I want to look like an anorexic model

[Mark42]

Most of my adult life I weighed 170-180 lbs (5' 8"), but when I was 38 an accident caused a significant reduction in how much time I can spend standing or walking. I can't run unless there is a tiger on my *** or some other life threatening situation.

So, after the accident, I slowly gained weight, then lost it, then gained it, then lost it, etc. The heaviest I ever got was 212. The lowest I got post accident was 185.

So I have been pushing myself this summer and am now down to 180 lbs and eating everything a bunny rabbit is allowed to have. The trips to the shore helped a lot and I get a lot of exercise playing with the kids in the surf. Being in salt water, even just up to my waist, relieves a lot of pressure on my injured foot/ankle (which is basically "seized up" and has limited mobility). Ironically, walking on the sand, even with shoes, is excruciatingly painful. But being in the cool northeast salt water with its added boyency, my foot allows the rest of me to get tired before the foot calls it quitting time.

So now I am feeling a bit of macho.... Want to get down to my college weight of 170 lbs. But not just weigh 170, I have to have the same overall muscle tone. The problem is I am now 51, not 21, and the good old weight set and bench (yes, I still have them) need to be set up again and start the workout.

I figure the best plan of action is to lose body fat to an incredibly low number, like an anorexic model (male model, if there are any) and then start the weight training at that point.

Just an FYI, things I cut out are: All junk foods (chips, nuts, cake, soda, any pre-packaged stuff like Yodels, cup cakes filled with anything, MILK, cheeze, most 'cold cuts', and not eating the kids left overs when cleaning up......etc).

What I do eat are: Salad. Lots of salad, but without the cheese, ranch dressing, croutons, bacon, etc.... Balsamic vinegar seems to be the lowest calorie dressing around, and I finally found one I like. Also I eat lots of Salad..... OK, I also eat Cheerios or Life without milk or 'pop it yourself' popcorn as a snack. The popcorn I load up on. Need a big kettle to pop corn, and it needs to be FRESH popping corn or else it fizzles. Then add things like Odobo, and Creole seasoning. Only add enough oil to wet the kernals, stir until it starts popping.

Anyway, that is my plan. My latest blood work shows that although medicine I take for thyroid and cholesterol had been working in the past, seem to be failing now. And my blood pressure was at the top of the normal range. Could be because I got fat? Anyway, I have 3 more months to go before the next blood test, and I really think that body weight has a lot to do with my blood results.

Maybe being anorexic is not such a bad thing after all....

 

[HopeSheFloats]

Re: I want to look like an anorexic model

Just an FYI, things I cut out are: All junk foods (chips, nuts, cake, soda, any pre-packaged stuff like Yodels, cup cakes filled with anything, MILK, cheeze, most 'cold cuts', and not eating the kids left overs when cleaning up......etc).

Kudos on wanting to improve your health..I'm fighting the battle as well! However...don't give up on the nuts, they can be very beneficial to you..here's a little bit of info I snagged off the net, and FWIW, my doc totally agreed...

"Several studies over the past several years have shown the health benefits of nuts -- which contain monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, copper, protein, and fiber, and are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals.

They are a powerhouse of good nutrition that can dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease. They've also been shown to play an important role in helping to lower "bad" cholesterol levels and raise "good" cholesterol levels. In addition, they can help dilate blood vessels and prevent hardening of the arteries. "


Oh yeah...anorexic's make me wanna throw up

 

[huntndakota]

Re: I want to look like an anorexic model

you should check with your doctor about your limits during your exercise if you have high blood presure/ other medical problems. once you get his okay you should lift weights to increase muscle mass (heavy weight low reps) and do HIIT cardio to maintain a high metabolism and lose fat.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/richb3.htm

 

[eavega]

Re: I want to look like an anorexic model

I turn 40 on Saturday. Last year just before I turned 39, I looked at myself at over 300 Lbs and said I had to do something about this. Today, I'm 198 Lbs, 14% body fat. It can be done.
I also have some physical issues with my legs (3 knee surgeries all stemming from football injuries; two meniscus tears and a ruptured ACL), so high intensity aerobics like running was out the door for me. I found an exercise that I could live with (rowing). It can be done.
Don't sweat the calories too much. Eat a good variety of food (proteins, fats, GOOD carbs such as whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits) and the calories take care of themselves. Stay away from sugar, bleached flour, white rice, white bread, pasta, etc. Don't get stuck on eating salad all the time, because it can get old. Whatever you eat, though, make sure it is real food. Stay away from processed foods whenever possible. If you can't identify what you are eating without having to refer to the picture on the packaging, don't eat it.
I wouldn't wait until you have lost the weight you want to lose before adding muscle. Muscle helps you burn fat, so the more muscle mass you have, the easier it is to enable your fat-burning metabolic processes. Plus, if you have a good base of muscle, you really start to notice how good you look as you lose the fat. It becomes quite the incentive.
Read up on nutrition articles. You will find out that things like cheese, milk, yogurt, etc are actually really good for you when you are trying to lose weight. It has something to do with Calcium. They may be higher in fat than other foods, but scientists have proved time and again that dietary fat does not have a direct link to body fat, other than fat being more calorically dense than other foods, so you ingest more calories if you over-eat fat than if you over-eat, say, protein.
If you don't want to do weights, there are lots of good exercises that involve resistance with your own body weight (pull-ups, thrust squats, push-ups, etc). Look into those to get you started.
Good luck. I am a firm believer that we are all capable of getting healthy again. Like anything else that is worthwhile, though, it requires a lot of effort and vigilance.

-E

 

[Mark42]

Re: I want to look like an anorexic model

Oh, yeah, eating healthy can be a challenge. I still have to get used to not eating high calorie foods, especially lots of carbs. Once a day I would like to have a meal of whatever I like. What I found was that after eating smaller portions, and more frequent meals/snacks through out the day, the big evening meal just won't fit inside me any more. I get through about 1/4 or 1/3 of what I think I can eat, and that is it. My stomach actually hurts.

So, I am learning the hard way what my doctor has been saying for years: Its not so much what you eat, but how much of it.". Of course that is assuming that you are eating a balanced meal to begin with.

This is a good example of where less equals less, and its a good thing.