The kind of loser I want to be!

[Jon]

So.... This week, my volunteer squad is starting our own in house version of "The Biggest Loser".

As my BMI is above 35 at this time, I know I need to lose weight. Given that we have a full gym at our disposal, as well as a lot of support from some members and each other. I can't see this as being a bad thing.

My initial plan is to cut out soda from my diet, drink at least 64oz of H2O daily.
For food, I plan on concentrating on portion control and trying to eat healthier (less fast food)
Exercise - I'm planning on starting out with 30 minutes aerobic exercise (walking/jogging) daily. I've been trying to do this, but haven't been as compliant as I should be.

As of this week, I actually will be living in an apartment at the Squad. I'll have a rather full gym in the building at my disposal 24x7, and 2 of my roomates are also participating in the contest (and the 3rd roomate is helping run it) - so I should have some support there.

So... does this sound like a start? Can anyone recommend anything else?

 

[DrParasite]

cut out anything deep fried, limit your salt intake, no unhealthy fast food at all (McD's, BK, etc), and you seem to have a pretty good idea of the steps you will need.

the one thing I would recommend is the actually schedule a time to go work out, and write it in your planner. one of the hardest things I have been experiencing is time management, because even though i say i am going to go to the gym it doesn't always happen.

write it in your planner and stick to it. and good luck!!

 

[Sasha]

So.... This week, my volunteer squad is starting our own in house version of "The Biggest Loser".

As my BMI is above 35 at this time, I know I need to lose weight. Given that we have a full gym at our disposal, as well as a lot of support from some members and each other. I can't see this as being a bad thing.

My initial plan is to cut out soda from my diet, drink at least 64oz of H2O daily.
For food, I plan on concentrating on portion control and trying to eat healthier (less fast food)
Exercise - I'm planning on starting out with 30 minutes aerobic exercise (walking/jogging) daily. I've been trying to do this, but haven't been as compliant as I should be.

As of this week, I actually will be living in an apartment at the Squad. I'll have a rather full gym in the building at my disposal 24x7, and 2 of my roomates are also participating in the contest (and the 3rd roomate is helping run it) - so I should have some support there.

So... does this sound like a start? Can anyone recommend anything else?

As I said last night, denial of things you like are not the key. If you like soda, learn to moderate your intake as oppose to cut it out. If you like fried foods, use portion control and do not cut it out all together. If you ever go off your healthy diet, you will go crazy finally having a soda or french fry!

 

[SEBeast]

Dedication

All it takes is dedication!

 

[Seaglass]

Get the other people participating to actually go to the gym with you. Having company makes a workout seem much shorter.

 

[HotelCo]

Don't forget to include time in your schedule to rest.

 

[mycrofft]

Plan in fun, relaxation, and make some mental aberrations, er, alterations.

1. Soda replacements: club soda or seltzer (watch sodium, but anything in moderation is probably ok), add squish of juices for flavor. Ice your water and maybe a squeeze of lemon or lime, or even a tiny pinch of bicarb.
2. Fruit juice is nutrient thin and lots of sugar. Add more water, or use to flavor other drinks (coffee with orange or lemon, tea or club soda with any).
3. Granola bars, not the squishy or chocolaty types, just nice hard Nature Valley two-packs. Basically a short order of oatmeal with sugar and a lot of added fiber. A pair with a big drink will do it for lunch. You can break them into pieces and munch them so your lunch become a series of snacks. No seconds. Add dried or fresh apple without sweetener. (Jerky: too much salt, suigar, and/ or MSG).
4. Remember the prime motive of fast food is to use your biological hardwiring in favor of warm fat, sugar and salt to compete with their peers. Fast food is poison. Having said that, deep-fried chicken and fish of any decent size can have the breading scraped off, skip the sauce and half the bun. Salads ok without dressing other than a tiny dribble.
5. Salt replacements: salsa especially frescas (watch ingredients), lemon or lime juice, tabasco, pepper, lightly applied dried cheese like Romano or Parmesan. If you use salt, use garlic or celery salt, need less.
6. Make you own food. Most dietetic foods taste like crummy fakes, you can do better. (I have a good recipie for no sugar low salt teriyaki sauce...)

Stress reduction is important. Stress causes some bodies to store carbs as fat more readily, and triggers eating for physiologic and psychologal reasons. And you will be happier and healthier just due to that. Don't be grim, have fun!

Oh, and if thre's money involved, spell out the exact agreement and what to do if the things collapses or people quit. We had it at my work, and someone raided the kitty when the "contestants" all quit.

 

[berkeman]

You mention walking and jogging. Does your gym have a stationary bike? You can start with 15 minutes, and work your way up to 30 minutes and higher resistance levels. Stat bikes can give you a very convenient, very good quality aerobic workout, without a lot of impact. I like the "Speed Work" workout on the stat bikes in the gym here at work.

 

[DrParasite]

5. Salt replacements: salsa especially frescas (watch ingredients), lemon or lime juice, tabasco, pepper, lightly applied dried cheese like Romano or Parmesan. If you use salt, use garlic or celery salt, need less.
6. Make you own food. Most dietetic foods taste like crummy fakes, you can do better. (I have a good recipie for no sugar low salt teriyaki sauce...)

can you PM me the sauce recipe? I have been looking for one.

 

[R.O.P.]

Go loser Go!

Don't eat for several hours before going to bed. If you get the munchies, drink a huge glass of water instead. Brush your teeth a lot, it makes food taste nasty. Good luck!

 

[nomofica]

In my fitness class we're told to do cardio (bikes, running/jogging/walking, stairmasters, etc) for at least 45 min to a full hour as opposed to 30 mins.

 

[MIkePrekopa]

Good luck with this. I hope you have fun while reaching your goal.

I have been meaning to get to the gym more, but have been using the excuse that my MP3 player is messed up. (I honestly can't concentrate at the gym without music)

My only advice is cut soda, I noticed myself losing weight just by not drinking soda, or drinking the occasional soda when going out to dinner. thankfully I'm too broke to go out to dinner much I am currently addicted to lemon lime gatorade, and trying to work more water into there. but it helps a lot.

 

[mycrofft]

OK teriyaki sauce to go...(oh, no, where's the receipe!)

And I can't spell receip reciep ingredients list either.

Mess with it and make your own version, but the basic ingredients are mixed in a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup) :

ABOUT (all are "ABOUT") 2/3 cup shoyu (Japanese soy sauce).
ABOUT 1/4 cup wine vinegar plus wine to make 1/3 cup. (May delete wine and sub more vinegar).

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
2 tblspns Splenda
1 tblspn cornstarch

A little black pepper, and/or paprika, and/or curry, mix your own.
Consider experiments with tabasco, low sodium shoyu, hard liquors, steeping a clove of garlic or piece of ginger root in the bottle. The alcohol cooks off, but the solvent action of alcohol and vinegar help release flavor from seasoning. Since it involves sweetener and vinegar/alcohol, it would be considerd a "sweet and sour" sauce.

Mix well, simmer for about three minutes, bottle in a sealable shaker bottle. (I use an old Good Seasons cruet with lid).

ShAKE WELL BEFORE USE. Unlike regular teriyaki, the glaze is in the starch, not the sugar, so the starch has to be remixed into suspension before each use. You can marinade with this or add as you wok it. Good on stir fry anything, just take it easy so as not to hide food's flavor.

GYOZA DIP: steam, don't fry, gyoza, use this recipie except no starch and easy on the sweetener. No alcohol is medically contra-indicated. (Fried gyoza fatty, no?).

Also makes a pretty good woodstain.
(Wierd not to be posting in mm and liters).

Tabemasu!

 

[Medic]

Hello hello.

When doing cardio etc wear long pants and a hoody. I know the dehydration factor etc. That will cause you to drink more water.And burn more calories.

Try skipping (with a skipping rope) for 2min then increase it.

Remember your intensity of the exercise and the way in which you execute the movement and exercise.

Eating: Try grill every thing, maybe try a meal replacement or a Whey shake of sort. Try cut down on your carbs. E.g. sweat potatoes instead of normal. Eat little amounts often. A non fat bar a fruit a small portion. This helps with your metabolism.

DRINK WATER.

When you start hitting some weights let me know. I can help you out with some exercises.

 

[DigitalSoCal]

Subscribing.. starting a weight loss plan of my own and this is good motivation

 

[dragonjbynight]

portion control. As someone who has constantly had to fight their weight, this is my biggest problem. Overeating is easy, and after its done just once its really easy to get back into the habit.

As stated before, get rid of the soda. For me, my MTN DEW habit is an automatic 12 pounds.

Water, water and more water. I use a variety of flavoring for my bottles of water and try and drink at least 3-5 per day.

chewing gum. Sometimes a piece of gum will help with the craving for food.

Lots and Lots of fiber, start out the day with a bowl of shredded wheat or raisin bran.

Cardio. While weight training can tone and help you lose weight, the best way to lose weight is by doing anything that gets your heart pumping. Don't laugh, but one of the best ways i found to lose weight when i was younger was going to the clubs and dancing. while the girsls didn't dig it all that much, it was an amazing workout...lol

Having a support group will benefit you immensely. The hardest part i find to doing my daily workout is motivation. Its too easy to put it off.

Good luck! I hope to watch your progress on here, maybe will help me get back out of this upswing...(lost 50lbs, have 40 more to go but on an upswing again) Also check into the fitness forum, on here. There are lots of good posts in there.

 

[VFFforpeople]

So.... This week, my volunteer squad is starting our own in house version of "The Biggest Loser".

As my BMI is above 35 at this time, I know I need to lose weight. Given that we have a full gym at our disposal, as well as a lot of support from some members and each other. I can't see this as being a bad thing.

My initial plan is to cut out soda from my diet, drink at least 64oz of H2O daily.
For food, I plan on concentrating on portion control and trying to eat healthier (less fast food)
Exercise - I'm planning on starting out with 30 minutes aerobic exercise (walking/jogging) daily. I've been trying to do this, but haven't been as compliant as I should be.

As of this week, I actually will be living in an apartment at the Squad. I'll have a rather full gym in the building at my disposal 24x7, and 2 of my roomates are also participating in the contest (and the 3rd roomate is helping run it) - so I should have some support there.

So... does this sound like a start? Can anyone recommend anything else?

Good plan, as you start to lose pounds your skin will become loose and will need to be tightend. I suggest doing light reps or push ups,sit ups, and cruches. Along with bar bells around 20lbs curls and all that fun stuff. Sounds great and a good plan.

Sasha also said this limit your intake. I eat fast food maybe once a week, and coffee daily, but I also limit the sugar and cream that goes in. I also drink 3-4bottles of water per one cup, so I stay hydrated.