The Diet Thread

[NUance]

Here’s the deal. I’ve been on a diet the past six weeks and done reasonably well—not great, but I'm a bit trimmer than when I started. So far I've dropped 13 lbs. I’d like to lose 10 more. But I’m stuck. I need some new ideas/tips for dieting. I’m heavier than I was in college, but I'm not fat by any means—I’m at 200lbs right now (6’3” tall). but I feel like I have a stubborn layer of belly fat that just won’t shed. I’m looking for dieting suggestions to help me shed another 10 lbs.

 

Here are some of the things I’ve been doing:

 

Meals

• I don't have a rigid diet in place—In general I’ve just been eating less. I skip the occasional meal when I’m not too hungry.
  
• Sometimes I’ll have salad only for a meal. Although I do indulge myself with ranch dressing on my salad, which I realize defeats the purpose of having a salad to some extent.
  
• Sometimes I’ll make a meal out of two or three helpings of frozen corn or peas that I heat up in the microwave.
  
• Sometimes I’ll eat a bowl or two of breakfast cereal for lunch or supper.
  
• I don’t eat any potato chips or fast food at all (e.g., McDonalds is verboten)
  
• (This one is funny): When I do eat a regular meal I use a smaller plate to eat off of. Instead of using a regular sized dinner plate, I’ve switched to a smaller side-dish plate. Sure it's silly, but it helps me eat less.
  
• I drink a beer or two or glass of whiskey just about every evening. I’ve switched to Bud Select 55. Ehh, it’s not so bad. I don’t think there’s a low cal whiskey, so not much I can do sans abstinence.
  

Other Food habits

• When I drink soda (occasionally) I’ve switched to diet soda.
  
• Snacks: I snack at work—impossible to quit. So I’ve switched to carrots, raisins or dates, sunflower seeds, and the occasional apple.
  
• I drink a LOT of coffee and iced tea. I don’t think there’s many calories in this.
  

Exercise

• This is probably an area I could improve on. I walk about twenty flights of stairs per day, and generally walk the dog a mile or so. But don’t have a regular exercise regimen in place.
  

Anyone got any diets that have worked for you? Or eating suggestions?

[bennychico11]

Congrats on where you've gotten to now. It ain't easy but really is just a mind over matter type of thing.

The belly fat you want to get rid of really is going to have to come from tightening up your diet a bit more and adding some more exercise to your daily routine. Particularly some cardio.

 

Food wise, more fresh vegetables and lean proteins (chicken/fish)...and less starches and sugars. This includes bread. That's the hardest for me, because it seems as if every meal takes a bread or high carb product of some sort. I lost a lot of weight when I just started watching the carbs I was putting in my body. This INCLUDES beer and whisky, which I know is proabably even harder than just bread products.

For breakfast, skip the cereal and go with egg whites, turkey sausage, protein shakes (with low sugar content), fresh fruits, etc.

Lunch, chicken salad with low cal dressing (greek vinaigrette is a good option). Tuna sandwiches on whole grain bread or pita/tortilla...leftover grilled chicken from the night before with some steamed veggies

Dinner, another lean meat, fresh veggies, baked potato minus all the unhealthy fixings, salad, healthy beans.

Snacks you're doing well on already. Add a protein bar, turkey jerky (although this stuff is pricey), almonds, etc.

 

And of course, portion control over all else. Just get your body used to less food. And by less food, I mean less calories than probably you were used to consuming. Still consume the recommended daily calories. Probably around 1900-2000 calories for you if you want to lose about a 1lb a week.

 

If you increase your exercise just a few days a week, that will help even more. And drink more water!!

 

Okay, my $.02. Of course, do as I say...not as I do. I'm not the perfect specimen GL

[Minnesota_husker]

If you have a smart phone, i would suggest "MyFitnessPal" App. Or you can also just do it on your computer.

 

It helps you track how many calories you're consuming and burning. I have been using this quit heavily and have lost about 3 pounds in a couple weeks.

 

I lost about 25 pounds a year and a half ago and then put on about 15 of it back on and now am down to 236.. which would put my 3 pounds away from where I was at my lowest a year or so ago.

 

 

Plan is to get to about 200 for my wedding in a year... but 215 by December. I am watching how many calories i put in my body, and playing basketball daily(mainly cardio- 1-1 to burn calories)

 

 

I think the biggest problem with diets is the fact you do it for a short period of time and then quit.. I am just trying to improve my lifestyle...

 

 

Good luck NUance and anyone else trying to make yourself healthier!

[huKSer]

• I don't have a rigid diet in place—In general I’ve just been eating less. I skip the occasional meal when I’m not too hungry.
  
• Eating less was a key for me
  
• (This one is funny): When I do eat a regular meal I use a smaller plate to eat off of. Instead of using a regular sized dinner plate, I’ve switched to a smaller side-dish plate. Sure it's silly, but it helps me eat less.
  
• Heard that someone bought a house built in 40's or 50's and his plates didn't fit in the cupboards - Plates have actually gotten bigger!
  
• I drink a beer or two or glass of whiskey just about every evening. I’ve switched to Bud Select 55. Ehh, it’s not so bad. I don’t think there’s a low cal whiskey, so not much I can do sans abstinence.
  
• I cut back on alcohol to every other night or so (weekends probably make up for it though) or use beer as my gatorade after cutting the grass so it cancels
  

Other Food habits

• When I drink soda (occasionally) I’ve switched to diet soda.
  
• I stopped drinking pop 10 or so years ago - this and portion control was #1 and #1a
  
• Snacks: I snack at work—impossible to quit. So I’ve switched to carrots, raisins or dates, sunflower seeds, and the occasional apple.
  
• If you have a hankerin' for something to eat, but you can't put you finger on it, drink a glass of water - you are actually thirsty
  
• I drink a LOT of coffee and iced tea. I don’t think there’s many calories in this.
  
• If you don't put anything in it - I drink lots of black coffee.
  

Exercise

• This is probably an area I could improve on. I walk about twenty flights of stairs per day, and generally walk the dog a mile or so. But don’t have a regular exercise regimen in place.
  
• Ditto
  

Anyone got any diets that have worked for you? Or eating suggestions?

 

 

Fad diets don't work - eat everything, just less of it. I lost 17-ish pounds (but I started at 155, I'm shorter than you obviously) Don't know how old you are but until I was 40 I could eat ANYTHING. Afterwards - no more seconds or thirds. Then I turned 50, and I have to watch my portions. By the time I hit 80 I might be eating one rice cake a day.

[irafreak]

I hear the anorexic diet works...

 

In all seriousness the sugars in your sodas and the excess caffeine affect your body's metabolism. Biggest thing is count the calories and the fat ratio. I only have trouble gaining weight but I'll tell you I can gain weight on a 2500 calorie diet if I don't stick to around 15 grams of fat for the day. Count up everything you eat for a week or two and track the calories and fat (protein and carbs would be ideal but not as vital if you don't want to put that much time into it)....this will give you an idea of how much you really eat and soon you'll be able to just do the math in your head as you learn what each thing is for calories.

 

After you know, try to cut down your calories by 250-500 for a week or two and trim that fat down. See how your energy levels are and drink that water for proper hydration. A lot of factors figure into our weight...sleep, stress, etc.... but watching what you put in and slowly adapting your body to it are the best ways to stick to your ideal weight.

[gobiggergoredder]

Weight Watchers is the only thing that works long term

[MLB 51]

You could move to Missouri and get on the meth diet. Seriously though, you seem to be headed in the right direction.

[Moiraine]

Weight Watchers is the only thing that works long term

I'm going to assume you meant to add "for me"

 

From what I've heard, Weight Watchers focuses on calories with no regard for macro or micronutrients

[HuskerShark]

Some feedback:

 

-My absolute #1 tip I can give to you from reading your description is this:

DRINK WATER AND ONLY WATER! Tea isn't so bad, and coffee isn't terrible either, but cut pop completely and you will be much better off. The bad thing about pop is the sugar and the carbonation. When you drink diet pop, they substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar that are absolutely horrible for you, and it still has carbonation which causes bloating.

-Try to cut down on the salad dressing. If you don't like to eat salad without dousing it with dressing, just eat something else. Fish or chicken are great things to eat. High in protein, low in fat.

-Cereal has nearly no nutritional value for a person on a diet (other than cereals that are high in fiber)

-I know you didn't mention anything about this, but I'll throw this in as well:

-fruits are generally not a good choice when trying to lose weight. They contain large amounts of natural sugars which help retain fat.

[Stumpy1]

1. Get drunk

2. Get mouthy

3. Get broken jaw

4. Profit

 

It's a crappy way to lose weight but it works. My neighbor got skinny from it.

[huKSer]

1. Get drunk

2. Get mouthy

3. Get broken jaw

4. Profit

 

It's a crappy way to lose weight but it works. My neighbor got skinny from it.

How did your knuckles do?

[gobiggergoredder]

Weight Watchers is the only thing that works long term

I'm going to assume you meant to add "for me"

 

From what I've heard, Weight Watchers focuses on calories with no regard for macro or micronutrients

 

Nope, i meant period

[zoogs]

Exercise is a big one! Run, a lot. Running is accessible and developing it as a habit will make a big impact. Aim for 5 times a week, 20-30 minutes each time. (I'm a total hypocrite in this matter)

 

Don't skip meals. Instead, eat better (not less, better) things and do more exercise, especially cardio.

 

Don't skimp on the carbs; you will need them for the exercise. You don't run 3 miles a day on salad and nuts. At least, I don't think that's good for you. The difference-maker is complex vs simple carbs. Get complex carbs: oatmeal, completely whole grain bread or pasta/noodles, brown rice, yams, things like that. Avoid simple carbs (white rice, most normal bread, etc). Get your daily fiber intake too.

 

Don't drink soda, even diet soda. DON'T DRINK JUICE! Eat fruits instead - a good source of things like vitamins - but careful not to go overboard on them. And drink water. Sugarless tea/coffee in moderation is OK. Don't drink beer! Sorry Carrots and apples are good snacks. Be wary of the high sugar content in dried fruits or the high whatever they put in salted nuts.

 

In the end, you can only pick so many things to pour your energy in, and spending that on consciously going a little hungrier probably isn't the most productive route. Instead, go all-out on focusing on eating more healthful foods for meals. Cutting the really bad, extraneous stuff goes without saying!

 

A brief word on breakfast cereals, most of them are pretty bad. The best cereal alternative I go with is making my own oatmeal. Rolled oats in boiling water, it takes only a couple minutes at most. Slice an apple in there and it's really delicious. The best cereal I've found is this:

 

 

which unfortunately has 6g of sugar (still less than most), but makes up for it with off-the-charts fiber (10g) and protein (13g) for a cereal. Good source of whole grains too. I suppose you could eat the strictly fiber cereal such as FiberOne, if you want to go more extreme, but if you're willing to go as far as eating that stuff, oatmeal seems better.

[Moiraine]

Weight Watchers is the only thing that works long term

 

Nope, i meant period

There are so many things wrong with this that I'm not going to bother replying further.

 

As far as the OP, what kind of tea are you drinking? Is it just plain brewed tea or a store bought mix-thing?

 

One general tip I have is to drop one addiction (food or drink) at a time. That worked for me. I moved from soda to black tea, from black tea to green tea (half the caffeine), then to no tea at all. Then I got rid of juice and now I only drink water.

 

I want to second/third what's been said about cereal. If you want more fiber the peas are good and try to think of foods that you like with beans in them. Berries are good too.

[NUance]

A lot of great ideas and suggestions. I think some of them will be quite helpful. Many thanks, and +1s, to all! (It may take a couple days for the +1) :

 

 

As far as the OP, what kind of tea are you drinking? Is it just plain brewed tea or a store bought mix-thing?

In the summer I make sun tea nearly every day at work, using two teabags. Sometimes I'll use a flavored bag (e.g., mint) combined with a bag of plain old Lipton or an English breakfast tea. In the winter I brew a pot or two of Chinese tea every day, from a selection of teas I have. We visited a tea market in Kunming a few months ago. I picked up a good selection of Chinese teas there--plus what I had on hand on hand which I bought mostly from Chinatowns in NYC and LA.

 

I don't use the Lipton mix from a jar if that's what you're asking. Although I'm not opposed to it. I've had that stuff in the past. It quenches the thirst.