The HTF Weight Loss Support Group (1 Viewer)

[Shawn C]

I'm 6'4" and about 333 pounds right now. I went the doctor last week. My blood pressure was 165/101. I was promptly put on blood pressure medication. I'm only 30 years old!
I have always been big. When I got out of high school, I was probably 260 or so. When I got out of Marine Corps boot camp, I was probably down to 212. While in the Marine Corps, I was probably around 225-230 most of the time.
My wife and I are expecting our first baby in July. Needless to say, I have drastically changed my eating habits the past week and I really don't have any urges to eat anything 'bad'. We have even gone to Dairy Queen twice to appease my wife's cravings and I haven't eaten anything from there.
I can't start to work out until my pressure gets down. I know HOW to lose the weight since I had to lose about 30 pounds even to get into the Marine Corps back in '90. I just need to do it.
Sometimes you just need some extra motivation to stop shoving pizza in your face and to get your head out of your ass.
Here is my normal daily diet now:
Breakfast: Wheaties Energy Crunch cereal. Yummy. (I just can't stop eating cereal. At least eat something halfway healthy)
Lunch: Meal replacement or sandwich with fruit.
Dinner: Sometimes pasta(not a lot) or maybe some sort of meat product. Chicken/pork chops/red meat.
Snacks: Bananas/Grapes/Apples any kind of fruit really. Oh, and those no sugar added fudge pops at night. No added sugar and only 1 gram of fat for 2 bars.

 

[Chris Lock]

> The protein myth is rearing its ugly head.

It's not a myth. Show me a bodybuilder (or anyone with a decent amount of muscle) who eats as little protein as you suggest.

 

[Samuel Des]

Hi Bill -- I just thought that hot dogs weren't as good for you as compared to other kinds of meat, poultry, or fish. I may be wrong. From the looks of it, you are eating very well.
I was looking at the Slim Fast diet plan, which included calorie information. No wonder it works. You are basically starving yourself. ~1,500 clalories per day allowed.
So far, I've had one shake for B-Fast, one for lunch, and an 8 ounce portion of corn. It's just the night time that I dread. It feels so weird not eating solid food for meals.
Bill, that's a good idea about the vitamins.

 

[Bill Catherall]

Slim Fast eh? I'll have to compare the dietary information on that with my shakes (I can't remember the brand, I'll post that later). One thing I noticed right away is that Slim Fast shakes are 100-120 calories whereas the shakes I got are 300 calories but I add 16 oz of water instead of 8. So one of my shakes is about equal to 2 Slim Fasts.

What would 40 servings of Slim Fast cost?

 

[Samuel Des]

Well, I've got the 30 ounce economy size for ~$10. That's 26 servings (one scoop). Hoping to find it a little cheaper. This is not prepared; Is your shake from a can?

 

[Bill Catherall]

Mine's a powder shake. It was $50 for 20 servings (but each serving is 16 oz). I plan on eating only 1 every day at the most. Maybe not even that often. Again, I'll compare the dietary information this evening and post the major differences, if any.

Do the Slim Fast shakes have much substance? Or are they runny? I wouldn't want something I'd just be peeing out an hour later.

 

[Shawn C]

I like the chocolate malt Slim-Fast. I mix it up with skim milk. They key is getting something to mix it up with. Just using a spoon doesn't cut it.
I use one of these to mix it with:
http://www.cuisinart.com/cgi-bin/pro...&detail=CSB-33

 

[Tom Fynan]

This is a great thread. I lost 35 lbs four years ago, and have kept it off, but it is a continual struggle. It took about 18 months to lose the weight. I am 41, 6 foot, and now weigh 190 lbs. I am also a doctor, so I look at the problem from both sides, as consumer and professional.

I lost my weight through a combination of changing my eating patterns and working out. I cut out sweets and junk food, reduced alcohol consumption and portion size, and started eating healthy snacks during the day. I still go to the gym 3 days a week, doing 20 minutes of cardio and 40 minutes of weight training. If I do that faithfully, I can be fairly lenient with my diet.

One tip I learned is to eat more protein earlier in the day. It is true that Americans eat far more protein than we need for our nutritional needs, but we tend to eat it all in the evening. One thing about protein is that it makes you feel full for a relatively long period of time, so if you eat more protein for breakfast, you won't get the mid-morning munchies so badly. I started eating oatmeal for breakfast most mornings instead of cold cereal, and I eat lots of turkey. I buy good quality turkey lunchmeat from the supermarket, and have a couple of slices with breakfast, and a couple of slices as snacks in the mid morning and mid afternoon.

Another good high protein, low fat snack is to mix 1% fat cottage cheese with uncooked oatmeal. It takes some getting used to, but I now find it quite tasty. It is a good snack, or I will add some fruit and have it for lunch. Lots of water, and fruit for fiber and low cal snacking are also part of my routine.

One other important tip I was given, is that you have to give yourself a break when you are eating strictly. One day each week should be a vacation - eat whatever you want.

I really do beleive that diets don't work. You have to permantly change the way you eat, and you have to exercise regularly. It is hard, but it can be done. Good luck to everyone.

Tom Fynan

 

[Ike]

I don't really have normal meals, but two things get me through the day: Jalapeno chicken and Carl Budding sandwiches.
Jalapeno chicken is a dish that I stole from a local Chinese restaurant. I make it using a whole head of cabbage (a good vegetable, and tons of fiber!), 3 Chicken breasts or thighs, and 4 to 5 fresh Jalapenos (fresh is key-if they are pickled, they turn the cabbage into sauerkraut.) You cook it all together with some soy sauce, and it only costs 15 points for a whole batch, which isn't possible to eat.
Carl Budding is lunch meat in individual packages, low in calories (about 100), and high in protein. I combine it with some special bread I found (35 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 0.5 a gram of fat for 2 slices!), tomatoes, onions, and pickles, and I can have a huge sandwich for only 2 points!
My main problem is that I cheat on Saturdays because I go out with someone, and it's hard for me to stick on my diet. But I'm trying...

 

[FredHD]

Like I said, for one's body to metabolize more than 10% of calories fom protein, they would have to do a lot of exercise or lifting. The problem is most people do not do near enough exercise to burn off the protein they consume. This excess protein can overwork the kidneys, pancreas, liver, and deposit in your blood (especially animal protein - where do you think cholesterol comes from?)
You contend that people cannot build a "decent" amount of muscle with so little protein, but do you know anyone that has ever tried?

 

[Samuel Des]

Do the Slim Fast shakes have much substance? Or are they runny? I wouldn't want something I'd just be peeing out an hour later.

It's "runny"; you'll need to blend it with something to get a true shake consistency. I don't find that I need to use the bathroom any more than usual. I am using 2 percent milk -- usually I drink skim if I have to drink milk, but I was afraid that it (slim fast) would taste like crap.

Some great responses so far.

 

[Bill Catherall]

Quote:

Shawn - So are you saying the Slim Fast shakes are runny if you only use a spoon to mix them? Or is there another reason to using a blender (i.e. the powder doesn't mix well)? Because if you can mix it well with a spoon, then the blender is just adding air to it. The air will make you feel more full but I'm afraid the shake will still go right through you. (Oh I see Samuel answered this question while I was posting.)
Samuel - I recommend cutting the 2% milk. Go for skim or even water. If you can't stand the taste then use 1% milk. Personally I can't stand skim milk. But I've actually found the Costco skim milk is very good. I even like it better than 2%.

 

[BrianB]

Was this a frozen dinner, Brian? If not, I'm impressed!

Frozen, I'm afraid We don't generally don't have the time midweek to cook big dinners. Though a healthy stir-fry chicken really isn't hard to make... Chicken, your veg, some lowfat oil & lots of spices. That's about it

 

[Kelley_B]

BrianB,

Thanks for the GBA idea, it made todays work out session go by Sonic speed, as I was playing Sonic Advanced! I'm glad to hear that you are doing well in your journey for weight loss, I hope to be there soon.

 

[Bill Catherall]

Ok. The shake that I'm using currently is Myoplex Deluxe. I mix it with water and use a shaker (tumbler) to mix it up. It has a very pudding like texture to it, but smooth and soft enough to drink. It's pretty thick, so it really sticks to the sides of the glass. I have to add a little bit more water to the last little bit and shake it up again or the last 5-10% just sits in the glass and won't come out. I bought it at the 24 Hour Fitness gym.
Here's the difference between Myoplex Deluxe and Slim-Fast: (I post this not in any attempt to show that mine's better. I haven't fully decided that this is the one for me, so knowing the differences is helpful in narrowing down my choices. Which one you decide to use should be strictly based on what you need for your diet.)
Nutrition Facts:
___________________Myoplex Deluxe_______Slim-Fast_______
__________________(Chocolate Cream)___(Chocolate Malt)____
Serving Size _____ 83 g mix / 16 oz water ___ 33 g mix/ 8 oz water
Calories ___________ 300 _______________ 120
Calories from fat _____ 20 ________________ 10
Total Fat ___________ 2 g _______________ 1 g
Saturated Fat _______ 0.5 g ______________ 0.5 g
Cholesterol _________ 5 mg ______________ 5 mg
Sodium ____________ 450 mg ____________ 100 mg
Potassium _________ 550 mg _____________ 220 mg
Total Carbohydrate _ 25 g ________________ 24 g
Dietary Fiber _______ < 1 g _______________ 5 g
Sugars _____________ 2 g _______________ 18 g
Protein ___________ 42 g _______________ 5 g
So it's pretty clear that there is a big difference between the two in certain areas. 1 serving of the Myoplex gives you 84% of your daily value of protein, whereas Slim-Fast only gives you 10% DV. However, 1 serving of Slim-Fast provides 20% DV of Dietary Fiber, where Myoplex only provides 4% DV. There's also a big gap in Calories, but what you need per serving really depends on how many you plan to eat every day.
My menu today was:
Breakfast: 1 shake
Snack: 1 orange
Lunch: 1 small slice of meatloaf, 2 baked chicken wings (2 halves, or 1 whole if you like) with the Dijon-Parmesan, 1 medium serving mashed potatoes (and boy did those potatoes make me full, it doesn't take much of those to fill me), 1 apple
Snack: None because lunch filled me for over 5 hours
Dinner: Chicken Cordon Bleu, diced cucumbers and tomatoes
Snack: I haven't had it yet but might eat a banana later.

 

[Samuel Des]

Bill -- That menu looked great! Unfortunately, I was VERY bad today (yesterday).
Breakfast - Slim Fast 8 oz.
Lunch - Slim Fast 8 oz.
Lunch snack - Chex Mix 1.7 oz. package
Dinner -- 10 oz. two percent cottage cheese with pickled beets
Workout
Late dinner ~10:30 pm - Two bowls of salad, one cup Dannon blueberry yogurt with 6 strawberries.
Late Late Night Snacks - One bag low fat popcorn, two beef jerkies, 8 oz. gummy bears
Ugh. It's always late night eating. I think it's because I work out so late in the day -- but that's the only time I can do it.
Hey, I also thought that we might put in our exercise routines here. This might give each other suggestions for new stuff, so that we don't get bored. It also may motivate us if we have to post what we did!
My workout goal is to slim down, and not put on any more weight.
30 mins. treadmill (3.3 mi)
30 mins. vertical stairmaster (5.3 mi)
10 mins. stairmaster (1.74 mi)
--
50 ab rolls
200 leg lifts
100 crunches
--
(SetxReps)
3x10 flat bench
3x10 shoulder press
3x10 lat pull downs
3x10 flat bar curls

 

[Shawn C]

So are you saying the Slim Fast shakes are runny if you only use a spoon to mix them?

I use a hand blender because if you use a spoon, you end up with about 25% of the stuff either floating on top or stuck to the bottom of your glass. It has a slightly thicker consistency when you use the mixer. I mix the single scoop of Slim-Fast with more than the 8 oz. of skim milk recommended.

 

[Samuel Des]

Hi Shawn -- When I say "runny," I mean thinner than a ice cream shake. It's still think, but I didn't want to mislead anyone into thinking that it had as much texture the "real thing." My Slim Fast came with a shaker that has been pretty convenient. You're right that it can be difficult to mix, though.

 

[Bill Catherall]

Samuel - What time do you wake up in the mornings? Does your gym have early morning hours? I used to wake up at 6:30am to get ready for work. Now I wake up at 5am and head straight for the gym. I get about a 1 hour workout in every morning. I've found I still feel good all day (I was worried I'd be more tired, but it hasn't been the case at all). I have more time in the evenings for other things. I also sleep better at night. I just have to go to bed by 10pm (used to stay up 'till 11:00) or I'm too tired to get up at 5:00. If you can get a morning work out routine going it will probably fix that late night hunger problem.
I do a 3-5 minute warm-up on the bikes (this helps me to wake up and get going).
I hit the weights for about 25 minutes working my upper body and abs. I vary the machines from day to day. But I make sure to get my chest, back, biceps, triceps, and shoulders doing 3 sets of 12 reps. I set the weight high enough to feel it but not so high that I can't get through it. It burns on the last few reps and it's hard to get the very last rep of the last set out.
I do 2 sets of 30-40 crunches. 1 set with legs bent and 1 set with legs extended.
Then I spend 30 minutes doing a fat burning routine on the bikes.
As the weeks go on some of the variations I'll change are trying other cardio machines. The gym has a few different kinds of elliptical trainers, tread mills, and stair machines. The trainer recommended changing machines every couple of weeks because your body can plateau working on one machine all the time. We also have a lap pool and I love swimming. So I plan to work that into my routine eventually.
I also plan to change my weight lifting routine from toning to building (on certain muscle groups like the chest and arms) later as my muscles get used to working out. That means doing 5 sets of 5 reps increasing the weight between sets to where you can barely get the last few reps out. I don't mind putting on weight as long as it's muscle. Building muscle and reducing fat is fine by me. I just want that percent body fat to drop.
I weighed myself this morning and it came to 240. That's down 5 pounds from last Saturday. However, it's because I hadn't eaten anything yet. Last Saturday when I weighed myself I had already eaten breakfast and was feeling really full. I'm not saying I lost 5 lbs. Actually I'm just adjusting my starting weight from 245 to 240 now. I'm sure my percent body fat is still the same. I'll go about another 1-2 months before I have that checked again. I want to give myself enough time to really notice a change first.

 

[Samuel Des]

Hi Bill --
I generally get-up between 6:45 to 7:00 am. Usually, I hit the gym @ 5pm, and get home ~ 9pm (shower, errand-stops-on-the-way, &c.) Dinner is usually ~ 9:30 to 10 pm. Usually hit the sack at around 10:30 to 11:00 pm, although lately, I haven't been able to sleep that much. Last night, I went to bed at around 2:45 am, and got up around 6:45 am.
Your morning routine sounds like a very good one. Do you find that you are more dehydrated working out in the morning? Is your gym more busy in the mornings?
One thing I've noticed is that my weight can fluctuate wildly. The weird thing is, I can sometimes "feel" when my metabolism is higher. This is going to sound odd, but I thought I might ask anyway: do you "feel" that your morning boosts your metabolism?
BTW - I am very much enjoying this thread, and being able to post. It helps me stay focused on my weight loss goal being able to babble on about it.