Day one of "Lose-the-lard 2010"

[highway61]

I lost 6 stone (18 down to 12) between last March and November and have kept it off (except for 4lbs over christmas/new year)
Made up my own diet. Mainly achieved by drinking lots of water (especially in the morning and at night to reduce bouts of the munchies) always having breakfast, cutting out alcohol (thank god for coke zero) junk food, crisps and dairy products. Loads of salad stuff and veggies. Three or four small meals a day and your stomach soon starts to expect less.
Keep as busy as you can to keep your mind off food (sounds like you have plenty to think about as it is!). Because my wife is disabled I very rarely, if ever, find time to exercise so managed it all on diet and as long as you have an obsessive personality it isn't so tough really

Good luck and keep posting. I never paid for support groups (not my thing and a waste of money for me) but you can join the weightwatchers on line forum for nothing and get loads of support that way if you want it

well done on the weight loss, and i agree with all you say, especially the water. it is something i need to be sure to do. Thanks for an encouraging post mate. Happy new year

 

[Uncle C]

I would suggest putting the money you save on food and drink into a separate tin. Then every now and again treat yourself to something nice like a DVD.

 

[highway61]

I would suggest putting the money you save on food and drink into a separate tin. Then every now and again treat yourself to something nice like a DVD.

yep UC am on the case. treated myself to a Blu-ray player at Xmas directly as a result of having a spare shekel or two!

 

[blue'n'white]

was always large framed even when around school leaving age, 6-2 big frame, and played football at around 17st in my early 20's. Years of alcoholism and its junk food lifestyle saw me a fairly regular 20 stone. The lightest i was in adult life was around 18st in 1999. This was near the end of a 5year spell of sobriety which went to pot, as so often it has. When my only daughter was murdered 3 years ago this week things went downhill and weight balooned. Have now been dry for 2 months, during this spell i did over compensate with food. hence the heart issues. In a nutshell thats it..

Hardly surprising that things went downhill for you mate. Good luck with the diet and keep us posted as to how things turn out.
I have to lose some weight too but can't bear the thought of "giving things up" not being much of a fan of "good healthy food" !! I don't over-eat but eat the wrong things.

 

[readingstockport]

Swimming,cycling and rowing.

Eat less, drink less and all the best. I'm trying to go from 14st to 13 or so and struggling, probably the stella I guess.

 

[throbinson]

Have you tried the weight watchers point diet it works for me

 

[highway61]

Have you tried the weight watchers point diet it works for me

Have before and was ok, though as ever i did not stick with it. have pretty much put together a diet that i hope will do the job! most of it is a common sense, healthy option. Though not specifically following calories i am keeping an eye on them. Big things that are a no-no for me include Bread, cheese, chocolate! no good me saying i can have SOME bread cos a loaf goes very quick!

 

[withdeanwombat]

There's a bloke who just walks around Taunton - shorts,t shirt,or topless in summer.Looked like Big Daddy when he started,but now looks almost slim.I'd say he's lost at least 6 stone.So it can be done without expensive gym work,and I hope you hit your target,and your health improves.

Good luck!

 

[throbinson]

Have before and was ok, though as ever i did not stick with it. have pretty much put together a diet that i hope will do the job! most of it is a common sense, healthy option. Though not specifically following calories i am keeping an eye on them. Big things that are a no-no for me include Bread, cheese, chocolate! no good me saying i can have SOME bread cos a loaf goes very quick!

Yes chocolate i love the stuff once i start find it hard to stop, whoever invented the stuff got a lot to answer for

 

[highway61]

I have for obvious health reasons (Heart problems) to lose a heck of a lot of weight. I weigh 336 pounds (24st-2lb)! My aim in 2010 is to lose 6 stone at a manageable 7 pound a month. That will get me down to 18 stone. Once achieved I would like to get to 16 stone for the first Falmer game. As the usual Slimming clubs are a bit pricey for me, I will bore NSC with occasional updates and you have my permission to give me grief any time
not that permission is needed for that of course.
I am determined to do this.

oops, 338 pound! maths crap

 

[NMH]

I have for obvious health reasons (Heart problems) to lose a heck of a lot of weight. I weigh 336 pounds (24st-2lb)! My aim in 2010 is to lose 6 stone at a manageable 7 pound a month. That will get me down to 18 stone. Once achieved I would like to get to 16 stone for the first Falmer game. As the usual Slimming clubs are a bit pricey for me, I will bore NSC with occasional updates and you have my permission to give me grief any time
not that permission is needed for that of course.
I am determined to do this.

What an excellent thread. Respeck for you and your quest - I think many people on here will be supportive of you in your efforts.
There aren't many old fat people and it's a natural fact that blokes in particular, are prone to pop off this mortal coil easier than wimmins - see the nursing home stats to back that up! 90% old birds - not many old soldiers.
STRESS is a killer. Avoid, whenever possible.
SALT - cut it out, even or especially from the stuff that tastes the best with it - i.e. crisps and chips. You can substitute salt with things like garlic powder, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese can be great (remembering that cheese is calories though, so back off on the portion if you are adding it).
Your stomach is often the LAST TO TELL YOU when you are no longer 'hungry'. Eat small, eat slow, and take breaks rather than demolishing the whole cow!
No butter or lard, milkfat or suchlike.
Carbs are things we do need, for burning energy and exercising. So - since you are increasing the exercise, you might make sure you balance the carb intake.
SWEETS are fine if you do imbibe them with consideration and care - not doughnuts (they are fried sponges!) or ice-cream though - head for high-cocoa chocolate for instance.
EAT FRUIT AND VEG as sweets, if you like the occasional sugar hit. Snow peas in the pod - easy to carry around, tasty to nibble on, good for you!
Vegetables like cucumber, lettuce, sprouting seeds - they make your meal large enough to be 'a meal', but take as almost many calories to eat as they contain.
When you cut down on sugar - you actually still find stuff sweet with LESS sugar, within a couple of days! People often put 2 or three sugars in tea - but if they cut down to 1 spoon, the taste would soon 'alter' for their perception and the old sugar count would virtually make them gag! (try it, you'll see what I mean).
KEEP WATER AROUND!! Water will help the body get rid of calories, and SO often people mistake hunger for THIRST! Just try that too - when you think you are hungry, swig some water (filtered is great, you don't need to pay some designer spring-water company for their stuff when it's usually the same as filtered tapwater anyway!). Have a bit of interest with it by putting flavours in it, like a slice of lemon or orange.
APPRECIATE tastes rather than quantities of food. What's the point of all those chips and tomato sauce, or that huge baked potato filled with shredded cheese and mayonnaise? That simply COVERS UP the taste of the spud! Why bother eating something that you need to dress up so much to taste?? Yogurt is excellent in a baked potato, on a fillet of salmon or plaice (with capers! mmm), or with spices as a sauce. Try a few boiled onions or mushrooms stirred in a pan with plain low-fat yoghurt (+garlic powder) and over your pieces of chicken or sliced steak. Wow!
Rice helps a meal - it'll mingle in the excess sauce so you don't waste anything, and if you throw in some carrots or peas, it tastes good then too. Cut up some smoked-salmon, tuna, or chuck in some shrimp - easy!
CANNED FOOD - it often keeps for decades....because the salt content preserves it! Check the sodium amount (and the portion amount) on the can. Keep your salt intake below 6grams per day at least - better to reduce it massively. Those 'Sweet Young Peas'? Take a look if they are 'sweet' because of the sugar in that tin!
MEAT - much of the 'battery' meats that are so cheap in the markets, are that way because the farmer raised the thing from a tiny creature to a hefty seller within a matter of weeks. It probably contains sodiums or chemicals that give it water-weight - you eat that, and guess what? - You just consumed those chemicals! Try getting free-range, naturally fed meats. Avoid eating the fat (goes without saying really).
FISH contains good fats, mostly. Grilled is probably best, and if you do the skin to a crisp - it's also very tasty! Tuna or salmon or sardines without added salt, in sunflower oil maybe - NOT in mayonnaise or 'other' oils. Fresh at the deli is best. It's hard to get fat on a diet containing a lot of fish.
DESSERT is nice - why not have a dessert? Jelly is great, or why not a piece of cake? See what that cake is made of - it's nice if it contains lots of fruits and nuts, low sugar. Instead of custard or cream - use low-fat yogurt, it's just as tasty. Yogurt is excellent in a baked potato, on a fillet of salmon or plaice (with capers! mmm), or with spices as a sauce.
EXERCISE; You must exercise. Diet is fine, exercise is finer. DO avoid high-impact exercises, especially while you are still large. You DO NOT want to get a knee joint problem, or pulled muscles. That will simply put you back weeks or months. Be sensible. Static bicycle/rowing machine/swim/weight machines at the gym with more reps as apposed to high weights. Pushing and pulling your OWN weight is often enough, so push-ups, trunk-curls, pull-ups, leg-ups - they are all simple to do at home and take just a few minutes. Again, remember to drink water, and perhaps drinks with 'electrolytes' like you can get at gymnasiums.
IF you start to find you cramp up (quite likely when you start a new exercise regimen), then find something with potassium (banana) and again - drink water. Keep water by the bed.

If you have moments where you feel you may have overdone it a bit, or you feel hot and bothered - lay down. Take a breather.
Sitting around can make you feel, constantly - "I want to eat something, have a biscuit or a snack". Try to stay reasonably mentally active, and rebel against those little thoughts - or...swig that water!

BOOZE - it's a no-no. Avoid, except for the occasional pleasantry. Avoid dark beers, shorts, and perhaps just have a little red wine with a meal occasionally. If you must drink beer - keep an eye on how quickly you are downing your pint, it's really not necessary to glug-glug the stuff down your neck like there's no tomorrow.... because if you do that there may well NOT be a tomorrow!

DON'T EAT LATE! Yes I know it's nice to round off the night at the pub with a kebab or burger. Do that and you will simply sleep with it inside you. Kebabs are also MEGA calories, with AWFUL fats that allow the thing to drip all day in front of their grilling machine! An average kebab can contain a whole day-worth of calories. Same with some burgers. Battered fish too, has loads of soaked-up fat around it. Pizza? Think about it!; A load of cheese on bread, often with fatty meat? Having said that, you can find thin-crust pizza with less cheese - or make it yourself with chopped chicken or ham and diced veg sprinkled over it. I sometimes keep a bowl with chopped veg and/or meats ready to use in a recipe.
Curry is nice - but.... what does the restaurant use in the sauce?? Butter, fats, cream, coconut ?? All BAD. YOU CAN NOT TRUST RESTAURANTS TO HAVE YOUR HEALTH AS A PRIORITY! Don't be afraid to ask what's in the sauce before you order.

Sense will sort a lot of this out, if you have the discipline to stabilize and put your sense into action. Don't think "I was good and disciplined all week, I can afford to binge today" - that's a short-cut to ruining your good diet that you took care with for days.

GOOD LUCK!!

 

[highway61]

What an excellent thread. Respeck for you and your quest - I think many people on here will be supportive of you in your efforts.
There aren't many old fat people and it's a natural fact that blokes in particular, are prone to pop off this mortal coil easier than wimmins - see the nursing home stats to back that up! 90% old birds - not many old soldiers.
STRESS is a killer. Avoid, whenever possible.
SALT - cut it out, even or especially from the stuff that tastes the best with it - i.e. crisps and chips. You can substitute salt with things like garlic powder, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese can be great (remembering that cheese is calories though, so back off on the portion if you are adding it).
Your stomach is often the LAST TO TELL YOU when you are no longer 'hungry'. Eat small, eat slow, and take breaks rather than demolishing the whole cow!
No butter or lard, milkfat or suchlike.
Carbs are things we do need, for burning energy and exercising. So - since you are increasing the exercise, you might make sure you balance the carb intake.
SWEETS are fine if you do imbibe them with consideration and care - not doughnuts (they are fried sponges!) or ice-cream though - head for high-cocoa chocolate for instance.
EAT FRUIT AND VEG as sweets, if you like the occasional sugar hit. Snow peas in the pod - easy to carry around, tasty to nibble on, good for you!
Vegetables like cucumber, lettuce, sprouting seeds - they make your meal large enough to be 'a meal', but take as almost many calories to eat as they contain.
When you cut down on sugar - you actually still find stuff sweet with LESS sugar, within a couple of days! People often put 2 or three sugars in tea - but if they cut down to 1 spoon, the taste would soon 'alter' for their perception and the old sugar count would virtually make them gag! (try it, you'll see what I mean).
KEEP WATER AROUND!! Water will help the body get rid of calories, and SO often people mistake hunger for THIRST! Just try that too - when you think you are hungry, swig some water (filtered is great, you don't need to pay some designer spring-water company for their stuff when it's usually the same as filtered tapwater anyway!). Have a bit of interest with it by putting flavours in it, like a slice of lemon or orange.
APPRECIATE tastes rather than quantities of food. What's the point of all those chips and tomato sauce, or that huge baked potato filled with shredded cheese and mayonnaise? That simply COVERS UP the taste of the spud! Why bother eating something that you need to dress up so much to taste?? Yogurt is excellent in a baked potato, on a fillet of salmon or plaice (with capers! mmm), or with spices as a sauce. Try a few boiled onions or mushrooms stirred in a pan with plain low-fat yoghurt (+garlic powder) and over your pieces of chicken or sliced steak. Wow!
Rice helps a meal - it'll mingle in the excess sauce so you don't waste anything, and if you throw in some carrots or peas, it tastes good then too. Cut up some smoked-salmon, tuna, or chuck in some shrimp - easy!
CANNED FOOD - it often keeps for decades....because the salt content preserves it! Check the sodium amount (and the portion amount) on the can. Keep your salt intake below 6grams per day at least - better to reduce it massively. Those 'Sweet Young Peas'? Take a look if they are 'sweet' because of the sugar in that tin!
MEAT - much of the 'battery' meats that are so cheap in the markets, are that way because the farmer raised the thing from a tiny creature to a hefty seller within a matter of weeks. It probably contains sodiums or chemicals that give it water-weight - you eat that, and guess what? - You just consumed those chemicals! Try getting free-range, naturally fed meats. Avoid eating the fat (goes without saying really).
FISH contains good fats, mostly. Grilled is probably best, and if you do the skin to a crisp - it's also very tasty! Tuna or salmon or sardines without added salt, in sunflower oil maybe - NOT in mayonnaise or 'other' oils. Fresh at the deli is best. It's hard to get fat on a diet containing a lot of fish.
DESSERT is nice - why not have a dessert? Jelly is great, or why not a piece of cake? See what that cake is made of - it's nice if it contains lots of fruits and nuts, low sugar. Instead of custard or cream - use low-fat yogurt, it's just as tasty. Yogurt is excellent in a baked potato, on a fillet of salmon or plaice (with capers! mmm), or with spices as a sauce.
EXERCISE; You must exercise. Diet is fine, exercise is finer. DO avoid high-impact exercises, especially while you are still large. You DO NOT want to get a knee joint problem, or pulled muscles. That will simply put you back weeks or months. Be sensible. Static bicycle/rowing machine/swim/weight machines at the gym with more reps as apposed to high weights. Pushing and pulling your OWN weight is often enough, so push-ups, trunk-curls, pull-ups, leg-ups - they are all simple to do at home and take just a few minutes. Again, remember to drink water, and perhaps drinks with 'electrolytes' like you can get at gymnasiums.
IF you start to find you cramp up (quite likely when you start a new exercise regimen), then find something with potassium (banana) and again - drink water. Keep water by the bed.

If you have moments where you feel you may have overdone it a bit, or you feel hot and bothered - lay down. Take a breather.
Sitting around can make you feel, constantly - "I want to eat something, have a biscuit or a snack". Try to stay reasonably mentally active, and rebel against those little thoughts - or...swig that water!

BOOZE - it's a no-no. Avoid, except for the occasional pleasantry. Avoid dark beers, shorts, and perhaps just have a little red wine with a meal occasionally. If you must drink beer - keep an eye on how quickly you are downing your pint, it's really not necessary to glug-glug the stuff down your neck like there's no tomorrow.... because if you do that there may well NOT be a tomorrow!

DON'T EAT LATE! Yes I know it's nice to round off the night at the pub with a kebab or burger. Do that and you will simply sleep with it inside you. Kebabs are also MEGA calories, with AWFUL fats that allow the thing to drip all day in front of their grilling machine! An average kebab can contain a whole day-worth of calories. Same with some burgers. Battered fish too, has loads of soaked-up fat around it. Pizza? Think about it!; A load of cheese on bread, often with fatty meat? Having said that, you can find thin-crust pizza with less cheese - or make it yourself with chopped chicken or ham and diced veg sprinkled over it. I sometimes keep a bowl with chopped veg and/or meats ready to use in a recipe.
Curry is nice - but.... what does the restaurant use in the sauce?? Butter, fats, cream, coconut ?? All BAD. YOU CAN NOT TRUST RESTAURANTS TO HAVE YOUR HEALTH AS A PRIORITY! Don't be afraid to ask what's in the sauce before you order.

Sense will sort a lot of this out, if you have the discipline to stabilize and put your sense into action. Don't think "I was good and disciplined all week, I can afford to binge today" - that's a short-cut to ruining your good diet that you took care with for days.

GOOD LUCK!!

Phew
will print that tome off and digest lol, not literally of course. many thanks for your response mate, appreciated. Will get there i am sure. Happy new year

 

[Pretty N Pink]

Mainly achieved by drinking lots of water (especially in the morning and at night to reduce bouts of the munchies)

Yeah definitely agree. Drinking lots of water helps fill you up so you don't feel hungry. Keeps you healthy to
Light walking is good, start off with slow and short walks then gradually increase the length and pace of the walks:] it works!

Good luck to you :]

 

[Meade's Ball]

so what was it, a lynx or a puma ?

My guess is this cheeky beggar:

 

[Martinf]

Sound advice NMH. Also I would say to anyone trying to lose weight. Give yourself a reasonable time to shed the pounds - don't crash diet as you'll find it really hard to sustain that weight loss. If you lose a few pounds a month, it'll be easier to keep the weight off in the long run.

I was going to start my weight loss/exercise regime on Monday but after reading this I'm gonna start right now! Thanks!

 

[highway61]

Sound advice NMH. Also I would say to anyone trying to lose weight. Give yourself a reasonable time to shed the pounds - don't crash diet as you'll find it really hard to sustain that weight loss. If you lose a few pounds a month, it'll be easier to keep the weight off in the long run.

I was going to start my weight loss/exercise regime on Monday but after reading this I'm gonna start right now! Thanks!

I dreaded at first starting today as its a quiet day at home with leftovers! so i ditched all the crap stuff last night and went to shops first thing....otherwise would have got off to a bad start. good luck mate

 

[Pretty N Pink]

NMH, Now i know how to be properly healthy

 

[Adam Virgo's Shirt]

I lost 4 stone a few years back on Slimming World and found it surprisingly easy. All the slimming clubs will have special joining offers in the next couple of weeks I'm sure. I found the benefit of going to a club to weigh in, is when you are having a weak moment, the thought of having everyone know I have put on weight this week was enough for me to not have that rake away curry etc. Also if you can find a mate to join with you, the competitiveness helps. Good luck

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

NMH, that's an awesome post!

 

[Ned]

I have for obvious health reasons (Heart problems) to lose a heck of a lot of weight. I weigh 336 pounds (24st-2lb)! My aim in 2010 is to lose 6 stone at a manageable 7 pound a month. That will get me down to 18 stone. Once achieved I would like to get to 16 stone for the first Falmer game. As the usual Slimming clubs are a bit pricey for me, I will bore NSC with occasional updates and you have my permission to give me grief any time
not that permission is needed for that of course.
I am determined to do this.

I would suggest you start by going to your doctors as they should be more than willing to help you either by advice or more practically. I had to loose weight due to medical reasons & my doctor was fantastic. She did prescribe statins (a drug that reduces the absorption of fat from food) which are often used to help diabetics with weight control. If your doctor is willing to prescribe these (which may be iffy given your heart condition) they will only give you enough for one month at a time as they have to monitor you.

Hope this helps and all the best with the weight loss