[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by damadama

My family seems to have issues with something called metabolic syndrome... it has to do with the body converting carbohydrates too rapidly into triglycerides or something, causing weight sensitivity to carbohydrates but also if you don't correct your diet it can cause heart disease in the long run as my father is finding out (he has had to make very drastic changes to his lifestyle to get this into check). I have not been formally diagnosed but I've had my triglycerides tested for a couple stints of isotretinoin treatment and my baseline levels were sufficiently high enough that I had to also be put on lipitor as well.

As I'm getting older I've started to notice that for my body at least, a calorie is not just a calorie, and the ratios of what you take into your body on a daily basis really drives the shape of my figure. I used to eat anything and everything I felt like, after about a year out of college the lack of physical activity due to sitting at this desk and sucking down soda pop I went from about 180->205 lbs. As I'm 6'2" its not too terribly noticable while clothed, but the love handles, stomach/chest fat, and not being able to fit into my favorite pants really started to irritate me. I began to count calories going w/ the strategy that if I only eat ~1750 cals per day I should at worst maintain my current weight, but I paid no attention to how those calories were spent for the most part and the steady gain continued.

After chatting w/ my old man about these superb genetics he gave me, I decided about 4 months ago that it would be best if I shift my lifestyle towards the healthier side, developing positive habits that can keep any health/weight issues in check for years to come. After a bit of research I've found a lot of recommendations towards South Beach or raw food diets. The key idea being to cut (most of) the simple sugars and processed carbs.

So here's a basic overview of the changes I made to my lifestyle:

1) Usual old breakfast: Rudy's Breakfast tacos or Mcdonalds bagel sandwich meal or occasionally a can of biscuits if I woke up early. This was always washed down with Coca-Cola.

New Breakfast: Piece of fruit and granola bar or granola and yogurt and sometimes on weekends I'll make myself and omelet. Usually drink water with it, occasionally Pepsi Max.

2) I used to skip lunch most days, occasionally going to Taco cabana or something for a fajita taco combo w/ chips&queso and a soda. Now I usually have a sandwich on whole wheat and a side of vegetables (broccoli and cheese is my current addiction). I say usually b/c I still have a tendency to skip lunch if I'm busy at work (sometimes fill in with a granola bar or something).

3) for the Dinner meal, or the meals I actually cook I've made several broad changes:
-replace flour-loaded baked goods w/ whole grain non-fortified foods or remove them completely. (Tortillas and tortilla chips/queso as well as garlic bread were my undoing)
-Oftentimes made steak/potatoes for myself -- this is now Steak and fresh vegetables occasionally w/ a side of brown rice.
-Cut way back on drinking beer at home, I now enjoy a glass of wine or canadian whiskey & diet 7.
-Avoid "bad" fats. Saturated, hydrogenated/trans fats.

This has in effect cut my potato, pasta, baked goods intake by atleast 75% or more, replacing that food with alot more fresh fruits/vegetables. I tend towards leaner cuts of meat now and have started eating alot more seafood as such.

outside of these general changes, I eat 0 fast food these days. I drink only diet sodas (good for probably -500cal per day), and only eat out once per week where I tend to let myself "splurge" a little bit -- this is after all something I'm want to be able to live with for the rest of my life and you gotta indulge yourself every now and again (thats why we all drive bmws rite?). In the past 4 months I've dropped 16 pounds and gone from almost 18% body fat to what I estimate to be around 11 (If I figure weight loss from loss of fat only, which isnt probably true so maybe closer to 12%). Best of all this has been something that I have not had a hard time sticking to, it has just taken some time to learn new healthy things that I can enjoy eating. Not only that I'm now able to eat more calories total per day (and thus alot more food cuz not empty calories) due to my new meal schedule and beginning stages of working out.

Sorry for the essay ladies, just starting to grow up and take responsibility for my health and well-being... If only I could quit smoking now.

Man, awesome work. That takes a lotta will power and discipline.

Originally Posted by Tondtar

Fixed x 2