NashNathan

Hi Everybody,
I am happy i found this forum and have gotten great advice on other things, but now my main goal is weight loss. I still do not have a bike yet, but hopefully soon. I have started walking some, but not enough yet. I have stopped eating some foods, but not all the bad ones.

I am making Feb. 1st. the first day of my new life, and lifestyle. I just need help on how to start it. I am 6 foot and 272 lbs. BMI says 38.8. I have read a lot of posts from Magohn, Old Sarge and Trojan Horse about eating etc. I have never counted calories before, but thinking i should now. Or should i start out with just eating the good foods, avoiding the bad stuff and see how that goes for a while?

My basic plan is to eat oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, or whole grain cereal with skim milk. For lunch a salad and a fruit, or chicken or fish in the salad. And dinner, mostly veggies and a meat protein. Is this reasonable? If i start counting, then i will have to weigh everything first. How many calories per day should i start with? I can start with myfintesspal to get going.

I really want to start this new lifestyle. 3 days ago i started taking high blood pressure pills for the first time, am also taking a cholesterol pill at night. I just turned 48 a couple weeks ago. I need to change and want to change very bad. I want to get advice on this all and be able to start it, and stick to it. I know i can come here to get encouragement from everybody, and of course, advice. I have more questions but this a long post already. If you all can give me some tips and things to do, websites, anything, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everybody!

TrojanHorse

Why would you NOT want to count your food? It makes no sense.

I'd say do it until you get into a good routine (at the very least). It's hard to be honest with yourself if you're just guessing.

In other news, why wait till Feb 1? Just do it! You don't have to be perfect right from the get go, and you will have relapses, just don't beat yourself up over it and don't give up on yourself.

bigfred 

Counting really helps illustrate where you're getting hidden calories and will help you make the decission that somethings, "just aren't worth the calories".

Easy answer: count. No doubt in my mind.

Bluish Green

Start now!

You will get a lot of good advice here. I would simply advise to pick an approach that is liveable and you will stick to, every day, and combines lifestyle eating change with walking, bicycling, and/or other exercise to bring you steady progress toward your weight loss goals. Don't consider it a "diet," but instead consider it a lifestyle change and lifestyle improvement.

I am similar age and size (was actually 30 lbs heavier). I could have probably written your post 9 months ago, because I was on BP meds, and my doctor prescribed me cholesterol meds and told me my blood sugar was putting me in prediabetic range. 9 months later, I am 55 pounds lighter and have controlled my BP, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

What worked for me personally was when I committed to bicycle commuting and changed my diet by eliminating bad foods and substituting in good ones. I have logged 1300 miles or so since I started cycling again in June, but 90% of it is commuting mileage, 6 miles to work in the morning and 6 miles back, every day. I sold my car on Oct 1. My wife still has hers, so I can get a ride in to work if I need a rest day, but I am a full time bicycle commuter now. Commuting may not be your thing, it is not for everyone - you have to like cycling in traffic on a commuting-type bike (fenders, panniers, etc.) in all weather. It works well for a few others here on C&A forum. Most others here ride in other ways, but get their mileage regularly. For me, the commitment to commuting locks me in to a guaranteed 50-60 miles a week, and that repetition and regular routine work for my personality type I guess. I enjoy beating bad weather and not buying gasoline. You should find an approach that works for you to get regular mileage, be it cycling or walking or both.

For food changes, you will get good advice from others here who have had more dramatic success than me. What worked for me - and again, I am a person who needs routine and structure to my daily goals - was to eliminate the worst actors in my diet, on the advice of my doctor and with some common sense, and add some good foods suggested by my doctor. It was important to me to find foods that I could get at the grocery store, prepare myself, and actually like. What I cut completely out of my diet were: chips, desserts, fruit juices (that was the hardest, believe it or not), and beer. What I have added instead are fruits (primarily Jazz apples) and a homemade granola that has no refined sugar (it is not low-cal, but it has almonds and oats, which my doc recommended for the cholesterol issue, and it is satisfying and delicious). This may not work for you, and others here have advice that may be even closer to what you are looking for.

Commit to changing now, right now. Find what works for you. It feels so much better once you have some success. I am in my best health since the 80's and have a much better chance at a longer life now. And you know what? I don't miss most of what I gave up, and I love the daily bike commute. Good luck, I hope you succeed.

Neil_B

THIS! +1!

Tracking helps reveal patterns you might not be aware of.... for instance, I tend to overeat when tired. I might never have picked up on it without tracking. And its a good way to catch all the 'forgotten' calories you consume. For example, in beverages, or that mini candy bar from the jar on someone's desk you popped into your mouth after a meeting.

Yes, you can lose weight without counting calories, but that's like riding a bike from point A to point B without using a map or GPS. Why reject of of the most helpful, revealing tools in a weight loss kit?

Also, picking February 1 instead of today reminds me of those folks who decide to start their new lives January 1 because they want to live their old life for a few more days. Why wait?

chefisaac

Here is my opinion:

- Count everything. There is an old saying.... learns your ABC's..... All Bites Count. Also TLC.... Tastes, Licks, and Chews. You need to write down everything you eat. If not, it is so easy to slip in things and still think you are under target. Plus if you are up in weight that week, you have no way of looking back at what you ate.

- I am going to plug Weight Watchers because it is an excellent program. Just look at the WW thread in this forum. You will see success. They will teach you so many things you can apply to your eating and your life. And to be frank, sounds like you need the education too because your above post sounds so restricting.

- Ditch the cereal in my opinion. Oatmeal is great bc of the complex carbs and protein it has in it but cold cereal is nothing but a waste in simple carbs and is not filling. I used to love love love cold cereal but it would make me hungry after an hour.

Just some thoughts.

OiS

+1 to the count your calories, it is the best way to understand what you are putting away. I would suggest livestrong.com as one option for tracking.

Chef, out of interest, what DO you have for breakfast instead of the cold cereal now? (I love the cold cereal too, and it seems reasonably healthy, although, for me, must say doesn't leave me hungry, I am fine to go until lunch, but having said that, I could go through to lunch on the strength of a couple of coffees!)

goldfinch

Say you ate 100 extra calories a day for a month. You would gain close to a pound. If you did it for a year it would be over 10 pounds. Think about that. It may be a cracker with a little cheese. It may be a piece of toast. It may be just a bit bigger on your portions.

Recording is important.

Myosmith

I think too many people look at calorie counting as an all or nothing deal. Either you measure and record every tidbit that goes in your mouth forever or you never even look at the nutritional lable. I've recommended this in other threads: About once a month measure and record everything for a couple of days. This gives you a reality check on just how much you are actually eating. During those days practice eyeballing portions until you get good at telling a cup of oatmeal from a cup and a half or a four ounce patty from a six ounce patty. This will help prevent portion drift and help you identify problem areas like forgotten calories.

Forgotten calories are those little bites and nibbles that don't even register as eating but which add up over time, like licking the peanut butter off the knife after making your kid's sandwich, eating that last cracker before you toss out the empty box or that last swig of milk to finish the carton, or those 2-3 or 4 tastes of the spaghetti sauce while you decide if it has enough galic. It doesn't take many licks and nibbles to add up to 100 calories a day which, as Goldfinch said, translates to about 10 pounds a year.

I think it's too much of a pain and rather OCD to expect to measure and monitor everything you ever put in your mouth, and except possibly for elite athletes around the competitive season, it is probably neither necessary nor productive. Taking a few days once in a while to tune up your perceptions and to engrain good nutrition and portion control is much more managable for people with a life outside of the sport and if done properly is likely just as effective at maintaining a healthful nutrition plan.

It is also a good idea to look at nutrition labels as two similar products can have vastly different compositions. There are also some good websites to help figure out nutrition and portion size for just about every food you can think of. Many restaurant chains have also begun publishing nutrition data for their menu selections, some are available printed in the restaurant others are available online. Again, you don't have to turn every order into a project, but take a look once in a while and pick a few selections that you feel comfortable with. BTW, off the subject, but kudos to those restaurant chains that have started offering smaller portion sizes as 500-600 calorie entrees and mini or shooter size deserts. It's nice to be able to sit down with friends and order real food and even desert without feeling like you binged, and nobody likes being the conspicuous dieter munching on salad while everyone else enjoys steak and cheesecake.

So to count calories or not? My answer is "yes" but not compulsively.

chefisaac

Good points. Though you can only learn to eyeball if you have a strong past with measuring. For example, in late 2001, some chefs and bakers got together for a scientific test on who could eye ball measurements better. Both cook and bake a lot since it was their job. But the bakers were more able to eyeball correctly versus the cooks who do not measure on a daily basis.

The point is that when you have no self control and cannot see what four ounces if meat, rice or pasta is, you need to have that strong ability first.

To me, counting cals is crawling. Starting to learn to walk is eyeballing.

chefisaac

One cup of oatmeal cooked sweetened with splenda, cinnamon, banana and sometimes blueberries. Also four eggs scrambled with salsa and Julianned carrots. Total points for ww is 7.

I eat it at 7 and lunch at noon.

adrien

Hi.

First off, what I'm sharing here is my experience only -- others on the board have pointed out that what I lived through is not necessarily enough or effective with others.

I would say, yes, count. But not in an obsessive, not-fun-to-be-around kind of way.

What worked for me was targeting a real lifestyle shift. Not a diet or routine, but a shift that I felt I could happily sustain forever. So:

1. 2,000 - 2,500 calories as a baseline for everyday. I don't count obsessively, but I do keep track in my mind. This allowed me to get a read on what has masses of calories and what does not.
2. look at proportions of food. Lower on carbs and sat fats, higher on veg.
3. shift mindset to enjoy quality, not quantity. An example -- a small slice of quality parmigiano reggiano is now far more appealing than 10 Kraft slices.
4. when exercising, replace at least 1/2 of the calories really used (be weary of things like bike computer counts) in addition to daily baseline
5. always go for the food that has less industrial packaging and preparation. Avoid if it comes from a nozzle, has lots of preservatives and wouldn't be considered food 300 years ago.

I did (and still do ) the above happily, and made the switch in April 2011. With the addition of Yoga, core work and running, I dropped 45 pounds in 5 months. And it has stayed off. My new normal -- 6'3.5, 205-210, which is a BMI right around 26.

My caution on any planned diet is the routine. I hate routine. If I knew I had x portion of boring food every Tuesday at 9:20 am I would lose a lot of pleasure in life. What I described above allows me to really enjoy what I eat, without feeling like I'm on a diet to be endured before I can reward myself with enjoyment again.

Your body, experience, and outcomes may of course vary.

magohn

+1.
Its tricky to be exact with your calorie counting unless your only using packaged foods with nutritional info on the side - and who wants to constantly eat like that? For example, last week we had homemade turkey chili. I had to guesstimate the cals to a ballpark amount.

Also, try your best to ignore the 'award cals' these tracking apps give you for exercising. I would use those cals as part of my daily allowance and I didnt lose a pound in months. Ive started to ignore the award cals and the weight is finally beginning to move.

Here is one of the better tracking sites:
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Finally, dont be too harsh on yourself. Somedays you will be under your cal allowance and other days you will go over. The trick is to remain aware of the cals you are eating on a daily basis - in other words, try counting your calories

Good luck!

P.S. Im 48, 279lbs and 6'0" - we could be twins

goldfinch

Everyone has to find what works for them and their own psychology. I find that I need to count everyday. I am pretty good now at estimating portions so I don't have to weigh everything. For example, I have a half an ounce of walnuts most days. I can hit that within a 20th of an ounce. So, I don't have to weigh everything. But I do need to keep a count. I am more than two years since I changed how much I ate. Maybe in a few more years I will be able to be less rigid but now I have to be or the weight inches up.

vesteroid

Your issue is doing it, and doing it religiously. Your first two sentances tell me you know what you need to do,mbut are still not doing them...now you want to put it off again till February.

there is no magic to losing weight, or getting fit, there is doing it. Once you have the do it part down, then maybe you need the fine tuning...but waiting to start walking every day or still not cutting out the junk food....doesn't matter how. Much you count

NashNathan

Hi All,
I just spent 30 minutes doing a reply to all of you that gave me advice on this, when i went to post it, it said i was not logged in, so i logged in again, and then everything i wrote went away. I don't know why this site keeps asking me to sign in even after i have already signed in. I will try to do another reply. Thanks.

chefisaac

Before you log in, check the "remember me" box.

Another thing to do is before sending the long reply/post, I usually highlight it, copy it and then send it so if something goes wrong, I have it in my cue so all I need to do is paste it.

NashNathan

Neil and Vesteroid nailed it down as to why wait till Feb.1st. I wanted to enjoy and eat the bad things one more time before giving them up. I know that is bad.

The job i was suppose to get when i moved back to Phoenix, fell through, so now i only have a final paycheck coming from my last job, which means, i will not be able to buy my bike right away now. That is fine, i will start walking everyday instead with my new lifestyle.

I now live with my dad as a caretaker because he is in bad health. I cook for him everyday but he only wants to eat the bad things because he knows he is dying. And i of course have been eating those things as well.

I greatly appreciate all your replies and advice, Thank You. I am waiting for my final paycheck, which should arrive on monday, i will go out and but the foods i need to get started, along with a scale for weighing my food too. Will go to wally world and buy shoes for walking. Hopefully, i will start this new lifestyle on tuesday, instead of Feb. 1st. I hope you all will still accept me here even though i do not have a bike. Thanks again.

NashNathan

Thanks for your gret reply! Greatly appreciate it.

NashNathan

You nailed it man, i want to enjoy the old me a few more days first before commiting. A few more days eating the bad stuff one more time. But i will not, my new goal now is tuesday. Have to buy some walking shoes as all i ever wear is boots. Thanls Neil.

NashNathan

Thanks for your thoughts chef. Oatmeal it will be every morning. I am a cook by trade myself, not a chef though. Been working as a cook in a kids daycare facility.

cplager

Hi,

A couple random comments:

* For some people who are moderately overweight, it is sometimes what they eat more than how much they eat. If you currently eat like crap, but have the will power to cut down on the crappy foods and switch to healthier foods, you may be able to lose weight by increasing exercise and changing what you eat. So, I think that not everybody needs to count calories.

* That being said, since you, the OP, are asking whether or not you should, then that in itself suggests that it's not a crazy idea.

* I don't do weight watchers, but if I were to sum it up quickly it would be that the program basically simplifies calorie counting. This is an over simplification, but if one wanted to keep track but didn't want to strictly count calories, using weight watchers points is one way to go (there are free weight watcher calculators online).

* One friend of mine takes a picture of everything she eats. It isn't calorie counting, but it has a similar effect.

Cheers,
Charles

NashNathan

Thanks Goldfinch!

NashNathan

Thank You very much. I also agree with the restaurants doing the lower calorie things, i saw one on a commercial tonight actually. 550 calorie dinners. What part of MN are you in? I use to live in Roseau, Warroad, Hutchinson.

NashNathan

Thanks!