Diet and Exercise

[Cyclonick182]

So Im sure these threads come up frequently, but I'd like a little imput. Im currently 6'1" 220lbs. Im more flab than muscle and I really want to get myself back into shape and healthy again. Ive been working out for a little over a week now so Im still trying to figure things out. So my question is, in terms of calories, is having a 1000-1400 calorie deficit a day considered a healthy pace for weight loss? Ive been told that equates to something like 2lbs a week but not being any sort of health expert I don't know if thats actually right or safe. Also, for those that work out regularly, what kind of routines are you using? Currently Im doing cardio for 30 minutes at least every day. For weights Im doing 1 day of heavy lifting at fewer reps and the next at less weight with more reps. I really would like some input to get me in the right direction.

As for diet, Ive cut all sodas, fast food, and candy. Ive been keeping dairy to a minimum too, though I know its important so I still eat some. Any suggestions for good, healthy, low calorie meals?

I don't know if Ive ever wanted anything more at this point than to be healthy again so Id like to hear from people who have had success. :yes:

 

[DJK15]

If you're eating 1000-1400 calories a day you will lose weight even without excersize. The trick is sticking to the diet though.

The fact that you are supplimenting it with excersize, as well as cutting out sugars, will make the weight fall off even faster. Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be fine.

 

[IcSyU]

If you're eating 1000-1400 calories a day you will lose weight even without excersize. The trick is sticking to the diet though.

The fact that you are supplimenting it with excersize, as well as cutting out sugars, will make the weight fall off even faster. Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be fine.

But don't put yourself through hell to the point you can't do it anymore. Take one day a week and eat what you normally would have or you'll lose interest in it quick.

 

[DJK15]

But don't put yourself through hell to the point you can't do it anymore. Take one day a week and eat what you normally would have or you'll lose interest in it quick.

Or don't listen to IcSyU and stick to the diet every day. :tongue:

 

[Cyclonick182]

I'd very much like eat what I like a day a week, but I think if I gave myself that kind of allowance, I might start slacking in other places too.

 

[egami]

But don't put yourself through hell to the point you can't do it anymore. Take one day a week and eat what you normally would have or you'll lose interest in it quick.

This worked well for me, actually. Another thing I did was eat breakfast. This lessened my desire to snack and made eating a sensible lunch easier. Before I would always skip breakfast and eat a too big of a lunch.

 

[IcSyU]

Or don't listen to IcSyU and stick to the diet every day. :tongue:

I'm pretty much in the same boat as the OP. I was about 6'2" 220 on May 1st and this morning I was at 198 from just plain eating better. Haven't really gone out of my way to exercise, just do my normal routine. When I say eat normal, I don't have potato chips or anything in my apartment anymore, but instead of feeling like I'm hungry all day on Sunday, I'll eat a little more than I do during the rest of the week at meals. My meals generally aren't rotten food, but it's relaxing to not feel hungry all the time.

 

[wartknight]

I lost 70 pounds a couple years ago, some has since come back, but not all of it.
I used the calorie counter and tips from the free website sparkpeople.com Very user friendly and made watching what I ate very easy.
What I struggled with then and still now is eating the right amount of calories to lose weight, but also having the energy to get through a pretty strenuous workout. I was up to doing 10 mile runs at one point along with resistance training and it really zaps you if you aren't eating the right foods.

 

[IcSyU]

I'd very much like eat what I like a day a week, but I think if I gave myself that kind of allowance, I might start slacking in other places too.

If you have that mentality, you're screwed anyways. Just be conscious of what you put in. I know when I get up Sunday morning that I won't be eating rotten food, but I'll eat a little bit more than I normally do just so I don't feel like I'm putting myself through hell all the time.

This worked well for me, actually. Another thing I did was eat breakfast. This lessened my desire to snack and made eating a sensible lunch easier. Before I would always skip breakfast and eat a too big of a lunch.

Eating breakfast is huge! I've pretty much weaned myself down to toast and orange juice in the morning before I leave for work, and while it isn't much, gets me through the morning. Eat a decent lunch that'll get me through supper, and then eat a decent supper. Not snacking has been HUGE for me.

 

[CarolinaCy]

I recently dropped 26 pounds in 12 weeks in a Biggest Loser competition here at work. I did very little cardio, and ate 3 resonable meals per day. For diet, you're off to a good start, just stick to lean proteins, chicken, fish, some pork products, and load up on veggies. Heatlhy fats like nuts and olive oil are ok in small quantities. Go easy on processed foods, especially refined flour products (pasta, bread, etc.)

For exercise, I found that high intensity weight-bearing exercises that incorporate large and/or many muscle groups was far superior to cardio. You can do a very high intensity 30 minute dumbell workout that will kick your butt and have far greater long-term results than any cardio workout.

Find some exercises that use major muscle groups or incorporate a lot of different muscle groups into the motion, pick a relatively light weight, and do at least 15 reps of that exercise. Rest only 10-20 seconds and then repeat. Switch to the next exercise with roughly the same amount of rest in between. Trust me, in 30-40 minutes, you'll be dragging. Do this 3 times a week or so.

 

[Cyclonick182]

I'm pretty much in the same boat as the OP. I was about 6'2" 220 on May 1st and this morning I was at 198 from just plain eating better. Haven't really gone out of my way to exercise, just do my normal routine. When I say eat normal, I don't have potato chips or anything in my apartment anymore, but instead of feeling like I'm hungry all day on Sunday, I'll eat a little more than I do during the rest of the week at meals. My meals generally aren't rotten food, but it's relaxing to not feel hungry all the time.

As far as snacks go, Ive rid myself of all the junk food in the house and have loaded up on lots of raw vegetables and fruits so if I do get the urge for a little something extra, I grab an orange or something since its pretty low cal. So while I do still snack abit, instead of a 200+ calorie candy bar, Ive been trying to keep snacks to the 50 or so calorie range.

 

[egami]

As far as snacks go, Ive rid myself of all the junk food in the house and have loaded up on lots of raw vegetables and fruits so if I do get the urge for a little something extra, I grab an orange or something since its pretty low cal. So while I do still snack abit, instead of a 200+ calorie candy bar, Ive been trying to keep snacks to the 50 or so calorie range.

One thing to watch out for, and I had heard this, but never thought about, is to avoid sugars for breakfast...even fruits. Sugars, even natural ones, can tend to make some people more hungry. Something to watch for with your own body.

 

[IcSyU]

As far as snacks go, Ive rid myself of all the junk food in the house and have loaded up on lots of raw vegetables and fruits so if I do get the urge for a little something extra, I grab an orange or something since its pretty low cal. So while I do still snack abit, instead of a 200+ calorie candy bar, Ive been trying to keep snacks to the 50 or so calorie range.

That alone will work wonders. I'm not a huge vegetable person, but fruits I'll eat. I used to eat a lot of chips and crap like that, but now if I'm absolutely starving and need to eat something, I'll grab an apple or an orange.

The biggest difference for me was cutting pop. I used to drink 3-4 cans per day just to stay awake. Cutting myself off made me always feel tired and groggy, and then by the time I started eating a lot of fruit, I felt a lot better than I ever did drinking pop.

 

[djcubby]

But don't put yourself through hell to the point you can't do it anymore. Take one day a week and eat what you normally would have or you'll lose interest in it quick.

This is not a bad idea. If you cut too many calories out of your normal diet, your body will start to go into survival mode and store fat. However, the less fatty/starchy/sugary foods you put in, the less fat you can store.

Eating breakfast is critical as it jump starts your metabolism for the day. Also, a very knowledgeable person in the health/wellness field told me that the more fiber you eat, the thinner you will be.

 

[Clones33]

I'm not a dieting expert or anything, but I am pretty much in the same boat that you are. I am 6' 2" and was 230lbs. I used to be a good intramural athlete, but I noticed with my increased weight that I was getting injured even while doing the simplest things, like running the bases in a slow pitch softball game and tearing my hamstring.

About 6 weeks ago I started to really watch what I eat, and work out somehow every day. It is a very lazy diet, as I am scared that if I were to do something like the 1000-1400 calories a day, while I might be able to do that for a while, I would get sick of it. So I just cut out fast food, and tried to make smarter decisions about what, and when I eat. For example, the wife and I now share meals at most restaurants.

As far as working out, I run 3-5 miles a day, or play golf, or tennis, or basically anything that makes me active...at least once day. I feel that this breaks up the monotony of running on the treadmill everyday, while also being something I feel I could continue doing after I reach my goals.

As for results, after 6 weeks, I am now down to 210 (I know that's not amazing, but its progress) Good luck to you, and basically my advice is just to find out what works for you that you can consistently do and not "cheat" and remember that it's a marathon, not a sprint.

 

[Cyclonick182]

One thing to watch out for, and I had heard this, but never thought about, is to avoid sugars for breakfast...even fruits. Sugars, even natural ones, can tend to make some people more hungry. Something to watch for with your own body.

Good call. Id not heard that before but Ill definately keep that in mind. As for the breakfast topic, Ive been having a small bowl of generic special K with skim milk(not sure if thats any healthier than other milk, but its lighter :wideeyed.

 

[CarolinaCy]

One thing to watch out for, and I had heard this, but never thought about, is to avoid sugars for breakfast...even fruits. Sugars, even natural ones, can tend to make some people more hungry. Something to watch for with your own body.

I think many health nuts are ok with natural sugars, they simply cut out all refined sugars and even artificial sweeteners. I know some people use products like raw maple syrup to sweeten things like oatmeal, using small amounts obviously, because it's very calorie dense.

For a good natural sweetening alternative to sugar, check out Stevia. I know some that really like it, but I've personally never tried it.

 

[egami]

I think many health nuts are ok with natural sugars, they simply cut out all refined sugars and even artificial sweeteners. I know some people use products like raw maple syrup to sweeten things like oatmeal, using small amounts obviously, because it's very calorie dense.

For a good natural sweetening alternative to sugar, check out Stevia. I know some that really like it, but I've personally never tried it.

I am not saying the natural sugars are bad. Typically what you hear that I think is sensible is to try to stick to natural sources ie. fruits versus processed fruit juices.

My point is simply that sugars, even the "good" ones, can cause people to be more hungry.

Example, when I started breakfasts I started with Grapefruit...made me hungry ALL day. When I switched to oatmeal, without sugar, it made a noticeable difference in how long I went without craving.

 

[mplscyclone]

Not a fan of dieting. This is coming from a guy who has tried so many different combinations of things and I am 280 lbs. People here can make fun, but I've lost weight, been keeping it off, and run in 5ks.

Honestly here is the key:
1) Eat balanced meals. Plenty of vegetables. Moderate alcohol consumption
2) Reduce the number of carbs and eat better carbs. Stay away from extra starches
3)Exercise 60 minutes a day. I run 4-5 times a week and do other cross training like biking, swimming, etc.

If you try a diet, you will lose weight but only if you stick to it. It isn't natural for a male to eat only 1400 calories in a day. You are depriving yourself, and you eventually will break out of your diet.

Eat heathly and exercise. It's the only strategy that works. Once you start eating better it won't be hard work at all. If you do something for 3 weeks, you can make it a habit!

I know what it's like to be overweight, feel like crap all the time, and I still have a ways to go. I find that getting diet and fitness advice from people who have always been healthy not to be effective as they do not know what it feelsl like to be in our shoes.

Good luck!

 

[egami]

Good call. Id not heard that before but Ill definately keep that in mind. As for the breakfast topic, Ive been having a small bowl of generic special K with skim milk(not sure if thats any healthier than other milk, but its lighter :wideeyed.

I admittedly can't do skim, props to you. 1% is my limit.