Dealing with the unfortunate side effects of pizza love

[pizzaneer]

Thought I'd ask for other people's advice or information.

Since beginning my pizza odyssey a few years ago, managing my weight has become a problem.  I don't have the budget to put into a new wardrobe, so the simplest thing to do is get that belly back where it belongs.

Currently, I eat a light breakfast (1/2 bagel with OO), a midday meal of raw vegetables and a small dinner.  I ride my bike every morning for 2 miles at high speed with my Alaskan Husky running alongside (why high speed? Horseflies!), then lift free weights occasionally throughout the day.  I know I'm not getting enough ab work, but situps make my back muscles spasm.  Just can't seem to shrink the spare tire.

Anybody else have a success story or some tips?

[Jet_deck]

What is your age?

[TXCraig1]

Google "Interval Training"

Do it when your body is in fasting mode like when you wake up in the morning or have not eaten in 4 or 5 hours.

Combined with a sensible dite, you can shed weight like crazy.

CL

[pizzaneer]

What is your age?

42 going on 62, feels like 

Google "Interval Training"

Do it when your body is in fasting mode like when you wake up in the morning or have not eaten in 4 or 5 hours.

Combined with a sensible dite, you can shed weight like crazy.

While googling interval training, I ran across this, read it because of the name ("So, what kind of workout do you do, gorgeous?" /  "Fartlek!" / "Excuse me? Eeew. Bye!")   
Fartlek training, named and developed by Swedes, is intermediate between true interval training and regular distance training. The name means 'speed play', and consists of distance running "anywhere", with bursts of harder running at more irregular points, lengths, and speeds compared with interval training.

Kind of sounds like the parkour I did in the mountains as a teenager.  Trailrunning with rock climbing thrown in.  Problem is, one knee injury later, and the confidence is gone.  That's why I took up scuba and biking -  lower impact.

[TXCraig1]

You can do incredible interval training in the pool - it's probably the best place to do it.

I often run 8-10 miles, and yet a couple hard laps in the pool is is enough to near kill me.

[pizzaneer]

You can do incredible interval training in the pool - it's probably the best place to do it.

I often run 8-10 miles, and yet a couple hard laps in the pool is is enough to near kill me.

What I like to do is run the filter on high and close all the jets except for the long-axis one.  Makes an "endless pool" out of it.  Just have to time it - and man its hard to keep going the full amount.   The only thing I've done thats more fatiguing was when swimming against a 10-knot current 100 ft down, trying to get to my wife, who went the wrong way in a coral maze.

What makes the swimming bloody (literally) tough right now is the ^%$$@!! horseflies...  just stick your face out of the water to breath, get one on your forehead, scream like a sissy girl and slap yourself silly.  Gah. 

[Don K]

I don't have much room to talk about this subject because I have had the same struggles for the last 10 years. I have had some moderate success in the last couple of years just by making a few simple adjustments in my diet and daily routines.

As far as diet goes, IMO if you try to eliminate the foods or beverages that you really enjoy, you are doomed to failure. My weakness is pizza and beer. I'm sure that I would lose weight if I were to eliminate both of them from my diet, but I would be miserable because not only do I love to eat pizza and drink beer, I also love making them both.

So I have made some simple changes, and while I still need to lose a lot more, I'm at least on the way down and not up as I was before. I don't eat pizza more than once a week. When I make pizza, I used to make three 14" pizzas for the 5 of us. There would usually be a few slices leftover. I would be too tempted to eat 4 or 5 (or 6) slices just because it was there. Now I only make 2 pizzas, and while we don't usually have any leftover, the temptation is not there for me to eat too much.

As far as beer goes, I have cut way back on my homebrewing and consumption. My problem is that the beers that I like most are the ones that are the worst for your waistline. My favorite for example is Imperial Stout, which is pretty much a meal by itself. So I have switched to beers like a double IPA, that are a little lower in carbs and calories, and at least satisfies the hophead in me.

I have also tried to increase my physical activity by making some simple adjustments. I have about 3/4 of an acre of grass to cut. I often cut all or most of it with a regular walk-behind mower instead of using the riding mower. This is quite a workout and takes a few hours. The first time that I did it I though I was going to die, but the more that I did it, it got a lot easier. Unfortunately, due to the lack of rain lately, the only thing that is growing is the weeds.

When I go to the store, I park in the farthest parking spot from the door instead of the closest as I would before. These simple things can make a difference.

[Riprazor]

So I am a 51 year old male and a workout fanatic that eats pizza every day.  My weight has fluctuated between 185 and 205 (I am 5 foot 11) for the last 30 years.  At 205 I was a monster and had to eat like crazy to keep the weight on.  I have never had a waist over 33 inches and am currently at 185 because I cannot get to the gym as often as I would like.  Having said that, anaerobic exercise like weight lifting will do little to keep fat off.  It will build muscle but muscle does not replace fat.  A couple of comments on your post.  2 miles of aerobic exercise is not likely to raise your heart rate long enough to result in any significant weight loss.  You really need to raise your heart rate to roughly 80% of your max for 20 minutes (or more) a day at least 4 days a week.  I ride for 45 minutes at least 5 days a week.  Longer when I can ride outside.  Consistent aerobic exercise will do more than any diet.  What you eat does also play a factor.  While I eat pizza every day, I limit the amount to 3 or 4 slices (14 inch pie) a day.  The key is moderation.  I will also add that with each year, it gets tougher.  When I was in my early 40's I could eat an entire pizza and would not put on a single pound.  In my 50's (God it sucks typing that!) I do need to watch my consumption more carefully.  Everyone's metabolism is different.  I tend to eat very little red meat and a lot of fish which I believe also helps.  Soft drinks can also be a big issue for some people, I don't think they are worth the calories so I don't drink them.  Beer....I probably don't even need to comment.  As Craig mentioned, pool workouts are great.  They are low impact and can be done at any age.  I am not a big fan of running because of the impact it has on joints, which is why I lean towards cycling.  At any rate, my personal opinion is that exercise will trump diet, but both need to be considered.

[BrickStoneOven]

Thought I'd ask for other people's advice or information.

Since beginning my pizza odyssey a few years ago, managing my weight has become a problem.  I don't have the budget to put into a new wardrobe, so the simplest thing to do is get that belly back where it belongs.

Currently, I eat a light breakfast (1/2 bagel with OO), a midday meal of raw vegetables and a small dinner.  I ride my bike every morning for 2 miles at high speed with my Alaskan Husky running alongside (why high speed? Horseflies!), then lift free weights occasionally throughout the day.  I know I'm not getting enough ab work, but situps make my back muscles spasm.  Just can't seem to shrink the spare tire.

Anybody else have a success story or some tips?

It might be a little work but using a calorie counting program on your phone or the internet really helps. You can try Livestrong.com or Myfitnesspal.com, they work great. Figure out what your maintenance calories are and if you are trying to lose weight(which it seems like you are) eat up to 500 cals less then your maintenance. Personally I use Livestrong because it seems easier for me. They have an enormous food catalog. If you have a smartphone with the Myfitnesspal app they have a bar code scanner where you can scan the BC and it will put in all the info for you so you don't always have to type and search, you just put in how much you ate.

So I am a 51 year old male and a workout fanatic that eats pizza every day.  My weight has fluctuated between 185 and 205 (I am 5 foot 11) for the last 30 years.  At 205 I was a monster and had to eat like crazy to keep the weight on.  I have never had a waist over 33 inches and am currently at 185 because I cannot get to the gym as often as I would like.  Having said that, anaerobic exercise like weight lifting will do little to keep fat off.  It will build muscle but muscle does not replace fat.  A couple of comments on your post.  2 miles of aerobic exercise is not likely to raise your heart rate long enough to result in any significant weight loss.  You really need to raise your heart rate to roughly 80% of your max for 20 minutes (or more) a day at least 4 days a week.  I ride for 45 minutes at least 5 days a week.  Longer when I can ride outside.  Consistent aerobic exercise will do more than any diet.  What you eat does also play a factor.  While I eat pizza every day, I limit the amount to 3 or 4 slices (14 inch pie) a day.  The key is moderation.  I will also add that with each year, it gets tougher.  When I was in my early 40's I could eat an entire pizza and would not put on a single pound.  In my 50's (God it sucks typing that!) I do need to watch my consumption more carefully.  Everyone's metabolism is different.  I tend to eat very little red meat and a lot of fish which I believe also helps.  Soft drinks can also be a big issue for some people, I don't think they are worth the calories so I don't drink them.  Beer....I probably don't even need to comment.  As Craig mentioned, pool workouts are great.  They are low impact and can be done at any age.  I am not a big fan of running because of the impact it has on joints, which is why I lean towards cycling.  At any rate, my personal opinion is that exercise will trump diet, but both need to be considered.

Sorry and I don't mean to be "that guy" but exercise definitely does not trump diet in any way shape or form. It sounds like you were blessed with a really fast metabolism so maybe that's why you think that way. But IMO and many others diet is the most important and is about 80% of getting into real shape and being healthy. I haven't seen Matt post in a while but if he sees this thread he will tell you diet is key. The saying goes, "Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym". You can do all the crunches and ab workouts all you want but if your diet isn't on point then you will never burn that belly fat that seems to never want to go away. Especially around the hip area.

[Chicago Bob]

Drew Cary lost a hundred pounds and when asked how he did it he says lots an lots of cardio, an "water is the only thing I drink"
I am currently in a very similar situation and it has been a struggle(mostly mental)just to get started. Fortunately, it is amazing how readily the body wants to fix it's self and as long as you push on through it gets a lot easier real fast.
I was just asked last week if I want to start going to a pool...I'm gonna check out that
interval training deal. Thanks for posting that tip!
Sorry bout the horse/deer flies Brian......snorkel?  

[Don K]

Everybody's body is different. I had a roommate in college that was really skinny despite the fact that he easily ate 3 times the amount of food that I did (not an exaggeration), and probably got less exercise than I did also. It used to really piss me off! His favorite food was bacon. He would usually eat a pound of it at a time.

[Riprazor]

Everybody's body is different. I had a roommate in college that was really skinny despite the fact that he easily ate 3 times the amount of food that I did (not an exaggeration), and probably got less exercise than I did also. It used to really piss me off! His favorite food was bacon. He would usually eat a pound of it at a time.

This Colonel sums it up rather well.  Some people can do it without exercise, others can do it by just adding exercise. What works best for one person may not work for another.  The key is to find out what works best for you. A diet that cannot be maintained is a waste of time.  An exercise regiment that cannot be maintained is also a waste of time.  I focus on exercise because I know I will not stop eating the things I like and find it easier to focus on that component.  If I could stop eating pizza, I could probably stop riding so much!

[Chicago Bob]

I hear ya Don.
Growing up I was "the skinny kid", at 23 I gained 40 lbs. all of a sudden in a 3 month period(got stretch marks ) and have been fighting near obesity for a long, long time.
Is there any way to (legally) reverse a person metabolism?

[Riprazor]

I hear ya Don.
Growing up I was "the skinny kid", at 23 I gained 40 lbs. all of a sudden in a 3 month period and have been fighting near obesity for a long, long time.
Is there any way to (legally) reverse a person metabolism?

Actually the answer is yes.  You can change your metabolism by what and when you eat, and when you exercise. Nutritionists recommend smaller more frequent meals because your body does not go into "fat" storage mode as readily as it does when you eat only a few large meals.  Your metabolism is increased because you have a constant source of energy available vs. sporadic less frequent sources.  The physiology is obviously more complicated but you have some ability to control your metabolism.

See the following article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14802091/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/can-you-really-change-your-metabolism/#.UAbWwJGFCwE

[AimlessRyan]

Anybody else have a success story or some tips?

Get yourself an 80-liter backpack and some backpacking gear. Meet me somewhere like a truck stop. Don't bring more than $20. We'll go traveling for a couple weeks. During these couple weeks you'll be hungry, you'll bust your ass, and you'll have the best time of your life. When it's all over your titties will be gone.

[Don K]

When it's all over your titties will be gone.

So, what happens to you wife/girlfriend?

[Chicago Bob]

Actually the answer is yes.  You can change your metabolism by what and when you eat, and when you exercise. Nutritionists recommend smaller more frequent meals because your body does not go into "fat" storage mode as readily as it does when you eat only a few large meals.  Your metabolism is increased because you have a constant source of energy available vs. sporadic less frequent sources.  The physiology is obviously more complicated but you have some ability to control your metabolism.

See the following article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14802091/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/can-you-really-change-your-metabolism/#.UAbWwJGFCwE

Thanks Rip, I am a diabetic and the doc has been telling me for some time to eat many small meals/snacks during the day.....guess it's finally time to pay attention.

[Chicago Bob]

So, what happens to you wife/girlfriend?

She splits because you did!     

[Chicago Bob]

Get yourself an 80-liter backpack and some backpacking gear. Meet me somewhere like a truck stop. Don't bring more than $20. We'll go traveling for a couple weeks. During these couple weeks you'll be hungry, you'll bust your ass, and you'll have the best time of your life. When it's all over your titties will be gone.

The Aimless Ryan Weight Loss Program........"it's all good, I've figured out how to keep The Man off our backs!"     

[pizzaneer]

Get yourself an 80-liter backpack and some backpacking gear. Meet me somewhere like a truck stop. Don't bring more than $20. We'll go traveling for a couple weeks. During these couple weeks you'll be hungry, you'll bust your ass, and you'll have the best time of your life. When it's all over your titties will be gone.

ROFL!!  Thanks Ryan, I needed that!

I actually used to do that kind of thing a lot.  I was into wilderness "survival", though that's just the popular term for living off the land.  Shelters, wild food, cooking with hot rocks...  thems were good times.