Get rid of that spare tire, who's up for the challenge??

Since my knee injury, almost 6 years ago I've gained close to 30lbs, I used to be very active. At 43 years of age I know it's not good for one's health. I have become the classic couch potato, not by choice, a lot of times I just have to get off my feet because of the discomfort. My biggest problem is trying to stay away from the fridge after supper :oops:. Everyday I tell myself this is it, time to crack down. Well tomorrow never comes and I have to admit it's not easy to break old habits.

After thinking about this for a while I thought it might be helpful to tackle this problem as a group, Overeaters Anonymous :shock:

Starting today I'm staying out of the fridge after supper, I'm setting my goal for one month, I know if I can get there I'll be on the right path. Right now I weigh in at 202lbs, I should be going in at around 160 - 165 for my height. This time next month I'll check back and record my weight.

If anyone else has been thinking about the same thing, join in. No complicated diets to follow just eat a little less and a little wiser. Here I go.

WEBMASTER EDIT: I MADE THIS TOPIC A "STICKY" TO KEEP IT AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE. LETS SEE HOW THIS THREAD DOES FOR THE MONTH OF SEPT. AND THEN DECIDE IF IT NEEDS TO BE A CONSTANT FIXTURE HERE OR NOT.

Well, I didn't get the name Chubby for nothing. At the beginning of August I gave sugar, wheat and cheese, and it's amazing. I feel much better and have a lot more energy. I still eat as much as I want, and there's still a great variety of good stuff even without those items. FWIW.

If you haven't already, give up soda or convert from regular soda to diet. Beer, unfortunately, is the enemy too.

Get some exercise. If you can't join a gym, at least go out and walk every day.

Started back in June. I weighed 230 when I got married, see sawed up and down. I am committed to keeping it off now. I walk 3 times a week and go to the gym 2 times a week. I am now below 200 and heading to my optimum weight of about 195.

Good luck, but I too recommend exercise. Dieting alone is a long road. Doing both is the HOV lane. Maintaining is easy, once you are committed.

I travel for my job and do an hours worth of calesthentics in the room in the AM and PM.

I stay in nice hotels, but they don't maintain their gym equipment.

From 220#, presently 205#, 09 Sep 05

jamie

My healthy adult weight ought to be 180lbs (I know this because that's what I weighed the last time I was in really good shape, back in 1984!).

I presently weigh 240 lbs!

I've started walking every day, and recently bought a sea kayak, which is a hell of a lot of fun and a pretty good workout. Gotta try to convince myself to eat less now...

Cheers, Tim

....at a mere 5 ft 6 inches, I clock in at.....

172 pounds!

[EDIT: MY bathroom scale says I weigh 166; while personally I don't think that's right, it is the scale I have easiest access to, so I'll use that one for our challenge. Either way, my goal is to drop 3-4 pounds within 2 weeks.]

People always seem surprised to hear me say that, so I think I (sort of) hide it ok, but I'd much prefer to be a little slimmer, "athletic" built. I don't care at all for a body-builder body, but I would like to tone up and slim down.

So here it is: On Sept 5, I'm at 172.

I'll weigh in two weeks from now, Sept 19. I'll shoot for dropping 3-4 pounds.

Here we go!!

Weight Watchers works! I did this myself in 2001, and dropped 50 pounds in six months. To date, I've kept most of it off. Actually, the wife and I are starting to do it again tomorrow.

The first week of two is a bitch, as you're hungry ALL the time. Once you get used to it, it's painless.

If you have to travel a lot, it's a little harder. It is difficult to eat out and mind your points.

Weight Watchers.

I weighed in at 276 pounds on January 4th of this year. (I'm 6' 2")

I dropped 66 pounds, and have maintained my current weight for the past month or so.

Marc

sept. 5th 2005....5'5" 257 lbs.

i live here so maybe this will help me out ...once i get in a routine i usually stay on it for about 3 months and lose really well but i get either bored or lazy and go off the "diet" ...well here's to the loss good luck everyone ...

A "diet" in the modern lingo is a temporary thing and Ladies & Gentlemen let Me assure You the resulting weight loss is also temporary. And in many cases followed by a significant GAIN.
The right way to do it is simply: Change Your Lifestyle
For Good.
For Me - I became a Vegan.
Now - Two years ago I weighed 336 pounds.
This morning I was 223 pounds.
I do not exercise in fact I detest exercise in most forms with the exception of Chores. If You have
Chores You'll burn FAT.
Do I miss Chicken - Steak - Fish.
Nope - and I don't miss the associated heartburn either.
My goal for ideal weight is 175 - BUT - I'd like to get to
160 and eat back up to 170 and stay there.
When I can get back into a pair of 34's I'll be Home.
And 22 sizes smaller than My peak weight.
Staying outdoors is the biggest help of all.
I won't say the Brand Name - BUT - I eat a bowl of "Good Friends" with WHOLE MILK everyday at night.
I have a simple Breakfast of Coffee with 1 sugar and evaporated milk (blows Starbuck's away) with 4-5 slices
of Pane' Bread with Margerine sprinkled with Garlic Powder and Olive Oil then baked at 250-300 for like 20 minutes or until it's crisp. For Lunch either 2 tubs of LowFat Yoghurt OR an entre of Butternut Squash nuked
for 5 minutes.
I've become addicted to Diet Coke - 2 bottles or cans minimum everyday.
Improving Your Home or Apartment or helping friends do likewise will blow away any gym or stationary macheen.
That's how I'm doing and I've got 48 pounds more to go
but will probably drop 63 and then gain to get the look I want.
If I'm doing it and succeeding You can do it too.
All "exercise" ever did was make Me more hungry.
Chores is the best workout 'cause You're results are instantaneous.
The reason why I always failed in the past was because I believed in order to reach the goal I'd have to suffer which is completely wrong.

bit on the chunky side there cape man? heeheehee. my weight fluctuates one to 3 kilos and I exercise regularly, have been for almost 30 years now. the cool thing about exercise is, the more you do the better you feel...and look...so you just want to do more. but that combined with proper diet is the key, and the reason my weight is up and down is I don`t always eat right. dang jelly beans. so...what are you gonna do with your speedo?

5'11", 225 pounds!

But...I work out like a fiend all the time. Low b/p, low cholesterol, low pulse rate, strong like bull.

I'd like to see 200 again someday, though.

Ah it's great to see you guys take me up on this challenge. A lot of good advice here, it is really appreciated. As far as the speedo's go, it's the price to pay Pete :D .

My goal for ideal weight is 175 - BUT - I'd like to get to
160 and eat back up to 170 and stay there.

Congratulations on the progress you've made so far. Nevertheless, I'm curious - why do you want to go down to 160, then back up to 170?

Also, I just assumed that vegans wouldn't drink milk or eat yoghurt, but I admit I don't know very much about it.

And finally, I would encourage you to exercise. Hopefully you're getting enough exercise from your chores, but being fit is far more important to your health than being thin.

I'm in Sept 5, 6'3 280. I'll checck in on the 19th and let you know. I need to get my BP down before i can join the company gym, vbut once i do that, I should do even better. In the meantime, it's up and out early for a 3-4 mile walk, with my iPod.

I have always been very athletic, and had a good athletes build. When I got married, my new mother-in-law was the manager of a bakery, so i gained about 20 in the first couple of years. I always had a physical job, and then I changed to a office job that put me at a desk with very little excercise. In 2 1/2 years I gained 50 lbs.
I am now back to doing physical work, and have lost 23 lbs., but I seem to be holding steady. So, I now have a new gym that has opened up in my neighborhood, and memberships are very reasonable. I now have a goal, I will lose 20 lbs by next summer, and when I reach that I will set a new goal.....baby steps...lol

Over the past 4 months or so, I have managed to loose around 25 lbs... One of the biggest things I did was I tried to eat less... I used to eat a lot... I was extremely active, so I needed the fuel. When I quit smoking I lost weight and then after a back injury I "ballooned" out, as it were. So.. I've gone from about 210 to now, around 185.

Having a dog that requires lots of walks also helps for me... as well as having yards and yards of dirt to move. So, whatever your exercise regimine is, do something. Get moving. Especially on days when you don't want to, those are the days you need it most.

Good luck to all of you... I know how hard it is..

Take it slow and easy.. There is no need to rush it...

Edit... I just weighed in at 182 this morning... Did some excersizing over the weekend with the pup-pup...

....ran for about 25 minutes, did jumping jacks, stretched and used small (8#) hand weights afterwards.

Will eat a bowl of Total with Raisins for breakfast. Lunch is always my downfall, as I'm hungry and on the go. Let's see if I can avoid fast food today.

-E

I need to lose a bunch, too. So far, I haven't found any way to do it. I hate rabbit food.

I had to sell my full-size jazz box. It was just getting too far away :x Unfortunately, my arms aren't growing at all. :wink:

In 2004, I went from 250 to 208 by changing my diet completely and exercising (I'm 6'3 with a pretty big build). It was something like weight watchers, but I didn't count points. I cut out foods with High Fructose Corn Syrup, trans fats, and anything I couldn't pronounce, when I could avoid it.

In december I had a bad ankle injury (that's still swollen today), so the workout was limited, and I had my daughter in late march - which has meant that we haven't had time to cook and have had a lot of takeout. I'm back up near 230.

I hit the bike this morning, so I'm in. Weights tomorrow. Time to get back on track.

I have Crohn's disease which flares up about 2-3x a year. It's not uncommon for me to lose 20-50 lbs at a crack because of it. I try to keep a few extra lbs on...I'd hate to be already "thin" and go through a session of it.

I'm 6'2" and weigh about 245...but have weighed as little as 160 during a severe bout that included surgery. I looked like a refugee.

I used to powerlift back in the day and still try to maintain some muscle, but as I get older (42 now) I do much more toning and wayyyyyy less mass producing.

Good luck with your diets folks!

In February I was 245 and decided it was time for a change. Since then I've quit bread and soda (yes, even diet). Now a few months later my 38" waist pants are quite baggy. I haven't weighed myself but I do have a physical next week and will report back then.

I know that it's no longer "fashionable" to be on the Atkins diet, but it works for me, and it addresses my diet problem directly. I am addicted to refined carbohydrates like crackers, pasta, bread, chips, etc. With the Atkins diet I was able to lose the craving for carbohydrates after the first couple of days. From that point on the diet was incredibly easy for me.

A little more than 2 years ago I weighed 180 pounds, having gained 30 pounds since I got married and stopped working out 8 years earlier. With Atkins, I dropped to 145 in about 5 months. I stayed between there and 150 for more than a year, but I gave up following the diet a year ago and now I weigh 160. I'm 5'7"and I think that my ideal weight is around 145, so that's what I'm shooting for. I had planned to start today because I have a doctors appointment today, and I'm going on vacation in a few weeks. I'd like to lose 5-7 pounds by the end of the month.

Wow! I'm in! I'm 6'2", 226lbs. I really need the spare tire to go, and get down to around 195-200lbs. In the last year I've taken up playing squash (which is an unbelievable sport by the way...), and recently I've changed my "eat after the gig" habit, and I'm joining a gym in a week.

Best of luck to everyone in on this. Let's check back once in a while to check our progress

but as I get older (42 now) I do much more toning and wayyyyyy less mass producing

Hmmm...I know a guy in the San Francisco area who could help you out. His name's Barry Bonds. He doesn't seem to have any trouble putting on mass in his 40s...

Seriously guys, this thread is great. I'm in. I need a little motivation. I'm 6-0 and about 230. I haven't been able to shake this weight for about 4 years now. I still am very active (basketball leagues twice a week for the fall/winter; golf and softball in the spring/summer). I know my problem; it's the food I'm putting into myself. Staying active makes me so dang hungry that I still eat like I'm 16. I am soda junkie so I know how bad that is for you. I gotta switch to diet. Plus I eat entirely too much fast food. Remember that documentary, "Super Size Me"? That movie didn't seem shocking to me at all. I've eaten, on average, one fast food meal a day for about the past 12 years. Somehow I have normal BP and cholesterol. But my "ideal body weight" is about 175 pounds. Geez, if I could get down to 200 I would feel like a million bucks. I could probably come close to dunking again (not that I ever really could; but I could at least make it close). I'll check back in a week. Hang in there everyone!

I'm about 5"8 and weigh about 140pounds, while that may sound very little I have a small frame, so I need to lose about 20 pounds to get back to normal.

But my weight has always been very erratic, when I had a bad flu a year or two ago I went down to 98 pounds in two weeks because I couldnt keep anything down! :shock:

Toronto Gene, believe me "the chores" if You're not used to 'em will wipe out most of the gym rats and runners. Got a Barn with a capacity of 20 tons of hay
in the loft. My first month in The Country I thought I'd croak :lol: And let's not forget "the wood" ah the wood and Winter's coming and Heating Oil is presently
2.59 a gallon - or is that a quart - Oh that's next month :lol:
Stay away from KECHUP !!!!! and use MUSTARD it is much better for the body.
Someone mentioned fructose corn syrup - stuff'll kill ya
quicker than butts if You're fat.
Ya I do whole milk and my insight is as follows: It is My belief that lowfat 2% CRAP for years is what made me an Arthritic. It's My belief that WHOLE LOTTA MILK is a
"natural lubricant for dem bones".
Hey - Don't forget the Nectarines, Plums, and Peaches
they're kind of like "the mass transit of elimination".
I think this whole "anti-bread movement" is propaganda
Five Slices of Garlic Bread with Olive Oil or enough to fill a Pizza Pan every morning'll
kill all the "munchy-type cravings" all day - at least it does for Me.
For People who are prone to morbid obesity or close to it
(I was probably on the cusp - saved by My height) Ya gotta make THE COMMITMENT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE
PERIOD.

Don't forget the Nectarines, Plums, and Peaches
they're kind of like "the mass transit of elimination".


Hey, I have a juicer and have recently discovered that fresh carrot juice is not only quite delicious, but is "the rapid transit of elimination". Heck, it's the "Top Fuel Eliminator"!

Glad I could contribute something so fundamental to this discussion!

Grins, Tim

Stay away from KECHUP !!!!! and use MUSTARD it is much better for the body.

Tomato-based foods are great for you! They are an excellent source of anti-oxidants.

Stay away from KECHUP !!!!! and use MUSTARD it is much better for the body.

Tomato-based foods are great for you! They are an excellent source of anti-oxidants.

Yeah, especially those ketchup-flavored potato chips you guys have in Canada. We don't have 'em down here, so I always buy a bag whenever I'm in the Greater Toronto area to bring back home. :lol: :wink:

Joel

Hey, I have a juicer and have recently discovered that fresh carrot juice is not only quite delicious, but is "the rapid transit of elimination". Heck, it's the "Top Fuel Eliminator"!

Glad I could contribute something so fundamental to this discussion!

Grins, Tim

Haaaaaa!!! bout now I'm thinkin' laughing this hard could make you brown yer britches too.

This spring I found myself 10 lbs over ideal and I vowed to lose it with increased summer activity, before it got out of hand. Well, I've only lost 5 so far. Not much of an issue as compared to what some of the others will be dealing with, but I know it's not an easy quest. Best of luck to everyone.

5' 10", 170 lbs. consistently, for about the last ten years. At this point, I'm convinced that the height won't change.

I get up about noon or so, and immediately begin consuming a pot of coffee. I drink 8-12 glasses of water per day. I drink several Natural Light beers each day. I drink a Coca-Cola about once a month. Tea once in a blue moon. I don't drink liquor anymore, but occasionally enjoy a glass of wine.

I rarely eat more than two meals a day. Most often, it's one, and it's not unusual for me to go without eating for an entire day. Honestly, sometimes I just don't think about eating. Usually, I've done the bulk of my day's work before having a meal. I roomed for a while with a physical trainer, but that whole process of eating 37 small meals over the course of a day didn't work for me at all. However, some days I'll just eat grapes all day long.

I really don't think of dining as a social event, like so many folks do. I prefer to get it out of the way and move on. I'm married, but I usually dine alone, and quite quickly at that. Really, I'd prefer just to take a pill for nourishment.

I do enjoy the taste of food. It's just fairly low on the list of priorities. Coffee, water, and beer are pretty high up the list. I have a sweet tooth, but rarely indulge.

I was a vegetarian for about a year. For about the first month, it was incredible. My digestive system really needed a break. The other eleven months were fairly horrible. I was trying to get protein constantly, and my energy level just kept sinking. Enough of that. I have teeth, and I'm a carnivore by nature. I'm convinced that a certain amount of meat consumption is good for me. I didn't get to the top of the food chain by eating a bunch of plants, although I do find several varieties of plants to be quite tasty and munch-worthy. This philosophy will certainly bite me on the ass whenever I find myself in the belly of a shark.

I was a hardcore competive athlete for many years. Serious injuries and nerve damage have forced me to choose between being a musician and being an athlete. My exercise anymore consists of walking a lot, not sitting down too much, and jumping around on the bandstand.

I sleep 5-6 hours per day, but on the rare occasions that there are no commitments, I'll sleep 'til I rot.

What works for me won't work for others. You really just have to pay attention to what your body is telling you. I feel better than I have in years, but it's a known fact that we're all gonna die. Don't worry, be happy.

I really don't think of dining as a social event, like so many folks do.I really enjoy going out to eat, whether it's with friends or just with my wife. It is sort of a "social event" for me, so it's tough for me to go very long without eating out.

Yeah, especially those ketchup-flavored potato chips you guys have in Canada. We don't have 'em down here, so I always buy a bag whenever I'm in the Greater Toronto area to bring back home. :lol: :wink:

Next time you're heading up here, be sure to let me know.

I like the idea of this thread. I'm tempted to make it a Forum all unto itself. But, let's take it a step at a time.

I'll make it a sticky for the month of Sept. and we'll see what happens from there.

In another life I was 300 lbs (I'm 6'2"). But a divorce got me off my duff and I lost 130 lbs. I started running... a lot and changed all my eating habits. When I married my current wife 20 yrs ago I was 175 lbs. Since then it's been a struggle to keep it off and I flucuate between 185 and 215.

6 years ago at 215 lbs I started on a low carb diet... not really Atkins but the same thing. I lost 45 lbs. but after 5 years on that diet I got really bored with it. Naturally I started eating all the carbs again and now in a year I've gained all 45 lbs back.

Making things worse after 25 yrs of running I've had foot and knee problems and had to give up running. Finally, I'm back to walking 15 miles a week. But I crave the running and hope to get back to it.

I love being at 195 lbs or less. I feel much more confident and enjoy life so much more. So, I'm working on losing that same 20 lbs all over again.

I don't expect quick results. It took a year to put this on I'm guessing it'll take nearly a year to take if off too.
Paul Green

I've always been big....well, not big....HUGE! I weighed 164 in 5th grade, 230 in 8th and close to 300 by my sophmore year. I had back surgury at 18 and lost a ton of weight.....down to 178. Right now, I'm 6'5" and around 290.

After I lost weight, I stayed around 205-225 until I hit 35. From 35 to 50, I've ballooned up to my present weight. I carry it pretty well and most people say..."Oh, you're just big...you're not overweight." The mirror tells a very different story however!

I suffer from chronic back pain due to the back surgury going haywire. Had surgury on an arthritic big toe last year and now, I not only have back pain, but have trouble walking due to the pain in my toe. I used to be quite active with football, basketball, etc...but now, I just walk at lunch......and I have to force myself to do that!

I take morphine sulphate everyday to combat the back pain and that drains my energy level to nil. I don't over eat, but my non-existant metabolism and lack of physical excersise has helped pack on the pounds.

I need to do something! I feel like a slug. When I get home from work at night, I want to hit the couch and stay there till bed time. I literaly have to force myself to do some physical activity.

So, I'm in as far a program to lose some weight and feel better. Lets do it!

I'm in. I should be around 145-150. Right now I'm 172. My problem in one word. BEER.

I've done weight watchers. It worked for me. That and exercise got me where I was, and I felt great. I need to get back there.

Another problem is I hate drinking water.

http://www.thomaskinkadechico.com/fuzzmad3.gif


<li>Much ta do bout nuttin !!
<li>Kant say watt I wanna say but at 63 I ain't never been there and haff a ton of bad habits sum of yew are aware of. I amma tea-tote-ler and hate owch-a-haul but luv me sum ice tea inna Mason jar and 4 or 5 pots of coffee a day along with my udder bad habits.

<li>Dew watt chew kin but behave yer bad seffs. Jes be happy and fill erry day with watt makes yew happy. Bad thangs kin happin no matter watt (or in spite of watt) yew eat.
<li>I gar-on-tee won thang, yew ain't a gonna cee me runnin up and down the ray-road track a wearin out my liddo body.

http://personalweb.sunset.net/~barron/sig.gif

Please visit my page (http://personalweb.sunset.net/~barron/)

http://www.mattfurey.com/

I'm in.

I was a stocky little kid despite all that energy & activity that goes with being young, so in some ways it's been harder for me to stay fit.

As a young adult I was very thin but no longer athletic.

I'm 6' and my ideal weight is about 180. I'm fairly active now - lots of cycling and softball - but my weight teeters at about 220. I've been trying to lose weight lately and have gotten down to 210. I'm 35.

My goal is 180, even 190 would be a huge victory. I think marriage put the weight on, as it often does. My wife and I are both trying to lose weight but we're both battling a sweet tooth.

I know what the culprits are: starch and sweets. I've cut out soda, cut down on beer - switched to light beer. Snacks are still hanging on, though. It's going to be tough!

Count me in. As of yesterday I weighed in at 206. I'm 6'1 and in good shape except that belly that keeps getting bigger. With gas prices the way they are, it's more cycling, walks and any resistance exercises I can do. I can't afford a gym right now. I'm also eating more raw food as opposed to processed or cooked foods. I'm shooting for one meal a day of nothing but raw foods. It's a good thing I like vegetables!

i'm currently 6' & 200 lbs. not too obnoxious, but as a kid i was always on the thin side, could eat anything i wanted - you know - the kinda person you hate for that.

enter my mid-30's, and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and all the medications that go with it. i already had a 'pouch' by my early 30's but my weight skyrocketed from around 175 to 200 lbs. or more.

problem with these meds is a MORE than healthy appetite - especially for all the garbage foods late at night.

good news is the major culprit med will be removed at the end of this week...

i'll see how it goes and try to report in down the line...

My nephew told me a weight loss secrete that not only made sense, IT WORKED!

I was a steady 170~180 for about ten years. Then during 6 months of a new job that fed us free food, I shot up to 192 lbs. I was complaining about how bloated I felt and was lacking energy to my nephew (who worked at a health supplement store and studied nutrition as a hobby). He said stop eating everything except baked fish or canned tuna (high protein ratio food). Don't season it. You are going to be hungry the first few days. After about two or three days, switch that to tuna for lunch and a small low carb dinner. If you can swing it, try to only eat carbs every two or three days, the rest of the time eat fish and tuna.

It was hard the first couple of days, but I started feeling healthy within three days. So much so, that I was encouraged to keep going. After about three weeks, I began to increase my carb intake with mostly pasta and marinara sauce. I avoided eating other meats except maybe thrice a week for dinner. After a month, I had lost about 15 lbs, felt good and with lots of energy. I continued for another month, but it became increasingly difficult to stay solid on the tuna because I was getting burned out. My wife hates ALL forms of seafood and fish, so I was on my own for most of the dinners.

But in 3 months time I was back to 170, looked great and felt great. That was 8 years ago. Now I am back up to 195 (all in my stomack). Just tonight, I bought me a supply of tuna so that I can start that again. My goal is to reach 180 by Thanksgiving and stay at 175 for as long as I can. Wish me luck.

BTW, I walk lots of places and ride my bike often. I just need to step up the specific exercise for my stomack.

This is my 3rd nite for no food after supper and believe me it makes a difference knowing others are doing the same. Here's to better health and well being.

For Me - I became a Vegan.
I eat a bowl of "Good Friends" with WHOLE MILK everyday at night.
I have a simple Breakfast of Coffee with 1 sugar and evaporated milk
For Lunch either 2 tubs of LowFat Yoghurt

So you are a vegetarian, not a vegan, as far as I understand.

Wikipedia says:
Veganism; Vegetarians who avoid consuming all animal products (including eggs, milk, cheese, and honey) are commonly called vegans, though some reserve this term for those who additionally avoid usage of all kinds of animal products (such as leather and some cosmetics), rather than just food.

Lacto vegetarianism; Lacto vegetarians do not eat meat, but may consume milk and its derivatives, like cheese, butter, or yogurt.


I have been gaining for the past 7 years or so. Lack of exercise is my problem. I am not fat yet really, but I should do something about it before that!

...and I am rooting for all for you in finding a real solution to weight problems!

I really don't think of dining as a social event, like so many folks do.

I really enjoy going out to eat, whether it's with friends or just with my wife. It is sort of a "social event" for me, so it's tough for me to go very long without eating out.

I've played a couple of jobs at Hooters restaurants over the past few weeks... and in addition to the base pay, the musicians receive a $25.00 Hooters gift card. So I suppose I'll be needing to make enough trips to Hooters to consume fifty bucks worth of grub! I'll just be going to obtain nourishment though, and it's not like I'll be enjoying the scenery or anything like that... but hey, I wonder if The Mrs. would enjoy soaking up the Hooters ambience with me?! Nahhhh... 8)

I've known for some time now that I am not tall enough for my weight. As I am in my mid 40's I don't suppose I will be getting any taller now! It look like weight loss is the only option.

The thing that concerns me is that I have noticed that some of the best players on this forum are not (how to put this without offending anybody) of a slight build. I was wondering that if a gained a few more pounds it might improve my playing...

OK then, weight loss it is.

.. as this subject is as "subjective" as it gets lol. I actually am an ex-certified personal trainer and quasi-nutritionist. My only other extra-curricular interests beside guitar playing and more guitar playing, is fitness. I (like someone else that posted) am an ex-powerlifter, and I still lift very heavy 3x per week, and do cardio 2-3x per week. I am pretty short at 5'3, but I weigh about 170 lbs and I am not fat. I can tell you if you look at something as a diet, it is very hard to stick with that... and there is a difference between being optimally healthy and being thin(thinner). If all you are looking to do is be thin, it's really mostly about the calories you take in and the calories you burn. If you want to eat cake and have beer every day, you can still lose weight if you take in less calories than you burn (but PLEASE don't do this!!!). That is why pretty much any "diet" that you may go on will yield some type of results if you truly follow it.

In my experience, the people that I have personal trained, trained with, etc. that have the most steady success are people that live a healthy lifestyle but give themselves some flexibility in their diets... ie. they are strict every day but give themselves a treat at some point during their day(or at some other point). If you totally deprive yourself from the things that you truly enjoy, it is very difficult to stay with something like that. Better yet give yourself what you want, but BE SMART about it.

Here is what I do for my food intake, (I was never one to measure and count things out, that drives me nuts):
During the week, I stay pretty strict, which basically means this: I never eat over processed foods (WHITE BREAD, SODA), or foods with high sugar content. The worst offenders are things with High fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and preservatives. These things wreak havoc on your body if you eat them every day... READ THE LABELS!! Also I eat Organic fruits and vegetables every day... 2-3 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of veggies.
Here's the thing though, if I ate like this every single day I would either go insane, or have a huge binge every other month. So, on the weekends I pretty much eat what I want. Now granted, that doesn't mean that I hit Angelina's bakery and eat a box of chocolate Eclairs... and hit the local pub at nite and drink myself into oblivion(or Bolivian as Mike Tyson would say) but I will go out to eat once or twice on a weekend(and eat what I want), have a glass or two of wine or beer, have pizza, desserts etc. I find that this works VERY well for me...

There are variables though... I work out so much that I need to make sure I take in enough good fats and complex carbs(Oatmeal, whole grain breads) otherwise (believe it or not) my guitar playing suffers BIG TIME. Most people don't look at it this way, but playing the guitar is a physical activity, and I treat it as such... especially since I like to play really fast. This is why a straight Atkins type diet does not work for me, I just work out to much. I also make sure to take at least a multi vitamin and eat as much organic food as I can. You would be amazed(or maybe you wouldn't) at the RIDICULOUS amount of chemicals on non-organic fruits and vegetables... and even in meats. Your liver's job aside from breaking down fats and proteins is basically to filter the toxins you take in on a daily basis... the more you take in the harder your liver has to work and the more inefficient(bogged down) it will be. Also the fat cells are where many of the toxins you take in are stored, so the more fat cells you have(or more correctly the bigger they are) make it that much harder for you to lose weight. Ever diet or lose weight and you feel crappy? Well that's why, as you lose weight (ie shrink your fat cells) the toxins are re-released into your body. That is a big reason why it is CRUCIAL to have enough water intake, as it helps to flush the newly released toxins from your body. Anyway, guess I've rambled enough... anybody feel free to email if you're at all interested in whatever else I have to say about that lol.

I am in also,

I also have fairly hight collesterol, so I need to cut down on fatty foods. BTW, I lost a lot of weight on the Atkins diet, but put it all back on when I stopped. Plus that kind of diet is really bad for you.

I have a pool and a tennis court so I am trying to exercise regularly. I also want to try eating more fresh fruit and veg, instead of eating less of the same crap.

Cheers and good luck

I think John E has given some excellent advice above. I haven't been trying to lose weight (I'm about 6'3, 200lbs with an athletic build), but at 38 with two young kids, I have tried to get the junk out of my diet. My biggest weakness was Dr. Pepper. Until I give it up this past January, I used to drink at least 2 litres of it a day, not to mention all the stuff that went with it - chips, popcorn, crackers, lots of salty foods that I really didn't need. Because I'm fairly active, I got away with it weight-wise, but I got concerned about the long-term effects, especially given my family history (my dad recently had quadruple bypass, despite the fact he doesn't smoke, and is not overweight).

In January, I decided to stop eating all "non-nutritive" foods. Not just for my own health, but also for the example I will set for my kids (apparently the best predictor for how children will eat is how their parents eat). Giving up the Dr. Pepper basically eliminated my desire for salty snacks. What worked for me also was finding good foods that I really liked, such as 100% fruit juices (grape and apple), whole grain breads that taste good (yes, they're out there), and lots of fruit for snacks(I'm still not big on vegetables, but I'm trying). Other than that, I continue to eat "normally", but I do find my tastes for high-fat food is declining and my portions have gotten smaller. I have lost about 10lbs, although weight loss is not my goal.

It is difficult at times, and I still get the cravings (especially late at night), but I try to remember why I'm doing it, and yes, I do slip on occasion. One way I try to manage the cravings is I allow myself to "cheat" when I'm out of the house (at restaurants or bars, for example), but the junk is never allowed in the door. Since I eat most of my food at home, this works for me.

Also, I never go grocery shopping when I'm hungry!

Good luck everyone!

well i hit the weights last night, just a lil, and my 12 year old did a lil too (we're talking maybe 30 lbs of bench press) so he had a good time, now if we can keep it going....

in defense of the atkins diet it gets a lot of flack for being a bad diet, but a lot of people think it's no carbs forever, when technically it's for 14 days and they suggest adding back carbs til your weight loss starts to level out, and if it does you restrict more carbs til the weight loss starts again, bigger people may need longer time....now i don't know who would argue that a total rest of your life diet of eggs and bacon is good, but think of this situation. most people over 300 lbs are not eating right as it is, and most are not going to excersize, but if they had a way to eat "normal" to them that is, and do with out certain foods all while losing weight then i'm sure you can see the appeal and for everyone that you can show that failed there are many who succeed...

I have Crohn's disease which flares up about 2-3x a year. It's not uncommon for me to lose 20-50 lbs at a crack because of it. I try to keep a few extra lbs on...I'd hate to be already "thin" and go through a session of it.

I had the same condition and a couple of surgeries later I am left with 4 feet of small intestine. So I have the exact opposite problem with weight gain.

If anyone figures out a way to send me the extra 'tonnage', I'll take all I can get. It is as difficult for me to put it on as it is for those to take it off.

So to everyone, good luck achieving your target weights, I am always striving for mine.

Cheers,

Bob

i'm in too.... @ 5'9" x 160 lbs, I have a flabby belly issue. I could probably stand to love 5 lbs. primarily by cutting out the after dinner snacks, and drinking more water....both of which I've been doing for the most part already. but I need to start working out, and try to tone my gut. I plan to do sit-ups 5 times a week... I can do about 80 of them now. I need to work up to where I'm doing about 200 or so. anyone have a better idea for toning the gut?

Or should I say I've been in?

A little less than 2 years ago, I weighed in at a whopping 363 pounds, and I'm only 5'8"!!

It all started with a lot of joint injuries to the knees, ankle, hip. Add a horrible muscle tear (requiring a little surgery) to the back, and your lookin at a dose of The Inactive Blues!

Up till about 1991, I maintained at 180lbs. After the last back injury put me on my back for 6 to 9 months, I blew up to about 260lbs by about 1992.

Then I started going on diets, but i was still gaining, and the Dr's couldnt figure it out. My metabolism was in the basement, and I was getting worse all the time. Finally figured out that my Sleep Apnea had finally taken its toll on me, and was slowly wearing me out. Got surgery to correct that, and a CPAP Machine, and now my sleep is perfect, my metabalism is way up, and now that I'm watching my intake (no special diet, just watching the sizes of the meals, and not eating after dinner), and I walk agressively 5 times a week (up to 2 miles each time) I am now happy to anounce that I weighed in today at 290lbs. I've lost 73 pounds! If I can loose 100 more, I will be the happiest little camper out there, and I figure I'll be able to see my toes again too!

Caper, very cool you started this ball rollin bro!

I have Crohn's disease which flares up about 2-3x a year. It's not uncommon for me to lose 20-50 lbs at a crack because of it. I try to keep a few extra lbs on...I'd hate to be already "thin" and go through a session of it.

I had the same condition and a couple of surgeries later I am left with 4 feet of small intestine. So I have the exact opposite problem with weight gain.

If anyone figures out a way to send me the extra 'tonnage', I'll take all I can get. It is as difficult for me to put it on as it is for those to take it off.

So to everyone, good luck achieving your target weights, I am always striving for mine.

Cheers,

Bob

My mom had it worse than you...less than 3 feet left after 6 resections. Aside from the meds, her doc advised her to eat like a pig. She did, and never really gained much weight...but she finally didn't lose any either. When she passed away, it wasn't because of the crohn's.
(She was 5'8" and 100 lbs for the last 15 years of her life.)

Well, so far no luck...I seem to have gained 5 pounds. :(

i'm in too.... @ 5'9" x 160 lbs, I have a flabby belly issue. I could probably stand to love 5 lbs. primarily by cutting out the after dinner snacks, and drinking more water....both of which I've been doing for the most part already. but I need to start working out, and try to tone my gut. I plan to do sit-ups 5 times a week... I can do about 80 of them now. I need to work up to where I'm doing about 200 or so. anyone have a better idea for toning the gut?

Pop, I've been there, got rid of it, let it get away and now back there again. I'll tell you what a doctor told me about this that really helped me.

He said that as you enter middle age your body naturally starts to lose some muscle mass. Instead of losing weight with the muscle loss, your body starts trying to maintain it's weight by storing fat. This is why you see so many men from middle age on up that may not be over their target weight, but have a spare tire hanging over their belt and have no ass.

In females it's similar, but the location of the accumulation starts in the butt and thigh area. (ain't mother nature cruel?)

The location of the fat has nothing to do with a lack of muscle tone in that area. If you can do 80 situps I would think that you probably have a six pack under there already.

Back to what the doctor was telling me, spot weight loss, all the bunns o' steel, area focus stuff is a myth. You will have better results by getting your muscle mass back up starting with the larger muscle groups, legs and upper body. In other words, walking, biking, etc. can actually have more effect on the middle than situps.

The older you are, the more difficult it gets to maintain muscle mass, no way to get around that. It seems that most women over 40 that still have a bikini figure and men at that age that still have six pack abs are usually pretty much fitness fanatics, but it can be done.

anyone have a better idea for toning the gut?

Cardio, cardio, cardio.

Rick S is right - spot toning won't do it. You may already have great ab muscles, but you won't be able to see them until you get rid of the flab, which you can only do by burning more calories than you take in.

The most important thing is The Breakfast for Me
and the most important part of The Breakfast is the 4-6 pieces of Garlic Toast which is:
1. Any kind of Market Bakery Bread (I'll always try to get the "day old" bread - seeing how it's going in the oven) and only runs me a buck for three days worth. 8)
2. Margerine coated with Garlic Powder on top and finally
sprinkled with Extra Virgin Greek Olive Oil.
3. Bake in Your oven until crisp @ 250F - 20 minutes.

This kills all My cravings for Junk Food.

the most important part of The Breakfast is the 4-6 pieces of Garlic Toast ... This kills all My cravings for Junk Food.

And probably does wonders for your social life, I imagine. :D

Caper, very cool you started this ball rollin bro!

Steven, you are welcome, I figured it would be easier if we could help each other and congratulations to you btw.

Joe Bob, hang in there bro, you're not alone. I feel better mentally, knowing that I am *finally* making a concerted effort.

Gah I cycled about 3-4 miles almost every day for two weeks and I didn't lose a pound. :?

The problem is I love my carbs. Pasta, rice and bread are the main components in pretty much every meal I eat (obviously not all in the same meal). :(

Hopefully since I've now started college I'll eat less (it's much harder to snack when you have 45 minutes for lunch a day. :D )

I've also joined a gym, but so far I've only been once. I'll have to keep that up when I can. If I can't get rid of the excess I may aswell turn it into muscle.

The problem is I love my carbs. Pasta, rice and bread are the main components in pretty much every meal I eat ...........

I'm a carboholic too! Pasta and Rice, YUM!! but the biggest carb-monster that is totally unhealthy for you, is chips. Frito's Corn Chips. Since I was a kid, I have been a "Frito-Bandito!" I can ( I wont now, but have in the past), Open up a 16 oz bag, and about a half hour later, throw the empty bag away. Of coourse you have to wash it down with something, and my choice was always non-fat milk (at least it was non-fat).

Alas, when I was younger, and very active, and my metabolism was through the roof, I could do that, and keep my flat stomach. Now, old age, lack of activity, and a slower metabolism rate, have helped me develope dunlap disease: that is where your belly has 'done lapped' over your belt.

J-man, you'll just have to bite the bullet like I did, and cut it down to being a 'treat' in your diet, rather than a 'staple'. I get at least one nice pasta dish a week, and I get some frito's corn chips (in a small portion) once or twice a week. The other big thing I have done that helps, is cutting out the late night munchies, cause that stuff just turns to fat, cause your body does not have enough time to process it before you go to bed. And those late night munchies were always my beloved little frito's corn chips.

but the biggest carb-monster that is totally unhealthy for you, is chips. Frito's Corn Chips. Since I was a kid, I have been a "Frito-Bandito!"

Tell me about it! If Fritos are in the house, I will eat them. Therefore, they have been banned from the house (which is fine with my wife - she hates them!).

The problem is I love my carbs. Pasta, rice and bread are the main components in pretty much every meal I eat ...........


J-man, you'll just have to bite the bullet like I did, and cut it down to being a 'treat' in your diet, rather than a 'staple'. I get at least one nice pasta dish a week, and I get some frito's corn chips (in a small portion) once or twice a week. The other big thing I have done that helps, is cutting out the late night munchies, cause that stuff just turns to fat, cause your body does not have enough time to process it before you go to bed. And those late night munchies were always my beloved little frito's corn chips.

Ah yes late night snacks, part of any student's diet. :D

Garlic Powder is NOT fresh garlic and does not posess the attributes of it's fresh sibling....just the taste.

Thats a record HIGH fer' me so I'm---- In!
started LIFE STYLE change TODAY!...

I'm 6'2' and big boned,
Iv'e made it down as far as 215' twice before... but gained it back a few years later, ( Pizza-+-Full corse meals-+-sugar sweets,,etc..! __ this time its for life.,,,, I know in the past when i gained a few pounds here and there after a good meal --- it seemed like no biggie.. but once I started to slip I keep on slipping untill one day ya wake up and your back
could'nt have been that good.. cause it made me GROW--around the waist line..

anywhoooooo-- I'm sick of all this weight it's ...DISABILAITING!... [/b]

Red beans and rice seasoned (many variables)
is real good diet food.
You can put sliced sausage in too either Turkey
or any regular ones (Smoked, Polish, etc.).
It's cheap and easy to make.

I have been here less and less as my wife and I have recently started Bicycling again. We started Weight Watchers earlier this spring and I am down 35 lbs so far. Like a couple of guys above , I am XXXL guy (6',5" and 370 lbs when I started ) and picked up a lot of weight after an injury and career changes slowed me down a few years ago. I am looking to make to 250 by next summer by just watching what I eat, reading labels and getting active again. I turn 45 next June and I may not be as fast as I was at 25 but I'll be just as good looking !javascript:emoticon(':D')
Very Happy

Good one, Caper. I'm in.

I'm 53, 6'2, 230lb. I quit the sticks three months ago and have noticed a small increase in weight and yet I hadn't changed my diet. The increase was due to a lack of exercise. I can't abide the heat of summer so I tend to be extremely sedentary during that season. Now that it's cooler, my plan is to walk to work three times a week - about an hour one way. Walking has always worked for me. Wish I could say "see ya at 200" but I'm realistic. The pounds will drop slowly but surely if I don't change my eating habits (6 days healthy/1 day bad).

Caper, if I lived in Halifax I'd be eating fish every day .. and not the deepfried stuff. Or is Halifax=fresh fish a myth?

Cheers, Eric

5' 10" 202. Need to get back to 175. I exercise alot but I am a major stress eater so I undo 6 good months in 1 month.

Looking to lose 1 lb a week. I'll use the old tried and true "eater better, exercise more" method...

I haven 't exercised since the kid was born two years ago.

New goals.

(1) Cardio three times a week, least half hour each time.
(2) cut out the damn french fries. That's the devils food. :twisted:

....but its not for the squeamish of heart.

1) Go into your house and use the biggest mirror (I got one on the bedroom closet doors).

2) Check and make sure no one else is around.

3) Close the curtains, lock the doors.

4) Turn on all the lights to assure good visibilty.

5) Strip down to your birthday suit.

6) Really look at yourself, and do it for the next 5 minutes, no cheating!

Just take it all in. Sit down in a chair in front of the mirror, and look how your body changes shape. If you got em, really look at those stretch marks, patches of celulite, or vericous veins.

7) Now think about what all you ate today. Was any of it healthy, or in moderation? Could you have pushed the plate away? Were you really hungry when you ate it?

8 ) Think about how much exercise you did during the past month. Did you really work up a good sweat at it, for an extended period of time, or are you just coasting through it?

9) Now for guys in my catagory (that would be someone huge like me): Look down. What do you see, or should I say, what dont you see?

And finally....

10) Look in the mirror again, and ask yourself, "Am I willing to do the things I need to do to change this?"

I do this once a week, and it is a reality check for me. I dread it every time, but it helps motivate me. It takes away all of my excuses, and forces me to really look at what I have done too myeslf, and makes me realize what I have to do to correct it.

I hope that helps someone else as well.

Caper, if I lived in Halifax I'd be eating fish every day .. and not the deepfried stuff. Or is Halifax=fresh fish a myth?


Fresh fish is not quite as plentiful as it used to be but still fairly easy to get. Eric I remember when I was a kid going fishing just for fun, you couldn't give it away. Today if you can get yourself an instant freezer and some fish you have a license to print money. Around these parts the scheme is to insta freeze and hang on to it till the prices go up, amazing eh. I know another guy who has started an elaborate business of keeping live lobsters until the prices go up. :twisted: :twisted:

Sorry I'm gettin off subject, welcome aboard Eric. And Stephen isn't there a song about staying away from mirrors :shock:

.......... And Stephen isn't there a song about staying away from mirrors :shock:

There might be, but I know I have avoided mirrors and having my picture taken for about 12 years now.

Maybe by this time next year, I wont feel bad whenever someone whips out a camera, or its time to go shopping, and the pant size says 34, instead of 44.

white bread ,, and eating chips and fast food ,, and in the last year lost about 55 or 60 lbs depending on whose counting ,,, its tough at first ,,, walking is great to but cuts into practice time,,,,but so would a heart attack,,,,,,, I started at about a fat ass 340 am down to 280 im pretty big and look pretty spry at 245 .................. im in for the last 35 lbs ....... ill keep in touch get off your buts take a walk !!!!!!!!!! good luck JB

I am 46 yr old lurker on the tdpri. 6'1" 330 lbs. My goal is to loose 120lbs. Just started today! Thanks for the inspiration... Here is the kicker, this is my first time looking at the Bad dog Cafe. Just goes to show you, timing is everything.
I am dogggone on the tdpri, my real name if Phil.
Good Luck to All!

so many teles....so little time

it's been about a week since i signed on this thread i was floating around 257 to 260 lbs. i went back to eating cheerios for breakfast and kinda watching my food intake, but i also started drinking coffee and this week i weighed in at 251 lbs. so i've heard that coffee curbs your appetite, and i haven't been feeling hungry like i used to, but i know full on coffeee can be bad....what's the deal? i'm starting to like the coffee and if it helps me drop a few can it be all that bad, i only drink 2 cups in the morning

i........ i only drink 2 cups in the morning

I think that 2 cups fall in the catagory of moderate. I dont see a problem with it at all. But, good diet and excercise cannot be replaced by a cup of coffee, prune juice, or magic diet pill. We all have to bite the bullet, and excercise, and eat right. Short of gastric bypass surgery, there are no short cuts.

i........ i only drink 2 cups in the morning

I think that 2 cups fall in the catagory of moderate. I dont see a problem with it at all. But, good diet and excercise cannot be replaced by a cup of coffee, prune juice, or magic diet pill. We all have to bite the bullet, and excercise, and eat right. Short of gastric bypass surgery, there are no short cuts.

I agree. There's probably nothing wrong with the occasional cup of coffee, but I don't think deliberately starting to drink it as an appetite suppressant is necessarily a good idea.

Funnily enough, most of the food that is good for you (fruits and vegetables, whole grains, etc.) works well to curb your appetite - you tend to feel full sooner, and stay feeling full longer than you do when you've eaten starchy, salty or sugary foods.

Woah! A little dental surgery has sure curbed my appetite ... for the time being anyway.

I measured my waist the other day and discovered I'm wearing pants at least one size too small which leads me to this: anyone hear of TPS (Tight Pant Syndrome)? Apparently, many stomach problems are caused simply by people wearing clothing that is too tight across their gut. A lot of people just deny the fact that they should be moving up in pant size and continue to squeeze into their old self pants. This puts pressure on your internal organs and causes all kinds of symptoms.

From an article in Today's Globe and Mail:

Severe obesity is associated with a 12-fold increase in mortality in 25- to 35-year-olds, compared with lean individuals.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the obese are also three times more likely to need a joint replacement than those of normal weight, and take significantly longer to recover.

The weight of extremely heavy individuals poses a risk to those who must lift or transfer them, as well as those who need to be moved.

In a fire, anyone unable to fit into a normal escape route (a stairway or window) may have few alternatives. If the fire is in a multistory building, those too big to move quickly will find it hard to get out, with elevators out of service and crowds rushing to escape. And rescuers may be unable to move the very obese away from danger.

Auto injury is another area of concern. A 2002 study of more than 26,000 people who had been involved in car crashes found that obese people are more than twice as likely to die in a crash as people weighing less than 60 kilos (132 pounds).
Reasons for the higher risk of injury or death include the sheer force of the victim's weight, underlying health problems that hinder recovery, and the difficulty of extricating an obese person from a crumpled car.
Car dealers provide free seat-belt extenders that fit the restraint to a larger body, because standard seat belts are not designed for obese people. In a crash, a seat belt must grip bone: hip, sternum, shoulder, ribs. Rather than serve as a safety cushion, fat creates a gap between the belt and bones that may allow the person to slide from behind the seat belt during rollovers. In a crash, the belt snaps back through that gap and slams into the skeleton or organs as they hurtle forward. If the seat belt does not quickly encounter the pelvis, it can damage internal organs.

Well I was right about the fact that being in college would cut down my eating amount a lot (I've been on two meals a day during the week), the only problem all the money saved has gone to visiting the pub with people from my course. :twisted: :cry:

the only problem all the money saved has gone to visiting the pub with people from my course. :twisted: :cry:

Some of those "drinks" at the pub, can be more detrimental than a whole meal, and some of those pub drinks dont exactly make one want to go excercise......

I'm not telling you to stop going to the pub, just be careful on the intake.

Start a food intake diary:

1) List the size of the portions, and the number of servings.

2) Include all your drinks too.

3) List the time of the day that you consume it too.

Do it for a few weeks, to give a really good picture of your consumption.

This can help "enlighten" your perception as to how much you truly consume. You may find yourself going from statements like, "I dont eat that much, really." to, "Whoa, I gotta reign this in!"

the only problem all the money saved has gone to visiting the pub with people from my course. :twisted: :cry:

Some of those "drinks" at the pub, can be more detrimental than a whole meal, and some of those pub drinks dont exactly make one want to go excercise......

I'm not telling you to stop going to the pub, just be careful on the intake.

Beer beer and more beer. :wink:

In February I was 245 and decided it was time for a change. Since then I've quit bread and soda (yes, even diet). Now a few months later my 38" waist pants are quite baggy. I haven't weighed myself but I do have a physical next week and will report back then.

Just got back from the doctor.
Down 30 pounds.
If I can keep this up through the winter I will consider it a success.
Diets (temporary) don't work, changing your behaviour (permanent) does.

Just got back from the doctor.
Down 30 pounds since February.
No bread (including hot dogs, hamburgers, donuts etc.) and no soda.
On the bike 1.25 hrs, 3x per week.
If I can keep this up through the winter I will consider it a success.
Diets (temporary) don't work, changing your behaviour (permanent) does.

No bread???

Gah I could NEVER do that, I love sandwiches too much, how did you cope?

No bread???

I don't know how I cope but let me tell you a story.
One day last February I had three slices of toast (with eggs) for breakfast and two more slices of bread on the sandwich at lunch.
FIVE SLICES by noon. It's not that bread is entirely bad for you but I was just eating way too much. Not eating bread has helped me eat less food overlall.
That day was a real eye-opener for me.

I HAVE TRIED A FEW DIETS NONE HAVE WORKED BECAUSE I WOULD NOT LET THEM. MY DOCTOR TOLD ME ONE TIME, WHATEVER DIET YOU GO ON YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE TO MANTAIN THAT WEIGHT. THE ONLY THING I DO IS PUSH AWAY FROM THE TABLE. INSTEAD OF 2 SANDWHICHES OR BURGERS ITS 1 NOW.I HAVE LOST SOME WEIGHT,HAVE NOT STARVED OR CRAVED FOOD AND ACTUALLY BEGINNING TO FEEL A LITTLE BETTER, AND I STILL EAT WHAT I LIKE. BREAD AND TATERS ARE MY DOWNFALL.

In 1998 at 34 I had gotten up to 227! At 5'7", that's not good. I remember staring at the scale in disbelief. I decided right then, on 3/18/98, to do something about it. 8 months later I was down to 147, where I am today. I did this through starvation, Diet Coke, only two meals a day (breakfast - a bagel), dinner (grilled chicken, vegetables) and occasional Snackwell's cookies. I went from a size 20 dress to a size 10. I'll never go back to being overweight again! I look and feel very good, having lost the weight.
8) Heather

As for me, I have to go the other way. At 6' and around 145-150 lbs., that's too scrawny. I should be weighing around 160-165 as well.

Woah! A little dental surgery has sure curbed my appetite ... for the time being anyway.

I measured my waist the other day and discovered I'm wearing pants at least one size too small which leads me to this: anyone hear of TPS (Tight Pant Syndrome)? Apparently, many stomach problems are caused simply by people wearing clothing that is too tight across their gut. A lot of people just deny the fact that they should be moving up in pant size and continue to squeeze into their old self pants. This puts pressure on your internal organs and causes all kinds of symptoms.

....So THAT'S why I get gas whenever I wear my slim fit jeans :lol:

I stepped on the scale and lost 2 lbs....just a drop in the bucket, but a storm has to start somewhere.
I have decided to use the Glycemic index as a guide and walk on the treadmill for 15 min/day for the 1st 2 weeks.
Wow! I am moving from being a lurker to a poster.
Cheers

As I posted earlier I have been on the move with this for a couple of months and now am .4 (thats right, four tenths !) of a pound away from losing 10 % of my starting bodyweight. First goal in sight , and I am losing inched as well and will be in my old skinny clothes soon !

I stepped on the scale and lost 2 lbs....just a drop in the bucket, but a storm has to start somewhere.


Hey, thats great! Picture it like this, 2 pounds in one week, 8 pounds in a month, 80 pounds in ten months. Not bad, eh?!

Besides, most of the experts will tell you that it took you a while to put it on, its gonna take a while to get it off, and 1 to two pounds a week is a great pace!

Also, trends show that of those that take the weight off real quick, 98% of those pack it all back on, .......and then some!

In June I was running 215 plus. I travel for my work and live in hotels at least 50 percent of the time. Eating in restauants is pretty much a given.

So I cut out Rice, Pasta, Bread and Potatoe. I started reading lables for Carbohydrate content and began a modified Atkins.

My typical diet at home is a fruit smoothie in the morning, either and Atkins Advantage Bar or a Balance Bar 'Gold' for lunch. Nut's or cottage cheese as a snack in the afternoon if I need one, if not then I skip. Dinner is something low or no carb.

On the road, it's an Atkins 'Morning Start' bar in the am, the Advantage bar for lunch or if I'm lunching with clients it's 'burned chiken on greens' aka Chicken Ceasar Salad... and then fish for dinner. If there is a Thai restaurant nearby or Japanese there are a bunch of light salads (and or sashimi) that work well for me. In general, dinner looks a lot like some form of protien on salad.

I've dropped to between 190 and 193 as of Monday. More importantly to me, I've dropped from a very fat 38 probably more like 40, down to where 36 jeans are a bit tight... What I have observed is that as I'm eating less, my appetite has also dropped. Along with eating the right stuff for weight loss, eating less of it has been key for me. I'm doing this without getting much exercise in. I joined up with a band back in July, learned 3 and now 4 sets of material and started gigging in August. Pretty much every waking minute for me has been wood shedding all these tunes.

I'm at the point now where I can actually get back to riding which is my preferred from of exercise when I'm home.

Eating in restaurants used to be a real problem, most restaurants will prepare an Atkins friendly meal if you request it. Often it's just ordering a meat or fish and potatoes dish and skipping the potatoe and getting an extra vegetable... if not, the restaurant you're in is not compatible with your diet ...

This is pretty inspiring to see all these real-world testimonials and advise. I haven't exactly been sticking to my guns, but I have made a few conscious substitutions. I drink a lot of pop and I've tried my best to only drink diet sodas. I had a "real" Coke the other day and the sugar rush about killed me (I guess I'm getting used to the diet versions). I'm also bringing my lunch to work, rather than hitting Taco Bell or the chinese buffet. For the past three or four work days, I've brought a simple spinach salad (no dressing) and a peanut butter sandwich or two. I'm feeling great, but of course, the batteries in the bathroom scale are dead, so I don't actually know if I've lost any weight. I'll stick with it though and let you know if there's any positive results (I was 230 about 3 weeks ago).

Using the same scale I used 2 weeks ago, which I think weighs a little light, but still it shows I went from 166 to 164.

Cool!

Eating in restaurants used to be a real problem, most restaurants will prepare an Atkins friendly meal if you request it. Often it's just ordering a meat or fish and potatoes dish and skipping the potatoe and getting an extra vegetable... if not, the restaurant you're in is not compatible with your diet ...

Don't skip the potato, just don't put anything on it. A baked potato is quite good for you without the butter or sour cream.

BTW, watch your hair: a strict diet such as Atkins can cause hair loss due to vitamin and nutritional deficiencies. Don't forget to take a multi-vitamin with iron!

We don't have a scale at home but when I stopped eating bread in February within ONE WEEK my thighs weren't rubbing together as much as they used to (hey...stop laughing).
Then I knew I was on the right track.
I'm not advocating that bread is bad or that everyone should do what I did by not eating it, I'm just telling you what has worked for me.
I'm down 30lbs. since.

We don't have a scale at home but when I stopped eating bread in February within ONE WEEK my thighs weren't rubbing together as much as they used to (hey...stop laughing).
Then I knew I was on the right track.
I'm not advocating that bread is bad or that everyone should do what I did by not eating it, I'm just telling you what has worked for me.
I'm down 30lbs. since.
Congrats! Bread is not evil. ESPECIALLY sprouted whole grain breads... lots of nutritional value, fiber and complex carbs in there. The problem with bread is that most of it on the market is WAY overprocessed, and has a ton of crap in it (Corn syrup solids, hydrogenated oil, preservatives, etc). Combine that with the fact that it is way to easy to eat to much of it, and you've got a problem. If you're eating over 4 slices of bread everyday, that's to much... ESPECIALLY if you are not active. I work out like a fiend, and I only give my self 2 slices of sprouted whole grain bread a day. The less active you are, the less carbohydrates you want in your diet. The more active you are, the more you can(and should) add. Remember, there is a big difference between being healthy, and being slim. If your goal is to slim down, it's mostly about burning more calories than you take in. That's why diets that drop carbs(especially simple carbs which are nothing but empty calories) work for losing weight. Being truly healthy is about balance, get up out of the chair and move around a bit! Being active is not only about burning calories either, your body is a machine... some good exercise keeps all systems running smoothly, it helps to flush your lymphatic system, it keeps food moving thru your body, and many, many other things. And you don't have to run a marathon!

I've lost like a pound lol. But in about three weeks of doing very little different I guess it's pretty good.

Hey a pound here, a pound there will add up, congrats to everyone. I'm down 3lbs since the 5th of Sept., it's a good feeling to be under the 200 mark, 165 here I come.

Using the same scale I used 2 weeks ago, which I think weighs a little light, but still it shows I went from 166 to 164.

Cool!

That is cool Eric!

Dont beat yourself up because you only lost a pound or two. Be happy that you did, and decide to keep doing what made those 2 pounds go away! Also it is important to know, that losing 1 to 2 pounds a week is the best way to go, and puts you in a higher percentage bracket for not gaining all the weight back within a couple of years!

You went a couple weeks without weighing yourself, and then you find that you didnt loose any weight. Be thankful you didnt gain, but examine where you might have gone off course. If your not sure, a weight loss journal might be a good idea: You list everything you eat every day, and what kind of workouts you do. See if you might need to adjust your diet, or your workouts.

A couple weeks has gone by, and you either didnt lose any weight, or you gained a pound or two. It may seem discouraging, but dont give in to depression or defeatist attitudes! Get back on the horse that threw you, and reighn it in! Remind yourself that YOU are in control! Get back in front of the mirror to remind yourself why you want to lose weight. Seriously look at and adjust your diet, and your workouts. Ask a loved one around you to keep you accountable, and ask you every day if you are sticking with your plan!

I got on the scale today, and I weigh 287 lbs. Thats another 3 pounds since September 8th! That makes my total loss to date of 76 lbs. As it is, that is a major victory for me, but I dont want to stop. I would be happy at 190 lbs, but I'd be exstatic if I hit 175! If I hit 175, I could then be able to wear a 32 inch waist size again! And I bet it would put a big :mrgreen: on my wifes face!

Hey, and think about this: How many years did it take for you to "pack-on" those extra pounds? Then why do you thimk it is all gonna fall off in a couple of weeks?

Caper, again, thanks for starting this thread! It's helping me to stay focused, and determined!

OK I am up for that challenge. And thanks guys for your posts, this has really given me the necessary motivation.

For most of my life I have been a little overweight--not really fat, just a little overweight--maybe around 200 lbs (I am a little over six feet). Then from 1999 until 2001 I lived in Jamaica and during that time I really got in shape due to a healthy diet and exercise. I felt great, and I really enjoyed the exercise part.

Boy has that changed. During the last year or so I was working so hard on my PhD, and got in the snacking habit and out of the exercise habit. I also got into the habit of drinking a little too much--nothing extreme, maybe a glass of beer or wine or two with my evening meals on top of the occasional drinking that I always did. I don't necessarily regret it, it was arguably a 'survival strategy' during an extremely stressful time in my life, but it did have its effects. Now I way around 220 lbs which is definitely not just 'a little overweight'. It is definitely time to put that in check.

So here goes. I am going to cut out snacks between meals, hit the gym a couple of times a week and generally eat healthy--lots of vegetables and lean protein foods. Definitely no ice cream!

I am in Australia for three month now. Let's see if my girlfriend and family recognise me when I get home.

I know that some people hate the Atkins diet and claim that it is dangerous or unhealthy, but it is the perfect diet for me. I have been on it for less than a week, and I have already lost 5 pounds. The first 2 days were really tough, but now that the cravings are gone, it's easy. I haven't eaten in 12 hours, and I don't feel hungry.

I'm leaving for vacation in a week, and I hope to have lost another 5 pounds by then. I'm sure that I won't follow the diet while I'm on vacation, but I won't feel too bad if I put a couple of pounds back on. I'm sure that I can go back on the diet when I get home.

I know that some people hate the Atkins diet and claim that it is dangerous or unhealthy, but it is the perfect diet for me. I have been on it for less than a week, and I have already lost 5 pounds. The first 2 days were really tough, but now that the cravings are gone, it's easy. I haven't eaten in 12 hours, and I don't feel hungry.

I'm leaving for vacation in a week, and I hope to have lost another 5 pounds by then. I'm sure that I won't follow the diet while I'm on vacation, but I won't feel too bad if I put a couple of pounds back on. I'm sure that I can go back on the diet when I get home.
It's absolutely not a bad diet as long as you're smart about it (not eating a pound of bacon and a dozen eggs every morning, etc). It's actually good to drop the carbs initially to lose weight, the key is eating good sources of natural fats and proteins and EAT VEGETABLES! The thing to know about this diet is you really lose a lot of water weight, so you really need to be careful with salt intake(sea salt is better). Also eating this much meat(and certain vegetables ie cauliflower) with no good carbs (ie fruit) may create a lot of uric acid which can lead to gout, and other acid imbalance problems(reflux etc.). If you don't have any pre-existing conditions it is fine to do the first 2 weeks of Atkins with no carbs except veggies. You just have to make sure to add good carbs back into your diet commensurate to the amount of physical activities you take part in on a daily/weekly basis.

I know that some people hate the Atkins diet and claim that it is dangerous or unhealthy, but it is the perfect diet for me. I have been on it for less than a week, and I have already lost 5 pounds. The first 2 days were really tough, but now that the cravings are gone, it's easy. I haven't eaten in 12 hours, and I don't feel hungry.

I'm leaving for vacation in a week, and I hope to have lost another 5 pounds by then. I'm sure that I won't follow the diet while I'm on vacation, but I won't feel too bad if I put a couple of pounds back on. I'm sure that I can go back on the diet when I get home.
It's absolutely not a bad diet as long as you're smart about it (not eating a pound of bacon and a dozen eggs every morning, etc). It's actually good to drop the carbs initially to lose weight, the key is eating good sources of natural fats and proteins and EAT VEGETABLES! The thing to know about this diet is you really lose a lot of water weight, so you really need to be careful with salt intake(sea salt is better). Also eating this much meat(and certain vegetables ie cauliflower) with no good carbs (ie fruit) may create a lot of uric acid which can lead to gout, and other acid imbalance problems(reflux etc.). If you don't have any pre-existing conditions it is fine to do the first 2 weeks of Atkins with no carbs except veggies. You just have to make sure to add good carbs back into your diet commensurate to the amount of physical activities you take part in on a daily/weekly basis.

i would also that if you add back too fast or get bored with it the sugar cravings will hit you like a brick you will be a fiend for bread and sugars ...one other thing once you try atkins a cpl times it ends up harder and harder to do right ...

i'm convinced your body adapts to certain shock weight loss attempts so as not to fall for the fat loss again....

I know that some people hate the Atkins diet and claim that it is dangerous or unhealthy, but it is the perfect diet for me. I have been on it for less than a week, and I have already lost 5 pounds. The first 2 days were really tough, but now that the cravings are gone, it's easy. I haven't eaten in 12 hours, and I don't feel hungry.

I'm leaving for vacation in a week, and I hope to have lost another 5 pounds by then. I'm sure that I won't follow the diet while I'm on vacation, but I won't feel too bad if I put a couple of pounds back on. I'm sure that I can go back on the diet when I get home.
It's absolutely not a bad diet as long as you're smart about it (not eating a pound of bacon and a dozen eggs every morning, etc). It's actually good to drop the carbs initially to lose weight, the key is eating good sources of natural fats and proteins and EAT VEGETABLES! The thing to know about this diet is you really lose a lot of water weight, so you really need to be careful with salt intake(sea salt is better). Also eating this much meat(and certain vegetables ie cauliflower) with no good carbs (ie fruit) may create a lot of uric acid which can lead to gout, and other acid imbalance problems(reflux etc.). If you don't have any pre-existing conditions it is fine to do the first 2 weeks of Atkins with no carbs except veggies. You just have to make sure to add good carbs back into your diet commensurate to the amount of physical activities you take part in on a daily/weekly basis.

I agree 100%. If people would truly understand how the Atkins diet works and not get misled by innacurate information that out there, they would realize that it is a good diet. I don't expect to have to be on this diet all of the time. After I have lost the weight, I just have to be careful to limit my carbohydrate intake, and if I start gaining again I'll go back on the diet for a while.

Less than 3 years ago I weighed 180 pounds. In 4 months on Atkins I got down to 145. I did let my weight get back to 160, which was foolish. I should have gone back on the diet sooner. I'm going to try to stay around 150. If I get to 155, I'll start the diet again. It should be a lot easier to lose 5 pounds occasionally rather than 10 or 15.

I agree 100%. If people would truly understand how the Atkins diet works and not get misled by innacurate information that out there, they would realize that it is a good diet. I don't expect to have to be on this diet all of the time. After I have lost the weight, I just have to be careful to limit my carbohydrate intake, and if I start gaining again I'll go back on the diet for a while.

Less than 3 years ago I weighed 180 pounds. In 4 months on Atkins I got down to 145. I did let my weight get back to 160, which was foolish. I should have gone back on the diet sooner. I'm going to try to stay around 150. If I get to 155, I'll start the diet again. It should be a lot easier to lose 5 pounds occasionally rather than 10 or 15.
That rminds me of a problem that I always found with clients when I personal trained, if you totally deprive yourself... especially of things that you really enjoy, you will eventually binge... and then it becomes hard to get back on track. The key to highest success that I found was when people stayed strict most of the time but allow themselves some flexibility... whether that be a certain thing each day, or being totally strict during the week and having lee-way on the weekends. The latter works for me as I find it very easy to eat very strict at work every day and lift weights and do my cardio at lunch time, on the weekends I'll have that glass of wine, or beer... I'll go out to eat and have what I want with no worries, or I'll have some pizza once a month or so etc always on the weekends. This is what life change is about. "Diet" is a very bad word, because it always evokes images of deprivation lol... if everyone could take a step back and look at it as "Over the long haul" it makes it much less daunting, especially knowing that you don't have to cut things out forever... just be smart - Eat non processed and natural foods as much possible... Proteins, fats, fruits, and veggies. This is also a reason why weight watchers is so successful. I never liked weight watchers because I ABHOR counting calories, measuring, etc. Actually I think the smartest dietary craze person I have ever see... Susan Powter, remember her? And a key thing: The less active you are, the LESS YOU CAN/SHOULD EAT. Even walking for a 1/2 hour a day (heck even 15 minutes if) makes a big difference.

Caper, again, thanks for starting this thread! It's helping me to stay focused, and determined!


And a big thank you Stephen and all the rest here, I am the first to admit it's not easy. I sure am glad to be doing this with all of you, with every post I read it provides much needed encouragement.

Also a big thanks to Paul for putting it on top, to help get it started.

As for me, I have to go the other way. At 6' and around 145-150 lbs., that's too scrawny. I should be weighing around 160-165 as well.

I have the same problem. I had a long-term health problem which I'm finally over now - but it has left me underweight.

I'm lucky that my girlfriend has basic knowledge of nutrition and exercise - she was a gymnast who later coached other gymnasts when she retired. So with her help (and the help of my doctor) I'm starting to change a big part of my lifestyle.

Losing weight and gaining weight are two different things - but it seems they both require a lot of discipline to succeed, and also that much care must be taken to gain the results in a safe and healthy manner.

Anyway, this is my first post, and I would like to wish everyone great success in achieving their desired goals.
Good health to you all.

Guess I will chime in here as well. At 49 I weigh in at 148lbs.(5' 8")
Doctor says I am just right for my frame. Three years ago I was 192lbs! I lost my weight by cutting out most of the bread, pasta, and potatoes that I used to eat almost daily. Got off my butt and got some extra exercise, switched to diet soda and Ultralight beer.(in moderation) I have had No problem sticking to this diet so far...every once in a while I have a LITTLE something
like ONE slice of pizza or ONE SMALL peice of something or other but the big thing to remember is ONE and ONLY ONE!! If you want to keep weight off it has to be a life style change or else your bound to regain :)
Good luck and hang in there!

one thing that seems to work is if youve gotten the urge to eat...is to just drink water...itll fill you up and it wont add on pounds...and yeah, just drink water instead of soda as well....-jb

every once in a while I have a LITTLE something

A little something isn't bad IF you have the discipline to not over indulge.
I don't have that discipline. For example: I may never eat another hamburger for the rest of my life but at the age of 41 I've probably had enough of them to last me four life times (same goes for cigarettes, beer, donuts, soda, etc.).
Been there done that, now it's time to move on.
Again, permanent changes in your diet and lifestyle will keep the weight off, temporary changes won't.

i've been away for awhile. i am on the verge of being morbidly obese. i have a wife and 3 young kids. i am 45. i used to work out every day (running and lifting). that was up until 3 years ago! i don't know what happened, yes i do, i got lazy. hell, it's tuff to put shoes and socks on. thanks for the motivating posts! it's good to know i am not alone. I AM IN, YES!!!!!

btw, even though telies feel great, it felt better when i was thinner!

And Stephen isn't there a song about staying away from mirrors

Merle:

I can's stand to see a good man go to waste
One who never combs his hair or shaves his face
A man who leans on wine over love that's told a lie
Oh it tears me up to see a grown man cry

So I never go around mirrors
I can't stand to see me without you by my side
I never go around mirrors
Cause I've got a heartache to hide

So I never go around mirrors
I can't stand to see me without you by my side
I never go around mirrors
Cause I've got a heartache to hide
And it tears me up to see a grown man cry

I was checking some video tapes yesterday, I had one from the summer of 2004. I took a communications class that summer that involved public speaking. Each presentation was taped so each student could use it as a critique. It's funny how I still think of myself as the former skinny kid, ok, maybe I know I'm not skinny, but it's a LIE that the camera adds 10 lbs. IT ADDED ABOUT 80 ON ME :shock: Anyway I hope all are hanging in there, my scale shows I'm down to 196 :D

I weighed in this morning at 235 lbs, down from 240 a couple of weeks ago. I don't look much different, but my pants do fit better! A good start...

Cheers, Tim

I was checking some video tapes yesterday, ............

Funny you mentioned video's: I was at my brothers in Vegas, and they were showin some videos from last year. I was agast at how I looked! So swollen looking, and no neck! Egads, what had I done to myself!

Then they put on the video from the surprise party for my aunt the night before. Well I'm still fat, but I had a neck, and I wasnt as swollen looking! I thought I was the only one that noticed, but everyone said how much better I look!

So I'm still in the race, still reaching for my goal: I'll be satisfied with 180llbs, but I'd be ecstatic at 170lbs!

Scale this morning said 287lbs. From 363lbs, thats a 76 pound loss to date!

Just a little thought experiment (perhaps even a real live experiment if it seems promising). Anyway, it seems that a lot of what we are talking about is what we are giving up, which is natural because if you want to slim down you have to give something up. But why not start by focusing on what we should be eating, every day, in order to be healthy. Let's see:

5 servings of fruit and vegetables.

8 glasses of water

30 grammes of protein (supporters of high protein diets will say more, but I think everyone would agree that we need at least that). That means a medium sized piece of fish or lean meat or a generous bean chilli for the veggies.

A small glass of red wine (teetotallers excluded) for the polyphenols.

A cup of green tea for the flavinoids.

What else? I am sure we could come up with quite a list if we thought about it. I think what I am perhaps getting at is that if we focus on all the things we should be eating, there may not be much room in our minds and our stomachs for everything else. Think about it.

Bag of chips? Sure, once you've eaten your five servings of fruit/vegetables.

Beer? Have you drunk those eight glasses of water yet?

How about an ice cream? Oh, just make it a small one. I'm stuffed.

2 months before my wedding I lost 25 pounds. It is possable to lose weight, you just have to be willing to give up some of the foods you like.

How did I do it?

I started by not eating breakfast. This is stupid yes, but my lunch break at work came about 3 hours after I got there, so I wasn't really hungry until then anyways.

Then for lunch (around noon, my first meal of the day) instead of eating a burger, I would get a 6 inch sub from Subway. I usally got their "special of the day" which also saved a little money.

Then for dinner which was around 6 or 7 I would eat either another sub from subway, or something else along those lines.

My diet was mostly low cal, which is bad based on the amount of running I did every nigh, but it worked, good.

Everynight before bed, I would run about 4 miles. I did this in about 45 minutes, so there was a good pace for me, and my weight.

I went from 215, to 190 at the time of the wedding (about 4 weeks ago). I am back up to about 195 right now, and plan to lose another 10 pounds right now, my target is about 180-185.

You can do anything you set your mind to, you just have to do it.

Since I've lost weight:

1. I sleep better.

2. My knees aren't as sore.

3. My back isn't as sore.

4. I breathe better.

5. My s*x life is better (my wife as my witness).

6. I look better.

7. My blood pressure is normal again.

8. My cholesterol is more reasonable (still a little high).

A myriad of health issues I had have become non-issues or disappeared completely. If there's such a thing as a cure-all it would be weight loss.

lewis, you are an inspiration to us all, congratulations. Ah btw, I'd move #5 up to the #1 spot :D

Well since my last post here, I have lost another two pounds. It could have been more, but I knocked myself out of at least a weeks worth of walking, by re-injuring my back. I'm happy that I lost the two pounds though. I was just hoping for maintianing where I'm at, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the scale at 285lbs! to date that is a 78 pound weight loss! it may take me a while, but as long as I have breath, I'm reaching for my goal of 175 pounds!

I just realized, when I hit my goal weight, I will have lost one whole person.

My weight is okay, it's just that to correspond, I should be 7ft 6ins. tall.
:lol:

I've been watching this thread for a while and it's time to do something.

I did the atkins thing a many years ago and dropped 30 fairly easily. I felt great.

Since then, I've allowed myself to fall off the wagon....mostly sweets and pasta. The clothes are now tight, there's unsightly chubs where there shouldn't be...and I've been feeling like crap. Even emotionally, I've been down. I know it's all related.

So....initial weigh-in is 184 as of last Friday (and I'm only 5'8"). I know I won't get below 165...that seems to be my limit...a brick wall. So, I'm shooting for getting back to 170-172. I've started the atkins thing once again and some moderate walking. I'm not ready to run quite yet.

I completely forgot how good I felt to be "off" sugar. After the second day on the diet, I felt my energy increase and the bloat go away. I'm certain I have some allergy to wheat...and according to a nutritionalist friend - you often crave what you're allergic to. I always crave pasta and then feel completely ill after eating it. It's like I'm drugged/poisoned.

Anyway...here's to the start of getting back where I belong. I'm not rushing...just no sugar/low carbs...lots of water and some walking. The formula worked before - it'll work again.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Good for you Lance! Just stick with it, and once you hit your goal, just modify to maintain it.

YOU CAN DO IT WATER BOY! Oh, that was from a silly movie, sorry!

YOU CAN DO IT WATER BOY! :lol: :lol:

Welcome aboard Lance, your desire to join in adds fuel to the fire.

I took a pass on this today! :shock:

http://www.dangerousdansdiner.com/coronaryburger.jpg

Im in too! About 3 years ago I lost 25 pounds but have worked my way back up 25 pounds, so its time to go at it again. My wife is a nutrition nut so as long as I listen to her I lose it pretty fast. I started back at it seriously 2 days ago.

Cool! Glad to have you with us Mike!

Eric, you could have o.d. on that, I'm glad you "Just Said NO!" Man you are an inspiration to us all :lol:

I just realized, I shouldn't be lookin at that kind of "porn" in my weakened state, especially this late at nite. :oops:

About posting but, I finally made my first goal of 10 % loss two weeks ago . I'm just under 40 lbs lighter than when I started in May and almost at my half way point . Still keeping my eyes on the prize , 100 lbs !

I don't have access to bathroom scales at the moment, but I think I am losing a bit. I had to wear my suit for a presentation on Wednesday, and I am sure it felt a bit less tight around the waist.

I am cycling to and from work, and going for a run at least once a week. I just got back from a run in fact--I did about 8k/5m at a relatively slow pace, which is not much, but it is a good start to build up from. It was a bit of a struggle, but I recovered my breath within a few miutes, and I feel better for it.

Next week I will try to run for about the same time, but I will try to up the pace for at least some of it.

It will be interesting when I get back home in December to see whether the scales back up my perception that I am becoming fitter and slimmer.

Well, I've lost about 5 or 6 pounds. I started having a bigger lunch, and making dinner a snack like fruit or yogurt or something. Still, I'm not sure if I've finally started losing or if it's just a minor fluctuation. Got my fingers crossed, though. :wink:

In late September I started the Atkins diet, in preparation for a vacation in the wine country in California. I lost 8 pounds in 8 days, going from 161 to 153 pounds. I quit the diet September 30, just before starting the trip.

My weight is now 163, more than it was before I started!

In late September I started the Atkins diet, in preparation for a vacation in the wine country in California. I lost 8 pounds in 8 days, going from 161 to 153 pounds. I quit the diet September 30, just before starting the trip.

My weight is now 163, more than it was before I started!

I'm not a fan of the Atkins plan, I've seen several coworkers suffer through it, its just too much pain IMHO.

I haven't been visiting this board much lately, but after stepping on a scale in mid August I knew it was time to get serious. I'm 5' 8" and weighed in somewhere around 197.

based on a posting on a nother board, I ordered an excercise program called Combat conditioning. It's calesthenic based, and didn't require equipment or gym membership. I cut processed flour based food out of my diet, and substituted a smoothie (frozen fruit, whey powder and lowfator skim milk) for my morning bagel. Lost about 8 pounds in a month.

I picked up a copy of MensHealth magazine to read on a trip, and became interested in their ABS diet-It made sense to me, and seemed like a plan I could live with-I've been doing it for a 3.5 weeks and have no desire to cheat. 3 meals plus 3 snacks a day. Nothing radical, you're focused on eating good stuff.

I fell better than I have in quite some time. I haven't been on a scale in a few weeks, but I can just look in a mirror and see the change; My pants are loose,and I've had to add new holes to several belts.

This is what worked for me.

Heck...I dropped 12 LBS. since yesterday! (I unstrapped my Les Paul)

This thread is making me hungry. I think I will go and make a Dagwood sandwich and rinse it down with a Cherry Coke.

GAINED four pounds recently. I've quit exercising since the weather turned cold...and Thanksgiving isn't even here yet.
If I can make it through the holiday season just by maintaining what I've already lost I will be a happy camper. Ideally I would like to lose another 10 pounds by February, the anniversary of my new eating habits.

I've had a rough go lately. I havent been able to exercise cause of some old injuries, and I jumped on the scale: EGADS! I gained 5 pounds!!!

Well its gonna be a while till these injuries relent, and enough pain has subsided, so I have to modify my diet a little bit more. I dont want to just 'maintain', so I have to look at taking in less than what I am currently burning. Tomorrow (Turkey-Day), is the last day, that my meal sizes will not be tightly controlled (I'm not scarfing out or anything like that, but I recognize that I have to monitor my intake at all times, and when I can exercise, I have to tighten the diet a little bit more.

I'm not gonna go off the deep end like limit myself to a leaf of lettuce, and a split carrot as a meal, but I have selected a bowl, that is a decent size (about the size of a normal stomach), and my entire meal will have to fit inside of it. I will eat 3 to four times a day, and at the very least, half of my meals have to be fruits and/or veggies.

So I took one step forward, and slid two steps back, but I aint giving up. I'm lettin you all know, so it can help me stay focused.

Back on track.

Around this time last year I was weighing in around 215 or so... This morning I am at a cool 182...

I eat less and eat better... I drink less booze... I walk (with my dog) between 3 and 6 miles a day... I don't feel that much healthier.. but.. I have less lower back pain... Only pain I have now is in the pocketbook because I have to buy all new pants that fit... If I want to look younger.. I just put on a pair of my old jeans and let them fall down as they will... instant teenager!

Good luck to all of you in the fight... Keep it up...

anybody see the finale...the guy who won lost in excess of 100 lbs, i'm thinking over 120, the guy in second did too and he pulls up his shirt to show a pretty decent six pack....would anybody here go on a show like this to try and lose the lbs ?

I don't know about the biggest loser... but I watched a show on Discovery called the half ton man about a guy who weighed just over 1000 lbs... It was truly dreadful to watch... They also had a woman who was just over 1200 lbs... I'm sorry... these people lose 6-7-8 HUNDRED pounds.. There's so many questions which all revolve around why... and it's debatible I'm sure... But you want to talk about the biggest loser...

Dammit I can't give up carbs, they're just too tasty.. :cry:

I don't know about the biggest loser... but I watched a show on Discovery called the half ton man about a guy who weighed just over 1000 lbs... It was truly dreadful to watch... They also had a woman who was just over 1200 lbs... I'm sorry... these people lose 6-7-8 HUNDRED pounds.. There's so many questions which all revolve around why... and it's debatible I'm sure... But you want to talk about the biggest loser...

yeah those are special circumstances, and truth be told those people eat tremendous amounts of food, that is evidently provided by someone. when they are restricted to normal portions the weight falls off. the same thing happens on "the biggest loser" the really heavy people lose a great deal of weight the first week, this season on guy lost over 20 lbs. and they are monitored by Dr.s and have personal trainers, so i don't think that trying to lose that much weight without Dr.s is healthy but these people are basically working out and learning good eating habits while they're on the show

I took a pass on this today! :shock:

http://www.dangerousdansdiner.com/coronaryburger.jpg

Eric,that is one disgustingly nasty looking burger....and I could eat it up right now.

Man 2005 did not do me well in terms of physical fitness. I have some weight loss and toning that needs to be attended to. Of course winter doesn't help.. so I recently joined a gym that opened up near me not too long ago and they happen to have hours of 24 hours a day, save for 12a-4a on Fridays & Saturdays. I've been walking, peddling and lifting away now for 2 weeks and already am feeling better. I have a good 40lbs to lose to get to what the medical chart says is my ideal/target weight, and I am hoping to do it by the end of Spring... No sense in waiting for a new year's resolution...

Inspirational, guys, really. I'm on board.

I'm 6'4", 265 lbs. I'm physically inactive, and I eat like a horse. I have an exercise bike that I never use. (But my girlfriend uses it daily.)

I'm going to start riding it for 10 minutes every day for a week. After the week is up I'll kick it up 5 minutes every following week until I reach 35 minutes and will continue 35 minutes every day.

I know I can do it because my girlfriend keeps it in front of the TV so she will use it. Every time I watch King of the Hill on Fox I'll pedal my way through it, since I watch it daily.

So, day 1: 265 pounds.

Actually... the holidays caused me to increase in body mass... and not in a good way...

Why, oh why did I have to have Prime Rib... Turkey... Lobster.. etc, etc.... (because it tastes so good, stupid...)

Mmmmmmmm... must... lose... weight....

I'm certain I have some allergy to wheat...and according to a nutritionalist friend - you often crave what you're allergic to. I always crave pasta and then feel completely ill after eating it. It's like I'm drugged/poisoned.

Try eating soba noodles, it's pasta made from buckwheat. You can find it in a health food store or most places where they sell japanese food. I like with broccoli sauted with sesame oil and lots of garlic.

I gotta lose about 50 lbs. Snacking near bedtime is a no-no, but it's become a bad habit.

I ignored this thread with all my might until it became obvious that i couldn't anymore :-)

A few years back I lost almost 50 pounds on Weight Watchers and got down to 209. I'm 6'2" and looked pretty good at 209, though a still had love handles and little bit of a gut. However, it quickly became evident that 209 was my plateau and I felt like I was starving all the time to maintain it, so I let myself creep back up to 220, which is not a bad weight for me.

Being busy & broke is not conducive to a good diet, and while doing grad school and student teaching I let myself creep up to 235, and my cardiovascular condition is horrible. I started the WW plan again to lose the weight, but need to come up with an exercise plan that I can live with. I hate jogging, so going to the gym to use the treadmill isn't a good option. I was thinking maybe a step aerobics video at home. Any other suggestions? And if any of you know of a workout video that isn't supremely obnoxious I'd love to hear about them. Even girls in tights are not enough distraction so that I won't be bothered by their annoying personalities.

I was thinking maybe a step aerobics video at home. Any other suggestions? And if any of you know of a workout video that isn't supremely obnoxious I'd love to hear about them. Even girls in tights are not enough distraction so that I won't be bothered by their annoying personalities.

My wife (who is a mutant by the way: she could easily be a replacement for my widshield wiper blade on my toyota truck), loves Kathe Friedrich. Start with her "intermediate" level. Dont start with her advanced, unless you have O2 at the ready. My wife has been doin those video's for years now, and says Kathe's advanced should be marked "EXTREME Advanced!"

Oh, and if you havent been steadily active for a while, go to the doctor and at least get looked at to make sure your good to go before you start.

Been running a half an hour and working out every day when I wake up. Funny thing is, I cinched my belt up a notch tighter but it looks like I put on a few pounds.

Being busy & broke is not conducive to a good diet, and while doing grad school and student teaching I let myself creep up to 235, and my cardiovascular condition is horrible. I started the WW plan again to lose the weight, but need to come up with an exercise plan that I can live with. I hate jogging, so going to the gym to use the treadmill isn't a good option. I was thinking maybe a step aerobics video at home. Any other suggestions?

Eryque,

Look into combat conditioning, at www.combatconditioning.com. Its a series of calisthenics/power yoga recipes. It sounds like snake oil, but it works. Been at it for about 2.5 months now with varying degrees of seriousness. I'm getting stronger, my wind has improved greatly and I feel more enegetic. Combined with eating better (abs diet) I've lost better than 20 pounds, and moved about 4 belt notches. I actually eat more than I used to, I just make sure its good stuff that I'm eating.

Look into combat conditioning, at www.combatconditioning.com. Its a series of calisthenics/power yoga recipes. It sounds like snake oil, but it works. Been at it for about 2.5 months now with varying degrees of seriousness. I'm getting stronger, my wind has improved greatly and I feel more enegetic. Combined with eating better (abs diet) I've lost better than 20 pounds, and moved about 4 belt notches. I actually eat more than I used to, I just make sure its good stuff that I'm eating.

I checked out the site and it seems like it could be a good program, but holy cow is it expensive.

I took a step video from the library and made my own step out of some left over 2x12. Trying to the moves on the video was more comical than anything else. And after 30 minutes I was just starting to break a sweat. 'Course, I'm probably a foot taller than the woman on the video, so maybe I need to make a taller step to really work myself.

what happened to this thread then eh?

seems to have gone all quiet on waistband front. since one of the main reasons i've quit drinking is to lose weight i thought i'd let the "on the waggon" thread drop and join in with you guys up here...

*tumleweed drifts by

so where is everybody?

i'm guessing you're not all down at the gym?

p.s. it was one week with no alcohol yesterday for me. i'm pretty proud of myself. :lol:

Yeah, that booze will put on the weight.

I've been running about a half hour every morning, slacked off the last few mornings but getting my wind back and it feels good to break a sweat.

I need to get back to doing some PT - pushups, situps, squats, 8-count body builders etc. - got no equipment so it's all body weight stuff.

I continued my walking program through the holiday period. At the worst, I only put on a pound or two and that's after indulging in everything that was put in front of me .... prime rib must have been on sale this year!

Thank goodness for the warm winter. I've been able to get out walking more often. Combining the exercise with a sensible low cal diet means I'm back on track and come spring I'll be down to where I want to be .. not exactly slim, but the belly should be history!

Oh, great. More temptation. :cry: The Super Bowl's on Sunday and the Olympics are a week away.

after indulging in everything that was put in front of me

Ah the seefood diet plan :D :D

Fitness isn't something that starts in January and ends in March. Fitness is a lifestyle, pride in yourself, setting a good example for your children, looking in the mirror and seeing your sweat and disipline paying off, not spending your life in and out of hospitals. The human body wasn't created to be lazy and take the abuse most people do to it. The human body is a remarkable machine, and when I see how people abuse it it makes me sick. Go for a walk, ride a bicycle, do push ups and sit-ups....anything but stuff your face and complain about not enough time, my back hurts, my doctor said....etc. You only have one body and one life...make the most of it.

Fitness isn't something that starts in January and ends in March. Fitness is a lifestyle, pride in yourself, setting a good example for your children, looking in the mirror and seeing your sweat and disipline paying off, not spending your life in and out of hospitals. The human body wasn't created to be lazy and take the abuse most people do to it. The human body is a remarkable machine, and when I see how people abuse it it makes me sick. Go for a walk, ride a bicycle, do push ups and sit-ups....anything but stuff your face and complain about not enough time, my back hurts, my doctor said....etc. You only have one body and one life...make the most of it.

Sir, Yes Sir! Go Steelers!

now all you swinging #*%*#'s drop down and give me 20! :lol:

Well, I've lost the weight that I gained at Christmastime. I've started a diet, inasmuch as I'm being alot more attentive to what I eat. Next is a walking routine, and stretches. I hope to work up to full-blown exercise in a few weeks. I'll keep ya'll posted.

i fell off the waggon on saturday night after only two weeks without a drink.

and i don't think i've lost any weight.

balls

i'm back on it again now.

I know this thread has been goin on for a while now, but just yesteday, my wife has got all of us here doing the weight watchers thing. And let me tell you, I'm hungry!

well - i don't think i really lost much weight really but it's hard to tell without any way of weighing myself. i still feel pretty out of shape. the main thing i did was cut right down on the drinking. cut it out totally for just under 3 weeks before caving. i've lapsed a couple of times since but nothing major. basically gone from drinking anything between a two or three and beers pretty much every night and regular serious drinking sessions to maybe a couple of beers once or twice a week tops. 3 beers which used to be a standard way to get warmed up before leaving the house on the weekend now constitutes quite a skinfull and will leave me feeling like a death warmed up the following day! ahhh the joys of lightweightism.

been trying to keep the diet sensible but not starvation-level or anything. been on cereals, yoghurt and muesli for breakfast with the occasional bacon sandwich (maybe once a week). lunch is usually bread and cheese with some fruit or a pretty big salad or maybe pasta from a local cafe. dinner is whatever's about. could be nothing, toast and marmite or be a 3 course meal. still avoiding takeaways and fatty fried food if possible. still crave it though...

but yeah so far i've been pretty dissappointed at the relative lack of progress. i figured this was due to my now mostly sedentary lifestyle, that and the fact that due to the dismal weather recently i've all but stoppped walking/cycling to work. took matters into my own hands last night and walked to the local pool. i used to be a very strong swimmer and still have a pretty good stroke. problem is that i'm so out of shape! anyway i managed 1km in about half an hour which i didn't think was bad for my first time back in the water in over 6 months (34 lengths of a 30m pool, mostly crawl with some breaststoke and a few prolonged breaks to catch breath!). i was distinctly red-faced afterwards and could barely lift my arms to get dressed. but within an hour i felt 100% better than i had in a long while. i'm going to rest up tonight and will be back there tomorrow morning!

how's everyone else getting on?

i need to get it all out. i stayed away from this thread for a long time. it is hard to admit that you are overweight, even when it's obvious to you and every body else. on Jan 11, i was about 100 lbs. overweight.

but . . . since Jan 11, i have lost almost thirty pounds. some would say that's too much too quick, but when you're 100 lbs. overweight, there is no such thing as unhealthy weight loss.

i set a limit of 1200 calories per day. if i go over a little bit, no big deal. but i don't go over by a lot, maybe 10-20 calories at each meal.

i get 20 minutes of aerobic exercise every single day. this includes days that i have worked until 6, been at school till 11, come home and had to walk 20 minutes in the 15 degree weather. this also includes the day i had my wisdom tooth taken out.

now, 1200 calories is not a lot. i have a system that allows me to eat more: i burn it off BEFORE I EAT IT. going out to dinner? figure out what you'll eat before you get there and do enough exercise to cancel out the extra calories.

that's the basic plan: 1200 calories, 20 minutes of cardio, burn off any extra before you eat it.

since Jan 11, i have not cheated ONCE. i am more proud of this than the weight loss itself. i didn't think i had the discipline do it. but i do, and i will continue to do it until i am at my ideal weight.

in addition to the basic plan, i'm weight training and playing volleyball. this has obviously sped my weight loss up considerably. i'm only able to do this because i had some extra time this semester and needed the easy credit hours.



to those who read this thread and are wondering if you should try to lose weight: do it. get serious about it. you will be amazed at how quickly your life improves. i look way better, i feel WAAAAY better, i have lots more muscle definition. my back doesn't hurt anymore, my knees don't hurt, i don't wake up wondering if i'm bleeding internally anymore.

the best part about it all is the renewed faith in myself. i didn't believe i could do this. and honestly, i couldn't. the only explanation i have is that the Good Lord is giving me strength that i have never known before. perhaps He wants me to live past 45.


some advice for anyone trying it: the first few days will be hell. after that, your body will adjust. this is why excercise is so important; it keeps your metabolism up and tells your body that you want it to keep burning calories even though it isnt' getting enough.

find something you can eat until you're full. i found sugar free jello cups. at 10 calories a pop, it's pretty much negligible. after four or five, i'm done with jello for the day.

eat good food. no reason to eat broccoli every night. a calorie is a calorie. eat a big ol' subway sandwich.

that's my experience. i hope someone can benefit from it.

I posted in this thread early on and was planning on doing my best to lose a bunch of weight (getting down to an ideal weight, depending on the sources, would require me to lose anywhere from 30 to 60 pounds). So after the holidays, my wife and I both tried hard. We made menus for the week, brought our lunches to work instead of going out, monitored each other and gave each other a hard time when we ate poorly, etc. Strangely enough, we didn't have a scale at home so neither of us knew how we were truly doing. Of course the efforts faded a little over time but I was sure I had progressed nicely. We finally got a nice scale last week that lets you set up user profiles and saves the date and weights for you. I had actually gained weight. I clocked in at 240, my heaviest weight ever?!?! On a positive note, she had lost a bunch of weight (which is nice for both of us, wink wink).
It's sad because I know what my main problem is. I used to be a very good athlete and had an awesome metabolism. Now it has slowed, but I still eat like I could 10 years ago. Even worse, is that when I start to get regular exercise, my metabolism kicks back in and I crave food and I usually end up gaining weight, despite exercising more. So I'm back on the "food" wagon, watching what I'm eating, drinking diet soda, and eating smaller, more frequent meals. I also bought a pedometer and am tracking my steps. I'm trying to go for that 10,000 steps per day program but I'm finding that that is a LOT of walking. I've hit that number a few days, but it's averaging out to be about 5500 overall. As of this mornings weigh-in, I'm down to 232 so I'll take it. I'm going for 200. I know that sounds heavy to some guys, but man I would feel good if I could get there. Even reading/writing in this thread makes me inspired.

I can recommend the "South Beach Diet". I strictly followed that diet for two weeks. I lost 9 pounds. I strayed away from the diet and I have not gained those pounds back. Look at the book and consider it.

It's the ONLY thing I've read that made the light truly go on for me in terms of what I should and should not eat, and why. I've lost 20 plus pounds over 4 weeks, and still going. I'm never hungry, easily avoid temptations, and I have more energy at 38 than I've had for at least a decade. And that's without exercise, which starts next week with my new YMCA membership.

Highly recommended.

get a bike!

got a new bike back in jan-feb (can't remember when exactly) and it's done wonders for the old love-handles!

i took early retirement from my job 2 months ago and i've already lost 7 pounds! staying active in the yard, playing more, and not eating as a reaction for stress... naturally this won't work for everyone, but i can certainly recommend the lifestyle!

At this point last year I was very ill (later to be determined as a variant of the asian flu) during the testing phase I had to have everything checked and finally I got better on my own... I have a great GP and she told me "you are really healthy except for being a fat b@st@rd....drop a few pounds and you'll be set. I started running, biking etc, my ultimate goal being 100 lbs and to run in this years Bay to Breakers race. I'd always been an athlete, but I'd just gotten busy with work and kids etc... Anyway, it is a year later! I've lost 72 pounds and I completed the B2B today in less than an hour and twenty minutes! Small steps! very small, determined steps! that race is the wildest thing I've ever seen.... Lots of naked people running... oh my.... men and women and several naked elvises.

After coming home from Florida at Christmas time, I was a wreck. I couldn't stand myself anymore. I am 5'10 and was likely tipping in at around 235 and it was all in the upper body, I turn 35 this year and I am a "ah hem" smoker. I am trying to quit that damn habit but I am working on the weight first. I started going to the gym in January, I got a 6 month pass for the price of 3 so what the heck. I am one of those characters who feels if I pay for something I am going to use it so the gym was a great idea. I have been going three days a week for about an hour each time, combining weights and cardio (more weights than cardio, it's so damn boring that cadio thing) but I have lost a good 25 pounds of flab. The man boobs have gone, got a nice tight chest starting, arms are getting bigger, slowly but surely, I can see my....toes, yeah that's it, my toes again and I can see my belt without having to roll up my belly to see where the hole is...LOL. I dropped two, almost three belt holes as well.

Keep up the great work everyone!!

I do feel so much better than ever, kind of like when I was a teen...and I am getting good compliments which I haven't got for 20 years! Makes ya feel great

I'm glad you posted this. :D
I'm 37,and from an early age,was relatively thin,but not skinny.I alway's wished i would get a bit...well, FATTER.
Then one day,the good lord sent me an accident form,and my back went boing. :cry: I couldn't do the same job,so became..oh oh...YES..a :twisted: TAXI DRIVER!!!!! :twisted: aaaaaaaaaaaargh,i hear you say;throw him out!
I soon got my wish.A tubby belly and a good excuse not to do situps. :oops: My pc sit's right beneath a food cupboard,and worst of all,the one that contains biscuits and cakes.The taxi job gives me more time,and as the pc has made me hungry for free knowledge,it's getting much too much use.I'm now about 14 1/2 stone,or 200lb's,and at the time of accident,weighed in at about 12 -13.I've noticed when i'm sitting down,my guitar is now at a different angle than it used to be,whilst on my lap. :roll: At the same time ,i've noticed left wrist ache,and figured the new angle was causing this.I'm no fatty,but i reckon my belly is GETTING in the way,lol.
I should stand up all the time,but hey..remember my bad back,lol.
:idea: Is it gonna get worse if i'm not carefull,to the degree where my :twisted: Belly :twisted: is gonna get me,and my playing?
Sax players,do not have this problem,lol.

I lost 10 kilograms in 12 weeks with the CSIRO well being diet. Look it up on the internet. It is red meat heavy, but if you substitute some of the meals with fish, chicken or soup it's great and you don't even know you're on a diet.

My wife lost 8 kilogram and she's looking great. Now if I can just grow some hair on my head .....

Also, golden rules, drink lots of water, exercise, look out for any change in health and play your TELE!

:roll:

I lost 55 lbs running, then my knee starting hurting big time, so 1 1/2 yrs later I've gained it all back. I used weight watchers along with the running and in 6 months 55 lbs gone. Somebody Help Me !! :oops:

I lost 55 lbs running, then my knee starting hurting big time, so 1 1/2 yrs later I've gained it all back. I used weight watchers along with the running and in 6 months 55 lbs gone. Somebody Help Me !! :oops:

When your knee is better (and go to a sports medicine guy to have it checked out) go to a good, reputable running store and have them fit you for running shoes... rotate your shoes (you need at least 2 pairs) and crosstrain... swim, rollerblade, ride your bike, lift weights.... and create a program that keeps you interested... get an ipod (this has been my saving grace!) it makes the workout go easily... and consider a good heartrater monitor so that you work smart and efficiently... learn your rhythms and learn to know what your heartrate is so that you manage your workout.

Last, if you can't do any of that... WALK an hour a day at a brisk pace. Exercise in the early am if you can, it helps you create a pace for your body for the whole day.

Good Luck! Hang in there!

I hear ya guys... I'm younger than a lot of you but after college I put on some pounds. In high school I was chunky, but by sophmore year of college I was at 155lbs and 5'9''. How, I have no idea... I ate pizza, burgers and friend chicken all the time and drank waaaay too much beer. I gained about 20 or 25lbs after college and I'm trying to get rid of it this summer. I'm doing a little carpentry work and counting calories, in the past 2 weeks I've lost 7 pounds. In the next month or 2 I hope to down to about 160 which would be fine by me.... For me, I'm cutting back portions, drinking diet soda, no (or very little) beer or sweets, and eating a lot of cereal and salad (fat free vinigrette dressing- not bad at all) which is pretty filling for it's calorie content. Just watch the condiments, like salad dressing and mayo as they're really high in fat/calories and useless calories like pop and beer and ice cream and things. I'll check in a couple weeks and give an update.

Glad I'm not alone in this...

I lost 55 lbs running, then my knee starting hurting big time, so 1 1/2 yrs later I've gained it all back. I used weight watchers along with the running and in 6 months 55 lbs gone. Somebody Help Me !! :oops:

When your knee is better (and go to a sports medicine guy to have it checked out) go to a good, reputable running store and have them fit you for running shoes... rotate your shoes (you need at least 2 pairs) and crosstrain... swim, rollerblade, ride your bike, lift weights.... and create a program that keeps you interested... get an ipod (this has been my saving grace!) it makes the workout go easily... and consider a good heartrater monitor so that you work smart and efficiently... learn your rhythms and learn to know what your heartrate is so that you manage your workout.

Last, if you can't do any of that... WALK an hour a day at a brisk pace. Exercise in the early am if you can, it helps you create a pace for your body for the whole day.

Good Luck! Hang in there!

Thanks for the tip...

Amigo,

Just know we are out here rooting for you! When I think about how hard that struggle is, it is hard to do on your own... so at least in a cyber way... there are many of us who are rootin' for you...

If you can find someone to train with that is great... My schedule is just too crazy to saddle anyone with so I have to do it alone... but a neighbor is a marathoner and he and a woman I work with sent me to the running store... man! they video tape you running and analyze your stride etc and make sure you have the right shoes... like running on pillows! no shin splints and no bad knees (which in college when I played baseball I had my knees drained probably twice a month so knee problems initially contributed to me getting out of shape) Now I feel better than I did at 25 (20 years ago!)

So, hang in there... I'll ping you in a few weeks to see what kind of progress you've made! Stick to it!

Well, I finally have something to report. The Mrs. and I have been trying to eat better. We cut out sugar, and eat much more sensible portions. We're also trying to be careful about our carbs, and whole grains and stuff.

I lost 8 pounds so far! Which is good for me, as I haven't lost in such a long time. I can't wait to lose even more.

<li>Dew watt chew kin but behave yer bad seffs. Jes be happy and fill erry day with watt makes yew happy. Bad thangs kin happin no matter watt (or in spite of watt) yew eat.
<li>I gar-on-tee won thang, yew ain't a gonna cee me runnin up and down the ray-road track a wearin out my liddo body.

Amen, Fuzzy! "Eat well, exercise, die anyway."

I started using an electric wheelchair 10 years ago after using a manual for most of my previous life. I imagine I gained 50 lbs. from doing so. To balance that, however, my elbow stopped hurting all the time from pushing a chair. Now I play guitar regularly again and that makes me happier than dragging myself all over Tempe under my own power ever would.

I'd rather live another 10 years and have fun than another 30 worrying about my health. But that's just me and I might be crazy.... :P

Update:

5 more pounds gone!

I use to be a workout fool in my younger days...karate,kung fu,running ,weightlifting....then I gained 100 pounds about 10 yrs ago, when I was driving a big truck over the road...then I got the news I was type II diabetic...well the Doc has been on my but to loose weight ...so it finally got through to me...
I bought me an exercise bike a couple-o-weeks ago...been riding every day about 45 min....well I started feeling purty good ,so I bought myself a bowflex...I use to like to use cables when I was a gym rat....so I thought a bowflex would be cool....I'm hoping to drop the 100 pounds ,my pants are allready getting loose....
So I'm on my way to "slimville" .... ;^)

Man! I thought this thread was about those funky
donut tires that come with new cars......

6' 1 & 3/4" and 210 lbs.

Moved to California for 2 years and lived off of zucchini and rice for
7 months while looking for work and spending all my money on rent.
Even after I found work, rent was so expensive, I ate frugally.

If it wasn't for an old Japanese lady across the street that owned
a health food store coming by with goodies now & then, I think I
would have starved.

Went to bed MANY nights hungry - weird feeling because I was in
my mid 30's at the time. Got down to 173 lbs. The starvation diet
really works but I don't recommend it.

Well, thanks for the inspiration. I went on the south beach diet a few week ago and have dropped over 10 lbs and a few waist sizes as well.

Now I have to shop for some smaller size pants.:grin:

On Saturday I accomplished a 120 mile bike ride in 10 hours through the beautiful mountains of Colorado.
Two years ago, 35 pounds ago, this would not have been possible. Already making plans to do it again next year.

Hey y'all. I'm glad to see this thread is still going.

I haven't really lost any more weight. My diet was a little intense and caused me to plateau, and I was fine with that, as it coincided with my first gallery opening, graduation, a trip to the beach, and my best friend's wedding . . . all events that required mass consumption of food and drink!

After all that, I expected to gain a little (or more) back. Stepped on the scale and . . . nothing. Same weight as when i ended the crazy diet. Fifty pounds from my starting point, still about fifty to go. So I took it easy for a few weeks, at whatever I want, then stepped on the scale again . . . still no change.

The catch: I've been running a mile five days a week. And I walk the same mile on the weekends. I've been eating literally whatever I want. The scale doesn't move.

This is encouraging, because I know that if I keep the exercise up, I can always stop the diet and maintain my weight. I do still want to return to the intense regimen and drop the rest of these pounds, but it's comforting to know I can take a break and keep them off.

As far as the running goes: it's pretty amazing. Yesterday I ran two miles, though not all at once. It puts me in such a good mood. Granted, it took me six months to work up to the mile a day thing, but it was worth it.

Good luck to you all.

Well, as of this morning, I've lost 20 1/2 pounds this summer.

So far, I'm diggin' it!

Still got a ways to go, though.

A. all diets cause you to gain weight

B. the only method that works is a radical lifestyle change:

1. exercise
2. eat only fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes, along with protein (meat, fish eg).

i've lost 25 pounds since january. it was easy for me, because i live alone.

the difficult part is shopping. you have to learn to read and interpret labels, and completely avoid entire aisles. and, you have to learn to prepare your meals...

eating properly is anarchistic. we are literally brainwashed, from birth, to consume as much fat, sugar, starch and other poisons as possible. to do otherwise is considered to be "not normal", so be prepared to be castigated from mainstream society. most people only pay lip service (er...sorry...:lol:) to the concept of eating properly.

good luck!

the benefits go far beyond weight loss. at 58, i have my youthful energy back, after decades of lethargy. i feel amazing. chronic health issues virtually disappeared (indigestion, poor bowel movements, headaches, etc etc etc).

-dh

Well, I got off to a really late start with this because I'm a *ing procrastinator, but I bought a stationary recumbent exercise bike tonight and I start sweating first thing in the morning. It'll take a while and I have probably triple digits to lose, but I can do it. After I get in enough shape that I can work out in the company gym, I'll alternate between my bike. But I need to lose 25 and get 20 points off my BP before I can do that. I might even be able to have a sex life again.

But I'm gonna do it. I'll probably b*tch and moan about how I hate not being able to have pizza, but I can have the sauce on veggies adn chicken, so it won't be that bad. And I can have RIBS!

P.s. Hoodia works pretty well to curb appetite. Harmless too.

Man, that tall burger looks really good!!! I'm a thin guy so I can do those once in awhile. Pete, good luck!!

Well I was only on level 2 but I got 45 minutes in. I feel tired but good. Been tired since i got off the bike. Sure helps to have an ipod on shuffle when I'm going...I'm drinking a ton of water and I've had two small batches of prunes so far today. I'll start using a scale in two weeks. I plan to go 45 min every day, no breaks.

I srarted and lost 10 lbs the first two weeks, and then gained 1 lb the third week, probably due to some heavy partying at the Twins game...

Well, I'm happy to report that I'm down 25 pounds! Still got a fair ways to go, but I think it's a great start. My close fit a little better, and I'n not quite so huge-esque.:grin:

Well I'm comin' to this party a little late, but at least I got here.

41, 5'9", 175. When I was in college, and doing a lot of technical climbing and high mountain work, I was a strong 165. Would like to get back into that neighborhood. Some of my favorite loud cowboy shirts don't quite fit.

Joined a gym on Thursday for a good price. Had my first workout yesterday morning, 3 circuits with low weights, high reps, and 25 minutes on the treadmill. A few things are a little tight this morning, but in a good way.

I've never been a really bad eater, but will try to make a few changes there, too... substitute salad for fries when I do fast food a couple times per week, and try to substitute real fruit juice for the lunchtime diet coke.

Mostly, the problem is that over the past 4 or 5 years, in what little free time I have left, I traded tennis and bicycling for playing in a band. I need to scratch out a few hours a week to be more 'active'...

...didja ever get the feeling the diet and food industries are in cahoots?

"you fatten 'em up and we'll sell them snake oil."

:twisted:

Okay here goes the porky story.

Gained over 50 lbs in the last four years, metabolism slowed, I kept eating, thought it was okay to slow down on the exercise. Clothes didn't fit anymore, one old friend called me morbidly obese! At 266lbs! I am 6 feet tall. So this is what I did, starting the second week of June this year.

I decided to eat mostly fresh food. I stopped fast food period. I stopped any soda pop with sugar or anything else, like fruit juice with sugar. I stopped beer. Still have them in the fridge. I stopped desserts.

This is what I started. I can't eat early, I have to be up for awile, 2 hours or so. Banana's, peaches, plums, oatmeal with raisans, fresh ones not canned or processed fruits. I eat them one right after the other if I have to stop my hunger. Plain bagels are good also. I bring one of each in my lunch box to work. I drink diet soda or those fruity water things without sugar or caffeine or water.

Lunches are leftovers from dinners. Each night when I get home I make salad for dinner and work at the same time, putting one in a container the other in a salad bowl, cutting up every vegetable I can find. I take some of those veggies and put them in an aluminum foil sack with marinade or salad dressing. I put in a small potato, peppers of any kind, mushrooms, asparagus, squash, zucchini. I take the small sack and put it on the top rack of the BBQ outside. I take steak or chicken or fish or pork or whatever, even turkey and throw it on the BBQ all on very low fire. I paste it with marinade or something.

Now the best part. I work out while I cook. Light weights, exercise bike right on the patio next to the BBQ. I get a diet Pepsi, even have a shot of Tequila for fun. I do the bike for 3 or 4 minutes at a time. Lift 10 to 25 lb weights. Not really hard. I eat as much as I want, the rest for lunch.

I have lost 16 lbs since I started, didn't think it would work. Had 2 beers and a shot of tequila last night and almost fell off the bike. Now at 250. Next week the 240's!

Okay here goes the porky story.
Gained over 50 lbs in the last four years, metabolism slowed, I kept eating, thought it was okay to slow down on the exercise. Clothes didn't fit anymore, one old friend called me morbidly obese! At 266lbs! I am 6 feet tall. So this is what I did, starting the second week of June this year.
I decided to eat mostly fresh food. I stopped fast food period. I stopped any soda pop with sugar or anything else, like fruit juice with sugar. I stopped beer. Still have them in the fridge. I stopped desserts.
This is what I started. I can't eat early, I have to be up for awile, 2 hours or so. Banana's, peaches, plums, oatmeal with raisans, fresh ones not canned or processed fruits. I eat them one right after the other if I have to stop my hunger. Plain bagels are good also. I bring one of each in my lunch box to work. I drink diet soda or those fruity water things without sugar or caffeine or water.
Lunches are leftovers from dinners. Each night when I get home I make salad for dinner and work at the same time, putting one in a container the other in a salad bowl, cutting up every vegetable I can find. I take some of those veggies and put them in an aluminum foil sack with marinade or salad dressing. I put in a small potato, peppers of any kind, mushrooms, asparagus, squash, zucchini. I take the small sack and put it on the top rack of the BBQ outside. I take steak or chicken or fish or pork or whatever, even turkey and throw it on the BBQ all on very low fire. I paste it with marinade or something.
Now the best part. I work out while I cook. Light weights, exercise bike right on the patio next to the BBQ. I get a diet Pepsi, even have a shot of Tequila for fun. I do the bike for 3 or 4 minutes at a time. Lift 10 to 25 lb weights. Not really hard. I eat as much as I want, the rest for lunch.
I have lost 16 lbs since I started, didn't think it would work. Had 2 beers and a shot of tequila last night and almost fell off the bike. Now at 250. Next week the 240's!

...kudos, brother. but be patient. proper, healthy weight loss takes time. stay focused, and determined. and, instead of reaching for a snack, enjoy that hungry feeling.

for me, losing the first 10-15 pounds was easy. every pound after that was a heartbreaker. i still have a long way to go to get to my target, and then the real fun begins - keeping it off.

-dh

glad to see people are still going with this thread.

thought i'd share this:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

personally, i'm dropping the weight again. i went back on the 1200 cal/day thing, but only lost two pounds the first week. ate 2000 cal/day this week and lost four pounds! gotta keep the metabolism up . . .

Well, I'm very late to this thread, (and been scarce 'round these Tele parts lately) but here's my story:

43yrs 5'8, was up to 228 back in early May. Decided I had to do SOMETHING, thought I'd give Atkins another go. Started that, just the eating part, haven't exercised to any degree in years. Lost about 15 lbs by Mother's Day. Monday after Mother's Day I had a heart attack. Mild, according to the Doc (it's always "mild" when it's someone else! :razz: ), they did a heart cath, and told me I had blockage in several spots, but the good news was I didn't permanently damage anything, and it was all reversible with proper diet and exercise.

Starting then, I've let go the fried stuff, the high fat stuff, the sweet stuff, and started exercising. I'm down to 194, feeling better than I have in a LONG time, and hopefully when I go in for a checkup next week my levels will keep the Doc from hollerin at me.

Anyway just thought I'd share with you guys. Lots of you have been at this a while and I congratulate you for stickin to it.....I'm motivated; hopefully you won't get that same motivation!

Well I've been on my wieght loss program for a couple of months now. I started out at 295, & am now down to 273. I really dug the exercise bike I bought , & the bowflex. Since then I have bought an eliptickle, & some of the bowflex "selectech" dumbells. I've kinda gone hogwild...I'm riding the bike 30 minutes for a "warmup" then I do my crunches, & pushups. Then I do about 20 min of wieght lifting...Then I get on the eliptickle. I'm having to work up to doing it, for some reason I find it very difficult, but I wanted to do something that was wieght bearing.... then I get back on the bike for another 30 min...then do about 15 mins of streaching.Been burning over 500 calories a day in my workout.
I have cut back on my food intake. Kinda easy to do when I think about how hard I'm workin to burn the calories. Most days I have a bowl of cereal in the morning, a Subway "wrap" sandwitch for lunch & a salad for dinner.
Today I turned 51 years young, & my goal is to get down to 189 by this time next year. That is what I weighed before I gained all the wieght when I was driving over the road.
I really haven't noticed my diabetes getting better regulated. As a matter of fact my last visit to the doctor for my "blood work" he raised my dosage of meds again. He's raised it the last four times I've done "blood work" . So I was a little disappointed, since I had started working out by the time I last went to him. ...BUT I've lost about 12 pounds since then. So I'm hoping by the time I go back, maybe at least I won't have to up my meds again. I can't afford to go on insulin injections, since I drive a big truck. If your on insulin injections you CAN'T drive a big truck, and I need this job!!

Well I've lost another 3 pounds , down to 270. I've been reading up on calories, & wieght loss. The rate I've been loosing is about what is suggested. "They" say 1 to 2 pounds a week is what you should shoot for. I've been lossing 2 to 3 pounds a week. I'm hoping I can be down to 245 or so by christmas time. That'd be a good "present" to give myself. I'm thinking about joining Weight Watchers, my sister has been a member for a couple of years she lost over 60 pounds ,& has keep the weight off. So I'm thinking it might be a good thing!

Lost 15 lbs, but gained at least two back tonight - got into the fried asian food and some hagen....you know, coffee ice cream.

I think my baby weight is gone. The past three years we have had two kids and it was really hard staying fit. Now I am playing soccer two times a week and don't need to sympathy eat. I have lost about 15 pounds. I feel great.

Well I kinda hit a plateau there for a while , was stuck at 270...but ...I'm now down to 265. I heard about working out in warmer temps , without AC...so... on days where it's not just stifleing hot (upper 90's) I've been working out & sleeping at night without the AC on... Supposed to help keep your metabolic rate high....seems to be working, cause I got out of the rut I'd been in for a couple-o-weeks...

I'd like to add that I've been losing weight for the past year. Around 40 lbs give or take a few? Just in the last couple of days I have had a massive urge for chocolate! The worst part is I have been feeding this urge and my face with it! I can balloon up to "Michelin Man" size at the drop of a hat if it goes unchecked.
Pray for me!

I'd like to add that I've been losing weight for the past year. Around 40 lbs give or take a few? Just in the last couple of days I have had a massive urge for chocolate! The worst part is I have been feeding this urge and my face with it! I can balloon up to "Michelin Man" size at the drop of a hat if it goes unchecked.
Pray for me!
I'm pulling for ya brother!

Well it's been a couple of weeks since my last post. I'm now down to 261 pounds! I've been putting in quite a few hours at work ,but I've still managed to stick to my workouts! I'M GONNA DO THIS THANG!!! Just 70 more pounds to get to where I'm wanting to get.

Hello,

I stumbled across this thread on my travles through the net today and I just wanted to know if you guys could give me some advice.

I'm not fat by any means or even close, but I am getting a bit of a gut and at 21 I just feel that I shouldnt be allowing that to happen.

I work out at a wal mart as a cashier so no real work there, I drink Dr Pepper like there is no tomorrow, I'm a bit of a couch potato and spend alot of my time out of work sitting at a computer, its not uncommon for me to eat one meal a day (normally my lunch break at work around 3 - 4 ish) I'm definatly a meat eatter, oh and I eat cheese on like everything. As far as excersize, I used to work at a gym and at that time I was much more in shape, but now I dont work out that much or anything.

So, any help you guys could give me on how to quickly get rid of my gut would be very helpful. Thank you all in advance!

Tristen

I guess I should also add that I'm about 5 foot 8 and weighed around 175 last I knew.

Im working on doing a few pushups followed by some sit-ups every night before bed. Also dropping the junk food, soda drinks and temporarily giving up all alchohol. I doubt any dramatic changes will happen soon, but hopefully after sticking with it for a few months I should be feeling more healthy.

Fairwell, Whiskey and Dr.Pepper...you shall be missed. You too Friday lunch time Cookie.

I'm in. I've been doing weight watchers for a week and a half. (I cheated this weekend, and last night) but am not starting over just continuing. I started at 270 Monday sept. 18 and am now at 266.8. I am right under 6ft so this is pretty fat for me. I was chubby when I graduated high school at 225 and and have gained since then. So my goal is to get down to about 185. Lets see thats 85 big ones for me. I will keep you posted on my progress. Weight watchers does work btw. You can eat anything you want just not truckloads of it. Also no late night snacking(worst thing you can do) I find the points I'm alloted are more than enough. I just have to make sure I always count them.

I've got a good diet program.

Get a dog!

I adopted a dog two months ago, and have lost at least 12 lbs since then.
We take walks four times a day: when we wake up, at lunch, in the late afternoon, and before we go to bed. It's brisk walking, and the combined time is 2.5 - 3 hours/day. That burns some calories!
At first, I had sore feet, and was sweating a lot. Now, I have much stronger legs, better stamina, and a friend for life!

Highly recommended!

(I also lift some free weights, but that adds more than it takes away...)

/ Tony

(I also lift some free weights, but that adds more than it takes away...)

/ Tony

Yes you are right that lifting can add more weight but it is nowhere as fast as fat can be added or lost and having extra muscle mass is definately not a bad thing. Muscle helps to burn fat as well as make you look good, prevent injuries etc.

Yes you are right that lifting can add more weight but it is nowhere as fast as fat can be added or lost and having extra muscle mass is definately not a bad thing. Muscle helps to burn fat as well as make you look good, prevent injuries etc.
Yes, I agree with everything you wrote.

I've been lifting for about a year, and it has added some muscle mass, but not taken away much fat.
The extensive walking I'm doing with my dog burns fat, and in combination with the lifting it's the best of both worlds. The lifting adds muscle and strength, and the walking burns fat.

So, get a dog (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/bad-dog-cafe/56762-show-us-your-bad-dog%28s%29.html), and some free weights! :wink:

/ Tony

I drink Dr Pepper like there is no tomorrow, I'm a bit of a couch potato and spend alot of my time out of work sitting at a computer, its not uncommon for me to eat one meal a day

...skipping meals will cause weight gain AND poor health. as well, you would be shocked to find out the insane amount of sugar in a single can of dr pepper, or any other pop.

-dh

I heard if you drink 1 can of soda a day , & do nothing to burn it off you will gain 15 pounds a year!

I'm not sure this is where I should send this message, but I hope it gets through. I'am Tammie Smith, I'am the fiancee of Shuggie1, Dan "shuggie" passed away this past Tuesday. I feel that it is important for everyone on th TDPRI site to know, as he truly loved his music and his paisley b-bender, he visited this site often, always filling me in the happenings. As musicians, I hope that you will remember him in some way or another.
Sincerely,
Tammie Smith

I started out June 20th on my own private crusade to a healthier life. I am one of those people who have a good life even though I am a big man. I can’t say my life suck at all from being big. However I got challenged by a friend of mine to get in better shape to have more energy in my every day life. I have always been big and strong. I used to do power shows lifting, crushing and breaking stuff, so although I am a fat dude, I haven’t been one of the lazy ones.

The first thing I did was alter my eating habits when it comes to what to eat and when to eat. My problem was that I did not care what I ate or when I ate it. I could be up and about for 4-5 hrs before I had my first meal, then not eat anything until dinner at 8 or 9 in the evening.
Now I eat 30 minutes after getting up, then I have regular meals through out the day, loads of veggies, chicken, fruits and your general healthy food.

I work out 5-6 times a week as well, between 1,5 and 2 hrs each time. I warm up at the treadmill and go on with a program of weight lifting in various forms. The last 70 days or so, I have lost about 8 inches of my waist size. My arms are getting back to being huge but not flabby, my chest is rising and my shoulders are becoming broader again. People actually see a lot of change in the way I look and I can walk a lot faster and longer.

The great thing about this is that I have gotten a lot of my friends involved in this too so we work out together and have loads of fun. Nice thread this one.

Reporting back in, I was up to like 175 or 180 last spring. At 5'9'' that was a little more than I wanted. In college I was 155. Well after counting calories and cutting back on beer, red meat and sweets (cutting back, not cutting out) I'm down to 165. That was kinda my target weight, but it was pretty effortless so I think I'll aim for 160.

Couting calories works guys, you jsut have to to have patience.

Well the weight seems to be coming off a little slower now...been purty busy with work , but I'm trying to keep up my workouts...I'm down to 257 now , & feeling much better!

I joined a gym this week hoping to lose my beer gut (only to have the time of my life regaining it later! LOL just kidding).

I will be trying out what they call HIIT (high intensity interval training) on bike, rower, elliptical & treadmill) plus good old-fashioned weight lifting.

I hope to lose about 25 lbs, give or take.

It's cool to see all the posters here w/their success stores...I hope to join ya! -jason

i like this thread. i'm not speaking for myself, but i'd like my dad to drop the spare. Him and my mom try to eat healthier, and enjoy walking together, but he still enjoys his diet coke and chili cheese dip. Personally, my metabolism is still kicking, so i'm 6ft, 155lbs. No exercise needed........yet

Down to 251, & counting...
I'm off work on vacation this week..
.plan on getting in some KILLER workouts!

Slowly but surely....I'm down a total of 38 pounds. :grin:

Went for a run yesterday for the first time in two years. My kid turned three and I said to myself: If you don't start again now you never will.

Disappointing run, but I don't know what I expected. I lasted about 25 minutes, pace slightly faster than snail, significantly slower that tortise.

Legs are hurting today, that's expected. But I've got to keep it up, have to motivate!

Get rid of it? Man, I just got it!

Well my weight dropage kinda slowed ,& I gained a few back during Thanksgiving...
So far I've just been losing by working out ,& trying to eat less...
Well I've decided to "kick it up" a notch...
I ordered the "Nutri-System" meals & started eating them last Friday...
It's Monday & I've lost 5 pounds...I'm hoping this is what I need to get things rolling again!

I nearly lost my lower left leg in a bad falling accident in 2003. I gained about 30 lbs also. After being cleared by my ortho, ( and having the rod and hardware removed ) I atsrted working out again after 2 years. I work out 5 days per week, have always been in great shape ( I used to be a rofessional bicycle racer and musician) I still have issues with my leg, but at least I am healthy again. it sucked getting back to a normal weight, but it was worth the work to get there.

Down to 245...the Nutri System meals seem to be helping...eating less,but complete meals...going to "learn" to eat the right sized portions, then keep it up!

12/19/06...down to 242!
Had to work a bunch of overtime the last 2 day's..for Christmas...
I have only done my "Abs of Steel" video...man that chick'll make them abs get to BURNIN' :lol:
AND... I've still lost 3 pounds ...Nutri-Systems must be workin!!!

12/25/06 My Christmas present to myself...down to 239!!!
1 pound shy of 60 pounds lost!!

good work zane -those lentz can fit more closely!

im 51, 5'9, amd 182-have gone from a 11 minute mile to 8 minutes -running 4-5 miles every day-have been really good until yesterday when i kinda broke down and had a guiness and some x mas toffee-back on the wagon tomorrow-big snow here so i just kinda went a little cabin crazy i guess

for me its making ceratin i work out every goddam day (slowly got into a few on and afew off -erratic) -no exceptions now -big change big help

I was about 200 at beginning of august (i'm 5-10) and managed to get down to 180 with better diet, lifestyle and exercise.

UNFORTUNATELY, the holiday season has put some back on me. It's really tough, with visiting, travelling, huge numbers of holiday meals. blah....

today was the new years/nephew birthday feast extravaganza. I feel physically ill with nausea from eating too much and i feel fat all of a sudden. I'n not sure how much i've put back on (maybe 5 in last 2 weeks?) but, I'm back on the road to better living, for sure....

so count me in to the tally for taking up whatever challenge we're taking on...

Glad to see this thread is still alive and well and kudos to everyone who has made progress and as well to all those who continue to try to achieve a healthier lifestyle. I have to admit this has not been easy for me and with the passing of my father this fall due to heart disease, I realize I have to try much harder. It's been tough to maintain an exercise regime due to ongoing knee problems and recently problems with my foot. Coming back here and reading some of these posts has inspired me to dust myself off and give it another go. So in the words of George Costanza, "I'm back in the saddle baby!!!" :lol: :lol:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m251/Caper177/100_2951.jpg?t=1167749768

Lost 50lbs since May. After being in the hospital for heart matters, I finally woke up and started regulating food, sweets and beer for the 1st time ever. Still enjoy 4-5 pints a week instead of 3-4 each day. Never felt better and looking forward to many more years of guitar pickin'.

Another one here who doesn't want to be a Tele tubby.

Time for another blast at this. I've done it before, so I know it's possible. That's the biggest help to me, really. Knowing that there's no psychological barrier to achieving my goal again. It's a great incentive and a driver.

Okay, now the details.

I'm 39, 5'9" and at the moment, a rather larger 216 than I'd like to be. I was this weight before, 5 years ago, just after Easter. A bad time for a chocaholic! Christmas isn't wonderful either, lol. Probably worse, with lots of other stuff around too. But anyway. At the end of July, I turn 40, :shock: so I want to be there by that red letter day! That's a target of 40lbs in 30 weeks (OK, it's 29) that's less than a pound and a half, a week.

The last time, I got from 217 all the way down to 177. All of 40 lbs. Try lifting that, maybe five or six 7-8lb Telecasters!

My mission was aided by a bicycle, lots of water and more regular eating. The body will retain what it doesn't have, it's a must to eat regularly. Starving yourself or skipping meals actually defeats the purpose!

Another thing I learned was that the body will feed off carbohydrates before fat, so potatoes and bread were reduced. The less carbs there, the sooner the fat gets hit! I didn't cut out anything, just cut down. Not even fat, as the body needs all types of food groups to keep itself working properly.

It's all about getting into a way of thinking about food. After about a month of this, I was physically unable to eat what I had scoffed effortlessly not long before. The less you eat, the less the body expects and needs. To a finite point, of course.

As a marker to progress, I've opened a text document, with the numbers from 217 down to 175 on the page, with each half stone marked in red. As I reach each one, I'll write the date alongside and see how I'm going. I'll post progress reports here, along with Zane and others.

Congrats, Zane, on incredible progress so far, I'm sure you don't know yourself! Hope you enjoyed the best Christmas present anyone could ever give you. And I hope your beloved appreciated and enjoyed it even more. :wink: Keep going, with all our encouragement and support.


Very appropriately, while typing this, I've just heard what will become the theme tune to my new campaign...Elvis - a Little Less Conversation....A Little More Action! :razz: So funny on many different levels.


Telesphere

Thanks Telesphere, yep I'm down to 235 as of this morning...that makes 63 pounds lost so far!!

February, 2006...I panicked, when at a trip to the doc I tipped the scales at 231#....a 14 pound gain over my previous quarterly visit. After a solid scolding from the doctor regarding my dietary habits, I immediately went home & began to study nutritional charts & such to determine where I could cut back on calories. I got on ebay & found a reasonably priced home excercise machine & began to talk around with pals that have such machines about proper use of this gizmo....even got a Chuck Norris DVD on excercise. With several changes in eating habits and using this 'home machine, here's what's happened this far.

January, 2007....yesterday I went & enrolled at the local gym (one of my wife's Christmas gifts to me was a membership here paid up for the year). after all of the paperwork, etc, I hopped on the scales and weighed in at 202# in street clothes. I said, "hold on a second" & emptied my pockets of cell phone, keys, wallet & all...took of my boots. The scales dropped down to 198. That's a loss of 33 pounds in just over 10 months!!! Talking with this "trainer", she said that she could slice of another 20 pounds mainly working on my belly & thighs. So now, I'm really hyped. I've not seen the lower side of 180 in more than twenty years. How realistic this may be, I'm not really sure....I love to cook, so naturally, I love to eat also. I am a drinker, I love my bourbon & no, I'm not giving that up. The trainer lady kinda frowned on those two statements, but I said hey, I'm trying to improve my health a bit, I'm not into becoming a monk. On that note she laughed & set me up for a schedule of Monday, Wed. Fri. morning for an hour each day.

All in all, I'm proud of what I accomplished in 2006 & hopefully during 2007 I can continue improving my health status. I've been retired for 3 years now & it is great....I'd really like to hang on for a while to enjoy it for a bit more.

Im not seeing it myself, mainly because im the one wearing the pants that are the same size and the belt that's still on the same notch (although it does feel a little looser.) but whenever I go home to visit my family they've all said I've lost weight, same with a few friends. If its noticable that's a good thing, haven't weighed myself becuase the only scales we have are broken and weigh everyone at 5 stone...wierd.
Things I've done to help lose weight were nothing major, I started to drink a lot less, which also led to having more moneys in my wallet. I've I felt hungry for a snack, I'd drink a glass of water. Made sure my lunch and dinner meals were full and apetizing, always stick with the sqaure meals. And I walk everywhere, I was doing that anyway but even with the lift right next to my studio at Uni I'll opt to take the stairs. When I can work out a better schedule for myself so im not always juggling work I'll see about joining the gym...wherever it is.

I made a New Year's Resolution to get below 200 again. Promptly on New Year's Eve I got a bacterial infection of the throat that caused me to not be able to eat or drink for a few days. Not the most fun way to lose weight, but it got me back under 200!

Of course, as soon as I get my appetite back my weight will go back up, but then I'll be able to start playing racquetball again. I'm telling you, racquetball is the greatest workout I've ever done, and probably the most fun.

Okay, a mini progress report.

Two weeks in, and I've lost 6lbs. :hyper:

I probably won't continue to lose it at that rate, but as it stands, I'll have lost a stone in one month, rather than the expected two.

I've been drinking a lot of water, and managing to eat a fairly moderate amount of potatoes and bread. Because of the wild and windy weather in the last few weeks, I haven't been able to get out on my bike yet, to aid my efforts.

More reports to follow when the first month is done, two weeks from today.

Telesphere

Deleted.

I made a New Year's Resolution to get below 200 again. Promptly on New Year's Eve I got a bacterial infection of the throat that caused me to not be able to eat or drink for a few days. Not the most fun way to lose weight, but it got me back under 200!

Of course, as soon as I get my appetite back my weight will go back up, but then I'll be able to start playing racquetball again. I'm telling you, racquetball is the greatest workout I've ever done, and probably the most fun.

Only one solution: do some sport. I played tennis for two hours and a half today. Helps a lot...

down to 229...69 pounds so far!