The Biggest LOOSER -- running weight loss thread

Long time since I've posted on this thread... maybe not since it got blown up....

After a rough spring/summer, I got back serious to working out and eating better just after labor day.

Four weeks in, we redid measurements at the gym. Lost several inches off the waistline, thighs and chest.

The most important thing is down 10 pounds in four weeks.

Now it's on to the next four weeks and the next 10 pounds.

 

Great job, Matt. Average weight loss is 1.5 to 2 pounds per week, so you're kicking ass. Keep it up!

 

Congrats, Matt! I'll second bp.

 

Anyone have recommendations for high-protein snacks? I'm trying to steer clear of carbs. Of course, there's not much in the house right now that isn't packed with carbs. I'm having some popcorn tonight. But I hate popcorn, and it seems to have nothing but empty carbs in it.

 

What about protein bars? They actually make them now where they don't taste too bad whatsoever.

Weighed in at 158 this morning, a new adulthood low. Can't believe it. I've had to replace every item of clothing I own and buy all medium clothes. I may eventually have to downgrade further to small. In February I was at 185. A few years ago I was 215. My upper body is still flabby shaped, though, so obviously there is still more to lose.

 

I've never watched my carb intake, so I don't know if I'm steering you wrong here, but what about Greek yogurt? The kind I like (Chobani fat free) has 14g of protein per serving (28% of the RDA) and 20g of carbs (7% of RDA).

 

Non-fat yogurt is a solid snack, as is a rolled up slice of turkey (you can add a slice of 2% American cheese with it, just make sure you order it thinly sliced at the deli).

Protein bars aren't usually much good for losing weight. They're completely fine if you're trying to maintain, but you really have read the labels, though. There's like 60 different kinds at the supermarket and 90 percent of them are no better than a Snickers bar. I like Clif Bars .... they fill you up and are some of the best in terms of getting protein and limiting fat and carbs. But again, if you're trying to lose weight they, won't help you much.

Protein powder (mixed into a shake) is probably the best way to get your protein, but you have to be careful of carbs and fat in them. I often get Gen-A-Soy at Wal-Mart. It's cheap and is low in carbs and fat. It has 25g of protein per serving and I usually put in three servings. I get the unflavored kind and add strawberries, a banana, some fat free or 1% milk, ice and two packets of splenda. It's filling and great to drink after a workout.

Iso-Carb Pure is another good brand of protein, but it helps your wallet lose weight, too.

 

Three weeks ago, I realized at baseball practice that I could barely bend over to pick up balls that the kids rolled to me on the pitching mound. Today, I'm going to run sprints with them. They are in trouble for not paying attention at our last game, and I'm taking the blame for the loss. I figure we'll share the punishment.

 

I have a question, and take this in amicable spirit in which it is intended, especially because I am confident from your post that you are going to be successful in getting rid of it:

How do some of you get to this point?

As I've posted on this thread, I've been a few dozen pounds overweight before, and am working right now on blasting that last 5-10 pounds of stubborn flab. But I can't imagine getting to, say, 100 pounds overweight. Or to the point where you can't bend over to pick up a baseball.

And please, again, don't take this as some kind of slam. I see obese people all of the time, particularly middle-age men. Is it something that just kind of creeps up on people?

 

I really could bend over, but I couldn't do it without great effort. Not that it matters. I am about 150 pounds overweight right now. I will tell you a bit about my story.

Right now, I weigh about 330. I have been as high as 350. In high school and in my 20s, I weighed 230. I lost 30 of that a few times, but I never got any lower than about 190.

The last time that I lost the weight, I was running six miles two or three times a week. I did that for about six months. Then I injured my knee and did no exercise for about a year. My weight went from 195 to 230 in a matter of months.

At the end of that year, I met my wife. We lived together for a year before we got married. I gained 30 pounds that year to 260. Then I gained 20 pounds more during our first year of marriage. Two years later, I quit smoking. I gained about 40 pounds after that. That put me at 320. I have hovered between about 320 and 350 since then.

There are factors that caused the weight gain, but they are not all the same. First, I met someone who pulled me away from being active. My wife is not active, and I started to spend more time with her and less time playing basketball with the guys. I also spent more time going out to eat. This is because I had more money than when I was a bachelor. So I could afford food. I also had someone to sit across the table from me.

The rest of the weight was due to stress. Since I quit smoking, normal, everyday annoyances grate on my nerves. I find myself being angrier than I used to be. I also don't sleep as well now that I'm a dad. I can't sleep in or take days off, and I find myself staying up later at night just to enjoy some quiet time. The exhaustion contributes to anger and stress, and I eat more when I'm stressed.

I have read that sleep is one of the most important factors in health and weight loss. I think that's extremely accurate. If I don't get enough sleep, I sit dreary-eyed and long to drown my stress by chowing down on a large pizza.

And all of this has consquences. When I am at the high end, I have serious health problems. I constantly feel drained (likely due to sleep apnea and pre-diabetes). At that point, you put yourself in a dangerous zone. Because you don't get enough sleep, you are constantly stressed out. And because you have no energy, it's a real chore to exercise.

Plus, groceries are outrageously expensive these days. I paid $7.50 for four small organic tomatoes a few days ago. It's cheaper to eat junk than to eat healthy foods. This is particularly true if you are eating foods that other folks in the house will not eat. Another factor is a combination of the pace of my life and laziness. When I lose weight, I am constantly managing meals and cooking them. If I don't have time or just don't take the time, I'm much more likely to grab something unhealthy. And, naturally, being busy or lazy or exhausted from a lack of qualify sleep affects exercise.

A lot of what I've mentioned sounds like excuses. That's another thing I'm guilty of. I can find an excuse for anything. Perhaps some or all of it is accurate. But I also know that excuses can only control you if you submit to them. I need to turn over a new leaf and refuse to let something be my crutch. But I think being dependent on these excuses is just a part of who I am.

By the way, my mom weighs over 400 pounds. It's tough to say how that factors into my situation. We never ate many of the same foods, but I also don't remember her bothering me about my eating habits or my weight. That might have contributed to me being larger in my early years.

 

Awesome, man. Thanks for being so candid and not getting insulted by my question, which was meant with all due respect.

I seriously understand the spouse thing. My wife has a very high metabolism. Like your wife, she isn't very active. She eats healthier than me in some ways because she eats salads and such, but on the other hand, when she cooks for both of us, it is often something like spaghetti or chili that she can eat with no problem but that I will pack on the pounds just from smelling. She's also someone who gets tired of foods pretty quick. So whereas I can go on an all turkey and chicken diet with no problem - and used to do so before we moved in together - she gets bored really quickly. And she likes when we eat together, rather than as roommates.

In other words, I can relate. And I'm sure a lot of people can.

The kid thing, too. For the first few months after my first son was born, I actually would feel guilty about exercising. It felt like the most selfish thing in the world, leaving my wife at home with him, taking an hour or two away from my time with him, just for what felt like sheer vanity on my part.

It's up to you, but I think it would be awesome if you totally dedicated yourself to losing the weight. Post your updates here. It's amazing how great it feels, and I'm someone who has never been above 215, and that was several years ago (I'm also only 5-foot-9).

Life is so, so, so much more enjoyable when you are fit.

 

I will post some updates. But I will not post weight. That's because I broke the last scale I had. And I weighed myself about five times a day. I become obsessive about it, and it's pointless. I know how I'm doing by how my clothing fits and by how I feel. I ran my sprints tonight. Now I'm chugging down some ice water.