# weight loss, diet, and fitness thread



## EricNoah (Sep 9, 2007)

Hey there!

There was some interest expressed in my "gaming and food" thread in the possibility of starting a new weight loss/diet/fitness discussion.  Here are some past threads on this topic that might help contribute to the discussion: 

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=128859&highlight=weight+loss

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=139320&highlight=weight+loss

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=146624&highlight=weight+loss

So ... where are you now, where do you want to be, and how will you get there? Feel free to share what you are comfortable with.

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*Where I am:* I am on the border between normal and overweight for my height (150 for 5'5").  I am in good shape from the waist down (I've been biking a lot this summer) but could use some work on my upper body.  

*Exercise:* I do have a little weight routine that I sometimes do; I just need to kick that up a notch.  As I am transitioning from summer to school (I'm a teacher), I will be biking less.  I need to supplement that with some walks (one 30 min walk a day is not unreasonable; I have done it in the past for months at a stretch) and some aerobic work in the basement (put my bike up on the trainer when it gets really cold out; break out the aerobics DVDs).  *Question:* I kind of wish there was something mindlessly repetitive I could do with my upper body the way I do with biking -- something that would allow me to listen to an iPod or watch a video or read while I was doing it.  I get bored before I get tired, generally, when I exercise.  

*Diet:* I have a journal that I keep which includes a daily chart for recording food.  I've gotten good at guestimating caloric content.  I need to stay at or below 2000 calories a day to maintain my weight; or I need to hit 1500-1800 a day to lose weight.  During the school year, I do a great job at breakfast and lunch keeping calories reasonable.  My "weak time" is dinner and afterwards.  If I'm not careful I can put away my whole daily alotment in those 3-4 hours.  

*Goals:* I would like to drop about 5 lbs, maintain my lower body fitness, and increase my upper body fitness.  I also need to continue to record my food (it's discouraging to fill in that chart after I've had a poor day w/regard to diet, but it needs to be done so I can see patterns).


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## scourger (Sep 9, 2007)

I'm with you.  Here's my situation:

*Where I am.*  I am at the highest weight I've ever been.  I need to loose about 100 pounds.  

*Exercise.*  I walk mornings with my son in a stroller.  I am more diligent to get it done weekdays than weekends.  

*Nutrition Plan.*  I'm using the nutrition plan from Food Addicts Anonymous.  It is elimination of sugar, wheat & flour to reduce high glycemic loading & crashing.  It is a lot of food.  Most times I am completely stuffed after a meal, and I am rarely hungry.  

*Goal.*  I need to lose weight, but more importantly I need to be healthy.  I felt much better without carying extra weight around after diets in the past.  The problem for me is follow-up.  I go back to the old habits over the course of several years.  My biggest goal is to keep the plan going so that I maintain good health.


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## delericho (Sep 9, 2007)

In case it helps anyone, the single most effective change I made to bringing my diet under control was to fix meal-times, and then to only eat at those mealtimes. Oh, and in between times, I only drink water.

The second most effective change was to take charge of cooking for myself. I try hard not to succumb to the temptation or ordering in pizza, or popping out to McDonalds when I can't be bothered. That way, I basically have control over what I'm eating and when, and cut out a lot of the preservatives and salts that most 'processed' foods are loaded with as well.

The thing that will probably kill me, though, are soft drinks, particularly Irn Bru (it's a Scottish drink that is essentially tooth decay in a can). I drink far too many of there. And I _hate_ the diet versions, so switching to those is a non-starter. Does anyone have any possible solutions to that problem?

Oh, and lest I forget:

*Where I am:* I don't know exactly. I think I may be as many as 50 pounds over my 'ideal weight' based on BMI. That said, everyone in the know I've ever spoken to has said that BMI is a lousy measure, so I don't know what the actual ideal would be.

*Exercise:* Well, playing the bagpipes is a pretty solid cardio-vascular workout, but otherwise isn't really exercise as such. During summer, and weather permitting, I will go for a walk along the canal (about 2 miles along, and then back) a couple of times a week. And, depending on work commitments, I occasionally play an hour of badminton on Fridays.

*Diet:* This is pretty good, I think. I eat a proper breakfast, get sufficient fruit and/or veg (the five-a-day they recommend in the UK. The US recommendation is ten-a-day, but a 'serving' is half the size), and generally avoid taking in too much fat. It's the drinks that are a problem.

*Goal:* I would like to shift at least half of that excess weight (so, 25ish pounds). Additionally, I'm concerned about my blood pressure, so a reduction there would be a good thing. My suspicion is that that will probably take care of itself, though, if I take the right steps with the weight loss.


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## RangerWickett (Sep 9, 2007)

Last summer, one of my female friends lost about 30 pounds in preparation of getting proposed to. *grin* She put a lot of effort into it, but the results were fast and dramatic.

Me, I'm 5'10", I currently weigh 210, and I would like to ultimately get to 180. This month I'm shooting for losing 5 lbs., which has eluded me for a long time. I was getting close to that when I tore my ACL and was unable to exercise for months, but now I'm back to jogging, and it's actually required by my physical therapy that I be active, so it shouldn't be too hard.

Thing is, I tend to be a lunch person, and most of my friends are dinner people, so I either have to skip out on social dinners, or skip out on lunch. I think honestly if I adopted better sleep habits, I'd feel less lethargic in the afternoon, and would have less desire to eat to get up my energy. But I'm also trying to save money, and lunch is generally cheaper than dinner. Ah, dilemmas.

However, I've realized that a) soda is unnecessary, and b) it's expensive. If I had a soda every day at a restaurant, that habit would almost be as expensive as smoking. Humans survived just fine with water for millions of years, so I've tried to cut out soda at restaurants except for niche cases where they go together or so well. Like pizza. I just can't do water with pizza.

Good luck, all.


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## xrpsuzi (Sep 9, 2007)

*Excellent idea Eric!*

*Where I am:* I'm on the borderline of over-weight and obese, but I've decided to get down to my ideal weight, kicking the crap out of my type 2 diabetes in the process. There's a semi-concensus with the doctors that there's a good chance my diabetes will become a non-factor once I loose weight (i.e. I make enough insulin but the fat is mucking up the system of insulin absorbtion and use).

*Exercise:* Exercise is the easy part of losing weight for me. Currently I'm averaging 3 times a week of cardio, but I would like to step that up to at least 5 times a week and eventually every day except for sick days. I do a mix of cardio and targeted toning (pilates, yoga, push-ets. etc). This is my first winter in the midwest, so I'm a little concerned with getting enough exercise in the winter since I like to do much of my exercise outside, but I've got an eliptical machine and a mess of muscle-building/toning exercises that Joe and I use to do in India (where popping into the gym wasn't so easy unless you were in a big city).

*Nutrition Plan:* This is my dreaded nemisis! I'm starting out at 1500 cal/day and as I plateau, I will slowly curb that down to 1200 cal. Being diabetic makes food selection even more narrow, and while I love to cook, I get tired of cooking/preparing diet food. I started Nutrisystem a few weeks ago to supplement my diet with balanced portion-controlled meals when I don't feel like cooking. I'm not fond of processed foods in general, but it's better to pop in a Nutri-system meal than eat out at BK when I don't feel like cooking.   

*Goal:* Lose on average 1 pound a week for the next year. I just weighed in this morning and I'm on track--2 pounds after 2 weeks and a nice 1/2 inch off my waist. In total, I would like to lose 50 pounds, which would put me at my ideal weight with a 5-10 pound buffer to make future weight maintance easier.

-suzi


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## Jeysie (Sep 10, 2007)

I need to lose 60 pounds, but I can't figure out how I'm ever gonna do it.  I have several things going against me...

1. Food & eating.

For one, I'm a terminally lousy cook, and I don't have time to cook anyway. So I have to eat a lot of no-cook or microwave stuff, which usually isn't that healthy (though I don't eat any outright junk food).

For two, even though I love fruits and veggies, buying fresh ones frequently is much too expensive for my meager budget. So I don't get to eat as many of either as I'd like (and what I do eat is generally limited to bagged salad and veggie-heavy Lean Cuisine meals).

For three, I get stomach-growling hungry every three to four hours, which also makes me tired and sluggish. So at home I need to eat frequently (which makes it hard to cut calories), and I still have yet to find a good lunch combo I can bring to work that's quick and easy to prepare and carry and won't leave me starving for half the workday (and isn't calorie-heavy).

2. Exercise.

I walk to and from work each day... about 20 minutes each way. And I sometimes walk to the store(s) on weekends.

But other than that... I'm at a loss for how to get more exercise. I'm badly clutzy, so sports and dance stuff is out. And I find things like weight-lifting routines, aerobics, treadmills, etc. to be utterly mind-numbingly boring. Even if I try watching TV or something while exercising, I still start getting bored about 10 minutes in and give up and go do something mentally stimulating. And I only like walking if I'm actually going somewhere... the few times I've tried walking just for the sake of walking I again got bored, even with music.

So, yeah. I've kind of resigned myself to always being fat, because I have yet to think of how to overcome any of these problems. 

Peace & Luv, Liz


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## xrpsuzi (Sep 10, 2007)

Jeysie said:
			
		

> I need to lose 60 pounds, but I can't figure out how I'm ever gonna do it.  I have several things going against me...
> 
> 1. Food & eating.
> 
> ...




For work, bring fruit and veggies to snack on during the day. Bananas and carrots are fairly inexpensive and have lots of vitamins. Apples and oranges can be less expensive when you buy the bag on sale. Celery with a little sugar-free peanut butter is a nice snack too. I love ants on a log. 

For home and the weekends, buy frozen. It's often cheaper than fresh, you can load up while they are on sale, and it's not as processed as canned fruits and veggies. On frozen fruits, make sure they don't have added sugar.

Frozen and canned veggies can also help you cook more at home. You don't have to come up with something from scratch or slave away cooking everything. They are already cooked, so it's just a matter of heating things up, putting it on a plate and cooking a piece of lean meat. I eat lean cuisines when I don't feel like cooking, but the processed sauces get to me after a while and I reach the point where I'd rather have plain veggies with a little salt and pepper.

To curb the hunger, try eating smaller portions but more often, and eat a salad at least once a day. There's a whole school of dieting that works on volumetrics (eating a grape instead of a raisin sort of thing) to give you the sensation of being full on volume but not on the calories. But the long and short of it is that you will be hungry--part of losing weight is eating less food that necessary to sustain your current weight   

Oh and don't buy soda, chips, and sweets. You can't eat them if they aren't in the house. From what you posted, it doesn't sound like you do, but it never hurts to mention that. That's all I got on the food front. Walking to work and the store should be enough exercise to keep your metabolism up if you eat less calories than your body needs to sustain your current weight.

-suzi


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## EricNoah (Sep 10, 2007)

Buying an iPod helped bring music to my walks and bike rides, but then I discovered podcasts (not in the same way Columbus is said to have "discovered" America! ) and suddenly there was the mental stimulation I needed during bike rides and walks.  I listen to podcasts from Scientific American, National Geographic, NPR, the BBC; I also listen to books on CD borrowed from my local library (I'm in the middle of _A Princess of Mars _ right now) ... so even during my potentially boring workout I am learning something new.  

Another boredom fighter -- I used Google Earth to map out some walking routes so I know exactly how far I walked; I can take a longer walk and know how long it is when I am feeling motivated.  Also, exploring nearby county and state parks is stimulating.  

Exercising with a friend is very motivating.  My walks with my wife are much more fun than my solo outings.  I don't have anyone to bike with but that's where my iPod comes in handy.  

I woke up this morning with a cold.  Need to keep myself hydrated during this time; but that reminds me that drinking water is important even at other times when considering diet and fitness.


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## EricNoah (Sep 10, 2007)

BTW here are some of the tools I used to learn how much I might need to eat and exercise to either maintain or lose weight:

Nutrition Data: http://www.nutritiondata.com/

Exercise by Time (enter time and other data to get calories burned for various exercises): http://www.calorieking.com/tools/exercise_calories.php

Exercise by Calories (enter the number of calories you want to burn to get durations for exercises): http://www.calorieking.com/tools/exercise_time.php


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## EricNoah (Sep 10, 2007)

Hey, 3 posts in a row by Eric ... whee!

I wanted to add that one of my "eating issues" is that, like many people, I sometimes eat when I am not hungry.  I find that some of this is "emotional eating" where I am seeking comfort when I am alone or stressed.  Other times, it's cravings (a strong desire to eat a certain something even when I am not hungry).  I often have cravings for sweets in the evening.  The more I can be aware of this, the more often I can say to myself, "Just calm down, relax, and _really _ focus on yourself -- are you _really _ hungry?  What do you _really _ want?"


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## krissbeth (Sep 10, 2007)

Great thread!  

Where I am: Not the heaviest I've been, but still overweight for my height.  Battling with genetics, medication and stress.

Exercise: I walk about two miles a day, but I'm trying to add in a longer run.  I also want to start yoga again (I did it all through college and it was fantastic).

Diet: I use FitDay to track what I eat.  Generally, I don't eat red meat and I get my recipes from Cooking Light more often than not.  I avoid crap but have a serious weak spot for breads.  God, I love bread.

Goals: I want to lose 40 lbs and keep it off.  I'm so bad at the yo-yo thing.  I lost 30 in 2004 and most of it came back in 2005/6.  Yuck.


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## GlassJaw (Sep 10, 2007)

suzi yee said:
			
		

> For work, bring fruit and veggies to snack on during the day. Bananas and carrots are fairly inexpensive and have lots of vitamins. Apples and oranges can be less expensive when you buy the bag on sale.




Be careful with the fruit though.  They do have vitamins but are very high in carbs and sugar, the two things you want to avoid at all costs if you want to lose weight.


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## bento (Sep 10, 2007)

*Current Condition:* 145 lbs and 5'10".  Not fat, but not in great condition as I sit all day long!  I went to a body fat workshop (which is now done with this hand-held device you hold for ten seconds) and I had 17.7% body fat and a BMI of 20.4, which is at the top range of recommended.

*Exercise:* I signed up for a walking program at work where I'm pledged to do at least 4500 steps a day.  The company sent everyone a pedometer to keep track.  So far I've been walking daily since mid-July, and I average about 7,000 steps each day. I have a walking buddy, so I don't have many opportunities to procrastinate.

In addition to all the walking, I try to do sit-ups and push-ups every other day.  I'm up to about 50 each time.  I walk with 5 lb. dumbells once a week to change things up for me.

*Health Goals:* besides reducing the size of my little tire around the middle, it's getting my CV back in shape.  I eat too many salty things so I'm trying to reduce sodium.  I don't drink sodas but I tend to eat whatever I want.  Luckily it doesn't take much to fill me up.  I'd like to get my BMI below 15.


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## GlassJaw (Sep 10, 2007)

*Where I Am:* Decent weight for my height (~190, 6' 1") but need to tone-up, especially in the mid-section.  Need to increase endurance/cardio overall as well.

*Exercise:*  Currently running 2-3 miles 4-5 days a week.  Recently started free weight program on my own - curls, shoulder/military press, etc - and a 10-15 ab workout about 5 days a week each.

I knew long ago I don't have the stomach for gyms.  The act of having to get in my car and drive somewhere makes it very easy to talk myself out of going.  I do everything at home and run outside around my neighborhood.

*Diet:*  I recently made some big changes in my diet.  I'm not counting calories or anything like that - that's too much work for me.  My goal is to eliminate some of the big offenders, especially carbs and sugars, and add a lot of proteins.

Things to avoid: aside from the obvious junk (fast food, candy, soda, chips, packaged snacks like cake, cookies, etc), I've eliminated white bread (which I never really ate anyway), corn, potatoes, boxed cereal

Things I've added: tuna, nuts, plain yogurt, plain oatmeal, veggies

Make sure you read labels!  Avoid high-carb/high-sugar foods like the plague.

*Health Goals:*  I don't care what I weigh (muscle weighs more than fat anyway).  My goal is the mirror.  For once in my life I want a flat stomach.  For once in my life, I have an abundance of willpower and motivation to make it happen.

I'll pass on a couple of really good links I found:

101 Ways to Lose Your Gut 
Great article on things like diet, lifestyle, exercise, and even mental health.  I've been reading it very couple of days as a reminder.

15-Minute Ab Workout 
Awesome YouTube video.  This girl will kick your butt!  A great resource for some differnet ab exercises.


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## Lord Zardoz (Sep 11, 2007)

*Where I am.* About 108 Kg.  I should probably be about 85kg - 90kg.  (Metric for the Win!)  I am also told my blood pressure is borderline high.

*Exercise.*  My best asset for weight loss is that I am trying to get exercise.  My place of employment has an on site gym with trainers.  I try to use it 3 times a week, usually average out to 2.5 times a week (due to long weekends or random crap happening).  Exercise consists of about an hour, 20 min cardio, and a bunch of weight training.

*Nutrition Plan.* I do not have a specific plan beyond trying to stay away from the more obvious pit falls.  I actually eat pretty good at home, with the problem being eating a bit too much of it.  My weak area is lunch.  As much as I want to lose weight, it turns out that I even more like to eat things I mostly like.  If I get less lazy about this, I would probably see some pretty good gains.

*Goal.* Lose weight mostly for health reasons, but losing the gut will help.  The likely problem area will be crunch periods at work when I am working late.  This will result in me not going to the gym, and in eating more crap food.  As much as I know I need the exercise, I like to be able to go home and sleep during crunch time.

*Plan B.*  In the event diet and exercise fail me, I hope for technological innovation.  Vat grown replacement organ technology in the event the blood pressure thing evolves to a huge problem.  Genetically modification or other intervention to modify my metabolism to only take as much calories as it actually needs.

Getting exercise is not the big problem for me.  I actually do have the will power to more or less stick to a gym routine, albeit with perodic lapses due to either Christmas vacation or crunch time.  Or as the most recent case, allergies.  I already get very out of breath at the gym due to my minor asthma.  Since my allergies spiked the last two weeks, I decided that getting very winded when my nose is perpetually runny was not a great plan.  The big problem I expect to be the food thing.  I do not have a set timeline to reach a specific goal.  The real goal is to alter my habits enough to improve my general health.

END COMMUNICATION


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## awayfarer (Sep 12, 2007)

*Where I am.* I lost 25 pounds over the summer and several paris of jeans that I'd given up hope of wearing again fit me now. I'm 5'9 and roughly 230

*Exercise.* Over the summer I was walking 5 miles a day and had a job that was pretty much all heavy lifting. Now that the fall semester has started I'm walking 3 miles on M/W/F. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I work out at home with some handweights and do a few squats and crunches.

*Nutrition Plan.* I have no major plan other than trying to avoid eating when I'm not hungry. I'm not technically strict about my soda/beer intake but I usually have only one of each per week. I've been eating lunch at school but have tended to go for salad. I need to cut back on the amount of cream and sugar I put in my coffee.

*Goal.* To maintain my current weight. This probably sounds unambitious but I'm just not "built" to drop any more. I was 300+ lbs in high school, managed to drop down to 220 afterwards and plateau'd there. I don't expect to drop any further than that considering that I bottomed out there when I was younger and keeping an even stricter eye on my food intake and excercise routine. It could be worse, I have a decent amount of muscle on me and no gut.


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## Harmon (Sep 12, 2007)

Kind of embarrassed to admit this, but beings that this is a gaming board and 90% of the gamers I know and have met are in worse shape then I hopefully will ever be this won't hurt my pride to much.

*Where I am* Way over weight.  Embarrassed to say- Six foot and two hundred fifty pounds.

*Exercise* Over five hundred crunches a week, Yoga two days a week, several hundred push ups a week, a couple 2 mile walks a week, baby lifts and carries, hundreds of jumping jacks (waiting for food to warm- this is my most common exercise).

*Diet* Oat meal in the morning, grazing all day, and usually salmon and rice three times a week.  Soda are diet and caffeine free.  Lots and lots of water- distilled only, can't stand regular drinking water and out tap water is toxic.  No sweets (candy bars, ice cream, or anything like that.

*Goals* to get back down to 210.  Course the last time I was there I had wash board abs, and was pretty well muscled but then I was working as a carpenter and running a couple miles a day a couple days a week.

*What I need to change* my late night eating, my grazing all day to get a single meal, and I need to get out more- take more walks, find my gym card and go back to pressing weights, or just get a job that will place me back into the physical demands of being in good shape.


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## jaerdaph (Sep 13, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> Hey there!
> 
> There was some interest expressed in my "gaming and food" thread in the possibility of starting a new weight loss/diet/fitness discussion.




Excellent! As I mentioned in that thread, we did something similar here on EN World for trying to quit smoking and a few EN Worlders were able to kick the habit for good. I hope this thread has the same positive result for everyone participating! 

I actually have a good thing to report: I ran into a woman I hadn't seen in about a year last night. The first thing she said to me was "oh my God you've lost so much weight!"

It was a nice feeling. 

While I'm eating very well, not snacking, and exercising more, I feel I should be doing more. I'd like to join a gym, but I'm a little aprehensive. Fortunately I don't live in Manhattan where everyone at the gym comes "pre-perfect", so I'm a little more comfortable doing so here in Astoria. Anyone here have any tips or suggestions about what to look for in a gym membership?

*Where I Am*: 160 lbs, 5'8. (Where I was this time last year: 180 lbs.)

*Exercise*: I hoof it everywhere, and avoid the subway if I know I can walk. I also do the basic morning routine of situps and pushups, sometimes squat thrusts. 

*Diet*: A lot of fruits, vegetables and salads, turkey, tuna and salmon, some chicken. No more in between meal snacking. On the weekend I may have one big meal, usually with red meat, and one cheeseburger. Downfall: I do like my beer, but I never drink to excess. 

*Goals*: To get to and maintain 150 lbs and to join a gym or health club.


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## xrpsuzi (Sep 13, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> Buying an iPod helped bring music to my walks and bike rides, but then I discovered podcasts (not in the same way Columbus is said to have "discovered" America! ) and suddenly there was the mental stimulation I needed during bike rides and walks.  I listen to podcasts from Scientific American, National Geographic, NPR, the BBC;




I had never considered getting an iPod before moving to Ohio, but I don't get Prairie Home Companion, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Car Talk, Selected Shorts, and a million other public radio shows that I really enjoy in my little town.   

So I'm thinking of getting one over Christmas and use it in exercise and sewing.

-suzi


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## Pbartender (Sep 13, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> *Question:* I kind of wish there was something mindlessly repetitive I could do with my upper body the way I do with biking -- something that would allow me to listen to an iPod or watch a video or read while I was doing it.  I get bored before I get tired, generally, when I exercise.




If you have the room for one, try a rowing machine.  Check Ebay...  they come in lots of shapes and sizes.


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## xrpsuzi (Sep 14, 2007)

Pbartender said:
			
		

> If you have the room for one, try a rowing machine.  Check Ebay...  they come in lots of shapes and sizes.




Rowing machines are also great for strengthening your back too.

-suzi


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## dogoftheunderworld (Sep 14, 2007)

Where I am:  5'-9" , 240 lbs.  My ideal weight: 180  (forget about charts and BMI, blah).

How I got here... a slow gain since college and 15 years of marraige.  I have been at 240 for a few years now.  I have a desk job.  Exercise: not really my thing, even if I had time.  Time:  3 kids.  Food:  I do like to eat; however, I am usually good durnig actual mealtimes.  My downfall is between meals, especially mid-afternoon and late at night.  I eat when I'm bored or stressed.  

Where am I going?  I have struggled with self esteem issues since my youth.  I generally like who I am inside, just don't like how I think people see me from the outside.   After marriage, I just become comfortable with myself as I am.  Now I am over weight, high blood pressure, back pain, diabetes is in my future.   I would like to get down to 200 lbs.

How to get there?  I recently started parking further away in the parking lot, taking the stairs (five floors - 2-3 times a day), drinking Diet Dr. Pepper, and eating Lean Cuisine for lunch.  

My main problems:  I am stuck at my desk during the afternoons and usually have nothing to do.... except eat the M&Ms my office mate brings in.   I have started bringing granola and water in to give me a quick fill up.  After work, I am mentally crashed.  I just want to sit and relax and drain my brain .. usually watching TV.  If I get the time to crash, it's immediately followed by family time... fixing dinner, helping with homework, soccer practice, Scouts, church, etc.   Excersize has never been a priority and I'm having trouble making it a priority (and seeing where it fits into the schedule of life).


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## Harmon (Sep 14, 2007)

Been thinking about my own weight problems for a year or more.  

Read Dog's post and thought about a of the things I have been doing and having trouble with- parking further from places you have to go into, great idea and been doing it for a while.  Dog mentioned M&Ms that his co worker brings them in and I thought about my wife- who thinks that just because dark chocolate is suppose to be good for one's blood/heart/etc that I should eat it.  I would rather eat carrots, but love chocolate, does she get that?  No, she buys the dammed dark chocolate and I either get POed and throw it out or depressed and eat it.  Will she stop buying it because I ask her?  No, she likes the chocolate too.  Will power is key here I think.

Finding time to get out and put some shoe to pavement- hard to get out there and do it, I know, but I have been making the two mile round trip to a store with our daughter to get little things (major shopping is done with a car).  Does it help?  It does.

Doing choirs I wear 5 lbs leg weights, that helps, a little.  Doing jumping jacks while I wait for food to warm, or what have you- another trick.  

The thing that is killing me is that my body slowed down (middle age) and I got depressed while recovering from an injury which caused me to eat more feel good food.  How do I change that habit?  How do I find the time to do the kind of work out I use to get on the job site?  Anyone help here?


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## GlassJaw (Sep 14, 2007)

Harmon said:
			
		

> How do I change that habit?  How do I find the time to do the kind of work out I use to get on the job site?  Anyone help here?




Cold turkey man.  Just gotta do it.  Like flipping a life-switch.  Imagine where you want to be and f'ing do it.  That's it.  

JUST DO IT

At least that's the only way that works for me, especially when it comes to diet and exercise.  

I also find that lists help a lot - even if they are mental notes.  Make lists before going into supermarkets.  Check labels.  Plan meals ahead of time.  Pick a couple of foods that you know are horrible for you and just stop eating them.  

It's not easy.  It takes time.  It's _extremely _easy to get discouraged.   Set small goals and *stick *to them.  It's as much mental fitness as it is physical.   Actually, getting over the mental hurdles can be even more difficult.  Once you get started, you'll get in a zone where you won't miss the things you gave up.

Check out the 101 Way article I posted above.  There are a LOT of great lifestyle tips that should get you started.


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## Harmon (Sep 15, 2007)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> Cold turkey man.  Just gotta do it.  Like flipping a life-switch.  Imagine where you want to be and f'ing do it.  That's it.
> 
> JUST DO IT




Nah, ante that easy.  The wife and I have no one to tend to the kid, the wife crashes early to get to work at some unGodly hour.  So during the day its just the kid and I- no room to work out, and no schedule.  Doing my Yoga class is a pain, I leave the house just minutes before the class starts, and rush home to insure that all is going well with getting her down.

Funny thing is that if I went back to work I could dump this weight in a year, and be back in great shape.

My main food problem I think is the wife, if she would stop buying the things I like that are bad for me in the quantities I like then... well it would be easier.

(I have not had a candy bar, or sweets like that in years, this is all about the chocolate, chips, heavy carbs, etc type foods that taste so dammed good.  Salads have gone because of taste and "fill you up satisfaction")

What I need is to retrain the wife's food tastes, and get someone to help out with the kid.


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## Agamon (Sep 15, 2007)

My old job required me to be (and kept me) in decent shape.  Now my desk job has caused to balloon out to my university weight.  This sucks, as I like to do active things with my friends, by my brutal endurance makes such things less than fun.

*Where I am:* Out of shape, that's for sure.  5'11", 235 lbs.  However, I was at 250+ a couple months ago, so things are starting to take shape.

*Exercise:* This is the main reason for my weight loss so far.  An hour every M/T/W/F (and often one of the weekend days) of exercise, half weight/ab training, half cardio (aka jogging).  I'm lucky enough to work at an office with a tricked out exercise room that no one else uses, as a well as a warehouse that makes for an excellent jogging track.  So I don't need to go anywhere after work to 'hit the gym'.

The weight training is the easy part.  Like I mentioned, my last job was quite physical, including a lot of heavy lifting.  The muscle was still there, I just had to tone it up again.  The cardio has been killer up to now, though.  However, I just today crossed the barrier that was making me stop for breathers during my jog.  A very satisfying feeling that was, I'l tell ya!

*Diet:* My nemesis.  It's the friggin' potato chips.  I eat fairly well, grains, fruit, lots of tuna, rice, chicken, veggies, diet soda and water.  But I still eat the odd pizza, hamburger, and while I have no sweet tooth to speak of, I'm weak for those damned greasy chips.

I think the difference is, I'm willing to do things as long as I enjoy it.  And I enjoy the exercise, the way it makes me feel when I'm done.  Like Eric says, the iPod is a godsend for when the workout gets dull.  And I don't mind eating 'well', sometimes, but I tried to the whole 'good for me, and nothing but' diet, and that didn't sit well with me.  So I doubt I'll get all slim and trim eating 2-4 bags of chips per week, but slim and trim isn't really my goal.

*Goals:* I don't care how much I weigh.  Even how I look is less important than how I feel.  As long as I'm comfortable being able to play ultimate frisbee, floor hockey, or go for hike in the mountains, and have fun instead of get frustrated and played out, I'm happy.


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## EricNoah (Sep 15, 2007)

Last year when I visited my grandmother in her new nursing home I got an eyeful of how people live when their bodies aren't working right.  It was very motivating to me --I want to be one of those old guys who looks 10-15 years younger than he is, is still fit enough to do stuff around the house, go for walks, etc.  So I have to constantly remind myself that to have that future, I need to do something in the present to make it happen.  Keeping an eye on my daily calories and chipping away at exercise through daily walks and other means is the price I pay today for a future that I value highly.


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## GlassJaw (Sep 15, 2007)

Harmon said:
			
		

> Nah, ante that easy.




That's half right.  

Making the decision to better yourself and life is easy.  Putting it into practice tough, yes, but deciding you WANT to change is the first step and probably the most important one.

You have to force yourself.  Challenge yourself.  



> It was very motivating to me --I want to be one of those old guys who looks 10-15 years younger than he is, is still fit enough to do stuff around the house, go for walks, etc. So I have to constantly remind myself that to have that future, I need to do something in the present to make it happen.




Going to GenCon has a similar effect.


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## EricNoah (Sep 15, 2007)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> You have to force yourself.  Challenge yourself.




Also, break the goal down in to manageable taks.  The _goal _ might be "be more fit" or "lose weight" but those are impossible _tasks_ -- they are too big, too overwhelming.  Possible tasks include "examine my current daily schedule and carve out 30-45 minutes from my normal routine to add a walk around my neighborhood" or "go on a walk today" or "drink two extra glasses of water today".  

Last winter I decided that I would exercise, in some form, every single day for as many days in a row as I could manage.  It took me from late December well into March before the string was broken (nasty cold for a couple of weeks really knocked me out).  After a so-so spring I had a great summer w/regard to exercise.  The past month or so has not been great, so I'm going to try to get back on that wagon.  I have a calendar that I mark every day that I exercise.  It is very motivating to see that thing fill up each month.  Attacking one day's exercise at a time helps me achieve the longer-term goal.


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## nerfherder (Sep 16, 2007)

Jeysie said:
			
		

> But other than that... I'm at a loss for how to get more exercise. I'm badly clutzy, so sports and dance stuff is out. And I find things like weight-lifting routines, aerobics, treadmills, etc. to be utterly mind-numbingly boring. Even if I try watching TV or something while exercising, I still start getting bored about 10 minutes in and give up and go do something mentally stimulating. And I only like walking if I'm actually going somewhere... the few times I've tried walking just for the sake of walking I again got bored, even with music.



I find exercising totally boring too.  What I did when I was swimming was come up with plots and characters for my D&D campaign.  Just make sure to write them down soon afterwards, before you forget!


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## GlassJaw (Sep 16, 2007)

nerfherder said:
			
		

> I find exercising totally boring too.  What I did when I was swimming was come up with plots and characters for my D&D campaign.  Just make sure to write them down soon afterwards, before you forget!




I do that while I'm running.  The problem is I tend to think a lot "slower" when I'm running.


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## xrpsuzi (Sep 16, 2007)

*Side note to Harmon*

I had this same problem when I first got married. I like cooking. I like cooking for Joe and that is part of how I show my affection for him. He likes my food and he likes that I feel good when I feed him and letting me feed him is part of how he shows his affection for me. That's how I fattened him up so good in such a short time. 

Eventually, we recognized our own and each other's role in the cycle and used that information to make a better cycle--one that promotes us losing weight together.

The realization hit me when Joe said something to this effect: "If you don't stop feeding me like this, I'm going to die on your early. Neither of us want that." The way I was showing affection with food was killing him slowly, and once I groked that, the changes started to happen in our daily lives, albeit gradually.

If this is something you really want for yourself personally, you may have to have a talk with wife and let here know that this goal would be a lot easier with her help, and for now, all that means is not bringing certain foods into the house or at very least, not bringing those foods to your attention and stashing them somewhere you don't readily see them.

Good luck,
suzi


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## awayfarer (Sep 16, 2007)

nerfherder said:
			
		

> I find exercising totally boring too.  What I did when I was swimming was come up with plots and characters for my D&D campaign.  Just make sure to write them down soon afterwards, before you forget!




The things that has most helped me keep motivated to excercise has been the MST3K dvd's a friend got for me a few years ago. I watch them while I work out (going through roughly 1/week) and it staves off boredom.


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## Aurora (Sep 16, 2007)

I find fitday.com to be a good place for inputting info (calories/food/exercise/journal). It even tells what what vitamins and minerals etc you are lacking in based on what you are eating. I like it. 


			
				EricNoah said:
			
		

> So ... where are you now, where do you want to be, and how will you get there? Feel free to share what you are comfortable with.




Right now I am 4 weeks out from having a baby, and 5 pounds lighter than when I got pregnant. Breastfeeding works  I am still really overweight though and am impatiently waiting for my 6 week pp checkup so I can start exercising again.


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## Aurora (Sep 16, 2007)

awayfarer said:
			
		

> The things that has most helped me keep motivated to excercise has been the MST3K dvd's a friend got for me a few years ago. I watch them while I work out (going through roughly 1/week) and it staves off boredom.



Hehehe

"MITCHELL!"


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## awayfarer (Sep 17, 2007)

Aurora said:
			
		

> Hehehe
> 
> "MITCHELL!"




Trying not to look like Joe Don Baker is also excellent motivation.


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## EricNoah (Sep 22, 2007)

Anyone feel like checking in? 

I had a good week since my last entry -- I have exercised for 8 straight days -- not always a lot but always something -- and already I can see and feel a difference.  I know there will be a plateau coming up soon where it seems like my moderate exercise and semi-reasonable diet are no longer paying off, but for now the results are motivating.  My typical exercise is a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood, often with Mrs. Noah in tow, or sometimes alone with my iPod.  I also do very light weightlifting (20 lb dumbells to do sets of curls and presses, and pushups) on days when I don't do the walk, so maybe 2-3 times per week.  Diet-wise, I have stayed south of 2000 calories a couple of days this week and have stayed south of 2500 all days.  So for now ... I'm on a roll and it feels good.


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## xrpsuzi (Sep 22, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> Anyone feel like checking in?




Sure!

I've lost 5 pounds in 4 weeks (well, 4 weeks on Monday). I'm taking part in a fitness challenge, so I've been working on toning/muscle building exercises as well as cardio. The dieting is going well, although my sugars are still running a little high, so I'm going to have to tweak the what I'm eating (and when) and not scrimp on the cardio exercise (With the fitness challenge, I only did cardio 3 times last week instead of 5). However, my sugars are trending downward overall, and losing weight has helped a lot on that front.

10% done toward my goal. Treated myself at the tea house with a slice of quiche and cup of tea on Friday (but no breads or sweets).

-suzi


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## RangerWickett (Sep 22, 2007)

My friend brought donuts to the game last night.

I got a tiramisu cake Thursday evening at a Greek restaurant.

I baked cookies Monday night.

Not doing too terribly well with the whole weight loss thing. But I am exercising more; spent an hour at the gym twice this week, and will probably go again today after dinner. And I got a half hour walk the other days. Plus, I've been doing pull-up exercises, with the goal of being able to finally do a full pull-up again. Sadly, I have scrimped on my physical therapy; I've done the jogging, but not the muscle-training for my knee.

I've given myself a new 'diet' goal for the next week: Except for Wednesday when I'm stuck at work from 8am to 7pm, I'm only going to eat food I cook at home.


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## EricNoah (Sep 23, 2007)

Good for both of you on the exercise front!  Slow and steady wins the race (or so they say).  Keep it up.


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## RichCsigs (Sep 23, 2007)

suzi yee said:
			
		

> I had never considered getting an iPod before moving to Ohio, but I don't get Prairie Home Companion, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Car Talk, Selected Shorts, and a million other public radio shows that I really enjoy in my little town.
> 
> So I'm thinking of getting one over Christmas and use it in exercise and sewing.
> 
> -suzi




I just wanted to say thank you because I love "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" but I'm always working now when it's on.  It never once entered my head that it would be available as a pod cast (though it should have been obvious to at least check)!  Thank you so much!


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## krissbeth (Sep 24, 2007)

I've started the jogging thing again.  About four miles (my house to Alewife and back).  Start out walking to warm up, jog/run for a short period, walk, run again when I'm ready.  I have a heart rate monitor, so that helps me stay in "the zone" without pushing myself to overdo it.

My knees are awful but there's a dirt path next to the bike path and that helps keep it kind of lower impact for me.  I'm also doing my knee exercises from physical therapy again.

That path goes out to the Minuteman Trail, so I can go farther when I'm ready but four miles is pretty awesome for me right now.


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## EricNoah (Sep 24, 2007)

krissbeth said:
			
		

> four miles is pretty awesome for me right now.




Four miles is awesome for anyone -- great job and keep it up!


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## EricNoah (Sep 30, 2007)

Weekly check-in anyone?

I'm on day 16 in a row with exercise.  I do feel like it's still making a difference.  Looks like good weather around here for the next week, which means plenty of days to get out for walks. 

I had a generally good diet week, but I had a meal at Olive Garden yesterday that really blew my calories out of the water. I'm usually good at estimating calories but after the meal I checked the web for nutrition info and was really surprised to see that I had put away about 1600 calories at one sitting.  Ick.  I ratched back my eating the rest of the day to compensate, so overall no harm done.  

My next goal is to clean my exercise area downstairs.  Needs some vacuuming, and until that's done I just seem to avoid doing exercise videos.


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## RangerWickett (Sep 30, 2007)

I did okay this week with dieting. My goal was not to eat out, except for on Wednesday when I normally get lunch with a co-worker. This was as much a monetary goal as a dieting one. Almost accomplished it. Wed she was busy, but I hadn't brought lunch so I got something small at the local cafeteria, and I unfortunately found excuses to get coffee drinks (I justified it as not 'eating'). 

Then I _did_ get lunch with said co-worker on Thursday, and Friday there was a 'sustainable organic foods farmer's market' at my college, so I ate there, and bought a felafel sandwich. Still, I managed to spend about $30 on food over the course of the week -- way down compared to my normal spending. And the number of calories wasn't too crazy, not until yesterday at least (game night).

Exercise was a different bag. A couple days I took a walk home of about two miles, and another day I jogged two miles on a treadmill for physical therapy, but I didn't do much codified exercises. Still, today is my day off, so I think I'll go to the pool. 

This month I wanted to get down to 205 (from ~215), and I'm down to about 209. But I'm getting the hang of it.


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## Aurora (Sep 30, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> Weekly check-in anyone?
> 
> I'm on day 16 in a row with exercise.  I do feel like it's still making a difference.  Looks like good weather around here for the next week, which means plenty of days to get out for walks.
> 
> ...



Great job with your exercise Eric. No worries about the one day at Olive Garden. It is good to fluctuate your calories to keep your metabolism from evening out. We'll call it that  I have my doc appt this week, I should be given the okay to exercise again.  

***

Congrats on the weight loss RW. 6 pounds is good


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## GlassJaw (Oct 1, 2007)

Going really well for me.  The change has been very noticeable.  I feel better than I have since I can remember.  Even things like my mood, focus, outlook, quality sleep, etc have all improved.  

Currently I'm running 3 miles about 4-5 days a week.  Next step is to start increasing that to 3.5 - 4 miles.

I'm also doing some upper body weight training also about 4-5 days a week.  I do 4-5 exercises, 3 sets of 12 reps each, with 10 and 20-lbs weights targeting biceps, shoulders, and triceps.  I also do about 60 crunches using different motions but I might start increasing this number.

I've also started incorporating more organic and natural foods.  My sister recommended this book to recently:

Real Food: What to Eat and Why 

Looks like a very interesting read.


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## Eeralai (Oct 2, 2007)

Food and nutrition, one of my favorite things to talk about.  This is an interesting article on CNN.  It talks about how people eat and basically if it is in front of us we will eat it.  I think a big problem a lot of us probably face is game night.  At least with my groups, everyone brings enough of something for each person to get two or three servings, and then everyone eats two or three servings of everything brought.  Thus proving this guys theory that if it is in front of us we will eat it.  Is there a way to politely organize a group so that only one or two people bring snacks?  I hate breaking with years long traditions, but it seems it would be much healthier.  Anyway, I hope you like the article.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/09/21/kd.mindless.eating/index.html


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## Lord Zardoz (Oct 4, 2007)

Minor update for me at the moment.  September, as a month, sucked for me exercise wise.  My routine was pretty much blasted out of the water by allergies then a chest cold.  I did buy myself a George Foreman Grill.  Aside from marking me as a sucker for consumer gimmicks, it should let me have hamburgers that have much less grease then they would otherwise.

I also have a fitness evaluation from my gym tomorrow, and should find out then if I have improved much, if at all, since my last evaluation.  I am sure I have improved, but I am also sure the improvement has not been as great as it could have been.

END COMMUNICATION


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## GlassJaw (Oct 4, 2007)

Lord Zardoz said:
			
		

> I did buy myself a George Foreman Grill.




Ugh, I hate that thing.  It's such a PITA to use and worse to clean.  I hated the way it cooked too.


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## Lord Zardoz (Oct 4, 2007)

Actually, the thing seems easy to clean.  Though I did go out of my way to clean it shortly after using it, which may have helped.  I just removed the grill plates, washed them off, then replaced them.

Then again, perhaps the older ones do not have removable grill plates.

Using it was also easy.  Plug it in, let it warm up, put burgers in it, and then eat them 10 minutes later.

END COMMUNICATION


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## Aurora (Oct 4, 2007)

I like my GF grill. Mine doesn't have removable plates. I just set it right next to the sink with the edge over it. So as I clean it, the water, soap etc runs into the sink. You definitely need to clean it though before it sits too long though.


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## barsoomcore (Oct 4, 2007)

I've gotten back into a regular routine for swordfighting. I walk about 45 minutes a day going back and forth from work, so that's good, but I haven't been practicing or doing much else lately. So this past week I've gotten out for an hour's worth of swordfighting every two days (Saturday, Monday and Wednesday) and I have class tomorrow so I'll definitely get some practice in.

My goals are to lose a little weight, sharpen my sword skills and get to a point where an hours' workout with a sword doesn't noticeably tire me out.


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## xrpsuzi (Oct 5, 2007)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> I've gotten back into a regular routine for swordfighting. I walk about 45 minutes a day going back and forth from work, so that's good, but I haven't been practicing or doing much else lately. So this past week I've gotten out for an hour's worth of swordfighting every two days (Saturday, Monday and Wednesday) and I have class tomorrow so I'll definitely get some practice in.
> 
> My goals are to lose a little weight, sharpen my sword skills and get to a point where an hours' workout with a sword doesn't noticeably tire me out.




One of Joe's friends does rapier sword play for fun, and it's always looked so awesome! If I wasn't so clumsy, I would consider taking it up just to have sword fighting on my list of hobbies/skills.

I'm almost done with Week 6, and I've lost 8 pounds. It's been a challenge getting 5 days of cardio in the past week, but I've kept up on a strength fitness challenge and I'm doing push-ups nigh daily for the first time that I can remember. Joe's been doing great--He's lost 20 pounds in 6 weeks.

I wish losing weight went as fast as gaining it.  :\ 

-suzi


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## Lord Zardoz (Oct 5, 2007)

Did my fitness evaluation today.  The end result is there was some improvement.

- I was able to go twice as long on the treadmill test, where they start me running and every 2 minutes increase the treadmill speed.

- There was some minor improvement to other tests.

- No measurable weight loss.  Some of that is due to muscle being heavier than fat, but I really need to be better about what I eat.

END COMMUNICATION


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## barsoomcore (Oct 5, 2007)

suzi yee said:
			
		

> If I wasn't so clumsy, I would consider taking it up just to have sword fighting on my list of hobbies/skills.



One of the things I love about the style I study is that clumsy/graceful doesn't really impact it at all. I'm tremendously clumsy and have terrible hand-eye coordination but the manner of practice in this style makes those disadvantages much less important.

I'm probably not particularly good at actual swordfighting, but I can live with that.


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## EricNoah (Oct 6, 2007)

I'm on around day 20 in a row of exercising some each day.  I almost missed Wed as it was game night but somehow I managed to make myself do my little weight/pushup routine at 11pm.  

I have an unseasonably warm weekend ahead of me, so I will get out for a 2-hour bike ride at least one of the days and maybe both.  Next week is another matter -- I have some late meetings scheduled and another game night.  I might need to do my walking in the morning before work...

Congrats to all, and keep it up!


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## greymist (Oct 7, 2007)

*Where am I now:* Overweight, I am around 5'9' and weigh 232#. But I was 270# on May 22, so there is some good news in my current fatness. There is a LOT of diabetes in my family, but so far I am OK. Last time I checked by BP and cholesterol was good. My back has just about given out on me, I have 3 degenerating discs at the bottom of my spine, and 3 at the top. I have suffered from constant, chronic back pain since 2005. 

*How did I get here:* I was never in superb shape, but I was athletic enough until university. In first year I put on 15-20 pounds by Xmas (beer and junk food). I lost some of it in 2nd year, but I never got back to where I was in high school. By the time I graduated, most of my exercise was out the window, and I have been working desk jobs for almost 20 years. 

About three years ago, I hit 280# and decided to do something about it. Six months on the Atkins Diet and I was down to 220#. I maintained that weight for another year, until I stopped watching what I ate, and gained back 50#. 

*Where do I want to be:* I never weighed myself when I was young, so I am not entirely sure what I "should" weigh. I would just like to get in jeans with a waist size in the 30's instead of the 40's. 

*How will I get there:* I started on Atkins again in May, and have lost 40#, but still have a gut. My current goal is 200#, at which point I will assess my condition and go for more if I am still fat. I have not started an exercise program, but I plan to do so soon. I have inherited a treadmill and a Total Gym, so once I have made room for them in the basement (hopefully in the next couple of weeks) I will try to get at least 30 minutes of cardio, 3 times a week.


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## xrpsuzi (Oct 12, 2007)

greymist said:
			
		

> *How will I get there:* I started on Atkins again in May, and have lost 40#, but still have a gut. My current goal is 200#, at which point I will assess my condition and go for more if I am still fat. I have not started an exercise program, but I plan to do so soon. I have inherited a treadmill and a Total Gym, so once I have made room for them in the basement (hopefully in the next couple of weeks) I will try to get at least 30 minutes of cardio, 3 times a week.




Congrats on the weight lost so far! My mom lost a lot of weight on the atkins diet too, but watch out for your cholesterol. Her's went way out of control, and she basically stopped the Atkins diet, and switched to South Beach--where the emphasis is on eating the right carbs in the right proportion rather than eating _no_ carbs.

If it becomes a problem, look into South Beach Diet plan or Nutrisystem (which basically uses the glycemic index/glycemic load) to help regulate your eating. If you like to prepare your own food and cook, there are tons of web-sites addressing glycemic index and glycemic load for the home cook.

If you want to be rid of the gut, exercise is the only way.  With the condition of your back, crunches may not be the best choice, but anything that works the core of your body (stomach, back, top of the gluts) will help tone the muscle that is there, build more of it, and burn more fat when you exercise it.

I just finished a 5 week long fitness challenge and did my last day's work about a hour ago.  125 push-ups, 125 situps, leg lifts (125 each leg), and kick backs (125 each leg). I feel like fricking wonder woman. I'm going to treat myself to a sugar-free pudding cup before I do cardio on the eliptical machine. Watch out for my invisible jet and lasso of truth!


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## EricNoah (Oct 13, 2007)

Excellent, Suzi -- way to go.  

I have been exercising steadily and tomorrow I will hit day 30 in a row of my "exercise every day" plan.  I got a nice long bike ride in last weekend, but other than that it's been fairly low-key.  I am probably at that plateau point where I need to ratchet my exercise up a bit (add a 5-10 minute extension to my walks; add a few more reps to my pushups and weights).


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## greymist (Oct 16, 2007)

suzi yee said:
			
		

> Congrats on the weight lost so far! My mom lost a lot of weight on the atkins diet too, but watch out for your cholesterol.
> <snip>
> there are tons of web-sites addressing glycemic index and glycemic load for the home cook.
> 
> ...




Holy hard body, Batman! Suzi, you are an inspiration to us all! 

Last time I did Atkins my good cholesterol shot up, and my bad cholesterol went down, maybe your Mom did not have the full set of tests, I know my doctor mentioned that if he did not have some extra done, he might not have seen the true picture. 

Glycemic index is where I am heading with my diet. I find Atkins easy to stick to, so I plan on staying with it until I get down to 200#. At that point, I expect I will switch to GI and add  complex carbs back into my meals. I am looking forward to eating lots of fruits and vegetables again!


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## GlassJaw (Dec 5, 2007)

Update: I'm running in my first road race this weekend!  It's a 10k (6.2 mile).  I had been running 4 miles pretty regularly and I've done 5 a couple of times and 6 once but felt really strong.  Ran 6 this past Fri and did it in about an hour.

The temperature and time change has screwed up my routine though and I haven't been running as much as I was (I usually run outside after work).  I'm still running Fri-Sun and have been hitting the weights more.


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## EricNoah (Dec 5, 2007)

Ah, nice to see this thread back from the dead. 

I haven't been quite as hardcore as I was six weeks ago.  I am still exercising something like 5 days a week.  However, I need to do better at avoiding the urge to hibernate in the winter (when it is dark, cold and gloomy by the time I get home, it's very hard to get motivated to go out for a walk).  And I need to do a better and more consistent job of recording my food intake (been slacking off there as well).


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## Rl'Halsinor (Dec 5, 2007)

I just started seriously exercising 4 weeks ago after almost a year's hiatus after major ankle/foot reconstruction this past January.  I also have cut way back on soda and food intake and now I drink a ton more water.

With the weight lifting and swimming I am feeling the best I have felt in a long time.


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## xrpsuzi (Dec 5, 2007)

We took a few weeks off dieting for Thanksgiving and Joe's birthday, but we are back on the wagon until Christmas. I'm on the last week of Fitness Challenge #2, which is giving even emphasis on cardio and strength. I'm still 5+ pounds lighter than when I started, and while I'm glad that I took the break (starting diviating from the plan from attrition) it's time to start making more progress before I get discouraged. Nothing sucks more than not eating what you want and exercising regularly and still not losing weight.

Like Eric, the cold also makes me want to hiberate. Can't I just eat more starch-laden foods and curl on the couch with a blanket?   

 I try to get my exercise in to an interesting radio program b/c boredom is the biggest killer of exercise initiatives for me. I haven't gotten an MP3 player or IPOD, so right now, I'm getting exercise in during All Things Considered, just about the only NPR news show that plays on my local radio stations and  doesn't require me being in close proximity to my computer in order to listen.

I also got an alternate cardio plan to keep things interesting. I started learning belly dancing, and it's a nice break from the elliptical machine.



			
				GlassJaw said:
			
		

> Update: I'm running in my first road race this weekend!  It's a 10k (6.2 mile).  I had been running 4 miles pretty regularly and I've done 5 a couple of times and 6 once but felt really strong.  Ran 6 this past Fri and did it in about an hour.




Awesome! When I ran, I never cared to run more than 2 miles at a time and that was at my top physical fitness. Did you run cross country in school by any chance?


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## GlassJaw (Dec 6, 2007)

suzi yee said:
			
		

> Awesome! When I ran, I never cared to run more than 2 miles at a time and that was at my top physical fitness. Did you run cross country in school by any chance?




Nope.  In fact, my endurance and overall fitness ability has historically been pretty poor.  I played basketball in junior high but that's about it (and I wasn't very good).  I've always _sucked _at running.

I started running a few years ago when I was laid off but when I got a new job in 2004, I put the weight back on.  I was never overweight per se (I'm 6' 1" and was about 200 lbs.) but certainly not toned.  

I was on vacation for 2 weeks at the beginning of August (including going to GenCon) and just ate and drank a ton of crap the whole time.  I spent a lot of time on the beach during the week as well and seeing my brother was great inspiration.  He plays volleyball in college and is RIPPED.  After I got back from GenCon, I decided enough was enough.

I really went cold-turkey.  I changed my diet and started running 4-5 times a week.  I started hitting the weights the past couple of months as well (moreso now since I'm nutting running as much because of weather).  So from mid-August, I've gone from a 40 waist to a 34.  I've had to buy a LOT of new clothes.  I started from barely being able to run a half-mile to running 6 miles averaging 10 min miles.

I highly recommend everyone to check out Dr. Oz on Discovery Health.  He changed my life.  He really advocates changing your lifestyle rather than "going on a diet".  

But really, it's just been pure willpower, persistence, and patience.  You have to WANT it.  Enjoying inflicting pain on yourself helps as well.  It makes me feel more alive.


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## Bloodstone Press (Dec 8, 2007)

My biggest problems are: 

1. Not going to the gym regularly 
2. poor diet. 

I'm in better shape now than I was last year at this time, but I haven't lost a pound. Back in Sept. I was hitting new personal records in weight lifting, but then I stopped going as much and so I've dropped off on the weight to avoid an injury. 

 The biggest change for me this year has been the addition of vitamins and fiber supplements to my diet. After getting sick a few months ago, I did a careful analysis of my diet and found I wasn't getting nearly enough vitamins or fiber and was getting way too many carbs. 

 I'm about to move a lot closer to my job and there is a gym right across the street from where I'll be living, so I hope that I'll be a able to get back into the habit of going to the gym 3-5 times a week instead of 1-2 times like I've been doing lately. 

*Where I'm at: * 5'6", 195 lbs. (34" waist, 44" chest)

*Where I'd like to be:* I'm not so worried about "weight" as I am fitness. I do a lot of weight training so my muscle-to-fat-ratio is important. Waist size is also important, as I am slowly outgrowing my pants... So I'd like to drop at least 2 inches off my waist. 

* Exercise: * When I'm going to the gym regularly, I spend 1 -2 hours there and do a lot of push-ups, bench pressing (flat, incline and decline), military pressing, and butterflies (on a machine). I also do a lot with my back (rowing motions, pull-ups, etc.). I also do several exercises for my abs including crunches, leg lifts and sit ups on a decline bench. This past year I've also added some Cardio to my workout routine. I usually spend 10 minutes on a stationary bike and burn about 100 calories (according to the machine, which could be wrong). 

 As long as I can go to the gym at least 3 times a week and control my diet, I should be fine… I’ll keep you all posted on  how well I do at that.


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## Morrus (Dec 8, 2007)

Bloodstone Press said:
			
		

> *Where I'd like to be:* I'm not so worried about "weight" as I am fitness. I do a lot of weight training so my muscle-to-fat-ratio is important. Waist size is also important, as I am slowly outgrowing my pants... So I'd like to drop at least 2 inches off my waist.




Weight is misleading if you're also doing weight training - by putting on muscle, you increase your weight.  If you're using weight as well, don't go near the scales - the informaiton doesn't help you.  You could be losing body fat and still putting on weight in the form of muscle (which is a good thing).  In addition, muscle weighs more than fat per volume.

The mirror's your best guidance here.


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## Bloodstone Press (Dec 8, 2007)

Yeah, that's why I say: 



			
				Bloodstone said:
			
		

> I'm not so worried about "weight" as I am fitness.




 I weigh the same as I did a year ago, but I'm a lot stronger now. So I'm sure I've lost some fat and gained some muscle.

 It is sometimes hard to see changes in the mirror, as change is usually slow and people often look at themselves in the mirror everyday. So I rely on a tape measure and how my pants fit as indicators of my fat level.


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## GlassJaw (Dec 8, 2007)

Bloodstone Press said:
			
		

> * Exercise: * When I'm going to the gym regularly, I spend 1 -2 hours there and do a lot of push-ups, bench pressing (flat, incline and decline), military pressing, and butterflies (on a machine). I also do a lot with my back (rowing motions, pull-ups, etc.). I also do several exercises for my abs including crunches, leg lifts and sit ups on a decline bench. This past year I've also added some Cardio to my workout routine. I usually spend 10 minutes on a stationary bike and burn about 100 calories (according to the machine, which could be wrong).




Sounds like you need to be doing a LOT more cardio.


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## Pbartender (Dec 8, 2007)

Morrus said:
			
		

> Weight is misleading if you're also doing weight training - by putting on muscle, you increase your weight.  If you're using weight as well, don't go near the scales - the informaiton doesn't help you.  You could be losing body fat and still putting on weight in the form of muscle (which is a good thing).  In addition, muscle weighs more than fat per volume.
> 
> The mirror's your best guidance here.




Quoted For Truth.

I've been bicycling back and forth to work -- about 12 miles round trip -- every day for the last four years. On top of that, two years ago I transferred to a job that doesn't involve rotating shifts, and I stopped visiting the vending machines at work.

Over the last two years, I've held steady at about 190 lbs, but my waist size has gone down from 38" to 34" with a belt.


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## Bloodstone Press (Dec 9, 2007)

Glassjaw said:
			
		

> Sounds like you need to be doing a LOT more cardio.




 Yeah, I just hate it. I like strength training well enough, but I've never liked running or biking. Having a bad knee doesn't help, but even before that injury I never did cardio work unless I had to for sports or gym class in high school. 

10 minutes on a bike isn't long, but its 10 minutes longer than I used to do.


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## xrpsuzi (Dec 9, 2007)

Bloodstone Press said:
			
		

> Yeah, I just hate it. I like strength training well enough, but I've never liked running or biking. Having a bad knee doesn't help, but even before that injury I never did cardio work unless I had to for sports or gym class in high school.
> 
> 10 minutes on a bike isn't long, but its 10 minutes longer than I used to do.




I detest the stationary bike too! It doesn't help that I've never learned how to ride a bike, so the movement had always felt really strange to me.

Have you tried swimming laps? There are a number of strokes that work the full body, so you can change it up to keep if from getting boring, easy on the joints, and you don't really sweat (conversely you have to monitor your heart rate to make sure you aren't pushing it too hard). If they could come up with a ipod that I could wear while swimming, I would never leave the water. 

Popped on the scale this morning, and I'm back to where I was before the Thanksgiving/birthday break and 48 hours away from finishing Fitness Challenge #2.


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## megamania (Dec 9, 2007)

I need to work on my mental health first.  I am dipping back into depression as I am behind on my morgage, paying 700 a month to heat this craphole of a house and all any one has to say is "where is my money".

This sets me in a blue funk of which I answer with tons of food, most of which is carbs and sugar and as a diabetic....  I am slowly killing myself... and don't care.


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## megamania (Dec 9, 2007)

ooooooi..... I did bloodwork last Wednesday.  I see the doc this Friday.  I'm sure I'm in double digits and as such will hear about it from the doctor.....


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## GlassJaw (Dec 10, 2007)

Bloodstone Press said:
			
		

> Yeah, I just hate it.




Well, you're not supposed to like it...at least not at first.  If you're heart rate isn't up and you aren't hurting, you aren't working hard enough.

Eventually though, you start to _need _it.  As I've mentioned in this thread, I went from barely being able to run a half-mile to running my first 10k race (6.2 mile) today (finished in 1:03!).



> Have you tried swimming laps? There are a number of strokes that work the full body, so you can change it up to keep if from getting boring, easy on the joints, and you don't really sweat (conversely you have to monitor your heart rate to make sure you aren't pushing it too hard).




Heh, I wouldn't consider swimming "easy".  I went swimming with my sister and her husband and they _destroyed _me.  He teaches a competitive swimming class and gave me a lot of routines to do in the pool.  It was brutal.  I've always been a good swimmer and have been running a lot so I figure, heh, this will be a piece of cake.  It was an eye opener.  Really comes down to muscle memory and what you are used to.  I definitely need to hit the pool more.


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## adndgamer (Dec 10, 2007)

I'm 5'10", 160lb, and around 9% body fat.  I used to have an extra 15 pounds or so on me and a much higher body fat percentage, but I lost that quickly just by watching the foods I ate, and making sure that I was being active.

For the most part it's easy.  You need to burn calories greater than or equal to your intake, or you will gain weight.  So, you can either increase activity (good, because it increases your metabolism as well) or you can decrease your caloric intake (bad, imo, because it leads to a decrease in energy).  I work in IT and sit in front of a computer for 12 hour stretches at a time.  Little things can add up like getting up and walking around for a while.  I also made the switch from regular soda (tons of calories) to diet soda (0 calories).

As far as being more active goes -- It doesn't have to be full-on workouts, and I actually think that it's better to work on changing small habits.  Walk more often, eat more fresh fruits and less processed foods.

For a few months I set a time to work out, just doing calisthenics like pushups & situps, squats.  The results were amazing.  In just a few weeks of working out every other day I was seeing tons more definition in my abs and chest.

Take an active interest in food that you're eating.  Watch out for fat content and calories.  Drink plenty of water.

That's all I've got. Good luck!


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## xrpsuzi (Dec 10, 2007)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> Heh, I wouldn't consider swimming "easy".  I went swimming with my sister and her husband and they _destroyed _me.  He teaches a competitive swimming class and gave me a lot of routines to do in the pool.  It was brutal.  I've always been a good swimmer and have been running a lot so I figure, heh, this will be a piece of cake.  It was an eye opener.  Really comes down to muscle memory and what you are used to.  I definitely need to hit the pool more.




I totally get you--when done properly, swimming will kick your butt every time. Add in some current, and you're toast. That's why I mentioned having to really watch your heartrate--inevitably, every time I start swimming again, I try to race out of the gate with freestyle, overdo it and have to start over with less aggressive strokes. Dumb monkey....

Exercises in the water are also good for people who are really overweight, where gym/machine exercises would involve a lot of skin-on-skin rubbing, excessive (and uncomfortable) sweating, and stress on your joints, legs, and feet.

That's the only thing I really miss about moving to the midwest--my small town doesn't have a gym or YMCA with a pool so I haven't swam in ages.  Maybe it's time to make a deal with a local hotel with a pool....


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## megamania (Dec 13, 2007)

bloodwork results arrived yesterday-

Bloodsugar ACL = 10.6   (susposed to below a 7, normally run between 7.5 and 8)


In about one hour the doctor will be chewing me a new one.


So soon I may be mentioning my own excerise program......


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## RangerWickett (Dec 13, 2007)

megamania said:
			
		

> I need to work on my mental health first.  I am dipping back into depression as I am behind on my morgage, paying 700 a month to heat this craphole of a house and all any one has to say is "where is my money".
> 
> This sets me in a blue funk of which I answer with tons of food, most of which is carbs and sugar and as a diabetic....  I am slowly killing myself... and don't care.




Yeah, that's a wee bit unhealthy.

What works to get you out of depression? Exercise, that's what. 

What's your address? I'm going to send you a Kwanzaa card to cheer you up.


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## megamania (Dec 15, 2007)

a whatta card?


Doc had a long talk with me.  He is trying to figure out a way to aid me.   As he puts it-   "You have to do this because you want to.  You have before and can again."

Which is true......  I need to win the lottery......


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## Lewis526 (Dec 15, 2007)

One mistake people often make when they start trying to lose weight is they try to do too much at once.  As "adndgamer" suggested in his (her?) recent post, there's no need to kick your butt with severe dieting or calisthenics right from the start, or you'll just make yourself miserable and give up before you build any momentum.  It takes about 6 weeks for your body to adjust to a major change of exercise habits, and if you're already struggling, you're not likely to maintain a difficult discipline for that long.

So I agree that one should start small, and work on the issues gradually.  Start by just getting up and walking around more.  If you live near some attractive nature, go explore it.  Just being outdoors, in the natural sunlight and fresh air can make you feel better.

If you want to change your diet, replace a few unhealthy foods with healthier options.  You don't have to become a vegan to eat healthier.  Instead, start small at first, like replacing fatty meat with less fatty meat.  Or replace your white bread with whole grain bread (which I think tastes better anyway).  Quality counts as much as, or maybe even more than, quantity.

And something the vast majority of Americans neglect is a good night's sleep.  Not getting enough sleep contributes to a whole host of health problems, not to mention sapping away whatever energy you might have for exercise.  If you're one of those people who wakes up rearing to go after only 6 hours, consider yourself beloved of God.  Most of us need about 8 hours to be truly healthy, and some poor souls, like me, prefer even more.  Most people I talk to figure out what they just barely need to get them through the day, and get used to the suffering.  Don't be like them.  If waking up and getting out of bed is an unpleasant experience, then you haven't gotten enough sleep.  Learn to cherish your rest.

In short, just take it slow.  Plan to lose a couple of pounds a month for several years.  Remember that the quick fix never works.  It's got to be a lifestyle change, which is all but impossible to accomplish overnight.

One more thing I'll mention, that a student of psychology recently told me.  She said that at least 99% of all people live in fear that we're not worthy of love.  Although this is false, it's a terrible burden that most of us suffer under, whether the world sees it or not.  Acknowledge those feelings of worthlessness, and fight against them.  Be willing to forgive yourself, and let somebody love you.  It's not too late.  It never is.


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## CanadienneBacon (Dec 30, 2007)

In 1998, pre-children, I ran the Silicon Valley Marathon and finished in five and a half hours.  Fast forward ten years and four (lovely) children later, and I am overweight and can't run a mile in one stretch.  

Husband took my measurements this evening, at my request:


Right thigh  27"

Hips  47"

Waist  40"

Bust  42.5"

Right arm  14"

December 2008, I wish to run the Honolulu Marathon.  I do not care what my finishing time is, I just want to finish.  By resuming distance running after a long hiatus, I hope I also see some weight loss.  I had our fourth child September 2006--15 months ago.  It's time to work my body back into some semblance of a healthy shape.  

Toward this goal, I first had to get over the very bad cold I came down with at the start of December.  I'm just about done with the cold, so now I'm ready to add in exercise.  My husband and I attended our church's christmas supper on the 16th.  I skipped the dessert buffet table completely, yay!  I make pumpkin pie from scratch every year using fresh pumpkins that I save from Halloween and roast then puree.  I made it through from Thanksgiving to today having eaten only three pieces of pie.  I didn't overload my holiday supper plates with food this holiday season.  I stopped eating fast food entirely back in September this year.  I'm currently trying to sub diet soda for iced tea or water.  I need to stop snacking after supper and I need to begin a run/walk exercise regimen so that I work my way up to being able to hack 26.2 miles come the 2008 Honolulu Marathon.  Got twelve months to do it, guess I'll take it one day at a time and see what comes.


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## CanadienneBacon (Jan 5, 2008)

Must. not. drink. eggnog!


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## EricNoah (Jan 5, 2008)

CanadienneBacon said:
			
		

> Must. not. drink. eggnog!




Good advice.  For everyone!

Update: The new year (actually the period starting just before Christmas) is always a great time for me to re-energize myself in terms of diet and exercise.  I am back on the exercise wagon (yesterday was day 14 in a row of exercise).  I am back in the habit of recording food.  I am not doing a particularly good job of keeping the calories to a reasonable number, however, so that's the next challenge.  I'm also in the midst of a mild cold, so that kind of throws everything off.


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## xrpsuzi (Jan 5, 2008)

CanadienneBacon said:
			
		

> Husband took my measurements this evening, at my request




I take measurements monthly and it really helps me gauge how I'm doing--if the scale isn't moving down as fast as I'd like but my measurements are going down, I know I'm still on track.

My final goal is to get the waist to hip ratio to .8 or less b/c there are strong correlations between carrying weight in the middle to increase risks of a slew of medical conditions. Plus, in order to achieve that goal with my brick of a body, I really have to exercise regularly and eat properly (i.e. foods that don't freak out my diabetes).

Good luck to you and here's to kicking the Hawaii Marathon's butt.


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## CanadienneBacon (Jan 5, 2008)

suzi yee said:
			
		

> Good luck to you and here's to kicking the Hawaii Marathon's butt.



Thanks!  Might have to be the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati in 2008 instead of the Honolulu Marathon.  We're not quite sure (still in the advanced discussion stage), but we may be moving from the islands.  Still, I've always wanted to do the Flying Pig Marathon, too, so that would work out!  I mean, with a name like "Flying Pig," how can you go wrong?


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## RangerWickett (Jan 5, 2008)

suzi yee said:
			
		

> My final goal is to get the waist to hip ratio to .8 or less b/c there are strong correlations between carrying weight in the middle to increase risks of a slew of medical conditions.




Also, you'd be smarter:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2008/01/04/fortin.hfh.curvy.women.cnn

A wedding over the holidays halted any weight loss efforts, but my new year's guilt is strong, so I'm going to do my best to exercise at least 5 times a week.


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## GlassJaw (Mar 3, 2008)

Figure it would be a good time for an update!

My "training" has slowed somewhat this winter but I've been maintaining (I can't wait for winter to be over!).  I've lost 35 pounds since Aug 07 and I don't want to lose any more (I'm 6'1", currently 165 lbs).  My BMI is exactly in the middle of where I should be but I've been adding things back into my diet.  My diet got to the point where it so structured that I know I'd keep losing if I stayed on it.

I ran my first 10-mile race yesterday.  I'm sore today but really psyched I did it.  My previous longest run was 7.5 last Sunday.  The 10 miles took me about 1:36 - just around 9.5-minute miles.  That's a little slower than the pace I've been running lately (I was down to about 8.5-min miles) but it was freaking cold out and really windy.  I felt like I was running into the wind the whole time.  I also went out drinking the night before, got about 5 hours of sleep, and basically did nothing to prep for the race all well.  All-in-all, I'm happy with the result.

My next goal is to run a couple more 10-mile races and try a half-marathon in May in Providence.  That and keep working on my abs.      I can actually see them!

I'm curious how other people are doing.  One thing I've realized through all this is how EASY it is.  Seriously.  If are doing the right things and stick to your program, the weight will FALL off.  For me, there were 3 pieces - eating habits, cardio, and weight training.

Once I started doing all three, the changes were crazy.  You will get results incredibly fast.  The toughest thing for me was eating habits (and you CAN'T think of it as a diet) just because I was a junk food junkie.  It was just pure willpower.  But now, I don't have to worry about restricting my diet as much.  And if I put some of the pounds back on, I know I can switch gears immediately and get results fast.


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## bytor4232 (Mar 8, 2008)

*Where I am*.  Obese.  I weigh about 260 lbs.  I blame my choice of profession, computer systems engineer.  I sit all day, and then sit all night because I loves my tv.

*Exercise*. I've been practicing martial arts for the last 14 years.  Kung Fu (Mantis, Snakefist, Nothern Shaolin) and Tai Chi mostly.  I'm currently without a master, have been for about 8 years, so I practice what I know.  However, I don't have the time to devote to the conditioning training that I would like to do, so I have to cross train.  

I did a lot of research, and while at a discount exercise shop, I discovered the most awesome exercise aparatus ever, Medicine Balls.  I didn't like the price however, so I only picked up a 4lb and 6lb medicine balls, and made 10lb and 20lb with basketballs, tire patch kit, a funnel, sand from home depot, and goop.  Been working them for a couple of weeks now between martial arts exercies, and I've never felt better.  I highly recommend medicine balls for your cross training needs, and you don't have to spend hundreds either.  I only spent around 35 total for four balls.  The exercises are remarkably easy, and they really exercise the entire core.  

*Nutrition Plan*. I'm avoiding red meat, and eating more veggies.  When I have to eat fast food, I pass on the fries, and get a salad.  Also trying to drink more tea and avoid soda as much as possible.  I dropped 10-15 lbs in a month following this regimen.

*Goal*. To be healthy.  Fitness has always been a hard quest for me to follow given my age (35) and profession.  Overall, I would like to weigh about 200lbs.  Once I get there, I will re-evaluate my health, build, and muscle mass and decide on a path at that time.


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## Eosin the Red (Mar 12, 2008)

*Where Am I:* I'm 6'7 and 220 lbs. Right at 10-11% body fat. 

*Where Have I Been:* I was basically 300 lbs sixteen months ago. I changed my lifestyle and actually overshot my weight loss goal dropping to 200 lbs before finding a way to add some healthy mass. I am still too thin ~ I have the dreaded "big dude syndrome" and don't feel right being this small. 

*Exercise:* Initially, I did 30-60 minutes of cardio a day, seven days a week. After 2 months I added in weight training. Everything started with faltering baby steps i.e. 10 minutes of cardio on day one left me sweating like a pig at a Texas BBQ. 

Currently, I do about an hour of weight training 4 days a week (the big lifts squats, deadlifts, standing presses, clean and press). 20-40 minutes of cardio 6 days a week ~ usually interval training as opposed to steady state cardio. I add in a pylometric routine once a week with things like depth jumps, jump squats, and box jumps. Total gym time each day is about 80-90 minutes.

*Nutrition:* I eat every 3-4 hours. Mostly lean protein accompanied with fruits and veggies. I shoot for 10-15 servings of fruits and veggies a day - some days I make it, some days I fall a little short. I get 95% of my carbs from fruits and veggies. I don't eat bread, sugar, flour, or anything refined if I can avoid it (I do eat protein bars as a work snack). Protein wise I shoot for 200-250 grams a day to put on a little more muscle. Total daily calories varies from 3,500 to 4000.


*Goals:* My overall goal is an 8% bodyfat by summer and I'd like to gain 20-30 lbs of muscle in the mid-term bringing me to around 250 lbs. I now do some personal training ~ my clients all come from health care (doctors and nurses). I am finishing the NSCA personal training certification and would like to continue training folks on the side. My hierarchy of training begins with Functionality, Form, Fitness, Flexibility, and finally Power.

[soapbox]
*Health:* _This is what is all about isn't it?_ The initial impetus for the lifestyle change is related to a constellation of problems that began with the diagnosis of a sudden cardiac death syndrome _[Heck, I even posted about it on these forums]._ That led to 2-3 years of zero activity. My cholesterol skyrocketed --- even though I was on 4 medications by the end it was still too high. I was diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome and was informed that I would be put on diabetic medications. Facing Scylla and Charybdis, I went to my heart doctor and asked to be allowed to lose weight and exercise (generally contraindicated with a SCD). Once approved, the endocrinologist gave me 3 months to make major changes. Today he calls me the poster-child for healthy living and diet. I still have the SCD but I am in the best shape of my life and feel better -- more alive -- than I ever have and I don't take any medications for cholesterol or diabetes. Diet and exercise offer more perks than a nice body and weight management - they are the keys to living well (in some cases, living at all). [/soapbox]


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## frankthedm (Mar 13, 2008)

*Where I am:* Man the harpoons! 380 and 6' 2". 

*Exercise:* Walking around stores and shopping malls is all the exercise i have seen for the last year or so. Kinda a mall rat so its more than typical, but nowhere near enough. I used to do lots of bike riding, but finally got a car few years back and got lazy. Really got to re-start riding to work.

*Diet:* Really bad. I really like "chinese" food buffets and I like getting “my money’s worth”. The rest of my preferred foods also tend to have fat, sodium and sugar in equally obscene amounts. I eat when bored to the point of it being a hobby itself. 

*Goal:*  Slice off a 150 pounds without having to resort to chirurgery.


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## Michael Dean (Mar 14, 2008)

*Where I am* 265 and 6' tall.  Man that hurt to write.

*Exercise* When I'm good, cardio 3-5 times a week, lifting 3-5 times a week, swimming at the YMCA.  When I'm bad, I can go a couple of weeks without exercising due to busy schedule, aches and pains, etc..

*Diet*  Here's the killer.  Fast food often, soda, and salty snacks.  When I'm exercising, it helps kill the craving for the bad stuff, so obviously I need to exercise more.  I found last summer that I suddenly love ice tea, the non-sugar type.  So that's good.  

*Goal*  Knock off 80 lbs. ideally, but will settle for 50 to 60 lbs.  I was lean in high school (ran cross country) and college but over the years have gotten stockier (my shoulders are wider and bigger than when I was young), so I don't see myself looking like my college self again.  I've worked in restaurants forever, so from the waist down I'm not bad, just my gut is the embarassing part.


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## EricNoah (Mar 14, 2008)

Good to see folks reporting in!  

My current situation is that I have inched back over to the "overweight" side of the border.  The past couple of months have been pretty brutal weather-wise and I just haven't gotten outside like I did last year at this time.  The good news is ... yesterday it finally warmed up, and I took a day off and did my first "Lake Monona" ride of 2008 (2-hour bike ride on city streets).  I thought it would kill me, but it was no problem.  I'm a bit stiff today, but that's to be expected -- hadn't ridden in 5 months.  So that is really motivating, to know that I'm already in shape enough to enjoy my spring and summer bike rides.


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## Polyhedral_Columbia (Apr 8, 2008)

I admire the bravery of the fellows who've shared their struggles here.

My name is Travis and I'm a destructive eater and a gamer. In my earliest pictures I was a bright-eyed adventurous tyke, but around the age of 4-5, I became chubby. I hated having to shop for clothes in the "husky" section. By the age of 12, besides owning my first OD&D Red Box, I had also dieted (just eating one packet of snack crackers from the vending machine for lunch), counted calories, and gone to TOPS and Weight Watchers with my mom, who also suffered from overeating. I became thin through dieting and from the onset of puberty. My parents praised me for losing the weight.

In my later teens I underate, especially when my first romantic relationships didn't work out, and I felt depressed. One refuge from my unhappiness was playing D&D (in Mystara, Dragonlance, FR, and Greyhawk) with my brothers and friends. When I went off to college, I put on the "college 15 pounds", and despite trying to control my eating, I kept on going. I tried to stop eating red meat, but I'd hardly last a day before I broke down and ate a hamburger. In my sophomore year, I studied abroad in China, and I swore: _"On my grandmothers' graves, I'll stop overeating!" _It was only a few days before I was overeating again. I felt guilty about making such an oath. In my junior year, after coming back from study overseas, I developed stretch marks near my armpits, and felt despondent about this.

I was in a poor emotional state, about my weight and other difficulties, and I dropped out of school at the end of my junior year. From the age of 19 to 28, I worked menial jobs, interspersed with periods of dependency on my family. I gave up on life. I thought: _"I don't even know how to buy so-called healthy food such as fresh produce, how to store it, or cook it. I don't even like the taste of it, so why bother?"_ I gave up and ate as much as I wanted any time day or night. Large pizzas, several 1-liters of Mountain Dew per day, big bags of Doritos. I spent much of my free time relaxing reading the newspaper in fast food restaurants, often late at night. It was fun, and I'm glad I did it. One solace during this time was the online D&D forums and mailing lists at WotC, and Eric Noah's nascent 3e news page.

Later though, the pain became greater than the fun. I got heavier and heavier until I reached 290 pounds (at which point I kept overeating, but stopped weighing). My concentration and nerves became shot from the sugary-sweets and caffeine. I'd sometimes try to exercise, but my knees and back ached from the load, and my left thigh became (seemingly permanently) numb. I developed yucky rashes as my body tried to detox from the unwholesome food. I'd gnash my teeth in frustration at the discomfort. I got kidney stones. As I painfully drove myself to the hospital at night, I swore to whatever god there was that I'd eat lots of fruit from now on. After the attack ended, despite my earlier intentions, I went back to eating the same way. I lived in a university town for awhile, and as I walked down the street to Dairy Queen, a pick-up with college guys drove by and one yelled: "Hey, fat ass!"

I sometimes tried to stop, but despite having a strong will in some areas of my life, I found I could not stop overeating and bingeing for any long period of time. I tried fasting, eating only vegetable juice. I was able to sustain this for over a month and shed 50 pounds, but eventually the craving became too great and I fell again. I tried to get myself to vomit the excess food, but wasn't good at it (my lack of skill saved me from becoming a bulemic). I entertained the idea of suicide almost daily.

One thing that did help was that, after several false starts, I was able to take the plunge of becoming a dedicated vegetarian, even though no one else in my family was. I did it only to feel better (less guilty) about myself, not to lose weight (and I didn't lose any). I still ate mass quantities of unhealthy food, just vegetarian versions of it! I'd get the bag of cheese Combos instead of the pepperoni Combos and cheese pizzas instead of meat-lovers pizza. I did feel some satisfaction being a vegetarian, since I was able be successful at doing this one thing. I hated the world and human beings, but I felt neutral toward animals, since though they'd attack and eat me, they wouldn't do it out of malice.

After years of being morbidly obese (by the medical definition), I decided to start a new life. I lived near the East Coast, and I packed up my belongings and drove out to California, with no job or home lined up. I packed my passenger seat with cans of Slim-Fast and V8, and drank only this for weeks, as I drove around Cali (from Santa Barbara to LA to San Diego) looking for someplace to live and work. I settled for San Diego and found a vegetarian intentional community to live in (some would call it a commune!). I also found a job that I could walk to. So I walked to and from work each workday. During this time I was able to stop eating eggs and egg-based dishes, since I heard that conventional egg farms didn't treat the chickens well, and because I'd had some interest in a yogic tradition that refrained from eating eggs. I couldn't make changes that helped me directly...I had to justify it by saying that it'd help the animals. Though I was raised an atheist, I'd started to become interested in spiritual things.

I started tracking my weight on a free online chart at Slim-Fast dot com. After a year or so in Cali, I let go of dairy, since I heard milk cows weren't treated that well either. (In retrospect I know that there are things like free-range eggs and organic milk, where the animals are treated better, but this wasn't in my field of vision yet.) Even though I couldn't control the quantity of food I ate, after a year-and-a-half of eating lacto-vegetarian my weight had gone down to maybe 220. I became interested in organic food, meaning it was grown without synthetic hormones, herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers, and without genetic-modification (so the tomatoes weren't part fish). I had suffered so much in regards to eating, I deserved to eat like a prince. After a year,I even switched jobs from graveyard  shift at a convenience store to working as a produce clerk at a health-food store. I gradually learned how to buy and store fresh fruits and vegetables (before then I had no idea how long food stays fresh in a fridge, and which things are not supposed to be refrigerated, such as bananas). Now that my weight was lower, I could jog some on a nearby trail.

During the time I was a vegan, my gallbladder said:_ "Whew! I'm glad I'm not so stressed out by digesting cheese...I'm going to try to get rid of these stones that've been in here for years." _So I had a gallbladder attack. I painfully drove myself to the hospital, and the doctor said he'd have to cut it out, and that it'd cost $3000. I said to myself: "_No! My body's just telling me it's time to change. I don't want to mutilate my body."_ So I did internet research and found two traditional remedies for gallstones: a Western folk remedy and an Oriental remedy. I drank olive oil and lemon juice daily and sent off to Canada for Chinese Gold Coin herbs. I also refrained from eating anything that had any fat whatsoever (by reading the labels). (One helpful thing about being a vegetarian/vegan is that I learned to read labels and did research about what ingredients come from plants and which come from animals.) Anyway, after doing these remedies for a month or two, I gradually tapered back to eating fat again (e.g. eating items that had 1/2 gram of fat, then 1 gram, etc.). I was still a vegan, so I naturally was eating no cholesterol, since I was eating only plant fats (such as avacado and nuts). I hadn't known until then that only animal products have any cholesterol in them. It's been 6 years, I still have my gallbladder, I'm no longer afflicted by it.

Anyway, being a vegan (yet still overeating at will), my weight went down below 200 for the first time in years. But it leveled out at around 190. I still wanted to be trim and handsome. I became interested in raw-food (San Diego's a kind of mecca for the Living Food movement). I enjoyed making raw-food preparations. It was the first time I enjoyed making recipes. For my birthday I made a cake out of two big disc-shaped watermelon slices, and fig and almond paste for frosting. Being a raw-foodist (yet still not able to do anything about my bingeing -- I'd eat a whole organic watermelon in one sitting), my body went down to 170, my hair and skin glowed, and my hands were no longer dry and cracked. I came to delight in the various varieties of organic fruits, and discovered kinds I'd never heard of before: custard-textured cherimoyas and sapotes. My taste changed, and I came to love good-quality organic olives (not the sad rubbery kind I'd grown up with and hated) and avocados. One of my staples was (and is) organic apples or pears slathered with natural nut butters (pb, almond butter, cashew, sunflower butter). Even to this day, my main two dishes I prefer to eat are 1) "Fruit Sundae", where I eat a big bowl of organic natural sweet stuff: fruit, nut butter, yoghurt, cashews, real maple syrup, and 2) "Green Salad" where I fill a big bowl of organic lettuce or arugula, and make a dressing by pouring in almond butter, tamari or soy sauce, and organic olive oil, plus a big handful of cashews or other wholesome crunchy things I like, such as pure rye crackers (Finn Crisp) or brown rice crackers.

Anyway, now that I was physically refreshed, I thought I'd be happy, but I was wasn't. I was still depressed. So I tried to go further...I became a fruitarian, and later started fasting on water for a day at a time. I was still doing manual labor as a produce clerk and walking to and from work (about a 2 mile walk there). Though I enjoyed it for a month, it was going too far. Though I was still bingeing on fruit and soaked nuts, I became thin, down to 145 (half my top known weight). A housemate said I looked like I came from a concentration camp. I resented him saying that, but he was right. I felt loopy, and crashed a pallatte jack into a door which hit a customer and hurt her arm. One day I felt a weird hot rush inside my intestines, and I decided I'd gone far enough. In retrospect, I had become an "orthorexic", and if I kept going to further extremes along that road, it could be as dangerous as anorexia. I tapered back to being a regular raw foodist.

I was still unhappy though, and I'd gone as far as I could go with food-related practices, so I was in despair. I had a spiritual crisis: I feverishly went to Barnes & Noble's religion/spirituality sections and picked out any book that caught my eye and brought them home: Gandhi, Tolstoy, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ken Wilbur (a neo-Buddhist), a Bible, the Muslim Gospels. I read them, but realized I had to have a community for me to practice these things with, otherwise nothing would come of it (any more than the several other times I'd tried to meditate on my own). I looked on the internet for a community related to these authors, and I found a monastery associated with one of the authors nearby. I started going to the public practice days there. In the discussion circles there, was the first time I felt safe enough to admit to others that I had a binge-eating problem. I went on a walk with a monk and I admitted that I couldn't stop craving food. At the monastery, I learned concrete mindful eating practices that have helped me to this day: setting my fork/spoon down while I chew, counting my chews up to 20, 30, or more (now I no longer count, but simply don't like the feeling o chunks of unchewed food going down my esophagus), and refraining from speaking of negative things during a meal.

Well, having learned all this, and being physically refreshed, I moved back East with the intention of finishing my bachelors degree. I lived with my folks a few months before I'd move off to school. During that time, I was still a rawfoodist, but one day I got angry at my parents, and frustrated that there wasn't a better selection of organic food in the store (we lived in rural West Virginia) and I went into their pantry and ate a bunch of their junk food. From there, I was back to the races, and edged up toward 200 pounds again. I was demoralized. Here I'd spent two years in California, working day-in-and-day-out to lose this weight, and here I am fat again!

Not long after that, a friend mentioned to me that one of their friends is in Alcoholics Anonymous, and I wondered if there's something like that for me. I looked on the internet and did find a similar recovery group. This is where I recovered from bingeing. I started going to meetings and asked someone to sponsor me, and I began refraining from bingeing one day at a time. It was rough. I felt emotionally tense. I was abstinent for a month, but I went out of town for a visit, and I didn't stay in touch with my recovery fellows when I came back, and within a short time, I'd had an extra dessert, and was off to the races again. I was gone for a year.

I binged pretty much every day like I'd done in the old days: cheese pizza delivered daily, and picking up a bag of snacks (I liked alternating sweet, salty, and sour) to eat myself to sleep. Most of my life for that year was work + eating alone in my apartment. Then strange things started to happen: my hair falling out, disconcerting feelings in my intestines, waking up with ringing in my ears and itchy eyes, my skin turned pink and pasty again (where it had become golden and fresh after the raw food remediation), and my emotional and mental state slid down a black spiral. My mind was in a food-fog, and I was reaching the point where I was no longer effective at my work in the engineering firm. I'd eat a bunch of pop-tarts behind my closed office door before work. My concentration was shot. There was a week where I marked my timesheet for only a few hours of work because I'd goofed off on the internet instead of work-projects, since I couldn't concentrate. My manager was a mellow fellow and let it slide, but I felt I couldn't keep this up much longer.

I soon remembered how I used to go to that recovery group. I went back, having been beaten by the affliction of destructive eating. I felt literally beaten: my eyes, face, and body were all puffy and sore. This time I found a male sponsor to work with (the last time I'd been there, there were only women). I went to a meeting nearly every day for a year. If I couldn't find a eating disorder meeting, I'd go to AA or NA or Al-Anon or other meetings.

I started working through the threefold recovery program: physical, emotional, and spiritual. I admitted that I was beaten, I conceived that some Power beyond myself could cure me of this affliction, I turned my will and life over to that Power of my own conception, I made a thorough emotional and moral inventory (writing down everything I'd ever felt 1) angry/irritated/annoyed/hatred about or 2) fearful/worried/anxious about, along with 3) an inventory of my sexual history), I wrote down at least some way (however small) I was partly at fault for all the things I was resentful about, I asked my personal Power to relieve me of my faults, I made a list of every person or institution I'd ever harmed in my life (from the boy I'd hit in the nuts in school, to my parents whom I'd unconsciously used the threat of suicide as a weapon against them), I went to the many people and institutions I'd harmed (even if they'd harmed me even worse) and apologized and made concrete or symbolic redress to them (I still have some to go), and I continue to do these things daily and pass on this way of life as I'm able. Within six months I was down to my target weight (175) and I have not binged any more, my thigh is no longer numb, and I've been maintaining a normal weight for three years.

Thanks,
Travis


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## EricNoah (Apr 8, 2008)

Thank you for posting, Travis -- talk about bravery!  I hope your health outlook continues to improve and that you continue to find the peace you are seeking.


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## dema (Apr 19, 2008)

*Our routine*

Well my wife and I started going to the gym together this January. I was going before on my own after work but it's definite better going with someone. My method to lose fat ( not weight) be cause you have step on the scale and be heavy, but still fit. I look at % body fat, not the scale as where I should be. Also if you have muscle the BMI will be off and you may want to consider a caliper to measure body fat. I also measure fitness using a heart rate monitor. I got one that works for me and my wife that does not use a chest strap because the strap would just be annoying. We work out 2-3 times a week, and sometimes take a walk as well. Work out is about 1 hour weights, and 30 minutes jog/run/elliptical for me aiming at 160-170 on the HR. She does 30-45 weights, and 30-60 minutes on walking/elliptical, she is planning on running with me once she gets to a good weight otherwise you can kill your knees.  

Also I'm still healing a torn meniscus that limits me, but it's been better. I've used my own version of prolotherapy to assist in the healing.

I cook for myself, as I always did. My wife has moved to substitute in her diet. She uses soy cheese in place of dairy. Organic and whole wheat products from our local Stop and Shop, and Trader Joe's if you have one in your area. I don't go crazy with the hype, but my goals are different than her's. She has also taken to using Allie to assist in the effort. She was 220 in January, it's April and she reports to be 180 now. Her goal is to be back to 130 which what where she was 5 years ago when we met. 

She also has this thing about not eating after 7pm. Me, I eat after the gym, take a shake, eat a tuna salad, again my goal is different. I do not mine the mass. I'm 6'1 and 205. I do mind the flab. However, the more muscle you build the higher your resting metabolism will be. I may remain at 205, but the composition of the body will change (and it has.) We work out kinda late 8pm to 11pm, this includes a 20 minute walk to and from the gym. I have trouble sleeping after, she passes out.

My goal is to get back to 18% body fat. I'm at 25-23 depending on my sodium and water content at this time. 

Take what you can from this post. Good luck to all. 

P.S. The 6 pack I drink on the weekend does not help. I believe there are 7 calories per gram of alcohol or something like that. Plus alcohol does all sorts of funky stuff to you. I reference an article that the silicone in beer makes you bones stronger to convince myself beer is good. I'm hopeless.

Here is the chart - 

    * 9 calories per gram of FAT
    * 4 calories per gram of PROTEIN
    * 4 calories per gram of CARBOHYDRATE
    * 7 calories per gram of ALCOHOL


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## SpiderMonkey (May 3, 2008)

*Confessions of a binge exerciser*

I'm gearing up for my next go at fitness, so this'll be interesting.

I gave my first go at weightlifting and purposeful eating a few years back. At 5'7" and 135 lbs for most of my adult life, I wanted to try to put on some muscle mass and strength. Cue about a year and a half and a lot of effort and research later, I got up to over 175 lbs at about the same body fat %. And then I started hitting the speed bumps.

First my wife gets pregnant. And then I start applying for doctoral programs. Then I get a road job while waiting for acceptance letters. And then my step dad gets cancer. And then my son's born. And then I go off to grad school. And then finals. And then funerals. And then finals again.

Basically, I'd get some momentum, and then let myself get knocked off track. And then I'd start back, and I'd let something else get to me. I'm getting all of my projects in for the semester this week, and then I'm re-evaluating my lifestyle.

The key for me is consistancy. I'm pretty good in general (not that you'd know it from this past year), but I don't do good in 'crisis' situations. What's worse is, I don't put on weight when I stop eating right or lifting. I just kind of...morph. As in, all the bulk that I was carrying in my shoulders and chest heads south. I wind up looking like a fat skinny guy, and feel terrible.

So, in short: this summer is mostly part-time work while I get to focus on being Daddy. In the meantime, it's back to lifting sessions five days a week, cardio six days, and purposeful eating. I'd like to get down to around 165 or less in the first month, and then focus on rebuilding some of the muscle I've lost. By the end of the summer, I'd like to be back at the weight I'm at, but at a much lower bf%.

We'll see. At least until the next 'crisis.'


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## Harmon (May 5, 2008)

Presently I have stopped taking my walks.  Yoga has fallen by the way side.  

I have stuck to my leg lifts, holding a 10 lbs medicine ball between my ankles, lift front a tap on the floor to straight up in the air then back down as a ten count.  I am up to five sets of ten per day.  

Child care (24/7 with a two year old), and depression are the two things that are holding me at odds with my weight issues (I have lost 18 lbs sense last December).  I have stopped eating junk food (did that a couple years ago), that helped, but for me its about getting out (which I can't seem to do).


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## Nilhgualcm Leahcim (May 5, 2008)

I am currently 235 pounds and 6'3". This is down from 3 years ago when I was 450 pounds. My doctor was very woried at that time, so we talked about gastric bypass. Weighing all the pros and cons, we decided that it would be a good thing for me. I have not been able to exercise in the past because of VERY bad hips, knees, and back. So, the doc recommended the surgery because it could get me to a weight that I might be able to exercise at.

In the past, not being able to exercise made it incredibly easy to put on the weight. I tried lots of different exercises and weight loss plans, but few worked for any appreciable length of time. So This was an opportunity to change all that. Child number 3 was on the way, and I wanted to do the 'typical dad' things: play in the park, throw around the ball, etc.

Surgery was hard. Learning to eat again was harder. The surgery I had wasn't the lap band, This was full-out bypass. So sugars, milk, carbs, all gave interesting problems.

Now, I coach soccer at my school. I walk around our track. I try so hard to be active, it is good. I still have some severe pains in my hips, knees, and back, but it is not as bad now with almost half the weight gone. 

The surgery wasn't easy. I myself would do it again, but it is not something to consider lightly. I was having chest pains and was worried that the "end was nigh". After all this time, no more chest pains, no more "red ears" from blood pressure, no more cravings for sweets (because of the effects that they have on my body - eeewww) and am much happier.

I have been accused many times of having taken "the easy way out" instead of working it off. I can assure those naysayers that this is the furthest thing from easy for me. I am keeping the weight off, I am attending my counseling, and I am keeping more active now than I ever have. The surgery helped me a lot, and I credit it for being one of the things that kept me around to recently welcome my fourth baby into the famly   . This has been a great thread. I appreciate reading about everyone else's similar struggles. Thanks for letting me rant.


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## RangerWickett (May 5, 2008)

Harmon said:
			
		

> Presently I have stopped taking my walks.  Yoga has fallen by the way side.
> 
> I have stuck to my leg lifts, holding a 10 lbs medicine ball between my ankles, lift front a tap on the floor to straight up in the air then back down as a ten count.  I am up to five sets of ten per day.
> 
> Child care (24/7 with a two year old), and depression are the two things that are holding me at odds with my weight issues (I have lost 18 lbs sense last December).  I have stopped eating junk food (did that a couple years ago), that helped, but for me its about getting out (which I can't seem to do).




Don't get down. 18 pounds is a great loss. I've managed about 5 pounds since December, and I walk to and from work. 

Maybe you can find a way to integrate your responsibilities with a bit of exercise. Take the two year old with you on a walk, or . . . I dunno, how much does he weigh? You could spin him around a lot. The kid has fun, and you get a work out. 

Either way, you've already done pretty durned well.


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## RangerWickett (May 5, 2008)

Nilhgualcm Leahcim said:
			
		

> I have been accused many times of having taken "the easy way out" instead of working it off. I can assure those naysayers that this is the furthest thing from easy for me. I am keeping the weight off, I am attending my counseling, and I am keeping more active now than I ever have. The surgery helped me a lot, and I credit it for being one of the things that kept me around to recently welcome my fourth baby into the famly   . This has been a great thread. I appreciate reading about everyone else's similar struggles. Thanks for letting me rant.




Congrats. I think when you've got 200 pounds to lose, what's best and fastest for improving your health definitely wins out over the 'moral victory' of trying to do it all yourself.

Good luck with your fitness. Have you talked to a physical trainer? It might be good to have someone figure out a safe, less-painful exercise regimen for you, considering your joint pain.


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## Agamon (May 8, 2008)

*A question about my situation*

Okay, I posted about my recent weight loss on another, less mature board and got replies that made me surly.  So I present it here to ask if what I've done is "unhealthy".

I had a birthday in March.  I don't usually make a big deal of them, but a lot of friends and family did this year, so I did too.  I had noticed in some recent pictures thta I was looking a lot more doughy than usual.  Weighing myself, I realized I had topped 305 lbs (I'm 5'11").  I've been at least a little overweight since college, but that's nuts.

So, the day before my actual birthday (but after the celebration, whether that's good or bad, not sure), I decided to make some lifestyle changes to be healthier.  Not a diet, but a change to healthier eating.  Not an exercise regimen, but a commitment to be more active.

I didn't know what to expect with weight loss, and it didn't matter.  If I ate better and was more active, it would come.  Well, 4 weeks later, my weight was 235 lbs.  Kinda blew me away, I didn't expect anything so dramatic.

So, the question: too much, too fast?  I'm being told that I've screwed my metabolism, that losing that much weight so quickly is bad for me, not to mention that I'm obviously lying because doing that is next to impossible.

All I did was decrease my calories (to 1500-1800, increasing that for more active days), space out my eating over the day rather than concentrate it at mealtimes, eat a lot more fruits and veggies and a lot less fat and sugar.  Stayed away from carbs if I wasn't planning on being active, loaded up on them if I was planning on expending a lot of energy.  No gyms or jogging, just a bunch of walking, some sports (hockey and ultimate), and I just started swimming again (used to be a fish as a kid).

I've made a few changes, as I'm a big guy and I think some of that weight loss was muscle mass, so I eat a bit more, and a bit more protein.  The last 3 weeks, I've averaged about 3 pounds a week...though I'm pretty proud of that, as I was on vacation for most of it, eating out every day except a couple.

So anyway, was this bad?  I don't plan on going back to greasy foods once I hit some target weight, this has been so easy I'll keep doing for as long as I have the choice.  But I've heard that losing more than 2-3 pounds a week is bad.  I swear I didn't mean to!


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## GlassJaw (May 9, 2008)

Agamon said:
			
		

> So anyway, was this bad?  I don't plan on going back to greasy foods once I hit some target weight, this has been so easy I'll keep doing for as long as I have the choice.  But I've heard that losing more than 2-3 pounds a week is bad.  I swear I didn't mean to!




I don't think I would worry just yet since it sounds like you've done everything the right way.  I'm assuming you aren't skipping meals and stuff like that.  The key with any "diet" (I hate the word diet) is to replace the bad stuff you were eating with good stuff.  Again, it sounds like are doing that.  

Don't worry too much about avoiding carbs altogether.  You want to avoid the "bad" carbs, not all carbs.  The bad carbs are refined sugars and "white" carbs: pasta, white bread, sugar/fructose, corn, and potatoes are the major offenders.  But again, don't be afraid to eat these things once in a while, just don't make them the staple of your diet.  

And the best advice I can give is add FIBER to your diet!  Fiber is the absolute key to anyone interested in a healthy diet.  It will absorb a lot of the fat in your body and remove it from your body.     It's also really good for your heart and will lower your cholesterol.  Good sources of fiber: apples with the skin, broccoli, beans.  I also buy an all-natural fiber cereal as well (Kashi is good).  Again, don't worry so much about the carbs when eating high-fiber foods.

As far as muscle mass goes, definitely try to add some light weight training with your cardio.  You don't even have to do anything fancy, just some bicep curls, shoulder presses, push-ups, sit-ups, etc.  Go for high reps with lower weights.  Even 15-20 minutes a few times a week is huge.

It might not be a bad idea to make an appointment with your PCP just to keep him up-to-date on what you've been doing either.


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## Agamon (May 9, 2008)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> I don't think I would worry just yet since it sounds like you've done everything the right way.  I'm assuming you aren't skipping meals and stuff like that.  The key with any "diet" (I hate the word diet) is to replace the bad stuff you were eating with good stuff.  Again, it sounds like are doing that.




Right on both accounts.  I just eat less at mealtimes and snack a bit more in between.  No more chips or candy, fruit and veggies instead. 



> Don't worry too much about avoiding carbs altogether.  You want to avoid the "bad" carbs, not all carbs.  The bad carbs are refined sugars and "white" carbs: pasta, white bread, sugar/fructose, corn, and potatoes are the major offenders.  But again, don't be afraid to eat these things once in a while, just don't make them the staple of your diet.




Haven't tried to eliminate carbs, just slow down on them.  I used to comsume them like crazy (bread, pasta, sugar).  But I do try to focus them to when I need the energy they supply.  For example, I had a small pizza for dinner before ultimate yesterday.  I drink a Gatorade on top of water during these forays, too.



> And the best advice I can give is add FIBER to your diet!  Fiber is the absolute key to anyone interested in a healthy diet.  It will absorb a lot of the fat in your body and remove it from your body.     It's also really good for your heart and will lower your cholesterol.  Good sources of fiber: apples with the skin, broccoli, beans.  I also buy an all-natural fiber cereal as well (Kashi is good).  Again, don't worry so much about the carbs when eating high-fiber foods.




Good to know, I've increased my fibre intake big time.  Wasn't sure what it did for me, but I'd heard it was good. 



> As far as muscle mass goes, definitely try to add some light weight training with your cardio.  You don't even have to do anything fancy, just some bicep curls, shoulder presses, push-ups, sit-ups, etc.  Go for high reps with lower weights.  Even 15-20 minutes a few times a week is huge.




Was doing this before vacation, then got away from it, as I've been pretty active, cardio-wise.  But yeah, probably not a bad plan to go back to it.  Every lunch I did some push-ups, crunches and curls while watching TV.  Easy to start doing again.



> It might not be a bad idea to make an appointment with your PCP just to keep him up-to-date on what you've been doing either.




Thanks for the advice.  Appreciate it!


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## EricNoah (Jul 8, 2008)

An update from me, and a link.

Update: I'm doing so-so dietwise and fairly well exercise wise.  Need to continue to record food, watch out for eating that is not hunger-related, and add some upper body exercise to the walking and biking I currently do.  

Link:  Study Shows Value of Food Diary in Losing Weight -- it has been for me, at least!


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## Angel Tarragon (Jul 8, 2008)

The time before last when I weighed myself I believe I was up to 245. I weighed myself over the weekend and I was 230. 
I'm eating less (mostly because I'm not eating for comfort any more and because I'm feeling less hungry). Also I'm eating more healthy. I've been muching away on salads (can't get enough of 'em), yogurt and cereal. I'll ocassionally boil a pot of Spaghetti or eat a microwave dinner, but I have to admit, I'm feeling better and more energetic. 

I've resolved to get myself down to 210 then I'll start taking exercise more seriously. Of course it would help if it weren't so dang hot here in Arizona.


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Jul 8, 2008)

Reveille said:


> The time before last when I weighed myself I believe I was up to 245. I weighed myself over the weekend and I was 230.
> I'm eating less (mostly because I'm not eating for comfort any more and because I'm feeling less hungry). Also I'm eating more healthy. I've been muching away on salads (can't get enough of 'em), yogurt and cereal. I'll ocassionally boil a pot of Spaghetti or eat a microwave dinner, but I have to admit, I'm feeling better and more energetic.
> 
> I've resolved to get myself down to 210 then I'll start taking exercise more seriously. Of course it would help if it weren't so dang hot here in Arizona.



Weather is always a great excuse. "Oh, I had to cycle 8 km from my work place to get home, and it was raining/hot. I am totally wet (from rain or sweat) and don't want to do any more sports now...


Well, the last time I checked I was at 109 kg, IIRC. And today I recieved the second reminder of  my fitness studio that I should visit them again soon... 

On the other hand, I have started jogging again... But it's still not regularly enough. And I got a new (good) bike and it's much more fun to get to work with it. (Suspension can make a big difference). I feel like I'm faster now, but that might just be my imagination.


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## Exquisite Dead Guy (Jul 9, 2008)

Reveille said:


> I've resolved to get myself down to 210 then I'll start taking exercise more seriously. Of course it would help if it weren't so dang hot here in Arizona.



Don't wait.  Not only will you loose weight faster if you start working out now, you also won't be weak as a kitten when you get where you want to be.  Learn from my mistake. 

I know the heat can be tough (it isn't as hot in Maine, but the 75-80% humidity is a killer), but if you exercise early in the morning or after the sun has set it is much more tolerable.  Start with 30 minute walks and light weights 3 time a week.  You don't need to spend a ton of money either - I bought a $120 bench and weight set at Wal-Mart and work out in my basement (cooler there too!).

Good luck!


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## GlassJaw (Jul 9, 2008)

Exquisite Dead Guy said:


> I know the heat can be tough (it isn't as hot in Maine, but the 75-80% humidity is a killer), but if you exercise early in the morning or after the sun has set it is much more tolerable.  Start with 30 minute walks and light weights 3 time a week.  You don't need to spend a ton of money either - I bought a $120 bench and weight set at Al-Mart and work out in my basement (cooler there too!).




Good advice.  "It's hot out" is a lame excuse.  Start out slow by just walking.  Bring water with and keep yourself hydrated.

Even adding light weights a few times a week makes a HUGE difference.


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## Bump2daWiza (Jul 13, 2008)

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=128859&highlight=weight+loss



*Where I am:* 5'7". 178 lbs. Need to lose about 20 lbs. Want to get some fights this summer, so will have to get back into shape. 

*Exercise:* 3-4 Days a week, 5 mile jog in morning, followed by sit-ups. 2-3 Days a week, 1 hour weight routine (alternate between reps and timed depending on my cycle). 3-5 Nights a week, Muay Thai Gym for 1 hour fifteen minutes. 

*Diet:* Since I took a break from fighting, and gained some wieght. But since I started my activity level back up, I am not too worried about how much I eat. I have 1 protein shake in the morning (followed by running or weights), 1 Big Breakfast (eggs, toast, sausage or oatmeal), Carb-filled lunch with just enough meat, Late Afternoon Protein Shake, good nutritious dinner, 5 servings of fruit every day.  

*Goals:* 1) Get down to 160 lbs or so. That way I should be able to cut enough pounds to make it into welter weight before a fight. 2) Increase my stamina. Wind is less than it used to be. 3) Get stronger.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Jul 14, 2008)

*Where I Am:* 5'7" 260lbs.  I'm the most sodium sensitive hypertensive my primary care physician has ever seen in his practice (of at least 4 decades)- at one point, both systolic and diastolic numbers were over 200, and the person who caught this thought I was getting ready to have a stroke _right there._  I was only diagnosed a few years ago, and it is a significant factor in my weight.  The more salt I eat, the more liquids I consume to maintain my body's proper salt concentration...and since my main drinks besides unsweetened tea are milk and fruit juice, I can rack up a few thousand extra calories with ease.

*Where I've been:* At my fittest (as an adult), I was 5'7" 193lbs.  However, I literally am one of those "big boned" people.  At the time, my doctor calculated my _0%_ body fat weight was around 170lbs...still off the chart for a healthy person my height.  I had an exercise routine that was wicked effective, alternating days of upper body weights and lower body endurance with days of lower body weights and upper body endurance.  In the gym and certain other athletic venues, I was scary to some of my school's real athletes, but really no threat- I was all power and little endurance (except for swimming).

At my worst, I was nearly 280lbs.

*Exercise:* Before law school, I used to exercise quite regularly.  Even then, I managed to do some stuff that kept me from ballooning completely, but I still gained weight- law school students have a pretty sendentary lifestyle.

I continued exercising a little bit, but an ACL/MCL tear in 2002, its repair, and my rehab took me out of schedule for over a year.  I lost the habit, and quite frankly, quit certain activities due to fear of re-injury.  I had an unreported side effect to the painkillers I was prescribed: any text smaller than about 14 point- IOW, most books, etc- looked like the letters were _dancing on the page_.  That meant I was functionally illiterate for the entirety of my rehab...meaning I couldn't practice law at all during that time.  (I could barely do what I needed to keep my law license from expiring.)

I can't risk that again.

In the meantime, I've been trying to get back into walking the dogs (one isn't too fond of the practice), bowling, and volleyball.  Hopefully, I'll be able to find a good time & place to swim & pump iron again.

I'll never be built like Charles Atlas, but hopefully, I won't look like the subject matter of one. 

*Diet:* Using my formidable cooking skills to rewrite a host of traditional creole and cajun recipes into low/no salt versions, I've managed to slash my sodium intake to very near the levels my Doc prescribed.  Typical American: 10K mg/day, Regular Low-Sodium Diet: 4K mg/day, Me: 2K mg/day.  (For perspective, look at the sodium content of a typical commercial sandwich, pizza slice, or piece of fried chicken.)

I'm pretty omnivorous.  Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, and just about anything that swims (fish, reptile, mollusk or aquatic arthropod) is fair game.  My home diet includes lots of veggies, fruit & nuts- all of which I love, so that's no chore- and the odd rare sweet or two.

Unfortunately, my lifestyle forces me to eat out a lot.

Also unfortunately, my scale (an integral part of my Doc's plan) broke last year, and gave me erroneous feedback.  My scale said one thing, my clothes another.  By the time I replaced it, I found I'd gained 15lbs in 2007. GRRR!


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## Chauzu (Jul 16, 2008)

Howdy all. 

*Where I Am:* Just started getting back into bodybuilding a month ago. Currently on a cutting diet for the next few months to lose the extra weight I gained over the winter and spring. Got about 15 lbs to go, then I'll start bulking up... clean this time. 

*Where I've Been:* Started hitting the weights in high school when I played football. When I tore my ACL senior year though I about gave up, but my bro introduced me into bodybuilding. Once I had my surgery I hit the weights harder than ever and recovered pretty well. I ended up weighing 190 at 10% body fat (5' 8'') before I joined the Marine Corps. While I was in the Marines though, I put bodybuilding on hold, lifted infrequently and mostly did long distance running. Since I've been out of the Corps, I've gotten pretty small and a little chubby compared to what I used to be before I joined the military. I started to feel like crap and eating like crap. I was becoming tired rather quickly whenever I snowboarded. It took me six months to start running and lifting again (June).

*Exercise:*
SUN - Run 6 - 12 miles
MON - Chest, Back & Abs
TUE - Shoulders & Arms
WED - 45 min run
THU - 30 min run (in the morning) & Legs (in the evening)
FRI - Full Body

*Diet:* Currently on a cycled ketogenic diet, keeping my calories around 1800-2200.

*Goals:* Currently weigh 180 lbs, want to get down to 160 lbs by October, then start bulking up.


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## paradox42 (Jul 16, 2008)

Cool thread. 

*Where I Am:* 5'11" (though actually I want to get measured again to be sure because my parents and other older adults who've known me for years keep telling me that I look taller to them), 170 lbs. as measured on a medical-grade scale at my gym last night.

*Where I've Been:* I've always been a stick, before the last year or two; couldn't gain weight to save my life during my 20s no matter how hard I tried. I've since come to believe that a large part of that was that I wasn't getting enough protein, but suffice it to say that doing 6 months of hard weight-training exercise 5 times a week just to go from 125 lbs. to 140, was not a work/reward ratio I liked. Last year, after I got promoted to supervisor at UPS (and therefore am no longer allowed by union contract to so much as touch a package unless asked to do so by a union employee), I started to see my fitness level go down and joined a gym. After I got back in shape, weight stabilized around 140, I decided to try bulking up again, since my metabolism had clearly slowed in my 30s. And this time it's working- I reached my last-year's weight goal of 160 lbs. after only 2 months.

*Exercise:* Every night, Monday-Friday, after work, I hit my gym on the way home (the gym is open 24 hours and is almost directly on the route I take between work and home- those are the primary reasons I picked it). I typically do 20 minutes of jogging/elliptical, followed by ~40 minutes of weight training hitting different areas of my body each night. That's followed by a soak in the gym's hot tub, and 10 minutes of relaxation in the sauna, before I head home to eat dinner.

*Diet:* I wasn't paying much attention to this in my 20s, because I always had a high metabolism- one of those people who could eat anything and never gain an ounce (even if I wanted to- and yes, I'm well aware that pretty much everybody else wishes they had that problem). These days, though, particularly after my successful bid to reach 160 pounds last year, I watch my diet during bulk-up periods closely. In recent weeks I'm usually eating between 3000-3700 calories per day, and I drink a shake of whey protein at the gym every night after my workout before I hit the showers and hot tub. Trying to follow the rule of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, though it isn't always easy and I usually go over or under by a few grams. Since my childhood I've been eating a bowl of instant oatmeal for breakfast nearly every day (generally the only times I don't are when I'm on vacation and it's unavailable), and lunch and dinner are freeform- whatever I feel the desire to eat (though I'm careful to count calories and protein of course). It's probably higher in sodium than is particularly healthy for me, but I haven't seen health troubles yet so I haven't had a need to cut back on that. When I eat fast food, which is admittedly more frequently than it should be, I almost invariably do Subway or Chipotle. I often hit Chipotle twice a week- I can't help myself, the burritos are so good!

*Goal:* I plan to hit 180 lbs. by the end of this summer if possible (and I think it will be). I often weigh myself twice each night at the gym, once before and once after I do the hot tub/sauna "cooldown." Usually I lose a pound or so in the cooldown, but the last two nights I haven't lost anything as far as I could tell- so my body fat's almost certainly in the single digits now. I'm stronger than I've ever been in my life, and feeling great!  If I can hit 172 by the end of this week I'll be a happy camper. I was between 169 and 170 on Monday night, so so far so good.


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## EricNoah (Aug 2, 2008)

To avoid the calories that come from evening cravings, I have a new rule I'm trying out: no food after 8pm.  My desire to eat in the evening is almost never a result of hunger, it's a craving for something sweet.  I have successfully staved off the 8pm cravings for the past nine days -- and it has helped me bring my daily calories down by 600-ish per day.  

The weird (in a good way) thing is I don't find myself trying to cram an evening snack in at 7pm to beat the deadline -- I almost never have my cravings then.


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