Diet successes

[CycloneErik]

We're expecting our first child this month, so I'm committing myself to change for the long run. Reading this thread is helpful! I'm a tall guy who hides it well, but crept up to 270 over the last 10 years and that was too much. Here's my plan:

-No ordering in. Cook. Meal plan. I'm the cook in the house, and like to think I know what I'm doing, so I rely only on myself for that.
-Fruits and veggies for breakfast and lunch, cook whatever I want for dinner, within reason.
-No beer at home. Happy hour is fine.
-Exercise (bike + minor weights/sit ups) 6 out of 7 days. Even if it's only 15 minutes sometimes. Build the habit.
-Drink water.

I'm not a big structure guy, so hoping this simple plan will work for me. Goal is to get back to 220-230 within a year or so.

That was really easy in our home for her first couple years.
Then a health scare for me and her own increased mobility met some odder schedules, and it's more complex to do this simple thing now.
Looks like you've got a good plan ready to go. Good luck and do great things with it!

 

[Judoka]

this isn't a good blanket statement for everyone. It's a personal preference. If you can't stand the idea of seeing that you body naturally weighs different everyday, then don't weight yourself everyday.

I use the "libra" app and log in everyday and i love seeing all the data points but the trick is to watch the trend line. As long as it's going down then I'm happy (when trying to lose weight). An alternative could be to get a WiFi scale that automatically logs the data but then you only actually look acts it once acts week and make sure it's progressing like you want.

In your example of logging every 10 days, what happens when you log today and get the bottom of a valley then next week log and hit the top of a peak? Depending how much water retained and your poop status, it could show +5lb.

I think figuring out what works for you is the best approach.

I agree - I understand why some people prefer to weigh in once a week but if you really want to keep track you should weigh in every morning right after you get up and use the bathroom. Just don't stress if one day is higher than the one before. Any individual day doesn't matter. What matter is the trend. Plot it with a spreadsheet or app and you learn a whole lot.

Plus if you combine daily weigh ins with food logging then after about a month or so you have enough data to average out your weight loss compared to your calorie intake and find out exactly how many calories you use up in a day. Which then makes it easy to adjust either your diet down or your workouts up to match whatever your goal is.

 

[CyCloned]

I made some lifestyle changes about 6 months ago with a big one being cleaning up my diet. I also quit having unprotected sex with Haitian IV drug using prostitutes but I think my weight loss success has been more diet related...

Anywhoo - I adopted a keto diet where I cut carbs way back, kept protein moderate but loaded up on fats of all sorts. Butter, nuts, avocados, olive oil etc... While I've whittled off 30 pounds, the part I'm most thrilled with is the biometrics... I'm off blood pressure meds, I'm off reflux meds, I'm off gout meds, my triglycerides are back into double digits. My HDL has risen while my LDL has fallen and the BEST part is my blood glucose has dropped solidly back into double digits.

I reduced my workout intensity as well. Went from heavy lifting to failure to way more HIIT sessions.

Great thing is I quit being on a diet about 5 months ago after adopting and adapting for 1 month. I've not fallen off the wagon as I don't have any cravings or desires for my old standbys - papa johns pizza for instance.

The toughest thing is to plan and pre-cook the meals as I've never been much of a cook OR a planner but have found I do enjoy cooking meals.

Who else has had successes to brag about?

I know it is going to make some people with weight problems mad, but honestly, it is a matter of chemistry and making good choices. Carbs are bad unless you need them for something that requires physical endurance. The big thing is that they are everywhere especially in what we drink. Regular soda, milk, fancy coffees etc. Working out also helps a lot and it doesn't have to be some crazy super intense workout either. Just working out and trying to gradually increase the level you are at.

I did the Atkins diet at one point in time and it was startling how fast it worked if you cut all the carbs like they want you to do in the first couple weeks. That one is just to hard to maintain, so I just sort of limit the carbs in general, and workout routinely, which works well for me.

 

[wxman1]

I have been doing FXB for five months now with limited success. Followed the diet plan fairly close for the 10 weeks and fell off a little but nothing crazy. Now I am battling the "why am I still doing this with no results?" thoughts. Have been debating trying to get carbs as much as possible but we struggle with trying to feed the family and have a family meal with a toddler and eat healthy on a budget.

 

[Tre4ISU]

We're expecting our first child this month, so I'm committing myself to change for the long run. Reading this thread is helpful! I'm a tall guy who hides it well, but crept up to 270 over the last 10 years and that was too much. Here's my plan:

-No ordering in. Cook. Meal plan. I'm the cook in the house, and like to think I know what I'm doing, so I rely only on myself for that.
-Fruits and veggies for breakfast and lunch, cook whatever I want for dinner, within reason.
-No beer at home. Happy hour is fine.
-Exercise (bike + minor weights/sit ups) 6 out of 7 days. Even if it's only 15 minutes sometimes. Build the habit.
-Drink water.

I'm not a big structure guy, so hoping this simple plan will work for me. Goal is to get back to 220-230 within a year or so.

That seems like it should work. I'd caution you on just thinking since you cooked it, it's fine, though. I would really recommend MyFItnessPal by the way you are kind of setting this up. Set your goals by macros and pay special attention to carbs. You can do a lot of good stuff all day but if you load up the carb wagon at night, it will be much tougher. I've lost and gained weight a lot of times and my gain periods are all due to eating carbs/sugar. If you simply cut out carbs and sugar (within reason) you'll see results. Keep up the fiber and the fat during the day. It's amazing how much those two things will curb urges.

Now, I just need to practice what I preach.

 

[madguy30]

I have been doing FXB for five months now with limited success. Followed the diet plan fairly close for the 10 weeks and fell off a little but nothing crazy. Now I am battling the "why am I still doing this with no results?" thoughts. Have been debating trying to get carbs as much as possible but we struggle with trying to feed the family and have a family meal with a toddler and eat healthy on a budget.

Eating healthy doesn't have to be costly. Just has to be calculated.

I can cook up a fillet of salmon or something similar and mixed organic veggies for less than $3.00 easy.

It's tougher with multiple people/family but buying in bulk (Costco) saves my brother and his family money.

I've fallen off the wagon vs. a good diet but I know the exact cause and need to get back to it.

 

[FarmClone]

I agree - I understand why some people prefer to weigh in once a week but if you really want to keep track you should weigh in every morning right after you get up and use the bathroom. Just don't stress if one day is higher than the one before. Any individual day doesn't matter. What matter is the trend. Plot it with a spreadsheet or app and you learn a whole lot.

Plus if you combine daily weigh ins with food logging then after about a month or so you have enough data to average out your weight loss compared to your calorie intake and find out exactly how many calories you use up in a day. Which then makes it easy to adjust either your diet down or your workouts up to match whatever your goal is.

Spoken like a true wrestler. My weight used to fluctuate by 5-20lbs on any given week. I can't do quite that anymore but cut the garbage out, watch calories, and workout. Weight management is pretty simple if you have a set goal to work for and want to maintain but difficult to execute.

 

[Dr.bannedman]

shut pie hole. move more

 

[Stormin]

Keto Diet. High Protein. High Fat. Low Carb. Low Sugar.

Cut out bread, potatoes, pasta, tortillas, chips, cookies, cake, fruit., high carb beer, wine, milk, yogurt, ice cream, regular pop, ketchup, bbq sauce, etc.


Eat eggs, bacon, cheese, meat, peppers, onions, romaine lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, butter, sour cream full fat, ranch dressing, tomatoes, celery, spices, mustard, coffee, tea, stevia, etc. Low Carb beer occasionally, Clear alcohols, diet pop.

Have 2 or 3 eggs with 3 strips of bacon every morning. Scramble eggs with pepper, onions, and cheese if you wish. Occasionally have a low carb tortilla ( net 4 or 6 carbs) and make a sandwich. Eat lots of hearts of romaine lettuce cut up with taco or fajita meat and topped with sour cream, salsa, and cheese. Occasionally strawberries with unsweetened almond milk in a smoothie.

Have lost 40 pounds since October 1. Haven’t worked out. But feel better and naturally doing more. My son has lost over 80 pounds since July.

Eat fresh foods a lot. Hardly anything from a can anymore. Pretty much just avoid carbs and sugars. Easy to follow. I have had times where I drink several beers. Or birthday cake. No problem. Just start back where you eliminate carbs and sugars. Try to keep carbs under 20 grams per day.

Busch Light is a great cheap low carb beer. Only 3.2 grams. Michelob Ultra has 2.6 grams. Whiskey, Vodka have zero carbs. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum has .4 grams Carbs. Alcohol does slow metabolism rate. Diet pop as mixer is okay.

For me it is a simple choice of eliminating certain foods. Never eat reduced fat or non-fat foods. They take out the fat but add sugar to make it taste good. Fat isn’t the enemy. It is the carbs and sugars.

 

[Judoka]

Spoken like a true wrestler. My weight used to fluctuate by 5-20lbs on any given week. I can't do quite that anymore but cut the garbage out, watch calories, and workout. Weight management is pretty simple if you have a set goal to work for and want to maintain but difficult to execute.

I'm jealous of how much easier it would have been to cut/maintain weight now compared to 10-20 years ago. The internet has made so much information available and smartphones have made it incredibly easy to access and make use of it. It isn't trivially easy to log and track, but apps like MyFitnessPal make it pretty close. Combine tracking with weighing yourself daily and you know everything you need. Losing weight too slowly? Cut 250 calories a day (or add 250 calories of working out) and bam, an extra half a pound a week. Make it 500/day and now its a pound.

Chains being required to provide nutrition information has also been a big step in the right direction. It is crazy how much small changes in what you order can cut your calorie intake in half or more. And even though smaller mom and pop places don't have to provide that info you can still get a pretty good idea of what something is just based on a comparable item from a larger chain.

People have success with lots of fad diets like low carb, keto, intermittent fasting, or whatever. And that's great. But really it isn't the specific diet that's helping them - it is just being committed to any reasonable diet at all. At the end of the day what matters is the calories you consume minus the calories you burn. If that's a positive number you'll gain weight. If it is zero you'll maintain, and if it is a negative number you'll lose. If sticking to a specific fad diet helps you do that go for it. But the change is coming from the consistency and awareness about what you're eating as opposed to anything magical about the diet.

Same goes for workout routines though. Something like P90X isn't a magical way to lose weight. It's just that showing up every day for 90 days and doing a decent workout routine will have great benefits. The magic is them keeping you motivated to stick with it for 90 days.

 

[Bobber]

215 a year ago. About 180 now. Better diet with lot less carbs, less meat, and more vegetables. Key change for me is getting up every morning at 6 and working out 45 minutes to an hour. Morning workouts are the best! Last time I was this weight was in my ISU days.

 

[SpokaneCY]

I'm on Day Five of the Yoli system. It's ok, I guess. My wife really wanted to try it and didn't want to do it alone, so I'm along for the ride. I miss coffee in a bad way, but no other real cravings. I'm 6'6 and started at 216. I'm good where I am but I wouldn't mind being a little closer to 200-205.

I don't think the thirty day plan is anything close to sustainable, but there are some good lessons to be taken from it. I've discovered that when we get off track it's usually due to portion control (and booze. We're going to have to cut back on booze a little after this is over). Spending $20 on a food scale is going to be a good long term investment for us. My workouts have suffered some but I'm hoping my body responds better after the first week.

Smaller portions, fewer carbs, eliminate added sugars and processed stuff...I suppose none of that is any big secret but I have to admit it does help to be on a regimented plan to actually get the ball rolling on those habits.

I've been successfully keto since before I started this thread and hit a little rough patch. We listed and sold our house Q4 2017 and during the listing process we quit cooking to keep the house clean. Once sold we moved into a rental where the kitchen isn't quite right. I'm up 10 pounds (not concerned) but not as clean as I'd like (way more concerning).

My take-away is the psychological component of it. We sold our house, are in a rental and are exploring retirement locations and at the very root of it is this sense of "up rootedness" which provides for an easy avenue for bad habits to sneak back in.

 

[crawfy54]

Started low carb dieting a week before Christmas. I am down about 28 pounds in less than 3 months. And really close to my freshman year of college weight.

The first week was tough. You may experience literal withdrawal symptoms if you completely cut carbs. But it has been so worth it. I do not crave bread anymore like I did when I first started. I never was a sugar/candy/sweets guy, so that part of it wasn’t hard for me.

I also do intermittent fasting. I don’t eat after 8pm or before noon. Actually, during the week, I only eat once a day. I don’t know how healthy that is, but it has worked for me. Coffee.

 

[cyclonespiker33]

I think I'm the first person to mention this, but I eat a plant-based diet, aka vegan-lite.

I didn't do it to lose weight. When I started I was at 6'0" and 200 pounds. After about a month I was down to 180-185 and I've stayed there since. I think giving up cheese was the hardest thing about it but cutting that out is probably a huge reason why I lost the weight. If I ever need a pizza fix, Blaze has a vegan cheese and you can load up about 15 different veggie options.

 

[jbindm]

Right now I miss coffee - but not so much for the caffeine boost. I just miss the morning ritual and smell of fresh roasted coffee. I don't typically drink during the week but I do hit the bottle a bit on the weekend, so tonight and tomorrow might be kind of interesting.

Overall the adjustment hasn't been terrible. The plan I'm on allows for one serving of carbs every other day so I'm getting my fix here and there. Cutting out processed stuff and sugar is a non-issue since we were already doing a decent job on that front.

I think where I'm going to benefit long term is just measuring out portions and accurate serving sizes. A half cup of rice and 4-6 ounces of protein doesn't seem like much in my head for a meal, but when I measure it out and eat slowly I'm generally finding it's all I need.

 

[jbindm]

I think I'm the first person to mention this, but I eat a plant-based diet, aka vegan-lite.

I didn't do it to lose weight. When I started I was at 6'0" and 200 pounds. After about a month I was down to 180-185 and I've stayed there since. I think giving up cheese was the hardest thing about it but cutting that out is probably a huge reason why I lost the weight. If I ever need a pizza fix, Blaze has a vegan cheese and you can load up about 15 different veggie options.

I'll have to give Blaze a try. I've had awful luck with vegan cheese. It's always so oily. I usually can't get past the texture.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

Lost 75 pounds my last semester of college. 2.5 years later of traveling every week for work. It's all back baby

 

[cyclonespiker33]

I'll have to give Blaze a try. I've had awful luck with vegan cheese. It's always so oily. I usually can't get past the texture.

Granted, I haven't had normal cheese in a really long time, but I don't notice a big difference. I also get the high-rise dough for an extra $2. It really makes a difference in filling you up, I generally can't eat more than half the pizza.

 

[runbikeswim]

I've never figured out why every year there is a new type of diet. I've never known a person who didn't lose weight by eating the right amount of calories. If you are fat than you're eating too many calories. Yes you may be able to work off some of those calories but on the other hand you can just sit on your ass 24/7 and eat the right number of calories.

This ideology is so incorrect and usually uttered by skinny people that have never experienced weight issues.

I can eat 1,500 calories of starch carbs and gain weight, and lose weight when I eat 4,000 calories of protein, fat, and veggies.

Then, I know people that I personally despise that are rail thin that live purely off of crap carb food in excessive amounts and never touch a vegetable.

I was over 400 pounds at one time from constantly eating out while on business travel.

I've now done an Ironman. And, you know what, I still can gain weight from eating carbs, even if I exercise my ass off that day.

So, NO it is NOT about calories.

 

[Judoka]

This ideology is so incorrect and usually uttered by skinny people that have never experienced weight issues.

I can eat 1,500 calories of starch carbs and gain weight, and lose weight when I eat 4,000 calories of protein, fat, and veggies.

Then, I know people that I personally despise that are rail thin that live purely off of crap carb food in excessive amounts and never touch a vegetable.

I was over 400 pounds at one time from constantly eating out while on business travel.

I've now done an Ironman. And, you know what, I still can gain weight from eating carbs, even if I exercise my ass off that day.

So, NO it is NOT about calories.

What you weigh on one day isn't a gain/loss, it is just naturally going up and down. 1,500 calories of starch and carbs might impact your water retention or bloating by more than 4,000 calories of protein, fat, and veggies. So yeah, it might in the very short term, as in the next couple of days, impact what the scale says. But it doesn't have a different impact on what you weigh long term. Quality of what you are eating will impact how full you feel and your overall health. Your biometrics will be different based on what calories you take in. But at the end of the day calories are calories when it comes to weight gain/loss..