Looking for Weight Loss Tips

[Ace302_]

I am 21 years old 250lbs with a BMI of 38.9. My doctor recently diagnosed me as prediabetic and told me that if I don't get my habits right I will get diabeties. I am exercising regularly (5 days a week) and I am losing weight, but my eating habits are terrible. I don't have much money and cannot go on programs such as weight watchers herbalife etc. because of bills and expenses but quick and easy healthy meals that I could prepare that are inexpensive. Also, I'm trying to see if someone could give me a list of hardcore exercises to do because I'm starting to believe the exercises that I do are too easy because I am never sore the day after. Please help!!

[Paradise555]

I feel just like you. I feel making what you are having accountable. I count everything that I have. I know how many calories I want to consume in a day (roughly 2000, can be higher can be lower) and base my meals around that. Once you pretty much know your eating habits what I find from my own expereince is I slowy am changing my eating habits. I eat less higer calorie/carb foods and have more nutritous food in my meals. It doesn't mean I cut out the higher calorie/carb foods all together becuase once a week I will be like screw this and splurge all the while keeping in mind my end result.

[Tave]

---

@Ace302_ wrote:

I am 21 years old 250lbs with a BMI of 38.9. My doctor recently diagnosed me as prediabetic and told me that if I don't get my habits right I will get diabeties. I am exercising regularly (5 days a week) and I am losing weight, but my eating habits are terrible. I don't have much money and cannot go on programs such as weight watchers herbalife etc. because of bills and expenses but quick and easy healthy meals that I could prepare that are inexpensive. Also, I'm trying to see if someone could give me a list of hardcore exercises to do because I'm starting to believe the exercises that I do are too easy because I am never sore the day after. Please help!!

---

You don't need a list of special exercises or a special commercial program to lose weight.  You already mentioned the problem: your diet.  It doesn't matter how intense your exercises are, if you don't eat right, you won't see progress.  Take some time and focus on the core issue.  You don't have to spend a ton of money to eat right.  If you try it you will really begin to see progress.  In my case, I eat nutritious foods most of the time, am honest in logging what I eat, and walk a good bit 5 days a week and lift weights 2 days a week.  Doing this I have already met my weight goal for the end of February - and it's only mid January.  

[Deksam · Accepted solution]

Hey Ace!

Its great to hear you're losing weight, but as you probably already know diet is much more important to your overall health and weight loss goals than exercise.

Whats important right now is knowing what you should be eating -- and while you may say you can't afford weight watchers, herbalife, etc.  changing your diet doesn't require any of those things.

You can start by cutting out these 2 things initially - refined sugars and refined carbs.   Consider it as your initial 30 day guideline.  Natural sugars are okay -- I usually include honey in that.  No white breads (go without wheat bread and pasta too if you can).  

Buy inexpensive vegetables and meats -- and cook them modestly.  I can always provide -- and you can always find quickly -- dozens of healthy recipes.  Cooking doesn't have to be hard.

Here is an idea of a quick meal option that literally takes about 15 minutes total to prepare:

1) *Hot* Wings with a side of celery and carrots.  

•    Buy 1 - 2 packs of chicken drumettes or wings (general costs are about 8 - 15 dollars for about 2 dozen of them.  Get the celery and carrots.  Purchase a low calorie, low sugar, low sodium hot sauce. There are a lot of them out there, experiment with them.  Total costs should be about 18 dollars and this will cover about two meals if not more.
• Salt and pepper the drumettes on both sides, place them on some aluminum foil on a pan and BROIL them on high for about 3 - 8 minutes per side (that means flip them with some tongs or a fork after about 5 minutes give or take)  or until they're 165 degrees in the middle (or the juice runs clear and isn't pink)  
• Put 2 - 3 TBSP of hot sauce in a bowl and toss the drumettes so they're covered with sauce.  Portion about 10 wings out with about 6 cut sticks of celery and carrots. 

Total meal is about 500 - 550 calories per 10 wing meal.  You'll have enough left over the next day for lunch.

I have plenty of quick recipes for the fledgeling cook, and I'm certain you can find many others online.  Cook REAL food, don't rely on weight watchers approved meals or point systems.  Don't worry about pill popping.  Cooking and changing your diet this way and learning HOW to make the right foods will change everything for you in the long run.

[DominicJ]

" I don't have much money and cannot go on programs such as weight watchers herbalife etc. because of bills and expenses"

They are terrible anyway

Porridge and Whole Milk is very cheap and very healthy.

50g of oats, 150g of milk, 10g of honey/sugar/syrup

"Also, I'm trying to see if someone could give me a list of hardcore exercises to do because I'm starting to believe the exercises that I do are too easy because I am never sore the day after. Please help!!"

For weight loss, walking pretty much rules all.

Burpees are a pretty good "all around" body weight excercise

For building muscle, its all about weight lifting, 

[Ace302_]

I usually do at least 30 minutes to an hour of cardio (treadmill, bicycle, eliptical) and about 15-30 minutes of weight-training activities (bench press, pushups, barbell, and dumbell exercise)

[samsw69]

So Ace, what I think I have discoverd for myself with the fit bit stats, is that hardcore exercise isn't what burns the fat, lower intensity but more prolonged activity is what burns it.  I used to think I had to train hard.  I play sport and wondered why it wasn't keeping me trim - turns out becasue the intensity takes my heart rate into cardio zone, not fat burn zone.  

Eat a modest 3 meals a day, a protein like chicken, lots of fresh veg and fruit, cutting down on white carbs and I fill myself up with a nutribullet smoothie in the morning - so far, so good - some weight loss for a first-time dieter!  

[emili]

hey Ace- you can do cardio for hours and not see the biological results you are hoping for without improving your diet. but you already know that since you reached out. you will lose weight, but the things your doc is concerned about will still be there at your next visit. May I suggest and please feel free to roll your eyes at me - my kids do all day everyday- substitutions for whatever it is you eat today. Ask someone you trust, who you know understands nutrition to help you out. All you need to do is make a list of everything you eat- let them sub out better options for you that won't break the bank. For example- ground beef- at 70/30 its relatively inexpensive and if you buy a pound, it could go a long way. Did you know that ground chicken is actually the same in price within 50 cents- especially on sale. You are eliminating so many calories and fat- you have earned yourself a Noni biscotti which is only 80 calories instead of the keebler cookies. same price- actually less if you get the biscotti at walmart and it comes in 5 flavors. with milk, tea or coffee- wow yumm!! you get the idea - make the list and ask for help. Good luck!

[fri003]

how heavy are you lifting, i would try to lift abit heavier , and how many rep's are you doing ?? try doing more and doing 3-4 rounds 

[Stephen1227]

Do you avoid fatty, processed foods?  Refined sugar?  Do you get enough whole foods--fruits and vegetables daily?  You also might want to consider drinking green tea, as it helps burn fat.

[divedragon]

Make sure the food you eat is real food, not packaged.  Vegetables and protein.  Stay away from gains such as bread, crackers, anything baked with flour or other grain - High carbs and we've stripped away all the fiber.  Try to eat high protein as you can.  I would also look into intermittent fasting as a protocol to reduce the amount of insulin in your blood stream and increase insulin sensitivity.  Here's a site for a doctor who treats a lot of diabetics.

https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/author/jfung/

Good luck!

[tamado]

I understand budget is an issue but most people who say that are eating a significant amount of processed foods.  It costs less to buy real food and cook it, you just have to put in the effort.  With the internet these days, it's never been easier.  Find healthy recipes on pinterest, etc and just experiment.  Buy a meat thermometer  The biggest difference between a great meat and a crappy one is whether or not you cooked it properly.  Buy a crock pot and learn to make soups and such.  Use sale meats and produce and the discover cooking.  You are healthy for going to the gym but you lose weight in the kitchen.  Processed junk is processed junk.  

Also, log everything for a while.  Start by just logging what you eat on fitbit or myfitnesspal or something.  Then look at your caloric intake and the breakdown of macros.  If it isn't right, fix it.  Check out bodybuilding.com to find a macro mix that will work for your goals and then try to tweak your diet to get there.  This is what I have done and I've lost 49 lbs in the last four months.  I am just learning too but this is what is working for me.

[I-train-hard]

You guys think good food is so expensive?

How much does the single doctor visit or wake cost?

Calculate and choose.

[emili]

I think we are all saying that fresh and healthy is the way to go...

[miyamiya15]

Hi ace, I have 35 pounds to lose and I am mother of 3 kids and I am also so busy with other commitment instead of grapping take away when I am outside I eat nuts or drink water or buy a protein bar. When kids are eating chocolate or my teenage gets from outside takeaway chicken and chips my body developed rejection of eating like the taste is different. I think eating health is cheaper than fast food. Lunch time I make myself 2 eggs and throw 1 fresh tomato and 1 onion 1 tsp of oil 1 handful of fresh spinach. 1 pack of baby spinach in uk cost 1pound money and I use 4 times the bag like 4 days. Or I eat salad and boil some veg like handful add 1/2 canned tuna fish. I reduce my salt and sugar very low. Dinner I eat what I feel like but healthy veg with chicken or with fish or rice with chicken sauce with salad I divide my meal on the plate 3 sections. I hate word of dieting I like to call it healthy eating. Don't restrict yourself eat whatever you like but small portion and healthy eating. I completely cut fast food and reduce sugar. Enjoy and don't stress yourself concentrate the result and celebrate with joy.

[Bogdel]

Hi, @Ace302_! Welcome to the club! I was diagnosed with prediabetis, as well. Since then, I started loosing weight by just taking daily walks, eating more veggies, and less meat. As far as carbs, I try to stay away from starch (bread, pasta, patatoes, and rice), as well as from dairy products. Sprouts has very good prices on veggies.

I am also reading a lot of books on beating the diabetis (some with great salad and veggy recipies). One of the doctors insisted that the more greens we eat, the more we will loose. I also bought a blood tester, and try to check my blood daily. This keeps me motivated to eat healthy and to continue to exercise. 

Here's a great book that can help you: THE END OF  DIABETES. The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes Joel Fuhrman, MD. I am trying to follow it's recommendations right now.

Try not to loose too much weight, too quick. If you ensure that you eat 500 calories less than you burn on a daily basis, you should be moving in the right direction, the right way. Also, if you log your food and water, FitBit should give you valuable feedback and help you keep your weight under control. 

I lost 24 lbs. since I got my Fit-bit in January, and my average sugar came down from a 3 month average of 129 to an average of 114. I still have a way to go, but I am moving in the right direction. The secret is eating a LOT of raw greens ( 2/3 of my food is salad; 1/3 is meat, and 1/3 is my oatmeal & milk, at breakfast). 

Blessings and strength!

Ellie

[Ace302_]

Thanks everybody since this post i lost 10lbs i'm doing well now and i appreciate the help

[divedragon]

Exercise is great and highly encourage; however, you cannot outrun a bad diet.  As a pre-diabetic, let me give you a reference to a website of a Kidney specilist who treats a lot of type 2 diabeties as it tends to cause a lot of kidney damage.  With his technique, he has cured full on type 2.

https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/author/jfung/

Also, he recommends the low carb, high fat diet along with Intermittent fasting.  The problem with type 2 diabeties is too MUCH insulin and IF reduces that dramatically along with insulin insensitivity.  It will take you a couple of weeks to get through all his stuff, but I think it will be well worth the effor.  Good luck!

[SunsetRunner]

---

@Ace302_ wrote:

I am 21 years old 250lbs with a BMI of 38.9. My doctor recently diagnosed me as prediabetic and told me that if I don't get my habits right I will get diabeties. I am exercising regularly (5 days a week) and I am losing weight, but my eating habits are terrible. I don't have much money and cannot go on programs such as weight watchers herbalife etc. because of bills and expenses but quick and easy healthy meals that I could prepare that are inexpensive. Also, I'm trying to see if someone could give me a list of hardcore exercises to do because I'm starting to believe the exercises that I do are too easy because I am never sore the day after. Please help!!

---

Eat baked chicken and fish throughout the weekday along with brown rice.   Season it with Badia spices and onions to give it a taste.  There you have protein, fiber and healthy carbs.  Do not eat candy and other junk snacks.   If you chew gum choose sugar free only.  Limit fruit intake.     Replace all snacks with Quest Protein Bars.  They're expensive, but cheaper than doctor visits.    

Do hill climbing on treadmill 5 days a week.   

[Dominique]

---

@SunsetRunner wrote:

---

Limit fruit intake. Replace all snacks with Quest Protein Bars.  They're expensive, but cheaper than doctor visits.   

---

I had a look at the nutritional content of a Quest Protein Bar:

So you get 20 grams of protein for 190 calories, and it costs you $2.39.

I just bought 2.5 kg bags of whey isolate protein powder (= the same stuff Quest puts in their protein bars) for 37 euros. 100 grams of that particular protein powder (it’s not the cheapest one) contains 92 g of protein and 384 calories. So if I consumed 20 grams of that protein powder, that would be 83 calories, for a cost of 0.30 euros. I’d rather snack on a banana (about 100 calories) or an apple (why limit fruit, at the end of the day, it’s total calories that matter), and eat my protein in the form of a shake when at home. Far less expensive, more natural, better deal overall.

Here is an older thread that was dedicated to Quest bars, btw.