Pants
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Post by Pants on May 9, 2014 15:34:37 GMT -5
Ava - if you don't mind me asking how much weight do you have to lose? You may want to meet with your doctor and see if he/she can help you with a diet/exercise plan. For people who are severely overweight, it may not be safe to take drastic action for food or exercise. And cutting your meals in half is definitely drastic! I read an interesting book a while back called why we get fat, and one of the points that stuck with me is that you're not fat because you're hungry, you are hungry because you are fat. Essentially, your body is constantly trying to provide fuel to support its existing mass so that it doesn't have to delve into your muscle and fat stores to fuel itself, so when you are already fat it is constantly sending the message that you are hungry. It's hard to be hungry all the time. I agree with a lot of the good advice in this thread. I've lost over 40 lbs over the last year, and several things helped me: - Planning meals and tracking my calories, including weighing food. When I am adhering to my diet plan, my food intake is pretty boring. But it's also predictable and easy to plan. I typically have one meal/week of takeout or something that's less healthy. - Lots of fiber and protein, fewer carbs. My diet plan of 1200 calories essentially looks like this: Breakfast 6:30 am: 1.5 eggs, 1 turkey sausage Snack 10:00 am: 1/2 cup roaster or raw almonds Snack 2 11:00 am: 3/4 cup cottage cheese or yogurt Lunch: 2:30: 1 chicken breast, lots of veggies with a splash of olive oil and salt Dinner 6:30 pm: chicken breast, veggies - Having a diet of only 1200 calories is hard and pretty aggressive. Do what works for you. You'll notice I have several snacks in the morning and then eat lunch late and that holds me till dinner. For some reason that's what works best for me. Work out what works best for you with timing to minimize hunger. On days when I work out, I increase my calorie intake as well. Peanut butter is good for that, but if you burn 200 calories exercising, and want some ice cream, go ahead and have a small bowl of ice cream. Just don't have an entire pint. - Make excercise work for you. Start slow. Give yourself rest days. Expect to be sore. Expect to be winded. The only important thing is not to quit. Hate running? Don't do it. The more you enjoy what you're doing, the more likely you will hang on until you start seeing and feeling results. And seeing yourself get faster/stronger/fitter is a huge motivator to keep going. - Make it logistically easy. For me, that meant buying a weight set for my basement. Because going to the gym is kind of a PITA, but there are very few excuses I can find on why I can't walk down to the basement for 20 min and do some weights. The harder something is to start, the easier it is to talk yourself out of it. - It's also good when trying to lose weight if you do weight training to build muscle mass. This helps increase your metabolism and rebuild muscle that your body absorbs while fueling itself when you're not eating as many calories as you need to keep you going. - Do it with friends. One of the main reasons I was able to lose the weight was because I was on the fitness thread over in WIRR. I dropped off because of work insanity but I'm heading back soon. Which brings me to my confession: even when you do everything right, it's easy to slip back into old bad habits. I've been sick and work has been crazy. I ahven't worked out in a month and have been eating terribly and I know I'm gaining weight again. So I need to get back on the horse, because I still have more weight to lose. So thank YOU for motivating me. I'm going to do weights tonight and discuss with DH how we both get back on the diet and exercise wagon. Sarcastic - expect to see me back over on the fitness thread. Please yell at me if you don't.
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lazysundays
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Post by lazysundays on May 9, 2014 15:38:16 GMT -5
Also what really worked for me is cutting out the evening carb snacking and, if I still had calories allowed to eat per myfitnesspal, I would eat protein. It filled me up for the night and doesn't turn to fat while I sleep. I try not to eat after 8 like I used to do when I was still skinny, but it's a habit that's super hard to break.
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Ava
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Post by Ava on May 9, 2014 17:58:26 GMT -5
Thanks for all the advice. This is really difficult for me; in part because I put on weight easily. But also because I am sort of addicted to food. It's like an emotional blanket for me. I used to work more physically demanding jobs until two years ago. The moment I started working in an office environment, that's when it got worse.
It's not easy to change things. I don't think a website like myfitnesspal would make any difference to me. I feel like I would need a ton of emotional support to overcome this, and that's something I don't have. I've tried many things; talking to my doctor, having tests done, going to Weight Watchers. It all failed. You may think I am not trying hard enough, but I am really only hurting myself. And I don't do it voluntarily. I cannot find a way to revert this situation.
Weight Watchers was not a good fit for me; the meetings were stupid beyond belief. The leader would bring up a "theme" to talk about during the meeting, but only she talked. The rest of us just listened. Then she gave little plastic pins to those who had lost most weight. I felt like a kid in kindergarten. Nobody cares in WW what's going through your mind or why you are failing. Then after the meeting the leader would try really HARD to sell me books, and WW stuff. I felt very uncomfortable there, and sorry to all of you who love it; I found it a rip-off.
I got diagnosed with thyroid problems in Argentina, but when I came back here I went to a general physician and to two different endocrinologists; all three said my thyroid was fine.
My general physician recommended WW, that's why I went there.
I also went to Overeaters Anonymous a few years ago. They meet at 4:00 so I could go then because I worked till 3. It was nice talking, but it didn't change anything for me either.
I know exercising alone is not going to solve the issue. But I see it as a start. I kind of put my weight in my mental back-burner because of school, and also because my depression was getting out of control and I had to deal with that first.
I feel like a failure that there are so many resources out there and I cannot make it work. Even my employer has ton of "methods" to lose weight on its website.
The only thing I know for sure is that this is a very complex issue, and there are no easy answers. I'll go check my fitness pal now.
Thanks.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2014 18:05:03 GMT -5
If you feel addicted, you might have food sensitivities. I gain weight on weird things, and don't on things you wouldn't expect. I suggest a book called The Plan. Not necessarily her diet, but the book...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2014 18:17:25 GMT -5
Well, I still think eating 1/2 of whatever you usually eat and you can eat more when you're hungry again is easiest. No special food, no plans, no gadgets.
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Jaguar
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Post by Jaguar on May 9, 2014 18:29:04 GMT -5
Be mindful of how much you eat, when you eat and what you eat. I know with myself if I'm craving salty food it's cause I'm dehydrated. Know your own body and listen to it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2014 18:38:08 GMT -5
When I am eating good foods, good for my body, I stop when I'm full.
There are certain foods I'm sensitive to, which aren't good for me, but even if I feel bad its hard to stop myself from eating more and more... It really is addiction like...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2014 18:43:14 GMT -5
That would be sugar for me. Well, sugary candy...chocolate is not a problem but if I start eating Starbursts or jellybeans or Bottle Caps they will be gone.
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Jaguar
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Post by Jaguar on May 9, 2014 18:47:55 GMT -5
Salt for me.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2014 18:53:20 GMT -5
Soy can trigger it in me.
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lazysundays
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Post by lazysundays on May 9, 2014 19:16:23 GMT -5
I have some leftover pollyo while milk mozarella block in the work fridge. I am still gonna eat it by melting it on foil and eating it as a melty finger snack.
Here's where a food scale would help. Work just happens to have a scale that I put my food on to compare my estimated portion vs actual. The mozarella block says 16 servings = one ounce per serving. Expected serving size = 2, actually eating 4.8 servings. Wow big difference when serving is 80 calories.
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on May 9, 2014 19:52:54 GMT -5
I'm sure that everybody responds to food differently, but I've noticed in my family that dairy is disgustingly fattening. My youngest has a dairy allergy and he is rail thin. I'm not a fan of dairy and I am thin. Dh gave up soda because he has been packing on weight, but he increased the amount of milk he drinks and has gained even MORE weight. I almost always drink water. The only time I drink calories is if I'm drinking (I like beer). I'm also somebody that has a huge appetite. I can eat more in one sitting than dh. I'm not a huge fan of meat, but I force myself to eat it because the protein is what keeps me full. I'd start off by making a few small changes, like only drinking water and trying to cut back on carbs, and see how you feel. Almost forgot -My bff lost close to 100lbs by joining Weight Watchers. They assign points to all food and you get a certain amount of points that you're are supposed to stay under. She really liked the program and is still on it to maintain her weight. She said she never feels deprived. I think going to the WW meetings is a big part of her success (the accountability aspect). Good luck! Milk, even skim, has a lot of calories, but it has even more carbs and sugar than most people realize. I drink 2 cups (a tall glass) every morning of skim milk and it has 180 calories, 26g of carbs and 24g sugar. If your husband drinks 4-5 glasses of milk a day, he is drinking almost half his calories for the day!
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on May 9, 2014 20:12:18 GMT -5
Thanks for all the advice. This is really difficult for me; in part because I put on weight easily. But also because I am sort of addicted to food. It's like an emotional blanket for me. I used to work more physically demanding jobs until two years ago. The moment I started working in an office environment, that's when it got worse. It's not easy to change things. I don't think a website like myfitnesspal would make any difference to me. I feel like I would need a ton of emotional support to overcome this, and that's something I don't have. I've tried many things; talking to my doctor, having tests done, going to Weight Watchers. It all failed. You may think I am not trying hard enough, but I am really only hurting myself. And I don't do it voluntarily. I cannot find a way to revert this situation. Weight Watchers was not a good fit for me; the meetings were stupid beyond belief. The leader would bring up a "theme" to talk about during the meeting, but only she talked. The rest of us just listened. Then she gave little plastic pins to those who had lost most weight. I felt like a kid in kindergarten. Nobody cares in WW what's going through your mind or why you are failing. Then after the meeting the leader would try really HARD to sell me books, and WW stuff. I felt very uncomfortable there, and sorry to all of you who love it; I found it a rip-off. I got diagnosed with thyroid problems in Argentina, but when I came back here I went to a general physician and to two different endocrinologists; all three said my thyroid was fine. My general physician recommended WW, that's why I went there. I also went to Overeaters Anonymous a few years ago. They meet at 4:00 so I could go then because I worked till 3. It was nice talking, but it didn't change anything for me either. I know exercising alone is not going to solve the issue. But I see it as a start. I kind of put my weight in my mental back-burner because of school, and also because my depression was getting out of control and I had to deal with that first. I feel like a failure that there are so many resources out there and I cannot make it work. Even my employer has ton of "methods" to lose weight on its website. The only thing I know for sure is that this is a very complex issue, and there are no easy answers. I'll go check my fitness pal now. Thanks. Have you considered seeing a counselor? I'm not big into the "group shame" of weight watchers, and other groups like that. But, you said that your eating is emotionally triggered. Maybe a professional can help you sort through that and help you develop techniques you can use to keep on track. My company has one of those phone numbers you can call and get mental health help. One of the things they advertise is that they have weight loss support. Do you have something like that at your work? Or, would your health insurance cover a counselor? I will second Beerwenchs 1/2 portion thing. One day I realized that I ate two bowls of cereal every single morning of my life, and I really only needed one. And I decided to just start eating one. Pushing away from the table that first week was incredibly difficult - but I told myself if I got to work and I was still hungry I would eat an apple. 4 out of 5 days I forgot when I got to work, so I must not have been that hungry. It took a very, very long time for one bowl of cereal to feel "normal." For a whole year I felt like I was being deprived, and it wasn't right. Then one day I ate the second bowl, and I felt so full and lethargic, it was uncomfortable. After that, I knew I was doing the right thing. Good luck - you are doing the right thing for your health, and you won't regret it once you get the weight off. It might change everything. When my DH lost a bunch of weight, his allergies went away - who knew. And, when he lost the weight I slept better - because he wasn't all snoring and shit. It really has changed his life.
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drivingaround
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Post by drivingaround on May 9, 2014 20:14:04 GMT -5
Are you still seeing your therapist on the mental health/depression? If so, could he/she provide the additional emotional support you're looking for with the weight loss?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2014 20:15:47 GMT -5
Skim milk has more sugar than whole.
I'm not a proponent of replacing fat with sugar...
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on May 9, 2014 20:23:36 GMT -5
I drink a gallon of water per day, room temp, and I drink a glass before meals. If I need to lose weight fast, I don't eat dinner. Big breakfast, reasonable lunch and no dinner. I can lose a pound a day doing that but I don't recommend it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2014 20:42:35 GMT -5
I'm not sure what kind of link you want? There is everything from Time to JAMA on the subject. If I look up 2% and whole nutritional data! it's fractionally higher... I think skim is worse.
Generally speaking when they take out fat they add sugar..
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on May 9, 2014 21:16:12 GMT -5
Skim milk has more sugar than whole. What?! Do you have a link? I buy 2%. My oldest would be in heaven if I bought whole milk. I worry more about sugar than fat. Look at the nutrition labels. All milk has 12-13 grams of sugar (lactose). Skim milk just lacks natural fat, which can help curb blood sugar spikes. I ingest very little animal fat, so I buy skim milk. We only need it to moisten cereal and make the occasional pan of mac and cheese.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2014 21:27:03 GMT -5
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constanz22
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Post by constanz22 on May 9, 2014 21:30:31 GMT -5
Ava- if you didn't have a good experience with different "programs" maybe just try a plain old "count your calories" plan. It is a pretty universally accepted formula, when tracking calories, take your goal weight, multiply by 10, and this is your target daily calories. It kind of forces you to choose healthy, lower calorie options. I also agree with being diligent about serving sizes. Measure and weigh everything.
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sarcasticgirl
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Post by sarcasticgirl on May 9, 2014 21:34:04 GMT -5
Sarcastic - expect to see me back over on the fitness thread. Please yell at me if you don't. don't worry... i'll find you. Remember, I know where you live! I encourage anyone who's changing their daily diet and activity levels to concentrate on how they feel. For most people a diet of foods that are closest to their natural state : meat, veggies, fruits etc will make a person feel much better than a diet full of "fat free" items, sugar, flour, diet sodas and packaged items. I've been having some stomach issues and have spent the last two weeks eating more bread, biscuits and rice, etc than i've eaten all year, because it kept my stomach settled... and i absolutely feel like CRAP. i have been dragging ass and feeling exhausted. I got some meds from my DR today and was positively salivated as i grilled up some chicken for dinner tonight. Summer time is around the corner and fresh produce will be in abundance. If you have the space, think about creating a little garden. fresh produce and herbs at your fingertips lends to better cooking. As others have mentioned, pre-planning and staying organized with your meals makes it so much easier. Honestly, for me... that's half the battle. If i don't pre-plan during the weekend, i end up making bad choices during the week.
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sarcasticgirl
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Post by sarcasticgirl on May 9, 2014 21:39:53 GMT -5
What?! Do you have a link? I buy 2%. My oldest would be in heaven if I bought whole milk. I worry more about sugar than fat. Look at the nutrition labels. All milk has 12-13 grams of sugar (lactose). Skim milk just lacks natural fat, which can help curb blood sugar spikes. I ingest very little animal fat, so I buy skim milk. We only need it to moisten cereal and make the occasional pan of mac and cheese. almond milk on cereal is awesome. of course, cereal is a "guilty pleasure" in my world... but seriously... try unsweetened almond milk. WAY better than skim/2% milk
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on May 9, 2014 21:44:37 GMT -5
Look at the nutrition labels. All milk has 12-13 grams of sugar (lactose). Skim milk just lacks natural fat, which can help curb blood sugar spikes. I ingest very little animal fat, so I buy skim milk. We only need it to moisten cereal and make the occasional pan of mac and cheese. almond milk on cereal is awesome. of course, cereal is a "guilty pleasure" in my world... but seriously... try unsweetened almond milk. WAY better than skim/2% milk I do like almond milk, but we use a quart of milk in an average week. Skim is $1.17, or something ridiculously cheap like that. The wallet wins! Lol.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on May 9, 2014 23:59:00 GMT -5
I do like almond milk, but we use a quart of milk in an average week. Skim is $1.17, or something ridiculously cheap like that. The wallet wins! Lol. I could afford almond milk if we only used a quart of milk in a week. We go through 2 or 3 gallons!
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truthbound
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Post by truthbound on May 10, 2014 5:01:35 GMT -5
I lost the most weight when I went gluten-free. I am not a big fan of breads/pasta anyway so I just never replaced them. However, reading the labels carefully meant that I cut out most processed and junk food. Right now I try to focus on getting in lots of protein and fiber at each meal. I can be satisfied with less if I have the right mix of nutrients. Right now I am tracking in MFP to make sure I don't gain too much but still keep track of my nutrients. I've been making green smoothies for breakfast & lunch. They pack well in canning jars and are easy to assemble. I found a chart on Pinterest, but the basic recipe is 1) liquid - water, almond milk, juice, about 8oz, 2) greens - kale, spinach, broccoli, 3) fruit - apple, banana, handful of grapes, 4) veggies - carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, squash, 5) extra protein if desired - flax meal, oat meal, protein powders. To keep it cheap and easy to prepare I use a lot of frozen veggies and fruits. I also mix up 2 smoothies at a time, they will store for about 24 hours in the fridge. My drinks today cost about $2.50 for both of them and contain 3 servings of fruit/veggies, protein, and plenty of fiber. One 16oz drink will keep me full for about 4 hours and has 300 calories or less. And I know that I am not getting some of the weird ingredients that are in normal meal replacement shakes. "Green Thickies" is a great site to look at for substantial meal replacement shakes. You lost weight because you stopped eating more calories than you were taking in. It had nothing to do with gluten.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2014 7:27:22 GMT -5
Online it said whole was 12.35 and 2% was 12.39. I didn't look at skim. Like I said, I think Meghan was right in that less fat means more of a sugar spike being the problem associated with lower fat milks being correlated to higher weight gain, from the literature.
We are not a dairy household.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2014 7:27:58 GMT -5
I lost the most weight when I went gluten-free. I am not a big fan of breads/pasta anyway so I just never replaced them. However, reading the labels carefully meant that I cut out most processed and junk food. Right now I try to focus on getting in lots of protein and fiber at each meal. I can be satisfied with less if I have the right mix of nutrients. Right now I am tracking in MFP to make sure I don't gain too much but still keep track of my nutrients. I've been making green smoothies for breakfast & lunch. They pack well in canning jars and are easy to assemble. I found a chart on Pinterest, but the basic recipe is 1) liquid - water, almond milk, juice, about 8oz, 2) greens - kale, spinach, broccoli, 3) fruit - apple, banana, handful of grapes, 4) veggies - carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, squash, 5) extra protein if desired - flax meal, oat meal, protein powders. To keep it cheap and easy to prepare I use a lot of frozen veggies and fruits. I also mix up 2 smoothies at a time, they will store for about 24 hours in the fridge. My drinks today cost about $2.50 for both of them and contain 3 servings of fruit/veggies, protein, and plenty of fiber. One 16oz drink will keep me full for about 4 hours and has 300 calories or less. And I know that I am not getting some of the weird ingredients that are in normal meal replacement shakes. "Green Thickies" is a great site to look at for substantial meal replacement shakes. You lost weight because you stopped eating more calories than you were taking in. It had nothing to do with gluten. That is not necessarily true, at all.
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lazysundays
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Post by lazysundays on May 10, 2014 7:51:02 GMT -5
I've read plenty of articles saying to drink 2% or skim milk as part of a diet plan. The protein in it makes it a great choice. After a great workout, a person should have some carbs and protein to boost the effect. It can be a small amount of juice with some raw almonds or it can just be a small glass of milk.
I get much better results with a workout than without. Your body still has a boosted metabolism for 12 hours after a good workout.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2014 7:55:46 GMT -5
Yes, I think lots do recommend it. That's one reason why the doctors in one of the studies I posted were surprised when kids who drank lower fat milks were 'fatter' than those who drank whole milk. It's expected to be 'diet' ... But then somehow a lot of the stuff we've been led yo think of as 'diet' dint ending up to be any better for us, or our waistlines.
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lazysundays
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Post by lazysundays on May 10, 2014 8:00:52 GMT -5
500 calories per day = 1 pound a week. Very basic. Eat 500 more a day, you gain. Exercise off 500 a day or limit food intake by 500 a day, or I prefer a combo of the two to equal 500 calories a day, and you lose 1 pound a week. That's why it's ok to be more hungry after a workout. I go to the gym after work at 9 pm. If I go over by only 200 calories that day, I only have to work out to lose 200 calories to be at goal. I am more likely to exercise 400-500 calories, so I am starting tomorrow with extra calorie allowance. I use some of it to feed myself extra because I'm hungry from last night. So why exercise if I just eat it back? Because I want health, stamina, muscle tone. I love that I can see the results in my belly. I always joked that I was allergic to the gym, but I love how HAPPY I feel after a workout. Love that chemical release high.
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