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Weight Loss Forum / General Topics / December 2005Questions from a Newbie
Hello All, I am 42, Male, weigh about 200 lbs I think, suppose to be near about 150 and I had a BMI of 31. Ready to lose a few pounds to get a bit healthier and I wouldn't mind being a bit trimmer next summer for a beach vacation. Here are a few questions I was wondering about; 1) Does coffee have calories and/or does it affect a diet regime? I am wondering if I can still drink a few cups in the morning and a couple more at night. I take it black with no sugar, milk, creamers, etc... 2) I drink probably too much sweetened ice tea. When I say sweet tea, I mean it is real sweet and my wife makes it by the pitcherS. I think the jug in the fridge will hold like 3 batches of tea from the tea maker. This lasts a few days, but I am thinking that is probably something I should get rid of and drink water. I don't know the calorie counts on sugar in tea, but since it tastes so sweet, it probably is bad for me. Is sugar full of calories? I know it sounds stupid, but can teaspoons of sugar in a glass of tea really be that high in calorie counts? 3) I am trying to decide if a Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, or <insert other advertised program here> would be beneficial to me. They seem to make it look a bit easier to stick to. I know that I always thought that Richard Simmons Deal A Meal was a cool idea. You pick some food out of your wallet as you eat for the day, and if you run out of cards I suppose you were supposed to stop eating for the day. I know it was probably more complicated than that, but I thought it was cool. Nutrisystem I think was on that Biggest Loser Show and the food portions are supposed to be all counted and packaged for you. That sounds easy and something you can't go wrong with. I been reading a bit on the Weight Watcher stuff and it looks like they have some flex point system where you eat so many points a day. I don't know if that means I have to count (or find out how many) calories are in each thing I eat for the day. Then of course there is just a generic count my own calories off the back of a package and try to stay under some magic number of calories for the day; this may not be good for me as I don't know about diets and what is good calories and bad calories and I don't want to even get into what is good fat and bad fat. :-) Anyone have comments on Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, and any other programs, or even just reading labels and counting yourself? Note; I am leaning at this time for some plan like the above where some of the guesswork is taken out of the picture so I don't mess up, but I know I will have to do some work too. Maybe not all programs have an energy bar I like and maybe I want to have a Hershey's kiss even if it might be enough calories/sugar/fat for a whole breakfast. :-) I am reading web sites, reading this newsgroup, and am trying to decide how best to eat proper and lose the weight I want. I am going to the YMCA tomorrow to see what kind of exercise programs they have that I can do after work. I drive right by it everyday and they have a pool which I think would be fun to swim again. Any suggestions for someone who is wanting to take the next step and actually go on a diet? Tim >Hello All, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >wondering if I can still drink a few cups in the morning and a couple more >at night. I take it black with no sugar, milk, creamers, etc... Coffee (black) does not have any calories. Some people feel caffeine can have a negative effect on weight loss. My own experience hasn't borne this out; I don't like coffee but drink Diet Pepsi in large quantities, and I've lost 130 lbs. and successfully maintained that loss. There is also some evidence that caffeine, at least in moderate quantities, is helpful for weight loss. One issue is that it is dehydrating, so you need to be sure to drink plenty of water or other non-caffeinated beverages too. >2) I drink probably too much sweetened ice tea. When I say sweet tea, I >mean it is real sweet and my wife makes it by the pitcherS. I think the jug [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >calories? I know it sounds stupid, but can teaspoons of sugar in a glass of >tea really be that high in calorie counts? This is probably something you should get rid of. One level teaspoon of sugar has 16 calories, but there's likely a lot more than that in one glass of tea. Ask your wife how much sugar she uses and figure out how much is in a glass of tea. A cup of sugar contains 774 calories. I don't think sugar is evil -- there's certainly some in my diet -- but it shouldn't be one of your major sources of calories as it has little nutritional value. (Since you're new at this, you may not know that it takes a deficit of about 3500 calories -- i.e., burned but not consumed -- to lose 1 pound.) >3) I am trying to decide if a Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, or <insert other >advertised program here> would be beneficial to me. They seem to make it [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >supposed to stop eating for the day. I know it was probably more >complicated than that, but I thought it was cool. My approach was to count calories and increase my exercise, but more formal systems do work well for many people. I think Weight Watches is a pretty sound plan, from what I know of it. You don't have to count calories, but you do have to count points. They will provide you with information that tells how many points are in different foods. >Nutrisystem I think was on that Biggest Loser Show and the food portions are >supposed to be all counted and packaged for you. That sounds easy and >something you can't go wrong with. I don't personally know anyone who has used this, and can't comment on it, except to note that it's expensive to buy the meals and kind of incompatible with a lifestyle where you eat out or share meals with others. >I been reading a bit on the Weight >Watcher stuff and it looks like they have some flex point system where you [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >calories and bad calories and I don't want to even get into what is good fat >and bad fat. :-) If you do want to count calories, you might want to look into fitday.com, which is a web site that provides lots of calorie data and an automated tool for entering your food and adding up calories. It isn't that hard, really. The desired calorie level for an individual isn't really a "magic number", but it can take some experimentation to get it right. Approaches like Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem are basically picking that number for you based on your age and weight, but everyone is a little different. A good estimate for a starting level is about 10 * bodyweight -- i.e., 2000 calories a day for you. Your exercise level as well as your metabolism will affect whether that is too high, too low, or just right. You want to aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week. Note that if you do Weight Watchers (and many other diets) you also get to pick your own foods, and hence should try to learn about good and bad fats and carbs and such. This is really just responsible eating, and something you should learn anyway if you are not going to eat packaged meals for the rest of your life. >Anyone have comments on Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, and any other >programs, or even just reading labels and counting yourself? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >like and maybe I want to have a Hershey's kiss even if it might be enough >calories/sugar/fat for a whole breakfast. :-) A Hershey's kiss has only 25, not enough for a whole meal of any sort. But a 400-calorie breakfast consisting of 16 Hershey's kisses would not be a very good start for your day, compared with a breakfast of fruit, eggs, and cereal. >I am reading web sites, reading this newsgroup, and am trying to decide how >best to eat proper and lose the weight I want. I am going to the YMCA >tomorrow to see what kind of exercise programs they have that I can do after >work. I drive right by it everyday and they have a pool which I think would >be fun to swim again. Good -- exercise is a key component of weight loss. I encourage you to add in some weight training as well as cardiovascular exercise like swimming. >Any suggestions for someone who is wanting to take the next step and >actually go on a diet? Mostly you just need to really decide you're going to do it, and then start. You don't have to get it perfect; it's easy enough to make mid-course corrections. One practical start-up suggestion is to rid your home of foods in which you will be tempted to overindulge. This is not always practical for people with families, of course. You should also certainly ask for your wife's support (particularly if she's preparing food for you) and that of anyone else in your household. It helps to have people who will encourage you and cheer you on. Chris 262/130s/130s started dieting July 2002, maintaining since June 2004 >> I want to have a Hershey's kiss even if it might be enough >>calories/sugar/fat for a whole breakfast. :-) [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > not be a very good start for your day, compared with a breakfast of > fruit, eggs, and cereal. There are people on this ng that have a little bit of chocolate every day. This is not impossible. The key, as Chris points out, is portion control. For me, another key is honest journaling. If you have that Hershey's kiss, it counts. Write it down.  Signaturejmk in NC "Chris Braun" wrote in message > You should also certainly ask for your wife's support > (particularly if she's preparing food for you) and that > of anyone else in your household. It helps to have > people who will encourage you and cheer you on. Chris, thank you for the helpful comments. My wife will probably exercise with me as she would like to tone up a bit. She doesn't really need a diet to lose pounds, but she would like to be healthy. She is very supportive and I believe I can do it. Tim On 12/29/05 11:40 AM, in article b7mdnbrNTani0S7eRVn-uA@comcast.com, "Tim Fierro" <tim@duffertech.com> wrote: > Hello All, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > wondering if I can still drink a few cups in the morning and a couple more > at night. I take it black with no sugar, milk, creamers, etc... Coffee itself has no calories so it should not affect your diet. > 2) I drink probably too much sweetened ice tea. When I say sweet tea, I > mean it is real sweet and my wife makes it by the pitcherS. I think the jug [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > calories? I know it sounds stupid, but can teaspoons of sugar in a glass of > tea really be that high in calorie counts? Yes, sugar is chock full of calories. One 8 oz cup of sweet ice tea has about 100 calories. And a cup is probably smaller than the glass size you are drinking. Check http://calorieking.com if you have specific calorie questions. Anyway, sweetened drinks are a big diet killer. > 3) I am trying to decide if a Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, or <insert other > advertised program here> would be beneficial to me. They seem to make it [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > supposed to stop eating for the day. I know it was probably more > complicated than that, but I thought it was cool. A balanced plan that includes healthy eating and exercise is best in the long run. Weight Watchers certainly fits into that category, plus you would get mutual support. I myself just follow a low-calorie plus exercise plan, but it is actually very much like Weight Watchers. > Nutrisystem I think was on that Biggest Loser Show and the food portions are > supposed to be all counted and packaged for you. That sounds easy and [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > calories and bad calories and I don't want to even get into what is good fat > and bad fat. :-) With a calories diet there is technically just "one thing you count" - calories. There are no good ones or bad ones. And you can neatly deduct exercise you do from what you eat, which is an incentive to exercise. Weight Watchers is similar, but they have added nutritional guidelines which might be useful. Also their points includes fat and fiber, but in practice it really doesn't make any difference whether you count points or calories. Weight Watchers points come to roughly 50 calories. > Anyone have comments on Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, and any other > programs, or even just reading labels and counting yourself? Just this - if you are reading labels don't forget that the calories are often "by portion" and there are weird values in there like "contains 2.25 portions per package" which makes sense to nobody. > Note; I am leaning at this time for some plan like the above where some of > the guesswork is taken out of the picture so I don't mess up, but I know I > will have to do some work too. Maybe not all programs have an energy bar I > like and maybe I want to have a Hershey's kiss even if it might be enough > calories/sugar/fat for a whole breakfast. :-) If you want the most VARIETY where you can eat anything, but just observe portion limits then either Weight Watchers or plain old calorie counting is for you. > I am reading web sites, reading this newsgroup, and am trying to decide how > best to eat proper and lose the weight I want. I am going to the YMCA [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Any suggestions for someone who is wanting to take the next step and > actually go on a diet? Yes - don't wait until the new year! And if you go off your diet, don't "wait until tomorrow" to start again! doug "Doug Lerner" wrote in message > Check http://calorieking.com if you have specific calorie questions. I saved that site into my favorites; that was a cool counter they have. I found out that 9 pieces of Hershey Kisses (my favorite little snack while watching TV) is 230 calories. That and with my very sugary sweet tea; have got to be eliminated from the diet. > If you want the most VARIETY where you can eat anything, > but just observe portion limits then either Weight Watchers > or plain old calorie counting is for you. Yes, it does seem to be. I am not so sure about using Nutrisystem as much as I have a wife and she doesn't need a diet. We also don't want to be locked into a set food schedule. > Yes - don't wait until the new year! And if you go off your diet, > don't "wait until tomorrow" to start again! Thank you Doug for the encouragment and the advice. Tim On 12/29/05 11:13 PM, in article JeadnWLLNumcci7eRVn-sA@comcast.com, "Tim Fierro" <tim@duffertech.com> wrote: > "Doug Lerner" wrote in message >> Check http://calorieking.com if you have specific calorie questions. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > watching TV) is 230 calories. That and with my very sugary sweet tea; have > got to be eliminated from the diet. You know, if you just eliminate the chocolates and say two 100 calorie cups of sweetened tea per day, that alone will save you 430 calories per day. That alone will contribute nearly a lb/week to your diet! doug > > 1) Does coffee have calories and/or does it affect a diet regime? I am > > wondering if I can still drink a few cups in the morning and a couple more > > at night. I take it black with no sugar, milk, creamers, etc... > > Coffee itself has no calories so it should not affect your diet. Depends on how exact you want your calorie count to be. A regular cup of black coffee runs a half gram of carb, 2 calories. That means my morning black venti americano from a starbucks competitor has 8-10 calories because it's made with 4 espresso shots. That's a small enough number of calories that you aren't going far off if you round it down to zero. Caffeine is a different story. Most people don't get much weight loss effect from it but some do. The conservative approach is to figure from the gate that you're one of the few that does, do without caffeine for a few weeks, then try it again and see if it changes anything. Whether it's worth going through that effort for a couple-percent change, that's a judgement call. Since caffeine is addictive it does make good sense to go without it at least one week each year. > > 2) I drink probably too much sweetened ice tea. When I say sweet tea, I > > mean it is real sweet and my wife makes it by the pitcherS. I think the jug [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > about 100 calories. And a cup is probably smaller than the glass size you > are drinking. Different phrasing of the same numbers: Sugar is roughly 1800 calories per pound. A pound is a lot, a teaspoon is a little. Every bit helps and sugar is the first thing on the list of stuff to avoid on most diet plans. > > Anyone have comments on Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, and any other > > programs, or even just reading labels and counting yourself? > > Just this - if you are reading labels don't forget that the calories are > often "by portion" and there are weird values in there like "contains 2.25 > portions per package" which makes sense to nobody. Bascially any well designed plan will work just fine. I think Nutrisystem and WW are well designed plans. I'm an At-kid and Atkins is another of the well designed plans. My issue with Nutrisystem - They package the food. At some point you'll need to switch to your own supply of food. You'll need to make VERY certain you pay attention to portion sizes and learn to eyeball that same size. > > Any suggestions for someone who is wanting to take the next step and > > actually go on a diet? > > Yes - don't wait until the new year! And if you go off your diet, don't > "wait until tomorrow" to start again! Read the book before you start the plan. If a plan doesn't have a book, be cautious about starting it. From what I've seen the documentation available on either Nutrisystem or WW is more than enough for a book whether it's available in a single volume or as a rack or brochures. > Hello All, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > wondering if I can still drink a few cups in the morning and a couple more > at night. I take it black with no sugar, milk, creamers, etc... A good site to find that out would be nutritiondata.com. > 2) I drink probably too much sweetened ice tea. When I say sweet tea, I > mean it is real sweet and my wife makes it by the pitcherS. I think the jug [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > calories? I know it sounds stupid, but can teaspoons of sugar in a glass of > tea really be that high in calorie counts? 4 calories per gram. > 3) I am trying to decide if a Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, or <insert other > advertised program here> would be beneficial to me. It would be, if you follow it. You could lose weight on any other diet that does not involve paying money, all you need is to find a diet where you can eat less. Exercise helps a little too. Some commercial programs are less savory than others. > They seem to make it > look a bit easier to stick to. I know that I always thought that Richard > Simmons Deal A Meal was a cool idea. You pick some food out of your wallet > as you eat for the day, and if you run out of cards I suppose you were > supposed to stop eating for the day. I know it was probably more > complicated than that, but I thought it was cool. Sounds sensible. > Any suggestions for someone who is wanting to take the next step and > actually go on a diet? Successfully losing weight requires a great deal of focus, obsession if you wish. The rewards make it worthwhile. I was at BMI 31, like you, and now I am at BMI 24, have been at normal weight for about 2.4 years. http://igor.chudov.com/weightloss/ i On 12/29/05 3:55 PM, in article eLLsf.24081$G75.12437@fe59.usenetserver.com, > Successfully losing weight requires a great deal of focus, obsession > if you wish. The rewards make it worthwhile. I was at BMI 31, like > you, and now I am at BMI 24, have been at normal weight for about 2.4 > years. I agree. Dieting is definitely not a "passive" activity. Sometimes a friend will call me and ask, "What are you doing?" I'll respond, "Dieting." :) > http://igor.chudov.com/weightloss/ Your photos really look great! doug > On 12/29/05 3:55 PM, in article eLLsf.24081$G75.12437@fe59.usenetserver.com, > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I agree. Dieting is definitely not a "passive" activity. Sometimes a friend > will call me and ask, "What are you doing?" I'll respond, "Dieting." :) Yep. >> http://igor.chudov.com/weightloss/ > > Your photos really look great! Thank you. I appreciate this, especially coming from you. Signature223/174.0/180 "Ignoramus21405" wrote in message > A good site to find that out would be nutritiondata.com. Yep, and I think I just found out way too much information on; Arby's sandwich: Giant Roast Beef > http://igor.chudov.com/weightloss/ Thank you. That was some interesting reading. Also interesting is how you thought the beach vacation pictures kind of set you back. For me realizing I was overweight was when we went to Vegas. Someone came around at a show and took pictures of my wife and I as a couple. When we got out and looked at them, it dawned on me I was overweight. I didn't buy those pictures. Tim > Hello All, > > I am 42, Male, weigh about 200 lbs I think, suppose to be near about 150 and > I had a BMI of 31. Ready to lose a few pounds to get a bit healthier and I > wouldn't mind being a bit trimmer next summer for a beach vacation. Welcome to the group! It looks like others have already responded so I'll read their responses and see if I have anything else to add, however, I did want to be sure to welcome you. Signaturejmk in NC 1) coffee makes me hungry 2) drink unsweetend...sugar is stored as fat 3) learn to listen to your hunger and full signals break all the dieting rules and give yourself freedom to eat whatever whenever > Hello All, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > wondering if I can still drink a few cups in the morning and a couple more > at night. I take it black with no sugar, milk, creamers, etc... Caffeine in coffee dehydrates you. The lack of fluids makes your body try to get more fluids and since foods have lots of water in them, you feel hungry. It also interferes with sleep if you drink too much. Lack of sleep promotes formation of ghrelin, a hormone that promotes hunger, and inhibits formation of leptin, a hormone that inhibits hunger. Decaf -- blech. I hate the taste. > 2) I drink probably too much sweetened ice tea. When I say sweet tea, I > mean it is real sweet and my wife makes it by the pitcherS. I think the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > sugar full of calories? I know it sounds stupid, but can teaspoons of > sugar in a glass of tea really be that high in calorie counts? Tea has caffeine in it too. You should minimize refined sugar because it promotes diabetes. > 3) I am trying to decide if a Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, or <insert > other advertised program here> would be beneficial to me. They seem to [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > you were supposed to stop eating for the day. I know it was probably more > complicated than that, but I thought it was cool. In an FTC evaluation Weight Watchers was the only commercial program that helped people take off the weight long term. That's because they promote both exercise and eating right. You must, however, develop something you can stick with for life. > Nutrisystem I think was on that Biggest Loser Show and the food portions > are supposed to be all counted and packaged for you. That sounds easy and [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Tim > Hello All, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > wondering if I can still drink a few cups in the morning and a couple more > at night. I take it black with no sugar, milk, creamers, etc... Caffeine deyhydrates you. When you get dehydrated, your body looks for more fluids. Food contains lots of water, and the thirst translates into hunger. Also caffeine can interfere with sleep. Lack of sleep results in formation of ghrelin, a hormone that promotes hunger. It also inhibits formation of leptin, a hormone that reduces appetite. > 2) I drink probably too much sweetened ice tea. When I say sweet tea, I > mean it is real sweet and my wife makes it by the pitcherS. I think the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > sugar full of calories? I know it sounds stupid, but can teaspoons of > sugar in a glass of tea really be that high in calorie counts? Tea contains caffeine. You should avoid sugar because it promotes diabetes. > 3) I am trying to decide if a Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, or <insert > other advertised program here> would be beneficial to me. They seem to [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > you were supposed to stop eating for the day. I know it was probably more > complicated than that, but I thought it was cool. An FTC evaluation some years ago showed that Weight Watchers is the only one that promoted long term weight loss. Your goal should be to keep off any weight you lose and to be healthy. You can't be healthy without exercise. You need aerobic exercise for health; strength training isn't enought. > Nutrisystem I think was on that Biggest Loser Show and the food portions > are supposed to be all counted and packaged for you. That sounds easy and [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Tim > Hello All, > > I am 42, Male, weigh about 200 lbs I think, suppose to be near about 150 > and I had a BMI of 31. Ready to lose a few pounds to get a bit healthier > and I wouldn't mind being a bit trimmer next summer for a beach vacation. You've received some excellent responses already. I can only add that from personal experience I much prefer Weight Watchers to Nutrisystem. I'm doing WW now and will be for life. It's easy, flexible, and reasonably priced. Signaturethe volleyballchick > 2) I drink probably too much sweetened ice tea. When I say > sweet tea, I mean it is real sweet and my wife makes it by the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > teaspoons of sugar in a glass of tea really be that high in > calorie counts? Ok, a little follow up. :-) As I learn more about dieting and counting calories, my wife and I decided to find out just how many calories are in the ice tea I drink. Turns out that each 12 oz glass of tea is about 124 calories. I should mention that I drink about 4 of these each night. I also drink 2 cokes during the daytime and they each have about 146 calories if I remember right. So I have been pushing close to 800 calories DAILY into my system for the past few years. Talk about being able to shed 800 calories a day out of my current intake! Tim >> 2) I drink probably too much sweetened ice tea. When I say >> sweet tea, I mean it is real sweet and my wife makes it by the [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > >Tim Sounds like a great start on weight loss would be to just give up those sugared drinks! You might find you miss the caffeine if you drop these all at once, You might want to replace them with something with caffeine but no sugar (or artificial sweetener). If you like sweetened iced tea so much, perhaps you'd find you like it sweetened with Splenda rather than sugar. I used to drink a fair bit of Coke but now my favorite soda -- even more than regular Coke :-) -- is Diet Pepsi. Chris 262/130s/130s started dieting July 2002, maintaining since June 2004 |
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