Questions about health and nutrition.

[Fett]

Background: I am 33 and have always been skinny...mainly due to quick metabolism, and not eating much. I am also a smoker...currently.

I am not looking to get "buff"....I have no desire to be muscular....mainly due to my laziness. I would, however, like to start being healthier and put on a few pounds.

My normal day consists of coffee in the morning, usually one cup, then Sunkist soda during the day...no breakfast. For lunch I have standard lunch stuff, leftovers, cheesburger, ham sub, whatever...normal stuff. For dinner my Wife always makes a good dinner, filled with normal "dinner" stuff. I drink kool-aid when I get home, and through the night. I might have a snack before bed, popcorn, ice cream...normal "snack" stuff. So the bottom line is I don't eat breakfast, and I drink soda and kool-aid, and I don't eat that much. I never seem to have an appetite and I eat when I am hungry, stuff myself (which isn't usually a lot of food), then eat again when I am hungry.

I am now taking baby steps, I started Monday. I started watching my water intake...something I NEVER drank before. Starting this past Monday I have my coffee in the morning, then I drank water all through the day. With the exception of one soda during the day and one kook-aid at night, I drank water all day long. I am drinking roughly 8 cups throughout the work day, and another 5 cups or so between 5pm and when I go to bed. So most of my liquid intake is water now.

I noticed the past few days, I have been eating more....it might all be in my head though, as water is supposed to be an appetite suppressant. I have been eating larger meals and snacking more inbetween.

I can not get myself to eat breakfast...for many reasons. So I am thinking of getting some of that weight gainer stuff they sell at GNC. One of them is basically a TON of calories and whatnot. It is 2200 calories per serving, mixed with milk. So I am thinking of getting that and having one serving for breakfast. I know you are not "supposed" to use it as a meal replacement....but I have never eaten breakfast, and that isn't going to change. So I figure that is better than what I am eating now...which is nothing.

If I can keep to this regime, I will mentally be able to quit smoking in a few weeks. I have tried quitting many times and I have tried every method. But I KNOW it will be easier for me to start doing something (drinking the proper amount of water and food) than it will be for me to stop doing something (smoking). I also KNOW that if I can commit to drinking the proper amount of water and not simply drinking soda all day long, and I can commit to eating more, then I KNOW I will be mentally ready to finally put the smokes down.

My questions:

By increasing my water intake, I am cleaning out my body better...is this also helping keep my stomach from shrinking...allowing me to eat more? I can't think of any other reason why I would be eating more lately, unless it is just a mental thing.

What will drinking a "weight gainer" shake for breakfast do for me? Positive and negative results. I assume I won't get fat, but I don't want to hurt myself either. But if it helps put some weight on, that will be fine too.

Can I be overthinking the whole water intake thing? Because today I was afraid to drink a glass of kool-aid when I got home from work because all I had been drinking today was water. I was afraid to screw up my water intake by "contaminating" my liquid intake. Should I just drink the correct amount of water, and not worry about anything else? In other words, as long as I am taking in the correct amount of pure water, I can also mix in a soda or kool-aid?

Sorry for posting this stuff here, I just figure someone out there must know something about nutrition...and I don't know anywhere else to turn. I keep reading stuff on the net but I think I am reading too much and starting to form my own uneducated opinions.

 

[SPEEDYLIFSAVR]

Drinking more water is a great start . Many people dont get enough H2o and even the slightest biy of dehydration can totally screw up your body chemistry and function .

Drinking more water wont really decrease your appetite as it empties from the stomach quickly and is absorbed into the body . As far as your appetite increasing your body is probably better regulating your insulin levels from the lack of constant insulin spikes due to consuming sugary sodas and other drinks .


Skipping breakfast is bad news . Gotta fuel your body especially if you want to start adding exercise to your regime . If you dont feel like eating there are many excellent ,meal replacement shakes available such as Met-rx or myoplex or you can make your own shakes with some protein powder , milk , juice , peanut butter , frozen berries - whatever you like .

Its ok to have an occasional soda or Kool-aid . There are many great referances out there for health and fitnes . Mens health is an excellent and very informative magazine , ck it out .

Good luck Bro!!

 

[Fett]

Yea, I really don't see myself exercising though. By that I mean, I won't be going to the gym or anything. My Wife and I are walking, and I am thinking of taking skateboarding back up. So yes, I will increase my activity level...but I won't really be exercising, per se.

So drinking one of those shakes would be OK, seeing as I don't eat breakfast? I mean, I know that eating a balanced breakfast would be the best thing to do....but drinking some kind of calorie or protien shake would be much better than not eating anything?

 

[MrStang123]

Those shakes are mainly just protein. But if you are looking for more of a nutritional substitute in the morning when you are on the go then get a case of ensure or something like that. All of that protein just makes you feel really full, and in essence your body doesnt really need a ridiculous amount of protein. Ensure has all the vitamins and minerals you need to start the day.

 

[FrankenStang]

First things first: QUIT SMOKING.

 

[fivespeedsteed]

slimfasts are supposed to be meal replacers. they just take away your apetite. eating breakfast gets your metabolism started for the day so you can start burning off calories or food you take in throughout the day, if you dont eat breakfast then you dont start digesting food in a sense until lunch, which gives you less time to digest food.... my mom has been getting me these things called intant breakfast. its like a hot chocolate mix in bags, you just get a glass of milk, add this stuff in, stir and drink chocolate/strawberry/ect milk and it works, takes your appetite away, and fills you up. i think carnation makes them. id try those, they really do help.

 

[Mustang5L5]

QUIT SMOKING!!! You'll notice a difference right there.




I've done little things to get healthy. I'm 26, and have a high motabolizm so i've never been overweight. I'm 6'1", muscular and was around 210 pounds. A few months back, i gave up soda completely. I only drink water, or juice and gatorade.

I also gave up coffee as i was drinking 2 cups a day. Now i drink maybe 1 per week. Instead, i drink an apple juice or OJ in the AM and eat a banana or some other fruit.

I've also cut off most of my junkfood. I still have an ice cream or brownie now and then, but no more late-night convience store junk food runs.

Finally, i started running. I started out at 10 mins per day and just kept adding time. I started on a treadmill but now that the weather is better i may go down the beach.

I also do small exercises around the house. Pushups, crunches, situps, pull-ups anything i can do in the house.

As a result, i've lost 15 pounds down to 195, feel leaner, notice a little more definition and less flab (not that i had a lot) and my energy levels are up.

My goal is to join a gym now and really start lifting. I have a pretty muscular frame but just need to get cut and get some more definition.

But i feel MUCH better than i did 6 months ago