Getting Fit: Shedding Pounds and Achieving Goals Together

[ThomasT]

Been struggling with a cold for several days - it's kept me from being active. Nonetheless I'm down a pound. (Yes of course I know one pound is not outside the normal noise range for body weight measurement...I don't care, I'll post it anyway!)

Sorry to hear about the cold. Sounds like you're doing well otherwise. Even with eating less (at least I think I'm eating less) and increasing my exercise level, I swear that I still seem to be gaining weight. Plus, had a very tough tennis match on Monday and my right calf and behind my knee has been sort of swollen and sore.

Net results so far: slight weight gain, no discernible change in gut volume, and a bad leg.

 

[rhody]

Been struggling with a cold for several days - it's kept me from being active. Nonetheless I'm down a pound. (Yes of course I know one pound is not outside the normal noise range for body weight measurement...I don't care, I'll post it anyway!)

Lisa,

I am glad you have dropped a pound, but it could be water weight, seriously, I obsessed over it for years, don't sweat it. You will lose the weight slowly the right way, use the pant technique, when you feel them less tight, smile...

Rhody...

 

[ThomasT]

Lisa,

I am glad you have dropped a pound, but it could be water weight, seriously, I obsessed over it for years, don't sweat it. You will lose the weight slowly the right way, use the pant technique, when you feel them less tight, smile...

Rhody...

Water weight ... don't sweat it. That's funny.

But of course you're right ... I think.

I should add that my weight seems to fluctuate by at least a pound or two within any given 24 hour period. Just depends on when I weigh myself. Haven't weighed myself in a few days (don't have a scale at home), but I feel like I've gained a (more or less permanent) pound or two in the past week despite cutting out certain things. Come to think of it I did sort of pig out at Wendy's a couple of times (including their delicious Frostys), but it was after extensive (for me) exercise, so I was, perhaps, most probably, incorrectly minimizing the effect of these meals.

 

[lisab]

Oh I know - like I said, one pound is within normal variability for weight measurements. Of humans, that is. But it's in the right direction, so I'll claim it! I can self-delude with the best of 'em.

Tonight I did a *slow* jog/walk (OK mostly walk), about 2 miles. Nice that we still have light so late - sun sets at 7:35 here tonight. But it sure was windy, wet, and cold.

 

[ThomasT]

Oh I know - like I said, one pound is within normal variability for weight measurements. Of humans, that is. But it's in the right direction, so I'll claim it! I can self-delude with the best of 'em.

Tonight I did a *slow* jog/walk (OK mostly walk), about 2 miles. Nice that we still have light so late - sun sets at 7:35 here tonight. But it sure was windy, wet, and cold.

Sublime self-delusion. I'm definitely down with that. Claim what you will, what you must. As will I ... and must. Then again, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to eat an entire pepperoni pizza in the next half hour or so. Along with some other, as yet to be determined, consumables. I really love being retired. Feeling a bit sad about those of you who have to go to work tomorrow. Bwuah, ha ha ha ha ha ...

Ok, that was uncalled for. And totally contrary to the intent and purpose of the OP program.

 

[lisab]

Sublime self-delusion. I'm definitely down with that. Claim what you will, what you must. As will I ... and must. Then again, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to eat an entire pepperoni pizza in the next half hour or so. Along with some other, as yet to be determined, consumables. I really love being retired. Feeling a bit sad about those of you who have to go to work tomorrow. Bwuah, ha ha ha ha ha ...

Ok, that was uncalled for. And totally contrary to the intent and purpose of the OP program.

Lol, but it made me laugh !

Me, I just had spaghetti, made from scratch. Well I didn't make the pasta from scratch but the sauce - just simple sausage, tomatoes, and a few of their close friends. Not exactly low-cal but I didn't have much.

Have you tried an anti-inflammatory for your calf/knee?

 

[ThomasT]

Lol, but it made me laugh !

Me, I just had spaghetti, made from scratch. Well I didn't make the pasta from scratch but the sauce - just simple sausage, tomatoes, and a few of their close friends. Not exactly low-cal but I didn't have much.

Have you tried an anti-inflammatory for your calf/knee?

I'm on the ultimate anti-inflammatory for my Crohn's disease. The only other time my calf-knee felt like this was when I had thrombo-phlebitis when I was about 20. Blood clot in the calf.

I think I just exerted/strained the muscles in my calf to the point where they're repairing. It's a good type of pain, if you know what I mean.

However, it doesn't seem to be any better now than two days ago. So, as far as I know it might be a clot. We'll see.

Anyway, I can't complain. We've got the SonyEricsson Open on espn3.com, plenty of sunshine, and I just got six new cans of Penn tennis balls. Life is good.

More pizza.

 

[rhody]

Just had my yearly checkup, best condition in the past five years, I somehow managed to drop another 6 lbs to 156, so I am 9 lbs heavier that I was in college almost 36 years ago, not too bad, and I workout, cardio, weights, bicycle, walk, and stretch when I get stiff. I have no reason to complain. I understand how precious your health is, in the end it is all there is. It is up to you to treat yourself right, know when to push, for how hard, and how long and when to rest.

Rhody...

 

[lisab]

Just had my yearly checkup, best condition in the past five years, I somehow managed to drop another 6 lbs to 156, so I am 9 lbs heavier that I was in college almost 36 years ago, not too bad, and I workout, cardio, weights, bicycle, walk, and stretch when I get stiff. I have no reason to complain. I understand how precious your health is, in the end it is all there is. It is up to you to treat yourself right, know when to push, for how hard, and how long and when to rest.

Rhody...

That's excellent news! You're right, it takes effort to keep up one's health, and it's time well spent.

I'm 2 pounds down now. I had a great jog yesterday, slow and steady for about 3 miles. My minimalist shoes are great, I love them -- no hints of injury so far (knocks on head)!

 

[rhody]

That's excellent news! You're right, it takes effort to keep up one's health, and it's time well spent.

I'm 2 pounds down now. I had a great jog yesterday, slow and steady for about 3 miles. My minimalist shoes are great, I love them -- no hints of injury so far (knocks on head)!

Lisa,

I honestly didn't know what I weighed haven't weighed myself all year, I just know by the belt loops and how my pants fit. I pay little attention to stats because in the end, if you do the right thing you will be rewarded. I tend towards OCD anyway, and this is one way not to give into it, lol. Obsessing about not obsessing.

Rhody...

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Since I took this challenge I have lost 7 and a half lbs. I am still obese according to bmi, but I haven't got far to go. My plan is to lose at least 1 lb a week but I'm not going to panic if I lose slower as long as I don't start going up. Here are some potential long term goals:

From obese down to overweight by losing 3 and a half more lbs. This is a must do for me.
50th percentile for men my age by losing 18 more lbs.
From overweight to normal range by losing 34 and a half more lbs.

 

[lisab]

Since I took this challenge I have lost 7 and a half lbs. I am still obese according to bmi, but I haven't got far to go. My plan is to lose at least 1 lb a week but I'm not going to panic if I lose slower as long as I don't start going up. Here are some potential long term goals:

From obese down to overweight by losing 3 and a half more lbs. This is a must do for me.
50th percentile for men my age by losing 18 more lbs.
From overweight to normal range by losing 34 and a half more lbs.

I'm the same way. I don't mind losing slowly, or even holding steady, as long as I'm not gaining. For now I'm holding steady, still minus 2 pounds.

But I've changed my exercise strategy. At the park next to my apartment where I jog, there are two basic choices - short, steep hills or long, gentle hills. I used to take the short, steep ones. Then I found my lungs/heart were my limiting factor - my legs are really strong now. So I changed to the long, gentle hills, working my cardio more.

I'm feeling really good, no injuries!

 

[ThomasT]

I'm feeling really good, no injuries!

That's good to hear. I'm just enjoying being retired. I think I lost a couple of pounds last week, but then I put them on this week with a wonderful (and massive amount of) chili that I made. Yummy. Also, I found a great German deli that has wonderful schnitzels and sauerbraten. Life is good.

 

[Astronuc]

I came across this article from a headline on Yahoo.

Lift To Live Longer
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/training-day/201205/only-strong-survive-lift-live-longer

One doesn't need to life heavy weights, but some light weights with some series of repetitions is good enough. Also, walking 2-3 miles a day is good for exercise and stress relaxation. I heard one program that recommended exercising every two hours if one has a desk job, i.e., interrupt the time that one sits at a desk.

See also mcknia's thread
Exercise and weight loss

 

[Ivan Seeking]

After losing 30 Lbs in about three months, I went off the Atkins diet a year ago and wanted to see if I could maintain my weight. By late March of this year I had definitely put on a few pounds and was getting noticeably large around the waste again, as was evident in my photo with Jackie. But I refocused on my lifestyle changes without actually going back on the diet. Today I finally had the nerve to see how bad the damage is and stepped on the scale. I hadn't weighed myself in almost a year.

I weigh about 2 lbs less than I did the day I went off the diet! Yay! I don't know if I want to get back into full-blown ketosis or not... but I would like to lose that last 20 pounds. That would put me back to the same weight that I was when Tsu and I got married.

With just a few exceptions, I haven't used processed sugar or eaten any bread in 17 months.

For me, having that protein drink every morning seems to be the key. As soon as I started doing that religiously again, I started losing weight... well, my pants started getting looser instead of tighter. I can't wear the pants in that photo any more. They just fall down, which is not a good thing to have happen in front of customers.

 

[lisab]

After losing 30 Lbs in about three months, I went off the Atkins diet a year ago and wanted to see if I could maintain my weight. By late March of this year I had definitely put on a few pounds and was getting noticeably large around the waste again, as was evident in my photo with Jackie. But I refocused on my lifestyle changes without actually going back on the diet. Today I finally had the nerve to see how bad the damage is and stepped on the scale. I hadn't weighed myself in almost a year.

I weigh about 2 lbs less than I did the day I went off the diet! Yay! I don't know if I want to get back into full-blown ketosis or not... but I would like to lose that last 20 pounds. That would put me back to the same weight that I was when Tsu and I got married.

With just a few exceptions, I haven't used processed sugar or eaten any bread in 17 months.

For me, having that protein drink every morning seems to be the key. As soon as I started doing that religiously again, I started losing weight... well, my pants started getting looser instead of tighter. I can't wear the pants in that photo any more. They just fall down, which is not a good thing to have happen in front of customers.

That's great! I'm stuck at minus 3 or 4 pounds . But I'm more active now, and my clothes are definitely looser.

I know for me to lose weight, I must have several long aerobic workouts a week. Right now I'm taking an engineering class (mechanics of materials, it's sooooo cool ) so it's tough to fit in long stretches of exercise.

Surprising how it is that we find healthy habits, start doing them and loving it, then they just sort of...trail off, after a while.

 

[turbo]

My wife tells me that I don't eat as much as I should. That's a good sign. I don't mind losing weight as long as I'm feeling good. I am not a young buck that needs 3 squares a day to keep up.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

That's great! I'm stuck at minus 3 or 4 pounds . But I'm more active now, and my clothes are definitely looser.

I know for me to lose weight, I must have several long aerobic workouts a week. Right now I'm taking an engineering class (mechanics of materials, it's sooooo cool ) so it's tough to fit in long stretches of exercise.

Surprising how it is that we find healthy habits, start doing them and loving it, then they just sort of...trail off, after a while.

Minus is better than plus!

For me, working out and eating well have always been challenges. I love bad food! Ice cream is probably my biggest weakness. And I looooooooove chocolate.

I did like to run but it still took an effort each day. And while weight lifting was always a bit of a chore, I did it religiously from about age 11 on into my twenties. But the easiest way for me to get exercise was to do something fun and athletic. Motorcycles, football [American], volleyball, surfing and Boogie boarding, Frisbees... loved it all but can't do much anymore due to back and knee problems, and repetitive motion issues in general.

Do you have any favorite sports?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

My wife tells me that I don't eat as much as I should. That's a good sign. I don't mind losing weight as long as I'm feeling good. I am not a young buck that needs 3 squares a day to keep up.

No doubt about it, we don't need to eat as much as we get older. One of the lifestyle changes that I mentioned is making a constant effort to use smaller portions.

What is also important is to spread the calories out over the day. For a long time I had the terrible habbit of eating one large meal late every day. Whether it be a matter of weight gain, spiking my blood sugar, or burning muscle instead of fats and carbs, that is a recipe for disaster. I think that's one reason the protein drink is so important to me. It sets the tone for the entire day.

 

[lisab]

Minus is better than plus!

For me, working out and eating well have always been challenges. I love bad food! Ice cream is probably my biggest weakness. And I looooooooove chocolate.

I did like to run but it still took an effort each day. And while weight lifting was always a bit of a chore, I did it religiously from about age 11 on into my twenties. But the easiest way for me to get exercise was to do something fun and athletic. Motorcycles, football [American], volleyball, surfing and Boogie boarding, Frisbees... loved it all but can't do much anymore due to back and knee problems, and repetitive motion issues in general.

Do you have any favorite sports?

Team sports? Not really, but I've played a few. Softball, but not vigorous enough to get a workout. I used to play badminton in high school. Not your grandmother's badminton. We had a significant number of "boat people", refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, and wow, they could PLAY! They schooled us . THAT was a workout.

But now I run, mostly. It's just the easiest way to get a good workout, cheap and convenient.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Team sports? Not really, but I've played a few. Softball, but not vigorous enough to get a workout. I used to play badminton in high school. Not your grandmother's badminton. We had a significant number of "boat people", refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, and wow, they could PLAY! They schooled us . THAT was a workout.

But now I run, mostly. It's just the easiest way to get a good workout, cheap and convenient.

I've played real badminton before. It's a blast! So is a hot game of ping pong. I used to work with one of Pakistan's former ping pong champions. We played during lunch every day to the extent that he slammed, and I dove for the ball a lot. But it was a heck of a work out when I was playing well.

 

[OmCheeto]

That's great! I'm stuck at minus 3 or 4 pounds . But I'm more active now, and my clothes are definitely looser.

I know for me to lose weight, I must have several long aerobic workouts a week. Right now I'm taking an engineering class (mechanics of materials, it's sooooo cool ) so it's tough to fit in long stretches of exercise.

Surprising how it is that we find healthy habits, start doing them and loving it, then they just sort of...trail off, after a while.

We have a program at work where we have teams and meet for 30 minutes a week and learn how to be healthy. It's a lot of fun, as no one thinks about being healthy on their own. Tomorrow is the last formal meeting for our team.

I can't do anything now without thinking about how it affects my health. I routinely eat salads for lunch now. Haven't pooped this well since I was 5.

 

[rdanner3]

I can't even remember the last time I had a piece of white bread.

White bread? UGH. Too much bleach in it. Whole-grain or whole wheat is much better. I do not even consider white bread unless there is literally no other choice.

McDonald's? Won't go there. Ever. Too many artery-choking choices, very few relatively-healthy. And that doesn't count in the fact I cannot currently afford to eat out more than a couple times a month at most.

If I must use sugar, would consider light brown over normal white any day, but not sure if it is going to stay granulated in the Southern United States, due to humidity issues. Sugar in the Raw is simply too expensive, IMO.

 

[jbmiller]

My weightloss techniques are probably a lot different than that of people on here. I'm 15 and I usually need to loose a lot of weight in a short period of time for wrestling. I mainly run, workout, etc., but to go along with that I don't eat much, sometimes I don't eat at all. As a replacement to food I generally take a lot of appetite control pills, meal replacements, certain protein shakes/pre-workouts, and metabolism pills. It works really well, although it may not be the best for my health, but hell, nothing a wrestler does to loose weight is healthy for our health.

The main problem comes when I weigh 160, yet I try to constantly get stronger, through more natural/unatural supplements. Then I'm forced to go back down to 152 for a certain tournament.

If any of you aren't familiar with supplements teenagers take these days I will fill you in. Basically its protein, creatine, test boosters, mass gainers, pre-workout, and energy pills.

 

[OmCheeto]

My weightloss techniques are probably a lot different than that of people on here. I'm 15 and I usually need to loose a lot of weight in a short period of time for wrestling. I mainly run, workout, etc., but to go along with that I don't eat much, sometimes I don't eat at all. As a replacement to food I generally take a lot of appetite control pills, meal replacements, certain protein shakes/pre-workouts, and metabolism pills. It works really well, although it may not be the best for my health, but hell, nothing a wrestler does to loose weight is healthy for our health.

The main problem comes when I weigh 160, yet I try to constantly get stronger, through more natural/unatural supplements. Then I'm forced to go back down to 152 for a certain tournament.

If any of you aren't familiar with supplements teenagers take these days I will fill you in. Basically its protein, creatine, test boosters, mass gainers, pre-workout, and energy pills.

hmmm... We ate food and drank Kool-aid when I was your age. How times have changed.

I still drink Kool-aid, only now I make it with about 2 tablespoons of sugar instead of a cup. I do something similar at work when I want a soda pop. I fill the cup with ice, then fill it halfway with soda water, then add some unsweetened ice tea, and top it off with about an ounce of Pepsi and an ounce of Mountain Dew. It is awesome.

Someone should market it, as I get that; "Make up your freakin' mind" look all the time.

 

[ThomasT]

The rainy season is messing up my tennis schedule.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The rainy season is messing up my tennis schedule.

The rainy season here lasts from about Aug 30 to Aug 1st. This is why Oregon doesn't produce any tennis stars.

 

[jbmiller]

The rainy season here lasts from about Aug 30 to Aug 1st. This is why Oregon doesn't produce any tennis stars.

Hahahahahah

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Down another 4 pounds since the 17th. Woohooo!

This is the least I've weighed in twenty years. Less than twenty pounds to go...

 

[ThomasT]

Down another 4 pounds since the 17th. Woohooo!

This is the least I've weighed in twenty years. Less than twenty pounds to go...

That's great. I've been able to lose a few pounds even with the rain here. We play in between the rain. My last two matches were killers. I was totally exhausted after each, but managed to pull out close wins against much younger opponents. On Wednesday I practiced at 9am and 2pm, then played a 3 hour match at 6pm. On Friday I rode my bicycle for 3 hours, then played a two hour match. I'm still a bit sore, but, imho, better off for having done that.

But I still have a bit of a ... gut. What's up with that? Is it even possible that I might ever get rid of the ... gut? I would certainly like to. Even though it doesn't seem to be an important factor wrt ... anything. I just don't like the way it looks.