Yes I enjoyed it and actually felt better than before. as if the walk "cleared" my system. And we are talking about a 130BPMpaced walks with no pauses.

Yes caffeine is also in tea, and not eating sugary things before going to sleep also help.

I wind down by reading books rather than contributing with wisdom and insight to this forum in the evening.

Hey Beeston, as a larger man who's also trying to clean up his act a bit, I thought I'd drop by and offer a word or two of encouragement. Keep it up! And I'd love to hear what you're reading right now, always on the lookout for a new read.

I gave up smoking and drinking last year. Although I feel much better there is no denying that I hate abstinence. I'm giving serious consideration to starting both again.

Smoking is something that does not grab me, I smoked a lot back in the day but can't say I ever craved one or felt the need to start again, it does nothing for me. However, booze is wonderful and in an attempt to keep the weight off I've seriously curbed my intake, which is tough where I live because there are so many good local brewers making wonderful cider, beers and spirits, and on those cold nights of being blasted by the North Sea winds there's nothing more Id like than to warm myself up with some high octane spirts in front of the log burner.

With that said though if youre upping your calorie usage then you can probably get away with it.

As a large man, 6ft 4, 50/52" chest, I have a tendency to balloon if not looking after myself. Once tipping the scales at 22 and a half stone about ten years ago, I've made a point to try and look after myself over the last decade.

My tips are these, and I am the proof of the calorie restricted pudding.

First off, more so than anything. Vitamin D3, if you live in shit cloudy weather like us in the UK a quarter of the year we do not get enough vit D, it's not a vitamin that is largely available in our diet so I suggest supplementing it, go,one step further and get a test to be sure. It is toxic at high doses for prolonged periods.

It'll keep blood lipids in check, promote muscle mass, and limit fat distribution around organs, it'll also improve your insulin response. Take with magnesium as they're synergistic, you may also need K2, speak to a professional.

2, Stress, stress is a large factor in weight again, evolution squarely aims two responses to stress, those who bodies start burning up and getting thin, and those off us who are actually in better stead of slowing down and putting on weight.Both are not good, but if you're in the fat camp then you need to not as much limit stress because without a major lifestyle changes you may not be able to, but you can help it's physiological and psychological effects. When you're stressed you will go after sugar and fat as the body believes it needs to stock up on reserve energy. The way to stop this happening is by reducing chronic high levels of cortisol, do this with vitamin C whether in tablet or from a natural source like a lime, this'll keep levels in check daily and reduce the knock on effects of chronic stress levels, again the magnesium and vit D will improve mood and stop you going after 'rewards' to make up for the stress hormones upsetting dopamine and serotonin production.

Tip 3, alcohol is a bit shitter for weight gain, high calorie and estrogenic it can spell weight gain for anyone susceptible, I recommend setting indulgence against regular moderate exercise like cycling, swimming or running.

Tip 4, I've done well moving to a plant protein diet as my wife is veggie but I still eat meat when I fancy it, I also only do dairy products from goats, and I tend to avoid overly processed foods and grains. Now I was doing this way back when due to being lactose intolerant which I found to be a case of actually just not getting on with cows milk, and having issues with gliadin which is found in wheat. Saying that, everyone is different, if your ancestory is Northern Europe you should be geared up for diary quite well, if youre Mediterranean chances are if your genes had an issue with wheat your ancestors would've perished. So everyone is different, I get on really well with soya, rice and lentils, that may leave others doubled over in pain. Listen to your body and don't assume anything, chances are 500/1000 years ago my Dad's lot were making their way over from Northern India, and evolution plays a slow game. Who knows what diet you're best set up for?

In conclusion, less stress, less booze, more sunshine, healthy food, moderate daily exercise.

I'm now about 17/18 stone, I'm down from a 42 waist to a 36/38w, my chest still is 50 inches, that's rib cage not moobs, and I generally feel like I'm not as strong as I was but being lighter on my feet doesn't feel as such a burden as when I was lifting heavy weights years ago. Lighter cardiovascular exercise I feel is better for me and keeps insulin spikes down which stops sugar cravings

Last edited by Babbling Brooks (2018-04-10 23:11:11)

OK, weighing in as a Doc. I have a lot of patients who come in for liposuction and what they really need to do is lose weight. Here are 3 easy steps to follow:

1) Liquids are "added" calories, as they sate thirst, not hunger. So avoid juices and soda which all are loaded. Personally I buy artificial flavoring for my water. Yes, Chemicals! Artificial! yada, yada, but it does the trick. Put another way, the less calorie intake from liquids, the more room you have for food you like.
2)Buy a "FitBit" or any other activity tracker and make sure you do the 10,000 steps. Going to the gym is for the birds, or those who enjoy impersonating hamsters on a treadmill. Walking outside, even in winter, is a great refresher and clears your mind of the idiot down the hall.
3) Identify your problem foodstuff. Don't give it up, that won't work. Just indulge in it once a week and avoid it the rest of the time.

These 3 simple things are enough to take care of most of my patients weight control issues.

I think it probably depends on a few factors, like what grade (incline) are the roads, how fast are you walking, how long will you be exercising. If you're just doing it casually, my impression is they're probably about equal. Both will be good for you. Maybe you could alternate?

I cut out flour and sugar for the most part and combined with a brisk walk here and there dropped 10 pounds without too much fuss. It's the next 10 that's the problem. Also pizza and ice cream.