Diet

DEW

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Robby after reading through the Paleo Diet thread could you please provide some info on what your diet consists of? Also some articles and reading material info as well. Thanks DEW
 

robby denning

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DEW, thanks for the question.
As you've seen on the other thread, I'm opposed (as is the good clinical data) to high fat eating. In most cultures (not all) it leads to disease. Let me give you a few lines of summary of what I recommend before getting into the details so you, and others, can decide if they want to follow.

I have no problem with low-carb as far as avoiding added sugars and processed carbs (while going for whole grains) as those are the carbs that are killing Americans. What I have a problem with is the silly magical stuff these diets make up to sell their books... and there are thousands of "books" on this stuff.

In the end it (weight loss and healthy eating) all comes down to calories and eating a diet you can continue with. A healthy diet (which should be the goal) includes lots of fruits (little if any juice) and vegetables, whole grains, and variety of protein sources with about 10% or less discretionary calories you can spend on less healthy choices.

So, I'll start at the top.

1) What is your goal? (weight loss, reduce blood pressure, etc?)
 

ScottR_EHJ

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Amen Robby, there is stuff that is tried and true out there regarding a healthy diet. Every year its a new diet, with a new work out that is supposed to work wonders. Simply learning how to eat a healthy diet does wonders!
 
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DEW

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Robby my goals are weight loss, cholesterol, and over all better health. Would like to see my energy levels increase. Thanks for taking the time for my question....
 

robby denning

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DEW,
great goals to have. Overweight is associated with higher death rate at all fitness levels, high cholesterol with heart disease. Low energy kills motivation.

Next:

1) how much do you weigh?
2) What is your current activity level (including what you do for a living?)
3) You're male, right?

I'll get more specific as you answer the questions.
 

robby denning

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OK, on your job,
how many hours (or minutes) per day are you doing the following?
1) sitting
2) standing without walking
3) walking
4) anything more intense than walking
 
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robby denning

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DEW, thanks, Gotta check out till tomorrow, but you've given me the numbers I need for now. Stay tuned. (got your PM, too)
 

robby denning

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OK DEW, I'm back.

This first post will be on acheiving a healthy weight; I'll tackle the healthy food choices in the next post.

Based on your weight/height, you should weigh about 170-180. These are not exact numbers, but should get you within 5 pounds of ideal for health, asthetics, fitness. So about a 25 pound weight loss would be recommended.

Based on your job, working 5 days per week, you have a weekly caloric expenditure of 8000 calories per week or about 1150/ day averaged in a 7 day week. I'm assuming sedentary on weekends.

Because I can't test your metabolism, I'm using a version of the Harris-Benedict equation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris-Benedict_equation

to predict your calorie needs per day. We expect this number to be within 20% of actual, and is a good place to start.

For your weight of 200 pounds, I get 2400 calories per day as a base to maintain your weight AT REST.

If I multiply this by 7 days a week, we get 16,800 + 8000 (from your job) for 24,800 per week required. Divide that by 7 and your daily average required to maintain your weight is 3,542 per day.

You said you wanted to lose weight, I suggested 25 pounds. We coach people to lose it slowly, as pounds lost that way tend to stay off because you're building habits you can sustain (i.e. not starving on a fad diet you will eventually abandon.) I'd recommend 12 weeks or about 2 pounds per week. That requires a 7000 calorie deficit per week or 1000/day to achieve.

So, we aim for 3,542 - 1000/ day = 2,452 per day as a goal.

This number is purely from a weight loss stand point. It wouldn't matter if you ate twinkies, bacon, or lettuce to acheive it from a weight loss stand point as predicted by the First Law of Thermodynamics, but because we want to lower your cholesterol and other risk factors related to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, we want to acheive the calorie deficit by eating mostly healthy foods. I will pick up with that tomorrow and give you suggested portions of types of food to choose from. The idea is to give you lots of choices so that it is easier to follow.

If you have any questions between now and then, post 'em up.
 
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DEW

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Robbie those # were based on 4-10 hr days. Thanks a lot for taking the time to explain and figure all of this for me.... DEW
 
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Doj4Whlr

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Robby, DEW- thanks for taking the time to post this thread, I find it very interesting to read. I consider myself fairly well experienced in this topic but I really appreciate reading this exchange.
 

robby denning

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Stay tuned Doj, we'll get more in depth with food choices to meet those calorie needs in a healthy and sustainable way, without starving or risking health.
 
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robby denning

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DEW, sorry I haven't posted today. Just getting back to my computer after long day at work. Anyway, before I get into the food choices, you really should start tracking your calories so you know where you're at.

This part takes WORK and where the diet gurus try to discourage you and get you to eat their top 10 foods. I'll admit, that is easier for awhile than calorie tracking, until you get tired of those foods and you will (see New England Journal of Medicine May 2003 for studies on restrictive diets).

If you are a smart phone user, you can download apps from calorieking.com and myfitnesspal.com.

If you're pen and paper, like me, a great resource is the T-Factor fat gram counter available at Barnes & Noble and probably Amazon. While it focuses on fat grams, it's also got the calories for thousands of foods and it's small enough to take along with you.

This brings up my next point, calorie tracking requires you write down what you eat either before or immediatly after you eat. You need a small journal with you at every meal. I make no aplogies for the work that goes into this because it is what teaches you how to eat properly and keep lost weight off. I've tracked my calories (I struggle with my weight too in this food rich, no-exercise culture of ours) on and off for 10 years and learn something new everytime I do it.

I'll be back at my desk tomorrow and will post more on the healthy eatiing side of this issue.
 

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DEW, sorry I haven't posted today. Just getting back to my computer after long day at work. Anyway, before I get into the food choices, you really should start tracking your calories so you know where you're at.

This part takes WORK and where the diet gurus try to discourage you and get you to eat their top 10 foods. I'll admit, that is easier for awhile than calorie tracking, until you get tired of those foods and you will (see New England Journal of Medicine May 2003 for studies on restrictive diets).

If you are a smart phone user, you can download apps from calorieking.com and myfitnesspal.com.

If you're pen and paper, like me, a great resource is the T-Factor fat gram counter available at Barnes & Noble and probably Amazon. While it focuses on fat grams, it's also got the calories for thousands of foods and it's small enough to take along with you.

This brings up my next point, calorie tracking requires you write down what you eat either before or immediatly after you eat. You need a small journal with you at every meal. I make no aplogies for the work that goes into this because it is what teaches you how to eat properly and keep lost weight off. I've tracked my calories (I struggle with my weight too in this food rich, no-exercise culture of ours) on and off for 10 years and learn something new everytime I do it.

I'll be back at my desk tomorrow and will post more on the healthy eatiing side of this issue.

I am glad to hear your endorsement of calorie counting Robby, it was just the encouragement I needed :) I have calorie counted on and off for sometime, both in efforts to maintain a healthy weight, and also to keep myself "accountable" for both the food I consume and my level of fitness/activity. I have been on several backpacking trips where I know my performance suffered because I wasn't eating enough/or the right stuff to keep my body fueled during heavy activity. I have found that calorie and activity tracking in my regular life keeps me more tuned into what I need to do when my energy output skyrockets due to hiking with heavy loads, a lengthy bike ride, etc.

This is great info and inspiration, keep it coming!
 

Dixie07

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Just started reading this thread. This is great, keep it coming! While I am not trying to lose weight, I am always looking for healthier options to maintain where I am at now. I have counted calories off and on through the years, and it does take some discipline to stick with it.
 

bnsafe

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trying not to thread jack, but, isnt it as much the right calories as just counting calories.
 
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trying not to thread jack, but, isnt it as much the right calories as just counting calories.

When it comes to counting calories.... Calories are just that, calories.


You can eat two twinkies and have 600 calories
or you can eat a chicken breast salad and have 600 calories


Calories are calories. Yes you may obtain your calories in the twinkies from sugar and corn syrup, but they are still calories. Your body will still burn them. You may not feel as good, but in the end calories are calories.
 
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