Finally getting to "that point" I think

[SR71BLACKBIRDXX]

Graduated high school close to 20 years ago weighing 175 lbs. 2 years ago I was still @ 185-190. No issues. Always staying busy. Whether it be yard work, sports, chores, whatever. Some life changes occurred a couple years back. Quit smoking. Cold turkey. Haven't had one since. Scouts honor. Found out my sciatica was due to two herniated disks. Slowed me down quite a bit. Surgery looms. Started working for "the town". Way less work. Its almost embarrassing what I get paid to do. Its no wonder that I'm pushing 215 as of a couple days ago. Beer consumption and shitty diet isn't helping. Anyway..

I don't feel I'm overweight..(yet)..but I can see this as being a downward spiral. Being younger than most here, I am sure some of you have gone through this same very thing. Looking for a few opinions I guess. I don't see myself going on some funky diet. NO CARBS...NO MEAT..NO FAT..FUCK THAT NOISE. Also, I don't see myself hitting the gym. Working 6 days a week and running a household takes up 110% of my time. Not to mention back pain pretty much every day. That being said, here's what I've started to do.

1. Drink only water during the day. Trying to get at least 1/2 gallon in me. No juice, soda or the like. I'm not a big coffee drinker. Maybe one-two cups in the morning

2. Instead of eating a donut or danish during breaks, I'm taking carrots, broccoli, maybe an apple or something. Might have a sandwich for lunch. Turkey, ham, cheese..whatever.

3. Most likely the biggest thing, IMO,is cutting back the beer/booze. Embarrassed to admit that Id probably drink a sixxer/night. Maybe not every night, but average in Sat night and Sunday...absolutely. Had one last night and two tonight. Gonna try to stick to that.

4. Dinner has been grilled steak the past two nights, with salad. Evoo and balsamic only. Deer season is starting up, so venison will be consumed pretty regular. Could use some suggestions for decent dinners.

Does this plan sound realistic for dropping like 20 or so? I know, keeping it off is the hard part, but one step at a time. Or do I need more discipline.

[John01XX]

Sounds like you are on the right track.

Beer is a major weight gainer

Currently at 57 years old I cut out everything with High Fructose Corn Syrup and most all artificial sweeteners for the most part.

I spend 20-30 minutes at least three times a week in the mornings doing basic exercises such as crunches, deep knee bends, push-ups, leg lifts etc

I am actually trying to gain muscle mass and loss the belly.

I just lost 3-4 lbs instantly yesterday doing the prep work for my colonoscopy!!

Keep up the good attitude and you should see the pounds come off

[XXitanium]

...ecxcercise.... cardio stuff.

[RodeRash]

Sounds like a sensible plan. At around 140 calories a bottle, you can reduce your weight gain (or add to a weight loss) by a little over a pound a week just by cutting your beer consumption down to one a day.

Everyone wants to loose their weight ASAP, but a slow steady weight loss is what will last. It's a lifestyle change, not a diet.

Steak has a lot of calories because of the fat. Wild game....way less.

MMEL (Move More Eat Less)

[Redbird]

I found myself in a similar position about four years ago. Not what anyone would call fat, but overweight and heading in the wrong direction. Mike's advice is excellent- slow and steady, permanent change of diet and habits. Going on a diet and then returning to old habits is the mistake many make.

1/2 gallon of water is good, but a gallon would be better. Steak can go a lot of different ways depending on the cut- I like a New York Strip, nicely trimmed (after cooking), as the fat content is nowhere near a ribeye or porterhouse. Learn to like chicken breast if you don't already. Lots of veggies for munching. I hear you on the exercise, but if you can sneak even 15-20 minutes a day, it helps a lot. Not required, but the more you move, the better. Lacking formal exercise, just move more. Go out and play with the dog instead of hitting the couch. Take the stairs. Park as far out in the parking lot as you can and walk. Move.

You're on the right track, just plan on the changes being permanent. Once you're down to where you want to be you can relax a little. A beer or six every once in a while ain't going to be a big deal. Six every night, well, there's a reason they call it a beer gut.

Good luck.

[SR71BLACKBIRDXX]

Love chicken, fish, all that stuff. So far so good. Nothing real tough to overcome. The beer part is fairly easy. Did have a glass of wine last night, albeit a fairly large glass... . Snacking on fruits and veggies is pretty easy as well, but the worst thing so far is the hunger. I could eat all day if there were no repercussions. I think the hardest part is going to be not overeating at dinner. During the day, Im "busy" enough to not think much about it. Come dinner time, I want to eat a side of beef.

What is an acceptable amount of say beef, chicken, or fish to eat? Last night I ate one whole chicken breast with some rice. Still felt hungry after that. Is that ok? Also, whats the deal with salt. I cant stand food that's bland. Is it OK to marinate in something before grilling? Most rubs and marinades are like pure salt.

Again, Im nowhere near unhealthy. (6 foot @ 210lbs) Just want to lose the gut..

[Redbird]

Over eating at dinner is bad. Once again, this is sounding familiar. There were times when dinner would be my first meal of the day, then I'd spend the evening stuffing my face to make up for all the food I didn't eat while I was busy working. Evening/night is the worst time to be taking on calories. The solution is to make sure you get a decent breakfast and keep yourself fueled up over the course of the day. This avoids that huge appetite later in the day. This was a tough habit to break for me and I still fall back to it on occasion.

Salt isn't an issue from a weight loss standpoint. I use an obscene amount of salt on everything. Marinades are fine as long as we're not talking about a lot of oil or sugar. Vinegar is calorie free. Portions are a personal thing and somewhat dependent on sides. 6-10 ounces is a typical amount of meat for me with dinner. Watch the rice, carbs aren't as horrible as some believe (IMO), but the later in the day, the more likely they'll be stored as fat. When I was in weight loss mode, I kept a no carbs after 6:00 policy. Speaking of carbs, avoid anything white. If you're going to eat bread/rice/whatever, stick with whole grain, unprocessed stuff. Take corn off your menu- it's not a vegetable, it's one of the more worthless grains (carbs).

[Speed99]

I am in a similar boat. My downfall was soda. Usually at least six a day. Haven't had a single one in over a month.

Figuring out little ways to move go a long way.

Park far away to make yourself walk to the door at the office

If you ride a desk, stand up and move at least once an hour.

If you take conference calls at work, stand for the first 10 mins of the call if you can.

Take the stairs when you can.

If your work in a building with multi floors, use the restroom that is on a different floor...I.e. Use stairs.

If you yawn during the day, use it as a queue to stand up, move or stretch.

At your desk, use your hands to hold the seat and do knee lifts to your chest. Do 10 of these and then get back to work.

An app like myfitnesspal is awesome. It lets you enter your meals and your exercise and shows you what you are consuming and what you are burning.

Avoid trans fat when you can.

These are just some easy things you can to to tilt the scales in the right direction.

Kick start your day with something to eat. Oatmeal, cereal, fruit smoothie...something. Healthy snack mid morning, sensible lunch, healthy snack in afternoon, good dinner. Portion control will help a lot. Also what everyone else has said....WATER! Lots of it all day.

[RodeRash]

Love chicken, fish, all that stuff. So far so good. Nothing real tough to overcome. The beer part is fairly easy. Did have a glass of wine last night, albeit a fairly large glass... . Snacking on fruits and veggies is pretty easy as well, but the worst thing so far is the hunger. I could eat all day if there were no repercussions. I think the hardest part is going to be not overeating at dinner. During the day, Im "busy" enough to not think much about it. Come dinner time, I want to eat a side of beef.

What is an acceptable amount of say beef, chicken, or fish to eat? Last night I ate one whole chicken breast with some rice. Still felt hungry after that. Is that ok? Also, whats the deal with salt. I cant stand food that's bland. Is it OK to marinate in something before grilling? Most rubs and marinades are like pure salt.

Again, Im nowhere near unhealthy. (6 foot @ 210lbs) Just want to lose the gut..

Articles I have read regarding portion control recommend a serving of protein (beef, chicken, pork) should not be larger than the palm of your hand.

(Yeah, that's a pretty small chunk of meat.)

Doctors always tell you to cut back on the salt, but unless you have blood pressure issues, adding salt to your food may not be a big deal.

Sodium will cause you to retain water, but if you are drinking plenty of water, the sodium will flush out of your system. Funny that drinking more water will keep you from retaining it.

In any case, processed foods usually contain way more sodium in them than most people would ever think about adding with a salt shaker,

[SR71BLACKBIRDXX]

206 this morning. Slowly but surely. Been a week and a half and I've had 4 beers. Im actually most proud of that fact. Same kinda thing every day...

Water, water , water

No or very little booze

Veggies for snacks

Reasonable dinner

The next hardest thing is going to be not drinking a pile of cocktails during golf. I haven't played a round since I started this..but this Sun will be the ultimate test. Golf was my biggest hurdle when I quit smoking. Strange. I was like a 1/2 pack per day average, but I could easily smoke that during 1 round of golf. Wish me luck

[John01XX]

Luck is on your side even though you don't need to stinkin luck!

You are going to play your best round of golf to date and lose weight at the same time.

[superhawk996]

I peaked out at 255 at about 23 years age and did a fast. I was loosing weight fast enough to step on a scale 2-3 times a day and see it dropping. I went down to 165 and crept back to 175-180 where I've hovered for about 20 years. I can't say I'd recommend my lifestyle of coffee, rum, and cigarettes, but at least the weight stayed off. The only thing I can attribute to keeping lean is activity. I don't do any gym type exercise, but I'm relatively active in day to day life. I eat all wrong; no breakfast and large dinners. I eat mostly meats but carbs as well, so keeping active is my only salvation in not being fat again. If you have a desk job you need a gym or preferably a hot chick(s), that's great exercise and a morale booster!