I am 55 years and 110 kilos. How can I get the second number nearer the first?

Question

Diet and exercise do not seem to work. If I lose a kilo I get it back in a moment's inattention. By the way I had a heart attack a while ago and would prefer something not too dangerous. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Ricky,

Good question, and I'm glad that you're concerned about your weight, especially following a heart attack. The trick to losing the kilos and keeping them off is a balanced approach to your lifestyle between food and lifestyle. Obviously you don't need to be in marathon winning shape, and I'd suggest at the start it you don't really want to overdo it!

There's some very very simple tricks to beginning to drop your weight. First things first, drink alot of water... it will help keep you hydrated for your excercise, it will help prevent any fluid retention that you may have, it will help your body absorb things into your blood stream better and it will help to keep your Kidneys clean.

Now that you're drinking alot, you'll probably find that you're hungry less. There is a statistic that says something like 85% of the time you feel hunger pains (can't remember the exact number, but it's very high) it's actually your bodies way of suggesting to you that it needs WATER not food... a precursor to dehydration, so stay hydrated and 4 out of 5 of the hunger pains that get you eating should stop.

Then you want to make sure that your body isn't trying to store anything you put in it later for a reserve of energy. This means that you need to teach your body that it's alright to use the energy now, cause there's more coming... get your metabolism moving. To do this you should be eating 3 balanced meals a day and maybe a piece of fruit or vegetable for a snack at morning / afternoon tea time... NEVER miss breakfast, get a good fibre breakfast with some fruit to get your body moving... you want your body to burn the energy fast, not store it for later... cause your body is going to store that energy in a form you don't want... FAT.

Then we hit the next thing on the list... these are the easy things.... processed sugars. The trick to smashing off the pounds is to use more energy in your day than what you put into it (Calories / Kilojoules). The big nasty for big containing big energy in a small package is processed sugars.

Stop drinking soda pop / soft drink / cola etc... stop eating biscuits and/or chocolate bars as a snack, eat multi grain bread instead of white bread, don't eat sugary cereals, if you take sugar with your tea or coffee cut that out. Basically you want to stop dipping into the sugar tin, if you know that man puts sugar in it, then don't eat it. If you used to add sugar later to it, then stop... replace those sweet tooth cravings with some fruit, you get a more natural sugar, and the fibre!! If this is the ONLY change that you make to your diet you'll be amazed at the kilos you drop just with this change! Remember, if God didn't put sugar in it then it really doesn't need it!

Now that you've got all the right stuff going in, it's time to squeeze some of those calories back out. At 55 and 110kg you don't want to get your heart straining, but you do want to get it moving, somewhere in the 50-60% range for about half an hour a day. Make the time for yourself and go for a walk, take an MP3 player, listen to a radio and mull over work or retirement decisions while you get some fresh air in your lungs. Make the time every day though, and just walk for 30-45 minutes... as you feel better, walk faster... Buy a pushbike and take up cycling, it's also a good low impact sport, consider swimming or even golf (walk the course, don't get the buggy!!) Anything that doesn't strain your body or your heart.

Invest in a heart rate monitor like a Polar watch... when you are doing your 30 minutes of physical activity each and every day, you want your heart rate to be somewhere in the range of 80 to 100 beats per minute. You can also take it manually to check that you're going at just the right pace.

Good luck, again congrats on the healthy life style choice, and I hope that you stay committed to it. And remember, if it comes off quick it goes on quick! Slow and steady is the only way to do it... aim for 1 - 2kg per week!

Answer 2

Congratulations on surviving your cardiac event. Because you are a heart patient, I really don't feel comfortable giving out exercise advice. You may want to check with your doctor about a cardiac rehab center near your house. It will give you the opportunity to exercise under the watchful gaze of trained nurses within an arm's reach of a defibrilator. My dad has been doing this since his heart attack (in his 50s), and he's lost weight and hasn't died/had another attack yet.

Meanwhile, look for a well-balanced, calorie restricted diet of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy, and lean meat- especially fish which are high in Omega-3 Fatty acids which support a healthy heart. Saturated fat and cholesterol should be out of your diet. Read the labels, and don't let another piece of fried food enter your body again. I'm not sure if you have other health issues, but if you do, you should probably discuss any change of lifestyle with your doctor who can refer you to a trained dietician.

Meanwhile, good luck, and remember that your goal is to change your unhealthy habits with healthy ones that you can stick to for the rest of your life... not just until the weight is gone.

Answer 3

The answer is very simple. Eat when you're hungry, and stop when you're not hungry anymore. You'd be surprised at how little your body really requires. We mostly eat for reasons other than physical hunger -- like stress, boredom, delicious food, etc. Try this for 3 days. Only eat when you actually have the physical sensation of hunger. After each bite, decide whether or not you're still hungry. Once you're not hungry anymore, stop eating. This is safe, you don't have to eat special foods or stay away from your favorite foods. Trust your body to guide you on this.

Answer 4

Wait 55 more years.

Before every meal have a piece of fruit or a salad (go easy on the salad dressing though.)


Eat more vegetables and fruit.

Watch those liquid calories!

Answer 5

Try The Logic Diet.
It's easy, healthy, inexpensive, and simple to follow.
No exercise is required, and my doctor says I'm healthier now than ever before.
Learn about it at:
www.thelogicdiet.com

I really think this is perfect for you!

Answer 6

I eat once a day (dinnertime) and not very much - have done for years. This is as much as you need - Once you get used to it eating any more is not necessary. If you feel hungry it passes. Be secure in the knowledge that eating once day will not kill you