Kick starting weight loss

[strazzere]

So I figured since it's 2007 some people might have the new years resolution to shed a few pounds, or maybe you want to start getting back in shape for the beach season.

Anywho - working out is the first step, and there are plenty of threads discussing it, like how to work the abs, what muscles help the most etc. So I'm not going to touch apon that. I just figured I'd toss down some information that I've seen work for some people, read in magazines and added my own little stuff to it too.

However, to start off I'd like to toss out a disclaimer. I'm in no way an authority on eating heathly, I don't have a degree in anything relavent and arn't working to one. I'm a computer science major that plays vball so add information if you'd like. I'm not saying this stuff is gold, I just not it works. It seems pretty healthy (both logically and for what peoples results have been). Also ever person I've ever heard talk about waitloss that has a degree in something close to it agrees rapid waitloss does not often stay, and your body will often gain it back right away. So try to lose healthy amounts fo weight (1-2 pounds a weeks) but never more than about 3. Besides... If your a vballer, you should be getting cut - and actually losing wieght while adding it in muscle.

Anywho, people who were intense about losing wieght or body building that I know have always stressed protein and chicken. Chicken is packed with good stuff, protein and nutrients to help rebuild your muscle faster, this allows you to work out more often and recover faster. Most also say small meals, with snacks in between, keep your metabolism burning. Lastly the basic element of weight loss is increase the amount of work you do, and decrease your intake of fuel. This makes your body use other resources such as fat (or muscle if your not careful!) as fuel, this also makes it so your body cannot store the food you've eaten as fat since it's been used.

Now, it all really does start with breakfast, your breaking what hopefully is atleast 12ish hours without eating much. This should be a high in protien meal, egg whites (or just normal eggs) with some fruit, maybe some chicken. Stay away from (table) salt since sodium is bad, and makes you retain water. Pepper is always good to spice up food - or even better use hot sauce. Hot sauce is a GREAT way to spice things up and it normally does awesome things in the process. Hot sauces (check the label though some are loaded with sodium) can increase your metabolism and help with your joints (good for bad knees haha) along with other great things.

A quote from: http://www.chillifarm.com/whats_hot/whats_hot.asp

Dave: Are chillis good for you?
Doc: Scientists say that chillis add more than just flavour to the diet.. They are rich in vitamin C and also provide vitamin A and calcium. Capsaicin stimulates the appetite, helps to clear the lungs, improves circulation and acts as a painkiller for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. Capsaicim, once ingested, causes the brain to release endorphins into the blood-stream creating a natural feeling of well being similar to that achieved by athletes.

Anyway, a big thing to remember is that you NEED a multivitamin. This will help you get all those extra things that you might in your normaly day from food you won't be eating. Plus it's just a healthy thing to be doing. So make this meal high in protein, add a protein shake too or maybe a Carnation Instant-Breakfast (basicly a mutlivitamin). If you want to use milk, make sure you get skim - it's much healthier... Plus it doesn't coat glasses which is gross and it doesn't taste like cheese (can you tell I don't like anything but skim?)

Have a snack halfway between your breakfast and lunch. Good snacks include cheese (low-fat ones), fruit, veggies, low-fat yogurt or other organic foods. Those special-k strawberry bars are pretty tastey too.

Now the next part can be debated alot. I've never seen it in a health magazine, so heck it could be really bad for you, but if you've taken your suppliments and eaten a good breakfast I don't see why it would be horrible for you to do. Basicly your not going to eat much for your lunch. A protein shake will be your main intake. However, most people fail at diets since they "feel" hungry. To avoid this you can have a salad... Make the lettuce iceberg.. Heck you can get the pound of premade from the grocery store. This is a type of food people use when training for eating competitions. It's a "filler" without calories or other things. It doesn't have bad things, but it doesn't have good things. Basicly your eating air that can make your body think your full. Have a little dressing on it, or if you can stand it, just use vinigar. It's healthy, tastey, and cleans your body. Another great thing to add are hot peppers, adds some taste and helps you out too. Essentially you've created a meal that you got all your nutrients from your multivitamin and your protein shake, however your body still feels full as if you've eaten a meal due to the salad, which it's addition to your diet is negligable.

Have another snack after lunch and before dinner, same deal as before.

Dinner should have more protein, chicken is good - work out some ways to cook it differently and add some spices. Have a side of veggies and what not and your good, another protein shake if needed. You can even do the same deal you had with lunch for this.

A few notes... This was honed by college kids, people without a lot of cash to spare or time. If you have a full time job and have some extra cash - you can buy a lot better organic foods that are really healthy. I wouldn't really know since I don't want to spend $20 on a bad tasting thing ahahahaa... Anyway, powerbars are always a good thing after or before a work out. The more you work out, the more chicken you should have, keep it real though - try not to go crazy with portions.

Lastly drink water. If you arn't having a protien shake, or a glass of skim milk (or protien shake mixes with skim milk) drink water. Tons of people have awesome results with just cutting soda out of thier diets. Drink atleast ten full glasses of water a day and you'll be doing your body a favor. It's another trick to "keeping your body full" and not becoming hungry again. The more water you drink the healthier you can be too.


Hope this gives some people some ideas, it's not ment to be a bible or anything but it does work. Leave comments or more posts to help with your experiences or addition to this advice. (or tell me how unhealthy this may be aahah)