Health, Good Practises, and Exercise

[ardchoille50]

Carbs are evil.

Carbs are not evil, I wish people would stop repeating that myth. I went from 275 pounds to 140 pounds eating mostly carbs. My diet for the last 10 years has been primarily fruits, nuts, vegetables, grains, legumes, and water.. and I'm as healthy now at age 51 as I was in high school.

 

[noisycats]

Carbs are not evil, I wish people would stop repeating that myth. I went from 275 pounds to 140 pounds eating mostly carbs. My diet for the last 10 years has been primarily fruits, nuts, vegetables, grains, legumes, and water.. and I'm as healthy now at age 51 as I was in high school.

Your carbs are of the smarter variety--complex, unrefined and bundled with fiber.

Congrats.

 

[Renzatic]

Diet to reduce calories, exercise to convince ur body to let go of the flab.

Yup. Dieting is the beginning. Exercise will be what causes me to lose weight.

I should also add that my other big problem are winters. I hate cold weather, and I'll go outside only when I have to when it starts dropping below 50. Considering those are the months when you have at least two big eating holidays, and I'll hop around to multiple gigantic dinners throughout the family during those times, that's when I'm obviously packing on the most weight.

I need to hop to it. Set myself a workout plan, a diet that's good for me, but doesn't make me feel like I'm starving myself, and go to town.

 

[A.Goldberg]

Agree that it's a permanent lifestyle change.

Atkins diet was very effective for dropping weight. In the past, I lost 30 lb on it, but the problem is that it's not healthy eating, and the tricky part is re-introducing carbs back into your diet. You are supposed to add enough carbs to remain at a stable weight,my it its hard to do that.

Despite typically eating mostly "healthy" food, my mother had great success cutting simply carbs out of her diet completely, minimizing snacking, and maintaining reasonable portion sizes. She didn't follow a specific diet as far as I know. She lost 25-30lbs and plateaued at a healthy weight. When she stopped these changes, the weight came back. After a many cycles of this, she came to the same conclusion- and she's an MD. She's kept those 25-30lbs off for the past 5 years.

If you diet, lose weight, then stop dieting, and the weight comes back, your "normal" diet probably is not conducive to your desired body weight. Obviously it's tough to permanently change your diet and it's easy to fall back into old routines, but you just have to train yourself to become content in your new lifestyle habits.

She does seem to sneak carbs here and there, but she runs about 3 miles 5 days a week, which apparently is supplemental enough for her biology.

 

[rhett7660]

I think you will notice a common theme about with people who are loosing weight. Nothing but water. No diet drinks, no sugar drinks, nada. Just plain ole water. We also do lots of walking and not just sitting around anymore.

Lost 30lbs over the course of three months by following this simple meal plan and have kept it off.

Breakfast:
two egg whites and one additional protein
Since we both like cold coffee, we do sugar free almond milk and sugar free brew (trader joes). No added sugars. This is the only time we will drink something other than water.

Snack (one of the following):
8 grapes
8 med strawberries
8-10 raspberries
1 orange
1 apple

Lunch:

Protein (chicken or beef) plus vegetable (green only)(No carrots!)
Broccoli
Lettuce
Bell Peppers
Asparagus

Snack:
Hand full of salt free nuts
Cashews
Walnuts
Pecans

Dinner:
See lunch, same thing.

water:
All day long

With the vegetables you can eat them pretty much all day long and we do. I wouldn't say this is a Paleo diet, but we do a lot of the meals based on it. Since doing plain chicken gets old. So we have a bunch of recipes and we modify them if there are things we can't have.

 

[Aspasia]

All carbs are not evil. Dogma is.

Last spring I weighed around 150#. This morning I weighed 119 (am 5'5").

I pretty much eat what I want, but it doesn’t include processed or junk foods , large servings, or sugar. A rare glass of wine, since alcohol’s just empty calories.

My diet consists of whole foods cooked simply, fruits, veggies and nuts. I prefer to buy local and organic. And my own sourdough bread that I bake every week or so, made with water, flour (whole grain), salt and levain.

Thirty to 45 minutes (or more) a day at least five days a week doing interval walking (walk at i.e 3.7 MPH for five minutes, then at 4.2 MPH for a minute, then repeat). Weight training with hand weights, and core exercises with and without a stability ball.

I feel great and have lots of energy. My cholesterol and BP readings are excellent. No meds needed or taken.

 

[ardchoille50]

Putting a couple of hours to good use. I love to walk and a better diet seems to have given me a lot more energy.

 

[a.guillermo]

I'm seeing a lot of "only drink water"-- I was under the impression that drinking black coffee was okay.... Is it not?

 

[ardchoille50]

I'm seeing a lot of "only drink water"-- I was under the impression that drinking black coffee was okay.... Is it not?

I spoke with a trainer at my local gym and she said black coffee was fine.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Cutting out all processed foods from a diet isn't just smart, it is crucial for improving health. Frankly in my opinion even having a naturally-made dessert occasionally is superior to eating or drinking processed food.

The human body was made for meats, fruits, veggies. Not for the oddities of the newly-developed processed food world. The more you learn, the more you realize the people who have said "don't eat foods with ingredients you can't pronounce" were right.

That being said, I take weight lifting and general fitness seriously.

If OP is willing to find a substitute for diet soda (water or a naturally-flavored drink) then I would highly recommend it.

 

[determined09]

I think you will notice a common theme about with people who are loosing weight. Nothing but water. No diet drinks, no sugar drinks, nada. Just plain ole water. We also do lots of walking and not just sitting around anymore.

Lost 30lbs over the course of three months by following this simple meal plan and have kept it off.

Breakfast:
two egg whites and one additional protein
Since we both like cold coffee, we do sugar free almond milk and sugar free brew (trader joes). No added sugars. This is the only time we will drink something other than water.

Snack (one of the following):
8 grapes
8 med strawberries
8-10 raspberries
1 orange
1 apple

Lunch:

Protein (chicken or beef) plus vegetable (green only)(No carrots!)
Broccoli
Lettuce
Bell Peppers
Asparagus

Snack:
Hand full of salt free nuts
Cashews
Walnuts
Pecans

Dinner:
See lunch, same thing.

water:
All day long

With the vegetables you can eat them pretty much all day long and we do. I wouldn't say this is a Paleo diet, but we do a lot of the meals based on it. Since doing plain chicken gets old. So we have a bunch of recipes and we modify them if there are things we can't have.

Good tips!! Broccoli really sounds good right now!

 

[ravenvii]

I actually hate the 'ingredients you can't pronounce' "advice". It sounds appealing at first brush, but in reality, this is crap advice.

If you see the ingredients that makes up all the foods we eat, you'll see all kinds of scary words. Apples contain chlorine and fructose for example.

 

[Huntn]

I was told (not by an expert), that consuming artificial sweeteners tricks the body into releasing insulin which causes weight gain? I need to research this, but thought I'd first ask of anyone has heard of this?

 

[ravenvii]

I was told (not by an expert), that consuming artificial sweeteners tricks the body into releasing insulin which causes weight gain? I need to research this, but thought I'd first ask of anyone has heard of this?

It doesn't "trick" the body into releasing insulin per se. Basically when the mouth tastes something sweet, the body expects a lot of calories to come in, and gets ready. With artificial sweeteners, it'll soon find out there's nowhere near the calories it's expecting. This causes two things:

Excess enzymes floating around that's supposed to attach to all the goodies that was supposed to come down your esophagus.

Eventually the body will learn to ignore sweetness... then when you eat something that's sweet and actually calorie-dense... yeah.

But artificial sweeteners aren't themselves bad (well, saccharine is a nasty piece of work, and aspertame isn't much better, but sucralose and stevia are generally harmless -- as far as we know). If you take the sweeteners with calorie-dense foods, your body won't be "tricked".

 

[ardchoille50]

I actually hate this. It makes sense at first brush, but in reality, this is crap advice.

If you see the ingredients that makes up all the foods we eat, you'll see all kinds of scary words. Apples contain chlorine and fructose for example.

You say that as if it's a bad thing. Fructose is a type of monosaccharide, it's found in most plants. Reading the list of ingredients is always helpful, a little knowledge goes a long way. I went from 275 pounds to 140 pounds by watching what I eat and learning about ingredients.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I was told (not by an expert), that consuming artificial sweeteners tricks the body into releasing insulin which causes weight gain? I need to research this, but thought I'd first ask of anyone has heard of this?

Depending on the artificial sweetener, it can cause an insulin response similar to sugar. Stevia would be my recommendation for a natural, healthy sweetener.

 

[Huntn]

It doesn't "trick" the body into releasing insulin per se. Basically when the mouth tastes something sweet, the body expects a lot of calories to come in, and gets ready. With artificial sweeteners, it'll soon find out there's nowhere near the calories it's expecting. This causes two things:

Excess enzymes floating around that's supposed to attach to all the goodies that was supposed to come down your esophagus.

Eventually the body will learn to ignore sweetness... then when you eat something that's sweet and actually calorie-dense... yeah.

But artificial sweeteners aren't themselves bad (well, saccharine is a nasty piece of work, and aspertame isn't much better, but sucralose and stevia are generally harmless -- as far as we know). If you take the sweeteners with calorie-dense foods, your body won't be "tricked".

I see sucralose in some low calorie drinks. Would that not cause the same effect?

Depending on the artificial sweetener, it can cause an insulin response similar to sugar. Stevia would be my recommendation for a natural, healthy sweetener.

Thanks! I figure over the last 30'years I've avoided about a billion calories consuming diet drinks. I'm still 30-40lb over weight.

For the third time, I am attempting to cut out all deserts, such as cakes, pies, candies, etc. So far I'm 3 weeks into this and despite drinking some 0 zero calorie drinks, I'm not craving sweets. If hungery, I snack on carrots, grapes, or even raw spinach leaves, which is strangely satisfying.

Some links I found, the last one is most interesting.

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/diet-fitness/how-can-diet-sodas-make-you-fat-study-may-explain-n205406

http://authoritynutrition.com/artificial-sweeteners-and-weight-gain/

Also interesting article on why you should avoid wheat. I eat a lot of wheat cereals.

http://www.rodalenews.com/wheat-bad

http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/article/should-you-worry-about-wheat

Refined wheat, like other starchy or sugary foods, can also have adverse effects on blood cholesterol and triglycerides—for instance, increasing levels of the small, dense LDL cholesterol particles that are most damaging. To avoid this, you needn’t avoid all wheat or go on a very-low-carb diet. Just choose healthier wheat products that are minimally refined or unrefined, and don’t go overboard.

 

[ravenvii]

You say that as if it's a bad thing. Fructose is a type of monosaccharide, it's found in most plants. Reading the list of ingredients is always helpful, a little knowledge goes a long way. I went from 275 pounds to 140 pounds by watching what I eat and learning about ingredients.

I never said it's a bad thing to read the ingredient list. I'm saying it's a bad thing to rely on the advice of "Food Chick" who is a total nut job.

I see sucralose in some low calorie drinks. Would that not cause the same effect?

Pretty much, yes. Unless you eat something caloric-dense along with drinking it.

Thanks! I figure over the last 30'years I've avoided about a billion calories consuming diet drinks. I'm still 30-40lb over weight.

For the third time, I am attempting to cut out all deserts, such as cakes, pies, candies, etc. So far I'm 3 weeks into this and despite drinking some 0 zero calorie drinks, I'm not craving sweets. If hungery, I snack on carrots, grapes, or even raw spinach leaves, which is strangely satisfying.

Some links I found, the last one is most interesting.

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/diet-fitness/how-can-diet-sodas-make-you-fat-study-may-explain-n205406

http://authoritynutrition.com/artificial-sweeteners-and-weight-gain/

Stevia sounds great, but personally I hate the taste of it. YMMV, of course.

 

[ardchoille50]

I never said it's a bad thing to read the ingredient list. I'm saying it's a bad thing to rely on the advice of "Food Chick" who is a total nut job.

I see. Well, in that case, you might want to edit your post here as it has the potential to cause confusion. It appears that, at first you said my advice was "crap" and now you're saying it has value. Which is it?

 

[ravenvii]

I see. Well, in that case, you might want to edit your post here as it has the potential to cause confusion. It appears that, at first you said my advice was "crap" and now you're saying it has value. Which is it?

I meant to quote a post spewing the 'ingredients you can't pronounce' crap, but quoted your post for some reason. I've edited the post.

 

[ardchoille50]

I meant to quote a post spewing the 'ingredients you can't pronounce' crap, but quoted your post for some reason. I've edited the post.

Ah, thank you for helping to clear up my confusion.. much appreciated.

 

[a.guillermo]

I spoke with a trainer at my local gym and she said black coffee was fine.

Oh good. Because I drink black coffee every morning and have a cup at lunch every day without fail. How awful would it be if it was actually bad for me!!

 

[MICHAELSD]

I actually hate the 'ingredients you can't pronounce' "advice". It sounds appealing at first brush, but in reality, this is crap advice.

If you see the ingredients that makes up all the foods we eat, you'll see all kinds of scary words. Apples contain chlorine and fructose for example.

I was only using that as the commonly-accepted metaphor for not eating processed foods.

 

[anjinha]

All carbs are not evil. Dogma is.

Last spring I weighed around 150#. This morning I weighed 119 (am 5'5").

I pretty much eat what I want, but it doesn’t include processed or junk foods , large servings, or sugar. A rare glass of wine, since alcohol’s just empty calories.

My diet consists of whole foods cooked simply, fruits, veggies and nuts. I prefer to buy local and organic. And my own sourdough bread that I bake every week or so, made with water, flour (whole grain), salt and levain.

Thirty to 45 minutes (or more) a day at least five days a week doing interval walking (walk at i.e 3.7 MPH for five minutes, then at 4.2 MPH for a minute, then repeat). Weight training with hand weights, and core exercises with and without a stability ball.

I feel great and have lots of energy. My cholesterol and BP readings are excellent. No meds needed or taken.

This is pretty much what I've been doing.

I eat everything I want, just moderately. I still eat carbs and allow myself a treat once in a while. I have been making it a point to eat more vegetables and more fish.

I also judge everything on whether the calories are worth it or not.

- Stale cupcake at the office? Not worth it.
- Really good dessert on a night out with my husband? Worth it.
- Packaged sliced bread? Not worth it.
- Locally made sourdough bread? Worth it.

I actually ended up eating a cupcake at the office the other day. I then felt sick because I'm not used to all the sugar. I no longer want cupcakes.

 

[ardchoille50]

I actually ended up eating a cupcake at the office the other day. I then felt sick because I'm not used to all the sugar. I no longer want cupcakes.

I feel the same way about soda. I grew up on Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola. I tasted one recently, after having removed them from my diet years ago, and I could barely tolerate it, yech. I'll stick to water.