38 replies to this topic

[Olson12]

So a little bit of background on myself...

My name is Blake, and I am 24 years old.  Over the last 6+ years I have gained a tremendous amount of weight increasing my body size by about 35%.  Growing up I was a very athletic kid playing baseball at a very young age and all the way through college.  Once I finished playing my physical activity nearly stopped completely.  I had my son and began working in an office.  Sitting down all day and doing nothing, going home and doing nothing, I became a very lazy individual.  My son is now 5 years old and is starting to play baseball, karate, swimming, etc. etc. and I am having a hard time keeping up.  

I have let my weight spiral out of control over the last few years and I have tried a few times to loose weight with gimmicky products like HTC diet, the Dr. Segal cookie thing, and some of them worked slightly but once the program was over I just went back to the way I was before.  I realized I need to make a LIFESTYLE change.  So here I am reaching out to my GolfWRX brotherhood seeking help.

My biggest hurdle is IGNORANCE.  I have been eating terribly for such a long period I have forgotten what food is good for me.  I need some sort of meal plan help.  I know there are services out there like Medifast, Jenni Craig, blah blah but they cost a small fortune.  I just need some help developing good habits and making the right decisions in order to get started.

Is there anyone out there that has experience with meal planning?  I would greatly appreciate any and all help.  

Thank you for your time.

-Blake

Edited by Olson12, 07 January 2013 - 11:24 AM.

[Chief Illiniwek]

I have zero expertise in this field but...

Eat three meals per day and don't snack.
Drink water, not soda or any sweetened beverage.
Eat vegetables.
Don't eat fast food.
Exercise for thirty minutes to an hour per day.

You'll get healthier very quickly. Blows my mind how many diet drugs or gimmicky weight loss plans there are out there. Losing fat takes one equation- calories taken in must be less than calories burned.

If you really want to get healthy, cut way down on red meat and eat a lot of chicken and fish.

You owe me thousands for this ground breaking nutritional advice... :-)

[Myherobobhope]

I've had success with the Paleo diet... basically cutting as many carbs as possible out of the diet. I think it works mostly because you cut out all the random bullxxxx crap you might find youself eating in a day.

If you can stick to a basic mealplan, my day looks like this:

Protein Shake for breakfast... (some people have gripes with whey protein, I don't think it's bad.)
Carbmaster Yogurt (it's a Kroger brand thing, basically it's got like 4g of carbs)
Frozen blueberries
1 scoop of whey
Almond Milk

Salad for lunch

Protein + Veggies for dinner (Chicken and broccoli... Fajitas without the tortilla...)

Snacks are nuts, cheeses, veggies or beef jerky.

I feel healthier when I'm on it and need to get back 100% into it... add in some time in the gym and it's great overall for me.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ if you want more info.

[Olson12]

Chief Illiniwek, on 07 January 2013 - 12:08 PM, said:

I have zero expertise in this field but...

Eat three meals per day and don't snack.
Drink water, not soda or any sweetened beverage.
Eat vegetables.
Don't eat fast food.
Exercise for thirty minutes to an hour per day.

You'll get healthier very quickly. Blows my mind how many diet drugs or gimmicky weight loss plans there are out there. Losing fat takes one equation- calories taken in must be less than calories burned.

If you really want to get healthy, cut way down on red meat and eat a lot of chicken and fish.

You owe me thousands for this ground breaking nutritional advice... :-)

I am going to be cutting red meat out of my diet completely.  So it will be mostly chicken and turkey for me.  I'm not a huge fish fan.  My problem is getting bored eating the same meal over and over so thats what I wanted help with.  Also, lunch and breakfast.

Myherobobhope, on 07 January 2013 - 12:15 PM, said:

I've had success with the Paleo diet... basically cutting as many carbs as possible out of the diet. I think it works mostly because you cut out all the random bullxxxx crap you might find youself eating in a day.

If you can stick to a basic mealplan, my day looks like this:

Protein Shake for breakfast... (some people have gripes with whey protein, I don't think it's bad.)
Carbmaster Yogurt (it's a Kroger brand thing, basically it's got like 4g of carbs)
Frozen blueberries
1 scoop of whey
Almond Milk

Salad for lunch

Protein + Veggies for dinner (Chicken and broccoli... Fajitas without the tortilla...)

Snacks are nuts, cheeses, veggies or beef jerky.

I feel healthier when I'm on it and need to get back 100% into it... add in some time in the gym and it's great overall for me.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ if you want more info.

That really helps a lot.  I think for me its just a matter of figuring out what to eat.

[RIRider]

Learn how to read a nutrition label if you don't already know. First thing to look at, portion size. Add whole grains to your diet. They help tremendously.  Try to keep your carbs to 45g or less per meal.  You also didn't mention pork as an alternative meat. I wouldn't necessarily eliminate red meat. I still allow myself one hamburger and one steak per month and I have still continued to lose weight without really suffering from the "this again?" problem with meals, but I do eat seafood, predominantly scallops and fish as well as chicken, and pork.  There are some really good vegetarian meals too. Vegetarian chili can be very satisfying with no fat sour cream and low fat cheese added. I have practically eliminated sweets altogether which I think was a big problem for me. Now I'm working on portion control and fighting the urge to go back for seconds.
Good Luck!

[cdnglf]

Olson12, on 07 January 2013 - 11:20 AM, said:

So a little bit of background on myself...

My name is Blake, and I am 24 years old.  Over the last 6+ years I have gained a tremendous amount of weight increasing my body size by about 35%.  Growing up I was a very athletic kid playing baseball at a very young age and all the way through college.  Once I finished playing my physical activity nearly stopped completely.  I had my son and began working in an office.  Sitting down all day and doing nothing, going home and doing nothing, I became a very lazy individual.  My son is now 5 years old and is starting to play baseball, karate, swimming, etc. etc. and I am having a hard time keeping up.  

I have let my weight spiral out of control over the last few years and I have tried a few times to loose weight with gimmicky products like HTC diet, the Dr. Segal cookie thing, and some of them worked slightly but once the program was over I just went back to the way I was before.  I realized I need to make a LIFESTYLE change.  So here I am reaching out to my GolfWRX brotherhood seeking help.

My biggest hurdle is IGNORANCE.  I have been eating terribly for such a long period I have forgotten what food is good for me.  I need some sort of meal plan help.  I know there are services out there like Medifast, Jenni Craig, blah blah but they cost a small fortune.  I just need some help developing good habits and making the right decisions in order to get started.

Is there anyone out there that has experience with meal planning?  I would greatly appreciate any and all help.  

Thank you for your time.

-Blake

You may find it helpful to think of things in terms of a daily "calorie deficit": if you can burn even a bit more than you take in every day, over time you will lose weight. In other words: exercise more, eat better.

From an exercise perspective, the key is finding something you like. Walking the course instead of riding is a good choice (but no beers or hot dogs at the turn ). Maybe not so easy in Phoenix, though. Running can be hard on the body (especially for a bigger guy), but even walking can be a good start. Cycling works for a lot of people, because its fun, relatively easy on the body, and improvement is easily measurable. There are smartphone apps (eg strava.com) that give you a decent estimate of calories burned, let you track your performance, see how you're improving, etc.

On the diet side, here are some things to think about:

1. Eliminate/reduce snacks: no chips, soda (including diet soda) etc. If you drink a beer or two every day, drop that.
2. Reduce carbs at meals: fries, bread (especially white), corn, etc.
3. Fruit, not fruit juices.
4. Stick mostly to vegetables and meat.

One piece of diet advice I've heard is that its pretty much impossible to overdo on raw vegetables (without salad dressing, of course).

You may find it useful to look up the calorie counts of the foods you eat, and figure out how much physical activity it takes to burn them off (I think there are apps that can help you out here). Its shocking how much effort it takes to burn the calories in a coke and large bag of doritos, for example.

Finally, set small goals and don't give up. Weight yourself once a week, and see how you're doing. It may take some time to transition from your current "calorie surplus" diet to a "calorie deficit" one, but once you're rolling you'll start to see changes. 1 pound/week is actually quite good (it takes 3500 calories to lose one pound), so if you're looking at dropping 40 or more pounds, it will take quite some time. However, even at 10 pounds, you'll probably see a change.

[Olson12]

cdnglf, on 07 January 2013 - 01:26 PM, said:

Olson12, on 07 January 2013 - 11:20 AM, said:

So a little bit of background on myself...

My name is Blake, and I am 24 years old.  Over the last 6+ years I have gained a tremendous amount of weight increasing my body size by about 35%.  Growing up I was a very athletic kid playing baseball at a very young age and all the way through college.  Once I finished playing my physical activity nearly stopped completely.  I had my son and began working in an office.  Sitting down all day and doing nothing, going home and doing nothing, I became a very lazy individual.  My son is now 5 years old and is starting to play baseball, karate, swimming, etc. etc. and I am having a hard time keeping up.  

I have let my weight spiral out of control over the last few years and I have tried a few times to loose weight with gimmicky products like HTC diet, the Dr. Segal cookie thing, and some of them worked slightly but once the program was over I just went back to the way I was before.  I realized I need to make a LIFESTYLE change.  So here I am reaching out to my GolfWRX brotherhood seeking help.

My biggest hurdle is IGNORANCE.  I have been eating terribly for such a long period I have forgotten what food is good for me.  I need some sort of meal plan help.  I know there are services out there like Medifast, Jenni Craig, blah blah but they cost a small fortune.  I just need some help developing good habits and making the right decisions in order to get started.

Is there anyone out there that has experience with meal planning?  I would greatly appreciate any and all help.  

Thank you for your time.

-Blake

You may find it helpful to think of things in terms of a daily "calorie deficit": if you can burn even a bit more than you take in every day, over time you will lose weight. In other words: exercise more, eat better.

From an exercise perspective, the key is finding something you like. Walking the course instead of riding is a good choice (but no beers or hot dogs at the turn ). Maybe not so easy in Phoenix, though. Running can be hard on the body (especially for a bigger guy), but even walking can be a good start. Cycling works for a lot of people, because its fun, relatively easy on the body, and improvement is easily measurable. There are smartphone apps (eg strava.com) that give you a decent estimate of calories burned, let you track your performance, see how you're improving, etc.

On the diet side, here are some things to think about:

1. Eliminate/reduce snacks: no chips, soda (including diet soda) etc. If you drink a beer or two every day, drop that.
2. Reduce carbs at meals: fries, bread (especially white), corn, etc.
3. Fruit, not fruit juices.
4. Stick mostly to vegetables and meat.

One piece of diet advice I've heard is that its pretty much impossible to overdo on raw vegetables (without salad dressing, of course).

You may find it useful to look up the calorie counts of the foods you eat, and figure out how much physical activity it takes to burn them off (I think there are apps that can help you out here). Its shocking how much effort it takes to burn the calories in a coke and large bag of doritos, for example.

Finally, set small goals and don't give up. Weight yourself once a week, and see how you're doing. It may take some time to transition from your current "calorie surplus" diet to a "calorie deficit" one, but once you're rolling you'll start to see changes. 1 pound/week is actually quite good (it takes 3500 calories to lose one pound), so if you're looking at dropping 40 or more pounds, it will take quite some time. However, even at 10 pounds, you'll probably see a change.

I don't drink alcohol and hardly ever drink soda.  But I will need to cut back on the sports drinks.  I started riding my bike to and from work about a month ago - 6 miles one way but it is starting to get cold here in the morning, well or AZ standards and I don't want to ride to work when it's 30 degrees outside.  I have 100+ lbs that i would like to loose over this adventure and I absolutely realize that it is going to take me a long time.  Like I state earlier I am looking for a life change not a quick fix.  Thanks alot guys.

[J5isalive]

Why worry about setting a meal plan?   The key to success is very easy,  to lose weight you need to consume less than you burn in a day.   If you start working out regularly your portions can grow to promote more energy to use in activities (gym, biking, etc).

Eat clean and stay active.   Simply stay away from foods that are high in preservatives and junk (everyone can pretty easily determine what junk is).

Treat your body like a machine, keep it healthy, work it out, and get plenty of sleep!

Fitness is a lifestyle, once you get in the habit of being healthy it is addictive and you can maintain the lifestyle for the rest of your life.

[cdnglf]

Olson12, on 07 January 2013 - 01:46 PM, said:

I don't drink alcohol and hardly ever drink soda.  But I will need to cut back on the sports drinks.  I started riding my bike to and from work about a month ago - 6 miles one way but it is starting to get cold here in the morning, well or AZ standards and I don't want to ride to work when it's 30 degrees outside.  I have 100+ lbs that i would like to loose over this adventure and I absolutely realize that it is going to take me a long time.  Like I state earlier I am looking for a life change not a quick fix.  Thanks alot guys.

60 miles/week is great, don't give that up. Its not too hard to get appropriate gear so that you're comfortable at that temperature (REI.com would be one place to check).

Sorry to repeat myself, but I really recommend checking out the free Strava app (iPhone and Android). I think you might find it a good motivational tool.

[highergr0und]

It's not hard to figure out what's good for you.  Fried = bad.  Red meat = bad (if you eat too much).  Carbs = some good, some bad.  Vegetables = good.  Lean protein  = good.  Soda = TERRIBLE.  

Now menu planning isn't some strange science.  Don't eat like crap.  Eat enough calories so you're not starving yourself.  There are a lot of anti carb, anti something diets out there.  The key is finding something that works for you.  Some people need a highly restrictive diet where they never cheat because they'll fall off the wagon if they do.  Others need a diet that has cheat meals built in.  Personally, I'm a fan of the 3 cheat meal diet where you get one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner per week.  Don't go totally crazy but get what you want.  The only rule there is you cannot have 2 cheat meals in one day.  Some people need some carbs to get by.  

When I did my huge weight loss, I just counted calories but still ate carbs.  I lost over 130 lbs then settled in for several years at a net loss of 115.  I started out by slashing the calories all over the board.  I was drinking 1000 calories a day in soda.  I ate snickers all the time.  I went down to one glass of soda a day and two snickers a week, then diet soda and one snickers.  I started dumping 1/3 of my food at restaurants as soon as I got the plate (just ask for a to go box right away and don't take it home).  I worked in replacement meals over the first month, starting with a breakfast here and there, lunch salads, diet frozen dinners right up until I ate healthier more often than not, then I went to the 3 cheat meal rule.

I still maintain the key is transition to a healthier lifestyle, don't crash diet.  I slowly got my stomach used to less food and dumped the bad stuff.  The downside of my diet is that I rotated the same 2 or 3 frozen dinners 6 days a week for a year.  The sodium on those things are terrible.  I wish I could've cooked back then like I do now.   The good thing is I kept the weight down for years, I think 6 or 7 before the last 5 years has crept up on me as I've gotten a bit older and more sedentary.  I'm 34 now and it sucks to lose the weight, but it's for the greater good.  Aiming to get back below 200 this year, at 235 now, was 241 on 1/2 when I weighed myself.



Right now, my wife has us on a variation of the 17 day diet which is pretty much low carb.  I've packed on 10lbs a year now for like 5 straight years and am back on the diet train.  If you need some recipes, I can give them to you.  All are very easy and pretty much one dish and a little prep.  A lot are variations on chicken and broccoli, a number one dieter's dinner.  I also make a mean mashed cauliflower, turkey meatloaf, a few different healthy turkey / chicken burgers, and even a cauliflower pizza crust (big PITA, better to just use a cheat meal).

Edited by highergr0und, 07 January 2013 - 02:29 PM.

[golf_junkie27]

I once lost sixty pounds.  I did not need to lose 60 but what happened was I went absolutely crazy and looking a certain way was not enough.  Why do I write this? Because you need to figure out what your goal is.

1) Go get a physical.  Get your blood pressure measured, your good cholesterol vs bad cholesterol numbers, get an EKG, find out how much protein you have in your system, etc.  Your doctor will make the necessary recommendations and the best part is the physical takes less than an hour.

From my personal weight loss experience:

Eat six to seven meals a day.  Very small, so that you never feel hungry.  For example, an apple and a bottle water is considered a meal.  Three egg whites and two slices of turkey is considered another meal.  More importantly, drink two ounces of water for every pound you weigh, daily.  Why? Because water cures the need to snack, unnecessarily.  And you snack because you don't eat enough.  Therefore, the six to seven meals a day.  A trick you may want to try is having any type of broth with cayenne pepper as the cayenne pepper will curb your appetite.  Here is an example of a day's meals:

1-A shake consisting of whey protein, peanut butter and half a banana with two slices of wheat toast.
2-An apple and a bottle of water
3-One chicken breast with a handful of carrots and half a protein bar
4-Low fat cheese-two slices and a handful of almonds
5-One chicken breast with a handful of broccoli.

A 20 ounce bottle or glass of water at each meal and water throughout the day.  Before going to sleep, drink whatever amount of water will equal the 2 ounces of water for every pound of weight ratio.

Walk as much as possible.  Going to the grocery store, walk.  Go to the mall? Park as far away from the actual store you're going to and...walk.  At my peak I walked six miles a day.  I would walk to the train station, a mile away.  I would walk from the train station to the office, 3/4s of a mile away.  I would walk, everywhere.  More importantly, it was really easy.  This will keep your metabolism rates up.

Lastly, find an exercise program.  Try P90x or find someone that wants to work out 45 minutes a day.  

You may not think you can do it but you can and will.  

Lastly, and more importantly, set goals and have fun.  You said you have a 5 year old son, incorporate him into your plan.  Let him be your motivation.

Good luck to you.

[Imp]

Been there, done that. I met my wife, was 155lbs. 15 years later, I was 255 lbs. You do the math.

I'll tell you this, you do not have to cut everything out. All I did was pretty much what Chief Illiniwek said. Cut out the regular soda, snack foods, BEER (AAAHHHH!!!) and such. Having a soda a week won't kill you, you shouldn't feel like you have to do extra to make it up either. You just have to be in pattern to not have one regularly, every day, etc... And the exercise. 30 min -1 hr is great. Go more if you can.

The only difference is that I don't eat 3 square. Breakfast bar in the morning, mid morning another one. smallish lunch (sandwich and pretzels or something similar), something sweet in the afternoon (i.e. 100cal cookies or something) and decent dinner. It doesn't leave me WANTING more.  Food is a small part of what needs to change, but eating is something we need to do. Don't cut out red meat entirely. Eat what you like, don't eat until you're full. After a while of eating less, you'll become satisfied easier with less. The body does learn that.

The key here is the exercise. Do it when you can and try to do at least 30 min a day but if you have more time, continue. DOn't say "wow, 30 min, I can quit" It won't work. Because all you'll do is focus on that 30 min. (although if you're not doing anything, you have to set a goal to make it that far!!! )

You have to exercise. The easy button is more golf, and walk the course. The other one is play with your kids outside, get them involved, work on the house.

It's easy, and it's a lifestyle change, but the best part is this change is something you used to do years ago, so it should come easy. All you're doing is skipping sitting on the couch. (Which, after football is over, is gonna miss me)

--kC

[poizster]

Watch this Food Revolution video,

This changed the way I eat, I'm never hungry, and I continue to lose weight. It basically talks about how the food pyramid is garbage, how refined carbs and sugar are terrible, how all calories are not created equal, how there is no correlation between saturated fat and cholesterol levels, and shows what eating refined carbs does to your blood sugar levels.

All I eat now is meat, fish, high fat cheese, butter, high fat cream, vegetables, and eggs. High fat low carb. http://www.dietdoctor.com/

Edited by poizster, 07 January 2013 - 03:20 PM.

[Aimee]

My husband used Weight Watchers when he decided to drop a few pounds and it was an eye opener because it makes you keep track of EVERYTHING you eat. He tend to mindlessly shovel food into his mouth, so taking 12 pretzels out of the bag and putting the rest away forced him to stop eating half the bag at a time. It doesn't make you buy mixes, shakes, pre-made meals...it teaches you how to eat normal (healthier) foods in reasonable portions. As they say in the TV ads, it is a "real life" program. And it is easy to stay with because nothing is really off limits (within reason).
It is not terribly expensive to join, but you can do the sleazy thing like he did, and take a 30 day first month free membership and then cancel...you'll have all the info you'll need to continue.
Plus there are plenty of web sites for Weight Watchers recipes to make it easy to prepare meals. It is one of the most successful "diet" programs out there.

[Olson12]

Aimee, on 07 January 2013 - 03:22 PM, said:

My husband used Weight Watchers when he decided to drop a few pounds and it was an eye opener because it makes you keep track of EVERYTHING you eat. He tend to mindlessly shovel food into his mouth, so taking 12 pretzels out of the bag and putting the rest away forced him to stop eating half the bag at a time. It doesn't make you buy mixes, shakes, pre-made meals...it teaches you how to eat normal (healthier) foods in reasonable portions. As they say in the TV ads, it is a "real life" program. And it is easy to stay with because nothing is really off limits (within reason).
It is not terribly expensive to join, but you can do the sleazy thing like he did, and take a 30 day first month free membership and then cancel...you'll have all the info you'll need to continue.
Plus there are plenty of web sites for Weight Watchers recipes to make it easy to prepare meals. It is one of the most successful "diet" programs out there.

Thanks Aimee.  I haven't looked into Weigh Watcher.  I will have to look them up online.

[Olson12]

Aimee, on 07 January 2013 - 03:22 PM, said:

My husband used Weight Watchers when he decided to drop a few pounds and it was an eye opener because it makes you keep track of EVERYTHING you eat. He tend to mindlessly shovel food into his mouth, so taking 12 pretzels out of the bag and putting the rest away forced him to stop eating half the bag at a time. It doesn't make you buy mixes, shakes, pre-made meals...it teaches you how to eat normal (healthier) foods in reasonable portions. As they say in the TV ads, it is a "real life" program. And it is easy to stay with because nothing is really off limits (within reason).
It is not terribly expensive to join, but you can do the sleazy thing like he did, and take a 30 day first month free membership and then cancel...you'll have all the info you'll need to continue.
Plus there are plenty of web sites for Weight Watchers recipes to make it easy to prepare meals. It is one of the most successful "diet" programs out there.

Is there some sort of promo your husband used to get the first 30 days for free?  Online there is only the option of $50 for the first montha and $20 after that.

[Golf Shaft Guy]

Put me in the Weight Watchers camp.

First off, kudos to you for confronting your issue.  This often seems to be the highest hurdle for most.

I’ve been there – i.e. a former athlete who now works in an office setting and was also once guilty of “letting himself go” due to the demands of life in general.  I lost ~90 lbs six years ago and haven’t looked back.  And not only have I been successful keeping it off, but I have laid the foundation and more importantly, confidence, for never letting it happen again.

The best advice I can give you, which is what a program like WW helps you with, is to find a way to start controlling how much food you eat.  Not even so much what you eat, but how much you eat.  It’s obviously easier said than done, but when it comes down to it, it’s such a simple concept, which many have already mentioned – it’s all about calories in vs. calories out.  Any specific health complications aside, for which you should seek the advice of a trained professional, it is that simple!

I agree many of the programs out there are gimmicky, not sustainable, and some even downright ridiculous.  Again, to me it’s all about quantity.  There are a lot of programs out there that preach what types of foods to eat and not eat.  This makes a lot of sense, but the problem I have with the programs that advocate low carbs, or low wheat, or low fat, or low this or none of that, is that they are impossible to manage day-to-day.  So often throughout the course of a day, or even a longer period of time we have little to no control over what types of food are available to us.  So depending on where you are, who you are with, what you are doing, etc., it can be extremely difficult to determine if the foods that are available to you comply with the specific program you are practicing (e.g. # carbs, sugars, whatever).  So this is the way I look at it – no matter where I am at, what I am doing, who I am with, etc., I might not have control over the type of food available to me but I ALWAYS have control over how much of that food I shove down my gullet!!  So when your son achieves that next notch on his karate belt, and the class wants to go out for ice cream to celebrate, you don’t have to be that guy or father who passes because he’s on some silly diet.  Go ahead and have some ice cream, but instead of getting a medium sized cone with two extra scoops, go with the same size your kid is eating and tell him you want to be an a**-kicker like him someday!

Now, having said that, of course quality matters, too.  This is where a good, reputable, sustainable program like WW comes in handy.  WW stresses quantity, so you learn very quickly that your body doesn’t need a lot of fuel to operate efficiently, especially if it’s the right kind of fuel.  And it’s not a two week thing.  It’s a program designed to train you long term.  I did it for like 6 months, learned how to manage on my own, and haven’t had to go back to the program since.  It’s a program that produces long term results because it focuses on behavior, not habit.  As you say, you are not looking for a silly diet, you are looking for a way to help you change… This program worked for me.  It helped me change.

Exercise is important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  If you think exercise alone is gonna make you lose a lot of weight, forget about it.  In fact, I would recommend focusing on eating habits first, and then when you have noticed results, start sprinkling in some exercise – cardio and weight training – and then build up to a more consistent routine.  Sounds like you lost control because you had too many balls in the air (like I did), so it may prove too difficult to dedicate time to both right away.  You played ball all the way through college, so once you get back into a workout routine it likely won’t be difficult to sustain.  You need to control the eating first.

Good luck!

[highergr0und]

Here's a link for weight watchers.  It's 3 months for $56 and they waive the startup fee.  https://signup.weightwatchers.com/SignupVersions/Online/StepOne.aspx

The thing about weightwatchers is the constant checking in.  Sure you can get point values, but you can get those from anywhere.  It's the fact you log everything in one easy place that makes it effective.  Going to the meetings ups that a bit by adding a bit of accountability on top of it all, mainly through desire not to look dumb.

The most shocking thing with the weightwatchers diet is seeing how fast the points can add up.  If you're heavy, you'll probably get 50 points a day.  It seems like a lot but can go fast.  It gets much harder when you're down in the 30 point range.  

No matter how many points you have, you'll soon start to memorize point values and you'll be bartering with yourself, ie "If I eat this for breakfast and this salad for lunch I can have 2 beers and a few wings watching the game tonight and be under my points".  That's the trick to it all.  Don't pile up bad on bad.

Edited by highergr0und, 07 January 2013 - 04:26 PM.

[Olson12]

Well Shafted, on 07 January 2013 - 04:18 PM, said:

Put me in the Weight Watchers camp.

First off, kudos to you for confronting your issue.  This often seems to be the highest hurdle for most.

I’ve been there – i.e. a former athlete who now works in an office setting and was also once guilty of “letting himself go” due to the demands of life in general.  I lost ~90 lbs six years ago and haven’t looked back.  And not only have I been successful keeping it off, but I have laid the foundation and more importantly, confidence, for never letting it happen again.

The best advice I can give you, which is what a program like WW helps you with, is to find a way to start controlling how much food you eat.  Not even so much what you eat, but how much you eat.  It’s obviously easier said than done, but when it comes down to it, it’s such a simple concept, which many have already mentioned – it’s all about calories in vs. calories out.  Any specific health complications aside, for which you should seek the advice of a trained professional, it is that simple!

I agree many of the programs out there are gimmicky, not sustainable, and some even downright ridiculous.  Again, to me it’s all about quantity.  There are a lot of programs out there that preach what types of foods to eat and not eat.  This makes a lot of sense, but the problem I have with the programs that advocate low carbs, or low wheat, or low fat, or low this or none of that, is that they are impossible to manage day-to-day.  So often throughout the course of a day, or even a longer period of time we have little to no control over what types of food are available to us.  So depending on where you are, who you are with, what you are doing, etc., it can be extremely difficult to determine if the foods that are available to you comply with the specific program you are practicing (e.g. # carbs, sugars, whatever).  So this is the way I look at it – no matter where I am at, what I am doing, who I am with, etc., I might not have control over the type of food available to me but I ALWAYS have control over how much of that food I shove down my gullet!!  So when your son achieves that next notch on his karate belt, and the class wants to go out for ice cream to celebrate, you don’t have to be that guy or father who passes because he’s on some silly diet.  Go ahead and have some ice cream, but instead of getting a medium sized cone with two extra scoops, go with the same size your kid is eating and tell him you want to be an a**-kicker like him someday!

Now, having said that, of course quality matters, too.  This is where a good, reputable, sustainable program like WW comes in handy.  WW stresses quantity, so you learn very quickly that your body doesn’t need a lot of fuel to operate efficiently, especially if it’s the right kind of fuel.  And it’s not a two week thing.  It’s a program designed to train you long term.  I did it for like 6 months, learned how to manage on my own, and haven’t had to go back to the program since.  It’s a program that produces long term results because it focuses on behavior, not habit.  As you say, you are not looking for a silly diet, you are looking for a way to help you change… This program worked for me.  It helped me change.

Exercise is important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  If you think exercise alone is gonna make you lose a lot of weight, forget about it.  In fact, I would recommend focusing on eating habits first, and then when you have noticed results, start sprinkling in some exercise – cardio and weight training – and then build up to a more consistent routine.  Sounds like you lost control because you had too many balls in the air (like I did), so it may prove too difficult to dedicate time to both right away.  You played ball all the way through college, so once you get back into a workout routine it likely won’t be difficult to sustain.  You need to control the eating first.

Good luck!

You have pretty much hit the nail on the head.  I am going to look into WW and talk to my wife.  Thanks for all the help guys and I will use this thread to update my progress over the next year to keep my self accountable.

[BigDave11]

Read Wheat Belly by William Davis.

[rosser14]

I use myfitnesspal.com. 60 lbs lost 6 months

[mac94]

Cut out the high fructose corn syrup. That means soda, sports drinks, processed peanut butter, etc. it's amazing how many processed foods have that. I was looking to lose about five or six pounds a year or so ago. I cut out almost all corn syrup and I ended up losing 25 pounds without hardly trying. I went from 6'4" 215 lbs. to 190 lbs. and In the best shape in over twenty years.  Didn't even change my exercise because I worked out before I cut it out. You'll be surprised how much just that helps.

Edited by mac94, 11 January 2013 - 03:51 PM.

[esketores]

As much as I hate to say this but there are some very annoying commercials that air on PGA Tour Radio from a fellow by the name of Larry Jacob's. I've looked into his theory and methodology. Actually it is very sound.
I am not a shill for the man. I'm in the same boat about being overweight and have recently been exploring things.
What you eat, not how much you eat is a factor. Just as not exercising is a factor.

http://weightlossforgolfers.com/

The website can be annoying as well but there is a lot of information.

[Curlin]

Alot of good advice.  One piece of advice that helped me......................Eat eggs, eggs, and more eggs.

[bogeyk]

I find excercise to be the key for ME to lose weight. I find that if I exercise I am more apt to be mindful of what I eat. It pretty much goes, "if I'm going to put myself through hell, I'm not going to eat crap."  Exercise leads me to have a better diet and sleep patterns. I don't know if was mentioned earlier, but don't starve yourself. It doesn't work.

[BillyBaroo1985]

I lost 25 pound last year. 212 to 187 I am 6 foot tall. I quit eating out as much, now only twice a month, I started only buying fresh foods I don't eat processed foods or fried food. I started walking when I played golf and walk my dogs everyday.

[fore_life]

Blake! Hit me up man, I'm in the same boat, I was 165 and fit as hell when I first met my wife 5 yrs ago. Now I'm 255, and want to lose it man. I've got p90x and started doing the yoga this week to help my flexibility, and I'm trying to cut out stupid processed foods and work on my portion control. I've always eaten a lot but when I was skateboarding 7 days a week for 4+ hrs I still lost weight. Not so much now haha.

Point being, you've got a local buddy here that wants the same things, so lets work on this together.

[Olson12]

fore_life, on 18 January 2013 - 11:29 AM, said:

Blake! Hit me up man, I'm in the same boat, I was 165 and fit as hell when I first met my wife 5 yrs ago. Now I'm 255, and want to lose it man. I've got p90x and started doing the yoga this week to help my flexibility, and I'm trying to cut out stupid processed foods and work on my portion control. I've always eaten a lot but when I was skateboarding 7 days a week for 4+ hrs I still lost weight. Not so much now haha.

Point being, you've got a local buddy here that wants the same things, so lets work on this together.

I'm in man!  I have been MIA from this thread recently... just really busy with work.  I plan on signing up for WW today and get the ball rolling.  I will give you guys an update once I get my first weigh in and be able to track my, and possibly Mark's (fore_life) progress through this.  

Side not.  I started riding my bike to work again.  Step in the right direction.

[Dr. Shankenstein]

I am a firm believer in the South Beach Diet. In reading the book I learned the effects of processed food, effects of blood sugar and cravings, and the harmful effects of hydrogenated oils. So my wife and I decided to give it a shot and we both lost quite a bit of weight (about 20lbs each). The first part of the diet was pretty challenging because it totally cut out many sugars and carbs (we only got our carbs from vegetables and legumes). But once we started adding back whole grains, fruits, and red wine, it was much much easier. It was definitely a life style change, we feel more energetic, and is easily sustainable.
Good luck

[Yanki01]

riding the bike is a good start. get on bodybuilding.com and check out the forums. specifically the thread fat to fit. you could get a lot of motivation right there and a lot of helpful info in the forums. you should know what you should and shouldn't eat. good luck.