Quote :

"haha, I know this is going to come off sounding bitchy, but I have one group of friends that always choose the crappiest (health-wise) restaurants when they want to go out and eat. I don't know if it's just that they're unimaginative or what but I always kind of groan when one of them texts me asking if I want to get dinner with them. It used to be when they would ask me, "Where do you want to go?" I'd say, "Oh wherever is fine," wanting to be polite since I wasn't the one making the plans, but now whenever I'm asked to make a restaurant suggestion I seize the moment to choose somewhere that isn't going to completely destroy my dietary goals "

Let me stress this, your group wanting to go to crappy places is TOTALLY NORMAL. If you went into any random office and followed them to lunch, they'll come up with the usual stuff. Our streets are lined with fast food places because people eat there. Even if your company only gets top talent - doesn't mean they eat top of the line and you will find major bellies among our industry and academic leaders. They are on their way to a less healthy old age, and you don't need to follow them there.

I also graze ferociously during the day. In fact, I've often opted to just cut out lunch in lieu of perpetual snacking.

PRIORITIZE!

Better to snack than get a Coke or Pepsi. Better to snack all day than get that bag of potato chips. Plan ahead for back up options so that the vending machine doesn't win over you.

Identify your weak links, and put in positive alternatives to indulgences that the goal-oriented part of you doesn't want you to indulge in.

--

Read ingredients, avoid trans fats over any substance on Earth. Hydrogenated ingredients means trans fats, 0g trans fat does not.

Hydrogenated-anything =

[Edited on January 24, 2011 at 2:35 PM. Reason : death]

1/24/2011 2:31:54 PM

Quote :

""Also, it takes more calories to digest celery than it actually has in it" This is a great example of why you should not take dietary advice from a message board. Go see a licensed, registered dietician. Dont take dietary advice from a personal trainer either. Most people do not have the education and experience to properly dispense dietary advice. Your success for living a healthy lifestyle will mainly be determined by you dietary decisions, not amount of time spent on a treadmill."

http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/celery.asp

1/24/2011 2:40:56 PM

The workout I mentioned is http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Lifting-Women-Goddess/dp/1583332944 You might be able to find the workouts online but I would recommend getting the book. It's an entertaining read.

Also, +1 for the snack bandwagon. I hate being super hungry, and when I get to that point I will eat any and everything I can think of. I don't always eat snacks, but if I am feeling hunger pangs I better eat one or I will get bitchy, then eat my weight later. When losing weight I do better with the grazing sort of eating too. Just try to make each snack balanced between the macros. Instead of eating an apple, have a boiled egg with a piece of fruit, or Greek yogurt, fruit and almonds or something. I like to take inspiration from the Zone diet with my snacking. Check out a food chart and pick 1P 1C and 1F and that makes a good snack imo.

1/24/2011 2:47:01 PM

Quote :

"Let me stress this, your group wanting to go to crappy places is TOTALLY NORMAL. If you went into any random office and followed them to lunch, they'll come up with the usual stuff. "

aha yeah I know it's normal but it still drives me nuts. Like the one girl has an unhealthy obsession with O'Charley's. I honestly didn't even know that place was still in business until I went there with her a few months ago.

1/24/2011 2:50:27 PM

I imagine O'Charley's is better than most restaurants out there... but still terrible. I've known work groups that flock to Golden Corral. I don't know if there is a single place on the planet worse than that place. I know you know this stuff, but I think perspective is important. Golden Corral is the cloves cigarettes of restaurants - the "kill me now" buffet.

I think the more authentic Indian places typically have very healthy food, and you can sell it to co-workers easy enough.

Sweet Tomatoes is an absolute must. If you haven't been there yet, go.

Irregardless on Morgan is good if you want something snazzy, health-conscious, and pricey (of course).

[Edited on January 24, 2011 at 3:03 PM. Reason : ]

1/24/2011 3:01:24 PM

I think part of making it a lifestyle change is being able to handle going to crappy places once in a while. There are healthy (-ish, at least) options to be had almost anywhere. You just need to learn what they are and develop the self-control to choose the grilled fish over the cheeseburger and fries. Or, sometimes, if you really want the cheeseburger, get it and just don't let that push you into a "well I just ruined everything so now I will order chocolate cake and a bottomless soda because today is already shot" kind of mindset. Eat it and move on. (Bonus points for getting steamed veggies or small salad instead of fries.)

Also, I don't thin anyone has mentioned: SLEEP. Get it. Make that a priority. If you are tired and cranky, it's infinitely easier to just say fuck it and grab a bag of chips than make a healthy snack, or skip your workout for the day.

[Edited on January 24, 2011 at 3:13 PM. Reason : I has bad grammar]

1/24/2011 3:08:24 PM

^Reminded me of fries.... if you can sub in baked sweet potato fries instead of regular fries, your body will thank you. Sweet potatoes are uber uber good for you and delicious. Now of course they won't taste like regular fries so you can't expect them to, but they are a really good alternative. Make them yourself if you have the time (unfortunately sweet potatoes are quite a bit tougher to slice up than regular poatoes).

mrfrog mentioned Indian food too... it's kind of tough to get people into it since it has a negative stigma attached, but considering India has whole regions of their country where just about everyone is vegetarian, they have a lot of options. I'm kind of an Indian food snob.

1/24/2011 3:14:35 PM

My personal rules for sustainable fitness:

1) Get a full night of sleep EVERY NIGHT. Your body needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep. Be sure to get it. Sleep will give you more energy. And, sleep deprivation triggers the production of cortisol, which can cause you to gain weight.
2) Do something active for at least 30 minutes every day. This could be a 30-minute walk with girlfriends. It could be a hard-core spin class.
3) Remember that food is fuel. When you make dietary choices, ask yourself what foods will best fuel your daily activities.
4) Be conscious about what you eat. No mindless snacking. When you eat while working or while watching TV, you're more susceptible to overeating. Be conscious of portion sizes and wait a bit before helping yourself to seconds.
5) Buddy up. Ask your sig other, fam and friends to join you for fitness activities. My friends and I take hour-long power walks a couple of times a week in lieu of happy hour. This saves us money and calories. Also, my boyfriend and I go jogging and go to the gym together on a regular basis. We encourage each other to stay in shape ... and it adds a nice dose of additional motivation.

1/24/2011 3:22:02 PM

Quote :

"Or, sometimes, if you really want the cheeseburger, get it and just don't let that push you into a "well I just ruined everything so now I will order chocolate cake and a bottomless soda because today is already shot" kind of mindset."

lol, yes...

don't entirely agree, but mostly agree:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2kAso3ufRw

1/24/2011 3:26:17 PM

I'm a snack eating son of a gun

One of my faves is peanut butter on an apple cinnamon rice cake... and cheese sticks (not the fried kind)... and oranges

1/24/2011 3:27:48 PM

hahaha, i just put the spoon down after eating some PB

1/24/2011 3:47:58 PM

Quote :

"Being healthy. It's a no brainer. Eat as many variety in vitamins you can with moderation"

How do you eat vitamins? Do you want people to chew on vitamin pills?

Quote :

"cut bad food out of your diet. stick to veggies and such. no cheese no dairy no meat"

So you want people to be vegans? Why is cheese bad for you? Where is the evidence? Why is turkey or deer bad for you?

Quote :

"if you start cutting meat/dairy out of your diet, you'll feel awesome. you'll crap normally and it will feel good. you wont feel like a fatass after you eat. you wont be bloated and have to unbutton your pants."

Oh yeah? Read this from PackMan92 in this thread: message_topic.aspx?topic=607022

Quote :

"I've never felt better, slept better, looked better, lifted heavier, or had more energy as when I was doing strict paleo."

Paleo diet: meat, nuts, veggies, fruits (no grains, no beans, no dairy)

Also, see this: http://www.rd.com/health/how-to-limit-your-carbs-and-lose-weight/

[full article in print edition... whatever's in this link is quoted at bottom]

Quote :

"Also, cut out all snacks."

Perhaps if someone asked advice for losing weight (even then, perhaps). You don't have to lose weight to be healthy, unless you are majorly overweight. Snacking nuts, vegetables, fruit, yogurt, as often as you want, is fine.

http://www.rd.com/health/how-to-limit-your-carbs-and-lose-weight/

Limit Your Carbs and Lose Weight

Quote :

"Eric Westman, MD, who directs the Duke Lifestyle Medicine Clinic in Durham, North Carolina, and who cowrote The New Atkins for a New You, has been studying low-carb diets for 12 years and believes they (and not low-fat ones) are the key to losing weight (a position that more and more evidence supports). His five guidelines: 1. Don’t Try to Limit Fat. “Eating high-fat foods keeps you from feeling deprived,” says Dr. Westman. Bacon, cheese, heavy cream, sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, butter, and oil are all healthy parts of a low-carb diet. 2. Say Goodbye to Pasta, Bread, and Rice. To lose weight, most people have to stay under 20 grams of “net” carbs per day (net carbs refers to the number of grams of carbs minus grams of fiber, because fiber doesn’t send blood sugar spiking). That rules out bread (two slices contain about 24 grams of net carbs), rice (over 40 grams in a cup), and pasta (about 40 grams per cup). Once you hit your goal, you can slowly add in more carbs that don’t have a big impact on blood sugar. 3. Be Picky About Vegetables. Starchy (carb-heavy) vegetables—most of the ones that grow underground, as well as corn—are off-limits. But you can have up to four cups daily of leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, and collard greens. Limit broccoli, cauliflower, green peppers, okra, and Brussels sprouts to two cups per day. 4. Say No to Hidden Sugars. Fruit, that legendarily healthful food, is packed with sugar, aka carbohydrates. So are fruit juices. Other concentrated sources include soda, cakes, and candy. You may be able to keep diet sodas, light beer, dry wine, and sugar-free sweets on the menu and still lose weight. 5. Eat as Much as You Want. When it comes to protein and fat, “you don’t have to use portion control,” says Dr. Westman. “Your hunger will go down automatically when you start eating this way—all you have to do is stop eating when you’re full.”"

Read the full article in this month's print issue... cover has 2 cooked eggs and bacon and says "Eat This, Lose Weight... The New Science of Dieting".

1/24/2011 4:37:00 PM

Also this: http://www.rd.com/health/the-myths-of-losing-weight/

The Myths of Losing Weight

Quote :

"Put down that bag of baked potato chips and listen up. Gary Taubes, the author of Why We Get Fat—and What to Do About It ( http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-Borzoi/dp/0307272702 ), has some controversial opinions about the reasons Americans are obese (33 percent of us are—up from 13 percent just 40 years ago) and how we can slim down. According to Taubes, a science writer who studied applied physics at Harvard, these commonly accepted truths just don’t stand up to the evidence: Weight gain is basic arithmetic. The more calories you shovel in, the fatter you’ll get. The truth: “You don’t get fat [simply] because you are overeating.” You get fat, says Taubes, because your overeating—specifically what you are overeating—has led to a disorder in the way your fat tissue is regulated. You’ll lose weight if you just eat less of what you’ve been eating. The truth: “Diets don’t work because you adjust your energy expenditure to match your reduced intake. Studies in animals show that if you restrict energy intake, their cells actually burn less energy.” Hitting the gym five days a week will turn you into a lean, mean, fighting machine. The truth: “The more energy you expend, the hungrier you get,” says Taubes, who adds, “When you look at the data from the research on obesity and exercise, there’s no compelling evidence that exercise has any effect on weight.” Eating less fat will help you shed pounds. The truth: “Fat isn’t the enemy. Easily digested carbs are.” Fat-free yogurt, plain baked potatoes, plain pasta—they actually reset our physiology to make us pack on the pounds. “The reason is that refined carbs raise your insulin levels, and insulin is the primary hormone that regulates your fat tissue,” he says. So what is Taubes’s solution? A low-carb (not low-fat) diet. And to those who say dietary fat causes heart disease, Taubes says that on the contrary, the evidence now shows that low-carb diets not only improve your cholesterol profile, they lower you blood pressure and your insulin levels to boot. Plus, they make you feel satiated in ways carbs don’t, which means you eat less. So go ahead and order that baked potato slathered in sour cream. Just be sure to have them hold the potato."

So we have 2 experts who are saying the enemy is not fat/meat, but starches. And more and more evidence is piling up in their favor.

And working out is also a very poor way of losing weight.

Eating a high fat/protein/meat diet not only makes you lose weight, but you also don't have to watch portion sizes.

1/24/2011 4:44:16 PM

Quote :

"you also don't have to watch portion sizes."

not true for people who eat for reasons other than hunger

1/24/2011 4:54:39 PM

Quote :

"It consists of foods available before the start of agriculture: meat, fowl, fish, vegetables, fruit, and nuts. Absent are grains, dairy, legumes (beans, peanuts, etc.), alcohol, processed foods (obviously), artificial anything (obviously)."

I would like to phrase a response in a nicer way, but really, the Paleo diet is stupid.

Why? Because the recommendations are either
- Known by common knowledge
- Not healthy

And the problem, endemic to virtually all diets that people sell to the American public, is that it somehow purports to have just figured it out. But the recommendations do NOT align with what we know to be the healthiest in some cases. It does in most cases, so people can go on it, feel great, and then expose the benefits of the secret formula that could have been obtained just as well following common sense.

eats
meat - this tends toward suggesting eating a lot of meat is good for you. it is not
fowl - better than you for beef, someone on this diet would never know that
fish - way better for you than the first 2, again, someone on this diet would never know
vegetables - ding ding ding, the simple advice buried in unhelpful junk and rhetoric
fruit - a so-so food
nuts - also just so-so, neither one of these are as good as greens

don't eats
grains - we all already knew this
dairy - reducing animal products in general helps health if you start from a Western diet
legumes (beans, peanuts, etc.) - very unhelpful advice, some of these are bad but beans should be a staple in a healthy diet
alcohol - in moderate quantities there are far more studies showing a positive effect than a negative effect, there is no reason to include this in the list, it should read "more than a drink a day"
processed foods (obviously)
artificial anything (obviously) - we all already knew these

The diet has a lot of things right, but so what? It's not choosing the foods for the right reasons. You should select things based on strength of evidence for them, not on this warped criteria. The heavy quantities of meat is going to make a lot of people worse off. This is an unhelpful diet plan. You would do better reading this thread up until a few posts ago than reading that book.

1/24/2011 4:59:41 PM

<---- currently eating apples and brie

1/24/2011 5:09:56 PM

1/24/2011 5:29:51 PM

I love Brie!!

1/24/2011 7:26:26 PM

Quote :

"Oh yeah? Read this from PackMan92 in this thread: message_topic.aspx?topic=607022 "

uhh yeah. ive been off of meat since last March or so. still "new" at it compared to folks who've done it for years. but i can tell yah i feel so much better and healthier and dont feel like im eating shit. same goes with dairy. and its not just me. a few people around me have also cut it out and feel the same.

so yeah, this isnt some shit "ive read on the internet".

and i do do the paleo diet. just without meat and with (some) grains and (a lot of) beans (i like to fart).

btw, i never said it was meat/dairy was "bad" for you. but it sure as hell isnt good/meant for you.
all im saying is that if you switch your lifestyle, you wont regret it.

[Edited on January 24, 2011 at 10:00 PM. Reason : ]

1/24/2011 9:58:53 PM

Quote :

" Eat as Much as You Want. When it comes to protein and fat, “you don’t have to use portion control,” says Dr. Westman. “Your hunger will go down automatically when you start eating this way—all you have to do is stop eating when you’re full."

yes. be very careful with this. not everyone has the same satiety center...although theoretically we all should.

and imho

Quote :

"Get a full night of sleep EVERY NIGHT. Your body needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep. Be sure to get it. Sleep will give you more energy. And, sleep deprivation triggers the production of cortisol, which can cause you to gain weight."

a to the freaking plus plus. this is HUGE in my book....but some people can go on less sleep better than i




the thing is you gotta try stuff out and see what works for YOU.
people can quote studies all day long and while they may be efficacious....you still need to find something you dont have a problem ticking too

1/24/2011 10:07:15 PM

For the record

People with Prader-Willi Syndrome actually don't have an ability to sense when they're full... They literally become obsessed with eating

[Edited on January 24, 2011 at 10:16 PM. Reason : This is also a very small percentage of the population]

1/24/2011 10:15:54 PM

Quote :

"STOP DRINKING SODA"

[Edited on January 25, 2011 at 1:11 AM. Reason : .]

1/25/2011 1:11:24 AM

Quote :

"do do"

1/25/2011 1:21:41 AM

Quote :

"fruit - a so-so food nuts - also just so-so, neither one of these are as good as greens"

The "so-so"'s are just false. There are hundreds of studies showing powerful benefits of eating fruits and nuts. Studies on blueberries have been nothing short of phenomenal when it comes to rejuvenating degenerating mice brains and un-hardening arteries. Some of these latest fad fruits such as mangosteen, goji, and acai have much much higher ORAC values than blueberries, and once Western scientists start doing studies on such fruits, it will be a revolution.

Nuts have multiple benefits that vegetables can NEVER give you. Monounsaturated fat, which doesn't pack on pounds, lots of minerals, satiety, and protein. And they have been shown to be extremely beneficial for the heart and brain in ways that most vegetables or not.

Quote :

"btw, i never said it was meat/dairy was "bad" for you. but it sure as hell isnt good/meant for you."

Even though meat and dairy maybe not good for you overall (which IS hotly contested), they do HAVE benefits which have been shown in studies (this is NOT contested). Yes, those benefits can be derived from other foods, sometimes with difficulty (iron, for example). Anyway, people can decide if they want to eat meat/dairy or not.

However, not "meant" for us? Dairy, no, not meant for us. But what about meat? It has been consumed since time immemorial, and we have teeth that both herbivores and carnivores have. We are omnivores, so you are wrong in that regard. We ARE MEANT to eat meat. Still, as I said, people can decide if they want to or not.


[Edited on January 25, 2011 at 5:34 AM. Reason : ]

1/25/2011 5:22:33 AM

I uh... Yeah. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and rarely exerciese anymore.

I guess I got lucky with the genes.

1/25/2011 5:57:25 AM

Lest someone accuse me of being a caveman/Atkins/Paleo rager: I eat mammal meat about 1-2 times a month and bird meat 4 times a week in the form of a very thin pulled chicken wrap (a shawarma).

Quote :

"mrfrog: neither one of these are as good as greens"

Forgot to say this in my previous post.

As for them being not as good as greens, well that's just an unscientific statement that's your opinion, and it is nearly impossible to prove it either way. At the very least, you would have to have 3 groups of at least a 100 young people each, with identical diets except that in one group there would be greens but no fruits and nuts, in one nuts but no fruits and greens, and in one fruits but no greens and nuts. Then you would have to follow these people for decades until they all die or fall prey to degenerative diseases. That's the minimum. Ideally, you should have several groups of a 1,000 or 10,000 young people each, so you can try combinations of 2 of those 3 food groups as well, and even choose or not choose specific nuts/fruits/greens within each group.

Needless to say, you would have to adjust your results for other factors (smoking, genes, exercise, etc), or better even, choose all non-smokers, exercisers (or non-exercisers), people of one ethnicity, etc.

As I said, nearly impossible to do.

1/25/2011 6:11:36 AM

how bad is this for you...i'm sure it is bad...

whole wheat wrap
black beans
1/2 a packet of taco seasoning (i know, sodium, but still otherwise the rice and beans are like flavorless)
brown rice
avocado
a little white crumble cheese
cilantro
cucumber
tomato

i'm guessing it'd be better to eat it all sans the wrap in a bowl or something. but overall is this better than like a cheeseburger and fries?! or pizza? or box macaroni and cheese haha?

i like it because it tastes good...and it is easy to take the leftovers for lunch. :/

4/6/2011 8:01:42 PM

^ why would it be bad for you?

vegetables
whole grains
beans
a little cheese

that's like the poster child food for health food. needless to say, not for people who think grains/beans are bad for you (paleo), but that's a tiny tiny minority.

4/6/2011 8:12:10 PM

that was my thinking but i see so much arguing on here about what is/isn't good for you, that i'm all sorts of confused.

4/6/2011 8:51:26 PM

So I didn't read anything in this thread, but here is my two cents:

Eat whatever you want. Don't exercise except for the occassional run. That's what I do and I am reasonably fit.













Super high metabolism sold separately.

4/6/2011 9:02:33 PM

that is how i was until about a year ago. then i seriously put on like 20lbs in less than 4 months. i don't know what happened...nothing really changed eating or exercise wise.

4/6/2011 9:05:11 PM

pregnancy?

^^ whatever you want? how about eating a pound of sugar daily and nothing else?

4/6/2011 9:07:30 PM

if i was pregnant then the baby would be here right now hahaha

def not pregnancy. not all ailments and body changes in women are due to pregnancy lol

4/6/2011 9:08:52 PM

Well, I started my change when I made this thread and I'm down 21lbs soooooooo I'm doing something right.

4/6/2011 9:09:35 PM

^ DANG!!!

that is how much i wanna lose. but 10lbs first.


anyway you go! we need some before and after pics of this transformation!!! that is pretty incredible. what kinds of changes did you make?

4/6/2011 9:11:12 PM

SHIT

YOU SOMEHOW INGESTED/INHALED/TELEPATHICALLY IMPORTED THE 20 POUNDS THAT KIWI LOST!!!

4/6/2011 9:12:05 PM

hahahaha

i think i must have

4/6/2011 9:12:25 PM

Congrats! How do you feel?

4/6/2011 9:12:37 PM

Thanks y'all.

I've cut out all fast food, I'm working out 4-5 days a week with 30mins cardio and 30 mins strength each day, taking vitamins & protein, and watching what I am eating each day at caloriecounter.about.com.


I feel aweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesome! I have so much energy, it seriously bugs me to sit still too long, I'm stronger, I'm looking better, sleeping better at night, happier, basically feel fantastic and I am nowhere near done so here's to more!

KADWACKLE want some more??!?!?! I got plenty~!

4/6/2011 9:27:23 PM

NO THANKS!

i just wanna get rid of 20 and i'm good

but it is going to be hard

4/6/2011 9:28:32 PM

I have no idea what this thread is about...but I just wanted to tell everyone I have lost 14lbs.

4/6/2011 9:30:17 PM

omg congrats

DAMMIT i gotta get on this weight loss train like RIGHT NOW.

4/6/2011 9:30:58 PM

send it over to my house next

4/6/2011 9:31:45 PM

lol

it's hard at first but once you get into the swing it's addicting.

4/6/2011 9:34:11 PM

awsome guys!

im probably indefintely "stuck" at my current weight (give or take 5 lb) , unless i wanna get super unhealthy about it...

im fine with it though- its not bad. now im just trying to change the composition and thus size

4/6/2011 9:37:17 PM

you people

4/6/2011 9:40:49 PM

LOL

4/6/2011 9:41:26 PM

^^HAHAHA

niiiiiiiiiice

[Edited on April 6, 2011 at 9:41 PM. Reason : DAMMIT BOBBLE]

4/6/2011 9:41:33 PM

Quote :

"im probably indefintely "stuck" at my current weight (give or take 5 lb) , unless i wanna get super unhealthy about it.."

Same here although I keep trying.

4/6/2011 9:46:40 PM

same here

set em up

4/7/2011 11:36:19 PM