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Weight Loss Before/After Thread! (with pics)
- Thread starter lsslave
- Start date
I'm quoting for a new page so I don't get lost in the shuffle.
I've hit a bit of a weight plateau, but I know its from increased muscle mass so I don't really care.
My wedding in 2008, pretty close to the height of my weight.
Last week:
Over 100 lbs, a third of my body weight, has been consumed. Right now at 196, which is less than what I weighed as a Junior in high school with 7% body fat. Definitely not as strong as I was then. I don't really have any need for increased upper body strength though.
*edit*
Bit more background story. I was extremely fit in Jr. High and High School, first part of college too. Both my wife and I were athletes. Life slowed down, with the same person for a really long time, so the weight started to pile on. Both the wife and I really love food, but she was way more active than I was.
About November of last year I just got sick of it and finally decided to start dieting for real. Always did it in the past, dropping 20-30lbs here and there and then putting it back on. But, I stuck to it. I also got crazy involved into Tribes: Ascend, to where I didn't really have time to eat. Lost the first 40lbs just by reducing calories and going on walks every day.
In April, my wife was bucked off of her friend's colt and broke her T-12 vertebrae. All is well now, but she was basically immobile for a month, and still really limited for a few months after that. The shock of the incident and realizing I now needed to really exercise my year-old Border Collie mix dog, since she was no longer going out to the barn every day with my wife, helped push me to really start exercising.
I basically kept up the same diet, but added jogging every day. I would go for distance, stopping to walk for short distances when my cardio would give out. I'm now doing 3 miles 5 days a week (M, T, Th, F, Sat) and still walking on days off. Feel fanfreakingtastic. A lot of the thanks goes to Daphne, my dog. When time comes for me to go running, she has no shame about bullying me until we go. She'll actually grab my running clothes and put them on my lap if I'm 15 minutes late.
She's the best.
My wedding in 2008, pretty close to the height of my weight.
Last week:
Over 100 lbs, a third of my body weight, has been consumed. Right now at 196, which is less than what I weighed as a Junior in high school with 7% body fat. Definitely not as strong as I was then. I don't really have any need for increased upper body strength though.
*edit*
Bit more background story. I was extremely fit in Jr. High and High School, first part of college too. Both my wife and I were athletes. Life slowed down, with the same person for a really long time, so the weight started to pile on. Both the wife and I really love food, but she was way more active than I was.
About November of last year I just got sick of it and finally decided to start dieting for real. Always did it in the past, dropping 20-30lbs here and there and then putting it back on. But, I stuck to it. I also got crazy involved into Tribes: Ascend, to where I didn't really have time to eat. Lost the first 40lbs just by reducing calories and going on walks every day.
In April, my wife was bucked off of her friend's colt and broke her T-12 vertebrae. All is well now, but she was basically immobile for a month, and still really limited for a few months after that. The shock of the incident and realizing I now needed to really exercise my year-old Border Collie mix dog, since she was no longer going out to the barn every day with my wife, helped push me to really start exercising.
I basically kept up the same diet, but added jogging every day. I would go for distance, stopping to walk for short distances when my cardio would give out. I'm now doing 3 miles 5 days a week (M, T, Th, F, Sat) and still walking on days off. Feel fanfreakingtastic. A lot of the thanks goes to Daphne, my dog. When time comes for me to go running, she has no shame about bullying me until we go. She'll actually grab my running clothes and put them on my lap if I'm 15 minutes late.
She's the best.
Congratulations on the weight loss, and holy shit is the quoted part adorable (the dog is too).
How's your wife doing these days after the incident in April?
She's now running with me 4 of the 5 days. Next month is the big day where we go in for her followup appointment to determine whether or not she's built up enough strength to literally get back on the horse. Breaking/starting cow horses is her passion. She's been a bit lost not being able to ride, but is getting a lot done doing groundwork which helps her emotional state.
And yeah. I know a lot of people say 'I have the cutest dog ever', but I really do. She loves having a job to do, so I'm now able to have her fully heel and change sides on hand movement alone. Dogs are awesome.
And yeah. I know a lot of people say 'I have the cutest dog ever', but I really do. She loves having a job to do, so I'm now able to have her fully heel and change sides on hand movement alone. Dogs are awesome.
Horseticuffs
Full werewolf off the buckle
I've hit a bit of a weight plateau, but I know its from increased muscle mass so I don't really care.
My wedding in 2008, pretty close to the height of my weight.
Last week:
Over 100 lbs, a third of my body weight, has been consumed. Right now at 196, which is less than what I weighed as a Junior in high school with 7% body fat. Definitely not as strong as I was then. I don't really have any need for increased upper body strength though.
*edit*
Bit more background story. I was extremely fit in Jr. High and High School, first part of college too. Both my wife and I were athletes. Life slowed down, with the same person for a really long time, so the weight started to pile on. Both the wife and I really love food, but she was way more active than I was.
About November of last year I just got sick of it and finally decided to start dieting for real. Always did it in the past, dropping 20-30lbs here and there and then putting it back on. But, I stuck to it. I also got crazy involved into Tribes: Ascend, to where I didn't really have time to eat. Lost the first 40lbs just by reducing calories and going on walks every day.
In April, my wife was bucked off of her friend's colt and broke her T-12 vertebrae. All is well now, but she was basically immobile for a month, and still really limited for a few months after that. The shock of the incident and realizing I now needed to really exercise my year-old Border Collie mix dog, since she was no longer going out to the barn every day with my wife, helped push me to really start exercising.
I basically kept up the same diet, but added jogging every day. I would go for distance, stopping to walk for short distances when my cardio would give out. I'm now doing 3 miles 5 days a week (M, T, Th, F, Sat) and still walking on days off. Feel fanfreakingtastic. A lot of the thanks goes to Daphne, my dog. When time comes for me to go running, she has no shame about bullying me until we go. She'll actually grab my running clothes and put them on my lap if I'm 15 minutes late.
She's the best.
Great work, man. Looks worlds apart'
On another note, I'm still hovering between 270-260. I've decided that fasting isn't for me since I'm already limiting calories and am very active.
My question is a rudimentary one but something I need addressed. Since I started calorie counting in early June I've not added in the exercise I get into the Myfitnesspal app.
So when I eat 1500 calories a day and then walk 8 miles all-together going to and from work the calories I've burned in that walk havent been being deducted from my calorie goal, this leads me to actually getting significantly less than 1500 calories a day.
SHOULD I be removing the calories I burn from my calorie total, which would greatly increase the quantity of food I eat daily? Or should I just eat 1,500 a day and burn 1/3 of them walking?
I'm honestly wondering here. Could my brining 1/3 of my caloric intake every day just walking to and from work be causing my body to go into starvation mode? Should I re-eat the calories I burn with all the walking I do to push me back up to 1500 a day?
The bulk of what I lost was eating 1300-1500 calories a day and exercising. I know it's cliche, but I just break everything up into small meals and eat throughout the day. It's like playing a game of keeping yourself just above starving. When that mad hunger hits, that's when us fat guys make bad decisions.
It also helped me a lot in accepting that it was a lifestyle change rather than goals or a system. Every single time I set goals for myself in the past, it's already labeling the diet as something that is transient, and I lose focus. That frame of mind will destroy willpower.
It also helped me a lot in accepting that it was a lifestyle change rather than goals or a system. Every single time I set goals for myself in the past, it's already labeling the diet as something that is transient, and I lose focus. That frame of mind will destroy willpower.
Etrian Oddity
Member
You also had the advantage of being fit while you were younger. It's basically been proven that it's easier for someone to go from fit to fat to fit again than just from fat to fit, because of how the body works and "convinces" itself of how it should be. It's why fat kids often have more trouble later on in life keeping the weight off.
I'd love to read the study that found this to be the case. Is it all corollary or is there hard evidence of this? (in case you're reading this as snarky, it's not, I love learning).
Horseticuffs
Full werewolf off the buckle
Right, I know I need to be operating on a deficit. What in wondering is if I should be subtracting calories I burn from the 1500 I ingest and eating until I have 1500 daily including those that I deduct for exercise.
OR should I do like I have been and eat 1500 and burn a large portion of that away every day.
Basically should I
A) eat 1500, then subtract my exercise and eat more till I'm at 1500 per day total.
Or
B) eat 1500, exercise like normal, and still those Initial 1500 is all for the day.
I'm concerned that may be why I'm plateauing.
OR should I do like I have been and eat 1500 and burn a large portion of that away every day.
Basically should I
A) eat 1500, then subtract my exercise and eat more till I'm at 1500 per day total.
Or
B) eat 1500, exercise like normal, and still those Initial 1500 is all for the day.
I'm concerned that may be why I'm plateauing.
How much do you weigh, what's your age and what's your height?
Etrian Oddity
Member
It may take me a while and/or a couple pages to find the trail of that source again, but I'll try to post it here.
::edit:: Just by doing a prelim search I can tell it's going to be hard as dick for me to find that report, but I'll try to keep looking. The gist of it was that your body metabolizes differently based on the state it has been in; IE, it isn't a radical change in its morphology. By age 18-20 your body has "decided" on how it "should" be, based on what it already is--and this "decision" doesn't change.
Another way to explain it is that even though hobbies and previous lifestyle choices may die hard, you will see different results from certain types of people. Take Jarod from Subway: He lost a ton of weight, but he also put a lot of it back on. He still made healthy choices such as going for walks, being active, avoiding bad food, etc; but unless he did a radical diet, his body kept putting the weight back on because that's what it was "conditioned" to do.
The same concept applies to guys who were athletes but got fat, and proceeded to lose it again. Regardless of the scenario, the original state of the body by a certain age is going to be what prevails in how you metabolize and handle weight loss. Or so the article said.
Horseticuffs
Full werewolf off the buckle
I currently weigh 265, down from 350. I am currently 33 years of ago, and I am 5' 07".
Extra info that may prove helpful:
I'm a lacto ovo vegetarian, I walk for a total of 8 miles to and from work 5 days a week at a pace of roughly 3mph. I have a physically intensive job where I never sit down.
I'll be happy to provide any other information which might be helpful
I'm at the end of my rope over here trying to break past 250!I currently weigh 265, down from 350. I am currently 33 years of ago, and I am 5' 07".
Extra info that may prove helpful:
I'm a lacto ovo vegetarian, I walk for a total of 8 miles to and from work 5 days a week at a pace of roughly 3mph. I have a physically intensive job where I never sit down.
I'll be happy to provide any other information which might be helpful
At 265 if you're eating 1500 calories a day and exercising you're guaranteed to keep losing weight.
You're body is requiring 2000 - 2500 calories a day just to maintain your current weight.
Just keep at it. How many carbs are u eating a day?
I started at 181 two and a half months ago. I eat 1000 calories a day and shoot for <200 carbs. I burn 400 calories exercising every other day. Now I'm 162. You will lose the weight. Just keep at it!
Horseticuffs
Full werewolf off the buckle
There's the rub. I eat a good deal of carbs. I know it's like a sin for weightloss but a lot of my diet consists of beans and lentils for protein and short of eating meat I don't really know how else to eat enough to survive without beans and lentils :/
Myfitnesspal tells me that each week in allowed to have up to 1,442 grams of carbs. For the last 5 weeks I've eaten 1,448, 990, 1,539, 1,629, and 1,611. So, as you see, usually I even overshoot the 1,442 allotment
I'd hate to think this damned plateau is all due to carbs. It isn't like I'm eating bread AT ALL. I will, maybe once a week, have a serving of mashed potatoes or pasta. I'm not generally going crazy on processed carbs. 99% of it is beans and lentils.
It's entirely frustrating. About two weeks ago I was down to 262.5 and I thought the next week that I'd FINALLY break into the 250's. I stepped on the scale several days later and I was at 266.5, but I actually had to tighten my belt!
I know that body composition can change with diet and exercise, but I'm briskly walking not power lifting. So why did I gain 4 pounds but have to make my belt smaller? I don't know what to think.
Thanks for the opportunity to talk about it guys! Even that is a help.
There's the rub. I eat a good deal of carbs. I know it's like a sin for weightloss but a lot of my diet consists of beans and lentils for protein and short of eating meat I don't really know how else to eat enough to survive without beans and lentils :/
Myfitnesspal tells me that each week in allowed to have up to 1,442 grams of carbs. For the last 5 weeks I've eaten 1,448, 990, 1,539, 1,629, and 1,611. So, as you see, usually I even overshoot the 1,442 allotment
I'd hate to think this damned plateau is all due to carbs. It isn't like I'm eating bread AT ALL. I will, maybe once a week, have a serving of mashed potatoes or pasta. I'm not generally going crazy on processed carbs. 99% of it is beans and lentils.
It's entirely frustrating. About two weeks ago I was down to 262.5 and I thought the next week that I'd FINALLY break into the 250's. I stepped on the scale several days later and I was at 266.5, but I actually had to tighten my belt!
I know that body composition can change with diet and exercise, but I'm briskly walking not power lifting. So why did I gain 4 pounds but have to make my belt smaller? I don't know what to think.
Thanks for the opportunity to talk about it guys! Even that is a help.
I'm vegetarian, too. For breakfest I have egg whites. For lunch I have either a 6 inch veggie sub or a small salad. For dinner I usually have sweet potatoes, beans, pasta, stir fry, etc. Some days I struggle to get to 1,000 calories.
Why don't you try to slowly introduce a new, more intensive exercise. What about trying to lightly jog for 2 minutes every 10 minutes of walking?
I wouldn't say 1,400 of carbs every seven days is a lot. That's substantially less than the average American consumes.
Just a while ago I was in this very thread asking WHY CAN'T I BREAK 170??? Then boom, after a while the scale dipped below 170, then to 165 and now to 162.
The plan you're on sounds reasonable. You're on the right path. After losing so much weight you cannot expect to see the rapid weight loss continue. Just readjust your expectations. A lot of people give up when they hit a plateau. Don't quit. Just keep going.
iceman1304
Member
Why and how are you eating so little? Not criticizing what you're doing, I just don't know how you can manage only 1000 calories without being hungry all the time. Isn't it recommended to eat atleast 1200 calories, no matter what size you are?
I have been eating 1700-1900 calories a day, lifting 3-5 days a week, and I am down from 195 to 182 in about 2.5 months. I'm 6'0" tall. I eat about 165g of protein, 165g carbs, and 60g of fat per day. I think I've maintained and maybe even gained some muscle, while losing fat.
Yeah, it's a bit extreme. It's not a permanent plan. I just wanted to challenge myself and see if I could lose 20-25 pounds in 2 months. I'm also lifting 3-5 days a week. I will definitely start to eat a bit more when I get to 155. I'm 5'11.
Horseticuffs
Full werewolf off the buckle
Thanks for the kind words of wisdom. I guess I've just gotten discouraged. I'd be perfectly fine to lose even a pound a week or even every two weeks, but to stick to the same plan the whole time and somehow gain 4 whole pounds in a week is unsettling to say the least.
Thanks for the motivation. Maybe what I need to do is stop weighing myself so darned often. These may be normal fluctuations that people wouldn't normally notice.
I'm just gonna pick up the pace on my walks, weigh myself less often, try to carb down a bit and lay off the sugars, and fight the good fight.
Thanks again for the encouragement, all!
Etrian Oddity
Member
As I posted in the fitness thread... it's so hard for me to eat at a deficit on recovery days. My appetite gets insatiable at times and it's all I can do to not hit or go past maintenance. :\
Horseticuffs
Full werewolf off the buckle
Quite an accomplicment! What is your goal weight, exactly?It's been 3 months exactly on my diet and I've lost 15.5kgs or 34lbs for those playing in the States.
Another 30lbs to go!
Was 127kg/279lbs
Now 112kgs/246lbs
Aiming 90kgs/198lbs.
Oops, so 48lbs more!
I set out to do a paleo diet but in actual fact it's closer to atkins, except with a month long restrictive ketogenic type diet and after that adding some more carbs through potatoes and the occasional bread product. So not ketogenic now just low-carb. I also haven't really exercised it's been all through diet, I initially didn't want to lose weight very quickly for loose skin reasons but that didn't work the diet has been very effective.
I should also mention that while macronutrient preference has drastically changed, I have also restricted daily calories from around 2.5k kcal to around 1.5-1.8k per day and I'm not really feeling very hungry.
How much fat are you eating on maintenance days?
You said you don't eat cheese right, or eggs too? Nuts and seeds, avocados/guacamole, coconut products [whole, flakes, milk, oil, ect.], extra dark chocolate, when you eat veggies, cover them in butter, full fat greek yogurt [if you eat dairy]. Home made protien shakes?
Etrian Oddity
Member
I can't tell you the amount in grams (perhaps the root of the problem), but I normally eat a lot of eggs, sausage, and cheese on off days. I'm just gonna have to tweak things around, it's still a work in progress as I just started the new meal plan this month.
Horseticuffs
Full werewolf off the buckle
I do eggs, to be sure. Sometimes I have to stop myself at 4 in a day. I love me some hard-boiled eggs.
I've been doing some reading and it looks like the FDA reccomends 300 for an adult male at a 2,500 cal diet. My diet calls for 206. Obviously I haven't previously tried to stick to that.
Heretofore, though, I may not be one of those low-carb dudes who can somehow do 30g a day but, much like I've started doing with sugars, I'm gonna keep an eye on my carbs and definitely try to keep them below 206.
I've read that some people anecdotally figure the average American to eat between 300-500 g a day!
I'm gonna check and make sure that Greek yogurt doesn't have gelatin.
300g-500g of carbs? holy shit. I eat like 600g of food total.
g.r.e.
Member
Damn it. Stalled at 74kg, and I need to lose another 14 kilos to reach my goal weight. :/
This is frustrating because it's the first time I've stalled since May, and I was hoping I could reach my goal near the end of this year...
I guess I could do a carb refeed? It should do the trick. :/
This is frustrating because it's the first time I've stalled since May, and I was hoping I could reach my goal near the end of this year...
I guess I could do a carb refeed? It should do the trick. :/
reggieandTFE
Member
I'm a vegeatarian like you and have lost weight eating carbs. I'm 5'10" and just went from 178lbs after my vacation in late June to 159lbs about a week and a half ago while eating 1800-1900 calories a day with 45% of that coming from carbs. I have been trying to lower that to 40%, but that's simply to up my protein intake without adding calories.
Cereal for breakfast, sandwich and chips for lunch, pasta for dinner with garlic bread. I can imagine getting to that amount of carbs is pretty normal for your obese American.
Today's food for me. Not my most glorious day but here goes.
2 small beef schnitzels with gravy.
2 slices of cheese with 5 crackers.
1 bockwurst with a small side of saurkraut and mustard.
small bit of feta cheese as a snack, with a couple of olives. Half a banana.
It couldn't have been more then 800g total. Ok maybe 600g was an underestimation. The food I eat is very low energy density however.
Jupiter Jones
Member
Multivitamins hurt my stomach. It could be that. According to Livestrong.com:
In addition to the potential for allergic reactions, use of multivitamins that contain iron can trigger minor stomach upset, as well as nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea and discolored or dark stools, Drugs.com says. If stomach upset or other symptoms bother you or occur regularly, ask your doctor for advice. In some cases, use of iron-containing multivitamins can also trigger more serious side effects, including stomach pain, stomach cramping, tarry or black stools, bloody vomit and persistent vomiting, diarrhea or nausea. If you experience any form of these effects, get medical attention immediately.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/285477-multi-vitamins-stomach-pain/#ixzz27levO8Ch
I had mad stomach pains when I took my multivitamin in the morning. I nearly vomited on the way to work.
I switched to taking it before bed and no problems.
Yes, I'm not going to be building mass at all. My weight routine is pretty up tempo with lots of reps. I probably burn around 100-200 calories during a 40 min weight routine. It's really quasi-cardio to fill the days in-between my regular cardio.Zoe said:
Zoe
Member
Only 100-200 calories? Come on, if you're gonna do it for cardio, you should shoot for more than that!
I do Body Pump for about an hour 3 times a week and burn around 450 calories on average.
(just recently added real weight training on the other days, but it's affecting my performance in Pump, so I'll probably have to cut back on the class)
I thought that could be it, but my vitamins don't contain iron. Unfortunately, I think I have a more serious problem. I'm either allergic to pistachios, which is highly possibly as I've eaten them every day for over a week or I have diverticulitus, which some of my symptoms match up with. I kind of hope it's the pistachios to be honest. I don't want to have to change everything I eat. Who knows...it could be neither of those things. I'm going to to the doctor this afternoon because I'm still having issues, so lets hope he figures it out.
Zoe
Member
It's mostly my endurance. These sets last 4-5 minutes, and I've been struggling to complete the chest press and shoulder sets (chest is also my worst during training).
I do get more sore than I used to during the class, but I don't feel any soreness outside of it.
BertramCooper
Banned
I just had to complete an online health questionnaire for work that included questions about my diet. As expected, I was chastised by WebMD for not eating enough grains. That made me laugh.
I just read this post in the voice of Bert Cooper. lol
I highly recommend checking out the simplified IF rules over here. In particular, the rule about green vegetables will probably make achieving satiety on your rest days a lot easier.
Lots of Greek yogurt, granola, Larabar Uberbars, almonds, cashews, dried/fresh fruit, and Trader Joes vacuum fried banana chips. I'd budget 600-700 calories for dinner because I love to cook. That's where my variety was at. Carne Asada tacos, home made Mac n cheese, chicken avocado wraps, grilled cheese, flat iron steak salad, lots of other stuff. I just listened to my body for what it was craving. I didn't count carbs, protein or anything really.
When you have that kind of calorie deficit and are exercising, I've always found that you crave the things that have good nutrition. If you are a food lover, like me, sometimes you have to let yourself splurge too. Otherwise, you'll just get burnt out.
Update time again. 12 months now of diet and regular exercise.
Again, not micromanaging anything, just eating less and exercising more. No insane diets, just making sure I keep it under 2k calories a day and try to burn off 500-700 calories per day at least 5 days per week and I do this by mixing up riding a bike, walking, and light jogging. I started Sept. 2011.
Sept 2011 @ 265lbs:
Apr or May 2012 @ 230lbs:
End of June 2012 @ 220lbs:
End of July 2012 @ 210lbs:
End of Sept. 2012 @ 200lbs
Again, not micromanaging anything, just eating less and exercising more. No insane diets, just making sure I keep it under 2k calories a day and try to burn off 500-700 calories per day at least 5 days per week and I do this by mixing up riding a bike, walking, and light jogging. I started Sept. 2011.
Sept 2011 @ 265lbs:
Apr or May 2012 @ 230lbs:
End of June 2012 @ 220lbs:
End of July 2012 @ 210lbs:
End of Sept. 2012 @ 200lbs