Diet advice for a first timer

[queenororo]

Hey everyone, so im a big guy (300lbs) and starting last week I decided to go on a diet because I felt it was time. Every night I do 30 mins stepping on and off a step stool (honestly im too embarrassed to go to the gym or exercise in public) and I figure that, that is better than nothing. I've been eating healthy but it seems every night im going to bed hungry and its keeping me up (which is prolonging the hunger) anyone have any advice on this or my diet in general? Itd be greatly appreciated and like the title says this is the first diet I've been on before this ive just done what I want so please the basics before the advanced stuff lol

 

[jft245]

Cut out the carbs (bread, potatoes, pasta) and do 30 minutes a day of exercise even something as simple as walking or using a treadmill. The hungry all the time feeling sucks, but you will adjust. Drink a lot of water, this helps dull the "empty" feeling. Search yard sales or Craigslist for a treadmill or exercise bike if you are to embarrassed to go to the gym. I have both and it is easy to pull the bike in front of the TV and pedal away while I watch, or I listen to my music while on the treadmill.

The hard part is making yourself stick to it. You don't say how old you are, but if you are young it is better to do it now then to be diagnosed with diabetes or some other problem when you get to be older like I was.

 

[BearMagus]

The only thing making or keeping weight on you is your teeth. If you're over weight you're eating more than you need. Down load a calorie counting program to your PC and an app to your phone and keep track of what you eat every day. A good calorie app will tell you what you need to eat to lose and maintain your weight.

 

[KaraBulut]

You've started with simple exercises to rebuild your endurance which is good. Find reasons and time to walk until you area able to shed enough pounds to take on more vigorous exercise.

Before we talk about food - define "eating healthy".

 

[SC6201]

If you are hungry, it will be difficult to succeeded. You did not get where you are via sacrifice and discipline so to expect that instantly to turn on will be a recipe for disaster. You have heard that diets "don't work"...and you have probably also seen that there are a million "diets" and ways to loose weight...and that you simply have to reduce your calories and eat less...well the reason there are a million ideas is that each of the millions of people are different. I have ballooned up to 240 over the past year (and I use the term ballooned only in relation to where I was). Here is what has been working for me:

I focus not on a "diet" but rather making better choices. I have dabbled is a bunch of diets...Atkins, Body for Life, cleansing...but it really comes down to the little things that make up the result. I have worked on figuring out what my "triggers" are and have leaned that food is the ultimate drug.

First, I always had to pee and started to worry that something was medically wrong...but I am a firm believer in not medicating unless absolutely necessary, so I decided to see if it was diet related. I started by knocking out different things from my diet for a week at a time to try and narrow it down...well I discovered that soda was my trigger...drink a coke, pee three times within then next two hours...now I cut back on soda. It is not "banned" but I have to make a conscious decision TO drink a coke rather than it being the go to drink.

Next I was always feeling bloated...so I played around again and discovered bread was the culprit....and man I loooooove breads, but now I know what it does to me, i rely on less of my carbs from breads

I also got addicted to Red Bull...but I was more and more feeling lethargic...guess what, the Red Bull and what ever was in that gave me wings for about an hour then crashed like a brick for the rest of the day and pretty much rendered me useless.

With breakfast I ALWAYS had to have a pastry or doughnut or something. Needed the sugar rush. I replace that with a piece of fruits in the AM with breakfast...guess what, no longer NEED that pastry with my coffee or breakfast.

I stared drinking more water or unsweetened ice tea with my meals...felt more full and ate less.

Now to truly get in shape, exercise has to be involved...but I believe nutrition is FAR more important. I was always depressed, lethargic and completely unmotivated to do ANYTHING. If I didn't have work, I feared that I would be a complete hermit. Well, time to mess around with the food again...High Fructose Corn Syrup...EVIL...at least for me. I was always in a fog and a daze. Reduced it several weeks ago and feel GREAT! I now make a conscious decision to buy products WITHOUT it...now again, it is not banished from my diet but rather greatly reduced, and that crap is EVERYWHERE. When I want a soda, I now go for a ginger ale from Whole Foods that is made with cane sugar and do not have all of the side effects that a coke has on me. I have been amazed at the results.

One thing I do is when I have a craving or get hungry is reach for fruit. Strawberries, bananas, oranges, mangos...I do not restrict fruits and veggies.

Jack in the box or some other crap was my go to lunch, now with just a few tweaks, I am about to get for lunch salmon over rice, an orange, and a water...and that is what I am ACTUALLY craving right now!

you need to FEED you body to loose weight, just WITH the right stuff to keep you mentally and physically at you best, otherwise the fat kid inside that wants a Coke will win.

On the exercise front, I was once a gym rat going several times a week. where I wound up I wouldn't dare set foot in a gym. "Exercise" can be a simple as going for a walk...and picking up the pace to a brisk walk and no one knows you are "exercising"...and when on one is looking, throw in a few steps jogging.

I work with a few guys that are all trying to loose a few pounds, and they all range from 23 and athletic to me almost 40 and a bit of a lump...some of them can eat a salad every and just reduce carbs, but I have seen them also bounce back just as fast when they go back to their eating habits. Those of us that are doing the best are not on "restrictive" diets but rather have made more consistently better eating habits.

...and now when I have burger, fries, and milkshake I do not feel "guilty" that I "cheated" or fell off the wagon, rather I know it is all in moderation...and that I am gonna enjoy the hell outta that meal...then feel like crap mentally and physically for awhile!

habits and choices...food really IS a drug!

 

[Zaso87]

If you are hungry, it will be difficult to succeeded. You did not get where you are via sacrifice and discipline so to expect that instantly to turn on will be a recipe for disaster. You have heard that diets "don't work"...and you have probably also seen that there are a million "diets" and ways to loose weight...and that you simply have to reduce your calories and eat less...well the reason there are a million ideas is that each of the millions of people are different. I have ballooned up to 240 over the past year (and I use the term ballooned only in relation to where I was). Here is what has been working for me:

I focus not on a "diet" but rather making better choices. I have dabbled is a bunch of diets...Atkins, Body for Life, cleansing...but it really comes down to the little things that make up the result. I have worked on figuring out what my "triggers" are and have leaned that food is the ultimate drug.

First, I always had to pee and started to worry that something was medically wrong...but I am a firm believer in not medicating unless absolutely necessary, so I decided to see if it was diet related. I started by knocking out different things from my diet for a week at a time to try and narrow it down...well I discovered that soda was my trigger...drink a coke, pee three times within then next two hours...now I cut back on soda. It is not "banned" but I have to make a conscious decision TO drink a coke rather than it being the go to drink.

Next I was always feeling bloated...so I played around again and discovered bread was the culprit....and man I loooooove breads, but now I know what it does to me, i rely on less of my carbs from breads

I also got addicted to Red Bull...but I was more and more feeling lethargic...guess what, the Red Bull and what ever was in that gave me wings for about an hour then crashed like a brick for the rest of the day and pretty much rendered me useless.

With breakfast I ALWAYS had to have a pastry or doughnut or something. Needed the sugar rush. I replace that with a piece of fruits in the AM with breakfast...guess what, no longer NEED that pastry with my coffee or breakfast.

I stared drinking more water or unsweetened ice tea with my meals...felt more full and ate less.

Now to truly get in shape, exercise has to be involved...but I believe nutrition is FAR more important. I was always depressed, lethargic and completely unmotivated to do ANYTHING. If I didn't have work, I feared that I would be a complete hermit. Well, time to mess around with the food again...High Fructose Corn Syrup...EVIL...at least for me. I was always in a fog and a daze. Reduced it several weeks ago and feel GREAT! I now make a conscious decision to buy products WITHOUT it...now again, it is not banished from my diet but rather greatly reduced, and that crap is EVERYWHERE. When I want a soda, I now go for a ginger ale from Whole Foods that is made with cane sugar and do not have all of the side effects that a coke has on me. I have been amazed at the results.

One thing I do is when I have a craving or get hungry is reach for fruit. Strawberries, bananas, oranges, mangos...I do not restrict fruits and veggies.

Jack in the box or some other crap was my go to lunch, now with just a few tweaks, I am about to get for lunch salmon over rice, an orange, and a water...and that is what I am ACTUALLY craving right now!

you need to FEED you body to loose weight, just WITH the right stuff to keep you mentally and physically at you best, otherwise the fat kid inside that wants a Coke will win.

On the exercise front, I was once a gym rat going several times a week. where I wound up I wouldn't dare set foot in a gym. "Exercise" can be a simple as going for a walk...and picking up the pace to a brisk walk and no one knows you are "exercising"...and when on one is looking, throw in a few steps jogging.

I work with a few guys that are all trying to loose a few pounds, and they all range from 23 and athletic to me almost 40 and a bit of a lump...some of them can eat a salad every and just reduce carbs, but I have seen them also bounce back just as fast when they go back to their eating habits. Those of us that are doing the best are not on "restrictive" diets but rather have made more consistently better eating habits.

...and now when I have burger, fries, and milkshake I do not feel "guilty" that I "cheated" or fell off the wagon, rather I know it is all in moderation...and that I am gonna enjoy the hell outta that meal...then feel like crap mentally and physically for awhile!

habits and choices...food really IS a drug![/QUOTE

How much have you lost in weight >?

 

[Benvolio]

Actually, the easiest and fastest diet is a no-carbohydrate one. You can be hungry the first 48 hours but after that the body produces ketones in the blood as a by product of fat breakdown. The ketones dramatically reduce the hunger and craving.. You can reasonably expect to lose a pound a day. You do not need to count what you eat. Obviously you should try to eat less, and by eating only protein and some fat, you will want to eat less.
This is essentially the Adkins low carb diet, but it is best viewed as a NO carb diet. Most who try it fail because they think it is just a lower carb diet. You would focus on eating some carbs, and it won't work. The diet is physiologically different from all other diets, faster and much easier and without hunger, but obly if you cut out all or virtually all carbs.
The diet can include some fat as part of the meat etc, but it is healthier to emphasize low fat proteins, such as fish. There are some no carb protein powders on the market, and no-fat wieners and prepared meats.
Of course exercise helps but it is not as necessary as on other diets.
I suggest you try it for a week. You will probably lose 12 pounds or better, but part of the fast early loss is only water as the diet has a slightly dehydrating effect. And for the first time in a long you will be free of the craving to eat. And remember the diet changes after the first 48 hours and you will be more comfortable and not hungry.

 

[Zaso87]

Actually, the easiest and fastest diet is a no-carbohydrate one. You can be hungry the first 48 hours but after that the body produces ketones in the blood as a by product of fat breakdown. The ketones dramatically reduce the hunger and craving.. You can reasonably expect to lose a pound a day. You do not need to count what you eat. Obviously you should try to eat less, and by eating only protein and some fat, you will want to eat less.
This is essentially the Adkins low carb diet, but it is best viewed as a NO carb diet. Most who try it fail because they think it is just a lower carb diet. You would focus on eating some carbs, and it won't work. The diet is physiologically different from all other diets, faster and much easier and without hunger, but obly if you cut out all or virtually all carbs.
The diet can include some fat as part of the meat etc, but it is healthier to emphasize low fat proteins, such as fish. There are some no carb protein powders on the market, and no-fat wieners and prepared meats.
Of course exercise helps but it is not as necessary as on other diets.
I suggest you try it for a week. You will probably lose 12 pounds or better, but part of the fast early loss is only water as the diet has a slightly dehydrating effect. And for the first time in a long you will be free of the craving to eat. And remember the diet changes after the first 48 hours and you will be more comfortable and not hungry.

Your body needs carbs to function ! Not eating carbs will cause migraines ur brain needs carbs to operate

 

[Zaso87]

They just have to be simple like a bagel will be fine if that's all the carbs ur going to eat just make it last through the day like 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at lunch

 

[Scealle]

^ I agree. Don't completely cut off every carbs. Just tone them down.
Some advice from my classmates who started gym lately, eat more fruits and veges helps
I get hungry really easily and I have really heavy lunch and dinner. These days I eat more often, breakfast, afternoon snack + supper instead of just heaving really heavy main meals / lunch dinner.

 

[Zaso87]

^ I agree. Don't completely cut off every carbs. Just tone them down.
Some advice from my classmates who started gym lately, eat more fruits and veges helps
I get hungry really easily and I have really heavy lunch and dinner. These days I eat more often, breakfast, afternoon snack + supper instead of just heaving really heavy main meals / lunch dinner.

Yea I need to eat a heavy lunch and lighter dinner but i start getting really hungry and can't sleep !

 

[Scealle]

Yea I need to eat a heavy lunch and lighter dinner but i start getting really hungry and can't sleep !

Dinner is like super important to me since I stay up till late so I usually tend to have heavy dinner. I still eat supper to make sure I don't get hungry and wake up in the middle of the night.

 

[Benvolio]

Dinner is like super important to me since I stay up till late so I usually tend to have heavy dinner. I still eat supper to make sure I don't get hungry and wake up in the middle of the night.

This does not sound like a diet.

 

[sixthson]

Try a few ounces of lean meat, like turkey or fish, and some fresh veggies in the evening.

 

[DmitriyEM]

Exercise only goes so far: its great for your health in general but the reality is that people who consume over 2300 calories a day would have to work out for hours in order to just maintain their weight. Clearly most working people can maybe get in a max of an hour or two a day to dedicate to exercise.

Speaking from experience(I went from 262 to 225 in a year and 3 months), a diet requires systemic changes to what you eat but more importantly: how much.

1: Consider where you're getting your food. For example: pre-cut and breaded frozen chicken cutlets contain more fat, calories and salt(which actually makes you fatter because it retains more water in your body, not to mention that it costs more) than if you were to make this from scratch.
2: Consider how you're cooking that food. A chicken cutlet can easily lose the breading and deep frying without compromising too much flavour if you marinade your chicken. Or you can take that chicken cutlet, cut it up and add to a saute of vegetables(cooked with a minimal amount of oil, maybe one or two table spoons.
3: Consider how much you're putting in you're body. Try eat no more than one plate of food at any sitting.
4: Consider eating for health as well as pleasure. Many people unfortunately develop an emotional attachment to food and therefore start eating whatever the hell the feel like eating instead of eating for health. Which means: you should probably make yourself a side salad to your single chicken cutlet instead of having two cutlets and mashed potatoes(because you know that you should consume fresh vegatables everyday).
5. Consider working in the things you love to eat into your diet instead of completely removing them. I.E. allow yourself one serving of sweets, once a week. But make sure to keep all sugar out of your house(having it will sabotage your diet). Consider limiting your carb intake as well as choosing better carbs: eat whole wheat bread. If you're going to have pasta: no more than two cups. If it's rice or potatoes: just one cup or one medium sized potato. Also try not to eat red meat more than once a week.

 

[Durango95]

My advise is this...do not start any diet that you cannot stay on for the rest of your life. Anyone can lose weight on just about any diet. The reason that 99% of people gain weight back is they get off the diet. The only diet you should start is one you can do forever.

I'd consult a doctor before doing any type exercise. At 300 pounds there is almost a certainty that you have some health issues. If you can afford it, a medically supervised diet would be optimum for someone with as much weight to lose as do you. Ideally an inpatient situation would be the best thing for the initial loss.

There is no reason to be ashamed to go and workout in a gym. Nobody put the weight on you but you. You fed it you show it.

 

[Benvolio]

I think it is better to lose weight fast and then learn a diet you can stay on for the rest of your life. There is no advantage to learning at a heavy weight over on low weight. The reverse is true. A diet you can live with is slow and much harder for several reasons. Faster diets are rewarding on almost a daily basis. On other diets it may take a week to lose a pound, so the incentive is less. As you say, at 300 exercise is more difficult and can be hard on the knees etc. Once he loses the weight, exercise will be easier. Calorie counting diets are especially difficult if you do you own cooking. You need to devote time and thought to planning, shopping, weighing, and cooking, all leading to a tiny, frustrating amount of food.
Of course, one of the medically supervised diets would be preferable, unless it is a calorie counting diet.

 

[Laufey]

Cut away all simple carbs like wheat and sugar. Read the ingredients, if it has it then don't put it in the basket.

You also have to be careful with some of the natural sugars. A watermelon spikes your blood sugar more than Coke.

Not saying you have to go all the way Atkins style... but the science behind it is pretty solid. Fat (including saturated) was our main energy source for thousands of years... the problem with the modern diet is NOT fat (the French eat more fat than Americans), it's the over-consumption of (simple) carbs.

If you don't think you can handle a low-carb diet I suggest you try the low glycemic index diet. With that one you don't have to count the carbs but you pick items based on where they rate on the glycemic index chart. Its the same chart diabetics use for guidance. When you eat low glycemic food it takes a longer period of time to feel hungry again because it doesn't spike the blood sugar, later leading to a crash which makes you feel hungry.

Don't put too much focus on working out... sure it has health benefits but 80% of loosing weight comes with the right diet. Start very slowly if you haven't been working out for a long time.

 

[tigerfan482]

I've lost almost 50 pounds in the past 4 months by just watching my calorie count. There are numerous calorie apps on websites that tell you how many calories you need to maintain your weight based on your current weight, height, and age. Find out what that is and then eat less than that. As you lose weight, adjust your calorie count downwards. Eventually, you will get to a point where you can't eat fewer calories and that's when you can start hitting the gym.

The good part about calorie counting is not only that you lose weight, but it gets you in the habit of eating smaller portions and paying attention to the nutritional information of what you eat. It also gets you eating healthier because you are able to eat more of lower calorie foods, such as vegetables. Once you fall into these habits, then it is much easier to keep the weight off. Generally, diets like low carb are great for losing the weight, but you tend to put it right back on quickly if you ever go off of the diet.

The trick is to get in the habit of eating healthier and getting down to a weight that will make it easier (both physically and mentally) for you to go to the gym to establish an exercise routine.

Good luck to you!

 

[Laufey]

Counting calories in my opinion is the worst way to loose weight because most people will never be able to stick with it for a long period of time.

Plus a calorie isn't just a calorie.