VeeshanVault

It's a lot colder this winter... without those 50 pounds I lost. Fucking BRR.

I've never been happy with my weight, but I never really did anything about it either... I wasn't someone who really over-ate or ate a lot of junk food.. I just ate at all the wrong times... No breakfast, big lunch, big dinner, and often late meals too..

Over the past 8 months I've been getting more and more determined to actually losing, and I've made a lot of progress, enough to energize me to continue. Self-esteem, never better.

Exercise came first... until the cold weather struck, that has put a damper on that.

Moderation was key... forcing myself to get on a reasonable 3 meal schedule... I have a small breakfast, a small lunch, and a small dinner. I add a vegetable or fruit in their somewhere. I still eat bad food, just in small doses. I can't say I've suffered or missed anything.

Crucial was a change that started 1 September. No soda, No sugar drinks. Water is my primary beverage. I'll occasionally have a coffee or hot chocolate.

My only landmarks are that when I graduated high school 5/1997 I was 216 pounds... and I know I was up as high as 255...

So I'm at an 8+ year low at 204 pounds... and my final goal will be 175.

Anyone else losing, or thinking about losing as a new years thing??

Cheers.

Thinking about gaining, actually. This year has been good to me (physically); I've lost my stomach (about 20-30lbs, not a lot, I know) and gained some muscle mass on my arms and across my chest. Looking to add more within a few months..

Akaran_D wrote:Thinking about gaining, actually. This year has been good to me (physically); I've lost my stomach (about 20-30lbs, not a lot, I know) and gained some muscle mass on my arms and across my chest. Looking to add more within a few months..

You could look into getting rid of that lump of fat between your ears first!
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHHAA
HHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
HHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

Keep up the great work!

I went from 310 to 240 this past year and my goal is to get to 185 in the spring.

Do what you can to keep exercising despite the cold weather. Join a gym, buy a treadmill or a trainer for your bicycle, bundle up and run. Exercise is key!

And you could get that lump of fat out of your mouth too, if you're through getting your morning protien suppliment from it.

I can speak as probably the person who had great success and failure.

I used to excercise on the treadmill for 100 minutes every day at a reasonable pace. I was around 250 when I started and got down to about 210. (No dieting whatsoever, I've found that most of those fail for some reason or another. I think so long as you don't eat pizza every single day you should be ok.) Then I got a job, and cannot, so I went back to 250. Now I'm slowly getting back into shape through weight training. I think this may really be the way to go. Slow, but most likely effective.

What I'd really want would be to do weight training every other day and aerobic excercise every day, but I don't have the time for aerobic excercise every day.

What I think sucks about dieting is that yes, eventually you don't want bad foods, but if you eat one, you are pretty much screwed.

So yeah, I think if you have time for EQ you have time to do 100 mins of excercise a day. I like to do it in front of a TV with an Xbox and Morrowind attached. =D Don't pig out, and you should see results within a month or so.

Anyways, that's my experiences/advice. Take it how you will. =D

-=Lohrno

Akaran_D wrote:And you could get that lump of fat out of your mouth too, if you're through getting your morning protien suppliment from it.

Niiiiiiiiiiiice! =D

-=Lohrno

I too graduated HS in '97, and from that point and throughout college i maintained my weight at around 180 pretty consistantly. I ran cross country in HS, walked about 2 miles a day between classes and the train station when I was in college and my jobs required a lot of moving around (grocery store, retail, etc.) so I was generally pretty fit. My eating habits haven't really changed, but a combination of having a desk job, getting married and playing lots of EQ led to a substantial bloating to the 230 that I carry today.

I've been trying to find an exercise routine that will stick for about the last 6 months, but I haven't had much success. My most successful approach has been bike riding, and with a few state parks within a couple miles of my home, there is plenty of scenery to explore. The problem is that roughly a quarter to a half of the year is not suitable for bike riding in Chicago, so I am in need of a good indoor activity that won't bore me.

My goal is the 190-200 range, mostly because I feel that at 170-180 I was too skinny for my frame. Good luck to the rest of you

Nice work Fash.

I know they have "fat burner" pills that aren't good for you but there's got to be someone researching metabolisms. It really is screwed up that some people can eat like a hog and maintain their weight within 5 pounds + or - no matter what they do.

I'd have thought by now, someone would have cracked the metabolism code and been able to balance out weight issues.

Good luck with your final goal Fash.

XunilTlatoani wrote:...The problem is that roughly a quarter to a half of the year is not suitable for bike riding in Chicago, so I am in need of a good indoor activity that won't bore me.

Get a trainer (and a slick tire of a suitable size if you aren't using a road bike). Many people (myself included) find just pedaling at a particular speed deadly boring on a trainer, but I find that listening to music, watching TV or some other distraction cuts the monotony. Also if you do some sprints / jumps / hard effort every five mintes or so, followed bu recovery for a few minutes after, seems to make the time go faster.

I've been doing anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour on the trainer before work, doing hard efforts (110-120 rpm in a higher gear) every five minutes with recovery (85-90 rpm in an easier gear) after. Getting up at 5:30 blows but I feel great afterward!

All i have to really say about this is cry me a fucking river fat boy..be anerexic because looking like a dufus and loseing weight is what all fat people do...cry dont eat and kill yourself.. steps 1-2-and 3

That's an excellent job Fash. it really sounds as if you've employed the weightwatchers, "flex" philosophy, a very good and successful program. Just to give you an idea of what your weight range should be:

http://www.weightwatchers.com/health/as ... eight.aspx

That's usually pretty sobering for most people to be honest, but not surprising considering what you're used to seeing, especially in males. Shitty food is the cheapest and easiest to obtain and guys eat a ton of it. They, basically, are keeping in line with how they ate in HS or college even though their activity and age has changed.

Curtailing massive calorie eating habits does get easier and easier. When I was an all-northeast miler in college, I would regularly put down an entire pizza pie. Pizza was and still is my favorite food. I used to sandwich the slices cheese on cheese to eat it more quickly. I was a buck-55 on my bloated days. Two slices nowadays, and it's overdoing it really and I still religiously run no fewer than 3 times a week. I never leave the table hungry though.

I now think the biggest problem I had was relearning what I was taught - always clean your plate. Stopping when you're full occurs so much sooner than people realize sometimes. And value with food always seems to be directly correlated with quantity for some reason. "Wow, look at all that ass food for a buck!" or "this fancy restuarant's portions are so small, what a fucking ripoff!"

As far as winter excercise goes, well, I certainly didn't run this morning with a temp of 11 and wind chill of -8 but if it's 30 or warmer, I'm out there running. I especially love running in the snow, it sounds so cool when my feet hit the snow(it's also easier on my crappy knees). However, I realize I'm a tad crazy as the park is usually very empty on those days, so joining a gym (one that will let you pay monthly w/ no commitments) is a good idea.

I graduated HS in '91, and again weigh the same weight I did back then (140 lbs and 5'10"). I'm one of those lucky fuckers that can eat whatever they like and not gain a pound. At least I thought that until a few years ago. I was pretty complacent about exercise, until I noticed the bulge developing around my midection. I've always been active, and it really gave me a wake up call to get off my ass.

Congratz on getting off your butt, Fash! Now, keep it up! Some 'dieting' tips that have helped me, cut the red meat. Use ground turkey for things like burgers, tacos, meatloaf. Cut out cola. Eat more stir fry veggies. I find I think of food less when I'm getting adequate exercise. I lost about 10 lbs this summer from cutting out my midnight munchies. Also, drink ice water. You body burns calories bringing cold water to body temp. Every little bit helps.

We just moved to Denver, and I recently took up snowboarding. Before I lived in such a winter wonderland, I would work out at home. I recommend the book, Home Workout Bible by Men's Health. Tons of exercises with minimal equipment.

sweetkastings wrote:All i have to really say about this is cry me a fucking river fat boy..be anerexic because looking like a dufus and loseing weight is what all fat people do...cry dont eat and kill yourself.. steps 1-2-and 3

Try your little 3 step method out and let us know how it works. It sounds pretty solid except for step 3, so make sure you spend some extra time there.

Chidoro wrote:As far as winter excercise goes, well, I certainly didn't run this morning with a temp of 11 and wind chill of -8 but if it's 30 or warmer, I'm out there running. I especially love running in the snow, it sounds so cool when my feet hit the snow(it's also easier on my crappy knees).

I know exactly what you mean. I used to love the peacefulness and solitude of going for a run just as the snow started falling.

Sadly my knees are crappier than most and running is something I can only think about now, plus there's that lack of snow in Houston thing...

im one of the luckier ones.

still youngt, but at 5'11 ive kept my thin body the same eating atleast 2 pounds of junk everyday. just to rub it in: i have perfect cholesterol and blood pressure

of course, im still growing so by the time im out of college, chances are i will be a overweight

I have gained 20 pounds myself over the last year, but I have also started lifting weights heavily (at leats 4 times a week), plus I do quite a bit of cardio exercize as well. I am in a bulking phase until march, but then i will start trimming off the excess fat I have to be reayd for summer.

Losing weight and keeping it off is really a matter of controlling your calorie intake (which you seem to be doing a great job of). But if you want to work out too (like cardio and weight training), I would say a gym is the way to go, it is what works for me at least to ahve soemwhere to go to get my work out so nothing else distracts me, plus i hate running in the cold.

I myself am 6 foot 1 inch and weigh close to 200 pounds now, which seems to be a fairly good weight for me, my bodyfat percent is still relatively low at around 15%, so make sure you take the recommended weight table posted above with a grain of salt, weight varies a lot between people and their build and it is only an average calculation they can give you.

sweetkastings wrote:All i have to really say about this is cry me a fucking river fat boy..be anerexic because looking like a dufus and loseing weight is what all fat people do...cry dont eat and kill yourself.. steps 1-2-and 3

I still can't exactly figure out what you're trying to say. It's always typed in 3 year old.

That chart and all the others I have ever seen don't work for me at all seeing that I'm 5'8" 200 and in good shape.

It's been a little over 3 months since this post, just thought I'd update it that I was still at 204 on new years day, but that i've dropped another 17 pounds so far this year to arrive at 187. i need an entire new collection of clothing...

congrats man that's quite the achievement

Well done Fash!

Wow, 60-70 pounds. You've gotten rid of the weight of an entire mini-me. Way to stay with it!

Nice going Fash!

Nice going.

Same boat here, except I got diagnosed with diabetes in September. Lost about 30 pounds since then (60 in the last 2 years), but almost a full 6 inches in waist size. Started working out, both threadmill types and weights, changed how much and what I eat. Stay away from the midday candy bars! <-- right there was 10 pounds! Heck I can even take my dog for long walks. In September I was ready to die after 15 minutes walk, Saturday I took the dog for a 2 hour walk, after 35 minutes on a thread mill and 25 minutes of weights.

It's friggin hard in the line of work I do. Never know when I end up working late or what not.

Still need to loose another 20 pounds, but, getting in shape has higher prioority than pure weight loss.

Not playing EQ (or any other game) actively helps too =)

Congrats

Edit: Personally, From Nov 04 -Feb 05 I lost 15 lbs and the only thing I did noteworthy was stop playing eq. Somewhere in mid-feb I started playing WOW and have been stagnent since

You'd be amazed at how much weight you can drop just from switching from regular cokes to diet cokes. I think I lost somewhere along the lines of 10-15 pnds just from doing that. Then I just started eating tons of chicken and salads, healthy stuff. Stopped going to Rally's all the time for cheeseburgers, and walk/run a mile a day, and I am now at a great starting point to start with weight training. Heart disease and diabetes run on both sides of my family. My mom's mom, died a year before I was born, at 43 from a heart attack, my dad died 2 years ago from a heart attack at 53 and my step grandmother just died this passed weekend from old age at 90 but I think she had some heart/sugar conditions. I'm 23 and when I was 20 I went in for a physical (required by college to be able to do any sports) I was told my blood pressure and cholesterol (sp?) were way too high for my body/frame and age and that I should put myself on a strict diet. I didn't really listen, I thought, yeah I'm young, don't have to worry about it. Went in for a physical last year and my doc said " You'll have diabetes by the end of next year, if you do NOT switch your eating/exercise habits now." I freaked, so I made the change, and even though I am not eating Rally's 3 times a week or pizza once a week or going out to eat every weekend. I don't feel deprived. I've learned to cook lots of great low fat stuff at home and it tastes just as good, if not better than fast food. So anyways, keep up the great work Fash. That's awesome that you really stuck with your goal to reach the end. I know that makes you feel extremely good about yourself, as it should. Gratz you!

Lynnsie wrote:You'd be amazed at how much weight you can drop just from switching from regular cokes to diet cokes. I think I lost somewhere along the lines of 10-15 pnds just from doing that.

I was told that this was actually water weight, and that that's the result of not taking in processed sugar/salt which keeps water in your body. I'm not sure if this is really so much a net benefit unless you vow to never drink sugared soda or eat chips or things like that. If you go without these you can drop 10 pounds in like 3 days - a week.

I'm not sure that losing or gaining weight so fast is good either though.

Thanks all

is there a market for another diet book?

Congrats Fash!

I'm pretty weird, I go in cycles. The cycle starts off where I'm out of shape and pretty chubby, which motivates me to workout and eat better. I get in shape, feel good about myself, get hot girls, then I get complacent, don't workout, don't eat right, and I slowly get out of shape again and then it all starts over. It's a really retarded cycle, but I guess I sort of have to have "negative" motivation (i.e. clothes not fitting, being called fat) to really get me to take action, the positive motivation that I get when I'm already in shape just doesn't do much for me.

Right now I'm out of shape and beginning to workout and eat right again. In September I was 194 (I'm 6' and have a large frame, 190 is the ideal weight for me if I have a decent amount of muscle, anything less than 180 and IMO I'd be too skinny), I weighed myself the other day and I was 217. I was like "oh shit." Then a belt I used to wear on the 2nd to last notch with room to spare would BARELY fit on the last notch. Those two provoked me into working out and eating right again. I know I've lost a ton of muscle, so I figure I've gained like 30+ pounds of fat, ouch. In a month I think I'll be less than 210, my goal is in 3 months to be back in relatively good shape.

Man, I REALLY need to break the cycle, I need to ingrain into my brain how much it sucks starting to workout again after not working out for months and months. In July I was running 3 miles in 21 minutes (not perfect but pretty decent), now my legs give out on me before I can even SLOWLY jog a mile. I'm so sore I can barely move, I'm having to lift pussy weight at the gym, etc.

By eating right I don't mean I design a diet or anything, I just mean I cut out a lot of the really bad things. I drink tons of water instead of coke, no more milkshakes from Jack in the Box (the large oreo cookie shakes have enough cals to equal an entire meal, but they taste so good mmmm), no late night eating, and I semi-watch what I eat the rest of the time. That, combined with working out, gets me back in shape pretty fast.

Denadeb wrote:That chart and all the others I have ever seen don't work for me at all seeing that I'm 5'8" 200 and in good shape.

You are satisfied with your appearance and could very well be fit, that does not mean the chart doesn't work or that you're not overweight. There are a lot of people who are fit and healthy even though they are overweight.

Grats again Fash

During my yearly physical, my doctor told me I was at the top of the Bell Curve for my age (30). But then he saw my lab work and almost shit his pants. Chol and lipids were completely out of whack due to such shitty eating habits. I'm 5' 11" and weighed in at 183, the most I have ever weighed by far. Since then, I have changed my diet, dropping all soda and not eating any fast food at all. I went from 183 to 170 in 3 weeks. I plan at hitting around 155ish for my goal weight and I'm way ahead of schedule. The weight loss is slowing down, so it's time to start some cardio to increase my metabolisim to knock off the extra 15 lbs.

It's the first time I've ever went on a diet my entire life, and I'm surprised at how easily I've adjusted. No real cravings or trouble staying on the path. Still, it's definately not fun. It makes me respect Jared a lot more!

Shaq on BMI:

“I’ve read that same formula, but as an athlete, I’m classified as phenomenal,” O’Neal told The AP. “You can look it up.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7129586/

Dropping soda, fried foods, and stuff high in sugar is easily the best way to quickly change your lifestyle to be more healthy. Also, I think most people just eat far too much, the recommended 2500 calories or whatever it is for a mildly active adult really isn't all that much.

-Alfan

about a year and a half ago i started running and playing tennis again in a city league. basically, i've lost 35 pounds, and i'm below my target weight by 5 lbs eating like a horse trying to stay at it

losing 35 lbs (diet and exercise) didnt drop my cholesterol at all though (was 240). so i'm on a statin drug now, and it dropped 70 points the first 6 weeks.

no reason to delay a healthy lifestyle. it is going to improve the quality of your life dramatically, and the longer you lead an unhealthy lifestyle, the more you increase the probability you will suffer an early death or encounter future health problems.

there are no guarantees, but it is foolish to not work to improve the probability that you will lead a healthy life.

BTW, congratulations Fash =p

I'm starting up my training cycle to do my first marathon. Up to 11 miles on my long runs (need to get to about 20ish miles on long runs). Did Xcountry in high school but dropped it more or less in college. Have done a few half marathons before, with my PR being around 1:31. Hoping to do under 3:30 for the full, if my body survives the mileage needed to do that.

Congrats on losing the weight Fash... while there is less of you to love the stuff that remains is more lovable I'm sure.

Animale

I can vouch for Voro's amazing transformation.

This is a picture of Voronwe on a Legion Guild Raid a year and a half ago:



Voronwe now:



(Bow was in shop being repaired during photo session)

And grats again to everyone losing the pounds lately!

Hah, that's like a 30 lber or something. Looks like the bow I had when I was about 10 or so. I was shot in the foot with one once. It kinda scraped it.

I especially like the 6 inch diameter of his belly button, abuser of cotton pocket tees quite frankly. Besides, I think that bow doubles as wax teeth during halloween .

Yeah, like you guys I had a similar situation with weight. Going into my senior year during High School I was something around 230 pounds at 6 foot 2, during that summer. I was lazy, like during our 5 mile runs at baseball practice (in HS during the previous spring), I was always last and by the last mile I was dying and was running not much faster than a walk.

I decided to change stuff around in the fall of my senior year and I started a few diets in addition to exercise, which wasn't much. I really just cut down my calories a lot. I did a yogurt and fruit diet for about 3 weeks, I lost like 20 pounds off that in no time. Of course, it was a horrible 3 weeks, eating nothing but mush.

After that 3 week period, I felt as if my stomach had shrunken, and I didn't eat nearly as much. For instance Pizza, I'd eat 4 slices pre-diet, and I ate 2 slices afterwards. Eating so much less helped me continue to lose weight.

By the time spring came around for baseball I was between 175 and 185 and it fluxuated a lot depending on what I ate and how much I exercised. My lowest was like 173. At the end of the season I moved back up to around 180 and was pretty good throughout the summer. I worked outside and was pretty active, but with my newfound interest in beer I got up to 185 before I went to college.

College is where everything got fucked up and I had a terrible diet. Late night pizzas, sandwiches, nothing but soda, tons of fried food. Its almost impossible to eat well at a college. Coupled with some nights of heavy drinking.

I'm now up to 200 again. I'm in good shape and I can run a lot still, but it pisses me off that because of reasons relatively out of my control (I have no transportation, and very limited amounts of cash to spend on a decent diet) I gained a freshman 15.

Now that I exausted my meal points, and I got like no cash in the bank, and still a month left in college... somehow I think I'm going to be a little hungry and cutting down my calories involentarily.

Fat.... I will have my vengeance.