[jacksonpt]

For a variety of reasons, I've been off my bike now for about 2 months. I can feel/see myself getting fat again. And with the holidays here and winter bearing down, things aren't going to get better by themselves (do they ever?).

Over the weekend I picked up a copy of The Abs Diet put out by Men's Health. I got through the first few chapters, learned some interesting things, will be going to the supermarket today or tomorrow to start stocking up on their power foods.

That's all the easy part, the hard part is finding time to exercise. I hate being indoors, but by the time I get home it's dark out. So riding during the week isn't possible. Riding on the weekend is sketchy at best (lots of reasons, a story for a different thread). So, since I work on a college campus, I'm going to take advantage of their open gym hours and shoot baskets on my lunch break. It should be enough to get me sweating and it should be something I will enjoy. It will get me out of the office for an hour or so every day, and won't cut in to that all important "family time" that dictates my schedule in the evenings and on weekends.

So, as of today, Monday Nov 28, I weight 178lbs. My goal is to get down to 160lbs by March (trip to Florida) while keeing or increasing my cardio fitness. We'll see what happens - 170lbs should be no problem, 160 might be tough - haven't been there since my sophomore year in college.

 

[jacksonpt]

OK, after almost a week of this, I can say things seem to be progressing well. According to the scale, I'm down about 8lbs in 6 days. However, this isn't even REMOTELY fun way to eat. Yes, I love all the steak and animal flesh in general, but I miss my burgers, wings, pizza, fries and beer.

 

[Tenchiro]

Diets are never a long term solution, the worst part is that most people end up being fatter than before once they go off their diet.

 

[jacksonpt]

I know. I'm hoping that in time, some of the changes I've made for the diet will become routine. Hopefully I'll find some good recipes/snacks that I actually enjoy eating, so rather than having leftover pizza for breakfast, I have a smoothie or whatever.

 

[bluebug32]

just curious, what do they consider to be "power foods?"

 

[jacksonpt]

just curious, what do they consider to be "power foods?"

there are 12 of them... trying to remember off the top of my head:
1) Almonds and Other Nuts eaten with skins intact.
2) Beans and Other Legumes
3) Spinach and Other Green Vegetables
4) Dairy: Fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese
5) Instant Oatmeal: Unsweetened, unflavored
6) Eggs
7) Turkey and other lean meats. Lean steak, chicken, fish
8) Peanut Butter - All-natural, sugar-free.
9) Olive Oil
10) Whole-Grain Breads and Cereals
11) Extra-Protein (Whey) Powder
12) Raspberries and Other Berries

 

[Tenchiro]

Personally I have just tried to remove much of the corn syrup from my diet. Either by drinking diet soda's or just buying products that use less sweeteners.

You would be suprised how many empty calories that stuff has.

 

[jacksonpt]

yea, great things can be achieved by eliminating soda and fast food from the average american's diet.

 

[bluebug32]

there are 12 of them... trying to remember off the top of my head:
1) Almonds and Other Nuts eaten with skins intact.
2) Beans and Other Legumes
3) Spinach and Other Green Vegetables
4) Dairy: Fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese
5) Instant Oatmeal: Unsweetened, unflavored
6) Eggs
7) Turkey and other lean meats. Lean steak, chicken, fish
8) Peanut Butter - All-natural, sugar-free.
9) Olive Oil
10) Whole-Grain Breads and Cereals
11) Extra-Protein (Whey) Powder
12) Raspberries and Other Berries

Interesting. What about fruit?

 

[jacksonpt]

Interesting. What about fruit?

See number 12.

 

[Tenchiro]

Berries aren't fruit.

 

[bluebug32]

why only berries I wonder. I know they're high in antioxidents

 

[Atomic Dog]

why only berries I wonder. I know they're high in antioxidents

My guess is because of sugar content.

 

[MizN8]

Wow! Except for the whey powder I have all of the list in my pantry and/or refridgerator..........does that make me a power woman? Hehe! We eat like this all the time............why don't I have abs of steel????? Oh yeah...........must be the cookies I sneak in sometimes.......

 

[MizN8]

I am trying to diet too..................cutting out alcohol, and sweets................yikes.........it's hard. Been writing down what I eat and I am trying to keep track of how many I consume because it still all comes down to you have to burn more than you take in.

Winter sucks for my exercise routine..........having to go to the gym (boring) because we have no alternative outdoor seasonal activities in LA.

Good luck!

 

[OGRipper]

Good luck Jackson, you seem to already know that dieting alone is not the solution. Personally I like a balance of good diet and exercise - I know I need to exercise to stay sane, and I'm lucky that I love ridind and that it's good for me. If riding bikes is your thing, get some night lights for the winter. Even one ride a week will help keep you sane and help maintain hard-earned fitness. Plus night riding is so much fun you won't even realize that you're getting a great workout.

 

[jacksonpt]

My guess is because of sugar content.

I think you're right. They also include apples and grapefruit.

 

[jacksonpt]

I am trying to diet too..................cutting out alcohol, and sweets................yikes.........it's hard. Been writing down what I eat and I am trying to keep track of how many I consume because it still all comes down to you have to burn more than you take in.

Winter sucks for my exercise routine..........having to go to the gym (boring) because we have no alternative outdoor seasonal activities in LA.

Good luck!

Do you know about fitday.com? It's pretty cool, I use it from time to time to track my eating habits. You can put in what you eat in a day and it breaks things down by fat, carbs, and protein. A good way to see if your diet is out of whack.

 

[jacksonpt]

Good luck Jackson, you seem to already know that dieting alone is not the solution. Personally I like a balance of good diet and exercise - I know I need to exercise to stay sane, and I'm lucky that I love ridind and that it's good for me. If riding bikes is your thing, get some night lights for the winter. Even one ride a week will help keep you sane and help maintain hard-earned fitness. Plus night riding is so much fun you won't even realize that you're getting a great workout.

Yea... winter is tough here in the northeast... so little daylight and pretty cold temps. I'm working on getting a headlamp, just can't afford it right now. For now, I'm doing some weight work and playing some basketball a few times a week. It ok, but I need something more intense for the sanity factor. My body feels good with the weights/basketball, but I'm not burning off enough stress this way. I gotta get back out on my bike.

 

[bluebug32]

Do you know about fitday.com? It's pretty cool, I use it from time to time to track my eating habits. You can put in what you eat in a day and it breaks things down by fat, carbs, and protein. A good way to see if your diet is out of whack.

This is a good site. And it makes you think twice about what you're eating because you know you'll have to enter it into the program.

 

[bluebug32]

Winter sucks for my exercise routine..........having to go to the gym (boring) because we have no alternative outdoor seasonal activities in LA.

For some reason, I've been absolutely loving my trainer this year. It's great if you schedule yourself to do it around a tv show or whatever so it's part of your schedule. I actually look forward to coming home to it.

 

[MizN8]

Yes I have been using it. Very cool! I try to eat a balanced diet every day.

 

[MizN8]

The trainer.............hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Nate got one last year and it is in the attic............guess I could bring it down. He had intentions of going to spinning classes at the LBS but has never managed to swing it so it is sitting around in a box unused.