Came to a realization

[BrandonLucas]

Last night was sparring class. Normally I love sparring class...we do more physical drills and, of course, spar.

Tuesday night I was so pumped up for Wednesday night class that I almost couldn't sleep. My mind was telling me to get up at 11:30 at night to work out on my heavy bag, even though I knew I had to wake up at 5:30am to go to work.

Well, all day yesterday I was ready for class. I was pumped about it all day at work, and was going through my mind the new things I wanted to try in sparring matches. But once I got home from work, that little button in my brain that had me so pumped just turned off. I tried to stretch at home to get myself motivated to go, but only succeeded in getting a good stretch.

I got to class and we started going through our regular block/punch and block/kick drills, and it felt like my body was underwater. I even started falling way behind...I was just finishing up the combo when our instructor was calling for the next repitition, and usually, I have enough time to reset my stance.

My kicks were terrible. I've been having problems with kicking above my waist with side and round kicks, but last night was worse than usual. My kicks were slow, my hips wouldn't rotate all the way over, and I couldn't do the multiple kicks at all.

My punches were horrid. I normally have pretty fast hands, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get my punches to have any speed or force at all.

So then, when we sparred, I did even worse. My reaction time was so bad that nothing landed all night that I tried to either counter with or attack with. Normally, I pride myself on my defense. It's like my bread and butter. I block with alot of force, and normally, not a whole lot gets past me. But last night, I was getting torn up by everything.

I couldn't close my guard in at all. The more I tried to hold my arms in to guard my midsection, the more restricted I felt, so I would try to relax my guard slightly, and would get hit in the midsection just about every time. And kicks to the head, which hardly ever get through my guard, were hitting me from all angles. It was like I was watching myself get torn apart...my mind knew what I had to do, but my body just refused to respond.

After class, I finally realized why. I'm fat and out of shape. I've lived in almost a state of denial for the last few years, but I guess I was forced to come to terms with it last night at class.

I'm 26 years old, 6'1", 310 lbs, and I have a 44"-46" waist. I have a gut and love handles that prevent me from bending completely at the waist as far as I should be able to. It also prevents me from kicking side and round kicks effectively.

I think, beyond the obvious problem, that my other issue is that my mind is still expecting me to act like I used to when I was in shape. When I was 18, I was 6', 217 lbs, and had a 36" waist. I was in great shape. I guess my body got used to me doing physical activity at that size, and that's how my mind has viewed my body this whole time.

Usually, when I start trying to lose weight, I'll start trying my own diet or exercise routine, but I won't stick with it. I haven't been able to find out what would work for me, and I find myself being hungry alot, and not being able to curb my appetite.

Well, I've scheduled an appointment with a dietitician for January 13th and a phsysician on December 23rd to do something about this. I'm going to try to have some kind of diet plan started, and try to get some kind of prescription to help curb my appetite and help burn the calories off. I'm more determined now...more than ever before...to lose this weight and get back into the shape I used to be in.

I want to be able to do the things I used to when I was in shape...I want to look like I did when I first started dating my wife...and, most importantly to me, I want to be in good enough shape to keep up with my twin daughters that we're expecting in March. I don't want them to have a dad that they're embarrassed to be seen with...I want them to be proud of me.

So, enough about me. Does anyone else have a success story that they can share to help motivate me or anyone else out there that is trying to do the same thing?

[MasterWright]

Maybe you were just a bit tired last night because you didn't get a good night's sleep.

[bluekey88]

I'm with you...similar issues. Good luck and keep training. I'll be doign similar to you after the new year. I've done lots to improve my physique and that has in turn improved my training...but I think I need some professional advice moving forward.

It's admirable that you've been able to see that for yourself.

Peace,
Erik

[Sylo]

Last night was sparring class. Normally I love sparring class...we do more physical drills and, of course, spar.

Tuesday night I was so pumped up for Wednesday night class that I almost couldn't sleep. My mind was telling me to get up at 11:30 at night to work out on my heavy bag, even though I knew I had to wake up at 5:30am to go to work.

Well, all day yesterday I was ready for class. I was pumped about it all day at work, and was going through my mind the new things I wanted to try in sparring matches. But once I got home from work, that little button in my brain that had me so pumped just turned off. I tried to stretch at home to get myself motivated to go, but only succeeded in getting a good stretch.

I got to class and we started going through our regular block/punch and block/kick drills, and it felt like my body was underwater. I even started falling way behind...I was just finishing up the combo when our instructor was calling for the next repitition, and usually, I have enough time to reset my stance.

My kicks were terrible. I've been having problems with kicking above my waist with side and round kicks, but last night was worse than usual. My kicks were slow, my hips wouldn't rotate all the way over, and I couldn't do the multiple kicks at all.

My punches were horrid. I normally have pretty fast hands, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get my punches to have any speed or force at all.

So then, when we sparred, I did even worse. My reaction time was so bad that nothing landed all night that I tried to either counter with or attack with. Normally, I pride myself on my defense. It's like my bread and butter. I block with alot of force, and normally, not a whole lot gets past me. But last night, I was getting torn up by everything.

I couldn't close my guard in at all. The more I tried to hold my arms in to guard my midsection, the more restricted I felt, so I would try to relax my guard slightly, and would get hit in the midsection just about every time. And kicks to the head, which hardly ever get through my guard, were hitting me from all angles. It was like I was watching myself get torn apart...my mind knew what I had to do, but my body just refused to respond.

After class, I finally realized why. I'm fat and out of shape. I've lived in almost a state of denial for the last few years, but I guess I was forced to come to terms with it last night at class.

I'm 26 years old, 6'1", 310 lbs, and I have a 44"-46" waist. I have a gut and love handles that prevent me from bending completely at the waist as far as I should be able to. It also prevents me from kicking side and round kicks effectively.

I think, beyond the obvious problem, that my other issue is that my mind is still expecting me to act like I used to when I was in shape. When I was 18, I was 6', 217 lbs, and had a 36" waist. I was in great shape. I guess my body got used to me doing physical activity at that size, and that's how my mind has viewed my body this whole time.

Usually, when I start trying to lose weight, I'll start trying my own diet or exercise routine, but I won't stick with it. I haven't been able to find out what would work for me, and I find myself being hungry alot, and not being able to curb my appetite.

Well, I've scheduled an appointment with a dietitician for January 13th and a phsysician on December 23rd to do something about this. I'm going to try to have some kind of diet plan started, and try to get some kind of prescription to help curb my appetite and help burn the calories off. I'm more determined now...more than ever before...to lose this weight and get back into the shape I used to be in.

I want to be able to do the things I used to when I was in shape...I want to look like I did when I first started dating my wife...and, most importantly to me, I want to be in good enough shape to keep up with my twin daughters that we're expecting in March. I don't want them to have a dad that they're embarrassed to be seen with...I want them to be proud of me.

So, enough about me. Does anyone else have a success story that they can share to help motivate me or anyone else out there that is trying to do the same thing?


For the record. I destroyed last night.. lol

I broke the heavy bag with a jump spin side (I don't think I was the sole cause), and I nailed one of the better sparrers with a jump spin side and pretty much controlled all my fights last night. I didn't get to spar brandon which was a little dissappointing but there is always next time.

also for the record, Brandon didn't do as bad in sparring as he thinks. He controlled his fight for the most part, from where I sat.

[BrandonLucas]

Maybe you were just a bit tired last night because you didn't get a good night's sleep.

Part of it could have been that I was tired...but it wasn't so much from a lack of sleep as it was from not having energy from being out of shape.

[terryl965]

Brandon been there done that.

[SJON]

Hi.

I haven't got time to really get into this, but nutrition is kind of a hobby of mine, so ...

1. The human body is not built to consume sugar or high glycemic index carbs ("fast carbs") like flour. These create a glucose rush in the bloodstream, and body fat is just one of the bad consequences of this. Cut out the sweet stuff, and cut right down on bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and similar.
2. Eat lots of vegetables and a moderate amount of fruit. These give you low glycemic index carbs ("slow carbs") that release the glucose slowly.
3. Calculate your protein needs as per your lean bodyweight and activity level, and stick to this. There are websites where you can do this.
4. Eat good fats like oily fish, olive oil, etc, and cut the bad fats, especially fried food and processed foods that contain unspecified "vegetable oils". Poor quality fats and re-used fats are practically poison.
5. Forget popular dietary wisdom. Forget low-fat diets (fat doesn't make you fat; you need fat, and will be ill if you don't get it). Forget diet snacks like inflated rice bars, most breakfast cereals, etc, which may be low calorie but have an extremely high glycemic index and release all the glucose they have in an instant.

Hope that helps.

[Manny]

Budy, I can feel your paine, I'm 6" tall, 260 punds and 44-46 waist size, I was a very healthy boy, back in the golden days when I did TKD I did good things in TKD.

Now my mind and body are disconected, my brains says Yes Manny you can do the jumping/spining hook kick go ahead but my body simply refuses in pain and it's very dificult to say, I used to do that i my early days.

As you do, when my TKD class is hard I can not sleep, it seems my body is full of adrenaline and even I'm tyred I can not sleep, I'm so exited that barely sleep so this is normal I gess, as you do at the next day I can barely move, my arms, my legs weight like a TON and my joints, my tendons, muscles and bones ache alot. The pain eases till two days before de TKD class.
Do you say you have problems kicking above the waist?? well... wellcome the club!! My kicks to the belt and chest are not dificult, but trying to kick the head is very-very dificult. The problem you and I have is we did a lot of exercise years back and then we got sedentary with ceo exercise, we gain a lot of weight and this is killing us.

Yes we are out of shape, but at least we are doing something, I can tell you that when I retook TKD clases a year and half my stamina was in minus cero, these days even with the pains and aches I can endure medium/heavy training session.

I'm nota as young as you are, but have the same problem, we have to try to do someting, TKD is a good thing keep training no matrer how hard is, try to do good healty meals (not heavy meals), and go to a doctor for help.

What's my sucessfull history? well I'm doing something, I'm training 2 times per week, I have a goal, next july I want to do my second dan black belt, and going to do a couple of thing this early january. Firsth do some blood tests to see how Iam. Second do a little joging 3 times a week, if I can do little walks dayli I will and keep training and Third try to adhere to some weightwachers program.

Let me finish telling you are not the only one here with some health problems, you are not alone, don't know if we can use this forum to tell our worries and to talk about our progresess, something like overeaters anonymuos, but I will put the progress I made till next july it will hepl me to not to quit.

Manny

[K31]

First, and the dietitian will probably recommend this, get a notepad and carry it with you to record everything you eat. Even if you don't write down the portions or the calories, just write it down. I think you will find that you will be amazed and will modify your habits immediately.

I second what someone has already said about white flour, sugar, white rice. Cut them out of your diet. Get your carbs from fresh fruit and vegetables. That is just good advise whether you want to lose weight or not.

I've come to the conclusion that the only way I can truly lose weight is to count calories regardless of what you eat.. Maybe you are are different but all these diets where you limit this and that based on carbs vs. protein and you don't measure anything don't work in the long run and in the long run they all work (if they work) by limiting your total caloric intake. Not everyone is the same but that is what has worked the best for me.

Get a pedometer and wear it.

Eat 6 small meals a day no matter what food you end up eating.

Give your blood pressure checked. If you are tired for no apparent reason and that overweight, it is probably elevated.

Get the book "Eat to Live" and read it even if you don't follow the diet, because it contains information about food that you don't know.

http://drfuhrman.com/

[ynnad]

It is great that you have come to this realization. The hard facts are, you need to lose 100+ pounds. At 6' 1" you should be below 200. Diet and exercise are the tools you need to get healthy. However, diet and exercise are not the problem. I would recommend you do some counseling to try and figure out why it is that food is an addiction. If you don't get to the source, you will merely get in a cycle of guilt, motivation, defeat, guilt.....and jump from diet to diet and exercise program to exercise program. You are still young, you can turn it around, but you must start today.

Grace and Peace, Danny

[BrandonLucas]

Hi.

I haven't got time to really get into this, but nutrition is kind of a hobby of mine, so ...

1. The human body is not built to consume sugar or high glycemic index carbs ("fast carbs") like flour. These create a glucose rush in the bloodstream, and body fat is just one of the bad consequences of this. Cut out the sweet stuff, and cut right down on bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and similar.
2. Eat lots of vegetables and a moderate amount of fruit. These give you low glycemic index carbs ("slow carbs") that release the glucose slowly.
3. Calculate your protein needs as per your lean bodyweight and activity level, and stick to this. There are websites where you can do this.
4. Eat good fats like oily fish, olive oil, etc, and cut the bad fats, especially fried food and processed foods that contain unspecified "vegetable oils". Poor quality fats and re-used fats are practically poison.
5. Forget popular dietary wisdom. Forget low-fat diets (fat doesn't make you fat; you need fat, and will be ill if you don't get it). Forget diet snacks like inflated rice bars, most breakfast cereals, etc, which may be low calorie but have an extremely high glycemic index and release all the glucose they have in an instant.

Hope that helps.

Lots of great info, thanks!! If you can, would you mind posting the websites that have free nutritional info like you're talking about?

[CoryKS]

Lots of great info, thanks!! If you can, would you mind posting the websites that have free nutritional info like you're talking about?

http://caloriecount.about.com/ is a good site. It has a huge database of foods with their nutritional content, including many brand-name products. Gives them a score from A to F based on its content. Also gives the burn rate of many physical activities. The best part is that you can start an account for free and maintain a log of your eating/workout activies, and you can add things from the database rather than plugging in the data yourself. Good site!

[BrandonLucas]

Thanks everyone for the information and support!! There's alot on here to process, and I'm going to start trying to get all the info I can to get started right now.

I've just ordered a salad for lunch, btw...I'll eat slowly, and try to asses if I'm full while I'm eating, so I don't get hung up on trying to finish the whole thing.

I'm also going to try writing everything down from now on...that probably will help.

Manny, I'm going to document periodically on here, I think, of how I'm progressing or if I'm progressing at all. Feel free to do the same with me, and we can see if we can help eachother out.

[level7]

You better get started on working out. Your twins are gonna kick the living $hite out of you for the first year or two. It will make training seem like an easy dream. I started with one, I can't imagine 2 at the same time. Good luck and congrats. :)

[terrylamar]

I had a simular problem. I weighed over 260, I'm not sure exactly how high I got, because rarely weighed myself.

I cut out all the junk food, sweets and soft drinks.

Ate less.

Started exercising.

I have dropped over 50 pounds and am still dropping. The loss of fat has been dramitic. I am building muscle so the weight drop isn't as significant now, the fat loss is.

My Blood Pressure has gone from being marginal, to 117/68. My resting heart rate has gone from 75 bpm to 60 bmp.

I am still not where I want to be, I find that I am much older now and have to take it easier.

I am slow to regain my flexibility. I was never that flexible in the first place.

I tend to run too far, exercise too much and end up paying for it the next day. Sometimes for a couple of weeks, which sets me behind in the Master Plan.

[bluekey88]

Lots of great info, thanks!! If you can, would you mind posting the websites that have free nutritional info like you're talking about?

www.fitday.com (http://www.fitday.com)

lots of claculators (for sopecific food, macronutrient intake, lean body mass, etc.) and ways to track what your eating, calories burned, mood, etc. All free. "Twas a real eyeopener for me.

Peace,
Erik

[SJON]

Brandon,

I was only able to dig these out for now:

www.crossfit.com/journal/library/15_03_Nutrition_Full_Issue.pdf (http://www.crossfit.com/journal/library/15_03_Nutrition_Full_Issue.pdf)
www.crossfit.com/journal/library/cfjissue21_May04.pdf (http://www.crossfit.com/journal/library/cfjissue21_May04.pdf)

Good overviews on diet, largely based on Sears' "The Zone" which, although much-maligned in some sectors, does have a sound scientific basis. The "block" thing can seem a bit complicated at first. Don't sweat it and use my recommendations above for quantities, combined with this body fat calculator (from which you can get your lean bodyweight):

www.he.net/~zone/prothd2.html (http://www.he.net/%7Ezone/prothd2.html)

As an active 35-year-old male, training 5 days a week, I tend to go for 0.8g of pure protein daily per kg of lean bodyweight.

A good introduction to nutrition is Weil's "Eating Well for Optimum Health" - much more readable than "The Zone".

I really would recommend reading up on diet. It will really transform your training and your life in general. And if you combine it with some high intensity interval training (which you should get in TKD classes anyway), Yoga and a good barbell program based on full squats, deadlifts, cleans and overhead presses, you will soon be the envy of some of the lesser Greek deities, and feel a whole lot better into the bargain.

[DarkPhoenix]

Here is another one you can use.

It is called Fighter's Body. I picked it up and it is pretty informative. When I started TKD again in September, I weighed in at 260 lbs at 6'3" and a 38" waist. With just TKD and changing my habits a little bit, I am still the same weight, but I have a 36" waist now, and a lot more energy. I don't plan on dropping that much weight, maybe 30 lbs. Then again I think BMI is a bunch of BS and shouldn't be the be all end all of what our bodies should be. Main reason why I say that is because when I was 225lbs and 5% body fat, my doctor told me that I was obese and should weigh around 175lbs.

That is my rant. :-)

http://www.amazon.com/Fighters-Body-Nutrition-Exercise-Excellence/dp/1880336812/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229629543&sr=1-1

[Marginal]

So, enough about me. Does anyone else have a success story that they can share to help motivate me or anyone else out there that is trying to do the same thing?
When I started TKD, I also cleaned up my diet . (Cut out Coke since it was an easy 1,000 calories a day the way I consume it, stopped living on microwave burritos, eating chips etc. Mainly ate tuna fish and chicken...) I went from 220lbs to 190 in a few months.

I'm not so concerned about what I eat now (still don't eat chips etc) but the easiest way for me to control my weight is to work out. Just 30 mins every other day on an excise bike can make a huge difference in a few months. I also started using kettlebells as a way to keep myself in better shape. (Though any kind of weight lifting is beneficial, I happen to enjoy KB's more than the alternatives.)

I'm hovering around 210, but I don't look like I'm just about to go to seed anymore.

[BrandonLucas]

I actually did one of those BMI things a few minutes ago, and it said that my target weight should be 175lbs, and I'm severely overweight.

Obviously, you have to take the BMI with a huge grain of salt...if I dropped down to 175lbs, I would be very unhealthy. Honestly, I don't know what my exact target weight should be yet (I'm still going through these websites listed...thanks all!!) but I can tell you that I'm sure I don't need to weigh less than 220 lbs. I'm built to be a big guy...I have a big frame, and, even though I know it's really played out...I really do have big bones.

I'm built to be a big guy, and I'm fine with that...but there's a difference between being a big statured guy and being a big statured guy with too much body fat, which is where I am now.

So, I have a lot of info to go through, and I have some work to do, but I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to get rid of the body fat that I need to drop.

Thanks everyone again for the posts and information...and keep the info coming...you can never have too much knowledge!!

[bluekey88]

Brandon, I'm right there with you brother. 6' and 230 right now....still considered obese based on BMI. But carryign between 19 and 22% bodyfat, more like overweight. Acccording to BMI I too should be 175. I haven't been that since well before I reached adulthood. Thwe skinniest I ever got doing a VERY carb-restricted diet (taht I couldn't maintain long-term) was 211. I'm guessing 220 would be great, but maybe aroubnd 200 would be best for me. Not much less.

Hopefully your Dr. and Nutritionist will give you sound advice and help you set realistic and attainable goals.

Peace,
Erik

[rchurch]

I agree with all the post about watching what you eat and how much you eat. That is simply eating healthy. I also agree with the posts about calorie intake. Very basically, calories are what fuel your body. Simply put, there are 3,500 calories in one pound. Take in 3,500 calories more than you burn and you gain a pound. Lose 3,500 calories, through either limiting intake or burning them through exercise, and you lose a pound. This is usually accomplished by both diet and exercise. Break it down by the day, and it comes to 500 calories per day. (500 x 7 days in 1 week = 3,500 calories = 1 pound per week). Cut out the extras. For example most colas (CocaCola for example) are 150 calories. Cut out three cokes per day, and your at 450 calories. Almost the goal of 500 calories per day. Add in some exercise, such as walking a little further than normal, taking the stairs at work, etc, and you've hit 500 calories gone for the day. Do this every day and with very little effort you're losing a pound every week. Add a few more exercises, cut a few more calories and you can lose 2 or 3 punds per week. I wouldn't go for much more than that for health reasons. The first few weeks you might lose more per week but then it will level off.

You didn't gain that weight overnight, you won't lose it overnight. Slow and steady is healthier and easier to stick with. And I also agree with the posts that talk about underlying reasons for overeating. I, for one, am a stress eater, and unfortunately have a somewhat stressful job. Not a good combination. Good luck in your endeavour, and keep us informed of your progress!

[ynnad]

I actually did one of those BMI things a few minutes ago, and it said that my target weight should be 175lbs, and I'm severely overweight.

Obviously, you have to take the BMI with a huge grain of salt...if I dropped down to 175lbs, I would be very unhealthy. Honestly, I don't know what my exact target weight should be yet (I'm still going through these websites listed...thanks all!!) but I can tell you that I'm sure I don't need to weigh less than 220 lbs. I'm built to be a big guy...I have a big frame, and, even though I know it's really played out...I really do have big bones.

I'm built to be a big guy, and I'm fine with that...but there's a difference between being a big statured guy and being a big statured guy with too much body fat, which is where I am now.

So, I have a lot of info to go through, and I have some work to do, but I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to get rid of the body fat that I need to drop.

Thanks everyone again for the posts and information...and keep the info coming...you can never have too much knowledge!!

You are correct, the issue is not so much how much one weighs as much as it is excess fat. Forgetting about weight, a simple visual indicator can be observed in the physiology of the human body. The gut should not stick out more than the chest. If it does, then one has too much excess fat. This is the case for all humans regardless of whether they are "big-boned" or not. That is unless someone wants to claim to be "big-intestined." :shrug:

I look forward to hearing how your journey goes. Good Luck.

[CoryKS]

That is unless someone wants to claim to be "big-intestined." :shrug:

:rofl:

[jim777]

I got 3 cracked ribs sparring in '07 (at different times, but basically one after the other) because I was too big, out of shape, and old. I was 237? or something like that on Christmas morning '07, and though I don't know how much I'm sure I gained some weight that day!
So, I got tired of the broken bones and started to cut back on the fried stuff (burgers mostly), and do situps every day. Now, a year later, I was 195 this morning. My wife is convinced that I look younger than when we met back in '86. I'm two weeks shy of 47 and am nearly fast enough now to hang with the 18 year olds at practice. Getting the weight off really made me feel good too, it was nice to toss out some fat jeans and get new ones. I think if you feel like taking some weight off, you should dive right in and go for it. It's far easier with diet and excercise than it is with either by itself, and you will love seeing the weight disappear a little at a time day by day :)

[matt.m]

I have had many of the same issues. Only with joints not weight. However, I will say this.......since I had been very competitive at one time this is a great rule to follow. I was in Judo and Wrestling so wt. class was a big deal for me.

buy enough tupperware or ziploc container to make six small meals a day. Drink a lot of water, eat a lot of vegetables like corn and spinach. Red meat is your friend as long as you buy and prepare it for yourself. Remember as your caloric count spreads over a period of six meals of nutrition so your body weight and composition will change for the better. You will have to pick up the pace of cardio and calestenics you do at home so your bodies skin will retract as you lighten up.

It works, plus the more pure muscle and less body fat index the fast your metabolism. The faster your metabolism the less body fat index you will have. The better your nutrition the better your transformation of body fat index into actual muscle.

Good luck man,

[davedaylight]

August 2007 I weighed 325 lbs at 5'11" and had a 46-48 waist line, then I started taking martial arts again (only form of exercise I've ever enjoyed) and started doing weightwatchers online. For me the big problem was portion control, I'd just eat too much--and of course it was often the wrong stuff. I would train 2-3 times a week, and would stick with the program 6 out of 7 days (I'd go to my grandmothers once a week and it was next to impossible to follow the program that day, lol). After about 6 months I had lost almost 50 lbs and didn't think I needed weightwatchers anymore.

October of this year I hit 245 lbs and I'm down to a 40-42 waist, I still want to lose about another 50 lbs but I think that'll wait till after the new year, lol. Currently I'm training 4-5 days a week and my weight is holding steady around 245 lbs--because I haven't been watching what I eat the past couple months. Just keep training hard and find a healthy diet program that works for you and stick with it, you'll see results.

[Dao]

Eat breakfast, best to eat within one hour of waking up. People who don't eat breakfast tend to eat more during other meals. Eat smaller meals 5 to 6 times a day ( 2 to 2 1/2 between meals).
Drink only water, it helps you release toxins.
Do food rotation diet it is more healthy. Never eat the same food more than 2 days straight.
Always eat fruit alone, I suggest you eat a high carb fruit before class since you will burn off the sugar anyways. Eat some kind of protein after class, best if it not meat based. Nuts and seeds are best.
Stay away from milk and cheese, they are high in fat.
Fish oil (Carlson fish oil is the best), flax oil ( never heat it and remember not to heat the oil, buy only amount you can consume within a month since it can go bad pretty quick, also store in fridge.
Coconut oil may be good for you providing you're not allergic to it, it can help you lose weight, it won't help that much but every lb helps!
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. You can not get fat eating vegetables.
Learn qi gong it can help you lose weight, best when you practice daily. google "falun gong" and you will find free instructions how to do the exercise.

[BrandonLucas]

August 2007 I weighed 325 lbs at 5'11" and had a 46-48 waist line, then I started taking martial arts again (only form of exercise I've ever enjoyed) and started doing weightwatchers online. For me the big problem was portion control, I'd just eat too much--and of course it was often the wrong stuff. I would train 2-3 times a week, and would stick with the program 6 out of 7 days (I'd go to my grandmothers once a week and it was next to impossible to follow the program that day, lol). After about 6 months I had lost almost 50 lbs and didn't think I needed weightwatchers anymore.

October of this year I hit 245 lbs and I'm down to a 40-42 waist, I still want to lose about another 50 lbs but I think that'll wait till after the new year, lol. Currently I'm training 4-5 days a week and my weight is holding steady around 245 lbs--because I haven't been watching what I eat the past couple months. Just keep training hard and find a healthy diet program that works for you and stick with it, you'll see results.

This is almost the exact same boat I'm in...I'm only taller than you by 2", but other than that, what you're saying is identical to where I'm at right now. I started earlier today eating right, and I'm continuing it tonight by cooking my own chicken stir fry. I went to class, so I'm ok in the exercise department.

But what you're saying about your size and the shape you're in is exactly where I'm at right now, and it gives me hope that you were able to drop down.

Again, thanks to all who have posted, and keep them coming!! It really helps to know others are out there like me...and corny as that sounds.

[RobertS]

My advice: lift weights. Cardio exercise like tae kwon do burns off some of the calories you eat but building muscle increases your metabolism and your body will burn more calories just providing for your muscles. Simply put, building muscle "ups the rent" on your body. If you eat the same amount of food you always do you will still lose weight. So if you lift weights and eat a little healthier your body is going to change.

Personally, doing tae kwon do for years I was in decent shape but flabby and just a few months of regular lifting with little change to my diet made me lose several percent of body fat.

[K31]

I'd like to second some of the advise given. "Eat slowly" - I read to chew each bite 20 times and this works. It gives your brain time to get the message that you are getting full before you over eat. "Lift weights" - This not only ramps up your metabolism but also keeps you from losing muscle while you lose fat. "Eat breakfast" - people skipping breakfast becoming overweight is a very well documented fact. "Cut out soda" - Recent studies show that people who consume soft drinks, sweetened or unsweetened are more prone to metabolic syndrome.

[Marginal]

I'd like to second some of the advise given. "Eat slowly" - I read to chew each bite 20 times and this works. It gives your brain time to get the message that you are getting full before you over eat. "Lift weights" - This not only ramps up your metabolism but also keeps you from losing muscle while you lose fat. "Eat breakfast" - people skipping breakfast becoming overweight is a very well documented fact. "Cut out soda" - Recent studies show that people who consume soft drinks, sweetened or unsweetened are more prone to metabolic syndrome.
Whatever metabolic syndrome is. (The studies don't seem all that certain on the subject.) They say that artificial sweetener has a relationship, but they don't know what it is.

When I stopped drinking Coke, I jumped over to Coke Zero. I was hungrier, but I just assumed that I was used to all those extra calories per day so I ignored it. After a week or so, that extra hunger feeling faded. IMO diet drink's effects on hunger have been greatly overstated.