Wish me luck.

Good luck I have been trying to get started sin Jan 1 and only negative progress with 140 lbs to lose. weighing in at 295 will post with you for mutual support.

This may seem minor, but if you don't have one already, I highly suggest getting yourself a digital scale. I started a diet at the beginning of the year with one of those old dial scales, that aren't very accurate. After a few weeks I bought a digital scale. I was so much more motivated once I started seeing accurate weight measurements and could see exactly how I was doing. It is motivating to see a change from one day to the next, even if it is only a matter of ounces. It validates that what you are doing is working. Now that I've lost the weight I wanted to use, I still weigh my self every day and can quickly tell if I'm starting to get off course, and can adjust accordingly.

Later...Shawn

Good luck I have been trying to get started sin Jan 1 and only negative progress with 140 lbs to lose. weighing in at 295 will post with you for mutual support.

Shawn,

I must have a cheap digital scale, because mine will sometimes fluctuate several pounds from stepping on, stepping off, and then stepping back on.

What kind of scale do you have and how much did it cost?

I cut out all bread, pasta, sugar, rice, potatoes, and ate as much meat, veggies, fruit and low-carb or no-carb snacks as I wanted. I lost about 15 pounds in 3 months with no exercise.



Later...Shawn

I bought it about 3 months ago at BJs, I'm not sure of the brand, but I'll check tonight. I've been really impressed. When I first got it, I kept getting off and back on to see if it would generate the same weight. I did it about 10 times, and got the same weight, to the tenth of a pound, each time. I assumed they were all that accurate. I do know that when I step on the scale, it takes about 5 - 10 seconds or so to register the weight. I think it does a lot of measures internally before stablizing. It takes longer if I'm not perfectly still. Then, to take another measurement I have to step off, reset it, then get back on after it resets to 0.

I cut out all bread, pasta, sugar, rice, potatoes, and ate as much meat, veggies, fruit and low-carb or no-carb snacks as I wanted. I lost about 15 pounds in 3 months with no exercise.

Later...Shawn

Shawn, what snacks do you eat? I get the munchies around this time every day and am really sick of rice cakes.

My nephew was a competitive power lifter, so I questioned him about specifics for some spot toning. He gave me a book Body for Life by Bill Phillips and Michael D'Orso. It's great to lose weight, but it's even better to combine it with the body toning.

Thanks. I'm interested in purchasing one.

That sounds sort of like the No flour No sugar diet, or Atkins.

I know Atkins is very effective, and not as bad as everyone says, but I sure do crave bread when I'm on that diet. A cheesesteak is not the same without the bun and pizza is not the same with just the cheese.

For snacks, I browse the grocery store looking for things that are low-carb or no-carb. The best no-carb snack for me is Pork Rinds. They have no carbs, and satisfy my taste for chips. I also will eat cold cuts and cheese. For low-carb, I eat nuts, and the low-sugar or no-sugar peanut butter. I also found these things that are some kind of puffy peas. Almost like a cheese puff or cheeto, but made with peas somehow. I forget what they are called, but they are low carb and tasty! Other than that, lots of meats and veggies. When I eat out, I usually get chicken wings/celery/blue cheese, or a steak salad, that kind of thing. Stay away from the things labled as "low fat". They are usually supplemented with sugar/carbs.

Later...Shawn

Now that I am at my desired weight, I generally stick to the diet during the week, then eat what I want on the weekends. I can easily gain a few pounds over the weekend, then loose it throughout the following week. The digital scale helps me see how I'm doing with that.

Edited to add: I just remembered another of my favorite no-carb snacks when on this diet -- Beef Jerkey.

Thanks. I'm interested in purchasing one.

That sounds sort of like the No flour No sugar diet, or Atkins.

I know Atkins is very effective, and not as bad as everyone says, but I sure do crave bread when I'm on that diet. A cheesesteak is not the same without the bun and pizza is not the same with just the cheese.

I bought it about 3 months ago at BJs, I'm not sure of the brand, but I'll check tonight. I've been really impressed. When I first got it, I kept getting off and back on to see if it would generate the same weight. I did it about 10 times, and got the same weight, to the tenth of a pound, each time. I assumed they were all that accurate. I do know that when I step on the scale, it takes about 5 - 10 seconds or so to register the weight. I think it does a lot of measures internally before stablizing. It takes longer if I'm not perfectly still. Then, to take another measurement I have to step off, reset it, then get back on after it resets to 0.



I cut out all bread, pasta, sugar, rice, potatoes, and ate as much meat, veggies, fruit and low-carb or no-carb snacks as I wanted. I lost about 15 pounds in 3 months with no exercise.



Later...Shawn

Pericles, I too used to crave carbs when I dieted (note, I said used to). Do you get to the point that it almost feels like an addiction? You MUST have carbs or you'll die?



Jeffrey - Best of luck! I know how hard it is. If you'd care to share which online diet you're using, I'd be interested.

Just curious Shawn, did you allow yourself beans and dairy products?

Pericles, I too used to crave carbs when I dieted (note, I said used to). Do you get to the point that it almost feels like an addiction? You MUST have carbs or you'll die?

I bought it about 3 months ago at BJs, I'm not sure of the brand, but I'll check tonight. I've been really impressed. When I first got it, I kept getting off and back on to see if it would generate the same weight. I did it about 10 times, and got the same weight, to the tenth of a pound, each time. I assumed they were all that accurate. I do know that when I step on the scale, it takes about 5 - 10 seconds or so to register the weight. I think it does a lot of measures internally before stablizing. It takes longer if I'm not perfectly still. Then, to take another measurement I have to step off, reset it, then get back on after it resets to 0.



I cut out all bread, pasta, sugar, rice, potatoes, and ate as much meat, veggies, fruit and low-carb or no-carb snacks as I wanted. I lost about 15 pounds in 3 months with no exercise.



Later...Shawn

I would love to lose 25lbs. Docs and wife say NO! But weigh the most I ever have. I was on steroids for about 9 mos and I just can't get the extra weight off.

I was raised that way. As a kid, watching my dad make a sandwich out of everything, even radishes and fried potatoes. Yes, I'm addicted.

Shawn,

Have you noticed any affect on your memory or quickness to think?

Studies have shown this to be the case in a low carb diet

you are right on, lower your carb intake and you WILL lose weight

Shawn,

Have you noticed any affect on your memory or quickness to think?

Studies have shown this to be the case in a low carb diet

you are right on, lower your carb intake and you WILL lose weight

Hate to say, I agree with your wife and doc, Tu ... I can't imagine where you could lose 25 from?!?

Some very good advice mam0412. Western medicine has almost no clue when it comes to all the little critters living in our digestive system. In the good old days before modern day food processing and microwave ovens, we ingested all kinds of good bacteria from fruits and veggies that weren't completely clean. This desire to sanitize our houses leaves us with very little opportunity to supply our digestive systems with good bacteria which results in yeast taking over. Probiotics are key to kicking carb cravings. Eating slow burning carbs like whole grains will also help control blood sugar levels.

Food has become too available in our lives and unfortunately it typically isn't a bowl of fruit or a hand full of nuts. My family has made a significant effort to change what is available to eat in our house. There is always a bowl of apples, bananas, pears and walnuts on our table. The fridge always has containers of a variety of veggies cut up and ready to eat like broccoli and radishes. I found that hard boiled eggs are great for satisfying that strong snack urge so we usually have them in the fridge too. This stuff also makes it easy to make a quick salad by using a bag of mixed greens. Add chick peas or some microwaved chicken nuggets to make the salad more satisfying. Seasame sticks or those crunchy chinese noodles add variety to salad too.

If you have a good sense of humor and tend to have more liberal values I highly suggest a book called "How to Eat Like a Hot Chick". No significant diet revelations but good advice for those who go out on weekends or find yourself in a lot of social settings. My wife really enjoyed the book and it helps you have a more positive view of yourself and your eating habits. Her favorite part of the book is when the author makes the claim that she is pretty sure the hamburger you eat at 3 AM after drinking does not count if you don't remember it.

In the short term, as in the first couple of weeks, I did notice some of those things. I attribute it to the body acting the same was as when a smoker stops smoking cold turkey, or an alcoholic stops drinking. In fact, I think every time I've started this diet, I've had flu like symptoms for the first week or two. After you get over those first few weeks though, things really seem to level out and I feel like I can think clearer than before I started cutting out carbs. During those first weeks is when having the digital scale really helps. Stepping on that every morning and seeing that the weight is coming off, even if it is only a few ounces, really helps motivate to get through the first few weeks.

Later...Shawn

Shawn - the flu-like symptoms are consistent with dying yeast. You do have to push through it to get better. You have to feel worse before you feel better.

I know I am addicted to carbs, It must be the release of endorphins that keep me addicted, I know I just feel mentally better after a bag of chips but then I feel guilty and the scale keeps going up and up.

Shawn - the flu-like symptoms are consistent with dying yeast. You do have to push through it to get better. You have to feel worse before you feel better.

Yeah, it seems to take about 1 - 2 weeks before things get better. Other than cutting out carbs, what other things do you eat or take to keep the yeast down? Anything other than the probiotic yogurt?
Later...Shawn

I don't have answers for everyone's complaints, but I'd like shed some light on some problems people have mentioned what I know and have expienced.
First off, forget everything you know about dieting. "Dieting" is at best a short term fix and more than likely a long term set up for more overfat problems. Notice, I said overfat, not overweight.
I'm 5'8", currently 200lbs. So according to the wonderful BMI Chart, I'm the perfect weight for an NBA basketball player.(See below)
[attachmentid=1939]
According to this same chart, I'm significantly overweight. I should be at most 165.
I work out, I do manual labor. The lowest weight I ever remember being was right around 170lbs. This was after a God awful flu that I didn't eat or drink (other than forcing orange juice down my throat) for two weeks.
I wear size 33 jeans and 34 dress pants. Right now, I'm right around 22% body fat. (The acceptable range for men is 20-25%, women is much higher, up to 31%).
You don't want to lose weight, you want to lose fat, you're not overweight, you're overfat.
So every dieter thinks "all I need to do is cut calories", which is mostly true. You don't want to cut too many which is the biggest pitfall of all dieters. Cutting all the complex carbs (bread, pasta, starchy veggies), all the fat, all the simple carbs (sugar) is going to set you up for insane cravings and eventual failure. You need to eat a normal diet in reasonable proportions. You need fat to process certian nutrients. So throw out the fat free dressing, you may as well eat cardboard, you'd probably get more of the nutrition out of that than a salad with fat free dressing. Your body actually runs on sugar, but you don't want to feed it just sugar and you don't want to eliminate all the sugar either. Forget any food with a label that says "zero carbs", "zero surgar" (unless you're diabetic, talk to your doctor), "zero fat". They're advertising gimmicks.
Diets don't work.
In fact, I'm going to stop calling it dieting, I'm calling it nutritional rehabilitation.
So for your nutritional rehabilitation, eat reasonable amounts of healthy food, give in to cravings every once in a while, once a week, go to your favorite steak house, drink a beer and have a good time.
And I highly recommend buying a copy of Muscle and Fitness, they have awesome recipes, they taste good, they're not outrageously expensive. They have real fitness advice for beginners. Then go to your favorite department store and buy a set of adjustable dumbells (55lbs is good to start). I used to recommend York, but their stuff is expensive and made in the same place the stuff in the department store is (china). Omni Fitness also has some great equipment at reasonable prices.
Last, monitor your body size, not weight. A taylor's tape will cost you about a buck and is worth every penny.
You can also buy a body-fat scale, they all work the same way, so they're all about the same quality, unless you go really expensive, the $30 model and the $70 model will work the same.
If you don't want to buy a scale, use this calculator, with basic nutritional requirements (ugly page, good calc): http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html forget the BMI part.

If anybody knows if Qunicy is still around, I'd bet she has some more specific advice for women.

Now, my goal is not to lose weight. My goal is to be healthy. If I lose weight as a result, then that's just a bonus. I'm keeping with this attitude and it helps!

Yeah, it seems to take about 1 - 2 weeks before things get better. Other than cutting out carbs, what other things do you eat or take to keep the yeast down? Anything other than the probiotic yogurt?
Later...Shawn

Are you sure we weren't separated at birth. My thoughts exactly. Food doesn't have the hold on me it once did when I was up tight about my weight.

All good advice Solitary!! In fact, I have also decided not to look at this as a diet. That has always sabotaged me. Now, my goal is not to lose weight. My goal is to be healthy. If I lose weight as a result, then that's just a bonus. I'm keeping with this attitude and it helps!

Are you sure we weren't separated at birth. My thoughts exactly. Food doesn't have the hold on me it once did when I was up tight about my weight.

Oh, and one other thing. I noticed from other threads that you are a bit of a wino. I love wine! Unfortunately, so does yeast. Have to cut back on that - at least for a while. The yeast was causing me to have 2-day hangovers on only 3 glasses of wine. I'm not a lightweight when it comes to wine either. I can put it down very well thanks, but not when yeast is a problem! I've heard stories of cops pulling people over who appeared to be driving drunk but they hadn't had any alcohol - they just had a yeast problem. Yeast can make you feel drunk even when you're not!

Luckily, I haven't found wine to have that kind of affect on me. That being said, I only generally drink it when I'm having a good meal. When I do though, I usually drink 1/2-3/4 of a bottle with the meal. I feel pretty good, but never get a hang-over from it. I almost always drink extremly dry wine, so I think the sugar content is a little lower than sweeter wines. That being said, I only drink it a few times a month. I like to collect bottles, then break one out for special dinners. I don't drink it every evening or anything like that.
Later...Shawn

One last thing, to any of the ladies who think if they pick up a dumbbell they'll turn into Ahrnohld. First, you don't have the hormones to do that if you work out an hour a day. I don't have the hormones to do that if I work our for three hours a day. To get really huge, it requires intense discipline, lots of time and training. So don't worry, iron isn't going to make you look like a man.

I like the approach of some new folks of right sizing for the individual, the weight Queen Latifah is comfortable with for herself is not the same as for some one else we each need to decide on a right size that is appealing to us and healthier than we are at now.

Hey Shawn - I didn't mean to imply you were an alcoholic! I realized that may have come across that way. My wine friends and I call ourselves winos. We really aren't though. Like you, we just drink it once or twice a month. I meant wino as a "term of endearment" if you will - as in a fellow wine lover. I typically don't have wine hangovers either unless I drink more than a bottle in a night, but that is very, very rare. Only when the yeast is out of control do I get a hangover on very little wine.

Oh, and one other thing. I noticed from other threads that you are a bit of a wino. I love wine! Unfortunately, so does yeast. Have to cut back on that - at least for a while. The yeast was causing me to have 2-day hangovers on only 3 glasses of wine. I'm not a lightweight when it comes to wine either. I can put it down very well thanks, but not when yeast is a problem! I've heard stories of cops pulling people over who appeared to be driving drunk but they hadn't had any alcohol - they just had a yeast problem. Yeast can make you feel drunk even when you're not!
LOL - perhaps we were! I'm the same way. I used to come in to work and immediately think about what I was going to do for lunch. Now, I'm lucky if I think about lunch when the cafeteria is still open.

LNP could start the "Biggest Loser" online. Jillian Michaels of the TV version has her own website with interesting articles, recipes and plans for losing weight.

I've been trying to lose about 50 pounds for a while. As we get older it is much harder to slim down as our metabolism slows down.

Good luck Jeff, Keep us informed of your progress.

Paul - It's candida and it absolutely lives in the gut. It doesn't need air to survive. It's also on the skin. It's everywhere, and you can't completely get rid of it. But it's when there's an overgrowth (imbalance) that it's a problem.

What exactly is a compromised immune system? I've heard the term and I may have that. How does one know? Are there symptoms? I have been allergy tested and have some sensitivities, but nothing that would be classified as an allergy. Also, isn't there cause and effect? Does a compromised immune system cause a candida overgrowth or vice versa? A number of my sensitivities have gone away now that the candida is under control.

Thanks TU! Nothing I've read explained it. I don't have a compromised immune system.

I work out with dumbbells 3 times/wk. I don't think I look like Ahrnohld.

I alternate days doing this with a treadmill workout the other 3 days (1 day free). The treadmill workout is done at the highest incline with 5# weights on each ankle. I'm no speed demon, but I do 1-1/2 miles in a half hour.

BTW, if I'm reading that chart correctly, my BMI is about 20. Good, bad, you tell me.

This has been a very informative thread. Let's all thank Jeffrey for getting fat so we could learn something.

I know this thread has gotten stale, .......