Reef nutrition

Random health, diet, and exercise talk

I was having a lot of digestive problems for a couple of years and couldn't eat dairy. For me no cheese, butter, cream or milk turned into a great recipe for weight loss. In fact, I lost more than I wanted. It was a pretty miserable diet though as far as I was concerned.

Since my problems have been resolved I've gone overboard in the other direction and have been putting on weight. I'm now hitting up against the high end of where I want to be so am trying to decide what I'm going to do about it. In the past it was about sweets and portion control, exercise alone wasn't enough. What I've found is that once I cut out the sweets for a couple of weeks the cravings abate a lot. Those first couple weeks are hard though because there are always sugar loaded snacks at work free for the taking.

As for exercise... I can't stand being in a gym. Instead, I ride my bike to work, which is about an 8 mile ride. I have to get back and forth to work anyway so it's easier for me to fit exercise into my schedule by doing that and I don't feel cramped up inside. I'm like Tony though. When I'm in the habit it works out well but as soon as the weather gets crappy I stop and getting started up again is hard. Although I rode in for the first time this year earlier this week so hopefully I can make it stick.
 
Like Justin, I did the bike to work thing. I need to start that again. I've used all the excuses I could think of not to, and last night, I squashed my last excuse by getting a pedal wrench so that I can remove the road platforms for my mountain ones (I live off a gravel road, so walking in road shoes is a PITA).
 
I would love to bike to work, however I live in San Franhillsco. I will literally be able to tell my grandchildren that I had to hike up hill, both ways to get to work, and I won't be lying (well except for that hiking bit, I drive it although I dunno, when gas hits $5/gal maybe :D)
 
Jumping in a bit late...

I'm quite a bit over my target weight... (Target 170lbs, Current 245lbs)

When I was in the service I was extremely muscular, and in great shape... I ended up getting injured, losing the majority of the strength and range of motion in one of my shoulders... To stay in shape I ran more... Twisted my knee (tore a bunch of stuff in it)... The final straw that killed my workout habits... Asthma... 2 deployments to Iraq, first for 10 months, where I spent time in the Burning Oil Fields in 03, and the Sand Storms... Came home for 3 months, and then was re-deployed for my second tour... The second lasted for, 14 months where I encountered god knows what throughout my time there...

After fighting that losing battle, I've pretty much given up on working out...

My wife is pretty big on eating healthy, and while I do snack here and there, or sometimes eat out... The biggest killer that has increased my weight gain, only eating 1, maybe 2 meals a day 95% of the time... I'll wake up, drink some water (or juice, milk, sometimes soda), and not eat... Wake up at 9am, and not eat anything until 6pm... Drink water till bed... This routine seems to have killed my metabolism...


I am planning on trying out the HCG diet, seems for someone in my position of not being able to be extremely active (walks are ok, but over 1.5 miles and I spend the rest of the week with a knee that buckles and gives out), its my best option... I'll take short walks around the neighborhood, eat smaller portions of low calorie meals, a couple times a day, drink lots of water... I've also taken up maintaining a small garden, and took over my yard work - so every Sunday I am out doing a little more each week in the yard (my gardener retired), This should help lower my stress levels, which went past the red and started pegging out about 3 years ago...

I plan on starting the diet on May 30th... Gives me a couple weeks at the new job, so I've at least got a grasp on it and the schedule...

My reward for dropping the amount of weight I want will be a 2011 Honda CBR600RR ABS...
 
You can do it Justin!

I know just eating a regular breakfast (weekends included) everyday helps me. I used to drink coffee and expect it to last till lunch.

I know just doing a regular maintenance on the tank I get a workout (crazy, huh?)
 
Yo Dustin, the sooner the better man, that's a recipe for diabetes.

I hear you on the shoulder thing, my right shoulder is wrecked, swimming/surfing has done wonders in strengthening and healing the joint. I'll need surgery at some point, kinda a bummer considering the amount of rehab I've gone through.
 
Injuries suck for sure. Tore my pcl beginning of Feb, as well as sprain of acl and extensive bone bruising, it really sidelined me for awhile, really just started to do stuff without always feeling it and thinking about how I was moving etc...it is really easy to take being healthy for granted, until you aren't! I've put on 5-10 lbs in the three months I couldn't exercise. Time to start working it off!
 
tuberider said:
Yo Dustin, the sooner the better man, that's a recipe for diabetes.

I hear you on the shoulder thing, my right shoulder is wrecked, swimming/surfing has done wonders in strengthening and healing the joint. I'll need surgery at some point, kinda a bummer considering the amount of rehab I've gone through.
Click to expand...

I've had 2 reconstructive surgeries on my shoulder, 1 exploratory (repair bone anchors, that ironically pulled out 3 weeks later again)...

I've had a minor scope of my knee, when I messed it up... I hyper-extended it, tore my acl half way through, fractured my Patella, tore my hamstring, ITB tendon, and sciatic nerve (Sciatic was torn right at the hip bone)... I suffer from sciatica, ITBS, and all around instability in my knee... When the Surgeon checked out my knee he said he wasn't comfortable performing surgery, something about possibly never walking on that knee again, and/or nicking an artery due to placement of all the tearing...

I learned an important lesson, don't do a sugar cookie ridge run, with a full rucksack alone...
 
I am down about 25 pounds since early December. 10-15 more to go. I have been low/no carbing it in two week intervals, and being reasonable in the off time. A few years ago I tried Medifast, which worked, but which fell apart when I got off it and got my first full time job ever. This time it seems much more reasonable - protein snacks in reach all the time and I am just not craving 'bad' foods the way I used to. The exercise is about the same as it was so it really seems for me it is diet. I also think it is working because I am more secure in my job and used to what it takes to raise an 8 year old. I think July/August will be the interesting time, because I should be to the weight I want then, and I'll have no trips lined up for a while. I gotta say, its really nice to be able to move differently.
 
I'm down from a whopping 285 to 226 on my way to target of 195, been doing the Slow Carb thing and it seems to work well. Moved the office from home to downtown and now have parking garage stairs and office stairs daily, total walking time of about 20 minutes a day. Biggest problem for me has always been not eating breakfast, so after dinner I was always grabbing a "snack" just before bedtime. Now, I makes sure I eat a high protein breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up - tough to make myself eat it sometimes, but it has really helped! Real test is the next couple of months, my busiest time of year at work and I have always been a stress eater - or even worse sodas...

Just took over the yard as my gardener moved away - I forgot why I hated a big lawn (my grandkids love it though). Tried to talk my wife into a riding mower - she just showed me my "fat picture", so pushing the beast it is! The extra execise should help.
 
Looking to get a new house in a place a bit out of the city. Means I might have the "opportunity" to road bike 16 mi each way or mtn/cyclocross 12. hmmm...
 
A fun site, regarding drinking and alcohol/calorie ratios.
http://getdrunknotfat.com/

The best thing to drink : Everclear on the rocks.
The best beer : Budweiser Natural Ice.
Yuk.
But hey, if it means I can just sit on the couch and get thin, sacrifices must be made.
:)
 
rygh said:
A fun site, regarding drinking and alcohol/calorie ratios.
http://getdrunknotfat.com/

The best thing to drink : Everclear on the rocks.
The best beer : Budweiser Natural Ice.
Yuk.
But hey, if it means I can just sit on the couch and get thin, sacrifices must be made.
:)
Click to expand...

Drink 12oz of everclear and never again gain a pound!!
 
Had a buddy in the Army do 4 shots of Everclear on a bet.... he was never able to collect on the bet.... and they banned Everclear on our base.

As for losing weight part, I gained 65lbs when my wife was pregnant..... not really sure how that happened but its been a battle to lose it all. I gave up drinking beer, and quit eating past 7pm. If I got hungry after 7, I would drink 2 big glasses of water and eat some sort of fruit only. I've lost about 25 lbs over the past year without exercising and as soon as we close on this house, I'll start riding my mountain bike again. Our house will be a block away from the trailhead!
 
Out of the thousands of diets that have been written over the last 10 years, 5 really stand out as being the most effective. One of them, Weight Watchers, has been around for over 40 years, while another, the 9th Law Diet is less than a year old. Although each of the 5 diets have philosophical differences on the best way to lose weight, they all are effective and have shown to be safe. Use this review as a guide to choose a diet that might work best for you.

Ultraclear Petadolex
 
Oh man, just found this thread, you guys are pretty motivated.

After college, my 40 piece chicken nugget diet kind of stopped working. I was eating at least 5,000 calories a day to keep my weight up, but once I stopped doing anything but typing on a keyboard for work, I had to make an effort to keep from getting flubby.

My current diet is to eat at least 5 times a day, pretty big meals but never junk. Meaning nothing with added sugars, no sodas, dessert, etc.

I do at least 30 minutes of cardio every day, with 3 hours of cardio twice a week in the form of basketball, swimming, tennis, or longer distance runs.

I also am lifting weights every day, a few exceptions here and there but I almost never miss a day. This is mostly for toning, I don't care much for too much strength or bulking up. It's all vanity and health driven. I find that this has helped me avoid a lot of injury during sports and helping friends move =)

Cardio is like brushing my teeth, I have to do it every day.

The goal I had a few years ago was to get a six pack. My current goal is to start bulking up a bit but keep on the leaner side.

My weight has gone from 120lbs at 6'1" in high school to 190lbs at 6'3" in College, and now about 170lbs at the same height. I'm aiming for 185lbs and as little body fat as possible. I want to do this in the healthiest way possible as well! Meaning no ridiculous diets, no crazy protein and other stuff, just pure working out and eating a ton of healthy food.

I'm trying to get to 180lbs by the end of the year, but I'm having trouble getting past 170.
 
Best of luck Art. I had the same goal for the years between 30 and 40, 185lbs at 6'2". I went from 165 to 170 in ten years. It always meant I would have to bulk up more than I wanted.

I started biking to work a month ago. Three nasty cut/scrapes in the first week was a bit discouraging. I felt like I was ten again and wobley riding. It is some better now, but not confident yet. I drove this week and feel much more energy getting home. Did not know two ten minute bike rides would take it out of me like that. I was squatting last week helping someone move, and am back to icing my knees twice a day.
 
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