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

[Joe-Bob]

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.

[gtrjones]

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'...

[david henman]

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

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

[dented]

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!

[david henman]

Originally Posted by dented

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

[Cooper]

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 . . .

[geddins]

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! ), 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!

[zane]

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!!

[zane]

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!

[collinsman]

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

[odiemann]

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.

[zane]

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...

[RichardWitt]

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!

[zane]

Originally Posted by RichardWitt

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!

[zane]

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.

[Darkranger85]

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

[Darkranger85]

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

[Grey]

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.

[Stuco]

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.

[Big Tony]

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

[Stuco]

Originally Posted by Big 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.

[Big Tony]

Originally Posted by Stuco

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, and some free weights!

/ Tony

[david henman]

Originally Posted by Darkranger85

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

[zane]

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