# Tips on losing weight?



## DPooch (Nov 27, 2007)

Let's just put it this way:
I'm not the skinniest person in the world,
but I'm not the HUGE people you hear about on the news every four damn seconds.
I want to work out and stuff, start lifting weights, anything.

Don't come here and be like "lawl diet n exersyze"
and if you are, at least be specific. 

Thanks.


----------



## darren (Nov 27, 2007)

What are your eating habits like?

You can accomplish a lot in a relatively short time by doing a few simple things:

- cut out fatty foods
- reduce your sodium intake
- reduce your sugar and starch intake (this includes sugar-filled soft drinks and a lot of fruit juices)
- eat LOTS of fresh fruits and vegetables
- eat lean protein
- exercise portion control
- eat regular, healthy snacks
- drink lots of water


----------



## jaxadam (Nov 27, 2007)

What he said. And +10 on the drinking lots of water.

Plus, incorporating some form of exercise will really help, but I would not recommend you automatically start running 6 miles a day and hit the gym 4 times a week to get your benches up to 225. Maybe in 6 months, but not now...

You need to start off slow, and if you want to actually see results that will last, it will take a very long time.

I've seen people that change their diet dramatically and start working out like crazy and they end up either blowing up, or getting very slim and then fluctuate uncomfortably. I've had many friends do both of these things.

There are so many factors that go into body chemistry and your physical appearance.

Simply put:

If you're not very active, and your eating habits are something to be desired, start off limiting some of what you consider as junk, and start doing a few isometric exercises.

When you start feeling a little better, consider getting the advice of a personal trainer at a gym and learn to train certain areas that will be beneficial to your overall physical appearance. Everyone is different and has a different body structure, and it may not be beneficial to do heavy squats and leg presses if you are bottom heavy. Take it slow, and chart your progress.

A good combo of cardio and muscle training, with a relatively normal diet will help you achieve your goals.


----------



## DPooch (Nov 27, 2007)

jaxadam said:


> +10 on the drinking lots of water.



How about diet stuff?

I like Lipton Diet Raspberry White Tea  

No cals, some taste.


----------



## darren (Nov 27, 2007)

Water is better.


----------



## jaxadam (Nov 27, 2007)

Water, lean protein, complex carbs, some sugars, some fats.

This was what I ate for a very long time, but I was also walking about 5 miles a day, lifting 4 days a week, and studying and teaching Tae Kwon Do:

P.S. I was also on a budget.

Breakfast, 6:00 AM: Cereal or oatmeal, coffee, grapefruit juice, banana.

Snack, 10:00 AM: Peanut butter crackers and an orange.

Lunch, 12:00 PM: Turkey sandwich on wheat, pepsi, apple, chips and salsa.

Snack: 3:00 PM: 6 Chicken nuggets from McDonalds.

Dinner: 6:00 PM: Salad (always ate the salad first), lean protein (chicken, salmon, pork, lean beef), vegetable (steamed broccolli, green beans,etc.) and carb (rice, pasta, or potato).

Snack, 10:00 PM: 1 scoop ice cream.

Hardly any alcohol.

It would vary, because some days I wouldn't eat exactly like this, but breakfast, lunch, and dinner stayed pretty consistent (as far as clean and portions). I was also in college so the alcohol thing changed quite a bit!


----------



## Drew (Nov 28, 2007)

What darren said, what DO you eat normally? I know you're not looking for "diet and exercise" as an answer, but the reason that's the one you always hear is becauuse that's really the only way to do it - there's no "magic bullet" that'll make you instantly slim with six pack abs. 

Also, you're 15 - I'd be pretty careful here, whatever you do. You can get into a lot of trouble with poor eating habits at your age.


----------



## 7 Strings of Hate (Nov 28, 2007)

i hear time and time again from ufc fighters and nhl players, both of which i assume are a pretty legit source of fitness info, that they eat often and in small amounts, instead of just eating 2 larger meals, eat 5 or 6 times but in smaller amounts, they said that its usually the same amount of food, but when given small amounts more often it keeps your metabolizim working all through the day


----------



## Jason (Nov 28, 2007)

DPooch said:


> How about diet stuff?
> 
> I like Lipton Diet Raspberry White Tea
> 
> No cals, some taste.



 There AWFUL. Avoid diet drinks that contain artifical sweetners esp Aspartame.

Also don't cut all fats there are dif types of fats. You want to avoid trans fats which tend to make you fatter than regular fats.

Good fats are ie: Olive oil,Nuts and avocados 

Bad fats are ie: Fried foods, Saturated fats, trans fats and Hydrogenated oils. Two common examples of hydrogenated oil are Crisco and margarine.

Also choose lower fat dairy IE: Skim milk instead of whole milk or low fat cheese instead of whole fat cheese.

Carbs keep em complex not simple. IE: Whole wheat bread,Brown Rice,Oatmeal and Sweet potatoes or red potatoes VS White bread,white rice and regular white or yellow potatoes.

The reason for this is complex carbs have more fiber in them and take longer to break down in your body ad keep your blood sugar stable. Simple or fast digesting carbs have much less fiber and cause your blood sugar to spike and you will be more likely to store these as fat instead of burning them. You will also have a "crash" and alot of times get a sweet craving.

Lean proteins should be Grilled chicken (IE not breaded or fried) Lean beef, Fish/Tuna and lean turkey is ok sometimes.

So your basic "diet" Should consist of Lean proteins, Good fats and complex carbs. Protein(from meat) and fiber (from complex carbs and fruits and veggies) will keep you feeling full and satisfied.

Hope that all made sense.


----------



## Leon (Nov 28, 2007)

it's been said, but start slow. your body is always trying to keep itself balanced. if you throw a lot of diet 'tricks' at it, which may get you your results very quickly, your body will do it's best you get you back to where you started... to rebalance itself.

change your diet here and there, not radically. it's better for your body, and easier on your taste buds . "teaching" yourself to like whole grain breads and lean meats is a good way to develop better eating habits throughout life.


----------



## Jysan (Dec 3, 2007)

I think the easiest method from me (went from 270-190 @ 9% BF) was the fist method: all of your portions of any food group should not be bigger than a fist. Lean protein --> one 'fist' size, carbs --> one 'fist' size...I just didn't like how tedeous and time consuming it was to measure serving sizes.

Apart from that, follow what others have stated about healthy food choices, cutting sugars, starches and sodiums. But another important thing to remember is that once your diet becomes 'your enemy' is when you start cheating more frequently. It is important to allow yourself a few food freedoms a month...perhaps once a week depending on calories/fats/sugar etc...

Here's one meal plan that really had the fat flying off me, combined with bodyweight workouts (sittups, pushups etc):

breakfast --> pint of fat free milk, whole wheat bagel with non-fat cream cheese and a piece of fruit.

snack --> protein bar or shake 

lunch - whole wheat sandwich with one serving of lean protein (turkey or chicken is the best) and veggies with some sort of fruit. Drink with water.

snack --> water and a banana.

dinner --> another serving of veggies and lean protein. don't forget a serving of carbs though! eat with two servings of water.

a few important things to remember:
-you need at least 64 oz of water a day.
-you need a certain amount of carbs for your metabolize protein.
-not all fats are bad (the fats in different nuts and related foods are essential!)
-you need a full daily value of calcium! this will definately help cut the fat off....
-and like Leon said, start slow! Take how many calories your eating now and subtract it by about 200 (depending on how many it is) then each week keep going down 100 until you get around 1800 (also depending on level of activity and body-mass)

hope this helped.

good workout plan for the bedroom:
pushups --> 6 sets of 20
sittups --> 4 sets of 40
crunches --> 4 sets of 20
leg raises --> 4 sets of 40
dip downs --> 4 sets of 20


----------



## Ojinomoto (Dec 4, 2007)

Here is a start, and strangely enough I got this from learning French culture: Don't eat a large dinner. They eat a larger lunch and a light dinner. Doing it this way prevents one from eating more than what your body "needs" to feed itself with before storing the rest as fat. If a "larger" meal is eaten earlier in the day, one will have the chance to "burn"
it off. If one also chooses to run a treadmill or ride a bike (whether in a gym or for travel) one could lose weight and also 
stay in better shape that way. The Europeans do it and look at them...


My teacher said that Tina Turner doesn't eat anything after 6 pm,
and she's how old? and look at her.


----------



## Jysan (Dec 4, 2007)

Ojinomoto said:


> Here is a start, and strangely enough I got this from learning French culture: Don't eat a large dinner. They eat a larger lunch and a light dinner. Doing it this way prevents one from eating more than what your body "needs" to feed itself with before storing the rest as fat. If a "larger" meal is eaten earlier in the day, one will have the chance to "burn"
> it off. If one also chooses to run a treadmill or ride a bike (whether in a gym or for travel) one could lose weight and also
> stay in better shape that way. The Europeans do it and look at them...
> 
> ...




Yes lunch should be your biggest meal of the day. The not eating anything after a certain time should be somewhat followed, but more with types of food. The general rule I follow is don't eat any carbs after dinner, which I usually have around 5:30...If I'm really hungry I'll have something to hold me over till breakfast, usually a banana to get some good'ol K to help alleviate sore muscles. What you don't want is a lot of food energy after you begin to shut-down to sleep...low calorie, low sugar and low carb is good for an after dinner snack.


----------



## Ojinomoto (Dec 4, 2007)

Jysan said:


> Yes lunch should be your biggest meal of the day. The not eating anything after a certain time should be somewhat followed, but more with types of food. The general rule I follow is don't eat any carbs after dinner, which I usually have around 5:30...If I'm really hungry I'll have something to hold me over till breakfast, usually a banana to get some good'ol K to help alleviate sore muscles. What you don't want is a lot of food energy after you begin to shut-down to sleep...low calorie, low sugar and low carb is good for an after dinner snack.



That's a good idea, thanks for sharing that. I hate going to bed hungry and starving once I wake and MAYBE eating breakfast while I run out the door.


Here's a new question for all, when properly eating right and exercising, does one find that their mood is overall better? For me, one day I could be cool, next day in a shitty, grouchy mood, followed by a "i'm-tired-don't-give-a-shit" day. Does this reflect poor eating and lack of proper exercise routines?


----------



## Leon (Dec 4, 2007)

when i eat better, my libido and *staying power* are improved. so, yeah, my overall mood is better


----------



## Jysan (Dec 4, 2007)

Ojinomoto said:


> Here's a new question for all, when properly eating right and exercising, does one find that their mood is overall better? For me, one day I could be cool, next day in a shitty, grouchy mood, followed by a "i'm-tired-don't-give-a-shit" day. Does this reflect poor eating and lack of proper exercise routines?



I find that my mood improves when I'm a little more self-conscious than usual...I'm sure many others, like myself, get to feeling like they don't invest enough into themselves. I think dieting and excersizing is possibly one of the most selfish things you can do that people will never get on your ass about. I definately feel a bit more balanced when I'm eating right and working out... 

As far as mood associated with diet goes, you can develop the same chemical dependencies on the different opiates, caffienes and sugars in food. For me, I had to stop drinking coffee (for the most part anyway) to balance my mood and "crashing" schedule...caffiene is a very strong chemical that can definately mess up your body and the way it flows/functions. Similarly, the opiates in un-natural foods (doritos, cheezy poofs etc...) and the concentrated sugars in energy drinks can have similar effects. 

But remember, I'm by no means a dietition/nutritionist! This is just some advice that I have come across in my own experiences and research. Hope this helped...



Leon said:


> when i eat better, my libido and *staying power* are improved. so, yeah, my overall mood is better



haha...couldn't agree more! For all guys, women like foods that help to increase the "strength" of your vascular system...all I'm saying about


----------



## Labrie (Dec 5, 2007)

After you get your diet in order, like what's been mentioned here a million times; if you actually do start going to the gym regularly I'd suggest drinking green tea and possibly taking some Hydroxy cut. One of my buddies I work out with was a friggin tank, like over 200lbs. He wanted to tone up and started doing what I suggested above and he's lost a good 30lbs. That stuff works man, no lie but I'd recommend to make sure you're eating healthy and have a good workout routine before you start adding supplements and stuff.


----------



## Jason (Dec 5, 2007)

Labrie said:


> After you get your diet in order, like what's been mentioned here a million times; if you actually do start going to the gym regularly I'd suggest drinking green tea and possibly taking some Hydroxy cut. One of my buddies I work out with was a friggin tank, like over 200lbs. He wanted to tone up and started doing what I suggested above and he's lost a good 30lbs. That stuff works man, no lie but I'd recommend to make sure you're eating healthy and have a good workout routine before you start adding supplements and stuff.




He is 15.. I wouldn't suggest hydroxycut or any other type of fat burners.. We also don't even know how heavy he is..


----------



## Labrie (Dec 5, 2007)

Ohhhh...sorry I guess I missed when he said how old he was. Yeah no kid should be on supplements at 15. My bad.


----------



## Jason (Dec 5, 2007)

Labrie said:


> Ohhhh...sorry I guess I missed when he said how old he was. Yeah no kid should be on supplements at 15. My bad.



It's all good. I've had good results myself with the Hydroxycut hardcore tho


----------



## Ojinomoto (Dec 5, 2007)

^The whole "get-quick-results-fat burners"thing scares the shit out of me, especially with all the things companies put into products these days, (I won't even drink energy drinks!)
Are there "burners" that are 100% (give or take) natural and won't make your ding-a-ling fall off from cancer in 20 years?


----------



## Labrie (Dec 5, 2007)

There is no "natural" fat burner per se but regardless, supplements and the like always fall into the stereotype of being "bad" for you. A lot of people associate supplements with steroids etc and yet they'll go eat fast food or smoke which imo is a lot worse for you. I don't mean to sound like an asshole but just do a little research before you make an opinion on something. 

If you're healthy, eat well and know what you're looking for, there's no reason imo to be scared of supplements. I don't use fat burners because I'm trying to gain weight. I do however take protein and vegetable supplements (among other things) simply because I can't afford to buy 6-8 servings of vegetables a day and 200grams of protein a day. Nothing replaces a good diet and exercise but there are things out there to help you along with it.

As for energy drinks, I usually stay away from them. Most of them are just loaded with sugar and caffeine with a little ginseng to make you think its not all bad. I have other products to give me a high if I ever need one like n.o.xplode or nanovapor but thats just my personal preference.


----------



## Jason (Dec 5, 2007)

Ojinomoto said:


> ^The whole "get-quick-results-fat burners"thing scares the shit out of me, especially with all the things companies put into products these days, (I won't even drink energy drinks!)
> Are there "burners" that are 100% (give or take) natural and won't make your ding-a-ling fall off from cancer in 20 years?



Green Tea.. AMong other supps have fat burning effects...


----------



## Ojinomoto (Dec 5, 2007)

Labrie said:


> There is no "natural" fat burner per se but regardless, supplements and the like always fall into the stereotype of being "bad" for you. A lot of people associate supplements with steroids etc and yet they'll go eat fast food or smoke which imo is a lot worse for you. I don't mean to sound like an asshole but just do a little research before you make an opinion on something.
> 
> If you're healthy, eat well and know what you're looking for, there's no reason imo to be scared of supplements. I don't use fat burners because I'm trying to gain weight. I do however take protein and vegetable supplements (among other things) simply because I can't afford to buy 6-8 servings of vegetables a day and 200grams of protein a day. Nothing replaces a good diet and exercise but there are things out there to help you along with it.



Oh no, I was just being dumb for the most part. 
Unnatural things like fat burners just freak me out. 

Totally agree with this.


----------



## Universalis (Dec 6, 2007)

Jason said:


> Carbs keep em complex not simple. IE: Whole wheat bread,Brown Rice,Oatmeal and Sweet potatoes or red potatoes VS White bread,white rice and regular white or yellow potatoes.
> 
> The reason for this is complex carbs have more fiber in them and take longer to break down in your body ad keep your blood sugar stable. Simple or fast digesting carbs have much less fiber and cause your blood sugar to spike and you will be more likely to store these as fat instead of burning them. You will also have a "crash" and alot of times get a sweet craving.



I totally disagree. Maybe it's just because of my experience, but I would never suggest complex carbs to someone who's not an athlete.
Your explanation is absolutely correct, don't get me wrong. But I simply would have suggest simple carbs in lower amounts, since we all agree about the "split-your-daily-food-intake-in-5-or-6-meals-a-day".


----------



## Despised_0515 (Dec 6, 2007)

thanks darren 

but anyone got tips on building arm muscle?


----------



## Labrie (Dec 6, 2007)

VicerExciser said:


> thanks darren
> 
> but anyone got tips on building arm muscle?



For arms I do pyramid sets of everything. Standing free weights, I curl like a set of 40's then 30's then 25's (no break in between). Do a few sets of those, then do the same pyramid while sitting down on an incline. That's mostly for biceps but there are a ton of different exercises for the rest of your arms. The main thing that I focus on is do everything in pyramid sets, either heavy to light or light to heavy.


----------



## Jason (Dec 6, 2007)

Universalis said:


> I totally disagree. Maybe it's just because of my experience, but I would never suggest complex carbs to someone who's not an athlete.
> Your explanation is absolutely correct, don't get me wrong. But I simply would have suggest simple carbs in lower amounts, since we all agree about the "split-your-daily-food-intake-in-5-or-6-meals-a-day".



Why? Would care to explain to me please?


----------



## Labrie (Dec 6, 2007)

Whole wheat or brown is always better than white. Why would it matter if you're an athlete or not?


----------



## Jason (Dec 6, 2007)

Labrie said:


> Whole wheat or brown is always better than white. Why would it matter if you're an athlete or not?



Thats what I can't figure out.. But im curious as to hear what he says.. When it comes to food and nutrition I'm always oen to listen.


----------



## Nerina (Dec 6, 2007)

Apparently athletes are supposed to eat simple carbs, esp right after a really gruesome workout, because they are replacing all the glucose they burned off, and they burn carbs quickly anyway so they dont have the problem of it turning to fat......for "normal" people, all simple carbs do is spike ur blood sugar level, then it plummets, and you crave more, and even eating simple carbs in small amounts throughout the day dosent solve the problem, the excess you dont burn off still ends up as fat.

My cousin is has a PhD in nutrition.....


----------



## Jason (Dec 6, 2007)

Nerina said:


> Apparently athletes are supposed to eat simple carbs, esp right after a really gruesome workout, because they are replacing all the glucose they burned off, and they burn carbs quickly anyway so they dont have the problem of it turning to fat......for "normal" people, all simple carbs do is spike ur blood sugar level, then it plummets, and you crave more, and even eating simple carbs in small amounts throughout the day dosent solve the problem, the excess you dont burn off still ends up as fat.
> 
> My cousin is has a PhD in nutrition.....



Exactly..and he is saying the opposite


----------



## Universalis (Dec 6, 2007)

Oh. I confused simple with complex carbs. So that's why I fucked up, my bad! Your statement is correct indeed.


----------



## Nerina (Dec 6, 2007)

> Exactly..and he is saying the opposite



thats why I said this.....



> and even eating simple carbs in small amounts throughout the day dosent solve the problem, the excess you dont burn off still ends up as fat.



Eating more throught the day can boost your metalbolism, but only by so much, and not enough to make you actually loose weight....or keep off the little weight you might loose over a long period of time....the only way to loose weight is to burn off more calories than you eat, plain and simple, there's no miracle diet thats gonna do it for you.


----------



## Jason (Dec 6, 2007)

Universalis said:


> Oh. I confused simple with complex carbs. So that's why I fucked up, my bad! Your statement is correct indeed.



It's ok. Not a problem. Glad we agree


----------



## Jason (Dec 6, 2007)

Nerina said:


> thats why I said this.....
> 
> 
> 
> Eating more throught the day can boost your metalbolism, but only by so much, and not enough to make you actually loose weight....or keep off the little weight you might loose over a long period of time....the only way to loose weight is to burn off more calories than you eat, plain and simple, there's no miracle diet thats gonna do it for you.




Correct noone is debating that. Calories in calories out, but the calories you eat also determine how you feel and how effectively you lose weight.


----------

