Diet-Fitness-General Wellness Your Thoughts?

[exhawg]

I find the South Beach Diet works very well for us guys. The women...not as well. Basically a low carb diet will take the weight off quickly with minimal fuss and suffering. :tongue2:

I went from 300 to 240 in 3-4 months by going all meat and veggies 11 years ago. Then I met my wife and 5 years later I was 335 when we got married. The south beach diet is impossible if you are eating with someone that isn't doing it.

I realized there was a problem and got back down to 290 until the wife got pregnant and was back up to 325 by the time my daughter was 4 months old. Who'd of thought that men put on baby weight too? I lost 25 lbs in a month and a half doing P90X before we went on vacation two years ago, but then stayed right around 300 for the rest of the year. Last year I decided I was tired of being a fat ass and won both weight loss contests at work by going from 305 in mid January to a very dehydrated 240 at the last weigh-in in November. I also added a good amount of muscle over that time, which offset some of the fat loss.

I took off from my diet in December and was up to 260 by the beginning of the year. I'm almost down to 250 now so I don't think I'm going to make my goal of getting ripped before vacation this year. I'm looking forward to taking a new version of a picture of me on the beach from two years ago to compare. I probably would be doing better this year, but work decided not to do another weight loss contest and it turns out I'm highly motivated by competition and money so I have a hell of a time pushing myself just for the satisfaction of losing weight.

I got tired of doing strictly video workouts so I do Insanity 2 days a week for cardio, a upper body workout that I put together from P90X one day a week, swim one day a week, and I'm trying the Spartacus workout once a week. BTW watching Sportcenter is good during lifting workouts because I work better pissed off. :p

 

[Buckeneye]

Anyone taking CLA? I just started it yesterday.

LOVE CLA. Especially if you're taking a high calorie gainer (like I used too). Combine that with the proper diet - you get results quick.

If you want to toss on a little more shine, liquid Carnitine.

 

[Bucknut24]

pretty stoked today

Im at Universal Studios in Orlando on a mini vacation..

so basically a quick background...At some of the rides they have a normal seat and what's called modified seating, basically for all the fatties. The last time I was here (2009) I was over 300lbs and could barely ride in the modified seats as well as barely ride some other rides. I said I never wanted to come back til I could fir in the normal sized seats (I wanted to ride in the front row of the Hulk RollerCoaster).

So fast forward to today, I'm roughly 40-50 lbs smaller (260 now), go to test seat first thing, couldn't get it to buckle at first, then realized I'm dumb and was trying to buckle in wrong place, was able to buckle it, didn't get excited yet cause i wanted to make sure still once I get in. Go up to first row and sit, and sure enough I buckled in! I was very very happy man.

I honestly almost wanted to cry just because I had this as a goal way back in 2006. And it shows another step to me finally getting away from being obese and being a normal sized person once again.

Feelsgoodman

 

[jlb1705]

I hit my highest-ever weight two months ago... 212 pounds. That doesn't sound like much, but I'm not a tall guy so it's the relative equivalent of about 290+ for the rest of you. I was fucking fat.

Then a couple things happened... My wife and I bought life insurance. That was a huge wake-up call. I was a Table 3 rating... barely insurable. My rate went way up from what I was quoted. I'm being fat-taxed, and I started to take it personally.

Right after we went thru the medical tests for life insurance, I caught the flu. I was in bed for a week, barely got up or ate a thing. By the time I got well enough to get out of bed and go back to work, I was already down to 207. Any time I've lost a significant chunk of weight it has come after getting a jump start due to illness and then just keeping the momentum going. That's what I've been going for this time.

I used to be a big iced tea drinker and couldn't make it to noon without caffeine. Not anymore. Haven't had a drop of tea since I was sick, and my caffeine addiction is gone. I had also been having stomach problems on a pretty consistent basis before, and now they're gone too. I used to drink soda whenever I couldn't have tea. That is mostly gone a well. The only soda I drink now is Mexican Coke, which is made with cane sugar instead of HFCS. I only have one or two bottles of that a month, rather than one or two a day like before. Other than the occasional Mexican Coke, the only things I drink now are water and beer. I've started taking a multivitamin. I haven't changed very much in what I eat, but I eat less now.

Most importantly of all, I've started exercising. A couple years ago I tried P90x and was fucking miserable. I tried to adapt the workouts as much as I could, but it wasn't working for me. I felt like I was too far out of shape to get what I needed from it... or perhaps I was just too willing to make excuses. Fast-forward to today... I'm doing something that's a little more my speed, and doing it in a way that eliminates as many excuses as possible. I bought a treadmiill and put it in my basement, and I'm trying to make sure I get on there and walk for a decent chunk at least five nights a week. It's dead simple to just put my iPad on and watch an episode of Top Gear and walk thru the whole thing. I hardly know I'm exercising, and before I know it I've done 3+ miles. Furthermore, I can't back out because of something stupid like weather, time, inconvenience or anything like that.

So far I'm down to 198 and counting. I don't have an ultimate goal yet, I'm just trying to take it 5 lbs. at a time.

 

[BIATCHabutuka]

Lifting was going good, diet was going good, weather was getting nicer, almost kayak season here in Ohio, but fucking idiots can't drive though.

Got cut off on my bicycle this past week and ended up eating pavement. Next time I won't swerve and will just hit the car so they at least stop and give me a ride home. Nothing like a bloody half hour walk home to see your injuries. I think I would have came out better hitting the slow moving car and damaging his hood / windshield than swerving and eating pavement. I think I would have been in a better health / legal / financial position that way too. Next time fuckers. Lesson learned.

The entire left side of my face looks like Rocky after his Apollo Creed fight. Right side is largely untouched other than the nose and lips. Bit my tongue in the fall, makes eating food awful yet gaining weight somehow past few days. Huge fat lip.

Last time I looked this rough I was throwing batting practice at age 11 and took one to the face / eye that scratched the sclera and made me the uncoolest eye patch wearing guy in the world. Not a black pirate eye patch, a taped on white eye patch.

No broken bones this time fortunately. Concussion. Lots of road rash (sidewalk rash; I tried to hop the curb to get around the car and didn't and ate sidewalk).

No helmet. Maybe that would have helped with the concussion, not sure. Not sure if I will wear one going forward or not still.

Stopped lifting for the time being, probably more depressed than physical, but going to rest for at least a week or two to clear my head out and let the scabs heal up. Trying to eat only soft and thin foods. Lots of burritos at the moment. Never noticed how much of a role the tongue played in eating.

We used to play tackle football on the blacktop in grade school and I never got road rash like this. Hell during a rainy football game once I slid feet first through a church window and fell into the basement at 14 or 15 and didn't even get nicked. Maybe my Superman attitude needs readjusted now that I am getting older (41).

Joke time. I got fat a few years back. Over 300 pounds. I am 6'4" though and spread it out well so it isn't a very noticeable 300 compared to say a normal 240. Whenever people would ask me how much I weighed, I would say 300+ pounds, but it is mostly penis weight. Got good laughs on that for awhile. First time I saw my best friend from TN at that weight and told that joke he instantly replied, damn man how many penises a day are you eating? I love that comeback and sense of humor. Killed my joke though and fortunately the weight came off.

 

[CentralMOBuck]

I want to start riding a bike to work, but stories like that are the reason I don't want to do it.

 

[sparcboxbuck]

Down 47 lbs since January 7th. Still dropping about 2-3 lbs a week without trying too hard... just staying net calorie negative most days of the week combined with light exercise / coaching. By the end of the week I should be where I was when I was at tOSU.

Worked really hard to get the first 30 or so to drop but since then I've been drinking a few beers a week and eating out (better choices) again.

Thank God the weather is starting to turn. I'm about sick of the exercise bike.

Great work by so many here. Keep it up. It's good to see that we're all trying to make a positive difference in our lives.

 

[buckeyebri]

What a difference a day or two makes in the workout. My Tuesday and Thursday cycles are the same as far as the routines go. Tuesday it was all I could do to get through my cycle. Today, I was beating and pushing past all of my reps.

 

[BIATCHabutuka]

More on the benefits of intermittent fasting. . . .

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyNTTY2zyrw&feature=player_embedded"]Benefits of Intermittent Fasting - YouTube[/ame]

What the Science Says About Intermittent Fasting
http://lewrockwell.com/mercola/mercola279.html

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Is it a good idea to ?starve? yourself just a little bit each day, or a couple of days a week? Mounting evidence indicates that yes, intermittent fasting (IF) could have a very beneficial impact on your health and longevity.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]I believe it?s one of the most powerful interventions out there if you?re struggling with your weight and related health issues. One of the primary reasons for this is because it helps shift your body from burning sugar/carbs to burning fat as its primary fuel.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Intermittent Fasting ? More a Lifestyle than a Diet[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]I have been experimenting with different types of scheduled eating for the past two years and currently restrict my eating to a 6-7 hour window each day. While you?re not required to restrict the amount of food you eat when on this type of daily scheduled eating plan, I would caution against versions of intermittent fasting that gives you free reign to eat all the junk food you want when not fasting, as this seems awfully counterproductive.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Also, according to research published in 2010, intermittent fasting with compensatory overeating did not improve survival rates nor delay prostate tumor growth in mice. Essentially, by gorging on non-fasting days, the health benefits of fasting can easily be lost. If so, then what?s the point?[/FONT]

​

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]I view intermittent fasting as a lifestyle, not a diet, and that includes making healthy food choices whenever you do eat. Also, proper nutrition becomes even more important when fasting, so you really want to address your food choices before you try fasting. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]This includes minimizing carbs and replacing them with healthful fats, like coconut oil, olive oil, olives, butter, eggs, avocados, and nuts. It typically takes several weeks to shift to fat burning mode, but once you do, your cravings for unhealthy foods and carbs will automatically disappear. This is because you?re now actually able to burn your stored fat and don?t have to rely on new fast-burning carbs for fuel.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]The Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Aside from removing your cravings for sugar and snack foods and turning you into an efficient fat-burning machine, thereby making it far easier to maintain a healthy body weight, modern science has confirmed there are many other good reasons to fast intermittently. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]For example, research presented at the 2011 annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans showed that fasting triggered a 1,300 percent rise of human growth hormone (HGH) in women, and an astounding 2,000 percent in men. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]HGH, commonly referred to as "the fitness hormone" plays an important role in maintaining health, fitness and longevity, including promotion of muscle growth, and boosting fat loss by revving up your metabolism. The fact that it helps build muscle while simultaneously promoting fat loss explains why HGH helps you lose weight without sacrificing muscle mass, and why even athletes can benefit from the practice (as long as they don't overtrain and are careful about their nutrition). The only other thing that can compete in terms of dramatically boosting HGH levels is high-intensity interval training. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Intermittent Fasting is as Good or Better than Continuous Calorie Restriction[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]According to Dr. Stephen Freedland, associate professor of urology and pathology at the Duke University Medical Center, ?undernutrition without malnutrition? is the only experimental approach that consistently improves survival in animals with cancer, as well as extends lifespan overall by as much as 30 percent. Interestingly enough, intermittent fasting appears to provide nearly identical health benefits without being as difficult to implement and maintain. It?s easier for most people to simply restrict their eating to a narrow window of time each day, opposed to dramatically decreasing their overall daily calorie intake.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Give Intermittent Fasting a Try[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]If you?re ready to give intermittent fasting a try, consider skipping breakfast, make sure you stop eating three hours before you go to sleep, and restrict your eating to an 8-hour (or less) time frame every day. In the 6-8 hours that you do eat, have healthy protein, minimize your carbs like pasta and bread and potatoes and exchange them for healthful fats like butter, eggs, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil and nuts ? essentially the very fats the media and ?experts? tell you to avoid.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]This will help shift you from carb burning- to fat burning mode. Once your body has made this shift it is nothing short of magical as your cravings for sweets and food in general rapidly normalizes and your desire for sweets and junk food radically decreases if not disappears entirely.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Remember it takes a few weeks, and you have to do it gradually, but once you succeed to switch to fat burning mode you be easily able to fast for 18 hours and not feel hungry. The ?hunger? most people feel are actually cravings for sugar, and these will disappear, as if by magic, once you successfully shift over to burning fat instead.[/FONT]

Lots of versions of fasting out there. I always just skipped food on Monday. Thinking about trying this version of limiting food to an 8 hour block of the day. Only eating 11am - 7pm seems even easier to me than skipping a day outright. I also like to workout on an empty stomach so eating only 11am - 7pm fits a morning lift perfectly.

I personally recommend intermittent fasting for anyone struggling with diet discipline. It seems like your stomach just shrinks and you can't over eat anymore. So much easier than maintaining a daily calorie limit too.

 

[WolverineMike]

Hit 211 this morning. Been a slow process, but slow and steady wins the race. Maxed out at 236 around Thanksgiving.

 

[BoxCar_Willie]

I fucking hate fat people. That is all.

 

[RB07OSU]

Didn't see this thread. I've been essentially doing high protein with a low calorie count, portion control, and 1-2 P90x workouts a day. Started at 190 and over 3 months, I hit 170. I didn't have a TON of body fat in the first place, so it has worked really well for me (I'm a fairly short guy), as 20 pounds is a lot for me in that time frame. I might have to give intermittent fasting a try though to get the rest...that is my specialty as a former wrestler I think my fat loss is on the fringe of a plateau, so I might just do it.

For real though, I think P90x is legit. It includes high intensity basic workouts and fairly high impact workouts, which most don't want to do, but it works. Mostly I think it is just the structure and frankly, the variations are fantastic for muscle development. I've worked out in a ton of different programs over the years and I have certain muscles developing I never knew existed. It just gives you workouts you likely wouldn't envision on your own and keeps your body responding. On top of P90x, I keep it interesting occasionally with some traditional lifts like lunges, bench, and cable machines, plus some boxing and rows for cardio.

 

[sparcboxbuck]

Got on the scale yesterday and hit goal weight. My stretch goal weight which was playing weight in college. Started at 225-230 and down to 175. January 7th - May 1st.

As I mentioned in the golf thread, I'm having to really work on my lacrosse game again because dropping approximately 25% of my weight has really messed with muscle memory... really messed with it. I expect that golf season is going to be rough as well as the last time I swung a golf club and weighed under 180 was pre-wife...

I'm going to celebrate with some beers later today!

 

[Mac]

Got on the scale yesterday and hit goal weight. My stretch goal weight which was playing weight in college. Started at 225-230 and down to 175. January 7th - May 1st.

As I mentioned in the golf thread, I'm having to really work on my lacrosse game again because dropping approximately 25% of my weight has really messed with muscle memory... really messed with it. I expect that golf season is going to be rough as well as the last time I swung a golf club and weighed under 180 was pre-wife...

I'm going to celebrate with some beers later today!

How'd you do it?

 

[sparcboxbuck]

How'd you do it?

Dancing with Mr. Brownstone...

Just kidding. Before I tell you what I did, I have to disclaim that I really was eating poorly in the years leading up to this. A lot of fast food, a LOT of beer, didn't eat breakfast, little real exercise to boot.

First 60 days I used this: http://30day.isaforless.com/

In the first 30-days I shed 25-30 lbs pretty easily. I'm not a morning workout type, but I did exercise at night with cardio and resistance. I would do 45 minutes on the exercise bike most days and then every other day I'd throw in some time on the bowflex.

The second 30-days were a little rougher. I hit a plateau for a week or so and it came down to limiting the calories too much. I increased the calories to about 1400 a day and it started coming off again. Dropped another 15 which put me at my original goal of within 10% of playing weight.

I hit another plateau, again, increased calories and started eating regular food. I did a meal replacement for breakfast and lunch most days, but started eating out again, portion control and balanced meals. I also started drinking beer and tequila again. Progress was slower after the first 60 days, but I was trying to come in for a soft landing to make a smoother transition back to regular food. I also switched to Dymatize Fusion 7 for my protein meal replacement at that time. My exercise went down a bit but coaching started up so my activity level increased to balance that out.

I also used Oxypro Elite for days 60-90 which I'm convinced helped burn some of the belly fat. I'm under 18% body fat now and I'm pretty sure that I started out much closer to 28%. I can't recall where it was, but that number sticks out in my head.

The only down side from this was that I missed crunching on things early on. But in that time I've also adapted to make a lot of changes in my choices. Always opt for the healthy choice and the weight seems to come off... well... almost always opt for the healthy choice.

Good luck!