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Eating to LOSE Weight, The Ultimate Guide

life.gaiam.com — Do you live to eat or eat to live? This guide will help you learn to recalibrate your body ’s natural chemistry and hormonal balance to make it an optimal fat-burning machine through frequent meals, appropriate portion sizes and balanced meals.

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  • twoboxen, on 08/01/2008, -19/+10Step 1: Eat some water.
    Step 2: Repeat steps 1-2.
  • vic42482, on 08/01/2008, -5/+20so, more meals = less weight

    why didn't I think about this before?
    • stlcadet11, on 08/02/2008, -0/+4I eat to gain wait.
    • passedoutghost, on 08/03/2008, -0/+1But you should eat right as well. You're not going to lose weight by eating Macdonalds 6 times a day.
  • dmourati, on 08/01/2008, -1/+11This is a fairly accurate if oversimplified model of how I eat. I learned my nutrition strategy from John Berardi:

    http://www.johnberardi.com/

    The main premise of the article, eat more frequently, is one of Berardi's 10 habits. Things get more complex when you consider nutrient timing (what to eat when), macronutrient ratios (how much Protein, Carb, Fat), body types and goals.

  • foxhaze, on 08/01/2008, -10/+3How about people get out more, eat whatever they want, and stop trying to think of scientific ways to bypass feeling bad about being fat.
    • Burento, on 08/01/2008, -1/+6I think it is more of the health issue.. than the self esteem aspect.
    • wolferz, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3... being informed about appropriate dietary intake and how our bodies function is some how a way to bypass feeling bad about being fat?

      I'm sorry I just don't see the connection there.
  • rahulbrown, on 08/02/2008, -7/+4We eat more than most countries, waste more food than most countries, and 10% of our population goes hungry every day. Washington has an answer, but its not what you think!
    http://digg.com/food_drink/America_s_Shocking_Hung ...
  • jlian, on 08/02/2008, -0/+11Too bad most of the other people eat three times a day. It's hard to only cook for one person.

    • wolferz, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3Not every meal has to be cooked. Do you like tuna? Get some flat breads like pita and slice it in half, then slice it down the center of the "thin side" to create a pocket. Stuff some tuna, a little tomatoes, and maybe some lettuce just to keep the bowels in proper shape. No cooking required.

      The tuna is high in protein but low in saturated fats and fatty amino acids that speed up your metabolism. The pita has carbs to get your through your day but not a huge amount and they are complex carbs. The lettuce and tomatoes will get you some of the vitamins and minerals you need while also keeping you regular. You can sub other meats if you don't like fish, canned chicken or sliced deli meats for example.

      If your in a hurry an apple and some crackers are also a good idea. Just look at what's around you. Most of the really healthy foods don't require cooking and can be fixed in minutes.
    • guitarchitect, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2make your meals for the day while you make/eat a big breakfast, and make big batches of meals that you can put in the fridge or freezer (chili is great for this). and chop all your vegetables on sunday evening so they're ready for the week. then, you won't have any excuses ;)
  • Nephersir7, on 08/02/2008, -5/+2*****! ...but yummy *****...
    • kaplanfx, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3actually it's not, nearly every single fitness model or bodybuilder eats at least 6 smaller meals a day. This is one of the best ways to increase metabolism (along with increasing lean muscle mass) which can help achieve the low levels of body fat the are looking for. Also what you eat for those meals is important.
  • samdu, on 08/02/2008, -0/+24Burn more calories than you consume.
    • wolferz, on 08/02/2008, -1/+6An easy way to do this is to control how many calories you consume and increase how fast you burn them.... such as described in the article.
  • solidcube, on 08/02/2008, -2/+5I eat almost all protein and fat. Almost zero carbs. I have been dumping weight so fast I've had to buy new pants twice in the last two months. Almost there.

    Oh, also I exercise.
    • wolferz, on 08/02/2008, -1/+8You need carbs. And if your losing inches that fast you are risking serious harm to your self.
    • mark_in_bc, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1Once you hit your target and stray from your Atkins Diet your going to gain it all back and more. You should never take off more than 2lb a week. All you need to do is eat as healthy a diet as you can, cut your intake by 700 calories a day, and add a half hour of aerobic exercise 5 times a week.
    • liquidgrey, on 08/02/2008, -2/+0you are losing a bunch of water weight. this is a temporary aesthetic weight loss. are you gonna be a bridesmaid sometime soon or something similar? If not then this is probably not the way to go.
  • shadowman99, on 08/02/2008, -1/+59Losing weight is not a mystery. I lost 30 pounds over a year ago and I've kept it off. I'm 5'10" and weighed 203 pounds, and I got down to 167. For the most part I've been in the low 170's. It wasn't one big thing I did, it was a number of small things that all add up.

    1) I lost the fried foods, especially the breaded deep-fried stuff. If you do the same your cholesterol will thank you.
    2) I cut way back on the red meat. I eat chicken and turkey in place of beef.
    3) I cut the size of my portions back gradually. You have a good idea the quantity of food it takes to satisfy you during a meal. Take a little less for the next week. And the week after that, taper back a bit more. Train yourself to not need a ***** mountain of food every meal.
    4) Work out a few times a week. There was almost always some eye candy to watch while working out, so this actually was my favorite part of losing the weight.
    5) Read the back of what your eating. Look at the calories. Keep track for a few days of how many calories you ate. I cut back to 2000 calories, and the easiest part of dropping my caloric intake was switching to diet soda. I was drinking at least 1000 calories of Coke every day. Diet coke has no calories.
    6) Cheat. I spoke with my doctor about my cholesterol and dieting and he said "on holidays we cheat. On thanksgiving you fill you face. It's all about averages. When you're good 90% of the time, you can get away with a day when you slack off and eat too much"
    7) Don't tell yourself ***** like "this is the last chocolate bar I'll ever eat!". No. Try telling yourself "This is the only chocolate bar I'll have until Wednesday". Keep it realistic or you'll just be miserable and wired for failure.

    Most people know all of this stuff, they just don't want to do it. The biggest thing about weight control is self-discipline, a skill that is in short supply in our society.
    • Swellin, on 08/02/2008, -0/+4I agree with pretty much all of that. I was the same as you well just about, weighed 236 and im 5'11 Male. I did all of that except i never ate less read meat, in fact i ate more, I had about at 6oz steak after every weight lifting session well not after everyone about 3-4 times a week, and i would also eat whole grain foods, and lots of lean hamburger, i recommend sirloin steaks. I also would not recommend any soda at all, in addition to lifting weights 4 times a week, i run 4-5 times a week just for 30 minutes on the tread mill. Cardio and dieting i would say is of the up most importance for loosing weight. And while loosing all that weight i ate red meat because of the protein obviously for building muscle. If you really want to build muscle and you have been working out for a while too, whey protein is excellent as well. I take that everyday and still the pounds melted away. Anyway good job man keep it up. keep it routine.
      • shadowman99, on 08/03/2008, -0/+1Awesome. Thanks for the response.

        I'm never going to look like Arnold, I have skinny Irish genes. I mainly work out to tone up. After all, muscle burns calories. I'm not trying to bulk up.

        My aversion to red meat is I'm 40. Red meat is linked to colon cancer, so I only eat steak occasionally.

    • mark_in_bc, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2Worked for me. In a little less than a year I went from 225 to 175. And stayed there for the last 10 years.
    • BrendanSheehan, on 08/02/2008, -3/+3Diet soda is dangerous. Aspartame in Diet Coke especially. It's a poison in fact. Be careful.

      I'd just quit soda, period. I did. Drink tea, OJ, Milk or water, especially water. Peace.
    • mimifran, on 08/10/2008, -0/+0read this about drinking coke :

      Drink More Diet Soda, Gain More Weight?
      Overweight Risk Soars 41% With Each Daily Can of Diet Soft Drink
      By Daniel J. DeNoon
      WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Charlotte E. Grayson Mathis, MDJune 13, 2005 -- People who drink diet soft drinks don't lose weight. In fact, they gain weight, a new study shows.

      The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

      "What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher."

      In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet sodas.

      "There was a 41% increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day," Fowler says.

      More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain
      Fowler's team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.

      For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

      26% for up to 1/2 can each day
      30.4% for 1/2 to one can each day
      32.8% for 1 to 2 cans each day
      47.2% for more than 2 cans each day.
      For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

      36.5% for up to 1/2 can each day
      37.5% for 1/2 to one can each day
      54.5% for 1 to 2 cans each day
      57.1% for more than 2 cans each day.
      For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person's risk of obesity went up 41%.

      Diet Soda No Smoking Gun
      Fowler is quick to note that a study of this kind does not prove that diet soda causes obesity. More likely, she says, it shows that something linked to diet soda drinking is also linked to obesity.

      "One possible part of the explanation is that people who see they are beginning to gain weight may be more likely to switch from regular to diet soda," Fowler suggests. "But despite their switching, their weight may continue to grow for other reasons. So diet soft-drink use is a marker for overweight and obesity."

  • brightshadow525, on 08/02/2008, -7/+2Digg me left.
  • click2lose, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1We should use the power of food to heal and eat to live and not live to eat. We have too much food available here in America and this is why so many people are growing so large. We need to look at natural ways to lose weight and find weight loss guides that teach us how to control our weight by making healthy food choices and leading an active lifestyle.
  • SillyDigger, on 08/02/2008, -0/+9I like this plan better.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niF-61bCBpA
  • shithitinthefan, on 08/02/2008, -2/+2>>>stop eating powr bars and drinkn monstr, you fat hac=n bstrd
  • freekylaugh, on 08/02/2008, -1/+1I thought you had to stop eating all together to lose weight..
  • SaladCactusKing, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1Go Digging, the real kind.
  • mattgilberg, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3I just take Adderall
    • TheMachine1, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2The anorexic effects from stimulants is usually a short term few months effect for most people only a minority of stimulant users see long term appetite suppression(there are absolutely some exceptions and its a common reason drugs like Adderall are not well tolerated by some users). Granted if a person keeps upping the dose in abusive situations the anorexic effects can persist.
      • mattgilberg, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1Quite right you are. I've seen the effects of drug addictions, and speaking as someone who is currently prescribed Adderall, amphetamines and methylphenidates are nothing to screw around with recreationally or to self-medicate yourself with. Sadly, it seems like everyone these days is being diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and are being put on these meds. Yet, people fail to realize that these are Schedule II controlled substances (on the same level as cocaine, opium, morphine, and oxycodone)
  • Amadeus2490, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1All of this is useless for us spaghetti monster-damned ectomorphs; I eat 3,500 calories a day and barely hold any weight on at all (130 lbs).

    There are a million and one ways to speed up a slow metabolism, but there's no way to slow down a fast one other than "eat more."
    • TheMachine1, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1I have been in both situations 118 lbs 5'9" and 180+ lbs 5'9" and its equally difficult to gain or lose. So I'm empathetic to people in both situations(15 year time gap in my case). Oh I'm 150 lbs now.
    • wolferz, on 08/02/2008, -1/+1God I so ***** wish I was like you. I dream of being the guy who eats everything he wants as much as he wants and still doesn't gain weight. I would literally sign away my soul for that... just not to the devil, that might be a bit dangerous.
      • guitarchitect, on 08/02/2008, -0/+0well, if you hit the gym every day for an hour to lift weights, and were much more muscular (IE much higher metabolism), you would be like that.
      • Amadeus2490, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1wolferz: People say that to me all the time, but trust me: you're imaging in your head that you can eat junk food all the time and still be an average weight (which actually would be nice). The way I am, I can eat bowls of ice cream, slices of cheese cake, double-bowls of Ramen, whole avocados, mayonnaise sandwiches (yes, I was that desperate), protein powders etc etc and my ribs and colarbone still stick out through my flesh; I still look anorexic. No one in their right mind would want to be stuck looking anorexic, and having both girls and guys making fun of you; saying that you're too skinny, and that they don't take you seriously as a man.


        In America, it's accepted that people generally can stand to lose about 5-10 lbs. But, if a person needs to GAIN 20 lbs to be an average weight, they're generally thought of as sick, pathetic and unhealthy. I've had people actually ask me if I have cancer or AIDS. . .
    • guitarchitect, on 08/02/2008, -1/+1there's a lot of evidence to show that eating more speeds up your metabolism, if you're active. Check out the book "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" or John Berardi's work on "G-Flux"
    • ripple123, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1people who come into diet threads and complain about how there so skinny and cant put on weight, piss me right the ***** off. its like going up to a starving ethiopian while chewing on a foot long sub and saying "damn, i wish i didnt feel so stuffed right now"

      damn. now i want a sub.
  • PhilMoskowitz, on 08/02/2008, -1/+1If you limit yourself to 30 to 60 grams a day of carbs you can do a ketosis diet safely. Drink lots of water and enjoy a full meal of protein. You'll lose weight even if you don't exercise.
  • sixsicsix, on 08/02/2008, -1/+2i love how every time there's a weight loss story, digg commenters become dietitians
    • mearom, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2you're right. All diggers do is make snarky comments on digg and cry themselves to sleep. they don't have any life experiences
  • makemoneynotart, on 08/02/2008, -0/+4Much easier: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
  • ren1999, on 08/02/2008, -1/+3eat fruit before bed or in the morning by itself.
    include a vegetable for lunch and dinner
    exercise on a regular basis

    stop eating french fries and other bad bread products
    stop drinking soda and things with corn syrup
    • guitarchitect, on 08/02/2008, -1/+2you should be eating a minimum of 1 serving (2 is better) of vegetables with lean protein for each of your 5 small meals throughout the day. breakfast should be bigger than dinner, unless you're working out right before dinner
    • ripple123, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1hey man, i don't drink the soda. it jumps into my hand and forces me to pour it down my gullet. kinda like a porn film.
    • eddywolf, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1"eat fruit before bed "

      Why would you want an insulin spike before bed? Horrible advice. The only thing you need is a slow digesting protein, like cottage cheese.
  • EvilFerret, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2Exercise on a regular basis. Sure eating right is important as well, but I believe exercising is going to get you to your goal much faster. One of my pet peeves is when somebody tells me they "don't have time"....WHAT? I don't care how busy your life is, nobody is too busy to spend 30min a day to take a jog.
  • AugustaPlace, on 08/02/2008, -1/+1So what size tuna can are they talking about?
  • guitarchitect, on 08/02/2008, -2/+2If you want to lose weight and _keep it off_, there's one important rule to follow. Stop calling your eating habits a "diet" and consider it a "lifestyle".

    Get minimum 5 hours of exercise/week, eat 1g of protein per lb of LEAN body mass - you'll want to gain muscle from all that working out, because a pound of muscle burns 50 cals where a pound of fat burns 2 cals (ergo you'll have a better metabolism). Eat most of your non-vegetable carbs after your workout, and you're going to be losing weight and keeping it off! :)
  • naughtyboy, on 08/02/2008, -1/+4All it takes to lose weight is a one way ticket to Ethiopia
    • mearom, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1Keyans run like we mortals walk. In secret when they want exercise they fly
  • skyz, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1i eat exactly those foods fruits veggies nuts soy milk olive oil

    i eat all day and i'm thin but not too thin

    it works and you feel great
  • Kalidasa, on 08/02/2008, -3/+0Yoga is a good way to change the metabolism. Shouderstand for example, brings more blood flow to the thyroid helping it to regain balance.
    Kalidasa
    http://yogawithkalidasa.com
    • ripple123, on 08/02/2008, -0/+4pity it doesn't bring more blood to the critical thinking, snake oil detecting part of your brain.
  • punkywaffle, on 08/02/2008, -2/+0this is *****. there was just a recent study out that said there was no difference in how many meals you ate per day, as long as you were eating less than you burned. it's simple math. i don't know why people think they need all these complex diets.... just cut your calories by 500/day (500 x 7 = 3500, or one lb less a week) and you'll lose weight. in fact, if you do this, you won't even need to exercise. i lost 10 lbs this way and i'm still going.
    • mearom, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3you lose weight faster because your metabolism is kept up in steady of not eating for longer periods of time to let it slide. I tried both methodologies before and found there to be considerable difference
    • liquidgrey, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1you are right that if you cut calories you will lose weight no matter what. But the idea is to stimulate the metabolism. What if you just ate 1500 cal in one meal? Your metabolism would get confused and want to hold onto the fat stores. When your body knows it is getting regular meals it stimulates the metabolism to burn more fats. It is also a good idea because your body needs many nutrients several times a day like every 6 hours. Most of these are the water soluble vitamins.
    • divergance, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2Hey wheres that research at I'd love to read it. Thanks
  • ripple123, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2eat a kilogram of antimatter. that will make you lose a kilogram of mass. and blow a hole in the side of the earth, but thats another matter...
  • wassim2k, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1Totally impractical list. This is why people fail, because of these complex plans that are almost impossible to follow because of our busy lifestyles. This is for stay-at-home moms who have time for this crap.
  • kylewhitehead, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1I personally feel raw foods are the way to go. To bad unless you live on a farm, your food has probably been processed, toxified, or pasteurized in one way on another.
  • LoganT, on 08/03/2008, -0/+1I have one meal a day. I basically fast for 20-22 hours (most of the hours come from sleeping) so on average when I wake up I go about 6-8 hours without eating. Then I have a big meal and that's it. Contrary to popular belief my body doesn't enter "starvation mode" and I'm losing weight.
  • austinl7, on 08/03/2008, -0/+0My approach, and it's not too novel, eat more often, but when you eat, make sure each portion is small. So over the course of the day, you're essentially grazing, and be sure that your total daily caloric intake is kept under control and small.
    Austin
    http://drughealth.blogspot.com/2008/08/50-free-tip ...
    http://drughealth.blogspot.com/
  • Jaenns, on 08/04/2008, -0/+0I've been not eating :) and I've managed to lose weight :).........so it is not true that you need to have 5-6 meals a day. Thats way too much. It is essential not to eat before 11 am ( you can eat fruit) and to leave enough time between meals, so the first meal could digest. It's working for me :)
  • beauley, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1Very few of us are aware that our bodies are similar to our backyard pools, in that their PH varies and should be maintained at a certain level to be in an ideal state. Left acidic, they will breed bacteria growth. Kept slightly alkaline, they will be safe for use, given proper filtering. Just an analogy...
    http://www.healthmad.com/Nutrition/Acidosis-are-Yo ...
    Acidosis, are You Acid or Alkaline?
  • Requeim, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1this is actually amazing.. m sure most of us didnt think of loosing weight this way..

    have more food and loose weight!!
    so all u food lovers out there.. no need to compromise on your fav food... :P

    http://www.healthpoints.info
  • Rich118, on 08/25/2008, -0/+0Also, read about how much protein is contained in cheese at http://www.weightlosswand.com/nutrients/protein-ch ...
  • Literaturfan, on 09/30/2008, -0/+1Isn't it a contradiction: eating and losing weight? For me, you should combine: sports, eating, loosing weight and sleeping enough
  •  

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