Losing weight [for me]

[Radu]

The problem with the Diet-Coke transition is the way your body might react.

 

It got used with all that sugar, so it creates insuline for that.

Then you give it about the same amount of 'sweet', insuline is released into the bloodstream ... a lot of it, with no target.

Next thing you know your body builds up a resistance to insuline because of the shock you just gave it.

 

Drinking diet coke from time to time a little is ok ... but after my diet type ... not so good.

 

I'm down to half the normal quantity [or around that] and i drink a lot of water right now.

Also, solved the physical exercise bit ... started doing yard work 1-2hs/ day heavily.

 

I mean, cutting grass on a 20 degree incline, carrying it, aerating the soil, and cutting branches off trees [i think that's called pruning them] ... needless to say i am barely feeling my hands.

 

PS: I've thought more about the dairy.

From time to time i'll forget to buy/eat dairy for a while ... up to a month sometimes. I never lost weight.

If anything, i tended to feel worse without it.

[Robert Z]

The problem with the Diet-Coke transition is the way your body might react.

 

It got used with all that sugar, so it creates insuline for that.

Then you give it about the same amount of 'sweet', insuline is released into the bloodstream ... a lot of it, with no target.

Next thing you know your body builds up a resistance to insuline because of the shock you just gave it.

 

Very interesting, Radu. I knew about some of the bad chemistry related to diet drinks but didn't know the insulin response is nearly identical to sugar drinks.

PubMed Central, Figure 1: Diabetes Care. 2009 Dec; 32(12): 2184?2186. Published online 2009 Oct 6. doi:* 10.2337/dc09-1185

 

 

You can "retrain" your pancreas by going ketogenic. I can now easily tolerate foods that would have me passing out five years ago. Not to be taken lightly, you MUST do your homework, but a ketogenic diet will reset your metabolism. I know you don't want to go that hard and heavy but the benefits for blood sugar issues are significant - it is like night and day for me! Since this was a huge issue for me, I thought I'd mention it.

Edited July 19, 2015 by Robert Z

[MidwestUSA]

No idea if people are kidding about the smoking (yeah, my sarcasto-meter is broken with lack of sleep ).

 

Maybe you should eliminate feline?

 

Yes, pretty sure they were kidding, altho I can attest that it works, LOL!

[Radu]

Very interesting, Radu. I knew about some of the bad chemistry related to diet drinks but didn't know the insulin response is nearly identical to sugar drinks.

PubMed Central, Figure 1: Diabetes Care. 2009 Dec; 32(12): 2184?2186. Published online 2009 Oct 6. doi:* 10.2337/dc09-1185

 

 

You can "retrain" your pancreas by going ketogenic. I can now easily tolerate foods that would have me passing out five years ago. Not to be taken lightly, you MUST do your homework, but a ketogenic diet will reset your metabolism. I know you don't want to go that hard and heavy but the benefits for blood sugar issues are significant - it is like night and day for me! Since this was a huge issue for me, I thought I'd mention it.

 

I'll look into the ketogenic diet bit.

The problem is not weather it is good or bad, but weather or not i can stick to it.

I have not stuck to it before ... i did the Mayo Clinic diet, Herbalife and some others.

I avoided fad ones, but i noticed that i'm a lazy bastard who does not respond well to highly organized structure in dieting.

If my life was on the line, i probably would ... but the truth is that deep down i don't feel like it is.

So i would end up yo-yo dieting again ... which is much worse because of the shocks that you give your system.

 

I'll make some additions, for perspective.

The big one in nutrition in my family is my mom.

She learned it when i was little and i had a small intestine incapable of creating the enzymes needed to break down anything above glucose in complexity.

At the same time her cousin got seriously ill and had to go full vegan to stay alive [she is unbelievably healthy today, at 60 yrs old she was dancing for hs while 20-30yr olds were incapable of doing it ... even the reasonable fit ones couldn't do it].

Because of that i did not grow up in a 'normal' house.

Last yr we finally got our first microwave ... and i don't even use it [neither does my mom; present from my aunt].

I do not use a kitchen robot [too lazy to clean it and i have more control with a knife].

And artificial sweeteners have never crossed the door of my house in my entire life [for the above reasons].

Growing up, we didn't even have aluminum cans in the house [and to this day anything bought is bought in bottles of glass or plastic].

Also, from 8 to 13-14 i went to a health gym 2-3 times a week after classes.

It was in a medical institute focusing on athletes, and i had access because of my history of medical problems.

My personal record, set at 13 was of 200 sit-ups continuosly [i had to do 4 sets of 50 before leaving, every time].

 

The above is not to brag but to explain this ... i never looked for the correlation that you linked [but very interesting graphs] ... since both in the family and the doctor on duty in that gym told me that.

In retrospect i should have stuck to it, since i liked reading about the human body ... i could have been a doctor today [this is making me depressed].

[MidwestUSA]

In retrospect i should have stuck to it, since i liked reading about the human body ... i could have been a doctor today [this is making me depressed].

 

Oh dear, don't let that get to you, I have the same feeling. Actually, I wished I'd been a vet. Instead, I have a chemistry degree as well. If only I'd had more foresight.

 

I did go back and get the nursing degree, but it's not the same.

 

Don't get tied up in regrets.

[candie13]

buy yourself a nice grill and grill everything. HAve salads and veggies with it - stuff your face with it.

 

Walk everywhere, a much as you can. download an app called Pacer and aim to walk 6000 steps daily and 10,000 during the weekends. the weight will fly off of you.

 

persistance is the key ! Keep going !!!

[GemmaUK]

[quote=Radu;6444033

I avoided fad ones, but i noticed that i'm a lazy bastard who does not respond well to highly organized structure in dieting.

 

This made me grin.

That was where I got to with diets as I just could not be bothered anymore with calorie counting, measuring things etc.

 

The bit about learning to feel full up and leaving something on your plate would fit right in to your situation easily.

These days I do sometimes eat a whopping plateful but most times I don't or rather can't.

The only effort required is thinking whilst you eat and watching for the full up feeling and you only need to begin noticing that half way or two thirds into a meal. The good thing is that you can have snacks too - but the next time a meal comes around you'll still only eat until you are full.

I also always make sure I eat enough protein as it keeps me fuller longer and I never shirk on carbs. If I get that full feeling and can only manage a couple more mouthfuls I go for the protein though.

Plus I am not a gym bunny. I walk quite a lot and do light exercise I recently got a Body Blade as I have an issue with a disc in my neck and the BB is good for not overdoing it - it was designed for injury recovery in fact.

[Radu]

buy yourself a nice grill and grill everything. HAve salads and veggies with it - stuff your face with it.

 

Walk everywhere, a much as you can. download an app called Pacer and aim to walk 6000 steps daily and 10,000 during the weekends. the weight will fly off of you.

 

persistance is the key ! Keep going !!!

 

I've got 2.

 

One is a normal grill that goes on top of the stove, and the other gril is a ceramic pan with grill serations.

The 2nd one is very good for fish, being non-stick and having a transparent lid.

[xxoo]

Radu, make slow, permanent changes. Think permanent changes for permanent weight loss.

 

I like that you're weaning slowly off Coke, and replacing with water. Wean off the Coke permanently. I know that sounds impossible now, but after a few months off Coke, I promise that a sip will taste unbelievably sweet and you'll be reaching for water to quench your thirst. Coke can still be an occasional treat, but I think of it like candy. When I'm hungry, candy doesn't make me feel better.

 

Google the kind of diet a man your healthy goal weight would be eating on a daily basis. Look at the plate and how it is divided visually into areas of veggies, meats, carbs, etc. Keep that visual in mind when preparing meals. Don't skimp on fat, as that tells the body "we're full". This is a way you can maintain portion control forever, just making sure that the veggie part of your plate is the biggest part, and you're getting enough protein, fat, and carbs on the other sections to feel full.

 

Have a goal of exercise, but you'll need to work up to that goal slowly, just as you're weaning off the Coke slowly. Baby steps. The gardening you're doing now is perfect. Don't push, because injury will set you back. Slow and steady, and increase time or effort as you become able without pain or getting winded.

 

Finally, don't worry about falling off the wagon (having a bad day and pigging out in bed). Get right back up as soon as you can, keep in mind that these are permanent changes and it is normal to have bad days in life, and keep going with the permanent program.

 

You can do it, and it will improve your life so much!

[GemmaUK]

On top of what xxoo posted which - I agree with all of that 100%.

 

 

Another thing is don't weigh yourself (I know you can't anyway just now but just don't. Also don't check too much to see if you belt can get tighter - just do it up where it does up.

 

 

Instead of any of that just wait until January (I'm giving you the time I gave myself) and see what has changed. Don't gauge yourself weekly or daily.

I didn't weigh myself, tightened my belt and wore the same clothes for 6 months - well 5 months to be honest as some clothes drowned me but I only replaced to totally drowning ones.

One of the worst things to do because it's psychological is to go and buy new clothes and then they fit better but they are tighter so you 'feel like' you have made no achievement at all because if it's a hot day or you did eat a good meal then you feel uncomfortable in your clothes. You just feel like you got nowhere.

Wait to buy new stuff and also don't get rid of all of the old stuff - s'great for yard work in the future!

 

I said above not to gauge yourself weekly or daily.

There is a weird thing I have noticed with myself and with friends who have lost weight.

They can be working on it (and this includes those on fad diets, those who become gym nuts and those who go slow and safe). They kinda 'look' the same for around 3-4 months and then suddenly it's as if their body recognises that the fat isn't there and their shape changes and snaps in.

Sounds bizarre I know!

These are people I see day in day out and myself too - it happened to us all but it takes a few months to hit that bit where you actually really change shape.

 

I know several women at work who follow diets - I've seen their bods do all this and then because they feel good when things all settle into place they start to eat/drink all of the things they used to. They are all currently back up to or bigger than they were when they started.

This is why diets don't work and as xxoo said it needs to be a life change.

My life change was switching from diet/lite foods to real food. I needed less food as I was satisfied with real food and not just plain old food either - just normal stuff.

Yours will be quitting the cola and keeping eating real food but maybe less volume (same as me).

[empresario]

Not sure if someone mentioned this...but most of getting the shape you want is understanding your own body fat.

 

 

The biggest red flag in your description is cutting out fat from your diet. My preliminary guess is you're an endomorph. That means your body is more efficient with fats than it is with carbohydrates.

 

 

My body is the exact opposite. I have to cut out fat in order to get lean. You should work on cutting out carbs. Look into Keto or some other low-carb solution. The good news is, you can eat a lot of steak and bacon! Bad news is...bacon does get old after a while.

[TaraMaiden2]

...bacon does get old after a while.

 

Yes.

Then they call it Parma Ham....

[Radu]

Did grilled honey mustard chicken [boneless leg meat] and the potatoes with little salt in the oven ... basically baked while drenched in water, baked by steam.

 

I need to get this recipe better, but i think that mustard + rapeseed honey + olive oil + oregano + parsley + marjoram + soy sauce + chicken, left to sit for at least a few hs is ... amazing.

 

I know ... 'honey'.

Did not put much, no MSG [that stuff is nasty] and reduced salt considerably with small portions.

Not to mention that rapeseed honey is actually very good.

 

Still about half and half on cola and mineral water.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Radu

[jen1447]

Still about half and half on cola and mineral water.

 

Go cold turkey on that. You could still get caffeine from tea if you're hooked, but IME the need for sugary drinks goes away very quickly and you find them kinda disgusting before long.

 

Good luck Radu.

[Radu]

Not sure if someone mentioned this...but most of getting the shape you want is understanding your own body fat.

 

 

The biggest red flag in your description is cutting out fat from your diet. My preliminary guess is you're an endomorph. That means your body is more efficient with fats than it is with carbohydrates.

 

 

My body is the exact opposite. I have to cut out fat in order to get lean. You should work on cutting out carbs. Look into Keto or some other low-carb solution. The good news is, you can eat a lot of steak and bacon! Bad news is...bacon does get old after a while.

 

Well ... i don't know it all in full, but i do know that carbs make me fat.

 

I liked bacon ... unfortunately the stuff is highly processed and i'm trying to stick with stuff that is as little processed as possible.

Which means meats bought and then cooked at home.

[Hope Shimmers]

Did grilled honey mustard chicken [boneless leg meat] and the potatoes with little salt in the oven ... basically baked while drenched in water, baked by steam.

 

I need to get this recipe better, but i think that mustard + rapeseed honey + olive oil + oregano + parsley + marjoram + soy sauce + chicken, left to sit for at least a few hs is ... amazing.

 

I know ... 'honey'.

Did not put much, no MSG [that stuff is nasty] and reduced salt considerably with small portions.

Not to mention that rapeseed honey is actually very good.

 

Still about half and half on cola and mineral water.

 

Sub out the potatoes for roasted fresh vegetables (non- starchy ones).

 

And get rid of the sugar water (ie, coke).

 

I can't even stand to drink diet soda anymore. It's all way too sweet.

[empresario]

Well ... i don't know it all in full, but i do know that carbs make me fat.

 

I liked bacon ... unfortunately the stuff is highly processed and i'm trying to stick with stuff that is as little processed as possible.

Which means meats bought and then cooked at home.

 

Yup, get rid of all of the carbs. Carbs are an endomorph's worst enemy.

 

 

Also, don't even leave unhealthy options in your house. A quick option is always chosen over a healthy one. Always.

 

 

Here's what I do. I cut/gain between 165-185 (at 6'2'') nearly every 3 months. I'm very good at gaining and losing weight with my body. The only way I can do it is to never put myself in position to cheat. And I understand my exact calories/nutrients I need every day.

 

 

My favorite trick: Call in your groceries. 'At home' you is logical. The person on the couch planning meals is OK buying healthy food. It's the 'at the store' you that makes mistakes.

 

 

I found a grocery store locally that allows you to order online. It's free for orders over $100 or a couple bucks for an order under that. You schedule a time to pick them up. You walk in. You buy. You walk out. You never see food other than what you bought for your diet.

 

 

Try it, it's very effective. And it saves a ludicrous amount of time.

[Radu]

Hmmm, thought i'd better add this because the consensus seems to get rid of carbs, all of them.

 

You can't do that.

The 'all of that type' diets only work in certain situations, very restrictive.

 

I'll explain why.

Most plants have starch, it is a long term method of storing energy [like the long term bank deposit who is left for yrs untouched].

The starch, when eaten is metabolized into sugars.

The body, will produce insulin to combat the effect of sugars in your bloodstream.

 

This is where it gets interesting.

If the starch is readily available [processed grains as opposed to whole grain grains], it is processed faster by the body.

It gets into the bloodstream faster.

The high hits you faster, which also means that the low comes right after very quickly [yes ... the drug metaphor is needed].

Certain things can accelerate this process further, like for instance coffee while others can slow it down [drink warm water before eating].

Also, the faster and easier it is to process by the body, the faster the high is over, the quicker you will be hungry again, and the bigger shock you give to your system.

 

So the whole thing about whole grains is mostly about slow release into the bloodstream.

There are other plants who have slow release, like for instance oats ... which have a steady slow release, and take a while to digest [which is why 2-3 spoons of oats flakes into a good yogurt is actually a very good breakfast].

 

A final thing is that the body needs carbs; it really needs it.

I did the whole 'no carbs' and after a few days i was so weak that i could not get off the bed or keep my thoughts in one direction.

It is not a happy place; i got better after i ate a slice of bread.

The key is slow release of carbs that you need and for these carbs to be as little processed as possible.

Because after all, peas have starch in them [cook them long enough and look at how the sauce thickens] and even green beans have a little ... yet they are not bad for your health.

[Bubberfly]

I honestly think that most of these "healthy diets" is so personal and people tend to think that what works for them works for EVERYONE which is total bunk. Some people need more carbs than others, some people need more protein.

There is no one such diet that is EVIL!!! EVIL!!! Particularly if you're TRYING to eat healthier.

 

What helped me was doing my research on every little thing I ate and always finding the healthy option. I used to nom on pasta, now I occasionally eat 100% wheat pasta (oh nos!! Carbs!!!). I used to eat frozen french fries, now I eat sweet potatoes cooked at home. I used to drink milk, I switched to almond milk (oh and my stomach issues went away!)

If there is a healthier option for any little thing, I opted for that route. Yes, I eat pizza (made at home, I make my own whole what dough and put my own toppings), I eat cookies (I learned to bake paleo treats with.. GASP! Local honey!), I drink coffee (black with no sugar or cream). Carbs carbs carbs!

 

 

I listened to my body, let it tell me what it did and didn't like. I'm perfectly healthy. I've lost 70 pounds eating CARBS!, natural SUGAR!, and protein.

 

Just do your research, read your nutrition labels, and find what works for you personally.

[Radu]

I honestly think that most of these "healthy diets" is so personal and people tend to think that what works for them works for EVERYONE which is total bunk. Some people need more carbs than others, some people need more protein.

There is no one such diet that is EVIL!!! EVIL!!! Particularly if you're TRYING to eat healthier.

 

What helped me was doing my research on every little thing I ate and always finding the healthy option. I used to nom on pasta, now I occasionally eat 100% wheat pasta (oh nos!! Carbs!!!). I used to eat frozen french fries, now I eat sweet potatoes cooked at home. I used to drink milk, I switched to almond milk (oh and my stomach issues went away!)

If there is a healthier option for any little thing, I opted for that route. Yes, I eat pizza (made at home, I make my own whole what dough and put my own toppings), I eat cookies (I learned to bake paleo treats with.. GASP! Local honey!), I drink coffee (black with no sugar or cream). Carbs carbs carbs!

 

 

I listened to my body, let it tell me what it did and didn't like. I'm perfectly healthy. I've lost 70 pounds eating CARBS!, natural SUGAR!, and protein.

 

Just do your research, read your nutrition labels, and find what works for you personally.

 

That's exactly what i'm trying to do and it's exactly what worked for my sister.

 

I haven't given up on Soda yet, in fact use is now at 70% cola [from 50% a few days ago], and i am still slowly losing weight.

I continue to refuse to eat processed foods.

For the past 2-3 days i have eaten nothing but mashed potatoes with butter and milk and chicken done with honey and mustard.

 

And in these conditions of reduced physical activity i am still slowly [albeit very] losing weight.

 

Today i'm starting to make my own tea and storing it in the fridge, i really want to find a way to kick the cola habit.

I'm considering sweetening it with honey.

[Hope Shimmers]

That's exactly what i'm trying to do and it's exactly what worked for my sister.

 

I haven't given up on Soda yet, in fact use is now at 70% cola [from 50% a few days ago], and i am still slowly losing weight.

I continue to refuse to eat processed foods.

For the past 2-3 days i have eaten nothing but mashed potatoes with butter and milk and chicken done with honey and mustard.

 

And in these conditions of reduced physical activity i am still slowly [albeit very] losing weight.

 

Today i'm starting to make my own tea and storing it in the fridge, i really want to find a way to kick the cola habit.

I'm considering sweetening it with honey.

 

You didn't reply to my last message but I'm going to say this anyway.

 

You say you aren't intaking processed foods. You ARE. Because you are still taking in a huge amount of soda a day, which represents a significant amount of your daily calories.

 

You need to research the glycemic index of foods, and choose those with a low glycemic index. Mashed potatoes are absolutely the worst thing you could be eating. Strait, simple carbs. That is NOT what you want. You want to eat carbs in much more moderation, and to choose carbs that have a lower glycemic index (that take a lot more processing by the body). Eating mashed potatoes is pretty much like eating sugar.

[Radu]

You didn't reply to my last message but I'm going to say this anyway.

 

You say you aren't intaking processed foods. You ARE. Because you are still taking in a huge amount of soda a day, which represents a significant amount of your daily calories.

 

You need to research the glycemic index of foods, and choose those with a low glycemic index. Mashed potatoes are absolutely the worst thing you could be eating. Strait, simple carbs. That is NOT what you want. You want to eat carbs in much more moderation, and to choose carbs that have a lower glycemic index (that take a lot more processing by the body). Eating mashed potatoes is pretty much like eating sugar.

 

I don't know the exact glycemic index of foods but i do know in general what is good and bad because i have been involved with dieting at one point or another since i was an infant.

I know what mashed is.

 

As for soda, i wrote in this thread before [page 3 i think] about the effect it had on my mind.

It's not just the sugar but also the caffeine, i had a withdrawal that made me think i was doing stuff derived from opium.

This is both a bad idea [cold turkey] and a bad time to do it since i need my mind intact.

My paper, final paper is due in September, and i am working on it ... i am finishing my engineering degree this yr.

 

I need my mind going, so cold turkey quitting means at the very least 3-4days of unproductive behaviour ... not to mention the fact that it hasn't worked so well in the past.

Not only this, but i've also got a bunch of exams scheduled in September in an effort to improve my GPA [since the grade on my final paper and it's presentation will not be more than 1-1.2 points above my GPA and it is this grade that will be taken into account when I apply for the Masters program].

 

So the only way for me to do it is with gradual removal and replacement of it.

 

----

On the subject of mashed spuds, it is still better than eating fast-food which is what i was doing before.

I said it before, i'm doing the 'least poison' approach.

Atm, the choice of mashed comes from :

- got them around and i don't want them to go bad

- i haven't enjoyed them in a while and it's the first time with the honey mustered chicken and sauce i made [it's very very good]

 

It is not a permanent staple for me, and i will probably cycle to something else in a day or so as i get bored of them.

 

Sub out the potatoes for roasted fresh vegetables (non- starchy ones).

 

And get rid of the sugar water (ie, coke).

 

I can't even stand to drink diet soda anymore. It's all way too sweet.

 

I've never eaten roasted fresh vegetables.

Edited July 25, 2015 by Radu

[xxoo]

I don't like the idea of eliminating carbs. It's unsustainable, for one thing. Something like soda can be reasonably eliminated, but not a whole food group. Most will fail and return to old habits.

 

That's why I like the divided plate idea. Have carbs with every meal, but in a portion smaller than veggies. Veggies should take up half the plate, biggest portion.

 

You should feel good after you eat: satisfied, energized, not bloated or heavy.

 

Roasted veggies are delicious!

[Robert Z]

I don't like the idea of eliminating carbs. It's unsustainable, for one thing. Something like soda can be reasonably eliminated, but not a whole food group. Most will fail and return to old habits.

 

I'm going on five years. Haven't had a piece of bread [or most carbs] since Feb 1st, 2011.

 

Eating a sandwich made with bread would seem weird now. Why wrap good food in crap?

 

 

It is entirely sustainable.

Edited July 25, 2015 by Robert Z

[Radu]

Tried the tea method.

 

Basically, i make a big batch of tea [at the least 1 gallon].

Then i add a little sugar [in the form of honey].

I let it cool down, put it in plastic bottle [Cola 2.5L ones] and put it in the fridge.

 

Worked well today with a smaller batch, will make a larger one tonight.

As a general way to replace Cola [the combination feels good and it looks almost exactly like Cola].