Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

OK I am going to begin a new effort to lose weight. I am doing this for the obvious reasons. To be healthy, to feel good, to eat less, and to become stronger. I will be tracking my progress through this one thread. You can offer advice, be entertained, ignore, or even mock my efforts. But I personally do better when I have to announce my progress. Gives me yet another thing to push for.

Now currently I weigh 213, and I am looking to bring myself down to 180 rather quickly. From 180 I would like to finally work myself down to an ideal weight and final goal of 165.

I probably won't post a daily weight but will probably do a weekly update. My time frame is measured by major events like the 4th of July, Family Reunion, and my own birthday. Not that it matters much but I like to give myself little goals.

April 1 is a good time to start as any right? So my ultimate goal of 165 I would like to have reached that by September 1st. This gives me 5 full months to lose 48 (213-165) pounds.

3 months from now is roughly the 4th of July. I would like to have reached my 180 mark by this point. This gives me 3 months to lose 33 pounds. That is 11 pounds per month for the next 3 months. Then the last 2 months all I will need to do is lose 7 pounds per month.

I will be reducing my diet to 1200-1500 calories per day with nothing but nutritional meals and snacks. I will also walk for 1 hour at 3 1/2 - 4 mph each day. I can do this easily with my schedule.

I would like advice and people to seriously help me but it is obviously not mandatory haha :10_1_20:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Assuming you're gonna be working out. I might do a fat percentage instead of a weight. Muscle weighs more than fat so if you're working out, you won't lose weight in the number sense. I've seen 3 people so far stop because they weren't losing weight while working out.

How tall are you if you don't mind me asking?

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Mantokir,

I will be doing that after Sept 1 and hope to actually gain some weight back. I don't usually gain much muscle walking. I do a little. I have lost 35 pounds before just walking and dieting. I am sure I gained a little weight in my muscle.

I am 5' 8.5"

Most of my weight is right in my belly. It's really concentrated. Which scares me cause that is what causes heart problems.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

K, just making a note cuz it seems to confuse everyone. :-)

and ok... i was hoping you wouldn't say like 6'1" or something.

Also look into intervals, be it running or biking. From what I hear that burns a lot of fat. I have no personal experience since I've always been skinny, I can tell you though they're a hell of a workout.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I used to be the skinniest kid in my class with a real high metabolism. My metabolism is really really slow now because I sit all day and eat. I used to play sports and think I can do the same things I used to and realize I can't. In my mind I think I can just do the same stuff but find out I am not as coordinated or limber as I used to me. This has put a big dent in my self confidence. I am looking to get that back. I remember when I lost weight once before and it worked well. It seemed easy. the problem was I reached where I wanted to be and slacked. I think it's safe to say it's easier to lose weight than it is to keep it off. :biggrin:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

This is why i got in the habit of eating moderatly well. Not hardcore health nut but decent. Knew my metabolism wasn't gonna be there forever.
My thing now is I wanna build muscle, but I hate working out just to work out. I have to do something else, like martial arts or what have you and my schedule doesn't allow it at the moment.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Forrest? That you?

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Lift free weights, heavy ones, squat, deadlift, bench, rows, overheap press, 5 sets of 5 reps.

Shit can sugar: cerial, bread, pasta, rice, potato.

Eggs and fruit for breakfast, meat (real meat) fish and veg the rest of the day.

Buy ingredients rather than "food." You want to buy stuff as close to the way you would find it in the wild.

Drink plenty water.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Watch "The Biggest Loser" on the tele....

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

He wants to lose weight not grow a vagina.....unless his cock makes up a significant protion of his excess poundage.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I lost 100 pounds in 2 months. I gained it back in 2 years.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Go Mocha!

This site can help.
Great info.

www.t-nation.com

ST

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Hey thanks for the advice guys. Tallships how on Earth did you lose 100 pounds in 2 months. Not sure I want to try it. haha

1694, great advice. I heard you really can't gain weight no matter how many fruits and vegetables you eat. It's really the non-real food type crap that you buy in the store that clogs your arteries and makes you fat.

St. Germain I will check out that link later on.

Just got back from my first walk in like 4 months. haha - I feel pretty good. No blisters, but a little heavier breathing than I would like. I felt a little bit of extra weight in the lower back on the sides as if I might have a little fat build up there. Made me pick up pace. Overall shouldn't be lame tomorrow and look forward to working on this.

Over and out for now...

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

ditto on t-nation, that place helped me really find out what worked for my body. I think that everyone is different and you have to find what works so don't be afraid to try different workout plans, reps, sets, exercises, cardio and the such.

THE BIGGEST THING THOUGH IS DIET!!! Ditch the soda, anything with HFCS, and stay away from sugar. Carbs in the morning, Fats in the day, protiens at night. Eat 5-6 small meals a day. You will shred the weight if you can discipline yourself enough.

So with that... is this with or without the coffee? It too plays a big part on metabolism and too much caffeine can curb your appetite which makes eating those small meals a bit tedious and undesirable. People that don't eat or only eat 1-3 large meals a day are fat. The goal is to get your metabolism up, and skipping meals can really kill it as your body will start using your muscle for energy instead of the fat. The ideal is to keep the muscle because muscle burns fat.

and Mocha, lay off the taquitos :tongue_ma:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I walked in the mornings on an empty stomach and stopped eating processed food and I lost about 50 pounds. I'm at 165 now with very low fat.

Walking when your body is depleted of carbs supposedly causes it to tap fat for energy. Whatever...it worked for me.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I was 298 last October.
Today I weighed 262....

I want to lose another 30 pounds.

What I did/am doing:

-Wife cheated, so I'm going through a divorce.
-Joined Gym-treadmill 4-5 times a week/light weight training for toning.
-no sodas...very little sugar.
-No fast food, of any kind.
-Basically am HUNGRY a lot (sipping hot water or tea helps this)

Btw, I am 6'3" and have a large enough frame to look fit at 230.

I highly recommend the divorce part....starting to date again and the looming prospect of having sex with various different women is quite motivating.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Quoted for truth. Also aim for 1gm of protein per lb of bodyweight per day and at the same time reduce your simple sugar intake like he said and this will allow you to reduce caloric intake and lose weight without having to worry about losing muscle mass. Muscle is metabolically active and fat really isn't, this is why people who just drop a crap-ton of weight and lose a lot of muscle gain their fat back twice as fast. Lift heavy, sleep well, eat healthy and your body will change.

Also I would HIGHLY recommend the forums over at http://www.bodybuilding.com for advice/support.

Dont forget to take a "before" pic so you can gauge your progress. sometimes its hard to tell in the mirror, but every month take a new pic and it will blow you away when you look back through them in a year.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

http://www.johnstonefitness.com/

This forum is probably better for those who aren't body builders. The forum is great, but the dude's weight loss photo journal (he took a pic every day) is awesome.

Good people there, too. They'll help with anything.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Anyone have any feedback on the v-diet advertised on the t-nation site? Seems a little pricy, abou $650 for the 28-day regimen, but it might be worth it.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

a HEALTHY low carb diet is the long term solution, and a decent exercise routine. I would suggest eliminating all bread, pasta, potatoes, sweets, and all refined sugar. That includes grains as well.

Foods like salmon, tuna (wild caught), spinach, broccoli, water, and cheese sould dominate a weight loss diet. To avoid a huge argument chicken and beef if meat is your thing, although I personally avoid them becsaue it is hard to find quality meats.

i would implement a exercise routine of moderate jogging and/or biking and free weights.

just eliminating refined carbs and drinking only water will melt the pounds off....

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

We just call it cardio....


Treadmills are for hamsters (and milfs)

ST

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

You can use the program and skip the supps.
End of the day, eat clean, lift heavy and have fun.
The supps just rev up your metabolism a bit faster.

Or you can also swap out their over priced supplements for good quality generics (fish oil, whey etc).

ST

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

If you can jog light for one minute and then walk for 3 minutes (this is just example, the intervals can be different); it might really help "up" metablism and burn a lot more calories than you normally would just walking; something to think about.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Good info guys.

rogold, yeah the taquitos can NOT be healthy. Someone had mentioned to just go throw them in the toilet cause that's where they will end up by 10pm. And sure enough...

Chucktatorship, I used to walk mornings on an empty stomach. I am a terrible morning person. Usually once I am up I am fine but getting that kick out of bed is a hard thing for me. No will power on that front. I may try it again if I get motivated.

hello77, I had heard that somewhere too. I think after a week or two when I get back into walking I will begin jogging a bit. I tried jogging once back when I was 200 pounds and I could feel my belly shifting up and down. Did not like that one bit. I really need to lose this weight and keep it off.

I will not drink soda or beer and only water and a glass of milk for dinner. My biggest concern is coffee. I usually drink more of it in the Winter. When I used to wake up and walk on an empty stomach by the time I came back I didn't crave the coffee like I do when I just roll off the bed onto the floor begging for the stuff.

It's funny I used to smoke cigarettes, about a pack a day or more for 6 years. I quit cold turkey one day. Granted it wasn't easy but I did it. Just a little will power and some discipline. I find coffee to be more addictive than the cigarettes were. Maybe there is something in my body or it could be a mental thing. I was happy to stop smoking too. Aside from the health risks it was a pain in the ass. Going outside every half hour in the freezing cold just to suck in some smoke. Seemed like I was always having to run to the store to get more. It dictated my life. I justified it by saying it was a reward. I rewarded myself everytime I lit one up. Well that was tough, I deserve a cigarette damn it.

Anyway, no lameness from walking last night. I look forward to laying off the extra calories today, drinking lots of water, and going for an hour heavy walk this evening.

Thanks all... :ok:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I don't buy any shit about diets anymore. Like - Oh you should eat this but not that. Since I've cleaned up my diet 7 years ago with absolutely no fast food, no soda, negligible amount of refined sugars/white flours and the result is I have only gained weight - all fat - concentrated on my mid section. Central obesity they would call it.

The only thing that helped me lose weight now is after doing a water fast for 20 days I now have the energy and determination to actually exercise. I exercise now at least 30 minutes a day and finally the weight is slowly coming off. Well, there was a big drop off in weight of course during my water fast - from 209 to 175 lbs in 27 days. But naturally once you start eating again you will have to gain some weight back - this is food reserves being replenished, digestive tract filling up, etc... for me I went back up to 190 then started more concentration on exercise and now the weight is dropping off again.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Not bad advice overall, but I have some reservations about the bolded line.

Nothing wrong with these items if combined in the right proportions with other macronutrients.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I think you are right. I also think what works for one person doesn't always work for another. Like for me diet or exercise alone will not do much for me. I have to use them both. 3 years ago I tried eating the same and just added in an hour each day of walking/jogging. After 6 weeks I had lost maybe a couple pounds. Now if I did this over the course of a few years I am sure at some point my weight would drop. Then I decided to diet and started losing 3-4 pounds per week. So when this started working I kept up the diet and stopped going out each day cause it started getting cold. it was mid January and I figured if I could at least maintain.

So I kept the diet going without the activity and I actually gained about 12 pounds over the course of the Winter. Not a huge ass gain but that was about 3 pounds per month of dieting... Sucks to diet and actually gain. I think the trigger for me is the combination.

Tell me more about this water fasting. Is this dangerous?? I have a lot of will power but I don't want to drop dead you know...

If anyone suggests it let me know.

I am at 213 now. I have only 1 pair of pants that fit me now and I refuse to go buy more since I have about 20 nice pair I can fit into if I can get under 200. So I want to drop this 13 pounds fast so I can get back into my pants. Probably will be a great motivational to keep on going.. :biggrin:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Mocha,
You are on the right track. If you do any resistance (weight) training you will build muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat. Going by scale weight alone can be deceptive.
Using a means of measurement (your pants) will give you a much more accurate methodology. :ok:

ST

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

LOL. Too true... Years back, I decided to finally to lose the fat, I had always been physically active in sports, but still overweight. So I pushed myself HARD. Whenever I thought about quitting -- in the middle of a run in 100deg heat for instance -- I'd just start repeating to myself, "you are doing it for the bootie, you are doing it for the bootie, you want to get laid", over and over.... I lost the weight, met my wife, then started to put the weight back on again. :( But I'm back at it again -- running nightly -- and starting to lose those "love pounds" I put on due to the wife's too-good cooking.....

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

"doing it for the bootie" :ok:

I think all men have similar thoughts while working out.

Is it possible to lose those 13 pounds in one month?? Usually I can lose 2-3 pounds per week so I guess it's cutting it close. I really need to get back into my clothes. I am at a point where I can't breath when I bend over to tie my shoes.

That can't be good.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I think it all depends on your body. It took me a year to lose 100lbs. And that included 3 hours of excercise every day: 1 hour bike, 1 hour run, 1 hour swim... Of course by the end of that year I was ready to enter competitions at an amateur level. Just don't give up, the date of reaching your goal is less important than actually reaching your goal.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Good advice right there. The reason for the big push is I need to wear clothes and I am not buying new ones for the life of me. Trying to get back into those pants. they just barely don't fit. I can maybe suck in my gut enough to button them but they are uncomfortable.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

i thought he's Kahlil Gibran. back from GIM hell

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Am I missing something?? :dontknow:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I was told that situps don't really do much for burning fat and that they just help build a little bit of tummy muscle.

Is this true? Aside from walking/jogging daily what other activities are a great fat burner for midsection???

Thanks

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

often people are banned and other members think that they come back with new names. in this case you remind us of someone else

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Oh that's what I thought but I wasn't sure if I missed a joke or something. Since I remind you of this person does that mean I will be getting banned too.. ?? Should I not be doing this thread??

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Situps build the muscle, but do nothing for the fat. You have to do cardio to burn the fat.

Also don't do regular "laying on the floor" situps, Do upper, lower and oblique excercises. Don't ignore your lower back too.

Pretty much any cardio is gonna burn fat, and you can't really target a certain area. Walking, running, biking, swimming.. all that burns fat, just gotta change it up to keep from getting bored.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

You can't "spot burn" fat - that's a misconception. Kind of like trying to only drain the deep end of a pool.

You're getting a lot of good info on this thread, along with a lot of TERRIBLE advice (like starving yourself... :thumpdown ). Some may actually be qualified to give advice, but no one has given any credentials...

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Thanks guys. Ok one last thing about the diet part I wanted to ask. I dont' want to go into starvation mode but I need to cut calories considerably. Would snacking on only fruits and veggies all day long without going an hour without a celery stick or a carrot or some strawberries be good. While I drink water and sip tea....

Then for dinner get my lean meat??? with a glass of milk.

I can easily do this. I can snack on veggies, fruits, and even some nuts all day. Wouldn't this prevent me from going too long without eating??

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

No. Every time you eat, your meals should include protein, good fats, and unrefined carbohydrates.

EVERY MEAL. If you want good examples of what is what, PM me.


You should be eating every couple of hours. Weight training should be used as your primary fat burning activity, supplemented by cardio.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

That's gonna be a question with various opinions.
Although I will say, if you want to eat fruits during the day, the freeze-dried fruits like they have at beprepared.com are great for snacking.

Do you happen to know your blood type?

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Another note for eating, eat smaller meals more often. Say 6 meals every couple hours.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I am B+ I think. Could be - but I think +

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Interesting. You might want to look at the blood type diet for a general direction in dietary habits. Some swear by it, some think it is quackery.

According to Dr.D'adamo, your blood type is a result of evolutionary changes and dietary changes.

The "B" types:
http://www.dadamo.com/bloodtype_B.htm
According to him, B blood types are one of the few that can thrive off of dairy products.

you can look up all kinds of foods here to see how he claims it affects your body based on bloodtype.
http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/typeindexer.htm

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Hey that's cool. Looks like every type of food is on there.

One thing I forgot to mention is I have an underactive thyroid. I have heard that eating well and taking care of yourself better will actually reverse the problem so you don't have to take medicine each day...

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

My GF has hypothyroidism. She is a personal trainer and trains daily. She still has to take meds. Just an FYI.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

This is a popular myth. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/res...ch-review.html

Here's good advice from the link:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Ok. Now does she feel she has to work extra hard to lose the same amount or is that just something people with hypothyroidism create in their minds to come up with excuses??

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I'm not sure I understand what you are asking. Excuses for what?

Being unable to lose weight?

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Sorry... I think I got it... suffering from acute stupidity for a second there...

She works hard all the time and has an unbelievable body, so losing weight is never really one of the goals. It may very well be that people with hypothyroidism use their condition as an excuse... I dont know.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Well I have several family members who are hypothyroid. They claim it is harder for them to lose weight because of their condition. I wasn't sure if that was true or they just say that.

Some days if I am not losing as much weight as I want or expect, it's easy for me to blame my lack of metabolism (thyroid) instead of my actual routine.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I would think that an underactive thyroid left untreated would make it harder to lose fat, if I understand the condition correctly, yes.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Myth? Hard to call it a myth when I experience the methodology working IDEALLY every single day. Although, the the link you provided looks like a good resource for additional info... thanks for posting it.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

one thing i always come back to, and this is CRITICAL in human nutrition is that there are very very very little carbohydrates in nature. tell me what is the sweetest thing you can find growing naturally, in at least a moderate abundance? the answer i can come up with is wild berries. blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. goji berries are quite common in asia. not surprisingly (as i feel that these are a food designed for humans) these foods are not that high in carbohydrate and are insanely high in nutrients. grapes also grow wild in some places.

you will NOT find bananas, or oranges or other sweet fruit growing in nature. they were designed by man and will not survivie without mans protection.

what else would humans eat. just using common sense here. nuts, shellfish that they could catch, fish that they could catch, bugs, worms, snails, beetles, small game if they could catch it, and if they had the tools to clean it, prep it and cook it. big game. maybe treebark, some leaves, wild herbs, salad greens (dandelion, ect) olives, figs, dates. things of this nature, things available in nature. meaning things that can grow in the wild.

if you just ate these foods, you would never get fat. and i doubt you would ever get a degenerative disease. i feel most, if not all health problems stem from - grains, refined carbs, starches like potatoes, and eating meats fed these foods.

eating a cow that ate grains is akin to eating them yourself. that's why for animals i stick to just wild caught salmon and tuna. i simply do not trust eating meat, unless i raised it myself.

anyhow, lots of water as well. theres a book called "the makers diet" i highly reccomend it to any health seeker. and even though i am not a meat eater, he does advocate meat consumption, raw milk, yorugt, cheese, ect.

low carb, although the term has been so tainted, is the way to go for any health seeker. to clear the air, i do think, and have though and have practiced for years, that humans should get the bulk of their nutrients from plant sources. this is what has worked for me and I have been into very healthy eating for many years.

i only take 2-3 supplements. spirulina, MSM, fish oil. and a good probiotic. I am always healthy, never go overweight, and I dont get sick. rarely hungry. lots of energy. bright eyes, clear skin

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Righteous! Don't forget the Raw foods stooopid :15_1_70v::36_3_12: So happy for you bro. So happy to see you getting fit. The ultimate SHTF prep!! IMHO Seriously, give raw foods a try, plus juicing, a juicer is a great investment and replacemrnt for meals. Great for cleansing, penis hardening ( seriously especially green juices), detoxing, and blood building. Kick azz, and don't cross the Rubicon. Haven't touched bases in a while, but Asia has me busy as hell. in N. Thailand at the moment. Back to thread, sorry for Jacking!

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Took nice long walk last night. Moved right along. Went up over a couple of hills and definitely not in good shape but better than I thought. I broke protocol and ate an orange before I went to bed.

Drank a ton load of water yesterday. Lot more than normal and spent the day running to piss.

Ate salmon dinner with green beans and about a cup of pasta (shame shame) with cream of mushroom sauce, tomato, onion, garlic. One glass of milk.

I ate roughly 1400 calories throughout entire day.

This morning I drank coffee even though I said I wouldn't. Even used a creamer which is about 60 calories of pure sugar (bad). Ate an apple an hour ago and a handful of almonds.

Right now I am at 250-350 calories for the day.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

mocha said: Most of my weight is right in my belly. It's really concentrated. Which scares me cause that is what causes heart problems.

Caligula said: -Basically am HUNGRY a lot (sipping hot water or tea helps this)

Darkside said: I don't buy any shit about diets anymore. Like - Oh you should eat this but not that. Since I've cleaned up my diet 7 years ago with absolutely no fast food, no soda, negligible amount of refined sugars/white flours and the result is I have only gained weight - all fat - concentrated on my mid section. Central obesity they would call it.

Mocha asked: Thanks guys. Ok one last thing about the diet part I wanted to ask. I dont' want to go into starvation mode but I need to cut calories considerably. Would snacking on only fruits and veggies all day long without going an hour without a celery stick or a carrot or some strawberries be good. While I drink water and sip tea....

Then for dinner get my lean meat??? with a glass of milk.

I can easily do this. I can snack on veggies, fruits, and even some nuts all day. Wouldn't this prevent me from going too long without eating??

Drumblebum said: No. Every time you eat, your meals should include protein, good fats, and unrefined carbohydrates.
_____________________

Lots of good advice on this thread, but also some misinformation. To put it all together, read Dr. Barry Sears' book, The Anti-Inflammation Zone. I have found this book to be life-changing... he explains why people tend to accumulate fat around their midsections, and how this is a precursor to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other diseases caused by silent inflammation.

Also, he is a biochemist, and explains why getting the right balance of lean protein, unprocessed carbohydrates (veggies & fruits), and healthy fats is the guaranteed way to drop weight. (I can attest to this personally!)

In case you don't get around to reading the book, I'll summarize: a healthy meal consists of 4 oz. (about the dimensions of the palm of your hand) of lean protein (fish, chicken, or low-fat cheese) (3 oz. for females) + some healthy fat (olive oil, raw nuts, avocado, sesame oil) + plenty of vegetables (preferably raw) and/or fruits (fruits should be eaten less frequently than veggies).

You should *never* feel hungry when losing weight; if you do, this means that your blood sugar isn't in the correct range, and this is precisely what causes you to *add* weight. Instead, if you eat the proper balance of foods (strictly limit breads, starches and processed foods! -- even "whole grain" products -- those are equally bad as white flour products), you can eat a small amount of food for each meal or snack, and still feel full.

An easy way to tell if you've eaten a healthy meal: check your status 4 or 5 hours after you eat. If you're still full, and mentally focused and alert, your previous meal was healthy. If you're groggy/unfocused and/or hungry, you've eaten too many carbohydrates at your previous meal.

Don't bother counting calories. It's a waste of effort, imho. If you're eating the right foods, you won't be inclined to overeat, and you won't put on weight. I have been following the Zone, and the weight has been dropping off, without any calorie-counting at all.

Taking a sufficient amount of omega-3 fish oils every day (for a typical person, ~2.5 g/day) will also help you to drop weight; Dr. Sears recounts how he had clinical trials with severely obese subjects, and the more fish oil they ingested, the faster they lost weight. (My preferred brand is Life Extension Super Omega-3: http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=10905&at=0 , which is of the same quality as Dr. Sears' Zone-brand fish oil, but a lot cheaper!)

Good luck to you!!

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Wow great info. Someone told me once, they never knew a person to get fat from just eating fruits and veggies. I think that when you have over-eaten the wrong foods like too much processed foods and junk it stretches your stomach a bit. You have to pack in more food to get the same non-hunger feeling. As a result, when you immediately begin dieting and getting yourself off of that stuff there is an initial period were you will feel hungry as the body and stomach adapt to the new lifestyle. Once this period is over you should not be feeling more hungry than normal.

I remember the first time I cut back my calories. I was literally eating all the time. I was packing in 3,000 calories on average per day on anything. Nachos, soda, etc.I cut back to 1500 calories per day and ate nothing but good food. I felt hungry for about 3 weeks. Then after that I was fine.

I weighed myself this morning. In just 3 days I have lost 3 1/2 pounds or so.

The scale read 209.5

That is a huge motivator right now for me. I know it is only a few days but usually it takes at least a week to begin seeing pounds shed off the scale. This will give me added excitement to begin my quest.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

If I am trying to lose weight should I be eating avocados regularly. I was going to eat a whole entire one for a snack but wasn't sure.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

avocados are almost the perfect food. eat as many as you can stomach. they will NOT make you gain weight.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

http://www.avocado.org/healthy-living/nutrition

Doesn't seem to bad.. I wouldn't go with a whole one as a snack though. that's 250 calories right there.

Just a note on the 3.5 pounds lost. It might be water weight, so use it as motivation but don't get in a rut if it changes :-)

Oh and gratz so far :-)

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Stopped drinking soda (only water). All I ate was fresh vegetables from the produce section. Nothing in cans or jars. No salt on anything. No bread at all. 2 times a week I ate either turkey or chicken (boiled only) and portioned no bigger than the palm of my hand. I allowed myself to eat as much fresh produce as I wanted, and I ate alot of it, but the weght just kept falling off. My doctor wanted to use me as a case study as he was weighing me every week.

Cantaloupes were my dessert, and I might eat one the size of a basketball every day. I got down to a good weight very fast. It slowly came back when I started eating bread and meat and soda again.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

im a friend of tallships.and i s**t you not.i couldn't believe how frikkin fast he lost the weight.and he told me that he didn't workout either.i couldn't believe that.but like i've said,i've known him for years...and exercise would be the last thing on his mind.he he

sorry tallships.:)

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

+1 on ditching HFCS. I would stay away from corn completely. GMO pollinated everything else, and now domestic corn has brand new amino acids. Thanks Monsanto!

Religiously avoid heavily processed foods, with preservatives or MSG. Monosodium glutamate does foul things to your thyroid gland. Don't use artificial sweeteners, the benefits are only on paper.

My better half lost a bag of rice off her hiney, and her family started eating corn free after they saw the difference. I've been eating organic for a couple years now, and you won't believe what a difference it makes until you try it for yourself.

Regards! :36_3_12:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

You just need slip on shoes. I like Vans.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I'm 62, weigh 215 as per this morning, am like 6' tall (get shorter with age), I need to loose maybe 15-20 lbs. Problem is like a cycle, winter I go up and summer I drop a few. Loosing weight gets harder the older I get.

Ok, Mocha, don't over do the snacks whatever you do, the idea is to eat less to get your stomach shrunk. I consume a lot of carrots but I'm careful with the fruits. I need to walk more, but the cold in the winter bothers my joints. I'm diabetic and so I can't go on the crash diets. Even worse, I feel hungry all the time. I consume a lot of coffee but also water too. Kind of tough to keep it all in balance, not just the weight, but the sugar and exercise, (don't get enough of that). I have found that walking is the best thing if you want to loose weight, that and arobics to get the blood flowing and work the other body parts in shape.

WARNING: I do not recomend any type of weight training as it is for building up body strength not reducing weight. Also, it is too easy to damage tissue with weights.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Hey everyone. Feeling really good and right on track. Tomorrow will be one week into my diet/exercise routine. I will post my new weight after I weigh myself first thing in the morning.

:wink:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

:applause_:applause_:applause_:applause_

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Alrighty. Thanks to all those supporters out there. :ok:

After just one week of my new exercising and dieting routine I have lost 3 pounds. I weighed in this morning at 210.

Some things I have noticed is that my dieting seems to be a major change. My exercise has only been walking real fast for roughly an hour. If I had to equate my diet to exercise my diet would be indian sprints. :biggrin:

I actually have spent a lot less time being hungry as I initially thought. I fill up on raw vegetables. Good thing I really like them or it would have been difficult.

After 3 or 4 days I weighed in at 209.5 which someone mentioned it was probably water weight. I would have to agree. I leveled off the last couple days and bounced around from 211 to 209.5

Not that weight truly matters right now and I don't want to get hung up on it. I want to lose that gut that blocks my view to my shoes... bancha

I think 3 pounds per week would accomplish my goals in the first 6 months. By Fall if I reach my cutting goals I will be tearing it up in the gym. :9536:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

i really don't want to get into another debate...

but how many overweight people do you know who have been eating vegan for a year straight?? Yeah didn't think you knew any...

99 / 100 diets don't work... there is so much propaganda put out there...

the truth is milk and dairy are very very fattening. All fats are not created equal. I have been eating 500%+++ of recommended daily fat every single day for the past 7-8 months, and been dropping weight at a very satisfactory rate..

There are good carbs and bad carbs, there are good fats and bad fats...

You are not going to get fat off of eating good carbs, this is just a lie that the media has sold everyone on. Notice how the media is always very very pro meat and pro dairy??? well that's because those are the real culprits.... look at the cancer rates in other countries that cannot afford meat and dairy? huh wow they're much lower than ours, what a coincidence...

people tend to oversimplify one of the most complex and important subjects that I can think of...
the optimal diet imo involves deriving at least 45% of the calories you eat from vegetables, and at least another 25% from fruits.
i always eat one salad per day and often have two per day.

If you are hungry at all, you are dieting wrong. There is no need to deprive yourself... just make a gigantic salad and keep eating and eating and eating until you are full... you're not going to get fat off of lettuce, spinach, leafy greens, peppers, tomates, strawberries, cucumbers, onions, beans or w/e you put in your salad... even if you have really really shitty salad dressing w cheese and HFCS etc... there is just no calories in this stuff... dark leafy greens are debatably the most healthy food in the world.

milk, cheese, eggs are not great choices imo.. first of all you cannot find milk without grow hormones, cancer, pesticides, etc.

protein derived from non-meat sources is so much more useful to the body than protein derived from meat sources...

you can get everything your body needs without dairy or meat sources... i would really challenge anyone here to transition to a vegan diet, and give it a shot eating vegan for say 2 months straight. I GUARANTEE YOU if you eat vegan for 2 months s traight you will NEVER GO BACK to all of the trash you are currently eating...

you will stop the diet and eat some meat and cheese and FEEL ILL every time you do... and your body will learn to associate the foods you eat and how they make you feel afterwards

also you are setting yourself up for failure by making a # goal out of this... it is normal to see large fluctuations in your weight... your goal should be to get healthy... if you dont actually CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE then you're just going to gain back everything you lost... weigh yourself once a month... i haven't weighed myself in forever... you can just tell you're moving in the right direction...

one of the best things you can do is to stop drinking anything you drink now and go to non fluoridated water only. Maybe some juice or home made soda ( meaning lemon + agave nectar + fresh grated ginger + seltzer water = ginger ale for example, i'm not talking about HFCS obv)

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Who would want to be an overly dramatic VEGAN????

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

M,
WAY TO GO! Having good health is worth more than ANY PM's you can collect.

I'm 56. My current weight varies between 215 - 225, which is where my wife likes me to be. I like to be at 200 and 180 is my 'fighting weight'. I'm 6'1".

I have two things that work REALLY WELL. At least they did for me.

1) Exercise - walking - yes, not hard on your knees - my basic routine is 50 situps and 50 pushups - did I start out that way? No. I started at 5 situps and 5 pushups. I can NOW do both sets of 50 reps in less than 5 minutes.

2) Food - all this 'eat this, don't eat that' IS CR@P. ALL OF IT. Unless you work on a farm and get up and go to bed with the sun, YOU EAT TO MUCH. WE ALL DO. This idea we NEED three meals a day is cr@p. If you MUST eat three meals a day (you do not), then try THIS on for size. Eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast (ok, if you are STILL hungry, eat ANOTHER bowl of cereal - ANY KIND OF CEREAL) - ANYTHING YOU WANT FOR LUNCH (within reason - YOUR REASON - of course) - eat a bowl of cereal (or two) for supper.

If you do these two things, you WILL MEET YOUR GOAL WHEN YOU WANT TO.

I DID. Took me less than six months to lose 25 lbs. After I lost the weight my wife thought I was way too 'thin and bony' and I looked like my Dad, who at the age of 86 weighs around 130 lbs and is 5' 10" tall. Except because I use a #3 cutting my hair she adds 'and a POW' to that statement. So I eat TWO meals a day. My weight is a little higher than what I like, but I don't mind. At 56 I have a lot more 'moderation' to most of my actions.

I've had BOTH the virtual heart test and the actual heart stress test. It was funny. When my doctor got the results, he said, "So you didn't actually get on the treadmill, huh?"

I said, "Why yes, I did. For over twenty minutes, why?"

"Because your heart rate NEVER exceeded 100."

"Oh, well that's because I USED to smoke 2 packs of cigs a day and run 2 miles a day (18+ years ago). Though to be honest, I did have to ask how much longer I was going to have to run, and the tech got all concerned and ask if I was OK. I said sure, but my KNEES are starting to hurt. We finished the session and I was fine."

I have a distended hamstring on my left leg and BOTH my knees have damages due to playing flag football in my 20's. When the weather changes, I know it's coming 24 hours in advance. I think it has something to do with the change in the barometric pressure.

But all this 'diet this, diet that'. JUST CUT YOUR INTAKE. It's not easy. You will be starving at first. But eventually you WILL get used to it. And you will wonder why you didn't do this earlier. CUT YOUR INTAKE. We ALL eat way too much.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I have thought about going without meat for a while but sorry I love it too much. haha

I know what my problem was and i am remedying it. I have been down this road before but was too young and naive at the time to accept it as a lifestyle change. Maybe I am in denial this time but I actually believe I can do this for the rest of my life. I am trying to make changes that I can live with until the day I die.

I have yet to go hungry this time around because I eat a lot of veggies where before I just cut calories and didn't really change what I ate.

The 45% from vegetables I think is a great idea and 25% from fruit. That leaves 30% for twinkies hahaha. Just kidding.

My wife brought home 4 cases of canned Coke I just about killed her. I love Coke but I am on a no-soda diet and probably will be for life.

I feel good right now. I have shed some more weight which I will record on Wednesday. I have been exercising and I think one of the things that really makes me feel good is drinking a LOT of water. I have to go to the bathroom a lot but the more water I drink the better I feel. I didn't realize how crappy I actually have felt for the last few years. It almost makes me feel younger and fresher.

I am beginning to really enjoy my dieting more than ever. I used to say if all I had to do was walk an hour per day and eat whatever I want that would be great. I am beginning to shift a bit and I think if all I had to do was diet. Finding the time to exercise is a bit tougher than finding the time to eat.

Easter Sunday I got up bright and early and went for a fast walk for an hour. Felt good. :ok:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

You're making me look forward to a move in the company if I can get it. I'll be doing TONS of walking, 4-5 miles a day with hiking boots. Plan is to take advantage of it and start a workout and diet regimen and if I'm gone long enough I'll come home in much better shape then when I left.

If that doesn't happen then I'm looking into Yoga and Pilates still and maybe some BJJ...

oh and :ARMS1::banana::ARMS1::banana:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Hmm.

"Portion control"

Just about a year ago I had ballooned to 208, from an original fighting

Weight of about 175. I was 6'2", now I'm about 6'1". 58 years young;

A salute to you, Lt. Dan.

Anyway, over the years I went from 34/36 501 jeans to 35/36, and then

A year ago I had to suck in my gut three times to get a pair of 35/36 on.

Well, there was no way in hell I was going to go to 36/36.

I have never eaten junk food, nor am I a Vegan.

Kinda learned cooking from my Ma, who was pretty much French Provincial.

Which means lots of
olive oil/butter/garlic/wine/lamb/seafood/rice/veggies/salad

As close to in season as you can get it.

So, anyway, I didn't change my diet, just the quantities.

Took about six months.

Just weighed myself, 177.6, and stable.


scyth

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Mocha,

Yes, cut your intake. If you do that, then you CAN eat anything you want. Only not three times a day. ONCE a day.

And I forgot to mention hydration. I drink between one and two gallons of water a day. Makes this 'old man' have to get up in the middle of the night, but hey, that's my problem. Living at altitude requires more hydration, not less.

And I actually drink ONE soda a day, in the morning as that sugar and caffeine gets this old may going. I'm an RC man myself. We buy it between Memorial Day and July 4th, when it's on 'super sale'. Last year I bought twenty cases. I'm just running out of that stash now. I was hoping to make that last. But we have company over all the time and my wife now prefers RC to Pepsi, so don't think I'm the ONLY one consuming that much soda.

scyth,

Yes, I do understand the whole Italian cooking thing. And portion control. My wife has been on so many diets over the years. I've tried to convince her a 'diet' won't work. A lifestyle change WILL work. But she just can't give up certain things. Dips and chips come to mind. So there you are.

Oh, and except for the butter part of cooking, EVERYTHING ELSE you listed is actually fairly healthy for you. And if you just use a 'little' butter for taste and compensate with olive oil, you should be good to go.

Folks, what Mocha and scyth are doing is admirable. Given my health issues, I TRY and eat two meals a day. Sometimes I only eat one. But I've got dogs and we walk every day. OK, not during raging snow storms, but other than that, you betcha.

You know something? When your dog is overweight, YOU are not getting enough exercise.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Wallew -

Your point about butter is right on.

I use a good olive oil for freakin' everything, with a dab of butter for flavor.

Myself, I eat two meals a day, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast is a couple cups of tea and a tisane of emergen-c.

Also, I follow blood type nutrition, as espoused in

"Eat Right for Your Type."

Been doing that for 10 years now.

Now, I'm B-negative, which puts me into a pretty good zone.

But, getting back on point, even though I was eating well,

I was simply eating too much.

Alcohol is wicked also, almost worse than pop.

Quit drinking beer.

Never had a taste for the hard stuff.

Now I drink a little wine.

Jeez. I should write a book and make

My everlasting fortune.............

scyth

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Grad -

Being physically healthy is kinda a foundation to

Maximizing survival.

Just as knowing your weaknesses or ailments.

This thread is not about fat,

It is about strategic planning.

For example, I am consulting with various people

About a hip replacement at this very moment.

Now, the fact that the injuries to my left hip happened

Long ago when I was young and bulletproof and immortal

Are immaterial.

Same with fat, or anything else.

90% of survival is planning.

10% is serendipity.


scyth

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

2 Weeks
Current Weight: 208 lbs
Total Loss: 5 lbs

Well, as much as I wanted to lose more than this, I am still very happy with the results. In just 2 weeks I feel healthier. I still can't fit into my older pants but I do think in another 3-4 weeks that will change.

I think I am off to a good start. I need to spend more time being active, and this time of year will really help. My wife and kids are now helping me along on my diet. :ok:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Congrats on your weight loss so far, mocha. 1.5 to 2 lbs. of fat per week is the maximum possible rate of healthy weight loss, so you're right on track.


wallew said:
>> "Food - all this 'eat this, don't eat that' IS CR@P. ALL OF IT. Unless you work on a farm and get up and go to bed with the sun, YOU EAT TO MUCH. WE ALL DO. This idea we NEED three meals a day is cr@p. If you MUST eat three meals a day (you do not), then try THIS on for size. Eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast (ok, if you are STILL hungry, eat ANOTHER bowl of cereal - ANY KIND OF CEREAL) - ANYTHING YOU WANT FOR LUNCH (within reason - YOUR REASON - of course) - eat a bowl of cereal (or two) for supper.

If you do these two things, you WILL MEET YOUR GOAL WHEN YOU WANT TO.

...

But all this 'diet this, diet that'. JUST CUT YOUR INTAKE. It's not easy. You will be starving at first."
__________________________________________________ ___________

I have to strongly disagree with wallew's advice. I don't doubt that wallew lost weight in the short term by reducing his calories to the point of being hungry. However, if your genetics are similar to most peoples', long-term weight loss is not sustainable if you eat grains (cereal) on a regular basis, much less for 2 of your 3 daily meals.

Skipping meals is another terrible idea. If you let more than 5 hours pass between meals, your blood sugar levels drop (you become hungry), and your body gears up to pack on weight. Couple this with eating high-sugar foods (grains, cereals, starches, sweets) when you do eat, and you're setting yourself up for Type II diabetes...

Lean protein and lots of veggies is the way to go... you'll never be hungry, you won't consume a lot of calories, and your blood sugar levels will always be in the healthy range.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I don't know what your health issues are, but if you're trying to lose any weight, eating one or two times a day isn't gonna do it. You're body goes into starvation mode and holds onto everything it possibly can to use for energy because it doesn't know when the next meal is coming. That's why people who go on starvation diets always put the weight back on when they start eating normal. Their body for a period of time is still in starvation mode, and they're now eating normal, so their body is holding onto everything it can. Once it levels out then their weight levels out, but higher than they were.

If you take your meals and split em up into 5 or 6 meals, then your body doesn't go into starvation mode, and it allows itself to get rid of the stuff that isn't needed for energy, while at the same time keeping your sugar levels and what have you on a more even keel.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

M,

I have IBS. Think a bulemic girl throwing up to lose weight. That's what the stress that brings on my IBS does to my system. That's what my IBS causes. Or used to cause. After almost eight years of throwing up two to four times a week, my doctor finally got my meds to a point where in the past six months I've thrown up twice.

Once was on election day (not the day after). I had already voted, but I just knew it was gonna be a bad day and my stress level went through the roof. I got up, threw up and then went about my day as if nothing untoward had occured.

The other time was food posioning. We had gone out to eat. On the way home I told my wife to pull over, but she didn't even make the curb before I threw up all over the side of her car. I cleaned it up when we got home.

The WORST part about this is that my teeth have suffered mightily by having all that stomach acid coming back up time and time again. Now that I've gotten past the throwing up, I'm having my teeth fixed. FINALLY.

And this is NOT a diet. It's my stress level is so high that my body is literally attacking me. Meds have FINALLY gotten that under control.

Today, I ate two crossants (sp?) and a cold glass of 1% milk. Yesterday was a meal of a can of tuna with crackers and a large jug of water. That's all.

And no, I'm NOT dieting. I know what I can eat and how much I can eat without my body attacking itself again.

The funny part is, the REST of my health is spot on. I exercise daily. I TRY and eat more, but sometimes I just can not. My body would literally reject it and cause me to override my meds. That's a losing proposition for me.

Be glad you don't have IBS OR DIVERTICULITUS. The difference is that Diverticulitus is brought on by what you eat. IBS is brought on by stress. Other than that, the symptons are the same.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

3 Weeks
Current Weight: 207.5 lbs
Total Loss: 5.5 lbs

I was supposed to post this yesterday. I only lost a half a pound this past week. It makes sense. I didn't get out for any exercise except once all week long. It rained and poured and was bitterly raw and cold out. My diet mainly stayed good. I caved one evening and downed a 12 ounce Coke. Baaaaaad mocha... bad mocha....

Normally I cook every night, so I am in control over what my dinners are. Last week I ate 3 times someone else's dinner. Lot of it was loaded with carbs and high in fat. I only had one serving but still was probably more than what I should have had. It was definitely an "off" week. I still managed to lose a half pound so yippeee. Let's go long this week and hope for a nice 3-4 pound drop. Back to me cooking and the weather looks good. :ok:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Ahhhh.. that clears it all up. Wish you luck with all that.. sounds like it sucks.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Gratz... and everyone has a bad day/week. If the diet isn't fun then you're gonna fail. Even worse when you go elsewhere to eat :-)

Keep it up.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I enjoy the diet. The problem is where I went to eat the 2 times out of 3... they will crab at me for being on a diet. It would give them more reason to try and shovel more food down my throat, pat my belly, and tell me I worked hard for such a nice gut.

Picture a room full Italians cooking and discussing the best ways to prepare pasta and how their ancestors did it... lol

So I tend to keep what I do on the eating front a bit on the quiet side. I did well. :emotions16:

I love how I feel when I eat raw veggies all day and drink nothing but water....

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Italian.... that's all you gotta say. :-D

My dad is italian so I know how it goes..

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

4 Weeks
Current Weight: 206.5 lbs
Total Loss: 6.5 lbs

1 pound a week is not gonna cut it. I already see the problem and that is everyone around me eats 10 times I do. They all have high metabolism and are skinny and can eat all day long. The food thing is definitely the roadblock for me. I have to turn down food constantly. This will be an ongoing struggle and something I must get a grip on. At least I am losing something though. It might take me a bit longer than expected if I continue on this path.

Some options for me would be to exercise more. 1 hour walks in the evening each night at 4 mph might not be cutting it. I may need to start jogging more and doing more lifting weights. I eat fairly well and enjoy my diet but the pounds should be coming off a bit quicker.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

If you're just walking, I'd probably start doing intervals instead. Walk for 5 minutes as a warm-up then jog for 30 seconds, walk for a minute, jog for 30 seconds, walk for a minute... or do whatever is comfortable for you. If you have to walk for 2 minutes, so be it. Just make sure you're not completely comfortable... then you can switch it up and keep your body guessing. Your body can adjust itself to be more effecient at whatever the workout is, so you have to change it up to stop from hitting a plateau

And yeah, if everyone around you is eating constantly then that's gonna be much harder, just be glad you're losing something though. :-)

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

What works for me:

Shift calories towards the mornings when the body needs energy, and shift proteins towards the evenings when the body prepares to sleep and repair muscle. Only going on fruits and veggies is terrible imo, the body gets less material to build with, and without enough protein you produce less dopamine making you feel depressed.

The easiest way to burn fat is to take fast walks. Just need to get the pulse up to about the level of a brisk walk and fat burning begins. Weight training is also good but for another reason: it builds muscle, and maintaining muscle requires energy. So you use more energy automatically with more muscle, which burns more fat.

I believe it is important to eat *enough* carbs and up the intake of proteins especially in the evenings. The body only repairs muscle tissue during sleep, so try to increase sleeping hours slightly when training.

With more sleep and more proteins, training is fun!

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I'm on Day 2 of a 10 Master Cleanse Fast. Yesterday, had huge cravings and felt some hunger. So far, Day 2 is going OK. I've read day 3 and Day 7 are the most difficult for getting rid of accumulated toxins. Exercise is walking and stretching, for the most part I'm resting and found I'm sleeping more than normal the last couple of days. The 2 days prior to the fast, I only ate vegetable soup with soybean miso added.

Fortunately, I have the better part of the next 2 weeks off. I was going to travel a bit, but since I started this fast, I can't see being too far away from the bathroom at this stage. The fast is about getting rid of toxins, so "getting rid of" means lots of dumps. Not pretty, but part of the process.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Day 3 on the Master Cleanse. When I started, I weighed 107kg (235lbs). My weight on the morning of day 3 is 103kg (227lbs). I feel hungry, but energized. Part of the reason I started this fast was to lose weight, but mostly to detox myself after 5 decades of drinking beer, eating lots of meat and a Western lifestyle in general.

Not that I go out drinking all the time or anything, I'm a teacher and do a lot of curriculum design & spend LOTS of time in front of a computer. My life is extremely sedentary. I was pretty active as a kid, but you know how things are when you get older. But it's really easy to grab a 6 pack and nurse it over several hours. According to what I've read, day 3 is one of the critical days. Changes should be coming, we'll see how it goes. Pardon the pun! This is an extreme but effective fast.

The Master Cleanse is supposed to be 10 days minimum. That puts it at next Fri-Sat. I hope I can make it that long. So far, so good. As far as work, we have mid-terms, so I got off this week. Next week is Buddha's Birthday on Tuesday, so I have to work on Monday and Wednesday (only). After that, it's back to a normal work schedule. We'll see how that goes. I wonder if I can do longer than 10 days? I guess I'm getting ahead of myself on that. Just concentrate on getting thru the weekend, it's Friday here in Asia, I'm 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard time. Today, I have some cleaning to do, do some stretching, then take at least a one hour walk, and just lay around watching movies. Pretty much take it physically easy.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

UPDATE

OK here is what happened and the reason this thread was not being updated. I was doing my normal routine and I started gaining weight again even on my dieting and exercise routine. My wife said I didn't look good so I got bloodwork done to test my thyroid activity.

I was called immediately saying I was ringing in at a 90. This is very very bad. This is the worst results my doctor has ever seen. The 2nd worst they had seen was a 50. To be regulated they want you at a 3 or so. I went from a 90 to an 80 in about a week and then 2 weeks later I was at 3.85. I am getting tested again in a month.

I went from 206.5 to 218 in about 4 weeks. Since I got regulated on my meds about 3 weeks ago I have lost about 15 pounds and I weighed in this morning at 203.5

So now that I am regulated again on my meds and am back on the exercising and dieting schedule I will be updating this thread and I have some new deadline goals.

I was set back about 3 months but I am gonna get back in the ring. 15 pounds lost in a month is good but I am only 3 pounds lighter than I was 3 months ago. This thyroid thing can really mess with you if you aren't well regulated and watching closely. I have decided to get checked out and have blood work done every 6-8 weeks where before I was getting checked out every 6-8 months.

So here I am 203.5

My goal is to get under 170 by Thanksgiving which gives me ample time to achieve this. Once I reach 170 I will begin doing strengthening workouts and weight training. If I feel good at 180 I may start then but I am not going to push it. I will see where my gut is at when the time comes. I have lost a lot of weight in the face and neck and most of my extra weight is right on my gut. Kinda look funny.

Wish my luck this time through.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

That sucks man, glad to see you're back though.

When you start working out, don't pay too much attention to your weight. I'd get a measuring tape and calipers and track weight lost that way.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Yeah like this week I only lost a half a pound. My weight this week is 203.0

I feel slimmer and my pants fit better. Early in the week I stacked wood for several hours and jogged 3 out of the 6 walks I went on. It is possible I have burned off some fat but added a bit of muscle.

My diet is still real good. Eating lots of veggies and fruits and some good lean meats. I have been real good at staying away from starches. I did have an ice cream cone the other night. :biggrin:

This week I will be going strong on cardio and getting in some long distance walking and jogging.

:ok:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Great to see you sticking with this. Things I did that helped a lot were:
1. Dumped the car in favor of walking or biking.
2. Put a carrier on my bike so I could ride it to get groceries.
3. Woke a half hour early to start my day with a 1/2hr of fitness.
4. Ate unlimited veggies.
5. Drank water throughout the day (most people have such a weak dehydration reflex they mistake it for hunger).

Not sure if there's anything in there you can use, but I hope so.

Cheers Mocha!

:s9:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

It sounds like you're doing great. I've been cutting back on calories and doing treadmill several days/week for 5 months now and I am finally comfortably down a size (so probably lost 8-10 pounds). I want to lose about 10 more pounds and I feel it will take another 4-5 months of the same hard work. Sometimes it is hard to stick with it but I do love the results.

The main thing I have done as far as eating goes is have a light lunch, like a salad or apple with peanut butter and then eat a normal dinner and try very hard not to snack at night. I think if I totally gave up beer I would have lost quicker but oh well.

Hang in there.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Thanks for the advice and sunshine congrats on losing some weight. Sounds like your plan works well and is easy to live with.

I lost a little this week. Not as much as I wanted but I am still losing. I am at 201.5

This isn't that bad since 3 days this week I wasn't able to get out for a walk. I wanted to work hard on cardio but something came up and I was actually on the road for a few days. Tough to lose weight when you spend a lot of time sitting in a car.

:biggrin:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I am under the 200 mark.

Yesterday morning I weighed in at 198.5

Slow going but I am on a good healthy pattern. :ok:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

well done!

don't stop...

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

I am going to get blood work done in the morning to check my thyroid levels. I have been jogging, walking, dieting and I have not dipped under the 198 pound mark. Maybe I am just getting older but it's definitely hard to lose weight these days.

It's coming off but reeeeeealll slloooooooowwwwwllllyyyy

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Don't worry if you plateau for a while. At least you are not gaining weight.

I don't understand how the thyroid is a factor, but if it is, a lot more people should be checking that out, myself included.

I imagine it is so hard to lose weight at any age. Think about it - most people naturally gain weight only. Of course, our metabolism is falling so fast after 40 or so. I have been cutting down on food intake and thinking: the money I save is going for investments. That's been kind of motivational.

I'm taking my kids to the net climbing building today. Contorting our bodies through five floors of fishing nets. Amazingly good workout for $1.00 and we can stay as long as we like. I lost a kilogram in one day the last time I went. I think it was because so many muscles were called into play.

This kind of unusual activity is good because when we go, we really don't want to stop. My kids didn't want to go home. I checked my pulse several times and it was right around 120-140 for two hours straight.

Being with other people was motivating as well.

Let us know when you get to 195 - Sept. 30, okay?

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Thyroid affects your metabolism. A slow metabolism means you burn fewer calories as your body is is a low power state, sort of like sleep mode for your computer. If you are burning fewer calories and are taking in the same number as previously, you will gain weight, or it will be harder to drop extra you have already put on.

more info the thyroid:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroid

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Check out my thread

I have not had anything to eat in the last 9 days

BTW, I am doing my final fast hopefully

18 days ago I started @ 189
Now I am 158

Will until I am hungry. or 140, whichever is first

The funny thing is I am cooking breakfast 3 days a week for a group of private clients.

I was 250ish last July

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

It's also the excuse a lot of Americans use for being grossly obese. You don't find a lot of skinny/normal people mentioning that they have hyperthyroidism. Ah, blessed self-diagnosis...

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Are you implying Mocha is self diagnosed? Hard to get prescriptions for a self diagnosis. Otherwise, I do agree many make excuses for their obesity rather than acknowledge that is their lifestyle that causes them to be fat.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

If you have read this entire thread then you would understand my situation a bit better. I have already stated many times that I am not trying to make excuses and i have touched on the issue you have brought up.

All I can see is you are a troll, and a very mean person at heart. This is a thread I started to follow my progress to a better life style. If I was making excuses I would be growing fatter by the day and would never attempt a weight loss program because I could blame it on my thyroid.

Since this is your first post in this thread of mine and offered no constructive posts I declare you a troll and a complete idiot. I am usually a pretty good judge of character.

Do not comment again on this thread unless you wish to grow a brain.

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Mocha, that was in no way aimed at you, and if you feel offended then I apologise. America tends to blame the vendor, not the consumer, when they get obese - that comment was NOT towards you, it was a general comment - "I have big bones" etc. Bones don't wobble when you wak...
I congratulate you on your weight loss, easy access to fatty foods will killl us before the SWAT team come in!

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Sorry. I haven't had my coffee yet this morning... I tend to be grumpy in the mornings. :favorites21:

Re: Mocha's Weight Loss Tracking Thread
 

Here's a device for $99 that aims to help people "get off the sofa".

http://www.fitbit.com/

It will tell you your caloric intake and expenditure. It will also give info on the quality of your sleep. If you're getting less than six hours of true sleep, for example, you'll be packing on the pounds. Getting enough sleep is a real challenge for a lot of people.