I am finally moving forward - Sledgehammer70's progress

Sledgehammer70

After failing the 30lb challenge and actually gaining 10lbs I have decided to make a move for myself. I need to loose <s>some</s> a ton of weight and I need to loose it yesterday.

Its funny this new section appeared just after I decided to go forward with this, maybe it is a sign.

So current stats:

Height: 6'5 3/4"
Weight: 297lbs

My goal is to get down to a slim 220-235 range and get more physical by walking or even running a few miles a day.

Progress: The things I have already started to do...

- Cut soda out of my diet - I threw / gave away all the soda in my home
- Eat healthier - dropped by Albertsons and pickup a weeks worth of sandwich stuff to avoid fast food at lunch
- Go on a daily walk/ jog of 2 miles or more - Started this on Saturday
- No more vending machines!!!!!

What I am asking of you...

Yell at me and make sure I am sticking to my diet. Feel free to call me (PM for #) or do whatever to help me get these pounds off. I have come to the point where I don't want to be the dad who can't run with his son or can't do activities later in life because I let my health go south.

Bad_Karma

The only advice I can give you right now is to be careful when going out to a restaurant or over to a friends house. The temptation sometimes is very strong to stray. If that happens just remember what you said to yourself Sledge

"I don't want to be the dad who can't run with his son or can't do activities later in life because I let my health go south"

Then imagine actually doing those things and fight the urge dude!

Sledgehammer70

i'm nopt to worried about dropping soda as I have done it before.. but it is those little snack times that kill me.

I haven't been able to find any good food charts to help give me a daily idea what I can eat that is healthy... In most cases the things I would want are bad for me

Nomad

Sledgehammer70 wrote:

i'm nopt to worried about dropping soda as I have done it before.. but it is those little snack times that kill me.

I haven't been able to find any good food charts to help give me a daily idea what I can eat that is healthy... In most cases the things I would want are bad for me

Eating healthy doesn't always have to taste bad. In fact, some fast food is even healthy. It really comes down to the amount you're eating, more than what you're eating (although I still highly recommend cutting out sugared food and drink). Here's a list of acceptable fast food items:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=2920231

Find an exercise you enjoy and stick to it.

Bad_Karma

Tasty snacks you say.

Ants on a log come to mind (celery with peanut butter and raisins added on top).
I know its the old adage but tasty fruits(plums, mango, melons) are good as well. Just take it slow. It took me 4 months of forcing myself to eat more fruits and vegetables to eventually make then part of my daily eating.

I have also learned of an old eating technique that I have been playing around with to some success (I don't always do this due to time constraints).
I can't remember what the technique is called. Essentially what you do is that at every meal what you will do is that every mouthful is chewed until it is almost a liquid (puree) in your mouth. Doing this actually satisfies your tastes buds to their delight and even tires them out. Now it's a pain in the ass because it takes about thirty chews to get the food there but I have actually found that I will eat less while doing this technique and I find that I am not as hungry as often as I usually am. If I can find a link to the technique I will post it here. Oh, and yes it is a pain in the ass but I find my snack cravings have gone down. If you suffer from lock jaw I wouldn't try this. I used to be a snack junkie (snickers was the best/worst). Just remember to listen to your own body. Eat when you are hungry and not when you are bored. Damn I think I'm starting to sound like a used tire.

primesuspect

Isn't that part of macrobiotics (I think that's what they call it)?

Leonardo

Don't make too many changes all at once. That just intensifies the psychological stress and increases the odds for failure of the complete regime. The individual choices you picked are sensible and doable.

get more physical by walking or even running a few miles a day

Running accomplishes nothing over walking, just completes sooner. Walking is far healthier for the joints and skeleton. (I ran for close to 30 years. After my last physical fitness test in the Army June 2004, I haven't run anymore except to catch my dog. Haven't missed it at all! I do walk and go hiking.)

Suggestions: increase fruit and vegetable intake. The better your nutrition and the more fresh, wholesome food you eat, the less junk and fatty stuff you will desire. In Southern California where you are, there are few places on earth that can compare with variety, freshness, and quality. California is just amazing for quality produce.

Drink lots of water. It helps the body regulate so many functions, including appetite. You don't need the silly prissy, useless, expensive bottled stuff (if you are in Florida, GET the bottled water!).

fatcat

TBH TBH TBH TBH TBH

best of luck buddy...no for you!

GHoosdum

Great goal, Sledge, and the diet cuts are already progress. I think you'll also find you will end up saving money by eating out less and drinking no sodas.

Nomad, that fast food health list is very useful, thanks!

Bad_Karma, I think I remember the adage as "Drink your food and eat your drink" - which essentially means to liquify solid foods by chewing (also starts predigestion of the food through the enzymes in your mouth) and to "chew" on any drink that goes in your mouth, again in order to get the benefit of the digestive enzymes in your mouth.

RWB

I found it easy to cut the soda's, I buy those tea packets that you add to water(caffeine free). Crystal Light is my favorite, the White Tea Blueberry is simply amazing, but annoys most people because it has a strong fruity smell that fills a room quickly haha.

Had a caffeine headache though for like 2 weeks, but it's gone and when I do have a soda(twice a month or so) it's Sprite. Caffeine free

Cutting the soda alone I think is what allowed me to loose 30lbs so easily this past 6-8 months or so. I haven't lost any more weight though in a month and I just can't seem to get out and exercise. I am doing one thing at a time though, after cutting soda I cut all the unnecessary saturated fats from my system...

Anyways, good luck... hope we all achieve our goals.

Sledgehammer70

Well last night was tough but I pulled through, I cleared out the fridge of all unwanted items and old leftovers and have started a fresh from there. I also went grocery shopping and didn't pick up one junk food item or anything that was bad for me and noticed my shopping bill was $70 cheaper

I am now trying to get some sort of order going to keep me alive and not dying daily for a snack. So I made my lunch with my new items from the store:

Yogurt
Apple Sauce
Banana
Turkey Sandwich - Turkey, Provolone, Wheat Bread, Lettuce, Light Mayo
2 Bottles of Water

Not to sure what else I should pack for lunches but any suggestions would be nice. I avoided chips for the plain fact no chips are good for you

Last night I felt very tired and started to get a headache probably because I haven't touched a soda in 36 hours. Going from 2-3 cans a day to nothing is taking its caffeine and sugar toll on me. But hey its for the better...

GHoosdum

Those are great items to include in your lunch, sledge. You'll also find that a moderate amount of nuts will make a great snack. Also a single serving of Whole Grain Goldfish makes a nice side item for me.

other good options:
Cottage cheese
PowerBar (not cheap )
Oatmeal (oats in the can) made with raisins and perhaps a pinch of brown sugar
tuna
egg salad made with light mayo and only one yolk

Nomad

Try cooking some noodles and putting them in Tupperware.

Sledgehammer70

Yeah I have some Gold Fish at home can make a small snack pack with them As for nuts how much should be considered a small snack? I am guessing I should stick with non salted plain nuts?

Along with that how many snacks should I be having a day. I was thinking something like this

6:00am - Breakfast
9:00am - Snack
11:00am - Lunch
2:00pm - Snack
5:00pm - Snack (when I get home from work)
6:30 -8:00pm (varies) - Dinner
10:00pm - 11:00pm - bed time

Sledgehammer70

Nomad wrote:

Try cooking some noodles and putting them in Tupperware.

What kind of noodles? Like top ramen?

cambrose

Heavens NO. I don't think personally you should be consuming any pasta unless it is of the whole-grain variety, but I come from that school of thought. Something that helps me a lot is make sure you get a heartier breakfast (I tend to do an eggbeater omelete, which consist of a servings of eggbeaters cooked with salsa and a slice of vegetarian cheese or I make a protein shake and blend half a banana in) This takes a bit of time but you don't end up starving 2 hrs later (I ate mini wheats for breaksfast this morning and I'm starving now). Just make sure you have healthy stuff around. Two of my favority "munchy" snacks are "smartpop" popcorn and carrot sticks (a whole bag of them only have 200 calories generally). Also eating a piece of fruit a day helps reduce cravings for sugars as well (and natural sugars are better than that processed crap).

Nomad

Sledgehammer70 wrote:

What kind of noodles? Like top ramen?

I'm talking real pasta, preferably whole wheat.

Sledgehammer70

That my other huge goal... Veggies! I hate them but must learn to like them. Veggies are good for you and I know this. My father was a Produce Manager/DM for 42 years

I had some steamed veggies the other day but haven't been able to break myself off the non good for you veggies like corn

Sledgehammer70

Nomad wrote:

I'm talking real pasta, preferably whole wheat.

not sure I could just eat plain pasta. I like pasta but not as a daily snack...

Sledgehammer70

Well my 2nd day of a packed lunch has made me feel better. I feel a bit more awake (even without soda) and feel very full off a normally small lunch.

My stomach hasn't been to happy the last 3 days not to sure why.. not sure if I ate something bad or if this new diet is making my body start dumping things that need to go? but I will keep it up and contiune to eat better things for me.

Late Snack: Green Apple + Glass of water
Dinner tonight - Spaghetti with a glass of milk & small scoop of ice cream for desert

Nomad

Sometimes when you change what you eat quickly your body needs to adjust.

Bad_Karma

Nomad wrote:

Sometimes when you change what you eat quickly your body needs to adjust.

Reminds me of when I eat McDonalds and feel sick for 2 days.

I like your lunch alternatives Sledge. The only thing I would change though is that white bread. There are some really tasty whole-grain/multi-grain breads out there. Some are way too dry for my liking. I would go talk to the baker and see what they think is a good whole wheat bread. You are off to a great start! Keep it up. (eeheheheh saw the tea party thread):bigggrin: another good addition is a good anti-oxidant tea like green tea or that red tea from Africa that I can never remember what it is called.

The two things that doctors have told me to always watch is my salt and sugar intake. The two evils that the food industry makes billions off of. Looks like you are making good decisions. Keep at it.

Sledgehammer70

It was on Wheat bread

Bad_Karma

d'oh my bad I read too fast for my own good sometimes. Then again maybe I see what I want to see you never know.

Sledgehammer70

No porblem any suggestions are always taken into consideration...

Kaki

boomchika boomchika!

Thelemech

Kaki wrote:

hey man if you don't mind me asking.. but you black? i don't see too many non-athlete 6'6....

clap:

Sledgehammer70

Kaki wrote:

boomchika boomchika!

Originally Posted by Kaki
hey man if you don't mind me asking.. but you black? i don't see too many non-athlete 6'6....

Thelemech wrote:

clap:

I am whiter than a loaf of white bread.

Kaki

Sledgehammer70 wrote:

I am whiter than a loaf of white bread.

alright man my advice on losing a tremendous amount of weight is eat meat only once a day maybe twice on sundays

GnomeWizardd

Lemme tell you something Sledge, At our hight ( me at 6'5'' ) It is not easy to loose weight but keep at it, I am starting my own walk / jog thing to get me in shape ( not loose weight ) So ill yell and scream at you if you do the same to me

Clutch

Keep at it Sledge, I thought I could never gain any weight, but I adjusted my diet completely and have stuck with it for over a month and I'm up around 13lbs. I wish you the best of luck man, it is so awesome knowing you are doing something positive to better yourself. I use a site www.thedailyplate.com to log everything I eat, every day. It gives me a better idea of how many calories I take in and how much I can take in.