What good is it?

Awesome post and a great thread. I guess I will give my story. I was very active growing up. Played college football and was in tremendous shape. After college I went into law enforcement. I continued to work out but my eating habits were terrible. I maintained my weight but as I got older, had kids and became busy raising them I struggled finding the time to work out.

Four years ago I weighed 235 pounds and I am 5-10. I found my energy level was low and I was hungry all the time. I just didn't feel good. The final straw was when I woke up with an ear ache and was forced to go to the doctor. My blood pressure was high. My blood sugar was bad. I left the doctors off ice and made the decision it was time for a change.

I just used common sense. And common sense told me that cookies, cake, honey buns, candy, French fries, cheese burgers, soft drinks etc were bad. Vegetables, fruit, salad, lean meats were good for me. So I went home and cleaned out the house of all the stuff I knew I shoukdnt eat. Went to the grocery store and bought my food.

Then I made the decision to walk at least 2 miles everyday. No excuses. No compromising. I will walk 2 miles at least everyday. Within 1 year I was down to 190 lbs. I am still right there. I have more energy than inhad at 35. I feel as good as I ever have. I can work outside all day long. I don't get short of breath when I'm working. I feel awesome.

People asked me are you on a diet? How did you do it? No I'm not on a diet. I eat what I know is good for me. I don't eat what I know is bad for me. I walk everyday for me. I'm not depriving myself of anything. It's a change of mindset. I eat when I'm hungry. I don't eat for any other reason.

It will change your life. It will give you a much better quality of life. It will save your life. When I went back for my annual physical my doctor asked me ."What did you do all your numbers are awesome." I told him I just used the common sense approach. No one has ever gotten fat eating vegetables, fruits and lean meat and drinking water.

Its simply about changing the way you look at eating. It's not a reward. It's not a way to please yourself. It's something you do to sustain life. And how you eat can and will determine your quality of life. Sometimes I get this felling in my stomach that feels weird and then I realize "Ok I need to eat." Instead of feeling bloated and miserable after I eat and hungry all the time.

Anyone can do this. You just have to make the decision that you can and your going to. Or you allow food to controll you and eventually kill you. As your quality of life goes down the tubes.

Good for you guys! 

FWIW, Mr TPM has always eaten well and is a certified athletic trainer, so he stays in great shape and eats extremely well but a few years back was diagnosed with a blockage and now has a stent.  Most of this is due to heredity, which begins in childhood and a family history of heart disease. He does not eat any processed food but cheats once in a while but that's ok. 

 

Because high cholesterol runs in my family, and I cannot tolerate the medication, I am going ot have a calcium score test, this actually looks into the heart arteries to see if there is a buildup of plaque, which would help the doctor to treat me (if necessary) if I do have a problem.

 

Processed foods are killers, so I am with you CD on this one. Stay away from non-fat and go with low fat and no trans fat, modified corn starch.  Lean and smaller portion plus excercise are the key words in losing weight. Eat smaller more frequent meals than large ones.  I feel badly for  all of the people at work who eat those processed freezer meals for lunch, day after day and complain they don't feel well, as well as the people who smoke (ex smoker here) and cough all day and complain how broke they are.

Don't forget whole grains and nuts, seeds in moderation!

 

Lean meat, what would be some that actually taste good? I'm addicted to the kind that has lots of fat!

Post surgery I had to go on a low sodium diet. I didn't eat without checking sodium content. You would be surprised how much sodium is in some food. Almost everything on the McDonalds menu exceeds the recommended daily sodium intake. How food is made in restaurants can affect the sodium content. Who knew a veggie omelette at IHOP has 2100 mg of sodium. It's how they make it. At home it's a healthy meal. I had to stop putting salt on food. You don't need salt for food to taste good. Excessive sodIum can quietly kill you.

 

I haven't gained any weight since I got out of the hospital. I still have my treats. I have a root beer float or Klondike bar everyday. But other than these it's all apples and bananas. And no salt on anything. 

 

I walk 20-25 miles per week. I've almost always walked any errand that was no more than two miles round trip. Last week I got clearance to ride my bike. I biked ten miles a couple of days ago. I haven't been allowed to drive for three months and barely miss it now that I can bike.

 

I've never been out of shape. But I feel even better with the eating habits I've been forced to adopt. Also by being forced to eat three regular meals at the proper times I don't snack between meals or eat anything after dinner anymore.

Isn' that amazing, I am 5-10 and weigh 190 lbs and on the exact same "diet" as Coach May.  I am really happy for you Kenny!

 

TPM - you raise a good point.  I have heart disease in my family and that requires extra caution.  Moreover, I don't think there is a one-size fits all diet.  Everyone needs to make common sense decisions for themselves.  Coach May laid it all out - it is not at all complicated. 

 

RJM - I am on a low sodium diet as well and that is a big issue.  The effects of sodium are magnified when you eat processed carbs along with it as those two elements are what cause you to retain water and bring on problems for your heart and other vital organs.  If you eat sodium by itself without any carbs, I've found that you will not retain much water.  Similary, carbs without sodium will not retain water and hence raise your blood pressure.  If salt were good for you, people would not die of thrist when they are stranded on deserted islands. 

 

The problem here is the food manufacturers have realized that there is a certain combination of salt, sugar, and fat that makes a food irresistable to the human palate.  Not only are these foods engineered to be addictive, but since they activate the pleasure senses in the brain just like cocaine, they actually turn off your hunger signals in the brain.  A double whammy but good for profits.

 

I want everyone to wise up to what's going on.  I ask everyone to go out in public tomorrow and look around.  Look at yourself and look at everyone else.... be honest,  how many non-overweight people do you see?

PG - if you are talking about chicken wings and steaks, I hear you.  Some fat in your diet is good for you.  Low fat diets are killing people.  We are the lowest fat society in thw world with the highest rate of obesity.  Fat is not the problem - sugar is.

 

That said, I have started to limit my intake of red meat.  I am fortunate to live in a great area of the country for heart research and treatment of the disease as the Cleveland Clinic is right in our backyard.  Here is a recent study by the Clinic warning of the dangers of red meat and energy drinks.  For a reference, chicken has about 20 times less of the chemical mentioned in this article...

http://www.cleveland.com/healt...incart_river_default

 

My actual answer to your question PG would be grass fed beef and chicken that is not raised on hormones and anti-biotics.  Pork sometimes tends to have more processing.  Like a red ham and bacon tends to be processed with sodium. 

 

Look, there are no perfect diets out there.  I still eat bacon and steak from time to time but my focus has shifted more toward vegetables.  Your taste buds adapt to what you eat.

 

Back in January I found out I had Type 2 Diabetes and I've had to make wholesale changes in my life.  I actually went to the doctor for the flu but came out with diabetes so I may want to change doctors.  My blood sugar level was up around 320 when they tested me and I had high blood pressure and my thyroid was out of whack so I went onto medicine and sticking my finger twice a day.  But the biggest thing I've had to do is change what I eat.  I had to cut out carbs and other forms of sugar to ensure that it help control my diabetes.  Now my blood suger stays around 100 (which is good) and my blood pressure had dropped considerably but still a little high and my thyroid is back to normal.

 

The thing (I believe) that I think most people don't realize is how bad diabetes can be if you don't keep it in check.  I know I didn't realize how bad it was.  When the doctor told me my first thought was "OK have to make a few changes - it's not a big deal".  But when he started telling me all the complications and I started reading about what it can do it's a disease that will kill you in a very horrible way if you don't take care of yourself.

 

First thing I did was tell myself i'm not going on a diet - I'm going to make a change in my lifestyle.  To me diet implies a temporary fix - make some changes for a few weeks and then go back to normal - which is why diets don't work and lead to yo yo weight loss / increase.  I've not had a soft drink (especially a Pepsi - LOVE Pepsi) since Jan 28 and I really don't miss it.  When I first cut them out I would get pretty bad headaches and not sure if that was me getting used to the lower blood sugar levels or if it had to do with some sort of kicking caffeine addiction.  But now I feel much better and I have my weak days but overall my lifestyle is much healthier and I'm feeling it.  This time last year I was pushing 380 lbs and now I'm down to about 330 in one year.  I actually started losing weight when I became Athletic Director but after I found out about diabetes I've lost even more weight.  My goal is to be under 300 lbs when school starts back in late August.  I've not been there in about the last 12 years.  Then once I get there I will set a new goal and work to achieve it.  I'm ok with being the tortoise in the race.  I'm kinda round like one already so not a big deal.

PG I eat a lot of chicken because like chicken. Wings on the grill. Baked wings. BBQ wings. I bake a whole chicken at night and then cut it up. The next day when I want a snack I just heat up a couple of thighs etc.

I have found that if I plan the next day ahead of time I don't get caught in a bind. I always have a couple of banannas or apples with me. When I get the urge for a snack I have it right there and then I don't end up desperate and eat something that's bad for me.

I have learned to simply tell well intentioned people no thanks. Have some pie. Have some cake. Try this. Try that. I am one those people who simply can't have a piece of pie. I will eat the entire pie. I can't eat a handful of chips. I eat the whole bag. So I know who I am and I prepare myself for each day.

Christmas I had my first piece of cake in a year. I bought a cake at the grocery store. I ate the entire cake over the course of about 3 hours. That's no joke I really did it. So I will just wait till this Christmas before I have some more cake. Food is like a drug for some people. It is a substitute for many things. And if you don't watch it it will kill you.

My wife and I started the Insanity workout program in January. We both went through the 9 week program twice since then. We both noticed considerable weight loss and major body/energy changes. We cut out sodas and really cut back on sugar foods and fast foods. In the past couple weeks (towards the end of baseball season) we got a little lax and picked up some fast food here and there( no sodas or fried food however), and have not done our daily Insanity workout routine. We have both noticed our energy levels slipping down and more crankiness. We are both starting our workouts again today and are going to start our eat at home meals again. Oh, and instead of the sodas, we started juicing. You can find some good online recipes and the fresh juice is amazing. We are both still around 10-15 pounds from our goal we set out to achieve from January. We lost probably around 15-20 pounds each from that point.

I eat mostly chicken and fish for dinner. Infrequently I'll make hamburgers from extra lean meat. I've had steak a couple of times dining out. I still eat pizza. But I can only have one slice. It's just a matter of how the sodium numbers add up to 1500. Normal acceptable sodium intake is 2300 mg per day.

 

If you're over fifty I recommend getting a decent blood pressure machine and take your blood pressure from time to time. They only cost about $60. A year ago I was told I was in the health of someone twenty years younger. The doctors think over the following nine months my BP somehow elevated to a dangerous level. I thought I was healthy, showed no symptoms of a problem and nearly died. I went from feeling fine to unconscious in ten minutes.

 

I still go to McD's for my root beer and ice cream. It's one of the few things on the menu I can eat. Plus it's a three mile round trip walk. Itake my iPad and read. Now when I'm in McD's I notice how fat most of the people are in the place. I cringe when I see someone eating a Big Mac meal. It's death on a plate. What bothers me is all the chubby kid's I see there. The parents are walking these kids down the road to bad health.

UPDATE: As I am sitting here typing, drenched in sweat, I just finished my Round 3, Day 1 Insanity workout. Thanks for the post and inadvertently holding me accountable. Now I get to wind down watching some good ol MLB Network...

It's really alarming and eye opening to read these health issues. Thanks CD for starting this thread. It's a great reminder to always be cognizant of our health and just what goes into our bodies. I think over time we just get "conditioned" to what we eat, how we eat, when we eat, etc. that it escapes our mindfulness and becomes habit. And one of life's dreaded phenomonom's that happens as we get older is our metabolism slows or comes to a screeching halt! Strike 2. Add in that we just get plain lazy and/or complacent that we don't even think about exercising which we KNOW is good for us on so many levels. So we just kick back the recliner and watch the American Pickers marathon all day on Saturdays! Strike 3. Oh there are many many more strikes but Im just gonna stop there! Keeping in theme of baseball if you will!

 

I will be 50yrs old in 3 months. Out of high school I had 3 football scholarships but, to the dismay of my dad I decided to join the Marines. (too much Gomer Pyle influence!) I was in such great shape from being an athlete that going through boot camp was really a breeze (physically only!) And for many years afterwards I stayed lean and trim. Like Coach May - life happened! I married not long after getting out of the Marines but, 2 kids later, not exercising, going to her Mom's after church on Sunday's to chow down (and I mean chow down!), stop playing for the church softball team, getting a job where I worked in an office and sat on my tush for 8hrs all day, etc. begin to eventually pack on the pounds. From the mid-90's to now I ballooned up like a swollen beached whale. Pants sizes that begin with the number 4, and shirt sizes that begin with the letter X! And not to mention feeling horrible! No energy, horrible outlook, sour attitude at work and home often, etc.

 

When I saw my dad 2yrs ago laying in the hospital bed after quad-druple by-pass surgery (heart disease runs in my family and my Grandfather and Uncle both died of heart attacks) that it really shook me hard and woke me up. So 2yrs later this past January I woke up and decided that I was once and for all going to take MY LIFE and HEALTH into my own hands. So me and my wife went to a Hospital Clinical dietician and actually PAID for her to consult with me and her about food, eating, mindset, exercising (again), etc. One thing she told me that I just cannot shake and Im glad is this. She said that so many people today have just gotten this motto that they Live to Eat when it should be the other way around - Eat to Live. She said once people GOT that idea what they put into their body, when they put it into their bodies, and how they got it in there that it would literally change them for the good. So that kinda goes along with what many of you said above basically. We need to learn how to Eat to Live. So she recommended that I go take a complete physical which I did and learned that I had high cholosterol, very bad gout, acid reflux/hiatal hernia, and a couple more "items". lol. Starting taking meds and for the most part got all that under control now!

 

The one thing that she recommended that has LITERALLY changed my life - a sleep study. My first reaction and thought as soon as the words left her mouth in January was "NO WAY" am I ever going to go do that! Forget about it! I forgot my wife was there and by days end had lined up the study whether I liked it or not. So I went. Yeah I snored a little here and there and even snorted a time or two. So what. Well when the results came back I was flabbergasted. Not only did I have sleep apnea but I had the VERY WORST you could get - Severe Obstructive Sleep apnea! I felt like I had won an award for having the best - worst case a person could have! I'll spare you the details of struggling with the first CPAP mask I was given to try and HATED it, etc. Fast forward 3 months now with a new mask, sleeping like a doggone baby, and waking up in the mornings I mean POUNCING out of the bed! I was losing up to 30% during the night and wasn't even aware of it! Now I have energy ALL day long which is now allowing me to go to the gym 4-5 times a week to walk and jog at times again. My meal portions are more in line with what I SHOULD be eating as well.

 

So, a VERY long story but yet short journey so far - to date I have lost a total of 45lbs and while I'd like to say haven't felt better in my life (cause I remember my Marine days!) I can say that it's just been MANY years since I've felt this wonderful. But the one thing that has attributed to my well being, energy, and just an overall great outlook on life is this CPAP mask I wear each night and the QUALITY of sleep Im now getting. Which by the way not only helps my sleeping but can and will help with weight loss and keep it off!

 

I'm quite a ways from where I want to be but, I now have the tools in place that are working and seeing positive results. I can't emphasize enough about some of the suggestions you guys/gals above mentioned. It begins with a mindset and just plain ole intestinal fortitude to win each day. Just one day at a time. It gets overwhelming to us all when we try to look at the bigger picture of weight loss, exercising, or taking back control of our lives. It starts with a single day and just win THAT day. Repeat on Day 2 and so on....

 

Coach May, I'd give anything to be a fly on the wall to sit and watch you devour an entire cake. My mother-in-law makes perhaps the world's best German chocolate cake from scratch and its ALL I can do now to turn my back and walk outside to eat an apple. But to me that's winning the small battles during that day of war.

 

Man my fingers are almost knubs from typing all this! Sorry for the length of it. Just got carried away and motivated at the same time when I read all your replies.

 

YGD

This is a great thread thus far. Really cool to see everyone being so honest. Lots of respect for each and every person here that acknowledges the need to be health-conscious and then goes out and accomplishes their goals proudly.

 

Coach Mills- Insanity is awesome. You should try his next series, Asylum. It's absolutely ridiculous. I've never felt my blood flowing and so much sweat after a workout. Former teammates of mine used to start Insanity as a "supplement" to the "normal" workout routines for baseball. They didn't last the first week. Great stuff.

To everyone who has posted on this thread and those who are just reading it but probably facing some of the things (or worse) I wish each and every one of you good luck in your journey to better health.

If anyone has to lose a lot of weight, it can be done. It takes time, patience and self discipline. A friend of mine got to 300 pounds during her marriage and divorce. She decided she wanted to change. She ate better. She walked two miles per day, everyday regardless of the weather for three years. Her goal was to lose a pound a week. In three years she weighed 140. She had surgery to remove the excess skin. She's now a fit, good looking woman, remarried and happy.

JH, I usually do not publicly advocate for products and or programs, but I must openly confess Insanity IS awesome! I would recommend this program to any and everyone wanting to not just break a sweat, but to transform their overall physical (and potentially emotional) well being. I say emotional because after I'm done with the workouts, I feel exhaustingly great. I can actually look into the mirror and see a huge resemblance (if not even more tone and muscle mass) to my younger playing years. And I can't wait until I shed the rest of the remaining pounds towards my goal. If anyone can go start to finish, in any one of the workouts, without tanking them, they deserve more than the T-shirt. Well, I guess they will receive more than the T-shirt, in the form of a solid physique.

 

I must also admit that I understand the Asylum workout set should be the next logical step, however, I am a little hesitant to jump into that one at the moment. Reason being; Insanity is still kicking my butt! LOL. I will eventually move up to the Asylum. What am I TRULY in for if I were to move on to the Asylum?

I tried a few sessions, but my friend that had the DVD set was doing it while I was going through Tommy John rehab so it was a bit difficult on me physically.

 

The main difference is that Asylum is a bit more sport-specific movements and provides more resistance. I believe its also only a 30 day program, which is half the length of Insanity. 

 

The few sessions that I did try and was able to complete found me lying on the ground in the fetal position, dizzy and surrounded by a pool of my own sweat. But you couldn't be more right, you really do feel great afterwards. Asylum is brutally difficult, even moreso than Insanity (if you can believe that), but if you push yourself...like everything else...it's worth it.

Very inspiring stories in this thread.  My doctor has encouraged me to weigh what I did in high school.  I am not quite there yet but that is my goal of about 170 lbs.  Here is a picture of me 6 months before I had heart surgery on April 15th 2011 with my wife and daughter: (pushing 250 lbs and a 42-44 inch waist).

 

Here is me now at 186 lbs and a 32 inch waist.  Everyone out there can do what I did without having to have heart surgery to get there.  Start eating whole, natural, unporocessed foods and walk (see your doctor first).  You'll feel like a teenager again.

Great thread

Very inspiring thread.  I must confess - I am a sugar addict.  I don't know how anyone quits smoking when I can't quit sugar.  I was a 6' 160 pound picture of health coming out of High School with a 40" vertical going to play D3 Basketball (white men could jump back in the day) and now find myself at 47 to be 6'2 260 lbs. and wondering what the hell happened.

 

I remember 10 years ago when I gave up basketball thinking that I can't play anymore until I drop some weight and that I can't drop weight without playing.  Now, I can't even find pants to fit. Don't the Dockers folks know that there are actually people with longer than 32" legs that now need size 40 pants?  My waste has gone from 34" to 40", my neck fron 15.5 to 17.5, and I need Barry Bonds hat size.  I too sit at a desk all day and end up watching Pawn Stars re-runs and Yankee games at night when not throwing to my son in the cage with my wrecked shoulder or watching his or my daughter's sporting event of the day.

 

It is inspiring to know that others have struggled with where I am right now and overcome.  I hope that I can as well..

Great thread!

 

I started reading "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis on the flight home with 2015 from PG Main Event before New Year's eve. It's not for everyone but it resonated with me. Since January I'm down from 215 to 190 and feeling tons better. Still have 15 more to go but will get there. I highly recommend the book. It has a great analysis of the history of wheat and how it has been genetically modified over the last 70 years.

 

Good health to all!

Amazing...
Jack Lalanne - Sample Meal Plan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuW3RfWJ1H0

Good stuff.  Jack Lalanne should still be alive today.  He had a lung infection that he thought he could tough out.  By the time they finally got him to the hospital, it was too late.  He had it all figured out in the 1940's and 50's.  An excellent role model for people to follow.

This is a great thread my friend CD started. In the hope that just one person here will read it and be inspired to victory in this quest let me add a few things.

You can beat this. You have to make the decision that feeling better, looking better, being healthy, having real control, not being a slave to something, guilty feelings, having that defeated feeling when you have to suck in your gut every time you try and button your pants, is a choice you can make. It is not a diet. You are not taking things away from yourself. You are making a decision to change your life. It's a lifestyle change for life.

Instead of focusing on all the things your taking away from yourself focus on all the things your going to give yourself. Feel the joy and pride of watching the fat melt away. Feel the power of realizing you do have control over this. People believe it or not will want you to fail. Why? Because misery loves complany. Friends will want you to eat with them. Eat what they eat. You will be put in situations where you will have to stay strong. Numerous times. But every time you stay strong you get stronger. And every time you don't you get weaker.

And there will be people who will make comments that will inspire you. "Man you look great what are you doing?" "Are you on a diet." Then you just say no. I made a decision to be in control of my life and made a life style change for life. Not only will it change you physically it will change you mentally. I post this to encourage those out there that feel that it's just a lost cause and have accepted defeat. It's just part of growing old. No it's not. It doesn't have to be. It's a choice that you have made and a choice that you can make.

Find me a person that has gotten fat eating veggies, fruit, nuts and lean meat. Any amount off it. The fact is you can eat as much as you want. I eat way more than I ever did before. Your not depriving yourself of the pleasures of life. Your giving yourself a much better quality of life. Your putting the power back in your hands. Your freeing yourself from the grip of this monster.

It feels very good to very good to win. And you can win. It's a choice you make. To win or continue to be a slave to the addiction. To to any High School and just walk the halls. Go to any wall and just observe. Fat. Obese people. Of all ages. One after another. Go to the food court and see what they are eating.

It's a choice. Please make the choice to win. It feels awesome. And it will give to you not take away. It's simply about the way you decide to look at it.

Awesome post, Coach! Just awesome, especially this:

"It's a choice. Please make the choice to win. It feels awesome."

The power and ability we have is to make good choices and not so good.  It is truly empowering for us to make good choices and it is truly empowering for those reading this thread to literally feel through the multiple posts the empowering results of the powerful choices each of you are making.

I will be 64 years old in about 3 weeks.  For the past 13 months I have been getting up around 4:50am to do a  a RAW program 4 days per week and one additional day working out on my own with a combination of 30 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes of strength training. RAW has some of the Insanity elements but encompasses cardio, core and strength with small groups of 10 and a trainer pushing you to get every ounce of the workout possible.

One of our sayings:

"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you."

Each of you who have posted are wonderful examples of being challenged and being changed.  I sure hope your postings inspire many, many others to realize they too can be changed by having the courage to make the "choice" to be challenged!

Outstanding!

 

This is not complicated nor painful.  This is empowering.  Let me list a few things you'll be giving up.  Clothes that don't fit.  Diabetes.  Heart disease.  Embarrassment.  Loneliness.  Depression.  Aging.  

 

Some things you'll be gaining.  Compliments.  Pride.  Energy.  Youthfulness.  Vigor.  Skin tone.  Purposefulness.  Awareness.  Empowerment.  

 

As Coach May and other have put it... diets ALWAYS fail.  Lifestyle changes always succeed.  You CANNOT get fat eating vegetables.  Eat as much of them as you like and you can lose hundreds of pounds if necessary without much effort.  You'll also discover new taste buds you didn't know existed and it will make you wonder why you craved processed food in the first place.  

 

Most people who decide to transform themselves get it backwards.  They go to the gym first thinking that will help them burn off the fat.  It doesn't work that way.  Control what goes into your mouth (non-processed food mostly) and after the pounds start melting off, then maybe go to the gym to tone up your loose skin and muscles.  It is impossible to out-train a bad diet.        

 

Like some people have mentioned here, I still struggle with my sweet tooth.  Sometimes I can control that with an apple.  Other times, I indulge but then get back on the wagon the next day.  It's next to impossible to eat a perfect diet but it is possible to "mostly" consume healthy food which will eventually lead to the body and mental well-being of your dreams. 

I'll lay big money you do not feel anywhere close like you are 64 years old 

I could write a book on this subject and I'll be honest, I am contemplating doing that.

 

Diet soda is no panacea to this problem in fact the opposite.  Apartame is known to be a neurotoxin - meaning that it destroys brain cells.  Moreover, research has shown that those drinking it tend to gain weight.  Another double-whammy processed food.  

 

Water tastes great if you give it a chance.   

If my sweet tooth exceeds the need for my one Klondike bar or root beer float I eat strawberries. Other naturally sweet foods are watermelon and cantaloupe. There are plenty of healthy things to eat that taste good. I have a banana with every lunch and an apple with every dinner.

 

Non fat food doesn't mean you won't gain weight. There's other garbage in non fat food that causes weight gain.

 Amen. Another suggestion I might add- drink a full glass of water before every meal, and fully swallow each bite that you take before taking another. Let your metabolism work at a healthy pace.

 

Great stuff CD and all. 

Last October the Dr. told me I was diabetic, and it was more traumatic than when I was told 6 years ago that I had heart problems. I quit a 47 year 3 pack a day habit cold turkey and never missed it for a second because in all honesty I didn’t really LIKE to smoke, and did it out of habit. But I have an Italian/Jewish background, and eating things that taste good wasn’t an option, it was a necessity. Not ready to leave this earthly plane quite yet though, I started watching the amount and what I was eating.

 

I could list a litany of things that are good for you, but the thing is you need more than someone saying something is good for you to make shoving it in your face more palatable. One of the things my wife and I found quite by accident has turned out to be something we not only look forward to, but has help get us in the mindset just how easy it is to make that very difficult transition to healthier eating.

 

Like so many other foodies, we watch Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, The Worst Cooks in America, Chopped, Dinner Impossible, Rachael Ray, Paula Deen, and the list goes on and one and on and … Of course originally I watched Top Chef in the beginning to see how short Padma’s skirt or how low cut her blouse would be, but eventually I actually learned something about food.

 

Last winter I stumbled across a little half hour show called “Recipe Rehab”, and believe it or not, its become something we’ve learned one heck of a lot about healthy cooking. One of the reasons I like it is, you get to see how real people react to it, plus get a read on the numbers the Drs keep telling you are so important, and see ways to improve them.

 

Here’s a link to all the shows on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...BE87BCC&index=47

 

They’re all worth watching, but look through the list to find something you really like and check it out. It can’t hurt and it might help. We’ve tried several that looked good to us, and I have to admit they came out very very well. I think a lof of the reason people don’t eat better is that they don’t know how not to. This show’s not the answer for everyone, but it certainly be better for ya than spending an equal amount of time on a baseball bulletin board, no matter how much fun that might be.

After reading all you guys great testimonies, I will partially tell my condition...

 

I always ate like a horse growing up, as I'm sure many of us here did. I couldn't break 180 pounds to save my life in high school. I finally got into the 190's in college. After my playing days were over, a mixture of lifestyle and emotions caught up to me. Let's just say depression kicked my butt for the better of five years or so. With very little physical activity since my playing/workout days were over, I still ate like a horse, but this time adding drinking like a fish. I ballooned well into the 250 range (I am 5'11) in the matter of these years. I was a junk food junky during the day and bar hopper at night. The only good thing that came of all of it was meeting my wife in this depressing lifestyle (she was in the same situation I was in, that's why we hit it off so well). To shorten this story, we both decided to stop the drinking and smoking. I finished my degree, we got married and had our first kid. However, our fast food/soda craze was still out of control.

 

In 2009 we decided to go to the doctor to get routine check-ups. The doctor drew blood and showed me how the salt and blood separated in the tube. After being semi-shocked and embarrassed, she told me I better get off the salty foods, and fast. They diagnosed me with psoriatic arthritis. Yes, the same thing Phil Mickelson has and tries to sale whatever drug he's trying to sale. Anyways, I would have flares of red, itchy, flaky patches all over my scalp and even in areas of my face. My joints have flares of stiffness and swelling, especially during season after long days of hitting fungo. 

 

My wife and I decided about a year ago to start juicing fruits and veggies. This has worked out GREAT! Six months ago we decided to cut out sodas and that has gone extremely well also. This started about the same time we started our Insanity work-out. The hardest thing, which we did so good for a few months, was not eating fast food. During season is the toughest time to have a set time to sit down for a home cooked family dinner. We are getting back on the no fast food wagon however.

 

I said all that to finish with my in progress success. When we are on the straight and narrow and our exercise, healthy consumption and spiritual walk are all in line, my psoriatic arthritis is almost non-existent. I will still have random, mini bouts with it, but I would say it is about 90% relieved. I always knew what I needed to do, and always knew what I had to do, I just didn't always have the will power to do. Now, through prayer and support from my wife, I gain my strength.

 

*For what it's worth, I am in my mid 30's and have not had alcohol in over four years and quit smoking over six years ago. 

I told my dad growing up "it wouldn't happen to me." All through high school, I could eat whatever I wanted and eat as much of it as I wanted. When you play 3 varsity sports you're often practicing or working out 4-5 hours A DAY. Then college comes and that rec center just seemed so far away. And when I would get home from class, all I wanted to do was sleep. Let's just say that working out in college just didn't happen very often. BUT I still ate whatever I wanted. You've all heard of the "freshman 15" and I was definitely close to that!

 

Now that I've graduated and even work in a fitness center I have gone through periods of staleness in exercising. There's always an excuse to be had. But that is all changing NOW.

 

This week I am in Week 8 of Eric Cressey's "Show&Go" program which is aimed at more of a general fitness population looking to get strong. After this week, I have another 8 weeks to go in this program. Then I'll re-evaluate and decide what to do next. I have already seen some great gains and can't wait to see even more! I've also lost some weight in these last 8 weeks. I hope to jump-start that tomorrow with a new eating plan.

 

I've ordered pre-made meals based on the Paleo-Zone diet. They arrived today and they were not cheap. But I'm going to give them a try! I have to do something. Right now I eat fast food WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much simply because it is convenient. I've long grown tired of it, but it's easy and it's fast. I'm hoping these meals are as convenient and as fast, but definitely much healthier. I'm going to pay for these for a weeks and then I may venture to try doing it myself.

 

This afternoon I stepped on the scale and weighed 233.6 pounds. My senior year of high school (class of 2007) I weighed 170 pounds. My goal is to lose 15 pounds by September 1.

 

Here we go!

These posts are awesome. When I read CDs post I had a feeling this thread was going to be great. It's very sad when your in your 50's and your in better physical condition than the majority of HS aged kids. They have grown up on fast food. Have no physical activity - smart phones, computers, video games, cable tv and junk food.

I fear we are only seeing the tip of the ice berg. I'm wirking on my oldest son right now. Praying that he will see the light. Good luck to everyone. We can do this.

Hey CD,

Thanks for starting this thread and sharing your story, I'm glad that you're looking & feeling well.  Congratulations to you & everyone else on here that have taken the necessary steps to ensure that you'll be around for your loved ones for years to come.

 

As for me, I'm 47 years old and I feel good, but I know that I could do much better.  My wife sets up my physical with our doctor on an annual basis and I generally come back with excellent labs, and last month was no exception. However, at just under 6'3" and weighing 268LBS (2 days ago), it's obvious that I could stand to shed 40-50lbs.  I workout 3-4 days a week lifting weights for forty minutes and twenty minutes of cardio. I know that I should be focusing on a little more cardio, but I still enjoy keeping up with the kids in the Free-Weight area.

 

I drink adult beverages mainly in social atmospheres amongst friends, and I don't smoke.  The Biggest downfall that my wife and I have is our time management, or lack there of, which leads us to eating out 2-3 times weekly.  In addition, we don't drink coffee...but we stop at the local convenience store every morning on the way to our office and pick up our 32 ounce diet sodas.  Did I mention that I Love mexican food & my Chips N Salsa, my wife's Italian cooking, and my Sunday tradition...Steak & Potatoes?!?!

 

There's no doubt I have plenty of work to do...However, I'm not gonna stop eating my favorite meals (especially my steak), but I do need to cut down on everything, including eating out too often, and she & I need to eliminate the diet sodas completely.  Maybe we'll start after this upcoming Memorial Weekend?

 

 

 

 

I have to add to my previous post.  Many of you know that my son had Tommy John Surgery over nine months ago.  He obviously had to miss the 2013 college baseball season and he's been extremely bored.  What has he been doing in his free time besides Radar Gun duty at home games?  The kid has been working out three hours a day, six days a week & has become a health nut...counting calories, etc...Don't get me wrong, I'm proud that he's taking care of himself, but a 20 year old should have a little fun, right?

Good comments.  There is a whole body of research on the psychology of denial and deprivation.  If you deny things to yourself, you can set yourself up for a binge down the road.  A more healthy attitude is to say to yourself, "I can have whatever I want, but I choose to eat more (mostly) nutritious foods."  

 

The idea with some of the the foods we know can cause problems is portion control.  If you have an urge for ice cream, rather than deny the urge, eat a small ice cream cone rather than binging on a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey which happens to be a weakness of mine 

 

The model we all want to strive for is to maximize nutritiously dense/calorically light foods (e.g., vegetables) and minimize nutritiously light/calorically heavy foods (e.g., processed foods).  It is probably a mistake to deny any category of food and probably a mistake to label some foods as good and some foods as bad.  You start labeling some bad foods and sooner or later you are going to binge out on them.  Coach May's example of eating the whole cake at Christmas is a great example of this denial complex.  Similarly, labeling foods as good can be a problem and I see this all the time especially in regards to fruit.  A banana is good for the potassium it contains.  You eat a whole pound of banana's and you know what?  You just gained a pound.

 

The whole ballgame here is to train your taste buds to crave foods like spinach and broccoli as much as you currently crave snickers, ice cream, chips, soda pop, french fries and pizza.  It is all in the MIND.  Have one or two pieces of pizza now and then (I still do) but eat mostly those foods we all know are good for us.  Basically, you find that type of food on the outside perimeter of the grocery store.  You wander into the isles, and those addictive foods are there and we all know that overtime, they cause SERIOUS health problems.

 

Please follow what Coach May has laid out in his posts.  You'll can lose 25 lbs per month without hardly even trying.  You lose that much weight, you'll have the incentive and motivation to choose "mostly" the right foods.  Workouts (e.g., walks) and diets (e.g., choosing nutritious foods over processed food) are the easy part.  Motivation is the key to the whole game.  Change your mind and your body will transform without much effort at all.

 

Another thing you need to do (which I'm having a hard time mastering) is actually eating more smaller meals throughout the day.  Have a good sensible healthy breakfast and then a morning snack, smart lunch, afternoon snack and then a good dinner is much better for you thank skipping breakfast, very small lunch and then splurging on dinner.  You can't cheat during one part of the day to try and offset thinking you can eat extra during dinner because you've not consumed a lot of calories during the day.

 

The problem with this is by not eating your metabolism is sitting there not doing anything so when you start to consume calories your body's not sure when it's going to eat again so it stores everything for reserves.  Since it's at the end of the day when you are settling down and not active then those calories get turned into fat for storage. 

 

Your metabolism is like a hard working machine - in order for it to operate at maximum efficiency it needs to be used (small meals) while getting maintenance (healthy food mixed with exercise).  You do this you will lose weight quickly.

Fantastic stuff throughout