My September Fast Food Fast

[Teknoe]

Yoga is great for loosing fat... Men in general mock it, and don't realize when performing Yoga properly will be a lot of work on the muscles.

 

You may want to try Palladis, there are a few shared positions from Yoga, and allows for some cardio along with variations of exercises most have done in school through the years.

 

Great plan and glad you are attempting you best. After the 2nd week you should find some results in both how you feel and in eating habits.

 

One thing to remember... you must eat normal portions, no fasting or skipping between meals. Even if you snacked... the reason for it is your body will go into starvation mode.

 

Peeps don't realize it is not how much you eat, it is what you eat. You can eat all the raw veggies you want for snacks and not upset your eating habits. Snacking on carbs or pure protein as most muscle builders do, will add weight worse than before.

 

In order to use protein bars or supplements you must really burn and work out. That is something you can do once you get into shape. Don't rush, as it took years to get where you are at, no sense in undoing it all in a month or two. Just does not happen.

 

Yup, yoga tends to get a bad rep. That's why DDP Yoga's slogan is "It's not your momma's yoga." It does include elements of cardio in it, which is what I like about it. Also, it's low impact on the joints and knees.

 

Yeah, it is what you eat (or don't eat) that counts the most. Agreed there. I am not skipping meals or eating less, per se. Just eating better and doing the workouts. Yeah, it will be a lifelong process. I've never been "skinny" so I don't expect to be in the next 3 or 4 months. I do expect to lose 5-10 pounds though by then, and if I keep it off, eventually drop 20 within a year to a year and a half.

[lino]

Did yoga tonight... now done it 4 nights in a row. Going for 5 tomorrow

 

 

 

 

I like fried spam, but it's a once in a while treat. I grew up on it so I like the taste. But I know not everyone does.

 

Not running or walking much. Just eating better and doing DDP Yoga.

 

Before you say yoga isn't something that will aid on fat loss, please google "DDPYoga Arthur" and watch that video. Pretty nuts. I just want to lose 20 pounds in the next 10 months or so. I think if I eat healthy and do DDPYoga at least 4x a week, I should be OK. Cutting out all the burgers, pizza, soda and candy I consume in a year's time oughta help me tremendously alone. Add in the yoga workouts, and I should be good for some weight loss. My poor diet really hampered my weight goals earlier this year.

 

Have you ever travelled out of the USA? There's a world of food out there mate, to limit yourself to things like fried spam is kind of sad. Stuff that is not only a million times healthier but also will make you taste things like you've never tasted. Leaving burgers and what Americans consider 'pizza' for dead.

Seriously, I wouldn't give fried spam to my dogs!

 

Yoga is good, not saying that but it isn't the best choice for fat loss.

Excellent for relaxation and stretching but of you really want to shed weight, you need to sweat and get your heart rate up.

 

Do you live near the ocean? If so, take up surfing. It'll change your life and get you into great shape. You'll lose 20 pounds in under 3 months surfing, guarantee it.

 

Good luck

[Teknoe]

4 days down, 26 to go!

 

Strangely, in 4 days so far I haven't had the urge to eat fast food! It's like ever since I started this thread and mentally convinced myself that 1 month of fasting is possible, a switch has flipped and now I'm just like "Fast food? Why would I want to eat THAT again?"

 

I've also now done DDP Yoga 5 nights in a row... something I haven't done in maybe 2 years! (work out 5 straight nights).

 

Already, my body is feeling much better than this time last week

[Teknoe]

I've now worked out 6 nights in a row! That's something I haven't done in maybe... 3-4 years? LOL.

 

In other news, this past Sunday I measured my stomach.

 

41 inches around.

 

Today, it's 40 and a half. I've lost half an inch off my belly just eating right and doing my DDP Yoga!

[varonny]

Great work, Teknoe! it's good to hear you're sticking to it and doing well so far!

Luckily I don't have too many temptations here, so hopefully my month will go the same as the last few days. I also have plans to start going back to the gym at my work regularly once I get over my injury, so hopefully that's soon!

 

I thought I'd add that my dad has cut out sugar altogether from his diet, and he's lost about 10 pounds from that alone, without any added exercise. Eating healthier CAN make a difference

[hippetyhop]

 

For a quick Pizza fix... low fat tortilla with a wee slathering of Ragu and skim milk cheese shreds and turkey pepperoni will allow you to have a lite nibble to satisfy your pizza craving and not have the extra pizza calling to you.

 

I usually put it in a pan and toast each side. While one side is already toasted I put a brushing of Ragu and cover with sprinkles of cheese and 6 or so turkey pepperonis. If you want your pepperonis to be baked, you can toaster oven them separately while preparing the pizza and place them as a topping when done. The calories will be much less than any pizza from a store or shop.

.

 

I do the same thing for a quick pizza--but I use salsa instead of Ragu and lite cheddar. A nice change of pace from the traditional pizza.

[Thruster]

the pizza fix is not that at all

it is a desire that you have

 

 

nothing below the sauce on any pizza is good

it's the dang bread that tastes good -- but comes with all the bad

 

 

pal -- just eat the one slice - be happy and move on

if you think you are on a diet -- setting up to fail

 

 

eat the one slice and live on

[Mr Scorpio]

Brush a whole wheat pita with olive oil and bake it at 400 for a few minutes until it starts to brown. Top it pasta sauce (I buy tiny little cans for 29 cents), onion, peppers, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, whatever else and cheese. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes or so.

 

OR brown the pita and cover it with homemade refried beans, then top accordingly and bake some more.

 

Remember, a healthy diet involves some fat. And if that is your cheat meal, you'll be doing alright.

 

Use the leftover pitas to make pita chips w/ homemade hummus! Hummus is quick, easy, cheap, filling, and healthy.

[Teknoe]

So 5 days of September down, and no fast food plus last night I worked out for a 7th consecutive night. That's something I might not have done since like 2005, lol. Going for 8 consecutive work outs tonight, and another fast food free day.

 

Pretty amazing turnaround... I feel better, my face feels thinner, my belly has been reduced, and the urge to eat fast food hasn't really been there.

 

I know I still got 25 days, but I'm feeling really confident I can keep this up (maybe not work out everyday... my goal is 4x a week and so far I've gone above and beyond that goal). It's true... the longer I go without fast food, the more unlikely I am to break it because it's like "why go back? it's been x days since I've gone healthy"

[denise_xo]

So 5 days of September down, and no fast food plus last night I worked out for a 7th consecutive night. That's something I might not have done since like 2005, lol. Going for 8 consecutive work outs tonight, and another fast food free day.

 

Pretty amazing turnaround... I feel better, my face feels thinner, my belly has been reduced, and the urge to eat fast food hasn't really been there.

 

I know I still got 25 days, but I'm feeling really confident I can keep this up (maybe not work out everyday... my goal is 4x a week and so far I've gone above and beyond that goal). It's true... the longer I go without fast food, the more unlikely I am to break it because it's like "why go back? it's been x days since I've gone healthy"

 

That's awesome. Keep going

[newmoon]

went 4 of 5 workdays last week coffee-free and then my "friends" kept bugging me to go for a cup with them. i caved on friday :-( it's ok. i will pick it back up next week and start fresh. i realized that friends aren't always supportive. i told them at the start of the week i was off coffee and they were tempting me all week. i resisted until friday. friends can be a downfall!

[Teknoe]

went 4 of 5 workdays last week coffee-free and then my "friends" kept bugging me to go for a cup with them. i caved on friday :-( it's ok. i will pick it back up next week and start fresh. i realized that friends aren't always supportive. i told them at the start of the week i was off coffee and they were tempting me all week. i resisted until friday. friends can be a downfall!

 

Haha, it's OK newmoon. You did your best and like you said, there's always next week!

 

Yeah, sometimes with friends it's tough. But you can still control what you put into your body. Just gotta buckle down next time and stick to your convictions! If they can't respect it, then they're not good friends.

[Els]

Good luck!

 

If you're doing it for the convenience, keep some convenient food that you can make quickly at home. A sandwich and soup or something. Might not be ideal but when you're REALLY not up to cooking a full meal, it's a good replacement for fast food.

 

If you're craving the taste and eating out, IMO there are lots of better options out there. Though they do tend to be a bit more pricey than fast food, so it's a bit of a balancing act. Get to know the places around your neighbourhood and you might find a relatively healthier family-owned place that serves home-cooked food for a decent price. Pizza is especially good at authentic Italian places that use natural ingredients instead of slathering with trans fat.

[GemmaUK]

I like fast food but only have it about 4 or 5 times a year - if that.

 

I did used to eat a lot of frozen ready meals though. That was years back though and I can't stand them now as there is too much salt in them for me.

 

Over a weekend or of an evening I will have a cooking fest. I have one planned for this afternoon.

 

I buy fresh veggies, chop, blanch (three minutes in boiling water and then out into iced or very cold water to stop the cooking process) and freeze them so I always have veggies at hand, washed and chopped up. You can skip the blanching process but they last longer and retain more nutrients, colour and flavour if you blanch them.

Peppers I just chop up and freeze though.

 

I buy large sized jars of Dolmio (the spicy one) and other sauces and portion them out into freezer bags and freeze those too. If I forget to take them out in the morning I just microwave them for a few seconds to liquidify them again.

 

I don't go for low fat options of things as I feel more satisfied eating the real thing and therefore need less of it. (BTW I am 8st and stay at that weight, have done for years now. I used to struggle with my weight and dieting never helped me lose and maintain it. I would just lose and then gain more weight.)

 

For a pizza I have pitta bread, the frozen Dolmio, frozen peppers, I also freeze pepperoni and I have grated cheddar cheese on top or I do also have a stash of grated frozen mozarella (again I freeze it into portions).

 

I cook a variation of things when I have a cooking fest.

Today it's the meaty part of a beef lasagne which I'm doing in the slow cooker and a tuna, potato and celery bake which I'm doing in the oven.

 

I am gluten free, most sauces have wheat flour in them so if I like the look of a sauce I'll buy it (packet ones mostly and I love the Schwartz ones) and then I just use the ingredients listing as a recipe for what spices to use.

 

The lasagne is so easy to make.

I fry the beef mince, then have a large sieve and let the oil drain off into foil (which I can then wrap up and throw in the bin). Then I throw it all into the slow cooker, throw a tin of chopped tomatoes in, chopped frozen mushrooms and I chop a couple of fresh onions and chuck those in.

I get half a pint of boiled water, throw in the thawed Dolmio then I add a couple of teaspoons of beef gravy powder and from the sauce pack I line up the spices in the order they are on the pack and start off at about a teaspoon and a half of the first spice then lessen the amount of each spice that comes lower on the list.

Anything that is some technical word on the ingredients I ignore completely. It doesn't actually need it as I have proved many a time

I taste the sauce and maybe add a bit of something if it needs it.

I chuck that in along with another half pint of plain water, give it a stir, switch on and leave it for 8 hours to cook.

 

Then I leave it to cool and box it up in plastic containers.

I cook pasta up - a couple of portions and throw that in to a couple of my containers so they are just ready to microwave take out of the fridge and viola - dinner is ready to either microwave at work or when I get home (take about 4 mins to cook it through on high.

I keep a cheese grater at work too so I can add cheese if I like.

 

Doing this has stopped me from buying pre-packed food.

It really doesn't take a lot of time either - 20 mins prep for the lasagne filling and barely any dirty dishes.

 

The reason I do it - I hate cooking when I get home! I will get two weeks of meals out of what I am cooking today but I know exactly what is in it and it's healthy food with lots of veggies in there too.

 

I get attacks of feeling hungry at work sometimes too - especially if I end up working really late - I prefer salted nuts so I keep peanuts or cashews at work. I only need a handful or two, (I don't eat enough to feel full up - only enough to get some energy in me and stop my blood sugar levels dropping) and they are slow release energy so keep you going longer than most other snacks.

[Teknoe]

I went to Target today to look for pizza that I can make from home. I want to prepare for Saturday because I'd like to make my very own pizza for the first time in my life. Think it will be a healthier alternative than chain pizza or frozen pizza, for sure.

 

So at Target they have a Pizza section. Who knew! Not frozen, but prepare your own pizza kind of section.

 

Wondering... which is healthier? Pita flat bread, or Boboli? I also saw Boboli thin crust. I didn't see turkey pepperoni though, but I did see regular pepperoni. Also saw pizza sauce I think from Ragu.

 

Didn't buy anything as I wanted to get opinions first

 

BTW, haven't touched fast food yet this month, and tonight going for my 10th straight workout

[Mr Scorpio]

I would think that whole wheat pita is healthier than Boboli. OTOH, if you go with pita you'll have a whole bag of it to use. While I would consider that a good thing (brushed with olive oil and baked for five minutes or so) it could be inconvenient.

 

 

In regard to the sauce, beware sugar. Sugar is hiding in damn near everything. Certainly, a little sugar isn't going to hurt you, but if you're going all-in, buy a few small cans of tomato sauce and season it yourself.

 

 

As for meat? Chopped chicken breast of course! Some banana peppers, red onion, green/red pepper, diced tomato, low-fat cheese, and chicken breast.

[Teknoe]

Quick update: CLEAN through 11 days! Also, tonight I just worked out for the 13th night in a row. I'm so proud of myself right now, haha.

 

I have quit fast food cold turkey so far. Best way to describe it is a flip has switched. I'm pretty amazed, because just 2 weeks ago I was eating it 3x a week. Now, it's like I don't even want it near my face.

 

Whoever said the longer I go the less likely I am going to want to return to that junk was and is correct!

[Teknoe]

Just an update: 16 days through September and I've gone each day fast food FREE and soda FREE.

 

Have also worked out 18 nights in a row, and while the belly results are slow (hey it's only been 18 days, right?), I've felt "lighter on my feet" and my face does look slimmer

 

Not weighing myself as I don't want to be discouraged at a pound loss or two. Besides, I feel the eyeball test is good enough. Maybe I'll weigh myself after 2 or 3 months.

[veggirl]

Teknoe, make your own pizza sauce if you get pizza. I'd get whole wheat pitas and make individual ones. Jarred sauces are full of sugar, all you need is tomato sauce and some spices (oregano, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic) and voila.

[Teknoe]

Teknoe, make your own pizza sauce if you get pizza. I'd get whole wheat pitas and make individual ones. Jarred sauces are full of sugar, all you need is tomato sauce and some spices (oregano, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic) and voila.

 

Thanks for the tip!

[Teknoe]

September is 20 minutes from concluding.

 

And I'm proud to say... I've accomplished my goal. I worked out 24 nights in a row, and overall, 27 of 30.

 

I also went the entire month without eating a burger of any kind.

 

I also did not drink any soda except for 1 can of coke to go along with a sandwich this past week. I felt it was OK to drink it once.

 

I have not gotten on the scale, but my face definitely looks slimmer and overall I feel better

 

October I will probably eat burgers again, but I'll try to keep it to once every other week or so. Or maybe once a month. We'll see. Main thing, I want to continue my workouts!