164 replies to this topic

[Jason Panella]

Holy crap, ABP! Those photos are outrageous! Congrats on all your hard work-- that is an extraordinary accomplishment . And yes, i'd love to see some before photos if you have them.

Yeah, I had to read through your post a few times after doing a double take. I'll echo that congrats! You look great!

[Greg P]

Paul emailed me some before photos and I'll tell ya, folks... this is an astounding transformation. I know something about the hard work required to move from overweight to "fit", but this transformation goes several steps beyond that. Once again, congrats on all your hard work, ABP!!!

[anglicanbeachparty]

Paul emailed me some before photos and I'll tell ya, folks... this is an astounding transformation. I know something about the hard work required to move from overweight to "fit", but this transformation goes several steps beyond that. Once again, congrats on all your hard work, ABP!!!

Thanks very much. I appreciate the kind words!

[Christian]

This article comes from a distinctly British perspective but is applicable to U.S. consumers as well. Thought it might be worth highlighting.

[theoddone33]

I just noticed this thread for the first time, it's very inspiring. I'm trying to take the first step with some of this since my diet and exercise routine may be killing me, nearly literally. Fast food for nearly every meal, free soft drinks + candy at work, sedentary lifestyle, 4-5 hours sleep a night, etc etc.

It will be tough to change, but I'm getting to that place where I'm disgusted with what I see in the mirror every day. I'm starting by walking to lunch more often... ideally I'll be running around the block (probably 3 miles) or hitting the gym a few times a week pretty soon. I suppose learning how to procure and consume healthy foods should be on the radar as well. But taking the first few steps seems to be the hardest part.

[Greg P]

I suppose learning how to procure and consume healthy foods should be on the radar as well. But taking the first few steps seems to be the hardest part.

It always is and i think if you approach any serious dietary change with the understanding that the first few days or weeks will be mostly unpleasant, you'll be OK. Push thru that phase and you'll probably wonder why you waited so long. Go get 'em!

[Phill Lytle]

I really appreciate the honesty of those that have posted in this thread. I started a new "get healthy" routine a little over a week ago - June 1st. Here are my pertinent numbers:

Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 241.4 lbs

I am exercising, using an elliptical, for 30-35 minutes a day. I am keeping my caloric consumption around 1800-2000 calories a day. I am trying to walk around more during the day since my job is at a desk. I am playing with my boys as often as my schedule permits.

Results so far: 0 pounds lost. I weighed the first Monday and again yesterday - same time of the day, same scale. Same exact weight - to the very ounce. I know I have to be patient with the process and I know I have to keep at it, but that doesn't mean I wasn't really disappointed. I told my wife last night that she almost had a bathroom scale sized whole in her wall.

I've written all of that to say this: This thread has given me hope. My situation is very similar to some and there have been some great results shared on here. I just wanted to thank everyone who has posted their struggles and their victories.

[Greg P]

My wife is a fitness trainer at a private gym and knows a lot more about these things than i do... but i'll take a stab. The caloric intake seems reasonable, but you should take a closer look at meal to meal what you're eating. You may be eating more than you think... OR, (more likely) you may not be eating enough. I went thru a phase where I was working incredibly hard and the scale wouldnt budge. I upped the intake, stopped being so stingy with my portions and began eating two small snacks between breakfast/llunch and then again between lunch/dinner. Voila! Weight loss resumed immediately.

Also, how high does your heart rate go on the elliptical? 30-35 minutes should suffice for cardio in the early stages of your regimen. But it's possible that during that window of time, your heart rate plateaus below the maximum fat-burning range. Make sure you are working on the machine vigorously enough. The walking and playing with kids is fantastic and necessary. Just remember that the calories burned by walking or doing daily activities is typically not all that impressive.

I run because i'm lazy. Well, that's one reason. But I think ultimately it suits my personality. The calories i burn in a 40-minute, 4-mile run would take me double the gym time, plus 1-hour walking and maybe a swim. I dont have the time or the patience for that kind of routine.

But hey, congrats on starting! It sounds like you're doing the right stuff. You may just have to tweak it a little. Once you do, you will see results fairly quickly.

[Phill Lytle]

Thanks for the suggestions. I adjusted my eating a little this past week by adding more snacks between meals. My caloric intake is still right around the 1800-2000 range, but I am spreading it out a little more. Also, I am cutting back on sodium as much as possible.

I am still exercising at least 4 days a week. I do keep my heart rate at a good level. Plus, I have been increasing the intensity as my body adjusts to the new demands that I am placing on it.

Result: I lost 4 pounds from Monday, June 22nd thru Monday, June 29th.

I'm taking this as a sign that I am on the right track. I feel better already even though I have only lost 4 pounds. My energy level is up due to the exercise and I am not hungry during the day like I used to be.

[Buckeye Jones]

Thanks for the suggestions. I adjusted my eating a little this past week by adding more snacks between meals. My caloric intake is still right around the 1800-2000 range, but I am spreading it out a little more. Also, I am cutting back on sodium as much as possible.

I am still exercising at least 4 days a week. I do keep my heart rate at a good level. Plus, I have been increasing the intensity as my body adjusts to the new demands that I am placing on it.

Result: I lost 4 pounds from Monday, June 22nd thru Monday, June 29th.

I'm taking this as a sign that I am on the right track. I feel better already even though I have only lost 4 pounds. My energy level is up due to the exercise and I am not hungry during the day like I used to be.

sounds like Greg's given good advice already, but i'll throw in a couple of cents. My cred? Don't have much--I've been working out regulary for years, and have never been above 165lbs, and am now at a comfortable 150. I hate cardio but slog through 3 to 4 20 min sessions a week. Saying all this not to say, look at me! Instead, to say, genetically I haven't had to work much at keeping a healthy weight.

Two things though: Add resistance training and put a big measurable goal on it. Benchpress 130% of your body weight by September. Get to 10 underhand grip pullups by Oct 1. There's something about strength training that adds a level of cofidence and competitiveness to a workout I've found very motivating. Its goal oriented, and the weight training will pay off in faster calorie burns.

Secondly, measure your % body fat and downplay the weight loss. Its a better measure. Get to <20%. 5 11 200lbs 18% body fat is way healthier than 5 11 190 22%.

Keep it up, Phil! And one final thing: don't put exercise updates on your Facebook status. If you're doing it, stop now. You'll look like a housewife.

[Phill Lytle]

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't have a Facebook page so I think I'm safe on that final point.

[Greg P]

Hey Phil...Awesome! 4 pounds in one week is fantastic! You frankly shouldnt expect more than that-- and be prepared to see more regular drops of 1-2 lbs per week. Seeing your age on the profile and doing a little math, you want to maintain a heart rate in your cardio between 122 - 160, for ideally 30+ mins. Again, make sure you are maintaining that level of intensity on the elliptical for at least 20-30mins.

[Phill Lytle]

I am down to 230, which is around 11 pounds from where I started, so I am moderately happy about those results. I am not losing the weight as fast as I thought I would, but I am not too discouraged about it...yet. I am confused about something though and I thought I would turn to some people with much more experience in this area:

I was doing some reading for weight loss and calorie counting and the information I found was confusing: According to multiple formulas I should be taking in around 2,641 calories a day to lose weight - that is 650more than I am eating right now. Here is one site that I found and the formula that use - Link That is actually my results after plugging in all of my stats.

I don't know what to make of this. Am I not eating enough? I have heard that your body can start to slow down the metabolism if you don't eat enough and that will make it harder to lose weight. Could that be why I am not losing as much as I would like? I don't know. Any help?

[Nick Alexander]

First of all, congratulations on your well fought fight.

In my experience, (and many MANY people's experiences), the more you lose, the harder it will be to lose. That's why those "final ten pounds" are such a killer. Your body has adjusted to your changes in diet, and has readjusted itself internally.

In those cases, you may want to do one of two things: either shake up your exercise routine (or aim to eat even less, even if you fast a day a week), or maintain your current weight for about two months, and start again.

But don't lose heart. It can be done. Mastering this and you master self-control.

[Phill Lytle]

Thanks for the quick response. Here is what I am thinking about my weight loss so far: I am overweight enough that the I figured the first 20 pounds or so would come off pretty quickly once I started exercising and eathing better. Thing is, the weight loss has been much slower than what I hoped. I'm losing about 1 pound a week which is pretty good, but if it gets much harder than this then I'm not sure how I will lose weight once I get past the initial phase. I need to lose quite a bit more weight to get to a healthy number for my body type/frame. Probably at least another 40-50 pounds.

[Nick Alexander]

Hi Phil...

Are you still doing the elliptical? Are you doing anything unique or specific with your elliptical program, or are you just putting the time in?

If you haven't discovered HIIT* yet, you may want to look into it (best to do a google search on youtube for this).

A combination of HIIT and one-day a week strength training (done as High Intensity, a variation of HIIT), and you can maximize your workout.

Nick

* HIIT: high intensity interval training.

[Phill Lytle]

Thanks for the info on HIIT. I'm checking it out right now and plan on trying it this evening.

[Christian]

I don't count calories, but in my experience as a low-carber, it's not at all unusual for weight to come off once you start eating more. Bodies react differently, gong into self-preservation mode if input drops below a certain level (I think this level is different for each individual).

I'd try eating more -- more good stuff, of course; not more junk -- and see what happens.

[Nick Alexander]

Thanks for the info on HIIT. I'm checking it out right now and plan on trying it this evening.

One bit of warning about this. You're going to want to have a special Interval Timer (it's a MAJOR HASSLE doing HIIT without a special watch that counts down two separate times on constant rotation).

My first timer I got thru Amazon.com for about 20 bucks, but then I didn't realize that my digital sportswatch had interval timing as one of its functions. Perhaps a local Sports Authority will have one of these--you may want to call in and ask.

This is one of those purchases that is utterly mandatory and worthwhile.

Nick

[Buckeye Jones]

Weight is an easily used but not very useful measure of progress. While i'd recommend using raw power as a measure of improvement, its probably more useful to do a resting HR measure and % body fat. If you're excercising, you're likely trading some fat for muscle.