Fitness: Weight loss group accountability

[JediGuy]

Guys/gals,
I haven’t spent a ton of time in this forum, but I’ve got some changes that need to be made.

Might have missed, but thought it would be cool to have a thread where people could post background, goals, approaches as they work on fitness. Personally, this will involve strength and hypertrophy, but first some needed weight loss.

Background: INTJ, zero military, generally active but skinny fat until just before college, got skinny again while teaching English in Africa 09-10, stayed active as hourly and then front line management back in US, gained weight intentionally on my own, got strong and leaner doing CrossFit 13-14... Now office/travel job since 15, put on 20 bad pounds since then. Went from Levi’s in 31” waist being comfortably loose to stretchy 32” being uncomfortable tight. These are glamour sizes, so about 35” waist actual.

Height: 5’ 10”
Africa low, 2010: 142#
Best strength to weight, fall 2013: 168#
Current, Dec 2019: 188#

I feel fat. Some of you might scoff at this, but for me, it’s become way past acceptable.

Goal: 170# with 425# deadlift

I haven’t really worked out since 2016. I do not have time due to work, travel, and kids to consistently hit a gym. DL will be primary driver of strength measurement, though I hope to get a squat cage in basement when I can find one cheap locally. Ceiling isn’t high enough for presses, but will work cleans once I build up an absolute strength base again. I also have some dumbbells and a kettlebell as I focus on the weight loss for a while.

I am aware diet is a huge part of weight manipulation. Going to work on that. Starbucks chai tea latte (laugh, go ahead) is the immediate sacrificial lamb.

Why? I feel like crap, my cholesterol is high, I’m vain, my wife is far more fit than I, and I want to play basketball with children when they’re old enough.

To make this a full SMART goal: by Thanksgiving 2020

Had to write this somewhere. Would love to see what you all are working on.

[Diamondback]

Height: 5'6" - short height large frame, mostly sedentary for most of my life
Age: 39
All-time low as adult: 160#, ~2004
More "normal" range: 180-200#, late 1990s to most of 2000s, weight really started packing on about 2015
Lifetime high: 240#, May '19
Short-term goal: 40# off for a total weight of 200# before my 40th birthday mid-June 2020; reduce second chin to point of actually HAVING a neck again so I can button my shirt collars
Longer-term goal: Whittle down to around 180
Current progress: 208# (expected to balloon back to 215-220 over Thanksgiving, was pleasantly surprised by staying right around 210)

Strategy: My doctors have me shooting for a target "glide slope" of 5# drop a month, trying to make lifestyle changes slowly so they're more easily adapted to. Most of this drop is attributable to a combo of keto, intermittent fasting and moving to more consistent meal scheduling, getting most of the calories and carbs earlier in the day, making the "main meal" at breakfast, then a smaller lunch, and replacing dinner with a protein shake and a couple of meat or cheese snacks spaced out over a couple hours. A little constrained on exercise by taking care of a bedridden parent, but sneaking in what jogging, calisthenics and other light exercise I can in between the Evil Old One's demands. Keto for me is a "reduction" diet not a "lifestyle;" the game plan once I've trimmed into goal range is to switch off between regular and keto as needed to stay within +/-10lbs of target. (Sounds like a large swing, but for me that 20lb is just a normal "seasonal cycle" of lighter in summer/heavier in winter.) Watch-words here are "slow and steady," seen too many "Biggest Loser" winners who only set themselves up for losing in life by focusing on "game winning point scores" rather than "settle into a healthier routine small steps at a time." I'm never going to be able to pass a military PFT never mind compete with a Tier 1 operator, but the realistic expectations here are 1. get off the track that saw my mother at 330# with blown-out knees at 60 and 2. be fit enough that if some random street crim decides he wants a piece of me or mine I can be "more trouble than I'm worth" to take on.

Cholesterol/BP/etc all considered "exceptional" for my height/frame and BMI. EDIT: Lucky genes, neither of us are diabetic, pre-diabetic or even approaching pre-.

[tgizzard]

I'll bite

Height 5'11"
Age 36
Always been active
Lowest weight as an adult 150
Highest weight as an adult 205
Ideal weight somewhere between 165 - 175
Current weight 185

Don't eat fast food, don't do processed foods (as much as possible), and I try to avoid sweets. My wife is fit and eats well, I'm basically a by product of her smart choices food wise. My biggest inhibitor to staying within my desired weight range is alcohol. I'm not all - gotta have a drink every day or drink solely to get drunk - But I enjoy a few frosty brew over the course of a weekend and one or two nights during the week. Not that light piss water, but bold high calorie stuff that actually has some taste making it worth drinking.

fitness I keep it simple, I believe in functional strength so my fitness regime consist of running, HIT workouts, and weights - mainly dumbbells and kettle bells. I've never been one looking to win a body building competition, but I like feeling in control of my body and not the other way around.

Personally my goal right now is to get back down to 170, I'm working out and eating well, so my strategy is to scale back the beer intake and add a couple more work outs to the weekly routine.

[CAMagnussen]

Don't laugh

I'm 57.
6'3
Weight: 288

Lowest weight was 210. I'm (no really) a very large frame dude.

But...I desperately need to lose some weight.

My metabolism has always been low, low resting heart rate, body temp always (ALWAYS) not 98.6 but 97. Etc. I'm really only interested in dropping weight and boosting heart health and avoiding diabetes. My diet is suprisingly rather sparse. I don't eat sweets. I do not drink. I do not eat a ton of red meat. But I do not like fruits and vegetables. I'm a true meat and tater guy.

I've started to excercise again....walking briskly...working at building up to 45 minute. power walks 5 of 7 days a week.

etc.

I'd love to get down to 240, at least.

[JediGuy]

DB, cool stuff. I know you got raked over the coals on a thread a while back, nice to see you jump in.

Tgizzard, I think our goals are very similar. I stopped working out, but don’t drink. That and also having a healthy wife have been a huge help. I’m not sure how much people realize that positive (even unspoken) pressure can be.

CAM, a guy from work lost 40lbs by cleaning up eating and walking 20 minutes every day. It works.

[Diamondback]

DB, cool stuff. I know you got raked over the coals on a thread a while back, nice to see you jump in.

Thanks, bro. Goodtimes isn't my first rodeo with Internet jackassery, and I trust accredited pros who *I'm paying* and thus have subject to Doctor-Patient obligations over some random douche who thinks he's the second coming of Gunny Hartmann. Game plan with this thread is I figure I'll post the final weekly Delta-M (current week's Saturday bedtime high minus previous week's) every Sunday AM, and whatever commentary I might have on worked/didn't work/mitigating factors.

Funny thing is I've scored this drop with a lot of doubling-down on red meat, but I'm doing leaner steaks (even WITH them slathered in butter ) rather than greasy fatty hamburgers.

[vandal5]

JediGuy, thanks for posting this.

I've been losing and gaining back the same 10#s for the last few months.

I just turned 41, and at my last checkup my Dr my results say I'm knocking on the door of being pre-diabetic. I have nothing against Diabetics, but I personally don't want to be one.

Quick info on me:
As I said, I'm 41.
5'6"
As of 10 min ago, 189#.

In my mid 20s I was around 165 or so. Had gotten up to 185 when I got married at 30. Went back down to 170 in 2012 when my daughter was born. From there up to earlier this year I worked my way up to 197. That was when I decided I need to start getting myself in check. Back in June the wife and I did a diet of shakes and small meals. I had gone from 197 to 183 in about a month. Since them I have gone back up and down in the 180s over and over.

I'd like to use this threat as accountability to keep the trend going down this time.

If I could get back to 170 or 165 I'd be pretty pumped.


If there is no specific day to update I'll either post when the majority of you do, but would like to be on a weekly basis.

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[Diamondback]

Other than the pre-D (I'm luckily well short), Vandal, you sound about like where I eventually aim to get to.

[vandal5]

Other than the pre-D (I'm luckily well short), Vandal, you sound about like where I eventually aim to get to.

I'm sure you'll get there. Sounds like you have a good plan laid out.

I'm working on doing a lifestyle overhaul more or less. I've cut back on a lot of my sugars, and I'm trying to switch from having 1 to 2 large meals a day to more smaller sized ones.

Even if it's just a small amount I want to work in more exercise. We have 3 younger kids, I work during the day with some extra hours and myself works retail and is go e most days and nights I'm home. Free/personal time is pretty minimal at this time.

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[Wake27]

Height: 5'6" - short height large frame, mostly sedentary for most of my life
Age: 39
All-time low as adult: 160#, ~2004
More "normal" range: 180-200#, late 1990s to most of 2000s, weight really started packing on about 2015
Lifetime high: 240#, May '19
Short-term goal: 40# off for a total weight of 200# before my 40th birthday mid-June 2020; reduce second chin to point of actually HAVING a neck again so I can button my shirt collars
Longer-term goal: Whittle down to around 180
Current progress: 208# (expected to balloon back to 215-220 over Thanksgiving, was pleasantly surprised by staying right around 210)

Strategy: My doctors have me shooting for a target "glide slope" of 5# drop a month, trying to make lifestyle changes slowly so they're more easily adapted to. Most of this drop is attributable to a combo of keto, intermittent fasting and moving to more consistent meal scheduling, getting most of the calories and carbs earlier in the day, making the "main meal" at breakfast, then a smaller lunch, and replacing dinner with a protein shake and a couple of meat or cheese snacks spaced out over a couple hours. A little constrained on exercise by taking care of a bedridden parent, but sneaking in what jogging, calisthenics and other light exercise I can in between the Evil Old One's demands. Keto for me is a "reduction" diet not a "lifestyle;" the game plan once I've trimmed into goal range is to switch off between regular and keto as needed to stay within +/-10lbs of target. (Sounds like a large swing, but for me that 20lb is just a normal "seasonal cycle" of lighter in summer/heavier in winter.) Watch-words here are "slow and steady," seen too many "Biggest Loser" winners who only set themselves up for losing in life by focusing on "game winning point scores" rather than "settle into a healthier routine small steps at a time." I'm never going to be able to pass a military PFT never mind compete with a Tier 1 operator, but the realistic expectations here are 1. get off the track that saw my mother at 330# with blown-out knees at 60 and 2. be fit enough that if some random street crim decides he wants a piece of me or mine I can be "more trouble than I'm worth" to take on.

Cholesterol/BP/etc all considered "exceptional" for my height/frame and BMI. EDIT: Lucky genes, neither of us are diabetic, pre-diabetic or even approaching pre-.

It sounds like there isn't any reason you couldn't pass any one of the various military fitness tests.