Complete N00b needs help.

Okay...so here's the deal.

I am probably disgusting to all dieters in here.

The only way I've been able to ever lose substantial weight (40 lbs) was with the Atkin's stuff which my wife promptly ruined for me after marriage by forcing food on me. I assume you will all tell me that Atkin's is doom on wheels and not to get back on it.

Anyway...excuses aside, I wish to lose weight. I'm probably around 230 and I'd like to be at 185-170 so I can compete in some BJJ tournies.

I eat every bad thing I want, but now I'm prepared for this to come to a halt.

I need a diet consisting of no green vegetables or onions that will facilitate my weight loss.

Where does someone as ignorant of this type of thing as me, begin?

 

i figured i'd get this...i'm a bit allergic to things like green beans, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and the like.

 

Invest in a fiber supplement while on the hunt for the agreeable green.

 

Take a good multi, especially since you're eating no greens.

 

okay suggest a good multi for me...otherwise i'll be on like some generic centrum stuff.

a fiber supplement? suggestions?

is there any food or vitamin that will replace what i could miss out on by not being able to eat green stuff?

also i need some staple means to eat, what are the basically "healthy" simple things people eat to lose weight? boneless, skinless chicken breasts?

 

okay i get it, i have an unusual case...so aside from that i need suggestions and advice.

n00b needs help!

 

Ok. Here's my input. If anything below is wrong or a "myth", I'm sure some of our fellow forum members will set me straight.

Drink plenty of water (generally 1oz per lb of body weight)
Whole Grains. Any cereal or bread should be whole grain, not processed. (good fiber source)
5-6 Small meals a day (typically every 2-3 hours up till about 6pm)
Lean sources of protein. Bonless, skinless chicken breast, ground turkey, extra lean ground beef.
Cardio in am BEORE breakfast if at all possible.
High protein/low carb post workout meal. (protein shake or other alternitive)
Plan and shop for your menu for the coming week on Sunday.
Some form of strength training. Muscle burns more calories then fat.
Measure body composition, not just weight. ie Fat %, Water %
Take Healthy Fat suppliments. Omega 3 and flaxseed or safflower oil.
Try to stay away from transfat and high fructose corn syrup when possible.

Also, I strongly recommend keeping a diet log. While some forum members think this isn't necessary, I've found it to be a big help. First of all, it really makes you think about what you eat. In addition, you may think your doing well, but when you calculate your calories/fat, etc, you might find different. Also, 2-4 weeks down the line, you can easily modify your diet based on results and knowing exactly what you've eaten. Finally, if you still have problems losing weight, you have something to show the doctor and/or nutritionist. Calorieking.com has some great software, along with a free 2 wk trial.

 

wow excellent post flounder...

Water...so I'm supposed to drink 1.79 gallons a day? Damn that's a lot? Can diet soda, or lightly flavored things that are sugar free like crystal light help ease this burden?

5-6 small meals a day...this is tough to maintain with a full time job. what constitutes a "small meal"? can you give some examples?

lean sources...okay so does cooking it up in a pan work okay? i don't need to broil it or something all the time do i?

i go shopping pretty much every sunday after bjj, so that shouldn't be a problem.

does bjj count as strength training? i sure am tired in my muscles after it.

how does one measure body composition exactly? calipurs for the body fat, right?

omega 3 and flaxseed, so two different suppliments? flaxseed is like 8 bucks for 200 pills right? is that one a day?

the corn syrup is pretty much any candy and non-diet sodas which i'm fine to avoid. what are some transfat things i need to beware of?

i really appreciate the help.

 

Really, I'm not questioning here but what is there in lettuce you could be allergic to? It's like 95% water. Have you been tested and discussed this with a physician?

 

I think he just doesn't like to eat his veggies.

 

I'll try to answer your questions to the best of my ability.

Yes, that's right. About 2 Gallons a day (1 gallon minimal). Everything I've ever read, says to try to stay away from soda and flavored drinks. For some reason, it's not the same. And on days you do BJJ training, drink even more to replace the fluids you sweat out.

Small meals. Ideally around 300-500 cals, consisting of protein and carbs. During work, if you can't "snack", maybe drink a protein shake. Don't ask for brands, cuz everyone has their own opinions. Although alot of people like Muscle Milk. If you eat breakfast before you leave, and dinner after work, you only need to fit in lunch and a snack. Once again, the snack could be a shake, and lunch could be a chicken breast and brown rice or something like that. Then maybe another protein shake after BJJ class.

Lean meats are fine however you cook them as long as you don't drown them in oil. If you do "fry" them, use a cooking spray such as pam. Also, be careful if you top it with anything. Somethings can add a ton of fat and/or carbs.

While you do get "some" srength training from BJJ, I would recommend some type of other strength training. Not only will it prolly aid you in your dieting, it will also help with your BJJ tourneys. Check the Strength and Conditioning forums. More strength training, and less bodybuilding type weight liifting. Might want to check out good strength sites such as intocombat.com, ironmind.com, etc. Also, I hear Dinosaur Training is a great book.

Probably the best way to regularly test body composition is a scale that will measure weight, bodyfat, etc. I just purchased one made by Taylor for 40.00. It measures body fat, body water and weight, and is dead consistant with the weight. There's another made by Tanita called the Ironman that also measures bone mass, and is about $100. Electrical resistance isn't the best way to measure body fat, but it's the easiest, especially if you'll be doing it regularly.

With the transfat, its most commonly associated with partially hydrogenated vegatable oil. But you just have to check labels for trans fat, and check the ingredients for the hydrogenated vegatable oil. There's some thought that these two ingredients are one of the leading causes for obesity in america. That they're more or less unnatural, and affect the body chemistry in ways we don't know of.

 

(tries to fathom ridiculous consumption of water from 75 oz up to 230 oz per day)

so are you saying my day should look like this?

wake up
small work out
protein shake
go to work
mid morning protein shake
go to lunch, chicken and brown rice (what no white rice allowed?!? nooooo!)
go back to work
mid afternoon snack, like fruit? another shake?
leave work and head to school
return home from school for dinner - lean beef, no cheese?
do some homework
try to workout a bit
go to bed?

i'm just trying to picture a lifestyle change here.

btw how is pure cranberry/grape juice for dieting? can i have it, or is the fructose gonna be bad for me? also is oatmeal any good?

 

that's more or less it. Your "small workout" in the morning is basically cardio. running, swimming, biking or whatever. I would change yoru first meal from a shake to an egg white omlette, and/or some oatmeal (which is very good). I would prolly switch the mid afternoon shake to after your BJJ class. You'll need the protein then for recovery.

White rice isn't as good as brown rice (remember, you want whole grain products, not refined).

You can add cheese if you really need to, but I would try to avoid it. If you have to, go with 1/3 fat or fat free (which is gross, and doesn't melt well). Also, use less then you normally would (ie half slice, etc).

I would stay away from the juices. While not horrible for you, its alot of calories for very little beneficial nutrition. If you're having problems with hunger, that cup of juice is the equivilent of another small meal.

Also, check the Nutrition Habits thread. Alot of good stuff there.

Finally, if you really scour this forum, you'll find alot of meal ideas, diet advice, etc. Also, generally all the people down here (Strength, Diet, Grappling & Standup forums) are pretty cool and will help ya, with the minimal flaming.

 

wow that's a lot of good advice. i'll keep checking around the forum as well, and i'm interested if anyone else has anything to add to this thread.

some more questions:

where's the best place to get the following and please suggest a brand that's not too costly:

fiber supplement
multivitamin
omega3
flaxseed oil
muscle milk or other protein shake

time to check around the forum, i guess..

 

what's there to explain?

green + me = hives + sometimes vomiting

however, mysteriously peas do not bring this about. though i believe i'm told they count as a starch by some accounts. maybe you can enlighten me.

 

I wouldn't take a protein shake in the morning. Take 5 minutes and scramble 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg (no butter), 2-3 pieces of turkey bacon, and a piece of whole wheat toast. I use "I can't belive its not butter" It has very little calories. I also throw in some oatmeal and some diced strawberries. I use 2 splenda packets to sweeten the oatmeal.

As far as juice goes, the serving size is only 8oz.! It is best to replace it with the actual fruit. So instead of orange juice, eat an orange. Instead of grape juice, eat some grapes.

As far as supplements goes, go to Walmart for all of your vitamins. Muscle Milk can be found online.