Anyone Dieting?

Walking is great for general health. campinspecter and I quit walking when I had so much trouble with my knees and we are paying for it now. Now that I am retired (quit laughing everyone) we have to get back into the walking. Cutting out snacks and upping more fruit and veggies will help as well.

Good luck to everyone. May you all be sucessful.

 

Spot on Eckie
Unfortunately the message that is conveyed to the general population is totally the opposite.

Walking is incredibly beneficial. Even more so after a meal. We were made to move. Woodwidow I hope your knees get to feeling better and campinspecter and yourself can enjoy some walking together again.

 

My metabolism has been slowing down for 40 years and so I am on a 40 year diet.

By the numbers: I can not control my weight by increased activity only by reducing my food intake. Being more active makes me healthier but does not control my weight. The calories we are capable of consuming FAR exceed our ability to use them being active. True story: I was training to race (running 50+ miles per week) the marathon (not run, race) and I had to diet. Being more active slowed my resting metabolism and did not control my weight since I spent more time resting instead of running per day. I did finish a race (Green Bay) at a pace fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon, i.e. my speed was among the top 10% of all marathon runners in my age group. And yes, I maintained my firewood inventory at the same time as training to race.

My tastes have changed with my diet. I stopped putting sugar in my coffee and now I can not stand the taste of sweet coffee. I switched from white bread to 100% whole grain and now dislike the taste of white bread. I switched to one high hop IPA beer per day and now regular beer tastes flat. I slowly evolve to fewer calories and more taste. My current adventure in flavor is to become a coffee "snob". I bought a burr coffee grinder ($100), coffee book ($10 lightly used), and a French Press ($35). I found a local roaster with single country fresh roast bean coffee. No calories and lots of taste to explore...

 

Something I notice weight slowly creeps up on a man. I can remember staying around 220. But the last five years I have managed to put on about seven pounds a year. Doesn’t sound like much per year but I’m at my heaviest. Love all the advice. It’s a big help and motivation to do better.

 

I managed to loose some a year or so back, but everything else has gotten in the way since.
I have quit one nasty online habit.
And 2 weeks ago quit smoking Backwoods after 17+ years of smoking. I took a pack out of my stash last week and smoked it at work. I don't miss smoking.

I'm not looking to change my weight as much as the way I look.
A fellow at work told me that the 'dad bod' is 'in'.
I don't care if it's in, I don't like it.

I like the idea that increasing muscle mass is a good way to absorb more of what is eaten. Might be key for me.

SCA

 

When my wife marathon trains, she has the opposite experience. Her food intake increases dramatically when training, often out eating me even though she's 5' 5" and 130ish and I'm 6'2" and 200-215. She loses so much weight friends and family start asking me if she has an eating disorder.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to burning more calories than we consume no matter how those calories are consumed.

 

Technically everybody has a diet, or is "on one", cause it's really just whatever you eat. The term diet has come to mean the way you eat trying to loose weight, or change body composition. Many times these only account for certain parts of the picture. Meaning it restricts some form of food/calories, but doesn't necessarily account for activity. And often when people talk about activity, they automatically go to cardio. Depending on the person, where they're "starting from", their activity level/lifestyle etc, sometimes any extra movement can help to lose fat...for some it will take more. The body will eventually learn to work with what it is being given (inputs-food), and what it is having to do (outputs-work) and become more efficient, and then more has to be done in one of those two components. But way too often the contribution of muscle is left out of the equation. Weight training, and trying to build/maintain muscle is a huge factor in many aspects of both weight loss, weight control and overall body health. And not just health in the present, but as one ages.

Many types of food have been "criminalized"... Fat, carbs, types of fat, types of carb, types of protein, sources of protein etc etc.... But many of the "named diets" don't seem to focus/take into account long term health and maintenance of the machine - your body.

 

'Maintenance Calories' was a helper for me. Eating what you need vs what you want or think you need. Another unpopular helper...Eat for nutrition, not pleasure. My third suggestion...water...lots of it...till you don't even want any sugar drinks anymore.

I rarely eat a supper these days through the week because I'm mostly sitting on my dieriere at work. Lunch is my main caloric intake through the work week. I make chicken wraps and eat with a salad (that I make) and cottage cheese (calcium thing) most days. I'm full when finished. If I happen to get a chance to do some labor after work I'll eat a little something. I do occasionally snack in the evenings, but it shows up on the scale pretty reliably. On the weekends when I'm physically active I usually have a sizeable breakfast of eggs bacon & toast, go work all day, then prettywell gorge myself in the evening with a snack helping me through mid afternoon. If I'm getting enough exercise in, I can allow myself to eat what I want and as much as I want without (other than short term day or two) weight gain. So my 'cheat' days aren't really because I do enough to offset the calories I take in. Obviously eating a little less on those days will result in weight loss. I will be making the run to 200 this summer to finish my 'stages' of weight loss over a 3 year period. I have weighed 270+ before. I stood at 211 and change this morning. I've been going in either 5 or 10 lb increment goals...240-235-225, 225-220, 220-210. The final is to get to and stay at 200lbs. I'm 6'3 and have a large body frame. I'll still have a slight bit of jiggle, but will be on the good side of the BMI chart.

Eat as simple of foods as you can tolerate. Find stuff that's *good for you that you *like. The rest is "easy".

 

You touched upon a good subject when you mentioned sugar drinks. So many people don't realize the amount of calories they consume through liquids. I almost exclusively drink water except when I'm drinking beer. But hey, water is still the #1 ingredient in that!

 

And sauces. My wife comments fairly often, when the subjects of weight and calories come up, how much I like sauces and the sugar/calories involved....and how I could cut a lot with those. Ketchup, bbq sauces, salad dressings etc etc. I do love my sauces!

 

I'm a big guy, always have been. 10.5 lbs when I was born and got up to 305, probably 4 different times. It helps I'm 6'4, but still, that's too heavy. It doesn't help I've always had a sweet tooth.

I've tried salad and chicken breast diets, intermittent fasting, walking, couch to 5k and none of it works for me long term. I've probably lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 lbs, total, with all my diets I've tried. I have an extremely physical job, and my body just can't get by on fruits and vegetables and chicken breast.

This past September, I was once again getting close to 300, so I changed things again. I went the opposite route of most and decided to try a carnivore diet. I eat 4 eggs, and a sausage patty every morning, with my coffee (coffee is technically not carnivore). After I finish work, I jump on one of my bicycles and ride as hard as I can for 30 minutes. Then, for supper, I eat meat, of some sort. Usually, a couple pounds.

The results, 4 months later, is, I've lost 50 pounds, my joints don't hurt anymore (carbs kill my joints), I've actually got some cardio stamina, and I've got more muscle and definition, than I've ever had. This is the best I've felt in my 45 years.

For those who struggle with walking because of bad knees (I too have bad knees), try riding a bike if possible. It's saved my knees.

 

That's incredible! Congrats to you KSPlainsman!

Just out of curiosity, have you ever done any testing for food sensitivities?

 

Thank you Sir!

Nothing formally, like with a Dr., or anything. I just try to pay attention to what my body tells me, and go from there.

For example, if I eat potatoes, or breads, I don't sleep good. I toss and turn all night long. My body aches, my stomach feels bloated, and my joints are a wreck for a couple days. Cut that out, and my body feels great! Eat sweets, and I'm in heaven, for about an hour, and then my body feels sore, achy, and I get sluggish. Cut that out, and again, I feel great!

So, that's all I've ever done. If something makes me feel, not right, I just don't do it anymore.

My cousin told me I probably have some sort of gluten allergy, an that may be true. I'm not sure if that's something that has developed as I age, or not, but for me, I got tired of dealing with the way my body feels after eating that stuff, so I just don't do it, and that seems to work, for me.

 

Hollandaise sauce, rich cheese sauce, Alfredo sauce, Caesar salad dressing - any gravy - I hear you about sauces.

 

I’m glad you posted this, I’m in the same boat my friend. I will have to try this

 

I'd be curious to see if it works for you, as it has for me. No harm in trying, and I believe it's the only way we truly know. Everyone's body is different. What works for one, may not work for another. Good luck in your journey!

If you have any questions, I will do my best, to try and help.

 

I struggle to stay below 400lbs. Insatiable sweet tooth and no will power. I have a couple different kinds of arthritis and trashed knees.
My wife found a cook book by chef Michael Simon who also has health issues. First step is a 2 week clean out that removes everything I live on now. I agreed to try it........not sure if I will survive it or not.