Look what fast food & ice cream have done to my cholesterol

tigerblue

YAY!!

I say moderation in all things. I'd give up if I thought I had to live on leaves and twigs for the rest of my life.

Achrya

Should be "look what cutting down dramatically on fast food & ice cream, and increasing exercise, have done to my cholesterol".

That would be a lie, because I did not cut down on fast food, and I never ate ice cream before this year. So......

Anyway, good job missing the humor in the thread title and deliberately misunderstanding (or simply not reading) the post itself.

They don't want to see the humor/sully their clean eyes by reading. (Hence missing your "If you have a medical condition" disclaimer and other such things) It's easier to come in, noses high in the air, and declare why this won't work for them/people like them/women/anyone but you.

Meanwhile I've decided to have a little ice cream after my lunch. Nomnomnom.

bcattoes

This may work now, but long term i doubt. Definitely won't work for females. Eat that way if that's what you like but there are other benefits besides weight to consider of eating clean - more balanced energy levels, less temptation/urge to binge, better hair, skin and nails,, tec. I wouldn't advocate this plan for the masses

Why wouldn't it work for females?

Honestly I don't see the draw of fast food or ice cream. And I'm not advocating that anyone eat them. But what does being female have to do with anything? Exercise will lower a females cholesterol levels too.

If the choice were a sedentary life and a clean diet vs. an active life with a diet filled with junk food. Most would be better off with the active life. Luckily those are not our only choices.

wolverine66

thank you. this gives me encouragement, because a) what prompted me to drop weight was my cholesterol and b) i wanted to do it while eating the good stuff.

jwdieter

Should be "look what cutting down dramatically on fast food & ice cream, and increasing exercise, have done to my cholesterol".

That would be a lie, because I did not cut down on fast food, and I never ate ice cream before this year. So......

Anyway, good job missing the humor in the thread title and deliberately misunderstanding (or simply not reading) the post itself.

Your post is misleading in its approach, and provides a single result without a control.

You got fat because you ate too much relative to your activity level. You lost that fat because you resolved that issue - either by increasing your activity level dramatically, or reducing your intake, and probably both.

You pay close attention to what you eat. You eat nowhere near "a lot" of food, in an American context. And you're a young man.

Maybe your nutritional approach was efficient. Maybe it was horribly inefficient. You don't know.

I support the message that caloric deficit leads to weight loss, and ice cream isn't evil. I don't support a front and center message about fast food and ice cream that can easily lead to massive weight gain - because the most important elements that led to weight loss are downplayed.

Tropical_Turtle

And this is an incredibly awesome post!! I do not believe in denying anyone the foods they want! ROCK IT (and yes you could lose the towel - just sayin)

jonnythan

Your post is misleading in its approach, and provides a single result without a control.

I haven't reviewed your posting history, but I hope you go into all the success story threads and tell people about how their results provide a single result with no experimental controls. Cause it would be kinda awesome if you did.

Onesnap

I like real maple syrup so the IHOP every week thing would not work for me unless I snuck it in. :: reaches into purse for the local goodness ::

You have to do what works for you.

This diet and lifestyle works for you.

I could never not do any cardio (as the OP said, he does not do cardio). I love things like kayaking, hiking, Centergy (power yoga), Zumba, and kickboxing too much to give them up. I could not survive without my cardio mixed with strength training.



The OP has found his balance.

For me, his balance would have me all off kilter. I try to avoid factory farmed meat as much as possible. I also don't have it in my budget to eat out that much per week.

Yeller_Sensation

Awesome post.

Awesome message.

Awesome pictures.

LOSE THE TOWEL!

:flowerforyou: :blushing:

jonnythan

I like real maple syrup so the IHOP every week thing would not work for me unless I snuck it in. :: reaches into purse for the local goodness ::

You have to do what works for you.

This diet and lifestyle works for you.

I could never not do any cardio (as the OP said, he does not do cardio). I love things like kayaking, hiking, Centergy (power yoga), Zumba, and kickboxing too much to give them up. I could not survive without my cardio mixed with strength training.



The OP has found his balance.

For me, his balance would have me all off kilter. I try to avoid factory farmed meat as much as possible. I also don't have it in my budget to eat out that much per week.

FYI, I put cardio in quotes in the OP because I don't do "cardio." As I mentioned, I am an active person. I play tennis, mountain bike, hike, or something else for 3-15 hours per week. I don't think "cardio" is necessary, but having fun being active is.

bio01979

This may work now, but long term i doubt. Definitely won't work for females. Eat that way if that's what you like but there are other benefits besides weight to consider of eating clean - more balanced energy levels, less temptation/urge to binge, better hair, skin and nails,, tec. I wouldn't advocate this plan for the masses

How long do I have to maintain this weight for it to be long term...? I went from about 210 maximum to 160 in 2004. I haven't been more than 5 lbs above that since. That's like..... 9 years.

And what do you know about my energy levels, hair, skin, or nails?

Because women are a completely different species. Duh.

lol exactly!

there seems to be this stereotype that women are all emotional eaters, binge on chocolate during TOM, are walking hormonal time bombs and are unable to lose or maintain weight easily or without following a strict diet

I am sure this is true for some women, and some men as well lol

but we can't paint everyone with the same brush

Onesnap

I like real maple syrup so the IHOP every week thing would not work for me unless I snuck it in. :: reaches into purse for the local goodness ::

You have to do what works for you.

This diet and lifestyle works for you.

I could never not do any cardio (as the OP said, he does not do cardio). I love things like kayaking, hiking, Centergy (power yoga), Zumba, and kickboxing too much to give them up. I could not survive without my cardio mixed with strength training.



The OP has found his balance.

For me, his balance would have me all off kilter. I try to avoid factory farmed meat as much as possible. I also don't have it in my budget to eat out that much per week.

FYI, I put cardio in quotes in the OP because I don't do "cardio." As I mentioned, I am an active person. I play tennis, mountain bike, hike, or something else for 3-15 hours per week. I don't think "cardio" is necessary, but having fun being active is.

ah, okay. Thanks for the clarification. I think you meant like on a cardio machine: elliptical, treadmill, spin bike etc. Because you are clearly doing cardio just not, you know, tethered to a machine inside.

_noob_

Your post is misleading in its approach, and provides a single result without a control.

I haven't reviewed your posting history, but I hope you go into all the success story threads and tell people about how their results provide a single result with no experimental controls. Cause it would be kinda awesome if you did.

:laugh: :laugh:

bcattoes

But females are SPECIAL.

True story.

Onesnap

Here's the definition of "cardio" for the OP:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/114986-definition-cardio-exercise/

aloranger7708

Bump. Love it!

jonnythan

I like real maple syrup so the IHOP every week thing would not work for me unless I snuck it in. :: reaches into purse for the local goodness ::

You have to do what works for you.

This diet and lifestyle works for you.

I could never not do any cardio (as the OP said, he does not do cardio). I love things like kayaking, hiking, Centergy (power yoga), Zumba, and kickboxing too much to give them up. I could not survive without my cardio mixed with strength training.



The OP has found his balance.

For me, his balance would have me all off kilter. I try to avoid factory farmed meat as much as possible. I also don't have it in my budget to eat out that much per week.

FYI, I put cardio in quotes in the OP because I don't do "cardio." As I mentioned, I am an active person. I play tennis, mountain bike, hike, or something else for 3-15 hours per week. I don't think "cardio" is necessary, but having fun being active is.

ah, okay. Thanks for the clarification. I think you meant like on a cardio machine: elliptical, treadmill, spin bike etc. Because you are clearly doing cardio just not, you know, tethered to a machine inside.

Yes, I am doing things that are cardiovascular exercise, but I do them because they are fun, not because I feel I have to spend time on a machine slaving away for my health. I never pick up a tennis racquet with the intent of "doing cardio." I pick up a tennis racquet with the intent of playing a game.

If you enjoy cardio machines or whatever, then more power to you. Enjoyment is the key. I don't think it does anyone any good to spend hours doing something they dislike for their "health."

lisamarie1780

Saw the doc yesterday for a physical and had a lipid panel done.

My first cholesterol results were from 2006, which was a few months after I lost 45 pounds doing mainly cardio and very large calorie deficits. I had gone from 205 to 160 lbs.
Total = 230
LDL = 171
HDL = 42
HDL/total ratio = 5.75

Had another panel done in 2008, after a couple years of more or less maintaining with relatively low levels of activity. I was 165 lbs then.
Total = 204
LDL = 141
HDL = 46
HDL/Total ratio = 4.43

Again in 2011, which was about 8 months after I started lifting (just as I was starting my first bulk). I was 160 lbs here. I hurt my back a few months after this and took about 18 months off lifting to fully recover.
Total = 213
LDL = 140
HDL = 59
HDL/Total ratio: 3.62

Today's results, which come after 5 months of lifting and going from 165 lbs to 148:
Total = 188
LDL = 104
HDL = 68
HDL/Total ratio: 2.69

My triglycerides have always been pretty low.

So those of you who have seen my posts (and ticker) know that I eat a lot of food that's not "clean." I go to McDonald's, Taco Bell, Subway, IHOP, etc, many times a week. I have ice cream almost every day. I eat a lot of frozen meals. Yet despite all this, my cholesterol has gone from pretty bad to ideal. Having a total cholesterol of 230 at 24 years old was not a good sign.

There's no secret or magic to this. I lift weights, I find fun ways to be active outside [I never 'do cardio' and I hate running], and I hit appropriate macro goals. That's all there is to it. I haven't filled my diet with "health foods" or "clean" food, I haven't even remotely cut out processed food. I haven't avoided sugar; in fact, I eat a ton of it. I average over 60 grams a day, I think. I haven't cut my sodium to low levels; I average around 4000 mg a day (and my blood pressure yesterday was 108/62).

I get 130+ grams of protein a day, 50+ grams of fat a day, 25+ grams of fiber a day, eat a few servings of veggies and fruits every day, and I exercise. That's it. This stuff isn't rocket science, and if your 'diet' forbids certain foods then you're doing it wrong (unless of course you have an actual medical condition such as celiac disease or hypertension).

I'm going to post this picture again. I'm thin and have a spare tire, but I'm improving every day. Behold the power of eating foods you enjoy.

I'm all for eating food you enjoy but I wouldn't choose fast food as my main source of nutrients. I think it's amazing how you have transformed your body but I would be interested to see what your bloods looked like after 20 or 30 years of living off junk.... I'm not saying I know, I would just be interested to find out.

jwdieter

Your post is misleading in its approach, and provides a single result without a control.

I haven't reviewed your posting history, but I hope you go into all the success story threads and tell people about how their results provide a single result with no experimental controls. Cause it would be kinda awesome if you did.

When people want to present a misleading picture of their weight loss, I'll comment.

Thread with this title is at least a little bit trolling.

I could post pictures bacon and bbq and milkshakes, and post a picture of my abs, and it would be a technically true story of what I ate this week and how I look. But I understand why I'm in the shape I'm in. It's not because I like to eat food in an amount that would lead to obesity in some folks - it's because I'm eating an appropriate amount of food for my body, doing HIIT, and lifting.

krc99080

Excellent job! I'm a huge fan of not cutting anything out unless you are allergic to the food. I'd be miserable if I said I could never eat ice cream or chocolate cake again. Fast food I can live without and have to be careful what I pick there because the grease can disagree with me.