NECowboy Is Going on a Diet

[True Grit Farms]

In school I wrestled at 138 or 145 now I have problems keeping my weight under 240. I'm on a diet myself or I'd be huge, I love to eat. I try and see how little I can eat for each meal and that seems to help some. Your mind controls your body. So just stick with it and fight and then fight some more, never give up and you'll see progress.

 

[Waterway65]

Sugar and carbs can be a addiction just like say alcohol. Start substituting things like jerky or pepper sticks for chips and other carb snacks.
I made myself a diabetic because with lots of caffene and sugar and simple carbs I could have higher energy and work harder. Unfortunately my pancreas couldn't take it. Today I eat a lot of animal protein and don't crave my sugars and carbs anymore.

 

[D2Cat]

Controlling weight has a lot to do with our thinking. The word "diet" has a negative connotation. Like I have to restrict myself to get to a particular weight. Mentally, it has to become a life style. Something you do to have a quality of life you hope to have for years to come.

At 22 was working on construction projects, digging footings and forming concrete walls with steel forms. I ate about 6000 calories per day. One day at noon I wasn't hungry and didn't eat anything in my lunch bucket. When we starting back to work I got extremely thirsty and would drink one of those little pointed cups of water about every 15 minutes, and pee every third cup.

It rained that night so the next day we didn't work. I felt so bad I went to the Dr. and after some test determined I was diabetic. Required insulin. Body produced none. Just boom. You got to do this, eat this, don't eat that. Dietitian told me I need 2400 calories per day. (that's when I figured out how many I had been eating). I was 6'-4 and 220 pounds and suppose to live on nothing.

Endocrinologist have told me, those who have low BS on a regular basis without managing their eating by giving their body protein before the BS drops are on a path to diabetes.

Do everything you can do now to prevent further health challenges.

I very seldom eat a big meal. I graze all day long! My philosophy is now, I eat to live...I don't live to eat!

 

[callmefence]

Diet is going alright have done some lunch weight watchers frozens but then I eat a Chex mix snack pack (200 calories) an hour later cuz still hungry and craving carbs. Then supper time I am so hungry that I am eating two helpings still. I get low blood sugar so can't give up my afternoon sweet tea bottle. Not really sure what to snack on other than carbs that don't satisfy (like the Chex mix or tortilla chips - I could eat a whole bag of tortilla chips in one sitting). Love the water glass tip that has helped for sure but need to do it more. Bad thing is that food is like stress relief and something to look forward to at the end of a long day but it's gone too far and I'm well overweight because of it.

Cowboy quite buying food in a package or box. Use fruit for snacks. At home don't even have food you can just grab and eat. Except fruit.
Cookie an chips are contraband in my house. If you got em I better not find em. They'll go to the garbage.
If I'm up late and want a snack I have to make it. Last night I chopped a tomato a quarter Onion, and a avocado ate it with a spoon ..no chips.

 

[TCRanch]

Diet is going alright have done some lunch weight watchers frozens but then I eat a Chex mix snack pack (200 calories) an hour later cuz still hungry and craving carbs. Then supper time I am so hungry that I am eating two helpings still. I get low blood sugar so can't give up my afternoon sweet tea bottle. Not really sure what to snack on other than carbs that don't satisfy (like the Chex mix or tortilla chips - I could eat a whole bag of tortilla chips in one sitting). Love the water glass tip that has helped for sure but need to do it more. Bad thing is that food is like stress relief and something to look forward to at the end of a long day but it's gone too far and I'm well overweight because of it.

Cowboy quite buying food in a package or box. Use fruit for snacks. At home don't even have food you can just grab and eat. Except fruit.
Cookie an chips are contraband in my house. If you got em I better not find em. They'll go to the garbage.
If I'm up late and want a snack I have to make it. Last night I chopped a tomato a quarter Onion, and a avocado ate it with a spoon ..no chips.

How about nuts? Lot of calories if you eat too many but generally a few will fill you up, lots of protein and satisfies the salt craving. I buy my husband pistachios in the shell; takes longer & makes it easier to recognize when he's full.

 

[Bestoutwest]

Diet is going alright have done some lunch weight watchers frozens but then I eat a Chex mix snack pack (200 calories) an hour later cuz still hungry and craving carbs. Then supper time I am so hungry that I am eating two helpings still. I get low blood sugar so can't give up my afternoon sweet tea bottle. Not really sure what to snack on other than carbs that don't satisfy (like the Chex mix or tortilla chips - I could eat a whole bag of tortilla chips in one sitting). Love the water glass tip that has helped for sure but need to do it more. Bad thing is that food is like stress relief and something to look forward to at the end of a long day but it's gone too far and I'm well overweight because of it.

Try healthy snacks: cashews, carrot sticks, an apple. One trick I learned was to mix in a tiny amount of chocolate chips or M&M's with cashews. It gives me that sweet, chocolate taste that I crave and fills me up with the cashews. The problem with packaged lunches (ie. Weight Watchers) is that they're full of sodium, which will catch up with you down the road.

Here's what I eat a day, but I weight 163 at 5'10":
Breakfast: Bagel
Snack at 10:30: Handful (a bit less than a serving) of Cheese-It's
Lunch: Sandwich (turkey and swiss) and a Cliff Bar
Dinner: Either a burger with fries or pizza, sometimes pasta. Sort of medium servings, but smaller than restaurant portions.
Snack: 4-5 Halloween size chocolate bars, or a beer, but never together.

Good luck, I know it's tough. I lost 40 lbs one year and I felt so much better physically. I see a lot of patients every week who's only problem is that they're overweight. They have knee, back, foot/ankle pain, etc b/c they are obese. Then there's the things you can't see that will catch up with them.

 

[NECowboy]

Diet is going alright have done some lunch weight watchers frozens but then I eat a Chex mix snack pack (200 calories) an hour later cuz still hungry and craving carbs. Then supper time I am so hungry that I am eating two helpings still. I get low blood sugar so can't give up my afternoon sweet tea bottle. Not really sure what to snack on other than carbs that don't satisfy (like the Chex mix or tortilla chips - I could eat a whole bag of tortilla chips in one sitting). Love the water glass tip that has helped for sure but need to do it more. Bad thing is that food is like stress relief and something to look forward to at the end of a long day but it's gone too far and I'm well overweight because of it.

Cowboy quite buying food in a package or box. Use fruit for snacks. At home don't even have food you can just grab and eat. Except fruit.
Cookie an chips are contraband in my house. If you got em I better not find em. They'll go to the garbage.
If I'm up late and want a snack I have to make it. Last night I chopped a tomato a quarter Onion, and a avocado ate it with a spoon ..no chips.

How about nuts? Lot of calories if you eat too many but generally a few will fill you up, lots of protein and satisfies the salt craving. I buy my husband pistachios in the shell; takes longer & makes it easier to recognize when he's full.

TC you don't think they have too much fat? I gotta discipline myself not to eat too many ur right though on the shell makes ya eat fewer.

 

[TCRanch]

Cowboy quite buying food in a package or box. Use fruit for snacks. At home don't even have food you can just grab and eat. Except fruit.
Cookie an chips are contraband in my house. If you got em I better not find em. They'll go to the garbage.
If I'm up late and want a snack I have to make it. Last night I chopped a tomato a quarter Onion, and a avocado ate it with a spoon ..no chips.

How about nuts? Lot of calories if you eat too many but generally a few will fill you up, lots of protein and satisfies the salt craving. I buy my husband pistachios in the shell; takes longer & makes it easier to recognize when he's full.

TC you don't think they have too much fat? I gotta discipline myself not to eat too many ur right though on the shell makes ya eat fewer.

Very little saturated fat & no trans fat but a lot of the good stuff: poly & mono unsaturated. No cholesterol. Sodium can be high (if you buy salted) but they also have a lot of potassium.

 

[NECowboy]

Ok everyone I got lunch meats today from the deli, drank 2 16 ounces bottle water for lunch, ate a big low sodium turkey sandwich with provolone cheese on a six inch rotella wheat hoagie bun. Had a gala apple with it. Felt very filling and healthy. Going to try cliff bars when I get to town and can buy them at Walmart. Got some pistachios nuts and carrot sticks to snack on but going to try to avoid that. Supper is beef rump roast, carrots, cabbage, and really cut down on the amount of potatoes I put in there, simply seasoned with salt and pepper and little water only. Milk to drink (love milk with meals).

 

[D2Cat]

NECowboy, sounds like you're getting things under control.

Might get you a pack of gum, like Trident, and chew a stick of it after a meal. It takes a few minutes before your brain is notified your stomach is full. The gum takes the edge off of wanting to keep eating.

 

[NECowboy]

NECowboy, sounds like you're getting things under control.

Might get you a pack of gum, like Trident, and chew a stick of it after a meal. It takes a few minutes before your brain is notified your stomach is full. The gum takes the edge off of wanting to keep eating.

Ok will have to try it thank you d2.

 

[boondocks]

Diet is going alright have done some lunch weight watchers frozens but then I eat a Chex mix snack pack (200 calories) an hour later cuz still hungry and craving carbs. Then supper time I am so hungry that I am eating two helpings still. I get low blood sugar so can't give up my afternoon sweet tea bottle. Not really sure what to snack on other than carbs that don't satisfy (like the Chex mix or tortilla chips - I could eat a whole bag of tortilla chips in one sitting). Love the water glass tip that has helped for sure but need to do it more. Bad thing is that food is like stress relief and something to look forward to at the end of a long day but it's gone too far and I'm well overweight because of it.

Eat a HUGE salad for dinner most nights--lots of the fancy lettuces on it and all of the raw veggies you can think of (red cabbage, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, cukes, tomatoes). Add a sprinkle of fat free feta cheese and a spoonful (no more) of smoked almonds. Some baked croutons, a slice of avocado, and some lean meat (small grilled chicken breast, or lean lunchmeat, or water=packed tuna, etc). DO NOT use a bunch of fatty salad dressing--just a splash (or 5) of the best balsamic vinegar (no oil!) that you can find. Finish with a little fruit.
Throw away all of your huge oversize dinner plates. Studies actually show they make you eat more. Weigh in every Monday am. Get some type of exercise every day, even if it's just going up and stairs (you can do several flights a few times a day and get a lot of benefit). Resistance bands are good too.
If you don't up your activity level, you WON'T keep it off. Simple as that.
If you have any family members wanting to lose a bit, do a "family weight loss challenge"--everybody weighs in Mon am and results get shared. We did this 3 yrs ago and lost 100# between spouse, son and self. (Kept it off so far, knock wood!).Go SLOW. Aim for a lb or two a week, tops. If it's lost slowly, it's harder for it to sneak back up on ya!
Good luck!

 

[slick4591]

One good idea for the salad eater that needs dressing is to serve it on the side. Dip your fork in the dressing before you stab salad. My wife stay on me about doing it this way. May not seems like much but you will be surprised how much dressing you don't consume.

 

[Lazy M]

Don't change how you eat or your lifestyle, but start running 3 miles at least 4 times a week.
You may have to walk alot to start, but within 3 weeks you should be able to keep jogging for the whole distance.
They'll be some people that will insist that to lose weight you have to adjust your diet, but have you ever seen a fat guy that could run 3 miles 4 times a week?

 

[D2Cat]

If he runs 3 miles 4 times a week, hasn't he by doing that changed his lifestyle?

 

[Lazy M]

If he runs 3 miles 4 times a week, hasn't he by doing that changed his lifestyle?

Good point. Less then he would for many of these crazy diet plans though..

 

[Craig Miller]

I need breakfast and lunch and maybe a snack in between. Without those two meals my blood sugar falls out. I have gone to the point of being blind for a short time before I figured out what the problem was. I prefer not to eat bagels, donuts, pancakes, cereal for breakfast because it runs my bs up early and I will feel bad the rest of the day. After this was started I have been eating almonds in stead of chips. I bought the unsalted one and I think I like them. Does anybody use protein shakes?

 

[Dave]

I lost about 30 pounds several years ago. Not by changing my diet but by being serious about working out. Only for about 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week. But serious, sweat dripping off the end of the nose work. Rode an exercise bike hard for 20 minutes. Lifted weights for 15-20 minutes. Not heavy weight but lots of reps with little to no rest between sets. Then 5 or 10 minutes on a stair climber. Get the heart beating and keep the heart rate up. Not only did I lose weight I was in great shape and I felt good. And I got to eat whatever I wanted. It worked because I like to eat more than I hate to work. I also stopped eating anything with sugar (or at least tried to avoid sugar).

 

[NECowboy]

I need breakfast and lunch and maybe a snack in between. Without those two meals my blood sugar falls out. I have gone to the point of being blind for a short time before I figured out what the problem was. I prefer not to eat bagels, donuts, pancakes, cereal for breakfast because it runs my bs up early and I will feel bad the rest of the day. After this was started I have been eating almonds in stead of chips. I bought the unsalted one and I think I like them. Does anybody use protein shakes?

Are you diabetic or what?

 

[NECowboy]

If he runs 3 miles 4 times a week, hasn't he by doing that changed his lifestyle?

Good point. Less then he would for many of these crazy diet plans though..

Heck no don't have that much time in my day or desire to run lol.