Help the Mavs, help d-m.com, help DJ, help get rid of my fat @$$

[LRB]

Earlier this month I created the What would you give for a Mavs championship? thread. I've thought about this long and hard and come up with what I'd give up. I really don't think that it will help the Mavs. But it can help out the board and DJ who is the primary source of funds to support the board and who has given us this great board to talk about the Mavs. It will also help me personally, though I'll have to sacrifice greatly.

Here's the deal. I had surgery earlier this year for sinuses. It took several months to recover enough to go back to work and even then I've not been well enough to be very active. I needed to lose some weight before the surgery and afterwards I've put on even more. I'm up to about what Shaq weighed last year, 380 give or take a few pounds. Only I'm only 6'4" and believe me it's not all muscle. This is a big health problem for me. So I'm going on a weight loss program. It'll be some diet, some diet pills, and a lot of exercise. I've got a setup at home with an elliptical machine in front of the TV so I can watch Bball and workout. I'm willing to pledge to donate $1 to the board for each pound I lose. Ideally I'd like to get to 220. I don't expect to get there but that's a cap of 160 lbs. I'd like to invite you all to support me in losing the weight and if you want to pledge to donate an amount to DJ for each pound I lose. You can just donate a set amount. This is a serious health probem for me. I'd really appreciate any support you all can give me.

My goal is to at least lose 1 lbs for each Mavs regular season and playoff victory this year. Ideally 98. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] I'll have to lose the rest during the off season and next season.

This is a serious matter and literally is life and death for me so I would appreciate keeping any flames out of this thread. Jokes will be appreciated though.

Anybody else who needs to lose a few lbs is welcome to join in. The more (people that is) the merrier. The only exception is Sweets. I don't want to be responsible for shortening her life span. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] (See When will you die? thread for details).

I started tonight with 1 hour elliptical workout, taking diet pills, and did an initial weigh in. I'll report periodically.

[MavsFanatik33]

That is a great idea LRB, good luck to ya...

[Dirk41= konsesjonen]

good luck man. I am in great shape, not to brag. But I know what its like. I have a horrible metabolism, I eat not so much, but will gain lots of weight. That's why I work my ass off in the gym, playing basketball, tennis, benching, ect. I am physically great, but if I ever stopped working out, even for a week, and had a normal diet, id probably gain 10 lbs., seriously.

[Chiwas]

Before any other comment, LRB, I have a question, are you under medical observation for this challenge of losing weight through diet, pills, and exercise? It's very risky if not.

[LRB]

Yeah Chiwas I have an apointment set up with my doctor to go over all.

[Usually Lurkin]

you're looking to lose 160 lbs? Wow, man. You're cool. Be safe.
I'm in. I pledge to D-M.com 1 dollar for every 5lbs LRB looses.

And this better help the mavs win! even after he looses the weight, LRB will have more pounds than I have dollars [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[grbh]

Great idea, and good luck to you I'll match Lurkins $1 per 5 lbs.

I don't know what it costs to run this site, but I know it can't be cheap. I think everyone needs to get in on this. If he loses 160lbs, that is $32. Hardly a significant sacrifice.

[Murphy3]

all I can say is 'good luck' and take it one cheeseburger at a time...or, whatever your particular weakness may be.

[Chiwas]

Originally posted by: grbh
Great idea, and good luck to you I'll match Lurkins $1 per 5 lbs.

I don't know what it costs to run this site, but I know it can't be cheap. I think everyone needs to get in on this. If he loses 160lbs, that is $32. Hardly a significant sacrifice.

If 50 of us make this, it would be $1,600. I think D-M hasn't collected half of that in one year.

[DNNF]

Atkins diet. I have several friends are doing it and lost 15 lbs in 4 months.

[SaltwaterChaffy]

good luck LRB. I'm not in the best shape myself, and being in college isn't helping things. make sure to be safe, and avoid ephedrine based diet pills (xenadrine is probably the most famous). I tried that a few years ago, lost about 20 pounds in 3 weeks, and felt like my heart was about to explode. I decided a heart failure was less acceptable than flab.

you donate through pay-pal right?
i'm a poor college student, but i'll throw down a buck per 10 pounds.

[OzMavs]

yep. I'm in. $1 for every 5 pounds. Go LRB!

[veruca salt]

Being a poor student I don't really have the money to pledge anything, but I'd always told myself that when I had
a job i'd pledge some money. That day is drawing closer and i'm sure I can organise something to sponsor you with.
Until then, thats awesome. Maybe you'll motivate me to get off my fat butt....naaaaah [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

[southern_sweets]

What kind of diet are going on (as far as food)?
I have recipes for several diet plans (Atkins, low fat, etc.).

I'm in the $1 per 5 lbs. as well.

[LRB]

I'm basically trying to eat more healthy and less. During the weekdays I usually do Subway for lunch and dinner. Main thing for me is to exercise. When I do my appetite goes way down, I crave healthy food and don't crave unhealthy food.

I'm also taking a diet pill called leptoprin for people seriously overweight. And about 100 glasses of water per day. The exercise walking to the restroom should be worth a couple of pounds per week alone. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[Murphy3]

If you gain weight, does that mean DJ has to pay us money?


i'll make a donation..but, it'll probably be a set amount..
buying a house and a big screen TV...
I only have money for necessities

[LRB]

Originally posted by: Murphy3
If you gain weight, does that mean DJ has to pay us money?

LOL. Better make that a no. I would hate to literally eat into the d-m.com funds.

[LRB]

I weighed in last night and the losses so far since Tuesday night, total 2 pounds. I do notice a little better fit in the pants though.

So far I've been pretty good with eating healthy and eating less. No splurges. I've also been doing at least an hour on the elliptical machine each day since Tuesday.

I'm going to try and do a weekly weigh in every Saturday. I have to go to the health club though to get a scale that goes up enough to weigh right now, and this fits my schedule best.

[southern_sweets]

Originally posted by: LRB
I weighed in last night and the losses so far since Tuesday night, total 2 pounds. I do notice a little better fit in the pants though.

So far I've been pretty good with eating healthy and eating less. No splurges. I've also been doing at least an hour on the elliptical machine each day since Tuesday.

I'm going to try and do a weekly weigh in every Saturday. I have to go to the health club though to get a scale that goes up enough to weigh right now, and this fits my schedule best.

2 pounds already! I'm out 50 cents in the first week. Slow down LRB. I'm not made of money.
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[Chiwas]

"I have a great diet. You're allowed to eat anything you want, but you must eat it with naked fat people."

- Ed Bluestone

[LRB]

Originally posted by: Chiwas
"I have a great diet. You're allowed to eat anything you want, but you must eat it with naked fat people."

- Ed Bluestone

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img] I think I just lost my appetite. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[ZueriMav]

Bump.

LRB, what your diet is doing??

I'm in the $1 per 5 lbs. as well. (since your first day of diet, of course. I.e. Oct 29)

[Chiwas]

28 Small Changes That Will Make a Big Difference
By Melissa Sperl for WeightWatchers.com

When you were little and first learned to tie your shoes, someone taught you how to do it by breaking it down into smaller steps. First tie a knot. Then make the loops. Now tie the bow.

Splitting any task up into stages helps it seem more manageable, and gets you to goal quicker. The same goes for weight loss.

As you accomplish each "mini-goal," you'll feel like a winner. That sense of accomplishment is great motivation for meeting more mini-goals, and more, until suddenly you're at the weight you've always wanted.

"Making small changes one at a time is a great strategy," agrees Howard Rankin, Ph. D., a South Carolina psychologist. "It's not overwhelming, and it results in a slower, more steady weight loss."

Remember: When it comes to weight loss, slow and steady wins the race. It's the pace that will help you get to your goal, then stay there.


Do Sweat the Small Stuff
A bunch of small changes add up to big results. Maybe cutting the cream out of your coffee seems like a small feat to you. But once you've got that down you can add another small feat, then another.

"Baby steps are the way to go," said one WeightWatchers.com user. "Especially when you're just starting the plan. There seem to be so many things to do, it's overwhelming. Little things become habits, and eventually the whole process doesn't seem so overwhelming."

We asked people like you — on the WeightWatchers.com Message Boards and in Meetings rooms — what small steps they've taken in order to see their way toward their weight goals. This is what they said ...

... About Small Eating Changes


-Water, water, water, water. (Your skin will look great, too!)
-Order half portions at restaurants, or share a full portion with -somebody. Or ask for a "to-go" container when you order your food, and pack up half the portion before you even start eating.
-Cut back on butter and mayo.
-Limit fried foods to once or twice per week.
-Use less or no sugar in your coffee or tea.
-Replace ground beef with "Boca" products or ground turkey.
-Try at least one new food every week. If you're bored with what you're eating, you're more likely to give up.
-Eat fresh, raw veggies with sandwiches instead of chips.
-Measure your portions until you're sure you know what a cup, a half-cup, and a tablespoon look like. This will help you practice portion control, an essential key to weight-loss success.
-Try not to drink high-calorie beverages.
-Dip your fork in a side of salad dressing before each bite, instead of pouring it directly on your salad. You'll find that you are satisfied with much less than you usually put on.
-Find healthy alternatives to all your favorite foods.
-If you don't really love it, don't eat it.
-Never eat out of a bag or box. Take out a measured/counted quantity of food and put it in a bowl. This way, you know exactly how much you're having.
-Always eat something for breakfast.
-Read food labels. Check serving sizes.
-Add vegetables to everything.
-Plan meals in advance; use that information to make out a complete shopping list.
-Give food to guests to take home.
-Write down everything you eat and drink, without fail.
-Plan ahead for special occasions by accounting for higher-calorie foods before you eat them.

29 Play basketball.

[LRB]

Originally posted by: ZueriMav
Bump.

LRB, what your diet is doing??

I'm in the $1 per 5 lbs. as well. (since your first day of diet, of course. I.e. Oct 29)

Ah not so well lately. After some initial success I've been stalled for the last several weeks. Maybe I can get on a hot streak like the Mavs.

[Chiwas]

25 Little Tips for Big Weight Loss

By Karen Hammonds for WeightWatchers.com

Don't wait to put your plan into action. Try some of the tips below today.

Changing eating and exercise habits can seem so daunting, it's no wonder that some of us never get very far. What's the best way to begin? The surest way to success is to make small changes. Think in terms of manageable baby steps, like swapping the cream in your morning coffee for nonfat creamer. There are lots of little changes you can make - in your diet and your daily routine - that will add up to a lot of weight loss over the long haul.

Take a look at our 25 tips below for eating smarter, fitting exercise into your busy day and revamping your daily routine. Start by picking five changes that you're sure you can tackle and put them into practice this week. Then try another five next week. (Click the "printable page" link above to print this out for easy reference.)

Not every idea is right for everyone, so experiment and see what works for you. Lots of little changes can yield big weight-loss results - and a healthier new you!

Eating Tips

Good things come in small packages. Here's a trick for staying satisfied without consuming large portions: Chop high-calorie foods like cheese and chocolate into smaller pieces. It will seem like you're getting more than you actually are.
Don't give up dips. If you love creamy dips and sauces, don't cut them out of your diet completely. Just use low-fat sour cream and mayo instead of the full-fat stuff.
Get water-wise. Make a habit of reaching for a glass of water instead of a high-calorie snack. It will help your overall health as well as your waistline. Add some zest with a twist of lemon or lime.
Herb it up. Stock up your spice rack, and start growing a small herb garden in your kitchen window. Spices and herbs add fantastic flavor to foods without adding fat or calories.
Slim down your soup. Make a big batch of soup and refrigerate it before you eat it. As it cools, the fat will rise to the top. Skim it off the surface for reduced fat content.
Doggie-bag that dinner. At restaurants, ask the server to put half your entrée in a doggie bag before bringing it to your table. Putting the food away before you start your meal will help you practice portion control.
Listen to your cravings. If you're craving something sweet, eat something sweet - just opt for a healthier nosh, like fruit, instead of a high-calorie one. The same goes for crunchy cravings - for example, try air-popped popcorn with soy sauce instead of high-fat tortilla chips. It's just smart substitution!
Ease your way into produce. If you're new to eating lots of fruits and veggies, start slowly. Just add them to the foods you already enjoy. Pile veggies on top of your sandwiches, or add fruit to your cereal.
Look for high-fat hints. Want an easy way to identify high-calorie entrees? Keep an eye out for these words: au gratin, parmigiana, tempura, alfredo, creamy and carbonara, and enjoy them in moderation.
Don't multitask while you eat. If you're working, reading or watching TV while you eat, you won't be paying attention to what's going into your mouth - and you won't be enjoying every bite. Every time you sit down for a meal, sit down. Chew slowly and pay attention to flavors and textures. You'll enjoy your food more and eat less.
Taste something new. Broaden your food repertoire - you may find you like more healthy foods than you knew. Try a new fruit or vegetable (ever had jicama, plantain, bok choy, starfruit or papaya?).
Leave something on your plate at every meal. One bite of bagel, half your sandwich, the bun from your burger. See if you feel satisfied eating just a bit less.
Get to know your portion sizes. It's easy to underestimate how much you're eating. Don't just estimate things - make sure. Ask how much is in a serving, read the fine print on labels, measure your food. And learn portion equivalents: One serving of pasta, for instance, should be around the size of a tennis ball.
Make a healthy substitution. Learn to swap healthier foods for their less-healthful counterparts. Find a substitution that works for you: Use skim milk instead of whole milk; make up a batch of brownie mix with applesauce instead of oil; try a whole-grain bread instead of white.
Bring lunch to work. Packing lunch will help you control your portion sizes. It also provides a good alternative to restaurants and fast-food joints, where making healthy choices every day can be challenging (not to mention expensive).
Have some dessert. You don't have to deny yourself all the time. Have a treat that brings you pleasure, but this time enjoy it guilt-free - be sure you're practicing portion control, and compensate for your indulgence by exercising a little more or by skipping your afternoon snack.
Ask for what you need. Tell your mother-in-law you don't want seconds. Ask your sweetie to stop bringing you chocolates. Speak up for the salad bar when your coworkers are picking a restaurant for lunch. Whatever you need to do to succeed at weight loss, ask for it. Make yourself a priority and assert yourself.

Fitness Tips

Improve your treadmill technique. When walking on a treadmill, don't grip the rails. It's fine to touch them for balance, but you shouldn't have to hold on. If you do, that might be a signal you should lower the intensity level.
Simon says ... get fit. Here's an easy way to fit in exercise with your kids: Buy a set of one-pound weights and play a round of Simon Says — you do it with the weights, they do it without. They'll love it!
Make the most of your walks. If your walking routine has become too easy, increase your effort by finding hills. Just be sure to tackle them at the beginning of your walk, when you have energy to spare.
Shop 'til you drop ... pounds. Add a workout to your shopping sessions by parking your car as far from the store as possible, to get more walking in. And try walking up the escalator - getting to your destination faster will be an added bonus.
Walk an extra 100 steps at work. Adding even a little extra exercise to your daily routine can boost your weight loss. Today, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or stroll down the hall to talk to a co-worker instead of sending an e-mail or calling.

Lifestyle Tips

Brush your teeth after every meal and snack. This will be a signal to your mouth - and your mind - that it's time to stop eating. Brushing will also give your mouth a nice fresh taste that you'll be disinclined to ruin with a random potato chip. At work, keep a toothbrush with a cover and toothpaste in your desk drawer.

Clean your closet! First, it's great exercise. Second, it's an important step in changing your attitude. Get rid of all the clothes that make you look or feel bad. Throw out anything that's too big - don't give yourself the option of ever fitting into those clothes again. Move the smaller clothes up to the front to help motivate you. Soon, you'll be fitting into those too-tight jeans you couldn't bear to part with.

Take your measurements. You might not like your stats now, but you'll be glad you wrote them down when you see how many inches you lose. It's also another way to measure your success, instead of just looking at the scale. Sometimes even when the numbers on the scale aren't going down, the measurements on your body are.



Only to think on making all this stuff makes one feel like eating. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/img]

[djb]

Just wanted to see how your diet was going? I've been dieting hard the last few weeks and man do I feel your pain! I broke down a couple weeks ago and binged for seven days straight on pizza, fried chicken, sushi, donuts, danishes, etc.. Gained 10 POUNDS in just one week [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img] I'm back on track now, on an 800-900 calorie deficit and boy does it suck!

[Smiles]

Since I started my new job, we've had unlimited supplies of popcorn (the best kind) and M&M's. I am nearly in shock that it caught up with me. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] For so long, I have denied myself nothing, and still stayed really happy with my body. But introducing such junk food into a daily routine will sabotage a personally delightful body image in no time. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Anyway, I've done better lately, and my mindset is changing. That's what it's all about, right? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

[aexchange]

after eating nothing but mcdonalds and chick fil a for about 5 months straight every day for lunch, i gained close to 20-25. and balloooooned.

about a month ago i started a diet. im down to about 1000-1200 calories per day. and have lost 10-15 lbs now. feeling great. and it hasnt been too tough either.

[aexchange]

another thing, LRB ... i've been taking Thermo DynamX made by EAS over the past month and its a great supplement. you may want to look into it and see if its good for you.

[djb]

aexchange how does your diet look? I'm down to about 1500-1600 cals a day and it's a real pain since I eat 6 times a day. Can't see how anyone can possibly eat as low as you and stay sane! I'm always freaking hungry!

The only way I can control my hunger is with an ephedra/caffeine stack. And no I don't wanna hear anyone b*tching about the "dangers" of ephedra! I've been taking it for 6yrs and have done a few research papers and speeches on it..also been stocking up on it with the ban only days away (25 bottles of Stacker2 and counting lol!).

[aexchange]

it hasnt been easy thats for sure.

my days usually look like this in terms of food intake.

breakfast:
one packet of instant oatmeal: 140 calories

lunch:
two slices of low calorie bread: 45x2 = 90 calories
low fat turkey breast ham = 120 calories
honey mustard = 10 calories
two snack sized lite syrup fruit cups = 60x 2 = 120 calories

dinner
2 healthy choice tv dinners = 290 x 2 = 580 calories

total calories = 1060. i only drink water during the day, and i may have a glass of gatorade after i get off work.

[mavsman55]

There is no better diet than to play basketball, or some other heavy-running sport. Whoever said that before couldn't have been more right. I read somewhere that on the average, a starter in the nba runs 8-9 miles per game. Believe me, it's easier to run with a purpose (playing a sport) than to run around a track 4 times and only get done with one mile. Play basketball a few times a week with a couple of your buddies, and let's just say this board will be a lot richer in a short time [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Good luck man!