Weight Loss Struggles: Motivation and Methods
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to the newsletter or RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
I grew up very skinny, bulked up some from military training, bulked up a good bit more in the first six months of marriage (and good cooking), but in the last year I actually developed a little pot belly.
It took awhile for me to admit I was starting to get fat. I had always thought of myself as skinny. My tall frame can handle a good bit of weight. I have always had a high metabolism because I eat crackers throughout the day (keeping your stomach working all day keeps burning energy). However I have gone over 30 years old now, I had satellite TV service, I was working jobs that kept me sitting in chairs all day, and to be quite honest about the only exercise I got was mowing the lawn once a week.
I woke up to my growing weight problem after a series of college friends came to visit and all made jokes about me getting fat. I weighed myself for the first time in a long time: 225 pounds. It was not huge, but my big gut showed that weight was too much.
I thought about my quitting smoking philosophy in relation to when I might finally start losing weight. I figure smokers have to quit some time, if even when they are in the hospital fighting multiple cancers. I wondered how big would I let myself get before I decided to start reversing it? I also thought about how it must be easier to lose weight at 225 pounds than at 250 or 300 pounds.
I tried walking more, taking the kids out to the park in our neighborhood. The weight hardly budged at all. I heard the comedian Mike Schmidt describe his weight problem, and one part was that he would make two boxes of macaroni and cheese at midnight. I realized I was eating a bunch of junk food late at night, right before bed, and that food was just sitting there turning to fat on me.
So I cut out the late night snacks. If I am hungry at night, I eat a handful of crackers or a fruit. It is difficult because I want to stuff myself. I noticed after some meals I was extremely stuffed, so I began ordering smaller meals. For instance, at Burger King I now order the Whopper Jr. meal instead of the full Whopper meal. You save a buck and get full without getting completely stuffed. I began walking to parks outside our neighborhood. I canceled our satellite TV service and started working in the yard more.
Another thing that helped is what a cheapskate I am. My wife bought a cheap elliptical exercise machine last year, but soon thereafter stopped using it, saying it hurt her knees. I am such a cheapskate that it burned me to look at the elliptical machine and think about my money being wasted. I finally started doing several two-minute intervals on it each day, just so I could feel I was getting my money’s worth.
I finally noticed my weight dropping a few pounds at a time. I kept up my lifestyle changes (smaller meals, less late night food, walking to parks outside my own neighborhood, and two-minute intervals on the elliptical machine), and as you can see from the photo that I am now under 200 pounds. I noticed a correlation between my walks and my weight loss, about every two times I walked to a distant park I lost another pound.
I don’t know what my ideal weight range is, but my little pot belly is visually shrinking. I figure I will go down to about 180, and then the real challenge will be to make sure this weight gain does not happen again like a yo-yo. I am proud of myself that I could achieve this personal accomplishment without paying for a fitness club or paying a weight loss center (like L.A. Weight loss, Weight Watchers, etc.)
Do you have weight gain and loss struggles? I realize everyone is different, so what helped or didn’t help you much?
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Vote:
0 
0 Great post Joe. I have joined you in the pursuit of losing the tummy. I have been using sparkpeople.com and charting my progress. It is a great site and best of all it is FREE of charge. They had a story on there about fast food and ordering the smaller burgers instead of the “whoppers” like you suggested. What an eye opener.
Vote:
0 0 Joe, it’s even harder when you get my age (early 60’s). I find that a half hour routine 5 or 6 times a week helps a lot. I use a stair climber machine for twenty minutes (while watching tv) and a rowing machine and yes, the dreaded push-ups. I’m sure that if ice cream had never been invented I would be 20 lbs. lighter now, and I, like you, had to limit my late night food intake which was adding inches to my waistline.
It’s a lifelong committment, Joe, and I applaud you for your efforts. I saw some statistics a few days ago that showed Colorado had the fewest obese people (just over 17%) in the nation with the highest state (don’t remember which one) at over twice that rate. If you walk through Wal Mart on any given day you might well suppose that Idaho is up there at over the 30% obesity rate.
I’m sure vanity plays a very important role in motivating weight control. For me, I suppose, it’s being able to ski down the hill faster than someone half my age or being able to hit a golf ball (sometimes) farther than my same age contemporaries. Exercise, for me, is also a great way to ward off depression and/or anxiety and help me feel better about myself.
Vote:
0 0 I agree! It’s a nice fantasy to think you will do the hour-long mega workout a couple times each week, but I think shorter (5-30 minutes) workouts are much more realistic for most of us. Doing a 10 minute workout once or twice a day has been much easier for me to do.
When I do my elliptical machine, I hit the timer button and only do two minutes. Yeah it’s barely anything, but any more than that and I get more tired the rest of the day and am less motivated to get on again. Two minutes a few times a day has been my happy balance.
Funny you mention Wal-Mart. This summer I’ve avoided Wal-Mart as often as possible because I noticed I would buy treats almost each time I went through. It’s tough to just get milk in the back when you pass by all those cookie displays for $2.
Vote:
0 0 for that reason alone i have started getting reeds dairy home delivery and it has worked wonderful. I spend way less on treats and other things i think i need and could probable do without.
Vote:
0 0 What I wanna know is who’s the person standing in that picture weighing 1,990 pounds! They’ve definately got some “struggles” there. 
Vote:
0 0 I am turning 32 and working on my weight as well. My wife and I have found that the few times we do actually go out to eat, that we can easily in most cases split the plates. Restaurants make huge servings these days, and it’s easy to keep your “kid” mentality of, if I bought it, I have to finish it. We found we were always either coming home with left overs, or feeling really stuffed. So, we try to agree on whatever we want and just split it. We also order the smaller meals when eating fast food and never super size. There is a whole psychological game going on there. Well, its only 39c, thats more for my money? That was fine when I was 20 and burned off everything I ate, but not anymore. Good luck!
Vote:
0 0 Great point! My wife and I discovered we could split the Fazzoli’s sampler plate. Only $6, and you can ask them to substitute one of the items for more of another.
Much cheaper and we are always full without being stuffed.
It’s that kind of self-control, that self-discipline that I have realized is key to losing weight. It’s also a difficult thing to overcome.
Vote:
0 0 I think the weight in the picture shown acutally says 199.0 not 1990. 
Vote:
0 0 Congratulations on your hard work Joe! From my experience, getting started was the hardest part of taking off weight and getting in better shape.
Almost 2 years ago, nearing age 50, I decided to do something about my weight and belly fat. Like Joe, I had been fairly lean most of my life, or at least not too overweight. At 6 feet tall I could also support over 200 pounds and not look too out of shape. But I realized that for several years I had been putting on a few pounds every year. I had maintained about 195 pounds for a few years, then bad eating and exercise habits kicked in and next thing I knew, I weighed 215. Now with a better diet and exercise, I fluctuate between 170 and 175 and almost have to convince myself to eat more sometimes. I’ll pass along some things that worked for me.
I switched to diet soda. I was one of those who couldn’t stand the taste of diet drinks but it doesn’t take too long to get used to them. All of them that I know of have zero calories. Many of them actually taste pretty good. I like Diet Mountain Dew and a few of the Fresca flavors, among others. So many of the full flavored soda (and even fruit juices and sports drinks) have a lot of sugar and calories. And watch out for high fructose corn syrup, it’s a cheap sweetener that’s used in things you wouldn’t even imagine.
They say not to skip breakfast, but I’m one of those who really isn’t hungry until mid-morning most of the time. So instead of running out and grabbing 2 fast food breakfast sandwiches, I started taking a healthy breakfast to work with me. Usually a low-fat yogurt (only 100 calories) or an apple. If I ate at home I would have cold cereal or oatmeal most of the time. Speaking of fast food, I went from the full Whopper meal to the Whopper Jr. sandwich only, with no fries and if I had soda it was diet. I cut way down on eating fried foods.
I started reading the nutrition labels. I switched to 1% milk, lowfat cottage cheese, light sour cream, light mayonnaise, Smart Balance light margarine, etc. I don’t care for fat free foods personally but low fat is better for me healthwise than full flavor.
I stopped buying candy, chips, cookies and things like that. It’s too easy to go overboard and eat a whole package if it’s there. I didn’t give up ice cream though. Gotta have a few indulgences. But you know what, low fat ice cream is pretty good too. Just try a few varieties and you’ll find one you like.
I started exercising every day. I mean every single day, no excuses. Usually just walking the dog, but I have a route that is 2 miles and I do it either once or twice a day, schedule permitting. This time of year it’s harder since my dog doesn’t handle the hot weather so well, but I just go in the morning or evening (or both).
I remember when I got below 200 pounds, it took about 2 months to lose that first 15 pounds. But what motivation it was to be able to feel some measurable success. I thought if I got down to 190 I would feel pretty good. But at 190 I still had some belly fat and I had already formed better eating and exercise habits so I just kept doing what I had been doing. When I got down below 180 I couldn’t believe I had done it.
I feel so much better. Last winter was a breakthrough year for me at the ski hill. I could do things at 175 pounds that I could never do when I was overweight, and it seemed almost effortless. Riding my mountain bike up a hill at 40 pounds less weight than before is pure joy.
I just want to encourage everyone who is trying to lose weight. In some ways it’s as hard or harder than quitting smoking, I’ve done that too. My experience is to find out what works for you and use it. And hang in there until you can see some results. Personally, I didn’t have to give up everything. I still have a late night bowl of (light) ice cream once in a while, but I do a lot of other things to compensate. Good luck to Joe and everyone else!
Vote:
0 0 Just don’t waste your money on Nutri-System. The food is disgusting. And I’m not that fussy
Vote:
0 0 Too many of our foods have growth hormones in them, i.e. chicken, beef, pork….it makes it tough even if one is exercising. A friend of mine from Africa came to study at ISU. He was slim and trim. His diet didn’t change much when he got here. His wife cooked alot of the same basic foods with basic staples. However, he began getting fatter. He mainly ate chicken.
A food co-op in East Idaho that can offer alternative foods absent the hormones and pesticides will be a welcome addition. Besides, when we spend all the time exercising we want to see some results. This is why finding drug free meats and poison free veggies is so important to an all around weigh control plan–and you feel 10 times better!
Vote:
0 0 Joe, I think your original post was right on, especially about the reality of losing weight: no quick fix, no magic potions… . What worked for me (after kid #3, I packed on a bunch of weight which was so hard to lose!) was simply this: I began eating ONLY when I was hungry. I know this sounds ridiculous but I truly believe in our culture, we have lost sight of what hunger feels like. Once I began eating only when I felt truly hungry (and not just to “clean up” the leftovers or because I was tired, etc.) and then ate only enought to satisfy that hunger, I lost 30 lbs which I have (for the the most part) kept off over the last 5 years.
Sounds too simple, I know, but actually, listening to our bodies is a skill we may have lost in light of (as someone mentioned above) the “whopper” mentality we live in.
Vote:
0 0 Thankfully I’ve never had a problem with my weight, but my youngest brother & his wife does. There’s a huge difference between our eating habits though. He’s all about fast food, candy, soda, no fruits and vegetables. I never eat fast food, and rarely eat out in restaraunts period. I always eat a large nutritious breakfast and a decent lunch, and then a small dinner. Dark Chocolate is my indulgence but because I eat well and exercise regularly, I can eat as much chocolate as I want. At 40, I’m the same weight I was in college. Start making your own meals more and try to stick with “organic” milks, cheeses, fruits, vegatables and meats. All those growth hormones will pack on the pounds. Look at our kids these days. Something like 70% of our children are considered obese. Between the internet & video games and junk food, it’s no wonder.
Good luck to all those working on your weight. Just don’t fall for those weight loss pills and gimics. Weight loss is a billion dollar industry and none of them will work in the long term. It’s about changing ones lifestyle and eating habits. It really is as simple as eating healthy and having a daily excercise routine. Start out slow and don’t get discouraged. The pounds WILL melt off.
Vote:
0 0 Another aspect to this is that I did not have to work hard to lose weight, but I had to work steady. Some of those long walks made me tired and sweaty, but it was never a really hard workout.
It was just steady, trying to do something each day, each week. I’m down to 195 lbs now, so it’s taken me about 5 months to lose 30 pounds. If I had a target date to lose weight by, of course I would have had to work hard to meet it. Of course then I probably then would have been more prone to the “yo-yo” effect of quickly gaining weight again.
And therein may lie another challenge to weight loss in today’s America: our need for immediate satisfaction.
Mike had a good point about the growth hormones in our foods. I have heard anecdotally that parents are reporting kids entering puberty at younger ages, and growth hormones are suspected. Anyone know more about that rumor?
Vote:
0 0 I too have heard that’s the reason our children are hitting puberty earlier. All because of money. All so they can get their chickens to lay more eggs, their cows to produce more milk, etc etc…
quite sad actually what big business will do for the sake of a dollar.
Vote:
0 0 Actually, there is a study, put out by (I think) NIH, in which several pediatricians voiced concerns over children entering puberty at a very young age due to the increasing use of soy products (i.e., soy baby formula, soy “milk”, etc.) because of the phytoestrogens in soy products…also a connection to certain thyroid disorders, as the thyroid can essentially “burn out” when it receives too much estrogen…..
I will try to find the link, as it was a pretty disturbing article…there is a huge and active soy lobby in the U.S….
Vote:
0 0 I read with interest this article yesterday, “5 eating habits of the healthiest countries:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/08/31/cl.worldly.advice/index.html
Suggestions include at least three servings daily of produce and whole grains, try one new fruit each week, eat meals slower over a longer time frame, eat meal courses one at a time instead of all at once, eating 80% portions of what makes you full, using smaller bowls and plates when setting the table, eat more unprocessed foods like salads, and add more spices to your foods to aid digestion.
Another bit was that some countries treat meat like a garnish. Obviously in America meat is the main event, with steaks that take up a whole plate.
My wife and I have talked about this, where she prepares two chicken pieces and potatoes and vegetables, and we get too full to eat it all. We are going to try preparing one chicken piece and splitting it between us so we have more room for the side dishes.
I like the courses idea, also.
Vote:
0 0 That’s a good idea with the chicken Joe. I’m the cook in our house and I’ll usually split a large chicken breast between myself and my better half, since we usually have a couple vegetable side dishes and a salad during dinner. Even with only having a half a chicken breast its always plenty of food when other side dishes are involved. We always make it a point to have a salad with dinner as well, since that helps fill you up, that makes it easier to have smaller portions of your main course. Remember while you’re cooking that your meat portion, whether it’s chicken, steak, pork or whathaveyou, should be no bigger than the size of a deck of cards. It may not seem like much, but when you’ve got two vegetable sides & a salad, it’s really plenty of food to fill you up.
Another good thing to remember when eating salad, stay away from iceburg lettuce as it has hardly any nutritional value at all. Stick with darker greens like Romaine or spinach. Fresh spinach is our favortie and its got twice as many vitamins than your other greens.
Our one weakness is Geraldine’s dinner rolls. We always buy whole grain bread, except when it comes to dinner rolls, Geraldines has got it going on. But that’s the great thing about always eating healthy….we’re able to indulge on the occasional white roll or chocolate dessert without having to worry.
Fortunately I’ve always had a high metabolism and weight has never been an issue with me, but I know that my eating habits have everything to do with that. My brothers aren’t as fortunate, but I know it’s because our eating habits are completely opposite. Eating healthy really is half the battle. Plus getting out their and walking, riding your bike or any other low impact aerobic excercise everyday, even if it’s only for 10-15 minutes, will help keep everything in check. I know what I do is working since my brothers don’t eat right nor do they excercise and their both overweight. And don’t think of it as a diet, but a way of life. There’s no need to spend lots of money on diet plans, books, workout tapes, etc. Healthy eating and regular excercise is all it takes.
Best of luck to everyone.
Vote:
0 0 I have been working out for a month now…but I havent noticed any change in my weight…I do binge on weekends..but its like a treat for my workout days. Some people lose pounds without exercing…but I guess..my body is too hard and needs a lot more excercise than I really do. I swim twice a week, workout for about 45 mins thrice a week. I really dont get it!!!
Vote:
0 0 Lucky….you’ve answered your own question without even realizing it. “I binge on the weekends as a treat for my workout days”. You’re pretty much working out for nothing by doing that. You have to balance your workouts with healthy eating. ALL the time. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Literally! Until you decide to change your lifestyle and your eating habits for good, no amount of working out is going to help you. You can’t continue to eat unhealthy and lose weight even with working out 3 times a week.
Another common misconception you have is “people lose weight without working out”. That’s just not true. Unless their starving themselves, and even that is unhealthy. The only way you’re going to see the pounds start to drop off is by changing your eating habits. You say you work out for 45 minutes 3 times a week. After doing this for a month, you should be upping those numbers. Start adding an extra day in their and working out for an hour or an hour and a half. I go to the gym all the time and I’ve got friends that tell me, “I work out for at least and hour every day and I’m not seeing results”. So I go in with them and this is their routine. They wander around the gym for 25 minutes, they get on a lifecycle for 10 minutes, the elliptical for 5 or 10 minutes, then they hang out at the waterfountain for another 10 minutes “resting”. Then they’ll do 5-10 minutes on the weight machines. After all of that, they’ve really only worked out for about 20 minutes, if that. Make those 45 minutes count and workout until the sweat is pouring off you, your legs are like rubber and you can barely pick up your arms. That, along with eating healthy EVERY day and I promise you the pounds will drop off quick.
You’re pretty much working out for nothing when you go home and eat junk food and “binge” afterwards, even if it’s just on the weekends. Change your eating habits and continue to work out, really pushing yourself, and see what happens. You’ll get there, it just takes persistence and hard work. Nobody said it would be easy. If it were, everyone would be thin.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Vote:
0 0 My best advice for weight loss, water. I used to drink coffee and Mountain Dew all day long and little to no water. A couple of years ago I started getting migraines and my doctor would not prescribe me medication until I cut back on my caffeine consumption. It was not easy but what a difference. I felt energized, lost weight and had fewer migraines. With the new energy and fewer pounds I started walking 20 minutes a day and eating healthier food. When I feel the urge to snack between meals I drink a glass of water instead. 90% of the time my urge to snack never returns.
Vote:
0 0 A girl friend of mine in high school drank a 16 ounce Pepsi every day one summer and really ballooned up in just those three months. It took her about five years to work it off, changing her eating and drinking habits and expensive gym memberships.
Vote:
0 0 yes Pickens, might be it will take some more time..before i start loosing pounds. I should have patience…and i will keep posting the updates.
Thanks
Vote:
0 0 I must sheepishly admit I have gone back a little over 200 pounds again. I have had a couple injuries the last month which prevent me from using my elliptical machine. I am trying to eat more whole grains because I heard they clean the fat out of your system better. I also realized this week I can take a bit longer walk each day as part of my normal schedule. It’s only about 4 blocks more, but hey a bit more each day hopefully helps. I have been slipping on eating late night snacks, and I think that has hurt, so I’m going to try not eating anything after 8pm anymore.
Vote:
0 0 Joe, don’t beat yourself up; we’ve all been on the roller coaster: one thing I do if I slip up and put on a few: I have breakfast cereal at night; I know, sounds counter-productive, right? But really, I eat less at dinner, and throughout the day in general, if I know that at 7 or 8 I am going to have a bowl of cereal…..usually Raisin Bran but occasionally, Cocoa Puffs….one bowl with 1% milk has less than 250 calories, it is very filling and just somehow seems like a treat…sounds crazy, I know, but it has been tried and true with me for the past ten years….
Good luck!
Vote:
0 0 I don’t consider what Burger King sells to be “food.” Even the Jr. Whopper is loaded with artery & colon-clogging animal fat and sugar/salt/bleached bread/GMOs.
Have you considered trading in the meat for beans & vegetables? Or buying your food at health food grocery stores (Whole Foods,etc.)?
Some people think chicken is “healthy” (fried, baked, etc.) but it’s gross — loaded with pus and all sorts of nasty respiratory ailments from the diseased birds.
I’ve been able to keep the same weight for 20 years since I became a vegetarian & later gave up cheese & milk. Finding out about a plant-based diet with all the mock meats (soysage), etc. is fun. Internet has tons of recipes for beans, tofu, fruit pies, veg Mexican & Italian dishes. Eating lots of organic fruits & dark green salads keep you from getting sick too. Never feel guilty about eating again…
Vote:
0 0 Number 1, we don’t have a “Whole Foods” here, (unfortunately) and number 2, becoming a vegitarian just isn’t realistic. Not to mention the vegan lifestyle isn’t as healthy as it’s cracked up to be. Animals were put on this planet to be consumed by man. Any burger you buy at a fast food rest is going to be bad for you, we know that. But trying to convert folks to an all vegi diet is just plain ridiculous. But whatever works for ya. Personally, I’m not going to take 20 vitamin supplements a day in order to get the protein, fat and carbs that I need to maintain a healthy diet.
I’m not a vegan and I’ve never had a weight problem, so go figure.
Vote:
0 0 Sorry, just noticed you’d posted a follow-up about not being able to exercise lately & the weight was creeping back. I really feel for you. I used to do the “starve & binge” & “diet foods” routine myself until 1 day I saw something gross on TV about meat & never ate it again. In one week my face even changed shape; no more bloat. Gradually I learned about nutrition — it’s the ingredients that count. Unprocessed, unbleached, plant-based whole foods; herbs instead of salt, fruit & stevia instead of sugar, rice milk instead of milk, etc. Try reading “Whole Food Facts: The Complete Reference Guide” or just google search. There’s tons of information out there on “real foods” nutrition. Good luck!
Vote:
0 0 Dear anonymouse, if you’ve never had a weight problem then you don’t know the torment of trying to lose weight. Or the miracle of finding the secret of how eating good food makes you feel good. Everyone in my family has health problems (pacemaker, gout, obesity, IBS, colon polyps) but they think being a vegetarian wouldn’t be “fun” even tho they see how it keeps me young & healthy. You don’t need a Whole Food store to get beans, fruits, wild rice & vegetables or a good cookbook. I don’t need vitamins; I run 3 miles every other day (I’m 53 yrs old) Please don’t be so afraid of change; change keeps you young. God bless.
Vote:
0 0 I’ve never had a weight problem because I excercise and I eat healthy. But I drink 2% hormone free cows milk, I eat chocolate, I drink a soda pop every night at dinner and I’ve never been overweight a day in my life. I eat only wheat & whole grain breads, and pure unprocessed sugar for my coffee or tea. I’m never sick and I eat at least two steaks a week, chicken, ribs, pork chops, fish, etc. I also eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and I’ve worked out religously since high school. I’m 43. So, there’s absolutely no need to promote a competely meatless all vegan diet and try to talk people into eating tasteless soy and tofu products. As long as you eat a balanced healthy diet and you excercise regularly, you’ll maintain a healthy weight your whole life.
It just bothers me when vegans try to push this “lifestyle” on people and make them think that’s the ONLY way their going to be healthy. It works for you and that’s great, but like I said before, it’s not realistic for most people.
Take care
And I only mentioned the “Whole Foods” store because I like shopping there. They’ve got a great selection of healthy foods. Sure you can find enough healthy food in WalMart, but having a Whole Foods in town would be awesome.
Vote:
0 0 What is “tasteless” to you may be delicious to someone else, just as what is tasty to you may be gross and repulsive to someone else. Everyone’s taste buds are different, depending on what they’re used to eating. But for someone who believes “animals were put here on this planet to be consumed by man,” it would be pointless to try to “push” a vegetarian lifestyle. (I’m assuming you don’t eat dogs or cats or monkeys, though? ) Just be aware that people in the world are steadily evolving toward a meat-free diet for health, ethical & environmental reasons. You’ll still be able to get your meat grown in labs though, and I think that would be great.
Vote:
0 0 I’d have to disagree with you on the “taste” issue. There’s not a person alive that the first time they tasted Tofu or soy anything, said it tasted great. (unless it was covered in flavoring, spices or whathaveyou) It’s definately an acquired taste. I know….I’ve tasted many of these products
As for dogs, cats & monkeys: I may not eat them, but many cultures around the world DO.
And you just proved your own point by saying “no sense in trying to PUSH” your vegitarian lifestyle on me. You’re trying to “push” it on others, when in all reality, its just not realistic. Sure it’s got its good points, and you will be healthier to a certain extent, but humans weren’t meant to be vegetarians. Trust me, our world will never evolve towards a “meat-less” society. We’re trying to evolve towards a more “healthy” one, because their are so many people overweight and sick, but thinking that people will stop eating meat is just plain ludicris.
Like I stated earlier, there’s no reason whatsoever, health reasons or not, for people to stop eating meat. If it works for you that’s great, but you’re missing out on a lot of vitamins and nutrients found in meat, fish & chicken & dairy. And the only way to get said nutrients is by taking supplements. The fact of the matter is, people can and have been healthy since the beginning of time, by eating a well balanced diet that includes meat, fish, chicken & dairy products. The reason so many people are sick and overweight is from all the “additives & presevatives” put in foods these days. Eat a well balanced diet and stay away from processed foods, and un-natuaral foods and you’ll begin feeling better within weeks. More energy, weight loss, clearer skin, etc. It’s common sense. The problem is, people have gotten lazy and don’t want to take the time to cook for themselves anymore. They’d rather buy a box of instant whatever, or go through the drive thru of their local fast food joint. And that is the main problem. I’m also big on “organics” too. Certainly we don’t need all that milk, chicken and beef that has been loaded with hormones. But there are alternatives to that, and every grocery store these days carry organic, hormone free meats.
It really boils down to common sense. Stop putting all that unnaturual processed food in your body that’s loaded with additives and preservatives. Get back to basics with a well balanced diet and excersise and you will be a healthy individual, gaurenteed.
Good luck with your vegetarian quest though.
Take care.
Vote:
0 0 I completely agree with Anonymouse. (good post) Another very simple thing to do while shopping is read labels. If its got ingredients in it that you can’t pronounce or you have no idea what it is, don’t buy it. People are and have been “meat eaters” since the beginning of time, and where we went wrong is with all the garbage in these processed foods.
Stay away from processed foods and you’ll notice a change in our energy and appearance within weeks. Use a good colon cleansing product for at least a week to clean out your system and then stay away from processed food. You’ll be amazed with the amount of energy you’ll have. You’ll sleep better, be in a better mood, no headaches, etc.
Good luck to those fighting weight issues. It really is a lifestyle change in your eating habits. I’d have to agree with Anon….you don’t have to go completely to the opposite end of the spectrum in order to lose weight, be healthy and feel great.
Vote:
0 0 Ditto to #33 and #34….
Vote:
0 0 “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” - Albert Einstein
“From an early age, I have abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men will look upon the murder of animals as they look upon the murder of men.” - Leonardo di Vinci
Guess I’m just way ahead of my time & should be patient for others to catch up. But that’s ok; 2 of history’s greatest geniuses are not bad company at all;)
Vote:
0 0 Just to stir the pot, vegan has nothing on going RAW, yeah baby!
gorawnow.com to see a RAWk star, watch the movie.
Vote:
0 0 I dont agree with #31. eat everything and still no weight problem. Actually evrybody’s body is different,,,my sister for example..eats a lot but is very thin..no excercise nothing..but me on the other side..very particular about what i eat..work out regularly..and still am overweight..some people..are slim, some become slim… some people trying to slim down…and for some bodies like mine..its very difficult to loose weight with the regular diet. I have to starve my self once in two weeks to see a 1 pound change…
Vote:
0 0 “eats a lot but is very thin..no excercise nothing”
Uhhhh hey I don’t want to be mean, but I hope these types who eat a lot and never exercise are not engaging in bulimia to stay thin. It just does not seem natural for this to happen.
Vote:
0 0 Once again lucky….you’re talking about a “diet”. You’re not going to loose weight and keep it off with a “diet”. It’s about a lifestyle change and changing your eating habits. Get rid of all that processed food in your life and continue working out and you’ll see the pounds come off. Like Anonymouse said…”there’s no reason to reason to give up meat just to loose weight and feel better”.
Vote:
0 0 I have to agree with post #40. Over my lifetime, I have probably lost 100’s of pounds, and within a short time have put them back on. If dieting is not done in conjunction with exercise and most importantly, a lifestyle change, the weight WILL NOT stay off — I am living proof of that.
Vote:
0 0 I also meant to add, that the 3 hardest things in life are: 1) losing weight and keeping it off, 2) quitting smoking after a lifetime of smoking, and 3) staying mad. I’m bombing out on the first two, and who wants to do the third? Not me! My odds aren’t too good with only 1 out of 3, but will continue to work on the first two. Things can only get better.
Vote:
0 0 Idaho Native: thanks for sharing your story. I know first hand how difficult it can be to kick the habit of smoking. I’ve stopped and started dozens of times of the course of a couple decades. It finally worked after taking Wellbutrin (generic for Zyban) and lots of gum. I’m now close to my 3rd year smoke free and couldn’t feel better. It’s amazing how powerful a drug nicotine really is. Even after 2 years I still get the occasional craving. The smell disgusts me now, but if I’m stressed out at work or I have a bad day, its really tempting not to go buy a pack. But after not having one for so long, getting my stamina back, not coughing in the mornings, and just feeling better overall, I will not become a slave to cigarettes ever again.
I’m all for people having their right to smoke, their section in the restaraunt and what have you. But for me, that was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to overcome.
People that don’t smoke have no idea what a powerfully addictive drug this is, and quitting is easier said than done.
Good luck to you and everyone else who is working towards kicking this habit. Stick with it & chew lots of gum!
Vote:
0 0 Interesting comparison of ALL popular fast food selections:
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/fast-food.php
My favorite Whopper Jr was picked as a best, though not really great anyways.
And who knew Dairy Queen’s food was so horrible? Besides anyone who has eaten there…
Vote:
0 0 I agree with Blakmire, but I admit, right now I’m gorging on one hell of a good game hen.
For the most part though, I try to stick to seafood.
However, while I’m not overweight, not exercising regularly is not good for you. Ask my surgeon. I’m currently going through rather strict physical therapy. 
Good diet and exercise are essential regardless of whether you are thin or fat.
Vote:
0 0 I really hate to go off on a tangent like this, but this type of thing happens every single time I go grocery shopping. (and I’m not singling out overweight people. I know some people have issues….but most don’t)
So today i’m standing in line at the store and this woman in front of me must be at least 150 lbs overweight, and everything in her cart is junk food. Soda, 4 different types of chips, ice cream, candy bars, twinkies and every other kind of processed junk food you can think of. (180 dollars worth of junk food) Then her last item was a tub of low fat margarine. I mean seriously folks, what is the point in buying low fat margarine when all the other crap your buying is junk food? It makes absolutely no sense to me! THAN, if that wasn’t enough….she breaks out her Idaho food stamps card to pay for it all. So basically MY/OUR tax dollars ended up paying for this woman and her family to eat junk food. It took everything I had not to say something to her. Which I probably should have. I mean somebody needs to wake these people up!
I remember back in the 70’s - 80’s you couldn’t buy that kind of junk food with food stamps. You were only allowed to buy the basics. Eggs, milk, bread, juice, and meat. All that other garbage you had to pay for yourself. I believe that’s the way it SHOULD be and the laws need to be changed to make it that way again. My tax dollars shouldn’t be paying for people to eat like a pigs. I don’t have a problem with helping people out when they’re down on their luck, but there needs to be limits. Food stamps should only be allowed for no more than 6 months to give a person a chance to get back on their feet. And there should be limits as to what kind of food they can buy. I can’t tell you how many times I see people using food stamps to pay for junk food. It’s just wrong!
But as always….that’s just my opinion.
Vote:
0 0 Yeah,it is amazing. We don’t allow folks to buy cigarettes with Food Stamps. Why not clamp down on unhealthy eaters who choose junk over food that can help them be healthy and trim down? The next thing you know we will be paying more in Medicaid or Medicare for their junk food choices that make them fatter and less healthy.
Is this anyway to run a government program? Or is this yet another example of an uncaring government that doesn’t really give a hoot what people shovel in their mouths? Just keep em happy eating Twinkies so they don’t revolt! That might require exercise and effort and we wouldn’t want to encourage that! Good Post CR67!
Vote:
0
Vote:
Regarding the smaller meal aspect, you know that Whopper Jr. is what the size of a burger was when I grew up, and it suited us fine. We live in such a supersize-me culture that we think we are benefiting with the out-of-scale meals.