Author Topic: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.  (Read 9519 times)

GuitarStv

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Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« on: February 22, 2016, 06:47:51 PM »
I noticed over the month of January that my weight had creeped up (little OD on the egg nog and Christmas treats in combination with a really bad flu - so no exercise).  I tried increasing all the weights that I usually lift - but that was a no go.  Yep.  GuitarStv was getting fat, not more muscly.  So in February I decided to lose weight the easy way:

- Always exercise while feeling full (if you're hungry, you can't push yourself).
- Keep exercising regularly (my routine is four 45 min - 1 hr weight sessions a week, one or two 35 km round trip bike commutes and one longer ride of about 50 - 75 km).
- Keep the same intensity during workouts.
- Cut all liquid calories out of the diet.
- Replace sweet junk food with fruit (cookies, cake, donuts, chocolate becomes bananas, dates, grapes, mangoes, oranges, etc.)
- Make about 50% of each meal vegetable by weight.  Try to make half of the vegetable portion uncooked.
- Eat more slowly at meals.
- Eat until you're full.

So, three weeks later the results are in . . . today I'm back to 204 lb, and I've lost no strength.  I felt great last weekend doing a 75 km ride in some heavy winds and light rain/hail.  I wasn't ever hungry following the above eating guidelines because I was full after each meal.  I didn't crave sweet stuff because I was eating a butt ton of sweet stuff.  It turns out the secret to reasonably quick weight loss is . . . exercise and a reasonable diet.  Shit, that'll never sell.


:P

MasterStache

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2016, 05:54:14 AM »
What, you mean diet and exercise don't come in a pill form?!?! Blasphemy!

Good job on the weight loss.

GrowingTheGreen

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2016, 06:00:14 AM »
- Always exercise while feeling full (if you're hungry, you can't push yourself).

I've been doing it wrong all these years.  I need to eat a cheeseburger BEFORE I go for a run!  :P

MonkeyJenga

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2016, 06:01:24 AM »
I noticed over the month of January that my weight had creeped up (little OD on the egg nog and Christmas treats in combination with a really bad flu - so no exercise).  I tried increasing all the weights that I usually lift - but that was a no go.  Yep.  GuitarStv was getting fat, not more muscly.  So in February I decided to lose weight the easy way:

- Always exercise while feeling full (if you're hungry, you can't push yourself).
- Keep exercising regularly (my routine is four 45 min - 1 hr weight sessions a week, one or two 35 km round trip bike commutes and one longer ride of about 50 - 75 km).
- Keep the same intensity during workouts.
- Cut all liquid calories out of the diet.
- Replace sweet junk food with fruit (cookies, cake, donuts, chocolate becomes bananas, dates, grapes, mangoes, oranges, etc.)
- Make about 50% of each meal vegetable by weight.  Try to make half of the vegetable portion uncooked.
- Eat more slowly at meals.
- Eat until you're full.

So, three weeks later the results are in . . . today I'm back to 204 lb, and I've lost no strength.  I felt great last weekend doing a 75 km ride in some heavy winds and light rain/hail.  I wasn't ever hungry following the above eating guidelines because I was full after each meal.  I didn't crave sweet stuff because I was eating a butt ton of sweet stuff.  It turns out the secret to reasonably quick weight loss is . . . exercise and a reasonable diet.  Shit, that'll never sell.


:P

Nice! People at work and the occasional friend have asked me how I lost weight over the past year or two. WHAT'S MY SECRET? WHAT GYM DO I GO TO?

Um, I go for long walks and started cooking at home more often, which meant I ate less food, and less crap food, as a byproduct.

Nobody ever thanks me for my brilliant advice...

(This is only about 15-20 pounds over the course of a couple years, so I'm not sure why people expected some amazing crash diet.)

GuitarStv

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2016, 06:36:20 AM »
- Always exercise while feeling full (if you're hungry, you can't push yourself).

I've been doing it wrong all these years.  I need to eat a cheeseburger BEFORE I go for a run!  :P

Eating something small immediately afterwards seems to help recovery.  Based on my records of distance/time on the bike and weight lifted though, they all suffer when I start the workout hungry.  (On the bike, if I go much over an hour without eating something then the under-performing starts.)  My opinion is that eating before is much more important than afterwards.

Arktinkerer

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2016, 07:48:05 AM »
I follow this weird diet.  It works slowly but its really simple--

Eat less.  Exercise more.


Its amazing!

HenryDavid

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2016, 07:48:17 AM »
Eating real food--all that fruit and uncooked veggies--makes a huge difference.
For years, my main food group was "stuff from bakeries" That doesn't work after 40.

I accidentally found out that planning 5-6 small meals in order to avoid ever getting that starving feeling really helps.
Once I get really hungry I tend to go face down in a bowl of something carbo-heavy.
But if I never get ravenous, it doesn't happen.
When I feel the hunger starting i think "well in half an hour you're gonna have an apple and a wee little piece of cheese, so no worries."
The liquid calories count too--a beer or a glass of wine adds quite a bit.

alleykat

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2016, 11:04:01 AM »
That is awesome. Congrats.  I agree, no magic pill.  I think most folks don't want to do the hard work.

MasterStache

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2016, 11:19:24 AM »
- Always exercise while feeling full (if you're hungry, you can't push yourself).

I've been doing it wrong all these years.  I need to eat a cheeseburger BEFORE I go for a run!  :P

Ha, in my more youthful military days, quite often on Friday nights, me and some other gents would start our weekend drinking during our weight lifting sessions. Kind of like smoking while running I suppose.

I hate working out on an empty stomach. I typically eat something before and after. 

fishnfool

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2016, 12:26:25 PM »
Wtg on the weight loss!

Clean eating & exercise is the way to do it. Fat starts melting once your metabolism kicks in.

fishnfool

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2016, 12:31:48 PM »
Drinking 1/2 to 1 gallon of water per day is also key to flushing out those fat cells.

acroy

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #11 on: February 23, 2016, 12:45:33 PM »
...........
 It turns out the secret to reasonably quick weight loss is . . . exercise and a reasonable diet.  Shit, that'll never sell.
that's it in a nutshell!
How very non-consumerist, no business opportunity there.

TrMama

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #12 on: February 23, 2016, 01:21:47 PM »
Huh, I've had similar results while following a similar plan. Not only have I lost weight, but my grocery spending has been unintentionally slashed. Turns out that if you eat less, you buy less food. Who'da thunk it?

3Mer

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #13 on: February 24, 2016, 07:42:56 AM »
- Always exercise while feeling full (if you're hungry, you can't push yourself).

I've been doing it wrong all these years.  I need to eat a cheeseburger BEFORE I go for a run!  :P

Me too!  Seriously though, I am having trouble fitting in workouts because I had been brainwashed to believe it is not healthy to have an intense workout on a full stomach.  And schedule-wise, it is very tough to fit in a workout before dinner for me.  After dinner in the evenings would be most ideal.   Has anyone had experience running/doing cardio on a full stomach?  Will I vomit?

GuitarStv

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #14 on: February 24, 2016, 08:14:11 AM »
Don't know if this is dependant upon the person, but that 1hr between eating/exercise rule never made sense to me.

I regularly swim immediately after eating.  Never had a problem with cramping or queasiness.

I've gone for jogs/bike rides immediately after eating breakfast on weekends and never had problems.

When I was doing BJJ, I used to eat supper from 5:00 - 5:30 before my 6:00 - 8:30 class three times a week.  I've thrown up a couple times from heat (no A/C and hot humid temperatures in a very heavy weight gi plus a lot of exertion), but never had problems with my stomach otherwise.

Maybe it's more of an issue if you eat until you feel like you're going to explode?  If you drink an ass ton of water or liquid before a workout you'll feel it sloshing around in your tummy, which can be annoying . . . so just sip a bit at regular intervals the whole time you're exercising and you'll be fine.

FIPurpose

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #15 on: February 24, 2016, 09:08:29 AM »
I did extremely Low-Carb back when I was really serious about losing weight. Lost about 50 lbs. in about 9 months. Still haven't gained it back.

Low-carb should really only be a temporary diet. It took me awhile to figure that out, but I still wouldn't change what I did. Going low-carb seemed to be about the only thing that helped me break my sugar/carb addiction, and telling myself absolutely no grains or sugars was the only way to do that. Today I am able to eat much more normal portions without having to keep count of everything I do. So I am happy that I can have a side of grain with breakfast these days! :)

alleykat

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #16 on: February 24, 2016, 09:11:04 AM »
As far as eating before working out, I could never exercise unless I ate a good meal. I would lose energy fast. I would wait to digest a little bit but needed to eat.  One of my brothers on the other hand, could never eat and then exercise, he had to do it on an empty stomach.  It is amazing how we are all so different.

horsepoor

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #17 on: February 24, 2016, 09:16:07 AM »
- Always exercise while feeling full (if you're hungry, you can't push yourself).

I've been doing it wrong all these years.  I need to eat a cheeseburger BEFORE I go for a run!  :P

Me too!  Seriously though, I am having trouble fitting in workouts because I had been brainwashed to believe it is not healthy to have an intense workout on a full stomach.  And schedule-wise, it is very tough to fit in a workout before dinner for me.  After dinner in the evenings would be most ideal.   Has anyone had experience running/doing cardio on a full stomach?  Will I vomit?

Working out on a FULL stomach can be uncomfortable.  When I have this schedule problem, sometimes I'll eat half my dinner, go work out or run, then eat the remaining half when I get back.  Bonus:  having that recovery protein post-workout without adding extra calories.

terran

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #18 on: February 24, 2016, 09:44:58 AM »
Don't know if this is dependant upon the person, but that 1hr between eating/exercise rule never made sense to me.

It definitely depends on the person. I need to wait at least a few hours after even a small snack to do strenuous cardio exercise or I get stomach cramps.

3Mer

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #19 on: February 24, 2016, 01:51:31 PM »
- Always exercise while feeling full (if you're hungry, you can't push yourself).

I've been doing it wrong all these years.  I need to eat a cheeseburger BEFORE I go for a run!  :P

Me too!  Seriously though, I am having trouble fitting in workouts because I had been brainwashed to believe it is not healthy to have an intense workout on a full stomach.  And schedule-wise, it is very tough to fit in a workout before dinner for me.  After dinner in the evenings would be most ideal.   Has anyone had experience running/doing cardio on a full stomach?  Will I vomit?

Working out on a FULL stomach can be uncomfortable.  When I have this schedule problem, sometimes I'll eat half my dinner, go work out or run, then eat the remaining half when I get back.  Bonus:  having that recovery protein post-workout without adding extra calories.

Yea. One time I vomited after yoga from eating too much prior.  But I went to a breakfast buffet with my Mom, and don't usually eat much of anything until dinnertime. 

I'll let you all know how the running goes, after dinner, in the evenings.   I like to go beforehand, if I can, but like I said that hasn't been working out.  Ditto for getting up early.   I guess even if I go and just walk fast I am still exercising.   I can gradually train myself to handle this.  Love the idea of eating just half my dinner prior.

Jon_Snow

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #20 on: February 25, 2016, 04:48:29 PM »
I lost 60 pounds post-FIRE. It really is no more complicated than "eat less, move more".

In my case I just ramped things up considerably by eating WAY less (and better) and moving a FUCK-TON more. :)
« Last Edit: February 25, 2016, 04:58:02 PM by Jon_Snow »

mxt0133

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #21 on: February 25, 2016, 05:26:37 PM »
I have to admit I was less forgiving for people that couldn't get the concept of calories in vs calories burned contributed to body weight.  I know it is a complex topic, but the basic concept is simple just harder to implement.

I have friends that EAT.OUT.ALL.THE.TIME and then try to exercise twice a week to try and loose weight.  They try to eat moderate portions by they just can't connect the dots that restaurant food, even if it several levels above fast food, is still made with the purpose to sell more, be flavorful, feel fulfilling, ect.  It is not made to good for your health or control your weight. 

So what to they do, they join Weight Watches, which you have to pay to be part of the program, on top of the food that you get from them, which is much more than a home cooked meal per calorie, due to processing, packaging, and shipping.  The thing is even the food is not as healthy as a home cooked meal because of the processing and preservatives.  So they are restricting their calories which makes them feel deprived.

So what happens, in about 5-8 months, they fall of the wagon and then gain some if not all of the weight back.

I am trying to find ways to kind of lead them to the realization that eating more raw and unprocessed foods will be more effective, and cheaper, than buying the Weight Watchers food.  The thing is for them and some people every meal has to be a feast or an 'experience', which for me was always absurd.  Ever since college I thought how we eating was very inefficient, the time it takes to prepare, cook, chew and swallow was such a big was of time.  People say that buying food is more efficient than cooking, but I disagree, the time it take to go somewhere to eat, order, wait for the food to come and come back home takes just as much if not more time than to prepare your own meal, it's not even including the time you have to work to pay for the meal.  For me eating was mostly a function of calories and nutrients.  I guess that's why oatmeal and salads are my go to meals, quick and nutritious.  Do I like a good steak, spicy dishes, and sweets, sure but having it every meal would be exhausting.




MasterStache

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #22 on: February 26, 2016, 05:42:01 AM »
- Always exercise while feeling full (if you're hungry, you can't push yourself).

I've been doing it wrong all these years.  I need to eat a cheeseburger BEFORE I go for a run!  :P

Me too!  Seriously though, I am having trouble fitting in workouts because I had been brainwashed to believe it is not healthy to have an intense workout on a full stomach.  And schedule-wise, it is very tough to fit in a workout before dinner for me.  After dinner in the evenings would be most ideal.   Has anyone had experience running/doing cardio on a full stomach?  Will I vomit?

I think it depends. Way back before I wrecked my back, I used to be a distance runner, running between 6-8 miles quite often. On weekends I would run as soon as I got up, on a mostly empty stomach. Sometimes I would eat a banana and chug some water real quick. In the evenings I would run right after work, when I didn't have as much food in my system.

Currently I work out with a decent amount of food in my system. But I could never run on anything other than a mostly empty stomach. Personal preference. 

Sweetloveginger

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #23 on: February 26, 2016, 05:44:32 AM »
My husband and I tried the slow carb diet, and it really changed my outlook on food. It really was as simple as swapping out pasta and rice in every meal for beans and lentils more often and we both lost significant weight during the winter months when we usually gain it. We aren't on a diet per se now, but the way we eat has changed for sure.

GuitarStv

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #24 on: February 26, 2016, 06:06:03 AM »
About 14 lbs down now, and if past experience is any indication will have to start increasing calories to avoid dipping below 200 lbs (which is usually when my strength starts to decline markedly while weight lifting).

Getting fat has been a funny experience.  When I was doing boxing and jiu-jitsu six nights a week, it was very difficult for me to stay up at 200 lbs no matter what I ate.  Since there's less time to workout after we've had our son I guess now it will be necessary to pay more attention to food intake.

MasterStache

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #25 on: February 26, 2016, 08:48:59 AM »
Huh, oddly I've always seemed to have the opposite problem. When I stop working out I actually drop weight. I didn't touch a weight for 2 years and dropped about 10 pounds. I started lifting again back in November and have since gained that weight back plus more. Keep in mind I am naturally skinny and have always struggled with gaining weight. I know I know, many folks would kill to have those types of weight issues.

Inaya

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #26 on: February 26, 2016, 01:08:33 PM »
So what to they do, they join Weight Watches, which you have to pay to be part of the program, on top of the food that you get from them, which is much more than a home cooked meal per calorie, due to processing, packaging, and shipping.  The thing is even the food is not as healthy as a home cooked meal because of the processing and preservatives.  So they are restricting their calories which makes them feel deprived.

I was on Weight Watchers for a year because my employer paid for it--not because I needed it. Maybe it was just my leader, or maybe it's been a while since your friends joined WW, but this is the exact opposite of what I experienced.

I've spent my life eating processed crap and not knowing it because I've always had a pretty good metabolism. My digestive system was a hot mess (I had my gallbladder out at 23) and I thought I had IBS. I thought I was an okay eater because I'd eat cottage cheese with fruit and salad for lunch--but pizza, hot pockets, or mac & cheese for dinner, all while chugging down 6+ Dr Peppers a day while gaming.

While I was doing WW, the program introduced me to the value of eating lots and lots of fruits and veg and cutting out sugar and grease. It sounds really obvious, but I think most reasonably intelligent adults really underestimate (and underconsume) the amount of veg and fiber they really need, even if they think they're eating healthy. It's actually not that obvious, it turns out. (It's a lot like consumerism, actually. People spend and spend because they often don't realize there is any other way until somebody shows them.)

It taught me to pick up an apple instead of a muffin. It visually showed me how much more filling 100 calories of real food could be compared to 100 calories of processed food. Sure I bought the silly TV dinners when they were on sale because sometimes I get lazy. And it gave me something I could eat in moderation when my husband ordered a pizza--instead of gorging on half of his Pizza Hut stuffed crust. But I never got the impression that the TV dinners were any sort of long-term replacement for real food. (And the pasta ones were AWFUL.)

Heck it even got me to use the gym in our apartment for the first time after 3 years of living here. The WW program emphasizes exercise almost as much as eating.

After 3 months, it was like I'd traded in my wrecked digestive system for a new one, and I am grateful that I learned all this supposedly "obvious" stuff before my metabolism gave up on me or I had to have another organ removed.

I quit this month because I don't think I can learn anything more, and it's very disheartening having only lost a few pounds (which is all I needed to lose) when everyone else in the meetings seems to be having so much success. And the changed the program recently, and the new program and I don't get along (although from talking to folks, they're having even more success on the new plan, so I'm happy for them).

So I'm not sure why WW gets such a bad rap. It used to be a mess of nothing but pushing processed foods, but that was several years ago. Having my employer offer free WW was one of the best things that happened to me. (Incidentally, I think Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem are still all about processed foods.)

onlykelsey

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #27 on: February 26, 2016, 01:16:20 PM »
I agree that for most people it really is that simple, but living with my soon-to-be ex roommate (for unrelated reasons) has been eye opening.  She eats healthily (I see what she eats for breakfast and dinner, I see her pack her lunch, and she drinks no more than 5 drinks a week), works out 60-90 min daily on average, and she remains my height and 40 lbs heavier.  I don't believe that many people are genetically predisposed to extreme obesity, like you sometimes hear argued, but damned if she doesn't do everything right and still struggle.  My rail thin husband and myself (I'm a relatively athletic size 2) were both astonished when she moved in.

GuitarStv

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #28 on: February 26, 2016, 01:24:21 PM »
What does she do during her 60-90 minute daily workouts?

onlykelsey

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Re: Lost 12 lbs last month following this foolproof method.
« Reply #29 on: February 26, 2016, 01:41:18 PM »
Various things.  She usually takes a couple of long-ish runs (8-12 miles) a week, lifts weights once or twice, and then seems to do spin or other instructor-led classes for the remainder.

Again, I don't think most people can work out that often and eat that healthily (especially pre-baby and at 31) and be obese (and she's definitely NOT obese), but she really does not seem to be able to get to the thin-average range of things.