Let's talk food...

pitbullmamaliz

Barefooters
May 24, 2012
116
44
28
Cleveland, Ohio
So I'm overweight and sadly running alone so far has not taken any pounds off. Though people keep telling me I'm looking much skinner, I've lost no pounds or inches and if I'm shrinking, my pants are shrinking with me! So I'm now resigned to the fact that unfortunately I am going to have to change my eating habits. *sigh*

I'm thinking about doing the primal/paleo lifestyle. It's not as low-carb as Atkins which is good, as a week on Atkins made me VERY angry and ready to kill people. Apparently I need some carbs to maintain sanity. I guess the primal/paleo is considered moderate-carb. Do any of you do that? Pros and cons?

My only concern is that I'm training for my first 5K and I don't want to be thrown off by the "carb flu," which I assume I'll get as my current way of eating is very carb-heavy. From what I'm reading it can suck your will to live for weeks. Should I hold off on this until after my 5K in September? I know I'm not training for an ultra or anything, but this is still a great deal of change in my cardio level from where I was several weeks ago, and my body is still adjusting.

Thoughts?
 
I used to work with people on weight loss and here's something I stuck by; there are people who thrive on challenge and sometimes misery, want to fight their demons, strive and break through. There are others who want change but not discomfort, are just as committed but will not complete if it feels miserable and takes away the things that make life worth living.

Knowing which of these you are will help with any advice.
 
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Liz,
Many will disagree with me, but I firmly believe (based on decades of personal experience) that weight loss is directly proportional to calorie input regardless of the source.
I'm not suggesting that performance cannot be enhanced by micro-managing your quality of intake, but if it's just weight reduction you're after count your calories CORECTLY , set a goal, and the pounds will melt away.
Exercise, even barefoot/minimalist running, will not do it for you.
Remember though, the combination of both cardio exercise AND calorie reduction does work like a charm every time!
 
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I try to change my habits gradually. I don't stick with radical change ever---I rebel big time.
So, can you get out of the habit of say, one nasty carb per week? That's the way I try it.
Maybe substitute one thing you have now almost daily that you'd like to cut out, and substitute with something more healthy that will make you feel more full. I'm with longboard on energy in/out, but I'm open to the idea that certain foods don't quite satisfy/satiate for as long and you end up eating more than you expected.
 
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For example, I lost 5lbs permanently by cutting out soft drinks about 5 yrs ago. I still drink tea and coffee, but I weaned myself off of carbonated beverages and juices over a whole year. Now I don't even like them, except for an occasional homemade lemonade. It's something I never crave, though, so it's now easy to say no to it.
Some don't like the gradual approach, though, but it works for me.
 
And one more thing, Liz, if it's any consolation; when I haven't worked out for a while, and start getting back into it, I always gain a few pounds. Maybe I convince myself I 'earned' extra? I don't feel like that's what I'm doing, but it sure is frustrating. However, some of what you are gaining w/ exercise is muscle, though, right, and muscle is cool.
 
Thank you all for the feedback. I'm absorbing all of it while researching the hell out of everything. Off sick today which helps. :)

I do well with structure. I did Weight Watchers for a while and did fantastic, until I got cocky and stopped. Then they changed the points system and I just couldn't get into it again because it felt wrong somehow. Several months ago I joined MyFitnessPal and started religiously counting calories. I had this miserable obsession with numbers. I felt restricted, but not in a helpful way. Like, I could eat whatever I wanted, but only very tiny portions of it.

So I'm thinking this may be a nice change. Structure in the form of eat this, not that, but freedom in that I don't have to obsess over every single calorie, at least not at first. I figure it can't hurt, and it might help.
 
I would agree that soda and juice are huge sources of empty calories. If you want some juice, eat some fruit. :)

Other things like increasing lean protein intake, as well as eating FIRST THING in the morning, can help give the metabolism a boost.
 
When I am trying to lose weight, I drink water before I eat my meals and snacks. It will help to make you feel full so you won't eat as much and it's good to be hydrated anyway.
 
When I am trying to lose weight, I drink water before I eat my meals and snacks. It will help to make you feel full so you won't eat as much and it's good to be hydrated anyway.
I'm reading The Skinny Rules right now and this is one of the suggestions. I believe that he states that not only does this glass of water help fill you up, but it also helps your body to digest the food. Now, my memory may not be the greatest right at the moment, running on only 4 hours of sleep after pulling an all nighter driving to Seattle and back last night to see a friend who just got a new heart.
 
talking about diet here is likely to cause a riot. everyone has opinions on what works for them. i'm trying hard to cut out grains and simple carbs and then up my fat intake. i just have to learn how to cook more organ meats and that should help.

nothing is going to work better than a little trial and error. i also say eat real food and less man made and you should be fine.
 
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I've been running a year -up to about 15 miles a week now- and have never lost weight from it, either. I was able to lose about 60 lbs. by changing my eating habits, however.

It is NOT a matter of calories in and calories out because different types of calories set of different types of chain reactions throughout the body and those chain reactions affect the metabolism in different ways causing the body to burn calories at different rates.

Really, losing and maintaining weight is all about how well your digestive system functions. In a nutshell, it's all about poop. Yep, that's what I said, poop. You need to do whatever it takes to insure you are having at least one high quality poop every day. Your pooping habits dictate your body's ability to absorb nutrients and to flush out toxins, without both of these working properly, your body just kinda grinds to a halt.

So these were the big changes.
  • I cut my dairy intake by about 90% because dairy causes both diahrrea and constipation.
  • I cut my wheat intake by about 90% because wheat bloats up your organs (read: digestive tract). It also wears out your immune system, which in turn slows down your digestive system.
  • My daily carb intake is only about 30% of the food I eat daily, and the majority of that 30% is only complex carbs. This has nothing to do with poop, but it does stabilize your insulin and decreases your appetite.
  • 90% of my meat intake is fish and seafood and NO red meat. Fish and seafood is the easiest meat for your stomach to digest.
  • Stay away from highly processed foods/eat mainly raw foods -cuz highly processed foods clog up your intestines.
  • Decreased my caffeine/alcohol intake (cuz it's constipating).
  • Increased my water intake (especially mineral).
  • I additionally assist my digestive tract in the following ways. I eat the following daily: prune juice, seeds (chia, flax, sesame, pumpkin), senna tea (weekly, one bag).
Hey, now is a good time to share my before and after photo! So I guess good pooping is like...1% of your day! Lol. 283746_3663571222606_1578076958_n.jpg
 
I believe that he states that not only does this glass of water help fill you up, but it also helps your body to digest the food.

Mafetone says not to drink water right before or after eating as it dilutes your stomach acids leading to indigestion. But honestly I have no idea. Seems like everywhere you turn you hear things that say the opposite of what you just heard. I give up.

Jen... wow thats terrific! Congrats!

My biggest weight loss to day was last spring (2011), I was my heaviest I ever been at the end of winter. I honestly can't say I did much exercise wise or diet. But the one thing I did do was suit up in bulky gear and run a chainsaw every other weekend and cut firewood, loading up the wagon on my garden tractor, then loading the truck, then unloading when at home. Probably 6-8,000# per trip. Lifting some of the big rounds into the truck took everything I had and the big ones I had to rest between loading each one. Then in the two weeks inbetween I was splitting it all by hand with axe and then restacking. I dropped from 194 to 170. Then started running seriously last summer and started to try and improve my diet, and right now I'm down another 10 to 160. I'm doing about 20-25 miles per week right now. And my diet is much better now but still includes some fast food trips now and then and some processed stuff, but I'm taking the gradual approach.
 
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Mafetone says not to drink water right before or after eating as it dilutes your stomach acids leading to indigestion. But honestly I have no idea. Seems like everywhere you turn you hear things that say the opposite of what you just heard. I give up.
Ya, I dunno. They both have their credentials, although I don't know that Maffetone is geared specifically towards losing weight where the author of the book the skinny rules, that's specifically what he does. He works to get extremely overweight people to lose weight on the biggest loser and I believe on his own as well.
 
Mafetone says not to drink water right before or after eating as it dilutes your stomach acids leading to indigestion. But honestly I have no idea. Seems like everywhere you turn you hear things that say the opposite of what you just heard. I give up.

Jen... wow thats terrific! Congrats!

My biggest weight loss to day was last spring (2011), I was my heaviest I ever been at the end of winter. I honestly can't say I did much exercise wise or diet. But the one thing I did do was suit up in bulky gear and run a chainsaw every other weekend and cut firewood, loading up the wagon on my garden tractor, then loading the truck, then unloading when at home. Probably 6-8,000# per trip. Lifting some of the big rounds into the truck took everything I had and the big ones I had to rest between loading each one. Then in the two weeks inbetween I was splitting it all by hand with axe and then restacking. I dropped from 194 to 170. Then started running seriously last summer and started to try and improve my diet, and right now I'm down another 10 to 160. I'm doing about 20-25 miles per week right now. And my diet is much better now but still includes some fast food trips now and then and some processed stuff, but I'm taking the gradual approach.

I have dessert almost every night. :) Twinkies are my favorite! Lol.

Nick, caffeine is constipating cuz it's a dieuretic (sp?). Coffee itself is definitely a laxative.
 
Ya, I dunno. They both have their credentials, although I don't know that Maffetone is geared specifically towards losing weight where the author of the book the skinny rules, that's specifically what he does. He works to get extremely overweight people to lose weight on the biggest loser and I believe on his own as well.
You might be right, diet for different reasons. But I have to admit I just can't not drink anything with a meal. But for dinner at home I have tried to limit it to just water, and/or wine, which he said aids in digestion. I'm cool with increased wine consumption. ;)
 
coffee is an irritant. the stomach tries to get rid of it. hence you poop. it supposedly dries the poop out inside you so that it sticks to your intestines and clogs you up, slowing down the system because caffeine does dehydrate you.

it works best though when used as an enema.
 
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wake up - breakfast - coffee - big poop.

Coffee is very good at that, but like all things, in moderation. Recent studies have shown that it has no significnat diuretic effect unless you're going above about 6-8 standard cups a day. I typically have one large cup in the morning and one at lunchtime. Green tea or water otherwise.

Recently stopped eating red meats, just have fish occaisionally now as an experiment and initially put on weight (cheese) but it's disappearing again.

For me, no cow dairy products (other than a small amount of butter), as I react to it with upper respiratory congestion, goats and sheep is OK.
Lots of oats - porridge for breakfast, oatcakes as snacks - good carbs and also help reduce bad cholesterol
Lots of lentils/pulses - good carbs and proteins - although some say they should not be eaten
lots of fresh fruit and veggies
Snacks of nuts/seeds/dried fruit
Rye bread not wheat - lower gluten (the irritating protein)
Limit sugars / refined carbs except when racing/long training