Who's on a diet?

monquixote · August 2013

I've been doing intermittent fasting for about two and a half weeks and I've lost about 12 pounds so far and feeling great.

I looked into doing the 5 & 2, but ended up doing something based on "Lean Gains" at the request of @ChristophEar

Anyone else de-bifa-ing themselves.

TTony · August 2013

I've been doing the 2&5* (rather than 5&2) since early last month, and adding some exercise in as well.

So far I've shifted a good stone of unnecessary TTony. The weight loss has really slowed down now, but my appetite is noticeably reduced too, so the "diet" is far easier to stick to.

* I'm doing 2 days of eating normally and 5 days of eating to a fairly strict diet in a week.

monquixote · August 2013

In lean gains you basically restrict the hours of the day that you eat so I normally have my first thing to eat at about 2pm which is usually either some Muesli, or Sandwich depending on how virtuous I'm feeling then I have dinner at about 7pm where I don't worry too much about what I have.

The rest of the time I try and have zero calories so I avoid milk in tea etc.

I don't diet on the weekends because life is too short!

not_the_dj · August 2013

Lost 5kg on the fast diet. Was more about my tummy size than actual weight though. Gone down a couple of loops on my belt and my wife says I look better for it so all good. On the fast days I skip breakfast (I do that quite often anyway). A can of Heinz Big Soup at lunch, then either Salmon or Chicken with a few veg in the evening.

OilCityPickups · August 2013

I'm trying to shed what giving up smoking five years ago put on. I don't have anything but as much fruit as I want ... until my evening meal ... when it's simply smaller portions of whatever. Beer is my undoing however ... tough to resist

Emp_Fab · August 2013

I'm just trying not to eat McDonalds / any meat other than poultry / cut out as much fat and sugar as I can. I've also ditched wine & beer and I'm on spirits with zero-cal mixers. Eating porridge for brekkie to help keep hunger at bay, and going back to the gym twice a week.

Just doing that means I've lost about 2kg in a fortnight. My gut feels noticeably lighter and tighter and my chin has tightened up a bit.

This time I am going to shift it all and get down to a sensible weight then keep it there. I'm knocking on 50 and 18mths out of a heart attack (yay ! - my first mention of my heart attack on the new forum ! Go me !!), and as a GP mate of mine bluntly told me when I was whining about having to exercise... "Well, it basically boils down to 'how long do you want to live' ?".

So.... watch this space.... I'm going to be like a racing snake in no time.

ChristophEar · August 2013

As @monquixote noted I'm a LeanGains fan - guy behind it's a bit nutty but it's a solid approach to weight loss & muscle gain, and the folks over at /r/leangains have sensible heads on them. Once you get into the swing of it it's really easy to maintain in the long term and can be nicely flexible around special occasions. Check out the posts on alcohol and cheesecake mastery on LG.com to find out how

ChristophEar · August 2013

Emp_Fab said:

Eating porridge for brekkie to help keep hunger at bay, and going back to the gym twice a week.

Oats are the best thing in the world.

And good on you for getting back to the gym. Tough when you've had a break, the first few sessions are made of pain. But it will soon be addictive

Keep at it!

octatonic · August 2013

Not on a diet as such- but I'm not eating junk or drinking at the moment.

I don't cut anything out of the diet- just sensible portions & a lot of exercise- weights and cardio.

bertie · August 2013

mrs bert has started taking those green coffee bean tabs............. they 'appear' to be working lost 5lbs last week I think

Drew_TNBD · August 2013

Losing 12 pounds in two and a half weeks is impressive. I've lost 3kg in two and a half months. I did try to watch what I was eating, even started counting calories and all that. But I failed hard.

monquixote · August 2013

Drew_fx said:

Losing 12 pounds in two and a half weeks is impressive. I've lost 3kg in two and a half months. I did try to watch what I was eating, even started counting calories and all that. But I failed hard.

I've always found that anything that involves calorie counting is destined for failure because it forces you to spend a lot of time thinking about food in great detail. I like IF because you just decide that you aren't eating for a period of time and then you just don't think about food or have to make any decisions about what's good and what's bad.

octatonic · August 2013

bertie said:

mrs bert has started taking those green coffee bean tabs............. they 'appear' to be working lost 5lbs last week I think

Sorry bertie but no.

I'm not saying she didn't lose 5lbs but it will not (and indeed cannot) be down to green coffee bean extract.

File under pseudoscience.

I can post a bunch of links if you want- these are yet another fad, soft-promoted by celebrities and woman's magazines.

We also need to distinguish between fat loss and weight loss.

5lb of fat is around 17000 calories or 8 days of food for an average woman.

That isn't possible unless a person stops eating entirely.

What might have come off is a bit of fat and a lot of water- like everyone does in the initial stages of a diet.

I'm not saying this to discourage anyone- I just think it is better to know what is going on, rather than believing the hype.

Emp_Fab · August 2013

I can't take it anymore !!! I'm going up the shop to buy a packet of biscuits !!! I need fat and sugar !!!! Aaaaaaarrrrggghhhh !!!

octatonic · August 2013

monquixote said:

Drew_fx said:

Losing 12 pounds in two and a half weeks is impressive. I've lost 3kg in two and a half months. I did try to watch what I was eating, even started counting calories and all that. But I failed hard.

I've always found that anything that involves calorie counting is destined for failure because it forces you to spend a lot of time thinking about food in great detail. I like IF because you just decide that you aren't eating for a period of time and then you just don't think about food or have to make any decisions about what's good and what's bad.

As I said above- 12lbs in 2 weeks will mostly be water.

It has to be.

There is a book I can recommend on this topic that has no BS and absolutely tells the truth.

Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto- you can get it here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Fat-Solution-principles-Maintaining/dp/1583333738

I have it on Kindle.

Also check out the Dolce Diet, by MMA trainer Mike Dolce.

He has a very good approach too.

monquixote · August 2013

octatonic said:

monquixote said:

Drew_fx said:

Losing 12 pounds in two and a half weeks is impressive. I've lost 3kg in two and a half months. I did try to watch what I was eating, even started counting calories and all that. But I failed hard.

I've always found that anything that involves calorie counting is destined for failure because it forces you to spend a lot of time thinking about food in great detail. I like IF because you just decide that you aren't eating for a period of time and then you just don't think about food or have to make any decisions about what's good and what's bad.

As I said above- 12lbs in 2 weeks will mostly be water.
It has to be.

There is a book I can recommend on this topic that has no BS and absolutely tells the truth.
Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto- you can get it here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Fat-Solution-principles-Maintaining/dp/1583333738

I have it on Kindle.
Also check out the Dolce Diet, by MMA trainer Mike Dolce.
He has a very good approach too.

I'm pretty sure the first few pounds is going to be, but that's the same with every diet.

I'm still losing pretty consistently, but obviously not at the same rate as the first week.

octatonic · August 2013

monquixote said:
I'm pretty sure the first few pounds is going to be, but that's the same with every diet.
I'm still losing pretty consistently, but obviously not at the same rate as the first week.

Yes it is the same with any diet.

Water weight loss can vary greatly- my brother just had a gastric bypass (he is morbidly obese) and he lost 18kg in the first week.

Well done on the progress so far.

Seriously consider the Venuto book- it is very good and deals with the psychological issue of maintenance after weight loss, which is where most people fail.

Losing weight is pretty easy.

Keeping it off for a decade is the real work and Venuto explains a very good approach for doing that.

mike_l · August 2013

I are currently not eating food at all. On doctors orders,

I have to drink 6 Fortisips a day, Which contains all the nutrients and has around 300 calories per bottle (125ml).

It sucks big time.

I'm hoping when I see the consultant on Wednesday I can get onto normal food, as/when I can I'll be being very careful about my calorific intake, and shall try to live on the bare minimum calories, but make sure I am properly hydrated so any weight loss will be down to losing fat, rather than water.

Emp_Fab · August 2013

Does it help if I tell you I'm halfway through a packet of Fox's Choc Fudge Crunch Creams with a huge mug of tea ?

I'm weak.... I will pay for this with my waistline.... but Ohhhhhhhhhhh sooooooo goooooooooooooooooooood !

octatonic · August 2013

Why not have two, which will have no real impact on your health, rather than an entire packet, which will?

holnrew · August 2013

I'm not but I ought to be.

mike_l · August 2013

Emp_Fab said:

Does it help if I tell you I'm halfway through a packet of Fox's Choc Fudge Crunch Creams with a huge mug of tea ?

I'm weak.... I will pay for this with my waistline.... but Ohhhhhhhhhhh sooooooo goooooooooooooooooooood !

Yes, that's helps a lot.

I did get some of those biscuits to have at work, but the girls found them and then I had none. :-(

I don't mind as the ladies in question have been brilliantly supportive of me whilst I've been ill :-)

I can still drink tea. My teabucket take roughly 1 pint, I have (normally) 5 of these a day...... :-0

snakemanStoo · August 2013

Emp_Fab said:

Does it help if I tell you I'm halfway through a packet of Fox's Choc Fudge Crunch Creams with a huge mug of tea ?

I'm weak.... I will pay for this with my waistline.... but Ohhhhhhhhhhh sooooooo goooooooooooooooooooood !

1 minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips >:)

Emp_Fab · August 2013

octatonic said:

Why not have two, which will have no real impact on your health, rather than an entire packet, which will?

NOW you tell me !

I gave the dog two, and scoffed the rest. I feel awful now. I was proud of myself for losing 2.4 kg and now I've probably undone a good chunk of that with... let me look at the packet... 632 calories, 50g sugar, 31g fat of which 17.6g is saturates (HOLY SHIT !) and 1.12g salt.

I'm going to have to eat vegetarian vegetables for the rest of the week now.

monquixote · August 2013

octatonic said:
Yes it is the same with any diet.
Water weight loss can vary greatly- my brother just had a gastric bypass (he is morbidly obese) and he lost 18kg in the first week.

Well done on the progress so far.
Seriously consider the Venuto book- it is very good and deals with the psychological issue of maintenance after weight loss, which is where most people fail.
Losing weight is pretty easy.
Keeping it off for a decade is the real work and Venuto explains a very good approach for doing that.

Cheers for the link I might give it a look.

I've been reading a few books @ChristophEar sent me. One of them (I can't remember which) made the point that actually all diets work because fundamentally they involve reducing your intake below your burn rate and the "best" diet is simply the one that you are likely to stick to.

That's what I like about doing Lean Gains it's actually made my life easier and I can imagine staying on it for as long as I feel I want to.

I lost about 4 stone in 03 and it's taken me 10 years to put it back on. The thing that irritates me is how broken BMI is if you are reasonably tall I'm 6' 2'' and fairly solidly built even when I've been really fit I was still supposedly borderline overweight and when I dropped to closer to my ideal BMI after getting food poisoning people just said I looked really gaunt.

holnrew · August 2013

Once I open a packet of biscuits/crisps/sweets/chocolate/bad food I don't stop eating until it's gone, no matter how full/sick I feel...

ChristophEar · August 2013

monquixote said:

the "best" diet is simply the one that you are likely to stick to.

This, and the notion that every body is different, are probably the two biggest lessons I've ever learned when it comes to diet.

octatonic · August 2013

Emp_Fab said:

octatonic said:

Why not have two, which will have no real impact on your health, rather than an entire packet, which will?

NOW you tell me !

I gave the dog two, and scoffed the rest. I feel awful now. I was proud of myself for losing 2.4 kg and now I've probably undone a good chunk of that with... let me look at the packet... 632 calories, 50g sugar, 31g fat of which 17.6g is saturates (HOLY SHIT !) and 1.12g salt.

I'm going to have to eat vegetarian vegetables for the rest of the week now.

You gave your dog chocolate?

Read this, then slap yourself on the dick with a wooden spoon.

or a metal one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theobromine_poisoning

Well done on losing 2.4kg.

600 calories wont impact you in any real way.

It will if you over-eat by 300 calories day in, day out though.

300 calories (or one chocolate bar) every day over your maintenance calories = 2100 calories a week.

That is about 100,000 calories a year.

Which is equal to 31lbs of fat on your body.

A single meal or incident isn't going to impact you at all.

What impacts you is continuous and sustained over-eating, even mild over-eating.

Solution: eating less and exercising more.

And patience.

It is a marathon, not a sprint.

Emp_Fab · August 2013

octatonic said:
You gave your dog chocolate? Read this, then slap yourself on the dick with a wooden spoon.

I very much doubt there's a great deal of chocolate in Fox's crunch creams. I only let him have the biscuit part, not the filling. Normally I never give him chocolate, but I figured a couple of biscuity bases wouldn't hurt as a one-off.

Emp_Fab · August 2013

Oooh... you've got me worried now.

According to this page:- http://foodinfo.us/SourcesUnabridged.aspx?Nutr_No=263 Chocolate-cream type biscuits contain roughly 430mg of thiobromine per 100g. On that basis, I reckon he's probably consumed about 30g of biscuit (minus the cream), so that would give him roughly 130mg of thiobromine (if he'd had the cream as well). This page says that toxicity starts around 100-150mg / Kg body weight. He's 11 Kg, so, that would mean I'd have to give him 1,100mg - 1,500mg of thiobromine to cause a toxic reaction. So, my reckoning is that he's had about a tenth of the quantity that would start giving him trouble. I think I'm fairly safe with that and don't need to rush him down the vets. Still... I won't give it to him again.

monquixote · August 2013

Emp_Fab said:

Oooh... you've got me worried now.

According to this page:- http://foodinfo.us/SourcesUnabridged.aspx?Nutr_No=263 Chocolate-cream type biscuits contain roughly 430mg of thiobromine per 100g. On that basis, I reckon he's probably consumed about 30g of biscuit (minus the cream), so that would give him roughly 130mg of thiobromine (if he'd had the cream as well). This page says that toxicity starts around 100-150mg / Kg body weight. He's 11 Kg, so, that would mean I'd have to give him 1,100mg - 1,500mg of thiobromine to cause a toxic reaction. So, my reckoning is that he's had about a tenth of the quantity that would start giving him trouble. I think I'm fairly safe with that and don't need to rush him down the vets. Still... I won't give it to him again.

I think you will be fine if you don't do it regularly. it's usually when the dog gets into a family sized bar of Dairy Milk or finds where you've hidden the Easter Eggs that you end up with a very sick dog.

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