loose weight without changing diet too much.
Discussion
Since changing jobs in November ive noticed my toes are getting shorter.
I want to loose a bit of belly fat gained from sitting at a computer all day. I do a little bit of running and a little bit of bike. I will aim to up these once the evenings get lighter/warmer.
Is it necesary for me to change my diet? cereal in the morning, sandwich & crisps for lunch. typical meat and veg for dinner. maybe 5-6 pints a week.
I would prefer to keep my diet as it is, i dont like a lot of fruit, and im happy to push myself more when im active (really enjoy a run, it clears the head) but is it worthwhile if im not going to eat more healthy?
Ive only noticed the weight gain since this job where im sat 8 hours a day.
I want to loose a bit of belly fat gained from sitting at a computer all day. I do a little bit of running and a little bit of bike. I will aim to up these once the evenings get lighter/warmer.
Is it necesary for me to change my diet? cereal in the morning, sandwich & crisps for lunch. typical meat and veg for dinner. maybe 5-6 pints a week.
I would prefer to keep my diet as it is, i dont like a lot of fruit, and im happy to push myself more when im active (really enjoy a run, it clears the head) but is it worthwhile if im not going to eat more healthy?
Ive only noticed the weight gain since this job where im sat 8 hours a day.
callmedave said:
Since changing jobs in November ive noticed my toes are getting shorter.
I want to loose a bit of belly fat gained from sitting at a computer all day. I do a little bit of running and a little bit of bike. I will aim to up these once the evenings get lighter/warmer.
Is it necesary for me to change my diet? cereal in the morning, sandwich & crisps for lunch. typical meat and veg for dinner. maybe 5-6 pints a week.
I would prefer to keep my diet as it is, i dont like a lot of fruit, and im happy to push myself more when im active (really enjoy a run, it clears the head) but is it worthwhile if im not going to eat more healthy?
Ive only noticed the weight gain since this job where im sat 8 hours a day.
What's the old saying, you can't out-train a bad diet? I want to loose a bit of belly fat gained from sitting at a computer all day. I do a little bit of running and a little bit of bike. I will aim to up these once the evenings get lighter/warmer.
Is it necesary for me to change my diet? cereal in the morning, sandwich & crisps for lunch. typical meat and veg for dinner. maybe 5-6 pints a week.
I would prefer to keep my diet as it is, i dont like a lot of fruit, and im happy to push myself more when im active (really enjoy a run, it clears the head) but is it worthwhile if im not going to eat more healthy?
Ive only noticed the weight gain since this job where im sat 8 hours a day.
Personally I'd be cutting out the bread and laying off the beer if I was serious about extending my toes.
For not too stark a change, try swapping your bread for low cal wraps, and swapping the pints for a 'lighter' booze choice!
Some cereals are so carb heavy, that sitting down all day after eating them will just make your body store the excess energy you aren't using.
As a diabetic, I have sat with many dieticians but the best advice is to start the day low carb-ish, but a must is not late night snacking (just a decent evening meal) as going to bed afterwards (thinking maybe late night curries e.t.c) means you will never use what you have consumed.
PH MODE = ON/ You learn as a diabetic that food is fuel and you need to treat it as such, it's ok if you are going to use what you consume, if not your tank just gets bigger.
As a diabetic, I have sat with many dieticians but the best advice is to start the day low carb-ish, but a must is not late night snacking (just a decent evening meal) as going to bed afterwards (thinking maybe late night curries e.t.c) means you will never use what you have consumed.
PH MODE = ON/ You learn as a diabetic that food is fuel and you need to treat it as such, it's ok if you are going to use what you consume, if not your tank just gets bigger.
Edited by NoNeed on Wednesday 27th April 20:22
Crush said:
Use Myfitnesspal and track what you're eating. You'll be surprised at how quickly a few 'little snacks' push you to a silly calorie intake.
Yeah that's a good shout. It's hard to really know what your intake is without tracking it and MFP makes it really easy. You pretty much just scan the barcode on what you're eating. I find it really difficult to lose weight by adjusting my diet. I don't have a terrible diet, there's not really any chocolate or beer in it, but it's not just chicken and leaves either and I'm just a bit too much of a greedy bugger.
However I do know that if I run 8 miles every other day I don't eat much more if any and the weight falls off easily. The problem for me is fitting in those runs around a full time sedentary job.
However I do know that if I run 8 miles every other day I don't eat much more if any and the weight falls off easily. The problem for me is fitting in those runs around a full time sedentary job.
Slightly smaller portions, dump the sandwiches for salad, dump the crisps totally, no breer in the week. This will do it and it's not rocket science.
For a psychological treat, you get one night a week off. If and only if you have stayed on the wagon and behaved all week. I call this "steak and a pint Thursday". It's your reward for doing the right thing all week, and it makes it easier. Socially easier too, people don't like to see other people getting on with stuff and succeeding where they have failed, and they are very sniffy towards non drinkers. Your night off fixes this. The naysayers are silenced because you do in fact enjoy a drink, just not every night.
I spend most weeks in an hotel, if I don't rein it in I turn into a fat middle aged businessman rather than the sportsman I want to be. The strategy above works for me.
For a psychological treat, you get one night a week off. If and only if you have stayed on the wagon and behaved all week. I call this "steak and a pint Thursday". It's your reward for doing the right thing all week, and it makes it easier. Socially easier too, people don't like to see other people getting on with stuff and succeeding where they have failed, and they are very sniffy towards non drinkers. Your night off fixes this. The naysayers are silenced because you do in fact enjoy a drink, just not every night.
I spend most weeks in an hotel, if I don't rein it in I turn into a fat middle aged businessman rather than the sportsman I want to be. The strategy above works for me.
I had a similar problem. So in January I bought a Fitbit and started using it and the app in earnest. Long story short, I was shocked by the amount of calories in what I'd considered to be healthy stuff. I have changed what I eat and have dropped 2 trouser sizes (lost 5 inches from my waist) and feel much better than before. The app helps me make informed choices about what I eat, for example I would previously have granola and yoghurt for breakfast. The app showed that this was over 600 calories so now I have melon or grapes. I make better food choices and can eat as much as I ever did, it's just better food. Oh, and I cut out wheat which also seems to have helped a lot.
As said above, food is fuel and has to be treated as such. Only downside for me is having to buy new clothes as my old ones now look ridiculous.
As said above, food is fuel and has to be treated as such. Only downside for me is having to buy new clothes as my old ones now look ridiculous.
BRISTOL86 said:
Crush said:
Use Myfitnesspal and track what you're eating. You'll be surprised at how quickly a few 'little snacks' push you to a silly calorie intake.
Yeah that's a good shout. It's hard to really know what your intake is without tracking it and MFP makes it really easy. You pretty much just scan the barcode on what you're eating. You don't have to be crazy about it but its worth doing for a week or so till you can recognise rough portion sizes by sight.
Smaller plates
helps with portion size control and also makes it look like you aren't being short changed (i.e. small portion on large plate just makes you think you're getting nothing to eat).
I personally found MFP to be a bit useless. It is fine if you are going to be scanning barcodes and the like, but when you make everything from scratch and are regularly making new things (not just the same recipes every week) it quickly becomes a bit of a chore and a boggle (i.e. multifarious entries for steamed potatoes all with wildly different values) and I think you're left in a not too dissimilar situation as you were when you started. I.e. you are not totally sure of what you're putting in your mouth. Then there is research that suggests you can obtain more calories from foods depending on how you cooked them, how long you cooked them and what microbes you host in your gut. In the end it just doesn't seem worth the effort for the result (our results were minimal).
We've gotten on much better with portion control... smaller plates, and that other one; a fist for carbs, half a hand for meats etc etc. Also doing food replacements.... spaghetti made from courgettes, and grated cauliflower instead of white rice. Then just work hard to avoid processed sugars.
helps with portion size control and also makes it look like you aren't being short changed (i.e. small portion on large plate just makes you think you're getting nothing to eat).
I personally found MFP to be a bit useless. It is fine if you are going to be scanning barcodes and the like, but when you make everything from scratch and are regularly making new things (not just the same recipes every week) it quickly becomes a bit of a chore and a boggle (i.e. multifarious entries for steamed potatoes all with wildly different values) and I think you're left in a not too dissimilar situation as you were when you started. I.e. you are not totally sure of what you're putting in your mouth. Then there is research that suggests you can obtain more calories from foods depending on how you cooked them, how long you cooked them and what microbes you host in your gut. In the end it just doesn't seem worth the effort for the result (our results were minimal).
We've gotten on much better with portion control... smaller plates, and that other one; a fist for carbs, half a hand for meats etc etc. Also doing food replacements.... spaghetti made from courgettes, and grated cauliflower instead of white rice. Then just work hard to avoid processed sugars.
jshell said:
Any advice: I always start the day with 35g porridge, homemade almond milk and a handful of blueberries. It keeps me going till lunchtime at least without snacking. Is this a good idea, or is it a too-early carb-boost?
Cheers!
From almost everything I have read, if you want to eat a lot at least once per day, early morning is the best time to do it. It is late evening meals/snacks that can be a problem, but not breakfast.Cheers!
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