My Life Story?

[EaGamer]

Currently I'm a 17 year old and a Junior in high-school. I don't want to sound too outlandish, but I consider myself a little unique. I'm 5'10, 215. I honestly look like I should be playing middle linebacker for my high-school football team, or playing hockey as a defenseman. I'm currently about a 3.5-4.0.

However, my issue is I can not get myself to tone up, and lose weight. My BMI is about 30.1, and when I tell my friends to guess my weight, they're guessing around 160.

I love food, and soda. Soda is my biggest thing, I know that I need to stop drinking (I feel like im in an intervention). But I can't, I crave sugar because I've been drinking soda since I was probably 6 or 7. I also indulge in many foods.

I just don't know how I can motivate myself to eat right, and exercise a bit more. It's somewhat scary to think about what I could accomplish if I was 30-40 pounds less, or my BMI was like 23.

What should I do? I know I've loaded a lot of information on you, and I'd be shocked if anyone read to this point haha.

 

[LeeD]

Motivation comes from within.
If you're happy topping out at a lower level 4.5, you're doing fine and living a happy life.
If you need more, you know what you need to do.
Just like in life, the successful seem to be the fit. Do you want (and that would be NEED) to be successful?

 

[EaGamer]

Just like in life, the successful seem to be the fit.

Charles Darwin.

 

[WildVolley]

The fact is that you can stop drinking so much soda. You aren't really addicted to it in terms of your body going into withdrawal symptoms. You won't start shaking uncontrollably or vomiting if you don't get your soda fix. And it is most likely all the sugar you are drinking which is maintaining your high body fat. Other than that, it sounds like you were blessed with a lot of fast twitch fibers which is good for sports.

Since you are unlikely to go cold turkey, you should just wean yourself off of soda by drinking less of it and more water. I might even suggest switching some to diet, but those chemicals probably aren't great for you either.

If you cut back the excess sugars and calories from soda and other junk you will drop body weight. Just start cleaning up your diet. You don't have to be perfect, but even a small change will help you out.

 

[Epictennis]

The fact is that you can stop drinking so much soda. You aren't really addicted to it in terms of your body going into withdrawal symptoms. You won't start shaking uncontrollably or vomiting if you don't get your soda fix. And it is most likely all the sugar you are drinking which is maintaining your high body fat. Other than that, it sounds like you were blessed with a lot of fast twitch fibers which is good for sports.

Since you are unlikely to go cold turkey, you should just wean yourself off of soda by drinking less of it and more water. I might even suggest switching some to diet, but those chemicals probably aren't great for you either.

If you cut back the excess sugars and calories from soda and other junk you will drop body weight. Just start cleaning up your diet. You don't have to be perfect, but even a small change will help you out.

This is nearly exactly what I was about to say.

 

[r2473]

I'm 5'10, 215......most of it could be muscle,

I'd say most of it is muscle..........

 

[charliefedererer]

First, it's good to recognize you need to lose weight.

Right now you are so active playing tennis that decreasing your overall calorie intake should lead to weight loss.

If you really feel "addicted" to soda, diet soda might be the temporary way to change a longstanding habit. Even mixing a little regular soda in diet soda at home may be a way to start to change.


Part of wanting to "eat more" comes from a feeling of not being "full". Starting each evening meal with a large salad can help "fill you up" without taking in as many calories as your usual larger portions - as long as you don't use high calorie salad dressings.


Starting off the morning with a good breakfast can keep you from craving sugary breakfast snacks or mid-morning snacks. Cold or hot cereal with fresh or frozen berries can make a reasonable breakfast that you can prepare/eat fairly quickly in the morning.


If you have a "sweet tooth" at home, keeping grapes in the house can be a solution to worse sugary snacks. Just a few grapes can often replace much higher calorie cookies or cake.


Part of all of this strategy is to "change up" your usual high calorie regimen. Hopefully, once this process starts you can keep making more and more healthy choices.

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

About the soda.

Wanting to perform as well as humanly can in tennis is one thing, and diabetes is another thing.

 

[OTMPut]

Cold or hot cereal with fresh or frozen berries can make a reasonable breakfast that you can prepare/eat fairly quickly in the morning.

you can skip the cereal. IMO, it is one of the worst edible items available.

why dont you eat 3 or 4 eggs every morning with 1 or 2 servings of vegetables? easy to prepare and every calorie off it is loaded with something useful to your body.

 

[EaGamer]

First, it's good to recognize you need to lose weight.

Right now you are so active playing tennis that decreasing your overall calorie intake should lead to weight loss.

If you really feel "addicted" to soda, diet soda might be the temporary way to change a longstanding habit. Even mixing a little regular soda in diet soda at home may be a way to start to change.


Part of wanting to "eat more" comes from a feeling of not being "full". Starting each evening meal with a large salad can help "fill you up" without taking in as many calories as your usual larger portions - as long as you don't use high calorie salad dressings.

Starting off the morning with a good breakfast can keep you from craving sugary breakfast snacks or mid-morning snacks. Cold or hot cereal with fresh or frozen berries can make a reasonable breakfast that you can prepare/eat fairly quickly in the morning.


If you have a "sweet tooth" at home, keeping grapes in the house can be a solution to worse sugary snacks. Just a few grapes can often replace much higher calorie cookies or cake.


Part of all of this strategy is to "change up" your usual high calorie regimen. Hopefully, once this process starts you can keep making more and more healthy choices.

I love this entire post. Most helpful personally as of right now. Thanks.

 

[EaGamer]

you can skip the cereal. IMO, it is one of the worst edible items available.

why dont you eat 3 or 4 eggs every morning with 1 or 2 servings of vegetables? easy to prepare and every calorie off it is loaded with something useful to your body.

I do love eggs...hahaha. I'll think about it! Again, I'm a high-schooler so I have to wake up every morning and make myself breakfast pretty quickly. However, we're getting closer to summer so maybe I can shave off some pounds when school gets out.

 

[charliefedererer]

you can skip the cereal. IMO, it is one of the worst edible items available.

why dont you eat 3 or 4 eggs every morning with 1 or 2 servings of vegetables? easy to prepare and every calorie off it is loaded with something useful to your body.

Nutritional information for 1 egg:

- http://100healthybreakfastrecipes.com/2011/07/eggs/

So three eggs would have almost twice the recommended amount of cholesterol to be eaten each day.
There are no complex carbohydrates to be slowly broken down for energy during the morning.


Kashi cereal

Although only 140 calories, 24 grams are from complex carbohydrates and only 6 from simple sugar. Our muscles preferentially use sugar for energy, and our brains exclusively use sugar for energy. Complex carbohyadrates are slowly broken down in our intestinal tract and slowly absorbed as sugar to fuel our muscles and brain over the course of the morning.
13 grams of protein in this cereal is more protein than in two eggs.



Doughnut

- http://quitehealthy.com/nutrition-facts/doughnut/182494.html
A lot of people rushed for time in the morning munch on a doughnut.
It's 152 fat calories is an indication that a doughnut is dough designed to soak up a maximum of grease from the vat of grease it is fried in to give it that yummy taste. Most of that fat is going to be stored in the body as more excess fat rather than be used as an energy supply.

 

[OTMPut]

So three eggs would have almost twice the recommended amount of cholesterol to be eaten each day.
There are no complex carbohydrates to be slowly broken down for energy during the morning.

A lot of embedded conventional wisdom there!

"recommended" amount - how and where do you think this precise qty arises for the population as a whole? Do you know what research went behind it?

I present the below paper as food for thought.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2753.2011.01767.x/pdf

Eggs are loaded with nutrients as you can see. 70x4 = 280 calories are pretty high quality calories.

50g of the cereal you presented has 6g of sugar and a high school student will eat a lot more than 50g. Overtime you wreck up insulin balance and get even more addicted to sugar.

 

[forthegame]

Soda (fizzy drinks to us other-siders) I can control. Mostly.

It's the sweet tea I love to drink that I think piles on the spare tyre. I'm drinking it right now, almost 3 spoons of sugar and a boat load of milk.

If I can get rid of this, who knows how much of the fat stuff will drop off?

 

[charliefedererer]

I present the below paper as food for thought.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2753.2011.01767.x/pdf

The paper is from a study done in only one county in Norway, making widespread application to diverse populations questionable. It excludes everyone with any prior history of cardiovascular disease. It excludes the elderly, the exact age group with the highest incidence of cardiovascular events. All cholesterol analysis was from a single determination of cholesterol level at the start of the study. No patient was excluded from the study for starting dietary therapy or going on cholesterol lowering agents - indeed no mention of the use of cholesterol lowering agents was mentioned in the study, even though it can be assumed many in the study went on these agents. Perhaps the "U-shaped curve" mentioned is because those who went on agents after their initial cholesterol determination at the start of the study, subsequently had lower cholesterol levels than those who initially had lower cholesterol levels.
These are all methodological problems why the authors could not get this study published in a major medical journal. Have you even heard of the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice?
Furthermore, the authors acknowledge: "We are well aware of evidence indicating that cholesterol subparticles, including various lipoproteins, may have stronger associations with CVD development than total cholesterol [27–34]." But they did not make any other cholesterol component analysis, even though the patient's doctors may well have, and used the information to guide lipid therapy.

Eggs are loaded with nutrients as you can see. 70x4 = 280 calories are pretty high quality calories.

Where did the 4 come from? We've been talking about 3 eggs. All of a sudden now it is 4. Maybe your brain needs some sugar to work properly.
And how is this "high quality calories"? Most of the calories are from fat. The rest are from protein.

50g of the cereal you presented has 6g of sugar and a high school student will eat a lot more than 50g. Overtime you wreck up insulin balance and get even more addicted to sugar.

6 grams of sugar is 24 calories. 24 calories from sugar in the morning after an overnight fast is good for you. The brain works on sugar. Your muscles preferentially work on sugar. More important than the 6 grams of sugar in this cereal is the 24 grams of complex carbodydrate that will slowly be broken down into simple sugar that will slowly be absorbed from the intestinal tract and ultimately used by the muscles and brain. All 100 calories of it. Presumably, one would eat this with milk, and my initial recommendation was to eat the cereal with fruit in it.

 

[Nojoke]

You've gotten a lot of great advice so far that I won't repeat. All i will add is that if you are 17 and very active and weigh 215, the future may be difficult. The future will be more food and calories and less activity. If you spot issues now, you would do well to correct them now. College will come soon with the "freshman 15" and reduced activity. You will be surprised how things tend to spiral.

Take pride in your awareness and make some small changes now. Good habits last a lifetime. The ghost of tennis future shows a much slower 5'10, 215+ when you hit 30.

 

[Avles]

You got it right in your first post. Stop drinking soda. Replace it with unsweetened coffee or tea, if you are relying on it for energy. Or try drinking flavored seltzer water if you want the carbonation. Personally I'd stay away from diet soda if possible, but that's easy for me to say because I think diet soda tastes awful.

You don't need to change your whole diet all at once. Focus on that one change and you'll end up in much better shape. And your teeth will thank you too.

 

[OTMPut]

Where did the 4 come from? We've been talking about 3 eggs. All of a sudden now it is 4. Maybe your brain needs some sugar to work properly.
And how is this "high quality calories"? Most of the calories are from fat. The rest are from protein.


6 grams of sugar is 24 calories. 24 calories from sugar in the morning after an overnight fast is good for you. The brain works on sugar. Your muscles preferentially work on sugar. More important than the 6 grams of sugar in this cereal is the 24 grams of complex carbodydrate that will slowly be broken down into simple sugar that will slowly be absorbed from the intestinal tract and ultimately used by the muscles and brain. All 100 calories of it. Presumably, one would eat this with milk, and my initial recommendation was to eat the cereal with fruit in it.

Go read my post again. I said 3 or 4 eggs.

Not all calories are equal. Somethings wreck up your body and make you feel hungry soon and endless cycle of snacking goes on (e.g. sugar).

The evidence for vilifying cholesterol is dodgy at best. Can you show me a paper that gives evidence for your position with the same rigor that you demand normally?

I will stick to eggs for breakfast. I avoid things that come in plastic or paper packs even if they are edible.

 

[Pitmiksovic]

You could have eggs and the cereal, it doesn't have to be one or the other. Studies show that higher amounts of protein in the diet causes people to eat fewer calories whether they go low carb or not. Starting the day with some quality protein like eggs generally makes people consume fewer calories throughout the day. You don't need the carbs, but your body will use them if you provide them, they are only stored as fat if your intake exceeds your caloric expenditure. The body can make sugars for the brain if they are not supplied by diet. The muscles prefer carbs for higher intensity contractions, but you dont need carbs at every meal to fill glycogen stores in the muscles either. If you choose to not have the carbs for breakfast, eat more eggs, 3 or 4, with some veggies and cheese. If you feel better with some carbs, just eat a couple eggs with your carbs. ex: On my running days i will have 2 eggs with some grits at about 11 am and it keeps me full til about 3 pm. On my non running mornings i will usually opt for 3 scrambles eggs with some onion and mushroom, sometimes some spinach, and some cheese. Both options give me about 350 cals and keep me full til about 3 pm. On the running days, i need the carbs to stay full til 3, on the non running days i can go either way. No need to worry about the cholesterol or fat in the eggs. Dietary cholesterol has basically nothing to do with cholesterol levels and cholesterol levels really have nothing to do with heart disease. As long as you are in caloric balance there is no issue with the fat in the eggs or the carbs in the cereal. And if you can, get eggs that are from grass fed chickens, the fatty acid profile is far superior. The eggs I get have a 1:1 ratio of omega3 : omega 6. Eggs from strictly grain fed chickens are high in omega 6 and deficient in omega 3. The chickens do need to eat some grain but the best quality chickens are fed grass, vegetables, and some grain. Cage free does not necessarily mean grass fed either.

Oh, and OP, quit drinking the damn soda.

 

[Soul]

One simple strategy you can try for loosing weight and possibly improving your tennis game is to avoid eating wheat/gluten. It isn't all that difficult to do, works for many at dropping weight, and seems to have improved Novak Djokovik's game.

An article I recall about Djokovic and his diet.

"The Diet That Shook Up Tennis?"

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703509104576327624238594818.html

And a nice sight about weight loss and other health benefits experienced when avoiding wheat.

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

 

[OTMPut]

No need to worry about the cholesterol or fat in the eggs. Dietary cholesterol has basically nothing to do with cholesterol levels and cholesterol levels really have nothing to do with heart disease.

People have been fed so much of popular press wisdom that this is going to be tough consider.

I love eggs for breakfast. I always keep grated vegetables (beet, carrot, radish, zucchini, cucumber) in the fridge. Chuck in a handful with 3 or 4 eggs and scramble lightly. Keeps me full until noon.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

You might find that ice/cold water may satisfy your cravings for soda. If not, then add a splash of OJ, other juice or soda to the water for a bit of flavoring without adding very many sugar calories.

Also, try a handful of nuts about 30 minutes before your meals. This will tend to curb your appetite somewhat. Best nuts for this purpose are walnuts, almonds and pine nuts. Peanuts (not a true nut) might have some of this effect but possibly not as much as the nuts suggested.

Also, chew your food thoroughly and eat your meals slowly. Stop when you feel like you are about 2/3 to 3/4 full. It takes your gut and brain a while to figure out that you are actually already full. If you are still hungry after 20 minutes, then eat a little bit more (but chances are that you will not be).

I agree that too much has been made about the cholesterol in food. It is better to limit your intake of saturated fats. Some are ok, but too much might have detrimental effects.
.

 

[WildVolley]

I agree that too much has been made about the cholesterol in food. It is better to limit your intake of saturated fats. Some are ok, but too much might have detrimental effects.

Good post and advice. However, I wouldn't worry about saturated fats either. Most studies show no correlation between the consumption of saturated fats and heart disease. Saturated fats are a boogeyman, but the evidence that they are bad for your health isn't there yet.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

^ Not really sure how much sat fats are ok. And have been hearing for the past 2 decades that the cholesterol theory of heart disease might be all wrong.

I know that the heart uses stearic acid and MCTs, such as lauric acid, might have some health benefits. I would still prefer to err on the side of caution -- while some sat fats are probably ok, like anything else, I would not overdo them.

 

[charliefedererer]

There is no doubt very high cholesterol levels are associated with increased heart attacks and death.

What confuses many is that a debate exists about what is a "borderline" cholesterol level and what is considered actually abnormal.

Some think doctors are too aggressive in treating those with "borderline" cholesterol levels.


What is lost is how far we have come in the understanding and treatment of high cholesterol.

Many years ago, when I was in medical school, an abnormal total cholesterol was over 260 mg/dl!
Sadly, there were no really great cholesterol treating drugs.
Every hospital, even relatively small ones, had a busy coronary care unit filled with patients who just had a heart attack.
Now, very few hospitals have coronary care units anymore. The incidence of heart attacks has plummeted.
I remember many of these patients used to have cholesterol levels in the 300's - those are never seen anymore.
My wife is a very busy primary care physician and remembers having many patients every year die admitted with heart attacks, and many of them dying. Now, even though her patient population has gotten older and "more complicated" she has maybe one patient admitted with a heart attack every five years!

Management of cardiovascular risk factors, including treatment of high cholesterol is a major success story in medicine.


For a readable history of the initial studies that led to the link between cardiovascular disease and cholesterol, and a subsequent history of the studies showing that lowering cholesterol led to a decrease in cardiovascular disease, check out: Cholesterol and Controversy: Past, Present and Future
By Jeanne Garbarino | November 15, 2011 |Scientific American http://blogs.scientificamerican.com...hould-rethink-our-approach-to-statin-therapy/

 

[charliefedererer]

People have been fed so much of popular press wisdom that this is going to be tough consider.

I love eggs for breakfast. I always keep grated vegetables (beet, carrot, radish, zucchini, cucumber) in the fridge. Chuck in a handful with 3 or 4 eggs and scramble lightly. Keeps me full until noon.

How is your total cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels? [I'm not asking for an exact number, I'm just concerned that you are having yours monitored.]

 

[charliefedererer]

Can you show me a paper that gives evidence for your position with the same rigor that you demand normally?

Ten-Year Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease in Relation to Cholesterol Level among Men with and without Preexisting Cardiovascular Disease
Juha Pekkanen, M.D., Ph.D., Shai Linn, M.D., Dr.P.H., Gerardo Heiss, M.D., Ph.D., Chirayath M. Suchindran, Ph.D., Arthur Leon, M.D., Basil M. Rifkind, M.D., and Herman A. Tyroler, M.D.
N Engl J Med 1990; 322:1700-1707June 14, 1990

Abstract
To determine the associations of total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol with mortality from coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease, we studied 2541 white men who were 40 to 69 years old at base line and followed them for an average of 10.1 years. Seventeen percent had some manifestation of cardiovascular disease at base line, whereas the others did not.
Among the men who had cardiovascular disease at base line, we found, after multivariate adjustment, that those with "high" blood cholesterol levels (above 6.19 mmol per liter) had a risk of death from cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, that was 3.45 times higher (95 percent confidence interval, 1.63 to 7.33) than that for men with "desirable" blood cholesterol levels (below 5.16 mmol per liter). The corresponding hazard ratios were 5.92 (95 percent confidence interval, 2.59 to 13.51) for LDL cholesterol levels above 4.13 mmol per liter as compared with those below 3.35 mmol per liter, and 6.02 (95 percent confidence interval, 2.73 to 13.28) for HDL cholesterol levels below 0.90 mmol per liter as compared with those above 1.16 mmol per liter. All three lipid levels were also significant predictors of death from coronary heart disease alone (P<0.005).
Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels were also significant predictors of death from cardiovascular and coronary heart disease in men without preexisting cardiovascular disease, although at a lower level of absolute risk of death. Thus, the 10-year risk of death from cardiovascular disease for a man with preexisting cardiovascular disease increased from 3.8 percent to almost 19.6 percent with increasing levels of total cholesterol from "desirable" to "high," whereas the corresponding risk for a man who was free of cardiovascular disease at base line increased from 1.7 percent to 4.9 percent.
Our findings suggest that total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol levels predict subsequent mortality in men 40 to 69 years of age, especially those with preexisting cardiovascular disease. (N Engl J Med 1990; 322:1700–7.)
- http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199006143222403

You can read the full article there.

 

[charliefedererer]

Can you show me a paper that gives evidence for your position with the same rigor that you demand normally?

REVIEW ARTICLE
Cholesterol Reduction in Cardiovascular Disease — Clinical Benefits and Possible Mechanisms
Glenn N. Levine, M.D., John F. Keaney, Jr., M.D., and Joseph A. Vita, M.D.
N Engl J Med 1995; 332:512-521February 23, 1995

The causal role of an elevated serum cholesterol level in the genesis of atherosclerosis and its clinical sequelae, particularly ischemic heart disease, is now well established...
- http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199502233320807

This is a great review article that traces the history of determining the association of high cholesterol and atherosclerosis, and the dramatic decrease in "heart attacks" [myocardial infarctions] and death by lowering cholesterol levels.

 

[charliefedererer]

Can you show me a paper that gives evidence for your position with the same rigor that you demand normally?

High cholesterol is a serious problem in young men - not just a disease of the elderly:

Serum Cholesterol in Young Men and Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease
Michael J. Klag, Daniel E. Ford, Lucy A. Mead, Jiang He, Paul K. Whelton, Kung-Yee Liang, and David M. Levine
N Engl J Med 1993; 328:313-318February 4, 1993

BACKGROUND
The increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with higher serum cholesterol levels in middle-aged persons has been clearly established, but there have been few opportunities to examine a potential link between serum cholesterol levels measured in young men and clinically evident premature cardiovascular disease later in life.

METHODS
We performed a prospective study of 1017 young men (mean age, 22 years) followed for 27 to 42 years to quantify the risk of cardiovascular disease and total mortality associated with serum cholesterol levels during early adult life. The mean serum cholesterol level at entry was 192 mg per deciliter (5.0 mmol per liter).

RESULTS
During a median follow-up of 30.5 years, there were 125 cardiovascular-disease events, 97 of which were due to coronary heart disease. The serum cholesterol level at base line was strongly associated with the incidence of events related to coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease, as well as to total mortality and mortality due to cardiovascular disease. The risks were similar whether the events occurred before or after the age of 50. In a proportional-hazards analysis adjusted for age, body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters), the level of physical activity, coffee intake, change in smoking status, and the incidence of diabetes and hypertension during follow-up, a difference in the serum cholesterol level at base line of 36 mg per deciliter (0.9 mmol per liter) -- the difference between the 25th and 75th percentiles of cholesterol level in the study population at base line -- was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (relative risk, 1.72; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.39 to 2.14), coronary heart disease (relative risk, 2.01; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.59 to 2.53), and mortality due to cardiovascular disease (relative risk, 2.02; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.23 to 3.32). A difference in the base-line serum cholesterol level of 36 mg per deciliter was significantly associated with an increased risk of death before the age of 50 (relative risk, 1.64; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.03 to 2.61), but not with the overall risk of death (relative risk, 1.21; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.93 to 1.58).

CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate a strong association between the serum cholesterol level measured early in adult life in men and cardiovascular disease in midlife."
- http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199302043280504

The full text can be read at the above address.

 

[charliefedererer]

I avoid things that come in plastic or paper packs even if they are edible.

Stay skeptical of most things that come in plastic or paper packs. There is so much "junk" out there packaged as "food".

Also, we may have a very large common ground about cereal being junk for breakfast, as "cereal" unfortunately includes Captain Crunch, Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms.
Frosted Flakes - "They're Great!" Right.


(But also stay skeptical that every "natural", non-packaged food consumed in large quantities is free of potential health consequences.)

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

There does appear to be a fair amount of dissension among the ranks regarding the link between cholesterol and heart disease. I first caught wind of this in the early/mid 90s with the book, Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill. Chapter 7 of the book includes a section entitiled, "Is the Cholesterol Theory Wrong?". Since that time, I've come across quite a few other PhDs that call the cholesterol theory into question.

It appears that the cholesterol theory has been dogma for at least 5 or 6 decades now. The AHA and a large part of the medical community still accept the theory even tho' not all members of the medical community agree. Perhaps the influence of large pharma and the proliferation of statin drugs are why the cholesterol theory continues to be accepted. OTOH, perhaps the dissenters have got it wrong.

It does appear that many, if not most, of the experts agree that blood cholesterol levels have little to do with dietary cholesterol. Many say that the intake of saturated fats has a significant bearing on blood cholesterol levels. However, not all the expert agree with this notion.

Dr. Dwight Lundell, M.D. is a former Chief of Staff & Chief of Surgery at Banner Heart Hospital. He is the author of The Cure for Heart Disease and The Great Cholesterol Lie. There are score of others that believe that the dogma is greatly flawed.

I am not going to bother to dig up journal studies to disprove the cholesterol theory. I will provide a few links of medical experts that contest the cholesterol theory. Let this be a starting point for further research. I will leave the research of scholarly articles up to others.

Why The Cholesterol-Heart Disease Theory Is Wrong

http://thecholesterolliereview.com/cholesterol
http://www.thincs.org/links.htm

http://anthonycolpo.com/?p=49
http://www.spacedoc.com
.

 

[charliefedererer]

^^^ SA there are always going to be kooks out there.

I'm sticking with what the American Heart Association has to say about keeping your intake of high cholesterol foods down:

"Know Your Fats

LDL cholesterol is affected by diet. Knowing which fats raise LDL cholesterol and which ones don't is the first step in lowering your risk of heart disease. In addition to the LDL produced naturally by your body, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids and dietary cholesterol can also raise blood cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats appear to not raise LDL cholesterol; some studies suggest they might even help lower LDL cholesterol slightly when eaten as part of a low-saturated and trans-fat diet.

The American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee strongly advises these fat guidelines for healthy Americans over age 2:

Limit total fat intake to less than 25–35 percent of your total calories each day;
Limit saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total daily calories;
Limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of total daily calories;
The remaining fat should come from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils; and
Limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day, for most people. If you have coronary heart disease or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams a day.
For example, a sedentary female who is 31–50 years old needs about 2,000 calories each day. Therefore, she should consume less than 16 g saturated fat, less than 2 g trans fat and between 50 and 70 grams of total fat each day (with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils)."
- http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Condi...Your-Fats_UCM_305628_Article.jsp#.T2asyhEgeSo



"Common Misconceptions about Cholesterol
I recently read that eggs are not so bad for your cholesterol after all, so I guess I can go back to having my two eggs for breakfast every morning.
One egg contains about 213 milligrams of dietary cholesterol. The daily recommended cholesterol limit is less than 300 milligrams for people with normal LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. An egg can fit within heart-healthy guidelines for those people only if cholesterol from other sources — such as meats, poultry and dairy products — is limited. For example, eating one egg for breakfast, drinking two cups of coffee with one tablespoon of half-and-half each, lunching on four ounces of lean turkey breast without skin and one tablespoon of mayonnaise, and having a 6-ounce serving of broiled, short loin porterhouse steak for dinner would account for about 510 mg of dietary cholesterol that day — nearly twice the recommended limit. If you're going to eat an egg every morning, substitute vegetables for some of the meat, or drink your coffee without half-and-half in the example above. And remember that many other foods, especially baked goods, are prepared with eggs — and those eggs count toward your daily cholesterol limit. People with high LDL blood cholesterol levels or who are taking a blood cholesterol-lowering medication should eat less than 200 mg of cholesterol per day. Learn more about cooking for lower cholesterol."
- http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Condi...ions-about-Cholesterol_UCM_305638_Article.jsp

 

[charliefedererer]

There does appear to be a fair amount of dissension among the ranks regarding the link between cholesterol and heart disease.
Dr. Dwight Lundell, M.D. is a former Chief of Staff & Chief of Surgery at Banner Heart Hospital. He is the author of The Cure for Heart Disease and The Great Cholesterol Lie. There are score of others that believe that the dogma is greatly flawed.

I am not going to bother to dig up journal studies to disprove the cholesterol theory. I will provide a few links of medical experts that contest the cholesterol theory. Let this be a starting point for further research. I will leave the research of scholarly articles up to others.

Why The Cholesterol-Heart Disease Theory Is Wrong

http://thecholesterolliereview.com/cholesterol
http://www.thincs.org/links.htm

http://anthonycolpo.com/?p=49
http://www.spacedoc.com
.

"State strips Gilbert doctor of license after inquiry into deaths
by Emily Gersema - Oct. 16, 2008 02:11 PM
The Arizona Republic

A retired Gilbert surgeon who had been disciplined and warned for poor patient care and incomplete records in the past decade has been stripped of his license after the Arizona Medical Board determined missteps led to the deaths of at least six patients.

The 12-member oversight board took away Dr. Dwight C. Lundell's license last week after a five-year review of his prior disciplinary history and an inquiry into allegations of poor patient care and record-keeping.

Lundell had worked as a cardiothoracic surgeon in the Valley for about 25 years, performing more than 5,000 heart surgeries. State records show he was scrutinized in the last decade because of a series of patient or family complaints."
-http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/2008/10/16/20081016gr-baddoctor1017.html



You really should read the long piece in Quackwatch about Dr. Lundell.

"A Skeptical Look at Dwight Lundell, M.D.

Stephen Barrett, M.D.

Dwight C. Lundell, M.D. lost medical license in 2008. Since that time he has been promoting books that clash with scientific knowledge of heart disease prevention and treatment. His book, The Great Cholesterol Lie, invites people to "forget about everything you have been told about low-fat diets, saturated fats, cholesterol and the causes of heart disease." According to The Great Cholesterol Lie Web site:

Dropping your cholesterol levels will not lower your risk of heart disease, attack, or strokes.
During his career as a cardiac surgeon, he performed over 5,000 heart operations, most of which could have been easily prevented had the patients been given the right information.
"Heart disease has a cure . . . .You can beat it without harmful medications and painful, risky surgery."
The Great Cholesterol Lie . . . is "as close to a new heart as you can get without laying on Dr. Lundell's table."
Lundell "guarantees" that the book "can turn your health around."
This article tells why I would not trust Lundell's advice.

Medical and Regulatory History

After graduating from the University of Arizona Medical School in 1971, Lundell completed a one-year internship and two years of surgical residency in general surgery at the University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, followed by two years of residency in chest surgery at Yale University Medical Center in New Haven, Connecticut. He became certified in cardiothoracic surgery, which he practiced for about 25 more years.

In 2007, Lundell began the Healthy Humans Foundation Blog, which stated that he was "refocusing" his career on the prevention and cure of heart disease [1]. He also produced a book called The Cure for Heart Disease which, according to its description on Amazon Books, "is different than every other book exploring the number one killer of Americans" and is "a riveting yet straight forward discussion that challenges public consensus, explains the reasons for the epidemic of heart disease, and provides an easy to follow guide to eliminate heart disease." [2] A comment on the Amazon pageindicate that it advocates a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, low-dose aspirin, and fish oil and conjugated linoleic acid supplements for everyone.

In 2004, the Healthy Humans Foundation issued a news release that plugged the book and said that Lundell had retired from the practice of surgery in 2004 [3].

Between 2000 and 2008, Lundell was subjected to five regulatory actions by the Arizona Medical Board:

In 2000, the board concluded that his postoperative management of a patient who died following carotid artery surgery was substandard and insufficiently documented. He was censured for unprofessional conduct, assessed a $2,500 civil penalty, and placed on probation during which he was required to take continuing medical education courses in carotid artery surgery and medical recordkeeping. He was also required to submit to monitoring of his patient records [4].
In 2003, the board noted that 13 out of 20 charts reviewed by the consultant were deficient because they did not include adequate initial evaluations of the patients. Lundell was censured again and was placed on probation that included quarterly chart reviews [5].
In 2004, the board found fault with his management of two patients and concluded that his records for these patients were inadequate. He was reprimanded and ordered to serve two more years of probation, during which he was required to undergo an extensive evaluation of his fitness to continue practicing medicine [6].
In 2006, the board sent him an advisory letter for failure to maintain adequate records and for a technical surgical error [7].
In 2008, the board reviewed Lundell's management of several more patients and revoked his medical license. The board's order indicated that the board began investigating his care of seven patients after the Banner Desert Medical Hospital suspended Lundell's surgical privileges [7].
Financial and Legal Trouble

Lundell also ran into considerable difficulty in his nonmedical affairs. Although the full records are not readily available, documents I found on the Internet indicate the following:

In 1990 Lundell filed for bankruptcy. At that time, there were several lawsuits pending in state court on the theory that he was a partner in a construction business called West Coast Construction in which he had invested. I don't know the outcome of these suits, but he ultimately wound up owing at least $20 million dollars.
In 2005, he again filed for bankruptcy, claiming to have assets of $12,990 and liabilities of $20,185,769.60. The liabilities included $74,264.77 in credit card debts, $78,932.48 for accounting services, the $20 million debt related to the previous bankruptcy, and "unknown amounts" of state and federal taxes owed. The financial statement also listed his earnings as $0 for 2005, $0 for $2004, and $288,436 for 2003 [8].
In 2004, Lundell leaded guilty in federal court to three counts of willful failure to file income tax returns. A newspaper report indicates that he had become a client of "tax protestor" Wayne C. Bentson after a long-running dispute with the IRS and that rather than filing tax returns from 1992 to 1996, Lundell had filed affidavits contesting the government's right to levy taxes [9]. In 2005, Lundell was sentenced to three years' probation, but the probation was terminated after 16 months. Bentson was ordered to pay $1,129,937 to the Internal Revenue Service and was sentenced to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release [10].
Other Activities

Lundell says he founded the Healthy Humans Foundation "to help the human race free themselves of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mental disorders, and other diseases caused by improper nutrition and misleading consumer information." [11] I was unable to find an entry in the business listings of the Arizona Secretary State or the IRS's database of nonprofit organizations.

From 2007 through May 2010, Lundell was listed as an advisor to NourishLife, a company that markets vitamins, fish oil supplements, and conjugated linoleic acid supplements as "pharmaceutical grade" products claimed to help children with speech problems. After the Chicago Tribune criticized the products and mentioned that Lundell had lost his medical license [12], he was removed from the page of advisors on the NourishLife Web site.

Lundell's book, The Great Cholesterol Lie, is offered for $49.95 through The Truth About Health Disease Web site, which also invites people to sign up as members:

Silver membership ($47/month) includes "a vast amount of information" every month."
Platinum membership: (77/month) adds access to month;y teleseminars in which Lundell answers questions and twice-monthly interviews with "cutting edge experts."
Gold membership: ($245/month) adds a one-hour or two half-hour private consultations with Lundell.
A free copy of The Great Cholesterol Lie is included in all three categories or can be obtained for $4.95 with a ten-day "trial membership." However, the site says that it is not accepting new members at this time.
The Bottom Line

Dr. Lundell would like you to believe that he has special knowledge of heart disease prevention. I do not trust his advice."
- http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/lundell.html

 

[charliefedererer]

There does appear to be a fair amount of dissension among the ranks regarding the link between cholesterol and heart disease.
Why The Cholesterol-Heart Disease Theory Is Wrong
.

Become Healthy Now is written by Dr. Gary Farr.

"Dr." Farr is chiropractor, not a medical doctor.

Sorry, but I'll take my advice on the cholesterol/cardiovascular problems from cardiologists and scientists working at prominent universities who have published in prestigious journals, not chiropractors.


Hmmm... his Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis listed as one of the services on his site does sound interesting though. :roll:
- http://www.becomehealthynow.com/category/productshair/

 

[charliefedererer]

There does appear to be a fair amount of dissension among the ranks regarding the link between cholesterol and heart disease.
http://anthonycolpo.com/?p=49

"Ask
Resolved Question
Anthony Colpo says September 11, 2001 Was The Work Of International Banking Cartel: Is He A Crackpot?
Here is his site: http://www.anthonycolpo.com
What do you think? Honest opinions only.
4 months ago

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Razwell, you still have to work on getting the right medications.

Colpo IS a crackpot. He's shining proof of the old saying, "Opinions are like rectums. Everyone has them." Just because he says something doesn't make it holy writ.
3 months ago"
- http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111203114815AAYqVBz4



Anthony Colpo is not a physician or scientist. He is "an independent researcher, physical conditioning specialist, and author of the groundbreaking books The Fat Loss Bible and The Great Cholesterol Con.

His interests include cycling, weight training, MMA, writing, researching, live music, things that go fast, and shopping for carbon bike bling on ****."
- http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AnthonyColpo

"That's right, these 266 pages of classic Colpo feature your favorite columns, memorable articles, heated e-mail exchanges, and so much more. And your total cost for this invaluable e-book compilation? ONLY $4.99! As in FOUR DOLLARS AND NINETY-NINE CENTS! Are you kidding me, Anthony? THAT'S ALL YOU WANNA CHARGE?!"
- http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/2006/08/colpo-presents-best-of-theomnivore-e.html

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Call it paranoia or a conspiracy theory -- I can't help but wonder if Dr Lundell was discredited because he was perceived as threat to large pharma and the existing dogma. Could be wrong about that. Plenty of doctors prescribing statins have patients who have died and patients who have developed serious side effects due to statins.

I believe that the articles presented by Dr Gary Farr are actually written by Dr Malcolm Kendrick, author of The Great Cholesterol Con.

I was not presenting Anthony Calpo as an expert -- merely as a source of info derived from others..

 

[charliefedererer]

It's healthy to have skeptics trying to poke holes in widely held theories.


It's also healthy to be skeptical of skeptics of widely held theories.

 

[charliefedererer]

I believe that the articles presented by Dr Gary Farr are actually written by Dr Malcolm Kendrick, author of The Great Cholesterol Con.

Dr. Malcollm Kendrick is a general practictioner (colds, sore throats, headaches, etc.) in Scotland. He is not a cardiologist or a scientist.


"Dr Kendrick writes...Statins DO NOT protect against heart disease by lowering cholesterol...the protection provided by the taking of Statins is so small..as to be not worth bothering about...balanced with the side effects.

I've been taking Statins for several years.. and so are several members of my family (male and female) I would be interested in any professional views or suggested alternatives on the subject.

This guy is talking out of his ears!!!!!!!!

The evidence that statins reduce the incidence of heart attacks is both worldwide overwhelming and massive.

They are and have been massively successful in both primary and secondary prevention of heart disease.

From the first large study WOSCOPS performed in Scotland in 1995-conclusion : Treatment with pravastatin significantly reduced the incidence of myocardial infarction and death from cardiovascular causes without adversely affecting the risk of death from noncardiovascular causes in men with moderate hypercholesterolaemia and no history of myocardial infarction. West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study
www.gla.ac.uk

Studies on larger and larger doses of statins more potent that pravastatin have continued to show more and more advantage.

Statins provide a cardiovascular and total mortality benefit for patients with clinically evident occlusive vascular disease (secondary prevention) and a cholesterol of >3.5 mM. http://www.ti.ubc.ca/pages/letter49.htm...

Keep taking the tablets!!!!!!!!!!!"
- http://www.whfhhc.com/Cholesterol/41093.htm


The implication of the above comments are that as a Scott, Dr. Kendrick should be well aware of the results of the famous WOSCOP [West of Scotland Coronary Prevention] study:

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease with Pravastatin in Men with Hypercholesterolemia
James Shepherd, M.D., Stuart M. Cobbe, M.D., Ian Ford, Ph.D., Christopher G. Isles, M.D., A. Ross Lorimer, M.D., Peter W. Macfarlane, Ph.D., James H. McKillop, M.D., and Christopher J. Packard, D.Sc. for the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study Group
N Engl J Med 1995; 333:1301-1308November 16, 1995

BACKGROUND
Lowering the blood cholesterol level may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. This double-blind study was designed to determine whether the administration of pravastatin to men with hypercholesterolemia and no history of myocardial infarction reduced the combined incidence of nonfatal myocardial infarction and death from coronary heart disease.

METHODS
We randomly assigned 6595 men, 45 to 64 years of age, with a mean (±SD) plasma cholesterol level of 272±23 mg per deciliter (7.0±0.6 mmol per liter) to receive pravastatin (40 mg each evening) or placebo. The average follow-up period was 4.9 years. Medical records, electrocardiographic recordings, and the national death registry were used to determine the clinical end points.

RESULTS
Pravastatin lowered plasma cholesterol levels by 20 percent and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels by 26 percent, whereas there was no change with placebo. There were 248 definite coronary events (specified as nonfatal myocardial infarction or death from coronary heart disease) in the placebo group, and 174 in the pravastatin group (relative reduction in risk with pravastatin, 31 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 17 to 43 percent; P<0.001). There were similar reductions in the risk of definite nonfatal myocardial infarctions (31 percent reduction, P<0.001), death from coronary heart disease (definite cases alone: 28 percent reduction, P = 0.13; definite plus suspected cases: 33 percent reduction, P = 0.042), and death from all cardiovascular causes (32 percent reduction, P = 0.033). There was no excess of deaths from noncardiovascular causes in the pravastatin group. We observed a 22 percent reduction in the risk of death from any cause in the pravastatin group (95 percent confidence interval, 0 to 40 percent; P = 0.051).

CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with pravastatin significantly reduced the incidence of myocardial infarction and death from cardiovascular causes without adversely affecting the risk of death from noncardiovascular causes in men with moderate hypercholesterolemia and no [prior] history of myocardial infarction.
- http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199511163332001

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

It's healthy to have skeptics trying to poke holes in widely held theories.

It's also healthy to be skeptical of skeptics of widely held theories.

On this we do agree.

Altho' I wonder about the cholesterol theory and I question the widespread unfettered use of statins, I do take heed of the AHA suggestions to limit my intake of saturated fats. However, medium chain fats and dietary cholesterol are not an overwhelming concern for me. But I have just heard too many stories of statin users experiencing serious side effects. Fortunately, at 60, I have shown no indications of high cholesterol or heart disease.

Yes, Dr Malcolm Kendrick has worked as a general practitioner for over 25 years. However, he has specialized in heart disease and has been involved with the European Society of Cardiology. In The Great Cholesterol Con, he cites evidence from numerous trials and WHO data to back up his assertions.

He is a peer-reviewer for the British Medical Journal and is a member of the International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics as he does not believe that a high cholesterol level causes heart disease.
.

 

[OTMPut]

It's healthy to have skeptics trying to poke holes in widely held theories.


It's also healthy to be skeptical of skeptics of widely held theories.

Dietary cholestrol -> blood cholestrol -> heart disease hypothesis has been disproved. there are many examples where this does not hold true. It is not useful in science to have some hypothesis that is very narrowly applicable.

There is something more complicated, which we do not understand yet fully, is going on.

On a related note, this guy does a better job of highlighting how most of the empirical studies in nutrition is of very limited use.

http://garytaubes.com/2012/03/science-pseudoscience-nutritional-epidemiology-and-meat/

This guy does a better job of highlighting how most of the empirical studies in nutrition is of very limited use.

I wish Stat-101 is taught in conjunction with Karl Popper-101 at graduate schools and all the medical doctors and "nutritionists" are given a mandatory annual refresher on these. Economists are hopeless, i have given up.

 

[EaGamer]

Ok, a little off-topic but I don't really care haha, anyways, any suggestions on what I could do? I'm still in love with soda, I might try to drink some every other day, and what helps is that my matches don't normally end till 7 or 8, and by then I'm ready for homework, shower, and bed. But does anyone else have suggestions on what I could do to slim down a little bit, or tone up? I don't have the time for weightlifting right now, and jogging usually doesn't suit me.

 

[LeeD]

Ever notice that people from impoverished countries, and concentration camp prisoners, ALL ARE THIN!
Eat less, less often.
I drank tons of sodas for years, all thru junior high, high, and college, including another 15 years.
But I ATE LESS than anyone.

 

[DUO]

Ok, a little off-topic but I don't really care haha, anyways, any suggestions on what I could do? I'm still in love with soda, I might try to drink some every other day, and what helps is that my matches don't normally end till 7 or 8, and by then I'm ready for homework, shower, and bed. But does anyone else have suggestions on what I could do to slim down a little bit, or tone up? I don't have the time for weightlifting right now, and jogging usually doesn't suit me.

I would try to eat more fruits and wean off your soda habit, when you feel like you need a boost of sugar, try eating some fruits. I also agree with LeeD that portion control is also good if you are having trouble exercising aside from tennis. As for joggling http://www.motleyhealth.com/fitness/health-benefits-of-jogging-and-running How much do you really want to lose some weight?

 

[LeeD]

Was fun walking 19 blocks uphill to high school, then practice after school, walk 19 blocks back home, bus to work by 8PM, get off work by 11, then one hour bus ride back to home and some homework.
You can stay skinny with that schedule.

 

[charliefedererer]

Ok, a little off-topic but I don't really care haha, anyways, any suggestions on what I could do? I'm still in love with soda, I might try to drink some every other day, and what helps is that my matches don't normally end till 7 or 8, and by then I'm ready for homework, shower, and bed. But does anyone else have suggestions on what I could do to slim down a little bit, or tone up? I don't have the time for weightlifting right now, and jogging usually doesn't suit me.

Are you up for a challenge?

Do you believe exercising your willpower is fundamentally important?

Do you exercise your willpower every day to prove to yourself you can, and to develop better willpower?

Would you lose weight just to show yourself you could?

Would you move mountains to attain a goal?



"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves" - W. Shakespeare


"How Willpower Works

Research indicates that willpower can be strengthened like a muscle — and is a key predictor of success in life

By Deborah Kotz | GLOBE STAFF NOVEMBER 07, 2011

While small studies through the years have linked high levels of self-control to better health, relationships, and finances, a landmark study published this past January provided the strongest evidence to date. In the study, Duke University researchers culled data from a group of more than 1,000 New Zealand young adults followed for three decades and found that those who scored high on tests for self-control when they were 3 years old were far more likely to be healthy and financially successful as adults than those who did poorly on the self-control tests in preschool.


CHRISTOPH HITZ

Facing a decision over whether to eat a nutritious apple or decadent chocolate bar activates the brain’s prefrontal cortex. The right side propels you to say no to the chocolate temptation while the left side encourages you to say yes to the apple to curb your hunger.

The researchers took into account differences in childhood socioeconomic class and IQ scores, and determined that 11 percent of those with the highest levels of self-control as children had multiple health problems as adults, such as obesity...compared with 27 percent of those with the lowest levels of self-control...
and just 10 percent in the high self-control group earned less than $17,000 a year compared with 32 percent in the lowest group."
Those striving to complete a marathon, a diet, or a doctoral dissertation can gain the willpower to help reach their goals by doing little self-control tasks throughout the day, like fixing their posture, avoiding curse words, or controlling their temper at home, according to Baumeister. And those who engage regularly in high-willpower activities like exercise, meditation, or learning a new language or craft tend to exhibit higher levels of self-control in other areas of their lives. Neuroscientists believe these acts reinforce neural pathways in the brain’s prefrontal cortex that help us say “yes’’ to our goals and “no’’ to procrastination and temptation."
- http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyl...power-works/XlOvEG4FipvZ8vM8VUNBpK/story.html

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

... I'm still in love with soda, I might try to drink some every other day... anyone else have suggestions on what I could do to slim down a little bit, or tone up? I don't have the time for weightlifting right now, and jogging usuaylly doesn't suit me.

You should really try that splash of soda or juice in a glass of cold water. It could the very thing that you need to curb your cravings for soda. You are getting a lot of excess calories (empty calories to boot) with you current soda intake.

 

[CMCK]

Read and follow the book Clean by Alejandro Junger.

 

[Talker]

you can skip the cereal. IMO, it is one of the worst edible items available.

why dont you eat 3 or 4 eggs every morning with 1 or 2 servings of vegetables? easy to prepare and every calorie off it is loaded with something useful to your body.

Eggs have a lot of good things in them but some are destroyed with heat.
The best way to get all of the goodness out of an egg is to eat it raw, soft boiled is next.
Scrambling the eggs is the absolute worst.
For eggs, heat is the enemy.




Free range eggs are the best.

1/3 less cholesterol
2/3 more vitamin A
3 times more vitamin E
1/4 less saturated fat
2 times more omega-3 fats
7 times more beta carotene


With all food there are ways to get the most from them and it's a real job to find out all the ways.

 

[T1000]

Currently I'm a 17 year old and a Junior in high-school. I don't want to sound too outlandish, but I consider myself a little unique. I'm 5'10, 215. I honestly look like I should be playing middle linebacker for my high-school football team, or playing hockey as a defenseman. However, I'm able to run roughly a 6:30 mile, and I'm one of the quickest sprinters on my team (Tennis). Even a few guys that are 5'8 150 don't sprint as fast as me. I'm also able to out-last my opponents in sets too. They seem to tire far faster than I do, i'm currently about a 3.5-4.0.

However, my issue is I can not get myself to tone up, and lose weight. My BMI is about 30.1, and when I tell my friends to guess my weight, they're guessing around 160 because of my athletic abilities. Sure, most of it could be muscle, but I do have some-what of a belly on me.

I love food, and soda. Soda is my biggest thing, I know that I need to stop drinking (I feel like im in an intervention). But I can't, I crave sugar because I've been drinking soda since I was probably 6 or 7. I also indulge in many foods.

I just don't know how I can motivate myself to eat right, and exercise a bit more. It's somewhat scary to think about what I could accomplish if I was 30-40 pounds less, or my BMI was like 23.

What should I do? I know I've loaded a lot of information on you, and I'd be shocked if anyone read to this point haha.

It's not mostly muscle and a 6:30 1 mile is not impressive at 17.

Soda isn't hard to stop. It's not meth, you aren't going to want to literally kill yourself because it's not in your system.

How is being in great shape to compete at a high level in sports, being strong, and looking good not enough motivation? That's all the motivation I needed to eat clean and lift. If you really want to excel in sports then you'll fix your diet easily.

 

[EaGamer]

bump........