7 ms·

I think attacking one problem at a time is the best way to go about (at least for me). I noticed that many people try to make drastic changes all at once and th

I think attacking one problem at a time is the best way to go about (at least for me). I noticed that many people try to make drastic changes all at once and then fail at all of them. I'd recommend trying one thing and just doing that one thing above all else. IE, don't try to exercise and diet at the same time. Pick one and when you've firmly established the habit, start the next change.

scarface74 9y ago
I agree completely. I spent years as a fitness instructor and worked out regularly. Life happened, I stopped teaching and working out consistently for five years and everything went south, weight, blood pressure, strength, cardio, cholesterol, etc. I tried to "turn things around" and failed. First step first 6 months - I cut back on fried foods, salty foods, burgers, and sweets and kept a sane calorie budget. Along with medication that brought my high blood pressure down from a walking heart attack level to elevated but still didn't do much for my cholesterol or weight (5 pound weight loss). Second Step 3 months and counting - It was a simple matter of increasing my exercise regimen from non existent to a relative intense resistance based regimen that's now up to around 2 hours four times a week. I've lost about 10 pounds but I've probably platued. The third step is going to be the hardest for me, cut back on meat and start eating more vegetables and fruit and cut out non diet sodas (yeah I know about the studies with diet sodas.) Goal is about another 10 pounds of weight loss.
- Joboman555 9y ago
  Cutting out meat is not significantly associated with weight loss. Cutting out simple carbohydrates, especially sugar, is.
  - scarface74 9y ago
    True. Cutting out meat was a red herring. I need to eat more vegetables and fruits. Honestly, my biggest concern is not losing weight at this point just being healthier.
    - jackgolding 9y ago
      I would replace this with cutting out processed meat or even just cooking more - ever tried to eat roast chicken without any greens on the side?
- BiancaDelRio 9y ago
  > I cut back on fried foods That's the only 100% banned item in my diet because fried stuff makes my skin look ashen and ugly. Whenever fried foods come up in conversations everyone immediately assumes I am talking about fats vs carbs and proteins. Google does too. I can eat most any fats, even butter sticks, no problem. I was wondering if anyone knows why fried foods are so bad.
  - goldenkey 9y ago
    It sounds like you might just be allergic to certain types of oil. No need for wooey explanations. Also but not likely to be the reason for your symptoms - cooking with vegetable oils releases toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases,
- dennisgorelik 9y ago
  Meat is ok (if you like it). But cut out all sodas ASAP (even diet sodas). Imagine that all sodas are addictive mild poisons. That would help you to replace sodas with water. Stopping soda intake would probably allow you to lose another 10 pounds without extra effort.
  - projektir 9y ago
    > Imagine that all sodas are addictive mild poisons. I feel like this just doesn't work, like, at all. "Poison" is a strong term, and as bad as soda can be, it just isn't a poison; the contrast is too strong to properly work, in my mind.
- jackgolding 9y ago
  I drank probably 1L of diet soda a day while loosing 90 lbs over 6 months, necessary evil I say!
  - ClassyJacket 9y ago
    I can ditto this completely. I don't know what's up with those studies but calories in calories out worked for me while drinking tons of diet soft drink. Some of the time I was doing low carb. It should be noted however that even sugar free carbonated drinks are bad for your teeth.
    - jackgolding 9y ago
      Yeah thats what is keeping me off them now (plus I've been caffeine free for a month!)
  - mod 9y ago
    I'm currently losing weight. 40lbs since Thanksgiving. I drink about 2L per day of diet soda, which is my only fluid intake.
- Broken_Hippo 9y ago
  As far as cutting back on meat goes: I'd suggest simply focusing on eating enough vegetables. Most folks don't come near eating enough fruit and vegetables (most of which should be vegetables). You might find that simply getting enough vegetables forces you to cut back on meat. You might replace part of the meat in a meal with vegetables. Maybe switch your breakfast so you eat fruit or vegetables. Same for lunch. Finish your veggies at dinner. This doesn't feel restrictive in the way "less meat" does. You are only on one goal, after all, and the other might be a natural side effect. And about soda: I'd suggest simply cutting down on soda altogether. Once they are out of the normal loop, it isn't so bad to have a soda once a month or something. I eventually just quit: nearly all soda tastes like syrup. The main exception is one they sell here that is basically watered down, carbonated fruit juice. As a bonus, you can still have the thing you enjoy from time to time.
  - gilbetron 9y ago
    (not who you responded to, fyi) I've noticed that veggies are hugely important to making me feel good, probably because of the fiber and the fact that I'm eating them instead of processed crap. It drive me crazy, though, trying to find recipes that have lots of veggies, but still a little bit of meat. I like meat, and no desire to become a vegetarian of any sort, I just want to have 90% veggies, 10% meat, or something around that. It is really hard to find that balance in recipes. I usually just take a recipe and add a ton of veggies. That works, kinda, but I really wish it was easier to find recipes that already figured that stuff out. I got an Instant Pot for xmas, and while it isn't worth the hype, I've found some good recipes for it. One is Chicken and Dumplings. Really tasty, but I added red pepper, green pepper, celery, carrots, and onions to the recipe, and greatly reduced the dumplings. It took about 4-5 tries before I found a new version of the recipe that we liked. I'd like it if I could find that recipe straight up. "High Veggie" recipes, or something.
    - chaseha 9y ago
      various stir fries are great for that
      - 9y ago
throw6679 9y ago
>IE, don't try to exercise and diet at the same time. Pick one and when you've firmly established the habit, start the next change. What usually happens is that people are not aware of how many calories they eat, so when they start dieting they change the high fat calories food for low calorie ones (fruit, vegetables, low fat protein) plus the exercise they enter in a severe caloric deficit that is not sustainable.

scarface74 9y ago

I agree completely. I spent years as a fitness instructor and worked out regularly. Life happened, I stopped teaching and working out consistently for five years and everything went south, weight, blood pressure, strength, cardio, cholesterol, etc. I tried to "turn things around" and failed. First step first 6 months - I cut back on fried foods, salty foods, burgers, and sweets and kept a sane calorie budget. Along with medication that brought my high blood pressure down from a walking heart attack level to elevated but still didn't do much for my cholesterol or weight (5 pound weight loss). Second Step 3 months and counting - It was a simple matter of increasing my exercise regimen from non existent to a relative intense resistance based regimen that's now up to around 2 hours four times a week. I've lost about 10 pounds but I've probably platued. The third step is going to be the hardest for me, cut back on meat and start eating more vegetables and fruit and cut out non diet sodas (yeah I know about the studies with diet sodas.) Goal is about another 10 pounds of weight loss.

Joboman555 9y ago
Cutting out meat is not significantly associated with weight loss. Cutting out simple carbohydrates, especially sugar, is.
- scarface74 9y ago
  True. Cutting out meat was a red herring. I need to eat more vegetables and fruits. Honestly, my biggest concern is not losing weight at this point just being healthier.
  - jackgolding 9y ago
    I would replace this with cutting out processed meat or even just cooking more - ever tried to eat roast chicken without any greens on the side?
BiancaDelRio 9y ago
> I cut back on fried foods That's the only 100% banned item in my diet because fried stuff makes my skin look ashen and ugly. Whenever fried foods come up in conversations everyone immediately assumes I am talking about fats vs carbs and proteins. Google does too. I can eat most any fats, even butter sticks, no problem. I was wondering if anyone knows why fried foods are so bad.
- goldenkey 9y ago
  It sounds like you might just be allergic to certain types of oil. No need for wooey explanations. Also but not likely to be the reason for your symptoms - cooking with vegetable oils releases toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases,
dennisgorelik 9y ago
Meat is ok (if you like it). But cut out all sodas ASAP (even diet sodas). Imagine that all sodas are addictive mild poisons. That would help you to replace sodas with water. Stopping soda intake would probably allow you to lose another 10 pounds without extra effort.
- projektir 9y ago
  > Imagine that all sodas are addictive mild poisons. I feel like this just doesn't work, like, at all. "Poison" is a strong term, and as bad as soda can be, it just isn't a poison; the contrast is too strong to properly work, in my mind.
jackgolding 9y ago
I drank probably 1L of diet soda a day while loosing 90 lbs over 6 months, necessary evil I say!
- ClassyJacket 9y ago
  I can ditto this completely. I don't know what's up with those studies but calories in calories out worked for me while drinking tons of diet soft drink. Some of the time I was doing low carb. It should be noted however that even sugar free carbonated drinks are bad for your teeth.
  - jackgolding 9y ago
    Yeah thats what is keeping me off them now (plus I've been caffeine free for a month!)
- mod 9y ago
  I'm currently losing weight. 40lbs since Thanksgiving. I drink about 2L per day of diet soda, which is my only fluid intake.
Broken_Hippo 9y ago
As far as cutting back on meat goes: I'd suggest simply focusing on eating enough vegetables. Most folks don't come near eating enough fruit and vegetables (most of which should be vegetables). You might find that simply getting enough vegetables forces you to cut back on meat. You might replace part of the meat in a meal with vegetables. Maybe switch your breakfast so you eat fruit or vegetables. Same for lunch. Finish your veggies at dinner. This doesn't feel restrictive in the way "less meat" does. You are only on one goal, after all, and the other might be a natural side effect. And about soda: I'd suggest simply cutting down on soda altogether. Once they are out of the normal loop, it isn't so bad to have a soda once a month or something. I eventually just quit: nearly all soda tastes like syrup. The main exception is one they sell here that is basically watered down, carbonated fruit juice. As a bonus, you can still have the thing you enjoy from time to time.
- gilbetron 9y ago
  (not who you responded to, fyi) I've noticed that veggies are hugely important to making me feel good, probably because of the fiber and the fact that I'm eating them instead of processed crap. It drive me crazy, though, trying to find recipes that have lots of veggies, but still a little bit of meat. I like meat, and no desire to become a vegetarian of any sort, I just want to have 90% veggies, 10% meat, or something around that. It is really hard to find that balance in recipes. I usually just take a recipe and add a ton of veggies. That works, kinda, but I really wish it was easier to find recipes that already figured that stuff out. I got an Instant Pot for xmas, and while it isn't worth the hype, I've found some good recipes for it. One is Chicken and Dumplings. Really tasty, but I added red pepper, green pepper, celery, carrots, and onions to the recipe, and greatly reduced the dumplings. It took about 4-5 tries before I found a new version of the recipe that we liked. I'd like it if I could find that recipe straight up. "High Veggie" recipes, or something.
  - chaseha 9y ago
    various stir fries are great for that
    - 9y ago

throw6679 9y ago

>IE, don't try to exercise and diet at the same time. Pick one and when you've firmly established the habit, start the next change. What usually happens is that people are not aware of how many calories they eat, so when they start dieting they change the high fat calories food for low calorie ones (fruit, vegetables, low fat protein) plus the exercise they enter in a severe caloric deficit that is not sustainable.