I believe if people had more portion control over what they ate they'd keep excess weight off for good. A lot of people dont even realize how much they eat in a day. They will go back for 2nds or 3rds at dinner and wind up eating way more calories than they need giving the body no choice but to increase fat cells. If you have any of these issues then start by cutting your usual portions in half for each meal you consume per day. I know a lot of people feel the need to eat sweets etc. If you get a sweet tooth craving, the best choice is a fresh piece of fruit or some all natural yogurt. One huge mistake that I know a lot of people make is that they have a very poor breakfast and then wind up cramming lots of food in at lunch and dinner. It should actually be the other way around. If you start your day with a wholesome healthful breakfast you will actually not have as big of an urge to over eat at lunch and dinner and your snacks wont be as large as usual. Another issue that most have is that they eat every 5-6 hours which causes the body to hold onto excess fats and calories causing them to gain weight. Most people think if they dont eat as often that they will lose weight and that is very untrue. Actually eating smaller meals/snacks every 3 hours will keep you from over eating at any meal and will help to speed up the metabolism. If your body knows its going to be fed again in 2-3 hours its going to quickly assimilate the nutrients throughout the body and get rid of the waste as quick as possible. On the flip side of that if you only eat every 5-6 hours your body is going to try and hold onto that food as long as possible causing and increase in body fat. A lot of people dont drink near enough water as well making them think they are hungry when in all reality they just need to drink water. So ditch the sweets for fruit or yogurt, cut the portions in half, start drinking more water, and try to cut down on the butter, grease, and salt. 

Hey Nate,

You definitely make a lot of great points.  It is real easy to overconsume and get an excess of calories.  Personally, as long as I stay consious about what i'm eating, it's extremely easy to keep good portion sizes.  One thing I would look into more though is how eating every 2-3 hours increases your metabolism.  Some studies actually show that eating smaller meals constantly slows your metabolism.  Just something to look more into.  

Mike

Well said Nate.  People forget the age old adage "eat like a King at breakfast, a Prince at lunch, and a Pauper at dinner."  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because you are "breaking" the "fast" your body goes thru when you sleep.  Also, eggs have been shown time and again as not only a great source of protein but a great food to help lose weight and fat.  How?  Eggs are full of essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and protein.  All of which help satiate hunger and boost the metabolism.  The key point Nate also made above is you must eat a HEALTHY breakfast.  Continental breakfast (I still don't know what continent they are from), a Denny's "Big Slam", McDonald's breakfast menu, etc is not a healthy breakfast and dumps you full of simple sugars, bad fats, and sodium.  A healthy breakfast is oatmeal with fresh fruit and eggs or whole wheat toast with eggs or natural sugar free yoghurt with fruit.

So it is not only the frequency and portion size that causes issues for the average American but also what they percieve to be healthy foods :-)

John

Mike,

I agree.  Calories are calories regardless of when you have them and how often you consume them.  Plenty of people do fine just eating 3 meals a day.  The important point is total number of calories consumed each day.  If you only need 2,000 calories a day to stay lean and fit and you eat 2,700, it doesn't matter if the 2,700 comes from 1, 3, 5, or 8 meals - you still ate 700 more calories than your body needs.  Nate's point is that your metabolism is like an engine.  If you keep a constant fuel supply it will run very smoothly and efficiently - hence eating frequent small meals.  People, however, forget the power and meaning of your hunger impulse.  Your body will tell you when it wants/needs food.  Some people are hungry every 2-3 hours and should eat accordingly.  Some people aren't and can go 4-6 hours between meals.  So in essence, you are both correct it is just you need to listen to your body not the other people.  Eating frequency is a guideline not a "one-size-fits-all" law  :-)

John

Sounds like good advice to a newbie here! I know one of my main problems is I drink, a lot! I was drinking daily but have now gone to weekends only.

I really dont think I could quit totally and go cold turkey so do you think as time goes by, even drinking on weekends only will give me my muffin top? :-)

In my opinion if you stay active and exercise regularly you shouldn't have to worry about having a muffin top from having a few drinks on the weekend, but on the flip side if you are planning to get into competitive bodybuilding then you would eventually have to cease from drinking at all around contest time. Personally I used to drink every weekend to but I quit. If I can do it so can you. Drinking actually causes you to not digest your food correctly which can kill your gains in size and strength.

Well said Nathan.. I think there's a guy on the last day discussion about belly who's looking for an answer, you should share this with him. =P .That's why we should always aware of the food we eat daily, and also eat based on the speed of your metabolism. If we have a faster or slower metabolism, make food intake adjustments accordingly, such as increasing protein consumption while lowering the intake of fat and carbohydrates. Because in FITNESS world our GOALS start with the food we eat, So it is very important top pay attention on our MACROS. In that way we can avoid having depressing belly! Don't drink a lot of BEER...beer belly is not good. AHHAHAHA

Portion control & diet have always been my downfall. I was so used to eating whatever whenever for such a long time until it finally caught up with me. I am the guy going in for 2nds & 3rds. It's sad bc it's a legit struggle for me. I'm sure it's not as hard for others to eat correctly but it's been a bad habit of mine for years. All I can do is try to tame the beast within. Literally.

After watching a few food related documentaries on netflix, it sank in a little more & started to make sense to me. Sugar & other addictive ingrediants were revealed to be added to the majority of foods that we see in the stores, tv commercials, billboards etc everyday. They actually used the word "addictive" when refering to the processed foods & junk we take in daily that contributes to the obesity epidemic that we have in America right now.

I remember hearing "you are what you eat." I couldn't agree more, I know I feel much better eating clean than I do winging it week to week. I try to keep that in the back of my mind bc I'm sure we've all shared the gross feeling as a result of giving into the "sweet craving" after a good meal plan. It just seems an uphill battle for me to stay consistent & free of the crap I'm used to eating. I'm good for two weeks or so then BOOM, I screw it up with sugar. I'm am the cookie monster >.<

It's true what you say @Smt3621, people think sugar is addictive just like smoking.

Personally I think it's about will power. Knowing it doesn't hurt to have a treat every now and then is fine. It's when you start thinking you can eat sugar-laden food everyday that it starts to become an issue. 'You can't out-train a bad diet' and 'Abs are made in the kitchen' are other good sayings to remember.

The best way to stay free of the crap is to take it out of sight. Try not to have anything tempting in your house on a regular basis. That way, you won't see it and think 'gee I could really go for a cookie right now'. Out of sight, out of mind

Jordan

Yeah I hear ya on that one. Out of sight out of mind sounds great, then the kids need to get on board as well lol. Im thinking lets ring in the new year with a new menu for the entire household. Nows probably a good time to lead by example so they develop a "healthier" lifestyle as well. If anyone has kids I'm sure they can attest to thier wants, that's why I try to shop alone when I can.

I'd like to think I've come pretty close here lately to breaking the habit. I've gotten to the point where I'm in the kitchen with an icecream sandwich in my hand, look at it, stare in awe lol then I put it back. Now that for me, is will power lol j/k. Sounds sad but I have to start somewhere. I literally have to ask myself out loud, "Is this going to help me or hold me back?" when I get the cravings. Everyday is a fresh start, I just have to work harder to improve. In the end, I think comes down to how bad you really want to change, be stronger, live longer & truly take control of your own life. I'm getting there. This site def helps me as well, reading everyones posts is empowering to say the least. I appreciate your feedback.

i know that feeling.. the "eat what you want ehenever you want". I was just lucky enough never to put on much mass. Just a few kilos after an accident i had last year and the resulting times with just little momevent that brought those along.

When i decided to get back on track and loose those few and actually also get back into sports i decided to make a 180 degree turn.

I loved sugar, loved my daily coca cola, my daily chips, and sweet things like choclate.

It's as Joe already said.. you gotta get it out of your system.

If you have a hard time i can give a few tips that might help:

• Go in little steps. Don't mentally overload yourself with "i must stay sugarfree for years now!" Meaning: Go in little goals: i must stay 7 days without sweets and sugars. Then go for the next 7. And so on.
• One important point is also: when you fail... accept and move on back with the plan. Many people loose track so terribly because they fail a little, then think like : a screw it now i ruined it already for today so might as well eat the rest of this choclate bar and the rest of the chips etc. No - don't. Instead of adding a few more calories you end up adding a ton more. Just accept the little sidestep and move on. And don't feel all bad for it, that helps a lot too to stay motivated, if you do not bash yourself for every littlest mistake :)
• If you have cravings for sweet things, go for some rolled oats, some dried or fresh fruits (in reasonable portions of course).
• Once you made 2 month... you you are free!!! It's about that time it takes to get the sugar addiction out of your system.
• And if you can not live without.. eat like one piece of choclate a day, but stay in that amount, do it at a relaxed time in the evening where you can fully enjoy it. Make it a little Ritual, something to look forward too. That way you can keep it out of your mind over the day, because you know there is that one waiting for you in the evening.

One important thing to say is.. that eating clean 85-90 % of the time is fairly enough to stay lean. You can always have a little unhealthy meal every now and then. As long as it doesn't go overboard and you load yourself with a few thousand calories too many. Because in the end of the day healthy or not it's all about the calories, as John already said here as well. And if you eat consistantly too many calories it doesn't even matter if those come from good or bad foods, and your body will begin to store the overload.

The body is amazing.. if you eat clean most of the time, and then add something 'too much' it will just simply 'flush' it out. Because it doesn't really need it. The real 'danger' is not in a cheat meal every now and then, it's when it becomes a 'daily habbit' again and your body begins to adjust to it.

I can understand the trouble kids can cause...believe it or not I used to be one haha.

I think it is a great idea to try and become a good role model for your kids. If you can make healthy choices and enjoy them, I'm sure you can help them do the same.

Will power is certainly needed when it comes to fitness. Your mind is a powerful tool, it's up to you to use it to the best of your ability.

As @Crood suggested about the chocolate, giving yourself a reward or treat or cheat or whatever you want to call it can be a good thing to do to help with cravings. Maybe you will say once a week, on a specific day, you will relax a bit and have a nice meal, or something not so good that doesn't fit your diet.

That way, over the entire week, you can avoid any other potentially bad foods because you will be thinking 'I have my treat and this day to look forward to'.

The less you eat those sugary foods you think you shouldn't, the sooner you will be able to eliminate those cravings.

Jordan

Excellent points from both of you. @Crood, I can def relate to the backslide. I'll go a week or so until the craving becomes too much & I give in. I don't splurge right away but afterwards just like you said, I get down on myself & think "eff, I just screwed it all up" & do more damage when I do splurge lol. I guess years of a bad habit can't be changed overnight or even within a week or two for that matter. It's a process & I'm trying to work through it. Just like with smoking, how many ppl can just quit cold turkery?

It's crazy to think for one moment it's just me in the fight, then stumble across this place filled with so many helpful ppl with great advice who can motivate & relate. Maybe I'll grow a pair & take some before pics this weekend. Then I just have to find the right diet & exercise regimen. I'm pumped let's get this show on the road! What do you guys think, weighted circuits or Insanity? I'd like to lose the flub first & tone up before anything else. Many thanks!

Don't be afraid to take those pics man! This community isn't about judging people, it's about supporting each other and helping people reach their goals.

We can definitely help you out! Weighted circuits would be a great idea if you are looking to lose fat. High volume workouts where you do plenty of work, and burn away plenty of calories.

Be sure to post more in the forums with any questions about your meal plan, training regime, or anything else! #HTH #SHFAthlete

Jordan

Just wanted to say thank you for your input. I'm headed to the forums now to figure out the best training regime for my goals of losing weight & toning. I've had good results with the HIIT cardio in the Insanity program in the past, but I'm confused when ppl say weighted circuits burn a good amount of calories too. When I think weights, I think of building & sculpting muscles more than the fat loss aspect of it & vice versa of HIIT cardio, more fat loss, not so much strength based. Which would help me achieve the most fat loss in a shorter amount of time?

I'm headed to the forums, maybe I'll figure it out lol. I'm amazed at all the info here, it's almost overwhelming at times. Fitness is like abc 123 for most ppl on here but when I try to make sense of some of this stuff my head starts to hurt haha.

My pleasure!

What is the insanity program? I haven't heard of that one.

Fat loss is all about burning calories. Obviously you won't always burn fat, especially if you aren't eating properly, but if you aren't burning any calories you won't be burning fat.

Weighted circuits are just a way to use up even more energy. The benefits of doing weighted circuits or any type or weighted exercise is that you are not only using more energy, but you are actually building muscle AT THE SAME TIME. So yes, weighted exercises are for sculpting and building muscle, but especially when you implement them as circuits, you are simply burning more calories which is more likely to lead to fat loss.

HIIT isn't really about building muscle as such, it is more about MAINTAINING muscle AND burning fat at the same time. HIIT and circuits are both great. HIIT may see you lose more fat quicker, but remember a lot of it comes down to your meal plan. If your diet is crap, your results will be the same.

Don't be too overwhelmed brotha, just take it step by step and keep focused. There is so much info here to help you out, and great people willing to give their advice too. The further you go in your fitness journey, the more you will learn. It's great, there's always more you can learn

Jordan