Weight Loss Challenge

[eddiedunlop (Martin)]

Originally Posted by Exfso

Well I have found the perfect way to lose weight and keep it off. Lose your taste buds and not have any saliva being produced. I guarantee you will drop to whatever weight you want and will never put it back on again. Aint radiation therapy to the neck great. You simply do not want to eat or drink, because you cant taste anything and it is a nightmare to swallow anything without washing it down with copious quantities of water.
I have gone from 107kg to 78kg and no matter what I do I cannot put any on.
I must admit, I would prefer to be in your boots, the thought of never tasting anything again is horrendous!

My sympathies Peter.

My wife just finished a course of radiation for breast cancer secondaries in her neck/shoulder lymph nodes. She too lost a lot of weight and the burns were horrible. However I think her taste and salivary glands are relatively unscathed.

Best wishes,

Martin

[Exfso (Peter)]

Thanks Martin. It is a while since I put that up, I have put on about 8kg by eating all the wrong stuff, that slides down. The bad part is because I have not been getting anywhere near enough fibre I now have diverticulosis. They don't tell you about any of this when they hit you with the radiation-MONGRELS

[lazjen (Chris)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

That's true too. Some charts are a joke. I found this one to be about right.

Ah no, that chart is pretty bad as well.

The problem is trying to have these bands based on height and weight alone. There are more factors involved to determine if you're obese/unhealthy/etc.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by lazjen

Ah no, that chart is pretty bad as well.

The problem is trying to have these bands based on height and weight alone. There are more factors involved to determine if you're obese/unhealthy/etc.

What's bad about it? Where do you fit on it? I'm on 71kg - 178cm.

[shelltree (Shelley)]

True that BMI is certainly not the be all and end all. Especially if you've built a fair bit of muscle! Mine is based on what I think I need to be in order to have the figure I want. When I was sitting around the 77kg mark, I knew for sure I could easily lose another 10kg or so. That is mainly what I'm basing it on. However, it will be trial and error the closer I get.

I may decide 68kg is enough, especially if I'm doing a lot of toning. All in time, I've got awhile to think on it!

Weight loss is simple but only if we keep things simple!

Regular exercise, eating the right foods and portion control are the key factors. I'm also a firm believer of not depriving yourself! The moment you make something an "off limits" food, the more you want it! Deprivation leads to cravings and cravings lead to eating even more of the bad food than if you'd controlled it and worked it into your lifestyle.

So sure, have that piece of cake but know you have to work for it somehow. Whether that's "banking" calories by having a lighter day or exercising harder, the short fall needs to balance out somewhere.

Being strict and depriving yourself day in a day out is not good for the soul. In your journey you need to be happy both mentally and physically. It has taken me a LONG time to realise this. I'm a sucker for fast results so constantly I would be limiting my calories to really low numbers and exercising like a machine!

But that's not what this is all about...it's about lifestyle. The change is forever so you need to be able to live with it

Anyway, checking in. I weighed myself on Saturday before my cheat day out of curiosity and was up 700g I did test myself out on Friday night and did some planks and the splits and some yoga stretches and my muscles were SORE on Saturday. So maybe I was retaining fluid because of that and building muscle...plus I had an amazing fish burger Friday night. Well within cals but was still on the heavy side.

Having a super light day today to shock my body into overdrive. Really not as bad as I thought, I'm certainly not going to die Will check in tomorrow!

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by shelltree

Anyway, checking in. I weighed myself on Saturday before my cheat day out of curiosity and was up 700g I did test myself out on Friday night and did some planks and the splits and some yoga stretches and my muscles were SORE on Saturday. So maybe I was retaining fluid because of that and building muscle...plus I had an amazing fish burger Friday night. Well within cals but was still on the heavy side.

Depending on what you eat your weight can go over well a kg. If you go out and up your sodium intake by eating processed then you retain fluids more easily and will be heavier. But don't despair, by no mean does this say you've put on weight. You can't put on weight that quick, nor can you lose it that quick. It would take a good week of it to start building on some fat.

At the end you're dead on when you say it's a long term commitment and a change of lifestyle. So you can't deprive yourself of the good stuff and be miserable. Just in moderation and if you indulge then as you say, some time down the line you have to exercise a little.

This graph I've posted I think is valid for the average body type, unless you're built like a footy player and have 90% solid muscle mass I think it's safe to say the figures are conservative.

[Shano592 (Shane)]

Don't let the scales be your determining factor!

If you start to put on muscle, as it is denser than fat, then you will never be happy. The numbers will lie.

I have found that the tape measure is a much better barometer of where you are at.

Keep your proteins and good fats high, and keep your carbs moderate to low, and you will get results that you will be happy with. Train your body to use protein and fat as the primary fuel source. The fats also aid in transferring toxins out of the body.

Regarding BMI: Apparently, according to the BMI charts, nearly every elite rugby league and union player is obese! Such is the effect of muscle on the scales!

I was reading that some pockets of France are the longest lived populations in the world. This coming from folks who consume cheeses, wines and fermented foods on a daily basis. White bread and rice isn't on the menu. I think it says something ...

[shelltree (Shelley)]

I do try not to, Shane but what can I say, at times I still want to throw them out the window! I'm also doing a 12 week challenge so the numbers are important for me... I try to take it with a grain of salt though and evaluate WHY my figures may have gone up.

As Marc says, high sodium will retain water and muscle and the mending of muscle is also a culprit. I need to try and remember that and not have a mental breakdown every time the scales say I've had a gain

I took measurements back when I first started my 12 week challenge (January) and since then my combined measurements (waist, bust, thigh, arm, abs) have decreased by 60 inches. I can also fit into my old jeans again which is an incredible feeling! Onward and downward

[Paul Haese]

12 months ago I was 109kg. I stopped junk food, reduced sugar markedly (though not altogether) and I went from walking 2.5km a day to 5km + a day. In Autumn this year I weighed 91kg, but by mid winter and still doing the same regime I have stabilised at 94-95kg. In spring I plan on the next step to reduce my stabilised weight to 90kg by mid winter next year. Calories in / calories out. I did this 10 years ago and it worked then too but I slackened off and let my sugar intact go up. Keeping processed food down helps a lot too.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by shelltree

I try to take it with a grain of salt though and evaluate WHY my figures may have gone up

That's the thing. They probably haven't gone up. I got really peeved last month. I put on 1kg and I couldn't shake it off. I wasn't eating more or doing anything different. I took 5 days off training and when I went back on the scale I had lost 2kg. I reckon sometime your body needs its rest. That's the only way I could make sense of it all.

Originally Posted by Shano592

Don't let the scales be your determining factor!

If you start to put on muscle, as it is denser than fat, then you will never be happy. The numbers will lie.

Unfortunately yes. The scale takes no prisoners.

Originally Posted by Shano592

I was reading that some pockets of France are the longest lived populations in the world. This coming from folks who consume cheeses, wines and fermented foods on a daily basis. White bread and rice isn't on the menu. I think it says something ...

That might be true for older generations as they hardly eat any processed foods. But I can assure you the obesity problem is reaching France and many other countries in Europe. I'm convinced it's linked to added sugar and sodium intake rather than lack of exercise. It's close to impossible to avoid these two unless you prepare your own meals with fresh stuff.

Wine consumption might help too but I can't vouch for that. I drink beer as well.

[shelltree (Shelley)]

So very true, Marc...the body knows what it needs! I find the weeks I really stress about my weight or don't eat enough because I have too much going on, is when I gain weight. But then I usually have a day off because I'm irritated at the scales and suddenly I've had a loss again!

The body works in mysterious ways...we just have to try and listen as best we can!

[Shano592 (Shane)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

That might be true for older generations as they hardly eat any processed foods. But I can assure you the obesity problem is reaching France and many other countries in Europe.

This is the same thing that is happening in China.

Every time we go back, we see more and more Chinese, who for their whole lives have had a local menu, succumbing to the vices of McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks. And they are embracing it with such gusto, the results are already starting to be seen.

They are amazed that we won't go near it, and prefer the authentic Chinese foods. But we can already see the effect it is having. The Chinese healthcare system is about to be overrun, and traditional medicine will be hard pressed to do anything about it.

I have to say, Marc, that I have just started trying this traditional Euro diet, and it takes some getting used to, coming from high carb. The results are yet to be seen (one way or the other). My fats and oils are up around 200g per day. Protein 80-100g, with carbs around 30-40g.

Fats and oils are predominantly cocunut oil, olive oil, and butter. Coconut oil is a medium chain, and ignites fat burning. The butter builds HDL cholesterol, which binds toxins, and helps to clear them (particularly heavy metals). Protein from meats and whey protein isolates (because I'm lazy). Carbs, I just seem to inhale, no matter where I go.

I'm 180cm, and the scales say I am 83kg. When I was 75, i was in the same jeans I'm in today, so go figure.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by Shano592

My fats and oils are up around 200g per day. Protein 80-100g, with carbs around 30-40g.

Fats and oils are predominantly cocunut oil, olive oil, and butter.

I eat a lot of unsalted butter and cook with a lot of olive oil. I just like the taste of it. I think the margarines taste disgusting. In the end if you take fat off food it doesn't taste good anymore, so to make it more palatable they add sugar. Same goes with low fat/skim milk. I now can taste the sugar in it and I never add any sugar to anything. When you cut sugar and lower salt after a few weeks your food starts tasting different and you can taste sweetness in everything. Same happened when I gave up smoking. Got my tastebuds back. I think sugar does the same. You get used to it and it just masks the real flavour of food.

I reckon that's why all those Jenny Craig and other low fat diets are BS and eventually fail in the long run because they're not sustainable. They're loaded in sugar. Or worse those meal replacement chocolate shakes. You just develop a sweet tooth then hit the wall later on.

[Shano592 (Shane)]

I think you hit the nail right on the head, Marc.

[shelltree (Shelley)]

Thankfully I've never had any issues with my sodium levels. I very rarely add salt to things and generally steer clear of salty foods. Don't know why, I just don't really like it that much. I even find cheddar cheese is too salty after a few slices. My sodium levels are about 2mg away from being too low and unfortunately I'm border line anaemic too.

I have to try and up my iron levels as I cannot eat red meat or chicken. But yes, good fats are great and really good tummy fillers. I really need to cut back on my bread intake though, I guess it's a work in progress.

Well, made it through my super light day. Will see how my numbers fair in the morning

[The_bluester (Paul)]

I did drop about a kg per week for about the first six weeks, there was a lot of walking involved plus a change in eating habits. I don't do crash dieting but bad habits crept in at work over years which I stopped pretty cold.

Unfortunately other things have interfered pretty badly since, the routine was comprehensively broken by the February bushfires and between that and a high stress year at work it has been very difficult the last six months. When you are mentally fragged from work it is hard to get yourself up at 5 am to get on the treadmill. I am looking forward to longer days and warmer weather as taking the dog for about a 4km walk a day after I got home really helped get the km up.

[lazjen (Chris)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

What's bad about it? Where do you fit on it? I'm on 71kg - 178cm.

Using your chart, I'd have to be a max of about 75kg (173cm) to be in the "healthy" range, which is complete rubbish.

As I said earlier, I did a program - it was with a dietitian at a weight management clinic that looked at everything: diet, exercise, sleep, etc. With that in mind, my target healthy weight was around 82 to 87 kgs (for the program's duration I was aiming to get to 94 kg), assuming no muscle mass loss (while on the program). At the end of the program I got to 89 kgs, gaining some muscle. (Side note: I also managed to clear all my medical issues at the time too - including blood pressure, cholesterol, etc - I removed the need to take any regular medication)

I'm currently 96 kg (about 2 years after the program ended). Of the 7kg I've gained, some is muscle mass, but I've slipped up a bit here and there, so a good proportion is probably fat (although my waist/hip measurements are still about the same). I know I've gained muscle mass as I'm consistently moving heavier weights (and more of them), plus higher resistance on cardio machines, etc.

I know I have to lose some fat (obviously since I've regained some ), but there's no way that I'll ever lose over 20 kg from where I am now to get to that ludicrous figure on that chart.

[shelltree (Shelley)]

Good on you, Paul! I completely agree that when you're drained, the last thing you want to do is haul yourself out of bed to exercise! I am looking forward to the warmer weather too.

Well, at least until it reaches the mid 30's, then I'll be cursing it

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by lazjen

Using your chart, I'd have to be a max of about 75kg (173cm) to be in the "healthy" range, which is complete rubbish.

As I said earlier, I did a program - it was with a dietitian at a weight management clinic that looked at everything: diet, exercise, sleep, etc. With that in mind, my target healthy weight was around 82 to 87 kgs (for the program's duration I was aiming to get to 94 kg), assuming no muscle mass loss (while on the program). At the end of the program I got to 89 kgs, gaining some muscle. (Side note: I also managed to clear all my medical issues at the time too - including blood pressure, cholesterol, etc - I removed the need to take any regular medication)

I'm currently 96 kg (about 2 years after the program ended). Of the 7kg I've gained, some is muscle mass, but I've slipped up a bit here and there, so a good proportion is probably fat (although my waist/hip measurements are still about the same). I know I've gained muscle mass as I'm consistently moving heavier weights (and more of them), plus higher resistance on cardio machines, etc.

I know I have to lose some fat (obviously since I've regained some ), but there's no way that I'll ever lose over 20 kg from where I am now to get to that ludicrous figure on that chart.

96kg for 173cm? Each to their own but it's way over the line IMHO. I can't see that work even if you're built like Arnold.

[lazjen (Chris)]

I didn't say that I was in the healthy range yet. 82-87kg is what I need to aim for. I object to the 75kg figure though - always has and always will be wrong.