My Weight Is Unchanged After 2 Weeks Diet/exercise!

[OldenAtwoody]

I don't see what this has to do with Thailand, so why hasn't it been closed?

Because it is in the correct forum for those trying to lose weight here. Please read the location of the topic before posting such questions, thanks

haha If "Beacher' wasn't on the 'Tiger Beer Diet', he would have noticed.... There's fat people in Thaland, too, right?

Edited August 3, 2008 by OldenAtwoody

[mgjackson69]

I don't see what this has to do with Thailand, so why hasn't it been closed?

So what subjects - according to your tiny mind - are to do with Thailand?

Why, anything that *he* posts, of course....

[simon43]

The reason why I eat a little peanut butter every day is down to the proven benefits:

See http://www.femhealth.com/BenefitsofPeanuts.html

I eat maybe a teaspoon each day, not half the jar:)

The health benefits of certain foods in my diet is well proven, such as red wine, virgin olive oil and cranberry juice. After all, there is not much point in being thin if you then drop dead from heart desease, stroke etc.

Simon

[g00dgirl]

simon43, the first big question is, are you having your breakfast before you do your cardio / bike riding exercise in the morning?

If so, it's not ideal because you your body will use the food/carbs from the breakfast to fuel your workout, but not your fat stores.

It is best to wake up, drink water, eat a little bit of protein but no carbs to fuel your bike ride, for example 20 - 30 grams of protein powder or 1 - 2 egg whites only.

Then do your bike riding for about one hour and when you get back home, drink more water, prepare and have your breakfast. It does look like a lot though I have to agree.

The trick is to "monitor and adjust". To be able to monitor you need to keep a record of the exact quantities of food and drinks you take in. That way if you are not losing body fat but keep your activity level steady, you have numbers to go by and you can slowly start to reduce the quantities. You should start with reducing carbs but keep eating enough protein every 3, 4 hours, it helps metabolism, keeps blood sugar stable and stops you from getting cravings or hungry. Drink a lot of water all day.

You can learn a lot about reducing body fat on bodybuilding forums.

[binnsy]

HeyNo FRY UPS Eat a good breakfast,Plenty of bedroom exercise and bobs your uncle!!!!!!!!! the pounds will fall off

[simon43]

OK, thanks for the good advice. I have modified my daily food intake viz:

Breakfast:

cornflakes

2 boiled eggs

cranberry juice

green tea

Fresh fruit (pineapple, banana)

Lunch:

Tuna salad

glass of red wine

Early evening meal:

Grilled fish with salad

Throughout the day:

Lots of water

Bananas

I usually do my bike ride in the early evening when it's not so hot, and before my evening meal. Now I'm cycling maybe 20 - 30km most days, plus some press-ups, cycling crunches etc.

I think maybe the weight is beginning to come off (if I trust the weighing machine at 7/11). This morning it said 76.3 (down from 77.7 last week). If that's true then good news ) In any case, for sure I feel much fitter now and the cycling is not too difficult now. Although my daily food intake looks to be less than a very thin mouse would eat, I actually don't get hunger pangs at all.

The press-ups are very hard! I'm doing 'proper' press-ups with flat back, touching my nose to the floor. I can only do 10 of these before my arms give way!

Simon

[mgjackson69]

I am no dietician, but I would say that you have made an effective adjustment in your diet.

Keep after it.

[Mighty Mouse]

OK, thanks for the good advice. I have modified my daily food intake viz:

Breakfast:

cornflakes

2 boiled eggs

cranberry juice

green tea

Fresh fruit (pineapple, banana)

We could probably go on forever suggesting what to and what not to eat, but you cut out one of the bananas from your previous breakfast menu and substituted pineapple.

Just two bananas will provide enough energy for a strenuous 90 minute workout.

Stay with your modified menu for now and be guided by the results but, if you find that you're lacking energy during your evening bike ride, consider eating a banana (or two) before you begin to peddle.

Look at the top class tennis stars who peel and munch a banana during torrid matches.

Could you substitute Wheat-Bix for the cornflakes? Cornflakes are full of sugar. You can eat Wheat-Bix with sliced fruit. A much better alternative.

[quasimodo]

You are simply expecting too much to soon, it will take at least a month to start to take effect. Cycling is better than nothing but burns a lot less weight than running. Also look at other expects of your life, no point cycling for 40 mins if you are then going to be a couch potato for the rest of the day. Try to use the stairs when you can and walk short journeys its surprising how it builds up. In my experience lifestyle is much more important than diets. Diets rarely achieve long term goals as they are only short term measures if you adopt a healthy lifestyle then everything else follows.

[helitool]

All of the advice you have been given is spot on. I can only add that in my case excercise and muscle development are the most important elements in my routine. I am fortunate enough to have an Octane Q37e elliptical machine in my house so I do 35 min each morning which burns 700 calories. I also do the usual pushups, setups and lift weights a couple times a day. There is a reason that you have fat deposits on your stomach, it is mother natures way of preparing you for the next ice age!

The most important thing that you can do (nobody ever listens to me on this) is to go to the pharmacist and get a bottle of keto-sticks these are used by diabetics to check their ketone level. If you are actually burning fat there will be ketones in your urine and you can measure the exact amount. If there are no ketones present in your urine you are not loosing fat.

[PaulHamon]

limit your calories to 1500-1800 per day

go for a 3 hour bike ride each day or 2 hour walk

you can loose 2kg per week... max safely....

stop drinking all juice, coffee, etc... just drink water..... that's it.

each as much light stir fry veggies as you like, drop the rice, pasta, patato and meet.

[simon43]

Update:

OK, it's almost 4 weeks since I started my diet and fitness 'regime'.

My starting weight was 77.7kg

My weight now is 75.3 kg, so I've lost 2.4kg.

That's not a huge amount, but at least I'm moving in the right direction.

I have to say that I am actually rather surprised at how little weight I have lost! Considering that my calorie intake is now about 1400 calories per day, I'm cycling (fast!) 30km each day and doing exercises as well.

The only area where I can clearly see a difference is a reduction in fat on my sides, in my kidney region, just above my love handles. Of course, I'm sure that fat has been reduced all over my body, but I cannot see it yet!

Anyway, I do feel fitter and the exercise has certainly made my heart feel better. My resting heart-rate is now in the low 50s.

I will keep going at this, but any more suggestions how I can speed up the weight reduction? Just to remind you that my daily diet is as I detailed in my previous post, not my initial post.

Simon

[chiliwasabi]

Simon - Slow and steady weight loss through healthy food and exercise is much healthier for your body and more sustainable.

Looking at your latest food intake post it does seem you are going a bit overboard on the eggs. Are you having 2 every day? That is a lot of eggs per week! I would recommend cutting back and if you must eat a lot of eggs try mostly using just the whites (I know the yolks taste the best!).

You also list bananas as part of your snacking. How many per day are you having? Be careful not to overdo it on the fruit if weight loss is your goal, you can always increase the amount you eat when you are closer to your ideal weight. Also be careful of fruit juices as they pack many serves of fruit (and a lot of sugar) into one glass minus a lot of the beneficial fibre etc that you would get from eating the whole fruit.

I also think you should try and add more vegetables (Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, mushroom etc.) to your daily. They are great for a guilt free snack and perfect for filling out a meal if you feel you meals aren't satisfying your hunger.

Anyway, that's my two cents worth - Keep it up & Good luck!

[desi]

You also list bananas as part of your snacking. How many per day are you having? Be careful not to overdo it on the fruit if weight loss is your goal, you can always increase the amount you eat when you are closer to your ideal weight. Also be careful of fruit juices as they pack many serves of fruit (and a lot of sugar) into one glass minus a lot of the beneficial fibre etc that you would get from eating the whole fruit.

I also think you should try and add more vegetables (Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, mushroom etc.) to your daily. They are great for a guilt free snack and perfect for filling out a meal if you feel you meals aren't satisfying your hunger.

Anyway, that's my two cents worth - Keep it up & Good luck!

Adding to this...

Agreed. Fruit juice is a big waste of calories.

My diet problems are boredom, time, and getting enough greens and fibre into a reduced diet.

So what I do is make green smoothies in the morning and freeze them in small containers. Presto, I have my greens in a ready-made (healthy) snack.

And no, they do not have to be green. Just put a cup of frozen winter fruits into the mix and everything turns purple.

Green smoothies:

Cup of water in blender.

Throw in spinach or other dark green leafy veg (when you fill the container with greens, it'll reduce down).

Blend.

Fruits of choice to fill to top (banana, cantaloupe, apple, watermelon, frozen winter fruits, papaya, mango, etc)

Blend.

Add small amounts of apple cider vinegar, nuts, wheat germ, whatever your pleasure.

Blend.

Top up with more fruit until full.

Blend.

It tastes of fruit, not greens.

Just keep an eye on the high calorie fruits is all (bananas, mango...).

Edited August 12, 2008 by desi

[simon43]

I've started drinking tomato juice because it seems to be the only juice in the shops that doesn't have any added sugar or fructose.

As for the bananas, I am eating too many of them! - Maybe 6 per day. I eat them before and after my bike ride to try to give me an energy boost. Any suggestions as to how I can boost my energy levels without eating so many bananas are welcome

Simon

[simon43]

BTW, if I cut down on the eggs, cut down on the fruit juice, cut down on the bananas, then I'm eating about as much food as a very thin mouse!! It's not that I get hunger pangs - rather that I simply miss eating tasty food....

Simon

[chiliwasabi]

I've started drinking tomato juice because it seems to be the only juice in the shops that doesn't have any added sugar or fructose.

As for the bananas, I am eating too many of them! - Maybe 6 per day. I eat them before and after my bike ride to try to give me an energy boost. Any suggestions as to how I can boost my energy levels without eating so many bananas are welcome

Tomato juice is still problematic, like all juices you need multiple portions to make one juice so in one small glass you could be drinking more than 5 tomatoes. True, bananas are a great source of ready energy but while you are trying to lose weight you need to sacrifice some of your energy input so that your excess body fat can be utilised and burnt for energy.

BTW, if I cut down on the eggs, cut down on the fruit juice, cut down on the bananas, then I'm eating about as much food as a very thin mouse!! It's not that I get hunger pangs - rather that I simply miss eating tasty food....

Remember that whole eggs are high in saturated fat and cholesterol and you are eating a months worth or more per week. You just need to add more veges to try and combat the hunger pangs.

It isn't easy.

[Tolley]

Simon43

YOu would be better off eating more protein either in lean meats, skinless chicken or beans or soy products.

Cut out sugar all together and limit your fruit intake to a banana or apple a day.

Eat protein with non starchy vegetables.

The protein will keep your hungers pangs in check and in the long run you will lost more weight.

If you keep to a sensible realistic eating plan you will lose weight but don't try to lose too much too soon.

[simon43]

One comment: I have noticed that if I eat only a little more food than normal (= higher calorie intake) on one day, then my weight has increased the next day! This suggests to me that, even though my daily calorie intake is pretty low, it is still almost at a level that is balancing energy intake versus energy spent. That's why I am losing weight rather slowly and maybe why I do not get hunger pains/pangs.

So, I either need to decrease my calorie intake even more (= starvation diet!!), or increase my energy spent by doing more exercises/work-outs.

Out of interest, if my body 'happy medium' is ok with a low daily calorie intake, does that indicate anything about my metabolism level? (low or high?). I only require a few hours of sleep each night and am 'hyperactive' throughout the day, (but with no stress, normal blood pressure etc).

Simon

[chiliwasabi]

Hi Simon,

I wouldn't be too concerned about you day to day weight. If fat loss is a goal be more concerned about your measurements (Waist etc.).

You say your calorie intake is pretty low but you would be approaching 1000 calories per day just taking into account your egg and banana intake each day. You still have quite a buffer in place between a low calorie diet and starvation.

[Naam]

in the last two years i gained 12 kg after finishing construction, moving into our home, relaxing and enjoying food as well as drinks. now lost 9kg in approximately 8 weeks.

-my only exercise is walking to the other corner of our house for each and every single cigarette i smoke (3.5km/day),

-no more Portwine and Sherry except on special occasions (sweet alcohol substituted by vodka),

-not a crumb of bread (except on weekends),

-no rice, no potatoes, no beans, no peas, no softdrinks; basically nothing that contains a lot of carbohydrates,

-eating a lot of tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, green beans,

-any meat or seafood to go with superhot thai curries (average daily consumption 40 chilis 3-5cm long).

p.s. my super exact electronic scale is a big incentive!

[desi]

in the last two years i gained 12 kg after finishing construction, moving into our home, relaxing and enjoying food as well as drinks. now lost 9kg in approximately 8 weeks.

-my only exercise is walking to the other corner of our house for each and every single cigarette i smoke (3.5km/day),

-no more Port wine and Sherry except on special occasions (sweet alcohol substituted by vodka),

-not a crumb of bread (except on weekends),

-no rice, no potatoes, no beans, no peas, no soft drinks; basically nothing that contains a lot of carbohydrates,

-eating a lot of tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, green beans,

-any meat or seafood to go with super hot thai curries (average daily consumption 40 chilis 3-5cm long).

p.s. my super exact electronic scale is a big incentive!

What do you eat for breakfast?

(I have 8 weeks before a reunion... perfect!)

[Naam]

What do you eat for breakfast? (I have 8 weeks before a reunion... perfect!)

breakfast is 3-4 fried or scrambled eggs (the later with small cut chilis), NO toast, NO bread, NO oil but Teflon pan. and guess what, my biggest incentive is my class reunion on 27th september in Germany. the last reunion i attended in 1997 when i was still a lean mean fighting machine with a body like an ancient greek statue. alas... those were the days!

addendum: besides breakfast i am eating half a dozen small portions daily and drink water with some lime juice added.

Edited August 14, 2008 by Naam

[desi]

breakfast is 3-4 fried or scrambled eggs (the later with small cut chilis), NO toast, NO bread, NO oil but Teflon pan.

Except for the no oil, it sounds like you are on a diet plan similar to the low carb Atkins(?)

I went on Atkins six + years ago and lost a fair amount of weight. Problem is, a no carb diet also takes a lot of water out of the body. Taking water out of a women's body shrivels it up... yeah, I was thin, but I looked ten years older.

But your post has given me the incentive to cut potatoes and rice out of my diet. I only added them due to stomach problems anyway. (I lived on rice and oatmeal for awhile). So they won't be missed.

But to make sure I don't go too low carb, I'll have a bran cereal for breakfast (no sugar, no milk - soya milk).

I'll also have green smoothies with fruit (it's the only way I can get dark leafy greens to pass my lips). Besides, green smooties give me a LOT of energy so I'll burn off any calories from the fruit for sure.

I no longer drink since my stomach problems, so I don't have those calories to worry about (living in Thailand has been such an ongoing party)

and guess what, my biggest incentive is my class reunion on 27th september in Germany. the last reunion i attended in 1997 when i was still a lean mean fighting machine with a body like an ancient greek statue. alas... those were the days!

Nice! Well, it looks like you are well on your way to getting back there. And have the time.

I have two months and two days before I arrive for my reunion. No way am I going to have a body like a greek statue, but, hey...

addendum: besides breakfast i am eating half a dozen small portions daily and drink water with some lime juice added.

That's the way I'm going too. Small meals about six times a day. But, I'm going to cut out the evening fruit with yogurt and replace it with green smoothies made with lower calorie fruits.

I don't do the lime juice and water, but I do use apple cider vinegar (highly recommended for energy) in water.

Good luck! And thanks for the tips and the nudge. I needed to go to the next level, and this is it.

[simon43]

Posters advise me not to weigh myself every day. Over the past 2 days I have put on half a kg!! All I have done is to eat a tiny amount more than I was eating previously. My weight seems to be on a fine balance and if I increase my food intake by only a small amount I immediately start putting on weight!

I think I need to reduce my calorie intake by several hundred calories, but that will take it to less than 1,000 calories per day. That sounds pretty low to me.

Yet I read on this forum of people eating huge meals (maybe a daily intake of 3,000-4,000 calories or something). Surely they should be the size of an elephant!

What is it that governs how many calories a particular person requires to maintain their equilibrium? I'm interested to know (from an academic interest).

Maybe I need to fast for a few days....

Simon

[chiliwasabi]

You really should not get so hung up about weight. Drink a glass of water and you'll put on 1/2 a kg. Are you feeling any stronger from your physical activity? Muscle weighs more than fat. Are you measuring your waist, thighs etc to see any changes. Are your clothes still fitting the same way? If you must do it, try to only weigh yourself once a week or even better once a month.

Throughout this thread you have had some pretty good advice although I would be wary of any quick fix solutions. As for packing veges etc into smoothies that is good and is very beneficial BUT it is better to eat your vitamins, fibre, mineral etc as actually chewing your food is integral to kick starting your metabolism.

Try to learn what foods are good for you and what isn't. A certain amount of calorie counting can help educate you as to what various foods actually contain. The majority of your diet should consist of veges but make sure you have your lean protein and some carbs (Carbs need to be reduced to lose weight but don't overdo it).

Can you let us now some answers to the following:

• Are you feeling fitter?
  
• Are you feeling healthier or are you feeling starved?
  
• Are you clothes feeling "bigger"?
  

Remember diet is for life not for a quick fix or to impress people at a reunion. You need to find a solution that you can live with for life not strarving yourself for quick or extreme results. It is a slow process and you will have to tweak it here and there and find whats right for you.

Most importantly DON'T GIVE UP.

Edited August 14, 2008 by chiliwasabi

[simon43]

For sure, I am feeling fitter and healthier. That's the good side of this diet.

As for my clothes, absolutely no change! In appearance, I have toned up a little, and there is a little fat reduction just above my love handles.

But it's early days and I certainly won't give up. I get no hunger pangs whatsoever on this meagre diet.

Simon

[chiliwasabi]

You sound like you are on track Simon. If you are like me you'll be losing fat from your back and places that aren't too noticeable first.

[Naam]

Except for the no oil, it sounds like you are on a diet plan similar to the low carb Atkins(?)

I went on Atkins six + years ago and lost a fair amount of weight. Problem is, a no carb diet also takes a lot of water out of the body. Taking water out of a women's body shrivels it up... yeah, I was thin, but I looked ten years older.

it's not exactly low carb (like Atkins) as i eat quite a lot of vegetables (i forgot to mention mushrooms which i eat on a daily basis). tried Atkins, did not work.

[desi]

Posters advise me not to weigh myself every day. Over the past 2 days I have put on half a kg!! All I have done is to eat a tiny amount more than I was eating previously. My weight seems to be on a fine balance and if I increase my food intake by only a small amount I immediately start putting on weight!

I think I need to reduce my calorie intake by several hundred calories, but that will take it to less than 1,000 calories per day. That sounds pretty low to me.

Yet I read on this forum of people eating huge meals (maybe a daily intake of 3,000-4,000 calories or something). Surely they should be the size of an elephant!

What is it that governs how many calories a particular person requires to maintain their equilibrium? I'm interested to know (from an academic interest).

Maybe I need to fast for a few days....

Simon

Ouch. For a guy, I would not go below 1000 calories (is there a nutritionist in the house?). You'll totally ruin your metabolism.

I know, because mine is shot from 20 years ago when I used to fast all the time. I can now live on very little a day, and gain weight on the smallest amounts. I've been trying to get my metabolism to kick-start but haven't managed it yet.

I do believe in fasting a couple of days a week though. Just not for two to six weeks like I did before.

And scales? They are the bane of losing weight! May they all go to scale hel_l!... I haven't weighed myself this time and I don't intend to until I get close to how I feel best. The daily/weekly misery is just not worth it. I don't know how many times in the past I've fallen off the diet wagon because that needle went up, not down.

Scales are fickle. If you are exercising, then you are putting on muscle and that's good. Muscle also weighs more than fat so yes, you will gain for awhile.