Losing the Beer Gut

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

Well I gained 10 pounds last semester because I had zero motivation. Pretty bad actually. Trying to get back into it now. Workout 3-5 times a week, TRYING to watch what I eat, but working at the Den doesn't help the waistline.
Anyways, quick question...I got sick of the track and started using the stairs on the side. Pretty much running up and down them. Once walking, once jogging, the once sprinting...then walk half the length of the track, then I repeat.
Is that a good thing to do or should I just stick running around the track? Now that I have my iPod I guess the track can't be all that bad.

You the hot waiter at the Den?

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Mango

I keep a log of what I eat everyday .

I'm all for fitness and all that, but that is just going too far. The whole place must reek.

[ernie]

Simple really. No need for gimmicks. No need to avoid anything but the obvious.

Follow the American Diabetes Association eating plan. It's essentially the food pyramid but has programs for easy, steady, safe weight loss. Best of all you can pretty much eat what you like (pasta, potatoes etc) but just do it in the correct proportions. As metnioned above you do want to go with whole grain products. I've never known anyone who is hungry if they eat properly. Basically the plan for losing 1 pound per week (without exercise...exercise and more comes off):

Breakfast: 1 bowl of cereal (typically 2 suggested serving sizes...about 260 calories or so), 1 cup milk, 1 piece of fruit.

Lunch: 2/3 cup cooked brown rice (it's better for you) or 6 oz potatoe; ~ 2.5 oz protein (depends on the meat...you can have about 4.0 oz of lean skinless chicken breast), 1 1/2 cups of veg (precooked amount), 1 piece of fruit

Dinner: 1 cup brown rice or 9 oz potatoe (or pasta/starch equivalent); ~3 oz of protein, 2 cups of veg, 1 cup of milk

Snack: can basically be anything around 150-200 calories (fruit, half bowl of cereal etc).

The main problem north americans have besides too much sugar etc is that we eat too much meat which is absolutely loaded with calories.

Follow this and I guarantee you will lose weight and keep it off as you are eating everything you normally would but in proper quantities (as someone mentioned it is helpful to keep a log for the first couple of months until it becomes automatic). There is also a plan for weight maintenance which basically involves upping the carbs and protein a bit. If you are used to snacking it may be hard at first not because you are truly hungry but because your body expects you to start snacking. For those times there is nothing better than those prepackaged baby cut carrots IMO. Once you are on this for about 3 weeks it will be hard for you to go back....it really does make you feel that much healthier. And the nest thing is you can have a binge weekend and not have it affect ou if you go back to proper eating for the next couple of weeks. I will warn you though once you are on it for 6 months it will be very difficult to have more than a slice of greasy pizza....you will start to actually get physically naseous when you try to eat a lot of grease and fatty crap in one sitting. I look at it as one more reason to keep eating the way I do. using this plan I've lost about 25 pounds since mid-October. Slow and steady weight loss wins the race.

BTW for the women reading this board stay away from Atkins...several new studies are showing that it leads to a big time shortfall in folic acid. And this lack of folic acid is now being pointed to as a major determining factor for some cancers. Really no one should be on atkins it has been proven over and over again to not be effective for permanent weight loss. No gimmick diet is...the only thing that works permamnently is eating a well balanced diet and burning off what you eat.

[calf]

Originally Posted by Buff

Like my dad used to always say "Cream is fattening and the girls say I'm sweet enough, so I don't need sugar either"

\well yeah, but enough to make any sort of difference? (2 cups a day)

[FlamesKickAss]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

For all you diet coke fanatics out there, a word of caution. Aspartame is being shown to have some pretty bad health effects (ie. mild neurotoxin). Just remember that it is just a compound that tastes sweet but behaves totally different in the body than sucrose. Various carbohydrates (sugars) are used/found in the body naturally. . .aspartame is not.

I have Asthma and aspartame sets it off, so I dont touch Diet pop, cant wait to get the splenda up here and maybe then i'll start to drink it.

[Rhettzky]

Play shinny hockey once a week. For faster results add one or two extra days per week.

Seriously it's great cardio and unlike the stair master you will actually look forwards to doing it.

[Coolsurfer79]

I don't like most of the suggestions people have given. While cardio is definately important for cardio health, it is not the be all and end all of long term health and weight loss. Diet is definately important. you want lots of quality proteins such as lean meats and fish. Also vegetables are definately a must. the are rich in numerous vitamins and other nutrients. Other things you want are some fruits, berries, nuts, beans, and other natural food products. It is pretty hard to go wrong with natural unrefined products.

As for exercise, I think most of the previous poster have over emphasized cardio training. The key to weight loss is weight training. Muscle burns more calories than fat. As a beginner you will even be able to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Be advised that as you advance this will not really be possible. The best exercises do do would probably be the deadlift, squats, pullups, pusups and/or bench presses, and perhaps some sort of shoulder press. With these few exercises you will really give your body a good workout. You can do them at a gym or pick up a few pieces of equipment and do it at home. Their are also many alternatives which require no equipment at all.

Personally I went from being 195 pounds and I was pertty week. I remember in school I couldn't do a single chinup or pullup. Now I am around 175, up from a much lower weight. I can easily do 10 pullups and even 1 with 50 punds around my waist. I can bench my body weight, and press over 100 punds over my head. All this and I can still run some fairly good distances.

You also have to be careful about taking advice from body builders. They are just worried about astetics. I believe health and strength are much more important. My favorite website right now is www.crossfit.com. I haven't got into it completely right now, but I have used some of thier advice. It is a training method for police, firemen, and military personel. People who need strength in real life situations. I would highly recommend this site if you wan to really improve yourself.

[Bobblehead]

I just signed up for a new gym being built in the NE. I used to go to World health in Sunridge for almost 3 years, but for a number of reasons became unhappy with them, then when my office moved, it became a PITA to get there regularly (all excuses, I know). I've gained weight very slowly, but as a result I noticed it comes off very slowly.

The best weight loss plan I ever had was a summer job tree planting. I lost 20 pounds in 2 months, and was eating/drinking anything and everything. Walking through clearcut land, carrying as many saplings as you can, and planting 1000+ of them a day really takes the weight off.

[CaramonLS]

As someone who has lost 40 lbs (still have a ways to go as well), I can tell you it is a pretty hard thing to do as TOTF said.

Diet was the key thing for me.

- Always always always eat breakfast, I can't stress the importance of that enough.
- Eat smaller meals, it stops the inbetween meal snackings and it keeps you full.
- Keep away from junk food/fast food. Subway is OK as TOTF said, cereal is always a good option as well as all-bran (if you've been eating junk, chances are you aren't that "regular").
- Having one "bad meal" a week is alright, I know for me at least it helped me keep on the diet as gives you motivation. But keep everything in moderation.
- Stay away from Diet Pop. I used to have a big problem with that, but it does some wonky things to your system and I beleive it actually makes you hungier.
- Eat some Veggies. Even find just 1-2 kinds you like, those help cut down on snacking.

Exercise: I do it 3x a week for an hour (each session).

- Aerobic exercise w/ light (5 lbs) weights or combinations of Cardio/weight training are the best. Muscle will help you keep the weight off and boosts your metabolic rate.

[Pagal4321]

Originally Posted by FireFly

You the hot waiter at the Den?

Nope I would be the hot cook at the Den!

[jimmy11]

Hi everyone,

Ok, well as someone going through the Diet thing right now, I can relate to a lot of this stuff.

The biggest thing I would recommend (if you can afford it) is getting a personal trainer. The guy I have has taught me so many exercises that I would have never thought of and that work your whole body at once, not just zoning in on one area.

He has also taught me how to circuit train properly. Basically, you will loose more weight lifting weights properly than just running and biking for an hour. This happens because circuit training gets your heart rate as high as straight cardio, but because you were lifting weights, your muscles in an attempt to repair themselves will continue to burn fat for the next day.

I have cut my body fat percentage a lot since starting.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

I'm all for fitness and all that, but that is just going too far. The whole place must reek.

LOL Zing! Perhaps I should call it a journal!

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

- Stay away from Diet Pop. I used to have a big problem with that, but it does some wonky things to your system and I beleive it actually makes you hungier.

I actually have an explanation for this one.

Carbonated drinks will dehydrate you. Caffeine will also dehydrate you. Unfortunately, the most widely available diet drinks are both caffeinated and carbonated so they tend to dehydrate you to an even higher degree (so much so that your body will require a higher volume of water to flush out the caffeine and rehydrate your system after drinking a Diet Coke).

Now, most people's brains confuse the thirst impulse with the hunger impulse so this is probably the reason why you think diet pop makes you hungrier.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Reaper

I actually have an explanation for this one.

Carbonated drinks will dehydrate you. Caffeine will also dehydrate you. Unfortunately, the most widely available diet drinks are both caffeinated and carbonated so they tend to dehydrate you to an even higher degree (so much so that your body will require a higher volume of water to flush out the caffeine and rehydrate your system after drinking a Diet Coke).

Now, most people's brains confuse the thirst impulse with the hunger impulse so this is probably the reason why you think diet pop makes you hungrier.

Well, that and there is all of the unsubstaniated health issues as well with Aspertame, who really knows what the deal is w/ that.

[LGA]

Basically running a lot, and for a long duration while semi-watching what you eat will get you in pretty good shape. Personally I play hockey essentially 5 nights a week, that keeps my weight in pretty good proportion.

I also don't really sleep that much, so the hours I spend watching TV past midnight I usually am also doing situps, pushups and the like. So yea, if you ever find the need not to sleep just randomly do excercise, it'll tire you out...or just make you want to work out more, either way, it gets the job done.

[LGA]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

Well I gained 10 pounds last semester because I had zero motivation. Pretty bad actually. Trying to get back into it now. Workout 3-5 times a week, TRYING to watch what I eat, but working at the Den doesn't help the waistline.
Anyways, quick question...I got sick of the track and started using the stairs on the side. Pretty much running up and down them. Once walking, once jogging, the once sprinting...then walk half the length of the track, then I repeat.
Is that a good thing to do or should I just stick running around the track? Now that I have my iPod I guess the track can't be all that bad.

Running up the stairs (essentially like running up a hill) should actually help you build muscle in your legs, while running on the track is a lot more cardio oriented. Not to say that running the stairs won't get you out of breath (it will), or that running the track won't get your legs burning (it will too), just that the focus is a bit different.

[CMPunk]

I joined Weight Watchers in January and I've lost close to 20 lbs since then. I've never been a big exercise guy...I'd rather play hockey then hit the gym, and just adjusting my diet has really helped out.

[RedMan12]

Don't be such a pretty boy. I got a nice little gut from slamming down beers and its no inconvience. I got a hot fiance, who is skinny and she does not mind my real "6 pack." I mean if my gut looked like Randy's on Trailer Park Boys I would want to get rid of it.

[flames_1987]

Originally Posted by RedMan12

Don't be such a pretty boy. I got a nice little gut from slamming down beers and its no inconvience. I got a hot fiance, who is skinny and she does not mind my real "6 pack." I mean if my gut looked like Randy's on Trailer Park Boys I would want to get rid of it.

Great advice

[LGA]

Originally Posted by RedMan12

Don't be such a pretty boy. I got a nice little gut from slamming down beers and its no inconvience. I got a hot fiance, who is skinny and she does not mind my real "6 pack." I mean if my gut looked like Randy's on Trailer Park Boys I would want to get rid of it.

The inbetween-er stage. Not sure if you want the 6-pack or the keg...