Anybody else hungry? (Dieting)

[MGMorden]

I've been dieting for a while.  Calorie counting specifically.  Have an app for my phone that lets me record what I'm eating and total it up (it'll even scan the barcodes from items with the phone's camera and pull up the Nutrtional Info).  Lost 15 pounds so far, so it's working ok.  Dang the hunger is hitting me hard today though.  I got a ham sandwich (Miracle Whip and non-fat cheese instead of the real stuff. yay.) and potato salad planed for lunch, but man oh man the BBQ buffet down the road is tempting.

Anybody else dieting this time of year?  I realize after new years is more common, but figured I'd check in and see .

[powderman]

MGM. My wife got a lot of info including diets at our county health dept. They give a caloried guide and reccomendations and she never went hungry, sometimes she could not eat everything that was reccomended. She's a diabetic. She lost over 50 lbs. POWDERMAN. 

[briarpatch]

Congrates MG, Its hard to diet this time of year. Good job.  
Someone wrote on a forum I was on. (You must learn to love the feeling of hunger) Because you are not wanting to be fat and not going to be fat and doing what is right concerning food.  Maybe you have heard this statement but was new to me. I thought it was good.

[Range Rider]

A mans body is like a desert wash.  It may go dry in the summer but it damn sure will go back to full when the rain feeds it.  Point being, you can take it off but it always comes back.  Be sure and save that good 46" horse hair belt with the Lone Star buckle and those old faded industrial size wranglers. You want to feel full and comfortable again.

RR

[MGMorden]

Congrates MG, Its hard to diet this time of year. Good job.  
Someone wrote on a forum I was on. (You must learn to love the feeling of hunger) Because you are not wanting to be fat and not going to be fat and doing what is right concerning food.  Maybe you have heard this statement but was new to me. I thought it was good.

Haven't heard it, but it does seem to be a good way to look at it.

Alas, I'm back from lunch and I went off my planned diet a wee bit.  Rather than the ham sammich I got some boneless asian wings.  That leaves me with ~750 calories for dinner rather than the planned 1000 I would have had, but I think I can still work with that.  Just gonna have to hit Subway for dinner .

My strategy so far has mostly been to eat a very, very light lunch (350-500 calories) and that keeps me with plenty of options for dinner.  If I plan it right and still make a few modifications (vegetables instead of fries, diet sodas or water, etc), I can still eat things like fried chicken or seafood for dinner.  Sometimes it's just hard to make it to there eating very little throughout the day though.

I DID make it through Thanksgiving on great terms, but I think that's because my mother just had carpal tunnel surgery (and so couldn't cook), so my dad cooked Thanksgiving dinner.  My mom will be healed up by Christmas though (and we usually have ham instead of turkey then, which I like better), so we'll see how that goes . . .

[Pat/Rick]

getting older and a drop in activity doesn't help,add in disability(me) and its hard,very hard to loose. I am s-l-o-w-l-y getting there. But dang! Life is waaaaay too short not to eat good food! 

[guzzijohn]

It sure does not get easier with age! I needed to lose about 35 pounds and have lost about 10 so far. This last year I got my cholesterol back down to below 200 but my BP has gone up about 20 points to around 140. Seems like that started happening about the time I started to replying to posts in the "Pot Belly Stove" section. It is hard on the body to argue with conservatives.
GuzziJohn

[burntmuch]

My family gave up on the processed foods as much as possible anyways. Eat whole grain food ie no white bread. If you cant understand the ingrediants on the label dont eat it. Stay away from the high fructose corn syrup, almost impossible, I know. If your grandmother would,nt recognize it as food, its not food.. Its working for my family. We all dropped a couple lbs & feel better.  

[powderman]

my BP has gone up about 20 points to around 140.



HEH, probly started about Nov 3. POWDERMAN. 

[subdjoe]

Fresh fruit, fresh veggies, and low fat yogurt are your friend.   Do up supremes of ruby grapefruit, pour some vanilla yogurt on it, a little granola or some such for crunch, fresh or frozen berries for color and sweetness.  Good stuff.

Also jicama, very low cal but slightly sweet, with a nice crunch.  A bowl full of sticks of that, maybe with some cauliflower, can be quite satisfying. 

Try mixing some BBQ sauce with non-fat sour cream as a dipping sauce for veggies. 

[DDZ]

I have never been a believer in diets. I have never been on one nor do I ever want to go on one. I realize because of certain medical conditions some have to eat only certain foods. An exercise program is much better for you than any diet. If you want to lose weight you simply have to burn more calories than you eat. By exercising you can eat what you want in moderation. I eat anything I want but in moderation, with exercise, and if I start to gain weight I throw in a little more exercise. By saying eat anything you want, I don't mean lying on the couch at night and eating a whole bag of chips.
You don't have to run marathons either. A fast paced walk will do fine. Weight training is also very beneficial for losing weight. Muscle will burn more calories while resting. So adding some muscle will also let you be able to eat more, and stay the same weight.
  My grandfather and uncles raised dairy cattle, ate anything and everything, including three eggs with bacon or sausage every mourning and were thin, but muscular because of all the work they did.
Diets have made many people rich by just coming up with some new diet, telling people that they will lose 30 pounds in a month, so people will buy their book. I work with people that are constantly going from one diet to the next diet, without much results. Why starve yourself when you don't have to? Anyway when you cut back on calories your body thinks its being starved so it stores fat more efficiently. Most people can lose weight with just a little physical activity. Exercise not only helps with weight control, it has many other benefits. If you are able to walk, and lift a beer or food to your mouth, you are able to do some form of exercise. I even know people in wheel chairs that are pretty fit.

Guzzi, exercise can even help with stress and depression that comes from from believing in liberal politicians and their ideas. Heck I bet it can even change liberals into conservatives.  .   It will also do wonders for your BP.

[powderman]

The doc said that eating your meals at the same time every day helps too. If you skip a meal your body will hold those calories in reserve because it wants to make sure it gets fed. If the body gets accustomed to being fed on a regular schedule it will burn the calories, this was what My wifes diabetes dr said. POWDERMAN. 

[goofyoldfart]

My Dietitian at V.A. put me on a carbo diet. DAMM, it works. I am a "Borderline Diabetic" (my A1C tested 6.8 first test) and It was determined that I should try dieting first (only because I told my Doc that I won't support the Pharma industry--Don't believe in synthetics). I had been dieting on my own and had lost 40 pounds (270 down to 230) but was locked on at 230 and couldn't break through. went on the carbo diet (after a good 8 hr. class on what to look for and do) and within 2 weeks broke 230 to 210. In 2months I am now at 185-190. went from a 46 in waist to a 39. I also was doing more excersize (bicycle) and feel much better. I also eat 5-6 times a day---smaller portions more frequently and don't suffer hunger as much. Lots of grain and fruit and Veggies. I happen to love the foods that are recommended for my diet so that it is easy to follow. Works for me. my A1C is now at 6.1 (and hopefully still dropping  ). God Bless to all. 

[MGMorden]

My Dietitian at V.A. put me on a carbo diet. DAMM, it works. I am a "Borderline Diabetic" (my A1C tested 6.8 first test) and It was determined that I should try dieting first (only because I told my Doc that I won't support the Pharma industry--Don't believe in synthetics). I had been dieting on my own and had lost 40 pounds (270 down to 230) but was locked on at 230 and couldn't break through. went on the carbo diet (after a good 8 hr. class on what to look for and do) and within 2 weeks broke 230 to 210. In 2months I am now at 185-190. went from a 46 in waist to a 39. I also was doing more excersize (bicycle) and feel much better. I also eat 5-6 times a day---smaller portions more frequently and don't suffer hunger as much. Lots of grain and fruit and Veggies. I happen to love the foods that are recommended for my diet so that it is easy to follow. Works for me. my A1C is now at 6.1 (and hopefully still dropping  ). God Bless to all. 

Interesting.  I've heard of a lot of people doing Atkins (low carb) diets, but I'd never heard of anyone doing a specifically high carb diet.  No reason why it wouldn't work though.  I specifically have been told by my doctor though to NOT attempt Atkins.  One of my issues is that I've got gout.  Specifics aside, a protein heavy diet will tend to cause it to get worse - even if you're losing weight.

So far everything else has checked out though.  Blood sugar is fine, cholesterol is fine.  Blood pressure is a little on the higher side - 135/85 if I remember right.  BP tends to run in my family though - even the normal weight family members seem to have high BP, so seeing mine a little high isn't a huge surprise.  I'm only 29 though, so I wouldn't expect too much trouble at the moment.  Moreso just trying to avoid future stuff (plus, if I can lose some weight the gout MIGHT go away - though my last uric acid test the doctor stated that my counts were "extremely" high, so not sure if losing weight would knock that out).

I haven't really been doing any specialized diet though.  Just counting calories, which is an old tried and true method.  Essentially, calories equal energy.  Those calories (and energy) can come in the form of carbs, fats, or proteins.  From a weight gain perspective, it doesn't really matter where they come from - a calorie is a calorie.  You need some energy to make it through the day, and any excess gets stored (weight gain). 

Basic figures I've heard is that it takes roughly 10 calories per pound to maintain a certain weight.  That's just to sit there, keep your heart beating, lungs breathing, etc.  So if a woman wants to weigh 120 pounds, she eats 1200 calories per day.  If a man wants to weigh 180 lbs, he eats 1800 calories per day.  Doesn't matter what food it is - just how many calories are in it.  The caveat is that the bad stuff like fried foods and the like contain a lot more calories per volume - so you may eat your calorie limit of those and still not have enough food in your stomach to feel full.  Fruits, veggies, etc are lower calorie density so you can eat more of them (and feel more full) before expending your calorie budget. 

What I've been doing is targeting a 2000 calorie per day diet.  Just read those Nutritional Data tags on the backs of your food, or for stuff without it, I'll look at various website that estimate the content of certain dishes.  When I start getting closer to 200 lbs I'll probably drop my daily limit a bit lower to 1800.  Goal weight would be 170.  I peaked at 252, and so far I'm down to 236.5, so I'm getting there.  Just need to get it all back in order.  Seems to have crept up on me over the years.  I weighed 185 all through high school.  First year of college I was at 200.  By the time I graduated college I was at 220.  A few years later I noticed I was at 230, and then when I noticed myself up around 250 this year I figured I needed to get it under control.  Hoping for that 170 mark, but just getting back under 200 is really what I'm considering my minimum.

[goofyoldfart]

MGM: good luck to you. Dietitian told me that the carbs were more important for me than the calories, just to use common sense. I watch my meat intake and pretty much stick to chicken, fish and seafood. mostly I think that common sense about staying away from fat foods and doing excersize to burn up excess calories. She said that men need or should consume 60-75 carbos per meal and that women should use 30-45 carbos per meal. three meals a day. I just break my 3 meal requirements up by 5 or 6 and seek the balance of the carbos between those meals. When I fry anything I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Suppose they use extra virgins to stomp all the olives ? I think it is a common sense/balance issue. for me it has been working like a charm. I would not say that anyone would benefit from this without checking with their doctor first. Again, good luck to you on your diet. God Bless to all.

P.S. where do they find extra virgins or for that matter any virgins to stomp the olives in this day and age???
  
ETA: I was told that this diet was healthy for most people, but that it is specifically for Diabetics and border line Diabetics to get them back into the safe zone.

[Victor3]

 Losing weight is very simple; eat less, move more!

 Now if only easy went along with simple we'd all be at our ideal weight.

 I've lost 12# over the last four months by eating several small meals rather than my usual two daily large ones. I cut soda consumption down by ~80%, stopped eating at fast food joints except maybe once a month, and generally just limit the fat-making foods (but don't eliminate them all together).

 I also ride my bike and/or walk as much as possible rather than drive.

 I tried the Atkins diet and lost ~20# over three months. Gained it all back plus more because it just wasn't sustainable for me. One thing that the Wife and I tried was the South Beach diet. It worked too, and you could eat a wider variety of foods than Atkins allows. We still make stuff out of the South Beach cookbook regularly but don't strictly follow the diet plan.

  Only thing that's ever worked for me (I used to be >250# several years ago and now at 220#) is eating smaller portions of stuff I like in more frequent meals, along with getting off my fat beehind as much as possible.

 The more I try to restrict myself, carefully count calories and strictly limit the type of foods I eat, the more I want the 'bad' stuff. Eventually I break down and eat it, and usually a lot of it. I think it's human nature; I want what I can't have and when I eventually say "screw this diet crap" I go nuts on the stuff I wanted to eat.

 If I allow myself a little junk food here and there, I'm not relying on sheer willpower and discipline. Those are not my strongest points...

[goofyoldfart]

Victor3: several years ago (15-20) the McDougal diet stressed "rewarding " yourself for following your diet and then trying to stretch out the positive time aspect of your diet a little at a time. It worked then and it seems to work for me now. for some reason it seems easier to stay on my diet now than it was then, Maybe I is growed  up now, huh? the first time I dieted I was almost 300 pounds and went down to 170-180 (it took me 1 1/2 yrs) and a 48 waist to a 38 waist. But at that time I was working as a construction millwright and eating 5000 calories a day. diet, working and riding a bicycle plus cutting calories to 4500 did the trick. Now I am more seditary due to age and injury so I have to watch my intake and do so by eating more frequently with smaller portions. I know that the dietitian supported the "reward" system also. It just helps that I happen to really like my diet, which makes it easier to stay on it and I feel good about myself as I see the weight loss. watching the belt grow longer in the tongue (and having to punch more holes) helps,too.  Somehow the durn belt has grown 7 inches (at least that is what I have to find place for in my belt loops.) Once a month I treat myself to a triple "slime-burger" at Steak and Shake with 4 pieces of pepper jack cheese, onions and hot peppers (onions and hot peppers are good anti-oxidants. ). cheese on top and bottom and twixt and tween. all this is put on a grilled bagel and cut in to 4ths. As I eat this critter I can feel the pounds adding on. After several months it has calculated to 2.5 pounds. But within two days on the diet it falls back off and I stabilize for the rest of the month (till the next "slime-burger") AAAAHHHH---the pleasures of dieting. God Bless to all.   
                 Goofy

[Victor3]

 Another thing that's been helpful to me is to learn to like foods that aren't too fatening. My Wife of 22 years has been helpful here. She likes salads and vegetables. Before I met her, vegetables to me were mushrooms on a pizza. Now I like and eat all kinds of vegetables, and don't have to smother them with butter.

 Goofyoldfart, your noting the antioxidant properties of onions & peppers is important; it's good to learn what foods (regardless of their calories) actually do something helpful. I like sardines packed in olive oil. Dark chocolate is a great antioxidant. I keep a bar in my desk and break off a hunk when I get a craving for something sweet.

[Gun Runner]

A little humor in dieting: I tried the lite diet, as soon as it go light I started eating.
Then I tried the sea food diet, as soon as I see food I start eating.

I have tried several diets to loose the Spare Tire around the middle. Best thing I found was watch what I eat and do a lot of walking. Still have a little Tire around the middle, but it looks more like KIA tire than one for a 16 wheeler. 

Gun Runner

[Range Rider]

I have never seen so much guilt and self petty.  Wow, this food fear thing is something else.  You might try not scaring yourself by not reading all those daily medical scares. Regardless of what the media says about your weight a well fed person will live longer than one that is starved.  When you starve yourself on purpose its called a diet, just drop the "t" from the word diet pretty well tells the story.  I knew an Ole Cowboy years ago who tried to cure his cow pony from eating, it almost worked right when the critter finally swore off hay and oats he died.

RR

[MGMorden]

I have never seen so much guilt and self petty.  Wow, this food fear thing is something else.  You might try not scaring yourself by not reading all those daily medical scares. Regardless of what the media says about your weight a well fed person will live longer than one that is starved.  When you starve yourself on purpose its called a diet, just drop the "t" from the word diet pretty well tells the story.  I knew an Ole Cowboy years ago who tried to cure his cow pony from eating, it almost worked right when the critter finally swore off hay and oats he died.

RR

A "well fed" person will.  An "over fed" person won't. Sorry, but refusal of that fact is simply denial.  If you go too far above a healthy weight you become at much higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure and host of other problems.  If you want to refuse the mountains of evidence, then fine, but I wouldn't recommend putting down others trying to improve their health.

NOT eating is called anorexia.  Dieting isn't about not eating - it's about eating the proper amount.  No more, no less.

[Range Rider]

Fear of food, water and air is a very stressful thing.  I think more folks die from fear and stress than from weight. You seem to fit the profile of a stressed fearful person with a whole list of dieases you may die from.  There is nothing wrong with using common sense in life.  After reading some of these post it is easy to see that stress is a major health problem in this country.

[Victor3]

I have never seen so much guilt and self petty.  Wow, this food fear thing is something else.  You might try not scaring yourself by not reading all those daily medical scares. Regardless of what the media says about your weight a well fed person will live longer than one that is starved.  When you starve yourself on purpose its called a diet, just drop the "t" from the word diet pretty well tells the story.  I knew an Ole Cowboy years ago who tried to cure his cow pony from eating, it almost worked right when the critter finally swore off hay and oats he died.

RR

 Preach it brother, and don't forget about smoking. All that medical propaganda about cigarettes is junk science too. 

[Range Rider]

Smoking a good point.  While Americans are fogged about tobacco smoke the move to legalize hemp moves forward.  It is amazing shoking 59% of the people who die from heart failure have never smoked.  Now we have 21 States moving forward to make "Pot" legal.  The federal law prohibits the use.  These same states ban tobacco products almost every where.  There are no tobacco cartels killing 1000s each year to control its marketing.  "Pot" smoking is OK in the eyes of the Liberals.  The crime cartels that are  invading  America from across the Mexican Border are given free space to kill Americans to diliver this drug to American children.  Foolish Americans have been coned into thinking tobacco is a gift from hell but "Pot" is only a misumderetood little plant.  "Pot". smokiing can damage your lung your brain and what about the 2nd hand smoke from this stuff??  We also know the reason the cartels push  this stuff it is an entry level drug for other drugs.  We don't have kids shooting people in C stores to get Marboros. Where is the AMA and other left of center anti-tobaaco .Orgs on this drug question???  The simple fact is most of these drugs come from failed 3rd world socialist nations. Tobacco built the capitalist system, and yes at one point used slave labor.  The war on tobacco goes back to the Pre-Civil War south.  This was an is to this day a some what regional driven issue.

RR

[Victor3]

I have never seen so much guilt and self petty.  Wow, this food pot fear thing is something else.  You might try not scaring yourself by not reading all those daily medical scares.

'Nuf said...

[ironglow]

 I'm not grossly overweigh, but I am packing some extra pounds. My Doc wants me to lose 5 lbs even though I could lose 15 to match the "chart".
  I have a different problem in that my wife has medical problems and has lost a dangerous amount of weight over the last couple years...and she keeps losing. I tell her if she stands sideways and sticks out her tongue...she looks like a zipper.
   Problem is, she's the cook and she has to cook those things which put weight on, which is not where I should be at. So, I try to forage a bit on my own and attempt to convince her to cut down the amounts she cooks, making primarily for just one.
   One thing that has helped me in the past has been to swear off all food after dinner. Often the real weight gain takes place in the evening when we sit and relax, or watch TV and snack (all bad stuff too).
  Being retired and well into those "golden years" I find that exercise helps a great deal.  Since running is tough on the feet and ankles, I normally ride my bicycle each day. Now that winter has set in here, the bicycle is idle. I planned upon big game season to walk the woods and get exercise but for the last 3-4 days the snow has been too heavy. I can't even find a place to pull my truck off the road without getting hung up...yipes! Hopefully, it will abate soon and I can at least get back into the woods, my own being about 5 miles from my house.
   I do know if I don't get some good, brisk exercise for a week, my arthritis sure feels it..then if I can get back on my bike, for instance..within a week the symptoms disappear.

[goofyoldfart]

RangeRider: I agree that stressing out over a diet is a bad thing.  But, by the same token-- being 300 pounds (or 270 with a 48" waist at 5'9') will kill you also. I enjoy my diet and i enjoy even more seeing the fat tire growing smaller. I enjoy the feeling of having more energy--sorta makes me want to do more things. It is a proven fact that people that are 5-10 pounds over the "prime" weight for their height do tend to sail through illness better than the anorexic do. that said My doctor wants me to loose down to 165-170. My answer to that was "guess again--NO WAY. I feel good at 185-195.". He knows better than to argue. I'm Scot, Irish and Welsh==equals stubborn. I loose weight for me to feel good, not the doctor.

Victor3: I understand about the gout thing. I have some friends that have the same issue. as I was saying to RangeRider, I follow the diet for my own good feeling of self image, not the doctors'. If you feel 5pounds is enough, that's fine. Like you, I also ride the bike due to the 'ritus brothers and a bad back from being blown up in tanks and shot down in choppers. the exercise makes me feel good.  RangeRider, I don't feel petty about my diet, but you can say what you want about self-pity. I guess it was self-pity that made me stop drinking 3quarts of Vodka and a 5th of Tequila a day for several years after 'Nam so that I now have had 30 years sober on 11/21/2010. That's the kind of self-pity that I needed.   I think I understand where you are coming from, though. God Bless to all.
                   Goofy

ETA: OOOPPs I think that I misquoted Ironglow when I answered victor3. my apologies Ironglow--though, Victor3, you can loose 5 pounds,too, I you want. It's okay by me.  

[gypsyman]

I think the main thing is moderation. Knowing when to back off of something, and not over indulge. Know what your body needs, for your lifestyle. A construction worker, rancher, a person that does more physical labor will burn the calories up faster than a truck driver or office worker. Everbody's body works differently, in that some people can wolf down that dbl cheeseburger,fries and shake, and it doesn't seem to affect them.
My problem is, I hate to waste food. And after my kids get thru eating, I'll finish up what they might leave. This morning, both left some waffle on their plate. Instead of giving it to the dogs, I finished it myself. Not enough to fill me up, but I just hate to throw it out. Last night just before bed, a small bowl of salsa with some tortilla chips. Sure didn't need it, but dang it tasted good. Especially with that last 1/2 glass of beer. Gonna die sometime, might as well be happy once in awhile. gypsyman

[Range Rider]

Gman that sounds like a real human story to me.  I think we evolved over time not to waste food.  Do you think our ancestors left food to waste in front of the cave?  The American media which seems to have a death hold on the minds of its viewers push foods and diets.  Every second on TV they have an ad for junk food snacks etc.  Then every other minute they run ads of mind altering drugs.  In every News cast they have a doctor issueing some dire warning with a list of generic symtoms. The poor dumbed down American guilt ridden citizen is always in a state of flux.  Don't you understand this is all about making money for stock holders of TV and food and drug companies who really don't give a damn about your heath. The war on "Fat people". is a new attack from the left.  The scene of the ugly American is always a fat man who takes more than his share of the world wealth. Then we see the poor Asian who his skinny and covered with house flys.  This ploy has become truth to the point that folks who are over weight [what ever that is] are and OK target of the socially elite.  Do you know in post revolutionary America that being over weight was a sign of success?  A skinney starving man was a real loser.  I don't think being obese in America is nearly as tragic as the dumbing down of our citizens.

RR

[Victor3]

Do you know in post revolutionary America that being over weight was a sign of success? 
RR

 Yup. Them fat cats had it made, except for the fact that they only had about three rotton teeth left in their mouth by the time they were 30 (as they could afford plenty of sugar, a luxury item back then).

 Their bad breath was only a problem for a short time though. Average male life expectancy was only 48 years.