Fitness: Weight loss group accountability

[Mick Boon]

What I have learned through losing weight is that you are as fat as you want to be.

Fat people just need to man up and cut right down on their food intake. It's a piece of cake.

[RMike89]

Don't really have a goal of weight loss but wanted to add my $.02 to this: Mick Boon is 100% correct.

1 year ago, I flew out to Colorado for back country snowboarding weighing 250 lbs with a BMI of roughly 12% body fat. Not overweight, but definitely stocky, as my buddy I went out west with put it, like a walking refrigerator. Once I got there and we began trekking through the hills, it was much more difficult than it had been the previous year when I weighed 215. Doubled over and gasping for air while both knees screamed in pain, I told myself when I got back down to sea level, no more bulking, no more excessive weight: light is always going to be right from now on.

Fast forward to today, I weigh 200 lbs (I'm 6'4" for reference) and faster than I've ever been on my 2 mile while retaining 70% of my starting strength numbers. I did it by regulating my calories and training, plain and simple. I still ate ice cream and pizza, but drastically less to the point where I could no longer down an entire pizza or a dozen donuts in one sitting without feeling sick to my stomach.

To expedite the process of weight loss, I also had to change up my training. This took me the longest time to figure out but there's absolutely no shame in getting the help of a certified strength and conditioning coach (CSCS). They completed the level of schooling in order to help us ordinary folks. I worked with a pro that turned me onto Mark Twight and Steve House, these gentleman pioneered lightweight speed alpinism and have in turn taught their lessons learned through experience to our nation's finest and authored two books along the way: Training for the New Alpinism and Uphill Athlete. I couldn't recommend these books enough for individuals looking to get into shape as they cover not only the endurance perspective, they touch into strength and expand greatly into diet.

I wish everyone the best of luck and if you have any questions about ^^, feel free to shoot me a message.

[JediGuy]

Don't really have a goal of weight loss but wanted to add my $.02 to this: Mick Boon is 100% correct.

Mark Twight and Steve House...: Training for the New Alpinism and Uphill Athlete.

Good stuff overall. You’re right, and sometimes that’s what people need to hear. More often than not, actually, though actually having a bit more than that is helpful, which I think you’ve also supplied.

On Mr. Gym Jones... He was good when he was acting like he didn’t do CrossFit while doing CrossFit that he didn’t call CrossFit. I missed his books, will have to check it out. I definitely liked his approach.

[RMike89]

Thankfully, his book was written before his contribution to Crossfit when training consisted of staying in zone 2 for 3 hours interspersed with intervals.

Mark Twight has a podcast too: The Dissect and The NonProphet Podcast. Not so much about fitness as it revolves around his take on things which is...interesting. Still gems to be had as it dives deeper into the psychology surrounding our habits of training and eating. He also was a pretty competitive shooter back in the day, won the Utah IPSC State Championship open division if I remember reading correctly.

[Mick Boon]

Don't really have a goal of weight loss but wanted to add my $.02 to this: Mick Boon is 100% correct.

1 year ago, I flew out to Colorado for back country snowboarding weighing 250 lbs with a BMI of roughly 12% body fat. Not overweight, but definitely stocky, as my buddy I went out west with put it, like a walking refrigerator. Once I got there and we began trekking through the hills, it was much more difficult than it had been the previous year when I weighed 215. Doubled over and gasping for air while both knees screamed in pain, I told myself when I got back down to sea level, no more bulking, no more excessive weight: light is always going to be right from now on.

Fast forward to today, I weigh 200 lbs (I'm 6'4" for reference) and faster than I've ever been on my 2 mile while retaining 70% of my starting strength numbers. I did it by regulating my calories and training, plain and simple. I still ate ice cream and pizza, but drastically less to the point where I could no longer down an entire pizza or a dozen donuts in one sitting without feeling sick to my stomach.

To expedite the process of weight loss, I also had to change up my training. This took me the longest time to figure out but there's absolutely no shame in getting the help of a certified strength and conditioning coach (CSCS). They completed the level of schooling in order to help us ordinary folks. I worked with a pro that turned me onto Mark Twight and Steve House, these gentleman pioneered lightweight speed alpinism and have in turn taught their lessons learned through experience to our nation's finest and authored two books along the way: Training for the New Alpinism and Uphill Athlete. I couldn't recommend these books enough for individuals looking to get into shape as they cover not only the endurance perspective, they touch into strength and expand greatly into diet.

I wish everyone the best of luck and if you have any questions about ^^, feel free to shoot me a message.

You are dead right about things being easier, I was clearing deep snow a month ago and spent the entire 2 hours shoveling and thinking about other things, it was effortless really.

Unlike you I have not exercised I just cut down on calories and stopped eating unhealthy food, it was basically a lifestyle change.

I have lost roughly 25% of my body weight, down from 185 lbs to 140. I'm 5'7 and just turned 65, I run about like a kid again To look at I don't notice much difference but other people certainly do, they keep asking if I'm ok, I tell them I lost weight on purpose. Now I weigh myself to make sure I keep my weight stable, I don't want to lose any more.

[RMike89]

You are dead right about things being easier, I was clearing deep snow a month ago and spent the entire 2 hours shoveling and thinking about other things, it was effortless really.

Unlike you I have not exercised I just cut down on calories and stopped eating unhealthy food, it was basically a lifestyle change.

I have lost roughly 25% of my body weight, down from 185 lbs to 140. I'm 5'7 and just turned 65, I run about like a kid again I don't notice much difference but other people certainly do, they keep asking if I'm ok, I tell them I lost weight it on purpose. Now I weigh myself to make sure I keep my weight stable, I don't want to lose any more.

This right here is infinite motivation to stay on the path. That's awesome sir.

[Mick Boon]

This right here is infinite motivation to stay on the path. That's awesome sir.

Thanks, but its not all roses, I have noticed downsides unfortunately. Firstly I now have a boney ass which can make sitting down and riding a motorcycle very uncomfortable. I did not get to chose where I lost weight from, I initially just wanted to lose my fat gut but that was the very last thing to go. My ears have lost no weight and now look huge compared to before, I guess they just stayed the same and everything else on my head shrunk. My friends now call me flapper. None of my old clothes fit, I had to get new everything, even new shoes.

[RMike89]

Yeah, the gut is the hardest to lose, its the last stand of a very stubborn battle from which we have no say in: thanks genetics and involuntary survival coding. The boney hips are horrible and in turn promotes bad posture which, left untreated, can be detrimental and debilitating. But the trade off of being healthy is worth it.

From high school football -> college -> warehouse job -> graduation -> professional ventures -> present, I've lost and gained probably somewhere in the realm of 150-175 lbs depending on what I've been trying to achieve athletically, so I'm now wearing jeans from my early 20s when I was on the triathlon kick and I had to get a new wardrobe for my upper half. The worst for me is suits, knowing that I have to drop money on a new suit to look decent in meetings and not a soup sandwich is something I put off until the last possible moment.

And the flapper comment, you gotta admit, it probably gets a smile out of ya every once and awhile.

[Mick Boon]

And the flapper comment, you gotta admit, it probably gets a smile out of ya every once and awhile.

What makes me smile most is to be able to call them porky back.


What is often not mentioned is age and metabolism slowing down. I usually eat 2 meals a day nowadays.

Losing weight is well worth the effort but it still takes self control to maintain it...…... It's nice to be slim.

[RMike89]

Same, usually 1 giant meal of steak and starchy carbs after training and then something about 2 hours before bed. Other than that I'll supplement with bits of protein throughout the day but I usually don't eat anything till 1-2pm with strict understanding of my nutritional needs for the day.

One piece of advice I got when I had to slim down about 20 pounds for an adventure is that if I'm going to bed and I'm not hungry, you're cutting weight the wrong way. This might not work for everyone, but that resonated with me and I attribute it greatly to having more control over my diet.