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Old 01-03-2008, 05:56 AM   #1  
Going the rest of the way
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Default Need help: helping someone else lose weight!

Hi, Everyone!

My boyfriend has been expressing interest in losing weight for years, and over the past week he's decided to take the plunge. Meanwhile, I'm successfully maintaining my loss, but I am going to aggressively go after my % body fat this year. So, we'll be accountability partners of sorts.

I am very much a planner and an analyzer, so he is patiently letting me run wild with planning (that part was actually his idea; he knows me well, haha ). I'm trying to set everything up from the start in a way that will keep both of us motivated. We're taking the same approach that I did to lose my weight: FitDay to track calories and exercise, and tracking measurements and body fat as well as weight.

While I have a good handle on my body's needs, I'm finding it daunting to help someone else figure out what to do. So, I thought I'd ask you lovely folks for advice!

Question 1: Can anyone recommend a good way to determine protein and fibre requirements for a man?

Question 2: What are the things you wish you had known at the beginning of your weight loss journey to make things easier? I could only think of a couple, but I'm sure I'm forgetting many things:
-Take measurements & starter photos because they'll keep you motivated when the scale doesn't.
-Always record the bad days, but don't dwell on them. Just pick up the plan again and keep going.
-Anything else?

Any advice, anecdotes or comments will be welcome. I'm trying to convince him to join these forums because the feedback here is overwhelmingly positive and motivating, but I'm not sure that will work. haha

Thanks, and Happy New Year!

Last edited by maalisse; 01-03-2008 at 05:57 AM.
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Old 01-03-2008, 10:50 AM   #2  
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Hey maalise! Lookin' good at maintenance!

My own opinion is that you shouldn't be overly involved in your boyfriend's weight program... because ultimately it's up to him, and if he decides he doesn't feel like doing it, it could cause friction. Also, you don't want to get into monitoring what he eats and when he eats it... But, that's just my opinion FWIW!

In answer to your questions, there is plenty of information on the web about protein and fiber. Here's just one of many links about protein:

http://www.healthgoods.com/Education...es/protein.htm

Fiber requirements are about the same for men and women, I think, but I'm not a nutritionist. 30 grams of fiber a day would be ideal.

As for the encouragement tips... I guess it's good to keep in mind that it took awhile to gain the weight, so it will take awhile to lose it. In other words, plan for a long haul, not for a 2 week solution. Of course, this depends on starting weight and goal weight. Some people don't have very much to lose.

One last (unasked-for) comment--I hope you're not going to be entering his data into FitDay for him...

Jay
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Old 01-03-2008, 07:37 PM   #3  
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My own opinion is that you shouldn't be overly involved in your boyfriend's weight program... because ultimately it's up to him, and if he decides he doesn't feel like doing it, it could cause friction.
Oh, definitely! He approached me to help him get started. I'll be backing off entirely as soon as the ball starts rolling.

Thanks so, so much for those links! I'll pass the info along.

Quote:
One last (unasked-for) comment--I hope you're not going to be entering his data into FitDay for him...
HAHAHA! Not a chance!

Last edited by maalisse; 01-03-2008 at 07:38 PM.
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Old 01-03-2008, 08:16 PM   #4  
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I completely agree you can be supportive but shouldn't control. Hubby and I have had our own grappling with this.

But for quite a while, I did enter his data into nutridiary for him! He hates the interface in the program and the detailed nature of it.

He got a good sense of how much he was eating and no longer tracks his food -- except in his head. I like tracking the numbers and still enter mine -- plus, I tend not to "remember" everything I eat if I don't write it down!

Last edited by Heather; 01-03-2008 at 08:17 PM.
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Old 01-03-2008, 11:48 PM   #5  
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I completely agree you can be supportive but shouldn't control.
No worries there; I'm only controlling with numbers and data, not in relationships! I actually get told that I don't nag ENOUGH and that I need to be more bossy.

Thanks for sharing your experience with this!
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Old 01-04-2008, 12:49 PM   #6  
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I don't really have anything to add to this topic....i just wanted to say how beautiful you look in your pic. I am digging the red dress. Was that New Years Eve??? I soooo wanted to find something like that but by the time i got my lazy butt out there looking for a party dress...everything was gone. (I couldn't afford to go to the mall and places...i tried like TJ Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory). I did end up buying a black dress that was like 2 sizes bigger than i wear on sale...but didn't wear it. Oh well...maybe i'll get it taken in one day and wear it somewhere???
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Old 01-04-2008, 01:41 PM   #7  
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There is one tip that I have come to rely on, I don't know if it works for everyone, but it certainly does for me.

I eat a fruit or veggie with every meal or snack, and I ALWAYS eat that first. Personally I am not crazy about a lot of veggies, its not that I have to force myself to eat them, but I'd probably would never eat veggies if I had the choice to eat whatever I want! If I eat them before I eat the rest of my meal or snack, I make sure I am not filling up on the rest of the meal BEFORE I get to the fruit/veggie... if I eat my entire serving of fruits/veggies, THEN get hungry before I finish the rest of my meal, then at least I got in all my fruits/veggies with that meal or snack. It's also partly psychological for me, because I eat the fruit/veggie first, then I get the "reward" myself with the rest of my meal.
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Old 01-04-2008, 05:35 PM   #8  
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Originally Posted by lumifan4ever View Post
I don't really have anything to add to this topic....i just wanted to say how beautiful you look in your pic. I am digging the red dress. Was that New Years Eve??? I soooo wanted to find something like that but by the time i got my lazy butt out there looking for a party dress...everything was gone. (I couldn't afford to go to the mall and places...i tried like TJ Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory). I did end up buying a black dress that was like 2 sizes bigger than i wear on sale...but didn't wear it. Oh well...maybe i'll get it taken in one day and wear it somewhere???
Aw, thanks hon! My staff Christmas party this year was a formal cocktail party at the Aquarium, so I went out and found this dress for really cheap at a local boutique. It was the only one of its kind there and just happened to fit me perfectly...it was meant to be! As for that black dress you found, I hope you have an occasion to wear it. It's so fun to get all dolled up sometimes, isn't it?


Quote:
Originally Posted by misschris531 View Post
There is one tip that I have come to rely on, I don't know if it works for everyone, but it certainly does for me.

I eat a fruit or veggie with every meal or snack, and I ALWAYS eat that first. Personally I am not crazy about a lot of veggies, its not that I have to force myself to eat them, but I'd probably would never eat veggies if I had the choice to eat whatever I want! If I eat them before I eat the rest of my meal or snack, I make sure I am not filling up on the rest of the meal BEFORE I get to the fruit/veggie... if I eat my entire serving of fruits/veggies, THEN get hungry before I finish the rest of my meal, then at least I got in all my fruits/veggies with that meal or snack. It's also partly psychological for me, because I eat the fruit/veggie first, then I get the "reward" myself with the rest of my meal.
Hey cool, thanks for sharing that. I'll pass that info along to dbf.

Last edited by maalisse; 01-04-2008 at 05:35 PM.
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