Simple Weight Loss/Health Approach Advise Needed! - Weight Loss Message Board

Caus · 08-26-2007, 06:55 PM

Hi all, new to the board and ive been sifting through the board and really enjoyed reading the threads. Recently I stepped on the scale and it rang in at 215 lbs. Kind of suprising for me as ive been 195-200 since puberty. Im currently a college student/ 5-9" Male and would like to get back down to 200. My weaknesses are alchohol/chips/and ice cream (healthy huh?) Ive decided to completely cut chips and ice cream out of my diet and change my eating habits. Im going to switch to cereal in the morning/salad for lunch/ and probably salad again for dinner. I usually walk 2 miles a day to and from campus. Now this is where my worries come in about getting back down to my regular weight. Being a college student I just cant part with drinking on the weekends as its just something I socially do. Is any weight loss realistic just by editing my diet but still consuming alchohol on the weekend? Any advise/ideas would be greatly appreciated!

j2006 · 08-31-2007, 12:37 PM

You don't need to cut out the drinks. Drink the lt beer and less of it.

As far as you eating plan - it is not enough food. The salads are great but you would benifit from adding protein to the salads. Lean meat or chicken or tuna. And you should have some snacks in betwn the meals. Low fat string cheese or a handful of nuts.

Lowering your caloric intake to extreme will lowere your motabolism.

At college there should be a nutritionist on site. 9I see you are from MA like me). Take advantage of that.

modert · 09-04-2007, 11:08 AM

You need to be sure that your diet includes a healthy balance of carbs and protein. "Salad" is a such a broad term... there is HUGE difference between a salad that contains veggie + meat + beans + egg + bacon + creamy dressing + croutons etc, and a salad that is mostly lettuce + tomato + light dressing. The first example salad can be just as "fattening" as a burger + fries, but the second example offers little nutritional value. You need to find a balance.

It sounds like you are active so you probably don't need any extreme diet plan. Just make sure your meals consist of the most healthy ingredients you can manage. I know it's hard in a college campus environment. Each meal should have protein, carbs, and fat. Avoid sauces and gravies, heavy cheese toppings, fried foods, etc. For example, broiled chicken + roasted potatoes + broccoli is a much better choice than meatloaf + gravy + mashed potatoes + corn.

For breakfast, avoid greasy meats (bacon/sausage) and sugar (many cereals, pancakes, french toast). Eggs and toast are fine, so is oatmeal, and other high fiber/low sugar cereals. Good sources of low-fat protein include cottage cheese and yogurt.

In your case, you don't have a lot of weight to lose, and if you just focus on "cleaning up" your diet a bit, I bet you will see the extra lbs disappear in a couple of months.

ashley4400 · 09-04-2007, 08:32 PM

my advice would be to not keep any ice cream or chips around your house/dorm or whatever. if you REALLY want it, you should go out to friendly's or another ice cream place and get it. that way, you'll only go when you absolutely have to. if its around your house you'll eat it if you get bored or discouraged. also, another idea is jogging. i would definitely take on jogging if i were you. walking is good, but its not enough. judging by your height and weight, you can jog. it's not like you're that severely unfit. last but not least, on the days you plan to drink, eat less than usual throughout the day so you're not over your calorie limit. i'm not sure as to how many calories you need to lose weight. just find that out. keep your priorities straight. when you want to eat something extremely unhealthy, ask yourself if it's really worth it and if eating that is more important to you than your health. so i hope that helped.

modert · 09-05-2007, 05:03 AM

Actually, your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is about 2150 calories (based on your age, height, and weight) - but remember that is completely sedentary (lying in bed 24/7). If you walk 4 miles per day that number probably increases to about 2500 calories. This is how many calories to maintain your current weight. I bet if you decreased your calories to 2200 per day you would lose 10 lbs in a month.

But keep in mind, one 12 oz can of light beer ranges from 100-130 calories. Not sure how much you drink, but assuming a typical college partier might drink a 6-pack on a Saturday night, that is possibly 780 calories in just beer! Note that Amstel Light is amongst the lightest and Michelob Light is highest in calories. Because beer (even light beer) is so carb heavy I recommend that you eat more protein on the weekends (eggs, meat, cheese, fish, etc), and try to keep your food intake to a range of 1400-1700 calories.

I recommend that you NOT reduce your calorie intake below 2000 per day - it would NOT be healthy for you! Also keep in mind that once you reach your 200 lb goal your BMR will decrease by about 100 calories. You should be able to maintain your 200 lbs weight consuming 2400 calories per day.