My weight/genetics suck, getting heavy. . . :(

[KingGheedora]

Originally posted by: episodic
breakfast about 400 calories (I don't have a 'tiny' bowl of cereal). . .

Lunch 2 40 cal slices of bread 2 slices 100 cal each turkey 1 100 call slice american cheese small (1 teaspoon squirt of ranch dressing to wet it)
1 apple

supper baked chicken breast, 8 oz (half a can) of sweet potatoes, 8 oz of corn. . .


This is a 'typical day'. . .

You don't need cheese or ranch on your turkey sandwiches. Maybe a small amount of mustard or ketchup, or even better, use some tomato slices if you want them to be "wet".

I don't see how you survive eating just that in a day though. I'm 5'11", and weigh 165, and I eat a lot more than that. And during periods when I am lifting or running, I get even hungrier.

What I ate today
9am
1 red bull
1 peanut butter powerbar

12am
3 pieces of vegetable tempura
chicken terriyaki (one breast)
edamame (beans)
miso soup (small amount of tofu)
small salad
12 oz of coke

2pm
a can of coke

6pm
beef yukinike or something like that, basically a plate full of beef, onions and green peppers
a bowl of rice
2 shots of sake

12pm
1/4 lb of sliced peppered turkey from local deli

(and drank about 2.5L of water throughout the day so far)


I would suggest you do some real exercise instead of walking. Walking doesn't get your heartrate up very high. I don't know how well it is going to increase your metabolism. You will never accomplish anything if you don't go through the hardship of pushing your body to the point of physical pain, and then going a little longer.

I just started running again. I ran for 5 minutes the first time, then 10 minutes. Next three visits I did ~15 minutes but had to stop due to pain in my ankles. I took long rests in between runs to let my ankles recouperate.

After those three runs I was able to do 20min., I had to stop again due to the pain in my ankles. A few days rest again, and no more ankle pain. Now the limiting factor is my cardiovascular/respiratory fitness. I was having trouble breathing enough to keep up with the rate of speed I was running at. I did 28 minutes and then 30 my last two runs. . The last time I went I was hurting and felt like I could hardly breathe when i was at 2 miles, but I kept going. Your body can do more than what the pain you feel makes you think you can. Push through the pain and accomplish your goal. I did 3 miles and just barely finished.

Sorry for that long and detailed story, but I'm just trying to illustrate that you can't gain anything without putting in work. In about a month I went from being able to jog for 5 minutes, to running for half an hour. You really learn a lot about discipline when you commit to, and do something like this. If you can't run, then maybe start out on a bike. You gotta do something more active than walking though.

 

[SludgeFactory]

All the "starvation mode"/hanging-onto-fat responses here are nonsense, especially given this guy's 300 lb status. It just flat out does not work that way. A true prolonged 1600 cal/day diet would have most any man looking like a bag of bones over enough time. (Note that I did not say that diet is necessarily optimal or even a good choice.)

You're either not accurately tracking your caloric intake, or you have a serious hormonal problem. Sorry to say, it's far more likely that you're consuming more than you think. I'll repeat the advice to track *every* single gram of food and liquid that enters your mouth for 2 weeks. Write it all down, in a little journal. Eating 1600 one day and 4000 another isn't going to cut it. If you're truly averaging 1600-1900/day, it's time to go to an endocrinologist and do what you have to do to convince him that you're not lying about the food intake.

In your position I'd be absolutely sure you've eliminated *all* liquid calories first, including alcohol, soda, juice, anything you can think of.

 

[redgtxdi]

:thumbsup:More good info than bad here.........(thank goodness)



Your calories look fine. (ignore the 2,800 calorie feedback. Keep it in the 'teens')


You might also try........(and I mean this seriously).........Weight Watchers. Beside myself (loosely compared to my wife who did it full-tilt) I've witnessed a lot of weight coming off of folks in the last 2 years using Weight Watchers points system. It simply works!!!


If you recall the personal trainer on that "Extreme Makeover" show..........he would always say the same thing........

"It's 80% food intake and 20% exercise". He was not kidding.

#1.) Your walking is just fine. Keep it up, it's one of the best exercises on the planet and is great for your body in so many ways!!!!!!

#2.) Keep your caloric intake in the teens until you take a food-specific approach.


#3.) And lastly, I'll repeat.............TRY OUT WEIGHT WATCHERS!! It'll cost you $100, but you'll get to eat food that you can eat for a lifetime *and* they want you to succeed as much as you do.

 

[Syringer]

The best advice given in this thread is to go see a proper doctor/nutritionist.

While some of the things in this thread have much value to them, a lot of it are from "I heard from my cousin's brother's sister that this is good for you and you should use it." I mean it in a nice way when I say that you're not exactly the most "normal" person in terms of body size/genetics, so something that works for someone who's a mere 15-20 lbs. overweight will defnitely not apply to your case. You'll need to find the help of an expert to really help you..

Best of luck..you clearly have the drive and motivation to want to change, which is more than most people can say about themselves.

 

[Azndude2190]

I agree with the others.Have you seen a specialist or some kind of docotor lately and asked him/her?

Some basic pointers I'll go over: (probably mentioned)

You should never starve yourself.Yeah you lose weight but you get sick(this is refering to your past).If you do decide to "skip a meal" that would be lunch.Always eat a good breakfast and keep dinner light.

Eat healthy.If you havent already, cut down on ALL sweets and soft drinks of all kinds.Eat more fruits and vegatbles.Its important to stock up on carbohydrates when you eat breakfast.So something like toast and cereal works.

Exercise.Exercise.Exercise.
BTW no use in tiring yourself right away.Start slow...and gradually increase your activities.ie walking-->running. There are programs out there that help you monitor your weight and specific exercises for you.

 

[Number1]

I just hapenned to see a commercial for a stomach procedure that may be of some interest to you. Its called Lapband and it is adjustable and reversable. Check it out at lapband

Good luck

 

[Schfifty Five]

Originally posted by: iamaelephant

Originally posted by: Schfifty Five
don't drink any sodas....even if it is diet coke.

I heard that the drinking diet coke tricks your body into thinking it is getting energy from the sugar that would come from a normal coke and ultimately it makes you more hungry....or at least something to that effect.

:roll:

ok maybe there's more to it...i found this link from google

Text

 

[interchange]

You probably have pretty serious insulin resistance:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin_resistance

I strongly recommend going on a proper diet, such as the south beach diet. In order to correct it, you need to eat low glycemic index foods and eat frequently (snack). Low or no carb diet is not necessarily healthy. Eat beans and sources of high-quality carbs.

I will echo not to use any artificial sweeteners. Those are good for people who don't have metabolic problems that just need to drop a few pounds from overeating and can control their intake when dieting, but they are not appropriate for people such as yourself.

 

[Geekbabe]

Originally posted by: episodic
Passed the 310 mark (not muscle). This despite working out much more than any other adult that I see anywhere around. I have a pedometer, and last week I walked over 23 miles. (I walk to work and back everyday briskly). My average calorie intake is 1600-1900 calories a day, definately not excessive for my size and the amount I walk.


My health insurance won't pay for a gastric bypass that I'd do in a heartbeat - but I can not swing it anytime soon financially. . .


Sigh - any thoughts?


I'm the smallest of 3 brothers. . . they are in their 40's and are having diabetic problems, and one brother has lost a leg. I walk all the time. . .sheesh. . .
I know diets are bad. . .despite that I tried the no carbs thing - it made me physically ill after 2 weeks. . .

I've cut out all drink calories. I use sweet and low for tea and drink water and no calorie diet cokes. . . I usually have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a turkey sandwich or something similar for lunch, and like a piece of meat and 2 veggies for dinner. . .

yiu need a full workup including thyroid/endocrine studies.

 

[zebano]

Originally posted by: edro

Originally posted by: episodic
breakfast about 400 calories (I don't have a 'tiny' bowl of cereal). . .
Lunch 2 40 cal slices of bread 2 slices 100 cal each turkey 1 100 call slice american cheese small (1 teaspoon squirt of ranch dressing to wet it)
1 apple
supper baked chicken breast, 8 oz (half a can) of sweet potatoes, 8 oz of corn. . .
This is a 'typical day'. . .

If you eat that everyday, you cannot weigh 300+ pounds. It simply isn't possible.

I am not trying to sound like a prick, but you really need to write down EVERYTHING you eat and/or drink.

If you eat that everyday, you should be dropping fat pounds at the rate of about 2lbs a week.

Even without exercise what edro says is true. Therefor a. your count is off. b. Your metabolism is nonexistant or c. you need professional advise.

One thing about exercise. When you do the same exercise day after day, your body becomes more effeicient in doing that exercise. That means it doesn't raise your heart rate/ strain your lungs/ work your muscles as much as it used to. Crosstraining or working in a few short jogs with walks to recover your breath (essentially interval training) in order to make the workout more effective. However considering your family history, the first thing I would do is consult your doctor.

 

[Praxis1452]

If that's really what is happening and I think it is you really should see a specialist about this. It somehow just doesn't seem possible to eat only 1600? 1900? calories a day and still be 310...

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: JavaMomma

Originally posted by: Flyback
Here is my advice:

#1 SEE A DOCTOR. Get your adrenal glands checked and such. This seems far too weird you are putting on weight if what you said is true. Maybe diabetes or thyroid related or otherwise. Get your bloodwork done. Might cost you something, but worth it.

If you are, by most accounts, healthy according to the doctor, then this is what you should do:

- Eat 6 meals, each 400 calories. Space them out 3 hours apart. Eat on a schedule, daily. Boring, but worth it.

- Your last meal (immediately before bed) should consist of good fats and proteins--1 cup of cottage cheese and walnuts is great.

- Drink lots of water throughout the day. 3 Litres minimal (given your size).

- Do 60 minutes of intense cardio each day (provided you and your family don't have heart or lung problems... make sure you can handle it!)

- 3 days a week throw in some weight lifting, compound exercises ONLY. Squat, bench, military press, etc.

Consume lots of protein.

Carbs aren't bad either--you need them. But eat good, clean carbs--not foods high in sugar. Eat oats, brown long grain rice, and a slice of brown bread each day.

Add in egg whites, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt (no sugar added variety). Eat tuna, NATURAL peanut butter (not too much, its dense), chicken and turkey. Eat raw veggies like brocolli and celery. I wouldn't eat carrots as they have more than preferable carbs.

You might have put your body into some sort of stasis by UNDERfeeding it.

Remember: eat often; eat clean.

I'm willing to help you if you have any questions.

This is good advice

I agree. All I will add is a little clarification. Basically, what Flyback is recommending is that you increase your metabolism. Weight loss is achieved by burning more calories than you take in. You can either decrease your calorie intake or increase your calories burned.

As others have recommended, you should probably increase your calories to the 2200-2400 zone, because less than that will put your body in starvation mode and reduce the number of calories burned. Another way to increase your metabolism is by eating more frequently, preferably 6 times each day, which Flyback also recommended.

Weight lifting is very important because it will not only burn calories during the workout, but it will also increase your muscle mass; extra muscle will cause your body to burn more calories every single day regardless of your activities.

Hopefully this helps to clarify the reasons for doing these things.

 

[wheresmybacon]

First, get your blood tested for thyroid issues.

Weight loss is math: you want to create a caloric deficit daily with diet, exercise, or both (optimal). Something is not flying with your current lifestyle and if you want to lose weight you're going to have to make a change.

One site you may or may not have seen before that I recommend to anyone seeking info on fitness and weight loss is this one. It has everything from the most basic info on weight loss to advanced bodybuilding tips. Check out the forums, the beginner's section, and look at the posts stickied there. That is a great place to start.

Good luck to you.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Originally posted by: Flyback
Here is my advice:

#1 SEE A DOCTOR. Get your adrenal glands checked and such. This seems far too weird you are putting on weight if what you said is true. Maybe diabetes or thyroid related or otherwise. Get your bloodwork done. Might cost you something, but worth it.

If you are, by most accounts, healthy according to the doctor, then this is what you should do:

- Eat 6 meals, each 400 calories. Space them out 3 hours apart. Eat on a schedule, daily. Boring, but worth it.

- Your last meal (immediately before bed) should consist of good fats and proteins--1 cup of cottage cheese and walnuts is great.

- Drink lots of water throughout the day. 3 Litres minimal (given your size).

- Do 60 minutes of intense cardio each day (provided you and your family don't have heart or lung problems... make sure you can handle it!)

- 3 days a week throw in some weight lifting, compound exercises ONLY. Squat, bench, military press, etc.

Consume lots of protein.

Carbs aren't bad either--you need them. But eat good, clean carbs--not foods high in sugar. Eat oats, brown long grain rice, and a slice of brown bread each day.

Add in egg whites, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt (no sugar added variety). Eat tuna, NATURAL peanut butter (not too much, its dense), chicken and turkey. Eat raw veggies like brocolli and celery. I wouldn't eat carrots as they have more than preferable carbs.

You might have put your body into some sort of stasis by UNDERfeeding it.

Remember: eat often; eat clean.

I'm willing to help you if you have any questions.

best post in here :thumbsup: