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Kevdogg's inspirational Weight Loss thread

Day one on myfitmesspal. Goal was 3610 calories to lose one pound a week at my current weight. Did good until after supper and had 6 Oreo cookies and homemade popcorn with butter. (total of 1500 calories for the junk food) Ended up at 4364 calories. All food prepared at home. Its not the best start, but its a start.

I would like to post updates on here with my food intake and exercise, if it does not offend or bother anyone. I appreciate all the advice and will digest it further and see what will be the most helpful at this time. My wife wants to start to walk once the weather is nicer, so hopefully in the next month I will add walks to my exercise. I am also researching ways to excerise at my weight
 
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If you are making popcorn at home try skipping the butter and using a sriracha drizzle. Huge calorie discount with a nice taste to boot!
 
Day one on myfitmesspal. Goal was 3610 calories to lose one pound a week at my current weight. Did good until after supper and had 6 Oreo cookies and homemade popcorn with butter. (total of 1500 calories for the junk food) Ended up at 4300 calories. All food prepared at home. Its not the best start, but its a start.

I would like to post updates on here with my food intake and exercise, if it does not offend or bother anyone. I appreciate all the advice and will digest it further and see what will be the most helpful at this time. My wife wants to start to walk once the weather is nicer, so hopefully in the next month I will add walks to my exercise. I am also researching ways to excerise at my weight
Dont worry, just keep track and stay focus on the calories count. Some how you must make that a habit, once you get used to calories counting it will be easy. Rember that it is all about the calories and trying to move around to do some physical activity. The main goal is to not accumulate a whole bunch of calories on a consistent basis and move around for atleast 20 minutes a day. STAY FOCUSED ON CALORIES COUNTING:thumbup:
 
For everyone who has overweight, there is a a root cause. For me the root cause was wheat. Since late december I have avoided wheat products wherever I can. I bake my own spelt bread. Wheat screws with my blood sugar so I can eat all day. Now I have a lot more control of the portions and moments I eat.

Along with a healthier eating pattern (enabled by not eating wheat), eating more natural home made food and a bit more excersise, I lost 10kg in 2 months and still going strong.

what works for me might not work for you but I do think you need yo find your root cause for overweight.
 
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I think the most important thing that you should do is to not go on a diet. If you diet, you will certainly lose the weight that you want to lose, but once you have attained your desired weight, you will gain all the lost weight back. You need to make a lifestyle change. I would suggest doing some research into nutrition or even making an appointment with a nutritionist (some insurance policies will pay for this). Maybe start off with a movie like Food, Inc.

You can start off small by eliminating nutritiously-empty foods, such as soft drinks and desserts. I am a big fan of the paleo diet, but I am not going to try to convert you. You will have to find a diet (by "diet", I mean a way of eating, not a quick way to lose weight) that works for you.

And most importantly, good luck! Weight loss is so hard these days because we are constantly bombarded with marketing for unhealthy food. I used to weigh 250 pounds, but lost 60 pounds after adjusting the way that I eat. That was pretty tough.
 
Another vote for watching "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead".
I lost 50 lbs and have kept 40 of it off for over a year. Went from 275 to 225, I've maintained 235 since November 2012, 225 was too skinny. I'm 6'5".
Doctor told me I had a few years if I didn't fix the sleep apnea and lose the weight. I would think it's likely at your current weight that you are suffering from sleep apnea, and it could just be a symptom of the excess weight, or a root cause like it was for me.

I realize your situation is far more serious than mine. That's a great deal of weight to be lugging around. Major lifestyle changes are required to address obesity.

I few thoughts come to mind. Just a few things in no particular order of importance except the first:

Talk to your doctor. Discuss your options. If you snore badly, stop breathing or struggle with sleep, discuss a referral to a sleep specialist. Your deductible may be high (mine was $4,000) but if you are serious about tackling your health, I imagine you will meet it quickly. My medical bills for 2012 were $300,000, so the 4k I had to kick in was nothing, plus I'm not going to die at 50.

All high fructose corn syrup has to go. It's friggin' poison. Oreos, Mountain Dew, processed foods, etc.

If you can't live without soda, fruit juice and sparkling water is a great substitute.

Gently bouncing on a mini-tramp (with a handrail if needed) is a good low impact way to get started with exercise. You can watch tv while you do it. I used to watch a dvr'd motorcycle race while on the treadmill, made it easier to finish a workout as the timing, racing aspect and the whole start/finish aspect encouraged me not to stop like I would watching regular shows.

Wheat has to go if you want to lose a lot of weight.

Dairy isn't helping. Coconut milk can quench that craving.

Fruits and vegetables are your only real friends in this battle for your life.

Best of luck and good health.
 
I think the most important thing that you should do is to not go on a diet. If you diet, you will certainly lose the weight that you want to lose, but once you have attained your desired weight, you will gain all the lost weight back. You need to make a lifestyle change. I would suggest doing some research into nutrition or even making an appointment with a nutritionist (some insurance policies will pay for this). Maybe start off with a movie like Food, Inc.

You can start off small by eliminating nutritiously-empty foods, such as soft drinks and desserts. I am a big fan of the paleo diet, but I am not going to try to convert you. You will have to find a diet (by "diet", I mean a way of eating, not a quick way to lose weight) that works for you.

And most importantly, good luck! Weight loss is so hard these days because we are constantly bombarded with marketing for unhealthy food. I used to weigh 250 pounds, but lost 60 pounds after adjusting the way that I eat. That was pretty tough.

One thing that helps is that we do not have TV channels at the house, so that is at least one temptation not there. I have cut back on soft drinks as well due to many issues with my teeth from drinking soda (used to be a 2 liter+ a day habit).

One of the things I have been working at is eating three meals a day. I used to skip breakfast, but then gorged on lunch and supper, and kept candy and chips handy as snacks. Also would eat late at night with my wife when she has late night fast food cravings.....been trying to cut back on those runs as well. Been trying to pack my lunch (and breakfast as I am not a morning person, and sleep in as late as possible in the AM). Breakfast is typically 2 Tyson breakfast bowls, or 2 bagels with cream cheese. Lunch is leftovers from previous supper (if we have any, or I end up getting fast food). Supper is either cooked by my wife, or if she does not feel up to it, it is fast food.

This week my focus is to just journal on myfitnesspal and see where I stand calorie wise. Starting next week (Tuesday-Saturday is my work week), I am going to start to cut back to meet the calorie intake for the day. I appreciate all advice and suggestions given to me up to this point.

I do not like many healthy foods, so that is going to be a major battle I am facing. Will be seeking suggestions on this as I come to this barrier.

I do believe I can achieve my goal. I want to do this for me, to be able to shop at regular stores for clothes, and to be able to overcome this issue.
 
$No oreo B&B.jpg
 
You need to change your eating habits and your outlook on food.

I trained as a chief and worked as a dietitian in a hospital kitchen when I was younger. I LIKE food. I mean it is something that is all consuming to me.

When I got older (like retired older) I started slowing down and started pounding up (gaining weight).

The only way I got my life under control was to completely change the way I eat. It was easy to cut out the meals consumed outside of the home because I rarely had a meal out. I think the last time the wife and I had a meal away from home was over 14 years ago and that only because we were invited to a friend's anniversary dinner that we could not turn down. I have never frequented any fast food places and I never consumed any sodas (reg or diet).

If you do not purchase items you should not eat or wish to stop eating then you will not have them at your fingertips tempting you.

It is a mental process not a physical one.

Once you have set your mind it is easy to stick to the "plan"

If you cannot change your attitude toward food you should just accept what is happening and live life to its fullest and stop stressing about the fact that you are not going to change anything.
 
Another vote for watching "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead".
I lost 50 lbs and have kept 40 of it off for over a year. Went from 275 to 225, I've maintained 235 since November 2012, 225 was too skinny. I'm 6'5".
Doctor told me I had a few years if I didn't fix the sleep apnea and lose the weight. I would think it's likely at your current weight that you are suffering from sleep apnea, and it could just be a symptom of the excess weight, or a root cause like it was for me.

I realize your situation is far more serious than mine. That's a great deal of weight to be lugging around. Major lifestyle changes are required to address obesity.

I few thoughts come to mind. Just a few things in no particular order of importance except the first:

Talk to your doctor. Discuss your options. If you snore badly, stop breathing or struggle with sleep, discuss a referral to a sleep specialist. Your deductible may be high (mine was $4,000) but if you are serious about tackling your health, I imagine you will meet it quickly. My medical bills for 2012 were $300,000, so the 4k I had to kick in was nothing, plus I'm not going to die at 50.

All high fructose corn syrup has to go. It's friggin' poison. Oreos, Mountain Dew, processed foods, etc.

If you can't live without soda, fruit juice and sparkling water is a great substitute.

Gently bouncing on a mini-tramp (with a handrail if needed) is a good low impact way to get started with exercise. You can watch tv while you do it. I used to watch a dvr'd motorcycle race while on the treadmill, made it easier to finish a workout as the timing, racing aspect and the whole start/finish aspect encouraged me not to stop like I would watching regular shows.

Wheat has to go if you want to lose a lot of weight.

Dairy isn't helping. Coconut milk can quench that craving.

Fruits and vegetables are your only real friends in this battle for your life.

Best of luck and good health.


I have been tested for Sleep Apenia and have been tested and have a CPAP machine. I was always tired and barely functioned before getting the machine. It has helped greatly.
 
You need to change your eating habits and your outlook on food.

That has been my biggest struggle. It is why I ask for help, because I realize that this is a bigger issue than I can handle alone.

If you do not purchase items you should not eat or wish to stop eating then you will not have them at your fingertips tempting you.

It is a mental process not a physical one.

Once you have set your mind it is easy to stick to the "plan"

Exactly. That is where I am at currently. Trying to change the mental process towards food, as food has been a comfort for me all my life.

If you cannot change your attitude toward food you should just accept what is happening and live life to its fullest and stop stressing about the fact that you are not going to change anything.

The only issue is that I will be in a pine box by 40 if i don't fight for this now, and I want to be around for the future kids/grandkids.
 
I do not like many healthy foods, so that is going to be a major battle I am facing. Will be seeking suggestions on this as I come to this barrier.

Good idea. Healthy foods, even ones like Brussels sprouts, which many people cannot stand, can be prepared in a way to make them taste good. Once you stop eating a lot of sugar-laden foods, your taste buds will pick up sweetness more so. Because of that, foods that contain natural sugar, such as fruit or carrots, will taste very sweet to you. When I first started giving up sugar-laden foods, I thought that I had purchased the wrong type of carrots or something because they tasted so sweet.

I also think that making your diet public, either through this forum, like you did, or by telling your family and friends, is a good idea. It puts pressure on you to get results, which I have found helps when trying to lose weight. I would also try to get your wife to join you, at the very least for moral support, but that can be a tough conversation to have :lol:
 
One thing that helps is that we do not have TV channels at the house, so that is at least one temptation not there. I have cut back on soft drinks as well due to many issues with my teeth from drinking soda (used to be a 2 liter+ a day habit).

One of the things I have been working at is eating three meals a day. I used to skip breakfast, but then gorged on lunch and supper, and kept candy and chips handy as snacks. Also would eat late at night with my wife when she has late night fast food cravings.....been trying to cut back on those runs as well. Been trying to pack my lunch (and breakfast as I am not a morning person, and sleep in as late as possible in the AM). Breakfast is typically 2 Tyson breakfast bowls, or 2 bagels with cream cheese. Lunch is leftovers from previous supper (if we have any, or I end up getting fast food). Supper is either cooked by my wife, or if she does not feel up to it, it is fast food.

This week my focus is to just journal on myfitnesspal and see where I stand calorie wise. Starting next week (Tuesday-Saturday is my work week), I am going to start to cut back to meet the calorie intake for the day. I appreciate all advice and suggestions given to me up to this point.

I do not like many healthy foods, so that is going to be a major battle I am facing. Will be seeking suggestions on this as I come to this barrier.

I do believe I can achieve my goal. I want to do this for me, to be able to shop at regular stores for clothes, and to be able to overcome this issue.

Kev,

Tony did a nice job with the green, black, and red in an earlier post. It seems like you need to do the same with this post.

You've been given a lot of advice since you started the thread. You will need to determine which, if any of it, you want to incorporate into your life.

And don't worry about being a bother by posting what you eat, exercise, or caloric intake. If anyone isn't interested, he or she can ignore it. If it helps you, the post away.
 
Kev,

Tony did a nice job with the green, black, and red in an earlier post. It seems like you need to do the same with this post.

You've been given a lot of advice since you started the thread. You will need to determine which, if any of it, you want to incorporate into your life.

And don't worry about being a bother by posting what you eat, exercise, or caloric intake. If anyone isn't interested, he or she can ignore it. If it helps you, the post away.

It is true I have received a LOT of advice. I am still sifting through it all since I was not prepared for such a large response.

I honestly think the accountability by sharing online will help some in this battle, but you all can not do this for me. I need to be the one to fight for this.
 
I do not like many healthy foods, so that is going to be a major battle I am facing. Will be seeking suggestions on this as I come to this barrier.

You need to retrain your taste buds. You can start to do this by cutting out all premixed drinks that contain sugar or corn syrup (and especially those that contain high fructose corn syrup). Read the ingredients labels on products. You will be shocked to see that almost all bread contains high fructose corn syrup as does almost all breakfast cereal and just about every thing you find at a grocery store.

Stay away from products that have an ingredients label that looks like an advertisement for Monsanto and Dupont chemicals.

Prepare ALL of your meals yourself AT HOME. Use only fresh ingredients (fresh vegetables and fresh fruit). Don't be afraid to use ingredients that you would normally NOT use. Like apples with your meats and raisins and tree nuts.

This is what I prepared for dinner for my wife and I last evening.

1/2 chicken breasted cubed
1/2 stock celery thin sliced
2 florets of broccoli sliced and chopped
1/2 carrot grated
1/4 red bell pepper diced
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup mixed dried raisins, cranberries, and apricots
4 cloves garlic thin sliced
2 tbl dejon mustard
1 tbl fresh lime juice
2 tbl honey
fresh basil chiffonaded
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh chicken stock
1 cup of cooked brown rice

This made enough for dinner and a lunch serving for both of us another day.

I can say that I could not have had such a tasty meal in any of the restaurants locally here and we even have a 3 star Michelin guide restaurant in town

Healthy food does not have to taste like cardboard, sticks and twigs

I found that when we started trying to eat less that switching from a standard 12" diameter dinner plate to a 8" diameter salad plate helped with portion control. People have a tendency to fill their plate so a smaller plate gets less on it yet still looks full
 
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Do you have any training in cooking? Have you taken a cooking class?

What is your history regarding food preparation at home?

I was very lucky when I was younger as I snagged a job working in a hospital kitchen and learned a lot about nutrition and dietary restrictions as there were a LOT of special diets going out at every meal as well as basic healthy food for the general patent population.

Have you considered taking a cooking class? If you do not have a solid base of understanding about basic cooking and basic nutrition this might be very beneficial to you.

Contact your local community college and see what they offer in the way of culinary arts classes. Who knows..... you may find that you will fall into a new career as well as lose weight in the process.
 
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