Thoughts on droppin lbs?

[Shepard]

Trying to get down to the weight (and BP) I would like to/should be at. I'm about 50 lbs over where I need to be. I'm running again which is helping, but I start working 12s this weekend Thurs-Sun. I leave home at about 7:45 and get home if I'm not held over at 22:00. This doesn't give me a huge amount of time to run or work out. Any thoughts on something I can do at home or quickly before I leave in the morning?

 

[46Young]

Trying to get down to the weight (and BP) I would like to/should be at. I'm about 50 lbs over where I need to be. I'm running again which is helping, but I start working 12s this weekend Thurs-Sun. I leave home at about 7:45 and get home if I'm not held over at 22:00. This doesn't give me a huge amount of time to run or work out. Any thoughts on something I can do at home or quickly before I leave in the morning?

Paleo diet, and bodyweight workouts from this site:

http://www.wodshop.org/

Go to WOD, choose bodyweight, and then find one that needs no equipment and suits you.

 

[bigbaldguy]

Work on one thing at a time. Start with your diet. I've got nothing against the Paleo diet but I'll tell you right now it sounds like a true PITA to maintain as someone in EMS. My advice would be to start by figuring exactly how many calories you're supposed to be taking in a day then start reading labels of everything you eat. Don't worry about cutting back for the first month or so just get an idea of what you are taking in and what you should be taking in. then after a couple months of doing this you can set up a game plan for losing calories by substitution. Start thinking I can eat this instead of that.

Also buy a lunch box and prepare all your food for your shift. You can not I repeat can not keep track of much less control your caloric intake if you eat out it just won't happen.

Good luck I just dropped 50 pounds and I'm telling you it is a wonderful feeling.

 

[mycrofft]

Bring snacks of a controlled nature for each shift. Spend some money if you need to. If the hunger hits you, have a V8 and a granola bar (no chocolate ones, compare calories; and not dusty old store brands). Just breaking the snacking syndrome will help to start, open up your eating habits like a plow turning soil, ready to plant new habits. Buy a good bottle water and drink it copiously.

ANd while you're getting that at Safeway, pick me up a couple pizzas will ya?

 

[Jon]

Some good ideas already

 

[Shepard]

Thanks guys. It sounds like diet is the way to go when I'm on shift.
I just got a lunchbox down from the veerrry top shelf and were gonna see where this goes. Currently at 240 at 6'1. Lets see where I am in a couple months. Going for 190.
BBG, Congrats. Not an easy task!

 

[mycrofft]

Oddly, make sure your lunchbox (supper bucket, whatever) is LARGE enough to hole EVERYTHING so you stay away from the ref rig and the vending machine.

 

[bigbaldguy]

Mycroft makes a good point about spending money. I've always found it absurd that people will drop 100s of dollars a month on fad diets and gizmos but will balk at paying an extra 20 percent on food to eat healthy. Don't skimp when you shop for your lunch bag because

A. No matter what you spend it will still probably be cheaper than eating out three meals a day plus vending machine costs.

B. If its not good you'll be tempted to skip it and buy crap food from the closest fast food place.

Another thing that worked for me is if I did get caught out with no food instead of going to a restaurant or fast food place I'd try and find a nice grocery store and buy lunch out of the prepared food section. Not as good as making your own but better than nothing.

Also remember that if it's inconvienent you won't eat it. Try to make everything nice and convienent. Fast food places make millions because the last thing you want to do when you're hungry is make your lunch. Have it all ready to go.

 

[eprex]

Stop making excuses is the first step. Not trying to be a jerk, but make it happen. Diet is going to make the difference here. Exercise has been found to be an effective weight maintainer- it's not nearly as efficacious when it comes to weight loss.

By all means start moving more. Do something that makes you sweat every day. If you have a partner, work out together. Don't have 30 minutes to run? Try 10 minutes of jump rope. I try to tell people who are concerned about their weight just to do SOMETHING. Put some music on and dance, even if you can't dance. Just make sure you push yourself. People fail to lose weight (and people like me fail to gain weight) because we are not consistent enough. People give up on "diets" after the first week. Don't look at it like a diet. Look at it the way it really is- you've been eating like crap and now you're going to eat properly.

Short of illnesses like hypothyroidism, you're taking in more calories than you burn. Start eating ~2,000 calories a day (unless you're eating an ungodly amount of food, then you'll want to taper down more slowly) of primarily lean protein and vegetables. Shoot for 200g carbs from primarily complex sources. Fish, especially tuna fish, should be your new friend. Find creative ways to make food healthier and sufferable. I absolutely hate tuna fish and I can eat it no problem by adding mustard.

Paleo would work but it would be extreme at the moment. That's besides the fact it's costly as a hell if done properly.

 

[Tigger]

I'm not convinced about the paleo-diet. My nutritionist mother is rather against it because of how it can prevent one from not getting enough carbs to remain healthy. Also with all the meat intake can come excessive fat intake so you still need to pay attention to what he content of your food is.

Above all though, cook for yourself. Break even food shopping by ceasing to buy snack food and put it back into higher quality foods.

I moved out of college housing a year ago, now I cook all my meals and lost 12 pounds with zero effort. It's helped my running tremendously, and I'm worried now that I almost don't eat enough (6' 2" 173lbs).

 

[Aidey]

I'm not convinced about the paleo-diet. My nutritionist mother is rather against it because of how it can prevent one from not getting enough carbs to remain healthy. Also with all the meat intake can come excessive fat intake so you still need to pay attention to what he content of your food is.

Above all though, cook for yourself. Break even food shopping by ceasing to buy snack food and put it back into higher quality foods.

I moved out of college housing a year ago, now I cook all my meals and lost 12 pounds with zero effort. It's helped my running tremendously, and I'm worried now that I almost don't eat enough (6' 2" 173lbs).

Huh? Carbs aren't an essential nutrient, you don't need to eat them. And define "excessive fat intake".

 

[eprex]

You can still get your carbs eating sweet potatoes, etc. the last time I check, paleo is the removal of grains. The ideology is to stick to a diet that our ancestors had as our bodies cannot handle today's industrialized diet.

You're also supposed to be eating organic meat (grass fed beef, etc) which is why paleo is so damn expensive. I still wouldn't eat red meat multiple times a week though.

 

[46Young]

I'm not convinced about the paleo-diet. My nutritionist mother is rather against it because of how it can prevent one from not getting enough carbs to remain healthy. Also with all the meat intake can come excessive fat intake so you still need to pay attention to what he content of your food is.

Above all though, cook for yourself. Break even food shopping by ceasing to buy snack food and put it back into higher quality foods.

I moved out of college housing a year ago, now I cook all my meals and lost 12 pounds with zero effort. It's helped my running tremendously, and I'm worried now that I almost don't eat enough (6' 2" 173lbs).

Hyperinsulinism is a common cause of a number of diseases, such as obesity, CAD, HTN, dyslipidemia, hypothyroid, infertility, endometriosis, DM, type III diabetes (dementias), and the proliferation of cancers. Just google or bing hyperinsulinemia/hyperinsulinism and any of these conditions and check it out.

Look up "Syndrome X" or the "Deadly Quartet" as well. Gary Taubes' "Why We Get Fat" is a good read as well.

You can get plenty of carbs from fruits, not to mention that sweet potato and the squash family are also paleo BTW. Plenty of carbs there if you need them. Sweet potato fries are like eating candy!

Regarding carbs, there's nothing you get by eating grains and starches that you can't get elsewhere.

BTW, a lot of CrossFitters do Zone Paleo, so 40% of their calories are from carbs.

 

[46Young]

Mycroft makes a good point about spending money. I've always found it absurd that people will drop 100s of dollars a month on fad diets and gizmos but will balk at paying an extra 20 percent on food to eat healthy. Don't skimp when you shop for your lunch bag because

A. No matter what you spend it will still probably be cheaper than eating out three meals a day plus vending machine costs.

B. If its not good you'll be tempted to skip it and buy crap food from the closest fast food place.

Another thing that worked for me is if I did get caught out with no food instead of going to a restaurant or fast food place I'd try and find a nice grocery store and buy lunch out of the prepared food section. Not as good as making your own but better than nothing.

Also remember that if it's inconvienent you won't eat it. Try to make everything nice and convienent. Fast food places make millions because the last thing you want to do when you're hungry is make your lunch. Have it all ready to go.

Broccoli cole slaw, one package, turkey kielbasa sliced up, some cashews, and Italian dressing. Two meals right there. Carry a couple of apples, some nuts, and some steak stripe from Costco or beef jerky and you're set for around $10-12 on a 12 hour shift, where you're going to eat 2-3 meals plus snacks as a rule.

 

[Agent Cooper]

I'm in the midst of trying to lose weight and one thing that I have found helpful is this app called MyFitnessPal. It creates a kind of nutritional profile based on your weight and goals and tells you how many calories you should get a day and what those calories should consist of.

You can input the foods you've eaten (and it has a really huge database) and the exercise you've done and it does the calculations to tell you how many calories you have left for the day, how much sugar, fat, carbs, protein, etc.

I'm not sure it would really help with a specific diet like Paleo, but it is good for a calories-in calories-out kind of diet. For me, it really helped me start out because just getting into the habit of putting in what you've eaten and seeing how horrendous it is did a lot to change my eating habits.

I'm pretty sure it's free, too.

 

[NYMedic828]

Hyperinsulinism is a common cause of a number of diseases, such as obesity, CAD, HTN, dyslipidemia, hypothyroid, infertility, endometriosis, DM, type III diabetes (dementias), and the proliferation of cancers. Just google or bing hyperinsulinemia/hyperinsulinism and any of these conditions and check it out.

Look up "Syndrome X" or the "Deadly Quartet" as well. Gary Taubes' "Why We Get Fat" is a good read as well.

You can get plenty of carbs from fruits, not to mention that sweet potato and the squash family are also paleo BTW. Plenty of carbs there if you need them. Sweet potato fries are like eating candy!

Regarding carbs, there's nothing you get by eating grains and starches that you can't get elsewhere.

BTW, a lot of CrossFitters do Zone Paleo, so 40% of their calories are from carbs.

How do you get away with the Paleo diet when you are at the firehouse on shift? Do you guys cook as a family? Do you just not eat the carbs they cook?

I honestly just eat what I want while remaining health conscious. (I don't frequent eat the bad fast foods) I also do my best to eat only fresh cooked foods and not processed reheated garbage. I cheat on occasion like anyone else though with some chinese

I have done minimal research on diets but the paleo diet interests me since I am basically a cave man anyway. The only shirts I own with sleeves are my uniforms lol.

Is it basically just eating ONLY naturally produced products of nature? Meat and green veggies? I can easily do that... as much as I love brown rice.

 

[46Young]

How do you get away with the Paleo diet when you are at the firehouse on shift? Do you guys cook as a family? Do you just not eat the carbs they cook?

I honestly just eat what I want while remaining health conscious. (I don't frequent eat the bad fast foods) I also do my best to eat only fresh cooked foods and not processed reheated garbage. I cheat on occasion like anyone else though with some chinese

I have done minimal research on diets but the paleo diet interests me since I am basically a cave man anyway. The only shirts I own with sleeves are my uniforms lol.

Is it basically just eating ONLY naturally produced products of nature? Meat and green veggies? I can easily do that... as much as I love brown rice.

Scoop of Muscle Milk mixed with water and instant coffee and I'm out the door to work. I cook myself breakfast right before line-up, typically three eggs, six strips of turkey bacon, and a bowl of berries. Post workout same Muscle Milk as earlier, shower, clothes in laundry, then lunch - typically broccoli cole slaw with turkey sausage (already cooked), with cashews and italian dressing. Dinner is whatever they make, but I'm out if it's a straight pasta dish or something similar (pasta/sauce, strombolis, jumbalaya, etc.) I snack on Costco steak strips, apples, and a nut mix, also from Costco. When I PT, before I start, if I'm on the medic I leave the steak strips and nuts on the dash so I can snack on the way to the call and be empty enough to PT when I get back.

When I work IFT, same snacks, and I cut up two turkey sausages and a whole package of slaw in a large tupperware in a cooler. This makes two meals, enough for 8-12 hours. If I go over, I can hit chick fil-a for a four piece strip entree only, and use one of my apples.

If my blood sugar gets low, I have Chobani yogurts. I PT'ed down to a BGL of 51 the other day. "Chelsea" Crossfit WOD as Rx and then some skills work on the rings. I was trembling like I was about to get into a fight, persistently sweaty for no reason, and I couldn't think straight.

 

[NYMedic828]

Scoop of Muscle Milk mixed with water and instant coffee and I'm out the door to work. I cook myself breakfast right before line-up, typically three eggs, six strips of turkey bacon, and a bowl of berries. Post workout same Muscle Milk as earlier, shower, clothes in laundry, then lunch - typically broccoli cole slaw with turkey sausage (already cooked), with cashews and italian dressing. Dinner is whatever they make, but I'm out if it's a straight pasta dish or something similar (pasta/sauce, strombolis, jumbalaya, etc.) I snack on Costco steak strips, apples, and a nut mix, also from Costco. When I PT, before I start, if I'm on the medic I leave the steak strips and nuts on the dash so I can snack on the way to the call and be empty enough to PT when I get back.

When I work IFT, same snacks, and I cut up two turkey sausages and a whole package of slaw in a large tupperware in a cooler. This makes two meals, enough for 8-12 hours. If I go over, I can hit chick fil-a for a four piece strip entree only, and use one of my apples.

If my blood sugar gets low, I have Chobani yogurts. I PT'ed down to a BGL of 51 the other day. "Chelsea" Crossfit WOD as Rx and then some skills work on the rings. I was trembling like I was about to get into a fight, persistently sweaty for no reason, and I couldn't think straight.

Do you lose weight on that diet or do you just maintain? Idk what your goals are.

That diet sounds pretty damn delicious. Eggs and turkey bacon... hhhnggggg.

I never saw those steak strips before, It looks like its just beef jerky? That stuff gets expensive?

Loveeeee Chobani 0%. I should buy more.




My breakfast is usually a protein pancake. Takes like 10 minutes to make.

Big scoop of whey vanilla (25g)
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tsp flax seeds (milled)
2 eggs (whites only)

Some sugar free syrup and light cool whip. Omnomnom.



My lunch/dinner the past few days has been plain boiled chicken, rice, black beans. Lathered in sriracha sauce

I usually have a salad with dinner and I snack on apples/peanutbutter. Usually have a handful of plain shelled almonds with me at work too.

My downfall is I am ALWAYS hunger and I can eat more food than most mortal men can in two sittings per meal.






You diabetic that you actually check your BGL? I've checked it before for :censored::censored::censored::censored:s and giggles but don't regularly.

 

[46Young]

Do you lose weight on that diet or do you just maintain? Idk what your goals are.

That diet sounds pretty damn delicious. Eggs and turkey bacon... hhhnggggg.

I never saw those steak strips before, It looks like its just beef jerky? That stuff gets expensive?

Loveeeee Chobani 0%. I should buy more.




My breakfast is usually a protein pancake. Takes like 10 minutes to make.

Big scoop of whey vanilla (25g)
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tsp flax seeds (milled)
2 eggs (whites only)

Some sugar free syrup and light cool whip. Omnomnom.



My lunch/dinner the past few days has been plain boiled chicken, rice, black beans. Lathered in sriracha sauce

I usually have a salad with dinner and I snack on apples/peanutbutter. Usually have a handful of plain shelled almonds with me at work too.

My downfall is I am ALWAYS hunger and I can eat more food than most mortal men can in two sittings per meal.






You diabetic that you actually check your BGL? I've checked it before for :censored::censored::censored::censored:s and giggles but don't regularly.

Love the sriracha! We call it "rooster sauce" and I use it on my eggs and anything Mexican.

You make breakfast like a boss!

No, I'm not diabetic. I did "Chelsea," which is 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats every minute on the minute for 30 mins. That's 900 reps, and then I di skill work on the rings - lever, L-sits, muscle-ups to ring dips, that sort of thing. I felt real weird when doing the ring stuff, so I had a hunch and checked my BGL.

The steak strips are "Kirkland," and are at Costco. They're $9/pack, and it breaks down to 12 grams of protein per dollar, for comparison's sake. Beef jerky at the grocery store or 7-11 typically runs only 6 or 7 grams of protein per dollar. The product is basically marinated top round steak that is partially dehydrated and sliced up. It's the real deal. You have to refrigerate it within three days or it goes bad.

The above sample firehouse diet is how I lost bodyfat while increasing strength and also lowering my WOD times. If I need a bump, I'll either pound some Kirkland fruit&nut (cherries, cranberries, almonds, pistachios, walnuts), or a Greek yogurt trail mix (yogurt chips, almonds, pomegranate seeds, almonds).

At home, I bake vegetables:

Broccoli crowns brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and pepper, 350 degrees 30 mins

Carrots same as above, 45 mins

Kale "chips," same as above, plus a liberal amount of parmesan cheese (dairy is not paleo, but the cheese negates the bitter taste), 20 mins

Green and yellow Zucchini in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper, until it's how you like it.

Spaghetti Squash is a staple as well. If you do that, you can have one or two pieces of Texas Toast with that and be fine.

 

[NYMedic828]

Love the sriracha! We call it "rooster sauce" and I use it on my eggs and anything Mexican.

You make breakfast like a boss!

No, I'm not diabetic. I did "Chelsea," which is 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats every minute on the minute for 30 mins. That's 900 reps, and then I di skill work on the rings - lever, L-sits, muscle-ups to ring dips, that sort of thing. I felt real weird when doing the ring stuff, so I had a hunch and checked my BGL.

The steak strips are "Kirkland," and are at Costco. They're $9/pack, and it breaks down to 12 grams of protein per dollar, for comparison's sake. Beef jerky at the grocery store or 7-11 typically runs only 6 or 7 grams of protein per dollar. The product is basically marinated top round steak that is partially dehydrated and sliced up. It's the real deal. You have to refrigerate it within three days or it goes bad.

The above sample firehouse diet is how I lost bodyfat while increasing strength and also lowering my WOD times. If I need a bump, I'll either pound some Kirkland fruit&nut (cherries, cranberries, almonds, pistachios, walnuts), or a Greek yogurt trail mix (yogurt chips, almonds, pomegranate seeds, almonds).

At home, I bake vegetables:

Broccoli crowns brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and pepper, 350 degrees 30 mins

Carrots same as above, 45 mins

Kale "chips," same as above, plus a liberal amount of parmesan cheese (dairy is not paleo, but the cheese negates the bitter taste), 20 mins

Green and yellow Zucchini in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper, until it's how you like it.

Spaghetti Squash is a staple as well. If you do that, you can have one or two pieces of Texas Toast with that and be fine.

I want those kirkland steak strips... Sadly i'm a BJs member not Costco... I can get them online but the shipping negates the savings :glare:

Maybe i can get a 1 day trial and buy a stockpile and freeze it.