Weight loss

[oE]

Guys,

I have set myself the challenge to lose 2 stone from now until August, combined with packing in smoking.

I have cut all the shit from my diet and got it down to :-

cereal for breakfast and a coffee
small role sarnie, apple, snack a jacks for lunch
healthy meal on evening - chicken and salad, cut my portion size right down.

Would I gain any benefit if I were to cut out lunch and take something like myoplex shake for lunch and then supplement with a few more bits of fruit over the course of the day ?

Only started this week and I can feel a slight slackening of my belt but still along way to go.

I am not obsessive so have not been counting calories etc - just not eating junk, reducing my portion size, lowering my carbs...

oE.

[blaggard]

Guys,

I have set myself the challenge to lose 2 stone from now until August, combined with packing in smoking.

I have cut all the shit from my diet and got it down to :-

cereal for breakfast and a coffee
small role sarnie, apple, snack a jacks for lunch
healthy meal on evening - chicken and salad, cut my portion size right down.

Would I gain any benefit if I were to cut out lunch and take something like myoplex shake for lunch and then supplement with a few more bits of fruit over the course of the day ?

Only started this week and I can feel a slight slackening of my belt but still along way to go.

I am not obsessive so have not been counting calories etc - just not eating junk, reducing my portion size, lowering my carbs...

oE.

You should drop 3-4 lbs/week on that regime.

[oE]

Yeh thats what I had calculated as well.

What I find is that about an hour before I am due to eat I start to feel FUCKING HUNGRY lol

So was thinking would I be better of moving to 4/5 meals - i.e. few bits of fruit to try keep myself topped up.

If shakes can also keep me feeling full then I dont mind swapping lunch for one.

oE.

[blaggard]

I did 3 stone in 4 Months on the online weight watchers points plan (the old one, they changed it recently) really easy to follow

[oE]

cool will take a look at that - didn't know if weight watchers covered men TBH - I know they used to offer MP5 programme for men.

Wonder if anyone has also tried shakes tho ?

oE.

[blaggard]

I was surprised too but it was really good and after the 3 Months you get a pretty good idea of what you can and can't eat anyway

[oE]

is it taylored towards men online or just generic food and plans ?

oE.

[tronads]

Rusbeer is our resident weight loss expert...He did the Lighter Life / Cambridge a couple of years back and lost about 7 stone.

[oE]

I did 3 stone in 4 Months on the online weight watchers points plan (the old one, they changed it recently) really easy to follow

Just signed up - I have been on average 36 each day this week - not bad as my allowance is 47.

oE.

[B B Leo]

loosing weight is easy. keeping the fucking thing of is my problem. im what it called a yo-yo dieter

[blaggard]

Yep, yo yo Baker here! Mind you with the amount of pain Killers I'm eating just now even my Doctor is sympathetic!
The Weight Watchers plan goes a long way to re training your eating habits though.

[maltloaf]

What none of you have mentioned is exercise. I recently started a new job, I eat the same but it's a way more physical job. I haven't weighed myself before or since but what is a fact is this...

I have dropped from the top end of xxl to the bottom end of xl and can get away with l
My waist size has dropped from feeling a 40" is getting tight down to 36/38" All of this has happened in 9 weeks and I'm still losing weight and more importantly toning up.

This is all caused by exercise, my food intake (which wasn't that high anyway) has not altered one jot.

[Goldberg]

I'm about 11 stone, always feel like a bit to lose around the middle.

The problem is I don't actually eat much anyway! Plus I never eat Crips/Cake or Snacks full stop.
For me it's the Beer... I did 6 weeks off it a couple of years ago and lost a stone! This was tied in with me renovating a house in that same period, but I looked like a fucking AIDS victim at the end of it. People were worried that I was seriously ill and looking back I can understand why!

So back upto 10.5 - 11 stone frequently now and happy with it.

The point however is that no matter how much/little you eat, Lager and Beer plays a huge part!
I'm certainly not fat, but if I eat 'normal' I reckon I would be huge!

Excersise is scarse for me, I do play golf and 5-a-side frequently, but not as much as I should.
I cannot do running as the Knees don't like it and I have not been to the Gym since I was 19 (when I proper toned up).

[Ganty]

What none of you have mentioned is exercise. I recently started a new job, I eat the same but it's a way more physical job. I haven't weighed myself before or since but what is a fact is this...

I have dropped from the top end of xxl to the bottom end of xl and can get away with l
My waist size has dropped from feeling a 40" is getting tight down to 36/38" All of this has happened in 9 weeks and I'm still losing weight and more importantly toning up.

This is all caused by exercise, my food intake (which wasn't that high anyway) has not altered one jot.

Spot on. You'll probably find you plateau soon though, which may be disheartening if you wanted to keep seeing results.

The weight watchers thing is fine, and I do agree that it gives you a fair indication in the wholistic value of food, but I can't help but feel they are selling you something you can get for free.

It really is as simple as burning more calories than you consume.

If you are heavier to begin with, you'll find you lose shed loads in the 1st month as larger people need more calories to function.

Like said above though, its when you hit the wall and it starts to get harder to lose the pounds that most people struggle.

Don't expect to lose as much in months 2, 3 and 4 as you did in month 1.

You don't mention snacks in your post, oe. These are vital to keep the metabolism firing, just something light, dried fruit, nuts and seeds are great for this.

[pheonixsingh]

I disagree, with a good diet for the first 3 months you can lose a heck alot of weight without doing any exercise (if you want to build muscle, tone up or whatever thats a different story) but for plain losing weight you dont necessarily need to do exercise. In some cases (not all) it becomes detrimental to peoples weight loss regime as they start to want to eat more calories after exercising which offsets its effects.

When weight loss starts slowing down, start trying some exercise. The simplest thing would be to do is first thing in the morning before you eat anything do a 45min power walk, (can also be done on treadmill) or on a stationary bike or something, this should help the weight loss on its way.

[flypitcher]

Losing weight is easy and simple.
Eat less calories than you expend.

[blaggard]

Losing weight is easy and simple.
Eat less calories than you expend.

Glib, not funny.

[maltloaf]

losing weight without proper exercise is a recipe for disaster. You'll just crave whatever foods you've cut out and they will creep back in, causing you to yoyo.

There is one pretty accurate phrase that has been proven right time and time again, when I've lost weight AND when I've put it on. It doesn't quite cover all the bases but it fits well..

"Eat less, move more"

At the moment I'm eating the same and moving much more (much harder physical job and more cycling/swimming) and the results have been amazing. Next step is to modify my eating but in SENSIBLE steps that can be maintained.

[Zoots]

I know not everyone's a fan of Atkins - I couldn't find the will power to do anything so I thought the first two weeks of Atkins 'induction' would be over in less than a day. I stuck it out though and didn't lose much weight as such, but lost that niggly pudge. Not still doing it to the letter by a long chalk but have very little desire for bread etc and watch my carb intake. Once your clothes start to fit better and you don't look like a pot bellied pig in the mirror, your eagerness to carry on gets bigger. Swimming and biking now and lost half a stone. Removing carb-filled stuff for me (which was clearly my downfall) was a good kick start. I was a stone overweight so got another half stone to go yet and it feels like a doddle.

"Eat less, move more"

That's the long and short of it really.

[pheonixsingh]

I know not everyone's a fan of Atkins - I couldn't find the will power to do anything so I thought the first two weeks of Atkins 'induction' would be over in less than a day. I stuck it out though and didn't lose much weight as such, but lost that niggly pudge. Not still doing it to the letter by a long chalk but have very little desire for bread etc and watch my carb intake. Once your clothes start to fit better and you don't look like a pot bellied pig in the mirror, your eagerness to carry on gets bigger. Swimming and biking now and lost half a stone. Removing carb-filled stuff for me (which was clearly my downfall) was a good kick start. I was a stone overweight so got another half stone to go yet and it feels like a doddle.That's the long and short of it really.

be careful if you decide to go back to carbs, if you dont slowly taper up your carb intake when you decide to stop you will gain the weight back sharpish.

research the paleo diet (caveman diet), similar principle but can be maintained as a lifestyle rather than just a diet