To all the generously proportioned's that are now smaller generously proportioned's

[pigeonfisher]

Hey all,

 

My health insurance premiums are up this year, to the tune of $100 per month. If I get my weight down I can get that reduction taken away. Seems like a good motivator!!!

 

I am down about 10lbs this year and 40 from my peak in 2007 of 280lbs.

 

I have modified my diet some and since January I have been hitting the gym 6 days a week and would say my energy level has increased to the point that I had to stop all but two cups of coffee per day.

 

So the question is what has been working for the other generously proportioned's? I want to be at 215 lbs losing about 2-3 lbs per week until I get there. The easy answer is to cut out alcohol; however, I am not willing to make any changes now that I won't be willing to live with forever. That ain't one of them.

 

5 servings a day of Fruits and Veggies is a great helper!

[2 tone z71]

walking takes it off fairly quick for me,but im 6,4 and well over 300 ive also gotta drop some

Edited February 7, 2009 by North East Shark

[Spiel]

You could go and get yourself a severe bacterial infection in the upper GI, it helped me lose 50 plus pounds in no time flat!

[Greencoachdog]

Diet and exercise helped me lose 35 lbs. and keep it off for the past 10 years.

 

You can lose weight with diet alone, but if you're out of shape you still look like a blob... only smaller. You'll also be more prone to put the weight back on.

 

You actually need to change your lifestyle. Instead of sitting in front of the TV or computer every night you will need to execise. You'll also need to eat healthier. I lost the weight with a low fat diet... low or no carb works for others.

 

Find one that works for you, and stick with it!!!

 

You'll feel much better with exercise, and it will help you gain back a more youthful appearance!

 

Hope this helps.

[Greencoachdog]

You could go and get yourself a severe bacterial infection in the upper GI, it helped me lose 50 plus pounds in no time flat!

 

How much E coli bacteria do you have to eat for one of those???

 

 

I think I'll stick to diet and exercise.

[Spiel]

How much E coli bacteria do you have to eat for one of those???

I think I'll stick to diet and exercise.

 

Diet and excercise is definitely the way to go!

[joonmoon]

I lost 40 lbs in 2 months by deleting salt from my diet and drinking tons of water. After my weight plateaued I continued drinking as much water as I could, we don't add salt to our diet at all and just buy food that has a reduced or no salt added. Your system needs to flush out thats where the water in tons comes in. During all of this regular exercise is a must. How bad do you wanna lose it. Eat right, exercise regularily and enjoy life.

[solopaddler]

Losing weight and keeping it off is a simple equation, there are no miracle answers: burn more calories than you take in.

You're already exercising. Keep it up and modify your diet and you'll lose weight.

A bit more muscle mass (weight training) will help keep off the pounds with less effort.

[nofrills]

I went from this in 2007:

 

to this in 08:

 

I never actually tracked the loss, so I don't know actual numbers. Here's what I do know:

1. In 07, I was wearing 3XL t shirts. Today, LG/XL depending on brand.

2. In 07, I was wearing 48" pants. Today, 40/42".

 

What worked for me? Well, just going by the pictures, bike riding probably did the most.

I also eliminated Coke from my diet. They say the average Coke drinker can drop 12 pounds in a year just by stopping drinking it. I was drinking way more than the average guy.

Also, some smarter decisions can pay off huge in the long run, such as:

1. I never used to eat breakfast. Now I make it a point to eat something, even if it's just a couple pieces of toast.

2. I think this one is huge....make your own lunch and bring it to work. That way YOU control portions, and what you are actually eating.

3. Smaller meals, but more often. It's easier for your body to break down smaller amounts of food, than it is larger.

 

Finally, and also very important. Don't feel like you can't enjoy a big dirty steak, or have a couple beers while watching the game. You can. You just can't make it a habit. I still go out with friends and enjoy, I just don't do it daily. Moderation makes a huge difference.

Good luck!

[BigSmallie]

I find lowering carb intake(i.e. bread. pasta, rice, potatoes) are the big ones for me. If I eat carbs they are wholewheat bread and wholewheat pasta. At dinner I can have a giant steak but I have two vegetables with it instead of potatoes. Making sure to have healthy snacks between meals so you never feel hungry. Smaller portions are also good.

Beer is the worst for me so I've started to drink rye and diet coke to lower calories if I have drinks. If your going to drink 3-4 days a week you better be running marathons cause those extra calories will catch up to you. I also found that fruit juices, as much as I considered them healthy, are empty calories. Better off to eat an apple than drink a glass of apple juice.

I agree with the bringing your lunch. Even if it's a frozen dinner you can limit your calories and portion size, not to mention save a ton of money.

I've started to look at few nutrition charts to see how bad some of the stuff I enjoy is and it makes me think twice now. Timmy's was a regular spot for me. Breakfast sandwich..over 500 calories....the new Whole Grain Rasberry Muffin sounds good but 400 calories, it's one of their worst muffins but sounds nutritious?? Better off to grab a whole sandwich or a soup instead of the muffin.

[kemper]

My old man went from 230-240 to 170-175 (hes a shorter fellow) and feels a million times better and is more healthy.

 

What worked for him was exercise (hits the gym 5-7 days a week) and the G.I diet book. Not that he strictly followed the GI diet, but just cut out the foods that were really bad for his blood type. Its a controversial book, but if you knew pops before and you saw him now there would be no doubt in your mind.

 

Bad carbs are well...bad. So are empty calories.

 

that means that things like chips, pop, caffiene and the likes have to go. Not everyone can do that, but if you can its huge. He also cut beer out of his diet almost entirely the whole time he was loosing weight, and just now has started to enjoy a cold one again. Its the cold 4 that kill you, not the cold 1.

 

good luck!

Edited February 7, 2009 by kemper

[Daplumma]

Take up smoking,it increases you metabolism like all get out.Otherwise you will have to do what you are doing,exercise and eat right.I have heard weight watchers will help you learn what is right and wrong to eat.Good luck.

Joe

[SlowPoke]

Keeping track of what I eat has really helped... from a 46" waist to 40" so far... 350 to 285lbs. I was diagnosed with Diabeties and had to maintain blood sugar levels, eat at regular intervals and monitor my meals.

One of the huge benefits of weight loss for me has been getting my blood pressure back under control. My last check up was 106/72 for my MTO Physical.

Severely restricting pasta, bread, potatos and rice (high carbs) has really been key for me. A no-carb/high protein diet would probably be best for me but I'm not willing to give up carbs forever!

I'm now at a point where just watching what I eat won't cut it - time for more wading and less trolling.

[fishing n autograph]

Hey Pigeonfisher,

 

When I lost 40lbs I stayed active and watched what I ate - very closely. I say stop eating bread, or limit your intake and just remain positive. Avoid processed foods and junk food and always add a salad to your lunch and or dinner.

 

Dave

[solopaddler]

Take up smoking,it increases you metabolism like all get out.

Joe

 

Yep that'd be the Johnny Larue weight loss program LOL!

 

(For those that don't know a character John Candy played on SCTV )

[pigeonfisher]

who changed the title of the thread?

 

generously proportioned

[Roy]

The bad word filter does it automatically, Steve.

 

I'm very generously proportioned but I should gain a little weight also.

[Dnthmn]

The way you excercise will play a big role in how quickly you burn body fat as well. Thank to marketing campaigns the "20 Minutes a Day" is a misconception for an adequate amount of cardio to burn body fat. This duration will help you to maintain a weight level but may not allow you to burn body fat. Sit down with a trainer at your gym and have your excercise plan geared to your goals

[BigSmallie]

20 minutes a day could be enough if it's high intensity. Running hard on the tread mill for 20 minutes will have a much greater effect than walking for hour. I do a high intensity dumbbell routine at home, takes 20 minutes but I'm pooped by the end of it. Quality is far more important than quantity. Intensity continues to burn calories after you've worked out.

I've been watching the biggest Loser TV show and if a 400lb guy can hike up a mountain or run at 7mph on a treadmill then I should have no excuse. I've never been large but find that weight gain is a lot easier as you age so I'm trying my best to stay ahead of it. Lost 14 pounds since Jan 1st, another 10 more to go.

Edited February 7, 2009 by BigSmallie

[misfish]

I can tell ya from my experice.230 now 178.

How,well stress started it,but then I hit the gym for 3 months straight for 2 hrs a day 5-6 days a week.Walking then jogging then up to running the tread and swimming really burned it off.

Eating the right foods is a must. Salt intake is one to really watch.

Now that I have gotten to were I want,I can easily maintain my wieght.As for the pasta,I have it twice a week. Carbs,but I do burn it off. I eat alot of chicken and turkey and fish.

Dont starve yourself Steve,just be moderate in your intake and excersice.

 

Once you get to where you want,just maintianing will work for you. I now hit the gym 3-4 days for 1.5 hrs.

I do 200 sits up everyday.It keeps you in shape more then you think.It dosent just work the gut,but does the thighs and calves.

 

 

Good luck with it.

Edited February 7, 2009 by misfish

[Raf]

steve, for me, lifting weights 3 times a week helped a lot. while i was never really overweight, i was what you'd call skinny fat or out of shape. my energy level's improved, strength obviously but most importantly, i've been able to get my body fat % down. i don't do cardio - i'd rather poke my eyes with a rusty screwdriver than sit on a stationary bike for 40mins.

 

nothing extreme - goo a doogle for mark rippetoe's strength training - i basically do his routine. 30-40mins every two days. don't make the mistake of thinking more is better with weights - you body needs time to rest and regenerate. don't do it every day!! muscle burns calories even when you are sitting on the couch. by increasing your muscle mass, you are speeding up your metabolism.. making it easier to lose weight.

 

in terms of diet, i've cut down on "bad" carbs - no white bread, white rice, potatoes etc. whole wheat and brown rice are ok. someone mentioned fruit juices and tehy are absolutely right - loaded with sugars.. they are NOT the health drink some make them out to be. meat and veggies are the staple here with more frequent, smaller meals. i do supplement my protein intake with shakes.

 

I think people get hung up on weight when they should be more concerned with BF%.

Edited February 7, 2009 by Raf

[misfish]

muscle burns calories even when you are sitting on the couch. by increasing your muscle mass, you are speeding up your metabolism.. making it easier to lose weight.

 

 

Exactly why I push the wieghts hard now. It,s so much easier to maintian.

[BUSTER]

Clenbuteral

[Moosebunk]

Raf... I agree, cardio sucks..... but sadly, it's so necessary. You'd have to be a hizell of a circuit trainer with weights to get the same heart pump.

 

I've enjoyed lifting weights since college... (more then, not really as much now) but twice a week or so I'll go the hospital gym and use the row machine... This thing is great, been using it a couple months now... dropped a quick 6 (probably water) but, IPOD on and the TV set to sports or Poker, 45 minutes and the trip flies by.

 

Agreed on the breads and spuds too. Cut'em out IF you can, along with the cheesecake and jelly bellies.

[irishfield]

We can still eat Nipigon Whitefish cooked in oil I hope though Bunk!

 

Good luck with the reduction Steve ! I should kick the 6 litres of Pepsi a day habit myself as I just crossed the 215 mark and will be studying all the presented ideas here myself!

Edited February 7, 2009 by irishfield