NationStates Jolt Archive

So I have been wondering, for those of you who have managed t olose significant amounts of weight (on purpose) in your life, how did you do it?

For reasons of health I'd like to get rid of some extra weight, but my job is IT and so I'm sedentary all day. I need to come up with a plan for exercise and meals that will gradually get me where I need to be weight-wise.

Advice? Anecdotes?

Got a job shoveling turkey shit (and worse) 10 hours a day, lived on just oatmeal and raisin bran for about 9 months. Lost a ton of weight, though it just sorta plateaued at one point and won't go any lower.

Wow...

Why oatmeal/raisin bran, if you don't mind my asking?

So I have been wondering, for those of you who have managed t olose significant amounts of weight (on purpose) in your life, how did you do it?

For reasons of health I'd like to get rid of some extra weight, but my job is IT and so I'm sedentary all day. I need to come up with a plan for exercise and meals that will gradually get me where I need to be weight-wise.

Advice? Anecdotes?

Got a job shoveling turkey shit (and worse) 10 hours a day, lived on just oatmeal and raisin bran for about 9 months. Lost a ton of weight, though it just sorta plateaued at one point and won't go any lower.

For reasons of health I'd like to get rid of some extra weight, but my job is IT and so I'm sedentary all day.
My job is also in IT but I've lost 13kg (2 stone) since starting there in March. I thing it helps to be so stressed that you lose your appetite. I also walk four miles to and from work every weekday, but I did that much walking anyway before starting working there and was a stable 78 kg (12.25 stone) at the time.

My job is also in IT but I've lost 13kg (2 stone) since starting there in March. I thing it helps to be so stressed that you lose your appetite. I also walk four miles to and from work every weekday, but I did that much walking anyway before starting working there and was a stable 78 kg (12.25 stone) at the time.

Yah I'd like to avoid the stress solution. ;)

One thing I did that was working for awhile was to drastically cut the amount of cola I was drinking. My wife said I was no ticeably thinner after a couple weeks of that. I didn't bother to weigh myself, so I don't know for sure, but I can say I did feel better.

I'm too addicted to it to give it up altogether, but by drinking more water and orange juice as a substitute for most of it, I get by.

the only thing you really have to do is eat less than you burn, which can be accomplished by eating fewer calories or exercising more. I eat like 1100 calories a day, I lose about 2-3 pounds a week most weeks. I fill up between meals with water. I drink probably a gallon of water a day, eat 6 small meals, and I am consistently losing weight. I walk about a mile a day most days but that's mostly because it gets the kids out of the house, I am sure it doesn't burn many calories due to the slow pace I have to keep for the 4 year old to keep up.

When you are eating something packaged look at the back, if the calories from fat are more than half the total calories, don't eat it. Try to get 6-8 servings of fruit and veggies a day, choose beans over meat, and nuts over chips, and drink a bunch of water.

That's about all I know.

Cut your portions to manageable sizes... palm size amount of lean meat, 1 cup starch ( potatos or whole grains) and tons of veggies....

Snack on GOOD things in between meals - veggies, whole grains,

if you can, kick the sugar, high fat fast foods... prepackaged and pre-prepared foods kill you with sodium and things...

DRINK WATER - it flushes your body and helps it work the way it needs to

and get off your behind! Seriously... this makes all the difference... get at LEAST 30 minutes of exercise a day... and it doenst have to be 30 minutes straight... 3 ten minute walks are just as effective... just dont be leisurely about it - the point is to get your pulse rate up and your blood moving....

YOUVE GOT TO MOVE IT MOVE IT .... as my 3 year old would say....

the only thing you really have to do is eat less than you burn, which can be accomplished by eating fewer calories or exercising more. I eat like 1100 calories a day, I lose about 2-3 pounds a week most weeks. I fill up between meals with water. I drink probably a gallon of water a day, eat 6 small meals, and I am consistently losing weight. I walk about a mile a day most days but that's mostly because it gets the kids out of the house, I am sure it doesn't burn many calories due to the slow pace I have to keep for the 4 year old to keep up.

When you are eating something packaged look at the back, if the calories from fat are more than half the total calories, don't eat it. Try to get 6-8 servings of fruit and veggies a day, choose beans over meat, and nuts over chips, and drink a bunch of water.

That's about all I know.

That sounds like something I can work into my routine... thank you.

As I sit here I'm looking at the bottle of Gatorade on my desk and wishing I'd chosen water instead...

Wow...

Why oatmeal/raisin bran, if you don't mind my asking?

Cheap, shelf stable, and not bad for you either. Though I'm sure I needed vitamins to supplement that diet. I found out I can subsist on like $5 a month of food.

Cut your portions to manageable sizes... palm size amount of lean meat, 1 cup starch ( potatos or whole grains) and tons of veggies....

Snack on GOOD things in between meals - veggies, whole grains,

if you can, kick the sugar, high fat fast foods... prepackaged and pre-prepared foods kill you with sodium and things...

DRINK WATER - it flushes your body and helps it work the way it needs to

and get off your behind! Seriously... this makes all the difference... get at LEAST 30 minutes of exercise a day... and it doenst have to be 30 minutes straight... 3 ten minute walks are just as effective... just dont be leisurely about it - the point is to get your pulse rate up and your blood moving....

YOUVE GOT TO MOVE IT MOVE IT .... as my 3 year old would say....

Hehe

I've been thinking of getting a life cycle once we get our apartment. I used to do a lot of long distance biking and enjoyed it, but I want something I can do no matter what the weather is like.

Anybody reccomend a good one?

Cheap, shelf stable, and not bad for you either. Though I'm sure I needed vitamins to supplement that diet. I found out I can subsist on like $5 a month of food.

That must have gotten insanely boring after awhile... I dunno if I could handle it.

my biggest advice is to do what works for YOU.

there are all sorts of diet plans out there and almost all of them will work in the short run. but if it doesnt fit your personality and your life, it will fail in the end. then youll beat yourself up over it as your own fault when the problem was with the plan you chose.

second most important advice:

exercise every day. i guess it can be a sport but do you really do a sport every day? walking, running, swimming, weight training, aerobics classes. do a mixture of things that feel good to you. every day. the weight training is a really good idea because it makes the body you have--fat as it is--look better and feel better within a few weeks.

third most important advice:

stop eating crap. if you stop eating things that arent good for you, you are likely to lose weight (as a man) without having to try hard. and even if you dont lose weight (if you dont, just cut back some) at least you wont be poisoning yourself by eating crap.

no white flour, no white rice, no high fructose corn syrup. no unnecessary fats, no fried foods, no more meat than you need for its protein content. eat simple foods prepared in a simple manner. eat more vegetables and fruits. eat more whole grains.

look at the label of any preprepared food you buy at the store. if it has white flour or high fructose corn syrup in it, its crap. dont buy it. make your own food from scratch so that you know exactly what is in it.

my sister has had great success with the both the michael thurmond diet that is sold on the home shopping club and the ultrametabolism diet. they are both 6-small-meals-a-day plans so that you never really get hungry. the hard part is not the diet but keeping to a whole new way of eating. you tend to slip back into your old bad habits.

That must have gotten insanely boring after awhile... I dunno if I could handle it.

Sure, I've considered doing it again though. I drink tons of water now, 3-4 quarts a day, I'll usually eat once or twice a day, though one "meal" consists of yogurt or something simliar.

I don't have particularly varied food requirements, since I grew up dirt poor cheap filling bland crap is fine by me.

That sounds like something I can work into my routine... thank you.

As I sit here I'm looking at the bottle of Gatorade on my desk and wishing I'd chosen water instead...

Gatorade is my downfall. I love the stuff, it's loaded with calories though. I have one a day as a treat. I have lost substantial weight since I cut back to one soda a week, you wouldn't believe how many calories I was wasting on soda alone.

Stock your house with healthy snacks, a handful of walnuts is so much more satisfying than even a snack pack of pudding.

Remember, something is better than nothing, if you can walk for 30 minutes it's better than not doing it at all. Once you get into the habit it's a pretty relaxing thing to exercise, you feel better after.

Move to the top floor of your house, put the fridge at the bottom. *nod*

If your BMI is over 35 (or even worse, over 40 - you are from the USA, so it's not exactly implausible), get bariatric surgery.

Gatorade is my downfall. I love the stuff, it's loaded with calories though. I have one a day as a treat. I have lost substantial weight since I cut back to one soda a week, you wouldn't believe how many calories I was wasting on soda alone.

Stock your house with healthy snacks, a handful of walnuts is so much more satisfying than even a snack pack of pudding.

Remember, something is better than nothing, if you can walk for 30 minutes it's better than not doing it at all. Once you get into the habit it's a pretty relaxing thing to exercise, you feel better after.

Cutting out soda consumption will cause you to drop a fair bit of weight. Consider a can of Coke has more sugar than a Snicker's bar. I've also cut out all sugar from my diet, and almost all starches. I'll eat bread occasionally, and pasta once in a while, but by and large I eat like a diabetic.

I just stop eating so much, really. I eat about 1 meal a day, and that consists of whatever the hell I want. But since my body burns it up (because its all I have) I start losing weight.

Of course, I drink a fair bit, but not very much. Like 1 drink every 4 hours or so, maybe 3 hours if its a hot day.

Cutting out soda consumption will cause you to drop a fair bit of weight. Consider a can of Coke has more sugar than a Snicker's bar. I've also cut out all sugar from my diet, and almost all starches. I'll eat bread occasionally, and pasta once in a while, but by and large I eat like a diabetic.

potatoes are my current starch. I don't eat bread or pasta at all, but man, I can't give up the potatoes. I love them.

I figured out on calorie content alone I could have 2 meals for what I was wasting on one medium soda. That's crazy. I was starving so I would drink a coke......bleh, I could have had a full meal for what that coke had, and I would have felt much better.

potatoes are my current starch. I don't eat bread or pasta at all, but man, I can't give up the potatoes. I love them.

I figured out on calorie content alone I could have 2 meals for what I was wasting on one medium soda. That's crazy. I was starving so I would drink a coke......bleh, I could have had a full meal for what that coke had, and I would have felt much better.

Once you start reading labels it gets depressing quickly. My current vice is Fig Newtons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fig_Newtons), which I know are terrible for me but I love the things. Coke and Pepsi are killers, probably the main reason why so many people are fat.

Atleast with the fig bars I can rationalize that they are fruit too. Otherwise the only sweet snack I eat is raisins, which I love just by themselves.

Once you start reading labels it gets depressing quickly. My current vice is Fig Newtons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fig_Newtons), which I know are terrible for me but I love the things. Coke and Pepsi are killers, probably the main reason why so many people are fat.

Atleast with the fig bars I can rationalize that they are fruit too. Otherwise the only sweet snack I eat is raisins, which I love just by themselves.

why not eat figs by themsvles too?

If your BMI is over 35 (or even worse, over 40 - you are from the USA, so it's not exactly implausible), get bariatric surgery.

Surgery isnt a long term solution.
Its laziness...

You have to make a lifestyle change... not expect a magic cure.

So I have been wondering, for those of you who have managed t olose significant amounts of weight (on purpose) in your life, how did you do it?

For reasons of health I'd like to get rid of some extra weight, but my job is IT and so I'm sedentary all day. I need to come up with a plan for exercise and meals that will gradually get me where I need to be weight-wise.

Advice? Anecdotes?

My weight loss plan is one that I strongly advise NOT doing.

1) Get Diverticulitis. if you survive that. then the rest is easy.
2) During recovery, retrain your eating habits. it will be easy since you'll be starting off on liquids... then soft foods...
3) get rid of the car. take public transportation. give excercise as well as helps the environment as well as saves money.

why not eat figs by themsvles too?

I'm not a big enough fan to drive the hundred miles or so I'd have to in order to find 'em.

my biggest advice is to do what works for YOU.

there are all sorts of diet plans out there and almost all of them will work in the short run. but if it doesnt fit your personality and your life, it will fail in the end. then youll beat yourself up over it as your own fault when the problem was with the plan you chose.

second most important advice:

exercise every day. i guess it can be a sport but do you really do a sport every day? walking, running, swimming, weight training, aerobics classes. do a mixture of things that feel good to you. every day. the weight training is a really good idea because it makes the body you have--fat as it is--look better and feel better within a few weeks.

third most important advice:

stop eating crap. if you stop eating things that arent good for you, you are likely to lose weight (as a man) without having to try hard. and even if you dont lose weight (if you dont, just cut back some) at least you wont be poisoning yourself by eating crap.

no white flour, no white rice, no high fructose corn syrup. no unnecessary fats, no fried foods, no more meat than you need for its protein content. eat simple foods prepared in a simple manner. eat more vegetables and fruits. eat more whole grains.

look at the label of any preprepared food you buy at the store. if it has white flour or high fructose corn syrup in it, its crap. dont buy it. make your own food from scratch so that you know exactly what is in it.

my sister has had great success with the both the michael thurmond diet that is sold on the home shopping club and the ultrametabolism diet. they are both 6-small-meals-a-day plans so that you never really get hungry. the hard part is not the diet but keeping to a whole new way of eating. you tend to slip back into your old bad habits.

Valuable information as well... Thank you. I think the hardest part for me is overcoming the reluctance to pay attention to the nutrition information on the packaging. I've always had a mentality where what you ate wasn't immportant as long as you stayed active... which I know is a miserable philosophy and not applicable anyway because I'm about as active as a zoo sloth.

If your BMI is over 35 (or even worse, over 40 - you are from the USA, so it's not exactly implausible), get bariatric surgery.

Do you know of a good website that might have a way to estimate what that is?

Valuable information as well... Thank you. I think the hardest part for me is overcoming the reluctance to pay attention to the nutrition information on the packaging. I've always had a mentality where what you ate wasn't immportant as long as you stayed active... which I know is a miserable philosophy and not applicable anyway because I'm about as active as a zoo sloth.

food is your fuel. If you aren't eating properly your body won't work properly.

Hit the food pyramid (http://www.mypyramid.gov/) website, type yourself up as sedimentary and see what they recommend.

Try not to eat away from home, or if you do pack your own food, it's easier to eat what you are supposed to when you are responsible for everything that goes into your mouth.

I like to pre-portion my snacks into snack containers so that when I do eat some chips or candy I don't eat more than a serving.

I'm not a big enough fan to drive the hundred miles or so I'd have to in order to find 'em.

yeah but there is the beauty of it

instead of eating crap (i know that fig newtons are food of the gods but they arent good for you) you do what it takes to find the BEST figs in the world and spend your money on them instead.

no one has to go 100 miles any more. we have the internet now. you can order all sorts of interesting food to be delivered right to your door.

food is your fuel. If you aren't eating properly your body won't work properly.

Hit the food pyramid (http://www.mypyramid.gov/) website, type yourself up as sedimentary and see what they recommend.

Try not to eat away from home, or if you do pack your own food, it's easier to eat what you are supposed to when you are responsible for everything that goes into your mouth.

I like to pre-portion my snacks into snack containers so that when I do eat some chips or candy I don't eat more than a serving.

I took your advice and OMG that seems like so little food... If I'm gonna get to levels like those it's gonna have to be a gradual change. Very gradual.

Valuable information as well... Thank you. I think the hardest part for me is overcoming the reluctance to pay attention to the nutrition information on the packaging. I've always had a mentality where what you ate wasn't immportant as long as you stayed active... which I know is a miserable philosophy and not applicable anyway because I'm about as active as a zoo sloth.

i think of it as living off the reservoir of youth.

when we are young we can eat a terrible diet and it doesnt hurt us much. but over time it does take a toll. the older we get, the more important it is to eat right and exercise. you become a grown up the day you decide to do things just because its good for you.

Surgery isnt a long term solution.
Its laziness...

You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. In cases with obesity with a BMI in that range, the only long term solution is surgery. That is a proven fact. Diet and exercise have very underwhelming results and can be said to at most prevent additional weight gain, but do not lead to sustained weight loss.

You have to make a lifestyle change... not expect a magic cure.

The "lifestyle change" doesn't work. Surgery for these patients does.

Do you know of a good website that might have a way to estimate what that is?

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

Thank you.

The result was... depressing.

:( that thing is depressing.

It's also of extremely questionable usefulness.

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

:( that thing is depressing.

:( that thing is depressing.

Gawd I was gonna tell you guys what it said but I think I'm too embarassed.

I have muscle under all this chub, I swear. My body fat percentage as calculated by squeezing my hip with that poky thing has gone down from what it was.

Muscle is a lot more dense than fat, which is why fat people float.

It's also of extremely questionable usefulness.

I have muscle under all this chub, I swear. My body fat percentage as calculated by squeezing my hip with that poky thing has gone down from what it was.

Gawd I was gonna tell you guys what it said but I think I'm too embarassed.

you can TG it to me, I guarantee my number is worse.

I have muscle under all this chub, I swear. My body fat percentage as calculated by squeezing my hip with that poky thing has gone down from what it was.

Right there with ya. I used to long distance bike and was a mechanic, so under the padding my muscle definition should be pretty good.

That makes me feel better, sibnce BMI doesn't take that into consideration.

If your BMI is over 35 (or even worse, over 40 - you are from the USA, so it's not exactly implausible), get bariatric surgery.

I've wanted to do this for a while now, but my mother insists that the side-effects are too extreme. Is she wrong?

Right there with ya. I used to long distance bike and was a mechanic, so under the padding my muscle definition should be pretty good.

That makes me feel better, sibnce BMI doesn't take that into consideration.

also, Muscles weigh more than Fat.

I've wanted to do this for a while now, but my mother insists that the side-effects are too extreme. Is she wrong?

I know somebody that had it done and it apparently worked out very well for her. She was in much worse shape than I though, so it may have been absolutely necessary.

The most obvious downside is food portions shrink to a shockingly small amount... like small enough that it must be VERY hard to get used to it.

$$$ too.

also, Muscles weigh more than Fat.

true dat.

I'll vouch for the stress thing - I lost a lot of weight when going through my divorce!

Aside from that, it was really getting a handle on my eating habits - Particularly eating junk food in the evenings. That means small dinners and cutting out deserts.

I've lost about 15 pounds since the spring.

See, my wife and I have a problem. Right now, we're renting a room from my mother until out apartment is available. Her kitchen is insanely small and difficult to use, so we tend to eat out a LOT. Since the kitchen is small it's also hard to store much food so we eat out for lunch a lot too.

This makes the bank account shrink at a rate that's almost as alarming as the growth of the waistline.

I've wanted to do this for a while now, but my mother insists that the side-effects are too extreme. Is she wrong?

There are quite a few different surgeries that can be done and they have different sorts of side-effects. You will have to discuss those with your doctor. Studies made, though, show that an overwhelming majority of people are happy with the results across the board. A Swedish study that was released just recently following 4000 bariatric surgery patients and a control group that just received the "diet and exercise" therapy during two decades has shown that the surgery considerably lowers morbidity as well as mortality from diseases related to obesity (as it actually cures obesity), while "diet and exercise" had a very minor effect in comparison since the sustained weight loss in that group was virtually zero. This is in tune with several other studies that have shown similar results.

So, it is indeed a very viable option to those who have failed to lose weight in those BMI ranges.

Right there with ya. I used to long distance bike and was a mechanic, so under the padding my muscle definition should be pretty good.

That makes me feel better, sibnce BMI doesn't take that into consideration.

Don't delude yourself. While it is true that BMI is misleading for those with much muscle mass, they are the type that are muscled. Not the type that are jiggly. But, if you like to pretend that you have all that much muscle under those layers of fat, measure the circumference of your abdomen. For men, if it is > 94 cm, and women > 80 cm, there is an increased risk of fat-related complications. If > 102 cm for men, and > 88 cm for women, the risk is "very greatly" increased.

There are quite a few different surgeries that can be done and they have different sorts of side-effects. You will have to discuss those with your doctor. Studies made, though, show that an overwhelming majority of people are happy with the results across the board. A Swedish study that was released just recently following 4000 bariatric surgery patients and a control group that just received the "diet and exercise" therapy during two decades has shown that the surgery considerably lowers morbidity as well as mortality from diseases related to obesity (as it actually cures obesity), while "diet and exercise" had a very minor effect in comparison since the sustained weight loss in that group was virtually zero. This is in tune with several other studies that have shown similar results.

So, it is indeed a very viable option to those who have failed to lose weight in those BMI ranges.

Thanks. I think that, given my complete lack of success at weight loss, I will have words with my doctor the next time I see him.

If you're not very active right now, I'd say start with small steps.

Take public transportation or bike to work; if that's not feasible then park your car a few blocks away from your office and walk from there. Take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator whenever possible. If you're a couch potato at home, invest in a set of free weights - it's pretty easy to lift weights while you're watching TV, and you can store them under your bed. If you have a dog, take it for a half hour walk every day.

When you go grocery shopping, make a list and stick to it - no compulsive buying! If you do buy snacks, split them up into single serving portions as soon as you get home.

Eat less meat and more fresh fruits and veggies.

Watch your portions and eat slowly; if you're not rushing through a meal just for the sake of finishing, you might find that you're full far before the food on your plate is gone (I find this is especially true at restaurants, where portions tend to be very large). If you get salads at restaurants, get the dressing on the side.

Drink lots of water. I have a 1 litre Nalgene bottle that I fill up twice while I'm at work; I find it's easier for me to drink more water that way than having a glass of water here and there when I'm thirsty.

None of these on their own are drastic, but little changes like this add up. Good luck!

Don't delude yourself. While it is true that BMI is misleading for those with much muscle mass, they are the type that are muscled. Not the type that are jiggly. But, if you like to pretend that you have all that much muscle under those layers of fat, measure the circumference of your abdomen. For men, if it is > 94 cm, and women > 80 cm, there is an increased risk of fat-related complications. If > 102 cm for men, and > 88 cm for women, the risk is "very greatly" increased.

damn it. I liked my delusion. I just measured my waist. :( You are all types of depressing today. Guess I need to go bother my doctor.

damn it. I liked my delusion. I just measured my waist. :( You are all types of depressing today. Guess I need to go bother my doctor.

Sex burns calories... you and hubby should loose weight together!

Sex burns calories... you and hubby should loose weight together!

I have tons of sex, it doesn't seem to help much.

The only time I lost a significant amount of weight wasn't on purpose. I went through a deep deppression and stayed in bed so much I rarely got out of bed to feed myself. Lost 35# in a few months just laying in bed.

damn it. I liked my delusion. I just measured my waist. :( You are all types of depressing today. Guess I need to go bother my doctor.

The truth is worth more than any comforting delusion. Especially as the longer you remain obese, the more damage is done to your body. I get so sick and tired of people who deem "lazy" people who seek medical help with their weight problem, because the former are clearly idiots helping to perpetuate a stigma that ends up doing much more harm than good. The medical help need not even be surgical - there are medications that can also be quite effective, and it is quite crucial to keep tabs on one's blood pressure, glucose and lipid levels (in the very obese even liver enzymes, because nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a very serious matter). Dyslipidemia and type II diabetes can go undiscovered for years and years, and you don't need me to tell you how dangerous both of those are, especially in conjunction with one another - something not at all uncommon in the obese.

The metabolic syndrome is a ticking bomb. How long can you afford to have it be active?

The truth is worth more than any comforting delusion. Especially as the longer you remain obese, the more damage is done to your body. I get so sick and tired of people who deem "lazy" people who seek medical help with their weight problem, because the former are clearly idiots helping to perpetuate a stigma that ends up doing much more harm than good. The medical help need not even be surgical - there are medications that can also be quite effective, and it is quite crucial to keep tabs on one's blood pressure, glucose and lipid levels (in the very obese even liver enzymes, because nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a very serious matter). Dyslipidemia and type II diabetes can go undiscovered for years and years, and you don't need me to tell you how dangerous both of those are, especially in conjunction with one another - something not at all uncommon in the obese.

The metabolic syndrome is a ticking bomb. How long can you afford to have it be active?
at least you aren't an ass about it like most other people are. I will call my doctor and set an appt. I know I don't want to go down the road other family members have, losing feet and such due to their own apathy of their condition.

I recently lost over 30 lbs in the last 3 months. It really was not all that hard, I changed the way that I eat and started working out regularly.

A diet very similar to the one that I follow is available on www.menshealth.com. It is called the ABS diet.

AS to the exercise. Start slow, 5 - 10 min intervals on a treadmill or eliptical. Build up. I started out that way, and now my waist has shrunk 6 inches, my muscles are larger and I can do 2 hrs of exercise 3 - 5 times per week without a problem.

at least you aren't an ass about it like most other people are.

People suck. Pay them no attention.

I will call my doctor and set an appt. I know I don't want to go down the road other family members have, losing feet and such due to their own apathy of their condition.

Even if you don't manage to lose weight, the upside of it is that getting your blood pressure, lipids and glucose levels under control goes a long way, not to mention of course that exercise and a better diet have been shown to have positive effects even without weight loss. This isn't "all or nothing" - a lot can be done that may not show on the outside, but that will mean - as you say - the difference between a lost limb or not, or considerable amount of years added to your life.

People suck. Pay them no attention.
*writes down for future reference*



Even if you don't manage to lose weight, the upside of it is that getting your blood pressure, lipids and glucose levels under control goes a long way, not to mention of course that exercise and a better diet have been shown to have positive effects even without weight loss. This isn't "all or nothing" - a lot can be done that may not show on the outside, but that will mean - as you say - the difference between a lost limb or not, or considerable amount of years added to your life.
that's less depressing. thanks. :)

that's less depressing. thanks. :)

I try to impart with hope, and surprisingly often I actually do believe in that hope myself. :)

Well, that's been a small showcase for you of how I am in my professional setting - eerily many people in this forum have thought that just because I have little patience with their special brand of stupid, that it somehow carries over to how I comport myself with patients. It's quite odd a thing to assume, really.

I try to impart with hope, and surprisingly often I actually do believe in that hope myself. :)

Well, that's been a small showcase for you of how I am in my professional setting - eerily many people in this forum have thought that just because I have little patience with their special brand of stupid, that it somehow carries over to how I comport myself with patients. It's quite odd a thing to assume, really.

I wish I lived in Sweden so you could be my doctor. You wouldn't lie and pussyfoot around like the doctors here.

"I need help losing weight"
"you aren't fat"
"I am obese"
"you look nice in that dress"
"I want to live past 40"
"you are fine, you are just a bit anemic"
"help?"
"let's give it a few months"

:headbang:

I wish I lived in Sweden so you could be my doctor. You wouldn't lie and pussyfoot around like the doctors here.

It can be hard to be blunt when one's income is dependent on one's patients being "happy" with you and telling all their friends of how "great" you are, especially for GP's with their own practices. Not to be all "House-ish" (because, really, I hate his bedside manner's guts), but it's easy to be liked.

So I have been wondering, for those of you who have managed t olose significant amounts of weight (on purpose) in your life, how did you do it?

For reasons of health I'd like to get rid of some extra weight, but my job is IT and so I'm sedentary all day. I need to come up with a plan for exercise and meals that will gradually get me where I need to be weight-wise.

Advice? Anecdotes?
I completely cut out softdrinks, chocolate, chips, and limited myself to only one fast-food treat each week.

Whenever I feel like I need to get rid of some extra pounds, that is the easiest way to do it for me.

Not necessarily eating healthy, but healthier - and simply taking in less sugar and fat while getting off my bum more often. :D

So I have been wondering, for those of you who have managed t olose significant amounts of weight (on purpose) in your life, how did you do it?

For reasons of health I'd like to get rid of some extra weight, but my job is IT and so I'm sedentary all day. I need to come up with a plan for exercise and meals that will gradually get me where I need to be weight-wise.

Advice? Anecdotes?
I just lost the last of the twenty pounds I needed to lose. First, be realistic with what you eat. I knew I couldn't be happy with less than about 1200 calories a day. Second, be sure to mix in regular exercise. But make it exercise you like. I used to run anywhere between 3 and 5 miles a day when I was in the Marines. I hate to run, but it WAS essential. Now, I ride a bike. Lot's more fun. I might mix some jogging in later, but not yet.

Or you could do one of the fad diets. They usually work, but only for a while.

I wish I lived in Sweden so you could be my doctor. You wouldn't lie and pussyfoot around like the doctors here.


You need to find a better doctor. I hadn't been to a doc for years and a pal talked me into going because men over 50 should get a prostate exam. Anyhow, I went to his doctor for the want of knowing of anyone else. This guy looked at my stats -- 72", 230# blood pressure a little high, and told me first thing -- Lose twenty pounds right now. The rest can come later, but lose that first ten percent now.

He went into the whole spiel that Fass has just gone through and it bothered me. Enough to do the work to lose the weight. Now I'm half a century old, but I've got a decent blood pressure, lipids and triglycerides are in limits, so is my A1C level. I can probably live like this for another twenty years...

I lost about 30 pounds in 3 months eating cracker bread. Craker bread is good because you can put anything on it (whatever you are craving). I also ate a lot of white rice flavored with a couple broth cubes. And I had soft boiled eggs and tomato soup. Everyday I counted my calories. I never exceeded 1200. And I tired to go on the tread mill whenever I was in the mood for it. You'll notice that you will not only loose weight by eating healthy, your skin will also look great and you'll have more energy and more focus. I hope I was helpful.

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

Wow... I typed in my Dad's and it was really bad. Like over 50. That makes me really worried. :(

But my Mom thinks she's really fat but she's at the low end of the overweight part... like 25 or something. We used to exercise together but she broke her toe so that's stopped. :(

Is there anything bad that happens if you're under 18.5? Mine's 17.8, and one of my little brothers is at 16.5 (the other is around 20). My little brothers are only 14 though, so does it work the same for teenagers, or is that one only for adults?

Is there anything bad that happens if you're under 18.5? Mine's 17.8, and one of my little brothers is at 16.5 (the other is around 20). My little brothers are only 14 though, so does it work the same for teenagers, or is that one only for adults?

I think it is different for people who haven't stopped growing/developing. So your little brother's number is probably wrong. I'm 17.8 too, so if you've stopped growing, then you're a bit underweight, but not majorly. I think. As for anything bad happening, I'm fine. Tend to get cold quite easily, however.

I think it is different for people who haven't stopped growing/developing. So your little brother's number is probably wrong. I'm 17.8 too, so if you've stopped growing, then you're a bit underweight, but not majorly. I think. As for anything bad happening, I'm fine. Tend to get cold quite easily, however.

That sounds right. They've both been growing taller pretty quickly, so maybe his weight hasn't caught up with his height yet?

I've stopped growing taller at least, so I guess so. And I do get cold really easily, which is annoying because my Dad gets hot really easily so I always have to put on a blanket even though it's summer in Florida, because of the air conditioning.

If your BMI is over 35 (or even worse, over 40 - you are from the USA, so it's not exactly implausible), get bariatric surgery.

Cutting out bits of your digestive system sounds a bit extreme when you can try to control it through portion sizes and increased exercise. I also know someone who had the gastric bypass fifteen years ago and starved to death on it.

One exercise tip that has really helped me - exercising first thing in the morning before you eat your breakfast. Your blood glycogen levels are lower there, so you'll burn through them faster and start working on the fat. Plus, it will give your metabolism a boost that will last longer than if you exercise before you go to bed.

I would also strongly recommend finding out what your basal metabolic rate is - this is how many calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight. If you go too low below this with your diet, your body will go into a "starvation" mode and try to hold on to fat. Yes, you will lose weight, but it will be muscle weight and not fat, and that is not what you want to accomplish.

Two years ago I lost 50lbs. mostly by running and dieting but I started changing my habits slowly. I stoped drinking soda and instead of reaching for candy bars I started to snack on granola bars instead (Nature Vally Honey Oat is really tasty). Also try walking about half an hour every night, it's not hard work but it's helpful. Eventually you'll lose some weight this way but really the only thing you can do is work hard on changing your eating habits and exercise alot. I recommend running track workouts and doing simple ab workouts like crunchs. Good Luck!!!!

Bike or use an eliptical machine.

Cutting out bits of your digestive system sounds a bit extreme when you can try to control it through portion sizes and increased exercise.

Firsts of all, not all of the surgeries involve "cutting out bits of your digestive system" - for instance the adjustable banding procedures.

You can try and you should try to lose weight the normal way, but the statistics all point in the same direction: you will probably fail. Sure, it might work for a while in the beginning, but for sustained weight loss surgery is the only thing that seems to be truly effective for people with those kinds of BMIs.

I also know someone who had the gastric bypass fifteen years ago and starved to death on it.

The mortality rate I've seen in studies has been quite low indeed - and that's pretty amazing, because we're not talking about healthy people from the get go. It of course depends on how bad a shape one is in, but one anecdote in the grand scheme is not very persuasive.

It can be hard to be blunt when one's income is dependent on one's patients being "happy" with you and telling all their friends of how "great" you are, especially for GP's with their own practices. Not to be all "House-ish" (because, really, I hate his bedside manner's guts), but it's easy to be liked.

I would totally have House as my doctor. :p

I basically ate bread, drank water, and did loads of cardio. I went down to 10% body fat. I looked pretty much the same as I did before. So I stopped.

Thanks, all for the great advice. I'm already putting some of it into effect.

I think the thing that got me motivated to get something done is sleep apnea. For those who don't know what that is, it's when the soft tissues in your throat tend to close off your windpipe when you relax during sleep, making you stop breathing, sometimes for over a minute at a time.

This means poor sleep quality and therefore higher stress, paranoia, and drowsiness during the day. It can also lead to all sorts of brain and heart problems in the long term.

This needs fixing NOW.

So I have been wondering, for those of you who have managed t olose significant amounts of weight (on purpose) in your life, how did you do it?

For reasons of health I'd like to get rid of some extra weight, but my job is IT and so I'm sedentary all day. I need to come up with a plan for exercise and meals that will gradually get me where I need to be weight-wise.

Advice? Anecdotes?

1. Stop eating sugar. Read the labels, don't eat it. Sugar provokes an insulin response that will make you hungrier and turn more of your caloric intake into fat. Prolonged stimulation of this kind leads to "metabolic syndrome". If you must have something sweet, use Splenda.

Moderate your intake of fruit juices and milk - these are also very high in sugar. A fair number of diabetics use a single cup of milk as a means of restoring sugar levels when their blood sugar goes too low. So don't drink more than a cup (look at a measure to see how little that is) a day.

2. Eat regular meals at regular times - but don't clean your plate. Eat slowly, and eat until you feel full. Then stop.

3. Buy plates that are smaller in diameter. Today's plates (especially in the US) are wider than they were in the 1950s. Everything at home is supersized - even your drink glass. Between that and the urge to clean your plate...

4. Don't snack. If you aren't doing the sugar, this will probably not be a problem.

5. Just remember portion control. A Whopper burger from Burger King has so many calories (and it's only lunch!) that you would have to run eight miles to burn off its calories. So eat less (but eat what you like, without the sugar) and you won't have to work as hard to keep it off.

6. Keep a log of what you eat. How much, what, when. Use this to monitor and control what you eat - notice trends, etc. Be honest in the log - you may be surprised at how many calories you ingest already.

7. Exercise - start with walking. Walk every night. It's easy, and it doesn't take that much time (you can afford 30 minutes in the evening). Once you've adjusted to this, you can start doing more like running or going to the gym. Just remember that when you increase the exercise, don't make a big leap in the effort required, or you'll want to quit.

So I have been wondering, for those of you who have managed t olose significant amounts of weight (on purpose) in your life, how did you do it?

For reasons of health I'd like to get rid of some extra weight, but my job is IT and so I'm sedentary all day. I need to come up with a plan for exercise and meals that will gradually get me where I need to be weight-wise.

Advice? Anecdotes?
First, I worked out what my approximate basal calorie needs are per day. In other words, assuming that I'm just going to work and sitting around all day, how much fuel does my body require to keep things operating?

For me, turns out that number is about 1500.

I also worked out that one pound of fat is about 3500 calories. So I figured that if I could operate at a 500 calorie-per-day debt, I would lose about a pound each week.

From there, it was pretty easy. I made sure I consumed only about 1250 calories per day, and then exercised enough to burn an additional 250 calories each day.

In other words, my body needs 1500 calories for basic function, plus I was working out enough to need another 250, which would be a total of 1750 calories I would need to eat if I wanted to break even. Instead, I only ate 1250.

1750-1250=500 calorie deficit each day. Seven days in a week, 500 calories per day, equals 3500 calorie "debt" each week. Or one pound of weight loss each week.

Seemed to work well for me. I don't feel remotely starved or deprived of food, and I don't have to work out for very long to maintain this, so it really required very little in the way of lifestyle change.

(Note: I'm a small person, so your numbers will most likely be higher than mine. A 1250-calorie-per-day diet is crazy restrictive for an average-sized person.)

1. Stop eating sugar. Read the labels, don't eat it. Sugar provokes an insulin response that will make you hungrier and turn more of your caloric intake into fat. Prolonged stimulation of this kind leads to "metabolic syndrome". If you must have something sweet, use Splenda.

Moderate your intake of fruit juices and milk - these are also very high in sugar. A fair number of diabetics use a single cup of milk as a means of restoring sugar levels when their blood sugar goes too low. So don't drink more than a cup (look at a measure to see how little that is) a day.

2. Eat regular meals at regular times - but don't clean your plate. Eat slowly, and eat until you feel full. Then stop.

3. Buy plates that are smaller in diameter. Today's plates (especially in the US) are wider than they were in the 1950s. Everything at home is supersized - even your drink glass. Between that and the urge to clean your plate...

4. Don't snack. If you aren't doing the sugar, this will probably not be a problem.

5. Just remember portion control. A Whopper burger from Burger King has so many calories (and it's only lunch!) that you would have to run eight miles to burn off its calories. So eat less (but eat what you like, without the sugar) and you won't have to work as hard to keep it off.

6. Keep a log of what you eat. How much, what, when. Use this to monitor and control what you eat - notice trends, etc. Be honest in the log - you may be surprised at how many calories you ingest already.

7. Exercise - start with walking. Walk every night. It's easy, and it doesn't take that much time (you can afford 30 minutes in the evening). Once you've adjusted to this, you can start doing more like running or going to the gym. Just remember that when you increase the exercise, don't make a big leap in the effort required, or you'll want to quit.

Thanks.

Our biggest challenge is the exercise part. We have plenty of time, but for now anything we do absoutely must be outside. That's good when the weather co-operates, but one rainy day is enough to ruin a routine.

At the moment my wife and I are renting a room that's barely got enough room in it for our bed, one dresser and our computer desks. The walking will be easy to do in the nearby park.

Luckily we'll be into our apartment long before the cold weather hits, and as I mentioned I want to get a life cycle at least.

First, I worked out what my approximate basal calorie needs are per day. In other words, assuming that I'm just going to work and sitting around all day, how much fuel does my body require to keep things operating?

For me, turns out that number is about 1500.

I also worked out that one pound of fat is about 3500 calories. So I figured that if I could operate at a 500 calorie-per-day debt, I would lose about a pound each week.

From there, it was pretty easy. I made sure I consumed only about 1250 calories per day, and then exercised enough to burn an additional 250 calories each day.

In other words, my body needs 1500 calories for basic function, plus I was working out enough to need another 250, which would be a total of 1750 calories I would need to eat if I wanted to break even. Instead, I only ate 1250.

1750-1250=500 calorie deficit each day. Seven days in a week, 500 calories per day, equals 3500 calorie "debt" each week. Or one pound of weight loss each week.

Seemed to work well for me. I don't feel remotely starved or deprived of food, and I don't have to work out for very long to maintain this, so it really required very little in the way of lifestyle change.

(Note: I'm a small person, so your numbers will most likely be higher than mine. A 1250-calorie-per-day diet is crazy restrictive for an average-sized person.)

Can you recommend a good place to go, like a book or website, that would show me h ow to compute my basal calorie needs?

Thanks.

Our biggest challenge is the exercise part. We have plenty of time, but for now anything we do absoutely must be outside. That's good when the weather co-operates, but one rainy day is enough to ruin a routine.

At the moment my wife and I are renting a room that's barely got enough room in it for our bed, one dresser and our computer desks. The walking will be easy to do in the nearby park.

Luckily we'll be into our apartment long before the cold weather hits, and as I mentioned I want to get a life cycle at least.

when it's rainy or cold here I mall walk, I can show up at like 7am and walk before the shoppers get there (the stores don't even open until 9am) it's out of the weather and it's quiet and safe.

when it's rainy or cold here I mall walk, I can show up at like 7am and walk before the shoppers get there (the stores don't even open until 9am) it's out of the weather and it's quiet and safe.

Indeed. Never let the weather keep you indoors.

Even if it snows 3 feet outside, you can at least go out and play in the snow.

So I have been wondering, for those of you who have managed t olose significant amounts of weight (on purpose) in your life, how did you do it?

For reasons of health I'd like to get rid of some extra weight, but my job is IT and so I'm sedentary all day. I need to come up with a plan for exercise and meals that will gradually get me where I need to be weight-wise.

Advice? Anecdotes?

I too work in IT. Here's how it is done. Switch to the helpdesk, instead of telling people to re-boot, run up and down stairs all day and do it for them.

Can you recommend a good place to go, like a book or website, that would show me h ow to compute my basal calorie needs?
I use the Harris-Benedict formula for determining BMR (basal metabolic rate).

For men, the equation works like this:

Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 X wt in kg) + (5 X ht in cm) - (6.8 X age in years)

There are online BMR calculators that only use your body weight to calculate BMR, but I find the H-B formula to be a little more accurate. It includes the fact that your metabolic rate changes with age, which is a bigger deal than some people realize.

So that's the "basal calorie needs" estimate I worked with. About 70% of your body's energy is spent on just keeping the basic systems going, and that's what your BMR reflects.

It's generally best to then take your BMR and multiply it by an "activity modifier" because most of us are engaging in energy-expending activities beyond just breathing in and out or digesting our food. The activity modifier is a number that reflects roughly how active you tend to be. I rated myself as "lightly active" when I started out, because I don't own a car and I pretty much walk absolutely everywhere I go. I don't really "work out" much but I end up getting a lot of exercise because I hoof it all over the city.

These are the activity modifiers I used:

Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
Extr. active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)

So you take your BMR and multiply it by your "activity modifier," and you get the "maintenance number" of calories for you. In other words, the number of calories you would consume if you were trying to maintain your current weight.

Some things to keep in mind:

-Your BMR will change as you gain or lose weight.

-The number of calories you burn doing a given activity will also change as you gain or lose weight. If you're 200 pounds, running a mile will burn more calories than if you are 150 pounds.

-BMR is only an approximation. Your genetic background, lean mass, and the size of your frame are all factors that aren't taken into account by the formula I used.

-I got these numbers and equations from searching through a number of sites and books, and working with what seemed to be the most consistently respected approaches. I'm sure you can find some sites or books that use other numbers or different equations, and many may be more precise than mine!

Indeed. Never let the weather keep you indoors.

Even if it snows 3 feet outside, you can at least go out and play in the snow.

I hear shoveling snow is a good exercise. ;)

I too work in IT. Here's how it is done. Switch to the helpdesk, instead of telling people to re-boot, run up and down stairs all day and do it for them.
Yeah, when I started worrying about how out of shape I was getting, the first thing I did was I stopped using elevators.

The only times I will use elevators are if there's no stair access, or if I'm transporting something that's just way too heavy or unwieldy for stair climbing.

My big barrier is feast and famine lifestyle. Most of the time I only eat once a day. I did that calorie thing, you know, where you figure out how many calories you take in and subtract an amount? I think it had me eating under 1000 calories a day.

However, I'm also prone to when I can actually afford to eat going nuts because it's a novelty. Or when I'm working they feed me, but then usually I'm also spending all day moving heavy things all over the place or doing runs (but not running).

As I understand it if you eat like I do it fucks with your metabolism-it figures food isn't going to come but in spurts so it stores up as much as it can. When I don't actually starve but hit a spot when I can eat it figures that it should store the hell out of that, too.

I walk a lot of places but I don't walk 'on purpose,' or for the sake of walking. At work I get a work out (most times), but that's not regular.

I'm enough of a creature of habit that if I did an excercise routine long enough I'd just do it out of habit, but my schedule is just shy of random and doesn't allow for it.

Ultimately I just gotta motivate myself to use my ample free time to do the working out I can do and figure out a way to eat throughout the day in smaller portions instead of all at once with a big portion.

That last part is tricky as I have no idea how to go about that.

I use the Harris-Benedict formula for determining BMR (basal metabolic rate).

<snip>

I totally saved that as a text file. Thanks!

Result: 3681cal to maintain.

gawd.

Meh ill lose all my weight when im dead. Im in no hurry.

I totally saved that as a text file. Thanks!
No problem!

I'm always happy when my compulsive nerdiness can come in handy.

I totally saved that as a text file. Thanks!

Result: 3681cal to maintain.

gawd.

Yeesh, you're either really active or awful heavy.

1912.92

Yeesh, you're either really active or awful heavy.

1912.92

6'0 and 300 lbs.

But here's the thing... big as that sounds, I don't have trouble climbing stairs and I don't have to shop at a big & tall store. Like I said, I think there's significant muscle mass under the padding from my days as a mechanic and long distance biking.

Yeesh, you're either really active or awful heavy.

1912.92

I need 1800something to maintain! I win!

although, my 1100 calorie diet seems......frustrating now, shouldn't I be loosing more?

You sound pretty healthy despite your mass. Perhaps one suggestion is, especially since a lot of it does sound like muscle, cut down on some of the exercises that are building them and try to walk instead of bike. Maybe swimming could be an option for you. It's a good exercise and it's definitely fun. Just do as many laps as you feel comfortable with.

Other than that, maybe add more fruit and vegetables to your diet. I'm a happy omnivore, and they make me feel energetic. That is also how I lost a lot of weight last year. Stopped doing that, and I gained at least half of it back. <.>

But as far as rainy days go, don't let it damper your regimen. Just find alternatives. For instance, if you constrict your stomach for fifteen seconds at a time, it's like doing situps. And you can feel it without straining your back. Have a staircase inside or even some sort of solid contraption of similar appearance? Just use it. Be creative and have fun, as long as you meet your expectations.

I need 1800something to maintain! I win!

although, my 1100 calorie diet seems......frustrating now, shouldn't I be loosing more?

Obnoxious ain't it?

I need 1800something to maintain! I win!

although, my 1100 calorie diet seems......frustrating now, shouldn't I be loosing more?

Do any of your medical problems affect how you gain/lose weight?

I've been on steroids for a couple of years and after about 3 months off, managed to get down to the mid/lower overweight bmi area.

Do any of your medical problems affect how you gain/lose weight?

I've been on steroids for a couple of years and after about 3 months off, managed to get down to the mid/lower overweight bmi area.

I've been on Prenisone on and off for a couple of years, freaking steroids, I hate them. I am stair stepping back down right now.

I've been on Prenisone on and off for a couple of years, freaking steroids, I hate them. I am stair stepping back down right now.

Evil stuff. Makes you eat like a horse too. Did for me anyway :D

Evil stuff. Makes you eat like a horse too. Did for me anyway :D

it makes me hungry and horny.......:p

it makes me hungry and horny.......:p

Food sex. Great! ;)

I need 1800something to maintain! I win!

I got 1760 or so for me, and I usually eat between 1600 and 1800.

I need to lose weight.

My husband needs to gain weight.

Shouldn't there be some way I can give him some of my weight??

Seriously though, how can I plan a diet for us that involves me losing and him gaining?

I need to lose weight.

My husband needs to gain weight.

Shouldn't there be some way I can give him some of my weight??

Seriously though, how can I plan a diet for us that involves me losing and him gaining?

most likely you want him to gain muscle and not fat right? so, eat healthy foods and you do cardio together and weight training together, he will build muscle, and you will lose weight and build muscle.......theoretically.

I've been on Prenisone on and off for a couple of years, freaking steroids, I hate them. I am stair stepping back down right now.

Are you on calcium and bisphosphonates? Is your glucose checked regularly?

Are you on calcium and bisphosphonates? Is your glucose checked regularly?

I am on Fosomax or something like that, and calcium supplements , and my glucose and liver enzymes and white count and something else are checked semi-regularly, but I already have osteoporosis due to my previously undiagnosed Celiac and they think I have some other sort of auto-immune issue too but we are still looking into it. My lupus blood test thingy was inconclusive.

most likely you want him to gain muscle and not fat right? so, eat healthy foods and you do cardio together and weight training together, he will build muscle, and you will lose weight and build muscle.......theoretically.

I think he probably needs some fat, too. He's super-skinny. In truth, I think he may have hypoglycemia (is that spelled right?) but he doesn't seem to want to get checked.

I am on Fosomax or something like that, and calcium supplements , and my glucose and liver enzymes and white count and something else are checked semi-regularly, but I already have osteoporosis due to my previously undiagnosed Celiac and they think I have some other sort of auto-immune issue too but we are still looking into it. My lupus blood test thingy was inconclusive.

Good. Not the crappy parts, but good that you're being monitored.

Good. Not the crappy parts, but good that you're being monitored.

I think that might be why my doctor is uninterested with helping me with anything else. She thinks I am too sick to focus on weight loss, but I think I would feel better if I wasn't so.......worried about being so fat. You know? I feel a lot better than I did before my doctor decided I was sick.......I just don't feel sometimes that I am sick enough for all this trouble.

Yeah, when I started worrying about how out of shape I was getting, the first thing I did was I stopped using elevators.

The only times I will use elevators are if there's no stair access, or if I'm transporting something that's just way too heavy or unwieldy for stair climbing.

I keep thinking I should do that. Problem is, I have issues with my knees and I was told to avoid stair climbing. So I can't increase my activity that way, although I do try to go down them when I can - slightly less pressure on the knees.

Turns out, according to the formula, I need about 2156 calories to maintain my weight. Seems like it should be fairly easy to eat less than that. Of course, I don't actually know how many calories I eat a day. I never got into the whole "measure your portions" thing. I've just been trying to get out of the "clear your plate" habit.

I keep thinking I should do that. Problem is, I have issues with my knees and I was told to avoid stair climbing. So I can't increase my activity that way, although I do try to go down them when I can - slightly less pressure on the knees.

Turns out, according to the formula, I need about 2156 calories to maintain my weight. Seems like it should be fairly easy to eat less than that. Of course, I don't actually know how many calories I eat a day. I never got into the whole "measure your portions" thing. I've just been trying to get out of the "clear your plate" habit.

Actually, going down stairs puts more strain on the knees than going up stairs. I've always been an avid hiker, but since my 3rd knee operation, I just can't manage going down the hills. Uphill - no problems (well, except for the exhaustion), but walk down a long hill, my knees are killing me the next day...

Actually, going down stairs puts more strain on the knees than going up stairs. I've always been an avid hiker, but since my 3rd knee operation, I just can't manage going down the hills. Uphill - no problems (well, except for the exhaustion), but walk down a long hill, my knees are killing me the next day...

Do you have walking poles?

I've stayed within a few kilos of my current weight ever since I stopped growing taller. Losing weight would be a serious concern, since I've barely got a healthy level of body fat anyway.

Yeah, I only mentioned that so everyone in the thread would hate me. I'll go now.

Turns out, according to the formula, I need about 2156 calories to maintain my weight. Seems like it should be fairly easy to eat less than that. Of course, I don't actually know how many calories I eat a day. I never got into the whole "measure your portions" thing. I've just been trying to get out of the "clear your plate" habit.
One thing that helped me was just keeping a record of what I was eating each day for two weeks. Not trying to change anything at first, just writing down everything I was eating. Then I would go through and roughly add up how many calories I had eaten. (I can't handle constant calorie-counting, so I crunch all the numbers at one time so I don't have to actually think about them when I'm hungry.)

I was actually a bit surprised by how much I was eating, and how unbalanced my diet really was. Most of the changes I made ended up being changes to what I was eating instead of to how much I was eating, because replacing a mac-and-cheese meal with a California BLT doesn't feel like "dieting" but it does wonders for balancing my diet.

Firsts of all, not all of the surgeries involve "cutting out bits of your digestive system" - for instance the adjustable banding procedures.

You can try and you should try to lose weight the normal way, but the statistics all point in the same direction: you will probably fail. Sure, it might work for a while in the beginning, but for sustained weight loss surgery is the only thing that seems to be truly effective for people with those kinds of BMIs.



The mortality rate I've seen in studies has been quite low indeed - and that's pretty amazing, because we're not talking about healthy people from the get go. It of course depends on how bad a shape one is in, but one anecdote in the grand scheme is not very persuasive.

Except if you turn out to be the one.

Thanks, all for the great advice. I'm already putting some of it into effect.

I think the thing that got me motivated to get something done is sleep apnea. For those who don't know what that is, it's when the soft tissues in your throat tend to close off your windpipe when you relax during sleep, making you stop breathing, sometimes for over a minute at a time.

This means poor sleep quality and therefore higher stress, paranoia, and drowsiness during the day. It can also lead to all sorts of brain and heart problems in the long term.

This needs fixing NOW.

Have you talked to your doctor, gone to a sleep center, discussed the possibility of a CPAP machine?

Except if you turn out to be the one.

The same non-argument could be "made" for any surgery.

Do you have walking poles?

I do for my hiking. Helps out a good bit, but they still get sore. Absolutely avoid walking down steps though - don't carry the poles around with me all the time :)

Co-workers think I'm slightly insane - more than happy to walk up the steps to our 6th floor office, but take the elevator down. Most of 'em think I should have it reversed...

I do for my hiking. Helps out a good bit, but they still get sore. Absolutely avoid walking down steps though - don't carry the poles around with me all the time :)

Co-workers think I'm slightly insane - more than happy to walk up the steps to our 6th floor office, but take the elevator down. Most of 'em think I should have it reversed...

I know a fair few elderly bushwalkers (my mother among them.) They'd much rather climb a hill than have to go down it. I'm only 43 but I'm starting to feel the same way.

Climbing makes you stronger and it's a workout, but taking that shock to the knees only does damage.

Actually, going down stairs puts more strain on the knees than going up stairs. I've always been an avid hiker, but since my 3rd knee operation, I just can't manage going down the hills. Uphill - no problems (well, except for the exhaustion), but walk down a long hill, my knees are killing me the next day...

The actual force across the knee is much higher when going uphill than downhill - and the forces are even weirder with women, because wider hips means that the femur enters the joint at an angle. However, going downhill stretches your leg muscles, sometimes further than they should be - and can do so enough to make them hurt if you do a lot of downhill.

*snip*

As I understand it if you eat like I do [feast or famine] it fucks with your metabolism-it figures food isn't going to come but in spurts so it stores up as much as it can. When I don't actually starve but hit a spot when I can eat it figures that it should store the hell out of that, too.

Hey, I've heard that idea before. There would have to be other factors (like stress) which would have the same effect. From the body's point of view there isn't much difference between "I have to work really hard and I'm worried about the future" and "OMG I might starve."

Actually, I think it was one of my parents who told me that. I probably just assumed they were nudging me towards 'settling down,' but it makes a lot of sense now I hear it again.

The actual force across the knee is much higher when going uphill than downhill - and the forces are even weirder with women, because wider hips means that the femur enters the joint at an angle. However, going downhill stretches your leg muscles, sometimes further than they should be - and can do so enough to make them hurt if you do a lot of downhill.

Is it? Well that's interesting. As far as I'm aware, it's the sharper impact of descending a hill that makes for sore knees. Its certainly the case for me, and my knees are in excellent shape, considering the way I descend.

Consume lots of caffeine.
Avoid drinking calories.