The amazing, all-encompassing diet thread

[jukief]

Hi folks.

From reading some posts the last couple of days, I realized that quite a few of us are on diets for various reasons (to lose weight, to improve our health, or both). And I thought it might be nice to have a thread going where we can provide support for each other.

I've completely changed my style of eating, partly to lose weight but mostly to get feeling better. I've been feeling like crap for the past five or six years, and I've tried the medical route. So I decided to see if a drastic change in my diet would help. So far, I'm very pleased with how it's going. I'm losing weight, and I have more energy than I've had in years and years. Even after just three weeks, I'm seeing some big improvements in some of my health problems.

So far, I haven't had any problems sticking to my program, which is, in itself, a big change for me. I always felt deprived whenever I went on a "diet." But I'm actually enjoying this. I concentrate a lot on how the changes are improving my health, rather than being obsessed about what size I wear (which can be very discouraging), and I think that's making the difference. I have a TON of heart disease on both sides of the family (including both parents), and at 52 I'm running out of time to make lifestyle changes that will save me from their fate. And that's a big motivation.

Good luck to everyone who's doing the same thing!

[Spok]

Well diet buddy, i'm down another 1.5 lbs this morning. the scale is being kind to me. I too have forced a change to my eating habits. the evenings of watching tv and polishing off a bag of dorito's or oreo's and then 1/2 gallon of ice cream are over. I haven't had a carbonated beverage in a month now.

My total weight loss from my ultra fatboy highs over the christmas holidays from 201 to 183 this morning. I must say I look damn good. Even my watch now slides up and down my wrists.

When red lodge rolls around, ya'll won't know who that lean and trim sexy biker dude on the V2k is.

[anamosity]

Julie, could you list what your average daily Diet intake is, I mean what you are eating, not how much!

[jukief]

Dave, you were already sexy!

Congrats on the 1.5 pounds. You're doing fantastic! I'm making progress, but not as fast as you. I've resigned myself to the fact that men lose faster than women, though. But Alan isn't being a very good boy (we went out after the movie the other night, for instance, and he ate a lot of stuff he shouldn't have), so I'm easily doing better than he is.

[Tod]

I haven't changed my eating habits yet (I need to), but I've started a lunchtime ritual of circumnavigating my building here at work using the stairwells. The route totals just under 1 mile (measured by pedometer), and involves 18 floors of stairs (9 up, 9 down).

I'm intrigued by the South Beach Diet mentioned by Shawn in the other thread, and the Zone Diet, so it seems some research is in order.

[Spok]

Originally Posted by jukief

Dave, you were already sexy!

Congrats on the 1.5 pounds. You're doing fantastic! I'm making progress, but not as fast as you. I've resigned myself to the fact that men lose faster than women, though. But Alan isn't being a very good boy (we went out after the movie the other night, for instance, and he ate a lot of stuff he shouldn't have), so I'm easily doing better than he is.

while spot on, now i'll be lean and trim too

[jukief]

Hi Gene.

I'm on a pretty strict vegan diet. No meat, no dairy, no refined products of any kind (so that includes sugar, flour, etc.), no added oils (even the good ones). I eat tons of whole grains, potatoes, legumes (I love beans), and vegies. I don't have to count calories, and this food is very filling and satisfying, so I'm never hungry. I hardly ever even think about food, which is a huge change from the other diets I've been on.

This is the most strict form of the diet; I'll relax it later and add back in some foods, but I hope to stay away from meat and dairy as much as I possibly can. This program, developed by a Dr. McDougall, is a lot like Dean Ornish's program, which is vegetarian (not necessarily vegan). Both are very good for heart patients. They have studies to show that this type of diet can even reverse heart disease that already exists.

I've seen both of my parents go through bypass surgery, and the disease killed three of my grandparents. I've had a several cousins drop dead of massive heart attacks in their 30s and 40s. So, even though this sounds pretty drastic, I feel like it's what I need to be doing. It's not for everyone, though--that's for sure!

[A2rider]

Several years ago I lost 80lbs. Have gained half of that back. I started by walking, no matter how bad the weather was, added more protein to my diet, and went from there. I discovered power lifting, and really liked the results.
I would encourage everyone to look at how diabetics eat, and the whole glycemic index thing.

Julie, my sister has fibromyalgia too, so I understand the pain portion of not wanting to exercise.

Good luck to everyone, hopefully I will get the courage up to start the process all over again.

[jukief]

Originally Posted by Tod

I haven't changed my eating habits yet (I need to), but I've started a lunchtime ritual of circumnavigating my building here at work using the stairwells. The route totals just under 1 mile (measured by pedometer), and involves 18 floors of stairs (9 up, 9 down).

I'm intrigued by the South Beach Diet mentioned by Shawn in the other thread, and the Zone Diet, so it seems some research is in order.

Just exercising is really important, even if you don't make changes in the way you eat. And stairs are great!!! That's been one of my shortcomings, and I'm trying really hard to change that. I've been walking, which is an easy thing for me to do with my bad knees. But I hope to start some weight training (good for old farts like me) as soon as I can find a decent gym I can afford.

I like the South Beach diet. I think it's really sensible and easier to follow than a lot of other diets out there. I have some friends who lost a lot of weight on it and have kept it off.

[jukief]

Oh, I forgot to mention... no alcohol. But I haven't had as much trouble giving it up as I thought I would. It's all good.

[jukief]

Originally Posted by A2rider

Several years ago I lost 80lbs. Have gained half of that back. I started by walking, no matter how bad the weather was, added more protein to my diet, and went from there. I discovered power lifting, and really liked the results.
I would encourage everyone to look at how diabetics eat, and the whole glycemic index thing.

Julie, my sister has fibromyalgia too, so I understand the pain portion of not wanting to exercise.

Good luck to everyone, hopefully I will get the courage up to start the process all over again.

Wow, Tina. That's really an accomplishment! Good for you! And even though you've gained some of it back, you didn't gain it all back and more, like a lot of people do. That's definitely a positive thing!

I've lost weight in the past and gained it back, too. My biggest challenge will be to keep from doing that again this time. I always told myself in the past that I was making lifestyle changes for the rest of my life, but I never stuck to them. I hope I can do so this time.

My fibromyalgia is actually better since I started this, but I need surgery on my knees. They limit a lot of things I can do, but I can always walk (as long as it's not steep).

[A2rider]

They say that when you change the foods that you eat, that it takes about 2 weeks for your mind/stomach/tastebuds to get used to them. After that, you won't really want all that bad crap you have been eating.

I totally cut out greasy foods from my diet the last time, and couldn't hardly stand the feel/taste of them after awhile!

I guess I did something good today. Started the day with a bowl of brown rice with a little bit of Parmesan cheese on it.

[jukief]

Brown rice is yummy! I also found some red rice and some black rice (not wild) that my husband loves. He's actually been taking that to work to eat for lunch.

My biggest weakness is salt. I eat a lot of it, but my blood pressure is really good so I haven't worried about it. But I need to eat less salt.

[A2rider]

Try Mrs. Dash. Or go to a place that sells whole foods and ask them about salt substitutes. Salt in mod. is good, but it does make you bloated.

Also try other whole grains such as couscous. They are fun to cook with and take the place of potatoes and other high starch carbs. If you don't believe me about the potato thing, eat a couple for lunch, and see how you feel a few hours later. You may take them out of your diet also, maybe sub. sweet potatoes.

[jukief]

I'm eating a lot more sweet potatoes than white. And I don't eat potatoes every day. I always eat them in combination with a lot of vegies, so they aren't the centerpiece of any meals. I actually prefer rice, and yes, I love couscous! I've also been cooking steel cut oats for breakfast, with a little fresh fruit added. Very yummy and very filling. I cook up a batch of it that lasts for the whole week; we just warm it up in the microwave in the morning.

[darkwolf29a]

Congrats on the diets.

I'm on a see-food diet, honestly. These days, I see it, and it's gone. I'm working out and lifting weights. Honestly, I don't need to diet, at 145 pds. But, I haven't ever been in shape, so I don't know what that feels like. But, for the past few years I have been wawtching what little energy I have ever had go buh bye, like being young. So, I figured since my gf is on a diet to lose weight, and she's working out etc., I figured I should support that, and try and get healthier myself.

I still have to make a doctor's appointment and get rid of this smoking thing...It's gonna kill me. LOL

[jukief]

My son is very slender; he's 6' 1" and weighs about 145 pounds! He eats whatever he wants and drinks quite a bit. But he does a ton of walking (he doesn't own a car), so even though he doesn't work out and doesn't have a lot of muscle, he's in pretty good shape. I was never *that* skinny, but I do miss my younger years when I could eat anything I wanted and stay slender. Middle age is not so kind to some of us.

[darkwolf29a]

Well, I have realized that I can eat anything, if I want. Yes, I can pound down the food. We went out, the other night, for our 1 year anniversary. I had two dark beers, yumm, and a huge burrito. I started, and the next thing I knew...it was all gone. I have never eaten that much before in my life.

But, my trainer did forewarn me of that. He said, it's gonna be like that as long as you are ripping up your muscles. Your body requires more calories to heal yourself.

And, trust me...by the time I get done...I'm going to look better than I ever have before.

[jukief]

I want to see your before and after pictures!!

I'm finding that I get full with a lot less food now, but I think it has something to do with the type of food I'm eating. I do know that I can't eat as much without feeling really full. So I tend to "graze" throughout the day and eat my meals very slowly. That really helps keep my energy up throughout the day.

[Billy D.]

It sure is nice knowing I'm not going at this alone.