How Important Is Exercise For Weight Loss?

[Diamondback]

Well, starting on a keto-ish regimen... steak/chicken and salad has me trimming down by around half a pound a day. Plenty of time to make my goal of being back under 200# by next June, even with the odd needing a pizza or pasta day, if this keeps up... I'll probably never hit 160 again (and even that was problematic getting and staying there), but I think 170 to 180 might be doable, especially if I find a gym, trainer and routine I like. More run-n-gun matches would do well as a form of exercise I'd enjoy, but most ranges around here are run by pussy-ass Fudds so that's not likely.

[AKDoug]

You should look into "Run Less Run Faster" if you enjoy that type of training.

On feeding kids, they don't know anything except what you tell them and what you demonstrate. And, man do they pay attention. Set them up for success.

Amen to that. My kids are out of the house now. One of my greatest failings as a parent was not teaching them more about eating properly.

[Diamondback]

Adventures in Keto, end of Week 2: Since starting this, I've dropped an even ten pounds--and I'm not even being "strict keto" at 20 net carbs/day or less like the book says, just ordering more steaks/chicken instead of sandwiches and making sure to eat one salad a day, still allowing myself one "pasta cheat day" a week and not even giving up Dr. Pepper for my caffeine addiction.

Back under 200# by age 40, here I come!

[Hmac]

Adventures in Keto, end of Week 2: Since starting this, I've dropped an even ten pounds--and I'm not even being "strict keto" at 20 net carbs/day or less like the book says, just ordering more steaks/chicken instead of sandwiches and making sure to eat one salad a day, still allowing myself one "pasta cheat day" a week and not even giving up Dr. Pepper for my caffeine addiction.

Back under 200# by age 40, here I come!

Excellent! Keep up the good work. Rootin' for ya...

[Diamondback]

Thanks, Hmac--I'm counting on you guys to put boot to lardass and help keep me motivated taking the fat off. (Though I expect if I ever start really exercising, some will return as muscle weight... main thing is improve my lean body mass, and help keep my mother herded down the right path by being an example.) It'd be really nice if I could fit my neck into a buttoned XL shirt collar again before fall...

Might be worth running by the girlfriend too, except that she has a problem about the areas where she WANTS fat to go (the, ahem, "leading ladies" ) seem to be the last place weight goes on for her and the first it comes off.

[pinzgauer]

Adventures in Keto, end of Week 2: Since starting this, I've dropped an even ten pounds--and I'm not even being "strict keto" at 20 net carbs/day or less like the book says, just ordering more steaks/chicken instead of sandwiches and making sure to eat one salad a day, still allowing myself one "pasta cheat day" a week and not even giving up Dr. Pepper for my caffeine addiction.

Back under 200# by age 40, here I come!

I'm not a named diet type, though my docs (multiple) are slowly confirming that at its heart, Atkins and the other low carb approaches are slowly being confirmed to be fairly accurate...

Carbs drive excess blood sugar which then drives cardiac heart disease, diabetes, chlorestoral issues. Along with genetics (which you can't control) and activity (which you may not be able to do or may be self-limiting per earlier points).

So by choice for some time and by medical advice the last few years I try to limit carbs. I'm not always diligent, but when I am the weight slowly comes off and I tend to keep it off. At least until I fall off the wagon. (Probably due to hmac's setpoint premise)

One simple approach that really helped me is just too replace nuisance carbs (sandwich bread, fries, rice, etc) with tasty colorful vegetables. Green beans, brocolli (with cheese or butter if needed to make it tasty), squash, fried okra, etc.

Corn and carrots have higher sugar so need to be done in moderation. but otherwise there's a lot of good veggies that are filling and tasting that you can replace nuisance cards with.

If I have bread it's going to be good bread as a reward. Same for anything sweet.

Nuts for salty crunch, although you do have to watch the sugar in some. We get cans of the men's health mix, etc and try to keep it on hand as snacks.

One doc has suggested the single serving tuna packs as quick and safe snacks to have on hand that are also salty.

When I'm doing good I keep good chicken salad on hand as a snack as well. Instead of grabbing chips or candy I grab a serving spoon full of chicken salad and snack on it.

You would be well-advised to get ahead of it now and start developing different eating patterns. It's a lot harder to do and your 50s and 60s. Your metabolic rate slows down and your capability to exercise is often reduced.

Sometimes it's a little more expensive eating out, simple carbs are cheap filler.

Even then you can usually find something example Chili's has two for $20 combos that my wife and I do takeaway. When I'm being good I order a 6 oz sirloin with a veggie like broccoli. IE: for just a couple bucks more then a Wendy's double combo I can get better, leaner meat with a tasty veggie instead of salt / fat / carb-filled Fries.

Other places I'm able to get salmon, lean pork chop, etc for similar. Yes, smaller portions, but that's not bad either.

We'll split a 16 ounce steak with two sides and usually come out $9 or $10 take away. If eating out we drink water if at home we drink our own drink of choice.

Cutting out nuisance carbs is not a panacea. I lose weight when I do that, not everyone does. But what we do know is that it will help and can't hurt.

You do have to watch salt in some restaurant cooked vegetables, but even at their worst it's typically better than the carb alternatives.

along the way I cut over to real cheese instead of American, so will usually use Colby or provolone to add flavor to veggies and lean meats.

Not trying to tell you how to eat, just sharing some things that have helped me over the years. Likewise this may not work if you're facing different health situations, but if you are dealing with typical blood sugar / cholesterol / blood pressure that is associated with obesity, this is a good starting point

[ramairthree]

As long as the maximum calories a human can burn in an hour is about 1000,
But you can go to Burger King or where ever and consume that many calories in about ten minutes,
Diet is going to have to be a consideration.

[WillBrink]

As long as the maximum calories a human can burn in an hour is about 1000,
But you can go to Burger King or where ever and consume that many calories in about ten minutes,
Diet is going to have to be a consideration.

It's actually the consideration to weight loss. See article linked in OP.

[bp7178]

Adventures in Keto, end of Week 2: Since starting this, I've dropped an even ten pounds--and I'm not even being "strict keto" at 20 net carbs/day or less like the book says, just ordering more steaks/chicken instead of sandwiches and making sure to eat one salad a day, still allowing myself one "pasta cheat day" a week and not even giving up Dr. Pepper for my caffeine addiction.

Back under 200# by age 40, here I come!

What is your age/weight now? How are you getting 20 net carbs a day while drinking Dr. Pepper?

[Diamondback]

First, didn't say I was doing 20 carbs, just that 20 is "strict keto" by the book I'm working from.

Second, we need to consider that my household has two case studies to deal with...

Case 1 (me) male, a week shy of 39, 5'6", started at 238lb, currently around 227. Already on a mostly-carnivorous diet, this has mainly been a change in the form of "less sugar and starch, more vegetables." In terms of metabolism and digestive system, my nutritionist has described me as "the GI tract of a small tyrannosaur stuffed into a human body." Can pop out a ten-minute mile, but usually wasted for half a day after when I do. Normal exercise regimen is a couple half-mile jogs a week, opportunities limited by Case 2's caregiving needs so it's around five laps around the apartment complex twice a day.
Case 2 (my mother) female, 62, 5'2", typical week between 315-320lb. Lymphedema and severe arthritis (both knees blown), blood pressure high but managed. Functionally immobile except short walks and requires live-in caregiver and assistant, so she's lucky that I can telecommute and most office hours are for a client in Italy, so I work while she's sleeping.
Common case notes: Neither of us is diabetic or prediabetic, both are better than normal cholesterol--in Mom's case, they didn't think her numbers were POSSIBLE at her BMI so they had to run the tests a second time to make sure.