JeepN3RD Holidays challenge

[JeepN3rd]

Was a bit surprised at the lack of other postings but figured I would put down my name on the list!  I have started / stopped more challenges over the last few years than I care to admit, and my weight has stayed in the 215 pound range on average for most of that time.  I actually hit a high of 224.x early in 2016 and have been working my way back down.  I hit the magical 215ish and stayed there most of this year.

 

For some reason I got it in my head that I can do ANYTHING for 100 days and super low carbs (20ish) would allow me to reset my diet / maint and hit a new weight loss goal.  I started that late in the day on Thanksgiving and my 100 days will be over late February.  I am already planning on stretching it to mid April but that is another story for another day.

 

I was 215.4 on 10/28 and 212.9 on 11/21 when I started this challenge.  I hit a major goal this morning, 199.1, first time under 200 since 2013 or so when I was training and running the full marathon!!  I am one of those weigh every day guys, helps me stay on track, so it will move around 2-4 pounds every day but this feels like a good step!

 

I was able to run every day the first week or so of this challenge, even before the low carbs really kicked in and then a chest / head cold hit and knocked me out from 11/27 until yesterday!  Finally hit the road again last night and got in a 5k, which is my normal "daily" run.

 

"My plan" is to eat 20ish carbs per day, and about 1000 calories under my TDEE of 2200-2300ish.  This is a SHORT TERM PLAN... this is not maint, this is really a "diet" to hit a specific goal (15% body fat or less)  I am in full keto, weight is coming down nicely and with the 100 days in mind it allows me to mentally be tough enough to make this all work.  

 

My exercise plan is to set a goal of a 5k per day on average, to become a "daily" runner instead of 2-3x per week on good weeks, 2-3x per month on "bad" months.  Even if I only run 1 mile in a given day, that will be a checkmark.  I prefer to run a 5k, and burn 500ish calories, which is another 3500 per week / 1 pound of fat!

 

Looking back, food wise I am there, I think I had one day at 46 carbs, using MFP, but pretty consistent and those "bad" days are better than many of my best "good" days when I am not on this keto / low carb system.  Exercise, had a couple week break as I could not run without breathing hard and thus coughing.  But, cold air last night did not bother me, did my usual 38ish minutes for 5k, 12 minute miles on average.

 

Final thought / more about me.  I had Gastric Bypass surgery in 2011, coming down from 355 pounds to a low of 195 in 2013 when training and running the 26.2 marathon!  Weight immediately went up to 205-210 range when I backed off running and have stayed in that 210-215 now for 2 or so years until the history kicks in above.  Not really thinking about doing another full marathon, more interested in HALFs at most and doing "trail" running or just getting into backpacking / weekend trips.  

[JeepN3rd]

Ok, just a quick update, still not running much, did one night that was bitter cold on the elliptical (hated it) and a couple nights actually out on the road (LOVING IT!)

 

Moved over to full KETO, planning on staying VERY strict until I see a major body fat percentage loss.  I have dropped about 15-18ish pounds since mid November, the first 10 was water and the rest has been a slow and steady 2 pounds per week on average.  That makes a lot of sense based on what I am eating in calories versus my TDEE!  In theory if I ran 7 days a week I would get another 1 pound or so of fat loss but not stressing myself over that.

 

Working on some bodyweight stuff, mostly incline pushups at this point, got a plan but just have not executed it!  

 

Overall, I am feeling pretty positive, TDEE (keto / low carbs) is working, and we all know this is 80% diet or more.

 

Sam

[Mike_d85]

On 12/21/2016 at 1:08 PM, JeepN3rd said:

did one night that was bitter cold on the elliptical (hated it) and a couple nights actually out on the road (LOVING IT!)

 

Fear the machines.  They will rise up and try to destroy us one day.

[CTGirl1974]

On 12/13/2016 at 9:07 AM, JeepN3rd said:

I had Gastric Bypass surgery in 2011, coming down from 355 pounds to a low of 195 in 2013 when training and running the 26.2 marathon!  

 

Just wanted to say "hey!" to a fellow gastric bypass patient!  I really haven't seen anyone here whose had WLS, so I'm pretty excited. Like you, I had a small re-gain this year and I'm working my way back down. I'm working with a trainer and prepping to have my excess skin removed soon, since there's no way that's all bouncing back to where it should be after so many years of being heavy. At the moment I'm trying to get control over my diet and it's tough. Anyway, sounds like you're doing awesome and congrats on running marathons!

[Beals]

Hello fellow challenger! How are you doing with your challenge in the last few days of 2016?

[JeepN3rd]

On 12/24/2016 at 9:41 AM, CTGirl1974 said:

 

Just wanted to say "hey!" to a fellow gastric bypass patient!  I really haven't seen anyone here whose had WLS, so I'm pretty excited. Like you, I had a small re-gain this year and I'm working my way back down. I'm working with a trainer and prepping to have my excess skin removed soon, since there's no way that's all bouncing back to where it should be after so many years of being heavy. At the moment I'm trying to get control over my diet and it's tough. Anyway, sounds like you're doing awesome and congrats on running marathons!

 

They told us early on we would lose about 70-80% of our "excess" weight, but that still leaves most of us Obese, but still in MUCH MUCH MUCH better shape!  I have been 30-33% body fat since the surgery but started at over 50% and I went from size 50-52 pants to 36-38.

 

Sweets, especially COOKIES are still my trigger, I cannot have "just one", so either I am in maint mode, which is usually a much smaller "yo-yo" (210-220 pounds) and have good days and bad days.

 

Somehow it clicked this fall that it was time to see if I could lose more fat and get down to "normal" body fat!  Low carbs (NO COOKIES) is working and feeling really optimistic!

 

Glad to see another WLS patient, we are a unique crowd with our own issues and challenges.  (Eating more than 4-6 ozs at a single sitting!)

 

Sam

[JeepN3rd]

Just a quick update, hitting my calories goals, but not the running goals!  Walking more which is good but was TOTALLY lazy over the long weekend and chillaxed!  Of course the good part about having my diet right is the weight is still coming off, would just be "faster" if I add more exercise.

 

A WIN for me is finally ordering a set of gymnastic rings for doing incline pull ups and such at the house!  I have had them on my "wish list" forever and finally made the plunge and they came in on Friday.  So moving towards a couple days of "Lift Heavy Things: (ie my body!) to go along with the cardio.

 

Sam

[theophilus]

Awesome job on the diet! Food is 80% of the fight, Finish strong!

[CTGirl1974]

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2016 at 9:29 AM, JeepN3rd said:

 

They told us early on we would lose about 70-80% of our "excess" weight, but that still leaves most of us Obese, but still in MUCH MUCH MUCH better shape!  I have been 30-33% body fat since the surgery but started at over 50% and I went from size 50-52 pants to 36-38.

 

Sweets, especially COOKIES are still my trigger, I cannot have "just one", so either I am in maint mode, which is usually a much smaller "yo-yo" (210-220 pounds) and have good days and bad days.

 

Somehow it clicked this fall that it was time to see if I could lose more fat and get down to "normal" body fat!  Low carbs (NO COOKIES) is working and feeling really optimistic!

 

Glad to see another WLS patient, we are a unique crowd with our own issues and challenges.  (Eating more than 4-6 ozs at a single sitting!)

 

Sam

 

Isn't it mind boggling that many of us are still considered Obese after all the work we put in??  I just calculated my BMI and I'm hovering at 30.6. I'm 5' 10.5" and 216 pounds. I started at 343 pounds. I was wearing a 26/28 or 30/32 (4x usually) and now I'm down to 14/16 (usually XL). Women's clothing doesn't go by waist size, but I would be about 40 right now.

 

My trigger is crunchy carbs, like crackers and pretzels. I go for sweets, but I don't generally crave them. I'm usually craving something savory. Not sure if that's worse, since there's nothing to trigger dumping syndrome right away when you eat crackers vs. cookies.

 

I'm starting back on the bariatric protein shakes tomorrow. Probably two shakes and a meal, plus maybe a good snack. I feel like that will take the focus off of food and get me through the next two months until surgery. I'm way too focused on food right now, and I need to get away from it. I'm at the point where I don't even want a meal--I just want to snack all the time, whether it's cheese and crackers, sweets, or a few bites of this and that.

 

Yes, I'm so happy to see another WLS patient also.  I don't feel like I fit in with the WLS communities out there. I don't like saying I'm on a "journey." To me, that implies there's an end to this. There's never an end--it's a complete change in our way of life that will last until we die.

 

[JeepN3rd]

In our WLS support group (run by our local hospital, fantastic resource) they talk about doing a "reset" with the shakes, essentially the pre-surgery liver shrinking diet.  That we have adjusted to our new normal, which is grazing all day long is "easy" since we have tiny tummy.

 

So I encourage you to find your own "reset" whether that is shakes or what works for you!  For me, I am going full keto / low carb AND intermittent fasting combo.  So basically I have my coffee at breakfast time (milk and splenda) and then I only eat from Noon until say 8ish at night.  So I am "fasting" 16 hours a day and eating during that 8 hour window.

 

Nice part about that is I can enjoy my food then, I am eating protein first, "good carbs" (veggies) and snacks between of beef/cheese, pickles, sugar free jello, sugar free Popsicle, etc.  I have been eating 1200ish calories a day and usually 30 or so carbs, some days as high as 50, others lower.  

 

But for me, this was a good reset, broke my habit of eating just a "little bit" of bad stuff (looking at you cookie jar) all day long!

 

Best of luck to you, we WLS are a small population but have a literal mechanical advantage that others do not and when we DO get our diet 100% legit we can lose like no one else!  I am clicking down very consistently 2 pounds right now, but I am a GUY, and eating about 1000 calories a day under my TDEE, to each their own, but it does work and maybe a little better for us, YEAH!!!

 

Sam

[JeepN3rd]

Ok, final thoughts, continued to stick to the plan even over the Holidays!!  One of the toughest periods but I made it without even eating my FAVORITE snacks of all time.  Managed to lose another pound while on vacation this weekend, back at the office now and on to the next challenge!

 

Sam