Diet/Workout Help!

[abcqwerty123]

Hello everyone! So, when I was a teenager, I had some very tough life situations that helped put me into bad habits. I am currently 25 years old and I need to change a few things. I am overweight, eat extremely unhealthy, and so much more and I want to and am trying to change things.

 

So, what I wanted to know is if anyone can recommend any diets/workout plans that they feel has worked for them? I am about 5 foot 11 and 290 pounds (male). I am looking to drastically change my lifestyle but I don't even know where to begin. I know some people may tell me to just get out and do stuff and begin eating healthier, but I feel that I have been in the habit of what I am currently doing for so long that every time I try to slowly do things to better myself, I always end up back at square one. I want a huge change that makes me think everyday about what I have to do, this way I am forced to not fade backwards. My other problem is, I cannot afford much. I don't have a gym membership nor do I have any workout equipment aside from a great pair of shoes that I spent a decent amount of money on. I did a lot of research into getting this shoes because I have severely pronated feet and extremely wide feet, and anyone with either of these problems knows how hard it is to find good shoes. Anyways, if anyone has any recommendations or is into health and fitness themselves, I would love help.

 

I am looking for something as small as advice to as large as a full plan. If you need/want any more information from me that can help give me better advice or a better plan, then please just ask and I will supply. Thank you sooooo much for all future help! =)

[Dylan Lawrence Moore]

I can only offer a few links to start:

 

http://www.gnosticmedia.com/wheatismurder

 

http://www.gnosticmedia.com/an-interview-with-david-asprey-pt-1-bulletproof-coffee-revisiting-fat-and-health-166-2/

 

http://fourhourbody.com/

[abcqwerty123]

I can only offer a few links to start:

 

http://www.gnosticmedia.com/wheatismurder

 

http://www.gnosticmedia.com/an-interview-with-david-asprey-pt-1-bulletproof-coffee-revisiting-fat-and-health-166-2/

 

http://fourhourbody.com/

Thanks man! I will check them out a little later when I get some down time.

[ProfessionalTeabagger]

It all starts in the kitchen. I know this may sound ridiculously simple but replace everything you're currently eating with mostly vegetables, fruit, beans and nuts. I started doing this a while a go and I'm never going back. You know the phrase "I feel like a new person"? It's a cliche but seriously, I genuinely feel like a new refurbished person. 

You will will go through a withdrawal because your body is addicted to the crap but after a number of weeks you will feel radically different.

 

Also, I highly recommend juicing as it provides your cells large doses of the micro-nutrients it needs. I drink a liter or two a day along with my normal diet. Check out this great movie for further information on that.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mS0YA465ts

 

After you've sorted you're diet out just do some moderate exercise. Maybe work your way up over a few months to doing a 45 min work-out 4 or 5 times a week. 

[Duderio]

goodbye

[Pleiades]

Hee ho.

 

My recommendations!

 

1. Don't eat out. Don't go to fast food restaurants. Don't buy ready made meals (like the instant microwave stuffs, those are terrible for you).

 

2. Find an exercise that you love. For example. I love swimming. So I want to swim and I do it.

 

3. If there isn't really an exercise that you love then grab a gym buddy! You should keep each other mutually motivated!

 

4. Breakfast: your breakfast should basically consist of yogurt (go for non flavoured with as low fat % as you want for protein, improved metabolism, etc.,), fruit (for energy, fibre, and deliciousness) and a grain (I go between shredded wheat, oats, flax, etc.,)

 

5. Analyze why you gained weight in the first place. Think of when you first started to put on weight. There was a reason. Were you shamed? Were your maltreated? Were you sexually abused? There is a cause. If you put on weight in response to eating food then the food you ate was replacing something else that you needed.

 

Stay positive! Keep at it! Find a support group! You can do it with effort and dedication!

[Benjammin]

For me what worked was a Paleo diet. Basically just meat and veggie as much as you like. Cut out all the liquid calories!!! I would not be to worried about getting in to a strenuous workout until you can get your diet under control. Just try to walk a lot more.

 

Oh and Pleiades has it right with the eating out. Chipolte is about the only thing worth eating out. I like to make big batches of seasoned ground meat with peppers and onions. Portion it out and throw it in the wave. Easy peasy!

 

Good luck with your journey!

[Matt Jensen]

I have taken an interest in diet and exercise and have been studying these topics for around a year now. Like most topics in today's society, there is a lot of mis-information. I have found that, like self-knowledge, there are no quick answers. Rather, improved health, for most people, is finding new information, which leads to new decisions.

 

There are a few resources that I would like to recommend to help get your education rolling, as I have found them very helpful in my situation. First, I have recently finished reading "Perfect Health Diet" by Paul Jaminet, Ph.D. and Shou-Ching Shih Jaminet, Ph.D. (perfecthealthdiet.com). In my opinion, this is one of the most comprehensive books on diet and nutrition that takes into account the most recent science on the subject.

 

Second, the "Underground Wellness" (underground wellness.com) and "Healthy Mind, Fit Body" (healthymindfitbody.com) podcasts are great free resources.

 

Finally, I have found the "MovNat" (movnat.com) approach to exercise as being very helpful.

 

I really would like to wish you the best of luck on your journey!

[Duderio]

goodbye

[David Twyman]

well first you have to start empirically. assuming you want weight loss and vitality for life, you have to find thin vibrant author's that are atleast thirty five years old. thomas k's recommendations of caldwell essylstein and dr mcdougall are two good examples. also check out durianrider on youtube.

 

im not sure why stefan had dr lustig on the show, he is obese, and his layered dark suits cannot hide that.

[abcqwerty123]

It all starts in the kitchen. I know this may sound ridiculously simple but replace everything you're currently eating with mostly vegetables, fruit, beans and nuts. I started doing this a while a go and I'm never going back. You know the phrase "I feel like a new person"? It's a cliche but seriously, I genuinely feel like a new refurbished person. 

You will will go through a withdrawal because your body is addicted to the crap but after a number of weeks you will feel radically different.

 

Also, I highly recommend juicing as it provides your cells large doses of the micro-nutrients it needs. I drink a liter or two a day along with my normal diet. Check out this great movie for further information on that.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mS0YA465ts

 

After you've sorted you're diet out just do some moderate exercise. Maybe work your way up over a few months to doing a 45 min work-out 4 or 5 times a week. 

 

I love cliche's so it's all good! =)

So, I live in a crappy little drug town. There aren't any legit farmers markets anywhere near by and all the markets around me are very crappy when it comes to vegetables and fruit. I have been going to different markets over the past week or two trying to find one with cheaper stuff and vegetables and fruit that aren't extremely old. I agree though and really am going to attempt to go to an all vegetarian style diet and have been wanting to get on one for awhile, but I have trouble finding out what exactly I should/need to eat. I am entirely retarded on nutrition. I don't eat vegetables AT ALL and almost never eat fruit, and yes, I am that unhealthy food wise. I am studying though, trying to educate myself. I just don't want to become a vegetarian without knowing what I need to eat in order to get certain nutrients. Does that make sense?

Thanks for the advice man. Like I said, I just spent a lot of time learning about shoes and spent some good money on proper shoes, and I cannot wait to get some mileage out of them.

 

 

Hey dude!

 

First off let me say I'm sorry that you are in this situation, I hope you understand that solving the external symptoms won't improve the internal ones. So as usual, look into your history, IFS, your parents, people at school, past relationships. etc. etc.

How has food worked for you in the past? Were you rewarded with food? What part did it play in your family and maybe in self-medicating?

Loosing weight and becoming healthy is actually easy. It's all about execution.

People on 'The Biggest Loser' do it easily, but how many keep it off forever? There are sooo many regaining stories because of unresolved underlying emotional issues.

Once you find the true cause, you will be able to relax.

 

 

DISCLAIMER : Consulting your doctor and a nutrionist might be a good idea. Plus a therapist.

 

First off, making changes is hard. It will take some time, there will be setbacks and cravings, don't strive for perfection.

An unhealthy lifestyle isn't turned around in a couple of days or weeks. Think long term, years, decades, etc.

 

TEDxtalk

 

So, first off, start with your drinks.

Despite the whole juicing trend (which is not sustainable for most people), there are nutrionists out there who are strict about this:

Don't drink your calories. (Ok, I know I've already broken my promise )

 

For the first couple of weeks eliminate soft drinks, alcohol, coffee, milk, etc.

Only drink water. Check out the water intake recommendations. Try meeting them, even after years I struggle with quantity, but at least I don't drink anything but water.

 

Then, #2 should be reduction of calories. Now, you don't want to feel hungry. Sounds impossible?

Well, I like the Rice Diet. Yes, I know, the supposedly bad white rice.

It's actually ok. And I'm not hungry, my DIGESTION (!!!) is superb.

 

https://www.drmcdougall.com/2013/12/31/walter-kempner-md-founder-of-the-rice-diet/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_diet

http://www.medicaldaily.com/rice-diet-weight-loss-plan-helps-combat-obesity-weight-related-diseases-256274

(I personally don't consume dairy)

http://www.ricedietprogram.com/

 

Try eliminating animal fats (meat, poultry, milk, cheese, ice cream, eggs, etc.) as much as possible (a lil bit of fish might be ok, but even the experts aren't sure on this).

Basically go plant based as much as possible, veggies, fruits, nuts, oat meal (some people will go all Anti-Gluten on this however).

 

Why?

 

Check out the article on Trans Fats http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat

 

Watch Forks Over Knives.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-OzTWY2J8E (ForksOverKnives Trailer)

 

(Rip Esselstyn veagn triathlete)

 

(The Diet Wars)

 

(of course Global Warming and stuff...but well, the nutrition info is the most important one, aslo debunks Paleo

(whatever you do, don't go Paleo, people in the Paleo community actually die early of heart attacks))

 

https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2012nl/jun/paleo2.htm

 

 

As for working out, you don't need a gym. Again, think small changes, long term persistence.

 

-Pull-Ups

-Push-Ups

-Squats

-Leg Raises

-Hyperextensions

-Handstands

 

(theFortress beginner workout)

(he is Christian and instead of masturbating and videogaming works out, just in case...of course you don't have to train to look like him, but he is non-BS guy when it comes to working out)

 

Not a big fan of cardio myself (again, ask your doc first before embarking on intense cardio), for me it takes up too much time and is dull.

Then again, lots of people recommend swimming(very soft on your joints)/running.

 

(Leipzig represent )

CalisthenicsMovement

 

(very advanced ... )

Frank Medrano

 

Here are some links:

 

http://www.nutritionfacts.org

http://www.thefrankmedrano.com

http://www.calisthenic-movement.com/english-version

http://www.veganmuscleandfitness.com

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389

https://board.freedomainradio.com/topic/38301-physical-exercise-and-its-benefits/ <<<

 

Have fun and don't give up, I found that doing the research and surrounding yourself with (physically) healthy people will motivate you.

 

(P.S.

(Clinton on Letterman)

(I know one of our biggest ... enemies? ... adviced by people featured in 'Forks Over Knives')

 

(CNN talk to Clinton doctors)

 

(Catwoman goes vegan)

 

(Last Heart Attack CNN Docu)

 

Alright I will stop now.

 

I am trying to solve my physical problems for sure. Mental wise, I have been really doing great on helping myself through learning and understanding my issues and how to fix them. Right now though, I am extremely overweight and have many physical issues that I simply don't want. But ya, I was basically locked in a room for a very long time during my teenage years where I didn't even see the outside world and I ate the horrible food I was lucky enough to get. That period in time screwed me up and I began getting much bigger/unhealthier. Since the end of that terrible time, I have basically ate as unhealthy as I could purely because of the taste. I mean, I was at a point where I was eating Chipotles Mexican Grill, 2 and 1/2 pound burritos, 3-4 times a day with some dell taco and other fast food mixed in. There is nothing healthy about that at all.

I cannot afford doctors, nutritionists, or any of that. I have trouble paying for food currently. As for striving for perfection, I am not really trying to do that. My thing is, if I start small, I forget and don't pay attention and I end up back at the start. I am trying to start BIG to shock myself into constantly thinking about what I am eating, how much movement I have done for the day, and all that good stuff. I don't mean to sound like a self diagnosing dork, but I can only go off of what I am like. But I believe I have PTSD or something along those lines because I have no memory. It truly is terrifying and it scares me beyond belief, but for this conversation, I cannot remember most of my life, short or long term. This makes it very difficult when starting slow because I forget about it. I just need to start BIG but still do it correctly, and this will hopefully keep me thinking about it and not allow me to forget. As for fixing my memory problems... I am starting off by bettering myself in my eyes, meaning... Making myself physically healthier to removes so much of my physical issues and allowing me to go do activities that I have trouble doing but love doing, like tennis and going on adventures. Fixing my surroundings by saving up money, removing people who aren't good, moving to a cleaner/nicer location and all that. And then coming to a better understanding of myself, accepting myself while trying my best to be the person I want to be rather then spur of the moment anger outbursts and stuff like that.

ANNNYYWYWWWAAYYYSSSSS, sorry for that rant lol. Thank you for all the links and advice! I will be going through all of it over the next few days.

 

 

Hee ho.

 

My recommendations!

 

1. Don't eat out. Don't go to fast food restaurants. Don't buy ready made meals (like the instant microwave stuffs, those are terrible for you).

 

2. Find an exercise that you love. For example. I love swimming. So I want to swim and I do it.

 

3. If there isn't really an exercise that you love then grab a gym buddy! You should keep each other mutually motivated!

 

4. Breakfast: your breakfast should basically consist of yogurt (go for non flavoured with as low fat % as you want for protein, improved metabolism, etc.,), fruit (for energy, fibre, and deliciousness) and a grain (I go between shredded wheat, oats, flax, etc.,)

 

5. Analyze why you gained weight in the first place. Think of when you first started to put on weight. There was a reason. Were you shamed? Were your maltreated? Were you sexually abused? There is a cause. If you put on weight in response to eating food then the food you ate was replacing something else that you needed.

 

Stay positive! Keep at it! Find a support group! You can do it with effort and dedication!

 

Great advice man. I do eat out almost everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. I need to stop that for sure!

I need exercises that I can handle because I cannot really do what I love. They are too hard to do at my weight. Like tennis... I cannot play tennis but once a week or two because it just kills my legs and arms. I am going to start slowly jogging, and build up though.

Yup. Breakfast is important and that sounds good. I have Ground Flax Seed (I believe that is what its called). Is that good to eat often? I did a little research and it suppose to be very good to mix in with cereals and smoothies and stuff. I am sure it would be the same with yogurt as well? Also, do you know anything about Almond Milk. Seems to remove a lot of the negatives of milk, but pretty good in calcium and other nutrients. Do you know anything about it?

I was definitely mistreated, and forced to do nothing with life. However, once I was removed from that situation, my habits had already formed and from there, it only got worse and worse. I am now doing my best to fix all of those bad habits and turn them into good habits, and I believe the first step is to become educated and I don't know a better place to learn then Stefan's Forums =)

Thanks for the help and believe it or not, but I consider people like you and others on this forum as my support group. I have more respect for people on here then almost anyone I actually know.

 

 

I have taken an interest in diet and exercise and have been studying these topics for around a year now. Like most topics in today's society, there is a lot of mis-information. I have found that, like self-knowledge, there are no quick answers. Rather, improved health, for most people, is finding new information, which leads to new decisions.

 

There are a few resources that I would like to recommend to help get your education rolling, as I have found them very helpful in my situation. First, I have recently finished reading "Perfect Health Diet" by Paul Jaminet, Ph.D. and Shou-Ching Shih Jaminet, Ph.D. (perfecthealthdiet.com). In my opinion, this is one of the most comprehensive books on diet and nutrition that takes into account the most recent science on the subject.

 

Second, the "Underground Wellness" (underground wellness.com) and "Healthy Mind, Fit Body" (healthymindfitbody.com) podcasts are great free resources.

 

Finally, I have found the "MovNat" (movnat.com) approach to exercise as being very helpful.

 

I really would like to wish you the best of luck on your journey!

 

I agree. It is very hard to find out what really works and does so in a healthy way because everyone says every diet and workout plan work, but how healthy are they and how well do they work and all that. It is very difficult to learn about especially when you are as uneducated as myself on both diet and working out.

Thanks a ton man! I will check out those links and books over the next week or so. I have a lot to check out from all the great people that posted on here so it might take awhile, but I will be sure to get a looksie at everything. But ya, thanks a ton for the advice/information! I really appreciate it!

[Pleiades]

 

One last time: Paleo is dangerous BS.

 

Thank you so much for posting this video. A friend of mine is on this diet and I am forwarding the information to her so that she can make a decision if it's healthy for her or not.

[Matt Jensen]

 

One last time: Paleo is dangerous BS.

 

 

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2008/hausen_lecture.pdf > p. 239

 

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/2011/06/pathogen_in_beef_causes_colon_cancer.php

 

Any diet still promoting red meat is like promoting smoking for optimal health.

 

(http://www.peacefuldumpling.com/nobel-prize-winner-predicts-rise-veganism-2014)

 

I agree with the sentiment that red meat can be dangerous, but that is equally true of many vegitarian foods, such as grains, nuts, legumes, and seeds. A common adage that is very helpful when understanding the best human diet was first expressed by Paracelsus... "The dose makes the poison."

 

I really enjoyed the video you posted and I do think that it makes some very important points about the modern diet. I found this discussion about the video, as well as other paleo critiques, and thought it had some useful information to add...

 

http://perfecthealth...estral-science/

[Alan C.]

It looks like you're getting quite a bit of information overload here. I'll try to make this as simple as possible.

 

Minimize salt, sugar, and simple carbs (bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, etc.).

 

Buy a Nutribullet. They're $100 at Walmart, Target, and some grocery stores. Smoothy machines are superior to juicers because they use everything (saving you money) and you get the benefits of the fiber. Use carrots, celery, purple beets, apples, and broccoli florets (bags in frozen food section). I also add a small scoop of flax seeds, which I buy in bags at Trader Joes. You can use it more than once per day and add other kinds of fruits and vegetables if you want. Always use more vegetables than fruits so you don't load up on sugar.

 

Try to integrate oatmeal into your daily diet.

 

Take vitamin D supplements if you're not getting enough sun.

 

For protein, stick with eggs, chicken, turkey, and fish. I tend to buy in bulk where I can and keep most of it frozen. I use Mrs. Dash for seasoning because it tastes great and contains no salt. I use olive oil for frying.

 

Allow yourself one day per week for cheat meals. You have to reward yourself to avoid burnout.

 

For exercise, you can simply use grocery bags filled with canned food or bottled water as weights, or buy some used weights on craigslist. When lifting, ALWAYS use slow, controlled movements (2-3 seconds up, hold and sqeeze, then 2-3 seconds down, rest for a couple of seconds, then repeat). NEVER swing, bounce, throw, or jerk weights. The number of reps you do isn't that important; the quality of the rep is. Don't count reps; make your reps count. If you do reps correctly, your muscles will get tight and pumped.

[Benjammin]

 

One last time: Paleo is dangerous BS.

 

 

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2008/hausen_lecture.pdf > p. 239

 

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/2011/06/pathogen_in_beef_causes_colon_cancer.php

 

Any diet still promoting red meat is like promoting smoking for optimal health.

 

(http://www.peacefuldumpling.com/nobel-prize-winner-predicts-rise-veganism-2014)

 

Well it works fine for me. I think saying it's BS is uncalled for. It promotes whole food eating and is nothing like promoting smoking.

[philschneider]

Just a heads up I did not read through this entire thread, so if I am saying what someone else has already said just ignore me.  The easiest way to loose weight and start a healthy life style is to just pick an exercise you like such as running, biking, weightlifting, etc. and do that 3-4 times a week for 30-60 min. each time.  The key to keeping up an exercise regimen is to do what you like.  Getting in the habit and getting yourself to want to exercise is the hardest part.  So try a bunch of types of exercise and stick with what ever you enjoy the most.  You can always change your exercises later to meet your goals when you have built up your self discipline and motivation.

 

For nutrition there are plenty of guides out there.  If you want the simplest possible diet just become a vegetarian.  Meat is very high in calories,  usually has low nutritional value, and it is easier to over eat.  Becoming a vegetarian usually forces you to consume less fat, calories, and increase your nutritional intake.(By nutritional I mean vitamins, fiber, minerals, etc.)  If you have are really good at self control then you should follow the food pyramid.  Eat roughly 10-15% meat per day, 25-35% fruit, and the rest should be grains and vegetables.  If you are weight lifting you should supplement your meat with extra protein from nuts.  This is what I try to stick too.  Except I simplify it down to 10-20% animal product (eggs, dairy, meat, fish, etc.) and 90-80% fruits, grains, and veggies.  This has worked well to help me maintain a good weight and physic even when I am lazy.  I am 200lbs, 6'1'' and quite muscular and this keeps my calorie intake to about 2500-3000 per day.  I lean more towards 3000-3500 on the days I exercise.

 

Being healthy is relatively easy conceptually.  The hard part is motivation, and to stopping yourself from cheating.  Also remember on the days you are not active you need to eat less.  If you sit on your butt all day you don't need as many calories as when you run 10 miles.  Just use common sense, and do what is easiest for you to handle until you feel you are ready for a more extreme regiment.  If you want more specific information just let me know.  My best friend is a nutritionist and a personal trainer, so by proxy I know almost as much as he does or can ask him.  This is my first day on the forum so you can email me @ [email protected] if you want more advise and I forget to check on the forum again.  Changing your health around is hard.  Work hard and don't let yourself slip.

[tasmlab]

I lost 45 pounds about 10 years ago and have kept it off.

 

My recommendation is to spend an hour understanding how calories work and how much is in various food.  Do a google search for a calorie calculator.  

 

Multiply your desired weight times 13 and that how many you can have in a day. Drinks count.  It'll take a long time to lose the weight, but this new amount is the new lifestyle you keep forever.  I.e., you don't 'go on a diet' but rather 'permanently change what and how much you eat."

 

One you see what foods have which calories, you'll probably see that vegetables have less, carbs have more and meat is caloric.  Since you want to avoid the PAIN of being hungry, try to find foods you can fill up on that don't have a lot of calories.

 

Plan by the WEEK, not the day.  If you go out on Friday night for a nice dinner and a bunch of drinks, count that in.

 

If you reverse engineer paleo, atkins, cabbage soup diet, south beach, or whatever, they all end up with lower calorie counts.

 

I recommend creating systems and not giving yourself too many choices.  What works for me is a egg beater omelette for breakfast and a bowl of not-too-caloric soup for lunch.  Every day pretty much.

 

Best of luck!

[tjt]

Hey dude!

 

First off let me say I'm sorry that you are in this situation, I hope you understand that solving the external symptoms won't improve the internal ones. So as usual, look into your history, IFS, your parents, people at school, past relationships. etc. etc.

 

 

This!

 

You gotta learn the connection between your physical health and emotional health, otherwise you probably won't experience sustainable results.

 

As you seek self awareness and understand your emotional state, there are so many ways to start chipping away and improve your physical health. When it comes to exercise, it's about finding the style that is right for you. For me, it's working physical activity into my daily lifestyle (I seldom have a planned workout routine, I prefer long and brisk walks (3-6 miles 3x/week), hikes, working in the garden, outdoor improvement projects around my property, etc.).

 

And remember that diet has greater and longer lasting effects than exercise alone. Eliminating processed foods completely is a trip! VERY difficult in the beginning, but so worth it. To avoid processed foods, quit eating out (as other folks have suggested) and shop only the perimeter of the grocery store. Start reading the list of ingredients on everything you buy (it's way more important than the nutritional label). To avoid failure, create weekly meal plans. And whatever you do, don't cut healthy fats out of your diet... replace poisons like vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil etc. with things like butter (if you tolerate lactose), ghee, coconut oil, lard, etc.

 

And for god's sake, do not follow the food pyramid. That thing is government funded, and it recommends eating way too many friggen grains! The fact that it's taught in public school is reason enough to disregard it

 

Research the Weston A. Price Foundation (you could start here http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/), and consider getting ahold of the following books (my bibles):

• Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell McBride
• Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

 

And you go man!

 

(And just so you know I'm not talking out of my ass, my BMI is 19... although I don't know if BMI is still a meaningful measurement as it used to be considered.)

 

Edit: Wanted to also add that I don't have any personal experience with weight loss, but my SO eats identical to me. And even though he has always been considered fit, he actually lost about 15-20 pounds when we changed our way of eating 1.5 years ago. His weight has stayed consistent since and he says he feels better than ever.

[crops]

Ive been eating ketogenic diet all year and its easy , high fat low carb. Goin through stick of butter a day , getting leaner than ever with little exercise , mental clarity , I more orless eat the same thing everyday and still not bored , n o cravings, . Check out dave aspreys 'bulletproof' diet. What ever you choose pay attention to hormones , if your overweight youll more than likely have low testosterone . Estrogen likes to store fat. D aspartic acid , magnesium and zinc is what I currently supplement to boost test.

[abcqwerty123]

Hello TruthLogicFreedom,

 

Have you looked into fasting?  It is the fastest (ha!) and healthiest way to lose weight.  Best of all, it is very cheap.  By fasting, you also end up eating healthy since it is required in order to do it right.  Fasting once a week (24 hours) for about three months (maybe less actually) I lost over 30 lbs.  I wasn't trying to lose weight, I was just working on my discipline. 

 

If you decide to take this route, I would strongly recommend doing this on a day when you have nothing to do and can stay home.  The first day is a mothercuss since you are eliminating a lot of toxins and other junk from your system.  And so you will feel lightheaded and dizzy. 

 

The benefits are numerous.  Either way, I would recommend doing this.  But before you do, make sure you do extensive research on it.  I can tell you how I go about it if you are interested, but either way, do your research. 

 

-sophos

 

Awesome! Yah, a youtuber I watch used to talk a little about it but I have never really looked into it myself. I would love to hear how you do it because I might add it to my plan. I am about to move in about a month, so I am trying to eat slightly healthier until then, but once the move is over, I plan to really do my best to change my diet.

[abcqwerty123]

You said "break your fast"... May I ask what it means to break your fast? Sorry, I truly am new to anything healthy. I have basically fed myself since I was 10 years old, so you can imagine the kinds of food I am used to. Also, is fish considered meat? And what do you think about Almond Milk? Is that okay to drink? And lastly, Ground Flax Seed, any recommendation on that? I ask because I read something awhile back that ground flax seed was very healthy and to sprinkle it in cereals, smoothies, or whatever really. And It is something I can sprinkle on toast if it is truly worth it.

 

By the way, thanks a ton for all the info. Everything from everyone is a huge help. I've been learning a lot and I am getting excited to really get started with everything.

[Wesley]

Everyone has a different theory as to what healthy eating is. Also, it is very true that different regions and cultures have adapted to be better with different foods.

 

More than anything, I would recommend what is called n=1 experimentation with your diet.

 

Figure out different diet plans, try a paleo-esque diet, try veganism, try the south beach, try intermittent fasting, try super low caloric with binge/cheat days and whatever other people have suggested. Keep a food diary where you have an idea of what you eat (there are several apps that track food) and then keep track of how you feel, how well your workouts are going, how well your bathroom trips are going, what your weight is doing, what your measurements were before and after, and anything else that may apply loosely to food including mood, acne, etc.

 

Give any plan that you find credible and possibly good a 1 month trial period where you see how you do on it. Go 100% on whatever the plan for the month is and make sure you give it all the chances (aka you wont know how well the diet actually did unless you actually do it and dont cheat on the diet).

 

In the end, you will tend to find something that is close to ideal for you, or you may even decide that veganism is the best, but that life is not worth living if you can't have bacon, so you will cheat on that one thing (just as an example) but you will know what the consequences are of not strictly following the diet through n=1 experimentation and through research of the plan.

 

The goal is to find the best plan for your taste and health for a lifestyle change.

 

Do the same thing with your workout plan. Try out a crossfit gym, join a couple distance races and train for those, try some Wendler 5/3/1, try some bodyweight exercises in your home, sign up for a volleyball league, or whatever else.

 

Find what you like and don't like and pick a plan that you want to stick with.

 

More than anything else, if you pick a consistent diet where you are mindful of your food intake and try to be healthy and you have a consistent workout pattern that is fun and enjoyable and challenging for you, then you will do better than most people in the long run. Figuring out what works for you is far more important than asking others what works for them.

[Nathan H. Hoffner]

Hi there..

 

The answer in found in evolution. Here are some links where you can find the answers you're looking for... the truth... backed up by logic and evidence.

 

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ (best complete resource for all health and fitness related issues... I'd go through the archives - also read through the success stories... And note that there is absolute gold in the comment sections!)

 

http://www.amazon.com/Primal-Body-Mind-Beyond-Health/dp/1594774137/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403793263&sr=8-1&keywords=primal+body+primal+mind (great book!)

 

http://vimeo.com/45485034 (There's no actual evidence linking saturated fat and cholesterol to heart disease)

 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmMJ2ioWma0SpD9N21OiuXA   (just one example and someone that can assist you - she's very positive and has an interesting story (especially her mom's situation)

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/strengthcamp (check out both of his channels and his interview with some guy named Stefan Molyeux - just do a search for it)

 

 

There are many, many other great resources but this will get you started and will lead you in the right direction and open up a world of good people.  You'll discovery a lot in the process.  Ignore the Vegan BS.  We're designed by evolution to eat plants AND animals. Emotional reactions can't change this fact.  

 

Good luck and let me know how it goes! Empower yourself with the truth and take your health into your OWN hands!

Nathan

 

 

 

 

You said "break your fast"... May I ask what it means to break your fast?

Don't do intermediate fasting unless you're metabolically adapted to burning fat as your main source of fuel. If you're a "sugar burner" (which most people are these days and is not our natural state) you'll just do more harm than good.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj_inVys_Uo

[Jeffrey Slater]

I have been doing the paleo diet in conjunction with a pretty strenuous weightlifting program, and it has been showing great results.  

 

I watched the 'debunking' video on paleo, and I have to say that it is complete nonsense.  I can't imagine that the woman has even read any of the paleo books that she was criticizing.  If she thinks the paleo diet is about 'eating mostly red meat because that is what the cavemen did' then she is buying into some strange propaganda and misinformation about paleo.  

 

The paleo diet is much more about not eating grains and legumes.  In the video she says that the earliest record of humans eating grains and legumes is from 30,000 years ago.  That might sound like a long time, but compared to the time scales of evolution, it is really not.  Here are some time frames for evolution, to make a comparison:

 

From the wikipedia article "Timeline of evolutionary history"

 

In its 4.6 billion years circling the sun, the Earth has harbored an increasing diversity of life forms:

• for the last 60 million years, the primates
• for the last 20 million years, the family Hominidae (great apes);
• for the last 2.5 million years, the genus Homo (human predecessors);
• for the last 200,000 years, anatomically modern humans.

 

So you see that it took somewhere around 2 million years for our predecessors to evolve into something that resembles our modern anatomy.  The argument that the Paleo advocates are making is that, if our dietary system for the last 20 to 60+ million years has evolved around eating fruits, vegetables, and meat, and NOT grains, then a mere 30,000 years of eating grains is not enough time for our systems to adapt and be able to fully process grains.  Health science seems to bear this out:  many people have gluten allergies, and a range of diseases such as Crohns disease and diabetes exist in relation to the digestion of the modern diet of grains, legumes, and processed sugar.  In contrast, there is no known record of anyone being allergic to vegetables.  Here is a more comprehensive analysis of grain consumption, for anyone who is interested in more than a layman's explanation: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-grains/

 

Anyone that tells you that the paleo diet is about eating tons of red meat is just wrong, and has obviously never looked into anything more than the anti-paleo propaganda.  Paleo is first and foremost about eliminating grains, legumes, and sugar from your diet, and all of the paleo literature that the woman railed against in her slides will prescribe that you replace those grains and legumes with lots of vegetables, and a small portion of meat- not necessarily red meat, just meat, including fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, etc.

[Caine]

As far as physical exorcise I would say outside of general maintenance ( gym/ weight lifting) take up a physical group activity,( sports league, dance class, or yoga). If your near the ocean, surfing or swimming are both pretty enjoyable.

[Jack]

I'm going through the same struggle myself. I can talk about some things that helped for me, but I'm still overweight so take it with a grain of salt. Not literal salt though, salt is bad mkay. 

 

Nutrition and Exercise are my two focuses. Something that helps with both is establishing a schedule. A schedule is extremely important because it helps establish habits. I eat my meals at the same time each day. I work for about the same amount of time, then I work out for a couple of hours. If I have more work to do in a day, I do it after working out. For a weekly schedule, I only go to the gym on work days, Saturdays I take off, and Sundays, I play a team sport. The sport helps keeps me motivated to keep working out and helps get me some extra social contact. It's important to realize, that not every day of every week will go perfectly. I do miss some days. When I do, I make up the workout on Saturday. When I go out to a meal with someone, I generally don't keep control and have to make up for it with a weeks worth of health meals afterwards. I find the schedule to be extremely important and I strive to make up for any misses I get. Oh, and If I miss two days, then I make up for it by going to the gym twice on Saturday. 

 

Now for the nutrition. I'm an engineer, so I like some science and proof in my nutrition. The most convincing plan I've found is the one proposed by Dr. Joel Fuhrman in his book Eat to Live:

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=joel+fuhrman+eat+to+live&tag=googhydr-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=18834042149&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13250508124531663551&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_1310oavcuu_b

 

Fuhrman argues for a fresh foods diet of fruits and vegetables. In general, I do 80% of my grocery purchases in the produce section. The remainder is buying canned beans (I can never re hydrate beans successfully) and the occasional treat (my treats tend to be chips and salsa or a dish with small amounts of meat in it. I admit, I'm horrible about having treats and it's kept me from living a truly health lifestyle. If you can eliminate the treats, you'll be way better off. 

 

For exercise, I signed up for a gym. My gyms has a huge array of facilities and was the most expensive membership in town. The advantage, is that I can do what ever workout I want there. I can do cardio, cross-training, weight-lifting, core, stretching, and swimming. All without leaving the building. I also shelled out for some personal trainer lessons. The first few lessons were about setting up a workout routine. The routine consisted of me writing down and entire weeks worth of planned exercises and keeping track of my progress. I strongly recommend you work with a personal trainer to establish a week long routine that you can cycle through. After the routine was set up, I kept meeting with the trainer once every two weeks for the minimum appointment time so that he could keep track of my progress and offer further advice and recommendations. The route I took was probably the most expensive for working out, but it was worth every penny for me and I now consider a gym membership an essential expense. 

 

Now, I'm the kinda guy that tends to do things at a 110%. As a consequence, I can burn out really easily. Establishing a schedule and an outside contact for keeping track of my fitness was essential for me. I recommend you do the same. I'm 5' 11" and started out at 240 lbs. I got down to 200 lbs, but got sick with bronchitis (totally unrelated, I think). I had a major hiccup with bronchitis, but now I'm back on track, eating well and working out. When I'm on track I lose about 2.5 lbs a week. The weight loss is very consistent, although it can slow down as my body gets used to working out, or if I slip on food. I expect I'll lose another 30 lbs under this plan, but the wonderful thing is that I can and will do it for the rest of my life. I'll never have to worry about fitness again and I'll be much better prepared to fight off illness later in life. I still need to work on self knowledge to find out why I got fat in the first place, but I'm confident that I will continue to grow in philosophy and shrink in waist size. I hope you meet with the same success. 

 

Good hunting,

 

Jack

[TheAuger]

Hey TLFreedom -- I saw lot of good info already posted.  I saw DLMoore posted a link to the 4 Hour Body -- the "Slow Carb" diet is easy to follow -- you can eat as much as you want 6 days a week (of foods that are on the Slow Carb food list).  On your "cheat day" you can eat whatever you want.  This way you dont have to stick to eating times and measured amounts.

 

I'd get a pressure cooker and / or a slow cooker and prepare beans, legumes, lentils.  If you use a pressure cooker, it breaks down the  lecithin that causes gas.  You can use dried legumes, which are much cheaper (addressing your earlier post about solo living), without soaking before hand.  Paleo-fanatics are plain wrong about legumes, IMO.

 

A great resource is Elliot Hulse -- he is super smart and just a total stud (I think he has been California's Strongest Man the last few years running).  I've seen a lot of youtube "experts" and this guy practices a wholistic method, rather than just merely aesthetic bodybuilding.  His routines and advice are scientifically based best practices.

 

These might be the videos you need:

 

He says:

 

1. Change diet to legumes and leafy green vegetables.  Possibly take a multivitamin (often we get hunger or cravings from being undernourished and deficient in a certain nutrient.  If you cover your essential nutrients you'll be less likely to snack healthfully (when your brain is releasing hunger hormones seeking those missing nutrients [many obese people are horribly undernourished in basic minerals]).  Don't drink soda pop (unless its your cheat day)!  Drink bottled water (cheapest is in refillable gallon jugs at supermarket), not tap water, and plenty of it.  Fuck variety -- legumes and leafy greens (chard, beet greens, arugula, spring mix -- the darker and more bitter, the better!) deliver most of the nutrients you need.  Consume most of your vegetables raw or lightly steamed.  Also, Almond Milk is great -- try to go "dairyless" all together.  I have some issues with soymilk.  Flax Seed, and nuts and seeds generally, are good.  Tim Ferriss of the 4 Hour Body swears by Brazil Nuts for boosting natural testosterone.  

 

2. Walk for 30 mins everyday.  Loose the weight, then take up a strength training program.  Running releases a lot of cortisol, so biking, walking, walking up stairs, and ellipticals are better.

 

3.  Have definite goals and commit.  Your persistence is the key.  Start small and slow and develop the discipline to do bigger and bigger things.  Be tenacious in chasing down greater and greater achievements.  Be confident you can achieve your goals -- know it can happen through hard work (and hard work only!!!), and it wont happen overnight or even the first month.  This has to be a lifestyle change, not a diet.

 

Hope this helps -- I honor and validate your desire to make big changes in your life, TruthLogicFreedom!  Commitment to working hard is the key.

[Jonathan Walliser]

Wow this is a great thread!! There is no limit to the ways you can drop weight! I am 5 ft 9 in and I weigh around 215 now, 2 months ago I weighed 230 lbs. I had a life of sitting around and eating junk food and almost no exercise, but now I am changed that and I go running most days, between 2 miles and upwards of 10 miles.

 

Just stick with somewhat healthy foods, dont binge eat, and you will see steady progress. The key is not making a radical change you cant maintain, you will eventually put all the weight back on if you try something you cant keep up. Of course you can take on a radical diet and combined with exercise you will drop the weight extremely fast, and you can then put in place your long term eating plan and exercise routine, which will keep you at whatever physical condition you desire. I am losing weight right along with you bro so hit me up anytime! I got about 40 more lbs to lose before I am the weight I want to be

[Phuein]

I am overweight, eat extremely unhealthy...

 

First is first, you want to find solutions that work for you. If something doesn't suit your wanted lifestyle, then drop it, and find something else. The problem here is your previous crappy lifestyle - and not one specific issue. A good lifestyle makes for a healthy and happy person. I'm glad to see you making this choice at an early 25 year old!   These good habits stick for life.

 

The most basic exercise humans have is walking. If you stride (a fast walk) every day, between 15 minutes and an hour, depending on how you feel, then you will lose the extra weight and health problems that come with it. This is just basic human biology.

 

However, to actually shape yourself up, you need some resistance training. Weights can be expensive, and so are gyms, not to mention the bother... I personally use resistance bands. I highly recommend them to anyone who's not into weights! [Details in the video and description.]

 

 

A healthy diet is a simple diet of unprocessed foods. It doesn't matter what you like eating. Eat it! Eat as much of it as you want! But don't eat processed foods. Even if you mostly eat [good] bread and cheese, you will not be able to become overweight on it. Simple food just doesn't make you binge on it.