I got fat

[Telecaster88]

This thread is awakened at a good time for me. I always was a chubby kid ("Husky" in the parlance of the time) but then ran into a series of serious illnesses in the mid-90's that left me thin as a rain -- too thin. I could never really gain the weight back until I hit 45 and since then it's been a struggle to not flab out.

Somewhat miraculously I lost 20 pounds without really trying during the first year of That Which Shall Not Be Named and felt better than I had in years, and then somewhat mysteriously I gained those 20 pounds back the next year.

I'm an artist so I'm usually sitting at a drawing table or a computer desk all day, and I find myself heading downstairs to unnecessarily snack throughout the day. Time to get back in the saddle. I'm at the age now where health just doesn't come without working for it.

 

[richiek65]

 

[blowtorch]

 

[NoTeleBob]

I’m very tall and I’m broad shouldered, but I still weigh far too much.

A couple of years ago I lost a lot of weight, got in shape and regularly did 10k runs.

This time last year I was at 95kg, a healthy weight for my height. But then I had a long illness that had me not moving very much for a few months and all the weight came back. Laying on your back without changing your diet will do that, my fault. I’m better now but so unfit that I lose my breath on the stairs.

My job is relatively physical but I’m one of those lazy-efficient people who knows how to be productive without moving much. Just walking around leaves me aching at the end of a shift.

I’ve just started running again but I struggle to go more than 5 minutes without 15 minutes of walking afterwards to recover. It’s going to take a long time to get out of this one.

I did a 15km walk-jog to the supermarket and back today. Thought I needed the exercise more than the car did. Took me hours.

You know the formula because you've been there before... so just get back in there and start swinging.

Yeah, I know that's easier than it sounds. Because I'm roughly where you are. But you just have to push and focus on how great it felt to be in shape instead of focusing on the pain/work it will take to get back there.

 

[Brent Hutto]

'Tis better to walk briskly for 45 minutes every day than to run as fast as you can for 20 minutes a couple times a week.

For a lot of people the hardest thing about become active enough to get fitter and burn significant calories is being patient enough to do something every day rather than trying to cram in a week's worth of activity in one intense bout, once in a while.

 

[4pickupguy]

The suggestion of riding a bike is a great one. They’re low impact and its very easy to maintain a cadence. In my indestructible 30’s I became addicted to riding my bike to stay in shape. It became an obsession. I rode my bike to work and back (11 miles each way) every day during the warm months. Finding a safe course to ride is very important. I cut my cheek on the sharp end of my collar bone one day. It’s the last time I rode my bike. My wife and I are getting up in years and having to get serious about our diet. Its extremely hard right now, but once we get past the 6 week habit mark it will be much easier. Its very tough to change because I ate like a teenager with death wish. I still crave the bad foods. I know from experience that will pass.

 

[NeverTooLate]

Funny timing to bring back this thread. I re-started using the stationary bike last night.

I fight two temptations: food and lack of movement. I sit far too much on a chair in front of my desk and two monitors. Far, far too much.

WEIGHT:
I am really surprised by how hard it is to keep things up in my 40s. I thought this would happen like a decade later, LOL?

I just went through another round of weight loss this fall, coming down some 12lb. I fight these 10-12lb every couple years. So my weight is as good as it has been over the last 20 years. But fighting for it all the time.

MOVEMENT:
And then there is the movement part. I need to move more but the gym has not been exciting to me for like a dozen years or more now. I bought a stationary bike during Covid and it collects dust.

I have been sprinting in place daily which is something my wife who works on her feet cannot do at all. So there is that. I can compete with my 16 yo so I am not in terrible shape--but I can easily end up there if I am not careful.

Last night I restarted using the bike. Here is the key I hope will keep this door open: when I used to do treadmill, I was serious about it. I would do uphill and sweat a gallon. That's out of the question now. Good, bad, does not matter; I have zero interest, so it ain't happening.

So I am trying the exact opposite: get on the bike for 5-10 min every few hours. Just to keep blood circulation going.

Also, practicing guitar standing. No sitting.

My wife cannot wait to sit down. I figure we should do 50% of each other's jobs LOL.

 

[2HBStrat]

I’m very tall and I’m broad shouldered, but I still weigh far too much.

A couple of years ago I lost a lot of weight, got in shape and regularly did 10k runs.

This time last year I was at 95kg, a healthy weight for my height. But then I had a long illness that had me not moving very much for a few months and all the weight came back. Laying on your back without changing your diet will do that, my fault. I’m better now but so unfit that I lose my breath on the stairs.

My job is relatively physical but I’m one of those lazy-efficient people who knows how to be productive without moving much. Just walking around leaves me aching at the end of a shift.

I’ve just started running again but I struggle to go more than 5 minutes without 15 minutes of walking afterwards to recover. It’s going to take a long time to get out of this one.

I did a 15km walk-jog to the supermarket and back today. Thought I needed the exercise more than the car did. Took me hours.

Depending on your age and health conditions you maybe should ask your doctor if you should run, or not
My doctor told me not to run. As far as weight, I'm down from 202 to 189 in two months by eliminating carbs and sweets.