Crash Dieting

[Slab]

Guys I need help

I have somehow been caught up in a right mess with several friends and now need tips/hints & suggestions on aspects of crash dieting

Essentially I'm caught up in a 'Biggest Loser' type thing with cash, modesty, pampering & bragging rights on the line

40 days is the duration, the goal... well I think that's obvious

I have a really good start weight (the heaviest of the group) so I'm tipped to win if only I can stick to the process

I've read a fair bit online this morning, much says don't crash diet but some say that's poo and it makes no odds if you go slow or fast on weight loss so I've decided on the obvious things like cutting alcohol, carbs, sugar etc which on the face of it should give me a good base to drop lbs but I know I need to be more aggressive with this in order to tip the scales in my favour

Getting a flavour for the kinds of things I need to cut out or cut down outwith the obvious but I've never dieted before, what challenges am I going to face and how do I overcome them?

Lastly as someone who doesn't do veg that much what can I snack on when I feel the munchies coming on?

So from anyone who's been through it, its over to you...

Thanks in advance

 

[Stuey01]

Something that has really helped me recently is a protein shake for breakfast. It's quick and convenient, which means I don't skip it and it helps me stay away from worse choices from the office canteen.
I have a scoop and a half of optimum nutrition vanilla ice cream flavour, a shot of espresso, a banana and water, whiz it up to a milkshake like consistency. Lovely and sees me though til lunch.

Hardest thing about eating well is prep, bad foods are usually more convenient. If you can find ways to keep it healthy but easy and convenient you'll be more consistent and lose more over the period.

Depending on your level of commitment / craziness, Google velocity diet and download the free e-book from t-nation. It's pretty extreme and not for everyone, very shake heavy and low carb and calorie. There are alternatives to the bio test products they recommend available for a lot less money.

Good luck.

 

[Dan2501]

Lots of protein, very few carbs. Cut out as much sugar and unnecessary fat as you can, and get to the gym and do cardio and weights. Don't crash diet as you won't stick to it. Eating a healthy balanced diet with full protein-filled meals alongside the correct exercise and the weight will drop off.

As for snacks. Try unflavoured/unsalted nuts like Pistachios, Peanuts, Cashews, Almonds and Walnuts; fruit, pumpkin seeds, hummus with sliced peppers for dipping, a protein shake, a smoothie, beef jerky. Loads of healthy and delicious snacks. Personally, I like mixing a variety of nuts with pumpkin seeds and a small handful of chocolate buttons (make sure it's a small handful, and the darker the chocolate the better). Great little snack and so easy to make.

Edit: Oh, and one other tip. If you're considering removing carbs from your diet, and you're used to quite large, filling meals, then adding pulses such as lentils and beans to your meal will help with the cravings. They really fill you up, and there are loads of really nice recipes online.

 

[Slab]

Thanks for these

Just realised I never mentioned exercise, I'm know I'm going to have to throw some of that in a few times a week too

My time for this is limited (12 hour work days with the commute) and dark outside before 6am & after 6pm for the next few months leaving me with indoor only so I guess its 30 minutes of weights and floor exercises

Keep them coming please...

 

[la_lucha]

I'm a big advocate of myfitnesspal on the iPhone. I've lost 11lbs in 20 days. Still eating what I like but counting the calories to ensure I don't have too much. It's really easy as you just scan barcodes of the food and all the values are already in there. I've been living on just over 1500 calories per day, it adjusts if you do a lot of walking so I can have a couple of beers and a takeaway on golf days.

 

[Slab]

I'm a big advocate of myfitnesspal on the iPhone. I've lost 11lbs in 20 days. Still eating what I like but counting the calories to ensure I don't have too much. It's really easy as you just scan barcodes of the food and all the values are already in there. I've been living on just over 1500 calories per day, it adjusts if you do a lot of walking so I can have a couple of beers and a takeaway on golf days.

Downloading it now, once I see what its all about I may come back with a couple of Q's if that's ok



Congrats on the weight loss, similar results would do me a treat

 

[Ethan]

I guess you know that crash dieting is a bad idea unless there is a pressing medical reason, such as ticker about to fail.

So your strategy depends a bit on what your objectives are. Are they to just win the contest then go back to the pies, or to get some health benefits and establish durable decent eating patterns?

If the former, then you may have missed a trick already. Before the baseline weigh-in, you need to max your weight (temporarily) by drinking a load of fluid, several litres if you can hold it, and not getting rid of any other weighty material. Then at the end, you do the reverse, get some laxatives and have a clear out. The fluid/poo strategy will provide a few kilos at least. Then in between, no sweets, beer, carbs and lots of exercise.

If the latter, that takes a bit longer but is much more effective. The modern thinking is to eat often and little. Emphasise protein, low GI carbs, fruit, veg, grilled rather than fried food, all that jazz. Lose most of the sweets, pies, beer and sugary drinks. And decent mixed exercise. That could be anything from getting out a tube stop or two earlier, taking the stairs rather than a lift, walk, run, golf, gym, bike, whatever. After a coupel of weeks, you will not crave the carbs as much as you did at the start. Offer yourself a reward for getting to your target weight (and another for staying there for at least 2 months). If you go to a gym, see if they have a body analyser, that gives data on %fat etc. That can be a good way to monitor progress.

Good luck. It isn't easy.

 

[Slab]

I guess you know that crash dieting is a bad idea unless there is a pressing medical reason, such as ticker about to fail.

So your strategy depends a bit on what your objectives are. Are they to just win the contest then go back to the pies, or to get some health benefits and establish durable decent eating patterns?

If the former, then you may have missed a trick already. Before the baseline weigh-in, you need to max your weight (temporarily) by drinking a load of fluid, several litres if you can hold it, and not getting rid of any other weighty material. Then at the end, you do the reverse, get some laxatives and have a clear out. The fluid/poo strategy will provide a few kilos at least. Then in between, no sweets, beer, carbs and lots of exercise.

If the latter, that takes a bit longer but is much more effective. The modern thinking is to eat often and little. Emphasise protein, low GI carbs, fruit, veg, grilled rather than fried food, all that jazz. Lose most of the sweets, pies, beer and sugary drinks. And decent mixed exercise. That could be anything from getting out a tube stop or two earlier, taking the stairs rather than a lift, walk, run, golf, gym, bike, whatever. After a coupel of weeks, you will not crave the carbs as much as you did at the start. Offer yourself a reward for getting to your target weight (and another for staying there for at least 2 months). If you go to a gym, see if they have a body analyser, that gives data on %fat etc. That can be a good way to monitor progress.

Good luck. It isn't easy.

Thanks, bit of both really, I've known for a couple of years that this day was creeping up as the clothes became a little bigger each time they were replaced so I intend to use the crash as the jump off point to ongoing weight loss with occasional treats to keep me sane

I think we all bulked up at least a little for the weigh in last night

 

[KhalJimbo]

5:2 diet, lots of exercise and try make most meals protein based. Cut out carbs as much as possible.

 

[G.U.R]

Keep a food diary and be strict about writing stuff down and times, try not to eat after a certain point in the evening as well. Seeing it written down may help you cut down, also take your time with meals and chew your food thoroughly even putting your knife and fork down whilst chewing. Oh and exercise CP25K seems to be the in thing at the moment taking you from couch potato to 5k giving it a go myself as need to shed the weight.

 

[la_lucha]

Downloading it now, once I see what its all about I may come back with a couple of Q's if that's ok



Congrats on the weight loss, similar results would do me a treat

Thanks I've still got a good bit to go though. yeah I'm happy to help. It's really simple though. All you need is a little willpower.

 

[Slab]

Thanks I've still got a good bit to go though. yeah I'm happy to help. It's really simple though. All you need is a little willpower.

Cheers I may impose on you as some kind of pseudo sponsor

Willpower will clearly be key and as a smoker I know I don't have it there but I do find it easier to cut food than fags

I have a pretty unhealthy diet (before today) so plenty of quick win areas for me and its good to hear that 11lbs in 20 days is realistic

 

[la_lucha]

Cheers I may impose on you as some kind of pseudo sponsor

Willpower will clearly be key and as a smoker I know I don't have it there but I do find it easier to cut food than fags

I have a pretty unhealthy diet (before today) so plenty of quick win areas for me and its good to hear that 11lbs in 20 days is realistic

I've managed to cut out fags in a past life too. One thing that really helped me was telling one of the women at work and she asks me regularly how I'm doing. I'd feel like a failure telling her I've fell off the wagon.

R.e. the unhealthy diet, calorie counting means you can still eat unhealthy food but you can only have so much. I.e. the other day I had a bowl of porridge and a 1000 calorie burger from burger king. Knowing that I'd had my allowance after that meant I didn't have any dinner. It helps you become aware that you have actually had enough to eat and don't need food at certain times.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Eat less move more... obvious, but read on....

Couple of years ago I lost a lot of weight by cutting sweets, crips and chocolate out of my diet and trying to eat lower fat meals (Hairy Dieter's books are good) and also by beasting myself 2-3 times a week in the gym.

I hit my target weight and started relaxing the diet regime, got injured and eventually put most the weight back on.

Currently, I'm heading back down again - same diet plan but I'm also trying to cut out cheese. But I'm not hitting the gym at all, or doing anything that is conventionally "exercise". Instead I've got a pedometer and am religiously doing a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. Doesn't sound much but it's amazing how little you move if you have a desk job and drive to and from work every day.

If anything, the weight is coming off more quickly this time. I think it's down to consistently burning more calories every day rather than a lot more every two or three days.

 

[Val]

Atkins diet, I did it 2 years ago to lose a stone before going on holiday and lost 11 lbs in 11 days, it's strict but its good.

Low carb and high protien.

 

[Foxholer]

Notwithstanding Ethan's sensible advice....

Grapefruit, Egg and Spinach Diet (google it) worked for me as a great way to lose weight quickly (in a fortnight) without much 'pain'. But only do it for the fortnight! Apart from the hassle of buying the products, there wasn't really any downside - and the weight really did drop off!

I'm not a believer in using the gym to lose weight in a 'crash' method - for a reasonably 'normal' person. But a little more exercise and a little less (and better) food seems the best overall method. Serious gym work may lose fat, but builds muscle - which is about 20% heavier.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Just realised I never mentioned exercise

It's far easier to simply not eat the calories than to try to work them off.

 

[Slab]

Eat less move more... obvious, but read on....

Couple of years ago I lost a lot of weight by cutting sweets, crips and chocolate out of my diet and trying to eat lower fat meals (Hairy Dieter's books are good) and also by beasting myself 2-3 times a week in the gym.

I hit my target weight and started relaxing the diet regime, got injured and eventually put most the weight back on.

Currently, I'm heading back down again - same diet plan but I'm also trying to cut out cheese. But I'm not hitting the gym at all, or doing anything that is conventionally "exercise". Instead I've got a pedometer and am religiously doing a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. Doesn't sound much but it's amazing how little you move if you have a desk job and drive to and from work every day.

If anything, the weight is coming off more quickly this time. I think it's down to consistently burning more calories every day rather than a lot more every two or three days.

Stopped reading after the bit in bold

But persevered, cheers for this, wasn't looking forward to the gym bit so yours & Foxy's posts lift the spirit a bit

 

[ManinBlack]

Carbs are the enemy. Have a look at this:


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eat-Fat-Get...d=1429104074&sr=8-1&keywords=eat+fat+get+thin

 

[Khamelion]

I think as someone within these forum walls once wrote "move more eat less", as long as you are burning more calories per day than what you consume, you will lose fat.

Bear in mind that if you add weights, as you grow stronger you will gain weight as muscle is heavier than fat, the plus side is that you will get toned and look good.

With weight stick to light weights and lots of repetitions, rather than go heavy.

For the exercise front, if you can get your hands on a kettlebell, a light one say 12 or 16kg and do kettlebell swings in the morning and before bed, that will get your blood pumping, statrt off with 20 and work up towards 50, it'll take you all of 2mins morning and night.