Helping a friend lose weight
 

One of my best friends is waaaaaaaaaay overweight. He is about 5'7, 285.

I can get him to go to the gym when I go with him, but I run track and I work so it's really hard for me to find the time, energy, and desire to go.

He is Italian (parents straight from Italy) and his mom makes all kinds of food every day, and he claims he has to eat or she will be mad. I think he uses that as an excuse. I want him to eat right at least, and do things like not drink pop or eat fast food, but he still does under the reason " just a little won't hurt".

Anyone have success helping a Bob (read Plan9's article) more healthy?

Bottom line is that you cannot help somebody who doesn't want to help themselves.

The Bob's of the world cannot be helped until they realize they need it... sometimes they never do realize :(.

Well I'd honestly suggest having your friend try going on the Atkins diet for a few months to drop some pounds fast. However, judging on the information you have given, it doesn't sound like that would be the answer (He wouldn't be able to eat any of the Italian food, and you mention he doesn't have any eating discipline.)

I guess you can start having him ease into a diet. Have him write down how much he eats for a couple days just to get an idea of his calorie intakes. Have him slowly ease off soda and sweet - tell him if he insists on soda switch to diet. Have him replace sweets with fruit. I'm sure as he starts making the transitions, he'll realize they aren't so bad and when he sees himself starting to lose a little weight he will be more motivated.

How does he eat? Does he eat to clear the plate? Until he's about to pop? Certainly it sounds like he should cut down his portions. As a starter, tell him to stop at one plate. That's it. If it's a big plate - fine, it's a start. And have him slowly ease off it. You just have to convince him it's for the best, and we all know how hard that can be sometimes - speaking from personal experience.

I reccomend atkins, it's pretty effective and it's not even that hard to do. Taking walks in the park would be up his alley perhaps moreso then a gym, maybe he's self-concious and doesn't like to exercise in front of others?

Anyways, get him to agree to do it and speak to his mom yourself if you need to. Starting is the hardest part of atkins.

I did atkins for a few months, and tried to help out a few people in my office with it. I found that with a lot of people, starting it was tough because the first week or so is hell. But after that I found out a lot of people couldn't stick with it. They would constantly "cheat" and screw themselves over. I think the Atkins requires a lot of self discipline to really get good results - which is ironic, because the reason why most of the people gained so much weight was due to a lack of self discipline.

you know what's an easy way to do it though? always eat meat first... if you always eat protein and lipid groups first during a meal, your carb will be cut down majorly because by the time you start with the carb, you are half full. it's seriously not that hard. just eat your meat, fat, egg or whatever first. have veggie if you want. after all that. wait a lil. then eat rice/pasta. i think the order in which you eat it really importatn and you should still ahve a lil bit of carb. it's hard for you body to convert fat/protien into ATP so u know, be nice and give it some carbohydrid

Yeah that happens while your blood sugar is up there. The book says eventually you lower your blood sugar and you don't have those cravings so much anymore. I do atkins every year or so after the holidays and I can vouch for that. It does get much easier as you go along.

whoa whoa whoa.... the ONLY way he'll lose weight is to MOVE OUT OF THE HOUSE!

you all abviously don't know the wrath of an italian mother when you refuse her food! yeesh it makes my hand hurt from the wooden spoon blow just thinking of it!!