I have lost 15 lbs and two inches off my waist over the past three months,

I have done NO DIETING.

I drink beer, scotch, and occassionally eat chocolate mint girl scout cookies with a big glass of milk.

I do eat lean cuisine frozen dinners a few times a week and usually only drink a big glass of tomatoe juice for lunch.

I excersize 4-5 days a week and have worked up to an hour on a stationary bike (625-675 calories) and then run 1-2 miles on a tread mill(180-360 calories). My miles are slow, 10:45 a mile and my level of effort on the bike is a little above average. I also usually work out with weights for 20-30 minutes. Thw whole program takes about two hours a day. I started out at 15-20 minutes on the bike and 15 minutes on the weights.

Bottom line is my physical health has improved dramatically along with my mental health.

It is very difficult to get to this point, but once at this level I look forward to the daily routine. I am 60 and have decided I will not stop this routine for the rest of my life.

I started this program weighing 235 lbs (6'1") and I am now down to 220 lbs. My goal is to get down to 190-195 which is what I weighed at age 19 after basic training in the Army.

I am not saying my program is the answer, but I feel excersize is a very important elementin losing and keeping off weight.

I was believing you until....

"Bottom line is my physical health has improved dramatically along with my mental
health. "

Congrats on improving your physical health.

Maybe I should have said, I seem to be more mentally alert, but my mental health is still very troubled.

BenwhowantstohearmoreaboutRIO

Ben
Rio was ok...

Damn DG,

You should have seen the little doll I was with yesterday in TJ. Her body was not as well endowed, but her face was better than your girls.

I have modified the Atkins diet this time around for more of a long term effect. I have decided to eat fruit in the morning as my only source of carbs. I try to stay away from high sugar fruit such as mango and starchy fruit such as bananas. Another good way to battle cravings for sugar is to eat the low carb frozen yogurts..they taste awesome and have minimal carbs. For some reason, you body process' fruit carbs differently as I am losing the same weight as when I was on a strict Atkins diet. 18 pounds in 2 weeks but if have been working out 2 hours a day, 6 days a week. Watching war highlights really makes time fly when your on the treadmill or bike. I am at 210 now and am shooting for 195..I am 6'3". Wish me luck.

Blazers,

"For some reason, you body process' fruit carbs differently"

exactly, fruits are "simple" carbs (sugars)

pasta, potatoes, bread, flour, corn are complex carbs

the chemical difference is the size (number of atoms) in the molecules.

essentially, stay away from the white stuff.

DG,

Oh man, she's beautiful, how much??

Ben, in cases like this, the face is of minor consequence, she could have your face and I'd still fuck her ;-)

You reactionary right wing patriot you.

You are right about her body and I am just a jealous conservative.

Actually fruit carbs can be different. Fructose(fruit sugar found it most citrus fruits and berries) is absobed differently, in the liver. Compared to glucose, sucrose, lactose. galactose etc. Fructose does not cause the spike in blood sugar level as the other sugars. It's glycemic index is actually lower than many complex carbs. It is also more suitable for diabetics.

DG, that's a nice bode in the pic.

$40 + a ticket to Rio will get you Patricia, the goddess of Terma Rua Antigua.
More coming soon in a trip report...

Patricia and many garotas lose weight by engaging in hourly workouts. Plus they take protein supplements.

LOSE THE GUT,
KEEP THE CASH

Here's a diet and exercise plan that has worked for me. I'm 38 years old, 6' 4", and weigh about 190 pounds. I'm not especially muscular at that weight, but I am trim and have kept a 32-inch waist for most of my adult life.

There's nothing scientific about it. It doesn't require rigid diets or exotic exercises. You don't have to be particularly disciplined. You just need 30-60 minutes a day for basic, familiar exercises that almost anyone can do.

There's nothing expensive about it. You don't need massive outlays of cash for equipment, expensive supplements, or gym memberships. In fact, you can do this without spending a single cent. Save your money for the chicas.

DIET

Proper eating is 80 percent of your weight loss success. Many of you swear by the Atkins diet, and that's okay, but you should control your relationship with food first. Before you start Atkins or any other diet, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you eat during times of stress?
2. Do you often eat foods that make you feel bad afterwards?
3. Do you eat when you're not hungry, or past the point of fullness?
4. Do you eat during situations when you're not aware of how much you're eating (for example, snacking duing a ball game or movie)?

If the answer to any of the above is YES, then you will eventually have trouble with your weight no matter which diet you're on. Getting a handle on your eating habits is the most important thing you can do to control your weight.

Always be aware of each bite you put in your mouth, especially when you're preoccupied with other things.

Chew you food slowly. Don't inhale it.

Listen to your body. Stop eating when you're full.

Eat when you're hungry, not when the clock tells you to.

Avoid foods that make you feel bad afterwards. Ask yourself if that pizza or hot fudge sundae is worth the nausea or sugar buzz that comes later.

With proper attention, you will soon control your relationship with food. You will lose weight without struggle. No depravation necessary. I eat what I want and don't worry about calories or carbs. I avoid greasy, sugary, and salty foods simply because they don't taste good anymore.

EXERCISE

Exercise is the remaining 20 percent of the equation. Diet and exercise form a symbiotic relationship. One part won't work without the other. You can have a good exercise plan, but if your diet is poor, you won't lose the weight you want. Likewise, you can lose weight simply by cutting calories, but you'll make things worse for yourself in the long run if you don't exercise. So, add regular, muscle-sparing exercise, which should be a combination of resistance training and aerobics.

Resistance Training:

Muscle burns fat. Keep it going with resistance training. All you need to firm up and trim down is a sturdy, padded bench and a set of adjustable dumbbells. You can find both items for less than $100 if you shop around. Try garage sales and discount sporting goods stores. The Internet is also a good place to look. You can keep your equipment in an out-of-the-way corner in your garage or spare room and use it anytime you want, without having to wait for Hans and Franz to finish their super-sets.

Here are a few basic exercises that work large muscle groups at once and save you time. This list makes up a circuit. That is, you do one set of each exercise in the following order, rest for a minute or two, and then repeat the circuit.

The first circuit is for warming up. Use half the weight you normally use. You should finish both circuits within 20-25 minutes.

1. Squats
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and squat down as if you were sitting on a chair. Keep your back rigid and your weight on your heels. Pull your stomach in. Use enough weight to tire you after 8 repetitions. Add weight when the last rep is as easy as the first.

2. One-arm rows
Place your right knee and hand on the bench, and bend over until your back is parallel to the floor. Take the dumbbell in your left hand and lift the dumbbell off the floor and toward your left hip. Use enough weight to tire you after 8 repetitions. Then, repeat with the right hand. Add weight when the last rep is as easy as the first.

3. Push-ups
Everyone knows how to do these, so I won't explain them. I will mention that the humble push-up will add depth and thickness to your chest, upper back, and shoulders in record time, and all without barbells or a spotter. Aim for 25 reps. When the last rep is as easy as the first, make the exercise harder by putting your feet up on the bench or having someone sit on your back.

4. Ab crunches
Everyone also knows how to do these, so I won't explain them. I will mention that, done regularly and properly, ab crunches will lift and pull in your abdominals and help you get that trim waistline.

Do this circuit at least twice a week, for example, Mondays and Fridays. Add Wednesday if your recovery is good. Stretch for 5 minutes afterwards.

The Poor Man's Workout

If you can't or won't buy equipment, then here are some exercises that require just a kitchen chair and your own bodyweight. Do three circuits a day, 2 or 3 days a week.

1. Squats (as many as you can do)
2. Lunges (first one leg, and then the other)
3. Push-ups (make them harder by putting your feet on the kitchen chair)
4. Tricep Dips (face away from the chair, put one hand on either side of the chair, pull your legs out straight, and use your triceps to lower and raise your behind to and from the floor)
5. Ab Crunches

Aerobics:

Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart and burns fat. You won't need a treadmill, excercise bike, or other such machine. Just go outside and walk. If you can find some hills to climb up or down, so much the better. If the weather is bad, then go to a shopping mall and walk around. Just stay away from the Hot-Dog-on-a-Stick counter!

Walk for 30 minutes a day, every day. If you have more than a little to lose, then walk twice a day: once in the morning before you go to work and once in the evening after you get home. Don't just amble. Move. Swing your arms. Walk with a purpose, like you have somewhere to go.

That's it. Do all of the above regularly, and you won't recognize yourself after two or three months.

Be patient. It took time to grow that gut and it will take time to lose it.

(Message edited by Arnie_38 on April 06, 2003)

Excellent post, Arnie. I pretty much 100% (is that an oxymoron) agree with what you say. I especially like this part:

"Avoid foods that make you feel bad afterwards. Ask yourself if that pizza or hot fudge sundae is worth the nausea or sugar buzz that comes later."

I always knew that foods bad-for-you also have bad feelings afterwards, but I'd never thought to reverse-think the process this way such that you out-motivate yourself. So to speak. :P English escapes me today, but basically that's an excellent way of thinking of it.

I am gonna go out and get that damn padded bench I've always been telling myself I need.

if you fat bastards want to drop some pounds just go on the atkins diet hard core. almost no carbs for two solid weeks with no cheating and you'll drop a quick 20 pounds. If you need to drop more than that then your have let it get to our of control. its easy. you can always drop more by jumping on the diet again.

Watch your head, I think that atkins diet can cause you to lose balance.

I did the strict Atkins routine for a week or so, dropped 5 pounds and then went off it this past Saturday. I ate 2 TJ hotdogs outside of AB and then a late night medium sized sub when I got home.

All 5 pounds came back. Weird, how's that explained?

That is the problem with diets. As soon as you go back to a normal diet i.e. tacos beer and hotdogs, you gain it all back.

Just exercise "hard" a minimum of 1 1/2 hours a day, a minimum of 4 days a week and you will slowly burn it off.

Just diet at least two-three days a week with no booze and a "Lean Cuisine" for dinner.

You will feel good and lose weight.

Exercise takes at least a couple of months before you get addicted.

just, just, just

yeah right

I'll have to wait until I get over the SARS I picked up in Hawaii

no kidding, came down with a major respiratory illness 4 days after getting back, almost gone now, 3 weeks later. very nasty

If you "just" excercised 4 days a week your respiratory infermo would have been gone after a couple of days. Oh yeah, maybe if you would quit smoking it might for SURE possibly help??

yes Dad

Fitness Rule #1: Never take fitness advice from anyone who is in worse shape than yourself.

For the record, the last time I saw Ben he was a white beard away from being a dead ringer for Santa Claus.

-Superman-

LOL, Superman, how's your shape?

Any speed typing advice? That Mavis Beacon thing didn't help.

What are you guys rip'n on Ben for?

When I met him about a month ago I thought he look like Mr.(old as the)Universe.

Hey,

I had a girl in La Tropa last week tell me I was "guapo". Of course it was Nancy and she had been on kri kri all day and I had bought her four shots of tequilla. Seriously, she noticed I no longer look pregnant.

I am only 15-20 lbs from perfection!!!!

Thanks Snapper for taking up for me., I hope you find a pubic hair in your next beer.

Superman in his own words is "ripped".

Someone told me he looks like Superman and not Clark Kent...

benwhowillgivenoxmaspresentstoSuperman

Never understood why make this topic more complicated than it should be as all you need to do is to exercise, to have a balanced diet, and every now and then get your dick suck by a beautiful girl. The hard part is getting started, so start slow and work your way up and I'll guarantee you'll surprised yourself!! Diet pills, workout machines, and anything on an informecial is for suckers.

I've discovered the benefits of smoking.

Really. I had not been a regular smoker, but in the last 6 weeks I've taken to smoking one or two pipe-fulls of tobacco a day, generally in the evening. The stimulant effect of the nicotine has led me to "sleep intensely" with a higher metabolic rate throughout the day.

Cigars didn't work as well as pipes. Cigars left me short of breath, tired out, with dry nostrils (very annoying in the middle of the night) but the aromas of a pipe don't seem as deleterious.

I can "feel" (sense in general) the ketosis, because my heart rate is more quick, and also more quick to recover after activity (like climbing the stairs) and because I'm generating more heat from my body over all. Pipes combined with Atkins are working to reduce my weight more than any other plan I've ever been on.

LOL. I don't claim it's HEALTHY ... just effective ...

Book guy, the use of Crack pipes are said to be really effective for weight loss.

Bookguy you are starting to sound like an old man

Hey, Milkster, I'm sure you're an expert on the croaking and wheezing noises old men make when they're ... ahem ... busy ...

Ben, I've never admitted to being anything other than short, fat and bald ...

This is the Superman workout. Eat whatever you want, whenever you want, have random chicks approach you in malls to fondle your arms ...

Once every three days, 70 seconds between sets; 70 seconds between exercises. Total time approx 1 1/2 hours:

Reps are approximate, basically working each set to muscle failure (with some exceptions).

Bench Press "Heavy"
6-8 reps, 4 sets

Bench Press "Light"
10-12 reps, 4 sets

I begin the workout with one of the two, and end the workout with the other. I flip it around every other workout.

I rotate the order of all the following exercises each workout (for example, curls could be the 2nd exercise Monday and the 8th exercise Thursday, etc.).

Curls (Curl Bar)
6-8 reps, 4 sets (3 close grip, 1 wide grip)

Butterfly
10-12 reps, 4 sets.

Tricep Press
8-10 reps, 4 sets

Pull Ups
6-12 reps, 5 sets (3 overhand wide grip; 1 underhand close grip; 1 behind the neck wide grip)

Inverted Sit Ups
15-20 reps, 1 set. Basically hanging upside down from the pull up bar and curling up.

Up-Right Row
8-10 reps, 4 sets

Dips
8-12 reps, 4 sets (3 sets elbows out for the chest, 1 set elbows in for the triceps)

Calf Raises
50 reps, 1 set. Concentrating on explosive "snap" movement.

Squats
30 reps, very light weight, concentrating on explosive movement.

Seated Dumbell Curls
8-12 reps, 6 sets

I also do one of following two exercises every other workout:

Behind The Neck Press
6-8 reps, 4 sets

OR

Push Ups
4 sets on push up bars, each to failure, varying grip width.

I've used some variation of this workout for about 10 years, consistently every third day unless I'm hurt or sick. No supplements, protein powder or any of that waste of money crap they sell at GNC (except creatine for about 3 years in there somewhere).

Errr, unless your name rhymes with Hogster, consult a physician before beginning any exercise program ... I do not take responsibility if you cease to exist because of my superior workout.

-Superman-

Atkins died.

Dr. Atkins slipped on a sidewalk and suffered severe brain damage April 8th which resulted in his death today.

Great men have been laughed at before. Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, among them and of course Dr. Atkins. Though his theories were not given the kind of acclaim that they deserved from his colleagues in the medical community his books sold in the tens of millions.

His other theories in the treatment of cancer and HIV with the use of ozone gas are now being used in other countries.

Lastly, I owe a personal debt of gratitude to this great man because all attempts at losing weight failed for me except for the Atkins low carbohydrate way of life and I am today saddened by the loss of this genius who took on the nutritionists of his day and proved them wrong.

Cheers and Health and Peace,
Lancer

I'm always up for a cheer for a groundbreaker or an iconoclast, someone who's willing to say "no" to the received wisdom of his time because he's got something better to offer. A cheer for the dearly departed (and skinny!) Dr. Atkins!

Did you know his no-carbs thing was first introduced ... and widely derided ... as early as 1969? And yet it's now widely ... accepted. Grr to the establishment, hooray to the sensible.

after reading most of this it seems most of you who have not had sucess have the same problem. Stayed on the diet and then ate or drank a bunch. First figure out it you want to lose weight and then actually stick to it.

All you have to do is cut the carbs and get off the couch and get some exersize. Everyone's body is different but most overweight people, me included are that way because they don't eat right and don't get the proper amount of exersize. I went from 218 to 183 and added lots of muscule. Believe me I am very lazy and like my cocktails. All it took was about 5-6 hours a week of good exersize and sticking to a low carb diet. I'm off the hard core diet for over an month and have not gained back a pound. Check out michelob ultra if you like beer. 2 carbs per beer. Just don't go back to the fries, pizza and sodas. Hope this helps.

As one whose been a vegitarian and carb junkie, Atkins looked pretty damn fit for 72 years.. If he hadn't slipped on the ice, could have easily seen 82 or more..

Can't knock the guy for being a maverick in his time.. Now, maybe he will be taken serious..

Just put on a pair of waist size 38 Levis for the first time in about four years. A little tight, but they look better than baggy jeans. All my 40" Dockers and slacks are baggy (with bunches of extra material around the waist).

No dieting to speak of, except when you have just exercised for two hours, you think twice before you have that ice cream or McDonalds Big Mac and french fries.

I have lost 17 lbs and 3 inches off my waist in just about four months.

Yesterday I was on a stationary bike for one hour and then ran three miles in 32 minutes. Burned off approx 1100 calories from the aerobics and then worked out with weights for another 1/2 hour. Looked like I had been thrown in a swimming pool when I was finished.

Exercise is as much mental as physical and I have now made up my mind that this is going to be a permanent part of my lifestyle, just likes mongering in Tijuana.

I will continue this exercise stuff the rest of my life.

I admire your discipline. Is the bike in your casa? I do a token jog 5 days a week, rowing machine, rarely the bike (in the complex gym) but always enjoy it.

No, the bike is a very modern digital type in a gym. They have several types with some having arm bars to excersize biceps while peddling for calories.

WOW,

I just grabbed a size 38 belt out of my closet and could easily draw it to the third notch/hole on the belt. I had not worn that belt in a least 4-5 years. My fairly new size 40 belt was loose on the fifth and last hole.

I am now consistently going to the gym 5-6 days a week with a minimum of one hour fifteen minutes and a maximum of two hours.

Last Saturday I went 30 minutes on a stationary bike and then ran on the treadmill for 43 minutes for a distance of 4 mile.

I have now been doing this for over four months and have lost about 18 lbs with little dieting other than a small amount of common sense on what I eat.

I am out to prove that damn Superman wrong, even if it kills me.

Benwhowillexerciseuntilhedies

Good for you Ben.

The real question is, can you fuck your little TJ princess until she can't take it anymore?

I just finished with her today. Not finished like no mas, but like completion after three hours at Las Mansion.

We fucked,drank tiquilla,fucked, jacuzzi, ate a couple of shrimp coctails,drank,fucked until my dick was sore.

She told me she loved me and prays to God every night that he/she sent me to her. I am not bullshiting about that God stuff. Yo tambien "Gracias Dios por 19 year old hardbodies who look 16!!!

Would like to hear from folks who were doing Atkins. What is their progress, are they still on the program, amount of weight lost or gained back. Any other detail. I am seriously thinking of going on Atkins as every other diet/exercise I have tried yield no result. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

jkarp: I've been on Atkins for about four months, although stayed in the induction stage for only about 6 weeks. I did not lose alot of weight, but wasn't trying to as I am 5'8" with starting weight of about 167 (I'm now about 159,aiming for 154). I am sure I would have lost more if I exercised during this time, but I have neglected that part of the program. I am probably eating more than I did before Atkins so the amount of weight loss is not that bad. It is a fairly easy diet to stay on so long as you don't go out to alot of restaurants and eat everything served (such as bread, rice, pasta, and deserts). Also, some people may find it difficult to cut out beer (although hard alcohol is okay in the later stages of the diet). I would recommend purchasing some of the food available at atkinscenter.com and some of the vitamin or low carb outlets, e.g., vitacost.com as it makes staying on the diet easier. Some of it is a bit pricey though so it depends on what type of budget you are on. I am going to Brazil in a couple of days which will be a test of whether I can stay on the diet while away from home and/or the consequences of deviating from the diet for a couple of weeks. We will see.

Interesting article about Atkins diet:

http://slate.msn.com/id/2082965/

I don't disagree with some of the conclusions in the article cited by Ben about the Atkins diet. However, while some of the available commercial low-carb food doesn't taste that great, there is quite a bit out there that does.
Here is a link to an article summarizing the latest reported research on the Atkins diet and its effectiveness for weight loss.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030521/ap_on_he_me/atkins_diet_4

I do not support the Atkins diet. I just thought it was an interesting article for those on the diet or those considering the diet.

Interesting piece on ABC NEWS yesterday and which they compared Atkins with a calorie/exercise controlled diet and the winner was Atkins. Surprisingly good cholesterol on Atkins increased and bad cholesterol decreased, ever after eating all the red meat and fat prone food. Amazing how the studies are now supporting Atkins versus what we have been taught over the years, eat more fiber, fruits and vegs.

Interesting phenomenon has just taken place with me. The narrative:

I hit my bi-weekly carbo-load day, and since it's a holiday I splurged for a full 24 hours. I went to the latenight grocery around 10 pm Saturday, bought 4 bags of Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies (an assortment of flavors) and a gallon of milk. For the next 24 hours or so -- 10 pm Sat to around 8 pm Sun -- I finished all the cookies. I had some other more healthy food, too.

That was not an extremely bad eating binge, on my part. I chose to eat that many cookies, as much to instill a sick stomach sensation, and hence a poison-avoidance type of response, as anything else. Had I wanted, I could have stopped at any point.

Anyway, the point is, that after such carbo-rich days, I tend to be desperate for more more more food, because my appetite begins to crave carbo-volume again. Basically, I've usually kicked myself out of ketosis. I do these carbo days about once every two or three weeks, partly to keep up my muscle glycogen, but also partly so I can tell myself that I'm not "denying" myself anything. (One of the greatest things about the ketogenic diets, in my experience, is that your actual appetite changes to where you don't WANT the sickly sweet stuff any more, so you don't FEEL like you're dieting.)

Well, the point is, this time around, I didn't get cravings. It's a full 24 hrs. since the cookie binge right about now (well, 22), and I'm still fairly full. I had my regular breakfast, and very little other food today, and am not in the mood for some kind of late night carbo snack like I usually would be on the day after a carbo binge.

What happened?

I'm still losing. My recent panick attack, that my midsection had gotten softer, was misperception. I am slowly going down, and am cutting in to those last few vanity pounds. Unfortunately, the thing that is the surest way to cause further benefits, is to up my exercise. HATE THAT!! I have been lifting weights more, and doing more yard work, than previously.

So, any explanation about why this latest carbo binge didn't kick me too far out of ketosis as did previous binges?

A carb day is a healthy thing and will not, own its own, stop your weight loss--having said that..WOW...when you have a carb day you dont mess around do you?