Lose Weight or Die Soon

I have been walking every day and riding my exersise bike some days too, but I am having trouble sticking to a diet. I am now trying a high fiber diet, but I can't seem to stick to that either.
 
David - you're doing awesome. Keep up the great work. You will get there, I know you will. Look how much your BP has come into line. your Dr. is going to be very happy even if what you hoped to lose isn't all gone by then. As long as your BP is good, he'll give you more time with the weight.
 
ciscokid1024 said:
Hi David,
I was curious if you are following a specific diet to lose weight and control the BP, like DASH, or are you just using Fitday to stay under a certain calorie level.
Thanks,
Tim
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Hi Tim,

At age 47 I have been overweight/obese (+20lbs - +100lbs) for 40 years now. I have been "yo-yo dieting" I would estimate for half of that time (unsuccessfully), until now.

But it's been a good laboratory study in what works for me diet-wise and especially what doesn't work. The happy news is that what works well to reduce blood pressure is also what works for me to lose weight.

So I am not following any published or prescribed diet plan. I am focusing on the following things, which have been helpful in the past.

1. Eating breakfast. Usually a small serving of oatmeal with walnuts, fruit and skim milk and an egg cooked in some way. 400 calories approx.

2. Mid-morning snack 100 - 200 calories. Usually fruit or nuts

3. Lunch- typically it is leftovers from the previous night's dinner. About 500 calories

4. Afternoon snack- Often more of whatever I had for lunch, but less, about 300 calories

5. Dinner- 4 oz of some kind of meat or fish, a big salad, steamed veggies and occasionally 1/2-cup of cooked pasta, rice, beans, sweet potato, or something about 500 calories worth

6. A glass of red wine with dinner or occasionally beer 200 calories

7. A cup of cocoa (homemade from organic bittersweet chocolate with no additional sweeteners). This I recently added as cocoa is good for blood pressure (yay). Having something hot and sweet around 9:00 really helps to curb cravings that have been the undoing of many of my diets. The way I make it is nearly 300 calories.

This gives me a total of about 2500 calories a day, which given my activity level (one hour of brisk walking a day 5 - 6 day' a week and an additional 1/2 hour of cardio work 4 times a week) should give me a caloric deficit of 1000 calories a day yielding a weight reduction of two pounds per week or approximately 1% of my body weight.

It all works out very neatly on paper. But not in reality. My weight loss has been anything but regular I am on week 3 of not really losing any pounds. I am getting smaller and my BP is going down, so I am trying not to stress too much, but I am curious about what's happening.

I have a feeling that beyond normal weight variability I am offsetting fat loss with muscle gain. While I know people are dubious about this (how can you gain muscle without an excess of calories?) I know in very fat or unconditioned people it is said to be possible. I know that I can gain muscle readily (I have in the past). The proof will be if I suddenly begin to lose weight while maintaining my present level of energy balance.

So hopefully, there was an answer to your question, if not, it was certainly the answer to SOME question! :smilielol5:

David
 
Thanks David, that helps a lot!

I find I can lose weight on just about any diet, but I can't stay on any diet very long and there is always a fast rebound affect and I gain all the weight back. I am going to try to eat more fiber, less fat, and less food overall and keep walking and see how that goes.
Thanks again for the info and inspiration.
Tim
 
Curvie Girlie said:
Steve would soooooo say that was not possible ;)

Morning! :hug2:
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Yeah I know...

It seems to me that most of the research that I've stumbled across on the internet that deals with body fat loss and muscle gain uses bodybuilders as the test subjects and the percentage of bodyfat in question is for men 15% - 20% and lower.

I wonder how accurately that can be generalized to an out of shape 47 year old guy whose body fat percentage is in the mid 30's?
I have heard Steve say it was possible at the beginning in a small way and small is what I'm talking about (maybe 6 pounds). So maybe.

I am the kind of body type (mesomorph? I can never remember) that adds muscle easily. In high school and college I was very muscular. I guess that it makes it easier if it is possible.

David
 
I think the same is true for me, BUT I dunno for sure....I DO know that weight can stall and then drop suddenly if you're "doing everything right" so just have patience :)

:D
 
So apparently pissing and moaning burns calories! The scale, she moved!

Nothing different about yesterday... Food and everything pretty consistant. So it's a mystery.

I am shallow and self centered, I admit it. I like to see the scale move (to a lower weight) I know I should take the high road and be happy that I am getting smaller and feel good, but I feel better and more motivated seeing the numbers go down.

Today is Davy's Birthday party (his Birthday was yesterday). Today is also SWMBO's Birthday... (Libras (me) and Leos, eh Val?)

So it will be a weekend-long Bacchanalia of cake and ice cream. A weekend spent showering presents and lavishing attention upon a demanding, tantruming, self centered birthday celebrant...

...and the three-year-old too.

Wish me luck!

David
 
DCarr10760 said:
Yeah I know...

It seems to me that most of the research that I've stumbled across on the internet that deals with body fat loss and muscle gain uses bodybuilders as the test subjects and the percentage of bodyfat in question is for men 15% - 20% and lower.

I wonder how accurately that can be generalized to an out of shape 47 year old guy whose body fat percentage is in the mid 30's?
I have heard Steve say it was possible at the beginning in a small way and small is what I'm talking about (maybe 6 pounds). So maybe.
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Most certainly.

Novices and/or people who are carrying excessive fat can easily realize simultaneous muscle gain and fat loss. I've seen quite often in my work with obese clients.
 
Steve said:
Most certainly.

Novices and/or people who are carrying excessive fat can easily realize simultaneous muscle gain and fat loss. I've seen quite often in my work with obese clients.
Click to expand...

Well since I qualify on both counts I'll assume that's what was going on. Thanks and I'm glad you had a nice couple of days away.

My vacation is to the Joisey Showah in September! Can't wait!

David
 
David - see the scale still does move. I happen to have the same problem. When I am working out consistently at the gym, my weight will not budge. Some measurements will get smaller, but my arms grow. Most guy would die for them. So I have to be very careful with weights, particularly with my arms.

I know you're doing better and the scale will catch up like it did today. Keep on truckin'
 
Well the scale moved again, back up!!! This party weekend (Boy's 3rd Birthday) was, I suppose, responsible. Counting the pizza, the cake, two beers, a vodka tonic (or two) and other minor indiscretions, my caloric intake for the two days were above 3000 each day. But with my walks I should've had a small deficit. SO maybe the extra pound'n'ahalf is water from all the salt? Who knows...

Maybe my metabolism is a good bit slower than what FitDay calculates. Fiddle-dee dee, I'll think about that tomorrow!

I hope all is well with y'all!

David
 
Lavallette, natch! Where else you gonna go?

Actually we're going with the in-laws and they used to vacation there every year, I've never been. Last year we went to Cape May and it was nice. A week away from work anywhere will be welcome!

David
 
When I was a kid, my parents used to go to Barneget for a few weeks every summer and my grandparents lived in Spring Lake - I love that area.... there used to be a place that sold the best broasted chicken - and when i got a little more grown wn -the harvery cedars tavern used to be oodles of fun :)
 
Would you take a picture of the Jewsey Showah for me? I never seen it and I'm too lazy to google it.............hope your weight goes down! Have a good day :D
 
I will take some pics of the Shore, you do the same in Hawaii! Try to hide your dissappointment having to slum it in Hawaii whilst I live it up in Jersey! :waving:

So my weight is still bouncing around. I'm getting smalller, feeling good and my blood pressure is improving so who cares, the scale number will drop sooner or later. I'm going to concentrate on stretching and building up strength in my arms and shoulders.

I am painting my in-laws house on Sundays and slapping a paintbrush around all day is painful (that's how out of shape I am :blush5:) So I am going to work a bit on my arms and shoulders.

I decided that when I get back from vacation I'll join the gym and see what they offer for training. That won't be for a couple weeks though.

Today was a beautiful, almost chilly morning. My favorite time of year approaches.

Good Morning All!

David
 
David - since I posted the other day, you are down. Good job. Pizza will always make me retain fluid, to the tune of 3 lbs or more. The salt reeks havoc on my old bod.

Don't worry about the bouncing numbers, concentrate on the BP. I now you are going to be just fine.
 
Crazy Days!

Thursday and Friday of last week spent at training for new engineering software. Then painting all weekend at the In-Laws. Tomorrow, SWMBO leaves for Boston for three days so I'm Super-Dad, then another couple of days of training then more painting!

Exercise has suffered, but eating has been okay so we'll see.

I'll Check in again soon!

David
 
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