The holidays are over (Valentine's Day was a killer) and it's time to tighten the belt again. 10 pounds gained since November. Time to cut back on the calorie budget again.
Weight Loss
- Thread starter thewoodlands
- Start date
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I haven't made in progress in dropping weight but that's my own fault, late night snacking again. The good thing is my weight was 211.4 this morning, not much movement either way.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
I've been working on loosing some weight since the end of November. First time I'm doing this in my nearly 5 decades of life.
I went from 208 to 185 lbs so far. About 6 lbs per month. And that includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, and two work trips of a week (restaurant food is often high in calories).
So maybe two more months, as the aim is to get to 176 lbs.
I'm between 6'3" and 6'4" depending on the rounding and the (time of) day. (Am I shrinking already? I used to be a solid 6'4"...)
So far it's not that hard. I take it slow:
1/3 off breakfast and dinner (no seconds of what is left over...), 1/2 off lunch (but some volume put back in eating lettuce).
And nothing to snack at night or (nonfruit) during the day, anything I drink outside a meal is only water. An occasional pre-dinner aperitif (cognac, bourbon or something similar) is out too (biggest sacrifice), and an occasional evening beer is out too. That was the hardest for me. (Though the beer would also invite snacks, and it's easier to not snack when no beer is involved).
It's just slowly decreasing - and slow seems to work for me. I hope that the habit I created by going slow will make it easier to keep it once I reach my target weight.
For me (!) it truly is NOT worth trying to burn more calories. Consuming less calories is much easier for me. (Though everyone may be different in this respect.)
Of course moving and getting the heart to work a bit every day is important (for a sitting profession as I have) - but that is regardless of the calorie intake.
I went from 208 to 185 lbs so far. About 6 lbs per month. And that includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, and two work trips of a week (restaurant food is often high in calories).
So maybe two more months, as the aim is to get to 176 lbs.
I'm between 6'3" and 6'4" depending on the rounding and the (time of) day. (Am I shrinking already? I used to be a solid 6'4"...)
So far it's not that hard. I take it slow:
1/3 off breakfast and dinner (no seconds of what is left over...), 1/2 off lunch (but some volume put back in eating lettuce).
And nothing to snack at night or (nonfruit) during the day, anything I drink outside a meal is only water. An occasional pre-dinner aperitif (cognac, bourbon or something similar) is out too (biggest sacrifice), and an occasional evening beer is out too. That was the hardest for me. (Though the beer would also invite snacks, and it's easier to not snack when no beer is involved).
It's just slowly decreasing - and slow seems to work for me. I hope that the habit I created by going slow will make it easier to keep it once I reach my target weight.
For me (!) it truly is NOT worth trying to burn more calories. Consuming less calories is much easier for me. (Though everyone may be different in this respect.)
Of course moving and getting the heart to work a bit every day is important (for a sitting profession as I have) - but that is regardless of the calorie intake.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
208 lbs and 6'4" gives a BMI of 25.3, and above 25 I think is classified as overweight.
Good is 20-25. (So with 176 I aim for 22.2, right in the middle of good.)
Of course these numbers are only that, and people (myself) have many excuses not to take it seriously - as in "I have heavy bones and muscle".
For me that number was consistent with what I saw in the mirror, which was too much of "not muscle" and hence my action.
Maybe you're just buff (as my daughter calls it...) and your weight is all muscle
I do think that what is "skinny" and what is normal is susceptible to creep based on how the population is slowly changing (towards higher BMI, unfortunately).
Good is 20-25. (So with 176 I aim for 22.2, right in the middle of good.)
Of course these numbers are only that, and people (myself) have many excuses not to take it seriously - as in "I have heavy bones and muscle".
For me that number was consistent with what I saw in the mirror, which was too much of "not muscle" and hence my action.
Maybe you're just buff (as my daughter calls it...) and your weight is all muscle
I do think that what is "skinny" and what is normal is susceptible to creep based on how the population is slowly changing (towards higher BMI, unfortunately).
ok, feeling super fat tonight. I had to wear a suit that I haven’t in 2 years.
Almost exactly 1 year ago I injured my back and pinched a nerve. I finally figured out how to relieve it around a month ago. I’ve been getting traction and also heavy lifting of weights.
Well, suit jackets have never fit my shoulders well, but the jacket has never been tight on the shoulders, upper arms, etc.
I think that’s the motivation to keep lifting and quit the soda that I needed.
Almost exactly 1 year ago I injured my back and pinched a nerve. I finally figured out how to relieve it around a month ago. I’ve been getting traction and also heavy lifting of weights.
Well, suit jackets have never fit my shoulders well, but the jacket has never been tight on the shoulders, upper arms, etc.
I think that’s the motivation to keep lifting and quit the soda that I needed.
That suit has been bothering me. Ive never had a suit tight around the biceps. Typically they don’t fit when I lift my arms up at my lats, not like I squeezed my arm into a tube of shrink tube for wires and then turned on the heat.
Then it hit me, the last year and a half or so I’ve been trying to grow a garage door business. I’ve been changing out a lot of torsion springs. That’s the same motion as a dumbell press. Springs range from 80lbs to 180lbs. I use an 18” winding bar as a lever, but I’m doing 30 reps per side. I’ll switch arms back and forth for the heavy ones, lol.
In addition to gaining fat, I’ve bulked up a bit. That explains why the pants are fine, but the jacket isn’t. I’m only going up and down step ladders. Not enough to bulk up my legs.
Ok. I feel a little better, but the suit was a little tight in the middle too. Still need to diet.
Then it hit me, the last year and a half or so I’ve been trying to grow a garage door business. I’ve been changing out a lot of torsion springs. That’s the same motion as a dumbell press. Springs range from 80lbs to 180lbs. I use an 18” winding bar as a lever, but I’m doing 30 reps per side. I’ll switch arms back and forth for the heavy ones, lol.
In addition to gaining fat, I’ve bulked up a bit. That explains why the pants are fine, but the jacket isn’t. I’m only going up and down step ladders. Not enough to bulk up my legs.
Ok. I feel a little better, but the suit was a little tight in the middle too. Still need to diet.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
I agree! My general guidelines are weddings and funerals. The kid made states in wrestling so I decided to dress for the banquet. Her coach was doing the same. We decided, based off what other parents wore, that khakis and a button flown would work for the future.
After my weight hit 218 (not sure how long ago) I put the brakes on, this morning I was 210.4. The wife had mentioned she would like to go out for a meal so we did that today.
Wow, I feel huge now. Just recently started a diet.
I was 246. and 5'11"
I was 246. and 5'11"
The true teller said 211 this morning, I can deal with that. I think in my last post I had mentioned about going out to eat, we did that which was nice.
Tonight we'll have some scallops, noodles with some broccoli and then I'm back eating wraps with lettuce.
Tonight we'll have some scallops, noodles with some broccoli and then I'm back eating wraps with lettuce.
My heaviest weight was just over 234 years back, I changed what I was eating and I try real hard not to snack later at night.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
I need to go down 2 more lbs to get to my goal of 176.
I started just before Thanksgiving (talk about SMART goals...) at 208. That time includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday, and three weeklong work trips, one of which to Europe - i.e. hotels and restaurant food. While Minneapolis and Seattle were not "food appealing" to me, Italy was...
I don't know what has been the most effective, but surely the beer and snack at night that has gone away is healthy, regardless of how much it contributed to the weight lost. (The other measures I took was smaller portions at dinner, no seconds, half the breakfast and half the lunch, and no "processed" snacks (cookies, salty stuff, whatever) during the day other than some non-roasted unsalted nuts or fruit.)
Next it's trying to not slide back so I can turn the half century in this shape.
And there is not even a school reunion planned... (not that I would go to that, but still).
I started just before Thanksgiving (talk about SMART goals...) at 208. That time includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday, and three weeklong work trips, one of which to Europe - i.e. hotels and restaurant food. While Minneapolis and Seattle were not "food appealing" to me, Italy was...
I don't know what has been the most effective, but surely the beer and snack at night that has gone away is healthy, regardless of how much it contributed to the weight lost. (The other measures I took was smaller portions at dinner, no seconds, half the breakfast and half the lunch, and no "processed" snacks (cookies, salty stuff, whatever) during the day other than some non-roasted unsalted nuts or fruit.)
Next it's trying to not slide back so I can turn the half century in this shape.
And there is not even a school reunion planned... (not that I would go to that, but still).
Last I checked I was 210. I’m feeling great though! Last March/April I pinched a nerve in my back. I could stand, but sitting stretched the nerve and hurt. Last Summer I couldn’t drive 15 minutes without having to stop. Lots of PT helped me move for a bit, then I found traction. The PT loosened up the muscles, then the traction stretched my spine. I think, even though we couldn’t see it on X-rays, that I must have slipped a disc out a very little bit. Anyway I can drive 3 straight hours without issue now, probably more. Yesterday I walked over 5 miles. My back hurt a bit after 3 miles, but I kept walking until a thunderstorm was about ready to come through. I imagine the weight should come off now that I can move again.
Last July or October when I went in for my appointment, I weighed 194.6 but I feel stronger/better above or at 205.
I can work my ass off in the woods or on the treadmill but if I don't change my eating/snacking habits, not much weight will come off. I'm glad your back is feeling better.
Soda is my big hang up. I’ve been trying to substitute it with water. It works sometimes. I keep lots of fruit and popcorn around for snacks.
As we get older our calorie intake really goes down. I eat a minimal lunch now and no snacks on most days. Fruit is a good snack when the craving strikes.
