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Author: Gary
Date: 07-12-03 11:48
......another added point, I've learned that it is easier to stay on a diet if you don't go around feeling hungry all the time, that is why filling up on low-fat / low calorie foods like low calorie cole slaw can really help. There are low calories foods that you can eat a larger volume of in order to get that "full" feeling without going over your daily calorie level.
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Author: Spud 457/198/157
Date: 07-12-03 12:40
Hi Gary!
When I started my regime to lose weight and get healty in February of last year I was in a similar position as yourself. I knew I weighed over 350 pounds (as high as the scale in the doctor's office would go) but didn't know the exact figure. I ended up buying a scale from a company called Tanita that would go as high as 600 pounds. It turns out that I weighed 457 pounds which was less than the 500 I had feared. I believe it is of vital importance to be able to weigh yourself at least once a week to get a sense of your progress. Being able to quantify your progress is something that I believe really helps to keep you going. My advice to you is to either buy a scale with higher limits or find one that you can use on a weekly basis. At 6'0" weighing 457 I wore size 58-60 pants. I now wear size 36 jeans and weigh 198. It sounds like you know exactly how to lose weight, daily exercise as well as limiting your calories, that's how I did it and how you can do it too.
That 1200 calories a day figure I believe is mostly a butt-covering measure. Nobody wants to advise you to starve yourself and risk the effects of malnutrition. There is also a belief that the faster you lose weight the faster you can gain it back although I have never seen any evidence to support this idea. Another popular notion is that if you cut your calories too drasticly you will go crazy and eventually fall hard and heavy off the wagon and eat everything in sight and give up in disgust. The final danger of losing weight too quickly is that you might develop very painful gallstones. So malnutrition and gallstones are the big reasons not to too severly limit your calorie intake. I think you can ward off malnutrition by taking a multivitimin every day, but I don't know about gallstones; so far I've been lucky. The other thing you often hear with regard to that 1200 calorie figure is that it is ok to dip below that if you have your doctor's approval.
One final note of encouragement for you. The heavier you are the more calories your body needs to take in to support itself. Your basal metabolic rate is how many calories your body burns in a day simpily keeping you alive. That is to say keeping your heart beating, your lungs breathing, your temperature at a constant rate, that kind of thing. So weighing in at over 350 pounds your body needs a lot of calories to maintain itself. This is a good thing, because initially this will help you lose weight very quickly, and you will see progress and results right away. This is why you need to be able to quantify these results, because the results will help sustain you during the more difficult parts of your journey.
Welcome to the board!
spud
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Author: Gary
Date: 07-12-03 14:23
Thanks for the encouragement Spud, it is appreciated !
I searched thru some of the posts and read the story of your success and that in itself is an encouragement to others that it can be done.
The other thing I remember hearing about the 1200 calorie minimum is that I read that if your body feels like it is starving that it will slow down your metabolism as a defense mechanism and slow your weight loss because it thinks it is starving,
now I don't know for sure how accurate that is, but I would think that your body would go by how you feel, that as long as you ate enough (low calorie) food to keep from feeling hungry all the time then your body would not fight losing weight,
reguardless if the daily calories were under 1200,
I don't know for sure though, I'll have to research that some more, perhaps you or someone else on the list has read more info about that somewhere.
With the low-fat low-calories foods I am eating I have been able to eat enough to feel full and still only be at about 800 to 900 calories a day, so hopefully that is close enough to that 1200 calorie minimum (if that is accurate) because I would not want to eat more unless it was a must, especially since the 800 to 900 calories a day does not leave me hungry.
(If I had to increase it to 1200 a day then I guess I would just have to try to increase my exercise enough to burn off 400 more calories to make up for it,
because when you have this much weight to lose it would be difficult to settle for less than at least 5 lbs a week)
Most of the time in the past I don't remember being that much of an overeater, (of course I'm sure we all have had our times when pigged out on occasion) but I think that my problem was a combination of extreme lack of exercise especially in recent years just working behind a desk, and eating the wrong type of foods, high fat, high calorie foods and snacks, (I would name some but I don't want to make people on this board hungry for such foods :-) so now I need to increase my exercise and eat low-fat, low-calorie foods.
Gary
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Author: Spud 457/198/157
Date: 07-12-03 17:14
I believe the whole slow-down-your-metabolism-as-a-defense-mechanism is commonly refered to as "starvation mode". I've heard a lot of speculation as to how this can bring your weight loss to a standstill and I've often heard people give advice that dieters should actually eat more calories to combat this effect if they wish to continue losing weight. I think it's bunk personally, I believe that your body will do what it can to adapt to low calorie conditions but ultimately people all over the world continue to starve. People are much quicker to blame changes in their metabolism as to why they might not be losing weight rather than taking a hard look at their diet and exercise.
I think that 5 pounds a week is an attainable goal for somebody who has as high of a basal metabolic rate as you do and who is as commited as you sound. I'm amazed you don't feel frequent hunger pangs eating as few calories as you do. Just a warning though, I've read time and time again that it isn't healthy to lose more than 2 pounds a month. A wisdom I've ignored without any ill effects, but don't take my word for it, ask your doctor.
spud
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Author: SheilaH 301/276.5/???
Date: 07-12-03 17:57
The minimum calories for women is 1200 and men is 1500..unless doctor approved. You should get an ok from your doctor if you are going to below that. I am thinking that you could have trouble with your blood sugar getting too low and probably other problems as well.
As far as weight gain from new muscle...from what I have read here it is hard to gain over a pound of muscle per month. A young man going by the id of GymMachine knows a lot about the building of muscles, types of training and just about anything you would want to know about fitness. If you do a search on him you will find a lot of good info. He usually comes on very late at night or very early morning because he lives in Australia. I thnk he is a personal trainer, if not he ought to be. If you have any questions just ask him and he'll answer. I can't remember if he comes on much during the week-ends or not. It is a lot slower here on week-ends than it is thourgh the week.
Check back often and read some of the back posts. Inspiration, motivation, understanding, information, and support is overflowing here.
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Author: efs 202/177/160
Date: 07-12-03 19:17
Did you mean 2 lbs. a month, or 2 lbs. a week?
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Author: Doug 272/158/170
Date: 07-12-03 20:00
I agree with Spud except I usually use somewhat more colorful language than "bunk" when talking about it.
The regulars here are probably getting tired of reading this but since you are new here I am going to post my usual rant on this subject:
If you really think about it “starvation mode” does not make a lot of sense.
If you suffered a financial setback would your mortgage payment go down and would the grocery store start charging you less for the same food?
As your car gets close to running out of gas does it get much better gas mileage?
Just because your body would like to use fewer calories when you eat less does not mean it can. To do so it would either have to quit doing some activity or find a way to operate more efficiently.
Your body always operates as efficiently as possible, why would it ever do anything else? Waiting for “starvation mode” to start operating efficiently would be like deliberately rigging a car to get really bad mileage until the gas tank was close to empty.
There are very few activities your body can quit performing. It cannot stop breathing, pumping blood or maintaining your body temperature. The most your body can do is cut back a little on activities like maintaining your body temperature (anorexics often feel cold all the time) but these sort of cutbacks can only reduce the amount of calories your body burns by a few percent. Your body can also make you feel so tired that you will want to cut back on exercise but it does not sound like you are exercising less.
How many calories you burn each day is mostly determined by (in order of importance):
1 – How much you weigh.
2 – How active you are.
3 – Your body composition. (Muscle burns off a little more food than the same weight of fat)
4 – How efficiently your body converts food into energy.
Item 4 is like your body temperature. Everyone’s is virtually the same and anything that can change it by more than a few percent is the result of a serious medical condition or likely to cause one.
BTW - 76 pounds in 13 weeks is extraordinary. It took me a year to lose that much. Even at 3 to 5 pounds/week you are doing very well.
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Author: Gary
Date: 07-12-03 20:43
Thanks Spud,
I think you probally meant to say 2 pounds a week :-)
I don't think it should be a problem but I can call and ask my doctor next week about it, I would think the doctor will probally say it's ok as long as I don't start feeling any ill effects from losing 5 pounds a week. (hopefully that is what it will be).
I think that I am not feeling any hunger pains because I can eat enough volume of food to make me feel full and still keep my calories low because I fill up on low-fat low-calorie foods.
One example is low-fat cole slaw made from shredded cabbage and fat-free low-calorie mayo (10 calories per tablespoon), the shredded cabbage part of the cole slaw is very filling and there might be about 2 tablespoons or less of mayo per 4 cups of shredded cabbage so that is only 20 calories plus the very low calories from the cabbage.
Another example is a bologna and cheese sandwich that is only 165 calories -
2 slices of low-calorie bread = 80 calories
2 slices of fat-free low calorie bologna = 40 calories
1 slice of fat-free low calorie cheese = 25 calories
2 tablespoons of fat-free low calorie mayo = 20 calories
(I didn't have any lettuce to add, but adding some lettuce and even pickles would not add much calories and make it even more filling)
I also fill up some on low-calorie veggies like brocolli, green beans,
or brussel sprouts, I might flavor it with one tablespoon of low-fat low-calorie spread that is only 20 calories a tablespoon.
That low-fat low calorie cole slaw is an excellent filler as a side dish to help make you feel full, I have even been feeling somewhat fuller for longer periods than when I ate regular fattening foods before.
I also drink a few glasses of ice tea sweetened with Equal sweetener.
.....and yes, I am determined, it is actually fun (and amazing) to see what volume of low-fat low-calorie food that can be eaten and still be about 800 to 900 calories,
and I actually look forward to getting on the treadmill because I feel invigorated after each exercise session, so when the weight starts coming off that will just add to the fun, I am looking at it as a "get fit" adventure rather than as something to endure, and it helps to realize that I really can lose the weight and enjoy doing so because you can make some delicious meals that are low-fat and low calorie and eat enough to feel full and still be under 900 calories.
Gary
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Author: Gary
Date: 07-12-03 20:46
Thanks for the encouragement and tips Sheila, I will check with my doctor next week but I'm sure it won't be a problem with her, she will be glad to see me lose the weight also. It's late now, but I'll see about checking for those muscle related posts within a few days. Thanks !
Gary
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Author: Gary
Date: 07-12-03 20:55
Thanks for the info Doug, and I tend to agree with you that it is just basically a matter of more calories burned than taken in will equal weight loss, I still might try to find a scientific medical site that verifies that the metabolism slowdown idea is false that way we can have something to refer people to that are not sure.
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Author: Eric 272/257/188
Date: 07-12-03 21:05
Hey Gary,
Welcome aboard. I'm a realtive newbie around here compared to Spud, but I am so happy with the encouragement and motivation I get here. Folks like Spud really let you know it's possible. I am 45 and have had two heart attacks about six years ago, and I'm glad you're getting your life under control before you have any more difficulties. I just encourage you to come here often, especially when you are discouraged!
Best of luck,
Eric
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Author: Renee
Date: 07-13-03 05:12
Gary, my local bbq restaurant makes cole slaw with shredded cabbage, a little sugar (just a little I promise, like a tsp, you can add it to taste), celery seeds and vinegar. It is amazingly delicious! Very light and crispy with a very yummy flavor!!!! Hardly any calories in it.
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Author: rubyspirit 245/160.0/155
Date: 07-13-03 05:20
Hi Gary.
I restricted my calories very low in the beginning and lost an average of 3.5 lbs a week for the first 3 months. I believe drinking at least 8 cups of water to keep the organs hydrated is VERY important. Diet + Exercise + Water = Success in Health
To answer your questions:
I don't believe kids are born with fat cells. I believe parents overfeed their kids. I read something the other day about food being a pacifier for some parents, and I witness it among people I know today. So don't worry. If you want to get fit, you can. Old habits can be broken.
Onions and carrots are root vegetables, therefore they are very good for the body. Concentrated vitamins. I don't see any reason to restrict them. In fact, onion's sole purpose (other than flavor) is to strengthen the immune system.
Welcome to the group!
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Author: Gary
Date: 07-13-03 06:32
Thanks for the recipe Renee,
I appreciate the thought and I realize that a tsp of sugar may not be much to worry about calorie-wise but since I enjoy the slaw without it then I figure why add it if it tastes ok to me without it ?
I am looking at established recipes a whole new way now, and seeing that I can either substitute or leave out higher calorie and higher fat ingredients and the recipe still tastes just fine.
Even before I started this diet I experiented with leaving out some higher fat ingredients out of recipes, like "Rice-a-Roni" for example calls for adding butter or margarine, I would simply leave it out and it would still taste great, of course now that I am on this diet I am avoiding stuff like that because even though it might be low in fat it is still a little too high in carbs and I read that it is good to keep the carbs low too, is that correct ? What's the general thought on carbs ?
I keep my diet low in
1.)calories
2.)fat
3.)carbs
Gary
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Author: Gary
Date: 07-13-03 06:39
Thanks for the encouragement Eric,
has your condition improved in the last 6 years ?
do you still have any symptoms ?
I would imagine that losing weight can help reverse the potential for any future problems to a great degree, since it has been 6 years does your doctor have you on any restrictions as far as the level of exercise ?
Stay encouraged knowing success in weight loss will happen as long as we stick with the program !
Gary
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Author: Gary
Date: 07-13-03 06:48
Thanks for the encouragement and the tips, and yes, that is what happened to me is that my mom had told me that she overfed me as a baby because I was born a very tiny premature and she was scared about me being so tiny so that's more than likely why I my earliest memories are of being overweight even at 4 years old.
I'll have to research onions and carrots some more and ask my doctor why she said to avoid those on a diet, they seem like healthy foods to eat and I had heard that onions were good for the heart and good for you in general.
....that reminded me of a few funnies -
"An apple a day may keep the doctor away,
but an onion a day will keep everyone away :-)"
"Eating garlic is good for your health -
no one will get close enough to give you their germs :-)"
.......I have heard that garlic is good for you in general but I have not researched if it is ok on a diet though.
Gary
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Author: Tonya 156/144/135
Date: 07-13-03 19:05
You sound like you're on the right track. My weightloss has been very slow. I should look into more of the low calorie and fat food. However, I am really afraid that it will taste like crap. So, thus far I have been keeping flavor in exchange for slow loss. However, if I'm mistaken and could lose it a little quicker (I am at about 1/2 lb a week), I'd go for it.
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Author: Gary
Date: 07-13-03 19:45
Low calorie and low fat does not mean it has to be bland in taste, there are ways to spice up food without adding fat or calories like spices, and I recently looked at the ingredient listing on some bottles of mustard, both regular mustard and spicy deli style mustard and they both are listed as zero fat and zero calories !
(I wish more foods could be like that :-)
Gary
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