Finally joining up

[Fogo]

Hey nerds -

After months and months of lurking, I've finally decided to join the rebellion online. I've been reading this site for a long time, and applying a lot of the stuff I've learned, but I figured it was about time for me to be a bit more active in the community.

Just a quick intro, I'm a programmer who's been stuck behind a desk for the last 10 years, and I've got the gut to prove it. At one point I peaked at near 270lbs (I'm 6'2") a few years ago, and since then I've been trying to bring that number down. I finally got it down to 245, and then held steady at that point for another year or so.

Big motivators for making this change are the usuals - vanity is one, but the biggest one are my kids. Historically, the men in my family don't usually stick around long. Heart disease tends to kill us of sooner rather than later, and currently my dad is close to the record holder for sticking around at just over 50. (My uncle holds the record at just under 60, but we lost him to pancreatic cancer a few years back.) Either way, it's been a long time since a guy in my bloodline has made it past 60. Yikes. Dad has already had one major heart attack, so he's finally starting to take better care of himself, and that's nice to see. My plan is to try and get myself to last a lot longer than 60 - more like 90+, and I've got to take better care of myself if I want to do that, and be around to meet some grandkids. I never knew my grandfather as he passed away when my dad was 17.

As for the vanity, January 2012 marks my 10-year anniversary with my wife, and we're planning on going somewhere tropical. Where, we don't care, as long as there's a beach, we get to surf, and look awesome doing it.

So… I've really been working this year at trying to lose my gut. I started this year at 244, and I'm down to 225 today. I've done that mostly through diet changes, running, and ice-hockey. So hopefully, by the time 2012 hits, I can be down to my goal of just over 200, and ideally, lose some of this gut. (And be in better shape to survive the impending apocalypse of 2012, and any others predicted in the next 60 years.

So uh, I guess that's my long-winded, rambling way of saying "hi".

[Crooked]

Welcome to the Rebellion! I think being healthy and fit for your family is such a noble and wonderful goal. What does your diet look like these days?

[Fogo]

I've started doing the slow carb thing, just not as religiously as I probably should to get the best results. The beginning of each week I grill up enough chicken to get me through the week, and for breakfast and lunch, I generally have some chicken, beans, and spinach, with a little bit of spicy dressing. It's quick and easy to make, and it's pretty darn tasty. For dinners, it's usually something similar, with some extra vegetables thrown in, or some lean hamburger or turkey patties instead of chicken. We're also big fans of whole wheat pasta, so we have that about once a week too. I've never been great at counting calories, so I've just over time learned how much I need to be happy, without feeling like I overdid anything. Thoughout the day, if I ever feel the need to snack, I'll grab a few raw almonds and munch on those.

Weekends are a different matter though - I love the idea of a cheat day from slow carb, so on Saturdays, I'll still eat a good breakfast of chicken and beans, or eggs w/ turkey bacon, but after that meal, I'll hit a burger joint, and go to town on a double bacon ranch monstrosity, or a stuffed pizza, and throw down some fresh donuts from a local bakery. But once cheat day is over, it's back to the "real" food.

One of the biggest changes for me came when I cut the soda down. I went from 2-3 cans of Coke a day to one 16oz bottle of mexi-coke on the weekend. I love that stuff with the real sugar in it, and now it's made me to where I just don't like the regular canned stuff. Turning into a coke snob has really helped with the diet. I just make sure to keep the cokes out in the garage, and instead of in the fridge, and it's SO MUCH easier to resist the temptation of having one with every meal.

[CapN_Tommy_Sunshine]

Welcome to the Rebellion!

[maggerson]

Kudos on the soda switch! I did a similar thing with chocolate - no more Reese's cups and off-brand cheap chocolates, only the good dark stuff for me. I eat less of it and the other stuff tastes like, well, junk food.

[Loren Wade]

Welcome to the REBELLION!