Losing weight [for me]

[Radu]

I tried something similar in the past and i just couldn't be arsed after 1d of counting calories.

 

The problem lies in the fact that it has to be this accurate, this perfectionist.

Even if i do follow it, i eventually mess up and feel like crap, followed by 'f*ck it' ... or depression.

[gaius]

I don't know who you hang out with Radu but if you get some really skinny friends that might help. At the end of the day you're going to succeed or fail based almost solely on your motivation, and despite what we like to tell ourselves that's based primarily on outside influences. And if you have people around you who are controlling their weight and not eating a lot that might be a huge influence on you too.

 

I'm so motivated right now I can go 3-4 days without eating easily and not even feel hungry. Probably a few weeks at least if I wanted to but I'm not gonna push it that far.

[Radu]

I ... was hoping to write this in a few days.

 

This morning [about 11hs and 20 min as of now], i have drank my last cup of Cola.

I still have 2x 2.75l bottles of Pepsi-Cola [regular] on my staircase.

For the last 2-3hs i have started slowly going insane.

 

I want to kill someone or something [flies are all dead already], i am really happy that i live alone and guns are to be found easily in my country.

 

Caffeine + sugar ... what a dependency. o.0

[Radu]

I don't know who you hang out with Radu but if you get some really skinny friends that might help. At the end of the day you're going to succeed or fail based almost solely on your motivation, and despite what we like to tell ourselves that's based primarily on outside influences. And if you have people around you who are controlling their weight and not eating a lot that might be a huge influence on you too.

 

I'm so motivated right now I can go 3-4 days without eating easily and not even feel hungry. Probably a few weeks at least if I wanted to but I'm not gonna push it that far.

 

I'm massively introvert, a cynic with nihillistic outlook tendencies who is overweight and even on a good day, doesn't dress 'nice'.

I actually like Bernard Black from Black Books [Dylan Moran's character].

 

Skinny, fun, nice, supportive friends are not exactly my forte in life.

[GorillaTheater]

Skinny, fun, nice, supportive friends are not exactly my forte in life.

 

Well hell. And here I thought we got along just fine.

[Haydn]

I'm massively introvert, a cynic with nihillistic outlook tendencies who is overweight and even on a good day, doesn't dress 'nice'.

I actually like Bernard Black from Black Books [Dylan Moran's character].

 

Skinny, fun, nice, supportive friends are not exactly my forte in life.

 

Black books! Brilliant.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIgqjTN9_TE

[Radu]

Well hell. And here I thought we got along just fine.

 

))

 

Good news is that the Ibuprofen seems to be working.

 

And the cream soup ended up well on the 1st try [because you can totally scr*w that up].

 

On an unrelated topic ... anyone got some extra Lithium ?

Pls ?

Like now !!!

Pls ...

I can handle depression, but mania is too much !

[cerridwen]

))

 

On an unrelated topic ... anyone got some extra Lithium ?

Pls ?

Like now !!!

Pls ...

I can handle depression, but mania is too much !

 

Have you tried eating a Little Book of Calm, Radu?

 

My favorite episode.

[GorillaTheater]

Have you tried eating a Little Book of Calm, Radu?

 

My favorite episode.

 

Or a walk or some kind of physical exertion. It'll fit well within the new lifestyle you're pursuing and honestly, that's the best way I've found to settle my mind.

[Radu]

No, i haven't ... but Ibuprofen is so awesome.

 

I'm feeling better, chills are going down, i have stopped sweating, and i threw something over the damn Pepsi [i hate seeing it ... there ... tempting me ... it knows !!!].

 

Can't find the recipe for cream soup anywhere on the web, the others are weird looking and the few that look similar are overtly complex, so i thought why not write it here.

2 green melons [light green spaghetti squash] - cut the ends, wash well, and cut in 1 inch thick slices ... do not remove the skin

3 long carrots [and reasonably thick too] - just wash and cut them in 2 inch length

1/2 of a decent cauliflower [you can add more], remove as much of the stalks as possible

1/2 decent sized beet [large one] ... white works as well as red, but red is better.

3 mid-sized tomatoes to be peeled, or a can of peeled tomatoes [the under 1 pound one].

2-3 medium sized onions, diced small [to make sure the flavonoids get out]

1 leek

1 red, long Kapia pepper cut in small pieces.

 

Put in pressure cooker, add water until close to submerging all of them.

No more than 60% of the volume of the cooker though.

Once steam comes out, keep at it for 15min, but 20 is ok too.

 

After cooling a tad, add 2-3 spoons of olive oil and put a blender in, it should be a red-orange paste.

 

Add a little paprika, parsley, salt, pepper, oregano, marjoram, caraway [cumin].

Cumin is especially good for it.

 

It's very tasty if served warm/hot with cold sour cream in it and maybe some croutons.

 

What i like about it is that once it cools you can pour it in plastic bottles about 60% filled and freeze it.

Unfreeze it the evening before consumption, and take it with you throughout the day.

It should have the consistency of a soup and you can drink it out of the bottle.

 

PS: Closest picture i could find.

http://www.inspiredtaste.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Creamy-Vegtable-Cooking-Cooking_4.jpg

Edited July 15, 2015 by Radu

[deathandtaxes]

I tried something similar in the past and i just couldn't be arsed after 1d of counting calories.

 

The problem lies in the fact that it has to be this accurate, this perfectionist.

Even if i do follow it, i eventually mess up and feel like crap, followed by 'f*ck it' ... or depression.

 

That's why you build in cheat days. We got into the mess of getting overweight because we weren't tracking what we were consuming. Why not track it to become not-overweight? You can still easily over consume while eating better. It might be harder to do, but it is still possible.

[Radu]

It's still ordered ... i work better with sprinkled chaos.

[Haydn]

Slap this on. Throwaway the pepsi.

 

[Radu]

I'm watching it right now.

 

Is there a Mamba Burgers ?

[Timshel]

I don't know who you hang out with Radu but if you get some really skinny friends that might help. At the end of the day you're going to succeed or fail based almost solely on your motivation, and despite what we like to tell ourselves that's based primarily on outside influences. And if you have people around you who are controlling their weight and not eating a lot that might be a huge influence on you too.

 

I'm so motivated right now I can go 3-4 days without eating easily and not even feel hungry. Probably a few weeks at least if I wanted to but I'm not gonna push it that far.

 

Sorry luv, I have to disagree. Going days without eating isn't healthy. Weeks? Fairly insane. I know you're joking.

 

Lemon water is excellent. Fasting a day or two is fine if when you eat you have: Nutrient rich foods such as spinach, mushrooms. kale, all the veggies. PLUS protein: peanut butter, beans, fish, chicken and nuts like almonds. Really any nut.

 

Of course processed foods and sugar are going to be a bad thing. Soda is one of the worst.

 

I have fried and any crap food but only in moderation. Someone posted about moderation with the fun/yummy stuff. Agree. That said, the healthy foods have become what I crave now and I get cramps and need a toilet immediately from junk food.

 

 

Good Luck Radu.

[Bubberfly]

I'm massively introvert, a cynic with nihillistic outlook tendencies who is overweight and even on a good day, doesn't dress 'nice'.

I actually like Bernard Black from Black Books [Dylan Moran's character].

 

Skinny, fun, nice, supportive friends are not exactly my forte in life.

 

OMG I'm the girl version of you...

[Radu]

The last 2 days were ... interesting.

 

I thought i could kick it cold [the Cola] but it came back with a vengeance ... suffice to say that i have super-extra motivation to never try heroine since the symptoms of caffeine+sugar withdrawal seem ... similar.

This and the heatwave that is present atm here have been ... interesting.

 

I am weaning off on it presently ... and drinking lots of water in the process.

[Robert Z]

Radu, just a few thoughts.

80% of weight loss is diet

Protein mixes helped me a lot

I lost 70 pounds with nothing but diet, about 4 square feet of space, and two 20 pound dumb bells.

Skipping meals and starvation dieting is bad. You just lose muscle mass instead of fat.

Adding muscle helps to burn fat.

 

 

Almost forgot the most important one of all - go by your belt size and not the scale to gauge your progress. Weight alone is meaningless. People should just throw away their scales. I have heard quite a few people complain about gaining weight after going on an exercise program, so they stopped. The are defeated for no reason. If they are adding muscle they might well add weight while making positive progress.

Edited July 17, 2015 by Robert Z

[Radu]

I don't own a scale anymore, have not had one for a long time.

It's hard to get one over 120kg, and i did hit 140-145 at a time.

Plus, they are mechanic, so the closer you get to the limit the more off the scale is [the spring gets loose].

 

I check my belt and my clothes.

I guesstimate the rest.

I'm usually right.

[S_A]

Radu, I do not know if someone mentioned this already, but you should consider trying to eliminate dairy from your diet. It will help make the pounds fly off. It's one of the worst things you can consume.

[Radu]

Radu, I do not know if someone mentioned this already, but you should consider trying to eliminate dairy from your diet. It will help make the pounds fly off. It's one of the worst things you can consume.

 

I've never heard of this one before.

I did google it, and apparently in the West this is believed ( o.0 ); there is also a big dicussion going on weather this is true or not.

I've always eaten dairy heavy in fat and when i was off it [for various reasons unrelated to dieting ... mostly was bored with it], i did not lose weight.

In fact, generally speaking i've always felt better when i was taking my daily dose of dairy.

 

Yougurt - i avoid it in general, can't get good one ... sometimes i find some Kefir or Sana [small alcohol content] that is not heavily processed. I generally avoid supermarket yougurt [especially fruit ones].

Sour cream - i get it at 12-20% fat content. I have no idea how much i eat, but it's not much [ there is nice recipe of chicken with sour cream that is an awesome caloric bomb though ]

Milk - always UHT 3.5% fat content ... i tried skimmed and totally skimmed milk and i can't stand it ... it tastes like water.

Butter - i tend to cook with it and nothing else [i rarely spread it on bread] ... i usually go for at least 60% fat content [i can get 80-83% from time to time] and it must be pure, no hydrogenated oils in there.

Cheese - they are of several types :

1 - kashkaval, originally from Sicily ... it's yellowy ... i tend to eat less of this [it's not that good for you unless it's done all natural and few ppl know how to do that anymore; it looks like this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kashkaval-Galichki-Republik_of_Macedonia.jpg ]

2 - branza de burduf ... i sometimes go nuts over this one ... good thing it's very salty and no problems [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%A2nz%C4%83_de_burduf ]

3 - telemea ... a form of brined cheese ... just don't try to figure out how it's done and what rennet actually is. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telemea and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brined_cheese ]

4 - cottage cheese ... it's unbelievably light, even the fatty one has little fat content

 

Again, i don't go nuts over the above, i eat it somewhat casually ... but i have never gained weight from it.

The most dangerous ones might be sour cream and butter, but i use those in moderation too.

[S_A]

Really do consider giving up dairy. Try it for at least one month and see what happens. If you're really trying to change your life, one month of no dairy shouldn't be a problem. It's poison as far as I'm concerned.

 

You can go back to dairy to indulge here and there, but that's after you've gotten results and your body has momentum to work with (from the gym and eating right). I find that unsweetned almond milk is a good substitute.

[Radu]

No way ... when it comes to dairy i'm a full time sinner !!!

 

Also, gym is not an option [i explained why].

 

As for dairy substitute, all you have here is soy milk which is a horrible idea for men, and even worse for overweight men.

 

PS: Read about the no dairy fad. I can see how it could help some ppl, but i don't think i'm one of those ppl.

Edited July 18, 2015 by Radu

[GemmaUK]

I wouldn't recommend cutting a nutritional food group at all.

 

Radu, I would stick with a sole aim just now to quit the cola.

In 2.5ltrs of cola there are 68 teaspoons of sugar.

There are 9 teaspoons of sugar in a 330ml can of cola.

The recommended intake of sugar is 7 teaspoons per day.

 

I dieted for years..

I was always in a cycle of trying to lose, losing and then gaining back 3-4 stone.

I would eat low fat foods (which I have since realised are loaded with sugar) and feel deprived eating rabbit food or really plain things always.

 

I was at my heaviest and decided to just quit diets altogether.

I decided to go for real food (pizzas and burgers and chips were all on my menu as well as other less fatty regular meals).

I initially filled my plate up as I would want to and then first off concentrate on not eating it all and leaving some. I stopped over stretching my stomach so it went back to a normal size. I felt hungry the first few weeks but not drastically so.

Then I went on to learn how to feel when I was full up (t's a feeling just under the front and centre of your ribs.

 

I lost all my excess weight over around 5 months - that was 12 years ago almost but following the same principles I have never since put that weight back on.

I also still eat burgers and chips and pizzas when I want to.

 

When you are used to a lot of sugar and quit it your blood sugar levels can drop causing shaking and sweats and you can feel really lightheaded. I get that if I drink a sugary drink - a couple of hours later my sugar levels plummet.

A good way to counteract that is peanuts - just a couple of handfuls before you get to the sweaty shaky stage - they are slow energy release and even though they are fatty they do contain nutrients. Peanuts could help you get through your cola cravings whilst you quit.

 

Right now though just concentrate on quitting that cola. It's about 1000 extra calories you are having each day with no nutrition in them.

[Els]

No idea if people are kidding about the smoking (yeah, my sarcasto-meter is broken with lack of sleep ), but seriously, DON'T. Being overweight is already a risk factor for a whole host of debilitating or potentially fatal diseases... add smoking to that and you're going to be double-dipping in a minefield.

 

I know there is a lot of negativity about Diet Coke, and some of it might be true - it's always safer to just drink water or 100% natural drinks. But if you absolutely can't quit Coke, it can be beneficial to switch to Diet Coke then slowly wean yourself off that too. Non-diet Coke has a huge amount of empty calories and it's possible you might see progress from that change alone. I mean, if you're drinking two 1.5L bottles of regular Coke a day or something, no amount of exercise or healthy eating is going to save you.

 

Dairy is okay in moderation.