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[kaioshade]

Was just about to go to sleep.

Diet is not absolutely shit, but could obviously be better.
Most mornings i have yogurt with granola. lunch i have salad. dinner its usually whatever, tends to be a lot of fast food.

I am not very active, but do go walking a few times a week, and my job keeps me on my feet a decent portion of the day.

Food is kind of a pain as i am between apartments and im staying with a friend, so i have tended not to buy much food to keep in the fridge. When i get my own place i definitely plan to buy more decent food. I very rarely eat candy. my biggest problem is portion control. I eat when im depressed or stressed, which nowadays is quite frequently.

Goals are mainly weight loss and to generally be fit. i figure anything has to be an improvement from what i am now. Lots of research to be done.

Ill post back in the morning with more info.

 

[Frankenstrat]

I said I'd post them, so here they are. I know I'm not really shirtless Gaf material but since I took the most embarrassing before picture I could, I went ahead and stayed consistent with the after.

As I said, I still have some stubborn belly fat but I hit my goal of 150 lbs.

I guess if I really wanted to show the difference, I should have taken a side profile pic back in April but oh well. I probably going to shave the beard now as well since I mainly grew it to hide the double chin.

Dude. Awesome. Keep it up and you'll reach full Tier 1!

 

[Einbroch]

Was just about to go to sleep.

Diet is not absolutely shit, but could obviously be better.
Most mornings i have yogurt with granola. lunch i have salad. dinner its usually whatever, tends to be a lot of fast food.

I am not very active, but do go walking a few times a week, and my job keeps me on my feet a decent portion of the day.

Food is kind of a pain as i am between apartments and im staying with a friend, so i have tended not to buy much food to keep in the fridge. When i get my own place i definitely plan to buy more decent food. I very rarely eat candy. my biggest problem is portion control. I eat when im depressed or stressed, which nowadays is quite frequently.

Goals are mainly weight loss and to generally be fit. i figure anything has to be an improvement from what i am now. Lots of research to be done.

Ill post back in the morning with more info.

I wish you luck! The hardest part is starting. Then the hardest part is sticking to it. So, it's all hard. :lol

I literally tossed out all my carby foods and started from scratch. If you think you'll fail, make your goals attainable and short. You eat fast food? That's fine for now. Just get two burgers and take one set of buns, toss them, and combine the two. Instantly healthier and still fast food. Oh and don't get fries. You'll save money, be healthier, and be more full! You walk a few times a week? Make one of those walks a little HIIT.

I found myself burned out trying to workout like crazy, cut all bad food, and go full in. I'm taking it a lot more gradual this time and it's working out better. But hey, if you're the type of person that can do it cold turkey, go for it.

Oh, and POST OFTEN! It's a nice little community and we all want to support eachother's weight loss. Have a question or just feel down? Post it, or if you can confide in someone in your life, do that.

 

[Horseticuffs]

Was just about to go to sleep.

Diet is not absolutely shit, but could obviously be better.
Most mornings i have yogurt with granola. lunch i have salad. dinner its usually whatever, tends to be a lot of fast food.

I am not very active, but do go walking a few times a week, and my job keeps me on my feet a decent portion of the day.

Food is kind of a pain as i am between apartments and im staying with a friend, so i have tended not to buy much food to keep in the fridge. When i get my own place i definitely plan to buy more decent food. I very rarely eat candy. my biggest problem is portion control. I eat when im depressed or stressed, which nowadays is quite frequently.

Goals are mainly weight loss and to generally be fit. i figure anything has to be an improvement from what i am now. Lots of research to be done.

Ill post back in the morning with more info.

Welcome to the thread! I hope you stick around.

As was noted above, the first step is starting. 348 is a lot, sure, but it's FAR from hopeless. A little less than 8 months ago I was a little over 350, and I just weighed in a few days ago at 249 and I'm not running ultra marathons or anything like that.

What I mean to say is if you have the drive you can totally do his, and it'll likely be easier than you thought. You'll be amazed how psyched and zealous you get when people start noticing in 4-5 months.

The best advice I can offer is to, as much as possible, become an expert. Learn all you can about diet and fitness and they may become your passion. Evaluate your lifestyle and hobbies and see what may be detrimental to your goal.

If you have a smartphone or iPod touch or something I highly reccomend downloading Myfitnesspal and logging everything you ingest. It really helps you find the things you need to pay attention to and work on.

Most of all, try to have fun with it. Your body is an amazing machine and once you start maintaining it properly you will be amazed at what it's capable of!

Best of luck and keep at it


Man, between a newcomer and the great fruit debate of 2012 the thread wa busier tonight than its been all month!

 

[Einbroch]

Man, between a newcomer and the great fruit debate of 2012 the thread wa busier tonight than its been all month!

People get so snippy over that stuff. I thought this was about losing weight and bettering our lives, not taking little barbs at each other. Debate is fine, but too often this thread gets heated.

Maybe I'm just being a sensitive little ninny.

Edit: This medicine is really messing with me or something, I just typed out "ninny".

 

[Chittagong]

Fresh measurements today.

114.1kg / 252lbs
189 cm / 6 feet 3 inches
BMI 32.1
Lean Body mass 71%
Body Fat 29%

I think I have an around 25kg push ahead of me still. I think I have actually increased lean body mass this year a lot, although my weight has not dropped hugely. So now I'm doing IF to burn that fat out.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

How do you fellows deal with cravings? Currently, cravings kill me about once a week or so. Usually I let myself cheat a little and that's that, everything is okay. But sometimes, stress from school, work, and life in general really interfere. Not so much in a turning to food as a reward, but more of trying to at least get some source of dopamine.

Fortunately for me, sugary stuff and cakes are not what I crave. My worst cravings are for fried, crunchy stuff (chips, etc). Any advice for healthy alternatives? I've tried nuts and pork cracklins, but I haven't found a true counter for a nice handful of chips.

Most are on some version of low carb yes. Probably 90% plus. (For good reason. I have lost 80+ lbs in less than 6 months on low carb with what I consider fairly minimal effort)

Its kind of the consensus "go to" diet right now.

Agreed. Although my spin is "low-grain," as I need the extra energy from carbs to properly work out (IE, keep motivated or not crash).

I still keep my intake to less than 130 grams a day, though; so I suppose I am low-carb.

Well, i have had enough with the weight. After many (admittedly half assed) attempts at losing weight, im going to try again, and get serious.

First thing to do is kill soda. Incredibly tempting when you have a fridge full of the shit at work, fully stocked at all times.

We have a gym membership at work, no reason not to take advantage of it.

Wish me luck.

348 lbs.

You can do it. In fact, you're going to see an ENORMOUS amount of progress in the first three months' time. I've been battling a plateau for a while, but don't give up!

 

[Sadsic]

gonna post this, super embarrassed:

thats me at my fattest

im about 15 lbs lighter now, but i got a lot of work to go

 

[Horseticuffs]

gonna post this, super embarrassed:


thats me at my fattest

im about 15 lbs lighter now, but i got a lot of work to go

Dude, that's nothing to be embarrassed about. You weren't even too bad at your worst, I'm sure 15lbs has made a huge difference anyway.

Be proud, buddy

 

[Felix Lighter]

Dude. Awesome. Keep it up and you'll reach full Tier 1!

Thanks, is it the beard or the weight loss?

 

[LaneDS]

Dude, that's nothing to be embarrassed about. You weren't even too bad at your worst, I'm sure 15lbs has made a huge difference anyway.

Be proud, buddy

Echoing this! Nothing to feel embarrassed about; you're taking steps to get yourself to a healthier and happier place, so more power to you. I hope posting that helps you continue on towards your goal.

Thanks, is it the beard or the weight loss?

Fitter and more beardier, so I'm going to say both!

 

[GatorBait]

lol. You must be kidding.

Almost all low carb foods (which tend to be calorie dense) are bad for you by that logic.


For fruit all fruit is not created equal. Some are simply not compatible with low carb dieting. If you don't want to do low carb...fine I am not complaining.....to each their own. Lets not pretend fruits like Bannanas and Grapes are a quality source of calories if trying to keep your carb counts low. Of course you could eat ANYTHING in moderation and be fine....I could eat jolly ranchers and still lose weight if I only ate one....thats not the point. Just because those fruits are better than candy doesn't make them not terrible when compared to other...better...fruit options.

How many grams of carbohydrates per day would you consider to be "low carb" though?

 

[Wafflecakes]

How many grams of carbohydrates per day would you consider to be "low carb" though?

Most low carbers try to stay under 50g a day. Generally I do less than 20. Anything less than 100g is probably still considered low carb though.

The fruits that are not allowed are not only because they have more carbs (which they do) but also because they digest faster and have a much higher glycemic index. A banana for example is generally between a 45-60 GI. Apples on the other hand are 30-45.

(for comparison white bread is 70-75)

Low=Good because the carbs digest slower and don't cause blood sugar spikes.

 

[GatorBait]

Most low carbers try to stay under 50g a day. Generally I do less than 20. Anything less than 100g is probably still considered low carb though.

The fruits that are not allowed are not only because they have more carbs (which they do) but also because they digest faster and have a much higher glycemic index. A banana for example is generally between a 45-60 GI. Apples on the other hand are 30-45.

(for comparison white bread is 70-75)

Low=Good because the carbs digest slower and don't cause blood sugar spikes.

I realize all this. I just wanted to get an idea of what you were defining "low carb" as.

I don't go out of my way to stay ultra-low carb on my diet (primal/paleo-type of diet), but it ends up being what most would consider in the area of low carb by virtue of the total grams of carbs I intake daily. I pretty easily stay under 100 grams per day even while occasionally eating fruit and dairy (sometimes in the same day).

For fruit, I think it needs to be recommended based on how low the dieter wishes his/her carb count to be. Under 20 grams of carbs and under 100 grams of carbs per day is a rather significant difference.

Personally, I'm not so dogmatic about the idea of low carb that I would disregard recommending fruit of any type, depending on the goals of the individual - that includes bananas and grapes, to use two of your examples. They can all have their place in a "low carb diet" (depending on the individual's goals, exercise levels, and typical daily diet); their glycemic load can be adjusted by combining them with other foods, and their impact on blood sugar levels can be managed with conscientious meal timing.

For you, since your goal seems to be <20g, I would recommend that fruit have an extremely minimal, if any, place in your typical diet (and certain fruits would effectively be banned). For others, it may be OK for them to have any type of fruit. There are definitely "better" types of fruit though, but that does not necessarily mean you have to fully avoid the "lesser" fruits though (especially considering they still stay within the upper echelons of nutritious sources of carbs).

 

[Wafflecakes]

Yeah my argument was never that you shouldn't eat fruit. Twas about which fruits fit well into low carb diets.

For me fruit is dangerous because when I get it I can rarely limit myself to just one. So I avoid except for when I really feel the need.

 

[reggieandTFE]

Most are on some version of low carb yes. Probably 90% plus. (For good reason. I have lost 80+ lbs in less than 6 months on low carb with what I consider fairly minimal effort)

Its kind of the consensus "go to" diet right now.

Your numbers are completely off. Perhaps the majority of the most vocal people in this thread are low-carb, but the people actually posting pics seem to lean more towards eating less and working out more.

 

[Wafflecakes]

Your numbers are completely off. Perhaps the majority of the most vocal people in this thread are low-carb, but the people actually posting pics seem to lean more towards eating less and working out more.

lol

Unlikely.

The fact is that "low carb" is so much the norm now that even people not specifically on low carb diets are eating drastically less carbs than they would have dieting a decade ago.

(plus I know very few....eat less....work more...people in this thread)

 

[Boney]

Reporting in!

A bit of background first is in order I guess. I was pretty active sportswise during highschool, and I trained and played rugby around 6 days a week. Was pretty fit except that I always had a bit of the lovehandles no matter what I did heh.

So flashforward today, it's been 4 years since I stopped exercising and naturally I've put on some weight. I weigh 75kg but I'm a small guy so it's around 7-8 kilos overweight which I need to lose. Started exercising around 4 weeks ago on those static bikes I have here at home for around 50 minutes daily doing around 20km with different difficulty levels randomly set up, also been doing pushups, abs and have some very light weights.

Also, I've been eating less and lot healthier as well, trying to steer off carbs and having mostly meat and salads which has been doing me good. But the biggest problem is, you guessed it, trying to get rid of the fat around the hips, aka my love handles, so I'd love to know a few tips for that and overall as well.

Thanks duders

 

[Ixian]

Also, I've been eating less and lot healthier as well, trying to steer off carbs and having mostly meat and salads which has been doing me good. But the biggest problem is, you guessed it, trying to get rid of the fat around the hips, aka my love handles, so I'd love to know a few tips for that and overall as well.

Thanks duders

Don't really think there's any tips that can be given here; just keep grinding.

 

[Horseticuffs]

Reporting in!

A bit of background first is in order I guess. I was pretty active sportswise during highschool, and I trained and played rugby around 6 days a week. Was pretty fit except that I always had a bit of the lovehandles no matter what I did heh.

So flashforward today, it's been 4 years since I stopped exercising and naturally I've put on some weight. I weigh 75kg but I'm a small guy so it's around 7-8 kilos overweight which I need to lose. Started exercising around 4 weeks ago on those static bikes I have here at home for around 50 minutes daily doing around 20km with different difficulty levels randomly set up, also been doing pushups, abs and have some very light weights.

Also, I've been eating less and lot healthier as well, trying to steer off carbs and having mostly meat and salads which has been doing me good. But the biggest problem is, you guessed it, trying to get rid of the fat around the hips, aka my love handles, so I'd love to know a few tips for that and overall as well.

Thanks duders

Seems like you have a good plan, just keep on keeping on!

Best of luck!

On the matter of carbs, I don't really limit them. My diet is around 60% carbs, but it's all mostly from things like beans & lentils. I only have processed carbs on very rare occasion.

I'm no personal trainer or expert, but the lifestyle change has served me well.

 

[Vaporak]

Hey GAF, so I'm sick and tired of being fat all my life and am finally going to be seriously doing something about it. Any help and advice would be much appreciated. From a bit of researching around diet seems to be the #1 thing to focus on for weight loss. From the same bit, low carb diets seem to be conceptually easy to implement and effective so I'm going with that. "Eat meat and vegetables, don't eat rice and bread" is a pretty easy rule of thumb. After that though I don't really know what I should be doing. For example, some people seem to be recommending getting more than 1/2 of my calories from fats, but how would I go about shopping to achieve that? I really have no idea how to keep track of nutrition since there's no labels or anything to go by. I went shopping a couple days ago and just bought large amounts of whatever was cheap.

So over yesterday and today I've been eating only pork chops (since they were cheap) and vegetables. I'm feeling a little bit suboptimal, but I'm guessing that's normal. I'm planning on jogging/hiking once I get my diet under control, and down the line once I'm not so out of shape adding in weight training. I already never ate fast food, rarely ate dessert or snacked on chips, didn't drink anything but water and milk, and mostly cooked for myself; but still have been fat my whole life. Hopefully this kind of change to my diet will make the difference. :/ So any advice or heads up on what to expect would be helpful, and good luck to all the other Gaffers working hard!

 

[dralla]

Well, if you're going to do low carb your body is going need a new source of energy and that's why you'll need to increase fat intake, protein can't be used as fuel, either fats or carbs. Shopping is really simple on this kind of diet, stick to the outside of the store. All types of meat and fish, eggs, nuts/nut butters, veggies, avocados, coconuts, full fat dairy/cheese..depending on how strict you want to be, low-sugar fruits (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries), extra dark chocolate for a treat. Just remember not to fear fat, it will not clog your arteries or give you a heart attack, so eat that butter and bacon with no guilt!

As for exercise, simply walking a few miles a couple times a week is a good place to start, just to get the ball rolling so to speak. You don't need to kill yourself with cardio.

In the beginning you're going to lose a lot of water/water weight, and as a result of that, lose a lot of electrolytes..salt, potassium, magnesium, calcium. So you want to increase your intake of these, add salt to meals, eat foods high in the others, good place to start to see which foods are high in which - http://www.healthaliciousness.com/most-nutritious-foods-lists.php

 

[Vaporak]

Well, if you're going to do low carb your body is going need a new source of energy and that's why you'll need to increase fat intake, protein can't be used as fuel, either fats or carbs. Shopping is really simple on this kind of diet, stick to the outside of the store. All types of meat and fish, eggs, nuts/nut butters, veggies, avocados, coconuts, full fat dairy/cheese..depending on how strict you want to be, low-sugar fruits (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries), extra dark chocolate for a treat. Just remember not to fear fat, it will not clog your arteries or give you a heart attack, so eat that butter and bacon with no guilt!

As for exercise, simply walking a few miles a couple times a week is a good place to start, just to get the ball rolling so to speak. You don't need to kill yourself with cardio.

In the beginning you're going to lose a lot of water/water weight, and as a result of that, lose a lot of electrolytes..salt, potassium, magnesium, calcium. So you want to increase your intake of these, add salt to meals, eat foods high in the others, good place to start to see which foods are high in which - http://www.healthaliciousness.com/most-nutritious-foods-lists.php

Thanks for the advice, I'll look over the list and try and grab some stuff next time I'm at the store for the electrolytes depletion. Do you mind expanding on the bolded though? Protein's definitely got calories so I'm not quite sure what you mean. Also, does it matter that much what meat I buy or can I just grab what I can get a lot of for cheap? Would it be noticeably better to specifically buy fatty cuts of meat?

 

[dralla]

Protein is primarily used to build and repair cells in the body. I guess I shouldn't say it can't be used as fuel, it can, just very poorly. The body prefers fat or carbs, one of the mistakes people make when going low carb is going low fat as well, they feel fatigued/tired/lethargic ect. The primary source of fuel is carbs, but if you restrict carbs enough for a long period of time, usually a month or so, you'll notice how more much efficient the body is using fats instead. Eventually your body will be able to switch between the 2 with no problem

article on "fat-adaption" - http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted/#axzz2Af5GNZi7

As for the meat, buy the best quality meat you can afford. Fatty and lean meats are fine. You can always get further into the health side of things and start monitoring omega-6 and omega-3 fats, not necessary, especially if you're just starting out. I would recommend avoiding vegetable/seed oils though, that's things like soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, ect. oils. Cook with butter, ghee, lard, tallow, coconut oil, avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, olive oil is OK but only on low heat, I'd use it as a dressing or coating if you're baking something.

 

[harSon]

These pictures are about a month and a half old, but I forgot to make an update when they were taken. I want to refrain from making a more current update until new years, but these certainly show some of the progress I've made over summer.

For those who don't know, I've been dieting for well over 2 years now, starting at 351 pounds:

Comparison between my heaviest and the beginning of summer:

And more recently:

I'm not exactly sure where I'm at weight wise since I stopped weighing myself, but I'm probably still somewhere around 190, albeit with a lot less body fat than before. I'm pretty much where I want to be weight wise, but am definitely looking to lessen my body fat percentage some more. It's been a while since I've felt comfortable with my shirt off.

Can't wait to show ya'll where I'm at on New Years!

 

[Chittagong]

Oh man, I remember the top pic you posted earlier, that already was amazing but those bottom shirtless pics sre just superb. Such a fantastic transformation, you must feel great. Your gym routine seems to be working very well, what is it like? Big compound movements?

 

[Pisuke1983]

This thread helped me getting motivated. I started my diet on the last week of july.
I lost about 19 kg so far.

Start: 07/30/2012
Weight: 159 kg

Current: 10/29/2012
Weight: 140.2 kg

I'm 196cm. My BMI dropped from 41.2 to 37

 

[BertramCooper]

These pictures are about a month and a half old, but I forgot to make an update when they were taken. I want to refrain from making a more current update until new years, but these certainly show some of the progress I've made over summer.

For those who don't know, I've been dieting for well over 2 years now, starting at 351 pounds:


Comparison between my heaviest and the beginning of summer:

And more recently:

I'm not exactly sure where I'm at weight wise since I stopped weighing myself, but I'm probably still somewhere around 190, albeit with a lot less body fat than before. I'm pretty much where I want to be weight wise, but am definitely looking to lessen my body fat percentage some more. It's been a while since I've felt comfortable with my shirt off.

Can't wait to show ya'll where I'm at on New Years!

Awesome work!

Quick question - How long did it take for you to burn through all of the excess belly fat? I'm at that pesky stage where a lot of my upper body has some great definition, most notably my arms and increasingly in my chest, but I've still got this irritating excess flab around my stomach that's hanging around for as long as possible.

I know if I keep at it it will eventually disappear - and my waist continues to shrink, so I know I'm heading in the right direction - but it's such a pain in the ass.

 

[Horseticuffs]

This thread helped me getting motivated. I started my diet on the last week of july.
I lost about 19 kg so far.

Start: 07/30/2012
Weight: 159 kg

Current: 10/29/2012
Weight: 140.2 kg

I'm 196cm. My BMI dropped from 41.2 to 37

Awesome work, keep it up!

I just converted that to pounds and it's a very impressive loss quite quickly.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

So I don't get my weight. For the past month or so (doing P90X/X2 hybrid) I'd go from about 199 when I wake up to 205 before I work out. I assume this is water weight and that's fine. I haven't really lost anything while on the program though.

This last week/weekend was my break week so I only worked out twice. During the weekend I was at a friends for Halloween festivities and ate horrible. I'm talking fast food burgers twice, beer, and general bad food. We did walk a ton at Worlds of Fun, so that should have at least helped.

I come home today and weigh myself this afternoon (when I typically am at 205) after a week off and bad food. I weighed 202, with all clothes on. Note, this is a good thing, but I am confused at how that happens.

I think it's happened before too, I'll lose a chunk of weight on a break week. Is this just due to P90X/2 putting on muscle as opposed to losing fat? Then in a break week I lose some progress? I just get confused how my weight fluctuates 6 pounds a day, and I don't lose any weight on a cardio-heavy workout program, but lose a few pounds during a week off with bad eating. Am I not eating enough calories during the week typically, so when I go off the program my body finally gets the calories it needs to dump some weight?

Just odd. I have about 10 lbs left to go and have been stuck for months now.

 

[harSon]

Awesome work!

Quick question - How long did it take for you to burn through all of the excess belly fat? I'm at that pesky stage where a lot of my upper body has some great definition, most notably my arms and increasingly in my chest, but I've still got this irritating excess flab around my stomach that's hanging around for as long as possible.

I know if I keep at it it will eventually disappear - and my waist continues to shrink, so I know I'm heading in the right direction - but it's such a pain in the ass.

Thanks!

And yes, stomach fat is a pain in the ass. It was definitely the absolute last thing to shrink in terms of my weight loss, but it will definitely come off with a sound diet, exercise and some patience. I know what you're feeling though... you're so freaking close to the body you want but your body won't cut you any slack

The lighting in the picture was really kind in covering up some stretch marks that are definitely visable in real life. But they're going away, and I've gotten over them haha.

 

[Ixian]

So I don't get my weight. For the past month or so (doing P90X/X2 hybrid) I'd go from about 199 when I wake up to 205 before I work out. I assume this is water weight and that's fine. I haven't really lost anything while on the program though.

This last week/weekend was my break week so I only worked out twice. During the weekend I was at a friends for Halloween festivities and ate horrible. I'm talking fast food burgers twice, beer, and general bad food. We did walk a ton at Worlds of Fun, so that should have at least helped.

I come home today and weigh myself this afternoon (when I typically am at 205) after a week off and bad food. I weighed 202, with all clothes on. Note, this is a good thing, but I am confused at how that happens.

I think it's happened before too, I'll lose a chunk of weight on a break week. Is this just due to P90X/2 putting on muscle as opposed to losing fat? Then in a break week I lose some progress? I just get confused how my weight fluctuates 6 pounds a day, and I don't lose any weight on a cardio-heavy workout program, but lose a few pounds during a week off with bad eating. Am I not eating enough calories during the week typically, so when I go off the program my body finally gets the calories it needs to dump some weight?

Just odd. I have about 10 lbs left to go and have been stuck for months now.

Weight fluctuations can indeed be extreme. I recently shared an anecdote in the P90X thread about how I gained 13 pounds over the course of a two week diet break and then lost almost all of it after a week and a half of my normal diet. Incredibly eye-opening for me, and hopefully for others as well who might be worried about their eating habits with the upcoming holidays.

Regarding the muscle talk, I am not knowledgeable in the area but I feel like you're probably overestimating how quickly you gain and lose that stuff.

 

[Horseticuffs]

Thanks!

And yes, stomach fat is a pain in the ass. It was definitely the absolute last thing to shrink in terms of my weight loss, but it will definitely come off with a sound diet, exercise and some patience. I know what you're feeling though... you're so freaking close to the body you want but your body won't cut you any slack

The lighting in the picture was really kind in covering up some stretch marks that are definitely visable in real life. But they're going away, and I've gotten over them haha.

Going away? I thought they were permanent. Is it because of the muscle gain?

 

[Wiktor]

Going away? I thought they were permanent. Is it because of the muscle gain?

They are permanent, but with time they get less visible. Never go away fully without surgery though.

 

[Boney]

Don't really think there's any tips that can be given here; just keep grinding.

Seems like you have a good plan, just keep on keeping on!

Best of luck!

On the matter of carbs, I don't really limit them. My diet is around 60% carbs, but it's all mostly from things like beans & lentils. I only have processed carbs on very rare occasion.

I'm no personal trainer or expert, but the lifestyle change has served me well.

sigh~
oh well, what are you gonna do..

psst, super tired today, went swimming and biked, coupled with a long ass day at college, this ain't gooood for mah studying!

 

[NIN90]

Okay, my standard low-carb meal plan looks like this:

Lunch
Omelette with cheese
Bacon
Sauteed red onions with sriracha

Dinner
3 sausages (Wieners) with sriracha
some cheese

I don't do breakfast. Never really did in my adult life.

Anything I should cut out?

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

No bananas....forbidden fruit.

There is something about this piece of "advice" that really aggravates me.

Bananas may contain sugar (which is useful for a tough workout) but they are also a natural source of B vitamins and contain tryptophan, which is a natural amino acid that is a precursor for thyroid hormones. The thyroid gland is what helps regulate your metabolism and is responsible for how efficiently your body breaks down fat and food sources as well as dealing with hormones and neurotransmitter levels in the brain (the things that make you a happy and mentally healthy individual). If you have an underperforming thyroid gland then you can be lethargic, overweight, miserable and have no drive or ambition.

People's needs are different from person to person so you need to tailor your diet to suit them.

 

[Wafflecakes]

There is something about this piece of "advice" that really aggravates me.

Bananas may contain sugar (which is useful for a tough workout) but they are also a natural source of B vitamins and contain tryptophan, which is a natural amino acid that is a precursor for thyroid hormones. The thyroid gland is what helps regulate your metabolism and is responsible for how efficiently your body breaks down fat and food sources as well as dealing with hormones and neurotransmitter levels in the brain (the things that make you a happy and mentally healthy individual). If you have an underperforming thyroid gland then you can be lethargic, overweight, miserable and have no drive or ambition.

People's needs are different from person to person so you need to tailor your diet to suit them.

That may be true in some cases. However, doesn't change the fact that some general advice is probably correct for most people on a particular diet. Your argument for bananas is a real stretch unless you can actually prove that by not eating bananas will actually impact thyroid performance in a meaningful way.

There are almost no foods in existent that SOMEONE couldn't make an argument that they are good for you and important....

If you can't live without bananas fine.....there are foods I cannot live without. I accept that they are not ideal though.

 

[LosDaddie]

Okay, my standard low-carb meal plan looks like this:

Lunch
Omelette with cheese
Bacon
Sauteed red onions with sriracha

Dinner
3 sausages (Wieners) with sriracha
some cheese

I don't do breakfast. Never really did in my adult life.

Anything I should cut out?

Cut out? Nah. I'd say you should eat a bit more, and get in some exercise.

There is something about this piece of "advice" that really aggravates me.

Bananas may contain sugar (which is useful for a tough workout) .

Bananas are indeed great after or before a workout. Sure, there are "better" fruits out there, but bananas are OK as well.

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

That may be true in some cases. However, doesn't change the fact that some general advice is probably correct for most people on a particular diet. Your argument for bananas is a real stretch unless you can actually prove that by not eating bananas will actually impact thyroid performance in a meaningful way.

There are almost no foods in existent that SOMEONE couldn't make an argument that they are good for you and important....

If you can't live without bananas fine.....there are foods I cannot live without. I accept that they are not ideal though.

I have to alter my diet to account for that particular problem because otherwise I'm tired and feel like shit all the time. It is primarily the reason why I eat a lot of eggs and meat, and also why I've drank huge quantities of milk for most of my life.

Yes, huge amounts of carbohydrates including bread, pasta and simple sugars found in sweet foods are bad for you, but some fruit sugars can be extremely beneficial at certain times of day.

I stand by the idea that you have to listen to your body and adapt your diet and exercise regime to your particular requirements.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

Again: Good carbs vs bad carbs

Good carbs
Sweet potatoes
Milk
Beans
Fruits

Bad carbs
Grains (any kind)
Refined sugar
Chips

etc

 

[FallingEdge]

There is nothing wrong with "bad carbs" such as bread, pasta, or even bananas. Plenty of people eat them and still lose weight. It depends on your lifestyle and what your goals are. If you choose to not eat them because you don't like the way you feel after consuming them, then fine. But to ignore them because they are "bad" is just wrong.

 

[bengraven]

And more recently:

I'm not exactly sure where I'm at weight wise since I stopped weighing myself, but I'm probably still somewhere around 190, albeit with a lot less body fat than before. I'm pretty much where I want to be weight wise, but am definitely looking to lessen my body fat percentage some more. It's been a while since I've felt comfortable with my shirt off.

Can't wait to show ya'll where I'm at on New Years!

Damn, I hate when people post stuff like this, knowing that you used to be my size and now are incredibly sexy and thin. Makes me feel horrible that I'm not taking the step.


But seriously, great job dude.

 

[grumble]

There is nothing wrong with "bad carbs" such as bread, pasta, or even bananas. Plenty of people eat them and still lose weight. It depends on your lifestyle and what your goals are. If you choose to not eat them because you don't like the way you feel after consuming them, then fine. But to ignore them because they are "bad" is just wrong.

Not only that but it can be rather arbitrary. Who decides what is bad and what is good? Not logic.

 

[harSon]

Not only that but it can be rather arbitrary. Who decides what is bad and what is good? Not logic.

Science...

 

[harSon]

Damn, I hate when people post stuff like this, knowing that you used to be my size and now are incredibly sexy and thin. Makes me feel horrible that I'm not taking the step.


But seriously, great job dude.

Just keep on keepin' on and you'll eventually be where you want. My weight loss was by no means as quick as it could have been, considering it took well over 3 years to get to the point I'm at now. I definitely feel where you're coming from, and personally experienced similar emotions when I saw other people who were further into their transformations than my own. The mentality that kept me sane was the outright belief that I would 100% be in such a position in the future.

I'm not sure how I'll react once I get to my desired body. This insistence on bodily transformation has been my very existence for a while now; and huge chunks of my daily life have been spent researching and enacting a healthy life style. It's literally become a hobby, and I'm definitely going to miss the journey. I enjoy weight training, but I'm not heavily into body building or strength gains, and maintenance just isn't as enticing or exciting.

 

[dralla]

There is nothing wrong with "bad carbs" such as bread, pasta, or even bananas. Plenty of people eat them and still lose weight. It depends on your lifestyle and what your goals are. If you choose to not eat them because you don't like the way you feel after consuming them, then fine. But to ignore them because they are "bad" is just wrong.

You also need to remember that just because you're losing weight doesn't mean it's good for you. I'm not saying people should or shouldn't completely cut out grains, but health should be just as important as weight loss, especially for people that are obese as opposed to being merely overweight.

Oh, and grouping bananas and refined grains together is silly. Bananas are great post workout if you wanna replenish glycogen.

 

[grumble]

Science...

Bro science, more like.

 

[harSon]

Bro science, more like.

Maybe stuff like intermittent fasting, carb cycling, etc. But low-carb and ketogenic diets, and the negative effects of carb heavy diets on the human body, are scientifically backed through studies that aren't carried out in an overly biased and partisan manner.

 

[FallingEdge]

You also need to remember that just because you're losing weight doesn't mean it's good for you. I'm not saying people should or shouldn't completely cut out grains, but health should be just as important as weight loss, especially for people that are obese as opposed to being merely overweight.

Oh I agree 100%. I'm just saying that a lot of people just jump in without really doing the proper research or understanding why they would give up carbs. "Internal health" is something that needs to be monitored as well.

Maybe stuff like intermittent fasting, carb cycling, etc. But low-carb and ketogenic diets, and the negative effects of carb heavy diets on the human body, are scientifically backed through studies that aren't carried out in an overly biased and partisan manner.

How is IF bro science? Much like low-carb, there have been plenty of scientific studies that talk about the benefits of fasting.