Weight Loss help

MEAUX

There is an answer, one must always follow the simple rule of the amount of calories going in should not exceed the amount of calories going out, how do you do this? Exersice and not diet but eat healthy. It takes a ave. person approx. 1 year to gain 15 pounds so it will take an ave person to loss that in about 6 months, with exercise and healthy eating. JUST KEEP WORKING HARD AT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

serottarider

Our ancestors, for many hundreds of thousands of years until the relatively recent past, were hunter-gatherers. Their diet was a mixture of scavenged and/or hunted insects, reptiles, fish, animals and fowl, plus seasonal roots, herbs, berries and foliage. While they may have eaten some grain based foods they certainly didn't eat much of it, and what they did eat was highly seasonal. Grain simply wasn't available all the time. They didn't eat a lot of dairy food either - it was probably quite challenging to try to milk an aurochs.

Agriculture appeared relatively recently - some time around 7,000 - 8,000 years ago - which is far too short a time for our species as a whole to adapt to such a radical dietary change. Evolution just doesn't work that fast.

Archeological evidence clearly shows the adverse effect on the human population of the effects of the "Neolithic revolution" - the introduction of agriculture. A significant reduction in height, loss of bone density and tooth decay appear at the same time as agro-foods were introduced into the human diet. We've seen the same efects in more recent times on the Inuit, the Kalahari bushmen and the Native American population. Significantly among the latter are the Pima, Hopi and Navajo, among whom the rates of diabetes are staggering.

The fact is that our evolutionary physiology has not as yet caught up with our genetic heritage. We are, from an evolutionary viewpoint, stone age men and women in 21st century clothing.

It's significant that, in spite of the supposedly healthy grain-based food pyramid touted by the current American government and its obedient nutritionists, the American population today has a higher rate of obesity, notably in the juvenile population, than at any time in recorded history. Maybe the fact that America is a huge grain-producing nation has something to do with it. Europe has the same issues.

It's refined carbs that are doing the damage. White bread, polished rice, high fructose corn syrup and the other high-glycemic refined junk in the "civilized" diet all serve to stress the pancreas and other elements of the various human energy-producing mechanisms. Trans fats are another evil.

Satiety isn't happening as it's supposed to because the lack of fiber and the lack of "natural" fats in the modern diet mean that the "I'm full" message we are supposed to generate just doesn't happen soon enough and so we tend to overeat. We're designed that way. The lack of exercise, significantly in the juvenile population as well as nationally, exacerbates this sad state of affairs and compounds the rush towards a fat industrialized world.

You can't mess with nature - it always bites back.

Each of us has to make his or her own dietary choices. We aren't a one-size-fits-all species. There are many individual populations, each with their own idiosyncracies. Certain ethnic groups have a higher rate of lactose intolerance, for instance, while others are sensitive to the nightshades - potato, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant et al. Some populations handle refined carbohydrates better than others.

You may personally handle refined carbohydrate fairly well. I don't, and there are many others out there with the same problem. Like I said, one size doesn't fit everyone.

The bottom line, however, is that the human body needs food. If we eat more than we use we gain weight. If we eat less we'll lose weight. It's all about doing the math and making good dietary choices......

Phil Whirley

RSalazar,

Several years ago I rode the MS150 from Houston to Austin after years of not riding. I am 6'0" and weighed (at that time) 275lbs at the age of 45. In my twenties I had been a very strong club rider (150-200 miles per week), but as you can tell, I was no longer fit.

First, start stretching now. This will help you avoid injury, regardless of how overweight you are. The ride is a lot of fun, even at a slow pace, if you don't injure yourself.

Second, pick the diet method you want to use and stick with it. I chose Adkins and have been very pleased with my success. It's been around for 30 years, so it hardly qualifies as a "fad" diet anymore. However, if you can get the low-fat diet to work for you, that's probably even better. The trick is to find the one that you can stick with! Find a group to support you.

Third, plan your food ahead of time. For example, in the morning, map out *exactly* what you're going to eat that day and write it down. Make sure you have access to it. Don't ever get caught hungry without knowing what you're planning to eat.

Fourth, write it all down. If you keep a food diary, you are much more likely to stick with the diet. I use BalanceLog by HealthETech (www.healthetech.com) on my PDA to log my food intake.

Fifth, spend as much time in the saddle as you can between now and the ride, but DON'T try to push too hard. Concentrate on spending time in the saddle, not riding fast. You want to gradually build up stamina, not hurt yourself. The more time your butt has to get used to the saddle, the more fun the trip will be. Make sure you invest in some good padded gel shorts and a good gel saddle. Also get some good gel gloves. It will make a difference.

Lastly, don't get hung up about a weight-loss goal. Don't try to be trim and fit by the time you do the big ride. Concentrate instead on how much better you feel every day as you eat properly. You want the weight to come off slowly as you establish long-term patterns of proper eating.

BTW, if you are riding the MS150 from Houston to Austin, it's really 180 miles!

JAPANic

good advice.

I think that link had one too many e's in it.

www.healthtech.com

Phil Whirley

Thanks. I actually posted the URL correctly. It's http://www.healthetech.com. They sell BalanceLog, which is an excellent tool, whether you have a PDA or not. As the product name implies, it's all about balance - exercise and diet.

lesliegee

As a woman, I find it interesting to see guys write 10 pages on a forum about weight loss, and diet. I thought only women had that many opinions on that subject. Anyway, I think the Adkins diet in unhealthy. I am not a nutritionist, but know many people who've gone on that diet. All have since gone off, and gained back the weight. I'm sure there are those of you out there who have stuck to it. - but I think the majority of people who go on extremely restrictive diets end up going off them. Common sence needs to be part of a persons diet. - and realization that your eating habits need to change for a lifetime. Pick something you can stick to. Which in my mind means that eating a diet more in line with the food pyramid is much more obtainable for a lifetime.

good luck RSalazar. I lost 20+ pounds in my 20's (I'm now 48) and have kept it off. Like serottarider said, everyone needs to find what works for them.

steve henning

Wow, what a wide range of responses. My comments:
You should not worry about the best way to lose weight in a single ride, but rather, how to lose weight over an entire year. The best way to do this is to keep riding.

The way to STOP riding is to ride as hard as you can in every ride! In fact, Lance Armstrong (arguably the best conditioned athlete on the planet) was about to quit racing because of burnout from training too hard every day; his coach backed him off from hard rides everyday, and instead carefully taylored and timed hard rides amidst long, easy rides.

The key to long term performance is to stress yourself, then recover before stressing yourself again. So, if you go out and ride hard on a given day, then you would want to ride at an easy pace for the next two or three days. Given your starting point, I would recommend frequent short, easy rides, with one or two days a week becoming longer rides over time. In time, you'll feel ready to ride hard one or two days a week. Trust yourself and how you feel on this!

Relative to eating - apply common sense. The key is to cut back on what you eat, especially for "foods" with empty calories. Beyond that, there are many opinions on diet, which I won't debate. But don't completely give up on foods (or snacks) you love - just cut back the amount and how often you have them. As you have success, your motivation will increase - if you stay with the program long enough, you'll get in the groove and the weight will continue to drop off.

Good luck on this journey - a love of cycling can be your best tool for becoming fit again, and can be a life-long pursuit that helps you maintain a healthier weight, cardio-vascular system, and positive outlook on life.

One more hint - if you have a spouse or significant other that wants to join you in this, so much the better - you may want to consider riding a tandem - its a blast!

Steve

wbmorrison

Wow Rsalazar, have YOU generated a lot of traffic!!! Hey, I'll be on the Bike To The Beach ride from SA to Corpus. I'm right there with you. Haven't been on a bike in years and am spooling up for the ride. I started "training" for it about 6 weeks ago, clocking in at 227 lbs. I'm riding 5 days a week, 12-15mls with a 25-25 ml. ride on weekends. I've dropped to 214lbs, without significant changes to my diet...just eating BETTER carbs and moderating my total intake. Just getting out and spinning is the key. If you don't have a Heart Rate Monitor, get one. It's like a tachometer for your heart/body. Great feedback. Cadence meter is helpful but not necessary. Make sure to give yourself at least a one-week rest before the ride to allow your muscles to recoup. Look us up: Team LacticAssid

Also, my brother is training for it in SA and does a Wednesday night group ride of about 25-30mls. let me know if you are interested and I'll get details (bill.morrison@emersonprocess.com). While some of the guys go faster, they apparently have checkpoints where they wait for folks to catch up...very friendly group...and big! Like 50-75 people.

Keep spinning and congratulations for the dedication to doing the ride!!!!

wbmorrison

Hey, guys want to look good for you ladies too! Having "Done Atkins" I can say it is not unhealthy. I have not met nor read someone who has actually "done Atkins" and has a negative reaction...as long as the do it correctly.

Key Points: (#1) Atkins is not a diet...it's a way of eating for life. Dr.Atkins principle was that we as Americans have gone from consuming 12 pounds of sugar a year to more than 150 lbs a year...my numbers are probably not exactly right, but the ratio is pretty close. European countries which are becoming more "Americanized" are showing the fastest increase of obesity in the world.

(#2) People who haven't done Atkins or taken the time to read the book don't understand that the intial phase (2 weeks) called the "induction phase" is admittedly strict and appears unhealthy. But that plan is NOT the entire Atkins program...it's simply a 2-week "shock therapy" for the body, to get it realigned and purged of the dependancy on Carbs...particularly bad Carbs high in refined sugars, flours, etc. There are 4 phases to the diet, the last 2 of which no person in their right mind would argue with...they are about balance.

Atkins is arguably the most popular eating regimine out there. Close on it's heals is the South Beach Diet. Essentially the same principles as Atkins but a bit more moderated on the front end...thus perhaps easier to stick with.

One other point. One of the research efforts that ATkins did was take a group of athletes (runners / cyclists) and put half on a "standard" high carb diet and half on a high protein diet, low carbs. The high carb group had better jackrabbit speed and pace initially, but flamed out much faster. The high protein folks were able to perform as well as they ever had on high carbs, but could sustain it longer AND RECOVERED FASTER than the carb junkies.

As already stated, it is about balance. But "balance" is relative. If you want to read some interesting food/life regime stuff, read "The Okinawa Program". Shows the life expectance, general health and low disease rates of folks in Okinawa, and the stuff they eat. Guess what kids: low carbs, high protein. Absolute longest life expectancy ON EARTH and the lowest rates of major illnesses like diabetes and heart disease ON EARTH. That's no fad.

Fun dialog. Even if you don't "do Atkins" and wish to have an opinion on it, read. I was a disbeliever...I thought the guys was totally wacked out....until I read his book. It really makes sense, as incredulous as some of it seems.

By the way, the people who go on Atkins and lose weight only to go "off Atkins" and regain it all...I know several. They simply went back to their old habits which got them to the bad state they were in to begin with. Makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, they did everything that was required to get there.

Live FOR your heart and FROM your heart...it's the definition of who you are. http://www.ransomedheart.com/index....25AAFAF1F8E2F30

2LAP

So whats the percentage of kcals from carbohydrate/protein/fat on the Atkins in the long term/maintance phase?

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ric_stern/RST

Originally posted by wbmorrison, i responded with >>

Hey, guys want to look good for you ladies too! Having "Done Atkins" I can say it is not unhealthy. I have not met nor read someone who has actually "done Atkins" and has a negative reaction...as long as the do it correctly.

>>the bulk of the scientific evidence doesn't support this theory, and suggests that Atkins could be bad in terms of heart disease etc. In fact, in the UK now, it is considered *negligent* to recommed the Atkins diet


Key Points: (#1) Atkins is not a diet...it's a way of eating for life. Dr.Atkins principle was that we as Americans have gone from consuming 12 pounds of sugar a year to more than 150 lbs a year...my numbers are probably not exactly right, but the ratio is pretty close. European countries which are becoming more "Americanized" are showing the fastest increase of obesity in the world.

>>People gain weight (fat) because they eat too much, and don't exercise enough.


(#2) People who haven't done Atkins or taken the time to read the book don't understand that the intial phase (2 weeks) called the "induction phase" is admittedly strict and appears unhealthy. But that plan is NOT the entire Atkins program...it's simply a 2-week "shock therapy" for the body, to get it realigned and purged of the dependancy on Carbs...particularly bad Carbs high in refined sugars, flours, etc. There are 4 phases to the diet, the last 2 of which no person in their right mind would argue with...they are about balance.

>>sorry, but i don't believe in a very low carb diet and can't find *any* evidence to support this, especially in an athletic population




Atkins is arguably the most popular eating regimine out there. Close on it's heals is the South Beach Diet. Essentially the same principles as Atkins but a bit more moderated on the front end...thus perhaps easier to stick with.

>>eating chocolate, fatty foods and McD is popular but that doesn't mean it's good for you!



One other point. One of the research efforts that ATkins did was take a group of athletes (runners / cyclists) and put half on a "standard" high carb diet and half on a high protein diet, low carbs. The high carb group had better jackrabbit speed and pace initially, but flamed out much faster. The high protein folks were able to perform as well as they ever had on high carbs, but could sustain it longer AND RECOVERED FASTER than the carb junkies.

>>you're correct, there is *one* study that supports this notion. However, the study was so badly designed, and incorrect and goes against all the other data available, that it can be dismissed.


Fun dialog. Even if you don't "do Atkins" and wish to have an opinion on it, read. I was a disbeliever...I thought the guys was totally wacked out....until I read his book. It really makes sense, as incredulous as some of it seems.

>>it's just a way for atkins and the company to make money.

>>there's a few studies comparing normal mixed diets and atkins diets and the people on the atkins loose no more weight than any other diet

>>a normal mixed diet eating a mix of carbohydrates (bread pasta rice etc, and minimising sweets, table sugar etc) protein and fat, and plenty of exercise is the healthiest option

Ric

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wbmorrison

Ric, at the risk of sounding confrontational (I'm not!), it doesn't seem that you have actually read the Atkins Nutrional Approach materials. I think you would find it to be much more balanced than you may perceive. SIDE NOTE: I don't work for Atkins, don't represent nutrional companies of any kind. I'm just a user with personal experience AND have read the materials in detail.

The inital "induction" phase is strict. I would tend to agree that it seems to put too many saturated fats in the "rotation". However, the rest of the program is ALL about balanced nutrition, reducing/eliminating 'bad' carbs, etc.

And, the Approach also makes a huge priority on excercise.

I profit nothing by convincing you...just sharing experience. I would encourage you to read more about it. You can sell the book on eBay when you're done!

Also, check out:
+ http://atkins.com/why/debunking-the-myths.html
+ http://atkins.com/science/index.html

2LAP

Sorry, I am a non believer too.

So how does it differ from a normal balanced, healthy and calorie controled that Ric hints at?

You suggest they may even be the same? Now I'm confused.

Also, little of the research on the site addresses the Atkins diet directly and much has very loose links with Atkins diets (there are papers on children and adolecents... not the usual atkins dieters).

There are also times when a single paper is refered to and a particular conclusion drawn; when I know that the wealth of evidence on some topics says otherwise! This is a very biased site!

Can you tell me...

What the percentage of kcals from carbohydrate/protein/fat on the Atkins in the long term/maintance phase?

The site doesn't seem to tell us and I'm just interested to see how different it is from the recomened.

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wbmorrison

I'll check the exact figures and post that...I simply don't have those with me at my office and don't wish to post a guesstimate. Clearly, the site is biased...they are trying to sell a program! Also, they don't post the entire program details...they want you to buy the book!! No arguements from me about the commercialism of it.

My points to Ric were: the Atkins Approach gets slammed...some of it I agree with (abundance of saturated fats) some of the slamming I don't agree with as it demonstrates a lack of personal experience/knowledge. It's not saying Carbs are bad. It is not a "no carb" diet. It does say there are good carbs (grains & fruits among them) and bad carbs (processed/refined flours & sugars, junk foods, etc.).


So how does it differ from a normal balanced, healthy and calorie controled that Ric hints at?

In the end (sustaining/maintenance phase), not much. It might move a few percentages of carbs over into the protein camp, but not a dramatic amount. The Induction phase (2 weeks) seems dramatic...and is intended to be so. It is trying to shock a (bad) carb dependent body out of that regimine for 2 weeks, only to then begin re-establishing a proper balance of protein/fat/carbs.

But don't misjudge the program by the first two weeks alone...the common failing of those reviewing the program. The first 2 weeks to deprives the body of carbohydrate fuel. Admittedly, it does so in a dramatic way...only 20g of carbs are allowed per day. The key point here is that AS LONG AS ADEQUATE SOURCES OF CARBOHYDRATES / GLYC. ARE AVAILABLE, THE BODY WILL BURN THEM FIRST...whether they are in the short-term digestive process or stored in tissue. Next comes fat. So, if someone is looking to kick-start burning fat, it makes sense to deprive the fuel source of carbs FOR A BRIEF TIME...2 weeks.

For a healthy, fit person the first phase or two doesn't make sense...you likely have no need to burn fat in a significant way. But for someone who is carbohydrate dependent and whose glycogen levels are out of whack, subtlety might not get the intended result. As was posted here, burning more than you consume is the key...as is a balanced approach to nutrition. But it also requires getting the body trained to not crave and be dependent upon sugar-rich carbs. Someone who does not have their weight well managed and want to make a LIFELONG change need a jump start...as well as a plan for life. I do believe the Atkins program does a decent job of both...IF YOU FOLLOW IT CORRECTLY. The South Beach Diet also seems to follow a very similar principle to Atkins but seems a bit more considerate of eliminating bad fats (transfats) than Atkins does.

I'll get the details on dietary mix and post it this weekend. But I would encourage you guys to read the Atkins book...or at least the philosophy and science behind it. This is a topic you obviously care a great deal about and I'd propose the only way you can truly speak with authority is if you KNOW it personally.

Cheers.