Routine diet?

[Spinney]

So, basically, I don't have much money and need some sort of diet. I'm really into routines, so having certain things daily for each meal, every day. I absolutely love seafood if that makes any difference. I just need a routine that will help me lose weight and won't kill my wallet. I really don't need to eat much, and I have ton of vitamins in my cupboard to replace something if it isn't included. I'm thinking of making my own sushi, if that would be healthy? And economical? I just need ideas, I guess. Thanks.

 

[Hexium]

from my experience sushi is expensive.. Just buy big bags of frozen fish and fry it up in a pan. Eat it with rice? I like to cover my fish in creole seasoning while frying them.. it tastes so good.

 

[Spinney]

from my experience sushi is expensive.. Just buy big bags of frozen fish and fry it up in a pan. Eat it with rice? I like to cover my fish in creole seasoning while frying them.. it tastes so good.

Yeah but if you make your own, the most expensive thing would be the fish, and I can settle for imitation crab. Seems like it would be plausible. How much is said bag of fish? And how long would it last? Sounds good, too What else could I make that goes good with vegetables or.. fruit?

 

[malyce]

Dieting isn't about cost so much as it is about quality of nutrition. Fats are necessary as they help you digest foods (contrary to what you'd believe). Calories and sugars, and refined carbs are the real enemy.

-Stay away from sugary foods like cake, candy, and breakfast cereals. These are not helping you, and never will.

-Fiber is not digestible, therefor you cannot gain weight from it. The more fiber in your diet, the more weight you lose naturally, and the better your metabolism becomes. Whole grains are a good friend, and vegetables are as well. I start every meal with a large salad and two glasses of water. It fills you up and keeps your digestive system moving.

-White meats such as turkey and chicken are much healthier than beef, pork, and red meat products. Instead of a hamburger meat sauce for pasta, try ground turkey. It tastes the same and is much healthier for you.

-Take smaller portions and go back for more if needed. If you have a smaller portion of food, you're less inclined to keep eating. Larger portions of food inspire you to keep eating to finish. Avoid them as much as you can.

-Instead of three meals a day, try 5 or 6 smaller meals. Try a breakfast of whole grains and protein (granola or (sugar free) oatmeal) or a banana (potassium is excellent) in the morning, a low-calorie granola bar for a mid-morning snack, a high fiber lunch (salad and soup), a low calorie yogurt and granola afternoon snack, and a high protein dinner. All of this can be made cheaply by buying off brands, visiting farmer's markets, and shopping at wholesale stores (such as Sam's Club or Cosco). Avoid Ramen as it has no nutritional value and is really just unrefined fat (as I said earlier, fat is good, but only when it's eaten with protein).

If you want more diet advice or a workout routine, let me know. I went from flab to abs in about 6 months (lost 30 lbs) and now I'm seriously ripped:

 

[Spinney]

Well, I'll keep the breakfast ideas in mind when shopping next, as well as the 5 or 6 meals. As I said, though, I'm big on routines. Whatever I'm going to be eating, it's going to be daily or every other day. So, stocking up on oatmeal, bananas, granola would be a good idea. I'm thinking of making California rolls every other day for lunch, (to accommodate my schedule,) so I'd need imitation crab and avocado, plus the other things. Possibly bags of frozen fish, if that would be a good choice? What else could I include in a diet?

And a little off-topic;

Malyce, I've been thinking of headed towards an Associates in Computer Science at my community college, then a Bachelors in Network Security at the University of Advancing Technology. Do you have any input as to what this would require of me (strong math skills, etc,) and what the field of Network Security would be like? And any opinions of UAT? Thanks

 

[malyce]

Strong math skills are not necessarily required for computer science degrees. It is suggested that you understand basic calculus, but a knowledge of advanced algebra is usually sufficient. This is due to programming languages relying on a lot of algebra for functions (loops and calculators) to correctly execute.

I've found that being naturally good with learning other languages is extremely important with computer science, as well as being a good problem solver. Understanding flowcharts is also a good skill to have.

Most networking is theory. A lot of the things you'll learn in network security will be firewall and software related (VLANs, VPNs, etc), and you won't use your programming much. If you get into network administration or network security coding you will.

 

[Spinney]

Strong math skills are not necessarily required for computer science degrees. It is suggested that you understand basic calculus, but a knowledge of advanced algebra is usually sufficient. This is due to programming languages relying on a lot of algebra for functions (loops and calculators) to correctly execute.

I've found that being naturally good with learning other languages is extremely important with computer science, as well as being a good problem solver. Understanding flowcharts is also a good skill to have.

Most networking is theory. A lot of the things you'll learn in network security will be firewall and software related (VLANs, VPNs, etc), and you won't use your programming much. If you get into network administration or network security coding you will.

Ok, sounds promising. I've taken a VB.net class and the math never held me back, though I'm sure it gets way more complicated. We studied flow charts, as well, and those weren't too complex I'm not too hyped up about programming in specific, just trying to find a good subject to get a bachelor's
in.

 

[malyce]

A bachelors in network security may be a good option if you plan on working for a firm. The problem is, there are a lot of firms in the world.

I'd broaden it to network administration. A lot of small businesses have room for network admins. Colleges and banks as well.

 

[Spinney]

A bachelors in network security may be a good option if you plan on working for a firm. The problem is, there are a lot of firms in the world.

I'd broaden it to network administration. A lot of small businesses have room for network admins. Colleges and banks as well.

Yeah, but I'm looking for 100k a year (if possible,) no matter what I do.. The higher the pay the better.

 

[malyce]

You won't make 100k a year as a network security specialist. You'll be lucky to start off with 35k.

Also, it's not all about the pay. I'm making medium range wage (~40k a year) which is a major pay cut compared to my engineering job. The difference with this and the other job is that my retirement with the company I am at gains 20% every year, and it has been this way for 30 years. Can't say no to retiring at age 50.

Network admins make on the order of 35-50k a year starting. Not even tier 3 heldesk support technicians make 100k a year in the computer industry. Marketing and sales can, and engineering definitely can, but not IT.

 

[Spinney]

You won't make 100k a year as a network security specialist. You'll be lucky to start off with 35k.

Also, it's not all about the pay. I'm making medium range wage (~40k a year) which is a major pay cut compared to my engineering job. The difference with this and the other job is that my retirement with the company I am at gains 20% every year, and it has been this way for 30 years. Can't say no to retiring at age 50.

Network admins make on the order of 35-50k a year starting. Not even tier 3 heldesk support technicians make 100k a year in the computer industry. Marketing and sales can, and engineering definitely can, but not IT.

Then I'm officially torn. What specific fields would you suggest for more money then? And what fields would you say are more 'fun?' Thanks for all the answers thus far

 

[pur3bloody]

Life isn't all about being rich and such. 100k a year is a lot. Possibly lower your goal a bit and aim for 50k a year, nonetheless good luck.

 

[malyce]

Then I'm officially torn. What specific fields would you suggest for more money then? And what fields would you say are more 'fun?' Thanks for all the answers thus far

At 40k a year, I'm living very, VERY happily. In a pretty big city. By myself.

There's a fine line between enjoying what you're doing and making a living. If you can do both, that's exactly what you want to do. Making kajillions of dollars means nothing if you hate your job.

What do you enjoy doing and what are you naturally talented at?

 

[Spinney]

Haha I know money isn't everything My Mom makes 30k a year, and we barely scrape by, and I don't understand why. We live in a small town, in a mediocre house. She has no car payments, and her phone, TV, and internet bill isn't too bad. Even when my Dad was employed and made 33k a year in addition, we weren't well off at all. I figure if I heighten my standards I can be very comfortable in any situation I find myself.

Basically, the only think I really enjoy is music.. I play drums and have a basic understanding of recording techniques and sound systems, etc. I'm not good enough to be successful at it, nor would it be a good choice in terms of job security. I'm a good writer and not bad at history. Math is a little sketchy, though. I got really into programming but never continued on with learning more. I like computers and everything about them. I'm familiar with it's insides and learning curves with programs are never too big. I use Photoshop and make/edit my church's media (actually modern stuff, not all old and ugly.) I enjoy it, and I don't suck at it. I can definitely tell when images look bad, or when they look good. Graphic design is a consideration, or something like that I guess.

Thanks so much for your support

 

[malyce]

You like computers and sound systems. I think you should try to become an AV install technician, or an IT technician. Help desk type jobs will wear you down, and constant coding really is a giant pain in the ass. Graphic art is also a strong field to get into (though not the best paying), but if you add audio mixing to it, you could even find yourself in game design or higher end digital media.

I'm a digital media specialist myself, which means everything you love to do I do professionally.

I think the best advice I can give you is that when you first go to college, your first two years are going to be spent trying to figure out what you want to do. Go to a liberal arts college and sample the classes they have before you focus on something, that way you can decide what you enjoy and what you don't. I originally went to school for law, then medicine, and ended up an engineer. Engineering wasn't even on the list of things I wanted to do.

 

[Spinney]

You like computers and sound systems. I think you should try to become an AV install technician, or an IT technician. Help desk type jobs will wear you down, and constant coding really is a giant pain in the ass. Graphic art is also a strong field to get into (though not the best paying), but if you add audio mixing to it, you could even find yourself in game design or higher end digital media.

I'm a digital media specialist myself, which means everything you love to do I do professionally.

I think the best advice I can give you is that when you first go to college, your first two years are going to be spent trying to figure out what you want to do. Go to a liberal arts college and sample the classes they have before you focus on something, that way you can decide what you enjoy and what you don't. I originally went to school for law, then medicine, and ended up an engineer. Engineering wasn't even on the list of things I wanted to do.

Ok, awesome So digital media, then. Or at least until I get a better feel for it. Where might I be employed? What, in general, would I be doing?

 

[malyce]

Digital Media Specialist is actually kind of a made up term that my company uses. Though I do suggest looking into Digital Signage a bit and learning how to sell it. A lot of companies are starting to buy digital signage, and it really is the next big thing.

 

[Arcus Isidar]

You have to look at foods that are inexpensive in terms of $/calorie. At the store, look for deals on staple foods (2/$X.XX), etc.

If you like seafood, canned tuna is very cheap and is very healthy (tuna has almost no fat, along with about 30g of protien per can).

Cottage cheese is great aswell, high protien, low fat, cheap.

When it comes to losing weight however, its a simple process, you need to be consuming less calories then you are burning each day, resulting in an energy defecit which the body calls on fat (second energy source) to use instead.

You can easily lose 1lb/week by simply eating 500 calories fewer then your maintenance (use any internet calculator to see your maintenance).