaps of low carb recipes. So far I have been in ketosis every day (judging by the ketostick readings morning and night) but tonight I had no reading at all. Not sure why, because I was pretty good today. I have been eating some sugar free candy at my new job (data entry) so they might add up. Still, I only had maybe 4 all day. Weird..

I'm going to start exercising more starting tomorrow. I've only lost 1kg in 2 weeks, which isn't so bad considering that I have done very little exercise, and I'm eating hearty, rich, tasty food at every meal.

Today's diet
Breakfast: 3 pieces of bacon, tofu, bean sprouts and cabbage in egg mayo
Lunch: Stir fried chicken breast, red pepper, ginger, mushrooms.
Dinner: 2 sausages, bean sprouts and cabbage in egg mayo

Snacks: sugar free candy, dark chocolate (2 squares) and HEAPS of water.

 

[BronzeWolf]

How many eggs are you eating?

 

[Shaneus]

2 weeks of low carb lifestyle. Some quick notes..

My digestion is fucked. I really need to start taking some kind of fibre supplement. I'll go buy some psillium husks tomorrow when I do my weekly shopping.

Oh goodness yes. I've taken an insane amount of Metamucil and everything's still not quite normal. Metamucil is psillium husks, btw.

 

[Yaweee]

I guess this is the place to ask:

Are there any lower calorie alternatives to butter and brown sugar in terms of baking well? I'd like to start baking cookies again, but I'm well aware of how many calories they have in them (hint: WAAAY too many).

 

[Gilby]

Oh goodness yes. I've taken an insane amount of Metamucil and everything's still not quite normal. Metamucil is psillium husks, btw.

Make sure you're eating lots of fibrous veggies too. I recommend LOTS of spinach.

 

[BronzeWolf]

I guess this is the place to ask:

Are there any lower calorie alternatives to eggs, butter, and brown sugar in terms of baking well? I'd like to start baking cookies again, but I'm well aware of how many calories they have in them (hint: WAAAY too many).

Eggs and butter are not what's making you fat, don't worry about them

Cookies are bad because of the sugar and the flour.

 

[Yaweee]

Eggs and butter are not what's making you fat, don't worry about them

Cookies are bad because of the sugar and the flour.

I'm watching calories and exercising.

The recipe is roughly, for a "half batch":
1 stick of butter (810 cal)
3/8 cup of sugar (300 cal)
3/8 cup of brown sugar (300 cal)
1 egg (74 cal)
1 cup of flour (455 cal)
+ vanilla, baking soda, salt, and chips

I'm not sticking to any kind of low-carb diet or anything. Watching calories and exercising has been working pretty good so far, and I'd like to stick with it. Butter seems like easily the biggest offender in there, and if I can trim out ANY calories I'll be happy.

 

[Einbroch]

One month, one week in, 10 pounds down. 275 to 265. Feeling better, wearing a mixture of XL and 2XL shirts whereas before it was strictly 2XL, wearing size 38 pants instead of 40. Hell, I even fit into a 36, it just wasn't too terribly comfortable.

Just doing little things. Exercising at least 3 times a week, not eating pasta more than once a week, no more soda, lot more water, no eating after 9PM, eating at least two fiber bars a day.

So far, so good.

 

[BronzeWolf]

The idea of a low calorie egg alternative denotes a lack of understanding of how this works

 

[FLEABttn]

Another week and a half and I'm another 3 pounds down. Often wake up and I'm between 199.6 and 200.8. Gonna keep at it.

Oh, pants and shirts are getting too big. I'm on the smallest notch on my belt and it's getting to be too big.

 

[Price Dalton]

The butter's the most nutritious stuff in there, so I'd just leave it in, or maybe replace it with lard or something.

 

[teh_pwn]

I'm watching calories and exercising.

The recipe is roughly, for a "half batch":
1 stick of butter (810 cal)
3/8 cup of sugar (300 cal)
3/8 cup of brown sugar (300 cal)
1 egg (347 cal)
1 cup of flour (455 cal)
+ vanilla, baking soda, salt, and chips

I'm not sticking to any kind of low-carb diet or anything. Watching calories and exercising has been working pretty good so far, and I'd like to stick with it. Butter seems like easily the biggest offender in there, and if I can trim out ANY calories I'll be happy.

If you're going to calorie count, at least get the right numbers.

 

[teh_pwn]

2 weeks of low carb lifestyle. Some quick notes..

My digestion is fucked. I really need to start taking some kind of fibre supplement. I'll go buy some psillium husks tomorrow when I do my weekly shopping.

Are you bloated/constipated? If so, psillium husks are just going to make things far worse. It's soluble fiber, very bulk forming. You may want stuff high in insoluble fiber - nuts, green veggies.

 

[LocoMrPollock]

Are you bloated/constipated? If so, psillium husks are just going to make things far worse. It's soluble fiber, very bulk forming. You may want stuff high in insoluble fiber - nuts, green veggies.

I prefer a mixture of flax seed and psyllium. Usually just like 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons everyday in a big glass of water.

The flax is extremely good for you. And I've never had a problem with psyllium. And it's usually 2 parts insoluble, 1 part soluble.

Green veggies and nuts are great too, though.

 

[Kruhex]

I've been currently working out (do HIIT for 6 days) and eating very well for a month (grilled chicken for lunch/vegetables, small serving of smoked salmon for dinner and some fruit later on) and a half now. I lost around 9 lbs but I've been stuck at the same weight for about a month. In your opinion, is it worth going to a dietician (my insurance will cover it so it's no big deal)?

 

[chicko1983]

So I started going to the pool a couple of months ago and running on days I wasnt at the pool.

I swim 2km on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

I run about 6-7km on Tuesday and Thursday and about 8-9km on Satdy.

My problem is, I am bloody hungry after exercise and cannot help but eat a lot. I generally eat healthily but still could be a lot better (occasional soft drink, chocolate bar, pack of chips etc).

I have lost about 3kgs in a month of the above regime (give or take a couple of sessions here and there).

I was speaking to a mate of mine and he said I would be better off just stopping the exercise and going on a strict diet if I wanted to lose weight quicker.

I am starting to get a bit disenchanted with the whole exercise regime cause I am not seeing great results quickly - this week I have only swam twice and run once.

To me, dieting is impossible as I love food (good food at restuarants and not junk food).

What do people in GAFland think is the best way - just diet or exercise? I wish I could diet and exercise but I cant!

 

[Ettie]

How did you estimate 1/3 though? WRT minerals, you do have to consider that processed foods and tap water are fortified with them. Obviously now you're getting into industrial scale food production so the question is what mineral deficiencies does the general population have and what are the most effective ways to deliver that to the population. But my point is that living on a modern, agrarian, even carb-centric diet can be healthy. Of course two individuals can be on the same diet and have totally different results though.



Nope, I'm just guessing. My guess is that people aren't eating more because it takes more food for them to feel full, not unless you're talking about an obese person with leptin withdrawl, but that the reason people are eating more calories is because it just tastes better.



What causes hypletinemia? That supports what I said about leptin deficiency at least.


For the first point, you're saying that the triglycerides formed by a person having a disorder like hyperinsulilmia could cause them to have too many triglycerides, which could then cause those problems with lepting getting across the BBB? But even if you somehow transfered 100% of your carbs into fat, it'd produce less triglyceride molecules than if you were eating the equivalent amount of calories in fats. Unless I'm missing something here.



Yes, doctors are very tightly bound by what they can recommend. My point was that normal people could look at data and make a guess and run with it. Especially wrt health, I think most people really can't stand the idea of their being so many arguments for and against any diet depending on a range of factors. It ultimately means that one diet for everybody just doesn't work.


In this case, it's important to first show that insulin sensitivity is the problem. And then if it is the problem, you have to figure out whether it is caused by a genetic condition or if it is caused by the person's diet.


I actually never looked up the statistics but wiki at least does mention that it was a staple crop of the Native American civilizations. There's conflicting views on when and how it was domesticated but the most common one I've heard was that the Native Americans made a hybrid of 3 different grass species over a period of 150 years. The fact that it would have taken a very long time to domesticate it, and that corn is so domesticated that it can't even propagate itself in the wild, is what made me think that it was a staple crop of pre-Columbus Native Americans.

There are bad things about corn though wrt corn subsidies or too much sugar in the western diet.


Thanks for the explanation, I'd actually read about that a long time ago and forgot all about it. But to me, it seems that internal starvation is caused by a sedentary lifestyle coupled with poor dieting. I don't see the point of doing any sort of diet if you're not keeping the calorie count down and if you're not at least trying to do daily cardio.

I'm sorry to butt in here, but I might be able to add something to this conversation. Some tribes give status to corn in their creation stories, namely those that personify it as the Corn Mother. In some cases, Corn Mother is a saving party to an otherwise starving people, or a people that can't expand because of food limitations.

Also, in some tribes, corn is part of what is called the Three Sisters. Consisting of corn, beans and squash, they are complimentary crops that work together when planted together. The corn gives the beans a pole to climb, the beans feed the ground, and the squash shades the ground.

The fact that these things exist in Indian tradition today points to a significant historical role in the daily lives of their tribal ancestors.

 

[NR1]

March 17, 2010 (230 lbs)

June 15, 2010 (172 lbs)


As of this morning, I now weigh 168 lbs.

It has been a heck of a ride, but I have done it with strict diet and daily exercise. Its funny having customers come by and say, "I love your new hair cut." :lol I don't think I will ever understand how so many people are able to confuse 62 lbs of weight loss with a haircut.

Starting July 1, I will be switching gears and begin muscle building and body toning. As you can see, most of my old clothes no longer fit, so I will be shopping soon for new stuff. The jeans I am wearing today are so large on me now that I have to wear a belt and tighten it all the way in order to keep them from falling off.

I feel fantastic and this is the best I have ever felt. I am so glad that I finally took charge of my life and made this lifestyle change.

 

[evlcookie]

Holy
Fucking
Shit

Amazing work NR1, Just amazing.

 

[LFG]

March 17, 2010 (230 lbs)

June 15, 2010 (172 lbs)

wow, man! congrats. that's a lot of weight you lost there. i plan to start walking about 1.5 miles every other day starting monday. i quit drinking soda 17 days ago and have lost 6lbs so far.

 

[Yaweee]

If you're going to calorie count, at least get the right numbers.

Ah, shit, thanks for catching that. Whatever site I was checking at the moment didn't have # of eggs as the default unit. I've never really eaten eggs before except mixed with other things, so I wasn't familiar with their caloric content.

This still leaves sugar and flour substitutes. Is Splenda good for baking? Anything for flour? The other types of flours (Oat, etc.) may have other nutritional benefits, but nothing in terms of how many calories they are.

 

[mikeGFG]

NR1. thats an incredible achievement. How did you do it?

 

[BertramCooper]

So I started going to the pool a couple of months ago and running on days I wasnt at the pool.

I swim 2km on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

I run about 6-7km on Tuesday and Thursday and about 8-9km on Satdy.

My problem is, I am bloody hungry after exercise and cannot help but eat a lot. I generally eat healthily but still could be a lot better (occasional soft drink, chocolate bar, pack of chips etc).

I have lost about 3kgs in a month of the above regime (give or take a couple of sessions here and there).

I was speaking to a mate of mine and he said I would be better off just stopping the exercise and going on a strict diet if I wanted to lose weight quicker.

I am starting to get a bit disenchanted with the whole exercise regime cause I am not seeing great results quickly - this week I have only swam twice and run once.

To me, dieting is impossible as I love food (good food at restuarants and not junk food).

What do people in GAFland think is the best way - just diet or exercise? I wish I could diet and exercise but I cant!

You really do need to do both. I've tried the one or the other approach, and in the end, it never works. After years of trying, I made a concerted effort to improve both my exercise regimen and my diet, and I've lost around 35-40 pounds in the last three months. I've still got a long way to go, but it's already the most successful weight loss attempt I've ever made.

As for the post-workout hunger pangs, drink a high-quality protein shake immediately after you're done. Not only will it give you a much-needed protein boost after your workout, but it will pretty much knock out your hunger immediately. My personal favorite is EAS Myoplex Lite, but I'm sure Fitness-GAF can provide some additional suggestions.