2006 RealBeerBelly Challenge

[corkybstewart]

How's everybody doing? I've been crossing back and forth over the 200 pound mark the last couple of months. Never more than 202 but no less than 197. Last year I could say it was due to building muscle mass. This year it's definitely my gut.

Now I'm not so glad we've been getting quality beer at the grocery store. Whoever invented 750's of Belgian beer should be shot.

[DecoJuicer]

I ended up actually putting on quite a bit of weight this year.:( Next year though, I am really going to get it hammered out.

Last week I went to a weight loss clinic that is owned by a local hospital. I walked out half way through their 2 hour seminar. I was really pissed off. It seems that their weight loss program is this: Don't eat for 12 weeks. Seriously. You get nothing but shakes and supplement bars for 12 weeks. Your calories are to total no more than 950 calories per day, and they tell you exactly what exercises to do. After 12 weeks, they start re-introducing food to you, but you still stay below 1200 calories.

The price for this "help" is about $3700.

For that price, everybody in my family would lose weight. Mostly because I wouldn't be able to buy food for them. Also because my vehicles would be repo'd, and I would be walking everywhere.

Here's the kicker though their nutritional supplements are loaded with stuff like high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. When I pointed this out to the dietician/nutritionalist who was in charge, she said, "Well, for the short time that you will be using them...it won't kill you."

So for 2007, I am just going to do what worked for me last time I lost weight. I'm going to keep a daily log of everything that I eat, and the amount of calories that it contains, and I am only going to do cardio until the weight starts really coming off. Then I'm going to introduce light weight training.

Ask me how that works in December of 2007.

[chazwicke]

I actually lost but not because I worked out or anything. It was from being ill for 9 months. Feeling pretty good these days though. I'm hoping to further decrease by exersizing.

[Spicoli]

Originally posted by DecoJuicer
I ended up actually putting on quite a bit of weight this year.:( Next year though, I am really going to get it hammered out.

Last week I went to a weight loss clinic that is owned by a local hospital. I walked out half way through their 2 hour seminar. I was really pissed off. It seems that their weight loss program is this: Don't eat for 12 weeks. Seriously. You get nothing but shakes and supplement bars for 12 weeks. Your calories are to total no more than 950 calories per day, and they tell you exactly what exercises to do. After 12 weeks, they start re-introducing food to you, but you still stay below 1200 calories.

The price for this "help" is about $3700.

For that price, everybody in my family would lose weight. Mostly because I wouldn't be able to buy food for them. Also because my vehicles would be repo'd, and I would be walking everywhere.

Here's the kicker though their nutritional supplements are loaded with stuff like high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. When I pointed this out to the dietician/nutritionalist who was in charge, she said, "Well, for the short time that you will be using them...it won't kill you."

So for 2007, I am just going to do what worked for me last time I lost weight. I'm going to keep a daily log of everything that I eat, and the amount of calories that it contains, and I am only going to do cardio until the weight starts really coming off. Then I'm going to introduce light weight training.

Ask me how that works in December of 2007.



Deco,

You are right for leaving that place. 950 calories is just outright starving yourself. Anyone could do that on there own. I have learned a lot in the past couple of years about weight loss and you should not cut your calories more 20%. You want to burn calories rather than diet them off.
When you start your cardio you should start the weights right off the bat. When one strictly does cardio you also burn a great deal of muscle. Light weight will keep the muscle you have while losing only the unwanted fat. The method you describe is what most people do and the scale is misleading because a lot of the weight loss is muscle. You can ask any trainer who knows anything about this. This is just a friendly suggestion. I'm not trying to play Mr.Knowitall.

I myself am going to be running my first ever 1/2 marathon on January 15th. I can also see some muscle being lost because of the amount of cardio training I have been doing. I am running about 15 miles a week right now and plan to be at 20 by January. I only run 3 days a week.I decided to take up running because I tore the muscle that attaches the pec to bicep a few months back. It is still bruised and painful to lift any weight. Thats what one gets for lifting heavy without warming up enough. My body is 33 but my mind still thinks its 20.

[DecoJuicer]

To tell the truth, I wouldn't mind shedding some muscle too. At my last doctors physical, he told me that just burning fat would probably get me down to somewhere between 235 and 240. I want to get down lower than that.

I am a BIG guy, with broad shoulders, and lots of muscle mass. For years, I did a lot of heavy lifting and physical work(not really the right kind though). Where I'm at now, to break a sweat I bench press close to 200lbs in my 3 circuit training sets(12 reps each set).

If I do any lifting, it will be with dumbells and like 5-10lbs on each arm. That's it.

[xtalman]

Deco you might want to look into Weight Watchers. My wife did if for a while and it worked well. You basically eat what ever but it forces you to watch what you eat. You don't have to buy special meals, shakes or other crap that some of these plans use. The up shot was I felt better also since we ended up eating better in general.
The usual disclaimer I have nothing to do with Weight Watches, just impressed with their program. The only possible down side is you might be the only guy at the meeting from what I understand.

[DecoJuicer]

One of the girls at work keeps bugging me to do weight watchers. It has worked well for her. I am considering it.

The Weight loss center that I checked out, also had "meetings", that were somewhat like a group therapy session. When I told my wife about them, she laughed and said that she would find a way to pay for the whole thing if she could just go and watch me in the group setting. She thinks that I would last about 10 minutes before they asked me to leave. I know why I am fat. I am lazy and I like to eat good food. Full stop, end of story. It is not because my mommy and daddy substituted food for love, or because of some other deep seated psychological issue. I'm just a lazy fat guy. My lovely bride doesn't think that answer would go over really big in a group therapy session.

I am going to start the year off on my program and see how that goes. If I am still stuck by St. Paddy's Day, I'll probably give Weight Watchers a try. If that doesn't work, I'm going to dig a hole in the back yard and have my wife lock me in it for 6 months, only feeding me vegetables and water. I figure when I come out, I should be down from about 340 to about 160. LOL

[Cloakndagger]

Chaz could still lose a few more.... well, a lot more lbs.

[Cloakndagger]

so how did you all do? I'm betting fat chaz got even fatter. does the challenge go on in 07?

[BrewDog]

Anybody want to start this up again this year?

I need to. I went for a physical and am basically a wreck.
High cholesterol, high bp, high triglycerides, & elevated sugar.
He prescribed bp pills, cholesterol pills, and told me to lose weight and get some exercise. I am about 60-65 lbs over where I was when I got out of the Army 17 yrs ago. I did manage to quit smoking a little over a year ago, but I put on about 20 lbs since then.

Last night, I went to the gym for the first time in at least 14 years.
Any other advice would be most appreciated.

Well, here goes.

[corkybstewart]

The best advice I can give is to start slowly. There's no point in adding muscle strains, shot knees/ankles to the list. 3 years ago I started going to the gym for the first time ever. I got to where I'm basically addicted to the gym now, though I still have stretches when I ask myself if it's worth it. I actually gained weight, healthy at first, but now that I have an office job(which means I can go home everyday and have a couple of beers) I'm starting to regain a litle paunch.
But hang in there BD, give yourself a reasonable goal at first and then build on it. Don't say "I've got 6 months to lose 65 pounds and get my cholesterol under control". My doctor told me I could drop my cholesterol 20% just with diet and exercise. Well, 20% of 360 is only 72 points, not nearly enough no matter how hard I tried. I'm on Vytorin, and in 2 years mine has come down to around 130 without liver damamge.

[lordkenpo]

I haven't stopped! Down to 250 from 350 several years ago, and still going strong. I'm back into my cutting phase again (sans beer, alas) and intend to push it as far as I can this time with no set goal in mind. When I look the way I want to look, I'll let up a bit. For the time being, I'm estimating I'll hit my goal around 220-230.

[chazwicke]

I lost 30 lbs last year during my helth problems. I've only gained back 10. But I'd be up for getting back into losing or dieting some. at 225 I'd like to get to 200.

[HogieWan]

I've started doing just 10 push-ups and sit-ups everyday. It's not much, but it's more than I was doing before. As 10 becomes easy, I'll move up to 12 and so on. I just started a week ago, so I have to see if this will last.

[fretlessman71]

I wish I could... I have to settle for watching what I eat instead of working out much. But I'll let you know if I come across any wonderful inventions that let me get after this again!

Lordkenpo, dropping 100 lbs is nothing short of FANTASTIC... well done! :D