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[Fireye]

Having only discovered Reddit a few weeks ago (I knew it existed, I just didn't go to it), I've been browsing a few of their weight loss related sub-reddits. r/loseit and r/90daysgoal have been where I landed. There's a ton of diversity there, and a fuckton of activity. Lots of amazing results posts which help to keep me motivated.

Today starts a 90days round for me, which hopefully will keep me accountable. I've done pretty damn well over the past month and change, in terms of sticking to my diet and workout plans, but I'll take every nudge I can get in the right direction. So since May 8th, I've lost 12.4lbs, which works out to 2.4lbs/week. If I can keep this rate of weight loss up for the next 90 days, I'll be as light as I was in 2006 when I went to Bulgaria for my Brother's wedding.

 

[Corky]

This is me two years ago, 6'4 400+
http://i51.tinypic.com/ix49jc.jpg[/IMG

Lost about 150 lbs through cardio + diet in about one year.
[IMG]http://i51.tinypic.com/2ecoyfa.jpg[/IMG

Been lifting weights for the following year after that to try and firm up, although my diet has been poor. (6 months ago)
[IMG]http://i52.tinypic.com/2iiejx1.jpg[/IMG

Me now, just getting started.
[IMG]http://i51.tinypic.com/191lc.jpg[/IMG

Dont give up on yourself and your goals, they are attainable through hard work and dedication. I couldnt fathom being where I am now when I first got started.[/QUOTE]

"I mean, who are da five greatest at weight loss of of all time?
Dysun... Dysun... Dysun, Dysun, and Dysun."

[IMG]http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lifer3vA1N1qd53iko1_500.jpg

 

[Chorazin]

This is me two years ago, 6'4 400+

Lost about 150 lbs through cardio + diet in about one year.

Dont give up on yourself and your goals, they are attainable through hard work and dedication. I couldnt fathom being where I am now when I first got started.

Damn dude that's fucking crazy awesome! Great motivations for me too, I'm at 313 right now and trying hard to be at about 225 between now and April of next year.

Thanks for the update man!

EDIT: Instead of a new post, I'll just edit this one. After my Active 2 workouts I felt like it went a bit easy on me this weekend, so I figured I'd give the Fitness DLC a shot for The Fight: Light's Out. It already tracks your burned kcals and has a training mode, but this DLC is made for fitness. I chose to do a 15 minute circuit of the events, and holy crap that wasn't a joke. Jump squats to arm circles to sparring to lunges to combo practice to sparring to just wailing on a rubber dummy for 30 secons each and repeating in varying patterns. Really felt a good burn after Active, especially since after the Fitness part I spent the Upgrade points I eanred to better my character and did a few boxing matches in the main part of the game.

 

[Brewster's Wallet]

I have no idea which is giving you the more accurate goal but I really like Myfitnesspal, that's the one I've been using and it's been great so far.

I would agree with this. Seems to have an excellent library of foods and drinks and really has kept me honest

 

[Gary Whitta]

Ugh, weekend cookie binge cost me 2lbs!

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Ugh, weekend cookie binge cost me 2lbs!

As long as you are diligent during the rest of the week, you'll still lose weight even if you binge on cheat days. Some people even argue that infrequent calorie spiking actually accelerates weight loss during the rest of the week, although I still try to avoid lots of carb-heavy food (outside of beer) on my cheat days.

 

[ant_]

Ugh, weekend cookie binge cost me 2lbs!

Unless you had 6000 + calories worth of cookies, I doubt its what caused a gain of 2 pounds. Probably just water weight fluctuations.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Unless you had 6000 + calories worth of cookies, I doubt its what caused a gain of 2 pounds. Probably just water weight fluctuations.

That's assuming you believe that it's as simple as calories in/calories out and ignore hormones and insulin levels, etc.

 

[ant_]

That's assuming you believe that it's as simple as calories in/calories out and ignore hormones and insulin levels, etc.

This assumption has been working for me. Calories in/Calories out is a pretty decent model, there are variables and other methods to lose weight, but there is nothing wrong with a low calorie diet and comparing calories in v. calories out.

 

[Corky]

Some people even argue that infrequent calorie spiking actually accelerates weight loss during the rest of the week.

I've heard/read this before, I don't have a study that supports/refutes those claims but for me and my own personal observation it has been the opposite.

Having a cheat day once a week vs once every month (for me) :

- Mad cravings when I had once a week, the day after the cheat day I was quite weaker "mentally" and could easily stuff my face with carbs which obviously is counter productive.
Going a month without made my body adjust and I didn't feel like I needed a cheat day so I used that day for eating food with the family instead. No cookies or stuff like that.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

This assumption has been working for me. Calories in/Calories out is a pretty decent model, there are variables and other methods to lose weight, but there is nothing wrong with a low calorie diet and comparing calories in v. calories out.

The notion that 3,500 calories = 1lb is ridiculous, in my opinion.

Do you really think that people who consistently lose 2lbs per week, which is not even very hard, are running up a deficit of 1,000 calories or more every single day? You'd have to either starve yourself or do an insane amount of cardio to manage that.

 

[ant_]

The notion that 3,500 calories = 1lb is ridiculous, in my opinion.

Do you really think that people who consistently lose 2lbs per week, which is not even very hard, are running up a deficit of 1,000 calories or more every single day? You'd have to either starve yourself or do an insane amount of cardio to manage that.

3500 calories ~ 1 pounds is generally true. It's an estimation and probably depends on a few variables but it shouldn't vary that much.

Caloric deficit is a viable method to lose weight. If you expend more energy than you take in, than you must get energy from another source. In the case of us, the source is fat. As long as your diet is high in protein and moderate in carbs and fats - and you are maintaining a moderate caloric deficit you will lose fat.

Do I really believe that it works? Yes, I do. It has worked for me, I'm down 35 pounds after 4 months with my diet just being based off a caloric deficit & working out every day.

There are multiple paths to lose weight, just depends on what works for each individual person. That's how I look at it.

 

[nilbog21]

what do you guys do when you're starving late at night? Ignore?

Grapes? just cuz im usually high late at night..

 

[Sarye]

The notion that 3,500 calories = 1lb is ridiculous, in my opinion.

Do you really think that people who consistently lose 2lbs per week, which is not even very hard, are running up a deficit of 1,000 calories or more every single day? You'd have to either starve yourself or do an insane amount of cardio to manage that.

It's no secret that the more overweight you are the easier it is to lose the weight. For example, a person weighing 250lb with no exercise needs 3500 calories to maintain that weight. So them eating 2500 calories, or eating 2700 calories + cardio doesn't seem that hard.

It's much harder and I'd argue, unhealthy to lose 2lb a week if you're closer to your weight goal.

Those that are losing 2lbs a week will find that it's not sustainable and it will eventually taper off.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

It's no secret that the more overweight you are the easier it is to lose the weight. For example, a person weighing 250lb with no exercise needs 3500 calories to maintain that weight. So them eating 2500 calories, or eating 2700 calories + cardio doesn't seem that hard.

It's much harder and I'd argue, unhealthy to lose 2lb a week if you're closer to your weight goal.

Those that are losing 2lbs a week will find that it's not sustainable and it will eventually taper off.

Not according to any basal metabolic rate calculator. You'd need to be about 14 feet tall to have a BMR of 3,500 calories at only 250lbs.

Of course you'll eventually taper off once your body reaches it's ideal weight, but by then you certainly won't be fat. I've lost 47lbs in 18 weeks doing absolutely zero cardio. I'm around 5'11", 26 years old and started a bit over 220lbs. I'm now around 173-175lbs, and for the last 8 weeks or so, I've been consistently losing around 2lbs or more each week. I certainly am not racking up a deficit of 1,000 calories or more every single day.

 

[Sarye]

Not according to any basal metabolic rate calculator. You'd need to be about 14 feet tall to have a BMR of 3,500 calories at only 250lbs.

My calculation is a bit off as I just googled a random calculator but using a BMR calculator it's actually around 2800 calories given a weight of 250lb and height of 5'8 with no exercise. Remember, BMR is the number of calories required to maintain if you're in bed all day.

Even if you don't exercise at all you still need to multiply it by 1.2 to get a general sense of how many calories it takes to maintain. So given what I entered, he would need to eat 1800 calories with no exercise to lose 2 lb a week. With moderate exercise, that number jumps to 2500 calories

Back when I was dieting, I was eating around that much and I found it pretty doable... granted I was not 100lb overweight so I don't know how hard it is for someone that heavy.

On a side note, I'm not endorsing eating a deficit of 1000 calories. It's borderline not healthy and you run the risk of your body taking its energy from other sources such as muscle. Weight loss is never 100% from fat but you would want to minimize that. I'm just saying that eating a deficit of 1000 calories is possible. A safer weight loss plan I find is in the range of 300 to 500 calories

 

[ipukespiders]

I recently finished up "Why we get fat..." and it really is an eye opener. It's hard after all these years to question the way you think of calories, but it is changing the way I think of this stuff.

Granted, I've been (for me, lowish) ~100 gms of carbs per day just because of my deficit, and high protein, moderate fat, so it has been working great without me knowing the real reason why. I basically figured:

I need a 500 cal a day deficit.
I need 150+ gms of protein a day.
I'm not living without beef, milk, cheese (so plenty of fat).
Hmmm, oh well, carbs will have to suffer.
I wasn't specifically thinking, low carb, just that my deficit ruled them to be low.

Now, convincing my brother on the other hand... not gonna be easy He's type 2 diabetic too. It's hard not to want to shout from the rooftops.

 

[Heel]

I've lost 47lbs in 18 weeks doing absolutely zero cardio. I'm around 5'11", 26 years old and started a bit over 220lbs. I'm now around 173-175lbs, and for the last 8 weeks or so, I've been consistently losing around 2lbs or more each week. I certainly am not racking up a deficit of 1,000 calories or more every single day.

What's your program? Sorry if you've gone over it before, new to the thread. I'm 5'11", 25, and around 215 so thought I'd ask!

 

[Etrian Oddity]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUu

We had a cookout yesterday. Overloaded on chips and salsa, and had a shit ton of pork and beef fajitas.

Oh well, they say you should keep your metabolism guessing, so going from 1300 calories per day to 4k+ oughta keep it guessing. XD

At least I did P90x's X-Stretch routine yesterday....

 

[Sarye]

Of course you'll eventually taper off once your body reaches it's ideal weight, but by then you certainly won't be fat. I've lost 47lbs in 18 weeks doing absolutely zero cardio. I'm around 5'11", 26 years old and started a bit over 220lbs. I'm now around 173-175lbs, and for the last 8 weeks or so, I've been consistently losing around 2lbs or more each week. I certainly am not racking up a deficit of 1,000 calories or more every single day.

Didn't see your edit. Are you doing any exercise? you mention no cardio but what about weight lifting?

Everyone's body is different so of course any of the math here is just a guideline. I do still subscribe to the calorie in / calorie out mantra but what your ACTUAL BMR is vs the estimated one can have a huge discrepancy.

We know that it is affected by more than just weight, height, and age as everyone's metabolism works a bit differently.

BTW congrats on the weight loss. It took me about a year to lose 20lbs but now I'm in maintenance mode. I don't want to gain it all back.

 

[ipukespiders]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUu

We had a cookout yesterday. Overloaded on chips and salsa, and had a shit ton of pork and beef fajitas.

Oh well, they say you should keep your metabolism guessing, so going from 1300 calories per day to 4k+ oughta keep it guessing. XD

At least I did P90x's X-Stretch routine yesterday....

I looked a couple of pages back, you are sitting at around 250 lbs, right?
1300 calories is too low.
Forgive me, but eating so little daily, then eating 4000+ calories sounds like binge eating.
Maybe cut yourself some slack, eat more each day, can still have a cheat day, but then you won't feel like FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUu
The slower the weight comes off, the longer it will stay off.

 

[SpacedCadette]

Are there any members of Lady-GAF that are semi active in this thread?

I'm actually not in bad shape but there's always room for improvement. I'm mainly looking to trim down a little (mostly around the upper arms and mid section) and to eat better in general.

Not looking for anything too drastic, I would just like to look and feel healthier. I know I have a few bad habits that will bite me in the ass if I keep on with them. Just looking for some motivation and a point in the right direction.

You've all been doing great from what I've seen.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

What's your program? Sorry if you've gone over it before, new to the thread. I'm 5'11", 25, and around 215 so thought I'd ask!

This is a typical day for me:

Breakfast:

Drink at least 500ml of cold water immediately after waking.

2 large Omega-3 eggs with a bit of organic liquid egg whites to increase the volume)
2 slices of thick-cut pork bacon (a brand that doesn't use sodium nitrites/nitrates)
2 turkey breakfast sausages (again, something without sodium nitrites/nitrates or a bunch of other shit)

I do a set of 40-60 wall presses and 20-30 air squats immediately before eating.

Lunch:

Local salad bar where I usually get about 1lb - 1.2lb of a mixture of chicken, beef, salmon, steamed or sauteed veggies (avoiding starchy stuff like corn and carrots), and some raw spinach. No dressing or sugar-packed sauces for me.

Dinner:

10-14oz of grass-fed steak pan-fried with coconut oil with some kind of sugar free seasoning (montreal steak rub, curry powder, mesquite seasoning, etc.)
Some mixed veggies (again, avoiding starchy stuff), too, if I'm feeling up for it.

Or, a few strips of organic chicken seasoned appropriately with mixed veggies.

Throughout the day:

Only drink water, tea, and black coffee. Exercise consists of 4-6 sets (including the morning set) of 40-60 wall presses and 20-30 air squats. I usually just do them in the restroom at work. It amounts to less than 15 minutes of dedicated exercise for the entire day.

That's pretty much it! The pounds just melt away and you'll also gain a ton of muscle in your arm and legs. On Fridays and Saturdays I don't shy away from moderate amounts of beer or 'bad food' when I'm with friends, but for every other meal I simply avoid processed carbohydrates and sugars, while also trying to avoid strange preservatives, additives and other toxins whenever possible.

Didn't see your edit. Are you doing any exercise? you mention no cardio but what about weight lifting?

Everyone's body is different so of course any of the math here is just a guideline. I do still subscribe to the calorie in / calorie out mantra but what your ACTUAL BMR is vs the estimated one can have a huge discrepancy.

We know that it is affected by more than just weight, height, and age as everyone's metabolism works a bit differently.

BTW congrats on the weight loss. It took me about a year to lose 20lbs but now I'm in maintenance mode. I don't want to gain it all back.

The only dedicated exercise I do is easy resistance training using my own body weight, which I explain above.

You're damn right about everyone being different. My body appears to be extremely sensitive to carbs, because I've never had any luck going the "eat less/exercise more" route on a low-fat diet consisting mostly of cereal, bread, rice and noodles. However, I've got a friend who gorges on sandwiches and chips, and probably drinks around 2 liters of beer every day, but still only weighs around 160lbs at at a height of 6 ft.

 

[Gary Whitta]

Has anyone been watching the new Extreme Weight Loss show on ABC? Pretty motivational. I mean I'm not anything like as fat as some of those guys but it goes to show that if they can get down to a respectable weight then anyone can!

http://abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-weight-loss-edition

 

[Plasmid]

Weight loss GAF.

I'm starting back my diet and exercise, is 200-170 in 46 days possible without hurting myself?

 

[ipukespiders]

Weight loss GAF.

I'm starting back my diet and exercise, is 200-170 in 46 days possible without hurting myself?

That's not realistic.
1-2 lbs per week.

 

[elrechazado]

Weight loss GAF.

I'm starting back my diet and exercise, is 200-170 in 46 days possible without hurting myself?

Depending on how tall you are, that's either super realistic, or impossible.

 

[agentxricky]

The notion that 3,500 calories = 1lb is ridiculous, in my opinion.

Do you really think that people who consistently lose 2lbs per week, which is not even very hard, are running up a deficit of 1,000 calories or more every single day? You'd have to either starve yourself or do an insane amount of cardio to manage that.

500 calorie defecit, 500 calories burned per day. Not too difficult. I tend to cut on a 500-800 calorie defecit, and run about 5 miles, 4 times a week. Losing about 2-3 pounds is the norm.

 

[ipukespiders]

500 calorie defecit, 500 calories burned per day. Not too difficult. I tend to cut on a 500-800 calorie defecit, and run about 5 miles, 4 times a week. Losing about 2-3 pounds is the norm.

Your deficit, much like my deficit (which caused 41 lbs lost in 6 months), was probably accompanied by a reduction in carbohydrates, which explains the fat loss.

 

[Gary Whitta]

I'm down to 211 from my heaviest which is 238. So 27lbs lost so far. I'll be really happy when I crack 200lbs!

 

[elrechazado]

I'm down to 211 from my heaviest which is 238. So 27lbs lost so far. I'll be really happy when I crack 200lbs!

keep it up!
or down rather

 

[Domino Theory]

Used to be 320 pounds when graduating from high school in Summer '07. Was 265 pounds last June. As of today, I'm 198. Soooo good!

Just ten more pounds or so and I'll begin my muscle bulking phase where I up my calorie intake by a few hundred (mostly from fat and protein).

edit: Oh and you increase fat loss and improve your health if you have most of your calories later in the day/dinner time: http://www.leangains.com/2011/06/is-late-night-eating-better-for-fat.html

 

[Menelaus]

Embarking on 2 months of working my ass off for a trip to Vegas. I'm 6'3'' and 210, but pretty soft around the edges. I'm going from working out once a month to 4-5 times a week. Let's see what happens.

edit: here's a pic to keep me honest. i really hate the way my stomach is looking.

 

[Fireye]

Used to be 320 pounds when graduating from high school in Summer '07. Was 265 pounds last June. As of today, I'm 198. Soooo good!

Just ten more pounds or so and I'll begin my muscle bulking phase where I up my calorie intake by a few hundred (mostly from fat and protein).

edit: Oh and you increase fat loss and improve your health if you have most of your calories later in the day/dinner time: http://www.leangains.com/2011/06/is-late-night-eating-better-for-fat.html

Congrats dude, long trip, sounds like you're nearing the finish line. Or at least, the starting point for the next phase

Any before/after pics?

 

[Shaneus]

Pro-tip for people low carbing/ketoing it: Don't try and hit <20g off the bat. I've been on/off for the last few weeks and once I stopped trying to go hard LC, I've found it easy to keep under, say, 50g/day rather than 20g/day and I'm still dropping weight... just not as quickly.

 

[Akim]

Well guys, I'm coming back to the weight loss bandwagon. I tried to bulk, and I just can't take it. I hate the way I look and every time I look in the mirror I just get depressed. I need to get rid of this fat that is on me. Put on about 10 pounds. in my 2 month bulk. Sigh.


Edit: Today is actually my one year anniversary of losing weight.

NEVER FORGET.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Embarking on 2 months of working my ass off for a trip to Vegas. I'm 6'3'' and 210, but pretty soft around the edges. I'm going from working out once a month to 4-5 times a week. Let's see what happens.

edit: here's a pic to keep me honest. i really hate the way my stomach is looking.

I've read time and and time again that "working your ass off" can be really counterproductive to weight less.

I've no idea what you're eating, but some simple diet changes alone will probably easily take off 20lbs or more before your trip.

Good luck either way!

 

[Menelaus]

Should have said "running my ass off". Lean meats and cutting carbs as much as possible.

 

[SuperAngelo64]

Alright, I'm flipping my shit right now.

I didn't weigh myself for about 2 weeks and I did today and I gained 11 lbs.

I've been eating less calories then I use, and am in ketosis (I have the sticks to prove it).

I've been drinking over a gallon of water every day so I'm not retaining water.

What the fuck happened? I am furious.

 

[elrechazado]

Alright, I'm flipping my shit right now.

I didn't weigh myself for about 2 weeks and I did today and I gained 11 lbs.

I've been eating less calories then I use, and am in ketosis (I have the sticks to prove it).

I've been drinking over a gallon of water every day so I'm not retaining water.

What the fuck happened? I am furious.

weight fluctuates all crazy man, lots can happen. Weigh yourself a few more times. Have you been gaining muscle?

 

[SuperAngelo64]

weight fluctuates all crazy man, lots can happen. Weigh yourself a few more times. Have you been gaining muscle?

I do lift weights regularly, and I lift for power and bulk. So this is what I thought at first. But 11 lbs. seems like a lot. I also thought muscle was supposed to burn fat.

I also just hate hearing the whole 'you're probably just gaining muscle!' thing. I know there's some truth to it, but it just reminds me of the whole 'you're not fat, you're just big boned'. I don't like excuses. Maybe I'm being a bit juvenile here... I should probably ninja edit this when I'm not angry.

I know I'm a little obsessed with the number parts of weight loss, but I just hit a milestone 2 weeks ago when I lost 100 lbs. Now that victory is short lived and I'm livid.

 

[neojubei]

Well guys, I'm coming back to the weight loss bandwagon. I tried to bulk, and I just can't take it. I hate the way I look and every time I look in the mirror I just get depressed. I need to get rid of this fat that is on me. Put on about 10 pounds. in my 2 month bulk. Sigh.


Edit: Today is actually my one year anniversary of losing weight.

NEVER FORGET.

Damn you are one cute guy.

I've decided give this weight loss thing another go. Found an inspiration on the Biggest Loser website

This guy went from 364 lbs to 188 lbs in a year and a half. Freaking amazing, plus he is rocking that awesome thundercats shirt, that I want now.

 

[elrechazado]

I do lift weights regularly, and I lift for power and bulk. So this is what I thought at first. But 11 lbs. seems like a lot. I also thought muscle was supposed to burn fat.

I also just hate hearing the whole 'you're probably just gaining muscle!' thing. I know there's some truth to it, but it just reminds me of the whole 'you're not fat, you're just big boned'. I don't like excuses. Maybe I'm being a bit juvenile here... I should probably ninja edit this when I'm not angry.

I know I'm a little obsessed with the number parts of weight loss, but I just hit a milestone 2 weeks ago when I lost 100 lbs. Now that victory is short lived and I'm livid.

Honestly at this point, you'd be better served with a tape measure than a scale. Or rather - putting more importance on the tape measure than the scale that is.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

Speaking of numbers, I'm down to a 38" waist. I started the year at a 42".

 

[neojubei]

Speaking of numbers, I'm down to a 38" waist. I started the year at a 42".

Congrats, feels good to buy new clothes. Trying to get there myself.

I think I will kill myself working out at the gym this summer rather than wallow in self-pity at home like I did every summer before this one.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

Congrats, feels good to buy new clothes. Trying to get there myself.

I think I will kill myself working out at the gym this summer rather than wallow in self-pity at home like I did every summer before this one.

Summer is the time for two things (if you're a student/young'n): make money, and get swole.

Helpful hint: I find that if you get a shit-ton of sugar-free gum, it helps your food cravings.

 

[Ettie]

Summer is the time for two things (if you're a student/young'n): make money, and get swole.

Helpful hint: I find that if you get a shit-ton of sugar-free gum, it helps your food cravings.

All truth in this post.

 

[_Isaac]

Get swole?
What's a swole?

 

[Akim]

gettin brolic

 

[Gary Whitta]

Has anyone tried these?

http://www.thinkproducts.com/2011/