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Every winter, no matter what I do, I gain an extra five or six pounds in the booty. I'd like to think it's some evolutionary adaptation ... storing extra fuel for lean times and all that. Charles Darwin meets Ben & Jerry, so to speak. I always lose it by bikini season ... at least I always have ... but my birthday is approaching, and although my age will still have a "3" in front of it for a few years yet, I have this fear that one year the junk is going to decide to stay back there, to follow me around like a lost little puppy.

I think I need to take some proactive action here.

So what is you guys' favorite method of unloading winter trunk junk?

A few secrets for a lifetime dieter: trade beer for a glass of red wine if you must drink, avoid diet soda which just increases your carb cravings (water is your best friend for weight loss), green tea is better than coffee and it curbs a lot of snack cravings, tell your friends they're not allowed to have birthdays in an effort to stave off dangerous dinners and cake incidents.

Good suggestions! I rarely drink beer or soda (and never diet soda), and it's not unusual for me to go through a case of Arrowhead a week, but giving up coffee? Omg. That would really be tough! Good idea about the green tea ... I'm gonna try that.

#3 Chips/Fries.

So true. You know the "law of fast food" .. the faster the food, the faster the numbers on the bathroom scale go up.

Small portions more frequently are much better than one big meal a day.

You're right ... I've read that, and I'm guilty! I tend to forget to eat during the day, then pig out at dinner. I know that's bad. I need to be more aware.

Keep hiking.

That's a given!

Muscle mass burns more calories than fat mass.

That's a good thing to remember, and good motivation for weight training.

the high metabolism can be a curse on the trail because it makes me hungry a freaking hour after a good full snack

I know a guy like that. He eats enough for three people and is still wiry. I call him "the hummingbird".

Thanks for all the great info. I think what I mostly need to do is more diligently practice the following special winter exercise regimen:

1. place hands on edge of dinner table
2. push vigorously

chumley wrote: But I believe that limiting the intake of calories is much more important than burning them.

it is indeed far easier to not eat 500 calories a day than it is to burn them off..

dysfunction wrote:

chumley wrote: But I believe that limiting the intake of calories is much more important than burning them.

it is indeed far easier to not eat 500 calories a day than it is to burn them off..

The other aspect of this has to do with conditioning. Getting in and out of shape is no way to go. Maintain a reasonable level of cardiovascular fitness and you will have no trouble pushing yourself harder and harder with minimal recovery time...

rushthezeppelin wrote:Man if I ever started putting on weight this would easily be the hardest thing in the world to deny myself.

Ah - yes. I have two things which kill me every time: cheese and tortilla chips. I live in Tucson, where is found some of the finest northern-Sonoran style food on the planet, and I am surrounded by cheese and tortilla chips at every turn. It's like crack. I can't resist.

I like desert girl's workout plan. I'm gonna practice that.

Maybe tomorrow.. Today is barbeque for lunch...

W

I believe that Frankie's Cheesesteaks on Campbell only sells low-fat food.

Same with Coach's Deli and Zach's.

JamesLyding wrote:I believe that Frankie's Cheesesteaks on Campbell only sells low-fat food.

Those things are good, but you really do feel sick when you walk out after eating that gut bomb