I'm tired of dieting

[chrisleakfan4life]

But you got to keep on keeping on right?

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by chrisleakfan4life

But you got to keep on keeping on right?

Yes, but maybe with a more refreshing strategy.

BTW, I PM'd you.

[Dreamliner]

And for others, just stop dieting, per se. Just learn to eat a little less (while not depriving yourself the foods you enjoy, you're going to eat them anyway) and move a little more. We Americans eat more than we need (and ingeniously devise ways to justify it) and are not terribly active overall (even though we exercise). I recently had a trainee wear a pedometer and her daily average was around 1,500 steps. That's almost vegetable status. I haven't had any trouble at all getting in 12,000 to 13,000 steps a day, sometimes over 15,000, once over 18,000. And some researchers argue that the human body is designed for 20,000 to 30,000 steps a day.

[LeafUF]

Dream, if you dont mind, what do you do all day that allows you to walk around so much?

I imagine the average person is not getting a whole lot. I know I am not, my commute to work is all of 8 steps. Now, I do walk around the condo quite a bit and walk to the car then around wherever I am but I bet I am way closer to that trainee of yours than I am to you.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by LeafUF

Dream, if you dont mind, what do you do all day that allows you to walk around so much?

I imagine the average person is not getting a whole lot. I know I am not, my commute to work is all of 8 steps. Now, I do walk around the condo quite a bit and walk to the car then around wherever I am but I bet I am way closer to that trainee of yours than I am to you.

(1) I'm naturally a bit fidgety. So, even if I'm sitting at the computer much of the time, I'm still getting up and doing something every fifteen minutes or so.

(2) I walk my dogs 2-3 times a day. Around the block is .7 miles. So, that's 1.4 to 2.1 miles right there, between 3,000 and 5,000 steps alone.

(3) My workout adds steps. And my cool-down walk around the block adds another 1,500 to 2,000 steps.

(4) Mowing the lawn adds steps.

(5) When I drive somewhere I make it a point to park on the periphery and walk to the store. I tend to run my errands (and am now starting to canvass a bit for my business) in the morning and it's not unusual to get back to house having amassed 2,000 or more steps by late morning.

(6) I look for excuses to walk. For example, at least once-a-week I have to have my foot-long sub and a cookie sample. So, I walk to the nearest Subway, 2.5 miles round-trip. That's over 6,000 steps.

(7) One study showed that people who wear pedometers get in 2,500 steps a day more than those who don't.

(8) Knowing full well that 70-80% of calories burned through activity come from activity other than exercise, it's the non-exercise activity that I emphasize with my trainees and I just want to set a good example for them by showing them how easy it is to get in extra steps. I don't hold then to 12,000 to 13,000 a day. I see where there are and encourage them to gradually increase steps. And of course this applies to the vegetables. I'm not Pedometer Man. More than one way to skin a cat.

[LeafUF]

Originally Posted by chrisleakfan4life

But you got to keep on keeping on right?

Not really. Its all entirely up to you. Is it still worth it?

[trufloridagator]

Read Lyle mcdonalds guide to flexible dieting. Has a good setup and sets up refeeds or cheat meals depending on your fitness goals and activity levels.

Explain your situation a bit more because I way often see guys trying to diet in some absurd way when they should just lift heavy, eat around or below maintenance and gain some LBM while losing weight.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by trufloridagator

Read Lyle mcdonalds guide to flexible dieting. Has a good setup and sets up refeeds or cheat meals depending on your fitness goals and activity levels.

Explain your situation a bit more because I way often see guys trying to diet in some absurd way when they should just lift heavy, eat around or below maintenance and gain some LBM while losing weight.

Lyle is the man. And while I agree with him on the subject of flexibility (more on that in a sec), I disagree with him on the 'cheat meal' concept, which plays into the notion of 'good foods' and 'bad foods' when it really just boils down to calorie control, however one chooses to handle it.

But programming flexibility breaks the cycle of frustration and guilt. I tell my trainees to expunge the phrase 'fell off the wagon' from their vocabularies. Instead, if you go over one day, go under by a corresponding amount the next. So, if your target is 2,000 calories a day, and you get 2,500 one day, get 1,500 the next. You've lost no ground. Enjoy the 2,500 calories for obvious reasons. Enjoy the 1,500 calories tomorrow because you know it's keeping you on-track. Then enjoy going back to 2,000 the next day. It's all good!

[LeafUF]

I dont look at foods as good or bad, and I still give in to the concept of a "free" meal or "cheat" meal. To me its a meal that you know will put you over whatever your calorie goal is for that day. Or a meal where you completely disregard just how many calories are in it. The rest of the week you can watch what you eat and make sure your portions are under so that you have room for that meal in the week.

[Dreamliner]

That's one way of looking at it.

[Dreamliner]

BTW, the standard formula for calculating calorie burn from walking is:

1 calorie to move 1 kg of bodyweight 1 km.

As far as I know it doesn't much matter whether you walk fast or slow.

[Dreamliner]

Just wanted to point out that if 'cheat meal' is defined as the meal that is going to invariably put you over your calorie allotment ... it needn't put you over. just go under beforehand.

Case in point: last week I knew that my wife and I would be meeting friends, for dinner, at a restaurant that specializes in massive burritos, and I knew I wanted a massive burrito, along with the requisite beer or two. So, I just didn't eat that day until dinner. Had a blowout without having the blowout.

[kalaniocc]

broccoli and egg whites are so good though.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by kalaniocc

broccoli and egg whites are so good though.

So are the yolks.

My new favorite, quick and easy dish is three fried eggs atop a lean ground beef patty, drizzled with BBQ sauce and garnished with fresh cilantro.*

*slurping sounds*

[kalaniocc]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

So are the yolks.

My new favorite, quick and easy dish is three fried eggs atop a lean ground beef patty, drizzled with BBQ sauce and garnished with fresh cilantro.*

*slurping sounds*

that sounds delicious

[trufloridagator]

Op what are your stats, goals, etc

[trufloridagator]

Originally Posted by trufloridagator

Op what are your stats, goals, background etc

?

[GuyWhiteyCorngood]

I went paleo over two years ago, and I don't look at it as dieting. It was a lifestyle change that has made a difference in the way I feel and the way I look. I stay pretty lean as long as I stay away from excessive carbs. I don't feel deprived at all. I don't go hungry except when I intentionally fast for 18-24 hours - 2 to 4 times a month.

I subscribe to the notion of good foods and bad foods. It makes evolutionary sense, and the science is compelling. Most of all, I have life experience to support the idea. My wife has also trimmed down a lot. We look much younger than most of our peers - except for our other paleo friends. I was busting out of my 36's a couple years ago. Now I'm back into 32's for the first time since high school.

I realize it's not for everybody, but it's been great for me. Every time I hear someone vent about the struggles of dieting, I feel lucky that it's been so easy for me. Part of what makes it easier is that I cheat every now and then without significant issues. I have the occasional beer or donut. Special occasion foods don't set me back to bad.

[BossaGator]

Originally Posted by GuyWhiteyCorngood

paleo

I haven't gone strict paleo but use it as a strong guideline in my own eating choices and have also had good results in terms of energy level and body composition. I also agree with the concept of good foods and bad foods based on my own experience and how I feel depending on what I eat, but will allow that the good food/bad food distinction may be more meaningful to some people than it is to others.

[LeafUF]

I just tore in to some sushi for the second time in 3 days. And I leave for 9 days in Germany Friday. Sensible eating is not likely.