Best plan for weight loss?

[Grandan]

Cut out carbs and go keto.



Exercise.

Keto is the worst way to lose weight. Exercise is important.

As noted in other posts, every one is different. Some people lose more with strenuous exercise (weights/resistance training) others do better doing cardio. Best is do both (shotgun approach and both have benefits). What you eat is also important, but will come down to lifestyle change. You need a balance of protein, fats and carbs (preferably complex ones} and you need to stick with it forever. That is the big problem with keto diet, you cannot stay on it too long and when you go back to eating carbs the weight comes back.

Horse Bucky!
Elite athletes the word over have changed to a Ketogenic diet because it is a winning strategy. People have reversed their type 2 diabetes because the Ketogenic diet does it for them.
People do have a varying resistance to carbohydrate consumption. Some can eat carbs all day and not suffer health problems but others develop type 2 diabetes due to carbohydrates such as sucrose and high fructose corn syrup.
I have been on a Ketogenic diet for 1 1/2 years. The only carbs I eat are those found in whole foods. No highly refined flours, no breads, buns or twinkles. I eat potatoes only rarely and they are whole baked. Most of my carbohydrate comes from fresh vegetables.
The reason there is a health crisis is because of the overconsumption of refined foods packaged with vegetable seed oils and sugar, a deadly combination.
A little research turns up reams of scientific papers that demonstrate just how effective the Ketogenic diet for reversing the problems caused by the standard American Diet (SAD).
I do not know what research you are pointing to that suggests that Keto is not sustainable or is that just your opinion?

[Babba_not_Gump]

A healthy diet and moderate exercise is all most people require.
Stay away from diets that promote one food type. Eat a bit of everything, but in moderation.

Has anyone here calculated their bmi? According to my bmi, I have to lose about ten pounds.
It is one tool that helps determine if you're overweight or not.

My wife started on Weight Watchers years ago where they teach you to eat in moderation. She now uses what she learned there for most of her cooking.
That combined with the right exercise goes a long ways.

Recently we took to using the old RCAF 5BX exercise plan. It gets one using all the major muscles with progress being monitored.
I was surprised with the 5BX just how out of shape I was.

[oneh2obabe]

When the warm weather arrives (and hopefully stays around longer than a couple of days) it's lots of fresh fruit, veggies and salads with either chicken or fish 2-3 times a week and the occasional rack of ribs thrown in for good measure.

Not a huge fan of yard work so my next door neighbour and I came to an agreement ... I'd buy a gas-powered weed whacker that she'll use to do my yard plus her yard and the neighbour's across the road. Works for me.

Not getting out as much due to a hip that decides when it's going to be a bad day for walking so bought an exercise bike a couple of weeks ago and just ordered an elliptical machine which should be delivered in 3 or 4 days. Now I won't have an excuse for not exercising.

[Randall T]

From experience I would suggest looking at a diet recommended for diabetics. Snack lots during the day and eat smaller meals. Get an elliptical trainer and work up to 45 minutes a day. Don't miss a day, make it your time and do it religiously the same time every day. The weight will come off. After losing 50lbs people thought I was terminal, but I felt better than I ever did in my life. After destroying a good elliptical I bought a C2 rower and logged over 6 million metres on it, but the elliptical was much better for initial weight loss. It's an easy solution that just entails a sensible, non-fad diet and a genuine commitment to exercise. Burn more calories than you take in every day and the pounds will come off.

Snacking lots in the day whether you are diabetic or not is not good advise. Every time you eat it spikes your insulin. Insulin is a fat storage hormone.
Diabetes can be reversed by eating a low carb diet. The best ultra marathon runners and cyclists are now using a ketogenic diet. The reason it works is once you become keto adapted the body never runs into the problem of glycogen depletion also known as "the wall" that marathon runners experience. Look up Jeff Volek and Steve Phinney and their pioneering work on Keto adapted vs carb burning runners and cyclists.
http://www.meandmydiabetes.com/2012/08/ ... lek-study/

I was Type 2 and succeeded in reversing it and get off the drugs. Snacking on whole grains, veggies, etc. throughout the day kept the hunger away and the body's natural response to store fat. Keto, fasting, whatever the current fad is usually does nothing for the majority of people who jump on the wagon. Simply it's calories in, calories out, and exercise to moderate it to the level you want. It's OK to fall off the wagon now and then, but overall avoid the bad fats and sugars. As far as fasting, don't eat after 7:00 pm which will probably give you 12-14 hours of not eating anyway. Hit the day with your exercise program and eat a bit at a time when hungry throughout the day instead of large regular meals. I wasn't on insulin but a couple of other drugs to lower my cholesterol and blood pressure, so monitoring my blood sugar was not a concern. Bad advice? Go with what your doc says. Mine told me I was his model patient. Not bragging, just saying the commitment had its rewards.

[Randall T]

I see that we are straying away from the topic a bit by comparing athletic and sports diets to just everyday good health. Dedicated runners, weight lifters, sumo wrestlers, whatever, all tailor diets to the sport they participate in. What works for runners probably isn't a good choice for those of us who just want to feel good and be reasonably healthy. I don't think I've met anyone who stayed on a fad for any length of time. It's too easy to be lured away by the things we like to eat and do, so having a program that allows us to stray now and then and compensate for it by a bit more exercise makes better sense. One can always find alternates by researching how to cook healthier meals and not feel like you're a rabbit. Giving up carbs is a tough one but there are alternates with whole grains and you can make your own breads without fats and sugars.

Underlying health conditions can upset the cart but not everyone has something that dictates what they consume or how much they can do physically. It's just a bit of common sense to eat well and do more. Keeping it simple is the easiest way to achieve success in feeling better. Not everyone has to have the ideal BMI or maintain a target weight unless there is a reason, either being a target for being better as an athlete or to satisfy health concerns. Age is also a factor. If you're young and obese or sedentary, by all means do what you can to be healthier for a longer, healthier and more productive life. If you're 70 years old and want to kick back and have a beer and a bag of chips, why not. We all have to die of something and I've seen the lives of slim, seemingly healthy people come to an early end. If you are able to be a bit healthier then do it, but don't waste life obsessing over everything you eat and do. You often hear "everything in moderation", so maybe that's not such a bad idea.

[Gixxer]

Keto is the worst way to lose weight. Exercise is important.

As noted in other posts, every one is different. Some people lose more with strenuous exercise (weights/resistance training) others do better doing cardio. Best is do both (shotgun approach and both have benefits). What you eat is also important, but will come down to lifestyle change. You need a balance of protein, fats and carbs (preferably complex ones} and you need to stick with it forever. That is the big problem with keto diet, you cannot stay on it too long and when you go back to eating carbs the weight comes back.

Why cant you stay on keto long and why does one have to go back to eating carbs?

[kgcayenne]

Keto acidosis is bad for kidneys and other organs. One is much better-off learning to have a better relationship with food and subsequently portion control. Exercise is crucial for some. My genetic background is hunter/gatherer, so inactivity results in weight gain. I see the best fat loss results from getting into my peak heart rate zone. I’ve learned that (safely) reaching the peak heart rate can increase the metabolism for several hours.

[kgcayenne]

Old trucker mentions mental health.

Mental health and exercise are definitely linked.
Exercise makes endorphins: a mental health booster.
Becoming stronger: a mental health booster
Exercise actually gives you more energy. To those who’ve not experienced this, that sounds crazy. I assure you all, spending energy on exercise gives you more energy. The catch: you have to fuel your body appropriately.