Changing the way I look at food , dieting , lifestyle for life.

mantis

Over in the Soda thread good me thinking about making a new thread about diet and lifestyle. I'm in the process of changing my lifestyle and living out the rest of my life as good as possible.
Listen folks we are not getting any younger and now is a great time to think about how we want to life for the rest of our lives. The way us americans in general eat and live is why over 66% of us are over weight.

I have been overweight for many years and most of my life. I however am active , workout , try to stay in some kind of shape. I've been doing that all of my life. When I was young , I was slightly overweight but played baseball on teams into high school , rode BMX bikes , worked out etc.
In my 20's I got into a car accident and hurt my back. I was not crippled but injured enough where my activity was limited to non existent for over a year. I weighed around 200 then and went up to 230 in one year. I was not happy about that and slowly started to up my workouts and think about what I was eating more. I started Martial arts thinking this was a excellent way to shred pounds , get in shape and learn about something I have always admired. I actually gained weight doing martial arts as I built up many muscles but retained the fat that I had and went up to 240. i didn't really understand why I wasn't losing fat and just gaining muscle as I worked out hard for 10 straight years. I also added in Mountain bike riding which I do a very hard workout in way when I come home I'm useless for the day or at least for a few hours for my legs to rest.
I've been lifting weights basically all my life but not correctly which I'm learning now. I've had club and gym member ships and even had a personal trainer for a short time. He didn't teach me anything about eating or actually never even asked about my food intake. Huge reason why I stopped working out with him.
A few years ago I got into craft beers , I've always liked drinking beer , not to get drunk or even buzzed honestly but I fully enjoy a nice glass of beer. When I was turned on to craft beers , I started drinking a whole lot more then I ever did in my life. Before I would buy a case of beer and it would last a month or more easy. Then with craft beers I would buy a case and kill it in a few weeks or less.
At diner I would have a beer , then 2. Then 2 at diner and then 1 or 2 more as the night went on. I got into Oatmeal Milk Stouts and I could not put them down. One after another as they tasted so damn good. I was in heaven ever sip.
Well holding 240 to 245 for years now changed. I went right up to 250. I couldn't believe it as I never weighted that much in my life. I didn't think about changing my beer but thought about upping my workouts , riding distance and watch the ice cream and 2nd helpings at diner time. I also wanted to cut down on my night time eating and try to effectively implement the no eating after 6pm rule someone told me about. Well none of that worked and I ended up getting up to 264 and I freaked out. I knew I was putting on weight as my gut got bigger. I got out of the shower one day and looked in the mirror and saw my gut sticking out further then it ever did before.

So what I did was think about my life and what I'm doing with it. I had to figure out a way to get my life long problem under control which nothing I did worked. I was poking around on the internet and found "beyond Diet". I went to the web site and just listened , watched the video this girl and guy made to promote their way of losing weight. After that I went into the Apple Ap store and found a "beyond diet podcast" which is from 2 other guys. One guy is a average joe and the other is a Professional Nutritionist who's name is Keith Kline from Texas.
I listened to the first podcast and it blew me away. I learned more in that hour then I did in my entire life. I could not believe what I was hearing and was slightly depressed on how I was taught from home to school to all other sources.
Everything Keith said made sense. So I decided to try out his way of life and see what it could do for me. In a little over a month I went from 264 to 250 without dieting. What I did was exactly what he said.
He said" sit down and write down everything you think is causing you not to get where you want to be" Now take that list and work on just one thing and correct it. Once you apply this thing to your life , make it a habbit , work on the second thing and do the same. Don't rush out there and try to change all the things at once but focus on one at a time and you will be able to do it for life.
Basically diets don't work because yes you can lose weight fast but keeping it off never happens. All the fad diets and methods are not things you are going to do for the rest of your life. You basically screw up your body , lose muscle and fat , then gain back fat and not the muscle you lose. So now at the same weight you are actually higher in overall body fat then you where before your fad diet.
I really could go on and on about what he teaches but I strongly suggest everyone who has been struggling with your weight to download "Beyond Diet Podcast" and really listen to what he has to say. I'll tell you this , It has changed my life , not for now , not until I lose the weight I want to but it set me up for success over the long tern. I now have a much better understanding on how to eat then I ever did in my life. I knew deep down my diet was my biggest problem in why I couldn't lose any weight. I could only maintain which is not where I want to be.

I'm gonna seek out a good nutritionist around here who follows the same guidelines Keith Kline laid down. If that person doesn't exist around here , I'm gonna do the phone , email etc with Keith Kline. He is an amazing person and i have the highest respect for him. This podcast he put out and the information I'm getting out of it is priceless. It's totally free and I can't think of a better value I ever found in my life.

Basically I'm at a crossroads now where my weight loss as slowed down , and I need to learn more tailored eating for me personally. I got the big picture but now need a professional to tailor it to me needs.

drumminman

Good luck Dan! I think your underlying concept is spot on - it has to be a lifestyle change, not something temporary.

I would put eliminating fast food at the top of the list!

tonyb

Congrats on finding something that works for you Dan. I'm a big supporter of changing food intake and being aware of what goes in your mouth. Dumping old habits for newer ones is key. You don't have to totally eliminate all the goodies in life, but portion size and moderation help alot. Also, the quality of the food is something to look at too.

There's more to losing the fat, per say, than drinking a shake or taking a pill, or having pre made dinners delivered to your home. You have to come to grips with certain realities or nothing will work. First off, you have to understand how the body works and how it changes with age. Read up....educate yourself, there is no miracle weight loss gimmick. Aside from genetics, food and the quality and quantity we eat is the number one direct cause for either health or disease. With that being said, sugar or high fructose corn syrup is in almost everything on a grocery store shelf. Avoid it like the plague.

One thing I've done personally to avoid that bulge we men get as we age is juicing. That along with watching my sugar intake has given me more energy and cut down on the belly fat. I supplement vitamins and fish oil from XTEND-LIFE out of New Zealand. Great products though a tad on the expensive side. Looking for a good testosterone booster too but not that junk they sell to the muscle man crowd. I also drink green tea at night to help with digestion which suprising to even me, works well.

Everyones body is different, what works for one may not work for someone else. You need to try a few different approaches, products, to find what works for you. Bottomline is, fat causes many other problems so reducing it as best you can as you age can only be beneficial.

byfthalone

Well wishes to you! I was 285 and 5'9" two years ago. Only lost 20 pounds the first year but since September of '11 my wife and I got serious. Began running, biking, swimming and watching what I put in my mouth...I am not at 206 and want to lose another 31 pounds. Last weekend we finished our second triathlon! It is amazing how one can change their life in such a short time.

tonyb

Swimming eh ? One of if not the best exercises you can do. Congrats man, seems like your on the right path.

I want to add one more thing since alot of over weight people suddenly notice they have to do something once they start hitting middle age. If your carrying an extra 40+ pounds and have for awhile now, don't subscribe to the "no pain no gain" mentality. Don't hit that gym and push yourself to limits your not accustomed to. Thats the quickest way to a heart attack most don't realize. You need a balanced approach. Changing eating habits, lifestyle even, along with a gradual exercise regiment to avoid that strain on the heart. Good luck to all in dropping the extra lbs.

wayne3burk

Congratulations and good luck on the rest of your Journey. Sounds like you're committed to making the changes that will carry you through to your goal, with the end game being a change in lifestyle and the the milestones being measurable and visible results.

I'm going to check out that podcast, I think i too could use a better roadmap myself.

Strong Bad

Dan, I actually jumped aboard the Beyond Diet stuff a few weeks back and have been reading tons of stuff. A huge eye opener for sure! All of the hidden sugar in stuff. The things we were taught to eat that were deemed "not fattening" and such. A lot of people are hung up on the notion of "if it doesn't have fat, then it won't make us fat."

I've been making some big changes to my life of late, with regard to physical activities. 2 1/2 weeks ago i finally went in and had surgery on an Umbilical Hernia. I had it for about 5-6 years and never knew how much it was affecting me until I had it fixed. Beyond the physical ailments, it affected me mentally as well. I honestly feel like a new person now with a whole world reopened to me. I'm still healing and need to take things slow, but i'm healing fast thanks to all the years I trained at the gym. A strong body heals faster! I'm heading back to the gym in 2 weeks to slowly get back to strength training. in two weeks as well, I can start back to biking, although it has to be on easy paved trails. I can head back to swimming next week.

I've been studying up on nutrition and lining up my training regimen to get myself back to 100%. My one big goal is six pack abs. I've had that hernia sticking out of my belly button for all those years, so that seemed to be always holding me back. I simply dragged my **** with getting it taken care of. I'm so glad I did though!

Train hard and eat well! ROCK IT!!!

mhardy6647

The current Weight Watchers program is sensible and "follow-able". The big trick is to be honest with oneself about what (and how much) one eats - simply writing it down goes a long way towards ahem holding oneself accountable (N.B. I hate that word in business-speak today!).

I just got to my goal weight (165) with WW about a month ago; took just about 7 months to lose 42 lbs.
As I type this, Mrs. H is down 52 lbs from her high (still got a way to go, though).

This whole diet/food/weight thing is a subject on which I feel I can speak with some authority: I was overweight for much of my liffe, and at times morbidly obese. At my high (sophomore year of college) I topped out at 296. Got down to about 250 by the end of college; was 208 when I got married (1983) and stayed there, more or less, until 1995. Got to 167 with WW in 1996 and stayed in that neighborhood for a number of years, but work-related stress slowly took its toll and by the end of 2011 I was back up to 207. Now, as I said, I am at 165 and holding.

PS Everyone says "oh, you must feel a lot better!" when one loses noticeable amounts of weight. I've never noticed feeling any better at all. I feel OK, but I felt OK at 207, too. (I didn't feel great at 296; part of the reason I lost any weight in the first place!) That said, I do like wearing, certainly for the first time in my adult life, pants with a 34 inch waist.

PPS Exercise trumps everything! Unfortunately, I hate exercise that's done for its own sake... although I do like to walk and to bike ride.

Strong Bad

I personally notice big changes in the way I feel when I hit this current forced layoff. Early June I got hit with a bad sinus and ear infection. 3 1/2 weeks later it was gone, but 4 days later it reappeared worse, hitting my chest as well. I got rid of it all with a stronger second round of antibiotics, but less than a week after that I was getting hernia surgery. So, 2 months of no exercise and I feel it physically. My knees and feet ache. I feel sluggish.

I notice a lot of people say they can't strength train due to their knees aching, back pain (not due to surgery) and other aches and pains. Most don't realize that they're getting those aches and pain due to lack of strength training. I know full well that after 2-3 weeks when I'm back into the gym, all the aches and pains will go away. i've had other layoffs over the years and those same aches and pains came, then went as soon I got back in the gym.

Nothing beats strength training! Swimming, biking, yoga...nothing! As we age, we start losing our ability to maintain lean muscle mass. Something has to be done to help ward that off. Sure, I'll be jumping in the pool and on my bike...but strength training is my #1 priority!

rebuy

Before you go doing strenuous exercises, you really should get a complete check up from a doctor. My weight has been right at 200 lbs and I was feeling pretty good. I knew I was a few few pounds overweight but I didn't know I was a heart attack waiting to happen, luckily we caught it in time and did not have one. I think anyone who's overweight and thinking of going on an exercise program should talk to their doctor first and check this out. I was feeling fine and working around the house with no sign of fatigue or tiredness, feeling pretty good, always been a worker but my arteries were clogged and I had no idea. Get Checked out first, it could save your life.

fatchowmein

Mantis, I know what you're talking about. In late 2010, as my weight was creeping to 160, I was looking for a lifestyle change. I spent the following year with P90x (again), running, counting calories, high carb/low fat, etc. My goal was to find something sustainable and minimal for life (counting calories for life SUCKS). I would accept having to put out initial effort but the maintenance phase needed to be simple. I ran into Mark's Daily Apple in July 2011. In November 2011, I started listening to Robb Wolf's podcasts after a trusted friend of mine had been on it for a year.

Today, I don't count calories anymore. I don't run as often. I lift somewhat heavy but low reps twice a week for about 30 to 45 min per session. I'm basically cruising on the exercise portion, having no desire to bulk up. I believe exercise counts for about 10% of the diet/fitness equation. Another 10% is sleep so I try to keep a schedule. The other 80% is my diet which has been simple and has resolved my lifetime seasonal allergy problems. No more upper respiratory infections, congestion, drugs, and the resulting sleep deprivation. I can breathe now.

I am 5' 5.5". I weigh closer to 135 when I'm lifting. If I take a month off, I drop closer to 130. I weighed 130 in middle school. I'm 40 years old. I supplement with fish oil, sometimes Natural Calm, and vitamin D3 in the winter. I don't drink milk but my calcium levels are excellent.

YMMV. Maybe this will help someone out. I modify as needed. This has worked out well for me and I no longer search for a better solution.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
http://robbwolf.com/

cfrizz

tonyb wrote: »

Swimming eh ? One of if not the best exercises you can do. Congrats man, seems like your on the right path.

I want to add one more thing since alot of over weight people suddenly notice they have to do something once they start hitting middle age. If your carrying an extra 40+ pounds and have for awhile now, don't subscribe to the "no pain no gain" mentality. Don't hit that gym and push yourself to limits your not accustomed to. Thats the quickest way to a heart attack most don't realize. You need a balanced approach. Changing eating habits, lifestyle even, along with a gradual exercise regiment to avoid that strain on the heart. Good luck to all in dropping the extra lbs.

This is right on the money. It's a combination of watching/cutting down on the amount of food and what kinds of foods we eat, as well as excercise. Be warned our bodies are very smart and will fight us every step of the way one way or another.

We have to speed up our metabolism to burn off calories and also add weights for strength as well. But you have to be careful not to over do it. (Oh and men you would do well to do more than just lift weights, hop on the treadmill & bike while you're at it for cardio!) You have to vary your weight routines because your body adapts if you do the same thing over & over again.

The other thing is that age does play a factor in this whole thing. I'm finding my body especially all my joints are complaining more than ever before at 51 then they did 4 years ago when I started getting serious about losing weight. I'm not recovering as fast now from a strenuous workout as I did back then, so my body is telling me that it's changing, so I'm going to have to make adjustments to my workouts to be a bit more pain free. I'm taking Glucosimine which really does help!

As much as I would love to get back to the 130lbs my doctor says I should be, my body has clearly told me that unless I stop eating all together & live at the gym it's probably not going to happen. But I also know that I can maintain a level of activity that will at least keep me from having all the lower back & hip pain I was having before I started excercising.

Best of luck Dan.

cnh

Want to lose weight? Move to China, eat like a Chinese, no other diet or even exercise needed except walking around Beijing. I went from 222 to 185 in one year there without trying. Lots of water and tea as well--no calories! I know that's not practical but the American diet is a Killer! Since I've been back for two years I'm back up to 205.

And I've been trying to lose 10 lbs for the last two months. No go. And it's not because of my diet which is thoroughly modded: tons of fruits and vegetables, little or NO sugar. Normal portions of chicken, pork and fish only at dinner and not always (some days are just vegetarian). Carbs? Couple pieces of whole grain bread, some rice or pasta or baked potato at dinner--small portions.

Nothing, of course part of the problem is my inability to do ANY aerobic exercise for the last couple of months due to my injury. I am tall enough that 205 does not make me look fat but my correct weight should be 185-190 if I were in shape. So it's not like I am obese. I've rarely been what someone could call obese but I did not feel too hot at 222. Started to have a gut at that weight. Not to get critical here, but lots of our members have that "beer gut" and more? Fine food and drink have never experienced a dearth among Polkies.

That's why I'm only half kidding about China. I've lived in China several times for work and research related reasons. Each time I've lost weight; the least amount being 20 pounds, the most this last time!

Americans just don't understand how to eat or what portion control is. As you age you'd be surprised at just how "little" you need to eat in order to NOT gain weight. Forget about what it says on those RDA boxes. You need to get reasonably below 2000 calories regardless of how heavy you are if it's going to come off. And you need to MOVE. It goes without saying that although I was not really doing much in the way of exercise while in the PRC, I was walking an awful lot, so much to see and do!

Beer. Yeah, there are A LOT of calories there if you have more than one for dinner? Have to limit alcohol--empty calories that stimulate your appetite.

Dan, it's tough, but hang in there. Stress eating! That's what "I'm" all about. If I didn't get stressed out I'd NEVER gain any weight! lol That's why we love our jobs, right? Because there is NO STRESS!

cnh

mhardy6647

Interesting article in Science a couple of weeks ago about a Chinese microbiologist with interest in the impact of our own "microbiota" (indwelling microorganisms) on our weight and health. He essentially experimented on himself, eating a variety of traditional Chinese foods (vegetables, e.g.), losing weight (he was moderately obese) and improving his health. He evaluated the population of microorganisms in his gut and found a marked shift in the species present. Pretty interesting stuff, actually.

tonyb

Cathy,
At least your looking for different things and realize you have to change some old habits. Thats half the battle. As far as getting down to 130 lbs again.....hell, you could do it, why not ? Set your goals in smaller increments and they will be easier to achieve. Don't shoot for 130 off the bat.

A previous poster mentioned sleep, very important. Those days in our youth of staying out 'till 3 am and getting up at 6 am are long gone. You need a good 7 to 8 hours. If your weekly schedule with work forces you out of bed at 5 am and in bed by 10 pm, try and keep that schedule on the weekends too. I know....wtf, right ? Your body needs that schedule as you age, it can't hop skip and jump around like it used to. With women, seems regulating hormones is key, just like testosterone in men is key. Also, more common in women than men is thyroid issues. If you have an under performing thyroid, your weight gain will be excessive. Men and women definately have their own sets of issues as they age. For you Cathy, seeing that I've known you for some time now, I suggest you get your butt over to the batting cages and start hitting a few balls. First....take the nails out. :cheesygrin:

rromeo923

Love it!! I am witnessing a health revolution. My wife (just ran a 10k today) and I were talking (after going for a 8 mile bike ride) and we were saying that for our generation (48yrs old) we are just starting to wake up and realize that in general our diet has been poor and misinformed. I recently started eating completely different due to calorie counting and I am losing weight. However, I am also seeing benefits in other parts of my life too. Anyway good for all of you. I dont think there is one magic answer but the fact that there seems to be a reexamining of our lifestyles and diet going on, I believe that we are on the right path.

boomerfss

Lots of great information here!

Back in 2002 I weighed about 240 (5'8"). I exercised like a demon and got down to 215 and did an Olympic distance triathlon. Anyway, a couple of injuries and a new job that had me travelling more and before I knew it I ballooned up to 272 pounds by the summer of 2010. My Doctor kicked me in the butt and was going to put me on high blood pressure medication so I decided enough was enough and started to lose weight.

This time I did it by eating more fruit and vegetables, reducing my caloric intake, and restricting sugary drinks (not just colas/pop). I now weigh 178 pounds (94 pounds lost) and am going to lose another 13 or so to get to where I think I should be. This has taken 2 years to achieve so far.

As for exercise, I walk for 35 minutes in the morning and 35 minutes in the evening. I do some stretching and sit ups as well as push ups. And sometimes I go for a 20 minute swim (breast stroke). I also do not sit around a lot and try to keep busy.

So here I am almost 40 pounds lighter than when I did a triathlon. And I have gotten here without any high aerobic exercise (no biking/running/elliptical).

It can be done, but it requires a change in your attitude towards life. I am not on a "diet" but I have changed the way I eat and the foods I eat. I do still go out for chicken wings once a month. And when I feel like a hamburger I go to 5 guys and have one with fries and a coke. But I have learned how to balance those outings by cutting back on other days and increasing my vegetables.

Good luck to all. It certainly can be done. :cheesygrin:

P.S. down from a size 42 pants to a size 30-32!

BlueFox

Twenty years or so ago I adopted a diet humans would have had as we evolved. Basically, it is anything easy to collect and catch. Fruits, nuts, grains, vegetables, chickens, etc. For me, it has seemed to work, and I can drink beer on Fridays and Saturdays.

tonyb

BlueFox wrote: »

Twenty years or so ago I adopted a diet humans would have had as we evolved. Basically, it is anything easy to collect and catch. Fruits, nuts, grains, vegetables, chickens, etc. For me, it has seemed to work, and I can drink beer on Fridays and Saturdays.

I believe thats called the " Hunter and gatherer " diet, though not really a diet. Changing the way you look at food today, for most of us anyway, is done out of necessity when in reality should have been a more common sense aproach years earlier. I do see many young moms today trying to introduce better healthier foods early on so their kids can form better eating habits. Not really a new thing either.....remember your mom telling you to eat your carrots and broccoli ?

We all know what healthy food is but somehow we got that impression that healthy food tastes like crappola. That is until your forced by the mirror to look for alternatives to your current eating habits.

Another thing that has helped me over the years keep the weight down is I look for foods that have as little or no processing to it. Ever taste home grown tomatoes over store bought ? Steak and chicken that is farmed local with no chemicals added ? Fresh baked breads over that white bread with the HFCS added ? Fresh fruits and veggies, grown local and allowed to ripen on the vine instead of being picked early or sprayed with all sorts of pesticides ? Tell me you don't go nuts for that just picked sweet corn from your local farmers stand over that frozen junk at the grocery store. Fresh squeezed Orange juice over that sugar ladened stuff in the carton.

Try juicing guys, my eyes were opened at what fresh grape juice tasted like, strawberry...watermelon, etc. It's so naturally sweet, you ask yourself why in the world would anyone dump tons of sugar in this. Well, we all know that answer but thats for another thread. Sure, some of this stuff can get expensive but it doesn't have to. If you can't afford a juicer do what i do when I don't feel like juicing. I use the blender.....throw blueberries or combination of whatever fruit I have, some coconut milk, ice, and you have a pitcher of healthy drink instead of pop. I use kiwi alot, watermelon, Musk melon, Honeydews, strawberries, blueberries, rasberries, blackberries, pineapple.

When I come home from work after sweating my arse off all day, I was always looking in the fridge for something to drink. All I would find is pop, water, and the occasional store bought juice.....and beer. All but the water is bad for you on a daily basis and water was too blah for me. Next to that was fruit, alot of fruit. You guys know the size of the containers you get at Costco, the wife keeps buying these big tubs and I throw out more than half....whats the point ? Turn it into a drink, and on the weekends add some rum to it.:cheesygrin: You'll never throw out fruit again, and you'll be healthier and have more energy. As an added bonus, the naturally sweetness of fruit fights those sugar cravings you have for those chocolate chip cookies sitting in the cabinet.....and it revs up your metabolism to boot. Try using what you have in a different way, there's always an alternative.

musky1963

No soda, white bread,booze and stay away from McD's crap. Lots of water. Go for power walks and swim if possible. Personally, I don't think jogging is good for the joints/organs getting contantly jarred....esp if you aren't a kid anymore. When I went to school(class of 81'), there were only a handful of pudges. Now it is the majority.

tonyb

musky1963 wrote: »

No soda, white bread,booze and stay away from McD's crap. Lots of water. Go for power walks and swim if possible. Personally, I don't think jogging is good for the joints/organs getting contantly jarred....esp if you aren't a kid anymore. When I went to school(class of 81'), there were only a handful of pudges. Now it is the majority.

Because those pudges sit infront of a playstation all day and night snacking on garbage or up all hours texting friends....would anyone expect a different outcome ? Parents are the responsible party.....or are supposed to be anyway. I personally find a great deal of fault in todays parenting skills.

mhardy6647

umm... I am sitting in our family room with a laptop on my lap, classical music through the 'real' hifi in the living room (all vacuum tubes including, of course, the tuner) and chuggin' an iced coffee :-)

I will be going out & doing some serious grass cutting later, though, if the weather cooperates (had a squall about 30 minutes ago).

The interesting thing, to me, about food - if one's an alcoholic, one may quit drinking. I realize, of course, that this is no mean feat, and I don't mean to trivialize the struggles of alcoholics... but my point is that one doesn't physically need alcohol to survive. On the other hand, one does need to eat. So the challenge for folks like me with addictive personalities (and minimal will-power) to adjust our eating habits to sensible ones for our own metabolisms isn't trivial.

Now, where did I put those Cheetos?

tonyb

Well, one does need to drink to survive. What choice you make on the drink is up to you. Same with food. You have choices, make better decisions and your health will improve and the weight drop. Pretty simple in theory though some food addicts will likely disagree but the end game is the same......your choice, your outcome.

mhardy6647

True enough, although I'd pick nits vis-a-vis your opening premise. One needs water to survive. Not beer, nor wine, nor Gatorade, nor Moxie nor RC Cola. That water doesn't need to have anything else in it (as long as one eats) - indeed, one will die from lack of water much more quickly than one will die from starvation (the ****, brutally, studied this in some detail).

Rivrrat

I've been working on making eating and exercise changes since the first of the year. I've gone the whole, unprocessed food route, along with cutting out gluten as much as possible. I stick to fruit, veggies, and nuts during the day, and whatever the wife cooks for dinner at night (unless I cook, and then it's pretty healthy too). I also make sure I drink lots of water instead of whatever else.

I try to workout four times a week, and depending what it is, for a least four plus hours a week. Depending on what I want to do, and the temp outside, it could be walking, hiking, cycling, time on cardio equipment we have, and a little strength training.

One thing I decided was this is for the long haul, so I could care less what I weigh, as in a don't have a weight loss goal ( I didn't weigh myself when I started, and I don't know what I weigh now). My goal is to make this a permanent change, and if that happens the weight will take care of itself. I know I've lost a lot, but the actual number doesn't really matter to me.

tonyb

mhardy6647 wrote: »

True enough, although I'd pick nits vis-a-vis your opening premise. One needs water to survive. Not beer, nor wine, nor Gatorade, nor Moxie nor RC Cola. That water doesn't need to have anything else in it (as long as one eats) - indeed, one will die from lack of water much more quickly than one will die from starvation (the ****, brutally, studied this in some detail).

Gotcha, but I think you missed my point, all liquid has water in it. What kind of water you drink is up to you.

Rivrrat,

Good on you bro, make it a way of life and it becomes effortless. Congrats.

mhardy6647

No I did get your point, exactly - thus did I qualify my nit pick as exactly that. I don't think folks drink alcoholic beverages* for the water, I think the alcohol is the draw.

* The exception to that, of course, is a cold beer on a hot summer's day!

boomerfss

Rivrrat wrote: »

I've been working on making eating and exercise changes since the first of the year. I've gone the whole, unprocessed food route, along with cutting out gluten as much as possible. I stick to fruit, veggies, and nuts during the day, and whatever the wife cooks for dinner at night (unless I cook, and then it's pretty healthy too). I also make sure I drink lots of water instead of whatever else.

I try to workout four times a week, and depending what it is, for a least four plus hours a week. Depending on what I want to do, and the temp outside, it could be walking, hiking, cycling, time on cardio equipment we have, and a little strength training.

One thing I decided was this is for the long haul, so I could care less what I weigh, as in a don't have a weight loss goal ( I didn't weigh myself when I started, and I don't know what I weigh now). My goal is to make this a permanent change, and if that happens the weight will take care of itself. I know I've lost a lot, but the actual number doesn't really matter to me.

Sounds similar to myself. I never did have a specific goal weight when I started. My goal was to change my life and how I eat. The weight loss came naturally after that.

I would say that (for me) weight loss was 80% changing the way I eat and 20% exercise. I wanted this to be sustainable and permanent so any exercise I incorporated had to be something I would do (and want to do) forever. That didn't include treadmills, elliptical machines or stationary bikes. Just walking/hiking and a few other light exercises.

With travelling for work sometimes it makes it harder to get the exercise which is why I primarily focus on what I eat. I can adjust my eating depending on activity level. This makes keeping the weight off way easier than exercising it off.

Good luck to all with their journey.

cnh

When all is said and done it is easier for some "personalities" to play Ayn Rand with their ability to go "cold turkey" with foods that are bad for one than others. Just like it is in most other fields. As mhardy mentions above, if you do "not" have an addictive personality, etc., then sure you can eat well, drink water and have no trouble maintaining a healthy lifestyle and weight. If you're carrying around psychological baggage then it is no simple feat! Think about an alcoholic or drug addict, for example. Tell him to STOP, "will" yourself off your addiction, you have "free will" (and you're talking up a lot of malarkey)! Everyone who knows anything about 12 step programs is quite familiar with the notion of accepting a Higher power than oneself and having a sponsor, attending meetings and so forth are crucial for ones rehab. Gambling, drug addiction, drinking, etc., have all had world renowned novels and films written and made about them!

If it were easy to just say, no! Everyone could/would do it! Everyone does not. And it is not simply because they "don't suck it up"!

While it is true that one has to take the first step, it is also often true that one has to hit the "wall" first and support does not hurt because we are "social animals" in the end!

So threads like this are actually good, because they acknowledge, encourage and support!

cnh

mhardy6647

I've walked almost 7 miles today - most of it behind a lawn mower at our community garden :-)
Down two pounds afterwards - all sweat.

madmax

My personal opinion is that if you really want to lose weight then eat 7 or 8 meals a day like they do in in places overseas. It keeps your body working correctly without feeling the need to store fat.