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OT: I’m gonna lose 25 pounds by June.

Good luck. I went from 205 to 165 during 2018. I used the low carb diet. It works miraculously if you stick to it. My knee pain went away. I could walk miles without straining at all. I could cut grass all day long. I felt great.

Here is the secret to success and it isn't easy to implement. You have to decide that you are no longer going to get enjoyment and satisfaction from eating. You need to decide that losing weight is more important than self-indulgence. All food (pizza, pasta, bread, candy, chips, beer, ice cream, etc., etc,) that provides enjoyment is off limits. You need to go cold turkey otherwise you will slip up and fail. That is the only way to make it work. If you don't go into your diet with that spartan attitude then you are wasting your time.
My biggest. Besides snacks.... pasta!!!! I love the stuff.
 
There, I said it and can use it for motivation. Apologies for the self-indulgent post.
Best to you on this goal. Although weight is but one measure. Muscle mass can help you lean out but it might impede your goal on the scale. I'd rather be leaner and maintain my weight by adding muscle than lose weight and muscle mass. Any lifting goals to add?

As a follow up to a much earlier conversation. I have outfitted the basement with the home gym I had described a couple of months ago (some stuff has been a challenge to find and some shipping has been delayed). Just waiting on the 5 to 50 lbs dumbell set and four more 45lbs plates that I pick up next week.

Otherwise, we're set with a power rack, lat pull and low row combo and various cable attachments, 5 to 100 lbs dumbell set and rack, eight 45 lb plates, two 25s, two 10s, two 5s, one flat and one adjustable bench, preacher curl, seated leg ext/curl, back hyperextension, plyobox for 30/24/20 box jumps, hex bar, straight bar, curl bar, concept 2 rower, spin bike and TRX for the wife.

Now we just need to put the work in.
 
Good luck. I went from 205 to 165 during 2018. I used the low carb diet. It works miraculously if you stick to it. My knee pain went away. I could walk miles without straining at all. I could cut grass all day long. I felt great.

Here is the secret to success and it isn't easy to implement. You have to decide that you are no longer going to get enjoyment and satisfaction from eating. You need to decide that losing weight is more important than self-indulgence. All food (pizza, pasta, bread, candy, chips, beer, ice cream, etc., etc,) that provides enjoyment is off limits. You need to go cold turkey otherwise you will slip up and fail. That is the only way to make it work. If you don't go into your diet with that spartan attitude then you are wasting your time.
I basically used self hypnosis to get off most carbs. I looked at the junk food and told myself how bad it was, how some corporate dudes were getting wealthy selling poison to people, how our country could cut its healthcare costs in half if we all had better diets and did some exercise. Learned to hate much of the junk. Bread and pasta was little harder but it worked.

Like some one else said, don’t weigh yourself very often. Instead go by how your clothes fit. When you start exercising you will gain some muscle mass so at first your weight may increase. Especially if you do some weight lifting. As long as the clothes fit better and you use another notch on your belt you are just fine.
 
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My biggest motivation was money.
Doc prescribed an additional diabetes med that would have been @ $10 a day. I was not going to pay it. Went hone mad at the last 10 years of being stupid and started walking.
Before my Thanksgiving Covid I was 5-6 times a week walking a 30-minute route of 2 miles.
That and changing my eating habits allowed me 40# in about 6 months.

OL
 
There, I said it and can use it for motivation. Apologies for the self-indulgent post.
I am shooting to lose 15-20 to get back to 165-70. Just when I got there last year I fractured my ulna which took me off the bike.

Keys: 5 days a week of exercise with one longish effort and one short/intense, 5-10% increase in volume per week, record your food intake.
 
There is a simple way to lose weight. Find a hot woman who runs at a moderate pace and try to keep up. 😊
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That's called finding your pace.
 
There, I said it and can use it for motivation. Apologies for the self-indulgent post.
After I ballooned to 238, I went to Weight Watchers to get to 215 in 3 months. Now about 223 ( I’m 6’2” and 66 yo) so the weight is creeping back up. Some things I learned from WW that might be helpful: buy a kitchen scale to weigh protein (I eat 2.5 oz of protein for lunch; 2.5 oz of pasta for dinner); count alcohol calories closely (a Manhattan is ten points or about 30% of daily points); exercise buys you more calories; find something you can splurge on like low point egg whites or raw veggies when you need something other than a bag of chips. Also, if you can (I hate it) use a journal to write down all your consumption daily. Finally keep as many empty calories as you can out of the house so you won’t be tempted. Good luck
 
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There, I said it and can use it for motivation. Apologies for the self-indulgent post.
Good for you, man.

Just a few observations, and all are intended to help you:

  1. This may sound stupid, but lose 5 and then 10. That way, you feel a sense of progress towards your goal of 25.
  2. BTW, your goal is definitely achievable.
  3. A gym owner once said to me "it's not in my interest to say it, but weight loss is all about diet, not exercise." That is largely true.
  4. Re: #3, health is not just about weight. Please make sure your are addressing the triad of fitness: cardio, flexibility, and strength. All are important, especially as we get older.
  5. Try to exercise first thing. Getting your heart rate up carries over to the rest of the day.
  6. I dropped 15 by just doing a salad for lunch every day. Spring mix, a little shredded cheese, raisins (the sweetness helps), an dressing.
  7. Drink a lot of water. Great for your kidneys and depresses your appetite.
  8. Portion control is key. You can likely eat everything you eat now, just do it in smaller portions.
Sorry for the rant. I hope none of this sounds preachy.
 
Good for you, man.

Just a few observations, and all are intended to help you:

  1. This may sound stupid, but lose 5 and then 10. That way, you feel a sense of progress towards your goal of 25.
  2. BTW, your goal is definitely achievable.
  3. A gym owner once said to me "it's not in my interest to say it, but weight loss is all about diet, not exercise." That is largely true.
  4. Re: #3, health is not just about weight. Please make sure your are addressing the triad of fitness: cardio, flexibility, and strength. All are important, especially as we get older.
  5. Try to exercise first thing. Getting your heart rate up carries over to the rest of the day.
  6. I dropped 15 by just doing a salad for lunch every day. Spring mix, a little shredded cheese, raisins (the sweetness helps), an dressing.
  7. Drink a lot of water. Great for your kidneys and depresses your appetite.
  8. Portion control is key. You can likely eat everything you eat now, just do it in smaller portions.
Sorry for the rant. I hope none of this sounds preachy.
I have heard a million people stress #3, it’s diet, not exercise. That’s a universal truth.
 
But only if I write it down. Good advice, that is also Best Practices. Thanks for the reminder.
Posting it here counts as writing it down... we can even follow up each month to check on your progress.

BTW, I should join you on your effort to lose weight. I have more that 25 extra pounds to lose, but that is a good reasonable goal.
 
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6'2 1/2 - weighed 230 on January 1. Goal is to be under 215 by November for daughter's wedding.
We could do a weekly weight thread to keep all of us motivated. Good thread LionJim.
 
Many many years ago when I worked for MetLife they had an “idealized” height / weight chart.....so if you were, for example, 6’3”, you ideally should weigh about “x” pounds.

I tried to have them publish a reverse chart showing that if you weighed, for example, 240 pounds, you should ideally be about “x” feet tall.

Thought it would officially help support the “I’m not overweight, I’m just under height” theory.

Still “weighting” to hear back.....
 
I kept hearing people talk about Keto and quite honestly it annoyed me. Then a friend of mine talked me into trying it. We downloaded the Keto app and tracked our carbs for two days. We were both around 225 - 250 per day. True Keto wants you under 25. My wife and I started “Dirty Keto” (the name definitely made it more appealing) in August. Our daily goal is to stay under 50 carbs. The first two weeks it was tough. We’ve now made a lifestyle change. I still eat bread. I still drink beer. I still eat what I want but I’m much more aware and honestly it’s working. The weight isn’t falling off but we’ve both lost about 15 lbs thus far. When we started I weighed 225. Pretty much whatever I did I would always come back to that weight. Up a few pound, down a few, back to 225.

Now that weight is 210. Since Christmas I’ve been bad. Beer, bread, desserts, etc. even with all that I’m still sitting at 210.

I have no doubt once the holidays are over and I get back on track I will start losing again. Like I said, the first two weeks were tough getting the carbs out of my system. Now I can honestly say I don’t miss them and I feel so much better and even though I’ve only lost 15lbs I’ve gone from a 38 waist to a 34.
 
Dude, let’s make a bet. I gotta get ready for boat season. Did whole 30, in three weeks I went from 238 to 228. then sons 1&2 came home (1 just left after the Leeds game this am) and I weighed in Tuesday am with the insurance lady at 240 with cloths on. $100 to charity by percentage. Official weigh ins Tuesday morning and June 1.
you in?
In. I’ll aim for an even 200 pounds buck naked. Tuesday in, June 7 out? (Birthday.)
 
Good luck. I went from 205 to 165 during 2018. I used the low carb diet. It works miraculously if you stick to it. My knee pain went away. I could walk miles without straining at all. I could cut grass all day long. I felt great.

Here is the secret to success and it isn't easy to implement. You have to decide that you are no longer going to get enjoyment and satisfaction from eating. You need to decide that losing weight is more important than self-indulgence. All food (pizza, pasta, bread, candy, chips, beer, ice cream, etc., etc,) that provides enjoyment is off limits. You need to go cold turkey otherwise you will slip up and fail. That is the only way to make it work. If you don't go into your diet with that spartan attitude then you are wasting your time.
I can tell you that is exactly where I fail. I need to get some better willpower.
 
I can tell you that is exactly where I fail. I need to get some better willpower.
Honestly, I'm not so sure everyone who needs to lose weight should really try. It is very hard and depends on being able to deny yourself the pleasure of food. People have different levels of food enjoyment. For those who really really like to eat and get intense pleasure from eating, I don't think they should try to diet. The benefit of losing weight isn't worth the loss of such a great pleasure. I was able to lose 45 pounds because I'm really not into food enjoyment in the first place. I was able to give up my favorite foods and it didn't affect me all that much. I know people whose lives seem to revolve around food enjoyment. I doubt that they will ever be able to successfully diet and the loss of their eating pleasure would not be worth it anyway.
 
Honestly, I'm not so sure everyone who needs to lose weight should really try. It is very hard and depends on being able to deny yourself the pleasure of food. People have different levels of food enjoyment. For those who really really like to eat and get intense pleasure from eating, I don't think they should try to diet. The benefit of losing weight isn't worth the loss of such a great pleasure. I was able to lose 45 pounds because I'm really not into food enjoyment in the first place. I was able to give up my favorite foods and it didn't affect me all that much. I know people whose lives seem to revolve around food enjoyment. I doubt that they will ever be able to successfully diet and the loss of their eating pleasure would not be worth it anyway.
I pretty much fit exactly what you're saying. But eating along with everything else has got me to a point where its starting to affect my health, both mental and physical. I lost the weight before, I can do it again. And I felt great when I did it. One good thing is I enjoy a grilled chicken salad just as much as a big bowl of pasta with bread. I can do the low calorie food. Just got to get it started.

Another one of my problems is not being in an office right now. Besides the obvious problems with that, having 24-7 access to food at the house is not good. Plus we used to walk close to 3 miles every day over lunch at work. I need to get back into doing that from home.
 
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In October 2019,I weighed 258. Using the my fitness pal app and exercising (banking calories), I got down to 214 by July 2020 for my daughters wedding. However, between fire pit beer drinking, Oktoberfest, the holiday gorging in addition to the bad weather/not using the gym because of COVID, I am back up to 234. I plan to start again on Monday and restart tracking the calorie intake. It just sucks because it seems like once I hit a plateau and stop losing, I eventually start gaining again.
 
25 LBS is easy just move more. A few years ago I went from 262 on March 15 to 172 on August 15 that same year. The tough part is keeping it off as I somehow found about 30 of those pounds back after a few years. Took up long distance running and cut our meat and sugar and the weight fell off. Cant tell you how easy it made that walk up from college ave by the Hampton inn to the stadium that year. The only drawback was that same winter I really felt the cold.
 
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