whoiwas

Thanks.

Wow, very noticeable! Question on nutrition/weight: I've been dieting for about 4 months, shooting for 1980 cals/day (I usually come in under). I've dropped 40 pounds to 226. I try to hit 150 cals of protein but fail most days. My macros average at about 45% carb, 30% protein, 25% fat for the week, although daily they vary. I have same breakfast 7 days per week (protein powder with liquified spinach and sometimes a bar), same lunch M-Sat (turkey/cheese sandwich, cold veggies, some fruit), protein in afternoon, and dinner being whatever we're having. The only constants on dinner are baked ravioli on Tues and chili spaghetti on Weds. I know, right? 1/2+ gallon of water daily, 2-3 cans of diet coke, plus whatever other liquid intake from protein mixes. I don't "refeed" because I dont know 1) how or 2) why. On Sun - Tue morning my scale weight tends to increase almost 3-4 pounds, then drops by slightly more than that on Weds and Thurs, leaving me with a slow weekly loss. I can about predict my weight by the fat on my stomach in the morning. My suspicion is that this is all about water retention/release. Would you think that the increase in carbs on Tues and Weds (even within a not-so-low-carb-diet) would be the cause of this?

Followed your tip to this site yesterday and couldn't "put it down." Thanks for the link and for taking your own time to help everyone out.

wow

Vega, you'll see on here and other forums that weight loss is 80%-90% diet. For you that means that ~52 pounds of your desired loss will come through proper nutrition. Focus first and hard on that. You got 60 pounds overweight by overeating, not by not working out. The latter would have slowed the gain, but math always wins out. To acheive the amount of weight loss you desire (which is pretty much the same as mine), you're going to have to employ a daily/weekly calorie deficit for a significant amount of time. That isn't as sexy and fun as working out 3 times a week. But the results will be greater. Looks like you get this as you're taking inventory of your food. I would not focus so much on which exercise/workout routine to use at this time. Others have offered good advice - start slow, concentrate on proper form instead of on weight/reps, adopt a "no compromise" attitude to your workout time. At this stage, building the habit is far more important than building the routine. From a guy looking back at 40 pounds gone in 3 months: You simply have to know how many calories your body burns daily (TDEE) based on your age, weight and activity level. If you don't know this you wont be able to know you're eating at a deficit. Knowledge leads to confidence, confidence leads to control, and control = success - no matter what the scale says. Be honest with yourself about who you are. You can build a diet based on things you like (well, not all of them, but a lot of them). Remember, you're not just trying to get fit, you're trying to be fit...so what you do has to be sustainable for you - in your skin, in your life, with your schedule and your likes/dislikes, with your family and your friends. Paleo sounds great, but if it doesn't fit you, what's the point? You know you're going to eat out, and you probably know where - right? Visit the websites of the restaurants you frequent and peruse the nutrition guide. Build a plan for the best menu item that you like that fits your plan. Doing this will prevent impulse overeating. Track your food daily using one of the online tools like myfitnesspal. Early on you will use it to make daily decisions but as time goes on you'll use it more as a look-back thing. You'll be able to see what foods satisfied you, which ones didn't. Satisfaction = Reality - Expectations. You'll start with expectation to lose something like 1-2 pounds a week. Because your diet was so awful before you started, you'll start dropping weight much faster. Guard against this becoming your new expectation. You'll eventually slow and if you're not on guard, you'll think that something has gone wrong. It hasn't - you were just overperforming at the start. Settle in, this should take you a good 6-8 months. Track your weight loss.Won't seem important at first because it will likely be rapid (if you're eating at deficit). But when you slow to your natural burn rate of 5-6 pounds per month you'll be glad you can see it. You'll have bad days where you overeat. Don't let that be an excuse to do it the next day. You'll have newbie gains in strength, but then you'll plateau. You're eating a calorie deficit, what did you expect? Stay strong (of mind) and persevere. Once you've gotten to your target weight, you can return to maintenance level of calories and begin a true body recomp (since you'll be in total control). Lastly (finally!), don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. You'll be excited that you're working out and losing weight and you'll seek more information. In doing so, you might believe that your workout and your diet isn't perfect and that it would be if you only did this or that. Analysis paralysis, lack of confidence can set in. If you're eating a calorie deficit and you're doing something, stick with it. Change if you get bored, but don't change because of today's article.

Exactly. Motivation comes from within. And the likelihood of success depends on the depth of the motivation(s). Looking good and feeling good were not enough to get me started. Wanting to set an example for my kids and seeing them well into adulthood was enough, and now looking good and feeling good are part of the many motivations that keep me going.

It seems to me that discussing this in some hypothetical or anecdotal sense is pointless, save for maybe gaining some insight about why a person you care for and are trying to help fails to respond. Every message has the potential to push a person in this direction or that direction. So, I say, do what you can live with. Let your conscience be your guide. Lay your head down knowing that you acted with the best of intentions on behalf of someone else. Living it is the best message.

Building excuse list early is probably not the optimal approach. Build good habits. Workout at same time everyday. I find some of my best workouts come when I'd rather be doing anything but...and the satisfaction that follows is so worth it. Commit to just 6 weeks then see where you are. Educate yourself about how many calories you need, where you can get them, and track everything. Get beyond perennial beginner. Commit, or don't.

I'm 52, weigh 227 (down from 266 3 months ago), have wife and 2 kids. Said all that to say this: I get where your coming from on your diet needing to fit the life you have. I'll have Fazoli's tonight and probably Skyline Chili tomorrow night. So I plan around it by using Google and myfitnesspal to see what my diet "costs" in terms of calories. I don't get enough protein from the foods I eat so I add protein shakes twice daily. My daily calorie deficit goal is about 500. I tend to come in about 500-600 on cardio days, 400-500 on strength taining days. Weight seems to hold steady for about 5 days and then "Bam, 1-2 pounds gone." You can go a dozen ways on fitness. I strength train M-W-F using this circuit - squat using a dumbell, move to Bowflex for chest press, seated rows, shoulder press, lat pulldowns, then to floor for 90 second plank. Repeat 2 more times. Sometimes I "lift" heavier doing 5-7 reps, other days I do 8-12 to reinforce form. On off days, I ride Lifecycle for 24 minute using interval training program (I actually do 2 X 12 because each program only has 4 hills). Pants no longer fit, new hole in belt (on healthy end), shirts are looser in neck, tighter in shoulders, and bunching around waist. I know some depends on the individual, but with fat storage, "last on, first off - first on, last off." You're a guy, so the first place you got fat was probably your waist. I'm convinced that strength training is the way to go because 1) the people whose opinions I trust say so and 2) it has worked for me. YMMV, but I think that over time, it will work for you.

Figure out your TDEE (how many calories needed daily to maintain status quo)...lots of calculators on Google... Figure the rate you want to lose...depending on your current weight, 2 pounds per week should be okay (not a doctor, ask yours) You know what you like to eat and what you can live on for a long time so get on Google and compute...build daily meal plans...be honest - if restaurants are part of your life, dont pretend youll never eat out again...remember, you're goal isn't to get fit, it's to be fit...make sure you get protein to keep muscle you've got...drink water, don't drink calories... As for exercise, try Beginners Bodyweight Workout on homepage... Measure and track

Is body image messaging really a significant problem (for which a solution exists)? I mean, while anecdotal evidence suggests that it negatively impacts individuals (and "everyone they know"), does promoting it do more harm than good? Do we actually create and introduce the concept in many more than we reveal it? The overweight and out of shape fall into various categories - those who think they have a problem and wish to do something about it; those who don't so don't want to; those who think they have a problem and desire to change but are incapable of perserering to acheive the change...yes, there are more, and people move in and out of all of them.

wow

Great job, and thanks for the inspiration. I never thought of 220 as anything other than the next milestone I hit (227 this morning). Realizing it represents 100kg just adds to the motivation. Keep up the good work.

Every positive message or image has a negative effect on someone. Whatever you feed grows. Whatever you don't doesn't.

Look, you can never hear "Don't be a d**k" too many times. But this guy's act seems to be based more on a desire for youtube hits than anything of meaning. "Don't make fun of fat people." "Okay...now what?"