I just wanted to check in for weight loss accountability. Please read.

[Scarpozzi]

Today is February 21, 2021. and I've gained weight from being a hermit the past year. I've not been going to the office and have been working behind my computer probably taking less than 3500 steps/day.

I'm the heaviest I've ever been in my life and am currently 245lbs.

I am going to lose weight for when I go on Vacation in June. My goal is to work through March/April/May and shoot for losing 2lbs/week over the course of those 12 weeks. I've already started conditioning by walking a little, but haven't started dieting or REAL exercise yet.

12 X 2 = 24lbs.....245-24 = 221lbs is my goal weight. In 2015, I was probably 238 and crashed down to 212 training for a marathon, but that was over 6 months and with a lot of fat/muscle conversion. This is going to be trickier with me being 5 years older and even heavier starting out. I don't want to get injured and I'm starting in a colder/wetter time of the year. This is going to be a challenge.

Alright...I'm kicking the tires tomorrow and going to see what I have left in the tank. My plan is to cut my calorie intake to 2200 calories/day or less, walk 5-7 days/week @ 3 miles....and either bike or run or both depending on weather and how my joints feel.

I'm going to do an official weigh in and post back through the process. You don't have to hold me accountable, but as with the marathon training....I'm only motivated by fear and shame. If I don't post that I'm going to do something, there's a high likelihood that I won't follow through. I'm THAT lazy!

EDIT: I kept forgetting to do a weigh in. I was 245 last July when I went to the doctor, so I knew I was likely still around that. This is mostly just accumulated weight, so it shouldn't take many changes to flip the script from maintaining my weight to losing. I likely have been around 245 the past few weeks still.
OFFICIAL WEIGH IN: 2/23/2021 - 244.8 lbs.

I'll post back with updates in the coming weeks.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Alright ! Thank you. It seems like a safe environment to talk about weight loss.

Here are strategies to help you approach weight management with a more positive and productive mindset.

You must use more calories than you consume to lose weight. Since one pound equals roughly 3,500 calories, you need to lose between 500 and 1,000 calories per day to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week (don’t go lower than 1,200 calories per day!)

If you're focused on using the scale, try to lose more than 1 to 2 pounds per week.

Losing up to 5-10% of your total body weight has a beneficial effect in reducing the risk of many chronic diseases and provides a sense of motivation.

Succeed if you try the diet and "fail." Diets don't work! Cutting calories too much, cutting out entire food groups, or losing the foods you really like are not strategies for long-term success.

The good news is that you can permanently change destructive eating habits and break the "food mindset" forever.

Thanks. I'm pretty lucky because I'm 6'4" and burn more calories at rest and in motion than most people. I understand that a pound is about 3500 calories and how to cut them from my intake and use cardio effectively to go negative and shoot for -1000/day.....or -7000/week. I used to burn around 2800 calories a day, but probably way less now. I gotta move again....I've done it before.

My biggest issues are alcohol, sugar, and sitting around during cold/rainy/snowy days lately and simply not walking anywhere now that I'm working from home since March of last year (I plan on going back as soon as I'm vaccinated). I've been going the wrong direction since 2017-2018, but it was training burnout and my love for food/drink. Now, I just need to cut the weight and recondition myself.

 

[purbeast0]

Glad to see that you are setting realistic goals with the 2lbs/week loss plan. That seems very doable and realistic as long as you stick to it and it won't require any kind of crash diet. I'm willing to get you may lose more than 2lbs a week initially though but will slow down after that initial surge.

I've been working from home since July and I actually split my day up around the gym. I work from like 6-9 and then go to the gym around 9:15am and am back around 10:45am. Then I work the rest of my hours. It's a nice way to break the day up and to get out of the house. I do that Monday - Thursday. Fridays I just finish working at 2pm.

It can be tough to stay eating properly when working from home, but what I do is just not have the junk food around. I have a huge sweet tooth and if we have cookies, I will eat them. I do have a 5 year old so we have some junk food around, but rarely do I have like a big package of Oreos or something. Usually I will just get him a 2 pack of cookies for $1 at 7-11 or something if he wants cookies. Sure it may cost more in the long run but not that much more. But that way we're not just sitting on all this junk food in our closet either.

It was definitely easier for me, mentally, to eat properly when going into work and bringing my lunch every day. I am pretty much sticking to that same plan right now though as I'm trying to lean up a little bit.

I know I'm rambling now but my point is that even though you are sitting at home a lot now, 90% of weight loss is done in the kitchen. So you can still do it as long as you have the discipline.

 

[RearAdmiral]

I can shame you all you want bro. Glad to see you have a plan though.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I can shame you all you want bro. Glad to see you have a plan though.

Shame away at this point. I've had a bunch of *issues, but should be able to get going soon. I may have to adjust my goal/timing due to injuries, equipment failure, and family stuff. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks as the weather is going to warm up.

 

[UsandThem]

I actually had a big "gut check" a day after you started this thread. I went to the chiropractor's office for an adjustment, and for the first time in my life, they actually refused to do it because they checked my blood pressure, and it was pretty damn high. I honestly didn't even know that was a thing a chiropractor would do, but with as bad as my back/neck is, I can't go without regular adjustments just to keep me somewhat flexible.

I initially thought of setting up an appointment with my family doctor to get on some blood pressure medication so I could get adjusted, but after thinking about it for a day, I decided I needed to make some big changes to my diet. I simply didn't want to add any more daily medications to what I already take. My eating before the whole Covid thing wasn't good to begin with, but it has been pretty bad for the last 14 months or so. Lots of processed foods that were quick and easy to throw in the oven or microwave. Lots of of not-so-good things like potato chips, ice cream, candy, etc.

So I kicked off eating better on February 23rd, and I just checked my weight today.......I lost around 17 pounds (210 to 193). I've been able to get adjusted at my chiropractor's office again, and my plan is to get down in the 160 - 165 range before I ease up on adhering to a very strict "diet". I'm not starving myself by any means, but I now pretty well make my own dinners, eat more veggies, and have cut out pretty much all things with added sugars.

If my back was in better shape and I could do more vigorous exercising, it would help speed things up, but I really can't do much besides doing more walking. I have a physical scheduled in late May, so hopefully by then my vitals like blood pressure, cholesterol, A1C, etc. are at much healthier levels.

 

[Iron Woode]

losing weight is harder the older you get. So, I know exactly what you guys are going through.

First thing to do is change your eating habits. Forget about going on a diet. You need to make a lifestyle change here.

Stop the junk food and do some mild exercising or plenty of walking. You should notice weight loss after a week or 2.

The next step is to eat more healthy foods in smaller portions. You could try the diabetic approach which uses a plate divided into 3.



the largest part is veggies and the other 2 are for meat and starches.

 

[Scarpozzi]

losing weight is harder the older you get. So, I know exactly what you guys are going through.

First thing to do is change your eating habits. Forget about going on a diet. You need to make a lifestyle change here.

Stop the junk food and do some mild exercising or plenty of walking. You should notice weight loss after a week or 2.

The next step is to eat more healthy foods in smaller portions. You could try the diabetic approach which uses a plate divided into 3.

View attachment 42105

the largest part is veggies and the other 2 are for meat and starches.

I'm struggling most right now because most of my "lifestyle" is still sheltering in place. I've got another few weeks before my second Moderna shot and I'm still not going into the office. (My last working day in the office was March 10, 2020.) I need that as an excuse to walk around because I feel the need to be tethered to my desk when I'm working from home. I lost like 6lbs since I posted, but that's it. I'm not being consistent and I'm still eating a lot of crap/snacking. I know the key to weight loss is all about eating, but I have to put myself through the struggle and work it off WHILE dieting. The pain of running always tends to help me justify NOT eating poorly...if that makes sense.

My employer is actually handing out J&J vaccines this week/next week....so I'm pretty sure there's going to be an expectation soon that everyone returns to the office. I'm not going to be the last person there, but every week that passes is one less week I have to worry about my kids and after-school care. Anyhow...the sooner I get back to work, the sooner I'll be able to justify waking up uber early, plus walking 3 miles during my lunch breaks like I did in the old days.

 

[UsandThem]

I'm struggling most right now because most of my "lifestyle" is still sheltering in place. I've got another few weeks before my second Moderna shot and I'm still not going into the office. (My last working day in the office was March 10, 2020.) I need that as an excuse to walk around because I feel the need to be tethered to my desk when I'm working from home. I lost like 6lbs since I posted, but that's it. I'm not being consistent and I'm still eating a lot of crap/snacking. I know the key to weight loss is all about eating, but I have to put myself through the struggle and work it off WHILE dieting. The pain of running always tends to help me justify NOT eating poorly...if that makes sense.

I understand that completely.

Before my body began turning on me, I used to run about 10 miles a week, and it was always so much easier eating better.

My biggest enemy has been my back for the last 10 years. I've already had one back surgery, and it's been a struggle to not give into "comfort" foods when you kind are of in some level of pain/discomfort 24/7. I knew my eating was complete shit, but I kind of was like "oh well" for a bit, and the whole Covid lockdown thing really amped up level of eating junk since everything was closed, or I didn't want to be around bigger crowds because there's always 20-25% of people out there who refused to wear masks (even though it was mandated by our state government).

Despite not going many places at all with crowds, in December I went to Ikea with my wife and oldest son once, and of course some assholes were not wearing masks and coughing/not adhering to any distancing rules, and I caught Covid. After that, I really rufused to do it again until the vaccinations were well on their way.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I understand that completely.

Before my body began turning on me, I used to run about 10 miles a week, and it was always so much easier eating better.

My biggest enemy has been my back for the last 10 years. I've already had one back surgery, and it's been a struggle to not give into "comfort" foods when you kind are of in some level of pain/discomfort 24/7. I knew my eating was complete shit, but I kind of was like "oh well" for a bit, and the whole Covid lockdown thing really amped up level of eating junk since everything was closed, or I didn't want to be around bigger crowds because there's always 20-25% of people out there who refused to wear masks (even though it was mandated by our state government).

Despite not going many places at all with crowds, in December I went to Ikea with my wife and oldest son once, and of course some assholes were not wearing masks and coughing/not adhering to any distancing rules, and I caught Covid. After that, I really rufused to do it again until the vaccinations were well on their way.

Living in the South, there are all kinds of idiots. I went to a home improvement store and Walmart today....I saw plenty of people walking around with no masks on. While it's UNLIKELY for anyone to catch covid right now around here based on our numbers, the way it spreads is by not following the CDC recommendations.... Being indoors with others that aren't following those recommendations is the number one way to catch it.

I was running 20-30 miles a week a few years ago and got burned out....in my peak, I was hitting 35-45 miles/week....but it wasn't sustainable for me. I also have back problems... (I'm 40 and had problems since I was 22) Running actually helps because it keeps me limber and lower weight = less pain. I may have to see about running 2 miles this evening if I can get it in before the temp drops.

 

[Iron Woode]

I'm struggling most right now because most of my "lifestyle" is still sheltering in place. I've got another few weeks before my second Moderna shot and I'm still not going into the office. (My last working day in the office was March 10, 2020.) I need that as an excuse to walk around because I feel the need to be tethered to my desk when I'm working from home. I lost like 6lbs since I posted, but that's it. I'm not being consistent and I'm still eating a lot of crap/snacking. I know the key to weight loss is all about eating, but I have to put myself through the struggle and work it off WHILE dieting. The pain of running always tends to help me justify NOT eating poorly...if that makes sense.

My employer is actually handing out J&J vaccines this week/next week....so I'm pretty sure there's going to be an expectation soon that everyone returns to the office. I'm not going to be the last person there, but every week that passes is one less week I have to worry about my kids and after-school care. Anyhow...the sooner I get back to work, the sooner I'll be able to justify waking up uber early, plus walking 3 miles during my lunch breaks like I did in the old days.

I know how hard it is to cut out junk food. I not only had heart surgery but I have diabetes.

I have gone 2 weeks now without any junk food. My glucose numbers are much better now but the cravings are driving me nuts.

I can't run due to arthritis in my one knee but I do lot of walking and some aerobic exercise, too.

Making healthy choices involves making them a habit to replace the old habit.

I am 57 years old and 6'1" tall and currently weigh 235 lbs. My goal is 200lbs.

 

[bejellio]

Keep at it Guys! In my opinion exercise and health is one of those things that is hard to get the motivation to do. Atleast for me, due to the fact that I don't see instant results. Whether its bad health or good health, it never happens over night. Good habits are hard to build but are worth it.

Keep it up!

 

[HarryWalker]

I also work at home and gained weight in a couple of months, although I really want to lose weight until July, now I run with the dog, I have excluded sugar and food additives from my diet, I think you will succeed!

 

[UsandThem]

My biggest challenge so far has been to increase my physical activity (knowing my back will hurt after pushing myself has been a big hurdle to overcome).

Anyways, pushed myself through those fears today for some moderate outdoor work, and despite the back hurting like a mofo afterwards, I checked my weight again afterwards and I'm down 5 more pounds (188) since my last weight check on March 29).

I think losing 5 pounds every 7-10 days is an achievable goal for at least the next 30-45 days. If I can overcome the mental aspect of pushing through the pain, I might be able to add another 1-2 pounds a week to the total.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'm a slow starter.....I had a few things hit me just after I wanted to start that I mentioned back on March 14...so here are the excuses. My 6 month old Echelon bike's cadence stopped working right after my first post....so all the app data was everywhere. I contacted support and they still haven't sent me a replacement. I keep reaching out and get a delayed response Email 2-3 days later saying it's ordered. They sent me a shipping label to return the old bike when the new one arrives....it's a mess. Around the same time, I was chasing my kids around the house and was going to hide from them in one of our bathroom showers....My wife had moved a dehumidifier into the bathroom because the kids basically flood the place every time they bathe. I ran into the room and had to hurdle the dehumidifier and slammed my left knee into the alcove wall of the shower. Enough that I had to ice it and walk gently for 3 days afterwards and didn't want to run on it until it felt right.

I've been busy with yard work, house projects, and building projects and finally started running a few weeks ago......like a month and a half later than I wanted. I took off around the block and got to the .6 mile mark where I realized how bad things are...I was hitting about a 8:30 pace which was what my legs wanted to do, but was pretty exhausted meaning I just didn't have the cardio built up....I walked another mile or so after that... I went out a few more times and have my distance up to 2 miles of nonstop running now, but have been consistently doing 3 miles total. I'm shooting for 3 runs/week at this point and wanting to shoot for a 10 min mile pace average. I did 3 miles yesterday in around 33 minutes...but was dehydrated and had cottonmouth after the first mile.

I signed up for 3 virtual 5ks this summer and am going to be working to push my mileage up to 4-5 miles. My typical 4 mile run is 2 miles downhill....then 2 miles uphill....it's pretty brutal and I'm not anywhere near the shape I need to do it yet. I'm going to stick to the current 3 mile route I'm doing, but may change things up in 2-3 weeks to add some mileage once I'm able to hit 3 miles nonstop. I'm taking things slow and trying to give myself plenty of time to bounce back. I could see myself doing too much too quickly and really doing bad things to my lower legs/feet. I'd really like to be back up to half marathon shape next year.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I ran another 2.75 miles yesterday....I went a different route that didn't quite make 3 because they're working on the water lines in my neighborhood and I didn't want to run through the dust/trucks. My legs feel heavy and tired...that's good news, btw....that means my muscles are working and not quite recovering before I run again. Hopefully in another 2-3 weeks I'll hit a milestone on my distance as my weight continues to recede.

I'm not really dieting, went to Sonic last night and had a huge burger and sundae afterwards....but am down to 238. Maybe walking today......and more running tomorrow.

 

[Muadib]

I ran another 2.75 miles yesterday....I went a different route that didn't quite make 3 because they're working on the water lines in my neighborhood and I didn't want to run through the dust/trucks. My legs feel heavy and tired...that's good news, btw....that means my muscles are working and not quite recovering before I run again. Hopefully in another 2-3 weeks I'll hit a milestone on my distance as my weight continues to recede.

I'm not really dieting, went to Sonic last night and had a huge burger and sundae afterwards....but am down to 238. Maybe walking today......and more running tomorrow.

Good luck with your quest! Going to Sonic is a big no-no this early though. I'm also trying to drop pounds but I started at 240lbs. I started my quest at the beginning of January, and now weigh 200 lbs. I took the wife out of lunch the weekend I hit 200, but want to drop another 20 lbs. I don't run due to my knees, I bike. I hope to be at 180 lbs by my birthday in September.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Good luck with your quest! Going to Sonic is a big no-no this early though. I'm also trying to drop pounds but I started at 240lbs. I started my quest at the beginning of January, and now weigh 200 lbs. I took the wife out of lunch the weekend I hit 200, but want to drop another 20 lbs. I don't run due to my knees, I bike. I hope to be at 180 lbs by my birthday in September.

I don't have fast food addictions like most people. I normally don't eat out in restaurants, but that's really my issue....I cook awesome meals at home and end up eating the leftovers. I just don't want to deprive my kids of eating out because we don't do it that often. They tend to eat the same 5-6 meals at home, so I don't mind taking them out to mix it up.

I've got to run today. I may head out shortly to get 3 miles in. I'm still building a base and trying not to rush into longer distance just yet for the sake of my ankles/feet and those little muscles you don't think of that can fail and cause ligament injury. I took Friday-Saturday off after my last run, so hopefully my legs have recovered some. They were sluggish last time out.

 

[Muadib]

I don't have fast food addictions like most people. I normally don't eat out in restaurants, but that's really my issue....I cook awesome meals at home and end up eating the leftovers. I just don't want to deprive my kids of eating out because we don't do it that often. They tend to eat the same 5-6 meals at home, so I don't mind taking them out to mix it up.

I've got to run today. I may head out shortly to get 3 miles in. I'm still building a base and trying not to rush into longer distance just yet for the sake of my ankles/feet and those little muscles you don't think of that can fail and cause ligament injury. I took Friday-Saturday off after my last run, so hopefully my legs have recovered some. They were sluggish last time out.

Since Covid, I have stopped going out, but I know that will probably change, as we used to go out all the time. As for exercise, I have been lacking due to the weather. I bought a trainer, but haven't used it as much as I planned. I've been doing 12 hour days for work, but that should change in May.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'm back in the office after 14 months of working from home. I've been walking a lot more the past week. ( in general and doing 2.5-3 miles most days at work) I need to get back to running, but I've been working enough on yard work projects, boat projects, house projects, car projects that my lower back has been tweaked most days.

My last weigh in was 235lbs Sunday and just from working on projects, I hit 12k steps. I'm not going to hit my goal, but I've not been crazy serious about it. I'm still enjoying beer and eating what I want, mostly. I've gotta get geared up for the virtual 5ks and will probably run one of them when I hit the beach after next week. I just don't want to overdo it and get burned out. I'm just going to keep aiming for 8-10k steps daily as a minimum.

 

[brianmanahan]

I'm back in the office after 14 months of working from home. I've been walking a lot more the past week. ( in general and doing 2.5-3 miles most days at work) I need to get back to running, but I've been working enough on yard work projects, boat projects, house projects, car projects that my lower back has been tweaked most days.

My last weigh in was 235lbs Sunday and just from working on projects, I hit 12k steps. I'm not going to hit my goal, but I've not been crazy serious about it. I'm still enjoying beer and eating what I want, mostly. I've gotta get geared up for the virtual 5ks and will probably run one of them when I hit the beach after next week. I just don't want to overdo it and get burned out. I'm just going to keep aiming for 8-10k steps daily as a minimum.

did that help?

my goal was to lose weight over the summer but i just treaded water.

but tonight i decided that dropping 40 pounds is my number one priority.

maybe getting back to 170 for the first time in decades will turn my life around. with my bp problems and back pain, i need a change.

 

[purbeast0]

did that help?

my goal was to lose weight over the summer but i just treaded water.

but tonight i decided that dropping 40 pounds is my number one priority.

maybe getting back to 170 for the first time in decades will turn my life around. with my bp problems and back pain, i need a change.

If you haven't changed your mattress in a long time, do that. That can help back pain big time.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'm probably up a few pounds. Alcohol hasn't helped me...and I keep eating out and eating too much.

I did the virtual 5ks, but stopped running when it got hot. My back has been alright lately. I'm going to have some time and might try running again this week and next....maybe do some hiking and swimming.

 

[brianmanahan]

If you haven't changed your mattress in a long time, do that. That can help back pain big time.

actually changing my mattress to a nice new one made my back a LOT worse at first

but after a few months of breaking it in, it is better now than it was at the beginning of the year

 

[purbeast0]

actually changing my mattress to a nice new one made my back a LOT worse at first

but after a few months of breaking it in, it is better now than it was at the beginning of the year

Damn that sucks. Is it super firm? If it's too soft that can cause back pain when waking up.