Losing Weight

[JayB]

You are probably a bit hypoglycemic in the mornings if you are working out before eating.

 

Having a glass of OJ and a bit of coffee before I head in seems to make me feel better during a morning workout, and I try to eat shortly after I'm done.

[Bill_Simpkins]

Try eating just a little before you work out in the morning.

Like an apple, banana or some grapes. Stretch a little too , to get your blood moving.

 

Update: I'm still losing it, but not as fast. I guess the first week was a total shock, but now my appetite has generally decreased and it seems I'm losing about a pound a week, only time will tell.

I've been riding my bike to work a few days a week and running about every other night for about 30-45 minutes.

Some weeknights I've been pulling plastic or bouldering at the beach.

On the weekends I've been hiking and climbing.

Usually light to heavy hiking and climbing all day in the 5.7-5.10a range.

I feel in pretty good shape and can do the few long alpine trips I have planned coming up soon just fine.

I'm at about 208 pounds now, was at a little over 215 when I started. Trying to get to 190-195 then go from there.

I went climbing with a friend last weekend that hasn't seen me in a while and he said I'm a little chunkier from last time he saw me. lol

Although m clothes always fit when i gained my weight this last winter, they fit MUCH better already and I have to sinch my belt in a few extra notches.

[BrotherNex]

Am I the only one interested in what video game kept you occupied all winter and made you gain 20 pounds? Always up for a reason to procrastinate on homework and keep me entertained into the darker hours.

[Bill_Simpkins]

World of Warcraft my friend. It's like crack.

 

Update: Went to doctor and I've lost 13 pounds since the start of the thread. 15 more to go.

[BrotherNex]

Damn... I am not aloud to play MMORPGs after I had a devestating run in with Everquest awhile back...

 

My only tip for you whould be to worry less about overall wieght and more on your Body Mass Index (BMI), which is what percentage of your overall wieght is fat, and how much is the stuff your not supposed to lose (muscle, internal organs, bones)

 

I whould suggest Corvert Bailey, he is a author who has written books about that, includes great information on wwhat is BMI, How to measure it, and what is healthy. Good read, good information. Google 'em.

[Bill_Simpkins]

I've lost about half the weight I need to lose.

Looking at about how much I have left on me and how much I lost, it seems about right.

I think I'll be in a pretty healthy place then.

My doctor also said my blood pressure has dropped back down to normal.

Additionally, my knee and foot problems are dissapearring and I think more clearly.

 

My goal is a bit higher than my optimal BMI. The healthiest I ever was, like when I would jog up mountains with no breaks, was 190-195. I just want to get back in that zone and maybe a bit better

My biggest fear is to get fat and get bad joints like my parents when I get older.

I will do anything to prevent that if I can.

[MITllama02]

Tips that helped us (over 55 years old) with weight:

 

1. You may want to check body composition. If your body is low on fat, like 14%, then you're mostly muscle and you don't need to lose weight. This is the scientific way to figure our where you need to be. For most accurate results, get the body composition analysis done at more than one place because the error is like +/- 4 % units.

 

2. If you are counting calories, check out WHAT you are eating very carefully. Like a salad is great, but what dressing do you put on, and how much? Substitution sometimes add nutrients and sometimes add satisfaction. For example, we cut out the fat in our salad dressing by using the juice that pickles come bottled with or balsamic vinegar; we replaced that fat by enhancing the salad with either pine nuts or a bit of avocado which are more satisfying (to us) than the oily or creamy salad dressings that we used to use.

 

3. You can't expect to exercise off a huge meal. So if you go out for dinner, or have friends over, then prepare to practically fast the next evening to make up.

[snugtop]

When all else fails, try TheJiggler.

[Bill_Simpkins]

When all else fails, try TheJiggler.

 

Funny!

 

UPDATE:

I'm down to 195 now. That's about 25 pounds since I started. I met my goal. I porked out this last weekend when my parents visited. You know, I thought that would be enough since I'm 6'2" tall and am not wirery, but I still feel like I have 10-15 extra hanging on me. I notice I eat a lot less and am satisfied. Before I think I ate till I was totally stuffed.

The biggest difference physically is it is easier to go running because I feel lighter on my feet and I just basically lost pack weight when climbing. I also don't feel as frustrated and even little things like tying my shoes and going up and down stairs is easier. My clothes now are almost falling off me. I didn't realize I was so chunked up.

Now carrying a 25 lb pack on a route will be just like climbing before I lost the weight. I've been out climbing a few times and I noticed the appraoches were easier and I used less water. My hands also didn't hurt as much after strenuous no-tape hand-jamming. Hanging on is a little easier. Just obvious stuff.

[downfall]

Thats awesome.

[fenderfour]

I managed to lose a lot of weight by playing Ultimate Frisbee 3 times a week at lunch and being a little more aware of what I was eating. I climbed as normal on weekends.

 

It took a little while (6 months), but almost no effort on my part. I was weighing in at 255+ before. Now I'm at 215-

 

I'm a big guy with a large build, and like Bill, I thought that meeting my goal (under 220) would be enough, but i still feel like I've got another 10-15 lbs to lose.

 

I no longer have any reason for sucking.

[archenemy]

Congratulations to you both, losers! Losing and maintaining your weight is a big achievement. Climbing better and tying your shoes aren't the only benefits--you are healthier overall and most likely extend your life by staying little around the middle.

What's really cool though is hearing (reading) guys talk about this. Right on.

[mvs]

I lost 18 pounds since March, from 196 to 178. Couple of observations:

 

1) I tried the atkins diet (I know, start yelling), as I'd had good results with it 2 years before. It didn't seem to work this time.

2) I went trail running a lot January to March. That got me to 188 or so, but then stubborn.

3) I got frustrated because I was excercising a lot, but not losing any more weight. So...

4) I bought a fad diet book, called "The Ultimate New York Body Plan," by a cheesy supermodel consultant guy. I followed it exactly, with the indispensable help of my wife making the assigned meals to the letter. The food was like Atkins, pretty much: lean meat and green vegatables, very little else. 5 meals a day. 45 minutes to 1.5 hour workout per day, for 14 days.

 

It worked really well, helping me lose 12 pounds by the end of two weeks. Now I could climb a bit harder in the gym, which was exciting. I also found that it was better from a weight-loss perspective to go easier on the cardio workout. More like 45 minutes at 140 bpm, instead of 150-160 like I was doing before with trail running (or higher). I don't know why that's true and folks have told me that doesn't make sense, but it's an important component (for me).

 

I've decided also that weighing myself every day is a big help, and writing down what I ate. There is a direct link between how much you eat, how much you exercise and weight gain or loss. I am a "master of the obvious" but writing it down and weighing every day keeps me honest.

 

I am 5'11" and would like to be about 170, so I have a few more pounds to go. It's actually been a fun journey, though it took reaching a point of frustration to get militant about it and do it right.

[Dru]

What's really cool though is hearing (reading) guys talk about this. Right on.

 

Anorexia and bulimia - not just for girls anymore

[cj001f]

3. You can't expect to exercise off a huge meal. So if you go out for dinner, or have friends over, then prepare to practically fast the next evening to make up.

Fasting isn't a good way to sustainably maintain weight loss. Accept the setback and move. Fasting (for me) sets back the weight loss process more than it advances it.