[BamYouHaveAids]

Question: I've been dieting and exercising lately to lose about 15 pounds (I'm 5'8 and currently weigh 170) as well as tone up a bit. Over the last few weeks I've been doing curls and now am seeing what looks like stretch marks where my chest meets my arms (right above the armpits). Is this normal? And will this go away by itself?

Normal and won't go away. If you take a look at nonairbrushed shots of professional athletes most have stretch marks going from their biceps to their chest.

[Dark Knyght]

This thread needs to be re-named to From Lame-O's to Studs or something like that. Great job guys.

[zazrx]

For all of you iPhone/iTouch fans, you absolutely must get this FREE app. It's called 'Lose It', and it's a free (offline) application where you can store and edit your weight/exercise/diet info, including your daily intake separated into various categories. It's a weight tracker with a great amount of customization and offline storage. Perfect for on the go and to know where you stand with your daily intake during your weight loss times. It stores per day and per week, separates per item and caloric worth. Shows your progression as you enter it and changes your daily caloric intake (allotment) based on your progress (and goals). What's so great about the app as well, is that it allows you to create custom foods with their own calorie values and types. Here are some pics, and the website. I hope you guys find this useful! Web: http://www.loseit.com/ Download: Clicky (Free download) Icon: Pics:

Wow thanks!

[ckohler]

First picture was taken in December. The last was taken today.
I also used the Lose It! iPhone app. Very helpful.

[purple cobra]

I´m about the same length and weight, but 26. I was actually very skinny during high school, but started packing weight afterwards, when I didn´t have to bike 40 kms a day afterwards. I´ve already started changing eating habits. Mainly better meals in the evening and replacing snacking during the evening with an apple. Also bought a mountainbike last saturday, planning to go out for an hour or so a couple of evenings during the week and do a longer route every weekend or so. Only downside is that every mtb route is at least 20 km. away and I haven´t got a car. Still, public transport here isn´t too bad.

Is riding a bike as effective as running? For some weird reason, I keep thinking bike riding will mostly work your lower body. I know running will melt calories and tighten your stomach up.

Riding a bike imo seems more fun than just running. Good job to everyone melting away those pounds. :D

[lsslave]

Is riding a bike as effective as running? For some weird reason, I keep thinking bike riding will mostly work your lower body. I know running will melt calories and tighten your stomach up. Riding a bike imo seems more fun than just running. Good job to everyone melting away those pounds. :D

Running comes off as a "chore" whereas Biking is fun and easier to get people to do.

A VERY important part of weight loss is to make sure it is fun, that always makes you work harder and succeed!

[ckohler]

I had more success with bike riding if only because I wanted to do it and I would do it for longer. I would struggle to jog or run for more than 15-20 minutes. However, I happily ride my bike for 45 minutes to an hour. Way more fun. It's less of a calorie burner but it's more important that you enjoy it enough that you look forward to it rather than reluctantly doing it.

Edit: beaten.

[lsslave]

I had more success with bike riding if only because I wanted to do it and I would do it for longer. I would struggle to jog or run for more than 15-20 minutes. However, I happily ride my bike for 45 minutes to an hour. Way more fun. It's less of a calorie burner but it's more important that you enjoy it enough that you look forward to it rather than reluctantly doing it. Edit: beaten.

In addition to this, you are burning calories as long as your heart is racing.

An hour of keeping your heart up at less resistance means you burn more calories with less muscle development, in contrast 15-20 minutes means that you burn less calories though have more resistance.

In fact, a power-walk for a long duration is probably better for you than running, plus running is never good (jogging is) because it is too much resistance and force on the knees.

[EzLink]

Hell fucking yes guys, fantastic work :D

I'm in the midst of a diet myself. It sucks ass, but will be totally worth it. I've been overweight my whole life and it pretty much drags me down in every single thing I do. No confidence or self esteem for the past decade=every day is shitty, even at times when I'm enjoying myself. I'm always aware of how much I hate who I am.

Anyway, I started off at 240 in May. As of right now I've lost ~17 lbs. I would be much further, but its summer and I'm doing shit with my friends, and the shit we usually do is marijuana which makes me eat like a motherfucker and then also makes me too lazy to go to the gym. Still though, I'm locked in with gym membership for 10 more months, and I know I'm going to succeed this time.

Also GAF can look forward to tons of "great" before pics Hide the children, seriously they are obscenely disgusting and great after pics.

To anyone else who is in the midst of dieting as well, keep it up, it will all be worth it in the end :D

[purple cobra]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like a mountain bike is in my future. :D I just mainly want to tone myself. Maybe I should have posted in the fitness/workout thread but I saw people talk about running/bike riding and I felt it was as good a place as any to ask. ;)

This is a pretty awesome thread with a lot of success stories. Hope there are many more!

[Fox1304]

Work in progress for me.

Before

Never had time to do some fitness, fucked up nutrition because of job ( worked in fast food ), especially for the meal times.

[IMG]http://i29.************/288cz6s.jpg[/IMG]


Now

Time to do some sport ( try doing 1h every day, mostly apartment bike ), have a real job so I can eat normally and at the right time.

[IMG]http://i31.************/3309wm0.jpg[/IMG]


Still a long way to go. Went from 97kg (213lbs) to 90kg (198lbs) now, and motivated like never.



As i said, I still have a long way to go, but I think this time is the right one.

Now I'll be back at the end of my diet ( I'll try to reach 80kg for now ), for some more pics to compare ^^

[DMPrince]

Bet you never seen a fat asian kid before :lol.





Those 2 pictures were around 2003.


2007



BEFORE [don't remember the year but around 2000s]



Me Now more or less.

[EzLink]

Fuck DMPrince, that's outstanding. Serious props dude

[Zeke]

congrats to all of you, I want to lose some pounds but damn its so hard to get started. Really its my gut and chest that I would like to work on and trim down other than that the their really isn't a lot of fat on my legs or arms.

[BattleMonkey]

With weight loss I find it best as some have shown here to take it slow and easy. Too many try to go for quick weight loss just to get frustrated and quick. Back when I started college I lost around 75 pounds over a period of about a year. Slow and steady but the best thing was that I kept the weight off well for years after without really doing much thanks to how disciplined I become from the slow diet process instead of cutting out all bad food cold turkey.

Past 10 years I've slowly gained back about 30-35 pounds so been back at it with more regular exercise and some cutting back (no soda at all, just water is one of the best things) and so far have lost about 15 pounds in 2 months. I don't feel like going back to a size 30 as looking at pics, I looked sick.... so as long as I reach a size 32 waist and fit into my old clothing, I will be happy.

[bengraven]

I had my cholesterol tested a couple months ago. Tris are supposed be at the 120-150 range.

Mine were 350.

I was forced by my doctor to take another test in a month after a month of low cholesterol fasting. I did it, for the most part, though a week and a half vacation out of state put a damper on some of the fasting. My doctor took the test, but never called me back.

So I'm trying to get a hold of him for the last 2 weeks, needing to know the worst, but I know it's bad. I know I'm in it bad, a month can't help.

So this fucking thread comes back up...

[Zeke]

I told myself I was going to go walking/jogging this summer and that didn't work at all. I got out did it like twice. I failed hard sigh

[dustin]

lost about 88 pounds over the past year



(on the right)



on the right

[Jason Raize '75 - '04]

When I was depressed a few years back I actually lost a lot of weight. I'm beginning to gain some back now, focusing on junk food and red meat in general. It's not healthy but nothing else worked for me.

[Yami]

Damn, Dustin, major props to you; you look great.

[Rentahamster]

Bet you never seen a fat asian kid before :lol. .

I've seen plenty.

Nice work.

[ant1532]

Me and my sister who was dressed up for her senior prom.

she is preeeeetttty.

[bengraven]

lost about 88 pounds over the past year on the left

Awesome. :D

[Rewrite]

ckohler, great job! Props!

[KillerAJD]

Man, this thread makes me want to get off my fat ass and do something. Been overweight since I was 12. It's really odd because up until then I was the skinniest, most active kid in the family. Then I moved away to a town with absolutely nothing to do, and since my parents mainly buy fast food, I never really got the chance to lose anything, because when i would refuse the fast food, there would be nothing else. I think I'm going to go take a walk. Thanks GAF!

[funkmastergeneral]

First picture was taken in December. The last was taken today. I also used the Lose It! iPhone app. Very helpful.

The only sad part is, the skinnier you get, the thinner your hairline gets :(

[bengraven]

Agreed. Something about watching fat geeks become emo skinny geeks is awesome to me.

[bengraven]

The only sad part is, the skinnier you get, the thinner your hairline gets :(

Yeah, but the longer a man's dick size gets, too. It evens out.

[dustin]

thanks guys. this thread is great.

[BattleMonkey]

Agreed. Something about watching fat geeks become emo skinny geeks is awesome to me.

How can you tell they are listening to Linkin Park from pictures?

[oatmeal]

SNIP

Nice dude! Congrats!

I went from around 200 to about 165ish where I am now. I was down to 150 at the beginning of last year...but gained it back.

[sonicfan]

I went from about 260 to 175 in about a year. :D That was in 2003. Now I'm almost 250 agian.... So no pics.....

[bengraven]

Whoever suggested Calorie Count.com is awesome in my book. Site is amazing.

[koam]

Your gfs have gotten hotter as you've lost weight too

[bengraven]

Your gfs have gotten hotter as you've lost weight too

(last one is his sister)

(PS: She IS hot)

[koam]

(last one is his sister) (PS: She IS hot)

(thatsthejoke.gif)

[DogWelder]

lost about 88 pounds over the past year on the left

Don't you mean "on the right"?

[Houston3000]

This thread has always been rather inspiring, I wish I had the self control to get started on some weight loss. My weight's fluctuated my entire life but I've always been on the heavy side. I'm 5'10" or so and back in High School I was over 200 lbs, when I started going to college I really started watching what I ate and eventually took a healthy living class which required we go to the campus gym at least 4 days a week. In the first two years of college I dropped over 20 lbs and was down to about 177 - which was still overweight but it felt so much better, dropping pants sizes and stuff. Unfortunately though. after graduating from the Community College level and going to the University I no longer had easy access to the gym (would actually have to drive out there after work) and stopped going. I shot back up to like 200 lbs.

Over the past few months since I've graduated I started watching what I eat more. In general I just completely stopped McDonalds and Burger King, stopped packing lots of snacks with my lunch, and only drink diet soda now when I do drink any at all. Still though, I don't work out. I'm currently at 193 so I lost at least 8 lbs or so do this but it's slow without the exercise. Unfortunately, to some degree, I also started drinking socially more which I assume isn't helping weight loss much (unless the day afterwords of pure hangover nausea and walking around dowtown to find my car counter balances that :lol ).

What I need is some sort of plan. Even if I started going back to the gym I wouldn't know what exactly to do. I assume lots of Cardio workouts (treadmill?) but is that enough?

[Ultima_5]

I've lost about 15 lbs so far this summer. By simply eating less and walking more. At the beginning of the summer I weighed around 225, but at the moment I'm 212. I plan on keeping this up until I weigh around 190 (I'm about 5 feet 11 inches)

Only thing that worries me about losing my extra weight is I have a very, very large head (my hat size is 7 3/4 inches) and I'm kind of worried that if I slim-up to much I'll look out of proportion.

[dustin]

Don't you mean "on the right"?

haha yeah i have no idea what the fuck i was saying

[Cronen]

For all of you iPhone/iTouch fans, you absolutely must get this FREE app. It's called 'Lose It', and it's a free (offline) application where you can store and edit your weight/exercise/diet info, including your daily intake separated into various categories. It's a weight tracker with a great amount of customization and offline storage. Perfect for on the go and to know where you stand with your daily intake during your weight loss times. It stores per day and per week, separates per item and caloric worth. Shows your progression as you enter it and changes your daily caloric intake (allotment) based on your progress (and goals). What's so great about the app as well, is that it allows you to create custom foods with their own calorie values and types. Here are some pics, and the website. I hope you guys find this useful! Web: http://www.loseit.com/ Download: Clicky (Free download) Icon: Pics:

This app looks really good, but seems to be only available for the US. Is there any work around to get off the US store?

EDIT: Managed to find a way! :)

[Shaneus]

How? PM or something if you like, I'm keen on getting that one :)

[Crin]

On a bit of a weight loss crusade myself so I'll throw up a couple of pics. I got a bike from work in about August last year and have been riding to and from work (3 miles each way, it's not much but it's something!), and in the past 3 months I have started Thai Boxing and hitting the gym a couple times a week. Since I got my bike I've lost almost 4 stone and I'm aiming for another in the next 3 months. Anyway. Pics!

March 2008


May 2009


I recently started a little blog thing to keep my friends up to speed with what I'm doing over the next 3 months as some of them have recently aquired bellies and need some tips on getting rid of them. Over here:

http://ashkwondo.wordpress.com/

I'm finding posting about it and talking about it is a real motivator to keep me doing what I'm doing and push that little bit extra to reach my goals.

[Cronen]

How? PM or something if you like, I'm keen on getting that one :)

It took me a while hunting around, but I stumbled upon this little guide and it worked a treat!
Link

[lsslave]

This thread just keeps going :) So many wonderful stories of people beating the weight gain!

It is possible, some people just can't do it lol

Edit: (what I mean by that is I still hate the people who are grossly overweight and ask me how I did it... HERES THE SECRET I DIDN'T EAT AS MUCH AS YOU! Its one thing to be comfortable with yourself but if you aren't don't bitch to other people, DO SOMETHING, at least thats what I would think)

[J Tourettes]

I've lost about 15 lbs so far this summer. By simply eating less and walking more. At the beginning of the summer I weighed around 225, but at the moment I'm 212. I plan on keeping this up until I weigh around 190 (I'm about 5 feet 11 inches) Only thing that worries me about losing my extra weight is I have a very, very large head (my hat size is 7 3/4 inches) and I'm kind of worried that if I slim-up to much I'll look out of proportion.

Maybe you'll become famous as a lot of stars have heads that are too big for their body.

[LosDaddie]

Wow. This is an awesome thread!

Congrats to everyone who did it. :D I know it's very difficult.



I'm currently on my own weight loss plan. I just (seriously) started 2wks ago and I'm doing pretty darn good so far.

Ever since hitting 25yrs old or so, it seems that if I even just look at a slice of pizza, I gain a pound. :lol

I used to struggle gaining weight when I was younger. I remember weighing 130-140 lbs for a long time....until I started working out at 17 and continued all through college. I bulked up to a slim 160 lbs...which is good for my height 5ft 9in. After college and starting my career, I stopped regularly working out and got up to 180 lbs. I then went crazy and slimed down to 150 lbs.

Anyway, to make a long story short; I'm now 29yrs old, a father of a 1yr old daughter and I haven't seriously worked out for about a year. Now that my daughter isn't so needy, I've started working out again.

Currently, I'm at 185 lbs. My goal is to hit 165 lbs by December when I take my family to NY for Christmas vacation.

Here's my exercise plan:

• Run 1.5mi in the morning before work
• Gym for about 1hr after work
• Run another 1.5mi (with daughter in stroller) when I get home

My diet has been good so far too.

If this thread is alive in Dec, I'll post some Before & After pics. :D

[gcubed]

agree with LosDaddie, great thread, i just started again, and cant stress enough how easy it is to "fall off the wagon"

Right now i started eating much better (takes me about 2 weeks of telling myself no until i can actually push bad food away from me, or not take a second helping at dinner) and have been running a bit.

I'm currently 6'8, 280lbs, the highest i've been was 310, which was last year when i finally got disgusted enough that i couldnt handle hitting the 300 mark on the scale. I went down to 270, now i'm back up 10lbs after kinda stopping most stuff. I'm back on a workout schedule again, running about 3 miles during lunch at work, and taking about a 3 mile brisk walk/jog with the dog at night.

I'm starting up P90x after vacation (i figured if i have the motivation to run during vacation i officially reached the level where i can start something). The skinniest i was, was in college, i was 265, and on my frame i looked skinny as hell. I'm aiming more for a 250ish weight but with more muscle then i had at the time. I'd have to dig up a few pics of me at 310, then me basically now, and me at 265.

The hardest part of changing your diet exercise is just starting, after about a month it gets MUCH easier.

[Rhino]

<3 this thread very encouraging.

I'm 245 and 5'7 right now and starting up a new workout/diet plan with some friends so I'll hopefully have some before/after pics to show here in a few months.

Wish me luck GAF! :D

[EzLink]

Wish me luck GAF! :D

You don't need luck, you need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can do it. And, of course, you fucking can, so get your ass out there and get it done! :D