People Wanting to Diet and Exercise

[Ducy]

Ok first off I would like to make a few simple statemets.

I am not a doctor. I will not diagnose any health issues in this thread. Nor will I tell you what to do. Even something as simple as a sprained ankle...I WILL NOT tell you what to do to cure yourself or help. Although I have experienced several diverse injuries, I can merely state what I did to help myself.

When in doubt...ASK. there is not benefit to being unsure about an exercise or dietary strategy, and continueing or doing it anyways...I have seen shoulder tears in men who bench 500 whil warming up with 185lbs. Why? Because they felt like their form was bad but figure ill be fine.

I am NASM certified...for those who are unaware it is one of the top personal training certs offered and specializes in stability and training for more everyday benefit (as opposed to some certs that focus on high levels of fitness such as elite athletes)

I am not a dietician. I am studying nutritional science. I do "officially" know a good amount from my NASM cert. Any advice I give is just advice and in no way a "prescription" or anything of the like.

I am opening this thread up because in my last several visits I have read several threads in which improper advice was offered. Advice telling someone to try certain programs that could lead to injury. Advice recommending improper dieting tips. Advice that lead to a complete waste of time and ultimately this will lead to discouragement for your goals.

Now I do understand and expect criticism from people. And brandye if you read this I want you to know I am not going try to stick my hands in thinks I do not know. I am simply going to help people with their fitness goals because I do know that many people are embarassed of their bodies and wish to be better for them or their significant others.

If this thread dies so be it. I will check in on occassion to see if anything is posted.

[RedRoses]

My interest would mostly be in a healthy diet.

I'm trying to feel better in my own skin This includes lose some, eating healthy and exercising. 8 weeks ago I concluded that I needed to lose at least 12 pounds to get to a healthy BMI of 25, 24 pounds if I'd want to be back at my former weight of about 3 years ago. So far I've lost 4.5 pounds and a dress-size. I keep a diary of what I eat exactly for about a month now. I do not really diet, I'm more concerned on getting healthy food and getting everything out of it that I should. I use a digital diary from the organization on food & health in Holland ("voedingscentrum") and I have "green lights" on what my food contains (fat, water, salt, vitamins, etc) accept a few:

So, what food is high in iron and selenium? These are red lights (Roxanne! ) so I get way too little of that (if numbers are of interest, my average now is: 9.3mg, 35mcg).

My kalium, vitamin A, vitamin D, folic acid are on the low (3502mg, 711mcg, 1.7mcg, 290mcg). So any suggestions on what food to add to my diet?

What surprises me is that I hardly get enough fiber. I get around 20g a day and I really don't get how I should make that 28 (unless I use supplements, which I do occasionally). On the average: I drink breakfast substitute in the morning (contains 5g of fiber), I eat 4 slices of wholegrain bread for lunch and 1-2 pieces of fruit (mostly tangerines or a banana) and about 100g of brown rice, potatoes or wholeweat pasta in the evening with at least 160g of vegetables. Any ideas on how to add more fiber?

[raunchy gal]

Ok,RedRoses i know that you can't tell me what i should do,but i weigh around 90kgs (180lb)My ideal weight is approx 75kgs(150lb)I am wanting to lose at least 10kg (5lb) to start,i don't want to lose too much weight straight away.I don't really watch what i eat,as i usually buy the cheaper cuts of meat and not alot of fruit and veg .I'm not a big water drinker either.I tend to eat alot of red meat,pasta and carbohydrates.I don't execise much but like walking, jogging and running although i haven't dond the last two for many years.I don't usually eat breakfast or lunch,my main meal is dinner.I graze during the day,not always on healthy food.I have been trying to eat more fruit ,yoghurt and salads,but my budget doesn't always allow it.Could you please suggest some things i could try.

[Studmuffin]

Originally Posted by Ducy

Ok first off I would like to make a few simple statemets.

I am not a doctor. I will not diagnose any health issues in this thread. Nor will I tell you what to do. Even something as simple as a sprained ankle...I WILL NOT tell you what to do to cure yourself or help. Although I have experienced several diverse injuries, I can merely state what I did to help myself.

When in doubt...ASK. there is not benefit to being unsure about an exercise or dietary strategy, and continueing or doing it anyways...I have seen shoulder tears in men who bench 500 whil warming up with 185lbs. Why? Because they felt like their form was bad but figure ill be fine.

I am NASM certified...for those who are unaware it is one of the top personal training certs offered and specializes in stability and training for more everyday benefit (as opposed to some certs that focus on high levels of fitness such as elite athletes)

I am not a dietician. I am studying nutritional science. I do "officially" know a good amount from my NASM cert. Any advice I give is just advice and in no way a "prescription" or anything of the like.

I am opening this thread up because in my last several visits I have read several threads in which improper advice was offered. Advice telling someone to try certain programs that could lead to injury. Advice recommending improper dieting tips. Advice that lead to a complete waste of time and ultimately this will lead to discouragement for your goals.

Now I do understand and expect criticism from people. And brandye if you read this I want you to know I am not going try to stick my hands in thinks I do not know. I am simply going to help people with their fitness goals because I do know that many people are embarassed of their bodies and wish to be better for them or their significant others.

If this thread dies so be it. I will check in on occassion to see if anything is posted.

Ducy, good idea, most don't know that more weight is gained or lost in the kitchen, the gym or workout brings it all together. Proper diet and exercise go together hand in hand, speaking of which, I'm on my way to the gym for arms and shoulders workout, no pain no gain doing some rehab work on some old injurys to get range of motion and strength back.

[Brandye]

OK, Ducy, help is where people find it but stay away from discussing supplements or I shall be all over you.

Raunchy, first that comes to 198 pounds, 10 % more than stated for the Yanks here. There is exactly one way to lose weight: consume fewer calories than you burn. This can done in two ways: diet or exercise. It is preferable to do both. The biggest mistake people make is to start a crash diet AND overdo the exercise. End of program. Your idea of doing it slowly is good. You have found the ideal weight tables so you are near the dietary guidelines. All nations post them and they are more alike than different. Crash diets are useless and usually result in a loss after a few months but greater weight than at the beginning a year later.

There are some commercial operations that are actually quite effective. Both Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig have international reach and there are likely local programs that are similar. BUT, the exercise does not come in a handy box.

At your weight, start with walking a mile in a half hour. Increase this over time to three miles in an hour. Then you will be on your own. If you can afford it, a personal trainer can help you get going and keep you out of the rain.

Red, until your doctor points these "deficiencies" out to you, stay away from supplements and simply eat normally. We do not even know what the levels of many of the trace elements should be and, too often, raising one lowers others. Many of them are affected by exercise. If you need to react to any of them such as folic acid if you become pregnant, the doctor will advise you. Green, leafy vegetables will address most of what you list. We Northern European have difficulty getting enough of these in winter but the tunnels in Slovenia are helping!

[RedRoses]

Originally Posted by Brandye

Red, until your doctor points these "deficiencies" out to you, stay away from supplements and simply eat normally. We do not even know what the levels of many of the trace elements should be and, too often, raising one lowers others. Many of them are affected by exercise. If you need to react to any of them such as folic acid if you become pregnant, the doctor will advise you. Green, leafy vegetables will address most of what you list. We Northern European have difficulty getting enough of these in winter but the tunnels in Slovenia are helping!

Really? I didn't know that it's such a delicate balance in trace elements. I did know some activities could really cause you to "burn" a lot. Like being really upset burns a lot of vitamin C and then there's not much left for the rest of the body (I learned that last year ). The fibers are prescribed; first by the internist, but I did some switching over time in consultation with my physician to find those that work for me best (now it's psyllium+inuline). Though I'm not supposed to take them all the time, just when I don't feel ok (hence; occasionally ).

Green & leafy? Now that explains something... I'm supposed to stay away from (cold) lettuce-like stuff as a main course (only sidedish or in-between-meals). Apparently that stuff is rather heavy on your digestive system in larger quantities. So the larger quantities of green and leafy I get inside is when it's cooked prior in boiling water; spinach and such.

The diary-tool I didn't "just" chose; the same internist advised me a few years ago to use the specific tool as a diary cause she wanted to know what I ate on the regular. I've also used it as input at the allergist to determine possible foodallergies. They considered it one of the best diet-registration-tool available. I sometimes use it to check whether I'm still on the right track

[Ducy]

The only supplement I will ever recommend is a multi vitamin brandye. But then again you must check with your doc to find any defficiencies. My mother is on vitamin D prescriptions because she has an issue (I forget the medical terminology) but she is deficient to a point she basically OD's 1 day a week on an absurd amount then just goes about her day the rest of the weak.

Before you decide how much weight to cut I suggest getting a bodyfat analysis. That way you know if your weight lost is healthy or unhealthy. For example. I'm 200 lbs at 18% bodyfat...I have 36lbs of bodyfat. If I lose 36lbs it doesn't mean I lost fat and am at 0%. I could have lost 36lbs of muscle, water, anything...and I'm actually more unhealthy after than before.

As far as dieting. Brandye again is right (I'm really starting to like this woman) cut calories AND exercise. I honestly think those who say run a mile and you deserve treats are ignorant. Crash diets are bad. Most effective diets seen so far are carb cycling, but for an average joe looking for a little extra push I suggest increasing water intake and cutting carbs. Not all carbs but white breads and snack foods.

Enriched white flours means it will enrich your insulin levels and cram fats to your gut. (It has been shown high insulin levels increase the amount of dietary fats that are stored as adipose or "fat" tissue)

Experiment. Some people enjoy a fasting diet. This is when you don't eat from time a to time b. And then a lot a time period to eat. Currently I fast from 9 to 12. Basically my last meal of the day is 9pm and my first meal is at 12 pm. I then. Spread my calories evenly for the next 9 hrs.

Others do well with 6 small meals from sun up to sun down. I recommend this for females because majority of my female clients show better results with this.

When you cut calories you should never be hungry. Sure a small pang if you haven't eaten in a while, but if your starving everyday it means ur working to hard and need to increase calories (yes you can increase calories while cutting fat it just depends on your expenditure of calories) focus high on lean proteins. Protein can be used as a energy source but it takes so much energy to convert it that it actually has shown a thermogenic or "fat burning" effect.

As far as cardio and weight training. Purchase a session with a personal trainer. Do some research first but they can help teach you proper exercise form. This will help prevent injury. Take it slow but don't be afraid to use weights. Its physiologically impossible for a woman to grow into a bodybuilder unless you are using anabolic steroids. And heavy weights have been shown to burn more calories in the long run than using low weight high reps. More long term calorie burn...more fat lose. Lifting heavy will also cause an increase in muscle building hormones. Your body will cram nutrients into your muscles and make them stronger, more efficient, they will burn more calories, and help with health. Also when your muscles are larger and fuller they help you look leaner. I mean my arms increased an inch over the last 4 weeks and they look leaner even though I've stayed the same bodyfat.

and brandye please correct me if I have crossed any lines or have made any false claims. I have tried discussing health and fitness with many doctors and am constantly told I am wrong. There is never any healthy discussion...just a simple your wrong even when I present studies and legitimate sources.

[Ducy]

Originally Posted by RedRoses

Green & leafy? Now that explains something... I'm supposed to stay away from (cold) lettuce-like stuff as a main course (only sidedish or in-between-meals). Apparently that stuff is rather heavy on your digestive system in larger quantities. So the larger quantities of green and leafy I get inside is when it's cooked prior in boiling water; spinach and such.
)

I apologize for skipping your fiber question. Oats are high in fiber. So are green leafy veggies.

And I'm curious. I understand lettuce is hard on the digestive track. I have had several people site articles that talk about how lettuce is not properly digested (just like all those artificial sweeteners are not as healthy as they say). But things like spinach? I will typically have a large spinach salad with chicken on my low carb days (I cycle carbs) this is because I can eat a lot of spinach for virtually no carbs...and still no problems with my digestion.

[RedRoses]

Well, it was what I was advised... Warm and moist foods digest easier than cold and "tough" foods. So I can eat cooked spinach in larger quantities without troubles. It's funny cause it's one of the places where Ayurvedic principles and western medicine seem to think alike At the first step you can see it's tougher. Like you chew thoroughly on some lettuce and spit it out, than take a bite of some cooked vegetables and do the same. The difference is right in front of you; the latter is way more prior-processed and therefor easier on digestion. Now I know that digestion as a whole is a bit more complex, but his explanation made sense.

I've always had a stomach that was easily upset. First response as a child and teen to anything stressful was to vomit or stop eating and combine this with running around/sports/exercise, after which I could eat. Overall I seemed ok and the rest of my digestive system was able to handle this. But I have had a nasty bacteria-infection in my colon and kidneys a few years ago and my digestive system got very sensitive after that. They say I have IBS now, which is why I consider a healthy diet so important. I can't say I eat healthy every day... There certainly are days I eat a little more. And even more so days I eat less; these are the days I pay for most. But I try

What I found has worked the last 2-3 weeks was drinking lots of green tea makes me feel more energetic. And a cup of gingertea before lunch gets my appetite running I don't know if it's true, but it seems to contribute to weight loss too(?) In the first few weeks of january I didn't lose much weight, but did lose a dresssize. The past few weeks I see the scale working with me too...

[Ducy]

Hmmm. I can see how an intestinal infection could screw everything up. But you lose so many nutrients cooking veggies. Boiling pulls out majority. If you can steam things. It helps maintain the integrity of the nutrient profiles. (I knew a guy who couldn't eat veggies so he boiled them, drank the water a miraculously felt a lot better...doctor even went so far as to say it was from the nutrients being pulled out during boiling.

Green tea is actually a major hit right now. The catechlomes in the tea help boost metabolism and it is so high in antioxidants that the only thing better is black tea. Be careful though. Make sure its natural tea and not processed with a ton of junk. Things like snapple green tea are nowhere near as healthy as a fresh brewed cup.

I do not know if the ginger tea is the reason for your increased appetite. Be careful on some things. Its like people who brew a nice cup of white willow bark because it helps alleviate body aches and such. Yet they don't realize its basically a natural aspirin and is actually causing their stomach ulcers to bleed more or causing the light headednessn. (Like when they drink 2 cups cuz the first cup isn't helping enough