Help Me Lose Weight!

[GFLPraxis]

Hello fellow MRers I've decided that it is time for me to do some stepping-up.

I currently weigh around 225/230 lbs. I am 6'1 (EDIT: and 22 years of age). I am not grotesquely obese, my cholesterol is fine, and the weight is distributed in a manner which doesn't look too bad- people are surprised if I say my weight. Despite that- It isn't healthy, and I want to fix it.


[tl;dr folks can skip this]

I just bought and moved in to my first house In my last two months in my old apartment, I went on a no-fast-food diet- i.e., no limitations on what I eat or how much I eat, but outside of when I'm at a restaurant (not fast food places) with friends, no eating out at all. I didn't lose a ton of weight- I think I got just below 220, maybe 215? But I felt much, much better, and felt that I looked better in the mirror, even in just my face.

However, I got a bank repo and am in the process of getting it fixed up (unfinished upstairs, lots of damages downstairs). As such, I had a bit of time without a working kitchen, and I also started a new job which is very time sensitive (meaning I can't go home for lunch break and cook something, as I was doing before). The result is that I've been eating out again, I'm looking a little flabbier again, and I just FEEL crappier.

[/tl;dr folks can skip this]

My new job also involves a lot more sitting than prior. However, if I can get in a good routine of packing food for work the day before, I can go to the gym here during break after eating for 10-15 minutes.

So what I want to ask for is help developing an eating plan. Something I can bring to work on a regular basis, even at risk of monotony, and not feel bad about. I've been told that eggs every day might be bad for cholesterol...I'm trying to figure out something that would be easy to prepare the night before or morning of work, and that I could stock up on, will be filling, and won't get me fat. xD

Will rice help? Are avocados good, or too fatty?

On a side note: I love seafood. Will minimizing meats and emphasizing shrimp, mussels, and fish (such as salmon) help at all?

Here's what I've got for today:

Breakfast:
2 hardboiled eggs (prepared in the morning)
1 bowl of oatmeal (instant oatmeal I keep at work)

Lunch:
Green bell pepper
Crab/mozzarella cheese/bread to make a sandwich/melt


Yay, nay?

Basically, I want to revise/improve my lifestyle and lose some weight, but I have no idea what I'm doing and would like help forming a plan. Thanks to any replies

 

[barkomatic]

Avocados contain good fats so those are fine. I eat 4 eggs for breakfast every day myself (I lift weights) and my cholesterol is great so far.

Generally, I eat a lot of protein in the form of various lean meats. Meat gets a bad rep because most people think of it as being on a hamburger bun with cheese and a side of fries. That's not the way meat should be eaten. Pork, chicken, even steak paired with a vegetable (NO potatoes in any form) is healthy.

I also eat a lot of vegetables and nuts. I don't eat much pasta, bread or rice--minimizing that stuff will help you lose weight. Cut way back on sugar, sodas, desserts etc. Watch your portions, you can gain weight even eating lean chicken breasts if you consume enough of it.

I'm at my ideal BMI at 39 years old with a decent amount of muscle.

You didn't mention a workout--try starting a cardio/weight lifting routine.

 

[maceleven]

No Cheese ! No Mayonaise No Butter

 

[maceleven]

NO CHEESE !
Plenty of water always have a bottle with 24 7 ,But actually drink the stuff try for a gallon thru out your day and night
NO SODA
NO SWEETS
NO FRIED FOODS not even lightly
Dont eat carbs after lunch
DONT EAT AFTER 7:00 PM PROTEIN AND VEGTABLES ONLY for dinner no CARROTS or CORN

late nite snack has to be protien shake or hard boiled egg

And at least 30 minutes of high intensity Cardio or Physical activity Its a lifestyle .

Be strong make the choice you can do it ! The first weeks are hard ,No Buts.

 

[mscriv]

no CARROTS or CORN

I don't get this. I thought carrots and corn would be okay vegetables to eat. Why the suggestion to stay away?

 

[RawBert]

Maceleven's right. That's the only way to do this. And not just for a while. You have to change your lifestyle for good.

 

[GFLPraxis]

Good responses so far, thanks!

Some notes and questions so far:

- I should have mentioned in the OP, but I'm 22 years old, if that matters for this discussion. Went to the exercise room over lunch just now- I currently weigh 227. I showed a friend of mine this thread, and got this reaction on AIM:

Guy: holy ****
Guy: i didn't know u weighed that much
Guy: wtf?

Like I said, it doesn't show much xD

- More water. I already knew this, but need to implement. I never drink enough water.

- Here's a question- I find I prefer Green Tea to coffee in the morning and just started drinking it. Is this fine?

- OK, so eggs daily are good. Any nutritional difference between eating them hardboiled as opposed to, say, over easy?

- Cheese is bad for weight loss...does that make milk bad? What about cream?

- Pasta is bad...as an Italian, this will be hardest for me. Pasta is my favorite thing to cook, and I make my own white sauce sometimes. But, alright. Special occasions only then.

- I usually substitute olive oil for butter whenever possible (such as when cooking eggs on a pan). Is this ok?

- Why are carrots and corn bad? How is:
* Broccoli
* Artichoke
* Bell Peppers
?

 

[barkomatic]

- Pasta is bad...as an Italian, this will be hardest for me. Pasta is my favorite thing to cook, and I make my own white sauce sometimes. But, alright. Special occasions only then.

Be sure to keep this mentality in check. I've known a few friends who resolved to only eat certain foods on special occasions--but started declaring "special occasions" several times a week.

Until you get your weight to your target I would suggest there never be any special occasions.

 

[maceleven]

I don't get this. I thought carrots and corn would be okay vegetables to eat. Why the suggestion to stay away?

They are very healthy just to much sugar , you could even eat them and fresh fruit , it will just help to loose weight faster ,if you eat them let it be at breakfast or lunch .

Good responses so far, thanks!

Some notes and questions so far:

- I should have mentioned in the OP, but I'm 22 years old, if that matters for this discussion. Went to the exercise room over lunch just now- I currently weigh 227. I showed a friend of mine this thread, and got this reaction on AIM:

Guy: holy ****
Guy: i didn't know u weighed that much
Guy: wtf?

Like I said, it doesn't show much xD

- More water. I already knew this, but need to implement. I never drink enough water.

- Here's a question- I find I prefer Green Tea to coffee in the morning and just started drinking it. Is this fine?

- OK, so eggs daily are good. Any nutritional difference between eating them hardboiled as opposed to, say, over easy?

- Cheese is bad for weight loss...does that make milk bad? What about cream?

- Pasta is bad...as an Italian, this will be hardest for me. Pasta is my favorite thing to cook, and I make my own white sauce sometimes. But, alright. Special occasions only then.

- I usually substitute olive oil for butter whenever possible (such as when cooking eggs on a pan). Is this ok?

- Why are carrots and corn bad? How is:
* Broccoli
* Artichoke
* Bell Peppers
?

over easy are usually fried eggs Poached is ok ,Olive oil is healthy but high in fat , Dairy products are either full of fat or Sugar , cottage cheese i hear is OK ,Pasta will turn into sugar if not burn off the same day try to avoid Pastas and bread after lunch ,all vegtables should be Ok just stay away from the one with sugar after lunch and a Multi vitamin , Coffee and tea are great when working out .NO SUGAR

 

[Jason Beck]

I went from 225 to 130. 45% body fat to 6%. I used to have a 42 inch waist and now it's a trim 26-28 inches. All I did was quit drinking soda, switched to diet, limited my caloric intake to 1500 calories a day, low carbed it, and did a lot of cardio. Diet and exercise is all you need, and it all comes down to how bad you want it. No one can hold your hand. Here are some useful pointers and before and afters of me.

1500 calorie a day diet
low carb
lots of veggies
lots of water
fruit
white meat only (serving should be the size of a deck of cards)
get a gym membership
read about fitness in your spare time
do a lot of cardio. you have to sweat that fat off. like... 5 times a week for 45 mins burning at least 400 calories a session is a good starter point to aim to.
walk an extra 2200 steps a day (that equals 100 calories)
no sweets, have natural good snacks.
wake up early
eat the majority of your calories at breakfast, 4-500, then divide the rest of the 1500 during the day eating 3 more small meals the size of your fist.
1 100-150 calorie snack, low fat preferably! You pick. Just not a candy bar LOL.


Thats how i did it. I started by not even being able to finish a mile. Now I am running 5k 3 times a week and 10k twice a week. I burn at least 500 calories a day at the gym or outside. Yesterday i ran 7 miles outside. It feels good, and anyone reading this can do it too! I used to be the fat kid! But not anymore!

 

[kellen]

Nice plan. Just don't go overboard and set up unrealistic expectations.

Try working out 3 or 5 days a week and packing lunch. Then up the workouts or eliminating more things. I think if you try to do too much, you risk failing.

Also do you drink? Cutting out drinking alcohol like most 22 year olds do would be a great start. Not saying completely but cutting back.

 

[turugara]

There's some amazing advice here in this thread. I personally follow a routine very similar to barkomatic as I am also into strength training. However, the single most important line of advice is definitely:

Just don't go overboard and set up unrealistic expectations.

Plan out a routine for eating and working out. Make sure you stick by it rain or shine. Print it out or write it out in a booklet. Every time you go to the gym and you complete a part of your plan, check it off or something to remind yourself. It might seem stupid the first week or the second week, but by the fifth week or so you can flip back on this booklet or printoff and see all the accomplishment that you have made.

Make a big goal of where you want to end up. Then continually motivate yourself by accomplishing steps along the way. Losing weight isn't about just eating less for a week and losing 5lbs. As the community has said, it's about a lifestyle change. Continually motivating yourself on a day by day basis is one of the best ways for a lifestyle change.

On a final note, take a photo of yourself for your own personal collection. Put it up next to the first week of the routine that you begin. In two weeks take another photo in the same position. Continue doing so until you finish your routine. This way you will be able to see the difference. It might not be so obvious to you when you take your 2nd or 3rd photo, but by the 5th or 6th you will notice a world of difference.

_____________________________________________

P.S.
One of the best resources that I have found on the web for this kind of stuff is this website

http://stronglifts.com/

It'll teach you about nearly everything you need to know about nutrition, losing weight, gaining weight, and living a healthy lifestyle through lifting weights and cardiovascular exercise. Look through it and make your own decision.

Nutrition 101 - http://stronglifts.com/nutrition-101-definite-beginner-guide-healthy-nutrition/

Fat Loss 101 - http://stronglifts.com/fat-loss-101-how-to-lose-fat-fast-with-free-fat-loss-diets/

Why healthy nutrition is important - http://stronglifts.com/why-healthy-nutrition-is-important-and-why-not/

 

[Synchromesh]

While diet is important, imho exercise if more essential. I haven't been watching my diet too much (although I almost never eat junk food or drink soda but I do eat enough microwaved food) but lost about 20 lbs in last few years simply by going to the gym twice a week for an hour. If you do a fair amount of cardio followed by 2-3 weightlifting exercises for shoulders/arms/chest/back it helps you lose weight and sculpt the upper body. My shape changed tremendously since I started, I can easily wear pants that would be killing me just a couple of years ago now.

The most important part is being persistent and just continuing with it no matter what (unless you are very sick or something of that nature).

 

[GFLPraxis]

Definitely a lot of good stuff so far

Also do you drink? Cutting out drinking alcohol like most 22 year olds do would be a great start. Not saying completely but cutting back.

Yes. I moderate myself, and have never been drunk or experienced a hangover, but I do drink socially and have wine regularly (helps me sleep). I also do have a very high tolerance, so I might be consuming enough to add a lot of calories. I can reduce this.

 

[Iscariot]

This is what I do for a living. In all the people I've worked with in the gym I have never seen a single beginner perform a squat (even unloaded) or a bench press correctly.

My best advice is to see a nutritionist and a personal trainer (get a referral for the latter, most are rubbish). If your car is broken you take it to the mechanic, and you spend the hundreds or thousands of dollars to get it professionally repaired. And you can replace your car -- this is the only body you'll get.

My second best advice is to pick up a good strength training book -- stronglifts was mentioned here and is a great resource -- and a good diet book, and living them.

 

[Burgess07]

How about P90X?

 

[Jason Beck]

2 hardboiled eggs (prepared in the morning)
1 bowl of oatmeal (instant oatmeal I keep at work)

You know those instant oatmeal packets are oats, but they are not the *good good* oats. What I do, because I am a sucker for the good flavor of the instant, I also throw a 1/4-1/2 cup of steel cut oats into the mix too. Breakfast is the most important meal so it's okay to have some good carbs in the morning. You want to target around 500 calories for a good decent breakfast, so the 200 calorie ish packet+glass of milk+ 1/4 steel cut oats will put you around 450. Add a fruit for a good quick and easy breakfast good for most days and it is under 500 calories.

No matter how many weights you lift, you won't get shredded that way. You will need to shred that layer of fat off your stomach. The healthy way is around 2-5 pounds a week and combo cardio with light weight training for some good results. You'll get shredded dude. If you are going to do some _heavy_ weight training then you will want to alter your diet accordingly.

I strongly suggest losing a fair amount of weight before getting into bigtime weight lifting. That way you will have your weight around where you want to be, and then you can eat more as you lift more and put on good weight accordingly. Like the other guy said there are some good websites to check out. I really like Men's Fitness Magazine personally. I found those other thick guy magazines just rubbish and big advertisements for MetRX and Hydroxycut type products.

Lose some weight, get good then start really eating and weight training hard. You will see some decent results. Or you could do what a lot of people i see in the gym do.. start heavy weight training now and get really hungry and not be able to resist the craving for food. Your body telling you that you need to eat more to feed these new muscles. Then if you don't do enough cardio you will be just a big muscular fat guy.

Will Smith for example has a great physique. You know what he does? He runs 5 miles a day, eats what he wants, and does light weight training. I personally am not shooting for big hulk status, I am going for lean and fit with a little bit of muscle. Just choose your goals and fight your battles accordingly. Set some goals, stick to them.

I actually just walked in from Gold's just now. I ran 5k in around 17 mins and got on the bike for 20 mins. I walked in the door and before I took my shower I did 100 *good* crunches. Get a good routine. Switch it up when you plateau in a few weeks. *muscle confusion* or whatever the p90x guy says. It really works.

Also get on a supplement. Take some vitamins. Make certain the supplement isn't calorie-laden. Make sure it fits what you are striving to achieve.

Lots of great advice in this thread. You'll get there. If I can do it, you can!

 

[maceleven]

I Agree a trainer to help learn to lift properly and get toned up

probably around ten sessions to teach you a routine and proper technique .

This is what I do for a living. In all the people I've worked with in the gym I have never seen a single beginner perform a squat (even unloaded) or a bench press correctly.

My best advice is to see a nutritionist and a personal trainer (get a referral for the latter, most are rubbish). If your car is broken you take it to the mechanic, and you spend the hundreds or thousands of dollars to get it professionally repaired. And you can replace your car -- this is the only body you'll get.

My second best advice is to pick up a good strength training book -- stronglifts was mentioned here and is a great resource -- and a good diet book, and living them.

 

[iOrlando]

for a normal person your diet is so/so, but not great.


Basically, although you are eating "less" food, the food you are eating is still pretty bad for weight loss.

1) whole eggs aren't great. The yolks are high in cholesterol and provide little value to you when it comes to good stuff. (there have been previous threads on here about this issue going back and forth). Just hard boil them and take the yolks out or go out and buy liquid egg whites.

2) oatmeal isn't great for weight loss. I am referring to regular old-fashion oatmeal. The oatmeal that comes in the little bags is a BIG no no. It has a ton of sugar. Overall, oatmeal is a great weight gainer, good for people who are trying to bulk up after weight lifting etc.

3) Cheese is a no-no. Any kind of cheese is bad, no matter what. If you are worried about calcium, just drink low fat milk.

4) Other then these points, just stay away from a lot of red meat, anything with artificial sugar in it, and eat tons of vegetables and fruit. Liquor is of course out of question. (you can go crazy here and there with a burger, hot dog, etc, but keep it to one time every 2-3 weeks.) Also just as a comparison, I knew few people who are in great shape who drink liquor ( i am referring to daily consumption). The ones that do drink and still have the abs, kill themselves in the gym for hours. Most people dont have the time.

of course I think diet is about 60%. the rest of exercise, and for weight loss, cardio.


btw. 80-85% of people will fail trying to follow this type of diet/routine. You need mental stability and the will-power. I usually suggest therapy before dieting. I live in Miami beach, so that alone gives me some of the kick to stay in shape.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Do research. Eat well. Use common sense. Drink a TON of water. Half your body weight in ounces... So 110 ounces. You will pee a lot but it is worth it. Do a ton of research on it. Google it now... Water and weigtloss.

Want to get serious? Find a gym with les mills group fitness programs. I did and do bodycombat nearly everyday. In three months i have lost 60lbs.

Cardio cardio cardio. Some strength training too. Bigger muscles mean more calories burned 24/7. I do body combat, body pump, and sometimes body attack.

Get someone to do it with you and to help keep you accountable.

Just do it.

 

[0098386]

I gain/lose weight by altering how much walking I do. A dedicated 20k step walk daily has me losing weight. 10k to keep it steady. >1000 to gain. My diet never changes.

 

[Sun Baked]

As Oprah said, you have to relearn to be hungry, and that you are not hungry until you hear your stomach growl.

Most people eat way too much, and eat to be stuffed/full and again when they are not full.

So yes, if you can slowly cut back portions until you hear/feel the stomach growl and can relearn the hungry/full feelings it'll help.

Remember Oprah failed at this.

---

Also they say ditching the big dinner plates and learning to eat smaller meals on those 8" salad plates is helpful. Basically the shrink the stomach idea.

You want to eat smaller meals with vegi snacks or missing dietary items in between, and not skip any.

If you look around, you'll find a bunch of stuff that is low calorie and that you can eat a lot of.

Nothing wrong with eating a little bit of ice cream, but cut the portions down to the 1/2-1 cup and eat it slowly and savor the meal/snack ... the old chew your food has some merit.

Or course the portion size for 100-150 calories on the side will seem pathetically small if you stuff it in a drooling face.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

I have quite a ways to go for my diet to be great, but I'm in good shape because I have a passion for basketball. Do you like any sports/activities in particular? If so, plan your days around that and really get involved.

 

[iOrlando]

although this thread can be helpful, I'm afraid that for weight loss suggestions its one big fail. Not because people are wrong, but because we are all describing what works for us, and which probably wont work for you. There are so many variations in this thread. wow.


as i said earlier, I would probably recommend time with a therapist before a trainer.

I dont have anything against trainers, I just have seen little value from having one. You need to be able to do the proper diet and exercise on your own for any results gotten from a trainer to last beyond your actual time with the trainer. I am not exaggerating when I say I know no one who was able to stay on the diet and regime that a trainer put them on once they stopped going to a trainer.

instead, I know people that began going to a trainer, did their thing. stopping going, gained weight, then realized they had to be in control of their issues and they started to gain motivation of doing it on their own. this ended up being months if not years after the trainer.

plus trainers are crazy expensive.


alot of famous people have trainers continuously, which is very different than normal joes that have a 1-2 month period with a trainer before they just get sick of it, or their cash funds run out.

this same line of reasoning applies to people who use friends or others at motivation to work out. eventually it breaks down and blows up.

 

[MikhailT]

In my last two months in my old apartment, I went on a no-fast-food diet- i.e., no limitations on what I eat or how much I eat, but outside of when I'm at a restaurant (not fast food places) with friends, no eating out at all.

Wrong.

Even if you cut out all the bad food, if you don't watch what you eat, you will never lose weight, period. You can eat all the healthy food you want, you still won't lose weight.

You have to be at a caloric deficit energy level, if your weight maintenance level is at 2000 calories (almost nobody has this exact level, it all depends age/height/activity), that means to be at same weight, you have to eat 2000 calories a day, if you want to lose weight, you have to eat below that level. 3500 lost calorie is a pound lost (not exactly but that's the basic you can go with for now). If you drop down to 1500 cal a day, you'll lose a pound in a week.

So if you do some type of cardio activity (running/walking/swimming) that burns around 200-500 calories per hour, you subtract that from your daily calorie budget. So if you still eat 1500 a day, you can subtract not only 500 calories but also an additional 200-500 calories. So if you burn 1000 calories in a day for a week, that's 7000 calories and practically 2lb a week. That's the healthy goal, no more than 2lb for a guy who is at non-obese weight. Some obese people can burn 3-4lb a week but eventually they'll stabilize over time down to 1-2lb.


The fact is, eat the right amount of food and food that don't contain processed crap. Food cooked at home with wrong cooking oil is still bad for you, because oil can easily add 100-300 calories to any dish if you're not careful.

Drinking a juice drink can add 150-300 calories as well, it is perfectly okay to skip all type of caloric drinks and just drink tea/water only. Coffee is okay as long as you don't add sugars/milk that'll hike up the calories.

Note: it is perfectly okay to go crazy once in a while, as long as you do it once in a while. What I mean by crazy? Going out to eat, eating 2-3 burgers and drinking a milkshake or eating a cheesecake. That's perfectly okay to do it once in a while. You will fail on this diet if you do not treat yourself once in while.

So make it once every two week, do not feel guilty about it, it's a reward for sticking to the diet for two weeks.


Losing weight is pretty easy, it's the diet change and the weight maintenance AFTER you lose the weight that are the hardest. It has to be a lifestyle change, you can't expect to lose ~50lb and keep it that way if you return to the previous diet.

I have lost over 140lb in a year, 40-50lb was easily done in the first four months as all I had to do was reduce the amount of stuff I was eating, cut out all caloric drinks, switch to tea/water only, no food with processed crap (like HFCS). No exercise at all. By sixth month, when I have lost ~70lb, i have started to work out with cardio as it was getting harder and harder to lose weight with the diet change only. Ninth month, i added weight training to build muscle to fill in the loose skin but that'll never go away. 12th month, 140lb total lost. Nobody believed me when I said I was going to do this, they thought maybe 20lb max, so the shock on people's face when they see in person is worth it.

Everything is possible, just keep this in mind.