(10-16-2017 01:50 PM)EigenEagle Wrote:  (e.g. the woman who got a fecal transplant from an fat person to cure chronic bacteria and herself became fat).

If I ever needed a liver or lung, fine, but you could just take me out back and shoot me before a **** transplant.

Congrats my man!

Now get to lifting some weights to avoid skinny fat status.

I've started sticking kind of strictly to macros and have gotten pretty good results from it. I just got tired of cutting this and that out and trying to have a special diet.

Nice job RWT!

Well, since many are sharing their weight loss I might as well get into it myself. Like I had said before I had gone to the Dr. because my BP was 185 over something and my wife made the appointment. At the Doc's office my BP was 202/100something. The Doc wanted to send me to ER and I said no.

After the Doc's visit my wife put me on an 1800 calorie diet and I've lost around 17 (in 7 weeks) pounds because the Doc said I was also diabetic (it runs in my family and heart disease). I'm was at 179.4 lbs. this morning and I think I'll stop at 175 like what I was after basic and tech school. I was 154 lbs. while in high school and at 6'2" I was a Mexican Ichabod Crane but I was healthy as heck. The physical training in Basic was a breeze where others were panting and groaning. So I guess my healthy weight is one of Twiggy proportions. I told my wife that if my diabetes numbers don't improve I'm going back to eating everything so next month I should know where I stand, I'm just kidding about eating everything. I've lost two pants sizes to 32 (same as in high school) and I like how I look but I need to build muscle so I need to join the gym. I need the okay from the Doc first after all the tests I went through.

(10-16-2017 06:01 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  Congrats my man!

Now get to lifting some weights to avoid skinny fat status.

I've started sticking kind of strictly to macros and have gotten pretty good results from it. I just got tired of cutting this and that out and trying to have a special diet.

I've been lifting weights while trying to lose weight. You have to keep an eye out for your protein intake primarily. I'm using elements of the Starting Strength program (with some modification) - which is a variation on the beginner's 5X5 programs you'll find. SS starts is a 3X5 program, and that is fine for me since I'm 43 years old. Plus you can easily enough find Excel files for these types of programs that will automatically fill out your weights for warm up and working sets. I do the following routine:

A
Squat
Bench Press
Deadlift

B
Squat
Seated military press
Bent over rows

As you can see - squats are king. It's a beginners program so it's a leg dominant routine - which I'm completely fine with because when it comes to health leg work is more important. I'm not a weight training beginner; however, when you stop for a long period of time you are no different than a beginner IMHO. So you can up your lifts by 5 lbs per session.

Congrats Tom!

Congrats Tom. Here's to the years you added to your life. May you continue to get healthy.

(10-16-2017 03:25 PM)miko33 Wrote:  Congrats man! I'm on the journey myself.

Thanks. If you need any help or advice on anything I've done, feel free to drop me a message.

Some others have mentioned medication.

I've also pretty much cut out my need to take atenolol for my blood pressure! I initially cut down from 2 pills a day to 1, but my BP was still below the normal and I was starting to get headaches from it being to low...so I've cut it off completely now.

But that caused another problem. My medication also contained a diuretic, so I quickly gained about 7 pounds in water weight...lol. So I just started taking a generic natural water pill a few times a day and that quickly remedied things.

(10-16-2017 01:30 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  Just thought I'd share a little personal story that I'm pretty proud of.

I decided on April 7, 2017 to change my life to a one of health. Giving up soda, added sugar and fast foods, for a diet of fruits and vegetables along with healthy proteins.

I also started walking...and a lot of it. For several months, while the weather was nice, I was averaging close to 20,000 steps a day. Of course my employer helps in this as I can get around $100 every quarter for tracking my steps and a few other daily things.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that for the first time in over 30 years I am now below 200 pounds and am less than 20 away form my ultimate goal to lose 100 pounds total.

Good job buddy!

Congrats!

(10-16-2017 01:30 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  Just thought I'd share a little personal story that I'm pretty proud of.

I decided on April 7, 2017 to change my life to a one of health. Giving up soda, added sugar and fast foods, for a diet of fruits and vegetables along with healthy proteins.

I also started walking...and a lot of it. For several months, while the weather was nice, I was averaging close to 20,000 steps a day. Of course my employer helps in this as I can get around $100 every quarter for tracking my steps and a few other daily things.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that for the first time in over 30 years I am now below 200 pounds and am less than 20 away form my ultimate goal to lose 100 pounds total.

Good job Tom. You should be proud. Doing this is hard. Im on a similar quest. I have to lose 15 more to be below 200 and not "overweight" according to my BMI. Wife and I joined a gym 7 weeks ago and am going at least 5 days a week. I feel so much better today than 7 weeks ago.

(10-16-2017 09:11 PM)miko33 Wrote:  

(10-16-2017 06:01 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  Congrats my man!

Now get to lifting some weights to avoid skinny fat status.

I've started sticking kind of strictly to macros and have gotten pretty good results from it. I just got tired of cutting this and that out and trying to have a special diet.

I've been lifting weights while trying to lose weight. You have to keep an eye out for your protein intake primarily. I'm using elements of the Starting Strength program (with some modification) - which is a variation on the beginner's 5X5 programs you'll find. SS starts is a 3X5 program, and that is fine for me since I'm 43 years old. Plus you can easily enough find Excel files for these types of programs that will automatically fill out your weights for warm up and working sets. I do the following routine:

A
Squat
Bench Press
Deadlift

B
Squat
Seated military press
Bent over rows

As you can see - squats are king. It's a beginners program so it's a leg dominant routine - which I'm completely fine with because when it comes to health leg work is more important. I'm not a weight training beginner; however, when you stop for a long period of time you are no different than a beginner IMHO. So you can up your lifts by 5 lbs per session.

Im doing circuit training on machines. Going hard for 20 minutes of cardio on the Xtrainer and then 40 minutes on the machines...going directly from each set of 3 without a rest. By the time Im through every muscle is burning. I sweat profusely for 30 mins afterward. Im alternating upper and lower every other day with core each day. I cant believe how quickly Ive gained muscle in just 7 weeks. Ive picked up 15 yards on my Tee shots due gaining strength.

(10-17-2017 11:47 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(10-16-2017 09:11 PM)miko33 Wrote:  

(10-16-2017 06:01 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  Congrats my man!

Now get to lifting some weights to avoid skinny fat status.

I've started sticking kind of strictly to macros and have gotten pretty good results from it. I just got tired of cutting this and that out and trying to have a special diet.

I've been lifting weights while trying to lose weight. You have to keep an eye out for your protein intake primarily. I'm using elements of the Starting Strength program (with some modification) - which is a variation on the beginner's 5X5 programs you'll find. SS starts is a 3X5 program, and that is fine for me since I'm 43 years old. Plus you can easily enough find Excel files for these types of programs that will automatically fill out your weights for warm up and working sets. I do the following routine:

A
Squat
Bench Press
Deadlift

B
Squat
Seated military press
Bent over rows

As you can see - squats are king. It's a beginners program so it's a leg dominant routine - which I'm completely fine with because when it comes to health leg work is more important. I'm not a weight training beginner; however, when you stop for a long period of time you are no different than a beginner IMHO. So you can up your lifts by 5 lbs per session.

Im doing circuit training on machines. Going hard for 20 minutes of cardio on the Xtrainer and then 40 minutes on the machines...going directly from each set of 3 without a rest. By the time Im through every muscle is burning. I sweat profusely for 30 mins afterward. Im alternating upper and lower every other day with core each day. I cant believe how quickly Ive gained muscle in just 7 weeks. Ive picked up 15 yards on my Tee shots due gaining strength.

Are you tracking your calorie intake...especially your protein levels around your workouts?

(10-17-2017 11:41 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(10-16-2017 01:30 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  Just thought I'd share a little personal story that I'm pretty proud of.

I decided on April 7, 2017 to change my life to a one of health. Giving up soda, added sugar and fast foods, for a diet of fruits and vegetables along with healthy proteins.

I also started walking...and a lot of it. For several months, while the weather was nice, I was averaging close to 20,000 steps a day. Of course my employer helps in this as I can get around $100 every quarter for tracking my steps and a few other daily things.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that for the first time in over 30 years I am now below 200 pounds and am less than 20 away form my ultimate goal to lose 100 pounds total.

Good job Tom. You should be proud. Doing this is hard. Im on a similar quest. I have to lose 15 more to be below 200 and not "overweight" according to my BMI. Wife and I joined a gym 7 weeks ago and am going at least 5 days a week. I feel so much better today than 7 weeks ago.

Thanks! Yeah...hard to believe how much better I feel just doing normal day-to-day things now.

(10-17-2017 11:47 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(10-16-2017 09:11 PM)miko33 Wrote:  

(10-16-2017 06:01 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  Congrats my man!

Now get to lifting some weights to avoid skinny fat status.

I've started sticking kind of strictly to macros and have gotten pretty good results from it. I just got tired of cutting this and that out and trying to have a special diet.

I've been lifting weights while trying to lose weight. You have to keep an eye out for your protein intake primarily. I'm using elements of the Starting Strength program (with some modification) - which is a variation on the beginner's 5X5 programs you'll find. SS starts is a 3X5 program, and that is fine for me since I'm 43 years old. Plus you can easily enough find Excel files for these types of programs that will automatically fill out your weights for warm up and working sets. I do the following routine:

A
Squat
Bench Press
Deadlift

B
Squat
Seated military press
Bent over rows

As you can see - squats are king. It's a beginners program so it's a leg dominant routine - which I'm completely fine with because when it comes to health leg work is more important. I'm not a weight training beginner; however, when you stop for a long period of time you are no different than a beginner IMHO. So you can up your lifts by 5 lbs per session.

Im doing circuit training on machines. Going hard for 20 minutes of cardio on the Xtrainer and then 40 minutes on the machines...going directly from each set of 3 without a rest. By the time Im through every muscle is burning. I sweat profusely for 30 mins afterward. Im alternating upper and lower every other day with core each day. I cant believe how quickly Ive gained muscle in just 7 weeks. Ive picked up 15 yards on my Tee shots due gaining strength.

You are getting a lot of cardio when you add in the circuit training on top of the cardio workout you are already doing.

(10-16-2017 09:11 PM)miko33 Wrote:  

(10-16-2017 06:01 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  Congrats my man!

Now get to lifting some weights to avoid skinny fat status.

I've started sticking kind of strictly to macros and have gotten pretty good results from it. I just got tired of cutting this and that out and trying to have a special diet.

I've been lifting weights while trying to lose weight. You have to keep an eye out for your protein intake primarily. I'm using elements of the Starting Strength program (with some modification) - which is a variation on the beginner's 5X5 programs you'll find. SS starts is a 3X5 program, and that is fine for me since I'm 43 years old. Plus you can easily enough find Excel files for these types of programs that will automatically fill out your weights for warm up and working sets. I do the following routine:

A
Squat
Bench Press
Deadlift

B
Squat
Seated military press
Bent over rows

As you can see - squats are king. It's a beginners program so it's a leg dominant routine - which I'm completely fine with because when it comes to health leg work is more important. I'm not a weight training beginner; however, when you stop for a long period of time you are no different than a beginner IMHO. So you can up your lifts by 5 lbs per session.

Have you thought about Wendler's 5/3/1?

Bully for you Tom, it's not easy to work towards a healthier life like that. Best of luck in keeping it up.



I was pretty overweight graduating high school but I lost a lot of weight strangely enough in college - it helps that I hardly drank my first two years and lived close to our rec center a few times. I also found that playing the mental game with myself was the major barrier. I'd say think "Yeah eating that slice of pizza feels good, but you know what else feels a lot better? Not breathing heavy after walking up some stairs or a big hill." Or when I didn't feel like going to the gym, "Stop being a p****, yourself two hours from now doesn't give a s*** about what you don't wanna do." Whatever works I guess, I've been pretty good about hitting the gym ever since.

Anyone ever try interval training like Orange Theory before? I hear it's an incredible workout even for how expensive it is, I'm thinking of trying it out some time.

Well done. I lost 45 pounds eating sensibly, walking and lifting almost daily. But I stopped all that and have since put back on about 20 of it. I'm almost at a point that I have to make a decision soon. It doesn't get any easier as we age. When I first became seriously fitness conscious I was about 52, I'm now going on 62 and I've tried several times to get back into it but it's much harder now. Keep up the good work!

Congrats, Tom!

I figured out something about 4 years ago that changed my life. That is, I, and I alone would be responsible for my health. No one was going to do it for me.