Help Needed

A

apeeman

New member
Hi guys, I am in a terrible state

I weigh about 243 Pounds and i am 174 cms tall. I have been in th US for a year and half i added around 40 pounds in that time. Being a grad student doesnt help me. My major problem has been to stay commited to any thing. Diet or otherwise. I am worried sick now...can someone help me out here please...

I dont eat meat, and i dont drink or smoke. I need any kind of help...please help me
 
Sounds like you need to simply put a plan down on paper. Nobody here is going to be able to make you do what has to be done, which I'm sure you realize.

I'd start off by reading through the stickies found at the top of the various sub-forums.

I'd also start by exercising a handful of times each week.

How have you tried dieting in the past?
 
I have tried to stick to 1500 calorie diet but start loosing it after 3 days. I havent got a regular exercise pattern going apart from the tennis i play 2 days a week. There was a period in the past where i lsot about 20 Kgs through a high protien low fat diet . That was the closest i got to dieting.

Right now, I am in no proper dieting plan. Its just that i start getting a hunger craving that i am unable to satisfy....

I understand that i should sit down and write out a plan...but i have tried and failed....I have a habit of snacking while i am studying. And the only thing i have to go towards is the vending machine. Hence a vicious cycle.
 
I'm tired and this is probably the grouchy side of me speaking....

But look, if you want this, you've got to put the effort into it to remain constant. I'm not always in the mood to follow my 'plan' but I do it consistently. Certainly, I trip up now and again, but I hop right back on the wagon.

Part of it is about making new habits.

Another part of it is about doing some 'work' on your mind. Figure out why you can't seem to stick to a game plan. What goes through your mind before you fail?

I mean, saying you end up going to the vending machine is simply saying to me that you don't really want this. If you did, you'd put the effort into it.... at least enough to make better food choices than vending machine snacks.

We can get into the 'whats' in terms of what you need to do. But I think you need a combination of a dose of reality coupled with some advice in setting up goals in changing the way you think.... and I'm off to bed at the moment.

I'm sure someone will add their 2 cents. I'll pick up with this thread tomorrow and add more of mine.
 
You don't need vending machine food to snack on bro.

Get yourself some grapes, apples, anything fruit or vegetable by you when you begin studying incase that snack urge hits you so that you can feast on something healthy instead of something thats crap for your insides and overrall health.

Also how tall are you?

You can get away with more calories than 1500 the taller you are just make sure they are clean calories such as baked foods like chicken breast, turkey etc.

Sure you can throw in some junk food now and then but it has to fit into your caloric deficit and in your case I'd advise you to only eat junk food when you are not studying so that you are not tempted or distracted into eating even more than you should.

Remember portion controlled caloric controlled amounts to prevent the feeling of deprivation.

Steve has said before that although junk food technically isn't necessary on diets many of us have a psychological need for them so you really have to construct a plan for yourself that includes such food if it is important to you to have.

Just it has to be a balanced approach for success not how you used to eat it.
 
174cm is 5'8.5". I know this b/c that's how tall I am...lol. And at 243lbs, you can easily eat more than 1500calories a day and still lose weight. I'm 230, and I eat between 1500-1800 on good days. As you weigh more, and are male, you should be eating about 1700-2000 a day.

As a vegetarian, you have to work a little harder to get the protein that you need. If you eat dairy and eggs, that's one way to get it in. Most veggies have protein, but not in the large amounts that meat does. Do you cook? Tofu and veggie stirfries would be good. Low-fat yogurt is a good protein source--and it doesn't require cooking. :)
 
CrunkChipmunk said:
You don't need vending machine food to snack on bro.

Get yourself some grapes, apples, anything fruit or vegetable by you when you begin studying incase that snack urge hits you so that you can feast on something healthy instead of something thats crap for your insides and overrall health.

Also how tall are you?

You can get away with more calories than 1500 the taller you are just make sure they are clean calories such as baked foods like chicken breast, turkey etc.

Sure you can throw in some junk food now and then but it has to fit into your caloric deficit and in your case I'd advise you to only eat junk food when you are not studying so that you are not tempted or distracted into eating even more than you should.

Remember portion controlled caloric controlled amounts to prevent the feeling of deprivation.

Steve has said before that although junk food technically isn't necessary on diets many of us have a psychological need for them so you really have to construct a plan for yourself that includes such food if it is important to you to have.

Just it has to be a balanced approach for success not how you used to eat it.
Click to expand...

I am 5'8. I dont know if someone else feels this, but sometimes i feel eating an apple kinda creates an acidity in my stomach. I tried munchin on fruits but the feeling of "fullness" aint there. Is it psychological?
 
bikinibound said:
174cm is 5'8.5". I know this b/c that's how tall I am...lol. And at 243lbs, you can easily eat more than 1500calories a day and still lose weight. I'm 230, and I eat between 1500-1800 on good days. As you weigh more, and are male, you should be eating about 1700-2000 a day.

As a vegetarian, you have to work a little harder to get the protein that you need. If you eat dairy and eggs, that's one way to get it in. Most veggies have protein, but not in the large amounts that meat does. Do you cook? Tofu and veggie stirfries would be good. Low-fat yogurt is a good protein source--and it doesn't require cooking. :)
Click to expand...

MY source of protien at the moment are
a. veggie patties
b. Soy Milk

What % of food intake per day should be proteins, esp for really fat people. If there are other posts that answer this question, i would love to be pointed towards them
 
Sometimes when we feel hungry we are actually thirsty believe it or not.

The mechanisms that controls hunger and thirst are close to eachother inside our bodies and often we can be confused about which one we really are hungry or thirsty.

So its always important to take in enough water every day and if water is too bland for you sugar free drinks work just as well I've found.

Stuff like Sugar Free Kool Aid and Crystal Light are very good alternatives to regular soft drinks as are diet soft drinks though the bitterness of them does take some getting used to.

So what you should do if you get really hungry is drink a big glass of water or a sugar free drink first and wait 10 minutes and if you are still hungry then you really are in need of food lol.

Also try upping your clean calories by 200.

1500 for most people is a starvation calorie number so if you are trying to go for that and its not working for you meaning you're getting too ravenously hungry you obviously need a bit more food intake so long as its healthy food.
 
Everything CrunkChipmunk said in his last post:

Sometimes when we feel hungry we are actually thirsty believe it or not.

The mechanisms that controls hunger and thirst are close to eachother inside our bodies and often we can be confused about which one we really are hungry or thirsty.

So its always important to take in enough water every day and if water is too bland for you sugar free drinks work just as well I've found.

Stuff like Sugar Free Kool Aid and Crystal Light are very good alternatives to regular soft drinks as are diet soft drinks though the bitterness of them does take some getting used to.

So what you should do if you get really hungry is drink a big glass of water or a sugar free drink first and wait 10 minutes and if you are still hungry then you really are in need of food lol.

Also try upping your clean calories by 200.

1500 for most people is a starvation calorie number so if you are trying to go for that and its not working for you meaning you're getting too ravenously hungry you obviously need a bit more food intake so long as its healthy food.
Click to expand...

is wrong. (minus moving to sugar free drinks) Just be forewarned that there is a lot of false information out there, even from people who are well-intentioned.

Michael
 
"So what you should do if you get really hungry is drink a big glass of water or a sugar free drink first and wait 10 minutes and if you are still hungry then you really are in need of food lol."

Even this part of it is wrong?

I was taught this by my family doctor and weight watchers as a youngster.

I think you may of said you are a certified trainer or something so I really am interested in your take on this.
 
Yes that is wrong. If you're hungry afterwards that does not mean you need food.

It can just as easily mean that you are in the cephalic phase (where your body prepares for food) due to seeing/smelling/thinking of food. Your body will send out signals of hunger if your glycogen stores are expended...but trust me your body will find energy if you have fat stores. You certainly don't need the food.

Michael

It is a complete myth that hunger pains signal an energy deficit.
 
Here is a example that should make it salient:

A case study detailed a 48 year old male who while in graduate school developed severe amnesia. It was due to bilateral damage to his medial temporal lobes. Eitherway, this individual was commissioned for a study where he was offered food he liked. Veal parmigiana was his favourite...at 750 calories a pop.

He was offered veal parm at 7:30 pm. He took it.
Asked 15 minutes later if he was hungry, he said yes (his short-term memory at this point was not working, he did not remember he ate). He took it.
15 minutes later...he was asked again...he said yes.
15 minutes later, he was asked if he was hungry. He said no, his stomach was a bit tight.
He asked for veal parm 1 hour later after being told he had not ate. The doctors refused obviously.

Clearly hunger is not a result of an energy deficit in the body.

Michael
 
Ahh thanks for that Michael.

I like to have the most accurate information as possible to help myself and others here.

So after all this how then can we know when its really time to eat if our hunger pangs are a bit unreliable?

And what way can we minimize the pains if we really shouldn't be eating anymore in the day?
 
The easiest way to limit hunger pains is eating food that is not calorie dense. Lots of vegetables and liquids.

When it's time to eat? Stop relying on body signals and eat at a consistent time each day. Your body gets used to eating at certain times of the day...so if you skip lunch (presuming you eat lunch everyday) you're going to suffer. Don't put yourself through that agony...when your body gets used to eating at a certain time, do not deprive it.

Michael
 
Right, I agree with everything Michael has said.

To the OP, I think some planning in terms of meals and grocery shopping weekly would go a long way with your improving your situation.
 
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