Okay!
My name is Andy, and I'm a foodaholic (I say that half-jokingly). I love to eat, large quantities and all the time. Usually I'm in food search mode. I'll go to all you can eat pizza or chinese and eat 10 pieces or pizza or 3 plates of chinese, then feel guilty and sick.
I'm 6'3" tall, and have weighed around 260-270 for the last ten years or so. I'm 30 years old. 4 years ago I was on the LA Weight Loss diet, which seemed very healthy, but required me to measure and write down everything I ate, which was tedious. They also require you to buy their bars, which is silly. I went from 279 to around 240 and it was great to be that skinny again. Unfortunately, my love of snacking got the better of me and I fell off the diet and gained it all back, except now mostly in the midsection rather than all over.
Recently I've been taking Lexapro for depression and anxiety, which has the unfortunate side effect of some weight gain. This along with some serious overeating over the last 2 years has taken me up to around 320. I've had sleep apnea all along (so does my dad, it can be hereditary), which has gotten worse with the extra weight. I use a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine at night.
I need to lose weight, or I fear I may get into the realm of diabetes and heart disease, if I'm not already on the brink as it is. I check out this site a couple years ago, and it sounded easy enough, but I just didn't have the motivation to give it a shot. It always been on my mind off and on as an option, and now more than ever I have to do something about my health.
I know you're supposed to set goals that are actions, not results, but here it is anyway. Ideally, I'd like to start exercising regularly, and I would like to go from 320 to 220. I don't care how long it takes, and I know that it will likely take years.
So I'm going to do it, starting with the No S Diet. It just sounds so rational, and I think my biggest problem isn't so much what I eat, but more so the gross (in both senses of the word) quantities I eat both at meals and while snacking. I think if I cut down the calories, and the late night eating, those changes alone would help immensely (and help me to become less immense).
Today I had no breakfast (as usual, going to have to work on that), and I had a microwave Indian rice thing for lunch. I had about 16 ounces of coffee with cream and Splenda, and 16 ounces of green tea with Splenda. Then I had 16 ounces of water. I had two peppermints this afternoon, but instead of taking 5 or 6, I grabbed 2, which is self control for me. I need to drink a lot more water.
Tonight I think I will kick this off with a nice plate of something tasty at a restaurant, but I won't get any extra sides, or go to a buffet. It's going to be hard not to snack late tonight, so I will let you all know tomorrow how I did.
Wish me luck!
-Andy
P.S. I was going to just write a line or two and be done with it. Instead, I ended up writing a novel!
UPDATE:
SUCCESS?
I had a great big PLATE of fish and chips and water for dinner. I was able to resist eating any solid foods from 8pm to when I went to sleep at around 1am, but I did have some flavored water (which is sweetened with sucralose), and some beer. So I'm not sure if I really succeeded, but it feels like I did!
halftone's Daily Check In
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
Welcome, Andy.
I think you'll be surprised at how well this works. It's common sense, really. It requires replacing bad habits with healthier ones.
I'm a reforming late night snacker, as well. I don't have any magic tricks to help you overcome it, but I've found that a 20 oz. glass of water on the coffee table in front of me works as a good substitute. When I have those snack attack thoughts, I start chugging water. It works for me, but I have to stop at 9:00 pm if I don't want to be up all night (that water's got to go somewhere
).
Again, I'm glad you're here.
I think you'll be surprised at how well this works. It's common sense, really. It requires replacing bad habits with healthier ones.
I'm a reforming late night snacker, as well. I don't have any magic tricks to help you overcome it, but I've found that a 20 oz. glass of water on the coffee table in front of me works as a good substitute. When I have those snack attack thoughts, I start chugging water. It works for me, but I have to stop at 9:00 pm if I don't want to be up all night (that water's got to go somewhere
).Again, I'm glad you're here.
-Sometimes Fundamentalist and self-appointed King of the S-day Moderates
"As it is (sometimes) written, so let it (sometimes) be done."
"As it is (sometimes) written, so let it (sometimes) be done."
W 050907 - SUCCESS!
NO S DIET:
SUCCESS
URBAN RANGER:
SUCCESS
Down 5 flights of stairs (130 steps), walked 2 miles, up stairs (whew!)
(I'm plotting 2 miles loops at http://www.walkjogrun.net/ each day, and I have grand visions of filling a Cincinnati map with black marker like the guy who walked all of Manhatten)
SUCCESS
URBAN RANGER:
SUCCESS
Down 5 flights of stairs (130 steps), walked 2 miles, up stairs (whew!)
(I'm plotting 2 miles loops at http://www.walkjogrun.net/ each day, and I have grand visions of filling a Cincinnati map with black marker like the guy who walked all of Manhatten)
Th 051007 - SUCCESS!
NO S DIET:
SUCCESS
URBAN RANGER:
SUCCESS
Oh, and thanks for the welcome!
I've felt better mentally and physically the last two days than I have in a long time.
SUCCESS
URBAN RANGER:
SUCCESS
Oh, and thanks for the welcome!
I've felt better mentally and physically the last two days than I have in a long time.
F 051107 - FAILURE
NO S DIET:
FAILURE (partial)
Happy hour at work "forced" chips and beer consumption. Resisted a second beer and extra chips though!
URBAN RANGER:
FAILURE
Chafing is a painful problem, so I took a break. I need to get some workout clothes.
FAILURE (partial)
Happy hour at work "forced" chips and beer consumption. Resisted a second beer and extra chips though!
URBAN RANGER:
FAILURE
Chafing is a painful problem, so I took a break. I need to get some workout clothes.
Stick with it, Andy. Every failure is a chance to figure out how to succeed next time. If your coworkers and friends are anything like mine, I understand what you mean by "forced". They can be brutal on a guy sometimes.
-Sometimes Fundamentalist and self-appointed King of the S-day Moderates
"As it is (sometimes) written, so let it (sometimes) be done."
"As it is (sometimes) written, so let it (sometimes) be done."
Actually I was kidding when I said "forced"... There was beer, so I had one, no actual forcing was done by others.
Really though, I'm doing really well so far, this diet is much simpler to follow than some others I've tried. All the others required so much effort just to figure out what to eat. And I'm surprised that I've been able to keep from snacking all day.
Tonight my wife and I decided NOT to get a celebratory chocolate cake dessert after dinner, and also resisted the urge later to go buy some ice cream. She's going to try to follow the diet with me as well.
I actually DON'T feel like gorging myself on food this weekend. We'll see what happens.
Thanks for your comments!
Really though, I'm doing really well so far, this diet is much simpler to follow than some others I've tried. All the others required so much effort just to figure out what to eat. And I'm surprised that I've been able to keep from snacking all day.
Tonight my wife and I decided NOT to get a celebratory chocolate cake dessert after dinner, and also resisted the urge later to go buy some ice cream. She's going to try to follow the diet with me as well.
I actually DON'T feel like gorging myself on food this weekend. We'll see what happens.
Thanks for your comments!