So, here's the thing—I’ve been struggling with my weight for years. Despite trying all sorts of diets and workout plans, it's been a tough battle. Part of the challenge is that I have low testosterone, which definitely doesn't help.
Right now, I weigh 220 pounds. My doctor has asked what I'm doing to lose the weight, and honestly, I'm just being mindful of what I eat. I don't work out, though I know I should. I've been to a nutritionist, and she was really helpful in explaining my needs. Now I know how many calories, how much protein, fat, fiber, and other things I need to consume to keep my body sustained and still lose weight.
I actually use a lot of books like Joel Fuhrman's Eat To Live, Mario Lopez's Extra Lean for the basics and for my bad cravings, I'm using swap-outs from Lisa Lillien's Hungry Girl series.
Throughout my weight loss journey, people, I guess with good intentions, have offered dieting advice. While I appreciate the offer, I really don't want unsolicited diet advice, especially from people who really don't know much about nutrition contrary to what they believe.
Here are some of the things I've been told over the past few months. I never replied to the things people have said, but the statements after each are why that advice is not helpful:
Eat a lot of rice.
Rice holds no nutritional value. Brown rice is slightly healthier because it has fiber content, but not enough to be "healthy." Rice can be best described as empty calories.
You should drink Sprite instead of any other sodas because it is clear.
Just because something is clear doesn't mean it's like drinking water. Sprite contains just as many calories as other sodas.
You should eat nothing but Lucky Charms.
Most cereals are sugar-laden calorie bombs with little nutritional value. Lucky Charms, while wonderfully delicious, contain only a trace amount of protein.
Drink 2% or Skim Milk instead of whole milk.
Honestly, milk is a calorie bomb. I don't like the flavor of milk and aside from a tablespoon in my coffee or a 1/2 cup in my Raisin Bran, I don't touch it.
One cookie won't kill you.
Maybe it won't, but it will kill my willpower and set me back on my calories for the day, meaning I'll have to eat less for dinner.
You should eat more Chinese food. Have you ever seen a fat Chinese person?
Chinese people probably don't eat the bad stuff on the menu. I don't care for the healthier options on Chinese menus. Also, Chinese food is loaded with salt and is actually a HUGE calorie bomb.
Cut out all sodas except for one a week.
So you're assuming that's all I drink? Honestly, I don't drink my calories. If it's got calories listed on a beverage, I don't touch it.
Drinking Slim Fast with every meal will help you lose weight fast.
Slim Fast is not a beverage to go with a meal; it IS a meal...hence meal REPLACEMENT. If you drink Slim Fast with your meal, it's like drinking a 200-calorie milkshake.
You should eat tuna salad sandwiches instead of ham.
Tuna salad's main ingredient, besides tuna, is mayonnaise. Mayo is a HUGE calorie bomb. Ham, turkey, and chicken are better alternatives.
Tea is okay to drink if you chase it with water.
Sweet tea is just like soda. Unsweetened tea contains good antioxidants and NO calories. If I want sweetened tea, I add a packet of Splenda and a packet of Equal and I still have 0 calorie sweet tea.
Why bother? Diets always fail.
Because I'm doing this for myself.
Avoid fast food. It's bad...Have you seen the new Philly Cheese-steak Sandwich at Subway? Subway's food is healthy.
Subway IS fast food. Much like every fast food place in the country, they do have some healthy options, but for the most part, their food is processed calorie and fat bombs like all the rest.
If you want a hamburger, go to Ruby Tuesday's instead of McDonald's.
Just because it's a sit-down restaurant, it doesn't mean it's healthier. Some burgers at Ruby Tuesday exceed 1500 calories without fries. You might as well enjoy that Big Mac and save a few bucks.
Coffee is really bad for you.
Coffee helps boost your metabolism, it's pretty much 0 calories AND aside from the caffeine, there's nothing unhealthy in coffee. The problem is most people equate coffee to lattes and sugary drinks. My coffee is usually black or I throw a packet of Sweet n Low, Splenda, and a tablespoon of 2% milk in it. Even then, it's less than 10 calories.
If you eat nothing but fruit for a week, you'll lose a lot of weight.
I'm sure you would, from diarrhea. Fruit as a whole is a calorie bomb. While some fruits, like apples and bananas, are considered low-sugar fruits, things like grapes, cherries, and oranges are high in sugar.
Burger King has healthier burgers than McDonald's.
Beef is beef. Beef contains the same calories and fat content whether it's grilled or cooked on a flat top. Don't kid yourself.
As long as you eat salad, you're doing well.
Not true. Caesar salads are calorie bombs because of the dressing, cheese, and croutons. Dressings are usually the unhealthy culprit on salads. But other components like bacon, cheese, eggs, and even olives can sabotage your good intention with that salad.
If you eat healthier foods, you can eat as much as you want.
This is true with SOME things. I can eat broccoli all day long but it's not gonna satisfy me. It's not about how much you WANT to eat, it's about how much you NEED to eat.
As long as you work out an hour or so longer, you can eat whatever you want.
While the concept sounds good, this isn't so. You can't work out for an hour and work off a 1900 calorie hamburger. Also, rewarding your hard workout with food is no different than saying, "I had a bad day at work, I'm gonna eat a bag of chips."
Drink more juice.
Juice, much like fruit, is a calorie bomb. If you drink juice, you are drinking your calories. If you are counting your calories, you are taking away from your food intake if you drink a glass of juice. Juice is no different than drinking a Coke.
Diet Coke will help you lose weight.
It's a 0 calorie beverage. It doesn't help you lose anything, it just allows you to drink a soda and not set yourself back on calories.
If you want to lose weight, don't count calories, just work out.
Working out can help BUT losing weight IS all about the calories. If you eat more calories than you burn off, you will gain weight.
Have you tried Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Lean Cuisine, or Healthy Choice? Those are good options.
These foods are all about portion control. The problem is they are all skimpy portions of foods that contain the same amounts of calories, fat, sodium, and pretty much everything else that you'd find in the full-sized versions of the dishes. While they are well marketed. Have you ever eaten a Lean Cuisine meal and thought to yourself that you could eat two? The truth is, if you do eat two, that would be equal to what you'd get if you made it at home and served yourself a regular portion.
Powerade and Gatorade are awesome soda alternatives.
This is not true, they contain lots of sugar and sodium. Kool-Aid made with sugar would be just as healthy as Powerade and Gatorade. They are sports drinks designed to help athletes replenish their body's electrolytes. They aren't healthy for anyone to drink as an "I'm thirsty" beverage.
You should cook at home.
I actually do. The reason I got big is NOT because I feasted on fast food, it's because I do cook at home. I was frying pork chops, making mashed potatoes, cooking rice, gravy, cornbread, rolls, and a lot of other high-calorie sides. Don't assume that because I got big, I'm obsessed with fast food.
Despite the challenges and the flood of unsolicited advice, I'm committed to my journey. Losing weight is tough, but it's worth it. And hey, if you ever stumble upon any awesome healthy recipes or tips that are actually helpful, I'd love to hear them! Your support and genuine advice can make this journey a little bit easier.
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I have spent two months lossing ten pands. I agree, losing weight is not easy, but it is not impossible.
ReplyDeleteI read every piece of your tips to find out what should I do to prevent the useless weight lose. I believe work out and healthy eating can help me look better. Thanks for your suggestions.
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