Let's talk about diet, weight(loss?), and living healthier

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by #-3

And I'm trying to restrict my eating to 9am-9pm. Some might call it intermittent fasting, I'm just cutting out the late night snacking, and the desire to stop for coffee and pastries on the way to work. Instead having maybe some tea and cheese at 9 or 10 in the morning while sitting at my desk.

This was a big one to change for me, especially since those late night snacks are typically junk food. During the week I try to go from 6 PM (after dinner) to 10:30 AM the next morning, with an apple and a healthy-ish granola bar for breakfast at that time every day. A little bit looser on the weekends with the rules (since I'm less scheduled in general) but it does make a huge difference. It helps to shift your mentality around being hungry too -- as in, you don't need to put something in your mouth at the first sign of needing a snack. It's okay to let yourself get actually hungry (to a point, of course).

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by blankall

You have a wife that encourages you to do 5-6 gym days plus running every week? I'm jealous. I have to sneak out to get 3 days in the gym a week. Although our child being 2 probably has a lot do with that.

My son is almost 2 and I'm in the gym 5-6 days per week, if not 7.
It's a non negotiable for me, and my wife understands that.

I tell her it's a trade off of me taking that time now to ensure I age well, stay healthy and fit to keep up with him as he gets older and more active, and for mental health.
The benefits of exercise really do make you a better father and husband.

The alternative is I get out of shape, won't be able to keep up with him by the time he's 10 and worst case scenario increase my risk of heart disease and other illnesses go up, so I might not even around for him.

A little extra time away now means you're likely around a lot more later.

I recently joined a new gym that has a kids daycare type service in it as well, so that really helps. I can drop him off for an hour of play, give my wife a break and get my workout in all at once.

[Jiggy_12]

For anyone stuck feeling like its a tough mountain to climb and don't know where to start - this is what I did about 10 years ago when I wanted to drop about 60 lbs. Started with some really tiny changes that didn't actually impact my lifestyle. Once I saw the immediate improvements, that gave me the motivation to make the bigger changes.

Some really small things you can do (just talking diet):

Instead of a double double coffee once or twice a day, start to ween off that. switch to 1 cream 1 sugar, then switch to just 1 cream, then 1 milk, then black. Stop at whichever level you still enjoy but give yourself time to get used to it if you don't immediatley like it.

Kick the soda habit. switch to carbonated water, kombucha, tea etc.

Sometimes we have no choice but to get fast food. But skip the side of fries. Instead, just double the protein. You'll feel more satiated too.

Say no to things. People are always offering food at the office. Its someone's birthday so there's cake. Pizza lunch. Someone brings in Halloween candy. When it's xmas time there's always baked goods and sweets. Its always something. just make a rule to say no, pack your own snacks and lunch.

late night snacking - unavoidable. Switch to lightly salted popcorn (with a little bit of butter) or crunch on some pickles (watch the sodium).

Just in general try to eat more protein whenever you have the opportunity.

Stuff like this is really quite easy and doesn't take too much effort, and within 2 weeks you'll begin to notice a difference.

[Aegypticus]

A couple of years ago my brother and I started walking together in the late afternoons. We both wanted to work on fitness and weight loss, but he started in a much better place than I did, although I believe he was at his all-time heaviest when we started.

We started with 3-4 km, going at a 9:30-10:00/km pace, and only going a couple times a week. It was hard at the start. Everything hurt, and my cardio was atrocious. But because we’re both competitive, we started trying to push a little harder. We started in December, and by late February we were going more like 3-5 times per week, and had increased our distance to 5 km or so. We also tried to push our pace, and by March we were down to 9:00/km. By April we were up to 6 km walks, we were going out closer to 6 times per week, and our pace was 8:00/km.

The progression felt so natural, and having someone to go with every day made it so much easier to motivate each other to get out there. By summer of 2022 we settled into a routine of going roughly 6 times per week, usually 6 km, and we got our pure walking pace down to around 7:30/km, which we found was around the maximum we could push while maintaining a reasonably natural gait, although we’ve occasionally been able to go as low as 7:10 when we’re both feeling it.

We combined the exercise with tracking calories through MyFitnessPal. I lost around 80 lbs in almost a year, although I’ve put a little back on by getting too lax with snacking and booze lately.

By late summer we started incorporating some running into the walks. It wasn’t really a conscious decision, it just felt natural by then. We had increased our walking speed as much as we could, but we still wanted to go faster, so we just started running a bit. We started with 500m here, a km there, right in the middle of our walks.

In September 2022 I was doing a few solo walks while my brother was away, and I wanted to see if I could run 3 km non-stop. I had never even run 2 km straight in my entire life, even when I was playing soccer as a teenager. I ran 3 km and still felt great, so I ran 3 km more. I couldn’t believe I ran 6 km without stopping. A year earlier I would have been tasting blood and looking for somewhere to curl up and die if I tried to run even 1 km. I’m 38 now, and if you had told me when I was 30 that someday I would be able to run for 40 minutes nonstop I would have looked at you like you had two heads.

We’ve kept up the walking routine very religiously, and it’s something that I really look forward to now. I get to have a 45 minute conversation with my brother while getting fresh air and sun and getting a vigorous cardio workout. We always walk fast, aiming for 7:30/km as tracked by our Apple Watches. We try to get out 6 days a week (unless it’s -30, although we still try to get out at least a couple times). We go at least 6 km, although we frequently stretch it out if we’re feeling good. And we still incorporate some running when we feel like it, although we never force it.

I haven’t felt yet like I really want to incorporate any sort of weight training. In the past I’ve always found lifting to be ridiculously tedious and mind-numbing, whereas on the walks we frequently run out of walk before we run out of discussion. I also feel that if I only work on one part of my fitness, that cardio is by far the best thing I can do. I’m 6’2” and started at approximately 270 lbs, and dropped down as low as 185 lbs in late 2022. On the plus side, starting that heavy and doing so much walking and running meant by the time I dropped under 200 lbs, my legs were absolutely chiseled out of stone. I’m talking almost bodybuilder status. So that was nice.

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Aegypticus

I’m 38 now, and if you had told me when I was 30 that someday I would be able to run for 40 minutes nonstop I would have looked at you like you had two heads.

Yeah this feels crazy to me too right now. I got my 5km time under 30 minutes recently, which requires running for (basically) the entire time, and I thought... man, if I went back two years and told fat, out-of-shape me this...

[TSXCman]

I like the thread, especially in a local community. Thanks!

Need to shed some fat (~28% body fat on a not accurate tool) and build on skeletal muscular system, after being a desk jockey for more than half my life.

36 and 5'10
Sep 2023: 203 lbs (living at site for work for 2+ years)
Nov 2023: 188 lbs (back home, access to groceries, high stress)
Feb 2024: 190 lbs (good food, high stress, 5000+ steps a day, no other activity)

The biggest thing right now is just starting a workout routine. I have an olympic weight set in my home and was going to just do a 5x5 or 5x3 olympic program. But, starting back into it has already slid ~5 months!

Tools:
- Garmin s70
- Olympic weight set, dumbbells, and chinup bar
- MyFitnessPal (haven't logged in for a while)
- Bicycle when snow leaves

Questions:
What are some good jump starts and accountability methods?
Is cardio required before lifting or can I just get through them?
Minimum supplements to be taking?
Minimum stretching program for ankles, knees, hips, and back? I can barely squat.

[MRCboicgy]

I should invite my friend to participate in CP, even though he's not a Flames fan. He went from 250 - 150 over a 3 yr period, and recently completed 10 years of keeping the weight off and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

He documented everything and that's what helped him stay lean. Biggest takeaways he shared as I tried to get healthier:

- Switching from pop to loose leaf iced tea
- Eating only between 8:30-18:30 (intermittent fasting)
- Overnight oats for breakfast
- Cutting out condiments/sauces - all those hidden calories and sugar - and basically using hot sauce if we need to moisten up dry food. (so.much.valentina.)
- Cardio 2x a week / Strength training 3x a week

While I don't need to make the change he did, those five things got me to lose 10 lbs since Oct, not a ton, but my trainer figures I have lost 30 lbs of fat and put on 20 lbs of lean mass.
If I could cut out scotch, I'd be in a better place, but I have my weekend drinks at least.

Good luck - everyone has a personal journey and you have to do a lot of a/b testing with yourself.

[Buff]

In late 2005, early 2006 I weighed in at 275 lbs. I was overweight and out of energy.

End of summer 2006 I got sick and lost 35 lbs, but re-gained about 20 lbs. Due to that I was on a loosely planned mission to lose weight. My weekly game of pickup hockey wasn't enough so I tried lifting weights again. I couldn't get on track though. I did stop going to all-you-can eat buffets in 2006 when I got sick. Largely because I changed jobs and there was hardly any restaurants around my new office!

In 2007 my team did a weight loss challenge at work. I "won". I got down to 230 lbs. I plateaued there for a few years. I tried several workouts but just didn't stick to them. Then in November of 2012 came the life altering news. Diabetes.

I was at 225 lbs. when I was diagnosed. I didn't know how to manage my diet properly so I had completely cut out sugar for a little over a month. I dropped 10 lbs and fast! After finally seeing a dietician I was able to eat much more healthy and I got down to 205 lbs. 2013 I was also doing DDPYoga and throughout 2013 and 2014 I was leaner, stronger, faster and more flexible than I ever was. Then came an injury in 2015... Also, in spite of being diabetic, I found it was way too easy to manage my glucose levels. Cheats became more common and I have hovered around 215 lbs ever since then.

I'd get back on the DDPYoga and still keep good glucose levels but I wasn't as dedicated to my diet as I initially was. My yearly year-end hockey injury prevented me from being as dedicated to DDPYoga as I was hoping to be.

That healthy version of me in 2013/2014 is a distant memory. Frozen shoulder hit me in 2021. I was in constant pain until I finally got cortisone shot. 2022 was getting better and then 11 months ago I separated my shoulder.... just as I was starting to get into a good workout rhythm. Summer was bad diet and bad levels of activity for the 2nd time in 3 years. Now I'm between 225 and 230 and struggling to maintain good glucose levels and I can't seem to find time to be active.

I'm coming back though. An upcoming blood work and the follow up doctors appointment will likely give me enough motivation to get back on track!

I intend to cut out carbs, increase fibre and eat proper proteins. I intend to do DDPY 4-6 days per week. I'm old, out of shape and feeling terrible. In October when I hit the ice again people will notice that I'm faster and stronger!

[photon]

That's something else that's really changed with losing a lot of weight and eating so much better.. I take a fraction of the diabetic meds I used to and my sugars are waaaay easier to control.

Even when I have a treat it barely shows up on my blood sugar these days because it's a reasonable size. There's a gigantic difference between 1/2 a cup of good ice cream and a large Skor DQ Blizzard. I mean I literally lack the stomach capacity to have too much food but I find now the 1/2 cup or halloween size chocolate bar or whatever is completely satisfying. I don't have the burning need to keep eating more and more which makes staying on track and keeping the treats infrequent achievable.

[EldrickOnIce]

Our of thanks but really appreciate all the stories - of success and of setbacks. A little more community can maybe go a long way. Or even just a tiny start. Cheers

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by photon

I don't have the burning need to keep eating more and more which makes staying on track and keeping the treats infrequent achievable.

This is something that has tanked almost all of my weight loss efforts in the last 15 years and a great way to describe the feeling. On top of that, I stress-eat...so my job didn't help with that at all, until I found some other ways to deal with stress. I am better about it, but still struggle with it frequently.

But the "If one burger tastes good, then two will be better. If TWO burgers is good, then three will..." escalation.

I've never been diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder...but I probably could be, if I pushed for it. A lot of the methods mentioned online for helping control it have helped me, too.

[photon]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

This is something that has tanked almost all of my weight loss efforts in the last 15 years and a great way to describe the feeling. On top of that, I stress-eat.

I can explain it to people but either people don't believe me or don't understand how I could eat a huge pizza all by myself and be just as hungry afterwards as before I ate! The drive to breathe? Sometimes the hunger would be approaching that level.

The body seeks homeostasis and will absolutely do everything to sabotage you when it thinks you're starving to get back to the weight it was at.. and I was really big for a loooong time.

And yeah stress eating for me too.. I had to make some pretty significant changes to my life (and some things just got better over time).

But one thing I found helped me was finding out that fibre for me is SUPER important to managing hunger. Even just eating better wasn't enough, I had to add good high fibre foods every day.. if I didn't I'd end up 5 times as hungry despite eating the same number of calories as the previous day.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

My foggy memory tells me you burn roughly as many calories walking 5km as you do running 5km

But their isn't the cardiovascular component

You burn more walking, as it's less efficient. That being said, it also takes much longer, so you're burning more calories per distance, but less per the amount of time. Walking 5 km burns more than running 5 km, but walking 5 minutes burns less than running 5 minutes.

[Roof-Daddy]

A few things I do to stay fit: (48yo male, 6'2" ~200lbs)

Intermittent fasting, right now I do an 8 hour eating window, but I've done as extreme as a 4 hour eating window in the past and it really helps keep you from snacking on crappy foods. You only really have time to get down to business with the good foods with an eating window.

I also do a 40 hour fast where I only drink water once every 10 days or so. Easy once you get used to it, and my body seems to love it. Any more than 40 hours though, and my energy levels suffer.

I love walking outdoors but when the weather doesn't permit I will walk on a treadmill at the steepest incline (15°) at about 3kms per hour. I also jog on the spot with 20lb weighted vest on. Low impact, gets the heart rate up, and burns calories. Can also do it anywhere at pretty much anytime.

I don't track calories, but I lift weights and make sure I consume 180-200 grams of protein daily (I weigh 200lbs), I limit carb intake and do NOT drink any calories other than whey protein shakes. I also try to steer clear of sugar as much as possible.

As mentioned, lift weights 3-5 times per week, one hour per session. I follow a repeated routine that has a leg day, push day, pull day.

I have a fitbit and make sure I reach my 13,000 step goal, 3100 calories burned goal, and active minutes goals every single day. This results in me breaking a sweat at least once per day, which IMO is good for you.

I try to stretch every day, just 5-10 minutes or so but man do I let this one slip away from me every once in a while. So good for you though obviously, really need to stick with it.

[Azure]

I have found fasting, even for 14-16 hours really helps with being hungry.

And once you restrict your eating window, I think its easier to make an effort to try and eat a little healthier. I think this may be because a lifetime of eating sugary carb heavy goods rewires your brain and insulin sensitivity so you crave more? Like Photon, I used to not have an issue eating an entire pizza, and then being able to eat another one and still not feel 'full.'

Still need to get the proper amount of protein and calories, but its easier to eat less.

Another thing that I think is important is strength training. We sit a lot, and once we've past 40 we lose muscle mass. Having a long-term strength training plan not only helps with weight control, but also long-term health.

[Locke]

I dont have a lot to offer other than support. Good for you guys!

I did notice that when I started my business I lost a lot of time and motivation, because I'm sitting behind a desk all day and even though I'm not physically exerting myself I come home and I'm exhausted.

I also know that if I suck it up and just start doing some more exercise that will solve itself, its just that the motivation is hard.

Like when I talked to my Doctor years ago...he tells me:

"Did you know that a sedentary lifestyles of white-collar office work sitting behind a desk isnt good for you?"

Well. No. Goddamned. F###, Nostradamus.

Why dont they...teach us this in school? Where we sit behind desks 8 hours a day. Or in University? More desks. Or at work? Oh yeah...still desks.

[Sainters7]

Apologies if these have already been mentioned, but when I got back in shape, some strategies I employed:

No eating anything after a certain time (Rhett Warrener employs the 7-7 rule: no food between 7 PM - 7 AM). I would make lunch my biggest meal of the day. Then hit the gym after work, and have a light dinner. Going to bed not feeling stuffed helped me a lot. If you're hungry late in the evening, chug some water, kind of makes you feel full. The hardest is the first 3-4 days, but it's amazing how quickly your body adjusts to the new food schedule after even a few days.

Treating the gym (or whatever exercises you're doing) as an extension of the work day. Some days you really don't feel like going to work. Too bad, you go anyway, it's what you have to do. I carried this same mentality to the gym, eventually your body/mind adjusts to it and it's fine. I found my body even craved the gym out of routine on days I couldn't go. If you work out in the evening, I'd recommend going right after work before you get home, to keep this "extension of the work day" feel going. I found when I'd go home first, I'd lose the motivation.

Evening walks to work off dinner. Some ways I'd force this is by instead of doing a big weekend grocery run, I do little regular ones throughout the week, so there's always something I need to buy for the next day. Obviously this depends on your situation, and proximity to grocery stores (I live downtown so things are close, if you're in suburbia this may not be practical), but it works for me.

Taking the stairs instead of elevators. Again, depends how high up you're going: if you work or live on the 27th floor this isn't feasible. Maybe even just take the stairs up a few floors before transferring to the elevator?

Anyway just some random tips that helped me. Good luck everyone!

[Scroopy Noopers]

Take care of your minds and just throw out your scale. We have never had one in the house. It’s a completely arbitrary number.

[Winsor_Pilates]

A few food subs that have worked well for me:

-Use hot sauces or yellow mustard instead of mayo/butter/dressings/ketchup
-If you really need it, get low sugar ketchup
-use 0 calories cooking sprays. Cooking oils pack calories, even olive oil which has "good fats" is still calorie dense
-Powdered peanut butter is very low fat and great for smoothees, cereal etc
-Sunrype makes a 10 calorie/cup juice now. I mix it with water to have a light 5 cal juice type drink
-PC blue menu ice cream fudge bars (90 cal)
-Weight watchers breads are decent & 100 cal for 2 slices

Don't let perfect be the enemy of progress. Sure some of these things & diet pops etc aren't great in their own right; but finding substitutes to work into your tastes really helps. Especially if you're new to changing how you eat.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

Apologies if these have already been mentioned, but when I got back in shape, some strategies I employed:

No eating anything after a certain time (Rhett Warrener employs the 7-7 rule: no food between 7 PM - 7 AM). I would make lunch my biggest meal of the day. Then hit the gym after work, and have a light dinner. Going to bed not feeling stuffed helped me a lot. If you're hungry late in the evening, chug some water, kind of makes you feel full. The hardest is the first 3-4 days, but it's amazing how quickly your body adjusts to the new food schedule after even a few days.

Treating the gym (or whatever exercises you're doing) as an extension of the work day. Some days you really don't feel like going to work. Too bad, you go anyway, it's what you have to do. I carried this same mentality to the gym, eventually your body/mind adjusts to it and it's fine. I found my body even craved the gym out of routine on days I couldn't go.

Evening walks to work off dinner. Some ways I'd force this is by instead of doing a big weekend grocery run, I do little regular ones throughout the week, so there's always something I need to buy for the next day. Obviously this depends on your situation, and proximity to grocery stores (I live downtown so things are close, if you're in suburbia this may not be practical), but it works for me.

Taking the stairs instead of elevators. Again, depends how high up you're going: if you work or live on the 27th floor this isn't feasible. Maybe even just take the stairs up a few floors before transferring to the elevator?

Anyway just some random tips that helped me. Good luck everyone!

This is fantastic advice, and I remember reading some studies that talked about some pretty big benefits to doing this, especially when lots of people eat their biggest meal at the end of the day.