Little motivational tips and tricks for those dealing with weight control issues

[RyxhGee]

Good thing for motivation. It's to make your photo naked in some bad pose (where you don't look OK) and pin it on refrigerator it helps, trust me.

I believe you but I don't want to look at that!

It's just a small tip for fat guys and girls =)))

[Jingthing]

It's a bit extreme but it's a good idea for those that can stomach it.

[Jingthing]

This is a tip mostly for people who have kids or intend to have kids. It explains that kids often hate many good nutrition foods like broccoli SEVERAL TIMES before they'll eventually start to give them a chance. Also that more affluent kids exposed enough times to such foods tend to grow up to be adults who actually LOVE such foods. The theory is the poorer parents can't afford to waste much money serving foods again and again that their kids simply won't eat.

It's interesting to me personally as I really do love such foods but as a kid I wouldn't touch them and my parents didn't expose me enough times, as suggested in the article. They had enough money, that wasn't the problem, they weren't really into those foods themselves, and also back then basic awareness of such nutritional matters was not common where I grew up.

Of course my personal experience is contrary the assumptions in the article. I wasn't well exposed as a kid and yet as an adult I do love them. Of course it would be much better for people to start eating more nutritious foods from an EARLY AGE.

Broccoli is nutritious, and it knows it.

Since humans and other plant-eating animals have reason to consume a lot of broccoli, it has come to produce goitrin, a compound that tastes very bitter to people with a certain gene—which serves as a (meager) defense against getting eaten. Other vegetables that come from the very same plant, including kale, brussels sprouts, and collard greens, all employ a similar protective strategy. But, as the podcast Surprisingly Awesome recently noted, broccoli’s flavor armor can be actually quite effective, as evidenced by many kids’ disgusted reaction to tasting it for the first time.

But those kids can learn to like it, eventually: One 1990 study found that kids need to be presented with unknown foods somewhere between eight and 15 times before they come to accept them. This, of course, doesn’t come cheap. Once rejected, a good number of those eight to 15 servings of broccoli (or carrots or whole grains or fish) are going to end up on the floor and then in the garbage. And on top of that, parents need to buy a dependable backup food to have on hand.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/01/rich-kids-healthier-foods/431646/

[robblok]

As a kid I was fed broccoli quite a few times, still did not like it. I can eat it but I don't like it.

I was exposed to many vegetables as my dad had his own vegetable garden and we lived rural area so farmers all around who sold their wares on the streets.

But even here in Thailand I dont feel vegetables are expensive (especially in the market) fruits.. that is an other story.

[Jingthing]

I grew up in the age of t.v. dinners. I'm serious. We actually at that crap and we liked it.

Typical breakfast: Frosted flakes with milk. Orange juice. No fruit.

Or Pop Tarts

Or Waffles and sugar syrup

Weekends - pancakes

Lunch: School lunch, processed nightmare.

Dinner choices:

-- t.v. dinner (fried chicken or "Salisbury steak" usually)

-- boil in bag dinner

-- overcooked unseasoned steak with baked potato w/ sour cream, no greens

-- overcooked unseasoned chicken with boxed mac and cheese, no greens

-- overcooked unseasoned burgers served with tator tots and ketchup

-- frozen "fish sticks" served with frozen french fries and of course lots of ketchup

-- take out Italian American, like veal parm with spaghetti or manicotti stuffed with ricotta (OK, that was good!)

-- Bread was "Wonder" Bread as it's a wonder they have the nerve to call it bread, spread was MARGARINE (considered "healthy")

"Snacks"

Junk food potato chips, cookies, processed cakes, don't want to think about it, egads.

Gallons of SODA every day.

I think it was usually DIET SODA, which adds a touch of irony.

Anyway, now I have a decent enough palate to appreciate all kinds of fresh and nutritious foods now and sophisticated spices and flavors.

The article seems to imply that if your palate is developed one way as a child, you may be stuck with that. I'm so happy that isn't necessarily so.

Check this out.

No microwave ovens!

25 minutes to cook a frozen t.v. dinner.

[Jingthing]

To add, gleaned from the British show Trust Me I'm A Doctor.

They did a credible study on this show and came up with this interesting result.

For MEN ... you burn more fat when exercising on a empty stomach.

For WOMEN ... you burn more fat when exercise AFTER eating.

When you exercise, you burn carbs and hopefully fat. If you're only burning carbs that's of course not ideal if you're trying to lose some fat.

The results were pretty convincing and consistent, but on the other hand, I wouldn't assume it would apply to ALL men and women, but it's worth considering anyway.

[Jingthing]

There was another subject area of note on that Trust Me a Doctor program perhaps of interest older people, age 65 and over.

It suggested that for such OLDER people, if they have an "overweight, not obese" BMI of 25 to 30 (assuming a more normal not body builder body) that its probable that losing fat would be a LESS HEALTHY thing to do than just keeping that fat and that overweight defined BMI level. That's because of depleted muscle mass issues with older people and also there are survival benefits to having fat stores in case of medical crises. The caveat was that advice might not be the same if there is an existing medical condition such as diabetes where weight loss (which would be fat and depleted muscle mass unfortunately) might be recommendable to reduce the impact of a specific overweight related condition. Food for thought for the oldies.

They didn't mention what about oldies who are mildly obese BMI, but I made the assumption it would OK to get down to overweight.

I think if you are over 65 and morbidly obese, better get your affairs in order.

Thinking about this from an evolutionary POV, our bodies are designed to store fat, and it wouldn't be doing that if it wasn't SOMETIMES a benefit for SURVIVAL.

Of course younger people who have almost NO FAT have health risks associated with that as well, but wrong forum for that!

Another thought for those of us UNDER 65, if it's really true that usually weight loss when older if 25 to 30 BMI is not recommendable due to health concerns, perhaps that can be some MOTIVATION to get the BMI lower while still not that old.

[connda]

Of course, instead of maintaining a farang diet even after leaving your 'homeland', you could try eating like the locals. I lost 20 lbs within the first year of moving to Thailand and maintain my weight at around 180 lbs on a 5'11' frame, and I keep relatively fit. When I've engaged in athletics, that figure will go down to the upper 170s, but I'm comfortable at 180.

Most foreigners I know who are expats simply remain fat. Eat the same junk food, go to the same farang restaurants. Then you wonder why you're still obese. And yet, it so simple to go to a vegetable and fruit based diet,still eat meat if you want, and never feel wanting for food. But go to one of those twice a month, all you can eat, chow-fests held by some of the expat clubs and it's easy to figure out why expats can't lose weight. And of course, gotta go to the local high-fat farang restaurants to boot.

I can't loose weight, boo hoo. Why? Try eating like the locals. But not the fat kids.

[connda]

Here's a little tip or trick:

Stop eating so much you fat pig

Stop drinking all that booze you screwed up lush

Get off your lard ass and get out for some exercise you blob of useless flesh

Remind ourselves each day with these gentle suggestions and perhaps a change will come about

Fat shaming abuse as above is not welcome on this health forum.

Why not. If you're obese and can't control yourself, and you're eating yourself into your grave at an early age, maybe you need a wake-up call. I could care less if you're politically correct. I'm not. Stop killing yourself with food.

[Jingthing]

Here's a little tip or trick:

Stop eating so much you fat pig

Stop drinking all that booze you screwed up lush

Get off your lard ass and get out for some exercise you blob of useless flesh

Remind ourselves each day with these gentle suggestions and perhaps a change will come about

Fat shaming abuse as above is not welcome on this health forum.

Why not. If you're obese and can't control yourself, and you're eating yourself into your grave at an early age, maybe you need a wake-up call. I could care less if you're politically correct. I'm not. Stop killing yourself with food.

Abusive fat shaming is against forum rules, and besides, there is ample proof that motivation for change comes from WITHIN and that insulting and bullying people tends to make things worse. The idea of this forum is to helpful. Not abusive. People who are overweight/obese are well aware of it without being bullied constantly by morons, in real life, or by anonymous bullies on the internet.

[robblok]

To add, gleaned from the British show Trust Me I'm A Doctor.

They did a credible study on this show and came up with this interesting result.

For MEN ... you burn more fat when exercising on a empty stomach.

For WOMEN ... you burn more fat when exercise AFTER eating.

When you exercise, you burn carbs and hopefully fat. If you're only burning carbs that's of course not ideal if you're trying to lose some fat.

The results were pretty convincing and consistent, but on the other hand, I wouldn't assume it would apply to ALL men and women, but it's worth considering anyway.

You always burn more fat on an empty stomach.. or fasted. This is something I have known (and many other fitness freaks) for ages. The reason being you have burned all glycogen in your sleep your totally empty so once you start exercising you burn fat. The only problem with it its that you cant exercise at the same intensity.

Just look a it this way.. say you can burn 200 calories from exercise fasted and its all fat or you burn 500 cals with carbs in your body but 50% is fat.. you still burn more with carbs in your system.

Same goes for the ideal fat burning range (heartbeat) you might burn more percentage wise but its not 100% sure its overall that way.

Anyway fasted training has it place if you want to loose the last bit of fat.. take some cafeine and do fasted training.. sure that helps.

I have done it in the past it works but its real hard (and hard for me as I am not in the mood to exercise early in the morning)

[Jingthing]

You say that but the EXACT OPPOSITE result was shown for WOMEN. It's not only the fat burned during the session but for later resting times as well! I would have assumed empty stomach would be better for ALL, but that study showed NOT.

Anyway, this forum seems overwhelmingly MALE anyway, so never mind.

[robblok]

I grew up in the age of t.v. dinners. I'm serious. We actually at that crap and we liked it.

Typical breakfast: Frosted flakes with milk. Orange juice. No fruit.

Or Pop Tarts

Or Waffles and sugar syrup

Weekends - pancakes

Lunch: School lunch, processed nightmare.

Dinner choices:

-- t.v. dinner (fried chicken or "Salisbury steak" usually)

-- boil in bag dinner

-- overcooked unseasoned steak with baked potato w/ sour cream, no greens

-- overcooked unseasoned chicken with boxed mac and cheese, no greens

-- overcooked unseasoned burgers served with tator tots and ketchup

-- frozen "fish sticks" served with frozen french fries and of course lots of ketchup

-- take out Italian American, like veal parm with spaghetti or manicotti stuffed with ricotta (OK, that was good!)

-- Bread was "Wonder" Bread as it's a wonder they have the nerve to call it bread, spread was MARGARINE (considered "healthy")

"Snacks"

Junk food potato chips, cookies, processed cakes, don't want to think about it, egads.

Gallons of SODA every day.

I think it was usually DIET SODA, which adds a touch of irony.

Anyway, now I have a decent enough palate to appreciate all kinds of fresh and nutritious foods now and sophisticated spices and flavors.

The article seems to imply that if your palate is developed one way as a child, you may be stuck with that. I'm so happy that isn't necessarily so.

Check this out.

No microwave ovens!

25 minutes to cook a frozen t.v. dinner.

We had some TV diners too.. dad got them if he did overtime (got them from the company) so he took them home and occasionally we ate them.

As for the other stuff and snacks.. sure we ate crisps and cakes too (though not as much as we as kids wanted them) my parents made sure I never got too much of the. We were also not allowed to drink too much of cola and so one. We were encouraged to drink tea or water. (things changed as we got older)

We had the Dutch version of pancakes (believe the american version is more cake like) We got that also occasionally but it was a big treat when we did.

But mainly we had freshly cooked meals veggies.. with meat and every Wednesday something like spaghetti, rice or something else exotic.

[robblok]

You say that but the EXACT OPPOSITE result was shown for WOMEN. It's not only the fat burned during the session but for later resting times as well! I would have assumed empty stomach would be better for ALL, but that study showed NOT.

Anyway, this forum seems overwhelmingly MALE anyway, so never mind.

Strange.. but interesting.

Anyway.. fasted exercise for me is almost impossible (as it means for exercise when i wake up and I really dislike it). I have done it for a while when I really wanted to loose weight but at that time i was really overweight and trained everyday. Now I am more moderate and getting good results (but slower)

You should look into carb / caloric cycling, I tried that too with good results.

What works for me now is just skipping breakfast a few days a week (effectively cutting out one meal). I only do this if i gain weight and feel I need to go down again.

[CharlieH]

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[connda]

To add, gleaned from the British show Trust Me I'm A Doctor.

They did a credible study on this show and came up with this interesting result.

For MEN ... you burn more fat when exercising on a empty stomach.

For WOMEN ... you burn more fat when exercise AFTER eating.

When you exercise, you burn carbs and hopefully fat. If you're only burning carbs that's of course not ideal if you're trying to lose some fat.

The results were pretty convincing and consistent, but on the other hand, I wouldn't assume it would apply to ALL men and women, but it's worth considering anyway.

You always burn more fat on an empty stomach.. or fasted. This is something I have known (and many other fitness freaks) for ages. The reason being you have burned all glycogen in your sleep your totally empty so once you start exercising you burn fat. The only problem with it its that you cant exercise at the same intensity.

Just look a it this way.. say you can burn 200 calories from exercise fasted and its all fat or you burn 500 cals with carbs in your body but 50% is fat.. you still burn more with carbs in your system.

Same goes for the ideal fat burning range (heartbeat) you might burn more percentage wise but its not 100% sure its overall that way.

Anyway fasted training has it place if you want to loose the last bit of fat.. take some cafeine and do fasted training.. sure that helps.

I have done it in the past it works but its real hard (and hard for me as I am not in the mood to exercise early in the morning)

Good info, I'll add to it. Losing weight isn't an event. It's a process that takes dedication and will power, and above all, time. Unlearning years of bad habits and then replacing them with healthy habits restructures you as an individual. It ain't easy, as breaking any bad habit is not easy. But it can be rewarding if you find the motivation to jump on that horse and ride.

The plus of living in the The Land of Smile. Native foods are generally a well-balance combination of vegetables, fruits, and small amounts of meats, and limited carbohydrates. Eaten in moderation, as in three meals a day, and maybe a couple of snacks (I personally like fruit smoothies that are delicious and easy to digest), add a low impact exercise program, as simple as walking for 1/2 hour a day, your baseline weight should stabilize. Add additional exercise, especially exercise to build muscle that we tend to lose as we get older, and your metabolism will increase and you will burn energy more efficiently.

If you're overweight and don't like it, take pictures of yourself with a local newpaper to validate time. Work diligently over time. Take pictures at least every 8 weeks. Throw them in a box. After a year, take them out and look at them. Then go have a nice dinner and don't feel guilty. You'll probably feel bloated after over-indulging in food and sweets. It's your body telling you to get back to the program that was working for you.

[dontoearth]

An inspiring story, Happy Joe.

It's always great to hear of cases of major weight loss maintained for so many years.

I think the addiction aspect of foods is something all of us are familiar with.

Of course with addiction and food, it's different than addiction and other substances like illicit drugs. We all need to eat some foods.

Completely cutting out, 100 percent, certain food types can be done, but cutting out all nutritional intake, can't.

There are different approaches to that, but clearly the approach you chose and stuck with, has worked for you.

I agree with you based on talking with some people who have had bariatric surgery that it is no panacea but sometimes the last resort for some people. The risks can be both psychological, physical, or both.

Actually cutting food intake is the ONLY way JT. I don't see any other way to reduce fat. (except maybe surgical)

Your acting like food is worse as heroin, its not.. in general illicit drugs are far more addicting. I have yet to see withdrawal symptoms from food.

My trick is simple.. just regularly step on a pair of scales.. mine are connected to the internet and keep all data so I can see what direction I am heading.. simple actually. (only drawback.. and that is only for people who active with sports is the muscle component in the weight).

If i was not that lazy id add a tape measure to be 100% sure.

What kind of scale do you have?

[dontoearth]

There was another subject area of note on that Trust Me a Doctor program perhaps of interest older people, age 65 and over.

It suggested that for such OLDER people, if they have an "overweight, not obese" BMI of 25 to 30 (assuming a more normal not body builder body) that its probable that losing fat would be a LESS HEALTHY thing to do than just keeping that fat and that overweight defined BMI level. That's because of depleted muscle mass issues with older people and also there are survival benefits to having fat stores in case of medical crises. The caveat was that advice might not be the same if there is an existing medical condition such as diabetes where weight loss (which would be fat and depleted muscle mass unfortunately) might be recommendable to reduce the impact of a specific overweight related condition. Food for thought for the oldies.

They didn't mention what about oldies who are mildly obese BMI, but I made the assumption it would OK to get down to overweight.

I think if you are over 65 and morbidly obese, better get your affairs in order.

Thinking about this from an evolutionary POV, our bodies are designed to store fat, and it wouldn't be doing that if it wasn't SOMETIMES a benefit for SURVIVAL.

Of course younger people who have almost NO FAT have health risks associated with that as well, but wrong forum for that!

Another thought for those of us UNDER 65, if it's really true that usually weight loss when older if 25 to 30 BMI is not recommendable due to health concerns, perhaps that can be some MOTIVATION to get the BMI lower while still not that old.

For those in the 60's age group they should combine diet with weightlifting! Weightlifting requires no talent, no balance really and will help increase muscle mass during the diet period. I am doing it now with a trainer and some belly fat has finally moved away. I think about 7 Kilos worth. I don't see any shrinkage in the muscle areas at all.

[dontoearth]

There was another subject area of note on that Trust Me a Doctor program perhaps of interest older people, age 65 and over.

It suggested that for such OLDER people, if they have an "overweight, not obese" BMI of 25 to 30 (assuming a more normal not body builder body) that its probable that losing fat would be a LESS HEALTHY thing to do than just keeping that fat and that overweight defined BMI level. That's because of depleted muscle mass issues with older people and also there are survival benefits to having fat stores in case of medical crises. The caveat was that advice might not be the same if there is an existing medical condition such as diabetes where weight loss (which would be fat and depleted muscle mass unfortunately) might be recommendable to reduce the impact of a specific overweight related condition. Food for thought for the oldies.

They didn't mention what about oldies who are mildly obese BMI, but I made the assumption it would OK to get down to overweight.

I think if you are over 65 and morbidly obese, better get your affairs in order.

Thinking about this from an evolutionary POV, our bodies are designed to store fat, and it wouldn't be doing that if it wasn't SOMETIMES a benefit for SURVIVAL.

Of course younger people who have almost NO FAT have health risks associated with that as well, but wrong forum for that!

Another thought for those of us UNDER 65, if it's really true that usually weight loss when older if 25 to 30 BMI is not recommendable due to health concerns, perhaps that can be some MOTIVATION to get the BMI lower while still not that old.

For those in the 60's age group they should combine diet with weightlifting! Weightlifting requires no talent, no balance really and will help increase muscle mass during the diet period. I am doing it now with a trainer and some belly fat has finally moved away. I think about 7 Kilos worth. I don't see any shrinkage in the muscle areas at all.

[NickJ]

Here is one I used.....Hey Mr. Patient....Lets us take a few xrays of your knees....Why?

Truth me told, this is Thailand. So as a doctor...its up to me....So why the XRays?....so when u come back I have something to compare them to......see lose weight.

[onlycw]

Meal-planning. I watched a documentary on Youtube about bodybuilder Kai Greene. It started with him buying Tupperware, then cooking for a few days. Diet is extremely important to bodybuilders.

When I hog out, I undo the effects of days' of self-control. Eating a kilo of chocolate or ice cream trigers something bad which lasts whole days. Hence my tip to avoid having to buy food at a 7-11.

For snacks, try their boiled eggs.And TESCO has raw peanuts. Both will fill you up nicely and have little carrbs.

Closing, you better avoid all sugary sodas like Coke, Fanta, Sprite.

[dontoearth]

I read some years ago that the bright green tart apple contains a chemical that shuts down food cravings.  I had one other other day and the bitter taste definitely made me stop thinking about food.  I am off to buy a small bag.  Does anyone know anything about the research on this?  I saw this many years ago.

[tropo]

On 1/6/2016 at 10:13 PM, Jingthing said:

Update ... well they do stretch out a bit when I wear them so at least I didn't waste 500 baht.

Speaking of underwear, you really got to watch out buying clothes in Thailand.

I still need more new underwear so I thought I'd try a pack of 3 of those cheap kinds you see in packs, 3 for 179. Based on the size chart the INCHES was going to definitely be big enough and I know when they are sized accurately based on the inches what will fit. 

So I did the POLITE thing and didn't break open the plastic to actually LOOK at them, got them home, and what do you know, they aren't even CLOSE to being the inch size on the packages. Totally unwearable and never will be. Yeah, sure, you try to return "used" underwear ... not my idea of fun.  I got some expensive RAGS anyway.

Wouldn't it add more incentive if you bought several Calvin Klein underwear, just under your regular size.

 

My wife has several 6000 baht jeans (Bebe) she's having trouble fitting into (she can force her way in but not comfortable) - now that's incentive LOL.

 

[tropo]

On 7/24/2016 at 11:06 AM, onlycw said:

Meal-planning. I watched a documentary on Youtube about bodybuilder Kai Greene. It started with him buying Tupperware, then cooking for a few days. Diet is extremely important to bodybuilders.

When I hog out, I undo the effects of days' of self-control. Eating a kilo of chocolate or ice cream trigers something bad which lasts whole days. Hence my tip to avoid having to buy food at a 7-11.

For snacks, try their boiled eggs.And TESCO has raw peanuts. Both will fill you up nicely and have little carrbs.

Closing, you better avoid all sugary sodas like Coke, Fanta, Sprite.

There's lots of stuff to eat at 7Eleven. Testing your resolve and walking past the cakes, ice creams and chocolates will make you stronger.