Will This Work?

[garro]

Despite given up alcohol 15 months ago I have found that I am overweight and out of shape. I am 38 years old and 85kg (187 pounds) at 5 foot eight with a small frame. I also think that my diet is making me feel slughish and low on energy.

My plan is to remove chocolate, cakes, and coffee over the next two weeks.

I then want to just eat fruit during the day, with the exception of maybe a couple of slices of toast.

In the evening I plan on having a normal meal followed by nothing.

I also plan on walking at least an hour a day.

My goal is to fall below 80kg (176 pounds) by January and 75kg (165 pounds) by this time next year. I want to then maintain this weight until it's time for me to be cremated (when I expect I'll lose a lot more weight ).

Is this plan workable?

Edited September 29, 2007 by garro

[Dr. Burrito]

Despite given up alcohol 15 months ago I have found that I am overweight and out of shape. I am 38 years old and 85kg (187 pounds) at 5 foot eight with a small frame. I also think that my diet is making me feel slughish and low on energy.

My plan is to remove chocolate, cakes, and coffee over the next two weeks.

I then want to just eat fruit during the day, with the exception of maybe a couple of slices of toast.

In the evening I plan on having a normal meal followed by nothing.

I also plan on walking at least an hour a day.

My goal is to fall below 80kg (176 pounds) by January and 75kg (165 pounds) by this time next year. I want to then maintain this weight until it's time for me to be cremated (when I expect I'll lose a lot more weight ).

Is this plan workable?

I don't really see this as a good starter, but that's my opinion. By non-starter, I mean the just eating fruit in the daytime. You are going to throw your body chemistry all out of wack with all the excess sugar (albeit, fructose)

I eat a very controlled and healthy style of food 5 1/2 days a week; steamed fish, salads, veggies, chicken breast, nuts, boiled eggs, lentils (these are fricking great for you) and exercise an hour a day. No alcohol as a general rule other than an occasional glass of wine during these days, but I never, ever starve myself.

Eat smart, normal amounts and exercise and you will get to your goal. How quickly is all on the individual and their commitment. Your exercise at some point, should be to a pace that gets your heart working towards a higher rate, but approach it carefully, not too much too soon, until you know what your body can take. Don't hurt yourself is the number one rule in my opinion or you will simply stop and go back to easier, less disciplined habits.

Try cutting out all processed carbs for a while if you can. Eat multi-grain bread instead of whole wheat or white bread. Eat brown rice instead of white rice. No chips, no colas, no beer, no ice cream (######,I am dull) and such.

I am sure you will get some other very good advise here, but the big thing from my POV, is avoid extremes such as you are suggesting above because they set you up for failure.

Good Luck,

Dr. B

[dclaryjr]

My plan is to remove chocolate, cakes, and coffee over the next two weeks.

I then want to just eat fruit during the day, with the exception of maybe a couple of slices of toast.

In the evening I plan on having a normal meal followed by nothing.

I also plan on walking at least an hour a day.

My goal is to fall below 80kg (176 pounds) by January and 75kg (165 pounds) by this time next year. I want to then maintain this weight until it's time for me to be cremated (when I expect I'll lose a lot more weight ).

Is this plan workable?

I think you would be much better off eating smaller meals throughout the day with a heavy emphasis on vegetables, plus fruit and good sources of protein. That's what I've been doing for the last seven weeks and I've lost 21 pounds. I recommend doing a search for a blog called Mark's Daily Apple and check out his take on nutrition.

[MaximumSecurity]

Despite given up alcohol 15 months ago I have found that I am overweight and out of shape. I am 38 years old and 85kg (187 pounds) at 5 foot eight with a small frame. I also think that my diet is making me feel slughish and low on energy.

My plan is to remove chocolate, cakes, and coffee over the next two weeks.

I then want to just eat fruit during the day, with the exception of maybe a couple of slices of toast.

In the evening I plan on having a normal meal followed by nothing.

I also plan on walking at least an hour a day.

My goal is to fall below 80kg (176 pounds) by January and 75kg (165 pounds) by this time next year. I want to then maintain this weight until it's time for me to be cremated (when I expect I'll lose a lot more weight ).

Is this plan workable?

Except for "My plan is to remove chocolate, cakes.... over the next two weeks." I'd have to say that is a really bad plan. Sorry, but you are going to deprive your body of vital nutrients and force it into starvation mode. This will cause it to stop processing fat and instead "digest" your muscle for energy. You are also asking for various systems to shut down.

Better to eat six small meals a day, figuring a total of 1500 calories per day. Besides all desserts, cut out processed foods (canned, frozen, microwave instant), eat brown rice instead of white, whole wheat bread instead of white (not that labelled "wheat bread") but not more than one slice per day, no pasta or noodles, no cereals except oatmeal, no carrots, jams, fruit juice, corn, or broccoli (these last all convert too easily to sugar which if unburned will become fat), no dairy except as listed below.

Don't eat any deep fried foods and no foods prepared Thai style if they are cooked in palm oil, which almost every restaurant and street vendor uses. Deadly stuff.

Eat protein at every meal, especially fish, ie salmon, not shell fish, or white meat chicken without the skin, pork with the fat trimmed off before cooking. Eat salads but use olive oil and balsamic vinegar as dressing, and use the darkest vergetable you can find, ie red cabbage instead of white, dark green lettuce, green peppers, tomatoes, not celery or endive.

If you get a craving for fat, eat a tablespoon of the most natural peanut butter you can find. Don't eat foods with sauces, they are usually full of trans fats which clog your arteries. Don't eat at McD's, Burger King, Swensons, Chester's, or any other fast food joints. Their food is full of fats, salt, chemicals and other things that will kill you slowly, no matter how much weight you lose, or how much muscle you gain. Check out some of the subs at Subway, they have a good selection of healthy ones if you don't load them with fat, ie cheese, sauce, mayo.

A great breakfast which will curb your appetite and regulate your metabolism:

cook two tablespoons of oatmeal and put in a blender, add a banana, container of natural no fruit yogurt, 250 ml of 0% fat milk, one scoop whey protein powder. Drink half as breakfast and the rest in two hours.

One day a week, treat yourself to pizza (ham and mushroom, maybe) or a double bi-pass burger from Sizzler. Once a month have a really disgustingly decadent dessert.

But all the dieting in the world will not get you healthy and in shape if you don't exercise. Join a gym if you can afford it, or at least start doing body weight exercises like pushups, chin ups, pull ups, dips, crunches, squats, lunges.

You can ask me if you need any more advice. Good luck!

[garro]

Well my plan definitely seems to be working for me.

I weighed myself this morning and I am 81.2 kg (179 pounds), so I am ahead of schedule.

I also seem to have a lot more energy.

The great thing has been that I don't even feel like I'm dieting.

I am amazed that I don't miss the sugary foods at all.

I see no reasom why I can't keep this diet up indefinitely.

[tw25rw]

Well my plan definitely seems to be working for me.

I weighed myself this morning and I am 81.2 kg (179 pounds), so I am ahead of schedule.

I also seem to have a lot more energy.

The great thing has been that I don't even feel like I'm dieting.

I am amazed that I don't miss the sugary foods at all.

I see no reasom why I can't keep this diet up indefinitely.

If you are sticking to the diet you originally posted, you shouldn't do it indefinitely.. You may well be losing weight, but it doesn't mean you are properly nourished.. It'd good that you cut out the crap, but you need to take in a wide range vegetables and, if not vegetarian, fresh animal/fish products.. Don't forget to take in plenty of fats from fish, nuts, eggs etc..