Time for me to loose weight... Need Help

[Greeney]

So, I am an unmotivated college kid (5'10" 230) who realized he is a bit overweight I hate being a heavy object in my weight and balance when I fly . Time to burn it off.

I have been going to the gym ~3 times a week and getting about 30mins of cardio and a small amount of lifting (only machines no free weights in the complex). The biggest issue is most likely my diet, you tell me haha.
-----------------------------
Breakfast... I try and eat it, but the majority of the time thats a big zilch. If I do get something in its a small bowl of cereal and milk

Lunch... Usually some sort of wrap, most likely turkey or roast beef, from time to time a salad or whole wheat turkey sandwich.

Dinner... I go out most nights so its a toss up. But it usually consists of a small salad to start with dressing on the side and some sort of chicken or meat with veggies...
-----------------------------
I made a pact with my self yesterday to cut out all fried foods from my diet, just like I did with Soda this summer!

On a typical day I will have 3-4 bottles of water, its what I live off of.

Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated because honestly everything else I have tried I gave up with after a month of not seeing any change! Thanks guys

[josephr25]

EAt something between meals, like a cup of almonds or something.

Don't skip breakfast for sure, but don't eat something like a couple of eggs and bacon.

[PBmadness]

http://www.zonediet.com/

[nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn]

Originally Posted by Markoni

What's with everyone and almonds. People act like it's a godsend. DON'T eat a cup of almonds. It's not going to help you lose weight. Almonds are a good part of a good diet, but so are a lot of things. People keep recommending almonds like they're the be-all-end-all of nutrition. What you need to do is, and I say this to everyone trying to lose weight, have 5-6 small salads (leafy greens, throw in some carrots and broccoli, no dressing other than olive oil, vinegar, lemon if you so desire) a day. After the salad you can have your meal or snack as you usually would. The salad goes a long way towards filling your hunger and giving you the vital nutrients your body needs to burn fat. It's so simple, people. Don't make a science out of it.

how big of a salad?

[O-cha]

Originally Posted by Markoni

What's with everyone and almonds. People act like it's a godsend. DON'T eat a cup of almonds. It's not going to help you lose weight. Almonds are a good part of a good diet, but so are a lot of things. People keep recommending almonds like they're the be-all-end-all of nutrition. What you need to do is, and I say this to everyone trying to lose weight, have 5-6 small salads (leafy greens, throw in some carrots and broccoli, no dressing other than olive oil, vinegar, lemon if you so desire) a day. After the salad you can have your meal or snack as you usually would. The salad goes a long way towards filling your hunger and giving you the vital nutrients your body needs to burn fat. It's so simple, people. Don't make a science out of it.

Really, you're a smart one.

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by Markoni

What's with everyone and almonds. People act like it's a godsend. DON'T eat a cup of almonds. It's not going to help you lose weight. Almonds are a good part of a good diet, but so are a lot of things. People keep recommending almonds like they're the be-all-end-all of nutrition. What you need to do is, and I say this to everyone trying to lose weight, have 5-6 small salads (leafy greens, throw in some carrots and broccoli, no dressing other than olive oil, vinegar, lemon if you so desire) a day. After the salad you can have your meal or snack as you usually would. The salad goes a long way towards filling your hunger and giving you the vital nutrients your body needs to burn fat. It's so simple, people. Don't make a science out of it.

This is great info! I always thought calorie intake in realation to expenditure was the main factor concerning body composition. I did not know it was as simple as eating 5-6 salads/day with no regard to calories or macronutrients.

[nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn]

I don't feel like starting a new thread, so I'll just ask it here. Are there any supplements that one can take to boost or speed up metabolism? I've heard that drinking green tea in the morning will help, but are there any supplements (i.e. not chemical or synthetic) that can do it as well? Of course I also want it to be safe/not unhealthy.

[nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn]

Originally Posted by Markoni

It's really not complicated. I'll spell it out.

Morning: Glass of water and a fruit smoothie(non-dairy, except yogurt if you really want some creaminess).

Mid-morning snack: Glass of water and a small salad.

Lunch: Glass of water, small salad, turkey on whole wheat sandwich with mustard.

Mid-afternoon snack: Glass of water and a small salad.

Dinner: Glass of water, small salad, grilled salmon with steamed vegetables.

After-dinner snack: Glass of water, mixed berries.

^ You see how simple that is? You stick to the above formula and you'll be shedding fat in no time. You know what else? You won't be hungry at all. That's why I recommend a small salad several times a day. It's filler to keep you satiated so that you're not craving that double cheeseburger come lunch time. On top of that, it's healthy filler that gives you the vital nutrients you need throughout the day.

The above is what I recommend for someone trying to lose weight. Obviously, for people with differing goals (trying to add muscle, etc.) the plan would be different. If someone has a better diet plan for weight loss feel free to say it, but I GUARANTEE the above will work better than anything I've heard on here thus far.

Again, what is the quantity that constitutes a small salad? 1 cup of each?

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by Markoni

It's really not complicated. I'll spell it out.

Morning: Glass of water and a fruit smoothie(non-dairy, except yogurt if you really want some creaminess).

Mid-morning snack: Glass of water and a small salad.

Lunch: Glass of water, small salad, turkey on whole wheat sandwich with mustard.

Mid-afternoon snack: Glass of water and a small salad.

Dinner: Glass of water, small salad, grilled salmon with steamed vegetables.

After-dinner snack: Glass of water, mixed berries.

^ You see how simple that is? You stick to the above formula and you'll be shedding fat in no time. You know what else? You won't be hungry at all. That's why I recommend a small salad several times a day. It's filler to keep you satiated so that you're not craving that double cheeseburger come lunch time. On top of that, it's healthy filler that gives you the vital nutrients you need throughout the day.

The above is what I recommend for someone trying to lose weight. Obviously, for people with differing goals (trying to add muscle, etc.) the plan would be different. If someone has a better diet plan for weight loss feel free to say it, but I GUARANTEE the above will work better than anything I've heard on here thus far.

Aside from just being generically healthy (salad, berries, fish, etc) how do you come up with these recommendations and amounts? What is the total daily calorie level and macronutrient breakdown of this diet

Also, you say you recommend this diet 'for someone trying to lose weight.' Do you take into account the persons weight, sex, and current body composition? It seems to me that a 130lb dieting female would have different dietary needs than a 230lb dieting male. And do you factor in activity level at all?

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by Markoni

Yes, that's why I've always said that calorie counting is BS. Your body is the best calorie counter of all. Your hunger will tell you how much you need.

The reason people get fat in the first place is because they don't listen to their appetite. They eat when it's time to eat, even if they're not hungry, and they eat the portions assigned to them, even if they're not hungry. People even eat out of boredom, despite not being hungry.

So, once again, your hunger will tell you how much you need. Forget the cookie-cutter calorie recommendations.

You say to forget the 'cookie cutter' calorie recommendations, but your diet appears cookie cutter to me, since you blindly recommend this to anyone attempting to lose weight.

Taking into account factors such as weight, body composition, sex, and activity level, establishing a maintenance caloric intake, and prescribing a deficit based on that intake is the opposite of cookie cutter. Thats individualized.

At the end of the day, its calories that determine your weight. Calories are measurable, quantifiable, and reliable. Appetite is not a reliable indicator of caloric intake. There are too many overlapping systems to even begin to use this as an indicator. Hunger pangs are usually at their worst during the start of a diet. ghrelin levels increase, making you hungrier, so you overeat until you are satisfied, and you end up with a caloric surplus. hardly an effective dieting method.

[Rawhide]

I dropped 40lbs a few years back.

You can analyze the living crap out of this stuff if you want, but the bottom line is that you have to change your LIFESTYLE, this isn't something you'll do until the weight is gone and then go back to your old ways.

I look at it this way - I'm still a fat guy waiting to happen. I have to stay on top of this the rest of my life because I have a predisposition to gaining weight easily.

Once you change your lifestyle to include eating right and exercising regularly (don't go overboard and burn yourself out either - this isn't the Olympics) the weight will come off over time, and more importantly it will stay off.

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by Markoni

Jesse,

Seriously, WTF? So people who have lived much healthier than us since the beginning of time have been wrong in following their hunger. They should have broken down their entire diet into excruciating minutia and counted every calorie? That's the right way, correct?

hunger has nothing to do with it. youre just making shit up again anyway. if this were even true, it would be because before industrialization, people ate whole foods. today people's food comes out of a cardboard box, which wouldnt in any way even be relevant to this discussion.

if people were so much healthier than us at every time prior to now, then why is the average world life expectancy today 66 (this is including shithole countries like Africa btw), while the second highest figure at any point in the history of the world prior to 1900 was 35, and topped out at 40 just 100 years ago? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy

this, of course, cannot be attributed to scientific or medical advances, because according to you, science cannot be trusted and research is only carried out to make money, not to benefit society in any way.

Originally Posted by markoni

So your custom-designed one-of-a-kind program taking into account all my personal factors is better than :::drumroll::: my appetite?

appetite is irrelevant. it has no bearing on your macronutrient requirements, and is not a reliable indicator of caloric needs. ok, great youre hungry...so eat somthing. but what? and how much? hunger does not dictate what or how much you should eat to reach your body composition goals. if people ate according to their appetite, no one on this planet would lose weight.

look at horses. their appetite is really a great indicator of their dietary needs. they eat until they die. same with goldfish. have you ever seen a dog that eats until he's satiated? no, this is why no matter how much you feed a dog, he will never stop begging for your table scraps, and why any dog left with free access to food will become overweight.

Originally Posted by markoni

So today when I'm playing in a b-ball tournament all day my calorie intake should be the same as tomorrow when I'm sitting at home watching movies all day? Today, when I'm feeling great, my calorie intake should be the same as tomorrow, when I'm fighting off a cold? Today, when it's freezing outside, my calorie intake should be the same as tomorrow, when it's scorching outside? I should just ignore my hunger and stick to the calorie count, right?

this example works against your argument. you prescribe a standard diet, with varying amounts of salad for satiation. since calories from lettuce are essentially negligible, you WILL be eating the same amount of calories regardless of your activity level.

with calories accounted for, you would eat more on days of high activity, and less on days of lower activity, depending on goals anyway.

Originally Posted by markoni

Or is this personalized-customized-one-of-a-kind calorie count something that needs to be recalculated every moment of the day to take into account all the changing factors? If so, where can I find the formula for this? Do I have to take a class? Do I need a degree for it? Do I need to quit my job and devote myself to these calculations?

standard recommendations for a healthy, training male would be

anywhere from 10-14 cals/lb for weight loss
14-16 cals/lb of lean bodyweight for maintenance
16+ to gain weight

Originally Posted by markoni

Oh wait, here's something the old timers knew that I thought myself too smart for: I can just follow my appetite!

I mean wow, Jesse, if I've ever seen someone complicate something so simple and mundane as healthy eating. It's no secret. There's no formula. There's no scientific breakthrough. People have known it since the beginning of time: Follow your hunger and eat until you're not hungry any more.

you seem to misunderstand the topic of discussion, which is how to optimally lose weight, not how just eat a random, generically healthy diet.

Originally Posted by markoni

It's inborn in us. Look at a baby. It doesn't care how much milk is left in the bottle or how much mashed carrots are left in the jar, when they're not hungry they quit. It's NATURAL and it's SIMPLE!

babies are all fat, too.

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by Markoni

That's the biggest pile of crap I've read on this board, Jesse.

Humans are not dogs. When I start smelling chicks' asses and tasting my own shit then maybe I'll start taking diet advice meant for a dog. Until then, I can figure out my own hunger and keep myself from eating to death.

nothing gets by you, does it?

You still haven't answered my question as to how someone who is physically active one day and sedentary the next can have the same caloric needs both days. Please cut down on the Aesop's Fables and answer that, as I've had my fill of dog and horse stories for today.

your reading comprehension is embarrassing. ive not only addressed this, but shown how it works against your argument. i dont know how else to explain it to you.

Who made these "standard recommendations for a healthy, training male"? The same scientists who just 50 years ago were smoking 2 packs a day and saying that smoking is perfectly healthy? Oh, I guess they've wised up. I guess where we're at now is the pinnacle of human understanding. Scientists will never again come up with some shit that's completely contradictory to what they said before.

its a commonly accepted method for determining calories that, except in the case of very few outliers, works. eat 14-16 calories per pound of lean bodyweight and your weight will not change (this is assuming no exercise). this isnt really up for debate, its just human metabolism.

How much do you weigh? You say this is about "optimally losing weight", so let's put it to the test. I've made the offer before, and I'll make it again. I'll diet and train MY WAY for the next 2 months, you do it your way (I think all the labs are closed today. You might want to get in there bright and early tomorrow, get some tests run, have a board of scientists observe you, maybe an independent commission to run their own tests. You know, standard science stuff), and we'll see who comes out healthier, slimmer, stronger. I don't expect you to accept my challenge but I'm just throwing it out there in case you really do have faith in your science.

ya, bro.

And LOL at you saying babies are fat. If you knew anything about the science you hold in such high esteem, you would know why they're fat and why that's irrelevant to my point.

1. it was a joke.
2. babies are fat.
3. if people ate until they were full, they would all be as fat as babies.

[pmeloche]

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by pmeloche

theres not much to see. Markoni just hurls ad hominems while i make logical arguments. im starting to get bored.

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by Markoni

You obviously don't know the difference between "until hunger subsides" and "full". You know, part of being a human being means having self-control. I know it's tough for a liberal Berkleyite like yourself to see human beings in any different light than you see dogs and horses, but it would surprise you to know that some of us don't simply act out of blind instinct and actually do have control of our senses and faculties.

blah blah blah, im markoni, I dont address anything, I just go off on irrelevant tangents. appetites are bullshit. babies are bullshit. its all lies! its a conspiracy!

actually, those tangents were previously mentioned in this thread, so they are really more relevant than half the shit you have posted.

You know, I just realized that you're from San Fran and you're named after John Stamos' character in Full House. Now, either you're a chick with an obsession for Stamos, or you're gay. Neither would surprise me at this point. Which is it?

actually im a gay chick. how do you think i deadlift 3x my bodyweight?

my avatar isnt showing up for some reason, probably because this is a new troll account, i mean account, but its a picture of myself. Im John Stamos.

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by Markoni

Wowww, SOMEONE took Debate in high school. I'm VERY impressed with your book learning. Ever get out of the Castro District to test it out, or do you just go by blind faith?

something you should have gotten around to. then maybe your arguments would be logically sound, relevant, and coherent.

[Year's_End]

CARDIO.

Hit the gym up more than three times a week man, if time permits. I go once a day (excluding Saturday and Sunday) and break my workout schedule like so:

M: Cardio, Circuit Workout (Arms, Legs, Chest), Crunches (150-200), Stretch.
T: Cardio, Core Circuit (Abs, Back, Neck), Crunches, Stretch.
W: Repeat Monday.
T: Repeat Tuesday.
F: Repeat Monday.
S/S: Chill.

I changed my workout routing to this, exactly what I listed, around January. It's now been about a month and a half and I've lost 15 pounds. I'm 5'11" and 205lbs. If I stick to what I do I'll be around 190 by April-ish.

It's a matter of working out frequently and consistently. Make sure to work different muscle groups on adjacent days, but make sure you hit up the cardio machines every day. Also, eat sensibly. I don't do diets. I just eat smart. I don't do fast food (except for when I get munchies after a lil chiefin'), and I skip chocolate, regular sodas, candy, basically all the shit out there. Eventually it just doesn't sound appetizing anymore.

Just be consistent.

[Year's_End]

And eat slowly. Just chew a lot. You'll be full much faster.

[jaiman]

Originally Posted by Markoni

You obviously don't know the difference between "until hunger subsides" and "full". You know, part of being a human being means having self-control.

Do you not realize that time to satiety varies from person to person?

to the op www.precisionnutrition.com Get advice form people who have actually studied this stuff. Not self professed experts on car forums.

[Nixon]

Originally Posted by Greeney

I have been going to the gym ~3 times a week and getting about 30mins of cardio and a small amount of lifting (only machines no free weights in the complex). The biggest issue is most likely my diet, you tell me haha.
-----------------------------
Breakfast... I try and eat it, but the majority of the time thats a big zilch. If I do get something in its a small bowl of cereal and milk

Lunch... Usually some sort of wrap, most likely turkey or roast beef, from time to time a salad or whole wheat turkey sandwich.

Dinner... I go out most nights so its a toss up. But it usually consists of a small salad to start with dressing on the side and some sort of chicken or meat with veggies...
-----------------------------
I made a pact with my self yesterday to cut out all fried foods from my diet, just like I did with Soda this summer!

On a typical day I will have 3-4 bottles of water, its what I live off of.

I don't have any personal interest in proving I'm some sort of diet guru, and I don't have any interest in attacking anyone.

But I think the first thing that you might need to do is to be more honest with yourself.

I say that because unless there is some information that you've left out, you should have lost weight after a month of strictly sticking to that diet and putting full effort into that much exercise.

I don't really care if I'm right or not. And I won't be posting on this thread again, because I have nothing to prove about whether I'm right or not. So just take it as you would like, and if in deep reflection it hits home, then I hope I've helped. If I'm far off the mark, hopefully somebody else's advice will help instead.

Having been there myself, I sincerely hope nothing more than your success. It WILL happen.

[Greeney]

Well this thread went sideways . But to those to whom have provided advice thank you!