How to lose weight in a healthy way (merged)

[EpicBeardedMan]

Lost 22 lbs in just over a month by drastically switching my eating and working out at least 3 times a week..becoming more than 3 now that my body isn't as sore the next day. Down to 188 and shrinking.

 

[Biggoals2bdone]

Not that hard once you know what's in it. 
[/quote

I would agree with that 100% start looking into what these "junk" foods contain and you wont feel to bad about dropping those out of your diet all together.  Drink a pile of water and do your best to not eat anything after 7:00pm.  If you find that you must try cottage cheese, its high in protien(casein protien to be percise) which will burn slowly and leave you feeling full longer.

my :2c:

RTG

I disagree with not eating after 7pm, bad idea, say you go to bed at 11, that's 4hrs without anything through your system which is what you DON't want, you want your "furnace to constantly be burning, not start stop, start up again, etc'...don't know about you guys, but i'd have MAJOR trouble getting to sleep in that condition, small protein rich snack 30mins before bed, is your best option.

protein (other then super fast digesting protein such as whey) actually keeps you fuller longer, because it takes longer to get broken down. Also I would add that other great sources of healthy fats, is nuts; almonds, cashews, etc.

 

[EpicBeardedMan]

Thought I'd post my struggles to get where I am now, with just under 2 months to go until I leave for BMQ. I started applying for MP, I have my diploma in Police Foundations and really wanted to be a Police Officer. I work as Loss Prevention and eventually I found myself not wanting to do Police work anymore, just dealing with the scum of society didn't really tickle my pickle anymore, mostly because I dealt with a lot of them at work and couldn't imagine myself doing that for life.

I switched to Navy 5 months ago, applying for NESOP first, and NCI OP second. I re-did my interview over the phone with the captain at the local CFRC for both trades and everything seemed alright. A week later I got a call at work from the CFRC offering me a NESOP position, which I accepted happily. That ENTIRE day was spent phoning family and friends because I was so happy about it.

Now there was one problem, my fitness level! There were times where I would be eating McDonalds twice a day. Not only is it junk food, the chemicals they put in the food are just downright nasty for you. I started going to a Crossfit gym which my mom found out about because she taught a learn to run class for the running room and one of the trainers came in and did a demonstration for the class and my mom went to check it out. She dragged me a long because 5 months from that date I'd be leaving for BMQ.

Anyways, the first and second time I went to Crossfit I puked, but I kept going back and back, etc. I was informed about the Paleo diet which to sum up is basically if you were a caveman what would you eat? (Fruit, nuts, vegetables, fruits, seeds, water, meat). I have 1 cheat meal a weak and that helps me keep things realistic. Anyway in the 3 months since I started Crossfit I lost 27 lbs, dropped 2 waist sizes and my cardio and strength have just turned ridiculous. Anyway I got asked to do a testimonial for my gym because of my results, which is here(Under Alex):
http://www.squareonecrossfit.com/testimonials/

I'm hooked and doing it until I leave for BMQ and hopefully BMQ will be a tad more easier on my body now that I've had these changes. Anyway just wanted to share my sucess story with people who are or were in the same boat as I am. 

 

[charlaje]

    I did loose a ton of weight in the 10 month process it took me to get in.  The first time I tried to run,  i did 20 steps and i stopped dead... I knew I wasn't gonna run right away.  Walking long distances and cycling was the way for me to kick off things,  as well as something very close to that caveman diet!  The first 3 months the results were staggering... 

    I wasnt anywhere near a gym or training facility, so I had to do calisthenics mostly.  Its an easy and affordable way to exercise at any given time.  Walking at least an hour a day is also a winner to shed the first few layers when you haven't exercise for a long time.

    As for BMQ and beyond,  its easy to carry on with your habits, as most units will do pt regularly and not to mention the BFT or EXPRES test, whatever case may apply, on a yearly basis.  I found the diet part to be the most difficult part, because on BMQ you won't eat like a caveman!

 

[Bluebulldog]

because on BMQ you won't eat like a caveman!
[/quote]

That may be true. But you will have choices available to you that are more sensible than others.

Of course, during BMQ, your body will be burning a LOT of calories regardless, so I wouldn't worry too much about what you're feeding your body. It will be treated like a burnable fuel nonetheless.

 

[Dou You]

I was informed about the Paleo diet which to sum up is basically if you were a caveman what would you eat? (Fruit, nuts, vegetables, fruits, seeds, water, meat).

I have done Paleo and it does work and I highly recommend it for anyone to cut your body fat down quickly. However, for this diet to be successful you can not have anything "extra" on days in which aren't cheat days. That means no "little" snacks (like a bite of chocolate, or a cookie, or just a tiny bit of anything other than what EpicBeardedMan mentioned). It is strict, strict, strict which causes big, big, big cravings, but if you have the will-power it works wonders.

For those who want to follow this diet strictly and are serious in wanting to get more lean I would suggest a few things:

1) Eat ONLY meat and leafy green vegetables for the first two weeks. But have a handful of unsalted/all-natural nuts every breakfast as well (NO peanuts).

2) After two weeks, introduce berries (small ones, like blueberries, raspberries, etc.) throughout the day. After the next week you can then introduce apples. But for the first two weeks stay away from all fruit. Fruit is actually quite sugary.

3) Mix up your source of protein. Don't just have Chicken every day, all day. Your protein source should be diverse. Eg. Chicken, pork, beef, tuna, haddock, mackerel, salmon, halibut, shrimp, lobster, turkey, lamb, and wild game. Getting your protein from all of these sources, or even more, during the week would be optimal. Mixing up the nuts in the morning would be good as well. Eg. Brazilian, almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews. but remember no peanuts.

4) Get 1.0 to 1.5 times your bodyweight in grams of protein. Eg. 200 lbs. bodyweight = 200 -250 grams of protein per day.

5) Drink ONLY water. NO alcohol, NO energy drinks, NO coffee or tea (unless completely black with no additives whatsoever).

6) EpicBeardedMan mentioned a cheat day every week. I would recommend doing only a cheat MEAL every week. So, one dinner a week you can prepare whatever you want to eat, as much as you want, and then sit down to eat it, but once that dinner is finished your cheating is finished as well! No snacking after, you go straight back to eating only what ran, swam, or flew in it's lifetime. NO cheat meals for the first two weeks though!

If you follow this diet, even without my recommendations, you will lose weight. And I am one of the testimonials for sure. I was by no means fat, I just used it after a mass-gaining cycle, and it shredded my body fat big time. The recommendations I put in are for those are serious about getting "ripped" or"cut" and dropping their bodyfat percentage. It is really strict, and a ton of will-power is needed but if you follow it you will see amazing results. One last thing to remember; follow the diet to a T. It is a "strict" diet for a reason. So DON'T CHEAT YOURSELF!

Just my 6 cents  .

Good luck to those who are going to try it, and congrats to those who have kept to it and have seen results.

Cheers!

 

[MJP]

Anyways, the first and second time I went to Crossfit I puked, but I kept going back and back, etc. I was informed about the Paleo diet which to sum up is basically if you were a caveman what would you eat? (Fruit, nuts, vegetables, fruits, seeds, water, meat). I have 1 cheat meal a weak and that helps me keep things realistic. Anyway in the 3 months since I started Crossfit I lost 27 lbs, dropped 2 waist sizes and my cardio and strength have just turned ridiculous. Anyway I got asked to do a testimonial for my gym because of my results, which is here(Under Alex):
http://www.squareonecrossfit.com/testimonials/

Pushing yourself to puking during a WOD is stupid.  Since it was your first few times the trainers there should have been monitoring your process and scaling the WOD to your abilities.  Not matching the workout to your abilities is the easiest way for someone to injure themselves needlessly.  I use crossfit to maintain physical fitness while at school because the base gym is too far for me to go everyday.  My gym IMHO rocks in that aspect, the trainers use a very common sense approach to workouts and scale exercises and rep schemes to ensure that no one gets injured while still building overall physical fitness. 

As for Paleo it is good for losing weight and general energy levels.  I use it during the rugby season to ensure that my body has the required energy to last.  I will contest that it won't be easy to maintain on BMQ.  I was in the Mega for a good portion of last summer doing second language training and had to eat at both the recruit and officers mess.  It was relatively easy to maintain a fairly strict paleo diet eating just mess food.  Usually you'll have to remove some bread or other undesirable food to get the right mix but it is very doable.

 

[Ascendant]

We aren't cavemen, why eat like one?

To get the full effect, you might as well not wear clothing. Also, make sure you hunt/kill and gather everything you eat yourself.

You know, just to get the full "Paleo" effect.

 

[Kat Stevens]

I ate just like a cave man in basic;  mostly with my hands, and wolfed it down like someone was going to take it away from me.

 

[PuckChaser]

I ate just like a cave man in basic;  mostly with my hands, and wolfed it down like someone was going to take it away from me.

Its a necessity when you have 20 minutes to eat, and it takes 15 minutes to get through the line to get food. I perfected fast eating with a fork, but there were plenty of handfuls completed.

 

[JB 11 11]

Congrats on your acheivement Epicbeardedman. I hope it serves an inspiration to others.

 

[EpicBeardedMan]

6) EpicBeardedMan mentioned a cheat day every week. I would recommend doing only a cheat MEAL every week.

Yeah meant to put this, I only have one meal where it's a cheat, and it usually ends up being a slice of pizza with a beer. I feel gross enough after that as it is

 

[Dou You]

Yeah meant to put this, I only have one meal where it's a cheat, and it usually ends up being a slice of pizza with a beer. I feel gross enough after that as it is

It feels gross the next day if you eat a lot eh?  :nod: Makes you want to just stick to the healthy stuff. The diet definitely works that way. Pizza, and some peanut butter for me, but then I feel gross as well.

 

[EpicBeardedMan]

It feels gross the next day if you eat a lot eh?  :nod: Makes you want to just stick to the healthy stuff. The diet definitely works that way. Pizza, and some peanut butter for me, but then I feel gross as well.

Yeah theres like a taste in my mouth kind of feels like a sheen of butter is covering the inside of my mouth at all times, its gross. Tommorow is my cheat day, pizza and sailor jerry's!

 

[Dou You]

Yeah theres like a taste in my mouth kind of feels like a sheen of butter is covering the inside of my mouth at all times, its gross. Tommorow is my cheat day, pizza and sailor jerry's!

Sunday is mine, and I just happen to be heading down to watch the Buffalo Bills game...there will plenty of good opportunities to have my cheat meal, for example, after seeing/smelling the deliciously greasy tailgate food  ;D.

 

[hold_fast]

I was strongly considering the caveman diet after reading this topic. But then I realized how hard it was for me not to post a comment asking if that was EpicBeardedMan's mom or not in his testimonial.

Considering I've just said what I was trying not to say, well, you can see how my willpower for food would work out.

 

[ballz]

Its a necessity when you have 20 minutes to eat, and it takes 15 minutes to get through the line to get food. I perfected fast eating with a fork, but there were plenty of handfuls completed.

First I learned to swallow the peach halves whole...

Then I learned peaches were a waste of time.

Words to live by:
"You need meat to grow" - Dave Shirley

 

[EpicBeardedMan]

I was strongly considering the caveman diet after reading this topic. But then I realized how hard it was for me not to post a comment asking if that was EpicBeardedMan's mom or not in his testimonial.

Considering I've just said what I was trying not to say, well, you can see how my willpower for food would work out.

Not my mom, no. lol. It's PALEO not caveman diet

 

[Ascendant]

So I guess Paleo/cavemen diet fanboys are going to be sad now that it's been discovered that they probably ate used flour/ate bread?

 

[EpicBeardedMan]

Kratos knows best, clearly.