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zghost
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09 May 2008, 7:19 pm

Try what I do: If you know it's a food that's bad for you and you're just going to eat it all until it's gone, simply don't buy it. I have a few things like that. If I get them, I'll eat the whole box in one day.



EvilKimEvil
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11 May 2008, 12:56 am

It's hard to lose weight and keep it off long-term without exercising. It's hard to avoid losing weight if you are exercising.

I remember you said you don't like gym-type work-outs. I'm the same way. I go for a lot of walks. I have a large energetic dog who motivates me. Before I had a dog, I had no car so I relied on walking as a form of transportation. Walking is easy and it doesn't feel like exercise, but it's actually one of the healthiest forms of exercise there is. I walk about 3 miles a day and I don't have to worry about what I eat.

There are a lot of other alternatives to gym work-outs as well. I think it's important to do something you enjoy. I think that how much you enjoy the activity will make a bigger difference than what it is - if you enjoy it, you'll keep doing it.



Izaak
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11 May 2008, 1:34 am

I thought I'd weigh in (pun intended) to this conversation. You don't need to exercise. As far as fat is concerned the only real thing exercise will do is increase the amount of calories you need to take in to remain at a constant weight.

-------------------
Guide to health
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Timing of meals:
* Eat upon waking, and then every 3-4 hours after that. (basically whenever start to get hungry.) This will keep your metabolism in your "fed" state and the body will take energy from food and fat cells. Wait over about 5 hours and your body thinks famine is about stops taking energy from fat cells and instead starts to use your muscles. Run out of muscle and it goes to internal organs. (that's why fasters (and anorexics) begin to smell of ammonia... their liver is being digested.

Size of meals:
* Take in about 350 calories (average for adult male, you may have to adjust based on personal reaction) every meal. This figure will be adjusted. Start with 350 and if your weight stays the same, drop it to 300 and you'll start losing weight. If you lose weight, keep it at 350 until you reach your goal then up it to 400. Most important aspect is to never eat OVER 500 calories. That is about the point (depending on your system) that the body stores excess in fat cells. Go under about 200 calories and your body doesn't recognise the influx of calories and remains in the starved state of metabolism taking energy from glycogen stored in your muscles.

Water:
* take in as much as you need to remain hydrated. As a general rule your pee should be clear or light wheat colour. For two reasons, lack water and your liver will stop processing fat cells for energy and instead help your kidneys with waste removal. (how do you think your pee gets all the yellow stuff in it in such high concentrations?) Further with a lack of oral intake of water your body uses the water stored in your muscle cells. Muscles are the biggest energy uses so are generally the first to go during famine.


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Content of meals doesn't really have too much of an effect. As a general rule though if you aren't going to pursue a wide and varied balanced diet i'd recommend a multivitamin. Or if you can a visit to a nutritionist (that does blood work) to check on any deficiencies you might have.



spudnik
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11 May 2008, 3:18 am

The best thing is to avoid drinking pop, maybe drink lots of water or green tea, avoid potato chips and candy bars, and make it an imperative to get outside try some yard work, ride a bike, walk or go for a hike in the country, if you have a dog take it with you, they need exercise to. Patrick, your so young don't be wasting your life inside at the computer, you'll end up as a diabetic like me, which really sucks. And eating before bed makes it harder to lose weight, its better to eat smaller snacks during the day, it helps to keep your blood sugar levels stable, and you'll not feel so hungry at bedtime, try cutting starchy foods like potatoes, rice and white bread, try replacing them with smaller portions of complex carbohydrates, like oatmeal for breakfast the non instant type, maybe whole wheat pasta, 1 cup serving for lunch or supper, and just eat more fresh vegetables, your in farming country, and all the farmers markets are starting up in the next few weeks get something you like, it shouldn't be too hard.



Shrubbie
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17 May 2008, 11:49 am

Have you tried weight training? I don't mean necessarily joining a gym but actually getting a small supply of hand held weights and working out using a book or video so that you can build muscle and burn fat. Yes, you can lose weight just by changing the way you eat but don't you want to have firm skin and not bags of fat that jiggle? You can lose weight and burn more fat by weight training about 3 times per week and you can do it in your home plus you'll probably feel better and more motivated once you see that your body is changing.
Good luck!



Chibi_Neko
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22 May 2008, 12:16 pm

pat666rick wrote:
I would walk but due to my Aspergers I have great difficulty leaving my house. This is one reason why I have gained so much weight in the past 3 years (the amount of time I've been living in isolation). I eat excessive amounts of fatty foods. My food usually gets eaten late at night before going to bed. You say that diet is the most important thing though. Is it possible to go on a good diet and lose weight without exercising?


I don't leave my home either, however when I was living home with my parents I would leave the house all the time and walk in the woods behind the house.

Today I have made a routine which is go to work, then the gym, then home. I get off work at 8:30 pm so by the time I get to the gym, it is pratically empty... which is great. I work out for 40min to a hour and then go home. Sometimes I swim at the public pool, and I always swim in the lane that has the least people, sunday is the best day to do it. This summer I am getting my own pool for my back yard so I can swim by myself all the time.

Try the gym! most are open until 10pm (some even 24 hours) go about a hour before it closes and you pretty much have the whole place to yourself, very peaceful.

I don't like crowds and a lot of people. I like seeing movies by myself in the middle of the day when I have the theater to myself and I like shopping at the 24-hour grocery store at 3am when there is no one else there.


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ecky
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23 May 2008, 12:49 am

if you're looking for a specific program, i hate to mention it because it sounds lame, but weight watchers online seems to work well. half the problem when trying to lose weight is consistency, which is why i suggest registering for some sort of program.



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25 May 2008, 2:53 pm

How do I make myself want to lose weight?


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LeKiwi
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25 May 2008, 3:57 pm

I'll also add that I'm doing an experiment at the moment that has been incredibly telling...

I eat a very strict organic vege-and-fruit-and-nut-and-seed-and-occasionally-fish diet - I won't eat anything processed, refined, or full of sugar (certainly no artifical chemicals and sweeteners!).

Now, I was thinking recently about how much sugar is in everything, and how I used to crave it so much, it was like an addiction. So I decided to eat some sugary sweets each day for a week and see how I felt.

I found that after just one day and a handful of sweets, I was craving more. That evening I was seriously craving them. I had the same amount the next day - a conservative amount compared to how much sugar most people consume in a day - and the cravings grew stronger, even though I'd just had some sugar. By now, day five, it's incredible how much my body is craving the refined, sweet poison.


My point is, you're going to have to just go cold turkey on the sugar. You don't need it, and once it's gone from your system - takes about a week to ten days - you won't want it anymore. I take a bite of a chocolate bar these days and feel ill, it's just too sickly sweet. Small amounts of simple, organic chocolate are all I can handle. You feel so much more energised without the sugar, so much cleaner and healthier, less foggy-minded... I can't believe just how strong the cravings are and how addictive it is. It's terrifying. I can't wait for Tuesday when I can go back to natural and detox this crap!


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dawndeleon
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25 May 2008, 5:50 pm

LeKiwi wrote:
The first and most important thing you should be doing is cutting out the processed food. That's all soda, and most things from packets - no additives, colours, preservatives, sweeteners (even though it's bad and needs to be limited, sugar is ALWAYS best unless you have stevia on hand), MSG, nitrates, etc.

Fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, pulses, and fish are your friends. They don't have to be boring either - for example, if you're not keen on fruit try doing smoothies or having them dried (but nitrate and sulfate free). Just be wary of not having tooo much fish as a lot contain high levels of mercury these days, which is obviously not good.

Get creative with the eating! But just cut out the crap for a start, and then start on some gentle exercise, even if it is just around the house. Even walking around the block a few times is better than nothing.



Its true. So true. THe garbage is difficult to give up for a while i know it all too well. Its funny though, the more freshly prepared vegetables, fruits and nuts and legumes the better. It will make you feel better too. Baking is a great way to prepare. I like to cut an acorn squash in half, brush a little olive oil and sprinkle a little salt. Pop it in the oven at 350 farenheit, until a knife can pass through the thickest part easily. THe best part about using the oven is that even those who have limited cooking skills can use one. Vegetables taste incredible when they are slow roasted.



LeKiwi
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25 May 2008, 6:15 pm

They really do! I'm eating a lot of raw veges and fruits at the moment and really enjoying it, too. I find in summer raw foods are great, and in winter slow roasted stuff is so homely and comforting.

People always balk when I tell them I won't have anything processed and out of a packet, or refuse their offers of soft drinks/sodas and sweets, and they ask me "But how do you survive?!" - It's so easy though! It doesn't mean you have to eat boring, flavourless foods and you can certainly eat quick on-the-run snacks. Where they grab a chocolate bar and a bag of crisps, I'll opt for a bag of nuts and a piece of fruit. Where they'll opt for a ready-meal thrown in the oven, I'll grab a salad or reheat a portion of something I've made earlier and frozen - I'm always doing huge curry dishes and stir-frys and freezeable meals and then freezing them in portions to reheat later on. It's easy, and you know what you're eating and what you're getting and it's so much more satisfying, too.


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25 May 2008, 9:07 pm

LeKiwi wrote:
I'll also add that I'm doing an experiment at the moment that has been incredibly telling...

I eat a very strict organic vege-and-fruit-and-nut-and-seed-and-occasionally-fish diet - I won't eat anything processed, refined, or full of sugar (certainly no artifical chemicals and sweeteners!).

Now, I was thinking recently about how much sugar is in everything, and how I used to crave it so much, it was like an addiction. So I decided to eat some sugary sweets each day for a week and see how I felt.

I found that after just one day and a handful of sweets, I was craving more. That evening I was seriously craving them. I had the same amount the next day - a conservative amount compared to how much sugar most people consume in a day - and the cravings grew stronger, even though I'd just had some sugar. By now, day five, it's incredible how much my body is craving the refined, sweet poison.


My point is, you're going to have to just go cold turkey on the sugar. You don't need it, and once it's gone from your system - takes about a week to ten days - you won't want it anymore. I take a bite of a chocolate bar these days and feel ill, it's just too sickly sweet. Small amounts of simple, organic chocolate are all I can handle. You feel so much more energised without the sugar, so much cleaner and healthier, less foggy-minded... I can't believe just how strong the cravings are and how addictive it is. It's terrifying. I can't wait for Tuesday when I can go back to natural and detox this crap!

I wish I could do something like that :(

Its not for lack of willpower though, its just that I live with my parents right now and they balk at cutting out the junk. A lot of the stuff we eat is refined.

But I definately agree with you about the sweets. I don't eat them often, and when I do they are sickening in their level of sweetness.

What I have found is a combination of exercise and healthy eating works best. Exercise will help you burn it off, and healthy eating will reduce the amount of calories and reduce the intake of stuff that can make you feel like crap and sap you of your energy. Also drink enough water, being dehydrated will make you have low energy.



sarahstilettos
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26 May 2008, 3:56 pm

pat666rick wrote:
LeKiwi wrote:
Just walking is good! That's all I do, pretty much. Just walk everywhere, or go specially on walks, as fast as you like. It's better than running. Or is there a swimming pool nearby? That's a great workout and uses all the muscle groups, plus you can do it in your own time on your own and work at your own pace.

Diet is the most important one though. :)


I would walk but due to my Aspergers I have great difficulty leaving my house. This is one reason why I have gained so much weight in the past 3 years (the amount of time I've been living in isolation). I eat excessive amounts of fatty foods. My food usually gets eaten late at night before going to bed. You say that diet is the most important thing though. Is it possible to go on a good diet and lose weight without exercising?


I would guess that you would find this very very hard without leaving your house. Whilst most of us are probably quite reclusive, I think most of us go out a bit? If only for a nice walk by ourselves in the country. If you can't do that, perhaps this is something you should look at first? I feel a bit sorry for you being stuck inside :(

My top tip is this. Buy yourself lots of really nice fruit and vegetables, stuff you'll feel tempted to eat. Like gorgeous little baby plum tomatoes, ramiro peppers, and oriental baby leaf salad! And mango and pinapple and cherries and raspberries! And mange tout and asparagus!

Make about half of each meal you eat a massive pile of vegetables. Then have fruit for pudding. That way you can munch away all you like and you still shouldn't be eating too much.

Someone else has said it I think, but it needs reinforcing - don't have anything you shouldn't be eating inside your house. If people give you chocolates, smile nicely and say thankyou, then throw them in the bin after the person leaves.



LeKiwi
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26 May 2008, 4:32 pm

Sarah, you've just made me really hungry. :(


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traveller011212
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30 May 2008, 2:42 pm

strength training helps as muscle burns more calories than fat, and is much denser. Interval training is one of the new hot topics in ExSSci journals.

Most importantly, eat good food with as little precessing as possible. More veggies and lean meats. Snack on veggies and lean protein rather than simple carbs. Eat whole grains and shun HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). The mayo clinic website has a good gadget that can help you figure out your calories needed to maintain and lose weight dependent on your activity level.

To work out, if you have not in awhile, I recommend buying one of those DVD systems. Then you can work out with others (or at least join an online group) and stay motivated. Also, tell people who you respect that you plan on loosing the weight, and how.

If you do start to exercise do not be shocked if you gain before you lose weight. For further information I go to menshealth.com. I have never heard a bad thing about the abs diet, the belly off program or the 'eat this, not that' guide.