It's time to do something - But what? I need to loose weight

CurtisMaximus

https://www.yahoo.com/health/the-9-best-flat-belly-superfoods-107903809938.html

 

Good luck!

bbqlearner

Eat more veggies is definitely the best advice. And eat way less carb (to the minimum - no bread, noodle, pasta, rice, corn, potato, etc.). Your food intake is crucial to losing weight I think (much more than exercise although exercise helps too). Started on this lifestyle change in Sept 1, 2014.

Have lost 48lbs so far (from 220 lbs to 172 lbs) in less than 5 months.

robnybbq

Nice job on the 48 lbs lost.

Pasta is another tough one but will try to limit to twice a month instead of multiple times a week.

Little Steven

bcsnave said:

Buy bigger pants..you don't have to worry about it..

Seriously....stay off the sugar (all of it) not bread or pasta, no beer,.... drink 1 gallon of water a day, eat lean meat and vegtables...

Do it for 1 month and you will be down 20lbs

NO BEER? I'd rather have the heart attack.

Carolina Q

robnybbq said:

Pasta is another tough one but will try to limit to twice a month instead of multiple times a week.

Try spaghetti squash instead of pasta. It's not pasta, but it's not bad. I had some for the first time a few days ago. With my usual pasta sauce. Will definitely do it again.

Takes longer though. About 45 minutes in the oven. You can nuke it, but I've never tried that.

robnybbq

We do have spaghetti squash form time to time - it's OK and works sometimes.  That would be a meal we could nuke to reheat with sauce.  Dont know about freezing it though.

We also started liking cauliflower mashed potatoes and cauliflower rice from time to time and I dont mind them.

Its the earthy green veggies I need to work on. 

- Brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, corn, brussels sprouts (only me), Okra, spinach are all good (hard to egg)
- asparagus once in a while - not a huge fan - same for peas.  Bell peppers if mixed in something - not a fan of them raw or by themselves.
- Greenbeans for example I find harsh and bitter and I do not like them.


Oh yeah - beer is a problem.  I enjoy drinking a few times during the week.  I am also a vodka drinker but that is allot of calories as well.  I have cut back lately but I can not see not drinking at all.  I need some sort of stress relief.

DMW

robnybbq said:

We do have spaghetti squash form time to time - it's OK and works sometimes.  That would be a meal we could nuke to reheat with sauce.  Dont know about freezing it though.

We also started liking cauliflower mashed potatoes and cauliflower rice from time to time and I dont mind them.

Its the earthy green veggies I need to work on. 

- Brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, corn, brussels sprouts (only me), Okra, spinach are all good (hard to egg)
- asparagus once in a while - not a huge fan - same for peas.  Bell peppers if mixed in something - not a fan of them raw or by themselves.
- Greenbeans for example I find harsh and bitter and I do not like them.


Oh yeah - beer is a problem.  I enjoy drinking a few times during the week.  I am also a vodka drinker but that is allot of calories as well.  I have cut back lately but I can not see not drinking at all.  I need some sort of stress relief.

For me what I need to watch when drinking is snacking. It was really easy to go grab a bag of chips or pretzels and before I knew it, half the bag was gone. I've started portioning snacks to have with drinks - before starting to drink. Once my bowl of pretzels is gone, I'm done snacking.

Carolina Q

Never had okra. Bought some a year or two ago, but they went bad before I could bring myself to try them.

Peas... Buy a bag of frozen. Defrost in water and drain. Sauté shallots or onions in oil, then add peas and a little water. Serve with a squeeze of lemon. One of my favorite veggies.

gamason

Cook your green beans in a little low sodium chicken stock. Helps with the flavor

GATraveller

Take someone to Disney World.  I had my kids there last Sunday and by the end of the day my pedometer read 22,353 steps which equates to 14.27 miles  

robnybbq

HAHA Been there many times.  yes its a long day there.   We were there for 15 hours one year- Insane.

gdenby

robnybbg

I have to agree w. you that eating meals from restaurants is probably a bad idea. At the least, one is likely to get portions far larger than necessary. And more likely, there will be a huge amount of sugar, poor quality fat, and way too much sodium.

Once I started to do home cooking, I began to notice first how salty mass produced food tasted. Then the sugar and flavor enhancers became noticeable. It hasn't been all that hard to learn to cook, but as you note, the cost in time can be high. Also, really good ingredients can be both hard to find and more expensive. For example, I recently found a vendor at the farmer's market who sells celery, but it is twice as expensive as what I usually find at the market. But I found that the local celery stayed fresh 2 times as long, and tasted much less bitter than mass produced celery. The same is true for many of the vegetables I get at the farmer's market, but I have to drive 5 miles to get to it on the days it is open. I have a supermarket less than 500 yards from my house, so I convince myself that it is at least a good thing to walk to it and lug a bag of groceries home a couple times a week.

Good luck in keeping your weight in check. For me, the magic bullet is simply not eating unless I feel genuinely hungry. The satisfaction I feel from satisfying that hunger is much greater than that I get from just a full belly.

And I have to remind myself that eating almost a whole cherry strudel in one sitting is a really poor idea.

JNJGoeders

ummgood said:

JNJGoeders said:

HI. I am Jasmine, and I am a Wellness Therapist in Iowa.  Counselling people on nutrition and exercise is part of my professional career.  Let me say Congrats on taking the first step, which is acknowledgement.  

...

You have a journey ahead. Embrace it, or it will be hell.  You can do this!

Jasmine you are awesome for offering your services for free!  That was very kind.  I previously lost 180 pounds and gained back 100 and am now trying to get it off.  I would have been blessed by having someone to help me with questions so I really think you're awesome for offering this.

I am hoping to be back down to 200 by my 40th bday in October.

@ummgood> I am happy to help! I wish you the best at meeting your goals! 

jtcBoynton

robnybbq said:

It's time.  I have been saying it for years but this is getting out of hand.  What is an easy way to get into loosing weight without starving myself or going crazy.  I do not like most veggies and I have a pasta issue (eat too much of it).  Not a huge fan of chicken either and especially plain grilled chicken - bleh.

Would like to cook some meats that can me reheated all week as well. 

Dont say exercise as that is mission impossible (for now).

robnybbg You need to lose weight slowly, 1-2 pounds per week max. Faster than that and your body will think you are starving and go into energy conservation mode. You can fight your body for a short time, but over the long term you will lose - and you will not lose weight. Your body will not miss the one pound per week and you will not feel like you are "starving myself or going crazy". Start making better choices about what you eat, how much you eat, where you eat, and your activity levels. Don't go for the 'Best' choice in all things all at once. Too big a change in your lifestyle will feel like you are depriving yourself and your family and has a low chance of success. Start with smaller better choices. You will find that the small changes are satisfying and the cumulative effect will be significant (think compound interest). As the better choice becomes your new norm, just keep making better choices upon better choices. For example. If you normally get the triple patty cheeseburger with super sized fries and soda, getting the side salad with no dressing would be the 'Best' choice. However it would be completely unsatisfactory and you would go back to the burger real soon. A 'better' choice would be to get the double patty cheeseburger. It's a small improvement but you would not miss the third patty and it could quickly become your new norm. Then make a better choice upon the better choice and change the fries from super size to medium. New norm and then repeat. After a while you will look back and realize you have made some major changes. Small incremental steps will be easier than one major jump.

TN_Sister_State

For low calorie smoking I use this rub on my chicken thighs and drumsticks injected with Franks Hot sauce. Inject as much as you can of franks and sprinkle this rub on then smoke or grill. Its great both ways. This way you get to use the BGE and cut calories by not using sugar in the rub. In this rub adjust the salt to taste.

Dry Rub 2 T kosher salt1 Tbl mild chili powder1tbl chipotle chili powder2 Tbl paprika1 Tbl garlic powder1 Tbl onion powder2 tsp cumin2 tsp oregano1 tsp allspice

KiterTodd

Long thread which I didn't read all of, but maybe someone finds this tip useful or amusing...


My wife had dinner with a friend last week who was visiting from Sweden.
She said her and her husband are on the 5/2 diet.  "It works and it's very popular back home."
You eat whatever you want for 5 days in a row, and then for 2 days you only eat 500 calories a day!

Sounds interesting.
I'm sure you can google it and find out the scoop, but figured I'd share it as it is not one I've heard of before. 

robnybbq

I went and got a Fitbit.  I am not tracking how much activity/sleep I am getting. 

I have also started entering meals into MyFitnesspal but will take allot of getting used to as I what I enter is not what I believe I am eating in terms of calories.  Some meals say its only a few hundred calories and I know it has to be allot more.  These are premade meals that I am eyeballing and not measuring as I dont have a scale/measuring tools as work and I dont know what;s in the meals as far as additives or whatever.  I dont know how to get the close amount of calories/nutrients in meals form restaurants/deli's.

My steps per day are form 2,000 - 4,000 average with the high being 6,000 on one day.  Basically I am doing nothing.  Got to try to add more movement.

Wife has made some weight watcher approved meals but I am eating 2-3 portions instead of one  and still hungry.

biggreentom

I too battle with my weight and over the last 10-12 years have gone from 290lbs to 240lbs and am now in the 255lbs range, and dropping.

This is my third, and hopefully final, push as my goal is to hit and stay at my target weight range of 200-210lbs.

I have tried cleanses, etc... and those never worked for me.

The first time, and where I saw the biggest drop, my doctor had me on a great plan where I ate so many portions of certain foods a day.  All foods, carbs, protein, etc... and exercised for 30-45 minutes 5 times a week.  The exercise was anything that got my heart rate up and made me sweat.  I had a Gazelle elliptical at the time and found that easy to use in front of the TV while watching my favourite shows.

The second time I had a lot of success I kind of fell into it.  I had read a bit of a book called Wheat Belly and decided to try eating wheat/gluten free.  I ordered gluten free pizza, bought gluten free pasta, burgers, etc...  I very quickly lost 15-20lbs without exercise.  Then I decided to keep it up and started running.  However, I hate running.  Even though it was very effective for the weight loss it was hard to stay motivated.  I never intended the wheat/gluten free eating to be permanent so when I started running I quickly gave that up.  Unfortunately when I gave up running the weight started creeping up again.

This last time I am being smarter about what I eat in terms of portions and types of food (IE: no bagel sandwiches for breakfast every morning).  I also got a FitBit and then upgraded to a Microsoft Band and have started walking everyday.  I do about 6K steps everyday on my lunch hour by going for an easy hike at a nearby conservation area and then I do an additional 5-7k each night walking the dog.  Combined with my regular, normal, activity throughout the day I am normally able to hit my goal of 15K steps. 

The weight loss is not quick with this method, but it is steady and much easier to make part of my routine.  I still make pizza on my egg 2 times a month.  I still eat pasta, and all the things I love.  I just do it smarter.  It's kind of a combination of what I learned from my doctor and what I have found works best for me.  I find the Microsoft Band/FitBit a great tool as it helps me challenge myself.  FitBit also allows you to compete with friends in terms of steps which was an amazing motivator for me.

robnybbq

My plan (this week) is to try and discover new meals and tastes that are healthy and fill me up.  To also find meals that I can be made in a bigger batch and frozen as individual portions that can be nuked when we get home for dinner.  I will be trying these meals indoors on the stove/oven for now and when spring/summer rolls around adapt them for the Egg.

Hopefully I can make these recipes good and can share something good with the forum.  While I would love to make a brisket, some pork butts and ribs - those days are gone.  When I discover some good recipes I may even try and get a Mini-max so I can cook at home faster and for less amounts as well.

gdenby

robnybbq said:

My plan (this week) is to try and discover new meals and tastes that are healthy and fill me up...

As I've said recently, I'm not doing so well just now keeping my weight stable. But the "fill me up" I think is part of the problem. Americans have gotten so used to being stuffed. Feeling well fed when the stomach is crammed is not the same thing as being satisfied. A decent way of dealing w. this is eating lots of greens, and veg for the feeling of bulk. For myself, it works better to just eat less, and let my stomach shrink.

Consider the following. Seems like adding some tasty butter to a meal isn't a heart problem. Note, tho', European butter is often cultured by lacto-bacilli for flavor, not like most American butter that is salted for the same flavor effect.

Good flavor via fat in the food may not be a problem.

Found a recipe a few days ago for "hash brown" celeriac root. Crispy is good. Seems like worth trying. Maybe rutabaga might work too.

JNJGoeders

Some food for thought (pun intended)... 3500 calories = 1 pound ... SO, if you want to lose a pound, you have to create a 3500 caloric defecit.  HOW you determine this is to figure out your BMR (Base Metabolic Rate) and then eat less and exercise in equivalent to up to 7000 calories (2 lbs per week)  This is generally a safe rate of weight loss, though often in the first few weeks of weightloss effort, you can lose substantially more than this safely.  That is usually water weight, and a metabolic shift taking place.  It doesn't last longer than a few weeks, so don't panic. Enjoy it really, cuz that's the easiest it's gonna come off...

So, in essence, it really doesn't matter WHAT you eat, it matters how many calories you eat.  The qualifier here is that when people begin to "diet" there's usually more of an interest in getting healthier, not just losing the weight.  So, that is where WHAT you eat comes into play, and realistically, what you eat dictates how far the calorie allowance you have will stretch.  You can eat MORE healthy things for LESS calories, which creates the caloric defecit that will ultimately result in weight loss.  Plus, by making healthier food choices, you really do get healthier, so it's a win/win.... there aren't many of those in life

Legume

Looks like a great weekend of egging. I'm just going to leave this here.

DMW

Don't do what I just did tonight. Just sayin...

veewt

The secret is simple.  Quit stuffing your egghole so god damn much.  Stop drinking fruit juices and give up beer for six months. It's not that hard.

veewt

Additional post.  It doesn't matter what you eat - just eat less of it.  It's a mass balance - that's it.

Check this out: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/

Lesson: you can eat whatever the hell you choose - just quit eating so god much of it.

biggreentom

I've lost about 30lbs over the last few months just eating less and eating smarter. Cheating a little some weekends, but only some.

Spaightlabs

@robnybbq - it's been 2 years - if you moderated just a little and lost .5 lbs/week (calorie reduction of 1700 cals/week, 250/day ( a snickers bar...) you'd be down 50 lbs, which is substantial.  If you lost a pound a week, BOOM, down 100.

How is your progress going?  Not to shame you, just to point out little changes over time make a big impact.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The second best time is today...

Lit

I was up to 212 a couple months back the heaviest I have ever been. I started bringing my lunch and dinner to work. I usually eat my dinner around 4-4:30 and then don't eat after that. I still drink plenty of beer and liquor and I was down to 190 Saturday morning. I just ate a brisket sandwich and have a meatloaf sandwich for dinner. Eating late is what really kills you. Also if you have a Costco account they sell the pre cooked all white meat rotisserie chicken so I get that a lot and a huge bag of the frozen organic veggies.

jonnymack

My weekend diet is terrible. I can't shake this last 10-15lbs I need for optimal weight. 3 young boys means steady diet of pizza, burgers and cookies. I generally eat pretty clean and the BGE has made skinless chicken breasts easy to make for the whole week and quite tasty all things considered. I can swing weight down but one bad weekend and BAM! all weight back on. I'm pretty determined though and still plan on hitting my "15 in '15" target by the end of the year.

r2davis65

There's no shortcut. Eat less and move more.