..need to lose weight?

Hi,

I have been heavy all my life. I am stable about 220lbs, and only 5'7". Two years ago, after lots of diet & exercise, and then even more exercise, I got down to 190lbs from 220 only to drift back.
Even then-- I noticed only mild changes. My cheeks thinned but not my neck, my stomach flattened a bit more as did my butt. My chest was and is still a fat 44", my thighs never shrunk at 190lbs.

I think therefore that much of my legs must be muscle, as would be my back and arms; they never shrunk when I lost the weight, and feel hard to the touch when stressed (as compared to my abs, which I can't find). I am stronger than many of my friends, as most of my hobbies require lifting and moving around hundreds of pounds. Maybe 220 isn't too, too bad?

At any rate, I'm not sure that a modest change-of-lifestyle could do much? I don't have hours a day for a serious workout. I already walk 2-3 miles a day, and skip up and down 20+ flights of stairs.
I eat a semi-sugary cereal for breakfast, a deli sandwich + milk +fruit/carrots for lunch, and a for dinner about 1/2-lb of a dish composed of rice or pasta, a tomato, cream, or olive oil-based sauce, and a meat topping, and again milk to drink. When on sale, I'll instead eat a 1/2-lb slab of steak with microwaved veggies on the side. I don't often eat desert.

If I were eating 3 bowls of ice cream, a pound of pasta, two bowls of lucky charms, a couple frappaccinos, yes, I'd have an obvious lifestyle change to make that would instantly guarantee that the pounds would melt off. But I'm not sure what I could do, short of making fitness a major component of my life to change my body type from its lifetime form.

Or make moderate changes, and go back to 190? At 190 I still won't look particularly lean, as I know from 2 years ago; just mildly leaner. I'll still be wearing at least a 38" waist, large shirts, 44" jackets. Is it possible for clothes to still ever look good on me; or are they all made for 6' men with lean body types? Elegant in the human mind means long, graceful folds of cloth; draped jackets and pants. Can this even be achieved in my proportions? I can lose 30 lbs, but only becoming a meathead is going to significantly change my appearance.



-Bernard

Go by body fat %. I'd guess you could still lose some pounds at 5' 7" 190lb.

I think the content of your diet (and probably portions) could be changed for the better too.

Breakfast: Semi-sugary cereal - but still lots of sugar for breakfast

Lunch: Deli sandwich - I think most deli sandwiches are more high cal (and high fat) than you think

Dinner: Rice or pasta with cream or olive oil sauce - again sounds very high cal and high fat with the cream and oil.

Overall, it sounds like you are getting just a little bit of vegetables and your diet is not balanced at all. Too much fast, easy food in my opinion.

Hi,

More difficult food, actually-- I almost always cook for myself, so a full dinner will take an hour to make.

Hmm, if I baked more sweet potatoes, ate more apples, or would just microwaving a large bowl of peas supply enough energy as a lunch?


thanks!
-Bernard

it's gonna be tough to lose weight when your dinners are based around such high carb elements as rice and pasta, especially if a cream sauce is involved. You are ingesting lots of energy that doesn't get burned (unless you sleep really actively)

Yeah it sounds like you're taking in probably extra calories in things you think are healthy, but aren't. Cream sauce = no no, and deli sandwich could be very bad depending on what's in it. Deli meats are very high in sodium, and anything with mayonaise in it is a huge no no. Replace that semi-sugary cereal with a whole grain cereal like oatmeal or muesli, not granola (full of sugar). People take in a lot more calories at breakfast than they think. Do you think it would be possible for you to post a picture of yourself so we can get a better idea of your build?

It's great that you're walking 3 miles a day, but there must be something else going on here. You were able to get down to 190 with what kind of diet? Somehow you went back up in weight but you maintain 220 now, I'm guessing when you went down to 190 you felt less compelled to exercise and less active, and kept eating how you were at 220.

Hi,

I got to 190 by using an elliptical and weightlifting every other day,
and by cutting out the ice cream (which I did eat daily, while in high school), eating oatmeal for breakfast and without brown sugar, apples and peanut butter for snacks, the same tomato and cream sauces for dinner but with smaller portions.
Yeah, I think I went back to my 220lb habits when I thought I was in the clear.

I'll post a picture tomorrow; I wouldn't mind your opinion on the clothing as well as on the body type.



-Bernard

my girlfriend is a big proponent of the south beach diet, and I too have used it on occasion when I have an event, like a wedding or reunion, that I want to drop a couple pounds and look good for (never been able to stick to it for more than 3 weeks or so though). It might be good for you to read up on, if not to totally adopt the lifestyle it preaches, at least to get a feel for which foods are good for losing weight (basic premise: eat things that burn slow).

The good news is that it sounds to me (and I'm no Eason, but still) that your eating habits were previously Atrocious, and are now just Pretty Bad. If you can just switch over to habits in the Decent or Good column, you'll see results quickly. It might not seem like it, but yours is actually a better boat to be in than that of the fit & active guy who is doing everything right but just can't seem to kick those genetically preordained 5 or 10 excess pounds (from the persepctive of fitness gratification I mean, on balance it's always better to be fit & healty)

I didn't imagine my current habits to be too too bad? But a few key changes probably would result in cumulatively dramatic results.
As you say, the very fact that I think my diet is decent is the root of the problem; and if I read up a bit on nutrition and change those foods over, that could change everything with rather minimal effort or lifestyle change.

I don't have a genetic 5-10lbs excess; I have 40 lbs excess to be much trimmer. I'll never be 140, but I think that I would look great at 180.


-Bernard

Originally Posted by BerniniCaCO3

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I didn't imagine my current habits to be too too bad? But a few key changes probably would result in cumulatively dramatic results.
As you say, the very fact that I think my diet is decent is the root of the problem; and if I read up a bit on nutrition and change those foods over, that could change everything with rather minimal effort or lifestyle change.

I don't have a genetic 5-10lbs excess; I have 40 lbs excess to be much trimmer. I'll never be 140, but I think that I would look great at 180.


-Bernard

Well maybe I was being overly critical in describing your diet. It seems you are making an effort to eat healthily, but so far it's been a bit misguided, and could benefit from some more informed input. For example, your dinners contain foods that would be healthier if you ate them earlier in your day, as they have a lot of energy (calories) in them, which you want to burn by being active, rather than sending them into storage by sleeping.

It is true that at 40 lbs overweight, minor changes, if implemented correctly and rigorously, will make a world of difference. Those first 10 lbs will miraculously disappear. The next 10 will be gone not long thereafter. But further than that, you'll have to start upping the effort to get the same weight-loss returns. If you think you'll be happy at 20 lbs lighter than now, just change up your diet and keep walking 3 miles a day. I'm willing to bet, though, that once you've seen the difference between 40 lbs overweight vs. 20 lbs overweight, you'll like it so much that you won't want to stop, and you'll soon be jogging those 3 miles, bumping them up to 4 or 5, having salads with grilled chicken or lean meats for dinner, and never once miss the Pasta Alfredos or the guy you were when you ate them

Good Luck!

Originally Posted by BerniniCaCO3

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Hi,

I got to 190 by using an elliptical and weightlifting every other day,
and by cutting out the ice cream (which I did eat daily, while in high school), eating oatmeal for breakfast and without brown sugar, apples and peanut butter for snacks, the same tomato and cream sauces for dinner but with smaller portions.
Yeah, I think I went back to my 220lb habits when I thought I was in the clear.

I'll post a picture tomorrow; I wouldn't mind your opinion on the clothing as well as on the body type.



-Bernard

I'm sure there will be no shortage of people willing to comment on the clothing
The thing is that you can't just lose weight and "get in the clear", this is why all these diets have a 99% remission. A healthy weight means a healthy lifestyle which for you, sounds like it means a high-satiety diet (high in lean protein, some complex carbohydrates, and a little fat), at least 30 minutes of vigorous cardio and maybe some full body strength training 5 days a week. Remember, nothing tastes quite as good as being in great shape.

And also, before you go about handicapping yourself by saying you'll "never be" a certain weight, keep in mind that if you are willing to make a serious commitment, really drastic improvements have been known to happen. Speaking as someone who hadn't been in a gym for literally 5 years until earlier this summer, I can tell you that while it seems impossibly difficult and daunting, once you get a little momentum going, exercise really does become both addictive and fun.

here's a before-and-after shot of a fellow SFer, razuel, who dropped 100 lbs in a year:

( his "how I did it" thread is here)

I don't have hours a day for a serious workout.

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I can't say it enough for fast and effective workouts: www.crossfit.com . Just read up and take some principles of their exercise methodology. Yes, they work, but you have to be willing to put in the effort. There's other training methods out there, but this is what I currently do so I'm biased That and I get bored doing traditional weight lifting that takes too long.

I eat a semi-sugary cereal for breakfast, a deli sandwich + milk +fruit/carrots for lunch, and a for dinner about 1/2-lb of a dish composed of rice or pasta, a tomato, cream, or olive oil-based sauce, and a meat topping, and again milk to drink. When on sale, I'll instead eat a 1/2-lb slab of steak with microwaved veggies on the side. I don't often eat desert.

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As others have already said, clean up your diet. Change the sugary cereal in for eggs and some fruit or an omlette or oatmeal, but try and balance yourself. Good fats are NOT bad for you. Good fats include olive oil, avacado and nuts. We need them in our diet and they help to keep us full. Start to pack your own lunch, whole grain bread and fruits/veggies/nuts to go along with it if you want. For dinner a huge pasta is a nono. Our metabolisms slow down towards the end of the day so you should be eating protein and complex carbs.

I almost always cook for myself, so a full dinner will take an hour to make

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Making food is about time management. I cook for myself also and it usually takes me 20minutes max to get things together. Start with the longest element and get that started. While that is going to everything else, multitasking is a way of life Frozen veggies are great time savers. Chicken and fish can be thrown under the broiler and I've been happy so far with the stove top grill pan I purchased - can do burgers and steaks.

Eat smaller meals throughout the day too. Being fit/lean/in shape/whatever you want to call it calls for a lifestyle change that the majority of American society has forgetten about.

Remember, nothing tastes quite as good as being in great shape

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+1 but the stares a the 6-pack and cut lines are just as sweet

Hi,

Here are a couple photos I took just now-- with a camera on a tripod, looking into the mirror on my dorm room closet door. Hey, it works for something quick&dirty like this.

It's a given that I'll have to find new pants-- but hey, there are enough other overweight people that I might unload them easily for the cheap used price I got them for.
But when I lose weight, will I lose chest circumference; or will all my shirts and jackets still fit, perhaps even better without the belly to interrupt its drape?


Onto fashion-- be gentle, as I just bought a bunch of used clothing that seemed to fit, changing from torn jeans (machine shop, not those pretorn designer jeans that I'll never understand) and faded, hole-riddled polo shirts. General advice?
For my body weight right now, are the pants a good fit, or still far too much excess fabric? Though, what looks fitted standing up has always become quite tight sitting down, for me.
Red in shoes , with red in belt, and brighter red in casual shirt? How does one pick a good sock-- I simply grabbed a pair that would blend with the beige pants.
With a less loud shirt, would this outfit look good with a classic, 2-button blazer?



thanks!
-Bernard

But when I lose weight, will I lose chest circumference; or will all my shirts and jackets still fit, perhaps even better without the belly to interrupt its drape?

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You will lose everything. It is impossible to put on enough muscle while losing enough fat to retain the chest size of your jackets. Shirts may be salvaged but only with a re-cut or possibly darting. Assuming your neck size doesn't drop more than half a size.

Even then-- I noticed only mild changes. My cheeks thinned but not my neck, my stomach flattened a bit more as did my butt. My chest was and is still a fat 44", my thighs never shrunk at 190lbs.

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Honestly, you have further to go than 190 at 5'7". You won't see huge changes everywhere until you hit probably 170 and below. I'm 5'9"+ and I started at 235. I thought I'd probably end up at 185 or 190 and look good. I was wrong. I'm at 175 and still dropping -- waiting for the last bit of lovehandles and gut to disappear. I think at 165 I'll finally stop cutting.

Lesson being, you're probably underestimating the length of the journey, but still, take the first step. Your diet needs true re-organization and you should consider going to a trainer for a few weeks to learn compound weightlifting exercises.