I am holding steady at 240. 30 lbs since march,but have plateaued. I think its time to start actually monitoring calories. I’ll get on a macro calculator and start to plan.
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I basically avoided exercise for 12+ years and overall health was going down. I’m now 10 months into a 3-4 day/week exercise regime, and while I’m still too big by 65 lbs, I look and feel a lot better than I did previously (neighbor complimented me yesterday).
After 1 month I finally felt like I could do basic things more effectively, 2 months I could do them easily, 4 months I felt pretty good (did 6 day/wk classes in month 4), month 5 was more progress, months 6-7 were lockdown (and Path of Exile, which is a great game but bad, bad, bad) with no in-home equipment, month 8 was getting back to month 5, month 9 was progress in overall strength and fitness. Now I feel healthy and strong and am trying to think of new ways to do more work. I’m probably 8 months away from my initial goal of 260 lbs, but I feel better than I have in 12 years.
I would say the main thing that I changed was mindset. Working out is pretty much a priority now (or at least it’s a “non-negotiable” part of my routine). I still miss some days or cheat, but I’m now at the stage where I want to workout and appreciate the results, even when they’re slow and uneven. To get to where I am now I needed consistent positive reinforcement. It may not come every day, but at least every 2-3 weeks I notice that I can do more things more easily, clothes fit better, can lift more, etc. It’s that consistent positive reinforcement that does the job. I’m not Keed and don’t believe much in serious diets, but just the positive reinforcement and overall progress causes you to make better decisions, because you don’t think, “F it, i’m getting a large pizza” like I might have in the past. It’s definitely a lifestyle and mindset change, not simply something you do 3-5 hrs/wk, but the change can be gradual and there’s always another chance if you backside some.
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Coming in to the thread late.
Down to 247 pounds. But have been stuck here for months. I think I’ve hit some kind of psychological or physical barrier as this is my lowest weight in about 12 years.
As soon as I string a few solid days together, I just get outrageously hungry. Even though I’m not eating that differently. It’s weird.
Anyway. This has been messing me around for too long and holding back my gym training.
Big focus for Septemeber. Gonna hit 240 by the end of the month. Let’s gogogogo.
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Thanks for the insight, it’s much appreciated.
I know I’m only two days out from my post, but they’ve been a good two days. Minimal to no snacking, no fast food, limited beer, and decent portion sizes of my meals. Plus I worked out Monday and today. It’s a good start and I hope to keep it up.
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Been reading more and getting into some of the “science based” fitness and diet/nutrition sites. Have found what looks like good info. Thinking I need to get more serious about calories in, likely logging all consumption. Just bought a food scale and made a spreadsheet to log each days food and activity.
I was losing weight in march because I was doing a lot of cardio, eating semi-light, and not gaining much muscle. My current workout is more strength based, and I’m gaining muscle mass but I need to watch calories more closely and not cheat 2 days/wk. I’ll be going for 2500 cal/day (25% less than expenditure assuming 4 days/wk of lifting and some physical activity), with 250g/day of protein. I read a study where subjects did strenuous exercise 6 days/wk, ate at a calorie deficit (like 2000 cals) and lost and avg in 10 lbs in a month. However, the experimental group (high protein diet) also gained a lot more lean muscle mass (like 2.6 lbs) than the control (standard protein). https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/103/3/738/4564609 That’s what I’ll be aiming for. (Gaining muscle while losing mass is uncommon, especially for highly trained, but is doable for semi-novices or more highly overweight and apparently viable with higher protein intake.)
The sources I’ve been looking at which seems solid are: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/ https://legionathletics.com/healthy-meal-planning-tips/ and https://3dmusclejourney.com/
Eric Helms, Phd is pretty good and is on a lot of podcasts and youtubes discussing fitness and nutrition.
This is essential. An app helps. If you don’t weigh/measure, you are bound to underestimate portions… It’s hard to know where you’re at if you don’t track.
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I can gain or lose weight whenever I feel like it, but I agree that eating less and doing more is effective. I weighed in at 192 for my all time high and my wife’s uncle who doesn’t speak English started patting his stomach and saying “Good! good!” every time he saw me. Figured it was time to lose weight and decided to see how low I could go. Got down to 156 and people started greeting me with comments like “What have you been up to? Not eating, I guess”. I ignored hunger pangs or ate a few raw almonds and kept my intake at 2000 calories or less and worked out 3 or 4 times a week. Mostly bike and rowing machine. Swam with my kids a bunch too. Also had to punch extra holes in my belts.
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MyFitnessPal is a really easy way to log food
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I was scoping out my myfitnesspal app. I had it marked down that I was at 284 as of Jun 1, 2019. So 44 lbs in 15 months. Most of it since march.
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I used the myfitnesspal app for a week until i realized i just ate the same thing every single day and then didn’t open it again for two months until i cancelled my subscription.
I’d recommend everyone upgrade to a smart scale for additional help at keeping track of your weight, has really worked for me.
https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Composition-Wireless-Percentage-Smartphone/dp/B086CYBVH9 only $30
I use loseit. I think it’s a little simpler and quicker than myfitnesspal though most people I know seem to prefer that. I think the free versions of either are fine for tracking calories if that’s all you need.
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Started week by scarfing down a bunch of junk food so a little surprised to see a good end result but I’ll take it. I haven’t been doing one meal a day in a while. It felt hard to sustain.
8-wk Goal: -11 lbs, 12-wk Goal: -14 lbs
Week Δlbs from Start
1 +1.6
2 -3.0
3 -6.0
4 -7.2
5 -6.6
6 -7.8
7 -8.6
8 -10.0
9 -11.4
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One week later I’m at 210.0. I know there’s no way I’m gonna lose 5lbs a week but it’s a great start!
3 workouts throughout the week and just eating smarter. I can do this.
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Down to 172 now from 190 at my peak, 185ish around may/june.
My new meds are certainly helping curb my appetite but I’ve mostly been fasting and drinking less. I fast whenever I can. If i cant make it 24 hours or feel like my blood sugar is low I eat nuts or an apple. It’s really hard at first but now it feels totally fine. I get full extremely quickly now, I think my stomach has shrunk. The lb’s are just flying off now and I can wear shirts I havent been able to in a while. People are noticing too.
Probably not the healthiest way to lose weight but it’s working. I have about 15 lbs to go and then I am going to slowly make the switch to a more plant-based diet with fish and a little poultry for my protein.
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Been logging cals for a week now, but with 2 cheat days given labor day.
Have been deep diving on fitness and nutrition, and bought The Barbell Prescription https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y4LXFCK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_onUvFb0QDY5N7 about living well through strength training. The md, phd author makes good argument that some reasonably heavy strength conditioning is about best possible thing for overall health.
Not losing weight yet, but continuing to see material gains in strength. Lifted yesterday and about to load up a podcast and do a 2 mi walk. Feeling as strong as I have in 15 years.
Current diet is 2600 cals (pretty easy to do) with 1200 of that from protein (bit harder to do, basically need a protein shake or 2 per day-i got 3 cases on sale at Costco). I’m getting more fanatical, which is good.
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Ha, 2600 calories seems like a lot at first glance, like 2x my diet. Then I realize you’re twice as big as I am.
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Week 7/8
Two week catch up - last week was crazy hours and non-stop at work. Apart from 4 days in the middle of the fortnight I kept myself fully in line, however I did have something of a fall off the wagon after work a few days in a row last week. Mrs S was visiting her mother so I was just cooking for myself, and after fighting the good fight I cracked with a takeaway curry, pizza, ready-meal paella for three nights.
Also knocked back a couple of bottles of wine, 6 beers and too much Jack.
Good news is still down by 1lb over the 2 weeks, and kept to the exercising and weighing every day
Exercise 3 days per week
Sardines 3 days/4 days
Total weight loss 18lb
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Confirmed dusty
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Holy crap I just got this scale and this cant be right (blurred because of bare feet)
Just 10 lbs to go
Scale gave me some other numbers on another reading:
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I look like the 20% guy. Several weeks ago i looked like 25% guy approaching 30% guy.
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