2006 RealBeerBelly Challenge

[fretlessman71]

Thought I'd remind everyone of this the day after Christmas.

We had talked about keeping a support thread for those of us who still want to enjoy a brew from time to time but also want to lose some weight. So this can be that thread. I propose that each of us weighs themselves on the 31st, posts the amount (any ladies that wish to participate but don't want to divulge can simply give us a "plus or minus" report when they choose, such as, "I am now minus-10 from my starting point."), and continues to post over the next several months, talking about what you've done to get the weight off: eat less, smaller portions, exercise, whatever. For my side of it, there is a treadmill not 15 feet from where I sit, and I fully intend to get at least 2 hours a week on that thing... and that's just for starters.

So if you're in, here's your chance -- toss your fat into the ring! ;)

[HogieWan]

I'm in

[MARK123]

Me too!!

[danno]

me too... I haven't ridden my bicycle in two years...

[Grog]

Count me in as well.

[BrewDog]

Me too.

[chazwicke]

I'm in too but when I'm in Vegas in January, I'll most likely gain some back as that is one town that has hundreds of very good restaurants.

[fretlessman71]

Chaz, you'll be thinking of this thread... I guarantee it... we'll MAKE it so memorable that you won't be able to forget it! :D

Glad you're all aboard. Anyone else?

Also, if anyone has any thoughts on how we could make this more effective, post away.

[DecoJuicer]

Hell, I was going to start working out again anyway, I'm in. How often are the we going to update?

[fretlessman71]

I figure we could use the thread for updates on progress, and also to brag about what we did today (worked out for an hour, spent so long on the treadmill going so fast at such an incline, etc.). Any other ideas?

[BluesHarp]

I'll jump in.

I would suggest that we not focus on weight alone; they may be some who hit the weights hard and put on muscle mass as well as lose fat.
I would say throw some measurements out there as well if you like, whether it be bicep, chest, increase in bench press, or drop in colesterol or blood pressure.

Unless you want to keep it simple and strictly for weight loss, fret, that is fine too...just throwing out a few ideas. :)

[HogieWan]

I'd say just chime in about what you've been doing to exercise. If someone doesn't post for a while, mention and see if they've been slacking or just haven't posted. All you need, usually, is to know someone is expecting you to do something to motivate you to get it done.

[zoom6zoom]

Nah. It'd be too much bother to move all the clothes hanging on the Schwinn Air-Dyne.

[Dextolen]

I'm in.

I am 36 y.o. 335lbs, 6'2". I'd like to lose 100 lbs while still enjoying real beer occasionally. I've had success on atkins, south beach, and general calorie counting. Each time I've fallen off the horse after about 3-4 months and slowly gained some of what I lost back.

[DecoJuicer]

I just did a weigh in this morning- 6'1 327lbs. I should probably drop about 100 also. I am going to go back on the Abs Diet. I lost quite a bit last year when I was on it. Then I fell off the wagon and went on a junk food bender. If anybody is interested in doing the Abs Diet, the food tastes better than most of the stuff that you are eating now, doesn't cost a fortune like some other programs, and the workout is killer(the good kind)...especially the cardio.

[SoxyinMO]

I am certainly interested, but I do not own a scale. I'm trying to think where one might be I could use when I felt I could face it. I've tried having scales in the house but the depression factor is too much for me. (Yeah, I'm a baby).

I was just weighed at the doc's on 2 dec and weighed 10 lbs more than I did two years ago when I broke my hand :eek: And we'll just put my weight at enough stones to build a small house.

Mostly, I've gone by how my clothes fit, mostly. I've been in the same size (tight & lose) for about eight years now, but would sincerely love to go down one size. (I wouldn't cry over more, but one would make me happy.)

Because my job is so very sedentary, the calories in WAY exceed the calories out, so exercise is definitely my focus.

Can I still play?

[Dextolen]

One of the big 'wake up' factors for me was being heavier than your average home scale goes. You can find affordable scales online that go up to 500lbs, but the highest most store bought scales go are 300.

[SoxyinMO]

Like I said, I've been in the same size clothes, but it's been a variant of about 40 lbs. I feel okay, but catch sight of myself in a mirror & just shudder.

[steveh]

Oh sure, do it this year! Last year I was 197 (+/-) at this time - this year I'm 175! Blood sugar and triglycerides are down, new clothes are in the closet...if only I could lose the craving for good beer! ;)

S.

[Grog]

33 yrs, 6' 1", 300 lbs, 50" waist.

By the end of 2006 I plan to be at 275 & 44" waist. Adding exercise (of which I get none currently) and dropping the fast food from my diet are my first steps.

It took me 6 yrs to get from 240 to 300, so I think getting down to 250 will take me a while.

I'll post Feb. 1 with a status report.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by steveh
...if only I could lose the craving for good beer! ;)

S.

Why do you want to die, steve?

[hopjack13]

i was 235lbs @ 6' 0" in oct,
im 205 now, i try to exercise 4 times a week but only usually get 1 or 2 in, i jog with my dog, she keeps reminding me she needs to go out sence i got her used to it. but mainly i've been eating smaller portions more frequently and staying away from greasy foods, actaully i have been eating a lot of vietnamese food lately. some of it was a little funky at first but it grew on me and it doesn't have all the grease and oil like american, mexican, italian or even chinese food has, and japanese food is a little on the exspensive side to eat all the time. but it's been working out fine for me, my goal is 185.

[xtalman]

I think I can throw my hat in. Weight is not too bad currently though I would not mind dropping a few pounds and redistributing the rest. Pants are getting tight and flexability has gone to heck in an hand basket. I set a goal of starting to work out beginning in the new year ago and get back to my martial arts again after a 4 year layoff since my kid was born.

[Beer Monkey]

This sounds like a great idea to me, been slowly watching the beer belly grow. I know what my big weakness is, I am good about staying away from fast food and sweets and generally eat fairly healthy stuff. My problem is the beer, granted it's a good problem. based on past habits of lots of excercise, jogging, kayaking etc the more I do the better shape I find myself in, go figure.

not sure about starting on new years eve, I'll be out of town and living the last/first day of the year pretty well. One of my favorite holiday traditions. but starting the 2nd I'm game.

be really neat to get into the old pants that I've been outgrowing...

[Dextolen]

My two biggest problems are lunch and dinner. At work, my coworker is a weightlifter and can eat whatever he wants. He wants to get out of the office for lunch and I can't blame him. It makes my diet sack lunch look like crap, so I usually fold and go with him.

Dinner, most of the time there is so much stuff going on that we don't have time to cook. We really need to prepare time cutting stuff on sunday night to make dinner through the week more easy to do.

[mlbrown76]

I'm game.
I'm 29, 5'10" and 190. Not too bad, but heavier than I've ever been, and my family beer gut is starting to show, and I get the feeling that if I don't start working out again, things could get out of hand.
My wife and I just had our first child, so I make the excuse that I just don't have the time, but really, I could always find a few minutes to do a bunch of crunches and some push-ups. Walking the dog helps, but I find it doesn't really make too much of a difference unless I'm going 40 minutes.
The real culprit is portion control, or lack thereof. I was trimming down over the summer until I hurt myself lifting weights. I came to the profound realization that my wife and I don't each need to eat a huge steak, we can share one. Same with potatoes. I used to make 3, 4 mashed potatoes. Now I make 2. Same with pasta two cups is enough for two people, you don't have to cook the whole box.

[chazwicke]

Like I said before, I'm in but I'm gonna be in Las Vegas Jan. 13-17. There are so many excellent places to eat with excellent chefs that I'm not even gonna try while I'm there. Food is one of the reasons I go to Vegas. (And also the Hofbrau Haus.) Gambling and spas are good too. Love the hot stone massage.

I'm 5'11" and last week I weighed in at 244.5 which is an all time high. I need to be about 180. But If I can see 200 again I'll be happy. I'm in and I'm not planning of any type of deprivation diet. Just will start to exercize which should be easy since my new building has a nice new gym facility for the tenants. Complete with locker room, showers, latest equiptment, TVs and Sauna. And I have a rarely used membership to Lifetime Fitness. So I'm cutting back on portions and getting off my big fat a$$.

The hard part for me is that my wife and I eat out almost every night. And never fast food. And we eat late and then I get home and watch the telly till my eyes close. So I get no exercize. I'm hoping that just getting the old metabolism going a little bit will do the trick.

[HarkJohnny]

what about those of us who could use a few extra lbs??

[fretlessman71]

Okay... so here's what I'M planning on doing for this:

Since I can get into a routine and be fine with it until I'm bored, I plan to change it when I can. For example, breakfast is going to be a packet of oatmeal and two slices of 12-grain toast. When that gets boring, I'll change to 3 egg omelets with salsa, then maybe to grapenuts, and so on. I plan to drive each into the ground before I change.

Lunch is going to be a smoothie with soy, protein, a banana, bluberries, frozen pureed acai, and ice.

Going to drink lots of water, too, maybe 3/4 gallon. More if I'm singing that night.

Going to try to make fruit the snack of choice instead of something I can get from a vending machine.

Also going to try to hit the treadmill 3 times a week for a total of 7 miles (gotta start small with my back muscles). Days that I don't hit the treadmill get reverse sit-ups (lyingg on a table and pulling my knees to my shoulders) and push-ups, 3 sets of 10 for each for now, with room to improve as I do the same.

Posting this, hopefully, is going to help me stick to it, since I know someone is going to ask how far along I am and if I'm keeping up with it.

Oh, and I'm also going to weigh myself every morning, and post it here, no matter how painful the truth is. I've heard that people who weigh themselves every day have a little more "sticktoitiveness" than those who don't, and frankly, I've been a little afraid of the scale lately. :o

[lordkenpo]

I'm so psyched for this. My roomates will occasionally hit the gym with me, but they share no common weight/fat loss goal with me. So while they're eating pizza or chinese food most nights, I'm stuck with a salad and skinless chicken breasts. Not that I mind that much; I've actually come to enjoy my diet, but given the option...

At any rate, it'll be good for me (and all of us) to have common moral support. Not to mention a common ground for discussing success strategies. With that said, should anyone have any interest in my diet or exercise routines, by all means, feel free to ask. As I tend to maintain the same diet throughout the week, most of my posts will involve how much I screwed up over the weekends.

Like gaining 10 pounds over 3 days at Christmas. :mad:

[fretlessman71]

Not to worry, lord - weight gained that quickly is the easiest to lose. But there's no time like the present. I went from 216 a few days before Christmas to 221 the morning after, and now I'm back to 214.

Did I mention drinking a LOT of water will help? And I don't mean the kind someone steeped grains and hops in about 3 months ago and comes in 12 oz. bottles. ;)

[chazwicke]

I will weigh daily as well and post it here. If I'm serious about dieting I usually weigh every morning first thing. And I create a graph. The downward progress line on the graph is also further motivation.

[DecoJuicer]

Since I'm going to be hitting the weights pretty hard, I will probably only post once a week. My plan is 3 days of weight training and 3 days of cardio(until spring). Cardio will be high-intensity interval trainging. Come spring time I hope to ride my bike to work at least 3 days a week(on weight training days to double up). Round trip is 30 miles, but it is an easy ride.

As far as diet, I will be going back on the Abs Diet from Men's Health. Food was excellent and the portions were generous. Eating 3 good sized meals a day, accompanied by 3-4 healthy snacks. I'll be mostly sticking to water and coffee for beverages. A couple beers, a couple times a week isn't on the plan, but it also isn't forbidden.

I expect my weight to go up just a little for the first couple of weeks, and then start to drop off pretty good.

The plan also calls for a week off after every six weeks, and then return and change up the weight training program.

If all else fails, I'll have my back waxed. That ought to be good for a few pounds.;)

[brewcrew76]

Just a tip - most experts are against weighing your self everyday. If people are lifting weights or haven't exercised in a while you could be putting on muscle and the scale could be very deceiving even though you are losing fat. I just wanted to throw that out there so no one gets discouraged.

Count me in. I am actually just going to try to get into better shape before shedding a couple pounds for summer since I have been slacking at the gym lately. All the beer I have been drinking this last year is starting to show and I want to keep it from getting out of hand. As of last week I was at 6' and 234 lbs. I have lifted weights somewhat regularly for the last 14 years so the majority of my weight is muscle. I am not looking to shed too many pounds but thought the added motivation from others would help.

[corkybstewart]

I'll do it. I get into stages where I'm at the gym 6 days a week for a few months, then I start slacking. My problem is not weight. I've weighed roughly the same (185-195)since my first oilfield job back in 1978. My problem is "distribution"-getting it out from under my belt and back on my upper body. To reiterate what brewcrew76 said, there are times when I weigh myself everyday and my weight fluctuates 3-5 pounds for no apparent reason. Now I just weigh myself weekly, but it never really changes.

[fretlessman71]

Since I'm not going to be lifting weights for quite some time, I think I'll be okay. I've actually heard the opposite - weighing yourself every day keeps you focused (especially for someone like me who has a hard time driving by DQ some days). I'll reserve weight lifting for when my back can tolerate it more.

[SoxyinMO]

I'm in and I'm not planning of any type of deprivation diet.

I hear that! I actually don't eat that much; it's my damned job that kills me. Calories in/calories out & a job where I'm staring at a computer all day. I'm back to part time and that should help, though my boss REALLY wants me to go full time. Ugh.

I will be walking a mile 2x a week and 1/2 mile another day; other than that I have a wedding here in June so have a bathroom to paint, yard to get together, flower garden to plant, chicken house to finish, bar to finish, so I'm hoping that all that "fun" will help.

[SoxyinMO]

Going to drink lots of water, too

Yep; stay away from soda (OH, THOSE BUBBLES! :( ) and lots of water; although I have been told that too much water can be a problem, too; especially if you have kidney problems. Still water instead of ... should help!

[corkybstewart]

I'm 49 and have my first ever office job and it kills me to have to just sit here all day at the computer. Having said that, when I worked out in the field my diet was horrible and the work was still looking at computers all day and night. The difference was that I didn't work everyday and had time for gardening, brewing,yardwork, hiking etc.

[SoxyinMO]

The difference was that I didn't work everyday and had time for gardening, brewing,yardwork, hiking etc.

That's been my problem this past two months. I've been a good egg, "helping out" and it's taken all my work around the house time & that's been what's been keeping me steady, weight-wise. I'm useless at full time & really dread when it becomes a reality.

[chazwicke]

When I am in the office I am sitting at my computer all day. But I have not worked a full week since some time in 03. Vacationing is a problem too. Easy to over indulge.

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Since I'm not going to be lifting weights for quite some time, I think I'll be okay. I've actually heard the opposite - weighing yourself every day keeps you focused (especially for someone like me who has a hard time driving by DQ some days).

I'm with that. I weigh myself upwards of 3 times a night when I'm at the gym, as my weight can fluctuate by as much as 4-5 pounds while I'm there. I also like to have a baseline of where I leave on Friday versus where I come back on Monday. It helps to know how much I abuse myself on weekends, and what does or doesn't work for me when I'm in my lazy weekend mode.

Freakishly, I've had weekends where I gorged myself (not necessarily sweets or complete junk food, but chinese, mexican, etc., in addition to plenty of beer) and gained back a pound, while I've had weekends where I've had only a few beers and moderate meals and gained back 5. The human body is an odd, fickle thing.

One thing I've found to be a universal truth, however: if you decide to lift weights, don't be at all afraid of eating more lean protein. You'll lose weight/fat and gain muscle even faster. At best, starving yourself nullifies your efforts, and, at worst, detracts from them.

[SoxyinMO]

The human body is an odd, fickle thing


Truer words were never spoken!

[DecoJuicer]

Originally posted by lordkenpo
[BOne thing I've found to be a universal truth, however: if you decide to lift weights, don't be at all afraid of eating more lean protein. You'll lose weight/fat and gain muscle even faster. At best, starving yourself nullifies your efforts, and, at worst, detracts from them. [/B]

A chain grocery store near me carries 96% lean ground beef. They usually price it cheap too. That is leaner than a lot of ground turkey.

I found that if I eliminate just 2 things from my diet(or try very hard to) then pounds usually come flying off. Anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup and anything Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable oil. These are both man made chemicals that have been put into use in the last fifty years as a low cost sweetener and a preservative, respectively. Neither of them are processed well, or at all, by your body.

I know that it seems like these 2 things are in everything, but with about another 10 minutes spent reading labels, you can save several hours at the gym a month.

[corkybstewart]

We have the 96% lean here also, but it is very expensive, relative to beef prices. We eat too much beef, but we also eat a ton of grilled fish and chicken. One key to keeping our kids from getting fat was to never have chips, sodas, or cookies in the house. Our kids learned early to eat veggies out of the garden year round so they've never had weight problems. My son is 6'4" and wieghs 150, and my daughter is 5'4" and wighs 125. My wife and I always had junk foods when we were growing up and we have much more trouble with weight and fitness.

[BluesHarp]

OK...Once upon a time (early '90's) I was into competative bodybuilding; I've got a case full of trophies, never finished lower than fifth place in any contest. I don't have the discipline anymore to do that, and have too many distractions like beer and music festivals; but I do know a thing or two about weight changes.
I used to go from around 200# down to 170 - 175# @ under 3% bodyfat for a contest. So here are a few of my personal suggestions:

1) I don't believe in daily weigh-ins; one salty meal day can make your body store several pounds of water (ask your wife or GF what water retention can do). If you insist, weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything.

2) Eat most of your food early in the day and taper off later on; the best plan is five or six small meals; carbs and fat early, protein later.

3) Water, water, water...it not only helps fill your stomach, it flushes out lots of toxins that accompany fat burning.

4) excerise; kind of goes without saying - at least 30 minutes three times a week. Get your heart rate up and keep it there
CAUTION - if you have any health concerns, see your doctor before any strenuous workouts!!

5) Don't be afraid of weight training...you won't get huge muscles unless you plan it that way; remember, muscle weight is active weight, it burns calories all on it's own. Fat just sits there.

6) I don't like any of the "fad" diets; South Beach, Atkins, etc...they work for a while, but they are not a long term lifestyle. Most people I know who have used them gain most or all of the weight back.

7) Bottom line - you need to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight; just be sure to eat enough so you don't burn muscle rather than fat. This means complex carbs; rice, potatoes, coarse whole grain breads, and pasta. Lean protein; fish, poultry, pork, and lean cuts of beef. Venison, buffalo, and most other "wild" game are excellent if you are so inclined.

8) Realistically, a couple of pounds of fat a week is about right; it won't happen overnite (at least not in a healthy way that will STICK); most people lose a lot of water weight the first few weeks.

I hope some of this will be useful to some of you.

OK...I'm at 215 lbs now @ about 5'9". My goal is to get to a lean 200 - 205 in the next few months; it should be relatively easy if I commit to my four days training a week and watch the diet a little bit. I will put on some muscle weight along with dropping fat, so it will be a slow change as far as weight alone is concerned.
The mirror can be your best friend as well as your mortal enemy!!

I wish everyone the best of luck; I'll be here to cheer you all on!!
Let's make 2006 a healthy, yet beer lovin' year; the two do not have to be mutually exclusive!

Cheers!!

[BadDogNoBiskit]

It sounds like we need to set up a few differnt clubs here. I personally would fall under the heavy rollers club of 300+ lbs. I just started going to a new gym (lifetime fittness) a jump start for the new year and after my inital assesment from a personal trianer my overall assesment was very grim. So I will try to post my loss along with pictures as the club Im going to sends them to me.
46" waist
19" neck
16" arms
27" thigh
58" belly
55" chest
overall 'morbidly obese' scary thought
Good luck and if it is possible lets see how many pounds we can loose as a group. My goal is 65lbs

[fretlessman71]

BluesHarp, I think all of your suggestions are right on the mark. I will insist on weighing myself every day, but I already know that the proper time is PP, BB - Post Poop, Before Breakfast (sorry if I grossed anyone out too bad - there's just no nice way to say it!). I understand that it's not going to be a straight line down - I'm looking for a general trend, not unlike the stock market, except I'm looking to make that line go in the OTHER direction.

And really, I see no need to set up seperate clubs - this is just here for us to encourage each other to improve and drink beer another day. So, post about where you are, where you'd like to be, how long you think it will take you to get there, and what you're doing to achieve that goal. I'm getting great ideas from reading your posts - keep it up, okay? This is terrific!

Any thoughts on motivation? Here are a few of mine:

-I'd like to be able to play Frisbee Golf again without my legs giving out.

-I'd like to have my core muscles stronger for my singing voice.

-I'd like my clothes to fit better than they do right now.

-I'd like my wife to think that I'm as good looking as I think she is.

-I'd like to be around for my wife in the later years of our marriage.

-I'd like to be able to go on walks of several miles at a time on summer nights.


More to come as I think of them - right now, it's bedtime. :)

[chazwicke]

Be sure to weigh AFTER you brush your teeth and BEFORE you put on deoderant.:D

I'm gonna weigh every morning as well.

[SoxyinMO]

--I would like to go down at least one jeans size.

--I would like to go up & down stairs with less pain in my knees.

--I would like to firm up that alleged waist-line.


IF they would decide whether or not I'm going full time it would help me a lot. If I'm staying PT I'll go back to swimming. I was doing great with that until my pass at the gym ran out and I did the temporary full time bit. :( But trying to mesh lap times at the pool with a full time schedule is much more difficult.

[corkybstewart]

Our goal(the wife and I) is simple: be healthier for our 25th anniversary than we were at our wedding. Weight is not the issue. I need to lower my cholesterol, and for me the main thing is increased physical endurance. And I need to strengthen my knees, ankles and back. I won't be sleeping in my pickup anymore so my back might not be a problem anymore.
This next week I have an appointment for a complete physical including cholesterol and all that so I'll know where I'm starting.
Another challenge for us is that our daughter is leaving for college so we'll have to learn to cook for two people, and that's going to be tough. We're both good cooks and we both love to eat, but neither of us is in the "obese group".
I'll probably check in weekly with weight loss and other things that are measurable, but the cholesterol will be every 3 months.
Stats on Dec. 31
height-5'8"
weight-197
waist-38
Chest-43
biceps-16
thigh-25
Unfortunately our gym doesn't do a body fat measurement, but I'll ask the doctor if he/she can.

[brewcrew76]

Bluesharp has some very good points that can apply to any of the goals I have seen mentioned. I used to compete in bodybuilding previously also and the general tips Bluesharp mentioned go along way to cover the basics. I would also add that if you are not going to be lifting weights frequently, getting the majority of your carbs earlier in the day would be beneficial.

[goon2]

Wow, without even seen this thread, I have been wanting to drop the gut. I like the camaraderie!

I'm 36, 5'-9-ish and I weighed myself this morning at 185. I would like to drop to 160 or less. Not as much of a "high roller" as some shown above, but still not healthy, as I would like to be.

Goals:
-Not be out of breath at the top of a staircase
-Fit into cloths better.
-Use the next belt-loop in.
-Have less back pain -- carrying this much weight all of the time, my back is hurting a lot.
-Make my wife notice how thin I am just like her

What I'll do:
-Walk at lunch as much as possible.
-Do sit-ups and push-ups in the morning while the shower heats up.
-Eat more salads
-Proabably not change my drinking habits. :D

[corkybstewart]

Go for it brewcrew. My whole philosophy is input must=output, live to drink another beer on another day. I'll never hit 160, hell, I'll never hit 180 bujt for me weight is just a number. I want to be healthy enough to do what I want when I want. I want to die at 98 from drinking too much oatmeal stout for breakfast.

[DecoJuicer]

How did everybody start out the 2006?

I had 2 eggs, steamed, on whole grain flaxseed toaster waffles with half of a slice of low fat cheese on each. Topped it with some Red Hot and yum yum. Also had a couple cups of black coffee.

After the dinner I had last night, I feel like I shouldn't eat fo a month.

I'm just curius about how everybody else started.

[fretlessman71]

I had a convience store-sized bag of Baked Lays and a whole lotta coffee - my alarm failed to wake me this morning, and I was in a big rush. Lunch will be better, though.

Saw a great idea playing at Elway's last night - they serve a salad called an Iceberg Wedge. All they do is wash a head of lettuce, cut it in half, plop it flat side down on a plate and top it with salad fixins. They give you a steak knife with your wedge, and you eat it like a steak, sorta. Less hassle for me! Means I see more salads in my future. :)

[gone_fishing]

I too could use some weight loss... but more I could stand to improve my diet. My typical day is bfst= 3 pieces of wheat toast and a can of coke Lunch=popcorn + coke a lot, but might have a sub a day or two a week Dinner =a home cooked meal (potatos or rice, vegie, chicken or some kind of beef + more coke. Evening snack= coke, maybe a beer, and perhaps a bag of nuked popcorn. Great eating habits, huh? The good thing is my job is VERY physical this time of year... I fix trucks and equipment and am getting up off the creeper about 100 times a day and climbing stairs to get oil and parts many times a day also.

The good news is... I'm 5-9 and did weigh 200, now, since being in the shop for a month or two I weighed 188 the other evening. A bit heavy still, but a pleasant surprise all the same.
My wife wants to know if anyone has tried the Nutrisystem meal plan...anyone?

[Stodbrew]

I've had nothing but coffee today.

[fretlessman71]

Had a footlong veggie sub from Subway for lunch - heavy lettuce, heavy tomato, onion, spinach, provolone, chipotle sauce on Honey oat. MMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm..... :)

[SoxyinMO]

My wife wants to know if anyone has tried the Nutrisystem meal plan...anyone

I cannot speak from personal experience, but a friend of my daughter's is doing it and doing well. It's expensive, though: about $300 a month per person.

Had a footlong veggie sub from Subway for lunch - heavy lettuce, heavy tomato, onion, spinach, provolone, chipotle sauce on Honey oat.


Yummmmy! Too bad another of my resolutions is to buy less pre-made food :(

[chazwicke]

I'm still down at the beach. I won't officially start until Tuesday.

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by SoxyinMO

Yummmmy! Too bad another of my resolutions is to buy less pre-made food If I was home more often, that would be one of mine, too. For now I have to resign myself to "no french fries or onion rings with my BK Veggie". :rolleyes:

[Beer Monkey]

wow that wasn't much fun, hopped on the scale this morning been awhile since I looked last I'm up to 232, thats way to round of a number. I'd like to lose about 20 maybe 25 guess thats not too much to lose but still work.

guess it's time to start cutting back and eating the healthy stuff again, plan to start getting back on the treadmill soon, need to do some rearranging and stop using it as a coat rack.

I'll be posting more as time goes on, good luck to everyone else working on losing some of those pounds.

[fretlessman71]

Yesterday, after 3 hours of sleep, I was at 217. Monday I was at 215 after eating right and drinking water all day. Did pretty much the same thing all day Monday, so we'll see what happens tomorrow morning. No time to exercise just yet, but it will happen. Tomorrow is a looooooong day... maybe in the evening. We'll see.

[Dextolen]

I don't recommend weighing yourself every day. The body fluctuates a lot, mainly water and food/waste changes.

[chazwicke]

OK I weighed this morning after returning home from the weekend. My official start weight (and also the most I have ever weighed) was 245! I'm between 5'11" and 5' 10". A few years ago I was at 180 and that seemed to be a good weight for me. But I'd be happy getting to 200.

[corkybstewart]

Brigitte and I will restart our daily gym routine today. Last night I had my first "garden" burger. Not impressed at all. I guess if you have to think about eating such crap you'll lose weight. I'm also going to try to have a small bowl of raisin bran before work instead of just coffee and a 10 AM green chile burrito like normal.

[chazwicke]

I'd like to kind of do the unprocessed foods too. Whole grain breads and such. I don't really intend to diet per se, just cut back on portions and exercise. Otherwise I'll go right back up when I quit dieting. Which Cereals are the best or healthiest? I've never been much of a cereal eater or milk drinker since I was a child. But a nice healy bowl of something in the morning might be a good way to start the day. Currently I usually skip both Breakfast and lunch and end up eating a big dinner out and then going home and vegging by the TV. I need to change these habits.

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by Dextolen
I don't recommend weighing yourself every day. The body fluctuates a lot, mainly water and food/waste changes. Again, as long as you're willing to account for those changes and look at it as a trend rather than "immediate reality," it shouldn't be a bad thing. I know that it keeps me focused; when I see the snack machine at the store these days I remember that we're trying to accomplish something here.

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
Brigitte and I will restart our daily gym routine today. Last night I had my first "garden" burger. Not impressed at all. I guess if you have to think about eating such crap you'll lose weight. I'm also going to try to have a small bowl of raisin bran before work instead of just coffee and a 10 AM green chile burrito like normal. Try Morningstar Farms Grillers Prime. You'll be much more impressed - just don't try to tell yourself that it's ground beef. It's not, and this is a good thing (as far as I'M concerned, anyway).

OTOH, why are you making the switch? Not everyone is cut out to eat vegetarian. If you keep your lean beef to a reasonable amount, there's no reason that you can't keep it in your diet. I can't eat red meat at all anymore (my body doesn't produce the enzymes to properly digest it and it turns to concrete in my intestines), so I've become well versed in veggie alternatives, but I miss it terribly. If it's just killing you not to have your burger, then have your burger and cut back elsewhere. Don't let microwaved hockey pucks with cheese and ketchup be the reason you give up!

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I'd like to kind of do the unprocessed foods too. Whole grain breads and such. I don't really intend to diet per se, just cut back on portions and exercise. Otherwise I'll go right back up when I quit dieting. Which Cereals are the best or healthiest? I've never been much of a cereal eater or milk drinker since I was a child. But a nice healy bowl of something in the morning might be a good way to start the day. Currently I usually skip both Breakfast and lunch and end up eating a big dinner out and then going home and vegging by the TV. I need to change these habits. You might start by eating a Clif bar in the morning with a quart of water and some coffee. No muss, no fuss, you can keep a box of them at work. Peanut butter is one of my favorites; mi esposa linda prefers Chocolate Brownie. They're whole grain, all natural, about 250 calories each, and rather filling if you have them with water. If you're not a coffee guy, don't sweat it - just drink the water. You could even have one at lunchtime, too, if you were of a mind - it might keep your stomach from thinking that it needed a big dinner.

My guess is that as soon as you start reducing your dinner portion, you won't leave the table feeling "satisfied". When I get that way, I get some baby carrots or celery sticks and some lite ranch dressing to dip them in, and I'll probably eat a pound of them or so. Sometimes I spike the dressing with hot sauce. Again, I drink water with it to enhance the feeling of being "full".

Avoid Peanut Butter Atkins bars - they taste and smell like an all-natural fart. :rolleyes:

[fretlessman71]

Oh yeah... 213 this morning BEFORE breakfast, and BEFORE my BM of the day. Just by spending 3 days eating right and getting lots of water. It probably won't last, but that's okay. It's a good start. :)

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Which Cereals are the best or healthiest?

Really depends on what your needs are. Total and Special K aren't bad starts for dieters and/or people that wouldn't otherwise eat a daily allotment of vitamins/minerals, and with the variety of types available (regular, raisin bran, strawberries, vanilla, etc.) you'll more than likely find something that agrees with you. I personally enjoy all of them but the regular styles. But if you're planning on continuing to skip your lunch, granola might be more your speed. It has about double the calories of most standard cereals, but burns like whole grains and fills you up for longer than other cereals. I've had great success with all 3 of these.

But while I'm going through all of this, I might as well list out my daily diet plan. Keep in mind, I'm lifting and running 3-4 times/week for 1.5-2.5 hours at a time.

Breakfast:
bowl (not a cup!) of whole grain cereal
enough skim milk to saturate the cereal
glass of non-concentrated orange or grapefruit juice

Lunch and Snack (to be spread throughout the day in 2-3 hour increments):
2 sandwiches w/whole grain/wheat bread, 1/3 lb. of turkey/chicken/roast beef on each, a slice of cheese on each, and mustard
piece of fruit (usually bananna or apple)
handful or two of nuts
1 or 2 servings of Wheat Thins

Pre-gym Snack (to be eaten immediately before workout):
1 large egg

Dinner (to be eaten as soon as possible post-workout):
2 medium, foreman-grilled boneless/skinless chicken breasts or equivalent (e.g., 1 piece chicken, 1 small piece steak)
salad (almost always pre-bagged) w/handful of nuts and light salad dressing
1 glass milk
1 glass orange juice

And that's it. I usually don't snack after dinner as I'm eating so late anyway. But I've taken to these gourmet pita chips as of late that I'll usually eat with dinner or crushed up on my salad. Yum.

[gallowd7]

I was going to weigh in on this challenge, but I've got bad news. Weighed my self at the gym yesterday and didn' t gain any weight over the holidays. A slight belly at 5'9 - 157. So, I'll be chearing you all on. Resisting the urge is one of the hardest things.
Good luck and happy new year,
Dave

[HogieWan]

I got a bike for christmas from my wife. I had one when I was in school, but it got stolen from campus. I really don't like running, but I enjoying riding a bike. Just so happens that the highway (small back-country style highway) is a popluar bike trail. It has plenty of hills and slopes to get your legs working.

Anyway, I went riding twice. I went a total of 5.5 miles both times. It might not seem like a lot on a bike, but those hills will kill you. And both days were quite windy.

BTW - I'm 5'11", 175 lbs. Pretty lean already, but I want to drink more beer and lose some of the belly I've started. I also want to build my upper body strength, so I'm going to add push ups/sit ups to the rountine.

[corkybstewart]

As to why I switched, I didn't. My daughter frequently eats vegetarian so I promised I'ld try one. I actually grilled 3 of them along with 3 thick juicy sirloin burgers.(I'll eat the sirloin tonight) She went 1 year as a vegetarian when she was around 13. It was hell on us trying to cook for her but we learned a lot and ate veggie about half the time. When her year was up she demanded "bloody leg of lamb today and roast chicken tomorrow".
I'm not changing my diet for this-I'm exercising more and eating smaller portions of the same food I enjoy. Otherwise I'll be off the diet in 2 weeks. I'm also limiting myself to an average of 2 pints of homebrew per day.

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
I'm not changing my diet for this-I'm exercising more and eating smaller portions of the same food I enjoy. Otherwise I'll be off the diet in 2 weeks. I'm also limiting myself to an average of 2 pints of homebrew per day.

I feel about beer the way you feel about food. I have changed my diet for this, simply so that I don't have to change my weekly beer consumption. I'm 24, single, and living in an area where beer is the sole social outlet; I don't have much of a choice in the matter. Were I able to cut back on beer the way I've cut back on my diet, I'd probably have hit my goal by now. But I look at it like this: no lifestyle change that requires complete abstinence is sustainable or worthwhile - why exist if you can't enjoy yourself sometimes?

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by lordkenpo
But I look at it like this: no lifestyle change that requires complete abstinence is sustainable or worthwhile - why exist if you can't enjoy yourself sometimes?

Bingo!

[corkybstewart]

Couldn't have said it more clearly myself.

[DecoJuicer]

It hit me today while I was sleeping, IT being a leg cramp so bad that I was thrashing around on the bed like a landed grouper, that nobody had mentioned increasing your potassium levels.

If you are planning on excercising, and you are overweight or just not in good shape, then you should increase your level of potassium if you don't have any medical conditions affected by potassium.

When I first started scuba diving, I would have breakfast with all of these old timers that would eat 2 or 3 bananas before a dive. I would call them monkeys and make fun of them, and they would just smile at me and tell methat one day I would understand. I came to that understanding at about 75 feet deep one day. When I got rid of the cramp and came up from the dive, these old timers told me how bananas are high in potassium, and potassium is instrumental in getting oxygen to the muscles so that you don't cramps.

So, a banana would probably make a good bedtime snack, or a pre workout snack. Enjoy you monkeys!!

[SoxyinMO]

It hit me today while I was sleeping, IT being a leg cramp so bad that I was thrashing around on the bed like a landed grouper, that nobody had mentioned increasing your potassium levels.

The same exact thing happened to me two days ago :eek:

We always ate bananas on dive days or before swim meets. Nothing like burping up banana into your mouth piece.

Thanks for the reminder, Deco.

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by DecoJuicer
When I got rid of the cramp and came up from the dive, these old timers told me how bananas are high in potassium, and potassium is instrumental in getting oxygen to the muscles so that you don't cramps.

Hehe. I knew I made them a regular part of my diet for some reason.

If you're doing particularly strenuous exercise, another good suggestion is to drink Gatorade rather than water. On top of increasing the likelihood of cramping up, water does nothing to replace the salt lost through sweat. Marathon runners have actually died due to severe water/salt imbalances.

[gallowd7]

Gatorade only works if you are physically active (increased heart rate, sweat) for more than 45-60 mins. (Or if you've had a bit of a bender the night before.) If you don't exercise that long, you are not using up enough of the goodies that Gatorade replenishes. Your body will just pass them right on through.

Read that last month in the Wash Post Health section.

[DecoJuicer]

Gatorade also contains ALOT of sugar and calories...100 per 16 oz bottle for original. Also, I don't know if it contains High Fructose Corn Syrup, it doesn't list ingredients on the website, but I suspect that it does, and HFCS ain't good for your body.

I agree with the above post that unless you are a high endurance athelete, like an iron man competitor, you are probably better off with H2O.

As far as the potassium goes though, I just bought a bottle of 200mg pills for $2.99 at the local mega mart. I am just going to take one with my one a day, and also try to eat more potassium rich foods like bananas.

[fretlessman71]

No HFCS. Glucose and Sucrose only. Gatorade is good; Cytomax is better IMHO.

[lordkenpo]

Like I said, "for strenuous exercise" - i.e., workouts that go for 1.5-2 hours at a time, like most people that lift and do cardio in single sessions. As I get plenty of sodium with my diet as is, I don't worry about it; just thought it might be worth a mention to those considering running or biking decent distances.

And for the record, for anyone putting their body under that much stress, 100 calories is nothing. And besides, a single 16 oz. beer you'd otherwise give in and indulge on is at least twice that.

[corysdad]

Dosen't sound like too many of us are enjoying any real beer while all this dieting and working out going on. Is this true? Say it isn't so.

[corkybstewart]

Have no fear, the levels in my kegs and the door racks in my fridge are emptying at a normal pace. But I have been to the gym everyday this week and had a complete physical. had my blood drawn for my cholesterol, which is my primary health problem. I'll get the results Monday. If it's too high I'm going to try a dual action approach. Decojuicer's flaxseed suggestion, and a glass of red wine evryday(and I get to pick the glass!)

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by corysdad
Dosen't sound like too many of us are enjoying any real beer while all this dieting and working out going on. Is this true? Say it isn't so.

Umm, considering we're all still posting to this board and haven't moved to the Rock Greenlight or Mic Ultra message boards popping up all over the web (insert sarcastic smiley here), I'd say we're all still in great shape. Uhh, drinking shape, that is.

And if not, the purchase I made last night will more than make up for everyone else's shirked sense of duty.

[fretlessman71]

Speaking of beerbellies (oh, no one said that? My bad...), who's lost weight yet? I've dropped 3 pounds since Sunday, and that's just with portion control. Back won't let me exercise just yet, but I'm working on it.

[corkybstewart]

Somehow I lost 2 pounds over the Christmas holidays which is bizarre. A foot injury kept me out of the gym for a week, then we went to Mobile and ate way too much seafood and beer, and then had the long Jan 1 weekend. In my 3 days back at the gym I've managed to regain one of those pounds.

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by corysdad
Dosen't sound like too many of us are enjoying any real beer while all this dieting and working out going on. Is this true? Say it isn't so.

...it isn't so!!

I'm weighing in Monday at the gym; we'll see what my starting point is.
Since I typically offset some weight loss with muscle gain, I should maybe take some measurements as well...but I might discourage the rest of you...:D

just kidding...everyone here has my full support and encouragement!!

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
Somehow I lost 2 pounds over the Christmas holidays which is bizarre. A foot injury kept me out of the gym for a week, then we went to Mobile and ate way too much seafood and beer, and then had the long Jan 1 weekend. In my 3 days back at the gym I've managed to regain one of those pounds. Gaining muscle and losing fat? Happens. Remember, this is like baseball - it's not a sprint, it's a marathon. See where you end up at the end.

[DecoJuicer]

I did a weigh in on January 2, right before I started my first work out and I had gone up a bit since I originally posted my weight. I weighed in at 333. I guess that eating everything that would fit in my mouth for a few days wasn't a great idea.

However, I weighed myself after work this morning and I was down to 326. I am using a combination of healthy diet/smaller portions and excerise. That jump may just be some water weight that I am shedding. Either way, I am good with it.

Is anybody allowing themselves a cheat meal, or a cheat day? I'm allowing myself one cheat meal per week, and I was just curious if others are doing the same and if they are, what are they planning for their cheat meal. I am doing pancakes and real maple syrup, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, and eggs. I may eat until I burst, I haven't decided.

Oh yeah, I am also allowing myself to have ONE beer 3 times per week. I will probably have one with my cheat meal, and another tonight, and then one in the middle of the week. Maybe I will stick with wheat beer. ;)

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by corysdad
Dosen't sound like too many of us are enjoying any real beer while all this dieting and working out going on. Is this true? Say it isn't so.

I've been down with a rotton cold all week so I've not been working out and whats worse is that I've not even had one beer in the new year yet!!!:eek:

I new I was getting sick so I did not even drink any of the Mad Elf that my two buddies were drinking when I published the latest Capitol City Chapter newsletter in my office on Tuesday evening. (It is Breweriana club I'm in.) The Mad Elf was inticing as I knew the alcohol might sooth my burning throat. But I figured I should play it safe and avoid alcohol. Maybe tomorrow or Sunday....

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by DecoJuicer
Is anybody allowing themselves a cheat meal, or a cheat day? I'm allowing myself one cheat meal per week, and I was just curious if others are doing the same and if they are, what are they planning for their cheat meal. I am doing pancakes and real maple syrup, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, and eggs. I may eat until I burst, I haven't decided.



Many times when you diet, your body recognizes the reduction in calories and after a few days will actually lower your metabolism.
A cheat meal, or even a cheat day, can get that calorie burning furnace turned back up again. The theory is that the body thinks it is being starved and tries to conserve body fat rather than burn it. This is a tactic I used when dieting for a bodybuilding contest to get my body to burn off those stubborn last few pounds; it worked extremely well.

I don't, however, know if it is as effective for someone who has a surplus of extra weight to start with - absolutely no disrespect intended...my experience was trying to drop from say; 4% bodyfat, to 2%.

At the very least, it gives you an opportunity to reward yourself for your efforts the rest of the week; that type of reward can help you to stick to your diet more faithfully, knowing you have that to look forward to. Think of it as a series of one week diets as opposed to one lenghty diet... sometimes the mind is the biggest obstacle.

I don't know if you were kidding or not with the "eat until you burst" comment, but I would caution against that. Your stomach will shrink while dieting; overstuffing will stretch it back out and result in increased hunger until it goes back down again.
Try to stop when you are comfortably full; you might be surprised that you don't feel like eating nearly as much as you think you will!

Best of luck to you!! :)

[DecoJuicer]

Blues,

First off, absolutely no disrespect taken. I look at a cheat meal as a reward. It is also a way for me to say, "I'm not going to eat pancakes and sausage right now, even though I really want them. If I still want it on Saturday, then I will have it." When I used this tactic before, I found that come time for my cheat meal, I usually didn't even want what I had originally been craving(usually fast food), and I would end up eating something relatively healthy anyway.

As far as eating until I burst, yeah, that was a joke. I have started eating 3 small meals a day, with 3 healthy snacks. On days when I eat my cheat meal, I plan ahead so that I am eating meals and snacks that usually cause me to feel full longer. For example, tomorrow for my midday snack-the one before my cheat meal- I can have plenty of vegetables and an ounce of almonds. Combine that with a bottle of water, and I feel full for several hours. Since I have dinner only 2 hours or so after my snack, I am still fairly full and I don't stuff my gob with as much food.

The last time that I followed this particular plan, I lost a substantial amount of weight...until I went back on the fast food bender. Part of what I face is that I work the midnight shift, and the only places that are open are fast food restraunts. So, I know that really need to become disciplined and begin preparing meals in advance to take to wok with me.

Most of the healthy diet plans-Abs diet, Body for Life...plans that aren't so much about eating particular foods, but about eating HEALTHY foods and doing the right excercises- recommend at least having a cheat meal as a reward. And it is kind of a nice way to pat yourself on the back.

[DecoJuicer]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
No HFCS. Glucose and Sucrose only. Gatorade is good; Cytomax is better IMHO.

I've never had Cytomax. I'll have to look for it the next time I do interval training. That really takesit out of me.

[SoxyinMO]

Oh dear, where to start?

First, Deco, rather than call it a "cheat meal", maybe a "reward meal" or "olde tyme meal"? Not to sound to pop psychology here but that might help you look at the change in diet & exercise as a life change rather than a "diet" and help keep the guilts away.

My plan is not to freak out if I eat something I shouldn't, but to cut back, exercise more or just forget it. This is going to be a long term deal and I refuse to absolutely deny myself everything. Why live otherwise? Moderation is my mantra. If everything else in my week has been to help me lose weight, one small helping of bbq turkey won't kill me.

Chaz, feeling for you. Al was sick all through Christmas & said everything he drank tasted like blech. (Now ask me why he was drinking his fancy beers while he was sick?)

I did find a scale I can use so Tuesday I will run in and check out things weight-wise. The past two days were not my best efforts, but we had NOTHING in the house after Christmas and Thurs. was our first pay day since before the holidays...Still, didn't go back for seconds, didn't snick & snack while I was cooking and DID keep my exercise up. So we'll see.

The walking at work has actually gone better than expected. I 'm doing 1 mile before work; 1/2 mile at 0900; 1/2 mile at 1130; and 1/2 mile at 1430. I may be bumping up that 1/2 mile at 1130 to a full mile now that I can bring some food with me to work and not have to go to the canteen for a salad.

[SoxyinMO]

Remember, this is like baseball - it's not a sprint, it's a marathon.

Forgot to say, excellent advice, Fret.

[chazwicke]

I did lose 1 1/2 lbs without really trying this week. A tiny amount but a start. I was 243.5 this morning.

[Dextolen]

Success with 2 lbs lost, just reducing intake and cutting out fast food, junk food. I feel better too.

I decided that I'm happy with two lbs lost per week, if I can keep it up for one year that's 104 lbs gone. I want to lose a total of 140lbs.

[Cloakndagger]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I did lose 1 1/2 lbs without really trying this week. A tiny amount but a start. I was 243.5 this morning.

Get going big guy! ;)

[corysdad]

Congrats to all of you for this healthy undertaking. I have to agree with Soxy in that deprevation is not a good thing. Enjoy everything that you like to eat or drink, just do in small portions. And like Bluesharp wrote a small amount of food and drink every 3 hours will help alot. I live these guidelines daily. Several years ago I was 215 lbs. at 5'10". Today 170 lbs. still 5'10" I hope. I run about 2 miles every morning at 5 am. and usually a long walk with my wife on the weekends. Nurishment starts at 6 am. then 9,12pm, 3,6 and ending with a small desert at 9pm. I never stopped eating any food that I liked and I like almost every thing, kinda like a garbage truck. A real beer every day and maybe a couple a day on the weekend.

So now on to the problem area, I seem to carry a bit of a spare tire around the middle, love handles and all. So I am joining in to work on this area. Sit ups and what ever it takes to slim and tighten up. I'll have to find a good routine to make this happen, any help will be appreciated.

[Spicoli]

I wish I would have noticed this thread a long time ago. August 1st 2005 I was 290 lbs at 6'-1". I am now 220 lbs. I went without any alcohol for almost 4 months. That was pretty tough with 30 gallons of homebrew in the garage. I followed this program to the T Burn Fat Feed Muscle (http://www.burnthefat.com/) It is a real straight forward program. It teaches you everything you need to know about diet and exercise and why just a diet will never work. I've got another 10 to 15 lbs to go. I will be around 205 to 210 with a 10% body fat. I still carry quite a bit of muscle mass from all the lifting weights throughout my life. The program mentioned above is worth every penny. I feel like I am 23 years old again.

[Spicoli]

This program does not use any special meals to buy or any supliments at all. It is strictly real natural clean food and a good weight lifting and cardio program.

[chazwicke]

Ok today is my 1 week weigh in. I'm 242. I lost 3 lbs. BUT... I have been nursing a cold for the whole week and have had NO beer since 2005!:eek: Thats right. I've not had my first beer of the new year yet because of this dang cold. I also have not worked out but I am leaving for Las Vegas on Friday and I'm certain there will be consumption there. I'll be going to Hofbrau Haus for sure. I also intend to eat well. LV has some excellent restaurants. So I was not really planning on officially starting this weight loss program until after this trip anyway. I have started to to cut back a bit on portions and have begun eating a grain cereal for breakfast each morning sometimes with raisons or banana. I usually skip both breakfast and lunch (Except weekends) so I'm hoping to get the ole metabolism burning again and also be done with this nagging cold next wednesday after I have returned. But 3 lbs is 3 lbs.

[lordkenpo]

I checked out of the gym at 318 on Friday, which was down 4 pounds post New Years (yeah, I put on even more weight after the Christmas 10-pound onslaught). I'm hoping that my not going completely wild this past weekend will have kept me right around where I left on Friday, but that's rarely the case. Either way, we'll see tonight. If nothing else, my immediate goal is to get right back to where I was before Christmas at 310-311.

Also, I skipped the gym last night to hit happy hour with some coworkers, so I'm really hoping that didn't hurt my efforts either.

[fretlessman71]

Managed to get to 213 from 217 in one week, and that's just with portion control. When my back lets me do more, I'm hoping I'll see more. Good start, anyway!

[Beer Monkey]

hopped on the scale today, and was happy to see I've gone from 231 to 227, not much but I haven't been really trying to do much either, just cutting back on some of the sodas during the day and avoiding greesy stuff, and goin with salads instead, still need to get started on the treadmill but I did at least dig it out this weekend.

[Spicoli]

4:30 A.M. (back & byceps day)
-12 minute treadmill warm up
-3 sets lat pull downs
-3 sets seated rows
-3 sets hammer strength pull downs
-2 sets shrugs
-4 sets curl bar curls
-4 sets straight bar curls
-20 minute treadmill

[SoxyinMO]

Still with you all though I haven't made it to the scale yet. Even with the near freezing drizzle today I walked 1.5 miles.

And when I got home I loaded the wheelbarrow twice with wood and hauled it up to the porch (about 50 ft. each way -- to the wood pile, to the porch, to the wood pile, to the porch, to the back yard) and stacked it on the porch and split a couple of logs.

I am really watching my portions -- not counting calories as such, but using calories as a guide and getting a rude awakening in the mean time...HOW much have I been eating?

Did I mention the tire on the wheelbarrow is flat? :eek:

[corkybstewart]

The flat tire really helps. I often find myself pushing 160 lbs of softener salt 50 yards from the driveway to the softener with a flat tire. It also improves my language creativity.
But seriously, Brigitte and I have been to the gym for at least one hour every day lately, and since we're now empty nesters we're trying to cook less. Our weekend in the big city of Albuquerque didn't help-too many good eateries. But we'll soldier on and get healthy if it kills us.

[lordkenpo]

Got back in the gym at 317.5 tonight and left at 315.5! Hell yes! I'll be 313 by the end of the week if it kills me, and it probably will. If all goes according to plan, I should be right back to normal by the end of next week.

And then I can actually start participating in this challenge for real. :rolleyes:

Oh, and just for Ss and Gs, tonight's workout consisted of:

8 sets flat bench (w/1 warmup, 2 burnouts)
3 sets wide-grip lat rows
3 sets close-grip rows
3 sets dumbell flys
3 sets reverse dumbell flys
4 sets cross-cable curls
4 sets weighted crunches (machine)
25 minutes Stairmaster interval training

[gallowd7]

Just jumping in here and there:
If your gym has a rowing machine get on it! I've talked to some of the trainers at my gym and most have said that the rowing machine is one of the best all around pieces of equipment. Just under used because you can't plug in your headphones and usually get an undesireable view of the stairmaster patrons in front, but I digress. Great for a spell off of the treadmill/eliptical thing or build up to a 30 minute session, it'll wipe you out!

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by gallowd7
Just jumping in here and there:
If your gym has a rowing machine get on it! I've talked to some of the trainers at my gym and most have said that the rowing machine is one of the best all around pieces of equipment. Just under used because you can't plug in your headphones and usually get an undesireable view of the stairmaster patrons in front, but I digress. Great for a spell off of the treadmill/eliptical thing or build up to a 30 minute session, it'll wipe you out!

Very good call. Unfortunately, quite a few "modernized" gyms are phasing out this piece of equipment as outdated, because, as you say, it's underused and taking up space. Not to mention that there's all those fancy, newfangled machines to try! :rolleyes:

For the record, however, the elliptical is a fantastic piece of equipment for those just getting into to back into the gym routine. Virtually no stress on your joints, but really gets your lungs in good shape. I used it for over a year before switching to the stairmaster.

And as goofy as it looks, the stairmaster is probably the most intense piece of cardio equipment in the gym. Won't get your heartrate up to the point that the elliptical or bike will (at least, in my experience), but, as you're forced to lift your own bodyweight over and over, the increase in overall legwork is exponential. If you're just switching over from the elliptical to the stairmaster, prepare for a humbling experience.

But like they said on Reading Rainbow, you don't have to take my word for it. Try 'em all!

[corkybstewart]

I can spend 40 minutes on the treadmill, half walking, half running, and I feel OK. 10 minutes on that damn stairmaster and I was wheezing and gasping. I need to diversify my cardio. Our gym had 2 rowing machines before Christmas, now they only have one. I liked the ellipticals a lot, but they stayed brokemn down so they disappeared. When there is only one gym in a town, there's not much need to have the best equipment.

[Spicoli]

Most men I know don't feel right on the stair master. They look at it as a chick machine. I quess i'll have to try it sometime.

4:30 A.M. (Legs & Abs)

- 12 min elliptical warm up
-4 sets squats
-3 sets leg press
-3 sets calf raises
-4 sets upright leg lift crunches (I hate doing abs)
-20 min elliptical

[corkybstewart]

There are some men who spend 45 minutes on it at our gym, and they are'nt "girly men". I prefer the treadmill, but I'm going to have to spend some time on the stairmaster and the bike.

[Spicoli]

Thats a bummer. We have a Golds, 2 LA Fitnesses, 24 hour fitness and a corner gym. All within 10 minutes.

[fretlessman71]

Would climbing the stairs at my apartment complex (going up and down) be just as beneficial? Seems to me you'd be working a different set of muscles going down, which would be equally beneficial, but I really have no idea...

[chazwicke]

Back in the early 90s I went on a diet and began exercising. At lunch I would go to the highrise building next door to the Ct. House and walk up 16 flights of steps and then back down. Soon enough it became a challenge amoung other folks who worked in the record room where I did. And bets were made and people trained every day. Eventually the best time was running up in under two minutes. But it took a real toll on my knees and later we found out that the building in which we were running contained asbestos. Obviously we were breathing pretty hard going up those stairs. I only hope that none of the asbestos was disturbed.

[Richard English]

I find that the very best exercise is that of raising and lowering an Imperial pint glass at regular intervals. To ensure proper benefit, the glass should be filled as necessary with cask-conditioned beer.

Combined with a gentle walk to and from the pub that seems to do the job for me.

After nearly half a century of this regime I now weigh around 11.5 stone (that's about 160 pounds for US readers) which I reckon isn't too far out for my height of 5' 10".

Mind you, it has to be cask-conditioned beer and Imperial pints; 12 ounce glasses of Dudweiser will have the opposite effect, as the gas will blow you up like a balloon.

[fretlessman71]

You mean the "12-ounce-curl" isn't a REAL exercise??? :eek:

[DecoJuicer]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Back in the early 90s I went on a diet and began exercising. At lunch I would go to the highrise building next door to the Ct. House and walk up 16 flights of steps and then back down. Soon enough it became a challenge amoung other folks who worked in the record room where I did. And bets were made and people trained every day. Eventually the best time was running up in under two minutes. But it took a real toll on my knees and later we found out that the building in which we were running contained asbestos. Obviously we were breathing pretty hard going up those stairs. I only hope that none of the asbestos was disturbed.

We have a stairmaster in our fitness room at the police station. Not many guys do it, but those of us that do, have all tried to set the goal of over 100 flights. Most of us decided that if the cops and firefighters from NYPD could do it when they were needed most, then we should be able to do it too.

Of course, the tallest building in our city is only 10 stories.

[Spicoli]

Of course, the tallest building in our city is only 10 stories.

We'll just say you will be ready to get 10 people out of that building from the highest floor.;)

[SoxyinMO]

And as goofy as it looks, the stairmaster is probably the most intense piece of cardio equipment in the gym. Won't get your heartrate up to the point that the elliptical or bike will (at least, in my experience), but, as you're forced to lift your own bodyweight over and over, the increase in overall legwork is exponential. If you're just switching over from the elliptical to the stairmaster, prepare for a humbling experience.

Some days I can't get my knees to go up and down the basement stairs. :(

Once. (each way)

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by SoxyinMO
Some days I can't get my knees to go up and down the basement stairs. :(

Once. (each way)

That's why the elliptical exists. My left ankle/foot is all sortsa history thanks to rugby, and the elliptical was about as close as I could come to running for a year. And I managed to lose 35 lbs. in the process. Seriously, if you don't think you can exercise regularly, an elliptical will more than likely prove you wrong.

Oh, but while I'm blabbering. Started tonight at 317.5 and left at 316. Not quite what I wanted, but I'm chalking it up to lack of sweat due to having to use the treadmill instead of the Stairmaster (they're remodeling and it's unplugged). Here's what I did:

4 sets squat machine (front)
4 sets squat machine (reverse)
4 sets hamstring curls
4 sets calf raises
4 sets weighted crunches (machine)
25 minutes treadmill on "random"

[Spicoli]

4:30 A.M. (chest, shoulders and triceps)

12 minute elliptical warm up
- 4 sets flat bench
- 3 sets incline dumbell press
- 3 sets cable flies
- 3 sets military dumbell press
- 3 sets front dumbell shoulder raises
- 3 sets shoulder machine (cables?)
- 3 set lying barbell tricep raises
- 3 sets overhead rope tricep extentions (cables)
- 3 sets tricep push downs (cables)
20 minute elliptical

Good workout today. I feel great. I had a Bear Republic Black Stout last night that was just awsome.

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by Spicoli
12 minute elliptical warm up
- 4 sets flat bench
- 3 sets incline dumbell press
- 3 sets cable flies
- 3 sets military dumbell press
- 3 sets front dumbell shoulder raises
- 3 sets shoulder machine (cables?)
- 3 set lying barbell tricep raises
- 3 sets overhead rope tricep extentions (cables)
- 3 sets tricep push downs (cables)
20 minute elliptical

Good workout today. I feel great. I had a Bear Republic Black Stout last night that was just awsome.

That's a huge workout; how long did it take you? I've noticed that we're following pretty similar regimens - how many days a week do you lift? What does your diet look like? I posted mine a few spots back somewhere. You said no supplements, right?

[Spicoli]

Chest, shoulders and tris day is my favorite day. Today I went about an hour and a half. This is longer than usual. I was late to the office today because of it. I try and lift 4 to 5 days a week. I usually start with chest, shoulders and tris one day and legs & abs the next and then hit back & bis the following. I do this and repeat it. Then on the weekends I usually do cardio for 45 minutes on Saturday and sometimes I go in Sunday after church for more cardio.

My diet is pretty simple. I eat at least 5 times a day.
-6:00 A.M. bowl of shredded wheat (non-fat milk) with an orange.
-9:00 A.M. small bowl of oatmeal (with 1TBS protein powder for sweetness), 3 to 6 egg whites scrambled and an apple.
-12:00 P.M. 4 oz chicken breast, green beans and microwave potatoe.
-3:00 P.M. can of tuna, can of mixed veggies
-5:30 P.M. 4 oz steak, green veggie and brown rice
-8:00 P.M. cottage cheese and a piece of fruit.

This is just an example. I try to mix it up from time to time. Lately I have not been eating so many carbs after lunch. The weight was flying off of me in the begining and now it is so slow. I figure I better just keep on working. I also did not drink a drop for aver 3 months in the begining. Now I will have a couple beers during the week and one weekend night I will indulge a bit more. No beer on Sunday though. Gotta be fresh for Mondays workout.

About supplements: They do nothing for the thermic effect on the body. The bodies metabolism will kick into high gear with whole clean foods. Eating every 3 hours gives your body something to burn all day at an even rate rather than 2 or 3 meals a day. I will drink a Met-RX shake when I am in a pinch and need a quick meal. That is not very often. They do provide good nutrients for the body but give the body nothing to break down and work for your metabolism. I bought this

book (http://www.burnthefat.com/) online and it is filled with tons of good info. It will explain in plain english what is happening to your body and why. It also explains why cutting calories alone will just do you more harm in the long run. It's a great read for anyone who is willing to get serious.

[Spicoli]

Oh and that one days food is about 2,800 to 3,000 calories. I also try and consume about 3,500 calories every 3 days to keep the body guessing or it will adapt and burn just that amount.

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by Spicoli
Oh and that one days food is about 2,800 to 3,000 calories. I also try and consume about 3,500 calories every 3 days to keep the body guessing or it will adapt and burn just that amount.

Very cool. Was going to ask about a "cheat" day. Do you ever eat out or go off the diet completely? I usually maintain a very strict diet Monday morning through Friday afternoon, and relax for Friday night through Sunday afternoon. I don't drink on Sundays for the same reason as you; it interferes too much with my Monday workout (chest and back).

I try to lift and run 3 to 4 days per week. Ideally, Monday is chest/back/abs, Tuesday is legs/abs, Thursday is shoulders/back/abs, and Friday is deadlifts/abs. With weekends the way they are and necessary rest periods between workouts, any more would be pretty much impossible. As would be hitting the gym before work or going without beer for four months. Have you put any weight back on since adding alcohol back to your diet? I refuse to cut beer entirely for the sake of looking better, but perhaps if I knew that I could go back to it after so long with no repercussions...

[chazwicke]

Day 10. Lost 5.5 lbs. Finally getting over this cold. Still no beer yet but I leave for Las Vegas tomorrow morning. I hope I don't put too much back on.

[SoxyinMO]

That's why the elliptical exists. My left ankle/foot is all sortsa history thanks to rugby, and the elliptical was about as close as I could come to running for a year. And I managed to lose 35 lbs. in the process. Seriously, if you don't think you can exercise regularly, an elliptical will more than likely prove you wrong.

Thanks for the heads up...it makes sense, though, since you don't have that jarring impact all the time. I'm going to full time in a few weeks & am trying to work out a schedule for the gym/pool. Maybe I'll give the pool a miss a day or two, though it'll be hard.

I love the smell of chlorine in the morning.

[Spicoli]

Originally posted by lordkenpo
Very cool. Was going to ask about a "cheat" day. Do you ever eat out or go off the diet completely? I usually maintain a very strict diet Monday morning through Friday afternoon, and relax for Friday night through Sunday afternoon. I don't drink on Sundays for the same reason as you; it interferes too much with my Monday workout (chest and back).

I try to lift and run 3 to 4 days per week. Ideally, Monday is chest/back/abs, Tuesday is legs/abs, Thursday is shoulders/back/abs, and Friday is deadlifts/abs. With weekends the way they are and necessary rest periods between workouts, any more would be pretty much impossible. As would be hitting the gym before work or going without beer for four months. Have you put any weight back on since adding alcohol back to your diet? I refuse to cut beer entirely for the sake of looking better, but perhaps if I knew that I could go back to it after so long with no repercussions...


I don't usually have a whole cheat day. I do have a cheat meal ever so often though. Most of the cheating is with beer and a good dinner. Like more than a 4oz piece of meat and a few good beers. I have not gained any weight back at all. Sometimes the day after eating and drinking I will wake up dehidrated and weigh less but I will then retain water that night and weigh more. After the next normal day I am business as usual. I didn't stop drinking just for the look of my body. My blood pressure was very high and beer was becoming more of a habit than a pleasure. So stoping for a while was best for me. The blood pressure is below normal now and I don't feel the "need" to drink. I also get more love these days with the new body. If you can dig it.
;)

[hopjack13]

Originally posted by Richard English
I find that the very best exercise is that of raising and lowering an Imperial pint glass at regular intervals. To ensure proper benefit, the glass should be filled as necessary with cask-conditioned beer.

Combined with a gentle walk to and from the pub that seems to do the job for me.

After nearly half a century of this regime I now weigh around 11.5 stone (that's about 160 pounds for US readers) which I reckon isn't too far out for my height of 5' 10".

Mind you, it has to be cask-conditioned beer and Imperial pints; 12 ounce glasses of Dudweiser will have the opposite effect, as the gas will blow you up like a balloon.

think im gunna try richards work out program! hey you should make a video !!!

[Richard English]

Quote "...think im gunna try richards work out program! hey you should make a video !!!..."

Well, I've not made a video but I have made a speech (at Speakers' Corner, London) and you can see it on my website - www.retraining-uk.com

[Spicoli]

(Back and Biceps Day)

-12 minute treadmill warm up
-3 sets seated rows
-3 sets high rows
-3 sets lat pull downs
-3 sets shrugs
-3 sets cable curls
-3 sets straight bar curls
-3 sets curl bar curls (inside grip)
-15 minutes stairmaster (1st time on it and I almost passed out) this thing will kick your a$$

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by Spicoli
-15 minutes stairmaster (1st time on it and I almost passed out) this thing will kick your a$$

Wait 'til you try walking or, god forbid, climbing stairs tomorrow. Don't worry though, it gets better the more you use it.

Oh, and this may just be a personal thing, but I find that if I use it more than 3 days per week, it affects my performance on it the following week. As in I'm not getting time enough for my muscles to heal. I usually go gung ho on it for my first 2 sessions of the week, rest up on my off day, use the elliptical on shoulder day to stretch and get the blood flowing again, and go gung ho again on deadlift day.

[SoxyinMO]

My workout today:

Down the basement stairs for the secondary carboy.
Up the stairs.
Down the stairs with the clean secondary.
Transfer Wit.
Up the stairs with dirty primary.
Down the stairs for the brew pot.
Up the stairs.
Down the stairs for the carboy brush. :rolleyes:
Up the stairs.
Sanitize equipment.
Begin brewing.
Down the stairs to hook up the wort chiller.
Up the stairs to push hose-ends through kitchen window.
Drop one hose out the window.
Down the shorter, outside stairs to get the hose back up.
Up the short stairs.
Hook up the wort chiller.
Down the basement stairs to turn on the water.
Up the stairs.
Cool the brew. Transfer 1/2 the beer to the carboy.
Down the stairs to get the carboy carrier.
Up the stairs.
Carry the 1/2 full carboy down the basement stairs.
Up the stairs.
Carry the 1/2 full brew pot down the stairs.
Begin siphoning.
Light bulb blows.
Up the stairs to get light bulb.
Down the stairs.
Finish siphoning.
Up the stairs with the brew pot.
Clean equipment.
Down the stairs to store equipment.
Up the stairs.

[BluesHarp]

OK...Started Monday; 214# @ 5'9"

Mon -

(all heavy lifts, 6-10reps)

6 sets hip sled
3 sets hamstring curls
3 sets leg extensions
5 sets lat pulldowns
5 sets seated rows
5 sets dumbell press (slight incline)
5 sets seated machine press
4 sets shoulder press
4 sets bentover dumbell row
4 sets lying tricep extension (skull crushers)
4 sets standing inverse tricep pushdown
4 sets cable bicep curl (wide grip)
4 sets cable isolation curls (narrow grip)
4 sets upright cable rows
20 minutes elliptical machine

Tues -

(light weights, 10-16 reps

3 sets wide grip pulldowns
3 sets standing cable pullovers
3 sets machine flat bench
3 sets cable crossovers
3 sets "Arnold" shoulder press
3 sets reverse butterfly machine
3 sets tricep pushdowns
3 sets dips
3 sets seated machine curls
60 minutes kickboxing mixed w/ running stairs and biking
15 minutes various ab work

Wed - repeat Monday
Thurs - repeat Tuesday

Friday - reat & beer
Saturday - rest & beer
Sunday - as little as possible :D

I really like the elliptical machine; the years of power lifting have left me with one "touchy" knee. I limit my running (track and stair) and make sure I keep my heart rate up in the fat burning range.

My only diet consideration is too limit sugars and saturated fats.
Tuesday and Thursday's I don't get home from the gym until close to 9:00pm, so I drink a meal shake immediately after working out and eat a very small meal when I get home, usually a couple pieces of fish or chicken.

My goal is to try to keep this schedule...I tend to get lazy sometimes and take weeks off at a time.

I'd like to end up at a lean 200# in a couple of months.

Right now, my chest is around 46", waist 34", bicep 17-1/2"

[Spicoli]

Looks like a pretty "stout" workout there Bluesharp. Keep up the good work. Is this a 2 hour workout plus??

[Spicoli]

and Soxy I thought my Stairmaster session was brutal. Maybe we should just brew more for the cardio.

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by Spicoli
Looks like a pretty "stout" workout there Bluesharp. Keep up the good work. Is this a 2 hour workout plus??

Thanks (nice pun, by the way)!

Both workouts take about 2.5 hours...by Thursday, I'm definitely done for the week! (not as young as I used to be!).

I occasionally take Wednesday off if I'm feeling beat up, but always try to make Thursday for the big cardio blast!

[SoxyinMO]

and Soxy I thought my Stairmaster session was brutal.

Thanks. Fortunately it was a good knee day. Although I have to admit that since I've been doing my walking at work my knees have been responding better. I can't WAIT to get back into the pool, though.

I'll be doing the basement stair workout at least once a week for the forseeable future as I get the beers made & bottled for my daughter's wedding.

[Spicoli]

Saturday:

-15 minutes stairmaster
-20 minutes elliptical
-15 minutes stairmaster

I drank about 6 beers today. Bear Republic Red Rocket Pale, Hop Rod Rye. Excellent beers. I also had some homebrew Marzen. Not bad.


Sunday:

-20 minutes stairmaster
-20 minutes treadmill
-15 minutes stairmaster

[DecoJuicer]

Did my 2 week weigh in on Monday morning. I am down 9lbs from my first weigh in on 01/02/06. My workout is pretty intense, so I am probably adding a little bit of lean muscle, but not enough to make a huge difference just yet.

Day 1
One set each of the following:
12 Traditional Crunches
12 Bent Knee Leg Lifts
12 Oblique V-ups
Bridge(30 seconds)
12-15 Back Extension

2 sets each of the following, done in a circuit:
12 Squats(225lbs)
10 Bench Presses(185lbs)
10 Lat Pulldowns(160lbs)
10 Military Presses(65lbs)
10 Upright Row(150lbs)
12 Tricep Pushdown(150lbs)
12 Leg Extension(50lbs)
10 Bicep Curls(65lbs)
12 Leg Curls(50lbs)

All of the above done without rest between sets, and a 2 minute rest between circuits. It's almost a cadrio workout.

Day 2

20 minute cardio workout. Currently interval training on the stairmaster.

Day 3

The same as day one, but change the first 5 excercises to:

12 Standing Crunches(150lbs)
12 Pulse Ups
10 Side Bends with 20lb dumbells
Side Bridge(20 seconds each side)
12 Back Extensions

2 sets of above circuit training

Day 4

Same as day 2

Day 5

Same as day one, but take out the first 5 excerises and add:

12 Step Ups onto a standard chair(12 each leg)
10 Traveling Lunges with 25lb Dumbells

Day 6 is light cardio, like a brisk walk.

Rest on day 7.

I'll change everything up in about 4 more weeks. Switch my cardio to the bike or jogging. And use different excerises.

Sorry about the long post.

[Spicoli]

Monday (chest & Tri's)

12 minute warm up elliptical
-3 sets incline bench
-3-sets incline dumbell press
-3 sets cable flies
-3 sets overhead tricep extensions (rope)
-3 sets tricep push downs (rope)
-3 sets lying tricep estensions (curl bar)
20 minute treadmill

Tuesday (back & Biceps)

12 minute elliptical warm up
-3 sets seated rows
-3 sets seated high rows
-3 sets lat pull downs (hammer strength)
-3 sets straight bar curls
-3 set curl bar curls
-3 sets cable curls
20 ninute treadmill

Wednesday

20 minutes stairmaster
20 minutes treadmill
10 minutes elliptical

These last 20 lbs are hell to work off. I lost maybe 1/2 to a pound in 1 week. It's super frustrating.

[lordkenpo]

Completely forgot to update last night:

Started the night at 316.5, left at 314.5. Steadily returning to normalcy, finally!

Same workout as last Tuesday (chest and back), though I replaced my standard above-the-head cable curls (the ones where you look like you're punching yourself in the head from the side) with from-the-ground-up cable curls. Also, replaced my close-grip lat rows done via cable with ones done on a Hammer Strength machine. In both instances, I feel the muscles are much better isolated, though this may be because I'm new to the exercises.

Also, they finally got my Stairmaster back in, so I kicked it out on that for 25 minutes like usual. Having a week off of it actually feels pretty good; might have to rotate every couple weeks.

Overall, one of the best workouts I've had in a while. Felt very strong and confident throughout, which is odd, as I typically lose strength all winter long, and have been for the past couple weeks. Bench is almost right back to its peak! Wonder what I'm doing differently?

[chazwicke]

241.5 after 5 days in Vegas. That means that I only gained back 2 of the 5 lbs I had lost previously this month.:) Now back to reality and I'll need to get into an exercise routine.

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by chazwicke
241.5 after 5 days in Vegas. That means that I only gained back 2 of the 5 lbs I had lost previously this month.:) Now back to reality and I'll need to get into an exercise routine.

Depending on the amount of weight training you've done in your life, Deco's circuit sets might not be a bad place to start. You'll only be able to lift lighter weights due to the speed of the workout (which is a good way to get your muscles back into the swing of things without injury), it's a full cardio/fat-burning workout in itself, and it'll get you acquainted with a lot of basic exercises. Were I not so concerned with maintaining the muscle I've already gained, I'd probably be doing it myself!

[SoxyinMO]

Well, I found a scale...the move the weight kind like at the doc's office, and I don't know how far off it may or may not be so I'm taking a conservative approach to what it tells me.

The scale said I'd lost five pounds!

At first when I saw that I thought "What?!?!?!? only five pounds." I was so upset, snivelling, whining, crying in my pretzels upset. But then my friend at work said, "Wait, how long have you been cutting back?" and I looked at the calendar and realized it had only been two weeks so I didn't feel as bad after that.

And this morning when I didn't have on any shoes, my jeans cuffs were dragging on ground again, like they are supposed to, so THAT made me feel better, too :D

Forward ho!

[BluesHarp]

Today 1/19/06

211# (down from 214)...Since I put on muscle mass easily, I tend to go by the mirror as much as the scale. I can see added muscle tone and some ab definition starting to poke through...definitely lost some width across the middle.

[Spicoli]

Weighed in today at 217 lbs from 220 lbs. I finally pushed through my 220 plato. 17 more to go.

[Spicoli]

Maybe the loss is do to all the cardio I have been doing the last few days. I injured my forearm and bicep a few months back and it is getting irritated with all the lifting. Actually after Tuesday it became quite painful. So I have been hitting the the cardio harder than normal. I hope after the weekend I will feel up to the weight training again. I already miss the pump in the morning.

[chazwicke]

6 lbs so far for me.

[BluesHarp]

Had a complete physical yesterday; blood pressure 124/78; pulse 80; prostate - small :D

too much information????

[DecoJuicer]

Did you get dinner out of it?

[Spicoli]

Originally posted by BluesHarp
too much information????


UUhhhh.......not so much info better.

[DecoJuicer]

Ladies, you may want to scroll by this post.

Ok, are they gone? Good.

Guys, I was talking to a female coworker of mine at work last night, and she told me that for every 10lbs a guy loses, it's like gaining half an inch below the belt buckle!!

Talk about some great motivation!! I'm thinking of quitting my job so that I can work out 8 more hours a day! I just did the math after figuring out that I could stand to lose about 120lbs total.:D

Anyway, I hope that this wasn't in too offensive to anybody, but I had to share the info. If it helps keep just one or 2 of us motivated, then it was worth it.

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by DecoJuicer
Anyway, I hope that this wasn't in too offensive to anybody, but I had to share the info. If it helps keep just one or 2 of us motivated, then it was worth it.

Having lost 40 lbs. thus far and not noticing any significant, umm, gains, so to speak, I'm writing this off as an old wives' tale. But hey, if that's what they want to believe, then I feel taller already. ;)

[lordkenpo]

Did my Monday workout last night (which is steadily becoming my Tuesday workout; I need to get back on track). Began the night at 316.5 and left at 314. I plan on getting a full 4-day workout this week for the first time since the holidays; hopefully it'll finally get me right back to where I was before Christmas.

Hope everyone else is staying on track!

[chazwicke]

I'm 236. That is down 9 lbs. I've achieved this by eating smaller portions and trying to eat healthier foods. I also have begun to exercise a little. I hope to increase that too.

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by lordkenpo
Having lost 40 lbs. thus far and not noticing any significant, umm, gains, so to speak, I'm writing this off as an old wives' tale. But hey, if that's what they want to believe, then I feel taller already.

heh, heh...think proportions; for example, a roll of Certs would look HUGE on a mouse!

A skinny friend once said while teasing me about weightlifting: why would you do anything to your body that would make your **** look smaller??




:D

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by DecoJuicer
Did you get dinner out of it?


not even flowers.:(

But I'm damn healthy, I'll tell you that!!

[Spicoli]

I am going to take a few days off from training. I have gone 6 months at 6 days a week. The forearm and bicep are paying the price. I would like to be back in full swing by next Wednesday. We have a Strong Ale Festival here tomorrow. I plan to take full advantage of the food, music and beer. Wish me luck for my next weigh in.

[doug zdanivsky]

Damn!

I missed the boat..

Was looking in the wrong forum..

Oh well..

Better late than never..

As of today I am 6'3", 227lbs..

I am going on a 40-30-30 diet, cutting out all beer and junk food, and going every second day or so to the gym for a 2 km walk on the treadmill, and then weights (2 body parts a session).

I'd like to get down to 200lbs.

[chazwicke]

NO BEER!!!!???? :eek:

[doug zdanivsky]

No alcohal at all.. :(

Have to count every calorie, and I don't want to sabotage all the work I'm doing at the gym..

[Spicoli]

doug,

This is a wise move in IMO. I have lost 70 lbs in six months. I was at 290 and am now to 220. I went more than 3 months without any alcohol and it did me good. Good goal. Keep at it.

[doug zdanivsky]

Wow! That's great!

I figure they don't call 'em beer bellies for nothing..

Hopefully I'll get to my goal of 200 lbs soon.. :)

Then I'll try to keep my beer consumption (and wine, hard liquor, etc) to just the weekends, rather than every second day..

[Goban]

Man, I wish I would have seen this thread some time ago.
I am in need of losing about 50lbs myself. My wife has been hinting for some time now. She recently brought out a picture of me like right after boot camp and said, “Look at that sexy man”! We all know what that means. :)

Right now, I am 5’ 10” and 250 lbs. My prime weight was 200, and that was when I was in the best shape of my life. When I ran 12 miles a week and went to the gym M-W-F. Now, I am copletely out of shape. I have no energy and am always tired. I blamed it on my working hours but I know it’s my excersize level and eating habits.

So, I herby pledge to travel with you through this arduous journy to become healthier, happier people.

I have to quit smoking too, but that’s a thread/forum of its own…

[chazwicke]

So far I have lost 9 1/2 pounds this month. That includes my travel to Las vegas. I'm pretty happy with these results. I have been trying to cut back some, eat sensibly, and exersize some too.

I once gave up beer back in the late 70s and I have quit caffiene twice. I will not give either up again. I enjoy a good beer now and then and I also enjoy my daily cup of coffee. I will cut other areas or exersize a bit more to compensate for those two items.

[The Alchemist]

Everyone does not lose weight the same way, but I have found that exercise is the key to sustained weight loss. I am 45 years old and I run most days of the week. Nothing tremendous or particularly fast,3-4 miles at a time. I'm 6'2 and weigh about 185(the holidays don't count). I have never given up beer but I eliminated all regular sodas and white bread. I used to go 250 several years ago before I started running. Like I said, not everything works the same way for everyone, but exercise is hard to argue with.

[doug zdanivsky]

I'm going to only drink "good" beer from now on, too..

No more Stella or Alexander Kieth's when I'm out at a restaurant and that's the best they have, and I don't feel like paying quadruple the price for a bottle of wine.. :)

And as always, sodas are reserved for the occasional taco night..

Nothing.. not even beer.. beats a frosty Coke with a soft taco..

I keep chips and other high carb, salty treats out of the house and out of mind..

Sweets, on the other hand, I've never been able to banish for more than a week..

Just have to pace myself, there..

And none for the duration of the diet, of coarse..

[chazwicke]

Today I crossed the 10 pound threshold. I was stuck at 9.5 lbs since we started in early January. But today I broke through that plateau! Ten pounds in a month is not too bad. Now I'll have to start exercising. probably treadmill or swimming to start off with.


Who all are still in the challenge and how is it going after 1 month?

[fretlessman71]

Not doing very well at all, except that I'm finally getting my back healthy enough to at least step on the treadmill a few times a week. Trying to cut out food I don't need to be eating, and doing a few ab exercises prescribed by my chirocruncher. This is going to take awhile, but even on the days I don't feel like doing it, I HAVE to do it - mi esposa linda has been working out as well, and is showing some really impressive results... and I mean REALLY impressive. Gotta keep up, you know - I don't want her to have any reason to kick me to the curb! ;)

[lordkenpo]

Don't think I've updated at all this week, but left the gym on Wednesday night at 311.5, which is only .5 lbs. more than I was before Christmas! Plan on hitting the gym after work tonight too, but not looking forward to the weigh-in after the barbecue pork platter I just ate. :eek:

Also, I'm adopting Spicoli's diet and exercise regimen after my ski trip at the end of this month. And yes, that means no beer for a while. Considering I haven't gone a week without a beer in nigh on 7 years now, this is going to be interesting.

[chazwicke]

I've been drinking a little less but I have been going to tastings so it averages out I guess. I'm kind of interested in trying the Sierra Nevada IPA and the DFH Burton Baton. I've not even been to a paint store in a while.

[doug zdanivsky]

I'm sitting at about the same weight..

Oh well, it's only been a week..

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I've been drinking a little less but I have been going to tastings so it averages out I guess. I'm kind of interested in trying the Sierra Nevada IPA and the DFH Burton Baton. I've not even been to a paint store in a while.

I figure the ski trip is a good stopping point, as both myself and my brewing/boozing buddy are going way, way overboard for the trip, which will make a few months' detox afterwards much easier to stomach.

And as I've steadily lost 3-4 lbs. per week, just to regain 3 over the weekend due to poor diet, lack of exercise, and beer, I suspect a 3-4 month stoppage will do wonders for me. I honestly can't wait.

[Spicoli]

I finally got back in the gym wednesday morn. The bicep is still a bit tender so it's only cardio for a couple of weeks. I took a week off and still weigh the same so thats good. No gains!! Went to the Strong Ale Festival last weekend and indulged big time. It was a blast. Next Monday it is time to get serious again.


Lordkempo,
I hope all goes well with the program. If you plan on staying away from beer. Don't go to the store. Send the wife or girlfriend. It helped me anyway. The first three days are killer and then it starts to get easier.

[DecoJuicer]

I missed my mark this week by 1 pound. That being said, I have been noticing that my pants are a lot looser, as is my watchband.

I also added another circuit of weight exercises. I am due to change exercises in about 2 weeks.

[SoxyinMO]

Who all are still in the challenge and how is it going after 1 month?

Going well, clothing wise :D My jeans now fit right out of the dryer! Woo Hooo! I'll be heading up to the scales on Tuesday to see what the weight is. I'm still walking and have added some toning exercises.

The promised full time has still to arrive, so I'm still not swimming. Pooh.

[SoxyinMO]

Well, I went up to the scale on Wednesday and found that the first time I weighed myself there I had mis-read the scale and thought I'd lost more than I had :(

But I have lost 11 pounds since I began this trip which is about 2 lbs a week, which has been my goal. Woo Hoo!

If I can keep this up (and it hasn't really been hard) then I should be down a total of 40 lbs. for my daughter's wedding in June!

[DecoJuicer]

I'm still in it, but I am on the temporary disabled list. I pulled a muscle in back, and one in each arm the other day. So needlass to say, I will not be lifting for a couple of weeks. I am still down 15lbs from the first of the year, but I should be doing better.

I guess I will just keep plugging away.

[BluesHarp]

Weight is fairly steady, but proportions are changing; unfortunately, I think I need to ease up on the leg work...my pants are looser in the waist, but tighter in the thighs! Oh, well...

[Goban]

What has it been, two weeks?

-10 lbs! Woohoo!

No real noticeable change physically, not that I have noticed anyhow. I just keep myself busy and motivated.

[corkybstewart]

I've gained 3 pounds, but I'm lifting a lot more weights and able to do more abdominals-or as we call them "abominables". Can't go more than 10 minutes on treadmill because of foot pain, but our gym finally got the elliptical repaired so I can use it without foot pain. Even the wife has admitted she's seeing some muscle definition. She's a school nurse but her school made her teach high school English and Health Careers last semester. The stress undid her so she laid off the gym for 4 months and went to shit, but she's back on track now.

[chazwicke]

I had lost 10 lbs. But I have eaten dinner out every single night for over a week now and attended a couple of tastings and beer events to boot. I got on the scales this morning and I had gone to 237.5 so I gained 2.5 lbs. But that was a fluke week. So I'll lose again. I have Blue Grey
http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?threadid=9463&highlight=Blue+gray

this coming week which is a huge breweriana event that we put on every year and we will have over 60 kegs of micros from all over the country so It might be a little hard this week but I am confident that I'll be back on track.

[DecoJuicer]

I just got this in my email today. Most of it makes a lot of sense.

Enjoy.

http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=nutrition&category=food.for.fitness&conitem=ccd999edbbbd201099edbbbd2010cfe793cd____&cm_mmc=AbsDietNL-_-2006_02_13-_-Nutrition-_-Power_12:_Never_Go_Hungry

[doug zdanivsky]

Hard to tell, as my weight fluctuates according to when I weigh myself, but after 3 weeks, I've lost a maximum of 10lbs, and a minimum of 5lbs..

This is a little TOO slow and steady for all the deprivation I'm enduring.. :(

I ate out on Valentine's and had half a bottle of wine and some chocolates..

Other than that it's been cottage cheese, skinless chicken breasts, yogurt, etc..

[Cloakndagger]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I had lost 10 lbs. But I have eaten dinner out every single night for over a week now and attended a couple of tastings and beer events to boot. I got on the scales this morning and I had gone to 237.5 so I gained 2.5 lbs. But that was a fluke week. So I'll lose again. I have Blue Grey
http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?threadid=9463&highlight=Blue+gray

this coming week which is a huge breweriana event that we put on every year and we will have over 60 kegs of micros from all over the country so It might be a little hard this week but I am confident that I'll be back on track.

Face it chaz, yer F-A-T!!

[DecoJuicer]

I went to the doctor today and weighed in at 317. That means that I have stayed steady for the last 2 weeks. I am ok with that considering the fact that I haven't been able to work out at all. I hurt my back 2 weeks ago, thought I pulled a muscle, and I finally couldn't stand it any longer. Turns out that it wasn't a muscle. Doc says that I tore a rib loose from my spine. He told me that it isn't that uncommon, but because my muscles are so tense right now from the injury, he couldn't pop it back into place. So I am off work for 3 days and on some pretty good muscle relaxers. He wants to try to get it back into place by using a combination of mucle relaxers, anti-inflammatories, and heat.

He did tell me that once it pops back into place I can go back to doing the things I was doing before. So that works out better than actually having pulled a muscle which seems to take forever to heal in the back. Hopefully I will be back to exercising next week.

[corkybstewart]

It's been a while since I've seen any updates. Are we all still shedding pounds, or has everybody else just gone back to the old ways. I'm still hitting the gym almost everyday but I've gained 3 pounds, up to 200 lbs for the first time in my life. I like to think it's all muscle mass, but I'm having a hard time convincing myself, much less my wife. So how's it going for everybody else?

[chazwicke]

I have changed my eating habits some and am hovering between 7-10 lbs lost. Now if i could just get myself to exercise....;)

[corkybstewart]

We're having to learn how to cook good meals for just the 2 of us, but I swear it's a small price to pay for the peace and quiet of the empty nest. We end up with leftovers after every meal and guess whose job it is to finish them at lunch so we can start over at dinner.

[Spicoli]

Last month I drank many beers. I still hit the gym everyday and managed to gain 1 or 2 pounds. I since gave up beer for the Lenten season and have already lost those 2 pounds plus 2 more. I feel good and have also started coaching my daughters soccer team for the spring. All those 8 & 9 year old kids will give me my second work out of the day 3 days a week.

[SoxyinMO]

Well, I went up to the dreaded scale today and I have lost a total of (drum roll, please) 19 pounds. Wooooooooo Hooooooooo! I bought a swimming suit a size smaller than I'd thought I'd need and it was too big! I had to send it back. I've lost 2" in my bust, NOTHING in my big ol' belly and .5" in my hips.

I'm still doing the whole tortise thing and just counting calories and increasing activity and not FREAKING out and it seems to be working!

Thanks for listening :D

[fretlessman71]

So far I've lost 15 - I started at 220 and have gotten to 205. Just thought I'd check in briefly. Nice that my jeans no longer roll over under my gut... still have a long ways to go, though.

[mookow]

Alright, I'll throw my hat into the ring.

23 years old, 5'11" (maybe 6', I havent checked it in a couple years), 227lbs. I need to drop about 25-35lbs and run a lot more to be in better Gaelic football shape. Unlike most people, I tend to work my thighs, calves, and back much more than my arms. Last time I deadlifted, it was 6x 335lbs, no grip assists (personally, I feel that if you cant hold the weight, you've got no busniess picking it up). I think I could have gotten another one for sure, and maybe two, but my forearms gave out. My workout went to hell last year when my toe was broken in football practice, and I never really got back into working out. My lats are still doing pretty good, though. However, my biceps/triceps need a lot of work, as does my waistline (ie, cardio to shrink it; spot reduction is a myth). I just got a gym membership, and lifted yesterday. Having experience in re-starting lifting after a period of not lifting, I started out light. Despite that, I can definitely feel that I worked out, especially in my quads.

Yesterday, I did some:
-deep squats
-bent knee calf raises
-bicep curls
-barbell shrugs
-couple other things, which arent coming to mind at the moment

Tomorrow (techinically today, Friday) I'll do some weighted inclined crunches (these hurt like hell if you go to failure, which I tend to do), benchpress a little, some deadlifts, leg curls, and some lat work. Then a half hour on the elipitical, followed by a cool-down walk around the track for 1/2 a mile. I really need to work on my cardio more than I need to gain muscle mass. My core is already pretty strong from the curls and the deadlifting.

[mookow]

Originally posted by gallowd7
Gatorade only works if you are physically active (increased heart rate, sweat) for more than 45-60 mins. (Or if you've had a bit of a bender the night before.) If you don't exercise that long, you are not using up enough of the goodies that Gatorade replenishes. Your body will just pass them right on through.

Read that last month in the Wash Post Health section.

Gatorade is a fricking life saver if you've been sweating. Not necessarily working hard enough to raise your heart rate much, just sweating. I spent a fairly lazy day patching holes on a commercial roof (nothing hard labor wise, but the temperature on that roof was at least 115°F due to the sunshine, zero wind, and all-black roof in 95°F weather), and after 11 hours of that I went to Gaelic football practice. I drank plenty of water, but no gatorade and no bananas. Well, to make a long story short, about 15 minutes before practice ended I had some sweat drip into my mouth, and in the back of my mind I noticed that there was no salty taste to it, rather it was closer to regular water. Had I been thinking straight, I would have realized that that meant I was pretty much out of electrolites. But I didnt make that connection until the cool down run at the end of practice, when both calves when from zero to hydrolocked in two strides. That is really not a fun experience, but it is fairly entertaining for those around you, or so I have been told.

Weight is fairly steady, but proportions are changing; unfortunately, I think I need to ease up on the leg work...my pants are looser in the waist, but tighter in the thighs! Oh, well...

The ladies really like it when your pants are much fuller around the thighs than the waistband. Get a belt if you need to. Just dont make those pants too tight around the legs, or some of the "guys" will like it... ;)

[mookow]

Originally posted by DecoJuicer
Ladies, you may want to scroll by this post.

Ok, are they gone? Good.

Guys, I was talking to a female coworker of mine at work last night, and she told me that for every 10lbs a guy loses, it's like gaining half an inch below the belt buckle!!

Talk about some great motivation!! I'm thinking of quitting my job so that I can work out 8 more hours a day! I just did the math after figuring out that I could stand to lose about 120lbs total.:D

Anyway, I hope that this wasn't in too offensive to anybody, but I had to share the info. If it helps keep just one or 2 of us motivated, then it was worth it.

I heard it is 60lbs for 1 full inch. I lost about 55lbs over the last two years (before gaining 20# of it back), and that seems to be about right. I didnt have a permentant g/f to give me before and after impressions... but like I said, it seems to be correct. It certainly was not an inch per 20lbs.

[mookow]

Originally posted by lordkenpo
Wait 'til you try walking or, god forbid, climbing stairs tomorrow. Don't worry though, it gets better the more you use it.

If you really want to feel pain in your legs the next day, try "stripping the bar" with squats. You'll need a power cage for this. You start with your normal squat weight, do that for two sets at a rep level that almost induces failure. Then do your next set until failure while maintaining good form (maintaining good form is higher important). Strip 20# off the bar, go to failure. Repeat. Repeat again. Do it until you cant do one more rep with just the bar (I've never gone so far as to be unable to squat without a weight, but then again I've always wanted to be able to walk within a week). But only do this if you dont need to get out of bed for at least two days, because you really wont want to. OTOH, it is a great method of teaching your leg muscles to go beyond their previous limits and to ignore pain.

I dont do this more than twice a year, but it does seem to help break through weight plateaus. Just be prepared to want to cuss everytime you move your legs for at least three days.

[SoxyinMO]

How's everyone doing?

This morning I went up and weighed myself & had lost another 3 pounds! So that's a total of 23 -- my lucky number!

And I'm into a pair of pants I haven't been able to wear in a year!

On a down note, I did some step-aerobics and have re-injured by achilles tendon...

[corkybstewart]

Our gym has a new torture device I spend 20 minutes/day on. It's a sort of elliptical, with no help from the arms. I go 1 mile, shooting for less than 20 minutes, and it kills me. Nothing else in our gym makes me sweat 10% as much, my legs are wobbly. So I do 20 minutes on it every day.
I've gained 4 pounds in the 2 years I've been going to the gym, but I'm able to convince myself it's muscle mass.

[doug zdanivsky]

How's everyone doing?

I'll let you know when I get a new scale, finally..

My son took our digital one into the tub with him..

But I'm not hopeful about my current weight..

I've been cheating alot lately..

[fretlessman71]

201 here. Total loss of 19 pounds; 16 to go. :)

[Spicoli]

I just weighed in this morn at 211. I have now lost 79lbs from August 1st. 11 more to go. I still hit the gym 5 days a week.

[chazwicke]

Will weigh tomorrow morning.

[Highwyre23]

I think I'll jump in here as well.

I dont currently have a scale, (I should get one) and dont have a gym membership (start-ups are crazy, and our school gym is horrible)

But Jan 18th ish? when I was at home(well parents house) I weighed myself and I was 225 I'm 5'9". So I've put on about 30 pounds over the past few years(college lifestyle). Hope to get down to 200 at least.


I've been walking alot lately, I live about an hour-hour and a half walk out of downtown(where I work and go to school), so I walk that 3-5 times a week, (about a 4.5-5 mile walk).

On thursday it was so nice out I walked for about 3 hours.

I dont eat breakfast or lunch really, and have a pretty healthy dinner (skinless chicken breast and veggies, sometimes rice) and I drink a buch of water (3/4-1 gallon a day)

I have cut down on the drinking a bit, drink a bottle with dinner, and only go crazy on fridays. (woke up on my freinds roof yesterday morning)

I should buy a scale.

Also my I've been pretty run down, because my body needs some vitamins, does anyone know of all purpose vitamins that aren't too expensive?

And sorry I'm starting about 3 months late, but hey. I'm new.

[chazwicke]

Weighed in at 237. Down 8 lbs.

[SoxyinMO]

Originally posted by Highwyre23
And sorry I'm starting about 3 months late, but hey. I'm new.

No sweat! Welcome to the challenge.

[DecoJuicer]

I just got back from my first bike ride of the season. I hooked up the kiddie trailer to my bike and did 9 miles towing my 2 little anchors(I mean that in a good way). Took me about 90 minutes, but there was a lot of stop and go.

Feels great, except for my hands...I need to remember to wear my gloves.

[SoxyinMO]

-26 and counting!

[chazwicke]

25 lbs so far.

[fretlessman71]

20 here!

[lordkenpo]

Okay, I can't not reply to this thread anymore...

I started Spicoli's diet/exercise plan March 13 at 317 and weighed in this morning at 273. Despite the fact that I'm eating more than I've ever eaten in my life, this is the first time I've been under 300 lbs. in 6 years, and I now weigh about 20 lbs. less than when I graduated high school (295)! And while I can feel a difference, it's hard to see a difference when you're busting your butt day in and day out and tracking every step of your progress. But I've dropped about 8 pant sizes!

What's more, March 12th was the last time I had a beer, or any alcoholic beverage whatsoever. I intend to keep this up until my deep sea fishing trip in mid-July. At that point, I'll decide how much farther I want/need to carry this thing out, and go from there.

Cheers to everyone still in the competition, and by all means, raise an extra pint for me!

[HogieWan]

I think I'm at -3:D

[shirteesdotnet]

Great thread...

I couple months ago I started in at 200 lbs, 5'11" and want to get back down to the 160's... like I used to be when I played soccer religiously. I started doing the Bowflex Body Plan 6 week workout (although, tee hee, I dont have a Bowlfex setup). Ive been using one of my brothers weight bench and his free weights. About 3 weeks into it, I had already dropped 10 lbs... (thats losing fat AND gaining muscle mass) and was quite pleased. Then, I went on two friggin vacations (Las Vegas being one of them) and even though I walked a lot, I enjoyed the food. Anyhow, Im starting to feel sluggish again, and I know Ive probably put on 5 lbs back again, without resuming my workouts.

I do like the Bowflex body plan... It asks you to drink LOTS of cold water every day. Water helps keep you full, hydrated and the coldness helps you burn a few more cals too. The workout part of it requires you to lift weights for about 25 minutes, 3 times a week. Folks, its easy. The nutrition part of the plan just requires you to eat less. For me I was intaking about 1500 calories a day (or about 6 beers a day and nothing else :D ).

My brother announced hes taking his weights to his new house, leaving me without anything, so today I plan to go and buy the bowflex 552 select tech dumbells ($300 at play it again sports) and a weight bench. I dont need the full bowlfex bow and arrow style setup machine costing $800 or more. Free weights will work just fine. Although, I COULD buy some beer making supplies instead.

If anyone wants to follow along with my workout diary, Ive set it up here...

http://bowflex-and-the-city.blogspot.com/

[SoxyinMO]

Oh how glad I am that someone else revived this! I didn't want to be perceived as a nag by opening it up again and again. I have lost 31 pounds and am in a smaller jean size!

Of course with the wedding just a few days away I won't be as strict the next week or so, just careful because I don't want to undo what I've done, and will get back to it hard core after that.

[Highwyre23]

I'll update a bit.

I've been off and on, on this thing, but I'm really working at it now.

At the moment I'm 214, hoping to get down to 200 by the end of this month.

Every morning I'm running/jogging 4-5 miles + some cardio (just a few sets of 20 push-ups, and a few sets of sit-ups), and every night I walk/jog 4-5 miles. And I've cut down my calories to around 800-1000 a day.

Hasnt been too hard yet, but its only been a week of this, but in the week I dropped 5 pounds, so its working.

Once I get down to 200, its off to the gym.

One site I've found helpfull is fitday.com, Pretty easy to keep track of everything using it.


The only sad thing, is I've cut out most of my beer intake :mad:

But, its a small price to pay (well, a pretty big price.)

[doug zdanivsky]

I WAS doing good there for a while..

Got close to 200lbs.. But have been averaging back around 210lbs for the last month.. :(

[SoxyinMO]

I just saw some pics of me from Saturday & thought "OMG! I'm still a fat blob! I've lost 31 lbs & I'm still a fat blob."

THEN I saw a picture of me from January! :eek:

All I have to say is : Perspective.

[kevin]

been along time since being on this board, but since buying the subway restaurant in July of 2005 that store has consumed my life an hobby.
I was at 204lbs then and today I weight in at 163. 43 yrs, 5'9, and I actually got abs!

Oh an I haven't made a beer since Oct :mad:

[chazwicke]

215 today.:)

[doug zdanivsky]

216, here..

Pretty much where I started..

I fell off the wagon a while back..

I'll try and get back on track this week..

[chazwicke]

I've lost 30lbs but mostly due to illness and less to do with exercize. I have cut my portions way back and eat more often.

[HarkJohnny]

my beer bely is coming along nicely. the wife commented the other day that my belly sticks out instead of caving in like it did when we were dating.

Needless to say, I did not comment on her belly. she's preggers with our second child and I would like, at some point, to get laid again!

p.s. congrats to the lot of you... looks like MANY of you are making quite the amount of progress in dropping those lbs!

[fretlessman71]

Actually, the congrats extend to you and your wife as well as your soon to be 2nd. Great news! :)

My update? 205. Going up again - it's amazing how you can put on weight when you actually feel like eating again...

[lordkenpo]

Seriously, Chaz, 30 lbs. is a hell of a lot, regardless of the circumstances. Congratulations!

I touched 259 at the end of my "no beer" period a week ago (down from 317, 4 months prior), but then enjoyed a few beers and a few burgers over my extended weekend fishing trip, knocking me back up to 270 (no, you read that right; 11 pounds in 4 days!). Luckily, I'm already back down to 262 as of this morning. I've decided I'm going to keep pushing it until I'm at least 250 (which is going to take a little longer now that I'm back in the beer game), at which point I'll probably cut back to a maintenance diet/excercise plan until sometime next year. Besides, doing cardio 6-7 days per week only works for so long before your body completely adapts to it.

Cheers, all; it's good to be back!

[chazwicke]

Nice work! and welcome back. I'm already looking forward to the SPBW real ale fest this fall since I can't get to GBBF. Will you be up for that again?

[lordkenpo]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Nice work! and welcome back. I'm already looking forward to the SPBW real ale fest this fall since I can't get to GBBF. Will you be up for that again?

Thanks, and absolutely. In fact, one of the first things I said when I hopped on the Prohibition ticket was, "I don't care how I feel about sobriety four months from now; I'm coming out of retirement for the Real Ale Fest." Which is pretty much the decision I've reached - there's no way I'm ever booting beer out of my diet completely, but I can save splurging for special occasions. ChopHouse's Bourbon Stout, regardless of the time or place, just happens to be one of those occasions. :D

Speaking of which, and not to hijack the thread, but has a date been set for that yet? Inquiring minds and such...

[chazwicke]

Yes but I don't have it handy. I think it is in November.

[Richard English]

I find it really hard to understand weight in pounds since we in the UK use stones. One stone equals 14 pounds avoirdupois.

I had to go to the hospital recently to have a check-up and I weighed in at 12 stone, 7 pounds in my normal clothes, which I reckon is about 175 pounds - say 170 in the nude. Mind you, I have a very strict diet; eat anything you like, whenever you like, but match it with an appropriate amount of cask-conditioned beer. It's done me well for the last 50 half a century of boozing and I hope it'll work as well for the next half-century.

[lordkenpo]

I hear the English are so far advanced, they don't even need metabolisms. ;)

And if every local bar around here carried cask ale, I reckon the past 4 months would've lasted about 2 days for me.

[Richard English]

I'm sure I had a metabolism once but I never used it. I think the dog ate it in the end.

But I do excercise a little; this evening I am going for a walk around the City of London, stopping at various places of interest My walks starts at the Jerusalem Tavern - the only St Peter's house in London :-)

[dparsons]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Also, if anyone has any thoughts on how we could make this more effective, post away.

I know this is late and I've only read a few pages of posts...
You guys have half of it for sure - doing it together. The other things I find beneficial are to focus on health (rather than blobbiness) and to have fun for exercise. I have never been one for treadmills or the like as they are boring to the extreme to me. Having fun is the exercise parallel to RDWHAHB. I myself find sports fun. I play soccer, ride bicycles (mountain and road), etc. My office set up a challenge between two groups. The competition is motivating and we enjoy doing it. If you can find a way to enjoy fitness, you'll want to do it.

Note I'm staying consistent with the fact that you need to exercise to maintain a healthy, appropriately weighted, body and that you must eat a balanced diet too. It is about health. Appropriate weight results from a healthy lifestyle. Exercise motivates healthier eating. Your body tells you it wants nutrients after its been pushed a bit. If you are inactive, your body wants sugar & caffeine so that you feels up and alive instead of lethargic.

FYI: I'm 42 years old, 6 ft tall, ~190 lbs. I'm actually up a few pounds since I injured my back a month ago.

Hope this helps.

[SoxyinMO]

Well, I did well through the whole wedding, but once THEY went on their honeymoon I watched 5 pounds sneak up on me...They are all but 2 gone and, god help me, it was harder to take off those five pounds than the original 30. :mad:

So I'm working my way down again (I have two really cute shirts to fit into for the Sox v. KC games in Aug.) and I'm swimming 1/2 hour 3-4 times a week, so that should help!

[corkybstewart]

I did pretty good until I went on vacation. I didn't gain any weight, I haven't put on more than 5 pounds since I got married 25 years ago, but I have noticd a definite weight distribution issue. All my weight went from my shoulders to my gut. I had it fixed with 2 years of going to the gym everyday, but one month of vacation and I look like I swallowed a volleyball. So its back to that cursed gym and more crunches and situps.

[fretlessman71]

The recent stuff comes off the easiest. Take heart.

Me, I'm still at 200, but what with my inactivity due to back problems and the like I fear that a lot of what is lost is muscle tissue in my legs and core. Get my body fixed so I can exercise again, and start over, I guess...

[chazwicke]

I've gained back about 6 of the lbs that i had lost. But....I'm having surgery at the end of September so I'm sure I'll lose some in recovery.

[corkybstewart]

When I went back to the gym last week I was worried about getting on the scale and topping 200 for the first time ever. This summer I've drunk more beer and eaten more big meals than IO have in years. Also this past year I've had a job where I go home every night after work and don't get called back out so I'm drinking at least one or two beers every night, as opposed to 2 or 3 times per week.(The wife has been very kind to mention that just about every night)
Hopefully you're right about the recent stuff Fret cuz otherwise I'll get this belly beast tamed just in time for the holiday season.

[Spicoli]

August is my anniversary month. Last year at this time I was 290 LBS. I got down to 210 a few months back. I am now at 218 LBS at around 15%-16% body fat. I have not felt this good in years. My bench press, squats and deadlift are better than when I was in my early 20's. I can now run 2.5 miles in under 20 minutes. This time last year I couldn't walk a flight of stairs without loosing my breath. Sad to say I had to cut out a bunch of beer drinking. In my case it was well worth it. Now I try to just keep the beer drinking for the weekends. That seems to help out a bunch.
I have had the itch lately for those big IPA's though. I was fortunate enough to go to Russian River Brewing in California a few weeks back and got hooked on Pliny the Elder. So I brewded a clone 2 weeks ago. (kind of a clone I should say). I can't wait to test it, it smells so good. I also went up to the Bear Republic Brewery that weekend. The Racer 5 is awsome and the Racer X is better. (call a cab) It sucks that I can't get Pliny or Racer X here. Oh well I guess that means more brewing for me to do.

[smeyrt]

hey are we going to this again at the end of this year

[SoxyinMO]

Still hovering where I ended up : a total loss of 25 pounds. The weather is turning cooler, thank god, as I tend to lose weight better in the winter.

I still need to lose 50 more, but I'm not worrying about it until we get some cooler weather. As long as I stay where I am.

[Richard English]

I am now taking more exercise. Instead of using my Imperial pint tankard I now use a pottery litre stein which must weigh at least 4 ounces more.

The extra effort to lift it - it brings a sweat to my brow just to think about it ;-)

[dparsons]

I got into a good game of soccer this weekend. About 1.5 hours of 4 on 4. There is a group that plays on the Air Force base where I work 5-6 days a week.

[Spicoli]

Originally posted by dparsons
I got into a good game of soccer this weekend. About 1.5 hours of 4 on 4. There is a group that plays on the Air Force base where I work 5-6 days a week.

Small sided soccer is fast and fun. Definate great workout.