Middle age (middle) spread reduction.

Become a vegaterian.
Just cutting out meat will help. No more runs to the Golden Aches and packing away all that fatty food. It take getting use to but once you make the switch, you’ll never go back to eating meat. A life style change and not a diet is needed to keep it off.



I have to drink water and not too much coffee. On cold weather trips I would bring a thermos of coffee and drink it to keep me warm. However, I found out that by not drinking water, I’d get migraine headaches. For me at least, I have to drink some water and limit the coffee to the morning.

Back to Basics
My doctor, many years ago, told me that losing weight was very simple. If you eat more calories than you burn you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than you eat you will lose weight. A recent study by the FDA concluded there was no “magic” diet. That all the current (and past) fad diets really just amounted to this same principle.



Over the years I have used many diets and then once I went back to eating like I was before the diet, I put the weight back on. What was missing was “behavior modification”, which is the last and generally ignored step to any diet.



This spring when I needed to lose weight again I said to myself, lets do the behavior modification first. With my wife’s help I started eating a healthy 2000 calories per day. The thought was that I would learn how/what to eat and the exact calories could be adjusted until the desired weight was obtained. By the time I had lost enough weight I would also know and be used to eating the right amount of the right foods for me. If I couldn’t lose all the weight I wanted, I either had to increase the number of calories I burn in a day or decrease the amount of food.



It has been about 6 months and I am 40 lbs lighter than I was. I lost the weight more quickly than I have with other diets and did not have the starvation feeling and headaches I have had with other diets. When my weight has started up again because of things like doughnuts and ice cream I have known exactly what to do to get it back where I want it.



Don’t think of this as a diet plan, instead think of it as a change of life time eating habits. It will work and be better for you.

Steps

– Last Updated: Oct-03-05 4:58 PM EST –

You don't have to give up any particular food, but you do have to cut back on the portion size. Think about it -- any really rich food tastes great for the first couple of bites, but all that fat and/or sugar overloads the receptors pretty fast. The 17th biscuit does not taste as good as the first one.

For example, when my wife or I want to go out for a burger, we try to order one really good burger and a big salad for the two of us and split them both. Same with desserts -- One brownie hot-fudge sundae is usually plenty for two.

We found that we'd rather eat a few really good meals out than a bunch of mediocre ones for the same money. If you're going to spend the calories you might as well have something memorable.

You can also modify the foods you like. Taper back on the sugar in the tea, make your own biscuits with a wholegrain-flour blend, and make your own burgers with a healthier meat and without that fatty "special sauce".

Think about toppings that don't add a lot of calories. Salsa on a burger is tasty and healthy. Or tzatziki -- the sauce used on gyros. It's just plain lowfat yogurt, garlic, & mint, and makes a nice hot-weather sauce or dip.

Caffeine not good because it forces
an insulin response which can cause fat storage.

no junk food + exercise
almost 52- been @ 175-180 lbs for 20 years.



NO Burger King, Micky D, 7-11, fried foods. very little ice cream and only very dark choc. for candy.



lots of paddlin’!



:slight_smile:



steve

what works
Yep, mostly vegies, fruits and treating meat as a condiment rather than a main dish, and then only chicken or seafood. Eat a good breakfast. Ditch high fat snacks in favor of fruit, yogurt, a few nuts or trail bar, or best: carrotts. One Coke per day–can’t stand the tast of diet soda. Exercise for 30-60 minutes or more at least five times a week, which for me means a couple of paddles and the rest on an elipitical trainer in front of the News Hour.

Professional Curiosity

– Last Updated: Oct-03-05 4:42 PM EST –

Has anyone here lost more than 10% of their bodyweight and maintained that loss for more than 2 years?

Meaning say you weighed 200 lbs, you went on a diet got down to 180 lbs and your weight has stayed below 180 lbs constantly for 2 years.

Yes.
In 1992 I weighed 245lbs (I’m 6’2"). I wasn’t really fat or hanging over my belt or anything, I was “stocky” and wanted to be more active.



Through diet and exercise, I was at 180lbs in 1994.



Today, I’m at 187 and haven’t been higher than 190 since the commitment was made in 1992.



As a disclaimer, I turn 38 in 2w so I started in my mid-20’s… Age may have some bearing on the metabolism/weight-loss math…



Increasing your burn rate and metabolism by regular exercise works, I definitely dieted during the weight loss but I don’t really diet now… just don’t pig out regularly either.



By the way, I’m a carb junkie… The carb thing may work for some but losing the carbs isn’t necessary to lose weight…



Brian

second the dark chocolate
but don’t forget the red wine, olive oil and garlic. Who says eating well has to be a deprivation?

Biking and Caffeine

– Last Updated: Oct-03-05 8:23 PM EST –

keep me down to about 10 pounds overweight... and not starving all the time.

(5'9" / 160 - 165 pounds)

yes-yes-yes
red wine- the ONLY alchy I ‘do’. good for the blood/heart and the mind. very calming/low stress



olive oil- WAY better’n butter and high fat oils. doesn’t work on pancakes.



garlic- does work on pancakes! :wink: don’t get me started on garlic. it’s a veggie, right? a side dish? yep. brrrrrraaaaaaaapppp!



also:



HOT stuff- cayene to thai mouseturds. it’s all good. if you eat TONS of real HOT food you WILL lose weight. things you eat will travel very quicky thru your system and won’t stay long enough to store as fat.



NO DAIRY- we are the only species on the planet that eats this stuff after adolesense. duh?



less wheat- it is SOOO hybredized (sp?) it doesn’t work for everyone. lots of other whole grains out there.



had to get on my soapbox!



:slight_smile:



steve

yup…
Although I’m not middle aged, I did pack on quite a bit of weight in high school and during my freshman year in college. At my worst, I hit 207 lbs. I started taking diet/exercise seriously that year and I have lost weight every single year since. I’m now 145 lbs. and I still work on maintaing a good diet and lots of exercise. Many times I will give in to eating junk food and spending a lazy day on the couch, but those days are vastly outnumbered by the days I eat clean and exercise so I’m still making progress.

goodies
Am 57 and six feet tall, and have gone from 150 in my 20’s to 165 (summer) and 170 (winters) at present, but some of that is normal and adaptive. I’m not wanting to run at 8% body fat anymore, which I’d have to do to be at 150. Dark chocolate, a good red wine, especially pinot noir (very very very good cab every five years with a filet mignon), and lots of stuff with garlic is the secret. Disagree though about dairy–could’nt do without yogurt. Intestinal transit time is interesting–high fiber is an integral part of a healthy diet and really helps with weight loss, but can be a literal PITA kayaking :). Even worse rock climbing.

Simple…
just cut out fat.

You can buy and eat almost all your favorite foods now without fat.



My better half put me onto it seversal years ago, and within a few months I had dropped 15 pounds without even changing my eating habits.



Cheers,

JackL

I do
a little yogurt, kiefer, goat cheese and ice cream. it’s mostly a personal ban on normal cheese and milk.



we drink some soy or rice milk with ceral and do tea with our cookies! and horchata, a yummy Mexican rice milk drink!



:slight_smile:

and the non-responders

– Last Updated: Oct-03-05 7:31 PM EST –

I forgot I should have also asked people to post if they had tried to lose weight and had not achieved their sustained weight reduction goal constantly for two years.

Also are/were either one of your parents overweight or obese. Obese means a BMI of 30.

horchata
One of the best things about the influx of Mexican families into North Carolina is horchata; another is Mexican popsicles. Agree with you on the other stuff. Velveeta/nacho’s: revolting. My particular weakness is Chery Garcia yogurt and Cookie Dough ice cream. My favorite entrees for extended trips are made by MaryJanesFarm–all vegetarian, and really good to eat.

Yes too
In 1996 I was over 220. Starting down then and continuing to today I’m 175. But at least 5 lbs of that, maybe 10, is muscle added from moderate but but steady strength training (I know, because I watched my weight rise while my belt stayed the same.) So, that’s 50/220 = 23% lost and kept off.



The secret… don’t diet; cut carbs; exercise regularly; go to bed a bit hungry; don’t diet; eat one yummy but modest dessert a day and really enjoy it! don’t diet.



–David.

I did it by overindulging in sex.

Atkins
Age 18 - 30" waist, 158 lbs

Age 34 - 34" waist, 192 lbs

Age 34 - 30" waist, 162 Lbs (three month later)

Age 39 - 30" waist, 162 Lbs (current)



I used the Atkins diet for three months, lost 30 lbs and have kept the weight off for 5 years so far. There has been alot of hype about this diet, but I didn’t have any side affects. The diet modified my eating habits which I still practice to a limited degree toady. What can I say I love meat and cheese, lol.



Mike