View Full Version : Weight Loss Plan????
For those of us that have a few extra pounds: Whats your weight loss plan??? What has and hasn't worked for you?
I'm a firm believer in NO DIETS!!! I have watched my mom and family members unsuccessfully yo-yo diet for years. I believe that diets don't work.
I'm more concerned about my weight than my pack weight. After my long section this past summer, I spent lots of time resting and continueing to eat as i did while hiking, and suprise suprise, all my weight that i lost is back! But what I realized is that I know now that all I have to do is exercise and that I can do it.
So my plan is working out 6 days a week: 3 days Deep Water Aerobics (no-impact!) 3 days 30min Eliptical Machine 1.5 hr Weight Machines, beginer yoga class once a week, and a beginer pilates class once a week. I've noticed in the month and a half that I've been working out, that other things started to change too, I'm not on a diet but I eat healthy now.
superman
03-13-2007, 06:26
The year I thru hiked I hardly did anything the winter before hiking. I was afraid of having an accident skiing or anything else that would prevent me from having my shot at the AT. I hunkered down with Ben&Jerry's ice cream and watched TV all winter. I had also quit smoking after puffing away for 35 years. The new and improved me waddled to Springer and I began to question my sanity of avoiding exercise and thus the risk of injury. Oh golly gee the first part of the AT made me say words that would make the Beaver's mom blush. Being fit at the beginning of the AT may not determine if you will finish but you don't have to make it harder on yourself as I did.
My plan is to stay fit and not get old. Each year I loose the battle a little more on both fronts. It's almost time to hike and hallucinate about being young and fit.:clap
Midway Sam
03-13-2007, 07:21
You are correct, no diets. It requires you to totally change your way of life. That being said, I chose to use the Weight Watcher's "Winning Points" program as my "roadmap" to my lifestyle change.
Before my weight loss, I couldn't climb the stairs at work, let alone think about climbing a steep trail. I successfully used Weight Watchers to drop 60+ pounds and I have pretty much maintained that weight loss.
I gain a little in the winter months, but always shed the winter weight once I start cycling and backpacking.
gsingjane
03-13-2007, 09:33
Lil Red, I commend you on your exercise program! It sounds like you are doing some great and fun things and will hit the trail in much better shape for some strenuous hiking.
I went through very much the same thing you did on weight-loss. I hiked heavier through a couple of seasons, had an epiphany that it didn't have to be so tortuous, and lost 20 lbs. to get down to a better hiking (and living) weight.
Remember that eating "healthy" and exercising more do not necessarily translate into weight loss, however. A pound is 3500 calories. Unless someone is hiking all day, every day, it's pretty much impossible to accrue that much of a deficit simply by virtue of exercise. (Going by averages, for instance, a person burns about 100 calories/mile of running. You'd need to run 35 miles/week just to lose one pound, assuming your calorie intake was enough to keep your weight stable.) Although people can have short-run losses due to, for instance, cutting out sodium, the reality of the situation is that you have to continually rack up deficits in your daily caloric balance in order to lose weight, or you won't.
Whether or not you call your eating plan or program a "diet," this means you still need to watch the intake as well as the outgo. In this country, we are surrounded by an unlimited supply of high-calorie, tasty food, and non-stop messages to eat it. It is incredibly easy to add on those extra 100-200 calories per day, enough to outweigh most if not all the effects of an exercise program.
Most people, myself most definitely included, overestimate the number of calories they're burning via exercise, and underestimate the amount of calories they take in. This is why, no matter how "bad" I've been the day before, I hit that scale every ding-dang morning. I hate it, but it has to be done... otherwise it is incredibly easy to fool myself about where I'm at, and about how that calorie balance is working for me as time goes by. It actually turned out that losing the 20 pounds was the easy part, the hard part is not letting it creep back on as it seems so eager to do!
No matter what you call your program, the very most important part of it is getting honest with yourself about what you're doing. Once you do that, you can figure out what really works for you, and apply it to solve this problem (and keep it solved for good). Good luck!
Jane in CT
terrapin_too
03-13-2007, 09:46
Not sure I'm one to offer advice, but for what it's worth...
1. Eat less carbs, more protein.
2. Exercise after eating. Don't eat just before bedtime or late in the evening.
3. Drink lots of water, all day long.
4. Yeah, exercise... even if it's just a walk around the neighborhood. Hiking is even better. :)
Kerosene
03-13-2007, 10:17
I concur; shoot for a balanced diet, never clean your plate (even if it's just a bite left), eat 4-6 "mini-meals" a day, and exercise religiously (even if you can only do 15 minutes in a particularly busy day).
One thing that has worked for me is the Body For Life (http://www.amazon.com/Body-Life-Women-Physical-Transformation/dp/1579546013/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/102-6642402-2464963?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173791570&sr=1-3) exercise regimen. In 50 minutes, 4 times a week, I work all major muscle groups. What I like is that the regimen is based on your level of fitness, and even how you feel on any one day. Basically you start quite light with 12 reps, rest a minute and increase the weight, 10 reps/rest, 8 reps with more weight/rest, then do 6 reps at a target weight where you could do 1-2 more before muscle failure. Rest a minute, do 12 reps at about your 10 rep weight, then immediately do another 12 reps on a machine/exercise that works the same muscle group. It works better than circuits in my mind.
Kerosene beat me to it. Bill Phillips and Body for Life. Lost 40 lbs a couple years ago, it was the easiest thing I have ever done in my life. He has 2 books out, one a program book, one a very good cookbook.
Good advice so far. Here's what has worked for me, -40 lbs. so far.
1. Never skip breakfast. You must eat breakfast to start your body's metabolism each day. Instant oatmeal and an apple will do. No breakfast equals overeating at lunch for me.
2. Have an afternoon snack. Split the time between lunch and dinner in half and eat a small healthly snack. This prevents snacking while dinner is cooking.
3. Don't eat after 9 PM as a general rule.
4. For weight loss.... exercising 15 minutes every day is better than an hour three times a week. Make your body burn calories daily.
I use Weight Watchers with the point system. So far so good. WW is not considered a diet plan. It is a plan to help you learn about food. The biggest thing to learn is how to eat and what a serving size is and WW has done that for me.
Lone Wolf
03-13-2007, 11:00
eat less and better, and exercise more. that simple
L.Wolf:
I thought that Marlboro and Jack Daniels was your secret weight loss regimen?
Footslogger
03-13-2007, 11:09
[quote=thickredhair;337952]For those of us that have a few extra pounds: Whats your weight loss plan??? What has and hasn't worked for you?
==========================================
Not sure it constitutes a "plan" but last January I cut out snacks and eliminated pretty much all sugar from my intake. I increased exercise but not by any great amount. After 3 months I had lost 26 lbs.
Decided I could live without the snacks and didn't miss the sugar. Began keeping fruit on hand (apples/oranges/nectarines/grapes). Have been able to hover at/around that post 3 month weight now for about a year.
Winter is tougher but with the weather starting to warm up I'll be outside a lot more and hope to drop another 10 by just incorporating additional exercise.
Sounds trite but my experience is more of a lifestyle change than a diet. A lot easier when you don't feel like you're "on" some sort of imposed program.
'Slogger
neighbor dave
03-13-2007, 11:27
:-? fiber and water, eat as much as you like:-?
Eat a variety of foods in moderate amounts. Never eat until you are "full" and learn to be happy to throw food away. Eat all day long - the ultimate diet plan is one handful of reasonably healthy food every hour you're awake but no "meals". Your metabolism will stay high all the time. Once you reach your goal, add small "meals" back in to maintain it. The gym is good for sculpting, but weight is all about diet.
Lone Wolf
03-13-2007, 12:40
L.Wolf:
I thought that Marlboro and Jack Daniels was your secret weight loss regimen?
i don't smoke or drink whiskey. you're thinkin' of someone else.
saimyoji
03-13-2007, 12:53
...learn to be happy to throw food away.
:-? ........can't agree with that. Sorry. How about learn some self control? ;)
saimyoji
03-13-2007, 12:55
:)
:-? ........can't agree with that. Sorry. How about learn some self control? ;)
Should probably qualify my remark: lost 60 lbs in 6 months....the healthy way: eat less/better; exercise more/better. :)
Lone Wolf
03-13-2007, 13:02
:)
Should probably qualify my remark: lost 60 lbs in 6 months....the healthy way: eat less/better; exercise more/better. :)
i lost 70lbs. in 6 months. didn't go on a diet. just got up off my fat ass and started running and eating less. pretty simple.
I lost 25 lbs 3 years ago. I have to ditto LW
eat less and better, and exercise more. that simple That was all I did.
One thing I did and reccommend to anyone wanting to lose weight; Stop eating out. Also eat lots of raw fruit and veggies. Stay away from processed foods.
Eat less, exercise more. I'm not trying to be a smart ass, it's just as simple as that.
What worked for me:
Notepad. Wrote down everything that went into my mouth. Amazing. It adds up quick. Try to eliminate fat, salt, and sugar. Avoid fake sugar. The tastes change. Carrots are now sweet to me. Jack up the fiber and water. Eat all the green beans you can stuff in...
Cabbage.
Beans and rice.
Cheese kills. (But don't I like it!)
Nuts and empty calories will chub you quicker than you think.
I am baaack :)
1. Do not eat out. Plain and simple. If you have to go out with friends to dinner, eat a salad, not a chicken salad not a ceaser salad just a plain salad.
2. Dont go to the grocery store hungry.
3. Chew gum when you feel hungry.
4. Exercise, not rocket science. start walking, then run/walk then run and once you can run without passing out. run farther.
5. Sign up at your local Y or gym and get a personal traininer, and shop around for one too, if you feel as if the person training you isnt the person for you, get a person you think you might like. you dont need more of a reason to not workout.
6. Yes 3500 calories is 1 lb and you would need to run roughly 35 miles in a week to burn one pound. but you have to add that to your daily caloric burn rate. Everyone has a resting metabolic rate. Here is a link to find yours out - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calrmr.htm. So you are already burning anywhere from 1200-2000 per day just for your body to function. Adding to your exercise you can easily burn more than the 1 lb a week with proper diet. and yes you have to go on a diet. no diet, no losing weight. (unless you physically hate that word then call it a "nutrition plan")
7. Split your workouts into two different sessions. A morning run and an afternoon workout or eliptical. By doing this your body doesnt have to work so hard in one hard long session but instead burn more calories by splitting your workouts into a morning a evening session.
8. Quit Drinking (once a week isnt going to kill you, but dont think that having 20 beers one night is ok since you just added up all the beers you woulda had during the week and just had them in the one day)...Quit Smoking (if you cant breath while running, you wont be able to run properly)...Thats gotta be the most obvious things in the world.
9. Wanna know how many calories you are burning during some of your daily activities or workouts click here = http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calories.htm
10. Being full is a state of mind, actually its a receptor in your body that tells your brain whether you are full or not, and its not immediate like nerves sending pain to your mind its a delayed process...eat slower, chew more, you will feel full.
11. No Sugar
12. Worth Saying again...Drink more water. Fluids in = Fluids out. Your body realizes that it doesnt need to retain anymore water in your body because it is getting roughly a gallon of water in your body everyday you will lose that unwanted water weight. Plus you do not feel as hungry as often.
13. Fat-Free doesnt mean no fat.
14. Caffine is actually your friend. Drink coffee and tea but dont over do it. Caffine curbs appetite and also is a diuretic.
15. Sleep, Sleep, Sleep. minimum 8 hours. the more you sleep the less chance you have to eat.
16. dont eat 2 hours prior to sleeping
17. Eat 6-7 meals a day. Breakfast being the most important. they dont have to be large meals, a granola bar will do. Dinner should be looked at as the "healthiest"
18. Multi Vitamins and Protien are the only things you need to buy at GNC.
19. Eat to workout, dont workout so your able to eat something unhealthy.
20. Crap in = Crap Results
Ok im done for now.
I have a plan to get rid of some extra pounds.
There is this hiking trail that goes from Georgia to Maine...
:D
Old Grouse
03-13-2007, 14:14
General Lee, everything you say sounds reasonable and correct. But then I look at your bio and see that age 23.... I was 23 once, and a lot thinner and in much better shape. When Uncle Sam flew me back out of the jungle I weighed 75 pounds less than I do now. Talk about no water weight! Thirty Seven desk-bound years later... I feel like a new parolee being told to stay away from his old haunts and not to associate with known eaters.
OK, enough self-pity. Time to go for a walk.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-13-2007, 14:37
I'm currently on a low-satuarate-fat diet thanks to Attilla the Doc who is threatening me with statin drugs if I don't lower it via diet and exercise.
I'm also keeping my calories between 1500 and 2000 most of days - a level that should cause me to lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week for now. As my weight drops, the number of calories will need to drop as well. I'm doing this with modifications I can live with for the rest of my life - things like 2% cheeses, fat-free sour cream and butter buds on potatoes, leaner cuts of meat and leaner ways of cooking, substituting 1/2 the amount of olive oil for all butter in many recipes (some adjustment in spices - especially salt - is needed on most), . This isn't a diet - it is a permanent change in how I eat. As I've gotten older, the pounds have piled on and are harder and harder to get off. The only way I'm going to keep this under control is to make permanent changes. As we age, we need less calories.
Another permanent change - I'm working out in the mornings on weekdays (Lifetime channel has two programs that are on from 7 - 8 AM EDT). This is a combo of aerobics, stretching, strength training and yoga. I do what I can as many times as I can. Progress not perfection. I do my squats and lunges after the program as I cannot do them nearly as fast as they are done by people without the sort of injuries I have. I do all of them - I just do them with some support nearby and slowly with impecible technique so I don't hurt myself. A few I have to modify in ways shown to me by the many physical therapists I've dealt with since my accident.
Finally, I have been walking at least 20 miles every week - a mix of paved and unpaved surfaces - hills and level ground.
Some observations - my body has adjusted well to the increased activity and the change in diet. I no longer crave fatty, salty foods anymore and find myself naturally eating less because I have come to realize that I don't need to be stuffed to be satisfied.
SawnieRobertson
03-13-2007, 14:43
Of course, eat fewer calories than are necessary to maintain your present weight--and exercise enough to boost your caloric requirements. The question is how to do that. There are all sorts of feedback that leave us frustrated and confused--water retention, injuries, slow metabolism. Of late though I have been having SUCCESS. Those of you who know me know that I have a long way to go. In October ('06), I began weating a BodyBugg. Since then with the help of its feedback and in spite of several challenging life events, I have lost 1/4 of the weight I have to lose to be back to my college weight. No hunger. If you are curious, go to www.bodybugg.com.
--Kinnickinic
SawnieRobertson
03-13-2007, 16:32
Of course, eat fewer calories than are necessary to maintain your present weight--and exercise enough to boost your caloric requirements. The question is how to do that. There are all sorts of feedback that leave us frustrated and confused--water retention, injuries, slow metabolism. Of late though I have been having SUCCESS. Those of you who know me know that I have a long way to go. In October ('06), I began weating a BodyBugg. Since then with the help of its feedback and in spite of several challenging life events, I have lost 1/4 of the weight I have to lose to be back to my college weight. No hunger. If you are curious, go to www.bodybugg.com.
--Kinnickinic
Excuse me, folks. I don't "weat" the BodyBugg. I WEAR it on my upper arm. Under a shirt I'm sure it looks like a big muscle. :=)--Kinnickinic:banana
i do pilates, yoga, strengh training
avoid refine carbs and sugars
lots of lean chicken, turkey, and fish!!!
5. Sign up at your local Y or gym and get a personal traininer, and shop around for one too, if you feel as if the person training you isnt the person for you, get a person you think you might like. you dont need more of a reason to not workout.
Also look for gym's that have FitLinx (or an equalivent if there is one) its a computer hooked up to all the weight machines, tells you everything to do and keeps track of it all, from the settings for the seat and weights, to how many reps and sets, range of motion, and even tells you when you are going to fast. Its a much cheaper version of the personal trainer. Alot of YMCA's have them. It has helped me alot.
Hanna
mweinstone
03-13-2007, 19:06
dear hair, only raising the metabolism pays off. you loose and you can pig. its what happens when you maintain the activity levels of a thruhiker all the year round. impossible? not. i have since birth.my work is menial labor. something i have allways preached. for the body. i make 43 g's a year too. and i dont use heat . ever. it keeps you up! and i own two sets of clothes so im allways busy washing. and one set dishes. and so on and so forth. you arange your life to live. my life is a struggle. no furnature. no luxeries. no blankets only bags. this is the life required to be real. do it. join us. we are matthewski. end rant. signal lost.
It must be nice to be like that since birth, but not everyone is like that, we are all different. since birth i've been told that its just genetics and i should try to keep it under control, the environment i have been in most of my life made it okay to be like I am. But its not okay any more for me, i just wanted to see what others were doing, I'm still switching over to the healthly lifestyle, everyday i get better and better.
Gray Blazer
03-13-2007, 22:36
You want to lose weight and get in shape fast? Load watermelons. You are walking all day (usually behind a diesel breathing tractor) in the sun (in FL usually in the 90's) 12-16 hours 7 days a week during the season (2-4 weeks) and did I mention throwing watermelons the whole time. That was the best workout I ever had plus suntan. And like the AT, you can easily become "bear caught". They used to have the local boys from the high school football teams work out in the fields. Since the contractors came in and took over and only hire Mexicans, the kids don't do this anymore. Times change. Like some of the other guys in this thread have mentioned, time and gravity have caught hold of me. I don't have a six pack anymore, I've got a keg. If I can get out and hike for a week in the summer, I'll lose some weight. Right now I'm on two diets. I have to be on 2 to get enough to eat.
General Lee, everything you say sounds reasonable and correct. But then I look at your bio and see that age 23.... I was 23 once, and a lot thinner and in much better shape. When Uncle Sam flew me back out of the jungle I weighed 75 pounds less than I do now. Talk about no water weight! Thirty Seven desk-bound years later... I feel like a new parolee being told to stay away from his old haunts and not to associate with known eaters.
OK, enough self-pity. Time to go for a walk.
Grouse,
Ditto.. Same age. Somebody stole my metabolism!
Gray Blazer
03-14-2007, 08:10
Grouse,
Ditto.. Same age. Somebody stole my metabolism!
I need a new thyroid gland.:rolleyes:
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-14-2007, 08:14
Somebody stole my metabolism!The Rat Bastid stole mine as well and left a bad case of menopause behind. Nothing like the combo of a slow metabolism and lack of hormones.... off to sweat with the ladies.
eat less and better, and exercise more. that simple
Eat less, hike more. It ain't brain surgery for me. When I stop stuffing ice cream, candy and other sweets in my pie hole and get out and hike regularly, the weight just falls off of me. And I feel better.
Unfortunately, I have never been able to take it off an keep it off. Maybe the solution is moving to a nudist colony? :eek: Now THAT would be a BIG incentive.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-14-2007, 09:45
I've sweated with the ladies and walked my hilly mile this morning. Now if I can get in a 3 mile walk this afternoon.....
Lone Wolf
03-14-2007, 09:49
I've sweated with the ladies and walked my hilly mile this morning. Now if I can get in a 3 mile walk this afternoon.....
i'm fixin' to take gypsy on a loop hike in a bit going up the iron mtn. trail, hit the AT and back to town. then i'll run 3 miles later in the afternoon. spose to hit 75 deg here today. gonna ride the harley too.
D'Artagnan
03-14-2007, 10:01
Also look for gym's that have FitLinx (or an equalivent if there is one) its a computer hooked up to all the weight machines, tells you everything to do and keeps track of it all, from the settings for the seat and weights, to how many reps and sets, range of motion, and even tells you when you are going to fast. Its a much cheaper version of the personal trainer. Alot of YMCA's have them. It has helped me alot.
Hanna
FitLinx is a good tool to help with strength training. Our local Y has the machines and you can go online to check your progress, too. It has neat charts and graphs that are extremely motivational. Plus, the machines don't lie. (Not sure if this is a good thing or not. ;))
gsingjane
03-14-2007, 10:22
Everyone has different life circumstances, and brings different things "to the table" so to speak. Not everyone is born lean, not everyone stays lean once they get out of their teens or early adulthood, not everyone chooses to do manual labor, and people do get older and, in so doing, experience a drop in daily caloric need. Another thing that happens to lots of women is that they get pregnant and have children, which can lead to major physical changes that are very hard to reverse. In general, having kids, whether for men or women, often brings about lifestyle changes that can lead to inadvertent weight gain.
Weight-loss wouldn't be a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. if it weren't a major problem. And, there will be always people who want to cater to the "something for nothing" mentality. Just check out the Sunday supplements... magic pills or potions that permit one to safely lose 5 pounds a week without hunger? Would that it were so, but simple math tells you, it isn't.
This is why the most important factor around weight loss and general fitness remains, IMO, becoming honest with yourself. Basic nutritional information is really pretty easy to locate. A person can fairly simply calculate his or her current, and optimum, calorie intake. It's also pretty easy to figure out how much you are "spending" calorie-wise in a day. Once all that's done - whether you keep a list, weigh yourself daily, or wear a Body Bugg, or use the workout machines' readouts - then it is just a question of doing the math and seeing whether you're headed in the right direction or not.
To me, another component of being honest is figuring out why you are eating in the first place. Some people just eat to eat, because they like to and it tastes good, and it doesn't go any deeper than that. Other people have underlying issues that are leading to persistent self-sabotage in the form of overeating (or other unhealthy habits, for that matter) and many times, the behavior won't change until the issues are addressed. I know for my part, there were certain things I had to look at around why I was eating that went beyond the merely habitual, but then again, for other people it may be just a question of addressing a minor unhealthy behavior.
Jane in CT
D'Artagnan
03-14-2007, 14:00
Jane is right. Taking a cold, hard look at our psyche is as important as taking a look at our physique. Not trying to plug a book, but that is the push behind Bob Greene's "The Best Life Diet". I'm not a big Oprah watcher, but I happened to catch her a week or so ago when she had Bob on and they started some kind of weight loss program with different folks. A huge component of his plan was determining why people ate in the first place. Once that is tackled, the rest is -- as Jane rightly posits -- simply mathematics.
Maybe the solution is moving to a nudist colony? :eek: Now THAT would be a BIG incentive.Not so sure. For guys like you and me, I think we would actually be providing more incentive for the other nudists! :D
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-14-2007, 15:58
I am far, far too qualified to move to a nudist colony.
Footslogger
03-14-2007, 16:02
I am far, far too qualified to move to a nudist colony.
=================================
I've heard it said that "happieness" is a tan without lines !!
'Slogger
mweinstone
03-14-2007, 16:31
"i am blubber hear me roar" "with numbers to big to ignore" olivia newton john. i think.
Footslogger
03-14-2007, 16:33
"i am blubber hear me roar" "with numbers to big to ignore" olivia newton john. i think.
=============================
Close but no cigar ...Helen Reddy
'Slogger
Lone Wolf
03-14-2007, 16:34
"i am blubber hear me roar" "with numbers to big to ignore" olivia newton john. i think.
that would be Rosie O'Cow.
Close but no cigar ...Helen Reddy
I thought that was Monica Lewinski
Footslogger
03-14-2007, 17:06
I thought that was Monica Lewinski
=============================
she did the back-up vocals !!
'Slogger
"i am blubber hear me roar" "with numbers to big to ignore" olivia newton john. i think.That was Helen Reddy.
Olivia, Newt and John was some kind of folk trio, I think.
Hanna, I think you've got the right focus. Despite the fact the thread title refers to weight loss, most of the stuff you are talking about involves increasing your activity level. That will lead to better all around fitness, regardless of weight. I think if folks really focused on becoming more fit that the weight loss would simply be a welcome byproduct instead of the primary focus. And having more to focus on than just decreasing food intake (with all the unhealthy diet obsessions that can lead to) makes lasting success more likely (at least that's how it seems to work with me). And I've found that increase in activity does not have to be dramatic or unpleasant just so long as you stick to it over the long haul. For instance, my decision to take a fifteen minute walk twice a day during my work breaks beginning a few years ago, instead of sitting in the staff lounge reading a newspaper, ended up starting the process of becoming a lot more fit. And better fitness sure makes you feel good.:sun
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-15-2007, 07:36
Will be sweating with the ladies again this morning and walking. Will have to hurry, as I have to go to a choral performance this morning. Didn't get to walk yesterday, but did get in a good second workout in the form of about 90 minutes of cleaning out the air conditioning system. Removing all the panels and becoming a pretzel to get to all the spots I had to reach was quite a workout. I also planted two new bushes (leave it in the political forum, LW :D). For ongoing need to bend and stretch - I started preparing a new 4' x 12' flower and veggie garden (using collard greens instead of traditional decorative greenery so I have organic greens to feed the iguana). There will also be some organic zucchini climbing the trellis with the morning glories. I have a turnip green and dandelion garden beside the H/ A unit (a dandelion garden should make me oh-so-popular with my neighbors :D - seriously, I will be capturing 'puffballs' before they can scatter in the neighbors yards).
My weigh is being stubborn, but my tape measure is showing dramatic losses. I guess toning up my muscles would be the cause. Not sure if this applies to the fellows or not, but ladies need to use a tape measure as well as a scale to monitor progress. We tend to redistribute our weight rather than simply lose weight.
I’ve heard that a cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat. Anyone know if this is true? I know muscles burn more calories pound for pound to maintain themselves so increasing muscle mass will boost your metabolism.
....
My weigh is being stubborn, but my tape measure is showing dramatic losses. I guess toning up my muscles would be the cause. Not sure if this applies to the fellows or not, but ladies need to use a tape measure as well as a scale to monitor progress. We tend to redistribute our weight rather than simply lose weight.
I’ve heard that a cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat. Anyone know if this is true? I know muscles burn more calories pound for pound to maintain themselves so increasing muscle mass will boost your metabolism.
Attempts at spot reduction of one's unwanted fat from specific areas (belly bulge/men or hip/thigh area/women)usually is not successful. Under a weight loss program, even with heavy exercise, one's weight is reduced equally from all over the body, even were we single out specific areas for added exercise. That means, for it to be successful, the program must become a long-term one, continuing with it until it becomes a life-style. As the unwanted weight slowly disappears from the body over time, then those specific areas one wants desperately to reduce are just done so gradually. And that is one reason so many fail and stay fatter than they would ordinarily choose. It is disheartening to have exercised greatly, remained hungry and see such poor results in the beginning. But if one sticks to it until it becomes a life-style, those magical endorphins will become a constant and happy companion. And, you will no longer dodge those mirrors.
The bottom line still remains that those who are overweight, overeat. When one consumes more calories than one uses, then the excess is stored as fat.
I am not convinced that muscles burn more calories per pound than fat, but it is certain that the effort expended to form those muscles does in fact consume more calories. I would accept that as being closer to the truth than the former.
Hanna, I think you've got the right focus. Despite the fact the thread title refers to weight loss, most of the stuff you are talking about involves increasing your activity level. That will lead to better all around fitness, regardless of weight. I think if folks really focused on becoming more fit that the weight loss would simply be a welcome byproduct instead of the primary focus. And having more to focus on than just decreasing food intake (with all the unhealthy diet obsessions that can lead to) makes lasting success more likely (at least that's how it seems to work with me). And I've found that increase in activity does not have to be dramatic or unpleasant just so long as you stick to it over the long haul. For instance, my decision to take a fifteen minute walk twice a day during my work breaks beginning a few years ago, instead of sitting in the staff lounge reading a newspaper, ended up starting the process of becoming a lot more fit. And better fitness sure makes you feel good.:sun
Yes.
1 Oreo per day less over the course of a year = 5lbs.
1 16oz beer per day less over the course of a year = 20lbs.
I miss beer.
saimyoji
03-15-2007, 11:33
My weigh is being stubborn, but my tape measure is showing dramatic losses. I guess toning up my muscles would be the cause. Not sure if this applies to the fellows or not, but ladies need to use a tape measure as well as a scale to monitor progress. We tend to redistribute our weight rather than simply lose weight.
Why weigh yourself? You're just setting yourself up for dissapointment: you lose a lot at first, then slow down, then get discouraged that you can't lose it as fast. Do you want to weigh less or be healthier? Just losing weight is easy: stop eating. Being healthier is also easy: stop worrying about losing weight and live healthier.
Exercise more/better....eat less/better.
(this post not necessarily directed at FD, just a response to the idea she brings up.)
FD's new diet: no more toes. :rolleyes:
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-15-2007, 13:15
Why weigh yourself? You're just setting yourself up for dissapointment: you lose a lot at first, then slow down, then get discouraged that you can't lose it as fast. Do you want to weigh less or be healthier? Just losing weight is easy: stop eating. Being healthier is also easy: stop worrying about losing weight and live healthier.
Exercise more/better....eat less/better.
(this post not necessarily directed at FD, just a response to the idea she brings up.)
FD's new diet: no more toes. :rolleyes:Toes are low in fat and will remain on my diet. I'm nibbling on Saimyoji's pinky-toe as I type. :D
I want to lose weight and be healthier. My weight is into the obese range - the place where it dramatically affects my quality of life by doing things like interfering with my breathing while sleeping. I don't give a hoot about being skinny for good looks - I want to lose the lard because it is holding me back from living life to the fullest.
Some of my goals have been set by my doc and others by me. I'd be happy with being able to hike long distances without pain while carrying the necessities. I want my injured right leg to be the absolute best it can be. Part of doing this is strength training, part is toning and part is losing some lard so the legs are carrying around less. Some of you think nothing of going to great lengths to eliminate a pound from your pack - I'm making an effort to eliminate many pounds from the overall weight my legs have to haul as a hike.
My doc (aka Atilla the Doc) wants me to lose about 60 - 70 pounds and do at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 4 to 5 times a week. She would also like for me to walk daily. She is threatening me with terrible things like statins if I don't lower my cholesterol & trigylcerides via diet and exercise.
As for the use of scales and tape measures - I like to see progress. It doesn't have to be fast or dramatic, but it does need to be there so I know that what I am doing is working. I don't break out in sobs when the scale doesn't move for weeks on end - I just look at what I might be able to do differently to get back on track. YMMV
Critterman
03-15-2007, 22:29
I'm currently on a low-satuarate-fat diet thanks to Attilla the Doc who is threatening me with statin drugs if I don't lower it via diet and exercise.
I'm also keeping my calories between 1500 and 2000 most of days - a level that should cause me to lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week for now. As my weight drops, the number of calories will need to drop as well. I'm doing this with modifications I can live with for the rest of my life - things like 2% cheeses, fat-free sour cream and butter buds on potatoes, leaner cuts of meat and leaner ways of cooking, substituting 1/2 the amount of olive oil for all butter in many recipes (some adjustment in spices - especially salt - is needed on most), . This isn't a diet - it is a permanent change in how I eat.
This is great advice. Studies of different diets have shown that the most successful ones do just what you are doing. Changes in the foods you eat that you can be happy with permanently, slow weight loss and some form of excersize.
Eat less, exercise more. I'm not trying to be a smart ass, it's just as simple as that.
Eating less is good and eating better is.....well better.
www.burnthefat.com (http://www.burnthefat.com) This is good stuff.
Yes.
1 Oreo per day less over the course of a year = 5lbs.
1 16oz beer per day less over the course of a year = 20lbs.
I miss beer.
I wonder how many pounds a glass of wine per day for a year equals?
Thats a way of getting your alchol and helping your heart!
I wonder how many pounds a glass of wine per day for a year equals?
Thats a way of getting your alchol and helping your heart!
Don't worry about it. How long does it take you to drink a glass of wine??? Some 5 min. Some 30 min. Just meet your wine time with exercise time. You could do 5-10 minutes of intense exercise everday and drink all the wine you want.
I would worry more about physical weight than about how in shape you are. As a practical matter, the majority of actual (not symptomatic of wanting to go home) debilitating injuries are to the knees. How much you weigh is directly correlative of how much damage you knees take on downhills. Being in shape has nothing to do with that damage.
The trail, for all intents and purposes, is the only place to get fit for the trail. It is what GA is for. Teaching your body and mind how to hike a long hike. But you can't do that if your knees are killing you.
Just think of the downhills when you think of binging. Good luck.
Skidsteer
03-15-2007, 23:18
Here's my response to a thread on HHQ a while back. Some of it may be helpful.
The real problem will be maintenance. Besides, if I attack the diet plan, lose some weight fast, I think this isn't neccesarily the best approach. But this is psycologically satisfying to see some progress..
Maintenance. Therein lies the rub doesn't it? This may help:
Diet
-Don't think of it as 'dieting' or 'maintaining'. Try to discover what foods and food routines will allow you to be content, healthy, and fit for the rest of your life and eat that way all the time.
-Looking at all the possible diets is only useful until you figure out which one you can stay on forever.
-Since you're a Big'un, be sure to try the "Sugarbusters" book. No sugar, good carbs, and plenty of good fats. But, as with any method of eating, if you aren't content living with it then jettison it and try something else.
-if you must weigh yourself frequently, limit it to once per week on the same day each week and preferably at the same time of day.
Exercise
-For big guys the way to start IMO is lifting weights and walking. Our bodies seem to love and respond to resistance exercise and the walking will help burn calories too.
-After you lose some weight and start feeling bulletproof, start running if your joints can take it. Running sheds pounds wicked fast.
-days off exercise are just as important as workout days.
General
-When you splurge don't beat yourself up. Just start back in again.
-If you find yourself unable to stop splurging, you may be eating the wrong foods for you. Try something else.
In short, figure out what works for you and do it all the time. Good Luck!
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-16-2007, 09:42
I've sweated with the girls and walked a mile on the hilly pavement in my neighborhood (in the rain with an umbrella). Today's trainer was a guy and he worked the heck out of my hamstrings, gluts and abdomen. My tummy is already getting sore.
The scale has not moved, but the tape measure shows another .25 inch is gone from my hips and my waist. Baby steps :)
SawnieRobertson
03-16-2007, 11:58
I would worry more about physical weight than about how in shape you are. As a practical matter, the majority of actual (not symptomatic of wanting to go home) debilitating injuries are to the knees. How much you weigh is directly correlative of how much damage you knees take on downhills. Being in shape has nothing to do with that damage.
The trail, for all intents and purposes, is the only place to get fit for the trail. It is what GA is for. Teaching your body and mind how to hike a long hike. But you can't do that if your knees are killing you.
Just think of the downhills when you think of binging. Good luck.
Yahtsee speaks the truth, although my injury was to the feet.--Kinnickinic
gsingjane
03-16-2007, 12:17
"The trail, for all intents and purposes, is the only place to get fit for the trail."
While I agree with pretty much everything you've said, Yahtzee, I disagree that a person can't get in shape to hike except by hiking. There are several threads and discussions about this, but it just doesn't make any sense that you couldn't prepare to do a physical task except by doing that specific task. People who participate in different sports or physical undertakings do all kinds of activities to prepare: ball players don't just swing bats and field grounders, they do weightlifting and wind sprints, too. Boxers don't just box, they do cardio and work out on bags and lift weights. Even as a runner, I do more than actually run, I do cross-training and I feel that some core training is helpful in that regard as well.
There's nothing special about hiking that says, you can't prepare to do it unless you're actually doing it. It may be that the BEST way to get in shape for hiking is to actually hike, but that's a far cry from saying, it's the ONLY way.
Otherwise, I do agree with your observations, especially the one about contemplating downhills when considering a pig-out!
Jane in CT
hammock engineer
03-16-2007, 12:32
I'll poke my head into this to offer my 2 cent.
I think that all the diet and excerise programs out there basically do the same thing without telling you that. The only way to lose weight is use more calories in a day than you take in. Yes many meals is better for your body and metabolism then 1 big one and some snackes. But as long as you are using more, you will come out ahead. Just not as far ahead. I think too many people make a big deal about carbs, protein, and good/bad fats.
But this is all of corse my opinion. I did loose 50 lbs in high school though by just getting off the couch and doing something. I am at the point now where it takes a lot of excercise or starving myself to drop any major weight. I could excerise a little more (but I already walk 4-5 miles a day at my job) and eat a little better, but that will only get me 5 lbs or so.
I guess I may have overstated things a bit. Of course, you can become a stronger hiker by building cardiovascular fitness. And I have certainly seen some fit people show up in GA and just spit the trail out like it was nothin'. So in that regard, being in shape would be helpful. Especially on the uphills.
I guess I was more thinking along the mechanics and muscles used in hiking. Because trail is not a smooth path, the part of the muscles used in you knees, ankles, hips, etc. change on a step by step basis. Even if only slightly. Apart from hiking, I can't think up anyway to develop those muscles and muscle responses.
I have left from Springer at 187 and 171. The time I left weighing 171, the hiking was much easier. Georgia should not be survived, but enjoyed.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-16-2007, 13:09
Walking on uneven surfaces as much as possible is great for strengthening feet, knees, ankles and hips. If you don't have any place to do this and have to train in a gym, try doing your upper body training and balance exercises while standing on a balance bubble (http://www.shapeupshop.com/balance/jumbo-trainer.htm), core trainer (http://www.shapeupshop.com/fitness/abs/coreboard.htm) or similar device (http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1202514&cp=&sr=1&origkw=balance&kw=balance&parentPage=search). This was how I trained to be able to walk on uneven surfaces after my leg and hip were broken. It works.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-19-2007, 09:47
Well, I'm done sweating with the ladies and walked 1.1 miles around my hilly neighborhood today. I made it about 100 yards further than I did on Friday before I started limping - proof my injured leg is getting stronger. I'm doing the entire walk without my cane.
I got a pleasant surprise this morning - the male dino got up, did his 3X a week workout and walked with me. He walked twice around the neighborhood (1.4 miles) with 5 lb weights on each leg. His doc says he has to lose some weight or face adding several drugs to his day and a CPAP machine to his nights. His doc is pretty sure his apena is caused by excess dino lard.
I'll poke my head into this to offer my 2 cent.
I think that all the diet and excerise programs out there basically do the same thing without telling you that. The only way to lose weight is use more calories in a day than you take in. Yes many meals is better for your body and metabolism then 1 big one and some snackes. But as long as you are using more, you will come out ahead. Just not as far ahead. I think too many people make a big deal about carbs, protein, and good/bad fats.
But this is all of corse my opinion. I did loose 50 lbs in high school though by just getting off the couch and doing something. I am at the point now where it takes a lot of excercise or starving myself to drop any major weight. I could excerise a little more (but I already walk 4-5 miles a day at my job) and eat a little better, but that will only get me 5 lbs or so.
Agreed. Fasting for vanity is silly.
Once I can step up and down around here, I will add a couple pounds of the right kind.
gsingjane
03-19-2007, 12:44
Okay Yahtzee now we're on the same page I think. I do agree with you that backpacking and hiking (at least not on a groomed trail) do present special athletic challenges for which it is difficult to prepare by doing other sports or training activities. Even though I train all year round, my first steps on the trail in the spring always involve a huge shock to my system and I wind up full of aches and pains in unexpected places. The pump is fine, the muscles are fine, the endurance is fine, but the ups and downs and around and abouts - the rock shimmying and figuring out how to get down steep climbs and the odd contortions, those all place stresses on my body that I can't quite figure out how to train for in the off season. So to that extent I agree with you.
Jane in CT
healthy physical condition is something we should do year-round, with a proper diet and moderate, but consistent exersise.
SawnieRobertson
03-19-2007, 16:24
Well, I'm done sweating with the ladies and walked 1.1 miles around my hilly neighborhood today. I made it about 100 yards further than I did on Friday before I started limping - proof my injured leg is getting stronger. I'm doing the entire walk without my cane.
I got a pleasant surprise this morning - the male dino got up, did his 3X a week workout and walked with me. He walked twice around the neighborhood (1.4 miles) with 5 lb weights on each leg. His doc says he has to lose some weight or face adding several drugs to his day and a CPAP machine to his nights. His doc is pretty sure his apena is caused by excess dino lard.
Every step is a big step when someone is recovering from something that has taken away a previous way of life. And it is exciting! Kudos to the Dinosaurs' feet. May all four of them keep on a-movin'.--Kinnickinic
Small Steps
03-19-2007, 17:09
I started getting ready for my spring section hike in December. I have built my way up to walking 5 miles a day @ 3.5 MPH varying between a 6 and 10 percent incline through out the walk.
Next thing I know I started eating better… Crap, then the next thing I know I kicked a 20 year smoking habit with out the patch or any meds…
Funny what a five mile walk at 5:00am each day will do….
Here are a couple things I have learned for myself. YMMV…
I still have trouble with eating everything on my plate. I guess my parents beat that one into me. I have to make sure when I go out that I tell them NO FRIES, No What ever I don’t want to eat… If my plate comes out with what ever on it I tell them to take it back and remove it. I get really strange looks at time…
The other thing is I don’t call it a diet. It is all about making choices and rewarding yourself. When I hit my 30 pounds loss mark and held it for 3 day I had a big old honkin DQ Blizzard… Man was it good….
You have to reward yourself….
One of the things my wife and I do at home is eat off 9" plates, instead of 13". I think that helps pyscologicly. We never eat out.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-04-2007, 21:08
Haven't checked in in a while - I'm down 6 more pounds and am having to replace lots of clothing because they are too big! I'm doing an hour of mixed aerobics,cardio, strength training and stretching in the mornings (Lifetime channel from 7 - 8 EDT) and walking .7 to 2.1 miles depending on how my leg is doing. The doc told me not to push the leg as hard because it still has some circulation problems.
serenityrich
05-04-2007, 22:11
I'm in the process of letting go of 100+ lbs of grease. I started out at 375 lbs. and weighed in at 340 lbs. today. I've been passing on the crap carbs and walking as much as possible. I just started holding at 6 miles a day on a flat paved/unpaved trail. I don't think I need to say more than I have Springer Feaver really, really bad. I hope to be there in 2008.
cannonball
05-04-2007, 22:47
I started walking with my pack on ( osprey internal w/30lbs.) last week and it has gone quite well. Prior to that I was having alot of problems in my lumbar, buttydocks, and thigh muscles while "slack" walking. Carrying the pack has, for some odd reason, really helped.
Soooooooooo I have decided to go for troutdale sobo to Damascus the first week of June. Whos with me?
I'm in the process of letting go of 100+ lbs of grease. I started out at 375 lbs. and weighed in at 340 lbs. today. I've been passing on the crap carbs and walking as much as possible. I just started holding at 6 miles a day on a flat paved/unpaved trail. I don't think I need to say more than I have Springer Feaver really, really bad. I hope to be there in 2008.
"Burn that butter!"
Congrats! When you hit a plateau, add some simple exercises. Slow and steady wins this race.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-05-2007, 20:49
I'm in the process of letting go of 100+ lbs of grease. I started out at 375 lbs. and weighed in at 340 lbs. today. I've been passing on the crap carbs and walking as much as possible. I just started holding at 6 miles a day on a flat paved/unpaved trail. I don't think I need to say more than I have Springer Feaver really, really bad. I hope to be there in 2008.Wow, congrats to you on your weight loss. Hope to see you out there in '08. You can do this.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-14-2007, 19:32
Down another couple of pounds and nothing plus sized fits anymore. Continuing to work out an hour every weekday morning and then walk. Have been doing some hiking as well.
serenityrich
05-15-2007, 00:54
It has been a struggle to get back to walking again. I started out at 374 lbs. ( I'm 6-03") in December. I couldn't get my ankle to my knee with out grabbing my pants leg and pulling it up with my hand. Walking a 1/4 mile would result in stopping several times for heavy breathing and rest. Today I'm down to 340lbs. I just returned from walking eight miles (three five minute breaks) with my son. Not only can I get my ankle up to my knee to put on my sock I can stand on one foot and do the twist. :banana I just have to hike the AT.
Time To Fly 97
05-15-2007, 15:25
Eat small portions. Stop eating even if you feel like you want more. In 20 minutes you won't feel hungry anymore (digestion takes about 20 minutes)
Limit carbs... and when you do eat carbs, don't eat just carbs
Never skip breakfast (yogurt and fresh fruit for me). This meal get your metabolism on track for the day. Eat natural foods!
Drink LOTS of water. Don't drink soda or any drinks with sugar in them - they will make you gain weight. This includes fruit juice with all natural ingrediants (sugar) and especially anything with high fructose corn syrup.
Exercise regularly - try to make it fun so you stay with it.
REWARD yourself as you hit weight loss milestones.
Stick with it and you will add years to your life. You never know - you may not have even begun to see your finest days yet. If they happen later in your life, you want to be healthy to enjoy them to the fullest.
Happy hiking!
TTF
Weight is a result of lifestyle. Diet+Workouts.
Find some sort of high-calorie workout that you can enjoy doing 5-6 times a week for a couple of hours. Don't go for some BS personal trainer balancing on sweedish balls crap. Run, swim, do martial arts hike, play soccer, tennis, whatever you enjoy.
Weigh yourself frequently morning and night (night weight will always be higher), but put more stock in trends than in day to day fluctuations--keep a chart if that fits your personality.
Stay away from empty calories. Eat lots of fruit/veggies, drink lots of water. Whole wheat is good (and real whole wheat products, not bread/pasta or whatever made from 25% whole wheat and mostly crap enriched flower). Avoid unnessecary fats (butter, too much cheese, mayo, etc.) and simple sugars.
Gum and (unsweetened) tea are your friends.
I'd recommnd a large salad (no or VERY light dressing), a LOT of water, and a piece or two of fruit immediatly before you eat your actual 'meal'
Fasting for a day or even a few isn't really the best weight loss program, but I'd recommend it as a geat learning experience.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-15-2007, 21:39
Weight is a result of lifestyle. Diet+Workouts. Not always. Some of us are old and have had medical stuff that dictated what we ate and limited exercise. In my case, I had a really serious break to my femur. I was on a high dairy / high protein diet to heal, was on steroids and was in a wheelchair for half of that year. I went from about 155 to 230 that year. Older people don't lose as easily as youngsters and it has been a real struggle.
You gave some good suggestions, but some of us have pretty good reasons to be doing gym type exercises rather than some of the sports that involve moving real fast. I played tennis and figure skated earlier in my life, but I don't have the flexibility, strength or balance to do these things at my age. I watch my great-grandchildren do them :D. However, I can still hike - just more slowly than I used to.
fredmugs
05-21-2007, 11:31
I'm in fairly good shape (6' 3" and around 200 pounds) but I can tack on 10 pounds in a month if I'm not careful. Instead of following any diet plan or fad I simply took the nutritional information that you see on any food label and use 2,000 calories a day as my base. This includes consuming 65 grams of fat, 60 grams of protein, and 300 grams of carbs a day.
When I am trying to lose weight I focus on cutting the fat intake to 35 grams or less. I try to increase my protein to over 100 grams per day since hard working muscles need protein. I'm not a carb nazi so I try to keep it under 200 grams but try to avoid complex carbs. I try to follow this plan 5 days a week and allow myself one blow up day. I think this is why most people fail on their diet regimes because they think they have to do it every day and when they don't they just quit completely.
For exercise I normally ride an exercise bike 4 - 5 days a week and burn 700+ calories each time. I also lift weights and consume protein shakes with skim milk. You have to burn 3,500 calories in general to lose a pound of weight and I find that this plan is good for dropping 2 pounds a week.
So what do I eat? Lots of boneless skinless chicken breasts that I coat with a rub similar to Emeril's but mine is hotter and spicier. I can normally eat it just like that but sometimes I add mustard instead of BBQ sauce. I eat salmon which is high in fat (blow up day) but also high in protein and no carbs. I eat salads with turkey and no fat dressing. For lunch at work I eat Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine meals - I can't believe the stuff that people eat for lunch at work. I do occasionally eat baked potatoes which do have carbs but I eat them with salsa instead of butter, sour creme, etc. My biggest sacrifice is giving up brats.
With my plan I can basically eat what I want as long as I don't add all the bad trimmings to it. You just need to really focus on the serving sizes because they are a lot smaller than you think. For example - a handful of shredded cheese on a potato is not a serving (I think it's 1/4 cup).
Recording what I eat basically gives me a budget and allows me to eat something "bad" as long as I eat something "good" the remainder of the day (or week).
And I agree with what everyone is saying: more smaller meals a day is better, don't eat late at night, drink more water and maybe one diet drink a day, caffeine is actually good for you in moderation. You can also burn fat and increase your metabolism lifting weights where you focus on doing 10 - 12 reps instead of trying to lift as much as you can.
Just remember there is no one size fits all solution.
serenityrich
05-21-2007, 13:28
Thanks for the support Frolicking Dinosaurs. Ive enjoyed your posts here. And yes, we can do this.
I broke my left ankle in August 2000. It has taken me some effort to get back up to walking again. I just kept at it until one day I began walking over a mile. Then two, three, four, five...
I can comfortable handle a six mile walk and I'm pushing eights several times a week.
My plan for now is to stay on the flat trails down by the San Francisco Bay until I'm down to about 275 lbs then add hills and pack.
RockStar
05-21-2007, 19:03
:o Im on a good weight loss plan. I eat what I eat salads, and small portions of any meals excluding soda and friend foods for a week. Lose 2 lbs then become giddy and eat whatever I want as a reward, gaining the 2 lbs back. Its great, I lose 2 lbs every other week!:o
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-22-2007, 09:57
Back home, but not back into my routine yet.
::: dino wishes she was flexible enough to bit self on toes:::
I got the ultimate weight loss compliment at trail days from Lone Wolf - he called me a skinny beyotch :D
Time To Fly 97
05-22-2007, 13:53
It has been a struggle to get back to walking again. I started out at 374 lbs. ( I'm 6-03") in December. I couldn't get my ankle to my knee with out grabbing my pants leg and pulling it up with my hand. Walking a 1/4 mile would result in stopping several times for heavy breathing and rest. Today I'm down to 340lbs. I just returned from walking eight miles (three five minute breaks) with my son. Not only can I get my ankle up to my knee to put on my sock I can stand on one foot and do the twist. :banana I just have to hike the AT.
That is awesome. If you are doing 8 miles at 340, you will fly up the AT after you lose your weight... and you will see that happen quickly if you continue to exercise and watch your portion sizes. Outstanding work (!) - I think this is one of your life challenges and the reward will be the AT...which is one of the coolest rewards I can imagine.
Happy hiking!
TTF
blindeye
05-30-2007, 20:26
my war with weight is been with me forever. L.Wolf has it right. if you need some guidelines the diet that has been working for me is THE WARRIOR DIET by ori hemfelker. your library should have a copy. it works for me
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-30-2007, 22:31
Still on the LW diet and weight is holding steady despite traveling and lots of eating out lately. No loss, but no gain and more muscle tone. Back to working out for an hour every morning, but not walking again yet (leg having serious cramps)
SerenityRich, you are doing fantastic. You are inspiring me. Thanks.
serenityrich
06-01-2007, 15:25
And then there are days...
I've been holding at walking six miles a day on a level treadway. I'm also working out with this long rubber band thing that lets me do glut exercises and even a few to gently stretch and strengthing my plantar fascia ligament and achilles tendon.
Today I weighed in at 327 lbs. I'm still experiencing considerable pain when I finish walking each day but it dissipates by morning. The good news is that it is not as bad as it was six months ago when I couldn't walk a mile with out the same pain making me stop.
So thank you all for your experiences and support as continue my journey from obesity to Katahdin Mtn.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
06-19-2007, 10:07
Down another couple of pounds and still working out an hour five days a week (most of the time). Haven't been walking - been tending the garden in the cool of the morning instead.
Serenity, how are things going for you?
Fiddleback
06-19-2007, 11:37
As probably all of us here know, putting the weight back on is as easy or easier than taking it off. One of my oldest hobbies is loosing the same 20lbs over and over again.:o
When I am in my weight-dropping mode I rely on one premise; calories in/calories out. In the end, weight loss comes from more calories burned than ingested. While there are plenty of studies that indicate some foods or food types (carbos, proteins, fats, refined or not, 'natural' sugars, etc.) are utilized differently in the body and therefore result in different patterns of weight loss, there are no studies I know of that indicate it's healthy to emphasize one, e.g., protein, to the exclusion of the other. Further, such extreme diets are difficult to maintain...the 'no carbs' diets of a couple years ago weren't fun. Additionally, dropping out the carbs from fruits and vegetables dropped out nearly all the cancer fighting goodies, most vitamins, and nearly all the antioxidants in a normal diet. Not healthy.
I have three techniques which, used in combination, never fail me; gradual reduction of calories, e.g., 10% less calories a week until I get into the 10,000 to 12,000 calories/week range, light weight training (yields much better weight loss results than aerobics only...combining the two is healthiest), and reducing alcohol. For me, lush that I am, reducing alcohol has two benefits. It cuts back on the empty calories and it curtails binge eating. Drinking (empty calories to begin with) usually makes me hungry and I start looking for snacks. And the snacks I find are damaging to a calorie restricted diet.
As with most, I know the answer...I just don't like doin' it! With that in mind, I try to make it easy on myself...I don't cut out any foods from my normal menu but I do cut back on the amount, i.e., portions and snacks.
FB
Frolicking Dinosaurs
06-19-2007, 11:52
Great ideas, Fiddleback! I have reduced my calories some, but not a lot. I tend to quit diets that leave me feeling deprived all the time so I'm trying to find a permanent and healthy way to eat this time instead of dieting. The exercise routine is more about regaining lost muscle tone and building strength than about weight-loss for me. The time spent in a wheel chair plus time spent sitting / not being as active really took a toll on me. It is really hard to get back on track at my age.
Weight Watchers is the only program that has worked for me. It teaches you what a serving size is. Imagine my surprise when I found out a full rack of ribs was 4 servings :eek: :(
Weight Watchers is not a diet nor was it intended to be. I eat 3 meals a day plus 2-3 snacks. I am never hungry on it. Once I hit my goal weight I will go on the maintain weight plan. My totally points per day will increase so I can stay at my goal and not lose anymore.
Fiddleback
06-19-2007, 13:27
As long as it's healthy/proper nutrition, stick with the program that works for you over the long term. But, man! Those 1 or 2 pounds a month gained back are insidious!!
Frolicking Dino. -- Don't talk to me about age (I think my hearing is starting to go too...);) Like you, my exercise is more about building endurance and strength. But it speeds the weight loss...especially the light weight program part. And, the weights exercise keeps the pounds off more effectively (muscle requires more calories to maintain than fat). Many times in pursuit of my hobby of loosing the same 20lbs repeatedly, I've experienced slow to no weight loss until the weight set was added to the exercise program. Of course there are other factors but my own experience, anecdotes from friends, and reading I've done all seem to confirm that the benefit is real. Besides, exercise, again particularly a light weight program, pulls and tucks and shapes the bod into a more pleasing shape whether the pounds are loss or not...the difference between the way fat and muscle is carried.
If I could motivate to be consistent with my great menu and exercise program I could have my boyish figure forever!
FB
serenityrich
06-20-2007, 17:53
Thanks you guys for all your support.
I began to experience a plantar fasciitis flare in my right foot last week. So I took a week off from walking. I sat around and rolled a frozen bottle with the bottom of my foot along with a few streaching exercises throughout the day using these resistance bands from Costco.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11195688&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|111|2268|4603&N=4000186&Mo=17&pos=3&No=0&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=4603&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC11001-Cat2268&topnav=
I've also been consistently weighing less than 324 lbs for the last week. That's the fist fifty pounds in six months. Now I'm going for the next fifty pounds.
If this thread dies off maybe we can start one titled something like "Obesity to Katahdin one step at a time."