I need your advice please?? (exercise, weight-loss)

O

obrien60

New Member
Hey Ladies and Gents,

I need some advice and I know you guys/gals can help me. Between everyone on the forum, I just know that someone has the answers that I am looking for.

I recently started dieting; I'm doing high protein and low carb because I have tried everything else under the sun and I am hoping that going "high-protein" will help me.

I decided not to do an actual diet, but to follow a calorie restriction and not go over 1800 calories a day. I know that sounds odd, but I feel a little be freer and I have more flexibility now that I can choose whatever I want to eat, within this calorie restriction. The result being that if I eat better and leaner, I can eat more food within my calorie range. THIS is specifically why I wanted to do high protein and low carb, because I can eat more proteins and feel fuller than eating less carb and feeling hungrier. I feel as though I have to trick myself.

Anyhow, my question is this; what supplements are good to take? I am a huge Dr. Oz fan and I literally write down every supplement and diet that comes on his show. I write them down and look them up later. A few weeks ago he had one on Garcinia Cambogia Extract. I have never heard of this before, I was looking into taking carb and fat blockers and ran into Chromium Picolinate and L-carnatine (I hope I spelled that correctly). So, as it happens I am trying to get my hands on as much information as possible. The extract is supposed to be a miracle supplement and I want to know if anyone has tried it. I found an article on it http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...231403591.html and did a wikipedia search (I know some of you check wiki too) and it seems legit. Please tell me if you tried it and whether or not it worked and also tell me where I can buy it. There are so many places online that sell these supplements but I'd rather get a good recommendation from you.

In addition to this I joined Bally's Total Gym, I'll be honest, it's a poor-mans gym and I'm on a budget. I can't complain too much, they have a pool and sauna and they have an aerobics area as well as the usual gym equipment. My question here is this; I have used the Elliptical and I have used the Cross Trainer. I have a bad back and I noticed that the Elliptical bothers my back and my knees, despite the fact that the trainer at the gym (they give you a free session as a new member) told me that the Elliptical would be gentle on my knees. It wasn't! The Cross-Trainer bothered me a little bit, but overall, I noticed that I burn more calories on the Cross Trainer.
I don't have "trainer" funds so I am hoping that anyone with experience in the gym might be able to tell me how I can get a good workout "that counts" that will help me strengthen my knees and back. I enjoy the Cross-Trainer, I don't mind the Elliptical too much but I absolutely cannot do the Spinning Cycle or Weights. Aerobics also never seem to be in session on my visits and no matter how many times I take a schedule home, I always miss the classes.

It's hard to lose weight and get fit when you have back and knee problems and this is why the supplement advice is very important for me but in addition, any tips or advice for equipment use would be much appreciated.

I will keep you updated on my progress, this is my first week back at the gym after one year (give or take a month or two) and I really want to keep going and progressing.

Thanks for your help in advance
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Same with me......if you're eating a healthy balanced diet you shouldn't need any supplements.
I'll be 70 next month.....I don't count calories, I don't eat a lot of carbs and I have a fast 30 minute
walk daily and have been doing so for years, even though I have hip, knee and leg pain it doesn't
stop me, I walk anyway.....my weight very rarely changes apart from a kilo up/down and that's
quite normal.
Also I find that drinking plenty of water helps you feel full and stops you from snacking.
As long as you're doing that and you're now back at the gym you should see the weight coming
off.....it may be slow at first but it's better than gaining....just be patient.:dontworry:
 
I have never been on any fad diet. Whenever I needed to lose some extra pounds, I would stop snacking and throughout the day eat smaller portions. My weight loss would be gradual. I feel those fad diets are unhealthy. Here is a list of some fad diets
The Buddhist diet - all you eat is vegetables
Body for life - where you count calories
Cookie diet - eat nothing but low fat cookies
Hacker's diet - another calorie count diet
Nutrisystems diet - purchase & eat low calorie meals
Weight Watchers - food is assigned points and you eat a certain number of points daily
Breatharian diet - no food is eaten in the belief food is not necessary
Atkins diet - low carb
Dukan diet - multi step high protein limited carbs
NcDougals diet - a starch diet, high in fiber, low in fat
Beverly Hills diet - nothing but fruit
Cabbage soup diet - nothing but cabbage soup
Grapefruit diet - large quantities of grapefruit eaten at mealtimes
Israeli diet - first 2 days nothing but apples, then nothing but cheese for 2 days, chicken for 2 days, followed by days of salads
Junk food diet - can only eat high fat junk foods
Subway diet - Subway brand sandwiches for meals
Watermelon diet - only watermelon
Western dietary pattern diet - meat, white bread, milk and pudding
Juice fasting diet - only juice
Fit for life diet - not combining protein and carbohydrates, not drinking water at meal time, and avoiding dairy foods
Eat-clean diet -foods without preservatives, and mix lean proteins with complex carbohydrates
Dr. Hay diet - proteins and carbohydrates should not be consumed in the same meal
Food combining diet - proteins and carbohydrates should not be consumed in the same meal
F-Plan diet - focuses on high-fiber
Frutation diet - raw fruit

You get the idea.
There are as many different diets in the world as there are different religions
Take your pick

I for one will eat as I normally do... I eat rather sensibly, with an occasional night out for pizza or a burger.
If I want to lose some weight, I won't change the food I eat... I'll just cut back a bit on the amount.
 

obrien60 said:
I decided not to do an actual diet, but to follow a calorie restriction and not go over 1800 calories a day. The result being that if I eat better and leaner, I can eat more food within my calorie range. THIS is specifically why I wanted to do high protein and low carb, because I can eat more proteins and feel fuller than eating less carb and feeling hungrier. I agree with Casper on drinking water, it's good for you and helps you to feel fuller.

A few weeks ago he had one on Garcinia Cambogia Extract. I have never heard of this before, I was looking into taking carb and fat blockers and ran into Chromium Picolinate and L-carnatine (I hope I spelled that correctly). So, as it happens I am trying to get my hands on as much information as possible. There are so many places online that sell these supplements but I'd rather get a good recommendation from you.

In addition to this I joined Bally's Total Gym, I'll be honest, it's a poor-mans gym and I'm on a budget. My question here is this; I have used the Elliptical and I have used the Cross Trainer. The Cross-Trainer bothered me a little bit, but overall, I noticed that I burn more calories on the Cross Trainer.

I don't have "trainer" funds so I am hoping that anyone with experience in the gym might be able to tell me how I can get a good workout "that counts" that will help me strengthen my knees and back.

It's hard to lose weight and get fit when you have back and knee problems and this is why the supplement advice is very important for me but in addition, any tips or advice for equipment use would be much appreciated.
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Calorie restriction is a good technique to lose weight, and I'm assuming you're a man. Unless you're very large and overweight to begin with, I think 1800 calories is too high. From all I've heard, for an average man it should be around 1500 daily to lose weight. High protein and low carb is a good way to go, because carbohydrates turn into sugar in the body, and easily put on the pounds.

I like to watch Dr. Oz also, but I don't take everything he says as bible. He's admitted himself that on many of his shows he is just sharing information that he has learned and had no real experience regarding certain products. Garcinia Cambogia is one of those things that I wouldn't put much faith in, and would not even bother to try myself.

I take Nature's Way Chromium Picolinate (200mcg) daily, to help regulate blood sugar, as I'm trying to prevent getting Type2 Diabetes. I'm overweight myself, have just joined Bally's recently, and need to lose around 15 lbs. L-Glutamine powder (NOW brand) is good to take for muscle support, and to help lower cravings for carbs and sweets.

If you don't have any shellfish allergies, you can take two capsules of Chitosan a half hour before a main meal to absorb some of the fat and reduce the transit time in digestion so less cholesterol and fat are available to the system. It is a shellfish fiber, and should be used in moderation, as large amounts can be irritating to the intestines.

I've heard of many people, mostly men, using L-Carnitine with good success. That is something that will give you energy and boost your fat burning metabolism. I believe it's been around for a long time, and is very safe to use. Here's some info on it...
http://www.healthyfellow.com/1076/l-carnitine-research/#more-1076
http://damianalexander.com/wp-conte...-Your-Own-Batteries3-The-Carnitine-Report.pdf

If the Cross-Trainer is more comfortable for you to use, then you should go with what feels best and causes less discomfort. Honestly, I'm not sure of the difference between the cross and elliptical, the machine I've used works both legs, arms and back.

Just having a glass of tepid water first thing in the morning with organic/fresh lemon juice will not only raise your metabolism for that day, but will also help to cleanse your organs like liver and kidneys.

My workout is never strict or scheduled, I just do what I feel like doing that day. I've been liking the regular exercise bike, using the random hill setting. I've been doing over 9 miles in 1/2 hour. Then I use the treadmill, for either a half hour or an hour, at a #4 incline, around 3-3.5mph. I haven't done any exercise besides walking/hiking in a couple of years now, so I'm a bit out of shape.

It your back bothers you on the regular exercise bike, you can use the recumbent type to sit more comfortably. I've been using some of the weight machines, but I don't have back issues. Swimming laps would be good for weight loss and back strength...I don't use the pool, I have a thing against the cleanliness of public pools.

The machine where you just sit on a long bench, and pull on the handle doing low rows is a good exercise to strengthen the back. I usually use 40 lbs. on that (I'm a woman), but last time I raised it to 55...that was a little bit much for me. As far as buying supplements, I go to my local store/Natural Grocers, or sometimes I buy from Swanson Vitamins, been using them for decades. Another place I've bought from is Vitacost.

Let us know how things are going with your workout, I thought I was the only one here really exercising and trying to lose weight. I started the group here for seniors getting fit for health https://www.seniorforums.com/group.php?groupid=4, but it seems I'm the only one posting on there. You're welcome to join if you like. :)
 
Echo pretty much what everyone else has said here.

Don't trust the "trainers" at a gym - a lot of times they're punk kids fresh out of high-school and have no knowledge of anatomy or physiology - they just parrot what they're been told. Do your own due diligence.

Supplements ... with all due respect trying everything that Dr. Oz recommends or that flashes on your TV screen is a losing game. First off you don't know what's really in those supplements - whether they contain what they claim or not; second you don't know how they will interact with your body and the other supplements / food that you're ingesting.

Stick to the basics: calories in <= calories out. I know it's difficult with bad knees and back, but there are low-impact exercises you could research that would be the ticket for you. If you're really serious about weight loss you'll find some way to get into those classes.
 
All these fad diets fail just ask Oprah or Dr.Oz who has a new diet program per month.
Cutting down on calories is the only way to lose weight but this for most people is impossible because we are always hungry. This is the way that your body is telling you, you need something. The body has intelligent even though your doctor dose not believe that. If you look at animals when a dog gets bad food he runs outside and eats certain grasses. There are birds that eat poison and then fly to the river bed and eat clay as antidote to the poison. Women when pregnant crave odd foods because the baby is stealing the mineral from the mother. Your grandmother knew that went children ate dirt or licking pain off the wall they where mineral deficient.
There are products out there that have a good mineral supply. I personally use Youngevity which I think is the best and have lost 70 lbs without dieting. When I got the minerals in my body, my craving for food when away. My wife needs to remind me to eat.
 
.

The Take-Away and Fast Food Outlets are partly responsible for the alarming increase in obesity.
It is very difficult to maintain a healthy diet and temptation is all around us.

Good luck with your quest

weight loss.jpg.

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Michael, #12 on your picture - "Use meat as a condiment" - was particularly interesting to me, since that's the traditional Chinese way of looking at it.
 
DOug, Dr. Put me into a wheelchair in '07, and I gained up to 230 lbs. Last year, Dr. said I was pre- diabetic. The Dr. said I would have to go on meds for it. I asked that I be allowed to try dieting first. I got a good multi vitamin, and cut my calories down to 800 per day. I can't exercise, so by dieting alone I have dropped 85 lbs. And I am still going down, and I am no longer pre-diabetic. :applause:
 
Ina said:
DOug, Dr. Put me into a wheelchair in '07, and I gained up to 230 lbs. Last year, Dr. said I was pre- diabetic. The Dr. said I would have to go on meds for it. I asked that I be allowed to try dieting first. I got a good multi vitamin, and cut my calories down to 800 per day. I can't exercise, so by dieting alone I have dropped 85 lbs. And I am still going down, and I am no longer pre-diabetic. :applause:
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That's positively inspiring! Good on ya!
 
Ina said:
I asked that I be allowed to try dieting first. I got a good multi vitamin, and cut my calories down to 800 per day. I can't exercise, so by dieting alone I have dropped 85 lbs. And I am still going down, and I am no longer pre-diabetic. :applause:
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Congratulations on your weight loss Ina! You're a smart lady to go for the prevention of Diabetes, rather than the treatment! :goodjob: You can definitely lose weight with diet restriction only.

Diet pills and magical remedies are trash, and that's where they belong. Anything with caffeine for dieting is very bad to use...don't even think of it.
 
Sea, I watch my mother and the women of her time, yoyo back and forth with Dr. perscribed pills. The worst was how crazy it made them, and all because of what they thought they should look like. My mother ended up a nervous wreck.
 
Ina said:
Thanks Gail, are you now permanently located in the UK, or is it Ireland. I have always wanted to go to Ireland. Lucky you, I'm envious.
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YW, Ina. I'm in N Ireland which is part of the UK now for a decade. Hope you make it here someday; it's worth the effort. I'll put the kettle on!
We're on the coast near the Irish Sea and the Mourne Mountains. Best of both worlds!
 
My mother was on shots for diabetes, and died from a diabetic stroke which led to coma. My older sister is on pills for her diabetes. I will try to go the natural way for sure, avoid the weight, get more active, and use natural supplements or foods like Chromium Picolinate or Bitter Melon.
 
Gael, that sounds like such a nice location, if you can, please share a picture or two of the scenery! :cool:
 
Sea, I used to help my stepmother with her diabetic shots when I was a kid. She died at 47. She was why and how I learned to judge the amount of calories in just about any food I see. She was one of the special people who taught me about the goodness of this world.
 
For what it's worth, I've always followed a simple no-stress plan. Eat healthy; lean meats, fruits and vegetables. Simple exercise daily. Give it time. Relax and live. Works for me.
 
obrien60 said:
Hey Ladies and Gents,

I need some advice and I know you guys/gals can help me. Between everyone on the forum, I just know that someone has the answers that I am looking for.
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I was in this same state two and a half years ago. I had been an endurance cyclist for 20 years and the wear and tear on my knee had taken it's toll. I hated to even get up out of a chair. I finally had knee replacement. I did my rehab physical therapy religiously and my recovery went well. I built a home gym and also joined the YMCA. I lost almost 50 lbs during the next two years because I felt like getting up and doing something for the first time in several years.

Now, I did have a shoulder injury probably due to a too aggressive weight lifting program. I had surgery for that last summer. Two completely torn tendons and two partially torn tendons in the rotator cuff.

So, what did I learn from all of this. Go easy on any gym program. Light weights and more reps are almost as good as heavy weights and few reps. This helps avoid injuries like I had and it is much easier on the joints.

I have backed off the endurance cycling as this is hard on the artificial knee. The diet is the most important aspect of fitness. I can't express this enough. I lost most of my weight using a high "lean" protein diet. I used whey protein for the base. Then, last summer I read, "The China Study". This resulted in me going nearly 100% vegan and it also resulted in more weight loss. My cholesterol went from over 200 to under 100. On a plant based diet I can eat as much as I want and not gain weight.

I discovered that I probably had food allergies too as I have less congestion and no sinus infections since I started the plant based diet. My wife has also found the plant based diet beneficial too even though she was a meat eater her whole life. It has been an adventure switching to a plant based diet. I have learned to cook and I have found great recipes for great meals. So, that is what worked for me. I would advise anyone to at least give this a try. It has really changed my life for the better and I would never go back!
 
Ina said:
Sea, I used to help my stepmother with her diabetic shots when I was a kid. She died at 47. She was why and how I learned to judge the amount of calories in just about any food I see. She was one of the special people who taught me about the goodness of this world.
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She sounds like a nice lady Ina, so sad she left this earth so soon.
 
I was 116 ks before my heart attack

I put my self on a diet...No crash diet just cut out all sugar things No Cheese (I used to go through a 900gm block Colby in two weeks plus a jar of cream cheese)
No sweets at all including Easter Eggs
No take aways

I am now ranging beteen 100- 104 ks (scales vary on time of day etc.)Exersize limited because of my back problem and having to be home 24/7 to keep an eye on my wife.Falls etc asa I am her full time carer
She is on waiting list now for a RH hip replacement

I Was heading towards Diabetes but last test was Normal Result !!!Still taking medication so will ask heart Dr in a couple of weeks if I still need them
12 months next month since my last two stents were inserted

Now weather a little cooler I can cut grass myself and do a little trimming
Next day pain killers and rest :D
 
Good for you Phantom! Congratulations on your weight loss, and change of eating habits, it definitely paid off, especially in warding off Diabetes. :coolthumb: Wishing the best for you and your wife.
 

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