Diet help

I agree with everything you said, 21, except for what I bolded. In terms of mass, a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle.

The volume is the difference. A pound of fat takes up way more room on your body (and in your jeans!) than a pound of muscle.

 

You're right, of course a pound is a pound. But we're saying the same thing: muscle tissue weighs more than fat....so if you add muscle, you can add weight. In a good way.

 

Here's what I do.
I work a Sun-Thurs night schedule. On those days, I have Special K for breakfast and lunch or sometimes a salad for lunch.
Dinner for those 5 nights is a turkey sandwich (changing the types of bread every 2 weeks), baked Doritos or pita crisps or pretzels or Sun Chips and a Special K bar.
I try to drink 2 16 oz. bottles of water a day.
I then try (and that is the key word because there are times I am too lazy to do it) to do at least 25 minutes, 5 days a week on this.

On the weekends, I let myself go a bit because you'll go nuts doing it 7 days a week.
I started at 200 and was as low as 167 last April. I've bounced around and am at 177 now. But I know if I stay on the wagon, I can get under 170 again.
Being 5-7 and with my genetics (my dad is overweight and my brother is very obese), I will be happy being around 170.
The dream is 160 but I've haven't seen that weight since college, 20 years ago.

 

Lean Cuisine is a pretty decent option for someone like myself who can't cook.

Their chicken/turkey dishes are pretty filling ... fewer than 300 calories, too.

 

I read an interesting study recently where they had people eat an apple 15 minutes before dinner. It takes up a lot of volume in your stomach with something high-fiber and low-calorie, and you can eat a much smaller dinner portion and still feel satisfied.

 

I've read the same thing about eating almonds....

 

I should start doing that. I eat chicken and an almost-endless bowl of veggies and 45 minutes later, I'm dancing because of hunger pains.

 

Be honest with yourself when you keep track of your eating habits.

My wife treats 250-pound women all the time and they insist they eat 'hardly anything at all' and 'only healthy food' and never snack between meals.

If you can't be honest with yourself, you're fighting a really difficult battle with the bulge.

Just eat less, eat better and exercise more. Even walking around the block during a lunch break is a good way to be healthier even if it doesn't lead to massive weight loss.

 

Along the lines of being honest with yourself, keep a food journal. Regardless of what diet plan you follow, it's going to count something (carbs, calories, points), and keeping track of that by journaling will lead to a quicker weight loss than trying to keep it in your head.

 

That's an eliptical right? And how long did it take you to get from 200 to 167?

 

The diet which I have used in the past which works for me is this:

Breakfast -- either a whole grain cereal or low-fat peanut butter on whole grain bread.
Mid-morning snack -- banana
Lunch -- spinich salad with salmon or tuna
Mid-afternoon snack -- grapes or nuts
Dinner -- whatever I want, but in a small portion. No fried food, no fast food. Red meat only a couple of days a week.

I give myself a couple of meals a week off -- usually a diner breakfast and/or a less healthy dinner. But nothing too bad. My thing is that I eat too much, not just that I eat badly.

I do drink a lot of water -- usually 3 quarts a day. Minimal soda and only 2-3 cups of coffee.

For exercise, I do an elliptical 5-6 times per week. Due to my work schdule, it is usually 30 minutes early morning during the week and 45 on weekends. Plus light weights a couple of times a week-- working out mostly with 20-40 pound dumbells.

Started it up again on Jan. 2. I'd like to lose 15-25 pounds.

 

Right. And don't give up after you gain a pound or two one week.

I got my little wake up call after topping 200 for the first time ever on a scale. I, like Angola, could not gain weight for most of my life. Then I turned ~35 and became significantly less active because of jobs, kids, motivation, etc. My wife gently teased me about my growing love handles and I tried to push that aside and tell myself she was exagerating.

After she told herself she was getting a little pudgy in places and wanted to start going to the gym, I went with her once and was alarmed when I checked in at 201 lbs and I was visably soft. Ick.

That did it for me. I started going to spinning classes because running hurt my knees and got hooked. Now I'm part of a little group of regulars in those classes that actually wonders if something is wrong when one of us misses a class. It's led to swimming, riding on the road, racing, doing triathlons, etc.

And I'm eating healthier than in more than a decade. Fast food used to be a regular for me. Now I'll go much less frequently and even then I'm more likely to have a grilled chicken sandwich than a double cheeseburger and fries. I still have my laspes -- like this morning's breakfast and post-workout snack of cocoa puffs and snickers -- but I'm eating less, eating better and I look pretty damn good, if I must say so myself.

I've dropped two inches off my waist size -- from 34 to 32 -- yet my weight is still in the 185-195 range and I'm wearing large shirts instead of XL shirts.

So, to repeat and to echo -- eat less, eat better, keep track of it honestly, and burn more calories through cardio exercise. Pump some iron to tone the muscles and aid in the fat burn.

Also, if you can, take advantage of a personal trainer once or twice to get a plan on paper and some personal, professional guidance.