Weight Control using kilts.

[unixken]

"Salad? That's not food... that's what food eats!"

The first time I heard that (about 10 years ago), I nearly fell over, laughing.

[hootstwo]

Having been a slim guy in highschool, I really "let myself go" in university. Doing an honours math and computer science degree doesn't exactly lend itself to keeping you in shape (That's my excuse at least, I <KNOW> it's not truly a good one, but I persuade myself otherwise!) Followed up by being VERY sedentary as a computer programmer for seven years after university, I found the circumference of my waist was greater than it should be.

Last July I decided that I really needed to do something about it - I'd never actually tried to lose weight before. I watched a few videos that talked about calories that really struck home with me. (If you've got 90 minutes to kill and are at all interested in science/education, check youtube for "Sugar the bitter truth".) I decided that I could lose weight if I tried, so I set out not trying to go crazy, but to track my intake/output of calories.

9 months and 68lbs later, I'm considering my efforts rather successful thus far. I want to go another 20lbs or so, but most folks tell me I don't need to. I'm pretty broad shouldered, but I'd really like to make it into the band of BMI that's suggested for my height, which at the high end puts me at a weight of basically 180. 20lbs more will put me just a few pounds into that region. I realize that BMI isn't the be all and end all for weight, but it's a good start, and when I look in the mirror, I see that there are still a few pounds on me that could be shed.

For me, the kilt is a motivator too, I've decided that as a reward for making it into the "appropriate" band on wii fit, I'm going to replace my Galbraith tank kilt with another one that actually fits the "new" me. I've not brought myself to put my current one up for sale here, but when I order my replacement, it'll hit the marketplace here too.

[Thorina]

I am spineless dining out or after about 7PM at home. Being single I only let healthy food into my house, because after 7 and in my house it's in my face, not rabbit food - that's what food eats! I can't even let cinnamon, flour or butter in without a reason. Momma taught us all some great Danish, German and down home cooking.

Dinning out!
I moved in with a devout bachelor that loves to eat out 3+ years ago.
UGH!
They serve just too much food. You're paying for it, so you feel like you need to eat it, and that whole starving kids in China thing as kids....UGH!

I want to have them ...just box up half my dinner before you bring it to me.
Thanks, I'll have it for lunch tomorrow.
It's like they sprinkle crack on resuarant food or something. Even if you intend to only eat half of it, you never do.

Though recently, probably a law, all the menus have calorie counts on them.
YIKES! Explains why eating out makes ya fat in a hurry.

[RayMc]

I'll take my tater any way you like to cook it!

Weight gain is really only new to me. Until I hit 40 I was able to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and not have to worry. Now I have to watch how much I eat and curb my desires. It's tough I tell ya.

Same here, right when I got to about 42. (years, not waist) Gained about 40-45 to about 230. Had been 190 since high school. Now am back down to about 180 and have been there for 18 months. I just eat mostly whole fruits throughout the morning (apples, oranges, plums, grapes etc.) as well as nuts or sunflower seeds. I have a small lunch of something sensible like a turkey or tuna sandwich, then don't overdo it at dinner. The sugar in the fruit tends to regulate blood sugar.(I am not diabetic), resulting in less hunger pangs. I also try not to eat simply because it is meal-time. It takes some self-discipline, but after you start to see results, it gets much easier.

[tundramanq]

hootstwo - the love handles are the hardest thing to loose and I have never fully lost them.
All - insuline is your best friend or worst enemy in weight control. Look up a good list of foods glycemic index and avoid or limit intake. A big jolt of sugar early in the day will start the insulin pump in overdrive making you hungry an hour later because the insulin has burned down the fast carbs and now your blood sugar is low - the cycle will continue all day and all sugars - if it ends in "os it's probably a sugar, none better than the other - have no nutritional value. One thing I found out is white rice hits the blood stream as suger almost as fast as white table sugar. Carbs need to be eaten with foods that slow their absorption into the blood to avoid the insulin spikes. It usualy takes only around 100 calories of sugar at once to start a swing going - darn no more jelly donuts.

[Gael Ridire]

I really wish I had the problem of having a 32-34" waist. I hope that some twenty years ago when I got my first kilt that it would help keep the weight off, but I learned that the kilt is very forgiving, I gained forty pounds and could still wear the thing. Then I became diabetic 15 yrs ago and insulin put on forty pounds. I couldn't lose weight no matter how hard I tried. No diet, etc. I finally ballooned to 273 four months ago, and will not wear my kilt until I get back down to 225. I'm built stocky, great when in the military for five years, but then I was 175 (oh those were the days). A month ago the doc put me on a new med to help control blood sugar and suprise I've lost 16 pounds and blood sugars have almost always been in the normal range. The drag, it costs $500 a month, and insurance won't authroize it. There goes the idea of a tartan vest, and if I do make it to 225 the hope of a new kilt. Oh well. . .

[Pleater]

I just threw away most of the garments for the 26 inch waist I used to have - I saved the ones made from the best materials to recycle, but I am never going to need them again in their present form.

I just have to face the fact that, for me, there are no healthy carbohydrates.

Carbs increase blood sugar, insulin is produced as a response and the sugar is laid down as fat. If I eat more than 80 gm of carbs a day I put on weight. I am not ill, I just work that way.

The only diet that has ever worked for me is Atkins, because you find the amount of carbs you need to lose weight and stick to it until you reach whatever weight you want - simples.

I just wish I could do the stick to it part, but at least I am no longer putting on weight. I would have become spherical by now if I had continued to do the conventional diets with calorie counting and low fat foods.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[crash]

It's great to find I'm not the only one in this boat. Mrs.Crash and I decided we needed to get back into shape, ya I know round is a shape, as we're approaching retirement age and we want to remain active. We started eating cleaner, keeping track of intake and working out and the pounds and inches have come off. Since January 1 we have lost 40 lbs. each and I have 40 more to go. She plans to lose even more. I already have an Rkilt that has to be altered and my Sportkilt is at the stops. I am on schedule to meet my new USAkilt size when it arrives. There's motivation for you.

[tundramanq]

Crash - you and Mrs. are doing great that's 2 pounds a week - just the right rate to avoid the muscle loss - and near retirement age - awesome. Past 50 years those pounds are real hard to shed.

[crash]

Crash - you and Mrs. are doing great that's 2 pounds a week - just the right rate to avoid the muscle loss - and near retirement age - awesome. Past 50 years those pounds are real hard to shed.

Thanks very much for the encouragement. We're 53 now and hope to retire at 58. As for muscle loss...turns out some of my size wasn't the muscle I thought it was. lol On the other hand some things appear to be bigger. lol The only thing I miss is candy, wine gums to be exact.