Why can't I lose this gut?

[LongIslandPiney]

I've tried to do more hiking each year, but I guess as I'm getting older the genetic "curse" of my family is showing on me, which is large guts and behinds.
I eat much less than most people do, I can often get away with skipping breakfast or lunch, I do admit I snack on something every other night. But I do so much walking, just this week about 30 miles. And I walk fast too, a mile in 15-20 (and the other day I did 2 miles in 25 mins). According to a calorie calculator, I must've burned nearly 1600 calories the other day for walking. Maybe more, I did 10 miles in Flanders in 4 hours.
And yet I still got a doughboy stomach! I dont eat large meals, but perhaps it's WHAT I'm eating, chinese food, pizza, Wendy's,but I've always ate that because it's cheap to have when I'm on the outside, but I'm definately looking husky and not liking it!
I am not a fan of fruits and veggies, not because of taste but more because of diseases and pesticides that are on most fruit and veggies (and no I dont have a garden so I cant grow my own). Scallions, Onions, Pickles, Mushrooms are the veggies I prefer the most.
And I usually gain weight in summer (10-15lbs) because I exercise less due to the heat.
I try to eat fat free frozen yogurt and bran cereal everyday. Any suggestions??? I dont like gyms, so I prefer exercise at home and I love to walk. You'd think walking 30 miles in one week would make the gut smaller, I think it's gotten bigger! Perhaps I'm constipated? Or retaining water (I drink 1/2 to 3/4 a gallon of water a day) because now that its warmer I get thirsty alot.
I'm gonna try some stomach exercises, maybe they'll do the trick, though they say when you burn fat it comes from all over the body.
All I know is everytime it gets warmer I gain weight, even when I try to continue walking. I'm the complete opposite of most ppl which usually are heavier in winter due to large meals and less exercise.:ham:
All I know is I used to wear a 34'' waist now it's 38'' or 40'' and I'm only 5'2. Oddly enough I still wear small size men's shirts, and many of them are still large on me.

 

[kingofthepines]

Perhaps I'm constipated?

LMAO

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I am not a fan of fruits and veggies, not because of taste but more because of diseases and pesticides that are on most fruit and veggies .

I humbly suggest that you consider the incredibly harmful aspects of eating fast foods. (Watch "Super Size me" and you will understand).
Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating. It's that simple. Eat more of those and less Wendy's. You seriously could not be doing yourself any more damage to your body if you drank Roundup with every meal.
What sort of diseases do you think are on fruits and veggies, anyway? Worse than what's in hamburger and highly processed meats and cheeses?

In any case, it sounds like you are eating an extremely high fat, low fiber diet. And the fats you are getting are not good ones. Chinese food is extremely bad, especially the deep fried dishes like General's chicken.

Do you cook for yourself?

Fish, rice, and vegetables. You should eat five servings of vegetables a day, including the green leafy kind. Also, beans are a good source of fiber and protein and are inexpensive.

Do you drink soda? If so, switch to water or something else with less sugar.

 

[Teegate]

Sue as usual is correct. If you eat fast food or fatty food you will gain weight. Jessica never eats fast food and prefers chicken, nuts, and carbohydrates and keeps her weight at 95 pounds. My youngest daughter ate fast food often... pizza rolls, and other fatty food and weighed almost 130. She switched to eating more carbohydrates such as spicy rice, pasta, and limiting her fast food, and she slowly over a few months went down to 104. No matter what anyone says, the key to loosing weight is eating carbohydrates and cutting out fat. It is as simple as that. Now as Ben can attest to there is a problem with that, so you must exercise when you do this. Just changing your diet without exercising is a problem. If you don't exercise in the summer you are at risk for health problems.

Some will disagree but my daughters and I both see this works.

Guy

 

[Ben Ruset]

For the Chinese food, switch to something like steamed veggies with chicken instead of fried or fatty foods. Avoid rice and noodles.

Cut out soda entirely, or at least switch to diet soda.

Walking is a great workout for your legs, but not anything else. I found this page the other day with some workouts I may start trying.

In short, burn more calories than you take in. Cut out carbs as much as possible. And try to do a more varied workout than just walking.

 

[Teegate]

Carbohydrates are the fuel of life. I know someone who cut carbs out completely and lost quite a bit of weight. They were praising that diet to the hilt. But they looked really really bad. My kids and I looked at each other and all three of us didn't have to say a word. We knew what the problem was.


Guy

 

[LARGO]

Big problem is Proccessed foods man, period. you're eating crap that's already done for you and fatty too. I can not believe you would crab about the gremlins in fruits & veggies and then Eat Wendy's.
White food dude, bad news. I am guilty of it myself, we all are. Get some of that stuff in you that your body needs to digest & work off, some of what Ben & Guy offered up. Skip the Chinese crap altogether, unless you do it home & do it right. Rice, no white... Brown Rice or a mix of the two.
Whole wheat bread , not that crap that it's in the flour... it's in every kind of flour. Do the real deal. I really do not care for fish but it is a plus.
I dig spinach bigtime, a good start, and how about Melon for fruit.
It is evident by your posts that you walk, very good!!
Snacking is fine, but not late at night!!!
You do not have to re invent your life, just make a few adjustments.
Even a little Wine wouldn't hurt.
Oh, and uh... it's all well and cute that you would reach out to folks here for suggestions in your life, but it's a little weird. Peace out.

g.

 

[woodjin]

I think all of the advice here is very good! I wanted to add this...don't mix carbs with proteins. Eat meat with out bread for example. wait 3-4 hours before eating carbs after having had proteins and vise versa. For God's sake, don't eat fast food at all. And avoid sugar like soda, switch to splenda if you want, though I know there are health concerns there as well, but splenda is all I use in my coffee now.

Jeff

 

[Aaron]

Time for my two cents, if you are skipping meals you are not doing your body any justice. Make sure you eat breakfast!!!You must must must must eat breakfast. If you dont eat breakfast your body wont start burning, instead it will hold onto the fat and burn the muscle, its a defense mechanism against starvation.

What i did, ( and have lost 60 lbs in 19 months) Eat 6 small balanced meals a day, drink nothing but water, i take fish oil, multivitamins and fiber supplements everyday. Cut out all of the fast food that you can, if you have to stop for something fast, go to wawa and get some fruit or there new Made to order salads ( awsome).

I would also reccomend doing a little more strenious cardio if you can, jogging for 20 mins will do more for you than walking for 2 hrs. Or even better join a smim club and smin 4 days a week.Or even join a local martial arts school for fun, practical self defense and some really good cardio

 

[LongIslandPiney]

Thanks for all your suggestions! I do not drink soda at all, when I eat out I just get water or iced tea (no sugar). When I eat chinese I generally get brown rice and pork, but also pork fried rice.
I know it's bad to skip meals, sometimes I just dont have the time to eat before I leave. I know the fast food is bad, I dont even like it that much but just have it because it's cheap and easy to find. And Wendy's is the only one I can stomach, McDonald's and Burger King are just horrible (haven't eaten in a McDonald's in 10 years!). And I generally dont have cheese on my burgers, just lettace, tomato, onion and ketchup. But I do have to cut that out, or at least reduce how much I go. I could bring food with me but I carry enough as it is.
The supermarket by me just got a natural foods area I'm gonna try too. But myself, like alot of people eat too much fatty foods. And the main problem I have is that the chinese food, Wendy's,etc doesn't fill me up, too much fat, not enough protein.
I'm gonna go with more pasta, meat, veggies,etc and see if that makes a difference. Fish is good too.
But a key point is that people need to eat smaller, more frequent meals, and I'm gonna have to try and do that! I dont snack that late at night, usually 8 or 9pm, I generally prefer not to eat anything 3-4 hours before I go to sleep due to acid reflux. With summer coming I definately have to eat lighter.
I can't seem to load that webpage about the home workingouts, maybe my optonline is acting up again. Cant wait for Fios!
I do crunches occasionally, I need to keep that up to burn the fat off my stomach.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Walking is a great workout for your legs, but not anything else.

I will have to respectfully disagree with you on this. Walking is probably the BEST cardio activity. Anything that gets your heart rate up in the fat-burning zone will help you to burn calories. You cannot reduce fat from certain body parts, your metabolism just does not work that way. You can do crunches and get great ab muscles, but that will not cause you to lose fat in that area alone so you may not see the results unless you lose weight in general. Cardio-type activities are the best all-over weight loss exercise. I think you probably need to make relatively small changes in your food choices to get results, LIP, since you do so much walking already.

:ham: <--- Cool! A new food-related smiley!

And just so you know, LIP, fried rice contains a staggering amount of fat, even though you wouldn't think so. If you cook more and eat out less, you will know what goes into your food.

 

[Pine Baron]

LIP:

There's some good advice here. Definitely cut out the fast food and use portion control. I used to skip breakfast also, but learned you need this meal to "jump-start" your metabolism in the morning. Aaron already mentioned this. Not only EAT breakfast, but try making it your BIGGEST meal of the day and dinner your smallest. This way, you have all day to burn it off.
You have to stay dedicated to this. ---"sometimes I just don't have the time to eat before I leave"--- doesn't work.(Get up a little earlier) I used to think the same way and found myself at 267#. With a little effort (eating better and a little exercise) I'm 238# at 6'4", and feel better.
Tip: Don't think of eating right as a diet, but try making it a way of life.

Keep walking and best of luck!

 

[Tom]

While this isn't really inline with the content of this thread, I thought I would ask and/or suggest nonetheless.

Has anyone had the opportunity to watch the Independent Lens documentary on PBS of the two gentlemen that leased one acre from a corn farmer in Iowa and then planted and followed their crop? It was very interesting in regards to how government subsidies have destroyed a nutrious food source and how nearly everything today is corn based. Meanwhile obesity and type 2 diabetes are running rampant.

If you haven't seen it, it's worth watching.

 

[Stu]

My wife and I have made a few changes with our diets over the past year or so, some of which were already mentioned.
With iced tea and soda, I always go for diet. We stay away from beef and eat more turkey, chicken, and fish. Like a parent, I sometimes have to force her (and myself sometimes, I admit), to eat veggies. There is always some sort of fruit in the fridge; I can't remember the last time I bought chips. I don't put mayo on anything, and the salad dressing had better be light or I don't want it.

 

[MarkBNJ]

Some really excellent advice on this thread. I've also struggled with getting thick around the middle for most of my life. Over the last three years I lost about 50 pounds, and then I've put a little of it back on. There are a few key things to keep in mind. Eat breakfast, don't eat after 7 PM unless you work the night shift, avoid including fast food in your diet more than once or twice a week, and perhaps most importantly, be accepting of yourself.

Not every body is going to be chiseled, and not everyone is going to have an iron-flat stomach. If you really want that, then you're going to have to really work for it. When I decided to get rid of a lot of weight I hit the weights and the elliptical for over an hour every day, seven days a week, stopped ingesting any soda or sugar-sweetened beverages (including all fruit juices), stopped eating at night, and stopped eating bread (other than a bagel in the morning, because if I can't have that then go ahead and shoot me now).

I realized I can't keep that up with my work and family, and a house to take care of, etc., etc. I'm 47 and a I don't need to look like a meth-addicted male model (not that it would be feasible in any case). Being healthy is good enough, in my opinion.

 

[jburd641]

So much great advice here. I was very happy to see Sue mention "Supersize Me". This little documentary got me to stop eating fast food completely. It doesn't just apply to McDonalds. Fast food is poison and sad to say, chinese isn't far behind it.
Watch all the sauces, whatever they may be. Go for the red instead of the white sauces on pasta dishes.
One trick I've heard of is to drink a big glass of water before a meal.
As far as veggies, you can make them delicious with a little effort.
Cut up tomatos, onions, squash, peppers and mushrooms and wrap them in foil with some spices and olive oil. Cook them on the grill for about ten minutes or longer, depending on how soft you want them and put them on a bed of rice. Yummy! You can add whatever spices or veggies you like. You can play around with this one and find the taste you like best.
Maybe we can have a recipes forum here. Camp recipes and just tasty healthy foods. Don't want unhealthy people wandering the pines.

Jay

 

[LongIslandPiney]

I did see Supersize Me on MSNBC a couple of years ago. It's why I dont eat fast food as much as I used to (but still too much). The question is where I can one eat, on the outside, that is healthier and still cheap? I do have a big drink of water before I eat, and I'm not really a big eater, I usually have trouble finishing what I get. If I have pizza I can only eat 2 slices max. I see alot of people wolf down a half of a pie at one sitting! Then there are these ppl in Wendy's that gobble down one burger after another. Talk about supersize. The good thing if I'm preparing at home is I decide how much I need to eat. But I cant always do that when I'm on the outside. Ideally there would be a chain that would have baked/grilled (not fried) food with vegatables and you decide how much you need and it would be cheap. I generally eat 2000 calories or less each day though, but like everyone says too much fried food is bad calories. I also think the food served in most of these fast food places has gotten worse, more artificial garbage in there instead of natural flavor.
Thanks for the recipes though I'm gonna try them out!

 

[Ben Ruset]

Subway?

You could also pack your own lunches to take to work with you.

 

[bobpbx]

Has anyone had the opportunity to watch the Independent Lens documentary on PBS of the two gentlemen that leased one acre from a corn farmer in Iowa and then planted and followed their crop? It was very interesting in regards to how government subsidies have destroyed a nutrious food source and how nearly everything today is corn based.

I saw that Tom. Very interesting part when they bit into that corn and it tasted like cardboard due to the hybrid selection the industry has done over the years--"industrial corn" is the term they used. Made me immediately think of sweet white corn, the opposite to what is now grown in the midwest. How about that ammonium nitrate use, up to 200 pounds per acre injected into the soil. I felt a part of our future dying with that documentary.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

LIP, Wendys has a big salad bar. I think they also have a baked potato that you can put stuff on. That's better than a burger anyday. Just don't pile it wiht butter, cheese and/or cream cheese.
Subway is a good choice, they have a light menu. Believe it or not, Taco Bell isn't too bad either depending on what you order, they have a "fresco" menu. Soft tacos rather than hard are a better choice.
Soups (not the creamy kind!) are a better choice than a sub sandwich.