Whoa, seeing all these new pictures is just TOO inspiring XD. Anyways, hello everyone just wanted to stop on by and give y'all a heads up on my progress!!! So, I've been keeping track of myself through myfitnesspal and let me just save that I love love love that app. It's like a dream come true of trying to keep track of every single little item instead of doing it through a diary!!! Been 16 days that I've been using that thing religiously and will continue to do so. I've been getting the right amount of calories in and have not exceeded them at all and have implemented more healthier foods such as veggies as well as lean foods such as grilled chicken and such . I've also made sure to bring up my protein intake as well for the gym which brings me on to my next point.
I've been going to the gym as well and it's been great. I'm slowly starting to feel a little healthier and am seeing a little bit of results (wee tiny ones lol.) I've been doing a lot of cardio as well as working out dem muscles. Unfortunately I am not going to be able to go this week seeing as how I got sick thanks to my co-workers and my doctor told me to take it easy but other than that yeah.
In terms of progress I do want to say that I am now at 303LBS and have lost 7 lbs in total!!! I'm really happy with the progress and I want to thank y'all for inspiring me to go on and lose weight, couldn't have started this without y'all and promise to keep on going!!! Anyways, take care and y'all enjoy your weekend .
Hey, that's badass that you've seen loss already. Congratulations! Whatever happens, whether you gain a few back or keep up the loss, just keep at it. It's a long con ;-)
My weight when I started losing was 315. I'm pretty sure i was at 325 though at some point. Not sure this was at my heaviest. I hated getting my picture taken so no true before.
I did CKD keto and starting strength for like a year and a half and got down to 235. Then I was too small and bulked to put on some more muscle then cut back down to 235 in the pics below.
I bulked for a few months and now I'm cutting again. This was me today at 248.
Lower carb plus a lot of walking early on. Once I was below 300, I started running 3.1 mi 5-7 days a week. The last few months I've been seeing a trainer. I now run between 3.5 - 6.7 mi 5-6 days a week. I've plateaued since November. I've largely fallen off my diet, but my workout covers up my sins.
My weight when I started losing was 315. I'm pretty sure i was at 325 though at some point. Not sure this was at my heaviest. I hated getting my picture taken so no true before.
I did CKD keto and starting strength for like a year and a half and got down to 235. Then I was too small and bulked to put on some more muscle then cut back down to 235 in the pics below.
I bulked for a few months and now I'm cutting again. This was me today at 248.
Feeling kinda bad because I've declared it a "Jubilee weekend" for Friday & Saturday due to some awesome tax return news. Hopefully life-changing news, really, if it works out. I've gone pretty kooky the past 48. I would not be surprised if I've put in 5000 calories each day :/ I've still be exercising but that's like spitting in Superman's face when you're talking that kind of junkfood.
Gonna get back to the grind Sunday. Can't start slipping...
Posted in the Weight loss challenge thread, but thought I'd check in here too.
Great work guys! This is a bit inspiring, a little about me and how I got here...
I've been trying to lose weight for a while now, I was going really well for about six months last year, I went down from 115kg to a little under 105kgs.
Of course Christmas was the killer. After all the 'holiday' eating I'm sitting at about 108kg, and haven't for the life of me been able to break under that.
The clincher was last night, when I went to try and do my first YouTube video (hoping to do some of those 'Retro Collecting' videos for a bit of fun), went to edit it this morning, and got a bit of a shock. I mean I'm not 'like a bus' big by any means, but I am quite chubbed up. (is that a word?)
I walk/awkwardly jog most days of the week (I mean that as in I'll walk for 60 seconds, then jog for 120 seconds.) I'm a little apprehensive about joining a gym, I'm not sure why, part of me thinks it might be a waste of money, and I'd really rather not have some PT yelling at me for an hour.
But seeing some of these photos has been the slight kick in the motivation groin that I probably needed, so here's hoping...
Lower carb plus a lot of walking early on. Once I was below 300, I started running 3.1 mi 5-7 days a week. The last few months I've been seeing a trainer. I now run between 3.5 - 6.7 mi 5-6 days a week. I've plateaued since November. I've largely fallen off my diet, but my workout covers up my sins.
Posted in the Weight loss challenge thread, but thought I'd check in here too.
Great work guys! This is a bit inspiring, a little about me and how I got here...
I've been trying to lose weight for a while now, I was going really well for about six months last year, I went down from 115kg to a little under 105kgs.
Of course Christmas was the killer. After all the 'holiday' eating I'm sitting at about 108kg, and haven't for the life of me been able to break under that.
The clincher was last night, when I went to try and do my first YouTube video (hoping to do some of those 'Retro Collecting' videos for a bit of fun), went to edit it this morning, and got a bit of a shock. I mean I'm not 'like a bus' big by any means, but I am quite chubbed up. (is that a word?)
I walk/awkwardly jog most days of the week (I mean that as in I'll walk for 60 seconds, then jog for 120 seconds.) I'm a little apprehensive about joining a gym, I'm not sure why, part of me thinks it might be a waste of money, and I'd really rather not have some PT yelling at me for an hour.
But seeing some of these photos has been the slight kick in the motivation groin that I probably needed, so here's hoping...
First pic was in '11 at 216 pounds. Second picture was just around new years. I've gained about 5-10 pounds since, but Its the leanest/buffest I've ever been. (around 135-138) Thanks to fit gaf, I focused solely on weights for about 3 months and those were the results. Too bad I only have this pic.
First pic was in '11 at 216 pounds. Second picture was just around new years. I've gained about 5-10 pounds since, but Its the leanest/buffest I've ever been. (around 135-138) Thanks to fit gaf, I focused solely on weights for about 3 months and those were the results. Too bad I only have this pic.
Yeah, like I said in the "Biggest loser" thread in OT today, I've been called Ethiopian, had people ask me if I had cancer, had two nurses corner me and ask to see my stomach and arms all feeling the skin on my face and shit :/
Motherfuckers all bein' rude. Who considers that sort of thing socially intelligent? I haven't a clue. Further, who in 2014 uses "Ethiopian" as an insult? For fuck's sake, it isn't like Ethiopia is in some fantasy land like Middle Earth or something. Not to mention if I did happen to have some awful cancer, would it be okay for them to ask me about it without my bringing it up first?
Ugh. Insensitive people.
On a positive note I found myself getting a bit fast and loose with the cheat days and creeping unforgivably close toward 180 which is my "no zone". I can't let that shit happen. Never ever. So, to that end, I've stopped buying so many junky snacks for my girls when I have them not only because I feel really bad using food as a "treat", but also since I get tempted having that gross shit in my home.
They eat a lot of popcorn over here, which isn't necessarily bad, but my air popper crapped out recently so I've been oil-popping for them and I'm not thrilled with that. I've seen videos on Youtube of how to air-pop using indirect heat from a stove burner by holding the pot half an inch or so above it but I can't get that to work very consistently. Anyone have a really good, consistent method of air-popping without any special tools or equipment?
In the absence of healthy air-popped salt free, oil free popcorn to snack on I've been finding solace in fresh strawberries, which I've found quite filling and also surprisingly low in sugar. I've also been trying to cut my coffee consumption down due to that study a few months back that said that too much coffee wasn't great, so I've found that cocoa is a great alternative!
Now, not that shitty cocoa you buy in packets that's loaded with sugar and marshmallows and all that awful shit. You can buy a tub of Cocoa powder for like $3 USD and for like 10 calories (Hershey's dark cocoa powder, if memory serves) you can add some splenda or whatever to sweeten it and you have a nice, big, steamy cup of cocoa that's low-as-hell in calories, sugar free, sodium free (You've got to be careful, some cocoa has added sodium. Look for "Dark" shit), and has a bit of protein and a fuckton of iron. It's righteous as hell. Sometimes I'll even add cinnamon, or imitation vanilla or orange extract for a bit of variety.
I'll admit, I DO get carried away with hot beverages. I'm up to like 6 or 8 mugs of cocoa a day, but it's not any severe caloric impact and it's got some decent nutrients. Not to mention that it's vastly increased my hydration levels! I have a bad habit of not drinking things other than coffee, cocoa, or diet soda.
So if you're looking for a steamy beverage to warm your bones in the dead of winter and want something relatively healthy, try making yourself some homemade cocoa.
^To your first point, I wouldn't see it as being rude. Calling you an "Ethiopian" is definitely ignorant, but I think a lot of it comes down to people not knowing how to give a genuine compliment. The same goes for them asking if your sick. If you did have cancer or some other medical condition that caused you to lose weight, saying "Wow, you look great." would come off equally insensitive. It's best just to take solace in the fact that you are making a positive change in your life and the people around you notice it.
As for a method of popping popcorn without oil, try just placing kernels in a plain, brown paper bag and microwaving that. Some recipes you'll find online call for oil, but it isn't necessary.
^To your first point, I wouldn't see it as being rude. Calling you an "Ethiopian" is definitely ignorant, but I think a lot of it comes down to people not knowing how to give a genuine compliment. The same goes for them asking if your sick. If you did have cancer or some other medical condition that caused you to lose weight, saying "Wow, you look great." would come off equally insensitive. It's best just to take solace in the fact that you are making a positive change in your life and the people around you notice it.
As for a method of popping popcorn without oil, try just placing kernels in a plain, brown paper bag and microwaving that. Some recipes you'll find online call for oil, but it isn't necessary.
I guess I hadn't really thought of it that way before, to be honest. I'll admit I'm a bit sensitive about my body image, to be honest.
Now, regarding that link I am simply amazed that it could be that easy and cheap. You better believe the very first thing I'm doing tomorrow is heading to the store before it opens and just waiting there with baited breath to be the first customer. That is a totally amazing trick if it actually works and I'm seriously kicking myself for not having any paper bags at home right now!
Thanks so much!
EDIT: Just tried this with an empty cereal box folded over and again with a large bowl with saran wrap over the top and they both worked just fine! I feel like I've been hoodwinked and bamboozled my whole life by that bastard Reddenbacher!
Question for you guys, does anyone here do meal replacement shakes (like make their own)? I was thinking of replacing breakfast and lunch with one for a while to help lose weight but am not sure what to put in them. I want them to have enough calories to get me through the day, but be healthy and promote weight loss while I do P90X3.
Suggestions on what to put in the shakes? Preferably not super expensive ingredients.
Question for you guys, does anyone here do meal replacement shakes (like make their own)? I was thinking of replacing breakfast and lunch with one for a while to help lose weight but am not sure what to put in them. I want them to have enough calories to get me through the day, but be healthy and promote weight loss while I do P90X3.
Suggestions on what to put in the shakes? Preferably not super expensive ingredients.
Here is an article you might find helpful. I've been wanting to try it but it's a lot of bulk ingredients, though fairly cheap ones, to pick up. It's intriguing, though.
Here is an article you might find helpful. I've been wanting to try it but it's a lot of bulk ingredients, though fairly cheap ones, to pick up. It's intriguing, though.
Question for you guys, does anyone here do meal replacement shakes (like make their own)? I was thinking of replacing breakfast and lunch with one for a while to help lose weight but am not sure what to put in them. I want them to have enough calories to get me through the day, but be healthy and promote weight loss while I do P90X3.
Suggestions on what to put in the shakes? Preferably not super expensive ingredients.
Strained Greek Yogurt (low calorie/fatrotein ratio) like Fage or Tillamook. A scoop or two of canned coconut milk, as the stuff in the cartons is not what you want, and not nearly as nutritious. I always put a banana in, as I like the texture it gives, and it's my favorite fruit. Then I rotate what frozen fruit I add every day. Costco sells it for super cheap. Then I just add some warm water to get it down to a nice consistency.
You might spend $80 getting the ingredients together, but that should last you 2-3 weeks. I priced it out at one point, and it was like $1.50-$3 a shake, depending on the type of fruit I used. Frozen pomegrantes really jack up the price
*edit*
To follow up with that, I generally have a Quest Bar at 11:30, and then another one around 3:00, but substitute a salad in for one of those a few times a week.
Puts me right around 1000 calories by the time I get home, which frees up a lot of room for dinner. I never really find myself hungry on this routine either.
My knees kind of suck, so I've been doing cardio on the elliptical. I've been lifting fairly regularly at the gym. Usually 3 times a week..and I -am- seeing some improvements....but to be honest I'd rather be a skinny dude with no muscles than a medium muscled fat guy.
Dude, you are going to the gym? Which one? I have been looking around, but none of them have jumped out at me besides the seedy 24 hour ones but I need a decent staff level to begin since I am so out of shape.
Dude, you are going to the gym? Which one? I have been looking around, but none of them have jumped out at me besides the seedy 24 hour ones but I need a decent staff level to begin since I am so out of shape.
Where abouts do you live? I currently live in Beaumont but I go to Blackwood Fitness 24
The reason I go is that 14 months membership (12 months + 2 months free) is only $155. Which is an absurdly price when places like Goodlife charge like....a grand a year.
It's a fairly massive gym, much, much bigger than most Jetts' and Anytime Fitness places and it's usually very well staffed. I'm not sure it's staffed overnight, but during the day there's at least a good 5-10 people there at all times. The gym is massive, it has like..Three dedicated weights rooms. It has basically every machine under the sun and a very good selection of cardio machines. I'd say you're getting something closer to a Goodlife than a Jetts. It has a pool, classes, RPM cycle rooms, etc. If you prefer an empty gym this is definitely not for you, it's always busy and there's always people there...(probably because of the price).
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending them to you if you're even vaguely within the vicinity.
Where abouts do you live? I currently live in Beaumont but I go to Blackwood Fitness 24
The reason I go is that 14 months membership (12 months + 2 months free) is only $155. Which is an absurdly price when places like Goodlife charge like....a grand a year.
It's a fairly massive gym, much, much bigger than most Jetts' and Anytime Fitness places and it's usually very well staffed. I'd say you're getting something closer to a Goodlife than a Jetts. It has a pool, classes, RPM cycle rooms, etc. If you prefer an empty gym this is definitely not for you, it's always busy and there's always people there...(probably because of the price).
ahahahahahahaha ah aha h ah aaaa i fell way off the wagon i probably gained 10-20 lbs
i am starting my new calorie restrictions (i was thinking 1200) tomorrow and adding in as much cardio as i can get with my schedule. i wanna see if i can lose 50-70 by august
ahahahahahahaha ah aha h ah aaaa i fell way off the wagon i probably gained 10-20 lbs
i am starting my new calorie restrictions (i was thinking 1200) tomorrow and adding in as much cardio as i can get with my schedule. i wanna see if i can lose 50-70 by august
Perhaps if you're in that 1% or 0.1% or whatever the statistic is that have enough willpower to power through a starvation diet.
Personally, I think tracking calories is nonsense for the most part. Exercising is good, but chronic cardio is a quick way to burn out, especially if you're not used to exercising. That time is better spent on cooking your own meals with real food, cutting out the processed crap in your diet, and dramatically reducing your sugar intake.
Personally, I recommend starting with a low-carb, high-fat, high-protein diet and seeing how your body responds to it. Increasing evidence indicates that it's the most effective way to drop excess body fat. It can be a difficult transition for some people who have been conditioned to fear dietary fat and cholesterol or simply can't stand the thought of giving up their favorite carb-filled staples.
Anyway, whatever you end up doing, I wish you luck. My primary advice would be to not set an end date for your goal like you're doing with August. Pick something reasonable and stick with it. Don't weigh yourself every day, either. Adherence is the key.
Left was 4 years ago (couldn't find full body pics for when I was fatter later) and right was december of last year. I gained a little after that but I'm losing it again now.
I don't know if it is me or the size of the pics but I see that I didn't grow up more since I was 16, damn
Oh, data, I'm 5'8", I was 220 lbs when I started and ended at 160 lbs at one point but then I've gained 12 lbs but have lost 4 of them so far.
Now, about pics, I decided to do (a poor) editing:
Left was 4 years ago (couldn't find full body pics for when I was fatter later) and right was december of last year. I gained a little after that but I'm losing it again now.
I don't know if it is me or the size of the pics but I see that I didn't grow up more since I was 16, damn
Oh, data, I'm 5'8", I was 220 lbs when I started and ended at 160 lbs at one point but then I've gained 12 lbs but have lost 4 of them so far.
Looking great, buddy. You're looking very fit and healthy in both pics but especially the newest! Keep up your efforts and I know you'll knock back those last few pounds!
I'm jumping back into doing some intermittent fasting once a week (from Tuesday night to Wednesday night) and was thinking of things to drink while doing so. I drink a bunch of water and some black coffee, but if I want to can I have diet soda? Technically there are no calories or sugar in it.
I assume it's not the best thing to have, but it wouldn't derail a fast right?
I'm jumping back into doing some intermittent fasting once a week (from Tuesday night to Wednesday night) and was thinking of things to drink while doing so. I drink a bunch of water and some black coffee, but if I want to can I have diet soda? Technically there are no calories or sugar in it.
I assume it's not the best thing to have, but it wouldn't derail a fast right?
Awesome to hear you are back in the game. Seems like you've come so far, I'm sure the experience will be an enriching one for you while losing your last 40!
SO...I got hit by a car on my scooter last thurday. It was just a whole fucking stupid situation. I'm mostly alright, my scooter is mostly alright (Awaiting some parts). I had taken a 4 day weekend already in hopes of getting some wisdom teeth out but they wanted me to take antibiotics first so at least I didn't have that to contend with also.
The effects of getting hit meant a nasty-ass case of road rash on my legs and hands, as well as stiffness, bruising, and knots on my left side. Everything from my left stomach down to my left knee is still black and blue. Everything :/
The end result is that I sat around without exercise for 4 days or so and just kind of ate like a pig. I'd been making really great progress lately and was down to 167 before the accident and am now floating around 171. Not too bad, and this morning I put in 4.3 miles on my bike and walked another 4.3 miles to boot. I knew I had to take my mom out shopping this morning before work so I rode my bike to work and walked home so I'll have my bike to ride home tonight while I'm waiting on scooter parts.
I found, during my 4 days off, that the thing I missed most about exercise is the extra food it allows me to eat. There's a WORLD of difference between eating STRICTLY 1750 calories a day and eating 1750 calories a day net counting calories burned through exercise. I just was frustrated as hell trying to eat 1750 total after getting used to eating so much and still losing weight, and I find that I'm a much happier person when I can get outdoors and get active.
On the subject of diet soda, I've severely reduced my usage lately. Not that I object to them, I think they're great. I still drink a diet ginger ale a day most days. I think the research has bore out that it's safe enough for now. Maybe in the future that'll change, but for right now I haven't seen any conclusive reason to take caution.
Man, guys, it just feels so great to be able to get around again. Even after only 4 days I had a serious case of cabin fever. I would find myself daydreaming about heading out on the cycling trail or taking a nice walk. It was really torture. I guess I'm lucky to be in Florida, I don't know how some of you people handle the inclement weather for such a large part of your year! Kudos to you if you have to put up with that and still manage to stay healthy!
Awesome to hear you are back in the game. Seems like you've come so far, I'm sure the experience will be an enriching one for you while losing your last 40!
SO...I got hit by a car on my scooter last thurday. It was just a whole fucking stupid situation. I'm mostly alright, my scooter is mostly alright (Awaiting some parts). I had taken a 4 day weekend already in hopes of getting some wisdom teeth out but they wanted me to take antibiotics first so at least I didn't have that to contend with also.
The effects of getting hit meant a nasty-ass case of road rash on my legs and hands, as well as stiffness, bruising, and knots on my left side. Everything from my left stomach down to my left knee is still black and blue. Everything :/
The end result is that I sat around without exercise for 4 days or so and just kind of ate like a pig. I'd been making really great progress lately and was down to 167 before the accident and am now floating around 171. Not too bad, and this morning I put in 4.3 miles on my bike and walked another 4.3 miles to boot. I knew I had to take my mom out shopping this morning before work so I rode my bike to work and walked home so I'll have my bike to ride home tonight while I'm waiting on scooter parts.
I found, during my 4 days off, that the thing I missed most about exercise is the extra food it allows me to eat. There's a WORLD of difference between eating STRICTLY 1750 calories a day and eating 1750 calories a day net counting calories burned through exercise. I just was frustrated as hell trying to eat 1750 total after getting used to eating so much and still losing weight, and I find that I'm a much happier person when I can get outdoors and get active.
On the subject of diet soda, I've severely reduced my usage lately. Not that I object to them, I think they're great. I still drink a diet ginger ale a day most days. I think the research has bore out that it's safe enough for now. Maybe in the future that'll change, but for right now I haven't seen any conclusive reason to take caution.
Man, guys, it just feels so great to be able to get around again. Even after only 4 days I had a serious case of cabin fever. I would find myself daydreaming about heading out on the cycling trail or taking a nice walk. It was really torture. I guess I'm lucky to be in Florida, I don't know how some of you people handle the inclement weather for such a large part of your year! Kudos to you if you have to put up with that and still manage to stay healthy!
It feels stifling at times, to be sure, but I'm just so terrified of going backwards. It's like a constant, nagging alarm in my brain that I've got to do everything I can. I never had any success without calorie counting, so I've just sort of resigned myself to the idea that it's a lifelong thing now.
It feels stifling at times, to be sure, but I'm just so terrified of going backwards. It's like a constant, nagging alarm in my brain that I've got to do everything I can. I never had any success without calorie counting, so I've just sort of resigned myself to the idea that it's a lifelong thing now.
I found it extremely helpful to start, but once I had a vague understanding of what certain foods had calorie wise I stopped needing to. Because I am a big and very tall guy my BMR is rather high to begin with + I am always moving around the classroom.
So it wasn't hard to stay below where I need to be in calories as long as I aimed for around 2000k.
That's awesome! Glad it's working out for you so well.
Yeah, community forums are sort of where things go to die. They may not want it to be that way, but it seems the case regardless. There's multiple topics posted in OT each week that would potentially fit right in here.
On my end I recently bought a new scale and it's telling me I'm 8 pounds more than the wii balance board I've been using between proper scales so that's a bummer.
I heard the balance board is one of the most accurate scales on the market so I'm not sure what to believe.
That's awesome! Glad it's working out for you so well.
Yeah, community forums are sort of where things go to die. They may not want it to be that way, but it seems the case regardless. There's multiple topics posted in OT each week that would potentially fit right in here.
On my end I recently bought a new scale and it's telling me I'm 8 pounds more than the wii balance board I've been using between proper scales so that's a bummer.
I heard the balance board is one of the most accurate scales on the market so I'm not sure what to believe.
Community threads work great when there is a community.
The very nature of weight loss kinda rules that out. Either you are successful and move on, or you fail and it is over. Both limit how much of a stable "community" a thread can have.
Yeah posts seemed to really die down after this new OT was made. People might have just not updated their subscriptions and miss this thread. There is definitely still a weight loss community of GAF, the DDP Yoga thread has been pretty active lately. I don't read the topic, but the "Like the hat?" thread seems to be on the front page quite a bit as well. It would be nice if it was contained to one thread, but as long as people are finding supportive communities then that's what amtters.
a lot of the old members here i think are now over at the cool kids fitgaf house, or not? But this is not my deal. I work out, but more with condition than mass in mind.
a lot of the old members here i think are now over at the cool kids fitgaf house, or not? But this is not my deal. I work out, but more with condition than mass in mind.
. I've also made sure to bring up my protein intake as well for the gym which brings me on to my next point.
