Weight loss - nutrition advice?

[Shock Wave]

I used to really read into what the Pros said in between sets at the gym. After training for years to get decent results by following what they recommend, you quickly learn that they are heavy roids-users and anything they say should be taken with a grain of salt.

.... so true. It's important to understand that professional bodybuilders are not models for healthy living at all. The fact that they eat healthy foods is entirely incidental. These people will do anything to grow, regardless of whether it is healthy or not.

[iamfishman]

For the first time I have really been serious about losing weight.  I lost 7lbs in the past month.  I really want to encourage all of you to continue and stay positive.  We can all do this if we continue to support one another.  Please keep emailing PIP and letting us all know about your personal successes.

[Dr. Sylvan]

FYI: Ray's the only one to email in so far. :)

[Matt]

I worked out today, but forgot to weigh myself.

[Bram]

Phil: I'll start from the 11th of march onwards. I have an important test (my very last exam!) on that day, and I tend do binge eat the week before that while studying. I'd hate to have to send you a negative number the first time around

[kl0wn]

http://www.milksucks.com/more.html?c=1203

Doug, this is one of many sites that sheds light on the problems associated with dairy products. You can Google up another bunch if you're skeptical. Read some of those letters and you'll find Bryce's claims to be well defended.

I absolutely LOVE it when people do my research for me. Thank you.

Now, as for this weight loss "contest":

Firstly, it shouldn't be about weight loss, per se. It should be about mass loss, considering that weight is the result of your mass and/or density interacting with gravity and muscle is more dense than fat. That, and who gives a flying nun how much you weigh as long as you can't hide things in the rolls of your stomach? Yeah, I used to be able to do that, way back in the day. It was fun at parties, but ultimately the women were disgusted and I had a tendency to go through boxers too frequently due to the old "kissing thighs". Gross, huh?

Secondly, I must concede since, being a mere 165 lbs, I would probably disappear if I lost any of it. However, if anybody would like to hold a "mass gain" contest, I'm down. I'd probably lose that too though. Being a lanky, scrawny-ass white boy is no fun I tells ya.

[Bram]

Firstly, it shouldn't be about weight loss, per se. It should be about mass loss, considering that weight is the result of your mass and/or density interacting with gravity

Yes, thank you for that enlightening bit of information ;-) I am indeed not interesting in merely reducing my weight by moving to, say, another planet (or a different location on this one with a slightly lower gravitational accelleration constant). It is indeed mass loss that concerns me :-P

That, and who gives a flying nun how much you weigh as long as you can't hide things in the rolls of your stomach?

Eventually, if the mass loss is high enough, the rolls will go away. Granted, this is not the optimal procedure, and combining a healthy diet with excersize will yield more satisfying, better-rpoportioned and more 'permanent' results, but the fact remains that as long as you eat less calories than you use, you will lose weight until you either lose all he fat you want, or die :-P

[Matt]

Today at the gym I weighed myself for the first time in a long time...at least since November. I was kind of afraid to check, I didn't want to be disenchanted. Last I checked I was around 320 lbs., so I set the big bar to 300.

And it was too heavy!

Rounded to the nearest five, turns out I clock in at 285. I haven't weighed that in years. I am extremely encouraged. Then I went to my friend's and played some karaoke video game. You may imagine me singing if you like.

[Shock Wave]

Today at the gym I weighed myself for the first time in a long time...at least since November. I was kind of afraid to check, I didn't want to be disenchanted. Last I checked I was around 320 lbs., so I set the big bar to 300.

And it was too heavy!

Rounded to the nearest five, turns out I clock in at 285. I haven't weighed that in years. I am extremely encouraged. Then I went to my friend's and played some karaoke video game. You may imagine me singing if you like.

That's awesome Matt. Keep it up!!  

[Bram]

Way to go Matt! This motivates me, too.

Besides, my exam is wrapped up, so I'm starting this thing as of today!

[Matt]

Update: 281, on the same scale as before. I can tell just by looking that it's working - I can see the veins on the back of my hands, and other little things like that. I suspect cutting out juice was the largest single factor.

tick tock tick tock

[Dr. Sylvan]

Congratulations! It's amazing how much difference it can make; keep up the great progress.

I'm making smaller gains from 232 to 225, but hey, it's in the right direction. :-)

[iamfishman]

Hey all.

First of all, @Matt...super congrats man...keep it up...we are all behind ya.
@Bram...Good luck brotha.  You can do it.
@Pip...sounds great...it won't happen overnight...but you should be quite proud of your progress so far


As for myself, I'm down to 196 from my starting point of 207.  My goal is 180 by the end of the summer.

My secret: TACO BELL.

I kid you not.  I am like the Jarad of Taco Bell.

The other week I ate there 15 times in one week.

How am I losing weight, then, you ask?

The trick is WHAT you eat.  Long gone are my days of 10 tacos.  I now get a diet soda (or bring a bottled water) and get One(1) Zesty Chicken Bowl, with NO refried beans, made Fresco Style.  This ends up being a bowl of rice, grilled chicken, lettuce,tomato, and onions.

#1) It is delicious
#2) It is healthy
#3) It is filling

My regular day involves
Piece of fruit + Glass of Water + Occasional Bagel type food in morning
School lunch + Side Salad + LowFat Milk + Orange Juice for lunch
1-2 Taco bell trips in afternoon/early evening
Exercise for 1 hour 3 times a week

Anyone who wants to try this unique diet is more than welcome.

[Outlaw]

Well guys this is all pretty amusing to me. Your all trying to loose weight and I am trying to gain it!  If any of you know who I am (Ray and Bryce can attest) I am a skinny 120 lbs punk with a metabolism through the roof.  I have recently gained a personal trainer and have been put on a massive protein diet (yeah nothing like you sickos are thinking..)  which consists of 4 servings of whey protein a day plus the milk thats in it (roughly 100g of protein) and then massive amounts of eggs / power bars with high protein in them.  I have already noticed a difference in my muscle mass, along with working out for 3-4 days a week for roughly 2 hours a day helps out.   I'd suggest to all of you to stay away from sugar and saturated fat, and try and go running or jogging in the morning, also do not eat before you goto bed.  Your body doesnt have the ability to metabolise the food that you just threw down the hatch.   Also with more exercise and drinking lots of water (this is also a very good secret) you can find yourself loosing weight and sleeping better and better each night.  G'luck guys!

[Matt]

My usual day:

Breakfast: two (small) packages of instant oatmeal, 1 apple (Gala usually but this week it's pink lady. Both are delicious. I wish I could find honeycrisp apples again).

Then after classes I come home and have tuna, either with stir fry vegetables or in sandwich form. I add some cheese to alleviate the dryness of canned-tuna-in-water. I also have a glass of V8 or orange juice. This is around 2-3 PM, after working out (immediately after classes).

At some point later, usually around 4 or 5 I have...something else. It varies. usually some form of leftover my mom sends me each week. This week I have applesauce and shrimp fried rice and goulash.

And later around 8 PM I have something small, maybe a couple spoonfuls of yogurt or something.

I try not to eat much bread. About a loaf a week, which means 1 sandwich per day.

OH and this week I have mint iced tea that was leftover from the potluck our cooking club put on. That stuff is insanely good but I know it has sugar added so I need to stretch it out.

[Anusien]

A question and a comment.

First, caffeine is bad for you, especially if you're not getting enough water in your diet.  Caffeine is great, but it dehydrates you.  Soday is at the absolute max of what you could have after exercising; any mroe and you risk some sort of condition (similarly, no Epee pens because they contain stimulants and risk actual cardiac  damage).  Caffeine also has you crash.  Exercise releases endorphins to stimulate you enough.

Question: What have you all heard about Gatorade, and sports waters of that ilk?  I never really believed their claims about helping you exercise (CalorieKing is here: http://www.calorieking.com/foods/category.php?category_id=6876&brand_id=385&partner=).  I just know that it was not water but not as bad as coke to refresh me after a long swim.

[kl0wn]

Just to revive this thread and chime in with my progress:

Since my original posting on March 4th, my weight has shot up from 165 to about 180. I've been on a similar diet to Outlaw's, minus the dairy products and whatnot (about 4,000 calories and 150 grams of protein/day) AND with the addition of eating before I go to sleep. Outlaw, I have to disagree with you on the eating before bed thing, it's been working VERY well over here. How else are you going to protect your hard-earned muscle from being broken down during those 7 or 8 hours?

At this rate, I hope to become truly massive and capable of frightening men of normal size by the end of the summer, at which point I will dye myself green, shred my pants and run around posing as the Incredible Hulk.

[Outlaw]

I've been on a similar diet to Outlaw's, minus the dairy products and whatnot (about 4,000 calories and 150 grams of protein/day) AND with the addition of eating before I go to sleep. Outlaw, I have to disagree with you on the eating before bed thing, it's been working VERY well over here. How else are you going to protect your hard-earned muscle from being broken down during those 7 or 8 hours?

Bryce, I totally agree with what you said.  My point with not eating at night would be for those fellas that are trying to loose weight, not gain it like you and I.

[Shock Wave]

It's been a while since anyone posted their progress. How are things going for everyone?

[Matt]

Not so well, I've been busy with finals and graduation stuff and have only been to the gym once in the last two weeks. But now finals are basically over so I'm going today.

[iamfishman]

I am now down to 192 from 207(15 pound difference for the math challenged) since I started my taco bell diet.  I think its time to contact there head office and get in some comercials ala Jarad-style.

[ELD]

I'm in decent shape now, (especially for a magic player) but the best shape I was ever in was due to hitting my heavy bag.  I was freaking lean like you read about.  I love hitting the heavy bag and the speed bag.  It is a great fat burner and it creates muscle.  The most important aspect of it is simple. I love to do it.  If you're going to really have fitness as a part of your life, you need to enjoy it.  Finding ways to enjoy work outs is the only way to make it a permanent part of life.  Anything else and it becomes a journey or a goal.  That is not what it's about.  It's about changing your lifestyle into something that ultimately keeps you healthy.  For now I've been going to the gym 3 times a week with my fiancee.  I can't wait to get back to the heavy bag, but I can't put one up where I live. 

To put it in magic terms, it's not the life totals that matters, it's the board position.  Being at 20 doesn't matter if you're looking at lethal damage.  It doesn't matter if you're young and have a good build if you're eating like an idiot and drinking instead of excercising.  You'll end up old and out of shape. 

Don't get discouraged.  If you feel frustrated, remember that you're headed in the right direction. 

[Dr. Sylvan]

I am bringing back this mega-dead thread with the update that I lost ten pounds over the summer, bringing me down to 216 (98kg for those in countries with sensible weights & measures). I credit shifting roughly 250,000 books at the UIUC Library with this gain, as well as this new thing called "muscle" that my arms have recently acquired. (It can't have been my diet; I'm pretty bad about spreading out my calories throughout the day and have made only meager efforts to avoid sodium.)

And now I have a scuffed-up but mechanically sufficient bicycle available to me on campus. Let's see if I can stick to using it.

[Bram]

Congrats!

Good time for starting it up again, by the way. I was going 'the wrong way' again (being far too heavy to begin with...) so I began a strict diet again four days ago. I've already lost 2.1 kg (don't worry...I realise that much of this early succes is due to water loss). I'm doing the same thing I did when I lost all that weight years ago in the first place:
- 1500 Kcal intake per day. A well-balanced, healthy diet including enough vitamins etc. spread out neatly over the day so that I can keep it up without problems.
- swimming 50 laps each morning
- spending an hour on the driving range each afternoon (OK, this is probably more to improve my golf skills than it is abotu losing weight, but then again: any form of excersize helps)
- playing racketball twice a week

I've been neglecting playing sports for well over a year now, which is the primary reason behind my weight gain. I already feel better now that I started it up again!

What motivates me most by far is a really complicated excel sheet I put all the data in. I drew it up so that I can basically enter my age, height and weight, how much excersize I do and how much my calory intake is, and it produces a nice second-degree polynome that accurately predicts my progress. My goal is to have my actual weightloss graph remain strictly under the theoretical one :)

Only 20 kg (44 lbs) to go....I should be done in a little over 6 months!

[Dante]

...
- spending an hour on the driving range each afternoon (OK, this is probably more to improve my golf skills than it is abotu losing weight, but then again: any form of excersize helps)
...

don't forget that the "trunk rotation" skill parts of sports like that (i.e. hitting a golf ball, hitting a baseball, etc) are great for working unused parts of the abs (i.e. the first baseball practice of the year, you always end up hurting in places you'd forgotten you had!).  Just don't forget to workout the "opposite" side somewhat or you'll be "lopsided" (i.e. the muscles will get developed asymetrically).  for example, if you swing a gold club right-handed, when you're done, take 30-40 swings on the opposite side - you don't want to actually use a ball or anything since that would mean the opposite club - just going through the motion to work the other side....

[kl0wn]

190, now. Getting a little flabby, but I couldn't care less. I'll worry about that stuff when I'm over 250. Strike everything I've said before about anything; after much studying and research, my eyes have been opened.

I am growing some savage rock-hard manboobs over here. I can't wait until I have mancleavage.

[Matt]

The phrase is "couldn't care less." 

[kl0wn]

The phrase is "couldn't care less." 

Unless you're being sarcastic, which is always how I've intended the expression. Kind of like "yeah, I could care more...but I don't". Perhaps I should just start using that instead of the other one, since it's less likely to put the "moron" stamp on my forehead. Old habits die hard.

[Matt]

If you 'couldn't care less,' then that means you have some positive, nonzero level of caring left in you. Which I suspect is just the opposite of your intended message.

[Bram]

Hey, that's pretty interesting, though fully off-topic.

I always assumed it would be 'could NOT care less' since that's the only way it makes any kind of sense in the context of which the expression is used. However, after reading internet boards (though arguably not the most comprehensive source of information on grammar, spelling and the like) and watching dozens upon dozens of American-made movies, I concluded I was wrong, and that the expression, for some unfathomable reason, is 'I COULD care less.'

And now you shake up my world once again. Man, I'm so curious as to what the answer to this riddle is that I might actually google for it, were I not so lazy.