A few tips from me on losing weight

[MrHammer]

Some time ago I started a thread about wanting to lose weight from 103-4 to about 90 kg. Well, I only lost 3 kg so far (beneath 100 kg for first time in maybe 2 years today).

It might not be that much over 2 months, but I spent some time messing around with ineffective methods and now I have a plan which WILL lose me probably 0.5kg a weak, which is ok with me. It is simply consistent and works as far as I can tell.

Let me share with you a things I discovered:

1. Counting calories is the best thing you can do. A lot of foods have many more calories than you think. For example, two tablespoons of olive oil have around 200-300 calories. That's a lot, similar to a cheeseburger at McDonalds most likely. Bread also have an insane amount of calories. A small flour tortilla has about 110 calories. Might not sound like much, but bread is so easy to consume and doesn't make you feel nourished. It is not difficult to count calories with the internet. I recommend http://www.caloriecount.com/. It is very easy as almost any food you eat is already there (except some Thai dishes). Btw, most people need far less calories than they think if they live a sedentary life. It is not if you go excercise that burns the most calories, but if you sit/lie most of the day or if you constantly stand, walk, do something. I am on a 2000/1700 calorie diet (workout day/rest day) and that is for someone 185 cm and 100 kg lifting heavy weights 3 times a week.

2. Vegetables have no calories. Close to zero really. I don't think you can eat too much vegetables. Even a huge salad may only have 200 calories or less. This also goes for great addititions such as Salsa sauce and some Pasta sauce. So if you can find a way to get your veggies, you will feel fuller and more satisfied with your meal while not having consumed many calories at all.

3. Junk food is bad. Obviously, but consider that a Big Mac and fries probably has about 500-600 calories. That is a quarter of all the calories you need in a day and the worst is that you will be hungry almost right after. If indeed you eat enough to not feel hungry for a while, then you have likely consumed way more than your daily average. I treat junk food as a treat now, similar to a piece of chocolate or icecream.

4. Cook your own food. This one I feel is very important. Not only is it much easier to count calories but it also prevents overeating. For some reason, I find I eat less when I prepare my own food. Maybe it is a psychological thing, that our instinct is to find our food and prepare it ourself. If we just buy it, it is too easy and we don't appreciate the food.

5. Don't do cardio, do weight lifting. When I first started trying to lose weight, I would do a lot of cardio and semi-high intensity. By that I mean stationary bike or swimming for 1 hour. The problem is that unless you do it at very high intensity you won't burn a lot of calories. Even 1 hour of swimming won't burn more than 500 calories at the most. You also feel more hungry and more tired after cardio. The risk of injury is also higher. I got bursitis of the knee after several back to back stationary bike sessions. The constant bending of joints and stress is a recipe for injury. Therefore, now I simply stick to weights, which may burn less calories in one sitting, but will burn more calories for up to 48 hours after. Bigger muscles require more energy at rest. You will also look better and be stronger. Contrary to some popular belief, I have found my endurance to increase as well. I recommend a simple training program with compound lifts like squat, deadlift, rows, presses (bench and overhead). Just don't let your ego take over and start low.

6. Drink less. A 4 day trip to Pattaya with friends saw me gain 2 kg despite not eating much. There's a lot of calories in alchohol.

7. Look in the mirror. Even losing a few pounds will make you look better and therefore feel better. That will in turn inspire you to stick to your diet. Your wife/gf and friends may notice. That is also why I recommend lifting weights. It will give you faster results in terms of looking better and will inspire you to keep going.

The above is what I have found to consistently work for me. I now know exactly how much to eat, drink and excercise to lose weight. The challenge for anyone wanting to lose weight is the same. Find a routine that includes diet, which lets you eat food you enjoy while working out with something you enjoy. Then simply stick to it and let results inspire more results.

[Taggart]

Good post but choose foods with low calorie density and you won't even have to count calories.

[tropo]

Perhaps we could learn a thing or two about healthy eating from the French, who love to eat calorie dense foods:

http://chriskresser.com/health-lessons-from-international-cuisines-france?inf_contact_key=4b471677e9fad4b7d8ac5a653ca94d2855cdfc8bad7dc857cdfeaab1b1b69441

Do you guys feel guilty when tucking into something deliciously fatty - a cake, chocolate, ice cream?

[muratremix]

Great topic. It would be even better if weight lifting is explained in more detail

[robblok]

Great topic. It would be even better if weight lifting is explained in more detail

I think that would be hard, but there are 3 exercises that are good (but you need to do them correct and that usually means that somoene needs to help you)

Squat

Dead-lifts

Benchpesss

For beginners there is the 5 x 5 program from bill star or others However this als depends on your age of course.

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

junk foofd like a big mac may be calorie heavy, but if i have one of them, im not eating again that day

[MrHammer]

I'm down to around 98.5 kg btw, so now down a total of around 5 kg from my heaviest 4 months ago. Slow and steady wins the race as they say.

It is really mostly mental though and learning to only eat for hunger and not just taste

Something that does bother me though is that while losing fat comes of the face fast, the stubborn fat on the belly seems to be quite stubborn. Makes it seem like you are not loosing much weight at all. But then you can down on belt size and it is obvious.

[tropo]

I'm down to around 98.5 kg btw, so now down a total of around 5 kg from my heaviest 4 months ago. Slow and steady wins the race as they say.

It is really mostly mental though and learning to only eat for hunger and not just taste

Something that does bother me though is that while losing fat comes of the face fast, the stubborn fat on the belly seems to be quite stubborn. Makes it seem like you are not loosing much weight at all. But then you can down on belt size and it is obvious.

Where the fat comes from is highly individual though, and varies a lot between male to female. Years ago I had a girlfriend with a well defined 6 pack while still sporting a huge, fat ass. .. and then Asian females often horde fat in the waist.

[Jingthing]

Olive oil is a health promoting food.

A McDonald's cheeseburger isn't.

Simple math is not all that matters in the way we eat, whether trying to lose weight or not.

[prestburypark]

I highly recommend "Wheat Belly" by William Davis. Quite an eye opener and has helped me lose most of my visceral fat, the really stubborn spare tyre that I accumulated.

Controversial but makes complete sense, the essence of it is, banish wheat in all its forms from your diet and keep an eye on the GI of what you eat. From 103 kilos to 94 in 3 months whilst eating mainly vegetables (not a vegetarian) and loss continuing..and I enjoy a glass of wine or two sometimes.

On the exercise front I think that it is well established now that exercise itself does not lose you weight, but large muscle workouts as suggested by Robblok and not cardio keep your metabolism raised for days rather than the limited effects of cardio. As long as you do something though!! A huge subject best researched and your own path found. Good luck and I am proof that that spare tyre can be got rid of!

[tropo]

On the exercise front I think that it is well established now that exercise itself does not lose you weight, but large muscle workouts as suggested by Robblok and not cardio keep your metabolism raised for days rather than the limited effects of cardio. As long as you do something though!! A huge subject best researched and your own path found. Good luck and I am proof that that spare tyre can be got rid of!

When was this established and by whom?

It's nonsense. Any person who starts exercising with no adjustment to diet will lose fat. It's basic biochemistry. You burn it, you lose it. There's no magic involved.

Perhaps you're suggesting that exercise alone is not the fastest way to lose fat. It's certainly not the easiest way, but it's the best.

If you compared two people who lost say 5kg of fat - one from exercise alone, with no adjustment to diet and one from diet alone with no exercise. I'll put money down that the person exercising will be in much better shape and will continue to lose weight whereas the dieter will put it back on quickly.

The exerciser would also have the added advantage of developing discipline, making it easier to achieve long term weight goals.

BTW, a "spare tire" is subcutaneous fat around the abdomen. Visceral fat is inside the abdominal cavity surrounding the internal organs.

[prestburypark]

Indeed visceral fat is where you say it is, and is the dangerous fat that is linked with all kinds of health problems. It is necessary to reduce it by diet and exercise best done in tandem. It comes along with a spare tyre, or did with me anyway.

The op mentioned :"don't do cardio, do weight lifting" , Robblok suggested a variety of exercises that were more efficient than cardio for moving stubborn fat. I suggested you at least do some exercise.

I have found that eliminating all whole grains and some other carbs such as rice has reduced my visceral fat considerably, and was passing along that info. Much quicker results than a couple of years of steady cardio workouts week in week out. This is not a diet, per se but a lifestyle alteration in diet.

Also of course high intensity workouts move stuff along even better. Along these lines perhaps:

http://www.poliquingroup.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/1250/Top-Thirty-Tips-to-Lose-Belly-Fat.aspx

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/lose-weight/burn-fat/how-to-incinerate-visceral-fat

a healthy and fit future to you all

[Jay Sata]

A friend of mine went from 106kg to 76kg in 10 weeks last year.

He did this while on holiday in Thailand.

He stopped drinking tea,coffee and three bottles of wine every night and cut out breakfast and lunch.

He only ate one meal a day of mostly veg,noodles and rice plus some Lap Moo.

He drank nothing but water apart from one can of beer every evening.

He spent four hours every day on the golf driving range.

He has put a few kilo's on (3/4) on his couple of trips back to the UK but loses it every time he returns to Thailand.

He has had to spend quite a bit on new clothes as the old stuff no longer fits.

[tropo]

A friend of mine went from 106kg to 76kg in 10 weeks last year.

He did this while on holiday in Thailand.

He stopped drinking tea,coffee and three bottles of wine every night and cut out breakfast and lunch.

He only ate one meal a day of mostly veg,noodles and rice plus some Lap Moo.

He drank nothing but water apart from one can of beer every evening.

He spent four hours every day on the golf driving range.

He has put a few kilo's on (3/4) on his couple of trips back to the UK but loses it every time he returns to Thailand.

He has had to spend quite a bit on new clothes as the old stuff no longer fits.

So basically your friend is a typical yo-yo dieter.... and it become easier to increase his weight and more difficult to get it off as he ages.

[tropo]

Indeed visceral fat is where you say it is, and is the dangerous fat that is linked with all kinds of health problems. It is necessary to reduce it by diet and exercise best done in tandem. It comes along with a spare tyre, or did with me anyway.

The op mentioned :"don't do cardio, do weight lifting" , Robblok suggested a variety of exercises that were more efficient than cardio for moving stubborn fat. I suggested you at least do some exercise.

I have found that eliminating all whole grains and some other carbs such as rice has reduced my visceral fat considerably, and was passing along that info. Much quicker results than a couple of years of steady cardio workouts week in week out. This is not a diet, per se but a lifestyle alteration in diet.

Also of course high intensity workouts move stuff along even better. Along these lines perhaps:

http://www.poliquingroup.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/1250/Top-Thirty-Tips-to-Lose-Belly-Fat.aspx

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/lose-weight/burn-fat/how-to-incinerate-visceral-fat

a healthy and fit future to you all

Visceral fat can also come without a spare tire. I've been there...

Insulin resistance or diabetes usually increases visceral fat disproportionately, so cutting out the starchy carbs will be a huge benefit if your body is not processing carbs efficiently.

I just take exception to anyone saying that exercise doesn't work. Yes, using it in conjunction with diet restrictions or alterations is by far the best option, but it can work alone too.

The intensity of the workouts is not so important as the amount of calories expended. The follow on affect of HIIT is highly exaggerated. Why? Because everyone wants to believe you can strip a lot of body fat doing about 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a week. Everyone is looking for the easy way.

When people keep touting the uselessness of exercise for fat reduction, it sends out a bad signal. People will always look for excuses not to exercise.

Edited September 12, 2013 by tropo

[singa-traz]

Like the OP, I'm losing about 0.5kg per week (on average for the past 8 weeks).

A couple of month ago, I was worried my weight would need 3 digits to be displayed, and now it is going in the right direction, and think it will be below 90K before end of the year.

Change to my diet:

• No more soda drinks (stopped Coca Cola 6 months ago)
• More balence diet (more fruit and vegetable)
• Right quantity (no, you don't need to finish this dish, or to take spaghetti for the 3rd time)

and I regulary exercice (running/cycling), 3-4 times a week.

I don't do calory counting, but educate myself on basic nutricient facts.

Two months ago, I would have told you how much I hate running, and the real pain of forcing myself to go running ... now, I need to force myself to include rest day in the week.

To achieve that, I have build and use a motivation network and set of rewards:

• Friends know when I go running via social networks, and cheers me up.
• I exercice once a week with the family
• Everytime I exercice, I will eat a very juicy orange, or two (whole fruit)
• I track every progress (distance, weight, size, etc ...)
• Set a challenge: Register in a race to run 10km in about 1Hourish.
• Ah, Yes, when I go running I smile at people and say hello. Nothing better as a motivator than a smile back from another human being.

Got some friends on low carb diet. They are losing weight and probably faster than me, but I personally won't be able to stop rice and pasta.

Look at this ...

I don't have the will power to stop carb, and there are questions whether this kind of diet is actually good for you.

So, to summarise:

• I'm more carefull in the quantity and quality of what I eat
• I burn more calories than I eat
• I setup a motivation framework

And I forget to mention, I now feel so goood.

[tropo]

Like the OP, I'm losing about 0.5kg per week (on average for the past 8 weeks).

A couple of month ago, I was worried my weight would need 3 digits to be displayed, and now it is going in the right direction, and think it will be below 90K before end of the year.

Change to my diet:

• No more soda drinks (stopped Coca Cola 6 months ago)
• More balence diet (more fruit and vegetable)
• Right quantity (no, you don't need to finish this dish, or to take spaghetti for the 3rd time)

and I regulary exercice (running/cycling), 3-4 times a week.

I don't do calory counting, but educate myself on basic nutricient facts.

Two months ago, I would have told you how much I hate running, and the real pain of forcing myself to go running ... now, I need to force myself to include rest day in the week.

To achieve that, I have build and use a motivation network and set of rewards:

• Friends know when I go running via social networks, and cheers me up.
• I exercice once a week with the family
• Everytime I exercice, I will eat a very juicy orange, or two (whole fruit)
• I track every progress (distance, weight, size, etc ...)
• Set a challenge: Register in a race to run 10km in about 1Hourish.
• Ah, Yes, when I go running I smile at people and say hello. Nothing better as a motivator than a smile back from another human being.

Got some friends on low carb diet. They are losing weight and probably faster than me, but I personally won't be able to stop rice and pasta.

Look at this ...

I don't have the will power to stop carb, and there are questions whether this kind of diet is actually good for you.

So, to summarise:

• I'm more carefull in the quantity and quality of what I eat
• I burn more calories than I eat
• I setup a motivation framework

And I forget to mention, I now feel so goood.

There you go. You're doing it the old school way - eating less and exercising.

Now that exercise has become a habit, there's no looking back.

One word of caution.... moderate the amount of exercise you do. Too many people overdo it when they start up then quit either due to injury, over-training or both. Over-training can make you feel really lousy, interfere with sleep and it's worse for you than no exercise at all. Injury will side-line you and you may become depressed. Over-training is training past your ability to recover.

It's common to see newbies down at the gym 7 days a week, then one day you don't see them anymore. Rest is just as important as the exercise. The older you get the more rest you need to recover. With exercise, more is not necessarily better but newbies always seem to think more is better. Don't make it an addiction because when you become emotional about it you stop using common sense.

When you say things like "it's hard to take a day off", it's a sure sign you're becoming addicted. I can recall so many conversations down at the gym over the years such as: "Oh woe is me - I haven't trained for 2 - 3 days" and they look distraught about it, like they've been off for months and have lost all their conditioning. In the long run most of these guys don't get anywhere because they haven't mastered the way to pace themselves properly.

With exercise slowly wins the race.

Think about it. Who's better off?...A guy who develops a solid 3 times a week moderate program which he maintains year in year out, or a guy who canes himself 6 or 7 days a week for several months and then quits due to injury?

Edited September 15, 2013 by tropo

[singa-traz]

...

When you say things like "it's hard to take a day off", it's a sure sign you're becoming addicted. I can recall so many conversations down at the gym over the years such as: "Oh woe is me - I haven't trained for 2 - 3 days" and they look distraught about it, like they've been off for months and have lost all their conditioning. In the long run most of these guys don't get anywhere because they haven't mastered the way to pace themselves properly.

With exercise slowly wins the race.

Think about it. Who's better off?...A guy who develops a solid 3 times a week moderate program which he maintains year in year out, or a guy who canes himself 6 or 7 days a week for several months and then quits due to injury?

Thanks Tropo to point this out. Now, in addition to a weight problem ... I have an addiction problem. Great :-)

Yep, there is a fine line between an healthy habit and a potentially damaging addiction.

[robblok]

I have to agree with Tropo here, overdoing it can hurt. Now he and I are the last to say such a thing as there were times we both exercised like crazy and on all days.

There was a time i worked out 7 days a week (last year) 4-5 weight lifting sessions and the rest rowing sessions. Now that i got to the weight I want I just workout 4 times a week and sometimes a day more sometimes a day less. In the end its all about keeping it up if you can't do that you have lost.

Keeping it up for a long period always wins, i think most gym rats have had periods where they did not or train at all or worked out less. Thing is getting back int he saddle then. Anyway I really wish you all the luck in the world and your doing it the right way most people can attest to that.

[lujanit]

I came across this video the other day and I found it quite interesting. Alton Brown on how he lost quite a bit of weight. I like his 4 list approach. Very simple, no calorie counting. He doesn't mention an exercise program however it would make sense to undertake one.

I always remember reading somewhere you can solve your entire weight problem with four words, Eat less, move more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydeBWsG9Jyk

[Jingthing]

There are some good general guidelines in that video and I largely agree with the general philosophy. However, that breakfast smoothie ritual is basically INSANE and what's wrong with PLAIN almonds and FRESH fruit?

[singa-traz]

Here is what regular exercice does to me:

Running/Jogging 2-3 times a week for 30 to 60 mins.

...

I will soon write a book on "how I did it: 'Put one foot in front of the other.'" :-)

Disclaimer: Your mileage may vary ...

[hanno]

Great post but I disagree with the cardio part. I run 6 times a week (40 Miles+) and whilst not built like a Kenyan Marathon runner, I can eat a fair bit as I burn about 100 calories per Mile. I still do try and make smart food choices but as I never eat fast food and get a lot of my carbs from veggies, salad, and fruit, I am not doing too badly. I can even have the odd beer or 3

[David48]

A friend of mine went from 106kg to 76kg in 10 weeks last year.

He did this while on holiday in Thailand.

That's 40 kg

That's 4 kg a week every week

That's possible?

EDIT ...

As hano points out overpage ... it's actually 30 kilos ...

So that's 3 kg a week

.

Edited September 25, 2013 by David48

[David48]

BTW ... I tip my hat to the guys who try and fail and try again and are partly successful, and try again and succeed and live a lighter healthier life in Thailand ...

Power to the lot of you ... and me ...

I've got a lazy 10kgs that have been hitch-hiking a little to long for my liking.

.

[hanno]

A friend of mine went from 106kg to 76kg in 10 weeks last year.

He did this while on holiday in Thailand.

That's 40 kg

That's 4 kg a week every week

That's possible?

.

Ehhh, that's 30 kilos. Still unhealthy and not the right way to diet. As far as I know, a pound a week is considered healthy and sustainable; this guy is going to come back like a Yo-yo.

[tropo]

Here is what regular exercice does to me:

Running/Jogging 2-3 times a week for 30 to 60 mins.

FAT2FIT.png

...

I will soon write a book on "how I did it: 'Put one foot in front of the other.'" :-)

Disclaimer: Your mileage may vary ...

Of course the exercise is healthy, but calorie restriction is what did it for you. The running increased the deficit.

I certainly wouldn't recommend running as the first choice for older people weighing over 200 lbs. There's far better choices much healthier for joints.

Edited September 25, 2013 by tropo

[singa-traz]

As they say: "Slow and Steady wins the race"

[Mangosteen1]

This Herbal tea works for me. I have tried many products in my life. I mean many.

This Fitne Tea will empty your stomach. Comes in many types and packs even in coffee. tea works best for me.

(I'm not trying to sell it or anything, just giving my option helping a fellow out)

Try it, eat healthy, exercise and check your weight on the scale"It will do" "Lose wight is not the real issue, keeping that long desired weight is the real problem"

[Jingthing]

Fitne tea relies a lot on LAXATIVES. Getting dependent on laxatives is very unhealthy. What it means is your system can't process food normally any more and you need higher and higher does of laxatives not to be constipated. If you go off the laxatives, your system won't be used to normal function. In other words: DAMAGE.

Personally, I would strongly caution anyone from going into any kind of long term use of laxatives for weight loss. Save the laxatives for the times when you really need them for an acute problem of constipation.

Yes it is true that Fitne Tea is popular with Thai people but they mostly use it for SHORT TERM weight loss (and just because it's popular doesn't make it something that would good for YOUR health). Skin whiteners are also popular with Thai people. ('Nuff said?)

Edited October 9, 2013 by Jingthing