Diet tips.

JokkeJokke Bergen, Norway Icrontian
edited January 2008 in Fitness
Hey all. I have now been enrolled in the navy, and I have recieved a military exercise program. However, they don't have any tips for dieting, and I'm quite lost myself... I am about 1.80 cm(5"9) tall and weigh around 105 kg (232 pounds), which is a bit too much, in my opinion. I have therefore decided to loose some weight. I recon that by excersising I will lose some, but I would like to have a diet to help me lose even more. I guess I have a basic ide of what is healthy, and what is not, but I need some good tips on what to avoid and what to eat... Any help is appreciated, but as a student I'm on quite a limited budget, so I would like to keep it a little cheap too.. Thanks in advance!

Comments

  • NomadNomad A Small Piece of Hell Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    Jokke wrote:
    Hey all. I have now been enrolled in the navy, and I have recieved a military exercise program. However, they don't have any tips for dieting, and I'm quite lost myself... I am about 1.80 cm(5"9) tall and weigh around 105 kg (232 pounds), which is a bit too much, in my opinion. I have therefore decided to loose some weight. I recon that by excersising I will lose some, but I would like to have a diet to help me lose even more. I guess I have a basic ide of what is healthy, and what is not, but I need some good tips on what to avoid and what to eat... Any help is appreciated, but as a student I'm on quite a limited budget, so I would like to keep it a little cheap too.. Thanks in advance!


    Exercise will help you lose weight, but dieting is where you do real damage. A pound of fat is 3000 calories, so if you eat 400 calories less each day you can lose about a pound of fat a week. However, this is not always sure fire and depends on what you eat in particular. You want to lose fat, not muscle. Losing the latter will hurt your performance in your military exercise program.

    Being on a limited budget is no problem, it's actually cheaper to eat healthy. $35 USD supplies me with a seven-day-weeks worth of food, upwards of 4500 calories a day if I really want it.

    Go to this site:

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    And find out your BMR. Your Basal Metabolic Rate is the number of calories (Give or take a bit depending on the individual) that your body can operate on without losing weight or gaining weight. I would suggest that for two weeks you eat at about that number (Maybe 100 calories higher, no more). This will take discipline and consistency. If you don't begin to lose weight, eat 300 calories below your BMR each day and you will lose weight. Go to fitday.com and track how much you are eating in a day, count everything carefully.

    In terms of what you are eating, lean cuts of protein, beef, and whole eggs will serve you best. You want to shoot for about a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight you way (So for you, about 230-240 grams, this will also help alleviate fatigue and promote muscle growth). Since you are still doing a lot of physical activity, I wouldn't advocate no carbs since your body needs them, try for about 200-300 grams of carbs that come entirely from wheat sources. Wheat pasta, wheat bread, etc. Fruits like bananas, grapes, and blueberries are also very good--as are all fruits and vegetables. In terms of fats, it's up to you, about 100 grams should suffice. There are good fats, fish oil, cottage cheese, natural peanut butter, are all great sources of BCAAs and Omega-3s and 9s that will repair your muscles and stop muscle soreness.

    A typical day of eating for me looks like:

    8:00 AM - Three whole eggs

    10:30 AM - Balance Gold protein bar

    12:30 PM - Wheat bread, 2 tbsp peanut butter, yogurt, banana

    4:30 PM - 1.5 cups whole wheat crackers, one whole Idaho potato, one cup oatmeal (raw) with milk, one glass orange juice

    5:30 - 7:00 (Workout)

    7:30 Post-workout protein shake mixed with milk, chicken breast on whole wheat bun, 1.5 cups wheat pasta

    9:30 Chicken breast, 1.5 cups wheat pasta

    12:30 1/2 cup cottage cheese, casein protein shake

    *Edit*

    Also, things to stay away from: Sugar, ice cream, junk food, fried foods, pop (soda), beer (due to useless calories), and candy.

    Drink lots and lots of water. If you drink milk, drink 2% or skim.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    beer (due to useless calories)
    Oh, oh.....



    don't ever talk to me again.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    Jokke, I'm retired Army and my daughter is a Coast Guard officer.
    Salute!

    I thought Nomad had some good remarks. I won't give too much in the way of specifics but will provide some principles. I managed to pass all my physical fitness tests (two or three or more per year) for 21 years and didn't get in trouble for weight, so I think I know something of which I speak:

    * lots of water - helps regulate the appetite
    * moderation - don't cut out anything completely - just makes you want it more
    * whole grains preferred over white - fills you up sooner with MUCH more nutrition
    * still enjoy the sausage, creams, and butter - but take it easy, cut back
    * avoid late night eating
    * enjoy the beer for heaven's sake! just drink moderately
    * don't do anything drastic - that approach NEVER works long term (if it did, new wonder diets wouldn't keep reappearing every year)
    * eat regular, balanced meals on fairly regular schedule, if you can
    * dinner (evening meal) generally should not be the largest meal of the day
    * eat foods that are high nutrition and relatively lower in fats. accomplishes two things - better nutrition usually lowers desire for increased quantity, and better nutrition foods are often more filling. examples - oats, beans, whole grains, whole potatoes
    * less fried food and more baked, roasted, and grilled. By the way, vegetables roasted with a little olive oil brushed on are very good.
    * displace some of your starch and fat with more vegetables and fruits

    Make your changes step by step. Don't make too many changes too fast. You've got to make it lifestyle or it will not last. Don't be afraid to eat the sweet or fatty foods - again, the principle of moderation - take it easy. Avoid anything that is considered a special or fashionable diet. Those things are fads and never make it long term.
  • NomadNomad A Small Piece of Hell Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    I should qualify that a lot of the things I don't eat I have adjusted to over the course of a year, cutting them cold turkey doesn't work for many, Leo is very much right.
  • LawnMMLawnMM Colorado
    edited January 2008
    You want to drop weight you need to run, period. You can do it with diet alone, and weight lifting will help, but cardio is where you really light the furnace and burn it off.

    Interval training is the best for fat loss and this has been confirmed by numerous sources. You burn fewer calories during the actual cardio but the metabolic boost keeps you burning calories for hours after you stop. With traditional jogging the burn stops as soon as your feet do.

    Try a 1:1 ratio and add intervals as your cardiovascular system improves. Sprint for a full minute, fast as you can, you should be out of breath and heaving when you finish. Walk or jog to recover for a minute, then sprint again. Repeat the process as many times as you can. If you need more rest thats okay, scale back the rest periods as you get into better shape.

    Listen to nomad's nutrition advice, its all spot on.
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    Yeh, I started my cardio work this week. I'm loving it. Even though I am completely sore most of the time.

    I do cardio, weight lifting, and I also do lots of stretching because I like to be as limber as possible.

    Basically I came up with a simple solution to lose weight and gain muscle. Eat less and exercise more.
  • JokkeJokke Bergen, Norway Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    Thanks all! Many great tips here! Just a few questions: I hear you guys on the beer, but what about the liquor? Is that as bad for you as beer? I've heard that a person who exercise 3 times a week, and party in the weekend will have lost all the effect training gave him that week. Is this true?
    About stretching. My gym teacher says that it's all a lot of bullsh**, and streching doesn't help, and I've heard more people say so. I find streching to be kinda painful, and I very easily cramp when streching, especially legs... What's your opininon on this?
    About fruit. I eat a lot of fruit, especially apples, kiwi, bananas, peaches and grapes. However, I've heard that a lot of fruit, especially grapes, contain a lot of sugar, and are actually bad for you. Myth or reality?
    Also, an instructor at my gym recommended me to exercise in the morning, before eating anything. It seems logical to think that one burns more body fat if not eating, but I thought it sounds very hard. I Imagine you could fatigue very easily this way..
    And last: Tea, coffee and cocoa. Good or bad? Cocoa is made out of cocoa beans, which are said to be good for you, but also contain som fat, or so I've heard. Tea, without the sugar, is basically nothing but dried fruit, so it's all good, right? Rumor has it though, that dried fruits are really bad...

    Thanks for all the tips so far guys!
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    I've heard that a person who exercise 3 times a week, and party in the weekend will have lost all the effect training gave him that week. Is this true?
    The key word is moderation. Alcohol is concentrated calories that do not readily convert to physiological energy.

    There is no magic formula here. Principles: more healthy food, less fat and concentrated calories, exercise, water....moderation.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    I would seriously recommend you eat some good lean protein and complex carbs before working out in the morning. Working out on an empty stomach is a recipe for burning off muscle mass, not fat.
  • JokkeJokke Bergen, Norway Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    Thanks! I do have a few more questions, if I may?
    Which is better, one hour jogging, or one hour swimming?
    Does sauna have any effect on fat burning?
    How long should I wait to eat before/after training?
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited January 2008
    I highly doubt you'll be able to run/swim for an hour straight unless you've been runing for years. But either way they'll both be good for ya
  • JokkeJokke Bergen, Norway Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    Oh, my, that would be faaaar too much to expect. It was just to get an equal and round amount of time...
  • NomadNomad A Small Piece of Hell Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    GHoosdum wrote:
    I would seriously recommend you eat some good lean protein and complex carbs before working out in the morning. Working out on an empty stomach is a recipe for burning off muscle mass, not fat.

    Fasted cardio isn't necessarily a bad thing. After sleep glycogen from your muscles is depleted due to the sleep cycle, some consider this and ideal time to run since the body typically turns to fat for energy. With running though, it's more important that you are doing it, and listening to your body.
    Jokke wrote:
    Thanks! I do have a few more questions, if I may?
    Which is better, one hour jogging, or one hour swimming?
    Does sauna have any effect on fat burning?
    How long should I wait to eat before/after training?

    Depending on your physical condition, swimming may be easier for your joints but I'm an advocate of running, especially since you need to get used to it. Sauna has no effect on your body except ridding yourself of water weight.

    I eat directly before and after I work out, it's up to you.
    tmh88 wrote:
    I highly doubt you'll be able to run/swim for an hour straight unless you've been runing for years. But either way they'll both be good for ya

    I don't think this is true. I ran a seven mile course flat out in 53 minutes last year on Memorial Day weekend without prior running experience or training. An adept should be able to complete four miles in an hour with little to no training.

    For now though, you should start off smaller and move towards your goals.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    Does sauna have any effect on fat burning?
    No. A Sauna opens the pores of the skin. It's very good for skin cleansing, circulation, and as a muscle relaxant. And as I'm sure you know, a hot sauna causes the loss of much water and electrolytes (salt compounds). You must replenish the water after a sauna session. Depending on your body chemistry, you may need to also replenish the electrolytes. I am the type of person who MUST have some salt intake after heavy perspiration, otherwise I become and close to heat injury.
  • LawnMMLawnMM Colorado
    edited January 2008
    Stretching can be very beneficial. I don't think its necessarily a must for lifting weights but it can save your a lot of soreness after a rough cardio session for sure.

    To your fruit question, again, moderation. Better to get sugar from apples and grapes than candy bars but too much of anything is bad.

    Working out prior to eating can be good but it depends what you're doing. I wouldn't recommend weight training on an empty stomach, you're gonna need to glucose to move the weight. On the other hand cardio on an empty stomach after you slept all night is a good thing. You're glucose levels are already depleted because you haven't ate in 8+ hrs so your body is going to be forced to use more fat for energy.

    Better for what? For flat cardio swimming is better, its a lot harder than jogging. Sauna's won't do anything but make you sweat. If you're trying to burn fat and you plan to do it with cardio I would run in the morning when you get up before you eat. You have about a one hour window after a workout, cardio or weightlifting, in which your body is going to be predisposed to shipping what you eat to your muscles for repair and energy reserves over fat. I'd toss some creatine and a protein shake in during that window.

    Nomad hit a bunch of these before I got to his post but I already typed it so you can read it twice!
  • JokkeJokke Bergen, Norway Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    Thanks for good advice, everyone!
  • EssoEsso Stockholm, Sweden
    edited January 2008
    Hi Jokke,
    The best advice I can give you, is to get a 18-24 gear race bicycle, and start peddling....

    Change what you are drinking, Coca-Cola etc.

    Load non-sweat drinks and get going.

    Bicycle race

    Jethro Tull - Fat Man


    And whatever you do, never get married if you can't maintain the exercise.
    After awhile when you lose weight and feel great, you can't stop,
    The problem is that more crazy Norwegian girls would find you more actrative.
    So they would like to spoil it all, for you ....

    Good luck, you will need it.
    I know it to well .........

    / Esso in the east ....
  • JokkeJokke Bergen, Norway Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    Haha, Esso. Problem is, if i get a bike, and start bicycling in these conditions, I would make it 50 meters before the bike would slide under me, an I would get seriously injured..

    When it comes to the women, I KNOW!
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    For fruits you'll want to space them out through the day, anything that contains sugar as well becuase the sudden jolt increases insulin levels and that is bad for you. Plus insulin also causes you to turn carbs and/or proteins (forgot which if not both) into more fat. Fruits are very healthy and it's always recommended as with vegetables to have 5 servings a day. But don't go crazy on them though I believe the fiber in them help the body to digest it slower thus not adding much impact on the bodies insulin as would a sugary drink for example.

    I've given up on soft drinks as well and I associate that with my loss in weight so far as well becuase I did that before I began working out along with changes in diet. But as I've read it the high fructose corn syrup has been shown to be related to obesity.

    I've only been working out for something like 2 months now but I feel I could do better so thanks to a friend he pointed me to a workout he did and is liking from Mens Fitness, it's a year long plan I intent to start in two days due to the workout I did today I need to give my body a rest I over exerted myself.

    http://www.mensfitness.com/year_long/phase_table/

    I gotta say though, it's pretty exciting seeing all of us here at S-M getting fit, whether I like some of you or not it's a great thing to see and get great advice on these forums for techies ;)
  • maxclarkmaxclark In a hole in the ground
    edited January 2008
    Jogging!~
    like our Dean of Students make us run 6 km at 5:45 in the morning (a dispciplinary consequence)...this last week has been terrible for me especially...:(...but i think i have benefited from it...
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