I use the chalice Eat, in order: Water, vegetables, lean protein, fruit, whole grain, healthy fats, other stuff So I eat vegetables 3 meals a day, including breakfast - no not French fries! A few nuts or a little feta or goat cheese in lunch salad, several servings of fruit, whole grain bread (1-2 whole grain servings daily), olive oil in dressing. Weekly treat. It is working, I don't need to supplement, I'm "regular" as the clock, I eat a lot so I'm rarely hungry between meals/timed snacks, and I eat stuff that is good. I eat essentially no packaged/prepared foods unless you count a jar of mustard, things like that. Make my own bread, salad dressing. I know what goes into everything. And planted a big vegetable garden last weekend.
I'm fighting the same problem. Decided to cut out fast food and soda yesterday. Figured that was the first step to changing my diet.
I hate to piss in anyone's Cheerios but....if you're getting a gut, regardless of age, then it's time to cut back on the alcohol. I was in denial about this for years but I can guarantee its true. As BG used to tell me (this from a guy in the wine business), alcohol weight is the easiest to lose.....it goes straight to the tummy.....
Not really a gut. Just flab. Still have a flat stomach. But I do cut alcohol when I'm trying to tone up the abs. Beer is the worst (but it's sooooo delicious)
Losing weight in my experience requires burning fat off by raising the heart rate and breaking a sweat..start walking and hiking...stop drinking sugar..soda pop, etc...and eat fresh fruit and veggies...snack on nuts and fruit. Cut out fried foods pretty much. Soups are healthy. My athletic weight is 172...I'm usually around 182 and during winter get up to about 190. My wife is a health nut and avid gardener so I eat really healthy. If you get cravings to eat...have a cup of hot tea and an apple or a banana.
So how's it going @BlazerCaravan ? I've been really trying to work on myself too. Just ordered a second knee brace so I can wear one on each leg while i workout. Sucks, but that's a result of being overweight for so long and then trying to get healthy. The knees took a lot of pounding. I have lost another few pounds though, but more than that, I feel much better and look better in the mirror. I love it when you can start to actually see the difference regardless of the actual weightless. I have been to the gym all but two days in the past 3 weeks, and my heart rate is lowered and recovering much quicker. Today I reached a new level, during my 25min on the treadmill, I reached 8.5 MPH for 90 sec. I've been trying to up it .5 every couple days, but I think I'm leveling off, cause I nearly collapsed from it. Anyway, I said I would check in, and I would love to hear everyone else do the same. We can help keep each other excited to continue.
People have no idea how much better someone feels after a change like this. Good for you. My wife's boss's daughter I met two years ago, she was slightly overweight and doing some kind of diet of the month thing all her friends were doing. I told my wife she would stop and gain 100 lbs. Two years later and I'd say she has gained about 75, it sucks so bad. I feel you on the knees too, I sprained my MCL at work a few weeks ago and the doctor said he could see arthritis on my xray. I don't know if I mentioned this in the thread I posted it in but he also said I'd broken my knee cap at some point. The bottom third or so I'd broken clean off in the past. I hurt my knee really bad 20 years ago and never got it looked at. I really need to go see a doctor about them in general. As for the weight loss this year, I'm slowly losing a few pounds every month. After I lost the first 160 I didn't want to keep going because my stomach looked so terrible. If I lost another 80 I'd have to have the skin surgery for sure. Instead, we joined a gym and go every other day. I've actually got muscles in my upper body again. I'm not worrying about the number on the scale now. It's about how I feel and that I get in better shape every day.
I'm the same way about the scale, it doesn't matter that much anymore, but it used to be what kept me coming back to the gym or keeping me from having a bite. Today after a pretty aggressive workout, I went to the bar to watch some basketball with friends. Had two beers but didn't have any diner until I got home around 10. Normally I wouldn't be eating so late, but including the beers I had only had about 700 calories all day, and burned more than that at the gym. I do admit though, that although I'm fine with my current weight, I still want to lose a fair amount more. Right now I'm 207lbs (heaviest was 310) but I'm going to reach a couple more goals. I haven't weighed sub-200 for over 20 years, so my first big goal is to reach 199lbs. After that, 190lbs. Most likely I'll be pretty happy there, but I may want to drop down to 180lbs. If I get that light, I think I'd be set. I very well might have to get some skin removed if I reach my goals. I'm not married, so I admit it's kind of embarrassing to have such a deflated stomach when I'm with women. I tend to leave the shirt on, but it's not fooling anyone. I have a date coming up with someone I'm actually interested in, but that skin, that deflated belly sac just makes me dread that first physical connection. Oh well, I know it's more in my head than it is in theirs. My legs are rock solid, my arms are pretty decent, but my belly just won't recover. Oh well, that's life. At least I have the option of getting surgery once I'm happy with my weight.
Very true. I am a small guy at 5'9" and currently 145lbs. I have cut back on alcohol in the last 3 months or so, going from .....well...... alcoholism to having one or two drinks a week (this is a topic for another time). Before the cut back I was up at 162lbs. Just cutting back on that considerably had made a huge difference. Mentally as well!
I was 307 after a long day of work last summer on a 115 degree day. I was 327 the other night without being dehydrated. I want to get back in the 265 range eventually but I'm literally in better shape at 327 with muscle vs 307 (more like 315 with the water returned) The important thing for me is that I don't let food control my life or affect my emotions. I can have something bad once in a great moon, the binge days are over though.
Fat guys don't need scales anyway, as long as we don't get so fat that we can't see it at all. I did a bastardized version of atkins in my late 20s and when I stopped I blew up to 400 in no time. Adding a few more lbs over the years got me to 467 in my late 30s. Going to the gym again in my 40s is weird, my arms are almost back to what they used to be but it takes 5 times as much work.
It takes a lot of heart to do what you did and what you are doing. 400 and change in your 30s could make some people give up for good. I've seen it. As the kids would say 10 years ago, Mad Props to you.
Thanks, working in a hot shop with crappy swamp coolers was tough at 467lbs. I had a wet towel on my head all day to keep cool. My grandma asked me what I'd do when I couldn't put my own socks on, that got me thinking. My sister just went to Mexico to have weight loss surgery. I haven't talked to her about it but at this point she had to do something. She's never been able to stop herself from eating grease.
if 265ish is what would make you feel great, I hope you keep working towards that . I'm likely smaller than you, only 5'9" and my bones are particularly big. I do have more muscle than most (fat people usually do) but I'm really close to what I would consider a very happy weight, 190lbs. When I get there, I might decide to drop more, but that won't be as important.
40s? You're a damn kid. I am 61 and in the best shape of my life. Serious. In college I had no car and walked 2 miles each way to UW (in 6 foot high snowdrifts of course) (no, just rain) but I did not work out so had no real muscle except legs. I now have abs, biceps, triceps. Something I thought I'd never see. I'm at my college weight but leaner since I had little muscle then. Ages does tell, the loose skin around the waist where extra weight used to be. But it was fun buying all new clothes. Nothing fit but my socks. For the first time in my life I'm actually at least a little fashionable; not that I know what's in style, just that I wear things that look good. And on size 6 most things look good. About two weeks ago I tipped over my big mirror. When I moved in it took two movers to lift it on top of my dresser since I couldn't. I discovered I now could. And it is heavy. I picked it right up and put it back in place. Notice balance is better, I still trip over things (world's prize klutz) but instead of hitting the ground I can now catch myself. Before weight loss I once landed on my bad knee on concrete three times in one week and if you are wondering, yes, it hurt. Although my prize was entering a BART station face first. NOT recommended.
I'm 6'2 and built like an NFL lineman. 265 is normal for me, 245 is skinny. At least it was when I was 24, we'll see how it ends up with me at 42. You look healthy as hell in your after pic, the first guy looks terrible.
I have never had great triceps, I work them hard and still they just get firmer and slightly bigger. Nothing special.
Thank you. I still have a bit to go, but I take a lot of pride in what I have accomplished so far, as I hope you do as well. I've quit smoking, cut out most addictive things except wine, which i limit. I've changed careers and gone back to school to find a more fulfilling course for my life. However, none of that was as hard as losing my weight. You, me, Denny, Crandc, and all the others around here who have lost significant amounts have really done something that goes against our genetic programming, and that's tough. Congrats too all who have
