Big Weight Loss

[BobF4]

For me, in about 19 months, I lost 100 pounds. But, I did it in a different way.

On March 2, 2009, I had gastric bypass surgery. Now, that, of course, limits what I can eat, by amount, and by substance, too.

Since then, I am down about 100 pounds. I was retitrated last year, and, as a result, my pressure was lowered from 11 to 7.

This year, I wanted to see if I still had sleep apnea, so I asked for, and the doctor agreed, for another sleep study, which was 9/12. I still have sleep apnea, but it is lessened from my first PSG, which was dated 12/19/2002. I even got a copy of my PSG results, from last month's retest, as well as the 2002 study.

So, no matter HOW you lose weight, losing weight CAN help in lessening sleep apnea.

[Gerald?]

3. That plate should be 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbs, 1/2 fruit & vegetables (without carbs).

Just a note that fruit and vegetables mostly ARE carbs (some vegetables have small amounts of protein). So your plate is really 1/4 protein and 3/4 carbs.

Where is the fat in that diet? Are you assuming you get it with the protein?
.

Sorry LOQ, I was trying to keep it general and simple which is often dangerous.

I intended carbs to cover items like bread, pasta and the vegetables particularly high in carbs (eg potato).
Vegetables and fruit (without carbs) was meant to exclude the particularly high carb vegetables.
Yes I am envisaging you will get some fat from the protein component (meat, dairy) and also from the things you have cooked your food in.

There are other foods that also don't nicely fit into a category (eg lentils) but I find it's a lot easier than keeping track of points or calories and works fairly well.

[lhpangler]

If the topic is losing fat and weight loss, fruit is one of the worst carbs. While fruit is a great food source for a healthy person, anyone trying to burn fat will find it troublesome. Fruit is fructose which is a carb. However, if you consider dextrose or malodextrine, these simpler are rapidly enter bloodstream and absorbed by muscles. Fruit has to go through the digestive process which stops the body from burning fat. You can find articles talking about Ketogenic (atkins) type dieters and weight lifters eating fruit to end the fat burning process.

I did not say fruit was bad, I love fruit.
It just has no place in a diet to lose weight.
Longer term, maintenance type eating where you do not want to lose weight, it is great.
You could even eat a little bit (100 cals) of it when dieting. Just have it first thing in the morning so your body has all day to burn it.

LHP

[SuperGeeky]

Lost 50 lbs on Atkins. I use fitday.com, a daily diary of consumption, exercise and weight. Keep fat at 70%, protein at 25% and carbs at 5%. Net carbs less than 20gm and still on induction phase.

**If too much protein is consumed, converts to glucose, therefore keep it less than 30%**

Healthy sleep architecture is key to success!! Otherwise, weight loss can shut down. Proper sleep without Apnea will shed some pounds naturally. Diet can expedite the process.

Only problem with Atkins, low potassium. Have to supplement with Avocado and dietary vitamins, etc... Also use cold pressed Flax Seed, lot's of it. Great source of Omega 3 and dietary fiber.

We can do it!!!

SG

[Beachmeezer]

50 pounds so far on Weight Watchers! - Kim

[kempo]

If the topic is losing fat and weight loss, fruit is one of the worst carbs. While fruit is a great food source for a healthy person, anyone trying to burn fat will find it troublesome. Fruit is fructose which is a carb. However, if you consider dextrose or malodextrine, these simpler are rapidly enter bloodstream and absorbed by muscles. Fruit has to go through the digestive process which stops the body from burning fat. You can find articles talking about Ketogenic (atkins) type dieters and weight lifters eating fruit to end the fat burning process.

I did not say fruit was bad, I love fruit.
It just has no place in a diet to lose weight.
Longer term, maintenance type eating where you do not want to lose weight, it is great.
You could even eat a little bit (100 cals) of it when dieting. Just have it first thing in the morning so your body has all day to burn it.

LHP

To lose weight quickly = no fruit. I eat fruit every day and I am losing weight but I want to lose it slowly. I walk 6 miles a day, play a lot of golf, and yard work. Staying active is the key. The cpap has given me the energy I needed to be active. I agree with what you said about the carbs and no weight loss if your not burning enough calories. I have seen so many people lose a large amount of weight very quickly and gain it right back.

[OzarkTurtle]

I have lost 235 pounds. Right now I am in maintenance mode. But to lose all the weight I was on a 1200 calorie a day diet, I excercised 6 days a week no exceptions. You have to make the time for it. I took Sunday's off and I also had a cheat meal on Sunday where I would eat whatever I wanted for 1 meal, sort of a reward for a week of hard work. but I started at 430 pounds I know weigh 195 pounds and feel amazing. Everybody always tried to tell me that wasnt enough calories and wasnt healthy, well weighing 430 pounds wasnt healthy either.

[SuperGeeky]

OzarkTurtle, congratulations!!! Wow!! And, thanks for adding how you feel. That makes all the hard work worth it. For me, crossing the BMI from obese to overweight made a huge difference on how I feel.

I'm currently at 198. So proud to stand on that scale and see it below 200 lbs. The day has greater duration, jogging, AHI is down. Wow, what a difference. Better sleep, energetic, positive attitude, sense of great accomplishment.

I love it when someone comments 'You look great, have you lost weight? Wow!'

Thanks OzarkTurtle, that's inspiring!!

SG

[jabman]

I cut my carb intake down. I have about 225-180 carbs a day, I eat fruit nuts and try to stay from bread products and never eat white bread. I also walk about 2 miles a day. I have lost a little over 30 pounds since July.

[lhpangler]

Supergeeky said..

**If too much protein is consumed, converts to glucose, therefore keep it less than 30%**

Of course, protein converts to glucose.....

Do you have a reference to this quote?

2. Protein Metabolism
During protein metabolism, some protein is converted to glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis, the formation of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources.

The basic difference between protein and carbohydrate is that while carbohydrates are made out of simple sugars (carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen), protein is made from amino acids (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sufur). The nitrogen is a basic component of the protein's amino acids and accounts for 13 to 20% of the total mass.

The first step in protein metabolism is to break it into its constituent amino acids. These are absorbed into the blood stream.

The second step is to break down the amino acids into their constituent parts--catabolism, if you want to get technical about it. This removes the nitrogen or amino group from the amino acids. The process is called deamination.

Deamination breaks the amino group down into ammonia and what is termed the carbon skeleton. Ammonia is converted to urea, filtered through the kidneys, and excreted in urine. The carbon skeleton--which is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen--can then by used either for protein synthesis, energy production (ATP), or converted to glucose by gluconeogenesis.

Most authorities believe that the amount of protein converted to glucose is quite small, except under conditions of intense exercise or metablic starvation. Under these conditions amino acids produce the major source of glucose for blood sugar maintenance.

http://www.insulin-pumpers.org/howto/pfandbs-2.html

LHP

[Muse-Inc]

...have about 225-180 carbs a day...

OMG, if I ate that much I'd gain back every single # I've lost...I'm so jealous, I haven't the glucose control to eat that many carbs. I aim for 8-15 carbs per meal, 0-5 per snack. Been really stressed, so I haven't been able to get back to this level of carbs (too tired to make good meals & snacks) or my usual exercise routine . Wish my durned shoulders would fully heal so I can go back to side sleeping; sleeping on my back is just not a good thing for me.

[Muse-Inc]

OzarkTurtle, congratulations!!! Wow!!...Thanks OzarkTurtle, that's inspiring!!

Ditto, ditto, ditto!!!

[sagesteve]

All of the above are well and good BUT...you need to educate yourself and start from a good place, the right place. I've lost 75 pounds literally overnight. No exercise! I'm keeping it off because I "learned" what to do. I'm just under 6 feet tall. I'm now 195 pounds and feel fantastic. 195 is perfect for me. Here's the absolute BEST place to start. It will tell you what to do and it will TEACH you why this works. This is the best $39 you will ever spend. It's life changing...go here and read every page and then join up! I've tried them all. This is IT!!:
http://fatloss4idiots.com/?hop=europe11

PS Follow this EASY diet EXACTLY and you WILL lose FAT and you'll learn to keep it off. It has worked for everybody that I've sent to this site.

[Joe50]

I have now lost over 120 pounds and after much thought the only advice I can give you is, "It's all mental and all diets will work". So when you get ready to diet then pick one you like and go for it. It's kinda like being an alcoholic, when you get sick and tired of being sick and tired it will happen.

[Llama]

I have lost 30# since April. I didn't make any giant changes and am a little surprised how well it has been working for me:

1. Eat breakfast - Eat Lunch - Eat Dinner
I had gotten to the point where I was eating one meal a day (dinner) and thus eating too much. Not sure WHY I did not eat breakfast other than coffee, or WHY I did not eat lunch, but I didn't.

2. Don't eat so late.
Compounding my one meal a day regimen, I was also eating late, around 8pm and then heading to bed around 10pm. I have to imagine that piling in all my calories for the day into an hour or so before bedtime did not really do my metabolism any good.

3. Stop eating junk
Even when I was only eating one real meal a day I would have an occasional "I am staving" snack, like hard pretzels or the rare candy bar. When I felt particularly poorly (likely from low blood sugar) I would have a soda.

4. Stop Justifying your poor eating and exercising habits
I find that I talk myself out of sweet treats (like in the grocery checkout) or thinking over the negative consequences of McDonald's for lunch all the time. I am actually a bit disturbed how often I have to talk myself out of eating something "bad for me" or not getting off the couch. I actually think that the frequency of this has increased as I have lost weight, not decreased. I take this as myself becoming more aware of poor habits I had formed over the past few decades.

My next visit to the doctor that prescribed my APAP should be a surprise. I believe that since I saw her last I have lost 5 inches off my waistline and I imagine my neck is considerably thinner as well.