Six Thoughts About Dieting

[Giant Communist Robot]

1. Eat less. This is the most important idea. If you are overweight, you probably eat too much. If you drink, stop drinking. Or drink a whole lot less as there are too many calories in alcohol.

2. Watch the fat content of what you eat.

3. Eat more fiber, like vegtables.

4. Exercise is not likely to work for weight loss. It takes too long.

5. Follow the Food Pyramid proportions if you can. You hardly need any meat at all.

6. Stop eating out. You don't know what goes on in the kitchen so you can't know how much fat the food has.

Previously I was in the overweight category. I've since lost 30 pounds. I'm in the normal BMI range and according to the CDC stuff 81% of males my height and age are heavier than me.

[Trumpetmaster]

GCR,
I love BReads and pastas
Thats my biggest downfall
I rarely have soda anymore, if I do it is diet variety , drink mostly water.
I could sit down and eat an entire loaf of semolina bread.... No butter... just the bread....

I belong to the gym at work.. did that for about 4 months last year. I recently saw one of the regulars at the gym
and he was urging me to get back into it.... I have to as i need to lose weight.... doctors orders as there are some
health issues that are starting to crop up and by losing the weight now, I will avoid problems as I get older past my
youthful 52 years...

Thanks for posting the thoughts on dieting!

Regards,
TM

[Schmeelkie]

The easiest diet in the world: Eat less, exercise more.

I've been cutting out soda lately, trying to not go to diet soda, due to the nasty chemicals and the findings that they make you crave sugar more. Lucky for me I do like unsweetened tea. Sugar is my big enemy. Trying to make my body accept a small dark chocolate or two in place of several cookies, a smaller bowl of lower fat ice cream (Edys double churned is great!), or just sating my sweet craving with raisins or other fruit. Also trying to decrease the crackers/pretzels at snack time by eliminating or combining a few crackers with fruit, or vegetable soup. Also trying to replace my regular turkey on wheat for lunch with veg soup. Got out of the habit of drinking alcohol with two pregnancies and nursing, so I don't get many calories there.

Exercise would help too, I just don't have much time. I take the stairs (4 flights) at work at least twice a day, and try to run after kids whenever possible, but I don't get much sleep (which would also help, but I'm not in control of that), which makes me take the lazy route often. Think we just need some more snow again - shovelling burns TONS of calories! And don't totally discount exercise - having more muscle makes it easier for the body to burn the calories you ingest, so it pays off in the long run.

I don't have a big weight loss goal - only 10-15 pounds, or when my jeans cease being tight.

[Shapley]

I gave up cola when I was in the Navy. I drink water, unsweetened tea, and coffee (also unsweetened). I do like my alcohol, though, now and again.

I have reduced, but not eliminated snacking. I should eliminate it, but I lack the will power.

For excercise, we have a Wii, including the Wii Fit. Lots of fun, doesn't require a membership or embarrassing myself in front of a gym full of people, and I can set the schedule. Again, if I had more will power, I'd have more of schedule...

I've often been advised to eat slower. Give your stomach time to know you're full, is what they tell me. Or, as our local priest put it: "Eat like a Roman". I'm still working on that part.

[Trumpetmaster]

The easiest diet in the world: Eat less, exercise more.


This is difficult for me as one of my medications (so they claim) causes me to be hungry.
Hate pretzels... and I am eating more fish, chicken, & vegatables lately. trying to stay away from breads....
When I am at the office I now take the stairs instead of the elevators.
Have to drop the weight and get in better shape and this will improve my overall health.
I am not in bad health.. just probably at the edge (plus my age) where things will start happening that can be
avoided by diet....


I've been cutting out soda lately, trying to not go to diet soda, due to the nasty chemicals and the findings that they make you crave sugar more. Lucky for me I do like unsweetened tea. Sugar is my big enemy. Trying to make my body accept a small dark chocolate or two in place of several cookies, a smaller bowl of lower fat ice cream (Edys double churned is great!), or just sating my sweet craving with raisins or other fruit. Also trying to decrease the crackers/pretzels at snack time by eliminating or combining a few crackers with fruit, or vegetable soup. Also trying to replace my regular turkey on wheat for lunch with veg soup. Got out of the habit of drinking alcohol with two pregnancies and nursing, so I don't get many calories there.

Exercise would help too, I just don't have much time. I take the stairs (4 flights) at work at least twice a day, and try to run after kids whenever possible, but I don't get much sleep (which would also help, but I'm not in control of that), which makes me take the lazy route often. Think we just need some more snow again - shovelling burns TONS of calories! And don't totally discount exercise - having more muscle makes it easier for the body to burn the calories you ingest, so it pays off in the long run.

I don't have a big weight loss goal - only 10-15 pounds, or when my jeans cease being tight.

[jamiebk]

I could use a little work on the waistline myself. Over the past few years, I have really been working or eating a lot better. Lower fat foods, less of everything, low chloresterol foods, no or less salt. I don't drink many sodas (pop). Once in a while I gulp an energy drink when diving or hiking. I drink a lot of fat free milk and I usually eat fat free yougurt in the morning with breakfast along with a high fibre cereal like granola etc. I usualy take fish oil supplements as well as plant sterols (no,...not steroids). All these for heart and vascular health.

Unfortunately, my exercise isn't where I want it. I am active enough on weekends with scuba, (lot of swimming) or skiing or hiking etc. but these come in fits and starts. I need a more regular regimen. I am too heavy right now and I can feel it.

It all takes a lot of discipline...I don't know why. Seems like this should come naturally. I don't know why we are so "blessed" with a taste for fried food, sweets, and fat-laden stuff like ice cream, butter, cheese etc.

[Trumpetmaster]

I could use a little work on the waistline myself. Over the past few years, I have really been working or eating a lot better. Lower fat foods, less of everything, low chloresterol foods, no or less salt. I don't drink many sodas (pop). Once in a while I gulp an energy drink when diving or hiking. I drink a lot of fat free milk and I usually eat fat free yougurt in the morning with breakfast along with a high fibre cereal like granola etc. I usualy take fish oil supplements as well as plant sterols (no,...not steroids). All these for heart and vascular health.

Unfortunately, my exercise isn't where I want it. I am active enough on weekends with scuba, (lot of swimming) or skiing or hiking etc. but these come in fits and starts. I need a more regular regimen. I am too heavy right now and I can feel it.

It all takes a lot of discipline...I don't know why. Seems like this should come naturally. I don't know why we are so "blessed" with a taste for fried food, sweets, and fat-laden stuff like ice cream, butter, cheese etc.

It's like an addictive drug..... can't get enough....

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

I don't know why we are so "blessed" with a taste for fried food, sweets, and fat-laden stuff like ice cream, butter, cheese etc.

Because we are the descendents of the folk who survived the famines. People with an efficient digestion, and a propensity to store a few months' spare calories, have a better chance of surviving and procreating. The problem of excess food is a recent one, and not one that we're preset to cope with.

[Schmeelkie]

I don't know why we are so "blessed" with a taste for fried food, sweets, and fat-laden stuff like ice cream, butter, cheese etc.

Because we are the descendents of the folk who survived the famines. People with an efficient digestion, and a propensity to store a few months' spare calories, have a better chance of surviving and procreating. The problem of excess food is a recent one, and not one that we're preset to cope with.

And evolution takes a LONG time to deal with changes like this. You have to be a good self-regulator... Course, yesterday one of my hallmates at work brought in two boxes of doughnuts to welcome our new secretary...couldn't resist....so I didn't take the elevator the rest of the day - twice up 5 floors, at least once up 4 floors...

[analog]

hmmm ...... back of the napkin calculation..

if a food calorie is about three thousand foot-pounds, [http://www.uwsp.edu/CNR/wcee/keep/Mod1/Whatis/energyresourcetables.htm]

and five floors were sixty feet,

and one weighed a hundred pounds,

then each trip up five floors would require 6000 ft/lbs of work,
...... or two food calories.

If humans are 20% efficient then make that ten calories, or two per floor.

I have never taken any exercise except sleeping and resting.

Mark Twain

[jamiebk]

so true Analog....exercise burns less calories than we want to think. However, athletes like Michael Phelps can burn 10,000 in a day as can mountaineers when attempting summit bids etc. We used to train by "LSD" (no, not THAT LSD)...Long, Slow, Distance for weight management and overall fitness.

[Giant Communist Robot]

hmmm ...... back of the napkin calculation..

if a food calorie is about three thousand foot-pounds, [http://www.uwsp.edu/CNR/wcee/keep/Mod1/Whatis/energyresourcetables.htm]

and five floors were sixty feet,

and one weighed a hundred pounds,

then each trip up five floors would require 6000 ft/lbs of work,
...... or two food calories.

If humans are 20% efficient then make that ten calories, or two per floor.

I have never taken any exercise except sleeping and resting.

Mark Twain

This is what I mean about exercise; it just isn't going to work. Jaimebk points out Michael Phelps and mountaineers are exceptions--we can't all be Michael Phelps.

When I feel the urge to exercise, I lie down until the feeling passes

Robert M. Hutchins

[analog]

Yep, Jamie & GCR

that conversion between heat and mechanical work is an astonishing number. Mountain climbers doubtless burn more calories keeping warm and evaporating water in their breath than in raising their weight up the hill.

Not to denigrate exercise, though. Some semblance of tone keeps one's appetite in check.

I walk up a long hill every day just for my heart and lungs - with all my bypasses it's essential.


a. [still looking at grass from the green side!]

[dai bread]

My last workplace had a staircase going up a central atrium, so that it was not only a feature of the building, but was easy to get to. That staircase was USED.

One night, a program was made in the studio about Polynesian weight problems. Polynesians are notoriously overweight, for reasons explained in Selma's post above. Exercise was one of the items discussed. So, after the filming was over, what did all the (Polynesian) participants do? Took the lift up one floor to the front door. The staircase I mentioned was about twenty paces away.

[Giant Communist Robot]

Not to denigrate exercise, though. Some semblance of tone keeps one's appetite in check.

I'm suspicious about this--I think in most cases exercise stimulates appetite, at least psychologically.

[jamiebk]

Not to denigrate exercise, though. Some semblance of tone keeps one's appetite in check.

I'm suspicious about this--I think in most cases exercise stimulates appetite, at least psychologically.

Not to argue, but exercise absolutely reduced my appetite. After exercising, I would always eat a more modest meal...and I seemed to have a taste for lower fat, "cleaner" tasting foods like fruits and veggies. I have no idea as to why. No way could I chug down a big milk shake and burger when I was on my exercise regimen. I tended to drink a lot more...but that was due to loss of fluids due to persperation etc. Watered down fruit juices were my favorite. When I go backpacking, my caloric intake reduces dramatically and I find that I don't miss the food...and it's nice not haveing to carry as much as well.