+1 In the end, cake is all about quality rather than quantity.
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Black Beans, Blueberries, Broccoli
Also, for your fiber thing, eating 1 pear a day is equated to 15% of your daily recommended amount of fiber.
Almonds added to a low-cal diet can help you slim down greatly, as well.
I'll keep you posted with more info.
Sources: Taking nutrition and health classes, gonna become a DOOOOOOOOCTORRRRR someday.
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I changed to a fibre supplement that has 6g of fibre in and only 12 cals, problem with high fibre foods (bran flakes/whole grain bread/apples) they are all quite high in calories tbh, 3 apples would net me a lot of fibre, but would be 200+ calories.
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Try switching to a pear or two and eat salmon for protein. Salmon has little to not fat.
I also suggest exercising, as many have said in the thread. Eating healthy is not the only way you can stay/get fit, you must exercise. Running, yoga, minor strength exercises will help shape your body up. If you do start exercising, make sure to stay hydrated with water. Start slowly, don't strain yourself. As time goes on, you can exercise more, and along with your diet, you can be in great shape!
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Vegetarian so eating quinoa and almonds/almond butter for proteins.
Work 54 hours a week so don't have time to exercise really :(
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Hm... Is there any way for you to work less hours? If you can put in at least 1 hour a day, 4-5 days a week, it'll still benefit you.
If you're old enough for alcohol, drink a cup of red wine every day. Not only does it have antioxidants and anti-aging properties, it is known as a fat releaser, as well.
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Not really, need more money :P
I've been attempting to avoid lots of alcohol, sticking to spirits mainly, can't beat rum over ice in the evening
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So many friends have said I should stop gaming -_-, but finding the energy to slob in front my my PC and do something I enjoy for hours, is a lot easier than getting up and doing something I hate (all exercise) for an hour a day
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Yes, motivation to work out is sometimes really hard to find. You have to find your reason to work out.
My reason? I like to stay fit, as it boosts my confidence (even though all my friends think I'm an egotistical maniac. don't feed my ego!). Another reason is because I enjoy flirting with girls, and having a nice fit body doesn't hurt my chances.
Some people find it fun to exercise, some do it for a cause. There are plenty of reasons out there for people to exercise.
You just need to find yours. So think about it. Why are you on a diet? Think about your reason.
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Take a walk to a store that's 20 minutes away, pick up some small thing you could use a bit of, then walk back home.
Come up with any excuse to walk some. Take the bus to the mall instead of driving, even if you're just going to get some chinese food there. Walk to the library to check out the graphic novels section. The trick is to grow accustomed to moving.
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I don't know how far you are from work but I switched to cycling to and from mine, it only take a little longer for me than driving so I get some exercise into my day without really losing any time. Have only been doing it for 6 weeks and I've loving it, gives me so much more energy to start the day :)
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"Lost 30lbs in 2-3 months, but not really moved any weight this last month, mainly fluctuating up and down 3lbs day to day."
Sounds like you're doing awesome already! In my extremely amateur opinion/guess (huge emphasis on "amateur", "opinion", and "guess"), it sounds like, to get more results (which probably still won't be as dramatic as that first loss, so don't be disappointed), a good workout regimen will probably help more than additional diet changes.
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^
What he said. I've been struggling with weight myself. You need to start exercising or you'll just end up regaining that weight once you start eating normal. Also such diets promote muscle loss and you'll end up not only losing muscle but also retaining HUGE amounts of your fat. Also, 500 calories a day? How the hell do you even get up in the morning?
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Don't that hard, I went down from a normal diet, straight to 1000 calories for the first month, then down to the 500/1000 calories from then on
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You're on your way to graveyard. And I'm not joking. Such diet will kill you. It's not healthy (Under no circumstances) to eat 500 or even 1000 kcal. As far as I know, 1500 is the bottom line. Once again, as someone who's been struggling with weight problem since like... forever, I strongly advise you to start eating normal and proper food and start exercising. I suppose you don't like weightlifting? What's your current weight and height?
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HOW THE FUCK DO YOU WANT TO LIVE WITH 450 calories a day when you need about 2000?!
Eat this and you don't need diets:
Breakfast 10:00 AM - 2x boiled eggs and some fruits (bananas and apples).
Run from 12:00 PM to 13:00 PM.
Lunch 2:00 PM - fish/cow/chicken with brown rice and broccoli or other green vegetable.
Dinner 5:00 PM - same thing, less rice more vegetable.
You can eat more meat if you feel hungry.
Don't eat after 6:00 PM, drink a lot of water and no juice, not even "natural" juice.
You can cheat and eat 1-2 times a week some sweets. But in small quantity.
Quantities:
Vegetables - how much you want.
Meat - how much you can.
Rice - 100-150grams a day.
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No juice? How does that make sense? Fruit juice is healthy (and I mean fresh, self-made juice of fruits like mango, blueberries, raspberries, dragon fruit, maybe with some wheat grass and goji berries), or juiced vegetables.. ?
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First of all, not all forms of sugar are bad for you.. Or make you gain a lot of fat.
Second, any diet should be supplemented with exercise anyway, which should cover any sugar intake off some fruit, unless you're maybe drinking 5 or 6 liters of juice a day..
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Fruit sugar has a high glicemic ratio most of the time, making it bad for certain purposes.
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It's not that simple. How sweet a fruit is has a lot to do with the ratio between different sugars as they vary in sweetness. Fruits with little sugar but high amounts of fructose can be sweeter than fruits with more overall sugar but less fructose.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Relativesweetness.png
(Fruit mainly consists of the sugar types; fructose, glucose and sucrose)
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@ TheWizard
Obviously you know nothing about the human metabolism and nutrition in general. It's only a peripheral interest of mine, but I can tell that I know more than you do.
"Meat - how much you can."
Eeeh, even 90% lean meat supplies ~50% of the calories from fat. So not only will unlimited meat supply loads of calories, it will supply them in the form of fatty acids. Atleast the majority of the protein will just be excreted with the urine, but the body won't "waste" fat and will happily store it.
To top all of this off both protein and fat are subpar energy sources for you body, which will always prefer carbohydrates.
You will NOT get fat from eating carbohydrates, UNLESS eaten with fat/oils (as the body will then "ignore" the fat and burn sugars - in which case the fat will make you fat, not the carbohydrates themselves. Small amounts of fat is ok) or if you eat too many simple/high-glycemic carbohydrates in one sitting (you should always avoid simple carbs anyway is it is empty calories with no micronutrients).
@ OP
Eat all the vegetables you want and can. Eat all the fruit you want (yes it contains sugar, but more importantly it contains dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals) and eat all the complex carbohydrates and vegetable protein you can (this would be my advise to a non-dieting person, you should try to eat what you need and no more).
Skipping animal protein and eating beans/lentils/chickpeas will remove most of the fat in your diet, and improve the overall quality of your fat intake as well (less saturated fat, less trans-fats). This will also give you more fiber, micronutrients and phytochemicaals. If you want to add oils to your food, make sure to select the ones with a decent omega 3/6 ratio.
Ive never tried to lose weight, but I have an interest in science so when I changed my diet years ago (went vegan) I actually took time to study what I ate and why for the first time. Everyone should try and do that, vegans or not.
... And no the human body has no need for animal flesh, all essential amino acids can be supplied from vegetable protein, and the body cannot tell the difference between, say methionine from beef and methionine from a bean. Anyone saying otherwise have never taken a basic course in organic chemistry. The scientific basis for the currently recommended ratio between the different amino acids is also thin, but if you eat a balanced diet you will inadvertently acheive a ratio similar to a meat-eating person so it's really not a concern. The least unlikely problem is lysine as it is a limiting amino acid and thereby can hault protein synthesis, but of you eat legumes/pulses this is not an issue. Sceptics can visit nutritiondata.com and compare the amino acid contents of beef with beans :)
Again, my interest is mainly in the inorganic sciences, but I feel confident giving the advise above. Some of the people I know deal with plant based diets that could help you, following the same overall principles I listed, would be people like Colin Cambell and John McDougall. Good Luck.
EDIT: OK, I really didn't read your question properly :D Oh well.
In any case I wouldn't suggest restricting yourself to 500 calories a day. If you are set on doing so anyway I think eating all vegetables would be your best option as you will then only lack macronutrients, not micronutrients (also the quantity of food required on an all vegetable-diet should help with the worst hunger as the stomach isn't empty). Depending on the vegetables you chose you might want to add some protein as well, all newer research suggests that 25-30 g/day should be sufficient for a person that isn't too physically active.
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There are differences between protein quality from one source to another.
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I went from 252 pounds down to 195 in 4 months. I switched to a diet containing whatever foods I wanted but counted my caloric intake. 400-500 calories for breakfast then 4 more small meals or snacks at about 200-250 calories each for the rest of the day. Little to no exercise either although it helps.
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57lbs in 4 months is amazing, congratulations!
Eating 1500 calories a day though, not sure how you are doing it, I'm nearly always below 1000 calories and my weight isn't shifting :(
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Is there really any way to not lose muscle when dieting though? If you want to have muscle gains don't you need to shred the weight first then bulk back up with the muscle?
Not that I'm trying to get muscles at all lol
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You will always lose at least a little muscle when dieting, but the goal should be to lose as little of it as possible. With proper exercise, diet, and supplementation the amount of muscle lost can be pretty low.
In some cases (usually with undertrained individuals with a significant amount to lose) it's even possible to gain a little muscle while losing fat. This though is certainly not the most efficient way.
To answer your question about muscle gains, you are mostly correct. While a person doesn't HAVE to get shredded in order to put on muscle, it is the most efficient way (especially if your goal is to be reasonably slim in the end). Gaining muscle is kind of the opposite of trying to lose fat: you eat surplus calories and try to minimize the fat gained, while not slowing down results. Still there will always be a little fat gained, but the less fat your body starts with, the less you will gain usually.
All that to say, yes, generally one would try to lose fat, while maybe gaining a little muscle along the way. Then once reasonably fit and athletic, bulk up if that is what was desired.
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Ok, long break but I see I need to add info. I didn't actually lose too much muscle as I was horribly out of shape so there wasn't much to lose. And by exercise I mean anything strenuous or exerting such as running jumping or lifting. I did however walk around and/or go for walks and do stretches. Also my breakfast was high in protein and fiber. I cut out soda/pop for a while and got a lot of fresh air for physical and mental health. I also had my meals at a set time everyday. I ate my first right as I woke or as soon as I could and didn't eat at least 2 hours before bed. So most of the weight lost was indeed fat.
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Ask a doctor. 500-1000 cal/day? It looks to me as if you are trying to kill yourself by not eating.
I lost a fair amount of weight (40kgs over about 3 years) by learning how to eat properly. Luckily I've alwys been quite active so at start I was on a 2kcal/day "diet" and I never had to give up anything. Just learning how to eat.
Seriously, ask a professional. So-called "diets" rarely work because you'll perceive them as something temporary. I know what I'm talking about.
You might be that lucky 1% for which the diet works, but there's a 99% you're not.
I know how hard can be at the beginning, so good luck! :)
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Well I worked out my bmr and I can go down to 420 calories a day before I start to kill myself
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Still not ok, IMO. I'm in pretty decent shape, but lots of that was getting recognizing habits around food and exercise.
This book is about habits, not in a self-help way, but it gives clear insight into how cues trigger the habits, and where changes can be made without messing up your balance: Habits: Why we do what we do in life and business
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Added to my wishlist, will try to pick it up soon
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This level of calories you have been ingesting, especially if you have been trying to maintain a reasonable level of exercise at the same time, is much too low. It seems to me that you've probably triggered "starvation mode" in your body, making it try to cling to as much as it can. In other words, your metabolism has likely plummeted.
As for what your doctor proposed, it sounds even LESS healthy. You would be getting less calories per week, and you would be doing it from what I imagine would be an even more unnatural source (though that depends on the nature of the powders, however unless they are derived from whole foods, I would say its a step down).
I personally have fasted on nothing but freshly-squeezed orange juice for a month. I drank 5 glasses per day, each glass consisting of the juice of about 6 oranges as memory serves. The goal was physical and mental detoxification, and a transition into a raw vegan diet, not weight loss, though obviously I did lose some weight in the process. It was pretty rough at times, though I was more centered and detoxed afterward. That sort of thing really is not the best way for weight loss though.
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I know what you are saying about starvation mode and it is likely I have reached that stage of this diet. But I am eating food with a healthy GI and eating a healthy 500/1000 calories, just having trouble moving those lbs. Swapping between 500 and 1000 calories is supposed to 'trick' the body into not entering starvation mode.
I'm not sure what the source of the food replacement is, I'm going to speak to the doctor tomorrow afternoon so will find out then and update.
Fasting sounds intense, I have considered fasting myself, might be better than nothing.
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god damn that is a low cal diet. You have already lost quite a bit of weight(not sure what your target is or what your current BMI is) but at this point I would suggest putting more calories into your diet and taking up exercise. A diet, in my opinion, is only a temp fix. Everyone's body does have different needs but starving it is a good way to screw things up.
If your doc is seriously telling you to go to a lower cal diet and replace it with just water, or something supplimented I would seek a second opinion. The 500 cals you eat 2 days a week is doing nothing for you since your body(again based on your small post so no one bite my head off) is more then likely taking that 500 cals and storing it directly as fat since it is afraid it will start to starve.
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ive done food replacement diets. You will lose weight if you get past the first few days (which are the hardest).
It isnt easy, and it does come off fast.
however. and it's a big one - You will likely put most of the weight back on like I did.
It does nothing to teach and train you to change your diets. Its remarkably easy to fall back into the same routine as you had before and without a change in lifestyle beyond food, you wont change.
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Well considering I have my diet down, I just kinda need to drop the weight, I'm pretty sure I can maintain my weight, just need to lose it :(
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how long has the diet been down?
you need support afterwards, someone who's not afraid to smack bad shit out of your hands.
The fact you need to drink 4 litres of water a day on these diets means that you shouldnt feel hungry. youll just crave food A LOT in the first 4 days
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Being Fit = Diet + Exercise.
Looks like you got diet down pat, maybe too much imo. The next variable is exercise. I suggest speed walking wherever you go. You can't be fit with just diet alone unless it's in your genetics.
Case in point - Friend lost 40 pounds in 1 and a half months (210 to 170) and didn't gain it back through speed walking alone. Funny thing is he wasn't even trying to lose weight but basically sped walk to work/back home/errands/etc because he moved to a new city for a job.
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They call it food replacement because it is not food, better start eating some regular low carb, sugar free* no splenda, high fiber and protein diet.
Heard the 7g fiber/2g carb/ 5g protein ratio works, but that might be for muscle mass heheh.
Others may aim for 4g fiber/7g carb/3g proteins
For fats only the good fats
Actually forget what I just said and increase water to 3 liters a day
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hehe the atkins diet. People taking dieting advice from a man who died of a heart attack and obesity make me giggle a little. I worked at a place where 2 of the women who would come in were on the atkins diet. They would turn down food like green beans saying it wasnt good for their diet and instead take 2 or 3 helpings of whatever meat we were serving. I may have yelled at them when I heard they were following the atkins diet
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He died of a head injury from falling on ice.
His heart attack was one year earlier due to cardiomyopathy, which he knew about for at least two years. It's the same thing I have. I haven't had a heart attack, but my heart has stopped at least once. I had a healthy cardiovascular system other than the heart.
His diet is total bullshit though. It's very close to a pre-invention-of-insulin diabetic's diet, except diabetics ate very little each day. A carb-starved brain moves poorly. And all that meat makes all bodily odors smell so horrid. Nobody wants to go down on that.
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Does anyone have an experience with food replacement diets.
I've been on a 5:2 (500/1000 calories) diet, eating 500 cals twice a week and 1000 cals the rest of the week. Been mainly on soups and fruit, started eating porridge because my fibre was low I guess, blah blah. Lost 30lbs in 2-3 months, but not really moved any weight this last month, mainly fluctuating up and down 3lbs day to day.
I've spoken to my doctor about changing my diet to something, well better? and they suggested a food replacement diet, I'd be looking at around 450 calories a day, and be just drinking the sachet of whatever powder and water all day.
Wondering if its difficult to give up food? I've pretty much given up tasty food as it is, there is only so much soup you can eat before its tasteless to you. So I think changing what liquid I am scoffing down daily hopefully won't be that hard. Just wondering if anyone has any more experience with a similar diet.
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