Losing weight, trimming up?

[OCdiving Deb]

Has anyone found scuba to be bad for their fitness level?

Prior to getting certified I had lost a lot of weight over 2 years and was a little mighty mouse, petite with better muscle than ever in my life... but that was a lot of work. Scuba has become my passion and so I am not working out like I had been. Now I am getting fluffy again and need to change some bad habits... Like push myself away from the computer and work out!

I think I will turn off this computer RIGHT NOW and go work out. Thanks for the motivation SB's!

 

[simbrooks]

Atkins isn't for life, unless you want a short one, and I know not a single person who has managed to keep the weight off after they stop the diet.

They call it a bounce or yo-yo diet, if you do just change your eating temporarily and lose weight, and then go back to your original diet you will find yourself back where you started in very little time.

Losing weight, trimming up etc requires you to change your habits and lifestyle. That may mean change your diet, but to something sustainable for life. Like i said, i have found that my diet is quite varied and covers the main groups (as we were told as children, not the more recent ones), i probably just have too much sometimes rather than pushing the plate away - the economist in me. Also exercising to use up the energy you take in each day, particularly if you are a desk jocky like me and cant do anything from 8-5 each day - either get up early or go after work, some can in lunch, but that is tough to get to a gym nearby from work for me. Another thing is to work on your muscles, not neccesarily heavy lifting, but toned muscle burns energy better as does interval intensity, ie, walking a bit (warm up) and then running (intensity), back to walking will mean that during the second bout of walking you burn more energy per step than you would if you had just walked - i am sure someone can put this more eloquantly than me or find an online reference.

 

[JimC]

I can't recall the exact figure, but something like 98% of dieters end up weight more than they started 12 months down the line.

P.S. I hate the food pyramids, old or new. Way to much emphasis on grains, potatos and corn, not nearly enough on produce.. IMHO. Did you know there is more protine, by weight, in many vegetables like brocoli and spinach, than in beef?

 

[kelpmermaid]

Has anyone found scuba to be bad for their fitness level?

Indirectly, yes. I used all of the being outdoors, etc. to justify eating too much of the wrong things. My justification for "the extra calories needed to keep warm" should have evaporated when I started diving dry...but it didn't.

BTW, Wendy, that's an amazing transformation! Congratulations!

 

[oversea]

Diverrick, I guess losing it fast is propably due to the fact that I ate alot of junk, all the time. Lots of soda and fast food. Now its all gone, only water, meat, vegatables etc.

 

[AevnsGrandpa]

My wife and I started in on the Atkin's plan a year ago in November. I was at 208 lbs (I'm 5' 10") and didn't like not being able to see my shoes when standing.

We supported each other and lost most of the weight during the first phase, for me that was about 19 lbs. I have not been as dilligent as my wife in being adherent to maintaining my weight by finding that correct carb level, but here I am 17 months later and I am still at the 185-190 region.

I, of course, want to drop another 10 or so for dive season here in Illinois, but over all I'm happy with where I am at being 42 years old...

Good luck to everyone. Like I said in the title, if you go into any "diet", thinking of it that way, you will get it all back plus more. You must change your lifestyle of eating and exercise for it to last!!

Jeff

 

[simbrooks]

We supported each other and lost most of the weight during the first phase, for me that was about 19 lbs. I have not been as dilligent as my wife in being adherent to maintaining my weight by finding that correct carb level, but here I am 17 months later and I am still at the 185-190 region.

Are you still following the Atkins regime after that much time? Have you had your cholesterol etc checked lately?

I can understand restricting you intake of certain things, but "diets" that prohibit eating stuff that is actually mostly good for you and part of a balanced diet (for life) just doesnt seem healthy to me, particularly over a long period of time.

I can see using a quick drop diet to shed some pounds, and then going onto a good balanced diet as something worth looking into - but the general problem with "diet" periods is that they end and if you havent adopted a better way than you had before you just put it all back on (sometimes more).

BTW Jeff, this is not an attack on you, just a simple question on what you are doing and how i would feel about following that kind of thing and "diets" in general.

I hate to use DIR (there had to be a first mention in a thread on fitness) as a basis, but the idea of getting fit for diving and making it a "holistic" attitude of diet and exercise seems sensible to me - i am not DIR.

 

[AmyJ]

Hi all,

Wow! This looks like a great thread/forum. I have been reading through the posts and hope maybe this is just the sort of encouragement that I need to get it together.

However, (if I can say this without sounding like a complete jerk-off)...

Please, please, please... I really hope we don't have the kind of trolling, bashing etc. that happens in some of the forums. This is a bit different because I am guessing that many may come here for encouragement and hope, as well as information.:yelclap:

Let's be here for one another and do our best NOT to bash each other. The truth is that Atkins is a great diet for some, Excersize alone works for some, other do moderation, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. There are a million ways to the same goal we all seek (healthy, happy) and we can not say what will or will not work for others.

I mentioned Atkins because it has been mentioned a number of times already. I do know people that have done very well with it, that have kept weight off for years and whose doctors are astounded by their current health. I also realize it could be practically deadly for another person.

So, I guess my general request is that we share our PERSONAL trials, tribulations and victories and let the rest of the board argue over methods.

Well... hope this doesn't get pulled... but I will get off my soap box now..... :theyareon

 

[AevnsGrandpa]

No problem. I guess when I said I still am doing it, I just mean I watch how many carbs I take in each day. Doesn't matter the source, I just count them. I know about how many I need a day to stay where I am at. So if I eat more than that over a period of time I gain. If I want to lose or trim up I eat less.

I eat the "low carb" snacks in place of munching on a snickers or such, but for regular meals I eat good food. Last night I had chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. Total was about 37 carbs. This was not a low card meal per se, but I still count.

It is not unlike weight watchers or calorie counting in the fact you are tracking something.

I probably do need to have my cholesterol checked because it has been a year or so, but not for what I eat because of Atkins.

A lot of people get confused on this. It is only the first 2-3 weeks of the plan where you cut the carbs way down to 20 and you end up eating lots of meat, eggs and cheese, but after that you are supposed start adding things to your diet and find that carb level where you stay the same after you have lost the weight you wanted to.

Hope this helps.....

Jeff

 

[simbrooks]

Strange thing happened to me as i was cutting things out of my life, i lost weight when i stopped smoking and gained after i stopped drinking (drinking a lot, i still have a little now and then, but not much more than a few units a week or so). Its weird, but that is how things went over the last few years.

As to Atkins and other diets, i havent tried to go near them, and thankyou for the info on that particular one, i didnt realise some of that (as had been lead to believe in reports), trying to get an ideal balance.

I do welcome those looking for support here and to try to band together to lose pounds and shape up. I am going to try to do what i can, i hope to hear of others who have made a difference through exercise and sustained dietary changes in their lives.

I think this thread is just the start of many more with "I lost x pounds with this" or "who is with me in the x area", "have you tried...." and the like. Glad the forum came up. Maybe we need some to post about giving up smoking and other bad habits that can affect your health - support again.