The exercise/weight loss thread

[Amazing Larry]

Wow that’s amazing Tank. Congrats!

[Tank]

thanks, LHalo. I feel so much better and am now smaller/lighter than the average cholo dodger fan.

my goal is to lose 225, so i'm within 37 lbs. of that, and if i continue working hard, i'll get there.

[wopphil]

Back on the diet again. I gained back about 12 of the 20 I lost last year. Goal is to drop 13-14 over the next 10 weeks.

[tdawg87]

Welp time for another whack at this.

I'm not going on any diets, though that might help curb my hunger if I find the right one. I just don't want to deprive myself of specific foods/drinks.

I just need to change. Eat way less and exercise more. Beer is going to be my biggest hurdle. I know I can still drink it and lose weight but it makes me crave carbs and fatty food. I have a fridge full of Tree House (brewery in Mass) and each can will set me back at least 300 calories. I don't think I can just give it up cold turkey but I definitely can drink a lot less. 1-2 on my days off max. 

My goal is pretty significant. 150 pounds lost by mid-2019. It's going to suck but I've dropped weight before. I just need to log every single thing I eat and weigh my food (and myself) every day. 

I don't consider this a resolution. I just seriously need to change my life. Hopefully I can do it.

I also want to have flexing contests with @Chuckster70 so there's that.

[Redondo]

15 hours ago, Tank said:

thanks, LHalo. I feel so much better and am now smaller/lighter than the average cholo dodger fan.

my goal is to lose 225, so i'm within 37 lbs. of that, and if i continue working hard, i'll get there.

Congrats Tank!

Keep up the good work.

[Tank]

tdawg, slow and steady wins the race. i gave up soda cold turkey - had a day where i allowed myself to have a final go at it, drank 3 mountain dews with adam and blargy, and haven't touched one since. that was july 11, 2016, and my craving for soda has disappeared (having kidney stones and the misery that comes with those has helped a lot in this process, but i hope you don't have to experience the same thing). my daughter had a sprite a few months after my surgery and i asked for a sip - man, it was so horribly sweet. i don't miss it at all. don't know how that will translate to beer, but i wish you luck. the two things i focus on now are keeping my carbs to <90 per day and my sugar to <10 grams per serving per day. i think if you simply cut back on these two specifically, the pounds will come off easier.

[gotbeer]

I feel guilty.  I just weighed myself, and found I gained 4 pounds since my last hike.  Up to a whopping 173.  This year, I'm going to cut down on the beer, eliminate the smoke, and hopefully get my weight up to 180 in good lbs from my hiking/prospecting.  I'm even thinking ambitious and thinking of trying to do the 6 peaks of Southern California.

[Brandon]

On 12/31/2017 at 8:58 AM, LHalo said:

I let myself go ever since Thanksgiving. IPA's, chips and salsa, Chinese food... just ate like like a total POS for the past couple of months but it was the holidays so I didn't care. Now I'm going to step it up and go full Keto for the start of the year. My goal is to make it to St. Patrick's day without any bad carbs. I'm going to be shredded yo. 

I need to jump back on myself. do you throw any exogenous ketones in the mix? thinking of doing that this time around just to make sure I stay in the zone since I don't count or calculate. was thinking of something like this to randomly throw in during the day: https://shop.perfectketo.com/products/exogenous-ketones-keto-supplement?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=51922994709&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=972200870&utm_medium=search&utm_term=&utm_content=230421445652&matchtype=&adgroup=48103156477&feeditemid=&loc_interest_ms=&loc_physical_ms=9031575&network=g&device=c&devicemodel=&adposition=1o2&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1afSBRD2ARIsAEvBsNk900Lqhydtqyxa9lRyUAVwgBr0Q40imkJ1jgmIaCfOKdi4blIuTHsaAt_5EALw_wcB

throw intermittent fasting in there too, it makes a huge difference and was a game changer.

[Chuck]

How's everyone doing on their new exercise program for weight loss or muscle gains?

After a food and drinkfested holiday season, including a week on a Caribbean cruise with unlimited drinks and food, I've lost 13 shitty lbs by simply reducing the carbs, increasing my cardio (running, walking 2-3 miles a day, burning 200-300 calories on the treadmill), while continuing my bodybuilding regimen at the gym.

By doing daily cardio, reducing my alcohol intake, cutting out beer (until Spring Training) and having little to no carbs (high protein, good fat diet), shitty weight is dropping fast. 

[gotbeer]

I'm at a good 172.  17 days in, and haven't had a smoke.  But have been craving them.  I also did something to my knee on my last hike, and tried to put on some old braces, and they were too small.  I was actually kind of excited about that, since it means all that hiking and carrying heavy equipment is paying off.  To keep me motivated, I bought a knockoff go pro, so I'm going to try and record some hikes.  Next 2 weeks though, going light on the hikes and only carry about 10 lbs, since I'm really beginning to feel the fatigue of carrying 30 lbs 3 miles into the bush.  

[Warfarin]

Good job everyone!  Weight loss is a difficult journey, but it's always cool to see people dedicate themselves to living healthier, happier lives.

Has anyone here experimented with either the Paleo or Keto lifestyles?  Basically, both are low carb "diets," with one more strict than the other.  I say diet, but I think the best way to think of them is as lifestyle choices.  I think viewing them as "diets" makes it more mentally challenging to adhere to.

[Brandon]

1 hour ago, Warfarin said:

Good job everyone!  Weight loss is a difficult journey, but it's always cool to see people dedicate themselves to living healthier, happier lives.

Has anyone here experimented with either the Paleo or Keto lifestyles?  Basically, both are low carb "diets," with one more strict than the other.  I say diet, but I think the best way to think of them is as lifestyle choices.  I think viewing them as "diets" makes it more mentally challenging to adhere to.

I am getting back on the keto train here shortly. I dig it, had great results, and find it easy to incorporate into my lifestyle....I miss carbs like pasta, but never had a sweet tooth.

[Warfarin]

7 minutes ago, Brandon said:

I am getting back on the keto train here shortly. I dig it, had great results, and find it easy to incorporate into my lifestyle....I miss carbs like pasta, but never had a sweet tooth.

I loved the keto lifestyle, but unfortunately, my cholesterol shot through the roof on it, so I scaled back and went to more of the Paleo lifestyle, which seems to have helped me a bit more.  They're not too different from one another overall.  I agree with you, it's pretty easy to maintain, although I personally do have a bit of a sweet tooth - that was the hardest part to give up.

[Brandon]

13 minutes ago, Warfarin said:

I loved the keto lifestyle, but unfortunately, my cholesterol shot through the roof on it, so I scaled back and went to more of the Paleo lifestyle, which seems to have helped me a bit more.  They're not too different from one another overall.  I agree with you, it's pretty easy to maintain, although I personally do have a bit of a sweet tooth - that was the hardest part to give up.

cholesterol is overrated and not a good indication of health. reminds me of how they say salt is bad or back when they had the food pyramid and we were to consume more breads and pastas than anything. I know very, very healthy people that have "high cholesterol".

[Warfarin]

1 minute ago, Brandon said:

cholesterol is overrated and not a good indication of health. reminds me of how they say salt is bad or back when they had the food pyramid and we were to consume more breads and pastas than anything. I know very, very healthy people that have "high cholesterol".

I agree with you, but believe me, when I say shot through the roof, I am underplaying just how high it went, lol.  I didn't want to be a study of n = 1.  I think anything below 300 is just fine, especially if the HDL level is quite high.

[Blarg]

Right now the health industry is placing the Keto on the bottom of the dieting rankings. Their new favorite is the Mediterranean Diet. I downloaded the diet plan and had a bitch of a time getting a reader to recognize the format. Had to download the Adobe Reader and even then it isn't a very clean translation.

I'm going to look at it this weekend and try it out. Meat protiens are greatly reduced with a greater emphasis on vegetables, grains, legumes and fruits with some cheese thrown in. 

[Warfarin]

2 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Right now the health industry is placing the Keto on the bottom of the dieting rankings. Their new favorite is the Mediterranean Diet. I downloaded the diet plan and had a bitch of a time getting a reader to recognize the format. Had to download the Adobe Reader and even then it isn't a very clean translation.

I'm going to look at it this weekend and try it out. Meat protiens are greatly reduced with a greater emphasis on vegetables, grains, legumes and fruits with some cheese thrown in. 

Mediterranean food is delicious.

Overall, there are various different ways to approach nutrition.  The overarching theme is to minimize processed foods and sugar, while maintaining a healthy intake of vegetables.  The other nuances vary, but those seem to be the unifying themes.

[Angelsjunky]

Pizza and ice cream (gelato) are from the Mediterranean. Awesome.

Didn't know this thread existed. Here's my story, in brief: I've always struggled with having a "bit extra," but I got really trim 13-14 years ago, then over the last 12 years I went from 170 to 260ish at my fattest (I'm 6', medium frame). I was probably around 250 in May of 2017, and have since dropped 50 and am just below 200 lbs now. There were a lot of stalls (plateaus) and ups and downs, but overall loss has been steady. Feels good.

My approach? Intermittent fasting and increased exercise. I try to eat healthy but have a sweet tooth, but more of the Whole Foods variety. Oh yeah, divorce helped...hardest year of my life, but quite cathartic and I'm a better (and healthier) man for it.

I'd like to lose about 25 more lbs to get to around 175 and maybe 15% body fat, then focus on adding some muscle. 

My plan going forward is more of the same, but a bit more disciplined (especially after holiday binging that saw me go back up to 210):

Intermittent fasting: Fast 15-16 hours per 24 hours, maybe from 8pm to 10:30am or so. Once or twice a week, fast for 24 hours.

Diet: Focus on veggies, fruits, fish and poultry. Moderate oil, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Minimal dairy, gluten, booze, red meat, sweets.

Exercise: Everyday. Maybe weights every other day, hiking a couple times a week, biking, yoga.

I don't want to get big or don't need to be super cut, but I want to be trim and fit for my new post-marriage life ;-).

[Angelsjunky]

@Adam, healthywage.com looks quite sketchy.

[Adam]

Check cleared!

[cez]

cancelled my gym membership months ago, and got a rower for indoor cardio.  went with a good one (over $1K) and it was a good investment. 

i've just gotten to a point where i make all of my food from scratch, almost nothing from a box, bag, or can at the store. been that way for a few years now.  i cheat a little here and there. cholesterol and triglycerides are under control again. made hummus yesterday for the first time, and it turned out pretty good. 

replaced fish oil with hemp seeds a few months back.

 

[cez]

12 hours ago, Warfarin said:

I agree with you, but believe me, when I say shot through the roof, I am underplaying just how high it went, lol.  I didn't want to be a study of n = 1.  I think anything below 300 is just fine, especially if the HDL level is quite high.

all about keeping LDL and triglycerides under control

[Warfarin]

2 hours ago, GOPSnowflakesHateCezero said:

all about keeping LDL and triglycerides under control

Interestingly, more progressive research is starting to reveal that the most important cardioprotective marker is your TG / HDL ratio, with the ideal level being less than 2:1.  Studies are showing this is more predictive of cardiovascular events, vs just measuring LDL.

[cez]

yeah, i don't worry too much about it since i eat almost no sugar, which is a much bigger problem with cholesterol/triglyceride balance than fat. since i started making most of my food, hdl is good and ldl is down. 

i actually use coconut oil every day to make sure i get saturated fat in my diet because literally everything else i eat only has unsaturated fat. 

[Chuck]

On 1/17/2018 at 2:34 PM, gotbeer said:

I'm at a good 172.  17 days in, and haven't had a smoke.  But have been craving them.  I also did something to my knee on my last hike, and tried to put on some old braces, and they were too small.  I was actually kind of excited about that, since it means all that hiking and carrying heavy equipment is paying off.  To keep me motivated, I bought a knockoff go pro, so I'm going to try and record some hikes.  Next 2 weeks though, going light on the hikes and only carry about 10 lbs, since I'm really beginning to feel the fatigue of carrying 30 lbs 3 miles into the bush.  

I'm at 220 lbs, but a good chunk of that is muscle mass that I've attained or should I say reattained over the past 4 years after taking a 15 year hiatus from the gym. 

I would like to get down to 205-210 and stay there so I don't have very far to go. Onwards and upwards.

I'm doing the keto myself, but doing less cheese/red meats and more chicken/fish. I've gotten real creative for meals too.

Sandwich turkey or chicken meat (lean), stick a pepperoncini in the middle, pull the stem (but try to keep as much juice inside the pepper as you can), fold like a taco and OM NOM NOM.

Another thing I'm doing is taking my Habanero chile infused extra virgin olive oil and adding a teaspoon into a can of tuna, salmon or chicken, a little pepper, mix it up and man it's good. You can do this on your salads too.  

For fast food, Chipotle is awesome. The burrito bowls with no rice/beans, but extra meat, Guac, no cheese, extra lettuce, grilled veggies and tons of fresh salsa... Damn, so good, low carbs and TONS of protein and flavor. You get filled up too! 

In the morning I make two hard boiled eggs, take out the yoke and fill it up with fresh guac that we have here at work. Sprinkle a little bacon salt on top and boom.