Nutrition (Losing weight)

[Shoecrew22]

Is anyone a here married to or a nutritionist themselves? Have you ever used one? Have great tips you KNOW work not just what you have heard works?

I am attempting to lose about 40 lbs (mostly beer related lol) before a cruise in July/Aug. and im not a gym buff though im starting to go...

Scott and others help me out...what should I be avoiding and what should i be snacking on, what meals should i be eating (not alot of time to cook).

What should I be doing at the gym!

[Acesfull1026]

save the money you spend on a gym membership... get p90x (whether its burned from a friend or on craigslist or wherever). This is an easy way to lose weight quick and start to build muscle. The reason why i say this is you can do it at home, and it gives you a routine to follow (which i know was the hardest part for me going to the gym... i always just did random lifts with no rhyme or reason and left a lot of muscles out). It also has a nutrition plan...but that is obviously optional.

pm or skype me if you have any questions

disclaimer: i do not work for p90x lol

[Ivan_Drago45]

I'm not a nutritionist but I am an Internist and have lots of patients who deal with weight loss issues.

40lbs in just a few months is really difficult and not overly healthy. You should really aim to lose 2lbs per week.

There are no real "secrets" to weight loss....its simple math. If calories in are less than calories out, you will lose weight. The most efficient way to go about this is to attack it from both ends. Change your diet so you are taking in fewer calories and increase your metabolism to burn more calories.

Diet: Probably the single most difficult part. You should start by finding your basal metabolic rate (just google basal metabolic rate calculator) and this will give you a good jumping off point. This is the amount of calories your body burns just living your normal daily life. You need to arrange your diet so you are eating fewer calories than this number. I recommend shooting for 500 calories less than your basal metabolic rate. The huge majority of your calories should come in the form of lean protein (chicken, eggs, turkey, tuna, lean beef, protein powder) and vegetables. Eat complex carbs (sweet potatoes, brown rice, wheat bread, wheat pasta, oatmeal) with your meals that are earlier in the day. Avoid simple carbs and sugars. Keeping a food diary will help you monitor what you are eating. Try to eat lots of small meals (6-8) throughout the day. This will keep your metabolism up and keep your insulin levels fairly even (insulin drives fat storage so big spikes are bad).

Exercise: This is what will boost your metabolism the most to make sure you are burning lots of calories throughout the day. Any form of exercise can get the job done but weight lifting and cardio work best. Lifting weights will build lean muscle, lean muscle is the engine that burns all of your calories, the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn. Focus your lifting on multi-joint lifts such as bench press, squat, shoulder press, lunges, deadlift. These exercises involve the most muscle groups and will build the most muscle mass. If you have never lifted before, I suggest getting a trainer or lifting partner who can show you proper form so you don't get hurt. Just starting out, I would do 3 sets of 8-12 reps on each of these exercises 3 times per week. Use an amount of weight that allows you to finish each set but would only let you do about 2 more reps. Cardio can be anything from fast walking to light jogging or biking. Start with about 20 minutes 3 times per week and build up to 45 minutes 4 times per week.

I hope this helps some. Let me know if you have an specific questions.

[Shoecrew22]

Ivan great post thank you I will take all this into consideration!


@Chris I had p90x and it kicked my ass, but sold it to a friend lol

[Chipless Wonder]

I like Ivan_Drago45's post. I would have written almost the same things, but much less eloquently.

1. Target

Even one pound per week is a nice solid goal. Two pounds per week is also good, but might be more difficult to stick with once you're past the halfway point. Be sure to make a chart and always weigh in at the same time each week (i.e. Sunday mornings before breakfast).

2. Diet

You don't need to be a nutrionist to have a good idea that eating an entire box of HoHos can't be healthy. One real simple thing that a lot of people can do very easily is to eliminate all pop from their diet. Replace it with juices or even water.

You can reduce your appetite by chugging a glass of water before every meal.

Lots of small meals is definitely the road to increased metabolism. Many people will find six or eight meals each day to be too difficult, but even switching from two to four will make a nice difference.

3. Exercise

You need a nice aerobic workout plan. Figure out what's fun for you and mix it up. Maybe you can run, swim or bike. If you like all these things, try to do them on alternating days. Even 30 minutes per day is fine. 60 minutes per day is better.

By the way, I know at least 20 people who have bought P90X, but not a single person who used it for more than a week.

Good luck in your quest!

[Shoecrew22]

Do you guys recommend certain foods and snacks throughout the day? What are your eating habits?

Certain fruits?
Certain whole foods?
Particular meals you like to make for breakfast/lunch/dinner?

[PaintedHeart]

Buy a pedometer, a simple one. Be sure to get in 10K steps a day. If you have a desk job you will be surprised that you only get in about 5K, which is considered sedentary...walking, race walking, and light jogging at first to build up your stamina. Check out your cable provider, there may be a few exercise programs that you could tune into. Some even provide On-Demand stations. You can pick up versatile weights and accessories at your local store.

Breakfast
Fruit/yogurt at 10-11 a.m
Lunch w/salad
Fruit at 2-3 p.m
Dinner/w veggies
Snack - if needed.

Portion controls - meat the size of a deck of cards, starches and such the other 1/4 of your plate and veggies for the other HALF of the plate!

Avoid Soda - if you can't cut it cold turkey, go down to one diet! Water will be your friend!

If you eat out often, ask to have your meal cut in half and packaged up for you. Consider frozen prepared meals, i.e. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones to help with portion control on the go!

People at my work make fun of me because they say the always see me eating! There is a method to my madness!

Good luck!

[dyehard]

The last time I saw Nick, I was like "Wow! Packing on the pounds!" LOL. I think it was less than a year earlier that I saw him.

I have started the Insanity program. I think it is produced by the same people as P90x. I am currently in my second week. I am actually going to start giving progress reports on my blog. It is definitely hard, but I can feel myself getting stronger already. The diet part on the other hand is impossible (as I finish my gyro, chocolate chip cookie, and Mtn Dew).

Good luck Chubby.

[Shoecrew22]

The last time I saw Nick, I was like "Wow! Packing on the pounds!" LOL. I think it was less than a year earlier that I saw him.


Good luck Chubby.

Yeah haha its a lot of beer and no exercise but im changing that way..used to run 2 miles a day 6 days a week going to get back into that habit. Just ran the Flying Pig Marathon Relay, so gonna eat better and work out harder than I have in the past and try to drop these empty calories ive packed on.

[dyehard]

I was fortunate enough to snag this picture of Nick the last time I saw him and his buddies hanging out.


fat Nick.JPG