Getting Fit: Shedding Pounds and Achieving Goals Together

[Ivan Seeking]

I've been hovering around 189-190 for some time now. But I have increased my workout [weight lifting and aerobics], started doing some strength training instead of just lots of reps, and have gained a lot of muscle mass - esp upper body. I am also down to about a 35 inch waist. I went through most of one belt and almost all of another one now. Only one notch left to go on this one.

At 190 I have lost a little over 50 lbs. A 50 Lbs loss was my original goal, but now the goal post has moved and a 32 inch waist is the target. Still guessing what my weight will be when I hit 32 inches.

I am starting to feel a bit on the buff side again for the first time since I was in my twenties! Yay! It feels so good to feel good again.

Oh yes, this was cool. I got the most intense case of runner's high that I've ever experienced, the other day. It was so intense that at first I didn't even know what it was. I had increased my weight-lifting routine [more weight!]. Wow! It was just like getting a shot of morphine.

 

[OmCheeto]

Some years back, I put all of my old blue jeans in a box, and put them in the attic.
I'd finally decided that I would never have a waist as small as that again.

Last year, I came down with an odd, weight losing disease, of which I'm still not sure what it was. But that's another story.

Also last year, our company decided, based on some very good scientific data, apparently, that they should get the entire company healthy. I joined the program, and have been quite happy to keep that weight off. Mostly because we have a 5 star cafeteria at work that has a salad bar to die(or not) for.

Anyways, I just got the box out of the attic, tried to put on the pair of 28" waist jeans, which I knew I'd never fit in again, and, well... here I am, wearing them as I type. And the blood circulation to my legs still seems to be quite normal.
--------------------
ps. I do believe this pair last fit in my Junior year in high school.
And I now have 10 extra pairs of pants!
Ah! What's this? My Lederhosen from Germany. I was 11 years old when I got those. OMG I had a big butt! hmmm... smaller waist though...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Slow going now but my 36's make me look like a kid wearing his dad's pants, and I can step right out of them if I don't use a belt! So time to buy some 34's. One size away from by goal.

I haven't even been checking my weight. My percent body fat is changing so fast with the strength training and continuing but slowing fat loss that it doesn't mean much at this point.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Due to my extensive lifestyle change, one thing has become abundantly clear. Fine dining and elaborate meals are the root of all evil! Eating used to be an event. And I guess it still could be if I really wanted to go to all the trouble. But this entire notion that meals are an event I think serves greatly to sabotage our health. We eat because we like to and not because we need to, and that is a big part of the problem, IMO. In the spirit of the season, consider the classic Thanksgiving meal. Jeez, I can't even imagine eating so much food any more. And the carbs, carbs, carbs, carbs, carbs... When you can't eat carbs [a bare minium] you quickly notice how many carbs most people eat. We live in an environment that is super-saturated with carbohydrates.

Eating well, I have discovered, is actually very easy, fast, and cheap. Sometimes I just eat [scarf down vegies mostly] while standing at the counter. Sometime lunch takes less than five minutes. And breakfast is just a protein drink. I still usually make something for dinner but nothing elaborate.

Now I understand why diets usually fail. There really is no such thing as an effective "diet". It has to be a lifestyle change that remains a constant. And for me that meant losing the classic breakfast, lunch, and dinner, where would I sit and eat until I'm full, and usually too full. Eating far less more often is far better. Diets don't work. Lifestyle changes do.

Just food for thought in this holiday season.

 

[nazarbaz]

Due to my extensive lifestyle change, one thing has become abundantly clear. Fine dining and elaborate meals are the root of all evil! Eating used to be an event. And I guess it still could be if I really wanted to go to all the trouble. But this entire notion that meals are an event I think serves greatly to sabotage our health. We eat because we like to and not because we need to, and that is a big part of the problem, IMO. In the spirit of the season, consider the classic Thanksgiving meal. Jeez, I can't even imagine eating so much food any more. And the carbs, carbs, carbs, carbs, carbs... When you can't eat carbs [a bare minium] you quickly notice how many carbs most people eat. We live in an environment that is super-saturated with carbohydrates.

Eating well, I have discovered, is actually very easy, fast, and cheap. Sometimes I just eat [scarf down vegies mostly] while standing at the counter. Sometime lunch takes less than five minutes. And breakfast is just a protein drink. I still usually make something for dinner but nothing elaborate.

Now I understand why diets usually fail. There really is no such thing as an effective "diet". It has to be a lifestyle change that remains a constant. And for me that meant losing the classic breakfast, lunch, and dinner, where would I sit and eat until I'm full, and usually too full. Eating far less more often is far better. Diets don't work. Lifestyle changes do.

Just food for thought in this holiday season.

That's the big issue with weight loss or control. The dedication you need is huge on the long run. So be very careful. Don't think that you've already won the war : there's so much battles to come.
A serial eater is an addict. I lost 70 kg in the last two years and I'm still haunted by bad habits. Usually, I run 60 km per week and use almost exclusively my bike to move. But I got seriously injuried lately (the bike tracks and the trafic in general are very dangerous in Paris) and my willingness to follow the training program I chose is very shaky.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

That's the big issue with weight loss or control. The dedication you need is huge on the long run. So be very careful. Don't think that you've already won the war : there's so much battles to come.
A serial eater is an addict. I lost 70 kg in the last two years and I'm still haunted by bad habits. Usually, I run 60 km per week and use almost exclusively my bike to move. But I got seriously injuried lately (the bike tracks and the trafic in general are very dangerous in Paris) and my willingness to follow the training program I chose is very shaky.

I'm about at the two year mark [down over 50 Lbs and hit my goal] as well and I'm definitely past the worst of it. But I have bit more motivation than most as I am hypersentive to carbs, so I really don't have a choice unless I want to feel terrible all the time.

Congratulations on the weight loss! That is a lot of weight to lose.

 

[nazarbaz]

I'm about at the two year mark [down over 50 Lbs and hit my goal] as well and I'm definitely past the worst of it. But I have bit more motivation than most as I am hypersentive to carbs, so I really don't have a choice unless I want to feel terrible all the time.

Congratulations on the weight loss! That is a lot of weight to lose.

That's great. Keep going.

 

[Lisa!]

I like to lose some weight but I eat a lot of junk food recently. That happens when I'm worried and unhappy...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

But I got seriously injuried lately (the bike tracks and the trafic in general are very dangerous in Paris) and my willingness to follow the training program I chose is very shaky.

Have you hit your target weight yet or do you need to lose more?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I like to lose some weight but I eat a lot of junk food recently. That happens when I'm worried and unhappy...

Hi Lisa! Why are you worried and unhappy, the political situation?

 

[nazarbaz]

Have you hit your target weight yet or do you need to lose more?

It seems like whatever I do, I can't lose weight any further. 85 kg for 180 cm. It's a bit frustrating but I must live with it, since I'm against plastic surgery for philosophical reasons.
I like the way I am right now.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Surgery? I'm confused. What is your waist size?

 

[nazarbaz]

I don't know. It's a stressing factor and I chose since the beginning not to check my weight or my waist more than one time every three or four months.
When I started the whole operation my pants size was 62 and now it's 42 (european standards), though. Surgery could remove what's left of body fat but I don't want them to reshape my body according to their standards of "beauty". I did it to be healthy, not to look nice.

 

[Lisa!]

Hi Lisa! Why are you worried and unhappy, the political situation?

Hi Ivan! How are things with you and TSu
Not really! I'm not hopefull to get my favorite job and I feel useless.

 

[Psyguy22]

Easy way to lose ten pounds in a day..(I don't recommend it)
Go to j Robinson intisive camp in July when its 98 degrees, and sweat the ten pounds away.

 

[FreeMitya]

What works for me? Strength training Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (with an emphasis on leg/core exercises) and doing interval training on Tuesdays and Thursdays combined with, of course, good eating habits. Probably not ideal for most, but I figured I would throw it out there. For what it's worth, I went from having a jiggle to having a "six-pack" over a period of ~2.5 years, but there could be undiscovered variables involved.

P.S. I hope this doesn't come off as excessively vain on my part.

 

[zapz]

Easy way to lose ten pounds in a day..(I don't recommend it)
Go to j Robinson intisive camp in July when its 98 degrees, and sweat the ten pounds away.

Try being a counselor at the camp!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

It seems like whatever I do, I can't lose weight any further. 85 kg for 180 cm. It's a bit frustrating but I must live with it, since I'm against plastic surgery for philosophical reasons.
I like the way I am right now.

Given how far you've come it is hard to imagine that you would need surgery to continue the loss. And it is normal to get stuck for a time. The one thing that came to mind was not to expect too much of yourself. You don't have to run 10K a day to be healthy. Like you said, take it easy on yourself. For a time I tended to beat myself up if I wasn't perfect each and every day. But eventually the lifestyle part of this sank in and I knew I had to follow a program I could live with indefinitely. And that meant accepting that I can't expect too much of myself - the one-day-at-time philosophy. Allow myself to have good days and bad days. Just be sure things are always heading in the right direction.

Just out of curiousity, have you ever checked your blood sugar, or have you ever experienced the symptoms of low blood sugar after a meal - to include any of extreme fatigue, dizziness, naseau, blurred vision, or like me, even unconciousness?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Hi Ivan! How are things with you and TSu
Not really! I'm not hopefull to get my favorite job and I feel useless.

We're both doing great but I'm sorry to hear your are stressed about the job situation. I hope you get it. And if not then the next thing, right? Just try to relax and have faith. I'm sure you'll do great. It may just take a little time and patience.

 

[nazarbaz]

Given how far you've come it is hard to imagine that you would need surgery to continue the loss. And it is normal to get stuck for a time. The one thing that came to mind was not to expect too much of yourself. You don't have to run 10K a day to be healthy. Like you said, take it easy on yourself. For a time I tended to beat myself up if I wasn't perfect each and every day. But eventually the lifestyle part of this sank in and I knew I had to follow a program I could live with indefinitely. And that meant accepting that I can't expect too much of myself - the one-day-at-time philosophy. Allow myself to have good days and bad days. Just be sure things are always heading in the right direction.

Just out of curiousity, have you ever checked your blood sugar, or have you ever experienced the symptoms of low blood sugar after a meal - to include any of extreme fatigue, dizziness, naseau, blurred vision, or like me, even unconciousness?

I'm under close medical suveillance since I have several chronic autoimmune diseases (that's partly why I got so obese). I Know extreme fatigue very well : that's how I felt almost continuously for years before they found the right mix of drugs for me. My doctor often says that I'm a medical curiosity.
Diabetes seems to be an imminent risk in my case even if my blood sugar looks OK right now: pancreatitis is one of my illnesses. I confess being caught by a kind of "warrior syndrom", which is ridiculous, since the drastic improvement of my health condition. I felt like I had to reconquer control over my body. May be it's time to move on.

 

[Lisa!]

We're both doing great but I'm sorry to hear your are stressed about the job situation. I hope you get it. And if not then the next thing, right? Just try to relax and have faith. I'm sure you'll do great. It may just take a little time and patience.

Glad that you're both fine and thank you for your nice words!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

It has now been two years since I went Atkins; had a piece of bread, a french fry [well I have eaten three I think] or potatoes, pasta, processed sugar, or in general any carbohydrates beyond what I get from milk and vegetables, and those that can't be avoided in things like corn tortillas, up to an average of 50 grams a day or so. I normally don't eat fruit.

Still at my target weight and holding.

Cool, but there is another anniversary involved. It has been over two years since I got sick. I normally used to get sick [bad cold or flu] at least once, and often twice a year or more.

I keep threatening to try to sell Carl's Jr my story - I lost 55 pounds while eating a regular diet of Carl's, Six Dollar, Guacamole Bacon Burgers. With no bun, of course! I don't eat junk food!

 

[turbo]

My weight is holding. When I wake up in the morning, I often feel too ill to eat, so I try to eat a balanced evening meal. If you're coughing your guts out and dealing with plugged sinuses, nothing tastes good. Got to deal with it.

 

[lisab]

My weight has been steady, too. Still want to lose about 4-5 pounds though, so I started doing TRX. In case you haven't heard of it, it's a system that combines strength training with flexibility and balance exercises. Really great for someone my age!

All I can say so far is, WOW. I thought I was in OK shape before - turns out there was a lot of room for improvement!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

My weight has been steady, too. Still want to lose about 4-5 pounds though, so I started doing TRX. In case you haven't heard of it, it's a system that combines strength training with flexibility and balance exercises. Really great for someone my age!

All I can say so far is, WOW. I thought I was in OK shape before - turns out there was a lot of room for improvement!

Yeah, I pulled a shoulder muscle badly and that got me out of my routine, I've been slacking lately and need to get with the program again.

Oooh, I actually have another confession. My evil mother sent us chocolate covered potato chips for Christmas. I only ate a handful but I couldn't resist. But no egg nog for two years and that alone is a miracle. Egg nog had me most worried this year. I really wanted some nog. That has always been one of my favorite treats.

 

[Drakkith]

My weight has been steady, too. Still want to lose about 4-5 pounds though, so I started doing TRX. In case you haven't heard of it, it's a system that combines strength training with flexibility and balance exercises. Really great for someone my age!

All I can say so far is, WOW. I thought I was in OK shape before - turns out there was a lot of room for improvement!

Lisa, by the look of your avatar you can't be more than mid twenties to thirties! You've still got a lot of green in that face and plenty of years to go before we have to get out the hoe and wack you outta the garden.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I had been gaining muscle mass and then lost some ground on the diet over the holiday - just eating too many calories and off of my exercise program. So my weight bumped up a bit and then held. But I've been back on track and am about to hit the 180 Lb mark. That's a 60+ lb loss. I could probably wear a 34 waist now but it would be too tight some days. Still, just a little over one waist size from my fantasy goal of achieving a 32" waist, which was my size at age 18-22, when I was super fit.

I've been on the diet for 26 months now, with four distinct periods of focused weight reduction, including the current phase.

The other day I was trying to remember what bread tastes like. It is all but a distant memory now.

 

[Drakkith]

I'm 5'7" and 135 lbs thanks to my adderrall and an issue with my throat that makes it difficult to eat. Took me upwards of 45+ minutes to eat my Arby's meal. Sucks when I'm hungry, can afford to eat anything I want, should probably eat more, but can't actually eat the food in front of me sometimes.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I'm 5'7" and 135 lbs thanks to my adderrall and an issue with my throat that makes it difficult to eat. Took me upwards of 45+ minutes to eat my Arby's meal. Sucks when I'm hungry, can afford to eat anything I want, should probably eat more, but can't actually eat the food in front of me sometimes.

If you don't have a reason not to, I strongly suggest considering this, along with whatever you do for breakfast each day. Body Fortress - a whey protein mix.

I use that particular brand because it's fairly well fomulated and easy to find.

http://www.overstockdrugstore.com/product_images/l/074312443206.jpg

P.S. Their new vanilla cream is quite tasty. I only use water but it is still creamy. Most people use milk and add things like peanut butter, fruits, etc.

 

[Drakkith]

Thanks Ivan. If it gets out of hand I'll be sure to grab some.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Thanks Ivan. If it gets out of hand I'll be sure to grab some.

Great stuff. Whey protein is now widely recommended for everyone from the elderly, to athletes, to people with restricted diets. The whey protein is easily assimilated and doesn't tax the body for energy as do most forms of protein, for digestion. That's one reason it is so popular with those who care for the elderly, who often have a hard time getting enough calories.

I need the extra protein to add muscle mass and to allow for the effects of ketosis, which can cause the loss of muscle mass if enough protein isn't consumed.

 

[Evo]

I'm 5'7" and 135 lbs thanks to my adderrall and an issue with my throat that makes it difficult to eat. Took me upwards of 45+ minutes to eat my Arby's meal. Sucks when I'm hungry, can afford to eat anything I want, should probably eat more, but can't actually eat the food in front of me sometimes.

Do you have esophageal dysphagia? I have that and eating some foods feels like it's clawing it's way down my esophagus, very painful. There is medication for it that helps.

 

[Drakkith]

Do you have esophageal dysphagia? I have that and eating some foods feels like it's clawing it's way down my esophagus, very painful. There is medication for it that helps.

Nah, more like my gag reflex wants to kick in unless I eat small bites. Thick or dry foods like bread or meat is really hard to eat.

 

[Evo]

Nah, more like my gag reflex wants to kick in unless I eat small bites. Thick or dry foods like bread or meat is really hard to eat.

So it's when you first try to swallow before the food enters the esophagus?

 

[berkeman]

Some folks swear by a remedy to suppress the gag reflex by putting your thumb on you palm and squeezing it with your fingers in a fist. I haven't tried it myself, though, so my comment is anecdotal.