The Healthy Airsofters Thread

[Lozart]

I lost 4.5 stone on a basic calorie deficit with realistic expectations. The main thing was that I cut out snacking and by the time I got down to the last stone or so the calorie deficit basically forced me to make better choices about what I was eating.

Before anyone starts cheering, I have put about 3 stone of it back on because I like cake and life's too short. That said I am aiming to drop some of it again but not to where I was as it wasn't sustainable for me.

 

[Rogerborg]

I personally don't agree with cutting out carbs, they are far more filling then calorie dense foods such as fats.

Have you tried going very-low-carb in order to test that hypothesis?  I mean, for a week or more, not a day or two.

For me, it's quite the opposite.  A bit of Brie keeps me going for far longer than a packet of crisps or a piece of toast ever did.  Protein is key though, a tin of sardines can do me half the day.

I'm coming round to believing that carbs cause hunger.  All the plz-no-bullying in here depressed me so much that I cheated and had some slivers of melon, and now I've got hunger pangs.  My faith crumbled, and lo, I am being punished for it. ?

 

[Just Joe]

Have you tried going very-low-carb in order to test that hypothesis?  I mean, for a week or more, not a day or two.

I have indeed, had good results. Ive also tried intermittent fasting on 8 and 6 hour eating windows. But similar, i wouldn't suggest them to the average joe trying to loose 2 stone.

When I say I don't agree with it, I dont agree that you should have to make such a huge change in lifestyle to achieve a more healthy weight / view on yourself / whatever the goal is.

If someone is trying to loose weight and opt for healthier life styles, I don't think it should be the go to option. People should focus more on there relationship with food. Knowing how many calories are in your meal, being able to deal with a bit of mental hunger cravings because youre frankly bored. 

I just think there is more sustainable choices for the average person; not disputing it doesnt work. I feel that most people with a bad relationship with food will struggle to see if through.

The most important thing is just doing what works for you and what you enjoy as ultimately that will be the easier to sustain.

 

[SSPKali]

My two big ones are cut out processed carbs (white bread, pasta, rice…) and switch to low/no alcohol beer (BrewDog Nanny State or Punk AF, BigDropBrewing Galaxy Milk Stout are all great!) to save a bunch of calories but still taste great.

Doing some short jogs and cycling to work a few days a week certainly adds up and burns off more and I certainly feel better mentally for it. Jogging with a set of weighted plates ups the burn and good practice for running a GBBR with 6 mags! 

 

[Impulse]

Interesting titbit - on a 7k run (back when i was doing cardio) or heavy leg day i burn around 6-800 cals.

I wore my heart rate monitor to airsoft a few weekends ago when it was hot out, and i burnt around 2200cals for the day.

Yeah, this is where everyone's different. My BMR is about 2200 calories and I'm currently on a calorie restricting diet of around 2000 calories a day. I think on an active day of airsoft I burn way more than 3000, probably more than 3500 but not quite 4000 

I will probably hit the keto diet again once I've paid off debts, but it's far more expensive than my simple calorie restrictive diet; did it for 9 months last year and it was good. I might not need it though, since at some point I'll have to return to the office, meaning cycling three times a week to and from there, plus once I can get back into martial arts (as my school is still shut; thanks covid) that plus the cycle to and from there. Calorie restricting is still working well enough and the only exercise I'm doing is airsoft every two weeks, so once I add in all the cycling and the martial arts, the remaining weight should fly off. Then I can joke about having lost an average person's body weight as the total weight loss would be 70kg from start to finish.

 

[Rogerborg]

When I say I don't agree with it, I dont agree that you should have to make such a huge change in lifestyle to achieve a more healthy weight / view on yourself / whatever the goal is.

Well, you shouldn't, but we have to hoe the row that we've been dealt wait what?

In my case, I find it a lot easier to buy and eat none of something than a little of something.

Ideally, smaller portions is probably the way to go. Google sorted their developer bloat just by putting out smaller plates in their free canteens.

Jogging with a set of weighted plates ups the burn

Why on earth would you shove them up your bum? ?

OK, I've read that ten times now, and I still can't unsee it.

I will probably hit the keto diet again once I've paid off debts, but it's far more expensive than my simple calorie restrictive diet

Depends how you do it.  It doesn't have to be steak, salmon and organic avocado, I'm doing fine on chicken, sardines and cabbage.  I'm actually eating a lot more greens now than I used to, which is another benefit.

At its core, low carb is just about having a salad instead of chips.

 

[Impulse]

Depends how you do it.  It doesn't have to be steak, salmon and organic avocado, I'm doing fine on chicken, sardines and cabbage.  I'm actually eating a lot more greens now than I used to, which is another benefit.

At its core, low carb is just about having a salad instead of chips.

Yeah, I don't find it hard to go keto since I don't have a sweet tooth, so cutting out sugar is easy as I don't really eat sugar anyway. Part of my issue is that I am big and tall, so even my low calorie intake is pretty high. Generally can't get it from veggies unless I eat buckets of the stuff 

 

[Davegolf]

@Oneshotscott is spot on with all that is required to lose excess body weight.

Drinking lots of water is a big must, not excessive but a good 3-4 litres a day.

And a big misconception is that fat is bad, full fat milk and other healthy fats from seeds/nuts etc are key to the body actually processing fat rather than storing it.

Food is simple calories in vs effort/exercise output.

Only eat carbs if you have exercised.

Avoid carbs in the morning.

It’s also good for gut health and fat burning, getting the most nutrition from foods to fast for a day every few weeks if you know you are not going to be overly active / busy physically.

 

[alxndrhll]

Yeah, I don't find it hard to go keto since I don't have a sweet tooth, so cutting out sugar is easy as I don't really eat sugar anyway. Part of my issue is that I am big and tall, so even my low calorie intake is pretty high. Generally can't get it from veggies unless I eat buckets of the stuff 

I don’t know if it’s simply a case of the entire lack of exercise outside of airsofting once a fortnight throwing me off, but given your rough description of yourself (big and tall) but I’m not sure I’d agree with you that 2200 calories a day is high at all. If anything I’d say you’re way under what I’d expect, even taking into considerate that you aiming for a deficit.

You know your body much better than I, and as I mentioned at the top of this post it could be the lack of activity that pulls it down. But I’ve never been one for keeping my mouth shut.

 

[Impulse]

I don’t know if it’s simply a case of the entire lack of exercise outside of airsofting once a fortnight throwing me off, but given your rough description of yourself (big and tall) but I’m not sure I’d agree with you that 2200 calories a day is high at all. If anything I’d say you’re way under what I’d expect, even taking into considerate that you aiming for a deficit.

You know your body much better than I, and as I mentioned at the top of this post it could be the lack of activity that pulls it down. But I’ve never been one for keeping my mouth shut.

Oh, no, 2200 is my BMR, so that's how much I'd burn if I lay in bed and slept all day. I aim for 2000 as a large deficit, but I should be having around 3000 normally. Higher with exercise.

I meant 2200 is high for the average person, not a 6'5" dude with a sturdy Dutch build

 

[Davegolf]

Also worth pointing out that starving yourself continually is not healthy from any point of view.

Your body needs nutrition, if you are well hydrated and eating healthily you only need to balance input / output weight loss will happen and fitness improve.

Being human we only do things we like, so changing your diet (not I’m on Slimfast or whatever) takes time to adjust to what you buy/cook/enjoy.

Same goes with whatever exercise you do, if you enjoy it you’ll stick at it.

Lots of small incremental changes are likely to be more achievable and permanent as a lifestyle.

Our diet is our lifestyle 

 

[Rogerborg]

Also worth pointing out that starving yourself continually is not healthy from any point of view.

How else do you lose weight though?

Eat less, or stuff your face and then dancercise it off.

Your body needs nutrition

I'd certainly advocate vitamin and maybe some mineral supplements if you're reducing your food intake.

if you are well hydrated and eating healthily you only need to balance input / output weight loss will happen and fitness improve.

Eh?  Weight loss only happens if you're unbalanced, and burning more than you're eating.

Being human we only do things we like, so changing your diet (not I’m on Slimfast or whatever) takes time to adjust to what you buy/cook/enjoy.

Same goes with whatever exercise you do, if you enjoy it you’ll stick at it.

Lots of small incremental changes are likely to be more achievable and permanent as a lifestyle.

All good points, although what works for Alice might not work for Bob.  I find it easier to stick to hard rules than a sliding scale which can result in backsliding.  Truth to tell though, when I'm airsofting, I still allow myself a bacon and egg sammich breakfast, with multi-seeded wholemeal bread and lashings of brown sauce.

 

[Davegolf]

You’ve gained weight in the first place because of an imbalance - over eating and under exercising.

So yes you will be eating less - restoring the balance.

Also when you eat dramatically less your body changes the way it works, going toward more of a survival mode, so yes you will initially lose a lot of weight but that is only through the shock of it.

Eating the correct amount and correct food will allow your body to process and burn fats properly.

Weightloss shouldn’t be seen as a short term big loss event but a slower lifestyle change, this will yield the best ‘locked in’ results.

For instance there’s nothing wrong with a bacon egg sarny, just factor it in.

Good bread choice there.

Eggs are a great food source, it’s only the frying and oil that you should be avoiding as that is unnecessary ‘bad’ fat.

Using olive or coconut oil is fine.

RE nutrition: multi vits are a little bit of a band aid, unless you are deficient in something particular you cannot get from your food.

A varied little and often diet of unprocessed food groups is what is needed.

A lot of nutrition cannot be taken in by the gut properly if supporting food groups are not present to allow the complex chemical reactions to occur.

 

[alxndrhll]

If you wake up one more and have the urge to start fitting more cardio exercise in, are you likely to head out for a full 26 mile marathon or a 5km walk? If you decide you want to start lifting some weights you're going to find your 1 rep max and work from there (or at least that'll generally be the advice when creating a plan in my experience), not jump straight in consistently trying to lift heavier than you can.

Nutrition should be treated no differently.

TLDR, in my opinion (and seemingly others too), changes in nutrition should be implemented at the correct pace... hence me saying over and over, if adjusting is something you want to it it's worth talking to a professional.

So many just blindly follow what has worked for others, often strangers from the internet, expecting the same results in a similar timeframe... while only replicating one element of that persons lifestyle. It's entirely daft, but it's more convenient than getting assistance from those that are qualified to advise you on the best steps to a healthier body... often with a healthier mind as part of the package. The number on the scales isn't the only thing that matters in the equation, so don't be a slave to it. 15 stone can be carried in a variety of different ways on your body.

 

[Lozart]

My weight loss was achieved without any specific, deliberate eliminations. The basic concepts are laid out in any DASH diet plan which is the diet plan most often recommended by doctors for weight loss (it's actually designed for control of hypertension by reducing sodium intake but you can take or leave that part depending on your BP). It's about eating a healthy, balanced diet and paying attention to not only portion size but also to the balance of protein, fat and carbs. Despite what plenty of people will tell you, your body needs carbs to work properly, just not as much as most people on a western diet consume.

Rapid weight loss is generally not sustainable, if your weight gain is due to inactivity then you need to move more so you don't starve yourself by cutting calories. Ultimately the body is a relatively simple chemical process and weight loss is achieved when calories in < calories out (eat less/move more it's the same end result). Thing is though that if eliminating one part of the equation results in personal weight loss, bear in mind that it may not be good for you long term as it does result in not eating a balanced diet. That balance is key because our bodies need a variety of nutrients that work together - drink lots of milk for calcium, but if you don't get enough vitamin D then you may as well pour it down the drain (simplistic but you get the idea), iron absorption depends on Vitamin C levels etc etc.

Be healthier, live longer. Just not too long because that's when the Alzheimers gets you

As always - YMMV.

 

[PopRocket123]

I actually lost a bunch of weight when my partner was pregnant (no not because she ate all my food!) She was diagnosed with gestational diabetes so she had to make some changes to keep her and the baby healthy and of course I made the same changes to support her.

We got a diabetic's cook book and followed a lot of the advice in there. Cutting down on sugar, smaller portion sizes, finding healthy snacks to have instead of chocolate or cake switching to wholemeal flour products like bread and pasta and brown rice. All really simple and doable changes that resulted in me losing a stone in about 6 months even though I wasn't doing nearly enough exercise at the time. 

 

[Davegolf]

Brown rice is actually really nice just take eons to cook!

 

[Rogerborg]

Despite what plenty of people will tell you, your body needs carbs to work properly

Why, exactly?  I've seen it often asserted, but never explained.  This NHS page, for example, asserts that "Carbohydrates are important to your health for several reasons." and then goes on to explain glucose -> glycogen -> fat, but provides zero (I counted them twice) reasons why this is necessary, specifically in the context of tubbies needing to get rid of fat rather than storing it.

There's no fatty or amino acids in carbs - those are essential.  Body fat gets turned into ketones, which we're able to use quite handily as an energy source, including for our brains.

So, really, I'm fascinated to see some clinical evidence of what we actually need carbs for, or what negative things happen when we go into ketosis.

Aside, it's essentially impossible to eat zero carbs, I wouldn't advocate trying that.  For one thing, we do need fibre for digestive health, and that always comes with some digestible carbs as well.

But I've never felt better than when keeping carbs to a minimum.  What's not working?

 

[Lozart]

Why, exactly?  There's no fatty or amino acids in them - those are essential.  Body fat gets turned into ketones, which we're able to use quite handily.

I'm fascinated to see some evidence of what we actually need carbs for, or what negative things happen when we go into ketosis.

It's essentially impossible to eat zero carbs, I wouldn't advocate trying that.  For one thing, we do need fibre for digestive health, and that always comes with some digestible carbs as well.

But I've never felt better than when keeping carbs to a minimum.  What's not working?

I think it's fair to say that while a keto diet can be maintained long term, it has to be very carefully managed and supplemented with extra vitamins. The human body is designed to operate on a wide range of foods and in general requires carbohydrates for energy. Yes, you can convert fat to energy, nobody says you can't but there is a lot of questions raised over the long term health effects of a high fat, high protein diet. Even the Bulletproof people tell you not to eliminate ALL carbs and they're about as pro-keto as you can get. The body is just more efficient at turning carbs into energy though, which is of course why a modern western diet results in a lot of obesity - there's just so much carbohydrate involved, way more than most people with increasingly sedentary lives need. I absolutely agree that reducing carbs can be a good thing but so far the only medical suggestion for a keto diet is either controlling diabetes or dealing with epilepsy.

Added to all of which is that carb based foods have a wide range of nutrients that are more easily absorbed into the human body than in other forms.

I have no doubt that it works for you and I wish you all the best on it, but a healthy, balanced diet is always going to be better for the general health of the vast majority of people.

 

[Rogerborg]

I think it's fair to say that while a keto diet can be maintained long term, it has to be very carefully managed and supplemented with extra vitamins.

Well, I'm taking them out of an abundance of caution, but the only thing I've really cut out is sugars, rice, wheat, sugary fruits, and the carbiest of root vegetables (but I'm eating moderate amounts of carrot, onion, radishes and so on).  Low carb does not have to mean butter and bacon.  I'm now eating more green vegetables: cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes, celery, tomatoes, olives and green beans.

What am I missing out on?

The human body is designed to operate on a wide range of foods

Evolved, not designed.  We may be having a labelling squabble here.  If I said "Cooked Palaeolithic plus some non-lactose dairy" rather than keto, how are we looking?

and in general requires carbohydrates for energy.

Why requires?  I have more sustainable endurance now than I did 3 months ago.

Yes, you can convert fat to energy, nobody says you can't but there is a lot of questions raised over the long term health effects of a high fat, high protein diet.

But what are the answers?

In my case it's a moderate fat, moderate protein, low carb diet.  I've reduced my food intake, it's just that I've lowered carbs much more than fat or protein, both of which provide essentials acids.

I think I've said several times that I wouldn't necessarily suggest high fat, minimal carbs as a maintenance diet, but dropping carbs has certainly working for losing body fat, particularly visceral fat, and I hope we can agree on the health benefits of that.

Even the Bulletproof people tell you not to eliminate ALL carbs and they're about as pro-keto as you can get.

It's practically impossible to do so, and nowhere in here am I advocating it.  I'm happy to call it very low carb, Paleolithic, or whatever doesn't imply 90%/6%/4% full keto.

Added to all of which is that carb based foods have a wide range of nutrients that are more easily absorbed into the human body than in other forms.

Fruits, maybe, but those are seasonal.  Potatoes, possibly, but we didn't evolve to eat those, nor wheat, nor rice.  And see the veg list above, plus a multivitamin a day.  What am I missing out on?

I have no doubt that it works for you and I wish you all the best on it, but a healthy, balanced diet is always going to be better for the general health of the vast majority of people.

I'm still unclear on what's unhealthy about a diet based around loads of fresh veg, nuts, some dairy, fish and chicken.  I've looked, but all I can find is woo-science handwaving, and unsourced assertions.

I'm happy to follow the science, but I have to actually see it.