Time to start over. Need tips.

[akimball442]

Hello folks. I'll give a quick overview/history, then follow up with my questions. Sorry in advance, this will be long.

I joined this forum awhile ago. Weight has been a problem of mine probably since the 4th grade. I'm 31 now. I'm 5'8'' and have hung out between 230-240lbs for my adult life.

A couple of years ago, my company did a 'biggest loser contest.' I was going great guns. I lost 56 lbs by the end of it, getting down to 184. Not bad. Except it almost killed me. The contest ran for 6 months. I would have won it, but I got sick with mono near the end, and got hit with a lot of steroids, and my doctor told me the rapid weight loss could have been a contributing factor. My immune system was weak, and I got sick. I have not felt right since.

Over the following year, I put the weight back, almost all of it. Well, they're doing another weight loss challenge at work, and I have no urge to try to win it this time around. But I would like to use it as a way to have some accountability for my weight. I want to get into shape and stay there. But that's the key- get into shape. I felt like total crap last time, and I'm not willing to go through that again.

Coming up in a few weeks, I have to have my tonsils removed. They have been an issue my whole life as well, and the mono damaged them to the point where they have to go. I am told this is fairly dangerous as an adult, and that I cannot exercise for awhile, and that I can plan on losing a lot of weight just based on the fact that I won't be able to eat much for several weeks.

So how am I going to do this, this time? The first 'biggest loser' was easy. I stopped eating crap, and went from never doing cardio to running 7 miles a day on the eliptical. In an hour...

But I never really went back to eating that crap. I just stopped exercising after I got sick. I never drank soda again, other than occasionally never ate sweets, I still take my coffee black, and fast food drive thrus have only been stopped at on rare occasions.

I went back on my diet that worked. Oatmeal, granola bars, yogurt, fruit, tunafish, and boiled eggs. I lived on them last time. I've done the same thing this time, and managed to drop 15 pounds in about 4 weeks. Not really impressive, at least not to me. And now, I've stalled. Why is it so much harder this time? Last time I did the big diet, I didn't get to the gym for almost 3 months. Diet alone caused me to lose probably 30 pounds in a short period of time.

The other problem this time is that (you've heard it a million times) I do not have time to go to the gym. Once a week, maybe. I have a physically demanding job which absorbs 50 hours a week, I play in a band, and the rest of my time is absorbed by two project cars and a couple other things I need ready by spring. A couple of years ago, it was no big deal to go a couple hours a day 4 or 5 days a week. My situation has changed. I'm so exhausted by the end of the day that it would not be fair to others on the road for me to get into the car and drive on the same roads they are using. (the gym is a good ride from where I work, and where I live).

So I know that's a lot to absorb, but I'm interested in people's input. I want to know what's working for people, and I want to get rid of this excess me and find a way to keep it off. Preferably without starving myself or having to find 10+ hours a week to devote to fitness (which I don't mind, I just have a lot else to do).

No need to be polite either, I can handle it.

My goal is to get below 180 lbs. I am currently 225. I'd love to know what a reasonable time frame is for that, as well.

[pamount]

I strongly suggest you concentrate on taking care of yourself with the operation coming up. That should be your number one goal for now. Has your doctor told you how to prepare, like what foods to eat and when to stop eating certain foods before the operation? I won't be surprise if you've been told to fast before the operation.

My opinion is you should not take part in another biggest loser contest. Others might disagree with me. I'm just concerned about you saying the one you took part in damaged your health. What was your doctor's view on that? Did he say anything about you taking part in another contest in the future?

Of course if the doctor tells you it's OK to take part in another biggest loser contest then I will stand corrected. But you should get your doctor's advice on that.

It's really more healthy to lose weight slowly than to lose weight quickly.

[akimball442]

Thanks for the reply. To answer your question, she said basically that it wasn't my fault. Also, she said, there's not really any proof that rapid weight loss is less safe than slow weight loss. Basically, I should have been healthier 56 pounds lighter than I was, and that the sudden shock to my system might have just hurt my immune system.

So I guess I was just unlucky. The benefit of having the surgery is going to be huge, not only will I feel better, sleep better, etc, but the low grade infection that's been going on in my tonsils for most of my life will be gone, and it's expected that my energy will improve after that. I guess the recovery is going to be a few weeks at the least. Luckily, I have some certifications I can work on via the internet while I'm out.

That's perhaps the most aggravating part of all this- I am not lazy. I'm the biggest advocate of NOT being lazy. There is no reason I should not be as skinny as a rail. I work hard, constantly, and am always looking for more to do. If it wasn't for the fact that I can sort of work from home for awhile, from my BED (ugh) I would probably come off whatever drugs they give me and end up in the nuthouse. I guess I'll have to figure out how to work the TV....

Anyway, the pre-op thing is of course to fast for a day. No biggie. After the fact it's the same things we've heard of with tonsillectomies, ice cream, yogurt, pudding, lots and lots of water.... basically nothing. I was told it's not unusual to lose in excess of 30 pounds as an adult after this procedure. I have mixed feelings about this, as the weight loss will be totally the wrong kind.

In the meantime, I want to learn what it's going to take to get into shape and stay that way. I don't really have a huge problem doing the leg work, I've done it before. What frustrates me is the maintenance portion of the 'lifestyle' change. I would not think it's entirely normal to starve myself and require time consuming exercise to the tune of many hours a week in order to stay at a reasonable weight.

PS, I have been checked out for this, and all of my body chemistry is supposedly normal. I question that since glandular problems are common in my family. But I've been tested over and over again. My cholesterol numbers were actually LOW when I had the tests.. the doctors were sort of confused by the fact that I had low cholesterol and still managed to be a fat-ass... lol

This is important to me because I want to look and feel good, first and foremost, but more than that, it would be easier to do what I do if there was less of me to be in the way.

[pamount]

OK. It sounds like you've already spoken to your doctor about the weight loss.

I can only repeat what I've read that people who lose weight slowly are more likely to keep it off in the long run compared to people who lose weight more quickly. I still believe it's more healthy to lose the weight slowly but I can't argue with your doctor. Obviously your doctor should have a handle on your particular situation.

I can only suggest you look at the book "The GI Diet" by Rick Gallop. There is a tenth anniversary edition out now. My doctor told me a Low GI diet would be good for me for my weight loss attempt. This is not a "diet" but rather an eating plan for the rest of your life. You can get more information from the G.I. Diet web site. Rick Gallop's books are on Amazon. Just consult your doctor before starting any new diet.

Of course you will learn about other diets on these forums. I think losing 1 to 2 pounds a week on average is a good thing to aim for.

[Obesity Discussion]

Hey there!!! Take care of yourself before and after surgery! I highly suggest getting a ton of liquid protein while you're laid up, as the protein will help you maintain your muscle mass.

You can get things like Isopure protein in a bottle; it's sold in stores like high health/GNC....I think when I bought at a case (12 bottles) I would get them for about $3.25 each. But it was 40g of protein and only 160 calories per serving, pure protein, all clear easy to drink liquid. That's a great choice. You can also choose to make your own protein shakes at home, a much cheaper option.

Either way, in your shoes with how little you can eat, I'd target at least 150g of protein a day through low calorie shakes and what not. It'll also help keep you feeling a lot fuller than the other stuff will. Optimum Nutrition makes a great shake that's is low in calories with lots of great flavors.

Part of your stalling right now could be due to the types and amount of food you're eating. I know you listed those few things, could you post up how much of each you eat throughout the day and when?

Then again, people stall all the time for a few weeks for no reason, then the weight starts dropping again.

Some people have luck with a binge day kick starting their metabolism. Maybe worth trying if all else fails.

[akimball442]

Thanks for the info! I'm particularly interested in the protein supplements you suggest, and I will be looking into it because that makes perfect sense.

My diet, hmm. It's become such a habit, I'm going to have to actually think about it.

At about 6AM, I have a diet shake, aka Slim Fast, but the generic Wal Mart variety because I think it actually tastes better (??)

At about 8AM, I'll have a couple granola bars, the 90 calorie versions.

At 930 AM, I'll have one packet of instant oatmeal, the 'high fiber' variety.

At 12PM, I'll have a couple hard boiled eggs, and an 80 cal yogurt. Sometimes I switch this up. I like to make soups and things like that, so occasionally I'll have soup instead, or a tuna sandwich. No mayo. I hate mayo anyway.

At 230 I'll have a piece of fruit. Usually an apple or a banana.

At around 4, I'll have something. A yogurt, some nuts, just a snack of some sort (healthy).

Around 6PM, I'll have supper. This varies from day to day, depending on whether or not my other half is home, who occasionally gets sick of suffering through my healthy cooking. But more often than not, it's vegetarian. I enjoy Indian food, so I will make long grain brown rice with lots of spices, usually adding a variety of green vegetables, and occasionally chicken or seafood if I feel like going to the trouble. If I'm particularly exhausted, I'll have a bowl of cereal.

Other than that, I'll eat another 90 cal bar at 730 or so, if I feel I need something. Typically, I don't.

Throughout the day, I drink a fair amount of black coffee, and water.

If I decide to have an adult beverage in the evening, it's liquor (quality vodka or whiskey, occasionally gin). I mix only with water and ice, and occasionally add lemon juice. Nothing sweet, no sugary stuff.

This worked well for me last time. Not so much this time.

[Obesity Discussion]

See my comments in red, see if you see a trend

Thanks for the info! I'm particularly interested in the protein supplements you suggest, and I will be looking into it because that makes perfect sense.

My diet, hmm. It's become such a habit, I'm going to have to actually think about it.

At about 6AM, I have a diet shake, aka Slim Fast, but the generic Wal Mart variety because I think it actually tastes better (??) Not ideal; these shakes tend to have a decent amount sugar in it and are a lot of calories for the protein you're getting. I'd look to buy your own low calorie protein shake. Optimum Nutrition has some amazing flavors, I'd look to it.

At about 8AM, I'll have a couple granola bars, the 90 calorie versions. All carbs, most likely not great quality carbs, and likely more sugar..probably no protein.

At 930 AM, I'll have one packet of instant oatmeal, the 'high fiber' variety. More carbs, no protein. Instant oatmeal tends to have a lot of additives, real/pure oats would be better from a nutritional standpoint. Not a deal breaker though between the two IMO

At 12PM, I'll have a couple hard boiled eggs, and an 80 cal yogurt. Sometimes I switch this up. I like to make soups and things like that, so occasionally I'll have soup instead, or a tuna sandwich. No mayo. I hate mayo anyway. I hate mayo too Eggs are great, but the yogurt might be high in sugar too, again more carbs. Go easy on soup, it's usually high in sodium which equals water retention = more weight

At 230 I'll have a piece of fruit. Usually an apple or a banana. More carbs

At around 4, I'll have something. A yogurt, some nuts, just a snack of some sort (healthy). More carbs if yogurt, nuts are awesome if not coated in sugar....

Around 6PM, I'll have supper. This varies from day to day, depending on whether or not my other half is home, who occasionally gets sick of suffering through my healthy cooking. But more often than not, it's vegetarian. I enjoy Indian food, so I will make long grain brown rice with lots of spices, More carbs, but great complex carbs, so I like this.usually adding a variety of green vegetables good, and occasionally chicken or seafood Need this more often! if I feel like going to the trouble. If I'm particularly exhausted, I'll have a bowl of cereal. More carbs

Other than that, I'll eat another 90 cal bar at 730 or so, if I feel I need something. Typically, I don't. More carbs

Throughout the day, I drink a fair amount of black coffee, and water.That's great, just make sure you drink a glass of water for each cup of coffee to offset the dehydration effects, and ideally a GALLON of water each day

If I decide to have an adult beverage in the evening, it's liquor (quality vodka or whiskey, occasionally gin). I mix only with water and ice, and occasionally add lemon juice. Nothing sweet, no sugary stuff.Still hollow calories, not good for ya nutritionally. But in moderation is fine. I drink in moderation too.

This worked well for me last time. Not so much this time.

If you didn't my hints, I think the biggest issue is too many carbs. Way too many. I'd be willing to guess that about 60%-70% of your calories are coming from carbs. That should ideally be closer to 30%.

If you add up all the sugar you're getting from the slimfast, fruit, yogurt and granola bars, you could be up to 60-70+ grams of sugar or so. Could be a bit much.

More protein in your meals would go a long way to not just helping you feel fuller longer, but also will help protect the muscle mass you have from wasting away during weight loss, which does happen.

I also think on some of these days you might actually not be getting enough calories, and could possibly be sending your body into starvation mode, which could possibly be causing you to store fat.....if you're hovering around 1000 calories a day, which I could see happening at times, that just might do it. It might help to count your calories for a few days just to see where your really are in that regard.

At the end of the day I think a better balance of nutrients (protein/carbs/fat) will be one of the most important things for you to work on.

[akimball442]

So what sorts of things (food) would be ideal carb replacements? I am not a fan of too many 'shake' type things a day. I'm up and down all day and don't have any urge to be 'sloshing' around. Food would be preferable to liquids if possible.

[dshelton]

Reading your story my advice is as follows. Exercise when you can the biggest part of weight loss in diet. As you already mentioned when you said you lost 30 lbs with just diet alone. Making sure dinner is your lightest meal will help a lot also especially to bread your plateau. Also surrounding yourself with positive motivators like pic of yourself when you were skinnier, health magazines, and motivational phrases taped to your mirror or fridge will help a lot too. Hope these tips help.

[Obesity Discussion]

So what sorts of things (food) would be ideal carb replacements? I am not a fan of too many 'shake' type things a day. I'm up and down all day and don't have any urge to be 'sloshing' around. Food would be preferable to liquids if possible.

You're already doing the slim fast shake, just replace it with a better quality protein shake like one from optimum nutrition.

As far as foods go....things like:

nuts (in moderation)
veggies to snack on with healthy dips
low fat string cheese
kale chips
smoked salmon (for breakfast)
slices of deli meat plain or with whole grain crakers like ak-mak Aremenian crackers, maybe with some healthy mustard
Salad with healthy toppings

Hope these give you a few ideas of things you can have in lieu of more sugary/carby items like yogurts and cereal.

[over200club]

Trust me when I tell you my daughter and son-in-law were on the Biggest Loser. That is a dramatic way to lose weight and it may win you the finale, but weight loss has to be life changing. I know a lot of contestants from my kids and right after the finale they all gained about 20 lbs. when you cut everything out, it will not work long term. find a way that works for you, calories in, calories out, strength training, carb cycling and never give up! 2lbs. a week is hard to do but if you are in a hurry, that could be your goal, well after your surgery. Good luck! Keep us posted.

[danny_boy]

yo, sup fat-ass? xD
we're all fatasses here, so welcome

you said this:
" I would not think it's entirely normal to starve myself and require time consuming exercise to the tune of many hours a week in order to stay at a reasonable weight. "

And you're right!
Starving yourself and many hours a week are awesome stuff - but only if you want to be a skinny supermodel or be able to jump from the plane without a parachute and glide down slowly like a leaf xD

There are many things you can do, many different books, experiences etc....the ONLY thing you need to ask yourself is this:
Can I keep this up for the rest of my life, even when I lose weight, and be happy?

Losing weight will make you happy, you said so. But if you must spend 24h a day in a gym, there'll be no time for happiness :p

For example, I found some stuff that requires VERY little exercises, and VERY VERY delicious foods which are sooo easy and quick to prepare that I do it every morning at 7 a.m. and at 7.35 I'm ready to go to school

Did I say it's DELICIOUS? <3

And my answer is YES, I could live like this for the rest of my life <3

If you check out my blog here on the site (called 'tao', cause this knowlege is from taoism) you'll find the recipe for this marvelous recipe. It is for you if you like tasty food and have 20-30min to prepare it (and it's sooooo simple).

Also, you can check if you're retaining water:
press HARD with your fingers on, my english is bad, the part of your arm from elbow to hand
keep pressure for a few seconds and then remove it - you'll see white marks. If they remain for some time, you're retaining water. If they go away immediately, you're not The longer the white marks remain, the more water you're retaining.

I've been so-so disciplined, but ALWAYS kept my mind on the water retention, and in 1.5 month lost 12kg (it's about 25 pounds I think).

So if you see you're retaining water, simply reduce your liquid intake to UNDER 6 cups per day. This 'liquid' includes, but not limited to: water, alcohol, juices, soups, fruits, vegetables, salads....everything that has liquid in it.

by just following this simple thing, in 2 weeks you'll see great changes in yourself (proven by my experience ). Also, I think doctors won't like this advice since they always say "drink more, drink more". But you decide: I've been doing this for some time, and recently I've been to check my blood, and doctors say it's awesome

Just this liquid thing - just do that, just for 2 weeks, and you'll be amazed


also, I can send you in Private Message an exercise for low energy. also taoist. It takes like 5-10 minutes, and totally refreshes the body. I do it all the time during recess in school

Peace!

[Obesity Discussion]

!

Haven't heard from you in a bit, just checking in!