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Some years ago, I had lost weight. I was able to stay around a healthy, muscular 200 lbs. If I'd eaten better and didn't snack or enjoy popcorn as much as I do at the movies, I probably could've lowered it further. And the guns. Oh, I loved having "guns" for the first time in my life. Anyway, I digress.

I'm now around 235 to 240. I actually donated most of my wardrobe out of shame that it didn't fit me anymore. I hate looking at myself in the mirror, I don't feel attractive, and I've not joined my mother and my niece to swimming on Fridays because I don't want to feel like a whale in a bathing suit. Hell, you know what I enjoyed most about being slimmer? Wearing my Superman belt buckle. I know it's a really silly, nerdy thing but it made me feel empowered after losing that weight.

One thing I desperately need to change is my eating habits. I'm a horrible snacker and ice cream is my Kryptonite. I have absolutely no self-control with it. I'm also really bad with portioning and honestly still don't know how to properly portion.

At least for now, I want to change my smoothies. They're probably my favourite thing to make every morning. Right now, it includes a banana, a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt, a half cup of frozen fruit, a half cup of frozen berries (two different bags with different fruits), a small cup of protein powder (Vega), and some store bought juice.

But I think I'm going to start changing it up. I've been reading a bit on green smoothies. This site, for example, not only offers some good tips on smoothies (don't use store-bought juices, don't use yogurt) and some recipes. I honestly never knew what I was doing when it came to smoothies and just sort of came up with the above recipe on my own. It's probably not even half as healthy as I think it is, especially daily. So this might be a good change. I might even start making a second smoothie in the mornings and bring it with me to work.

What do you guys think? I don't know how many of you out there are into nutrition or eating healthier. Hell, maybe reading this, some of you might want to join me on this trek. All I ask is you don't derail this with shouts of bacon or something.[DOUBLEPOST=1404793318,1404792924][/DOUBLEPOST]On a related noted, the site I linked also has a method for making home made almond milk that sounds absolutely delicious. I have the next two days off, so I think I might try it.

Right there with you, man. I'm 5'5" and 270. I've never been fit in my life. That coupled with how all of my romantic relationships have ended, I feel incredibly ugly. My problem with food is not snacking, it's that I only eat maybe twice a day and when I do, it's huge portions. And when I try to exercise, I always quickly hit a plateau where I can not lose anymore weight no matter how hard I try.

I enjoy smoothies with half a banana, powdered peanut butter, spinach, and unsweetened almond milk. I don't know why it wouldn't be OK to add yogurt--just make sure it's not sweetened, because those kinds have about as much sugar as ice cream.

I wouldn't personally replace two meals with smoothies unless that's how I was planning on living my life long term. It seems like it would provide quick, deceptive weight loss that wouldn't last after adding regular food again. At least that's what I saw happen with family members and friends.

Some other stuff-- I'm also a sucker for snacks, so I just don't buy them. If I ever want some, I get one of those mini cups at the grocery store. My usual snack now is plain yogurt and a little Uncle Sam cereal, which is really high in fiber with almost no sugar and flax seeds for protein. I keep infused water ready in the fridge too--flavor without calories I don't need.

Something that's helped me get away from snacking is walking outside while listening to educational podcasts and keeping a rubber band on my wrist. If I'm finding it really hard to not eat, I give myself a little snap. It really helps. Mindless or emotional eating is a problem for a lot of people in my family, so I've developed a lot of little strategies over the years. Good luck with your goals. I have confidence that you'll get back to where you want to be.

Cheesy1 said:

Right there with you, man. I'm 5'5" and 270. I've never been fit in my life. That coupled with how all of my romantic relationships have ended, I feel incredibly ugly. My problem with food is not snacking, it's that I only eat maybe twice a day and when I do, it's huge portions. And when I try to exercise, I always quickly hit a plateau where I can not lose anymore weight no matter how hard I try.

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Yeah, I need to hit the exercise more. Thank Kirby I bike to and from work every day. Admittedly, it's only a 10-minute ride at 2.7 KM (1.6 miles), but it's the most consistent exercise I've gotten in the last while. I haven't been doing the DDP Yoga as much as I'd like to and I need to change that, too.

Do you wanna join me in doing these green smoothies? We can both start trying them for breakfast.

Cheesy1 said:

I can not lose anymore weight no matter how hard I try.

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Don't forget that it's not weight that matters, but size. If you build muscle and lose fat, your weight will actually go up, not down. Scales are nice tools, but they don't tell the whole story.

--Patrick

Alton Brown has a nice plan, IMO. It's more of a life change than a diet, and it makes a lot of sense.

This link has the show transcript:
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season13/diet/diet_trans.htm

Basically what to eat:

The Plan of the Four Lists is all about prioritizing my culinary input.
All right, now here is list one. These are the foods that I must consume daily, and those include fruits, whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, carrots, and green tea, which we'll have to deal with on another show.
DAILY
FRUITS
WHOLE GRAINS
LEAFY GREENS
NUTS
CARROTS
GREEN TEA

List number two includes the foods that I need to consume at least three times a week, at least. And those include oily fish, yogurt, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and avocado.
3X WEEKLY
OILY FISH
YOGURT
BROCCOLI
SWEET POTATO
AVOCADO
Now list number three, now that's when discipline comes on line. These are the foods that I allow myself but one time a week. They include red meat, pasta, all desserts, and alcohol.
1X WEEKLY
RED MEAT
PASTA
DESSERT
ALCOHOL

0x WEEKLY
Fast Food
Soda (Club soda is ok)
Processed Meals (frozen dinners)
Canned Soup
Anything with "diet" written on it

I think it's a good idea to change up your smoothie, if you're interested in losing weight. If you can handle it, I would definitely think of adding some greens into your smoothie recipe - spinach or kale or something similar because it gives you the extra nutrition that you need. The Vega protien is a good one, it's what I use. I'm also going to second that you need to not be using store bought juice, yikes that sugar! I personally use 100% coconut water, but almond milk would work fine too. =^^= You also might want to think about adding some Chia seeds to your recipe. They're a small, but great additive.

Also, I don't know if this is what you do or not, but when I was researching smoothies, it was brought up that having a smoothie in the morning is a meal replacement. So, having a healthy smoothie, but then having cereal, or toast, or whatever else defeats the purpose.

Snacking is a tough one and I also agree with Cajungal - I too go on a walk, just around the block or something, if I'm feeling snack-y for no reason. It also helps me realize or think if I want to snack because I'm actually hungry, or if I'm just bored.

If ice cream is your vice, you may want to have yogurt be your snack instead? Or a sorbet. With fresh fruit. They might help give you that sugar/sweetness you want, with out you actually eating ice cream.

My best advice for you though, don't beat yourself up about any of it. I think the biggest reason people fall by the wayside with weight loss is they see any deviation as a failure, which isn't true. So, if things take a while to get going, get into the habit of eating well, there's no reason you shouldn't feel good about your effort.

And I'm going to second what PatrThom mentioned, it shouldn't always be about how much weight you should be losing.

I don't know if my advice is any good, or helpful, but just know we're all behind you 100%!

Oh yeah to emphasize LittleKags sentiment about beating yourself up; be constructive about your view of self. Maybe @MindDetective could chime in (though he is probably knee deep in diapers right now).

Instead of: Oh good grief I just ate an entire carton of ice cream! I am such a fatty. Why do I do such stupid things?

Say: I am a healthy man, and I make healthy choices. A healthy man shouldn't have eaten all this ice cream.


That sounds a little goofy, but it's more of a positive reinforcement rather than meditating on the negative. The more that you reinforce that you are a healthy person, the more likely you will make healthy decisions.

If possible keep the temptations out of the house. I know I am tempted to drink ALL the beer or eat ALL the salt and vinegar chips. So, I try to not keep a bunch on hand at the house. Or I'll only put one bottle of beer in the fridge and keep the rest warm. That kind of thing. Limit your ability to overindulge.

...you can jump on the vegan train...?

I've lost a little over 30 pounds in the last 2 years by just modifying how I eat a bit. I'm actually not focused on certain healthy things (because I didn't really eat unhealthy previously) I just ate to much. So training my body to eat less and be full was hard. It was part daily regimen and part drinking tons of water (not full? Here's a giant glass of water stomach! Hahahahahaha!).

Sadly it is now summer and hot weather means BEER. LOTS OF BEER. And thats so bad. But the beer is so good.

Echoing the don't beat yourself up sentiment. It's a process that takes years, and you're going to make mistakes.

Something someone told me that helped me: Change the way you talk about your healthy lifestyle. Having access to healthy food and having time for exercise is a privilege. You *get* to give your body the care it deserves.

Espy said:

I've lost a little over 30 pounds in the last 2 years by just modifying how I eat a bit. I'm actually not focused on certain healthy things (because I didn't really eat unhealthy previously) I just ate to much. So training my body to eat less and be full was hard. It was part daily regimen and part drinking tons of water (not full? Here's a giant glass of water stomach! Hahahahahaha!).

Sadly it is now summer and hot weather means BEER. LOTS OF BEER. And thats so bad. But the beer is so good.

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Gotta live a little.

In a month or two back to those productive habits.

Jay said:

Gotta live a little.

In a month or two back to those productive habits.

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Plus, I'm drinking for two now that my wife is pregnant.

Espy said:

Plus, I'm drinking for two now that my wife is pregnant.

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Make sure you comment on the beer's deliciousness in a loud and animated fashion in front of her. She'll enjoy living vicariously.

Also make sensible food choices. The dietary landscape changes all the time, so the only 100% reliable, always works, never fails "weight loss" method is to reduce calorie intake below what you use in a day. The trouble is, you have to reduce caloric intake while NOT reducing nutrient intake. There's nothing inherently wrong with ice cream and suchlike, it's just that they pack a lot of calories per ounce, which makes it hard to do that whole calorie/nutrient balance. I'm sure it'd be possible to absolutely gorge yourself with ice cream once every 8 days or so, so long as the other 7 were appropriately low in calories (and full of all the nutrients missing from "ice cream day").

--Patrick

Espy said:

Plus, I'm drinking for two now that my wife is pregnant.

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When my wife was pregnant with Leyla I promised myself I had to lose weight.

I weighed 245 pounds on the best of days and started eating better but less. Less was far more important for me.

When my daughter was born I was 208 pounds.

The first four months of her life for stressful and I stopped my diet. When I started again as a New Year's resolution I was at 225.

I get to my diet until my birthday in late May and I weighed 206.

I'm taking the summer off to enjoy life and when September comes I'll be back on my diet.

Ultimately I like to hit goal of 200 pounds without exercise just by eating better and more importantly eating less.

I recommend anyone who truly deserves to lose weight to go visit a nutritionist just for a couple of sessions. It's not overly expensive and you get actual answers with liability that you have spent actual money so you want to gain something for it.

I recommend using app for daily diary need such as MyFitnessPal. It's free and extremely efficient.

Stick with it it what you want, within moderation... Get results.

Be proud of said results.

Yeah, I use MyFitnessPal and it's great to keep track of target goals.

drawn_inward said:

Instead of: Oh good grief I just ate an entire carton of ice cream! I am such a fatty. Why do I do such stupid things?

Say: I am a healthy man, and I make healthy choices. A healthy man shouldn't have eaten all this ice cream. But one treat or day of eating not-so-healthy foods does not make me a failure. I am allowed to make mistakes.

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This gives a better perspective, I think. It's ok to slip up. There is always the next meal or next day to try again.

As happens so often in my life, I had just heard about this little chemistry fact a week or so ago.
This talk shows the numbers (mass) and also explains it in a way that makes it easy to grasp.

--Patrick

One more week or so before I go back on diet. Ate/drank in excess. Have to enjoy the limited summer I get.

PatrThom said:

Don't forget that it's not weight that matters, but size. If you build muscle and lose fat, your weight will actually go up, not down. Scales are nice tools, but they don't tell the whole story.

--Patrick

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If I could just jump in here.. Excuse me.. I currently weigh 250 lbs at 5'11". I would love to go back to being a skeletal thin guy but rather enjoy having strong arms legs and back. I did a lengthy set of exercises in 2006 to tone those three areas that have fallen to the waist side (heh) of me. So to clarify... If I try to get in shape by redoing those exercises (I do not know anything about nutrition sorry) then my weight may go further up, not down?

If you're trying to reduce measurements (waist size, for instance) rather than straight up "weight" (i.e., what the scale says), then what you should actually be aiming for would be a reduction of your body fat percentage. Fat lives in many places in your body, and it serves many essential functions. For instance, more than half of your brain is made of fat...not fat cells or fatty tissue, mind you, but fat. Fat sits between your internal organs cushioning and lubricating them when you move. Fat stores energy for later use, much like having a gas tank (gasoline and fat are both hydrocarbons, so this is not that far off). Fat helps keep your warm.

The thing is, like that video above says, if you eat more calories than you use in a day, your thrifty body will try to retain the excess calories as fat* because it doesn't want to be caught with an empty tank later. You may have heard the phrase "Eat less. Move more." What that phrase represents is that you can create what they call a "calorie deficit" one of two ways: take in fewer calories, or increase utilization. Either way, the goal is to bring the number of calories you go through in a day above the number of calories you take in. In doing this, you are forcing your body to mine your fat reserves, thereby making them (and you) physically smaller (and lighter).

It's one thing to exercise to lose weight. If the goal is "lose weight!" then all that exercise really does is hold up the second half of the above, the "move more" part. To continue the automotive analogy, if you keep your motor running while you idle instead of shutting it off, you'll go through fuel faster and deplete your stores quicker. Likewise, if you maintain a constant level of activity during the day (even something as simple as fidgeting), your caloric need will go up, and your body will start to feel hungry sooner because you'll go through breakfast quicker and your body will start letting your know. The thing is, your body probably has a lot of reserves stocked up but is putting off using them because they're earmarked as reserves. Your body would rather you down a Snickers bar right this instant rather than have to go all the way downstairs to your gut and get a load of fat to bring all the way back upstairs to keep you running. Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy a Snickers from time to time. I'm just saying that you need to get your body into the habit of finishing its vegetables before you give it any dessert. It's OK to let yourself feel hungry but not do anything about it, unless that hunger is becoming overly distracting or causing motor/coordination problems (and you should make sure you're not accidentally cutting back on vitamin/mineral/micronutrients as a result). Ever wonder why "skinny nerds" are so skinny? It's because they get so wrapped up in something that they keep hitting the snooze alarm on that hunger until they physiologically can't ignore it any longer.

With me so far? Less intake + more activity = fat deposits over your whole body (there's no "spot reduction") shrink to provide energy = you get smaller/lighter. "So how is it that I could go up in weight?" you ask. It's about that exercise. There's a separate process going on in your body when you exercise. If you push a bodily system, there is a mechanism in place that says, "We really got hammered today. Let's rebuild stronger so next time won't be so hard." This is the process by which you build stronger muscles AND stronger bones. Through repeated minor trauma, your encourage your body you reinforce the damaged area(s). In the affected area(s), your bones get denser and your muscle cells will also undergo changes in size and function (increased size and/or glycogen storage). However, denser bone = heavier (with very little increase in outward size). Also, muscle tissue is about 20% denser than fatty tissue for a given volume, so if you increase your muscle mass due to training BUT still don't reduce your calorie intake enough to force your body to utilize some of that extra fat, then the scale will show your weight going up even though you are now technically in better shape. If you keep at the exercises, though, you'll probably see that the scale peaks but then starts coming back down (again, assuming you properly manage caloric intake) as your increased activity starts "trading" in fat for muscle. That's when you'll start to see the measuring tape come back down again, too.

DISCLAIMER: I'm a really, really smart guy, but I'm no doctor. There are lots of medical conditions that make the "simple formula" above a lot more complicated (hernias, osteoporosis, & diabetes, to name a few). If you're planning on attacking this seriously, please check with a medical professional first and inform them of your goals. Losing weight to a heart attack, though effective, is unnecessarily traumatic and should be avoided.

--Patrick
*This is not the entire story, as there are still things like lactates, etc., but it's enough of the story to be relevant.

Oh.. Did not see the video, will check it out later because I'm out of data on my phone .. But wanted to note.. Not diabetic, not hypoglycemic (Dr checked) .. But my vision changes if I have a shortage of protein or too much sugar...and also I get tired very quickly. Trying to cut back on soda but it is difficult because then I get migraines. No excuses just.. Disclaimers?

Just Eric said:

No excuses just.. Disclaimers?

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If you don't let it stop you, then it's not an excuse.

--Patrick