Dieting.....

[bsnedeker]

Since we are talking about specific diets I'll just share my experience. I started on a keto- style diet when I started trying to lose weight. However, that diet also had me eating 800-900 calories a day so I was losing weight fast, 4 pounds a week, but I think I could have done the same no matter what I was eating if I kept my calories that low.

I did that diet for 3 months and lost 45 pounds. That was 4 months ago. Since then I have lost another 20 pounds on a diet that keeps me to around 1500 calories per day. I'm now down to 174 and I estimate I my lean weight is going to be around 160. I feel MUCH better on this diet. I do say a lot of carbs, but almost all in the form of fresh fruit with a little bit of natural fiber mixed in. I'm a firm believer in the idea of "everything in moderation" and feel that it's a good general rule of life. I try to eat as natural as I can and avoid heavily processed food.

That's just what has been working for me. I track my calories religiously and have just completely transformed the way I look at food.

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[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Hope it's ok to throw this out there, but I started a fitness and nutrition blog geared specifically for hunters. I would advise you stay away from Keto, Atkins, South Beach or any other crazy restrictive diet. What others have said is more or less correct, its completely a numbers game. Less calories in vs calories you expend. The key to healthy weight loss that will stay off and leave you feeling great and healthy is a well balanced meal plan. My website is Hunt the Mountain if you would like to check it. I would also be more than happy to spend some time on the phone if needed. If you are curious, I have a BS in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Nutrition and Physiology. I was also a trainer for a few years before changing my career path and going back to school for something else.

This post got my attention. In fact this is my first post. I checked out the link and tried to use the link that tells you your resting RMR. but got error message 404. not sure what that means.I been on a weight lose journey and i been doing well as far as loosing weight,But I really not eating balanced meals. I need to learn to eat balanced diet and archive my goal weight off under 200lbs.

 

[jp0212]

So sorry about that. I had an issue recently where all my links go broken and had to work with the support team to fix them. I just went in and fixed the spreadsheets so they can be downloaded. As I mention on the website, PLEASE do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions, need clarification or just want some help.

 

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

So sorry about that. I had an issue recently where all my links go broken and had to work with the support team to fix them. I just went in and fixed the spreadsheets so they can be downloaded. As I mention on the website, PLEASE do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions, need clarification or just want some help.

Thanks for posting and all the work on the blog.I find the info very useful!!I may be reaching out to you in the future.

 

[Coach Chris]

Kill the Dumb Diets | T Nation

 

[*zap*]

No one mentioned the awesome sweet potato for a great good carb source, so I will.

I watch the guys at the gym who are very lean and very strong and do multiple reps/sets of toe to bars. There is only a few of those. Two of them I have talked to at length about diet/exercise. One is 50 and the other guy is maybe 30's. Both eat a lot of sweet tatrers for a carb source.

Watched the younger guy crank out full hang to chest pull ups with a toe to bar at each full hang, he did around 10. Decided he was a good guy to talk to and get some info from. Plenty of strong guys at the gym, plenty of lean guys at the gym, not too many strong, lean and flexible guys at the gym...….fairly e-z to be one of the three but not e-z at all to be all three.


At 62 my goals are good strength, good cardio ability, great hip/core strength, great flexibility. Too get that you really need to stay on top of things.

Been at that gym for over 2 years and have watched the folks that are there on a regular basis......some are really in good overall shape and some are not...watch what the guys who are in great OVERALL shape/have gotten in great OVERALL shape are doing and talk to them about diet. The guys who I see that are in great overall shape are all lifting and/or doing hard calisthenics in addition to cardio. All of those guys have extremely strong core strength. Zero of those guys have excessive body fat and they all hit it very hard.

Establish your goals, talk to the people who have what you want and make your plan/stick too it.....why waste time? 0.1% improvement each workout really can add up. A realistic plan for extreme fitness, depending on your start fitness level, can take 1-2 years from start to goal (may take longer at an older age) and then you need to keep improving..there are no long lasting quick ways to do it and that is why most folks quit.


Just Do It!

 

[rodney482]

At 47 I just went Keto and moderate exercise. Some cardio and some weights.

 

[chadahooche_]

Start to slowly cut out things that are bad for you. Tell yourself 'no' to the donuts in the breakroom. Once you do that for a month and realize how you feel, you won't want them again. Then you start to gain momentum to other bad diet habits. No more creamer in your coffee, etc. They all add up.

 

[Dragonfish]

Similar story to silverbullet...at age 50 I was pushing 240 (5' 9"). I've been able to keep around 175-185 (lower weight going into elk season) now for about 2.5 years. Diet and exercise.

I cut out or greatly reduced high carb foods like breads, rice, sweets, alcohol, etc. Originally I used a food tracker with a calorie restrictive diet (something like paleo merged with primal diet) - meats, lots of veg, very little fruit, eggs, nuts, etc.

For the exercise, I started with steps...just get 10k/day. A cheap Fitbit helped me track. Later I increased cardio (elliptical, treadmill, jogging, pack training) and later added strength training.

A few other nuggets that helped me:
Set interim goals and small rewards.

Set a final target and reward. For me it was top take up elk hunting (at age 50).

Don't deprive yourself if you want a beer or dessert fine (i.e. Friday is my pizza day)...just ramp up the exercise to burn those calories.

If you have friends with similar goals use an app to compare (Fitbit, strada, etc). We are competitive and it's fun to beat your buddy by a couple thousand steps/miles in a day/week/month. The accountability helps too. Similarly getting into a workout group (not a chat fest) works here too.

Good luck!

Similar to others- I started on Oct 1 2018 (this time around) have gone from 260 to 232 (this morning) and from 45.5 inches around the belly, to 39 inches. I'm 49 years old, 6-2 . Have gone up and down over the years, did a really terrible medifast diet 5 years ago, went from 268 to 228, but it was absolute torture. crapped my way to 40 lbs of weight loss, felt like hell. Put most of it back on in the next two years or so. so this time I am trying to do it "right" . Tracking calories- I use myfitnesspal- there are several out there that are easy to use and have good database of nutritional information for just about anything you want to throw down. set a goal weight, it will give you suggested calories, and stick to it, it works. for exercise I've gone with a pretty heavy weightlifting regimen- 3 days a week of squat, deadlift, bench or some variant of the three (pause squats, pin bench press, etc) and light cardio two days a week with HIIT on the C2 rower one day. it's working for now. working towards a sheep hunt in august 2020 in the Alaska range. once I get to where I want to be - 37-38 inches around the middle, (probably around 220lbs or so on weight) and I get within a 6 months or so of the hunt i'll start putting on the miles with a pack. Archery Elk hunt in Wyoming this fall will be a good pre-game!

 

[dakotaduner]

There is some great success stories and good common sense approaches to weight loss here.
I'm now down 33 lbs. since December myself. I have been hitting the gym regularly but believe what has worked the most me is learning new food habits. As well as planning meals ahead of time.
Thanks all for keeping me motivated

 

[*zap*]

Dieting for weight loss is usually temporary and unsustainable…..the same may be true for overdoing exercise.

You can however introduce proper nutrition and a reasonable regular exercise program into your life and adjust to that lifestyle gradually while increasing the strictness of the diet and the goals for the exercise program.....short term goals and long term goals are both important as is knowing the difference between them and how to incorporate that into your training programs. Concentrating on one step at a time is how you make a difficult journey.

 

[Dragonfish]

Kill the Dumb Diets | T Nation

great article, thanks!

 

[Rich M]

Diet is everything when it comes to regulating your body weight.

I lost 40 pounds 2017 in about 2 months - was walking a couple miles every other day and eating right. No weight training, maybe a few push-ups. After hunt was over, kept it off for another 6 months and started eating crap & drinking soda & booze again. Right back up there.

Last Monday I decided it is time to lose weight again - want to get to 220 or less before I head out west this fall. I was 273 and am now at 265. If I avoid any bread, breading, sugar, soda, alcohol, I will wake up a little lighter than the day before. If not, then I weight the same or slightly heavier. Body has a level it wants to be at and if we keep cramming stuff into it, it will be heavier and out of balance.

Look at the Whole 30 diet - it is protein and vegetables primarily. You can eat potatoes & sweet potatoes. No processed foods, no carbs that don't come from natural foods. It is simple except that you have to cook your own food. LOL! Makers diet is also pretty decent for resetting your body (sugar levels, etc.).

It is better when you make it a lifelong habit. I will start exercising once I lose 50 pounds in a couple of months. Gonna be 50 this year - not wanting to stress my knees with the extra weight on there - as for now, walking.