So, crique my diet

As of new years, I weighed in at 203, about 6 foot 1. I did not eat that poorly, but I ate alot, still had the appetite of 17 year old, but the metabolism of a 33 year old. So, I changed.

I now don't eat fast food, rarely eat out at all now. Greatly reduced my salt intake. Eat meat about 2 or 3 times a week. I run/walk for 20 minutes (Mostly run for 15, walk for 5) 5 or 6 times per week. Went from 1 or 2 miller lites a day, and a few Tripple Ales a weekend, down to a few Tripples a month.

My weekday diet: A small bowl of unsweetened shredded wheat for breakfast (ingredients:wheat), an almond butter and jam sandwhich, made with my own almond butter, bothing but almonds. No salt, added oil or anything, then a smaller dinner. For a snack I have a handful of almonds or blueberries or raspberries. Unfortunately, I cant get away from the carbs for dinner. I make my own refried beans and have a burrito or two small ones, pasta, and I love quinoa. Often times we make a huge salad, and cut up a chicken boob to share on it, or a tiny bit of steak. On the weekend I usually have a bowl of oatmeal which I add flax, some brown sugar and almond butter to, and two pieces of toast. I usually skip lunch on the weekend, and then who know for dinner. Maybe meatless speghetti, maybe pancakes.

The almond thing is weird, because I spent 33 years hating them, and cashews, now in the last few months I can get enough.

Im really trying to eat ALOT of fibre, and stay away from the processed foods. My blood pressure was like 160 over 90, and the doc said it needed to come down alot. Last check it is down to 135 or so, so thats a bit better.

Also, my weight is now down to 180, as of this morning. Im pleased with that, I already beat my 185, and now 180 goal. I think I should drop to a bout 175. I think thats a good weight. Im a tall guy, with fairly broad shoulders, so I dont know how low I should go.

I know Im on a decent track, I feel great, and realized, I dont like the super-full stuffed content feeling. I kinda like being a bit hungry.

Thansk! Joey

joey48442 wrote: My blood pressure was like 160 over 90, and the doc said it needed to come down alot. Last check it is down to 135 or so, so thats a bit better. Also, my weight is now down to 180, as of this morning. Im pleased with that, I already beat my 185, and now 180 goal. I think I should drop to a bout 175. I think thats a good weight. Im a tall guy, with fairly broad shoulders, so I dont know how low I should go.

135 is a nice drop from the 160 ... but how much down from the 90 ( while the systolic is important a diastolic of 90 or more will get you turned down for life ins in a lot of cases )

when I was younger and ran somewhat seriously I got to 165 ( same height as you ... though probably a bit smaller bone structure ) 175 - 180 would be a more sustainable weight ....at least for me ( disclaimer: I'm at 205 now )

I think I'm down to 85 or so? I can't remember exactly. And this is checked at the pharmacy, which my doc recommended so take that fwiw.

I do look a lot thinner. My legs are ripped, but my stomach and upper body is still... A little soft looking.

Joey

My critique... on the surface without a food log, diet lacks protein and fresh fruits/vegetables. Don't avoid fat. Avoid the unhealthy overprocessed fats. I would suggest a complete blood work up, CBC/lipid panel/CMP to start, just to see if you are deficient in any areas.

Ranger50 wrote: My critique... on the surface without a food log, diet lacks protein and fresh fruits/vegetables. Don't avoid fat. Avoid the unhealthy overprocessed fats. I would suggest a complete blood work up, CBC/lipid panel/CMP to start, just to see if you are deficient in any areas.

Right! I am trying to eat fruit and veggies as much as possible. Banana for a snack, and during the summer we garden so I eat tomatoes like crazy. The doc did check my results, and I was low on vitamin d, and I have ms in my family, so I've been taking 6000 ius of that a day. As well as fish oil, and niacin. How much fat is ok to take in?

Joey

Depends on your goals, you never really stated them. Sounds like you are more concerned about blood pressure and cholesterol, I don't have a whole bunch of experience with those aspects of a diet. I will say you need to start tracking your calories and macros using myfitnesspal or similar. You have already cut to your desired weight, I suggest you now start eating at a caloric surplus augmented with heavy weightlifting to build muscle mass along with mild cardio for cardiovascular health. Your macros should be 1gram/Lb of Protein and Carbs and .5gram/Lb of Fats. Your net calories should be BMR*1.2+200-Cals Burned in exercise. BMR stands for basal metabolic rate, there are calculators on the internet that can calculate this for you. For a workout program I recommend Starting Strength as long as yo are cleared by your doctor: http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:Introduction

TLDR, read this over: http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/faq

joey48442 wrote: I think I'm down to 85 or so? I can't remember exactly. And this is checked at the pharmacy, which my doc recommended so take that fwiw. I do look a lot thinner. My legs are ripped, but my stomach and upper body is still... A little soft looking. Joey

while I'm not a Dr. ( Dr. Hess to the white courtesy phone please) but I've been under the impression that a target diastolic of somewhere in the 70's would be something to shoot for

Thanks guys. I'm not super concerned with being big and muscley, think of looking like I would be stringy if you had to eat me and you get the idea. I did track my calories for a few weeks, just to get an idea of how much I ate. I've stuck with about 2200 calories or so ever since.

Joey

Your doing better than me. 34yo tomorrow 6ft and I would guess around 210lbs. My problem is my knees are shot I get no exorcise at all can't even bike anymore.

If you want real advice you can trust then you probably want to talk to a dietitian rather than a bunch of car guys, you know, someone with a degree in the relevant field.

fritzsch wrote: If you want real advice you can trust then you probably want to talk to a dietitian rather than a bunch of car guys, you know, someone with a degree in the relevant field.

Absolulty. But I know there are some health minded guys around here so I thought I would ask. I'm not doing anything wacky health wise so I'm not worried, just looking for advice/ideas.

Any good healthy vegetarian recipes? Or not meat heavy dishes? I'm trying to keep meat the side thought, not the main component of meals.

Joey

I'm 6 foot 1 and 210 lbs. my bmi puts me close to obese, but dr said that's crap for my build. My shoulders are too wide to get a lower weight. Once I was 190lbs and 12% body fat. Stupid. I looked like a refugee that could squat 400lbs.

Anyways. The point of all my rambling is, I am more concerned with having good body fat % rather than weight. I think it is a better indicator of overall health, as long as your cholesterol and other digits are in line. Think 34 long jacket with the waist taken in.

True.

Joey

My only suggestion would be to make the lunchtime meal the heaviest meal of the day and make the dinner meal lighter. It gives you more time to burn off the calories and "fullness" of the big meal. Big meals at night make it had for me to go the berkeley to sleep.

If you really want to get deeper into it, then as suggested you'll want to find a good sports nutritionist. Yes, there are some of the exercise/health nut folks here. I'm one of them, my wife even more so. I don't log my nutrition anymore, because I'm pretty comfortable with what I'm doing now and have gotten to my "goal".

You've got a very good core group of foods there. Remember, carbs and fats are not your enemies. Eating too much of them, and the wrong ones, are. Unsaturated fats are good, in moderation of course. Lots of healthy carbs too, such as whole grains, the wheat is great, as is quinoa. I agree with Ranger50, from what you posted I'd try to add more protein into the mix. Veggies are always good, as are most fruits. A few staples foods in our house, beyond stuff you listed...greek yogurt, chicken, eggs, cheese, kale (I hate it, but the wife loves it), peanuts, oats.

I'm a bit over 5'8" and weigh in around 173lbs. My diet is roughly 3000 cals - 250-275g of protein, 200-300g carb (depending on the day) and 80-100g fat.

fritzsch wrote: If you want real advice you can trust then you probably want to talk to a dietitian rather than a bunch of car guys, you know, someone with a degree in the relevant field.

come on now ... please don't confuse the situation with pertinent and well thought out advice .... you'll lose you're posting privileges

joey48442 said: The almond thing is weird, because I spent 33 years hating them, and cashews, now in the last few months I can get enough.

I assume your almonds and cashews are not salted? If they are that could be your salt cravings finding an outlet.

I would suggest adding a basic weightlifting routine-A calf raise, a Leg Press/Squat movement, a chest press, a pulldown, a overhead press, a row, and an abdominal exercise. There is an easy 10-20lbs of muscle waiting for every untrained individual which makes everything better.

Up your water intake, keep your salt low, and get a significant amount of cardiovascular exercise (even if it is only walking) and your blood pressure will keep dropping.

Good job taking control of you health. It isn't easy to get away from the unhealthy habits.

joey48442 said: I kinda like being a bit hungry.

It does have kindof a neat "buzz" to it doesn't it.

Nice work, man.

I hit the 10 pound (lost) mark yesterday. The healthy thing to do probably would've been to dial back the alcohol intake by at least 50%, and start working out again. Instead, I've just stopped eating lunch.

Man, that 1st beer is a doozy (I'M DRINKING IT RIGHT NOW!!!) I know it's not the "right" way, but I'll be damned if the pounds aren't coming off. Also, it's counter-intuitive, but I'm less hungry at dinner.

Still trying to figure out a fun way (beside the obvious one) to get more exercise. Wish I had a cool neighbor I could toss the football around with or something.

BTW, don't drop your daily calorie count too much. There was a formula mentioned earlier in the thread about calculating calories. Your calorie intake should definitely be directly related to your daily activity. If you're a total couch potato then you'll need less calories to maintain your weight, obviously. But one mistake I see people make a lot is starting a rigorous exercise routine and dropping calories way down, in hopes they'll drop weight faster. In the short term, it'll work. But fairly quickly, your body will go into self preservation mode and your metabolism will slow way down. So always make sure you're feeding yourself right, even if you're trying to lose weight.

Klayfish wrote: BTW, don't drop your daily calorie count too much. There was a formula mentioned earlier in the thread about calculating calories. Your calorie intake should definitely be directly related to your daily activity. If you're a total couch potato then you'll need less calories to maintain your weight, obviously. But one mistake I see people make a lot is starting a rigorous exercise routine and dropping calories way down, in hopes they'll drop weight faster. In the short term, it'll work. But fairly quickly, your body will go into self preservation mode and your metabolism will slow way down. So always make sure you're feeding yourself right, even if you're trying to lose weight.

Right! I'm trying to remember, if I'm hungry, eat! But, I need to make sure I AM hungry, and not just bored.

Also, I do eat my nuts unsalted, 98% of the time.

I do need to start working my upper body. I'm just really getting a kick out of running.

Joey

Joel, I lost 30 lb a couple of years ago by taking my calorie count down to 2000 per day , and since I was recovering from bypass surgery there was no exercise involved ,other than a leisurely 30 minute daily walk .After the recovery period I started exercising at a local gym 3 times a week. My calorie count is more like 3000 now and I'm not gaining any weight. Protein comes from Eggbeaters,chicken, and a little red meat. I easily eat 10 pounds of fruit and vegetables weekly. Very little bread, but I do use a whole grain tortilla for a wrap every day at lunch. Other than a pizza on Saturday nights we don't eat much processed food at all. Portion size and balanced diet are the keys.

Good tool to calculate and track your calories. You may have to register to go further, but they've never spammed me with emails.

http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/

I've never had any luck trying to lose weight, and now know it's because I really had no idea how many calories I was eating in a day. It's real easy to go way over and not realize it.

I'm 51, 5'7", was 175 when I left my cushy job, and 165 at Christmas. I'm 147 lbs today, and a lot of it has to do with finding, and following the info on that site. The calorie tracker is excellent.

This is one of my favorite Veggie Chili recipes. We skip the mushrooms and depending on how we feel we sometimes skip the cinnamon or scale back the cumin a bit.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/fat-melting-vegetarian-chili

And instead of sour cream, we always use greek yogurt.