Diets that work long term

[falconvalley]

If you had asked me 2 years ago what I though about "dieting" I would have said "why would someone torture their mind and body on purpose?" Christmas 2011, my dad had a stint installed. My doctor had been giving me crap about my blood pressure and I kept saying that I run a lot so I'm fine. Well, I wasn't and I knew it for years. After a friend of mine kicked drinking caffeine to see if he'd sleep better I thought, what the heck, I drink tons of coke. I'll take 8 weeks and ween myself off of coke and replace the corn syrup with something I need. That turned into downloading a calorie counting app and thinking, well...I don't actually NEED those 250 calories. That turned into, let's see if I can calorie-debt one pound a week until my wife gets mad. 6 months and 40 pounds later, I came back from a sports doctor assuring her that I was going to survive and I would maintain a healthy body weight.

Not everyone is built the same, however. Some builds may not be able to easily burn far without significant help from a strict diet and regular exercise. I have to mention that I do run a lot but when I was 40 pounds heavier I still ran 30-40 miles a week. I was just maintaining weight.

My typical day (not conventional)

Work out
Consume a calorie-free drink with electrolytes
Consume 140 calories of whey protein
150 calories of regular oatmeal
50 calories of natural applesauce

4 hours

Work my day's calorie intake up to 1000-1200 with some complex carbs, a simple carb via some fruit (1/3 cup raisins or something) and a protein

4 hours

Complete what I need for the day with a large dinner

I've noticed that since I don't snack, if I don't get a meal on-time, I crave sugar. Not good. Timely snacking seems to help. And sometimes I needed a little more than usual and I find out later in the evening. A glass of milk and a piece of toast with a little peanut butter helps once in a while.

I also found that the right types of nutrients at the right time make a huge difference in appetite and mood. If its been a while since you've had a full meal and it will be a while until you're next full meal, a handful of pretzels and a coke ain't gonna cut it. Have a real fruit with those crackers and maybe some nuts...an apple if you wanna stay regular and wake up or if that's not important, a banana is a great rejuvenator.

Oh- and rest is VERY IMPORTANT. schedule it and stay on schedule more than you don't.

 

[FlyingScot]

I quit drinking beer, so far it has been a rough two days.

Actually It's been 10 days and I am 12 pounds lighter since I last weighed myself. In 2 months I will hit my target weight.

Good job on sticking to your diet. I find if I don't eat well during the day I snack late at night.

 

[LibTech7]

I try to eat what they call a Paleo diet. Lean meats, fish, fruit, nuts, veggies, ect. No dairy, grains, sugar, most starches, legumes, no processed foods, ect. I don't count calories, I eat a lot. I started about a year ago and have never felt better. It is difficult at first to plan meals and stick to it, but its more of a lifestyle change vs a diet. I do have cheat meals because I will never be able to give up pizza and beer. But I try to stick to the plan. With the exercise that you already do, I guarantee you will lose weight (even if you don't want to) and feel a million times better. Its definitely made me look at food differently. Just google paleo diet. Tons of info out there.

 

[Itchy]

http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/are-you-addicted-wheat

 

[Rotor2Wing]

I try to eat what they call a Paleo diet. Lean meats, fish, fruit, nuts, veggies, ect. No dairy, grains, sugar, most starches, legumes, no processed foods, ect. I don't count calories, I eat a lot. I started about a year ago and have never felt better. It is difficult at first to plan meals and stick to it, but its more of a lifestyle change vs a diet. I do have cheat meals because I will never be able to give up pizza and beer. But I try to stick to the plan. With the exercise that you already do, I guarantee you will lose weight (even if you don't want to) and feel a million times better. Its definitely made me look at food differently. Just google paleo diet. Tons of info out there.

I couldn't agree more! The Paleo lifestyle will change your life if you do it and stick to it until you get use to eating that way! Plus its super easy to pack these foods to eat on the go. If you already love these foods its easy to drop the "no no" foods! Also having cheat days are critical to making any lifestyle change.

 

[falconvalley]

I definitely consume much less dairy than I used to. Mainly at night now because my workouts are usually early in the day. I skip cheese as much as possible. Except for pizza. Gotta have it.

 

[falconvalley]

I try to eat what they call a Paleo diet. Lean meats, fish, fruit, nuts, veggies, ect. No dairy, grains, sugar, most starches, legumes, no processed foods, ect. I don't count calories, I eat a lot. I started about a year ago and have never felt better. It is difficult at first to plan meals and stick to it, but its more of a lifestyle change vs a diet. I do have cheat meals because I will never be able to give up pizza and beer. But I try to stick to the plan. With the exercise that you already do, I guarantee you will lose weight (even if you don't want to) and feel a million times better. Its definitely made me look at food differently. Just google paleo diet. Tons of info out there.

Interesting.

 

[IrishSheepdog]

Paleo diet, as said above. You will initially go through withdrawal while on the diet, but after a week or two you'll start to be OK. Shop the outer perimeter of the grocery store.

 

[jtrain609]

Paleo is decried by people that study, you know, ancient humans:

When asked what she would tell people who wished to pursue a true paleolithic diet, Dr. Hoyes laughed harshly before replying. ”You really want to be paleo? Then don’t buy anything from a store. Gather and kill what you need to eat. Wild grasses and tubers, acorns, gophers, crickets- They all provide a lot of nutrition. You’ll spend a lot of energy gathering the stuff, of course, and you’re going to be hungry, but that’ll help you maintain that lean physique you’re after. And hunting down the neighbor’s cats for dinner because you’ve already eaten your way through the local squirrel population will probably give you all the exercise you’ll ever need.”


Summing up what many considered to be the main point of the entire conference, she told reporters:
“Look, the diet itself is sound; it’s the philosophy that’s BS. Eat what you want. Just leave the damn cavemen out of it.”

http://hells-ditch.com/2012/08/archaeologists-officially-declare-collective-sigh-over-paleo-diet/

See also:

http://neuroanthropology.net/2009/01/21/paleofantasies-of-the-perfect-diet-marlene-zuk-in-nytimes/

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2011/10/27/141666659/the-paleo-diet-not-the-way-to-a-healthy-future

 

[IrishSheepdog]

So? The diet doesn't state it's exactly what "cavemen" ate, but rather uses the term to describe in layman terms an approach to eating healthier. What should they call it instead?

As it says in the text posted above, the diet is sound. He's just upset about the label, for whatever reason.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

How in the world do you people find time to run 30-40 miles a week. I'm not that busy but would be hard pressed to fit another 30-40 mile DRIVE a week.

 

[falconvalley]

How in the world do you people find time to run 30-40 miles a week. I'm not that busy but would be hard pressed to fit another 30-40 mile DRIVE a week.

I gotta hit myself for not pushing this more, but it's not the miles. Consider this scientific look at running:

Most people jog at the same turnover rate (how fast your legs move). Whether you jog a 13 minute mile or a 5 minute mile, it's generally leg strength and flexibility that allows for speed changes. Turnover rate does affect speed but not average speed. Think of it like the gears in a car transmission. All that said, if you aim for miles only as a goal, if you meet your goals, it will be a coincidence and good fortune for you. Turnover rate being the same, a fast runner running 3 miles will take 15 minutes and take less steps than a slow runner who takes almost 45 minutes. That is 3 times the wear and tear. It's also notable that you bounce more when running slow. If you want to get healthier don't target miles. Target TIME. And it just so happens that helps you with your conundrum. It takes me 3.75-5 hours to run 30-40 miles a week. That's a 7.5 minute mile. A 10 minute miler will run less miles over the same time and burn roughly the same calories.

As far as fitting it in, I find ways. I start many overnights with my workouts, as one example. I will sometimes run after everyone goes to bed at home, which is not ideal but helps a 70 mile a weeker like me to get a few easy miles in. If a lot of my overnights are short, a lot of my overnights don't involve winding down and watching tv. I always choose the treadmill or laps around the block over tv, but that's just me. I'm constantly trying to find ways to make more room in my day for stuff. It's a constant battle.

 

[falconvalley]

I forgot to mention that this doesn't mean you shouldn't consider your mileage. You should still log the miles because miles and time together will help you determine how fast you are running. At some point you will plateau if you run the same intensity and you will have to decide "am I happy with where I'm at? Do I wanna make any adjustments to my workouts?" Once you reach your goals and decide "maintenance" workouts are fine, you will probably be fine with just miles but can still compare times.

 

[FlyingScot]

How in the world do you people find time to run 30-40 miles a week. I'm not that busy but would be hard pressed to fit another 30-40 mile DRIVE a week.

I had to cut back on my JC time.

 

[TWP]

Paleo is decried by people that study, you know, ancient humans:



http://hells-ditch.com/2012/08/archaeologists-officially-declare-collective-sigh-over-paleo-diet/

See also:

http://neuroanthropology.net/2009/01/21/paleofantasies-of-the-perfect-diet-marlene-zuk-in-nytimes/

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2011/10/27/141666659/the-paleo-diet-not-the-way-to-a-healthy-future

Remember the atkins diet? Turns out that was terrible for you as well. You need carbs people! Self control should prevent you from consuming too many, not some fad-diet that will eventually destroy your body. I can only wonder what the next anti-carb-fad will be.


It could be worse, they could be vegetarians. *shudder*

 

[Itchy]

Remember the atkins diet? Turns out that was terrible for you as well. You need carbs people! Self control should prevent you from consuming too many, not some fad-diet that will eventually destroy your body. I can only wonder what the next anti-carb-fad will be.


It could be worse, they could be vegetarians. *shudder*

Atkins, it turns out, is not bad for you. You have some bad info.

 

[LibTech7]

Remember the atkins diet? Turns out that was terrible for you as well. You need carbs people! Self control should prevent you from consuming too many, not some fad-diet that will eventually destroy your body. I can only wonder what the next anti-carb-fad will be.


It could be worse, they could be vegetarians. *shudder*

Ha Ha, you might want to educate yourself about what carbohydrates actually are. Then maybe look up what fruits and vegetables are. You might find it interesting.

 

[TWP]

I know what carbs are and I know what they do. I also know what not getting an adequate amount of them can do. Most people consume WAY too many, I get that. It's hard not to living in the states. A fad diet that goes in the opposite direction isn't any better.

Also, you are dead. Just like me. Live a little. Eat the pasta, it's tasty Just don't eat it every day!

 

[TrustMeI'maPilot]

Paleo isn't carb free, it's reducing and watching what type of carbs you consume. I go for about an 80-85% paleo diet and went from 200 lbs down to 184lbs in one month. That was without changing my workout routine. Been on the diet for over a year now, eat as much as I want, cheat around once a week and have stayed right at 185 lbs. Haven't noticed any side effects.

 

[LibTech7]

I know what carbs are and I know what they do. I also know what not getting an adequate amount of them can do. Most people consume WAY too many, I get that. It's hard not to living in the states. A fad diet that goes in the opposite direction isn't any better.

Also, you are dead. Just like me. Live a little. Eat the pasta, it's tasty Just don't eat it every day!

Live it up man. Eat pasta, enjoy it. Seriously! It's just food. Does absolutely nothing for you besides a little energy. If used correctly.

As for Paleo, I really hate to even put a label on it, or call it a name. It's just eating clean and healthy. I definitely wouldn't call it a diet.