I know this is posted once in while, but I think it helps to think about it again.  Weight loss for most of us.  Got my old fat self up to 238.  Graduated high school at 195 30 yrs ago.  I figure that would be a good target weight.  Decided after Christmas to make a resolution actually stick.  Down about 20 lbs at 218 (haven't seen 220 in years) so I am determined to make this work.  Sensible eating and exercise.  

The way I look at it, if I can loose 40 lbs, I get the back pack for free when hiking .  I carried it around for years, so should all be good on my outdoor treks.

Anyway, hope this might encourage someone.  Keep at it.  All the health benefits plus your backpack for free!!  What's not to like?

Doc

I tell you, its hard.

I tried, and I mean really tried to stick with it. I have lost weight, but quit loosing. Something about running a business, another startup (which you guys are going to LOVE, BTW ), and a newborn just seem to plot against my weight loss.


All excuses, though. I admit.


I have a lot of manual labor to do this year around the house, so hopefully that helps my fat ass burn off a bit!

Very true, its hard and theres always excuses aplenty haha

my excuse has been winter....now that winter is subsiding here in the Chicagoland area, I have no excuse.

So my plan is to load up a pack (40lbs sounds good) and walk/run with it until my body gets the hint that its running heavy. Also, i plan to work on my jump roping ability since it seems to be beneficial and my vertical could use some help.

I'm 6'3" and right now I'm at 280lbs. If I can get below 250, I'd be more than happy.

Arfcom weight loss accountability group? haha

whatever it takes.....

I actually tried, it died

 

Hell, I'm active duty Army but with an office job.  I've slowed my running down but I've been working out in the gym six-days a week every morning with my son at 0500.  My cardio is mainly elliptical, but I need to do some more running.  Biggest challenge for me when it comes to weight control is portion control.  I grew up where you cleaned up your plate.  We eat pretty healthy (except for that damn beer I enjoy), but the challenge is to eat smaller meals more often...very hard to do with all three of us working, school activities, church activities, a traveling-often job and your basic around-home chores.  It's all priorities and I'm needing to drop about 10 pounds in the next few months.  I may have to cut out alcohol all together and start adding more distance and time to my running and other cardio exercises.

We have cut out soda, limiting sugar, added a couple salads per week for dinner, not as much red meat, more nuts and fruits for snacks.  It's literally a life-style change and it really helps when the rest of the family is on board.

Best advantage is trying to keep up with a 16 year-old athlete!  After working out I wait until he goes to school before grabbing the bio-freeze and Advil  

Good job so far and keep it up.  I'm guilty, but find it quite ironic that people will spend big bucks on titanium, cuben-fiber and other gram-cutting backpacking gear but don't consider that extra five pounds around their gut as a cheaper and better place to start cutting your pack weight!!!

ROCK6

You and I are pretty close.  I'm 6'4" 270lbs.  I dropped 25lbs last year basically doing Atkins and Paleo but put 10 back on.

What was really frustrating was getting a new bathroom scale to replace the old one and discovering the old scale was 10lbs light....

I started cutting down my caloric intake and went down two notches on my belt.

Good job. I try to stay under 225. I'm over 6' and am not considered a smaller person.

But as soon as I get over 230 I feel it down to my bones. And start dropping again.


I will say that the adage of old man strength is somewhat true. I had a couple of younger guys (30's) come help me the other weekend out at the cabin helping to hang roof rafters. (2x6x12). I started working Friday afternoon and worked all weekend until Sunday at dark. They helped half of Saturday and half of Sunday.... And Monday at work they were complaining of being sore. and one does crossfit the other is a runner.

Made this 40 something feel good I could still pull my weight and more with the younger kids.

Wish I could get back down to the 190's though....

I topped out over the winter at 233.
Since then I'm down to 217.  I run 3-4 times per week and the biggest thing has been portion control.  I don't load my plate to the brim, I go easy on the sweets, and no more energy drinks.  i cut back the Mtn. Dew to one for lunch, instead of the 2-3 each day.
End goal is 205-210 and back in the 36" waist jeans.

the problem is focusing on weight loss and not living healthy. people lose the weight and forget that when they stop doing the things that resulted in the weight loss that weight will return.

I like the calorie meter on my elliptical. it reminds me that exercise is about 13% weight loss and 87% is not putting crappy food or too much food in your mouth. now I look at food and immediately think of how much time on the elliptical it will cost me. so some days I eat well and other days I'm having fun on the elliptical.

I

I have a similar story with weight up to 250 just 2yrs ago.  I started my loss by putting a treadmill in front of the TV in my garage.  Then I would walk while watching the evening news, or anything else instead of sitting on the couch.  You don't have to start fast.  I'm talking walking, not running.  After a while keep the same speed and introduce the incline.  1-2% per week or so. The incline will cause you to burn calories like a furnace!

I've been down under 190 for the last two years.  I've creapt up a little higher when recovering from a bad injury that kept me immobile.  But now I'm staying at 175-180 just by walking instead of sitting.

Few years back (3-4)  I dropped 60+ lbs. IMHO at the time I was in the best shape since my football days.
Then I screwed my back up (ripped disk and large herniation at l4/5) ...in that 1st I plopped 30 back on. Since I've done the 10-15 up and down dance due to injury /habits. I'm at the weight I was when I was 19 but not as strong. Honestly I don't think.I'm as strong as I was three years ago.
But I jog each day..do some basic work outs and try and stay active.
I'm trying to lose more but mentally its a battle staying motivated.


Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

I agree 100%.  I think as was mentioned above, it helps to think about how long it will take to work dinner off.  A big ole fat greasy cheese burger is 16 miles!!  I had rather not eat it than try to run it off.  Also use any motivation you can.  My particular spur at this moment is my 30 yr class reunion!!  Nothing like a little vanity to keep one honest at the caloric intake

Doc

I'm down 9 pounds already by just lowering caloric intake and upping my activity level.  There is tons more room in the activity level that could get better too.  
Lately, also working on lightening my pack and evaluating it's load vs needs, cutting out weight on both ends.

Good luck guys. I just started today, I'm looking to drop ten this Spring.  I agree, it's mostly about what you eat.
I have a business that keeps me pretty active by the standards of most people. I'll run or get on the elliptical once or twice a week, and do a high intensity weightlifting session once a week.  I definitely can hold my own against the youngsters.

I gotta get back lookin sexy in my man thong  

I've got some super high speed multicam taslite ...I can sew you one...I just need measurements .......   :p LOL

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

I just buy boxer briefs...

I believe that this is the first sentence in world history where "sexy" and "me" have been uttered in the same sentence

Doc

Goals are easier when you make commitments.  

I hate being part of a fad, but a buddy wanted to get into better shape.  Asked me to commit to a Tough Mudder with him.  So I figured it would get me into better shape too so why not.  You have to set small goals.  I started with 4-5 days a week, walking a mile, running a mile,.walking another for a month.  Then walk 1, run 2, walk 1 for another month.  We ran a 5k fundraiser.  Then another.  Before the mudder I got up to running 2-4 miles a day for the last month.  I threw in lots of push-ups and pull-ups throughout.  In the end, I wasn't in great shape, but a lot better than I had been.  Harder and harder to keep it up.  But its easy enough to find friends and family, even coworkers doing some fundraiser 5k every other weekend. Just ran one today, 50+ people in our group for a PH fundraiser.  I sucked, but knowing it was coming, I got out and ran a few time over the last couple of weeks even though I was nursing a sinus infection.  

Other simple stuff: commit to doing some physical activity two days a week with your kids or friends.  Biking, jogging, hiking, walking the dog or all of the above.  I have different groups of friends I do different activities with.  Get a fitbit or any other step counter.  Give yourself a reason to do a little more all the time.  Park farther out in the lot at work.  I work an office job, I started using the farthest bathroom.  I'm in my thirties, but a guy I work with is nearly 60.  He had open heart surgery a year ago and has been walking the halls or the lot at work 2x a day, now I walk with him.  I fill my water bottle only half way so I have to get up twice as often.  Sounds silly, but when you start counting every step, you make every step count.  

What works for one may not work for the next.  Find what you can work for and what works for you.  Get out there!

Just day three for me. I worked out yesterday evening and am starving! Not gonna make my 2K calorie goal- maybe 2500. Oh well,  more good days than bad is the long term plan.

I don' like to go intentionally hungry post workout- I feel like my body wants to make some repairs and needs resources to do it.

I'm be using the "my fitness pal" app for a couple weeks. If anyone is using it and wants to friend up PM me.

I've been using My Fitness Pal since July, try to log everything I eat, and have a cheat day once a week.  Down 87lbs as of today.  Have about another 25 to go.  MFP has actually made it pretty damn easy.  I'll fully admit I'm not exactly eating better with my diet still chock full of sodium and various processed foods, but my priority has been just getting the weight off to start with.  It's made a huge difference in just about everything in my life.

Tell me about it! I took a friend's 16-y/o grandson and one of his friends snowshoeing at a ski area last weekend, and after about a steady hour of uphill I started wondering what made me decide it was a good thing for an overweight, out of shape, 46 year-old to do. However, I had them beat for endurance, 3 hours of snowshoeing is nothing for me but I don't think either of them regularly exert themselves for 3 hours at a time.

Awesome work! I dropped about 100 lbs in 2011 and have kept 90 of it off so far.  I attribute the last 50lbs to strict calorie counting using the app.


If I could go back for a redo, I'd up my protein intake, and not push too hard towards the end. I was doing cardio almost daily.  Doing so on a severely restricted calorie diet caused me to lose more muscle mass than I would if I had been patient.