Lord_of_Annandale

Tuesday 9/19: Cardio - I stuck to the plan today and did my cardio. I'm proud of myself. However, the real test will come on Tuesday or Wednesday next week, that seems to be when I fall off track with new workout commitments. I decided to extend it to 20 minutes instead of 15 because I can do 20 and if I can, then I should. Babying myself accomplishes nothing. - I didn't do as well with eating today. As expected, I was much hungrier today than I was yesterday. I was also very sore, so I expect my body was looking for calories to help my muscles repair. The way I feel hunger is strange, and maybe I need to address it. Many times I get hungry just after I've finished a meal and it doesn't start in my stomach, the feeling starts across my back and then moves into my head. I don't mean mentally, I mean the physical muscles that surround my skull, especially those that clench my jaw and pull my eyebrows back (occipitofrontalis and temporalis if you want to get technical). It feels similar to my fight or flight response, and It requires that I eat something immediately. It's an extraordinarily hard feeling to ignore. I can power through it, but it really knocks the wind out of me. I'm going to try to confront it directly tomorrow, if that doesn't work I'll try to figure out another strategy.

Monday 9/18: Back and Bicep - Today went well. The gym was not as crowded as I thought it would be (I couldn't go until 4:00) and I got through my workout without any major obstacles. I had a little trouble motivating myself to go, but I pushed myself over the hump and enjoyed the workout afterwards. Lat Pull 3x10 at 85 lbs Row 3x10 at 45 lbs each arm Low row 3x10 at 85 lbs EZ curl 3x10 at 55 lbs Hammer Curl 3x10 AT 17.5 lbs - Eating went better today than yesterday. I still didn't quite follow the plan. There was a memorial for a family friend today and a meal was provided. I decided to eat the food but make good choices. They had lean chicken, salad, and pan fried vegetables. The only thing I ate outside of my plan was ravioli and a brownie, so on the whole it wasn't too bad.

Sunday 9/17: Active Rest TBD - First day went well. I played in the park with my niece and nephew for a couple hours and it was surprisingly good exercise. - Unfortunately I did less well on eating. We ordered pizza for lunch, and I only had two pieces with salad, but its not exactly in my diet plan. I'll do better on Monday.

Hello zeroh13! Thanks for the advice, I'll keep that in mind. I'm starting with pretty low weight and working up. I used to play football so weight training isn't totally alien, I just haven't done it in a while. As to my weight loss goals, I won't be too hard on myself. However, I've been losing roughly 2.5 lbs a week already just from changing my diet, so I'm really just trying to keep it going. Good luck on the trail =)

Hi Hazard, Sorry I didn't follow the format exactly. I find if I don't plan things out precisely I tend to dick around and procrastinate, then try to do it all at the end. It hasn't been a good strategy, haha. Plus, having a daily goal lets me focus only on that goal so I don't get overwhelmed by the whole project =) Good luck on the trail

Bahahahaha Kae your "modes" hit really close to home. I love that you're aware of your bad habits and are taking steps to avoid them. The "'I'll-start-my-habit-later" mode is particularly problematic for me. Your goals are well thought out and manageable. You're going to do really well with this challenge, I have confidence in you. Good luck on the trail =)

Hi Kae, Nutrition plays a huge role in my weight loss battle strategy =) My meal plan is as follows: Breakfast: 2 egg yolks 6 egg whites 2 organic whole wheat toasts 2 tbsp peanut butter 1 tbsp olive oil Lunch: 8 oz chicken or lean beef 1.5 cups of vegetable of choice - Brussel Sprouts - Broccoli - Green Beens - Asparagus 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar Snack Rx Bar (you should really try these, they're so good!) Dinner 8 oz chicken or lean beef (occasionally lean pork) 1 cup brown rice or diced potatoes 1 cup vegetable of choice (see lunch) 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 1 tsp fish sauce The key is that I'm not overly strict about it. If I still feel hungry after breakfast I might have some grapes, or a yogurt. If my afternoon snack didn't fill me up, I might have a spoonful of peanut butter. Sometimes, if I haven't done a lot of physical activity, I'll pull some of the oil and the honey out of lunch and dinner. It's fairly fluid and adaptable, which means I don't beat myself up too badly if I don't follow it exactly. The reason I didn't include this is that I've been following this lifestyle for more than a month now and successfully losing weight with it. What I haven't been doing is going to the gym. Almost at all. So I wanted to do something new for the challenge. Hope that answered your question =)

Soooo my first plan was way too complication. This is going to be basic. I'm going to lose 10 lbs in 4 weeks. This comes out to be a reasonable 2.5 lbs per week. It will take me from 297 lbs to 287 lbs. I'll post before and after pictures for my own edification. Goal: Lose 10 lbs Intermediate goals: Week 1: Weigh in at 294.5 or lower Week 2: Weigh in at 291.0 or lower Week 3: Weigh in at 288.5 or lower Week 4: Weigh in at 287.0 or lower (Saturday weigh in, no clothes, before breakfast. I wont take pics I promise haha) Daily goals: Sunday 9/17: Active Rest TBD - First day went well. I played in the park with my niece and nephew for a couple hours and it was surprisingly good exercise. - Unfortunately I did less well on eating. We ordered pizza for lunch, and I only had two pieces with salad, but its not exactly in my diet plan. I'll do better on Monday. Monday 9/18: Back and Bicep - Today went well. The gym was not as crowded as I thought it would be (I couldn't go until 4:00) and I got through my workout without any major obstacles. I had a little trouble motivating myself to go, but I pushed myself over the hump and enjoyed the workout afterwards. Lat Pull 3x10 at 85 lbs Row 3x10 at 45 lbs each arm Low row 3x10 at 85 lbs EZ curl 3x10 at 55 lbs Hammer Curl 3x10 AT 17.5 lbs - Eating went better today than yesterday. I still didn't quite follow the plan. There was a memorial for a family friend today and a meal was provided. I decided to eat the food but make good choices. They had lean chicken, salad, and pan fried vegetables. The only thing I ate outside of my plan was ravioli and a brownie, so on the whole it wasn't too bad. Tuesday 9/19: Cardio - I stuck to the plan today and did my cardio. I'm proud of myself. However, the real test will come on Tuesday or Wednesday next week, that seems to be when I fall off track with new workout commitments. I decided to extend it to 20 minutes instead of 15 because I can do 20 and if I can, then I should. Babying myself accomplishes nothing. - I didn't do as well with eating today. As expected, I was much hungrier today than I was yesterday. I was also very sore, so I expect my body was looking for calories to help my muscles repair. The way I feel hunger is strange, and maybe I need to address it. Many times I get hungry just after I've finished a meal and it doesn't start in my stomach, the feeling starts across my back and then moves into my head. I don't mean mentally, I mean the physical muscles that surround my skull, especially those that clench my jaw and pull my eyebrows back (occipitofrontalis and temporalis if you want to get technical). It feels similar to my fight or flight response, and It requires that I eat something immediately. It's an extraordinarily hard feeling to ignore. I can power through it, but it really knocks the wind out of me. I'm going to try to confront it directly tomorrow, if that doesn't work I'll try to figure out another strategy. Wednesday 9/20: Chest and Triceps Thursday 9/21: Birthday Cardio Friday 9/22: Legs and Core Saturday 9/23: Active rest TBD (weigh in) Sunday 9/24: Active rest TBD Monday 9/25: Back and Bicep Tuesday 9/26: Cardio Wednesday 9/27: Chest and Triceps Thursday 9/28: Cardio Friday 9/29: Legs and Core Saturday 9/30: Active rest TBD (weigh in) Sunday 10/1: Active rest TBD Monday 10/2: Back and Bicep Tuesday 10/3: Cardio Wednesday 10/4: Chest and Triceps Thursday 10/5: Cardio Friday 10/6: Legs and Core Saturday 10/7: Active rest TBD (weigh in) Sunday 10/8: Active rest TBD Monday 10/9: Back and Bicep Tuesday 10/10: Cardio Wednesday 10/11: Chest and Triceps Thursday 10/12: Cardio Friday 10/13: Legs and Core Saturday 10/14: Active rest TBD (weigh in) Definitions: Cardio: Week 1: 20 mins elliptical Week 2: 25 mins elliptical Week 3: 30 mins elliptical Week 4: 35 mins elliptical Weight Training: Too long to specify, but I'll be adding 10 lbs to every set each time I cycle back to a muscle group. Active rest: Hiking, yard work, Frisbee, swimming, adventuring in general, etc.

Hi guys, I've been trying for many, many years to lose weight. I know it's cliche, but I never was able to make something work. It just never clicked. I did successfully lose about 15 pounds once 3 or 4 years ago, but as soon as school started up again I gained it all back. Years later it has gotten to the point where my doctor said I would have serious complications unless I changed my lifestyle. In fact, my insulin resistance has damaged my eyesight, the extra weight caused plantar faciitis, and I developed severe GERD. On another level, my weight caused me to stop doing many of the things I loved, the things I had built my entire identity on. I stopped hiking and backpacking because it was painful, and I stopped playing sports because I kept injuring myself. I even stopped camping because I'd set up camp then be exhausted and just sit in camp all day doing nothing. My size also affected my social interactions, and I stopped going out with friends, started drinking too much (even alone), and lost contact with a lot of friends. The combination of physical pain and extreme isolation led to deep depression. However. About 8 months ago I started teaching myself to engage in positive self talk. It always sounded stupid before, but I came to realize how evil my inner voice had become. I was consistently calling myself weak and a failure and disgusting multiple times a day, and it changed the image I had of myself. I hated that image, which of course led to more self hate, etc. Talk about a cyclic hell, lol. Once I realized the toxic effect I was having on myself, I started relearning how to think. At first I just made sure to stop and acknowledge what I was doing. Whenever I called myself disgusting, I'd mentally take a moment to realize what I'd just done and why. Next, I moved on to replacing that self-depricating thought with a neutral thought, then a positive thought. It doesn't always work, and I lose the battle sometimes, but I finally started to have more good days than bad. Recently, I found a nutrition plan on which I've been consistently losing while being mostly full. I'm excersizing more, and even started hiking my my family again. I'm excited that I've finally started on the long journey back, and I joined Nerd Fitness because it makes getting healthy interesting and the posts make me laugh. I figure I should use every weapon at my disposal; NF is a great one. TL;DR: I got fat. Got depressed. Used the power of positive thinking *gag* do work out the depression. Now I'm fighting back against the weight.