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Help Jason get not-fat

edited February 2011 in Everything Else
So, as some of you know, I caved to Lisa's nagging early last month and for the first time in a decade went to a doctor for a physical.

He told me exactly what I expected: That I am healthy, but fat. I need to diet. In his words, exercise will do almost nothing for me; I just need to cut calories, especially from carbs. I am not supposed to eat anything white. Unfortunately, I'm not supposed to eat saturated fat, either. Or, as it turns out, nor am I to indulge in much sugar.

So in the past month, I've made the switch to diet soda, cut way down on bread, cut out most desserts (except for Weight Watchers popsicles, which are surprisingly low in everything, dried berries, and nuts).

Here is the problem: I am a remarkably smart guy. So it didn't take long for me to start finding clever ways to sidestep my healthy eating guidelines. This has gotten worse as I've gotten hungrier.

I need your help. I need suggestions for snack-type food that I can munch on that (in order of preference) is low-carb, easy-to-make, warm, and filling. Filling is the most important part.

Give me your tips. Help me get not-fat!

Also, this is relevant:

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Comments

  • What a coincidence, I had a physical earlier this month and my doctor said the same thing. 340lbs here.
  • I'd give a few simple changes.

    -Diet Soda is still bad. See if you can shift to home-brewed tea or flavored water.
    -Attach yourself to a snack that you really love, that is low in fat. Popcorn or Almonds or Fruit are pretty good choices.
    -Look up recipes that are either low in fat or ways to add great amounts of flavor to food. Spices and Herbs are your friends 100% of the way.

    I've been attaching myself to these three principles and have been slowly losing weight over time. About 20 pounds so far.
  • Whole-grain complex breads. Those things are far better than white bread. Get a good 12-grain high-fiber high-protein bread.
  • -Attach yourself to a snack that you really love, that is low in fat. Popcorn or Almonds or Fruit are pretty good choices.
    Almonds are decidedly not low in fat, although they're still a good snack food nonetheless.
  • I've had good success with eating small meals very often. I've never been one for the "avoid carbs" mentality. Everything is calories, just avoid excessive calories. Moderation is the key. I try to eat around 500 calories a meal, plus 150 calorie Kashi granola bars for snacks when I'm hungry.
  • Diet Soda is still bad.
    Source? It has no calories, no fat, no sugar, and no carbs. It's pretty much salt and water and preservatives -- which I don't have a problem with.
  • In his words, exercise will do almost nothing for me
    Interesting. Do you know why?
  • Source? It has no calories, no fat, no sugar, and no carbs. It's pretty much salt and water and preservatives -- which I don't have a problem with.
    You should drink more water.

    I don't have the greatest of sources, but About.com says:
    Switching to diet sodas may sound like a sure-fire way to lose weight since they're virtually calorie-free. However, there is a controversial issue about artificial sweeteners' indirect effect on weight loss that might surprise you.

    In the mid-1980's -- when the safety of artificial sweeteners was often headline news -- a study was published in a medical journal that suggested artificial sweeteners cause one's appetite to increase.

    More recently, some health experts have suggested that artificial sweeteners actually cause cravings for sweet foods to increase. If so, this reaction definitely sets you up for making poor food choices. This can lead to a big problem, particularly if you tend to binge when you eat high-carb and sugar-rich foods.
  • edited February 2011
    PubMed abstract on diet soda's not-insignificant ties to increased glucose intake, type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.

    From what we know, you have certain sweet receptors that trigger a metabolic response in your body. Basically, when they detect a sweet food, they kickstart certain processes requiring glucose. However, these triggers can also be triggered by other things that are sweet. Usually this isn't an issue; pectin, fructose, sucrose, and lactose can all be broken down into usable sugars. However, artificial sweeteners trigger this response as well, but there are no calories to be had there. The body's response is to trigger a glucose craving, because you need something to feed into the processes you've already started. The result is usually either a bad decision (something high in sugar, like a candy bar) or an outright binge.

    If you absolutely need a sweet drink, get a soda with sucrose (HFCS is tied to diabetes and obesity, as it overrides a response to too much sweet food, though we don't know why) or a decent fruit juice. I recommend Boylan and Jones Sodas, Mexicokes, and Simply Juices. Otherwise, drink water and maybe skim milk.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • Artifical sweeteners just aren't very good for you in general. I've heard many times they're linked to cancer. I'd just avoid soda full stop and drink water instead.
  • edited February 2011
    I've heard many times they're linked to cancer.
    A lot of those studies have been disproved. There are, however, a host of other things they're under investigation for.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • Diet Soda is still bad.
    Source? It has no calories, no fat, no sugar, and no carbs. It's pretty much salt and water and preservatives -- which I don't have a problem with.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphoric_acid#Biological_effects_on_bone_calcium_and_kidney_health

    For snack foods, eat carrots, broccoli, peppers, and celery with ranch. It will make you very full, trust me.
  • edited February 2011
    Skip the ranch; it's too fatty. Instead, whip up (literally, use a blender to emuslify) a nice balsamic vinaigrette with cippolini onions, and dip veggies in that.

    ALSO: Sauté some spinach in a pan with olive oil, garlic and shallots, and serve it topped with a poached egg and drizzle it with that vinagrette. Low cal, low salt, fast, delicious.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • Don't bother trying bulimia, it's no bueno.
  • I volunteer to eat your food for you.
  • What a coincidence, I had a physical earlier this month and my doctor said the same thing. 340lbs here.
    Do you really need a doctor to tell you you're overweight if you're that huge?
  • Do you really need us to tell you you're being an asshole when you're making statements like that?
  • edited February 2011
    You should thank me for being thinspirational.
    Post edited by Kaptain K on
  • Here's a non-food tip - Record every bit of data possible about your diet. I find it becomes easier to regulate what you eat when you have hard data on what you're actually eating. Also, Share this data with your wife, so she can help keep you honest, so to speak.
  • edited February 2011
    Calculate how much you spend on junk food. Soda, snacks, etc. Then, it becomes so much easier to stop buying it.

    When I got to college, I started eating pretty much only whole (in the sense of not being pre-made, but rather taking some prep time) food at meals because I didn't want to burn money on junk, and I lost 75lbs lightning fast without changing my exercise habits.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • I have been low carb for years. Dream fields low carb pasta is huge. As is low carb ice cream. I'm 6' and have been 185 for about 4 years down from 204.
  • I've used Medifast, and it has worked well. They have a program for men, if you want full diet plan.
  • edited February 2011
    For me, I found a silver bullet. Yogurt. There are a bajillion different flavours (so you wont get sick of it), try to go for the low fat stuff but really, even normal yogurt is pretty damn low cal already.

    I eat a normal breakfast (toast or muesli), yogurt for lunch (its summer over here) and just a normal dinner BUT.. cut the meat portion down of your dinner by just a little bit. Eat slightly more veges instead.

    Yogurt is refreshing, delicious and really just sits in your stomach. Don't bother with those little ones, get a big one and for lunch, dig in.
    I eat about 400 - 500 G for lunch. Maybe around 400 cal.

    I lost 1kg a week doing just that, replacing lunch with yogurt!
    Not sure why, but it also eases all my cravings. Its like its sweet and heavy.

    Works for me =)

    Edit: If its winter, replace yogurt for soup. So easy.
    Post edited by InvaderREN on
  • I need suggestions for snack-type food that I can munch on that (in order of preference) is low-carb, easy-to-make, warm, and filling. Filling is the most important part.
    If I learned anything from Hajime no Ippo it's that dried shiitake is filling while having next to no nutritional effect.
  • Diet Soda is still bad.
    Source? It has no calories, no fat, no sugar, and no carbs. It's pretty much salt and water and preservatives -- which I don't have a problem with.
    Name a sugar substitute and I or Whale can probably name a cancer you could possibly get from it.

    Not to mention aspartame, the most common substitute, shuts down your metabolism so you burn less calories.
  • edited February 2011
    I need suggestions for snack-type food that I can munch on that (in order of preference) is low-carb, easy-to-make, warm, and filling. Filling is the most important part.
    If I learned anything from Hajime no Ippo it's that dried shiitake is filling while having next to no nutritional effect.
    Mushrooms in general. Brush a couple of portabello mushrooms with a balsamic vinaigrette and then throw those fuckers in a hot skillet for five minutes. Serve em flipped over, with a slice of herbed chevre inside the cap.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • Yogurt.
    Everything about this is a good idea.

    I know most of this thread is food tips but you're kidding yourself if you don't think you need to incorporate exercise, I couldn't recommend anything specific unless I knew your particulars though.
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