Anybody Help With An Easy Diet.

[Moonhunteruk]

Hi all

Hope somebody can help me with this post, i am 6ft 1 and weigh 107kg before i came to Thailand 6 years ago i was proberly 80kg but with the easy life style, drinking and eating all the thai delicious foods i have become a bloater.

I must admit that i proberly drink about 10 - 15 big bottles of Singh a week which doesnt help, i only eat 2 meals a day noodle soup in the morning then a big plate of Pat Kra Pow in the evening. Now i know that for one i should stamp out the beers but does anyone have any suggestions on other things that i could eat to help this diet be more exciting, i do eat vegetables soups currys also but i am going to cut the beer down to about 5 a week and try to eat smaller portions so gradually i should shrink!!! lol.

Well i would be grateful for any suggestions.

Thanks in advance

Mike

[JohnC]

Try the South Beach Diet was had a remarkable success, you can get the book form any Bookazine Shop (The South Beach Diet. Arthur Agaston M.D.)

I started three weeks ago and lost 5kg in the first two weeks, that has slowed down now and lost 1 kg in the past week but I did fall of it last weekend so back on it now.

Basically no carbs which means no potatoes, bread, rice, pasta no fruit NO alcohol for two weeks then you ease up onto the second phase, you can eat chicken, fish , steak veg, salad, etc. some really good easy recipes in the book but the first half of the book explains how is was designed and why well worth a read and I was so pleased with the initial loss I am determined to stick with it. Basically once you reach your target weight then you just eat healthy as the book explains.

[pumpuiman]

An average male burns about 2000 calories daily, just going about his business.

Ingest less than that and you lose weight.

20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise (get your heart thumping...work up a sweat) will boost your metabolism.

There are many books and websites to help you learn the caloric value of foods.

some approximate examples...one boiled egg-100 calories

one slice of bread-120 calories

one apple-150 calories

one cup of cooked rice-300 calories

one 1/4 pound portion of chicken breast- 250-300 calories

Vegetables are very low in caloric value generally, so a meal of steamed (avoid oils...very high calories) veggies and rice with chicken with lots of spices can be quite satisfying.

Eating less and exercising works. It's a simple formula.

The Atkins and South Beach diets work (I've tried both) by nearly eliminating all carbohydrates from your body. This forces your body into an unnatural state called ketosis.....the diets work, yes....but you must take supplements to avoid health problems..and maintaining weight loss seems unrealistic because of the restrictions placed on you. Try avoiding rice and vegetables in Thailand for an extended period...I don't think so.

Counting calories allows you the freedom to eat what you wish.....in moderation.

I have followed this method of weight loss for decades now. I constantly go up and down in weight,and have found what works best for me to lose weight quickly. If I reduce my caloric intake to 1000 calories per day(less if I can manage it).....I generally lose 20-30 pounds a month.

The beer is killing you...big Singh-about 300 calories a pop. There are roughly 5000 calories in a pound of fat.......do the math.

Gin-75 calories per shot. A better choice.

Tonic water.....high in calories though...try soda with lime.

Print up a calorie counter, stay away from drugs or laxatives...don't believe any diets that sound too good to be true, and you will succeed ....guaranteed.

Good luck,

Eric

P.S. I know how to gain weight quite effectively as well....if anyone needs advice

[iyah]

..there's no secret: cut down on refined carbs (noodles, bread, pizza), greassy food and sugar drinks (coke etc). Eat more fruits and vegetables (steamed is the best) and exercise a little. Cutting down on beer would be good to.

Good luck

[chiliwasabi]

Apart from the beer your diet doesn't sound excessive to me at all (though you could probably add some fruit and plenty of veges).

You don't mention how active you are so maybe excercise is the missing ingredient. What do you drink when not drinking beer? Soft drinks are loaded with sugar. Make sure you drink plenty of water to help wash away impurities and stay hydrated.

[rak sa_ngop]

I have always hated 'diet' drinks such as diet Coke etc because of the artificial sweetener after-taste.

However I have recently been drinking Coke Zero, which actually is not too bad. That and soda water should help on the drinks front!

[Deserted]

Gradually eat less and gradually exercise more each week. Cut out the beer too. Remember that its a change in lifestyle that you need, a diet is only a means to that. Give it 3- 6 months and you'll see the results.

[calibanjr.]

Everybody here seems to be on the same page. Cut the carbs, eat protein. Exercise, easier said than done, here. I know. Not Thailand's fault!, yes it is! I love America, I was so much fitter there! Reason: full on neurosis, competitive (not healthy) energy, working (or thinking about working) every waking hour. Really helps you look "cut", believe me!

From my experience, Deserted has a very important point. Change things gradually, watch the results, have patience. I know that's PopPsy 101, but something I've seen again and again. Good luck.

I'm doing O.K. , but I think by any objective measure, I need more regular exercise, I'm guessing that's true of many of us.

Edited August 11, 2007 by calibanjr.

[PeaceBlondie]

Does anybody notice the conflicting advice here? Do not eat any fruit. Eat lots of fruit. Do not eat any carbohydrates. Eat certain carbohydrates. You must eat every 3 hours. Fast for long periods. Etc.

There is a degree of consensus, though. Reduce your consumption. Drink less alcohol. Don't drink sugary stuff. Exercise more. Eat less. Eat less.

We have an entire forum here, "I'm Too Fat." There are specific rules about behaving yourself, though, more than the regular TVisa forums.

I would echo the "stop drinking beer, wine, whiskey" folks, but retaining one small glass of wine for strictly medicinal purposes. But, if you are an alcoholic, that's asking far too much of your will power. Asking me to give up sweets is also too much. Giving up alcohol wouldn't even prove you're not an alcoholic. Those are empty calories, and poison, anyway.

Exercise more, eat less. If you wish to make it complex, it's rocket science.

[dob310870]

Everyone seems to be on track... However more detailed is needed, but I will keep it simple....

4-5 smaller meals... if you dont eat enough, your body will go into survival mode and hang on to fat stores needed for normal bodily functions like resporation, body temp regulation etc..

Eat every 3 hours. You MUST have soemthing in your stomach every 3 hours, this turnins your body into a metabolic machine! 15% of your calories are used in digesting your food!! And allows your body to give off stored energy (fat) as fuel.

Carbs.. Are ESSENTIAL for energy! Agreed, anything that sounds too good to be true is a myth... Yes you may lose weight fast, but its not fat! And it will come back twice as fast.

More sleep! May sound obvious however if you dont get 7+ hours of sleep, then your body wont heal and repair itself, and the bosy wont release sufficient levels of human growth hormone. HGH is essential for muscle repair and building lean tissue.

Exercise, YES... no need for gym memberships, we design body weight strength programs and there are plenty of aprks around for your cardiovascular exercise.

Alcohol. and obvious one.. this needs to be reduced!! Excess caloroes yes, and your body also uses up more nutrients to detox and process the toxins in your body.

Water! 2-3 litres per day, EVERY day, without fail. 50-60% of our body is made of water, helps with nutrient absorbtion, removal of toxins, metabolic functions.

Supplementation. Keep your body strong internally, you just arent getting enough nutritent value from your food.

Bottom line.. You need to change your LIFESTYLE! Gradually as suggested.. step by step, day by day.

Exercise needs to be DAILY! If only for 20-30 minutes per day. Strength training is essential to build lean tissue (muscle). 1 pound of muscle requires 50 caloroes per day to sustain itself! 1 pund of fat, less than 10!

PM me if you need more advice.

Good luck!

This post is the closest to the proper way to lose unwanted weight. Someone mentioned that the average male needs 2000 calories per day to do nothing. This is called the Basal Metabolic Rate. The BMR varies depending on sex/age/height and weight. You can also include bodyfat levels to get a more accurate figure. you would then add you activity levels on top of this and you can calculate the amount of calories needed per day to achieve your different goals. You must remember that you don't want to lose weight, you want to lose fat. It is easy to lose weight - don't eat. Keep this going and then you will become unhealthy. As stated in the above post, building muscle will increase your BMR. Increase lean protein to help with muscle growth and to utilise the thermic value. Try and eat frequently and go for a balance each meal of carbs/protein/healthy fats. Split each meal into percentages depending on your particular goals and your insulin resistance. Most people start with 50% Carbs, 30% Protein and 20% healthy fats. You can adjust this according to results. It is true that, without doubt, if you do not eat enough (your BMR) each day, your body will go into starvation. This is a genetic protection system from our caveman days, when food was not always readily available. At times of no food the metabolism slows down to store fat for future 'lean' times. It is true that drinking alcohol is not the best way to help towards losing bodyfat. Apart from alcohol being empty calories, with no benefit to muscle growth, fat loss or metabolic rate, the alcohol has to be processed through the liver. Fats and sugar are also processed through the Liver. Guess what takes priority? Alcohol. If your body is busy removing the alcohol, it is not doing the fats. Hydration is very important also. I have designed a speadsheet that calculates all of the things mentioned above. If you want more info then get in touch. I also have some exercise routines that will help you towards your goal. There is too much information to give you in this post and without knowing more about you it would be too generic to be of any long term use to you. One last thing; stay away from ANY diet that cuts out or drastically reduces any one food group.

[frenchFARANGbkk]

Hi all

Hope somebody can help me with this post, i am 6ft 1 and weigh 107kg before i came to Thailand 6 years ago i was proberly 80kg but with the easy life style, drinking and eating all the thai delicious foods i have become a bloater.

I must admit that i proberly drink about 10 - 15 big bottles of Singh a week which doesnt help, i only eat 2 meals a day noodle soup in the morning then a big plate of Pat Kra Pow in the evening. Now i know that for one i should stamp out the beers but does anyone have any suggestions on other things that i could eat to help this diet be more exciting, i do eat vegetables soups currys also but i am going to cut the beer down to about 5 a week and try to eat smaller portions so gradually i should shrink!!! lol.

Well i would be grateful for any suggestions.

Thanks in advance

Mike

Diet is very easy in Thailand as you can find chicken and fruits everywhere, so just eat boiled chicken and fruits everyday, and boiled fish when you can find, and you will lose your weight.

Would be great to exercise too, at least walk.

[westcoastnative]

There are roughly 5000 calories in a pound of fat.......do the math.

There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat; I wish there were 5000 in a pound of fat. I would eat cake everyday. I just dropped 15 pounds by restricting calories in my diet. I don't live in Thailand but I would think it would be easiler there since one tends to walk alot and the heat tends to make you perspire alot.

You might want to try to substitute on our your meals, preferably dinner with a meal replacement drink like slimfast. With milk they are only 200 calories and they will supress your appetite. If you can afford it, speak to a trained dietician and get on a safe and healthy diet so you not only lose the weight but keep it off.

Good Luck-

[Frosty]

There is no magic diet , pill or machine that will make you loose weight! They can all help you loose weight. There is however one and only one way to loose weight ,the answer...TO LOOSE WEIGHT BURN OFF MORE CALORIES THAN YOU TAKE IN! That's it, there is NO other way! ( unless you would consider Liposuction or loosing a limb or two)! Do the opposite 'Take in more than you burn off' and you will gain weight! It sounds simple but it's harder than hel_l to do! Weight goes on much easier than it comes off! Then once it's off you have to make life style changes or you'll go back to your old habits a gaining it all back + some extra! Take it from me I have tried it all. In my life I have probably lost over 1000lbs. This is also not good for it's called 'YO YO ing' We who are addicted to food have the worst addiction to kick. You can live your life without a cigarette, booze or drugs.... but try and live without food!

[Wizzard of Oz]

Hi all

Hope somebody can help me with this post, i am 6ft 1 and weigh 107kg before i came to Thailand 6 years ago i was proberly 80kg but with the easy life style, drinking and eating all the thai delicious foods i have become a bloater.

I must admit that i proberly drink about 10 - 15 big bottles of Singh a week which doesnt help, i only eat 2 meals a day noodle soup in the morning then a big plate of Pat Kra Pow in the evening. Now i know that for one i should stamp out the beers but does anyone have any suggestions on other things that i could eat to help this diet be more exciting, i do eat vegetables soups currys also but i am going to cut the beer down to about 5 a week and try to eat smaller portions so gradually i should shrink!!! lol.

Well i would be grateful for any suggestions.

Thanks in advance

Mike

I was a fitness trainer for a lot of years before going back to uni to become a software developer.

Fundamental (but seldom implemented) advice is:

1. Exercise for 40-45 mins aerobic exercise first thing in the morning before eating. No need for this to tire you out for the rest of the day. Brisk walking is good. First thing in the monrining is because your blood suger is steady or slightly low from not eating for 10-12 hours and you burn more fat than sugar. Also your metabolism will remain high for longer after exercise and has a great effect. Also you feel AWESOME after morning exercise.

2. Eat about 4 meals a day, spread out every 3-4 hours. You need to learn to adjust when and how much to eat so you are not overstuffed with food, but also not hungry for another 3 hours or so. If you wake and exercise at 8am, then you might eat at 9,12,3,7 (just as an example). Don't eat late just before bed.

3. Cut as much fat out of your diet as possible.

4. Cut out sugary foods.

5. Have 1/3rd of the food on your plate carbohydrate (bread/rice/potato/cereal/pasta), 1/3 protein (meat/fish/egg), and 1/3 fibrous vegetables (to make your food digest more slowly so that the energy is more likely to be used instead of stored)

6. Important one: After about 4pm, cut out your carbohydrates and make your last meal high protein, high fibrous vegetables (not starchy vegetables like potatoes). NO CARBOHYDRATES AFTER 4MP.

I stopped working as a fitness trainer cuz most ppl who ask about losing weight really just want to complain about stuff to people rather than to lose weight. If you are one of them, I hope you choke on a bone for wasting 10 minutes of my life. Otherwise good luck.

WoZ

[tominbkk]

Exercise, or at least move around, every day for 45-60 minutes. Whether it is hard exercise or a nice brisk walk down the soi, just do it!

Try some weight training - it gets the metabolism moving!

Center your diet around proteins like fish and chicken, and eggs, and green vegetables. I often buy a whole chicken from 5 Star and use that for several meals in combination with all kinds of veggies.

Cut down or eliminate all refined white starch and sugar by products (white rice, sugar, white bread, cereal, pasta, potato etc).

Get your carbs from good whole food - the best is from veggies, like squash, tomatoes, bell pepper, etc.

Cut out grains except for a small amount of whole wheat bread or brown rice, or better yet lentils or barley, if you really need it.

No more beer. Have a glass or two of wine, champagne, or a mixed drink with soda or diet cola as mixer.

Try to make your meals as fibrous as possible. This will ensure you don't get hungry and overall improves digestion. You can have a huge salad with a little vinegar and oil, all kinds of veggies, and some chicken and pumpkin seeds thrown in, and be stuffed and the caloric count will be great!

Find relaxing things to do that don't involve food and drink - hard to do in Thailand lol.

Anyway, this has worked and is working for me........I guess you would say I eat a whole food, low carb diet.

Edited January 24, 2008 by tominbkk