From Fat to Fit 2024 - New Year New Goals! (2 Viewers)

[Zow]

Bragging time. It’s Friday night and I’m having a whisky but I avoided the chicken Alfredo pasta dish my wife made and the popcorn my kids had for our family movie night.

This is huge for me bc I worked like a 70 hr week and normally at this time there is zero willpower but I kept it together.

Drinking a very fine glass of whisky to reward myself.

Popcorn is actually a decent late night snack. High in fiber and low in calories. Nice work on avoiding the alfredo though

Agreed, but I historically love popcorn in way too much of a portion size and I prefer like the Pop Secret Butter Lovers or whatever. I need to get a more healthy air popper.

Honestly, I mainly wanted to avoid the popcorn to both prove to myself I could do it and to use it as a way to continue to help me break my prior poor later night snacking routine.

 

[the moops]

Air popped popcorn without butter or salt is a perfect snack.

Without butter or salt? Woah woah - hold on now

 

[Zow]

Bragging time. It’s Friday night and I’m having a whisky but I avoided the chicken Alfredo pasta dish my wife made and the popcorn my kids had for our family movie night.

This is huge for me bc I worked like a 70 hr week and normally at this time there is zero willpower but I kept it together.

Drinking a very fine glass of whisky to reward myself.

Popcorn is actually a decent late night snack. High in fiber and low in calories. Nice work on avoiding the alfredo though

Air popped popcorn without butter or salt is a perfect snack.
to the rest

Yeah, when I get some weight dropped I definitely intend to get an air popper. For now, I'm going low-carb and hope to get into ketosis.

 

[-OZ-]

Air popped popcorn without butter or salt is a perfect snack.

Without butter or salt? Woah woah - hold on now

I’ll vary it up, but we have one of these at home and one in my office. I kind of prefer plain.

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Silicone-Microwave-Collapsible-Dishwasher/dp/B01MS65QTL

 

[-OZ-]

when I get some weight dropped I definitely intend to get an air popper. For now, I'm going low-carb and hope to get into ketosis.

Is popcorn a low-carb snack?

Popcorn is a popular low-calorie snack. And yes, it does qualify as a low-carbohydrate food that can fit into a keto diet.

www.today.com

• Calories: 31
• Carbohydrates: 6 grams
• Fiber: 1.2 grams
• Protein: 1 grams
• Fat: 0.36 grams

I’m not a fan of ketosis, but a cup of popcorn is ok with the diet.

 

[Zow]

when I get some weight dropped I definitely intend to get an air popper. For now, I'm going low-carb and hope to get into ketosis.

Is popcorn a low-carb snack?

Popcorn is a popular low-calorie snack. And yes, it does qualify as a low-carbohydrate food that can fit into a keto diet.

www.today.com

• Calories: 31
• Carbohydrates: 6 grams
• Fiber: 1.2 grams
• Protein: 1 grams
• Fat: 0.36 grams

I’m not a fan of ketosis, but a cup of popcorn is ok with the diet.

I understand the negatives to ketosis and it's definitely not my long term plan. I know myself and how I'm internally motivated and if I can do ketosis in the short term and get some immediate results I'm going to be much more excited to continue with the healthy lifestyle change that I need long-term.

 

[the moops]

I’d rather fast than have only one cup of unsalted unbuttered popcorn.

 

[Snotbubbles]

when I get some weight dropped I definitely intend to get an air popper. For now, I'm going low-carb and hope to get into ketosis.

Is popcorn a low-carb snack?

Popcorn is a popular low-calorie snack. And yes, it does qualify as a low-carbohydrate food that can fit into a keto diet.

www.today.com

• Calories: 31
• Carbohydrates: 6 grams
• Fiber: 1.2 grams
• Protein: 1 grams
• Fat: 0.36 grams

I’m not a fan of ketosis, but a cup of popcorn is ok with the diet.

I understand the negatives to ketosis and it's definitely not my long term plan. I know myself and how I'm internally motivated and if I can do ketosis in the short term and get some immediate results I'm going to be much more excited to continue with the healthy lifestyle change that I need long-term.

I definitely have to nail down my diet a little better.

 

[-OZ-]

I’d rather fast than have only one cup of unsalted unbuttered popcorn.

You don’t like eating styrofoam?

 

[Major]

when I get some weight dropped I definitely intend to get an air popper. For now, I'm going low-carb and hope to get into ketosis.

Is popcorn a low-carb snack?

Popcorn is a popular low-calorie snack. And yes, it does qualify as a low-carbohydrate food that can fit into a keto diet.

www.today.com

• Calories: 31
• Carbohydrates: 6 grams
• Fiber: 1.2 grams
• Protein: 1 grams
• Fat: 0.36 grams

I’m not a fan of ketosis, but a cup of popcorn is ok with the diet.

Sounds like some girlie man snacks

 

[jobarules]

Bragging time. It’s Friday night and I’m having a whisky but I avoided the chicken Alfredo pasta dish my wife made and the popcorn my kids had for our family movie night.

This is huge for me bc I worked like a 70 hr week and normally at this time there is zero willpower but I kept it together.

Drinking a very fine glass of whisky to reward myself.

Popcorn is actually a decent late night snack. High in fiber and low in calories. Nice work on avoiding the alfredo though

Air popped popcorn without butter or salt is a perfect snack.
to the rest

Perfect but sounds disgusting

 

[the moops]

I have always been a fairly fit, fairly skinny dude. A knee surgery, an ankle in a walking boot, and way too many beers over the past year had done a number on my belly and overall fitness. Still drink too many beers, but the single best thing I have found is to find a sport that you enjoy, and play it - a lot. For me, that used to be basketball and cycling, but over the past 6 months to a year, it has turned into tennis and climbing. Tennis gives me a crazy cardio workout while climbing gives me a full body strength workout. I climb with my kids, which helps with timing and such, and I play tennis a couple nights a week (sometimes as late as 9 - 11 PM). This combo has really worked for me. I have joined gyms, bought a peloton, tried all sorts of other workout classes - but for me, the adrenaline of competition really drives me.

I have also seen great improvements in my tennis game and climbing abilities. Won my first ever singles tennis tournament in the spring and have recently climbed a V6 boulder (look it up if curious - not great in the world of climbing but great for a 49 year old who really just started climbing a couple months ago).

V6 in a couple months is phenomenal, independent of age!

My kids theorize that it was a very easy V6. I tell them to buzz off but deep down, not even very deep, I know they are right. At our gym I work on V3 and V4 and haven’t gotten anything above that yet. This was a new gym for us and the three of us did think that most of the problems seemed easier.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I have always been a fairly fit, fairly skinny dude. A knee surgery, an ankle in a walking boot, and way too many beers over the past year had done a number on my belly and overall fitness. Still drink too many beers, but the single best thing I have found is to find a sport that you enjoy, and play it - a lot. For me, that used to be basketball and cycling, but over the past 6 months to a year, it has turned into tennis and climbing. Tennis gives me a crazy cardio workout while climbing gives me a full body strength workout. I climb with my kids, which helps with timing and such, and I play tennis a couple nights a week (sometimes as late as 9 - 11 PM). This combo has really worked for me. I have joined gyms, bought a peloton, tried all sorts of other workout classes - but for me, the adrenaline of competition really drives me.

I have also seen great improvements in my tennis game and climbing abilities. Won my first ever singles tennis tournament in the spring and have recently climbed a V6 boulder (look it up if curious - not great in the world of climbing but great for a 49 year old who really just started climbing a couple months ago).

V6 in a couple months is phenomenal, independent of age!

My kids theorize that it was a very easy V6. I tell them to buzz off but deep down, not even very deep, I know they are right. At our gym I work on V3 and V4 and haven’t gotten anything above that yet. This was a new gym for us and the three of us did think that most of the problems seemed easier.

Yeah, grading is extremely subjective. Still, being off 2-3 grades is ridiculous.

But V3/4 is more what I’d expect from a reasonably fit individual who’s only bouldered a few months.

Whatever, I’d take it. It’s all for fun anyway.

 

[Nugget]

Indoor soccer season starts tonight. If you are looking for a fun way to add exercise to your week, I highly recommend adult sport leagues. I’ll play soccer 1-2 nights a week just about year round.

I also add men’s league golf March-September. Walking 9 holes with 20lbs on your back helps keep the weight down, if you can avoid the beer cart.

 

[the moops]

I also add men’s league golf March-September. Walking 9 holes with 20lbs on your back helps keep the weight down, if you can avoid the beer cart.

I play in a Monday night 9 hole golf league. I would need to walk 109 holes to compensate for the beer

 

[AAABatteries]

Haven’t really posted on here for a while. I did great until Halloween and then had a backpacking trip in early November I was training for get cancelled. So, naturally, I decided to drink all the beer and eat all the crap I could for 2 months.

I’m giving myself the rest of January to get back to where I was and then I’ll have 3
Months to get ready for my 50th birthday. Hoping to be at 170 by then.

 

[the moops]

I’m giving myself the rest of January to get back to where I was and then I’ll have 3
Months to get ready for my 50th birthday. Hoping to be at 170 by then.

I turn 50 in August. Have been telling myself I will be in the best shape of my adult life on that date. Also hoping to be down to around 170

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

In the middle of a short, 5-night cruise. Been doing okay not indulging in the sweets and that's not normal when I'm on a ship. Been getting my steps in each day and have only succumbed to my vice once: a small, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie yesterday that I really tried to pass up but my will crumbled.

I have tried not to over-portion during my meals but the last two nights in a high-end Italian restaurant for dinner was difficult.

 

[belljr]

At some point in 2023 I hit my all tim high 237.6

Sometime before Christmas I got to 229 something.

So with the holidays debauchery and a great 5 days I weigh in at

Official 2024 weigh in. 229.6 lglg

 

[Corporation]

Haven’t really posted on here for a while. I did great until Halloween and then had a backpacking trip in early November I was training for get cancelled. So, naturally, I decided to drink all the beer and eat all the crap I could for 2 months.

I’m giving myself the rest of January to get back to where I was and then I’ll have 3
Months to get ready for my 50th birthday. Hoping to be at 170 by then.

My 50th birthday last August is what provided my get up and go. You can do it!

 

[Alex P Keaton]

I would say this: every person is unique, and we all have bodies where some things work for us and other things don't. I'd like for people to share ideas of what has worked for them and avoid criticizing what has worked for others (unless it is absolutely clearly health detrimental). It should be noted that none of us are doctors, and you should always follow your doctor's advice as they are more informed and have more data about your health than any of us.

Good progress being made! Keep your focus on your goals, and don't let a one day (or stretch) of bad decisions totally derail you. Make the next right health decision. I know the first 2 or 3 days when I cut my calories, I have the hunger pains, but I know I'm not going to starve. After that my stomach shrinks a little, or I just get used to it, and it becomes much easier. Stick with it!

Good stuff. And really glad & appreciative that you continue to post in here!

I’m heading home from vacation tomorrow, so my next health push begins on Sunday. Going back to what has worked for me before, along with a couple new things:

- using MyFitnessPal app to track calories
- getting in about 8 miles per day of steps via walking, jogging and/or running
- not eating after 8pm
- the 100 Push Up Plan (have been back at it for 2 weeks or so)

New things I’m trying:
- exercise first thing each weekday
- having ample supply of fresh fruit and veggies in the fridge ready to go
- no ice cream or cookies in the house for the first 8 weeks (this is my vice)
- yoga 2x per week. I’m only half joking about going 1x per week to a class with hot younger women as motivation. 1x per week (minimum) I will go with my wife!

The holidays are always rough for me. It’s way too easy to slip back into my sugar addiction, and I definitely did that this year. My first weigh-in will be Sunday, and I fully expect to be very close to my weight back when this thread began. While that is a bit depressing and feels like a big hill to climb, the reality is that I can do this. I’ve done it before. It is very simple — I just have to want the outcome enough to make a change. That’s been my barrier.

My reasons to want to change:
- I’ve had recurring knee pain for about 12 months now. PT has helped a lot, but I know that losing 15 pounds would make a dramatic difference.
- my cholesterol still isn’t great, and I’m on meds to help with it. I hate taking meds. My diet needs to change, for both cholesterol and for long-term health. My dad had a heart attack in his early 60s. I’d rather avoid that.
- I don’t want to keep losing weight, gaining it back, lather/rinse/repeat. I want to be a good example for my kids.
- would like to improve my core strength and flexibility


Good luck to anyone else committing to a goal or considering it. Just do it! Take the action now!

Today is day 4. It was depressing to weigh in on Sunday and realize I have almost the full 15 lbs to lose to reach my target (14.6 to be exact). Then I remembered “hey, you’ve done this before, you’ve got this!!”

I’ve been sticking largely to the game plan. Eating healthier. Counting calories. Getting in steps (only 6 miles per day instead of 8…….crappy weather, oh well). Doing pushups. No yoga yet, but I’m not beating myself up over being less than perfect!!

Beat my calorie goals the first 3 days. Haven’t weighed in yet but will on Sunday morning. 1x per week weigh in so that I don’t obsess about daily weight fluctuations.

Will report my daily calories and weigh in results each Sunday.

 

[jobarules]

I havent eaten a cookie or snack in a week

 

[belljr]

I havent eaten a cookie or snack in a week

I had 2 slices of pizza over the weekend.
I had one brownie yesterday

Other than the chocolate protein bars I been eating I've been good since last Tuesday !!!

GOOD JOB - it really is the hardest part for my fatness

 

[Alex P Keaton]

At some point in 2023 I hit my all tim high 237.6

Sometime before Christmas I got to 229 something.

So with the holidays debauchery and a great 5 days I weigh in at

Official 2024 weigh in. 229.6 lglg

Sometimes minimizing damage during a tough stretch is the best outcome!!

I’m going to my parents’ house for 2.5 days…..and that will be a test of my discipline. Just gotta stick to my rules / structure and not deviate…..

 

[Niles Standish]

Im ready to get healthy again. I have seriously let myself go in the last 4 years as I stopped going to the gym (due to covid shutting down my office in 2020) although I do walk about 3 miles a day, stopped counting calories, and started eating late night snacks (due to the munchies). I refuse to get on scale but last year I was 260 and Im probably closer to 270 now (6'1"). I carry it well but I look fat in pictures and clothes that used to fit dont fit anymore. Its also embarrassing how out of shape I am.

The biggest reason I want to do this though is I am 46 and if I keep going down this path I will get Diabetes and/or have heart problems. Last year I had a physical and all my #s were good except cholesterol was a little high (doc just said lose some weight). Id like to have another physical sometime in the spring. Id like to lose 40 lbs by July (going on a cruise and would like to take my shirt off without being embarrassed).

I have successfully lost weight in the past doing calorie counting but I am not doing that now. My plan right now isnt really a diet but lifestyle changes as follows:

• Join gym (I have already joined the office gym but I am only in the office twice a week so I may also join a gym at home and start going with my teenaged son).
• Eat healthy (duh). What does this mean?
  • Limit breakfast to high protein, low sugar option such as eggs, protein shakes, etc. Only have my favorite bagel once a week. Coffee back to black.
  • Lunch will be high protein, low fat (chickens, salads, etc). No more taco Tuesdays at work lol,
  • Dinner will be my normal dinners but will limit to one serving (no seconds).
  • My biggest weakness is my sweet tooth so I am going to go cold turkey on cookies, cakes, desserts, etc. I dont drink soda so this isnt an issue.
  • No late night snacking (this will be hard if I continue to smoke weed so I will cut back on this dramatically). Might try and limit to weekends only and only right before bed so I am not tempted to snack. My stop completely. Not sure yet.
  • I dont really drink alcohol that often but I will limit this to special occasions.
  • No cheat days but will treat myself to a cheat day once a month.

Is the above plan a good one or am I fooling myself and need to do more?

I lost a lot of weight a

Im ready to get healthy again. I have seriously let myself go in the last 4 years as I stopped going to the gym (due to covid shutting down my office in 2020) although I do walk about 3 miles a day, stopped counting calories, and started eating late night snacks (due to the munchies). I refuse to get on scale but last year I was 260 and Im probably closer to 270 now (6'1"). I carry it well but I look fat in pictures and clothes that used to fit dont fit anymore. Its also embarrassing how out of shape I am.

The biggest reason I want to do this though is I am 46 and if I keep going down this path I will get Diabetes and/or have heart problems. Last year I had a physical and all my #s were good except cholesterol was a little high (doc just said lose some weight). Id like to have another physical sometime in the spring. Id like to lose 40 lbs by July (going on a cruise and would like to take my shirt off without being embarrassed).

I have successfully lost weight in the past doing calorie counting but I am not doing that now. My plan right now isnt really a diet but lifestyle changes as follows:

• Join gym (I have already joined the office gym but I am only in the office twice a week so I may also join a gym at home and start going with my teenaged son).
• Eat healthy (duh). What does this mean?
  • Limit breakfast to high protein, low sugar option such as eggs, protein shakes, etc. Only have my favorite bagel once a week. Coffee back to black.
  • Lunch will be high protein, low fat (chickens, salads, etc). No more taco Tuesdays at work lol,
  • Dinner will be my normal dinners but will limit to one serving (no seconds).
  • My biggest weakness is my sweet tooth so I am going to go cold turkey on cookies, cakes, desserts, etc. I dont drink soda so this isnt an issue.
  • No late night snacking (this will be hard if I continue to smoke weed so I will cut back on this dramatically). Might try and limit to weekends only and only right before bed so I am not tempted to snack. My stop completely. Not sure yet.
  • I dont really drink alcohol that often but I will limit this to special occasions.
  • No cheat days but will treat myself to a cheat day once a month.

Is the above plan a good one or am I fooling myself and need to do more?

I’d cut the bagel unless that’s the one thing you can’t do without. And normal dinners - what does that typically consist of?

Once a week is too much?

I lost a lot of weight about 15 years ago and was almost exactly your size. I was 265 lbs and about your height. I calorie counted about 2,000 calories a day. I generally wouldn't go much below 2,000 (minimum would be around 1,800 maybe) and I wouldn't go above 2,000. I didn't even exercise (I do now and have for years). I got to 185 lbs in about a year and a half. I've kept it off for the whole time. I'm currently about 180.

In my opinion there is nothing wrong with a bagel. You just don't want to overdo it. When I was losing weight a lot of times I would set myself up to have 1,200 calories available for dinner and go to this NY pizza place near me and get two big slices which was around 1,200 calories.

Different ways work for everyone but my way worked for me because it didn't feel like I was dieting. I ate mostly what I wanted (it's hard to eat much in the way of junk food at 2,000 calories). I didn't lose super fast 1 lb a week or so. But you'd lose pretty close to what you want at 1/week.

Anyway good luck your plan sounds good to me. My main suggestion is don't let one bad decision spiral. Unless you have perfect willpower you'll make a bad decision more than once. The way to make this work long term is not to get down on yourself after a bad choice just get back on the horse as quickly as possible.

I'm in your corner. It's amazing how much easier things get and how much better you feel if you get rid of some of that weight.

 

[Niles Standish]

Never been more motivated. Walk runs going well, golfing going well, stretching going well.

One more day of food debauchery and back in.

Did lose almost 10 pounds and maintained through the holidays

2024 lfg

I need to get on track this year and have been adding in 20-30 min of cardio daily. What are you doing on the diet side this year?

Also curious what you all think is a realistic amount to lose weekly if you really cut back food intake and don’t drink for the month?

When you are hungry what is y’all’s go to to fill up on but won’t prevent you from still losing?

I'd just remember that unless you make long term changes it's really hard to keep the weight off long term. When I lost weight it was 1 lb/week which is very slow but I've kept it off for 15 years.

Not saying 1 lb is the magic number but make sure you're putting reasonable lifestyle changes in there for the long term.

Adding 15 minutes of walking a day that you keep up forever is a whole lot better than an extreme workout that you quit after 2 months and never do again.

Anyway good luck. You can do this!

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

I ate a donut this morning while passing by the break room to get some coffee.

I'm not proud.

So much for that 4-mile walk I took this morning. #shame

 

[Judge Smails]

Down 7 from New Years Day. Motivated

 

[Major]

I ate a donut this morning while passing by the break room to get some coffee.

I'm not proud.

So much for that 4-mile walk I took this morning. #shame

Good on you for only eating one. Donuts are so deceiving - light, fluffy and not filling at all. I can inhale a half dozen glazed if I'm not careful. At 300-400 calories each, they add up fast.

 

[AAABatteries]

Down 7 from New Years Day. Motivated

Wasn’t going to share but what the hell. I went on a week long bender between Xmas and New Years. I’ve lost 18 pounds in 12 days.

 

[rockaction]

Yep. I'm on Ozempic all right. I'm down eleven pounds in a week and a half.

229 to 218. At first I thought my clothes and looks were joking, but I stepped on the scale. Once with shoes, once without. So more like nine pounds or so.

That's still quite a bit.

I feel okay, though, and am watching vitals, etc. So anybody who reads that and thinks "unhealthy," I both tend to lose a lot when I diet and I lose it quickly. I did last time I dieted/exercised. But yeah, it's interesting right now.

eta* back up to a more normal 224 with jeans and shirt on. I think water weight is a significant part of my life. Just have to deal with the fluctuations from drinking a lot of water and eating a meal. Put on about six right back from the 218. Makes sense. The t shirts that fit just fine this morning show a little bloat to them this evening.

Weird functioning like this though. Today I had two pieces of pizza (normal), two cups of coffee with cream, six waters or so, a pack of Starburst, and a bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats. All of this stuff was well within the carbohydrate intake for a diabetic at the times I ate, but that doesn't seem like a lot.

I mean, they're the wrong foods, but not in gross volume.

Here's what my better self had:

A cup of oatmeal for breakfast with water
a whole grain sandwich with turkey for lunch/dinner
Vegetables, lots of 'em. Bell peppers, cucumbers, you name it

And that would have wrapped it up.

But instead I ate what I ate and put that poundage on. I mean, pizza?

I feel like the woman in the Jardiance commercial. Lowering my A1C but still big.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Yep. I'm on Ozempic all right. I'm down eleven pounds in a week and a half.

229 to 218. At first I thought my clothes and looks were joking, but I stepped on the scale. Once with shoes, once without. So more like nine pounds or so.

That's still quite a bit.

I feel okay, though, and am watching vitals, etc. So anybody who reads that and thinks "unhealthy," I both tend to lose a lot when I diet and I lose it quickly. I did last time I dieted/exercised. But yeah, it's interesting right now.

eta* back up to a more normal 224 with jeans and shirt on. I think water weight is a significant part of my life. Just have to deal with the fluctuations from drinking a lot of water and eating a meal. Put on about six right back from the 218. Makes sense. The t shirts that fit just fine this morning show a little bloat to them this evening.

Weird functioning like this though. Today I had two pieces of pizza (normal), two cups of coffee with cream, six waters or so, a pack of Starburst, and a bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats. All of this stuff was well within the carbohydrate intake for a diabetic at the times I ate, but that doesn't seem like a lot.

I mean, they're the wrong foods, but not in gross volume.

Here's what my better self had:

A cup of oatmeal for breakfast with water
a whole grain sandwich with turkey for lunch/dinner
Vegetables, lots of 'em. Bell peppers, cucumbers, you name it

And that would have wrapped it up.

But instead I ate what I ate and put that poundage on. I mean, pizza?

I feel like the woman in the Jardiance commercial. Lowering my A1C but still big.

You’ve certainly got a big story to tell…how are the side effects?

 

[rockaction]

You’ve certainly got a big story to tell…how are the side effects?

Right now, I'm up at 6:30 A.M. EDT because of indigestion like I've never had. Battersbox had it called. He said don't lie down after you eat. It's a big <burp> mistake. And a touch painful, too. I normally drink lots of Perrier, and this is definitely causing some discomfort.

I will be foregoing the meat lovers' pizza that my family gets from now on. I'm just . . . a hurting unit. Comparatively svelte, but hurting. The scale says 221.4, so water weight again is the difference here. (Well that and I don't have jeans and a t-shirt on. We need a baseline weight at an appropriate time of the day for true weight loss.)

I do not have Ozempic face or skin yet. I doubt that'll happen for a while, if at all. I am not shooting for anything lower than 190 here. And that's if I even come close to getting there with just caloric reduction and dietary change.

 

[Judge Smails]

Are you cautious regarding all of the stories about regained weight as soon as you stop Ozempic?

 

[massraider]

all of the stories about regained weight as soon as you stop Ozempic?

Lack of drug isn't why people are gaining weight.

Going back to bed habits is why.

Far as I can tell, taking Ozempic is a cheat code to curb appetite, and lose weight. Once you lose weight, if you return to previous bad eating habits, fat will return.

 

[rockaction]

Are you cautious regarding all of the stories about regained weight as soon as you stop Ozempic?

Am I concerned? Yes. But I was put on Ozempic for diabetes reasons, not just weight loss ones. I'm very concerned that as soon as the magical elixir wears off that I'll gain weight back, yes. But I've yo-yo dieted with diet and exercise before, so I'm not more concerned now than I was then.

What I'm trying to say is that it's always a concern. Right now I'm concerned about getting rid of this horrible sort of gas/indigestion I'm going through. I'll cut bait on the drug if it does that to me.

But taking the weight off is a good thing.

Another thing that concerns me is that I generally don't overeat too badly and even my modest diet has slowed down to very little nutrition. I'm worried about low blood sugar, too.

So there's a host of things to look for. I'm sure I won't starve, per se, but I want to keep my glucose levels adequate, too.

 

[FarFromHome]

I'm a fit guy, but I've worked at it. In 1999, leaving basic training at fort benning I was 6 ft 1 and 200 lbs. Today at 49 years old I'm 6 ft 1 and 205 lbs. Until 2021 I religiously ran 15 miles a week. It was my therapy. Headphones, backpack and surprisenly enough for years my cigarettes. I'd literally stop for a smoke half way through. Knee condition took that activity away from me. Got an elliptical and it wasn't the same. Never been a gym guy. Three year ago I started body weight work outs at work. Started with 10 pushups and 10 dips a day. Today I'm religiously at 500 pushups and 500 dips a day. Religiously. Guys tease me at work. I don't care. Never been on a diet what I do is control the food during my work day. I limit calorie intake those days. Religiously. Guys tease me for that. Pizza party at work? Pass. Birthday cake at work? Pass. I'm strict at work. My cardio is far from the best it's ever been but I'm physically stronger now then at any point in my life. All our physical journeys are different. It's your journey. Just know as we get older all we have is our health. On a side note my wife has had weight issues. All the diets. Had the lap band. Horrible. 15 years ago she got a sleeve done. Wonderful. Still doing great with it.

 

[Mitchie]

I'm a fit guy, but I've worked at it. In 1999, leaving basic training at fort benning I was 6 ft 1 and 200 lbs. Today at 49 years old I'm 6 ft 1 and 205 lbs. Until 2021 I religiously ran 15 miles a week. It was my therapy. Headphones, backpack and surprisenly enough for years my cigarettes. I'd literally stop for a smoke half way through. Knee condition took that activity away from me. Got an elliptical and it wasn't the same. Never been a gym guy. Three year ago I started body weight work outs at work. Started with 10 pushups and 10 dips a day. Today I'm religiously at 500 pushups and 500 dips a day. Religiously. Guys tease me at work. I don't care. Never been on a diet what I do is control the food during my work day. I limit calorie intake those days. Religiously. Guys tease me for that. Pizza party at work? Pass. Birthday cake at work? Pass. I'm strict at work. My cardio is far from the best it's ever been but I'm physically stronger now then at any point in my life. All our physical journeys are different. It's your journey. Just know as we get older all we have is our health. On a side note my wife has had weight issues. All the diets. Had the lap band. Horrible. 15 years ago she got a sleeve done. Wonderful. Still doing great with it.

impressive, but need some rest days bro.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Are you cautious regarding all of the stories about regained weight as soon as you stop Ozempic?

Am I concerned? Yes. But I was put on Ozempic for diabetes reasons, not just weight loss ones. I'm very concerned that as soon as the magical elixir wears off that I'll gain weight back, yes. But I've yo-yo dieted with diet and exercise before, so I'm not more concerned now than I was then.

What I'm trying to say is that it's always a concern. Right now I'm concerned about getting rid of this horrible sort of gas/indigestion I'm going through. I'll cut bait on the drug if it does that to me.

But taking the weight off is a good thing.

Another thing that concerns me is that I generally don't overeat too badly and even my modest diet has slowed down to very little nutrition. I'm worried about low blood sugar, too.

So there's a host of things to look for. I'm sure I won't starve, per se, but I want to keep my glucose levels adequate, too.

FWIW, the GI side effects are supposed to decrease over time, and can be mitigated by smaller, less fatty meals. And you can always try over-the-counter gas/indigestions aids.

Dangerously low glucose shouldn’t be an issue either. If you’re worried about malnutrition (also unlikely) try quantifying your exact dietary intake over a week or so, and review it with a dietician.

 

[rockaction]

Dangerously low glucose shouldn’t be an issue either. If you’re worried about malnutrition (also unlikely) try quantifying your exact dietary intake over a week or so, and review it with a dietician.

I'm not that worried. I'm just spitballing. I'm more worried about eating the proper diet. Thanks for the tip about less fatty foods and smaller portions.

I weighed in this morning. I weigh 217.4 pounds without clothes—219.4 with jeans and a shirt on—first thing after waking up with stomach issues. So it's down again. Water and food should have me up in weight. By about six o'clock, I expect to be back up to 224 or something like that. I drink a lot of water, which is supposedly good for farxija, which gives one UTIs.

So getting this going has been interesting.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I'm a fit guy, but I've worked at it. In 1999, leaving basic training at fort benning I was 6 ft 1 and 200 lbs. Today at 49 years old I'm 6 ft 1 and 205 lbs. Until 2021 I religiously ran 15 miles a week. It was my therapy. Headphones, backpack and surprisenly enough for years my cigarettes. I'd literally stop for a smoke half way through. Knee condition took that activity away from me. Got an elliptical and it wasn't the same. Never been a gym guy. Three year ago I started body weight work outs at work. Started with 10 pushups and 10 dips a day. Today I'm religiously at 500 pushups and 500 dips a day. Religiously. Guys tease me at work. I don't care. Never been on a diet what I do is control the food during my work day. I limit calorie intake those days. Religiously. Guys tease me for that. Pizza party at work? Pass. Birthday cake at work? Pass. I'm strict at work. My cardio is far from the best it's ever been but I'm physically stronger now than at any point in my life. All our physical journeys are different. It's your journey. Just know as we get older all we have is our health. On a side note my wife has had weight issues. All the diets. Had the lap band. Horrible. 15 years ago she got a sleeve done. Wonderful. Still doing great with it.

All that upper body stuff is fine, but you should try to find something you enjoy for cardiovascular fitness, too. Maybe swimming or cycling?

And hopefully you quit cigarettes somewhere along the way, as your strong chest and shoulders won‘t offset the years smoking takes from you.

 

[Orange&Blue]

Here I am eating carrots and radishes with peanut butter and some smoked cheese for my dinner.

Why you ask? Because I'm finally able to control my hunger and not have to eat a pound of food to feel content. It's been about 3 months if effort, but I've lost 10 lbs, feel good, and A1C is around 6.5.

 

[Goldminer1]

I'm 37. 5'10. I live in Florida.

July 2022: Weighed in at 268 with a plan to lose weight. I don't think I stuck with it for more than a week.
------------------------
July 15th, 2023: 261.4
August 24th: 237.6
September 29th: 218.6
October 18th: 213.2
November 18th: 199.8 - Oh Yeah!
November 27th: 212.6 - Oh No!
November 29th: 206.0
------------
December 9th: 198.4
December 19th: 195.2 (Left for Christmas at home)
January 1st, 2024: 205.6 (Returned from Christmas at home)
January 12th: 194.6 (Left on Cruise)
January 16th: 196.6 (Returned from Cruise)

Total Loss: 64.8 Pounds
------------------
Since November 18th – I’ve gone on a vacation for Thanksgiving, traveled back to my hometown for about 2 weeks for Christmas and taken another 3-night cruise.

All told, since 11/18, I’m down 2.2 pounds. Considering all of the distractions, that isn’t too bad. Coming out of the holiday season, weighing less than I did before it, is a win.

I wasn’t on top of my diet or workouts during Thanksgiving, nor during my trip home over Christmas. On the cruise that ended yesterday, I had a cheat day on Saturday in the Bahamas, where I ate and drank poorly.

My short-term goal in my last post was to get back under 200. Considering that I’m probably still digesting a cheat day from my cruise and I’m at 196.6 this morning, means I accomplished that.

My last medium-term goal was to get through the holidays and on to my MLK cruise at 199 or lower, I came back from that at 196. Another win.

Long term goal was to get to 180. Distant goal was to “look fit”
-----------------
I have been doing an hour on the elliptical as my cardio for a good amount of time now, but on my MLK cruise, the elliptical machines were crappy, so I got on a treadmill. I ran (jogged) a 5K for the first time in my life on Day 1 of the cruise, did it again on Day 3 of the cruise and did it again yesterday at my home gym. I’ve literally never run or jogged that far in my entire life. I finished the treadmill 5K yesterday in 33:30, which obviously isn’t blazing fast, but for me really felt like an accomplishment.

For a while now, I had been able to get through an hour on the elliptical without even really breaking a sweat. I wasn’t going crazy fast, but I had gotten used to the physical output necessary to complete that without feeling very tired.

The three times I’ve run the 5K, I was soaked in sweat and tired, but in a good way. I felt like I had really pushed myself again, which is good.

My long-term goal of hitting 180 is feeling more difficult by the day, simply because it feels like my body isn’t necessarily capable of “settling” at that weight without being absolutely militant about my diet and exercise. I have to be realistic with myself and live a life outside of being focused on dieting and exercise.

With that said, I am still committed to continue dieting and exercising on a daily basis, but where the scale falls doesn’t feel as important as it did when I first started this journey back in July. I’m in much better shape, I feel so much better and look a lot better.

I’ve got another cruise in 30 days. Another 3-night jaunt, which will likely include a cheat day, but hopefully I don’t go too crazy.

My next big trip is coming up in the middle of March when I’m meeting up with buddies for our 20th Fantasy Baseball Draft in Phoenix. That will likely be nearly a full week of bad eating and drinking, but that is okay with me, because again, I have to live a life that isn’t always consumed with proper eating and exercising.
----------------
Updated Goals:

Short-Term: Continue to Run/Jog 5Ks and challenge myself more in the gym than I have been over the holiday period.

Medium-Term: Be under 190 when I get on my cruise on 2/15

Long-Term: Keep up with my program, be at 185 or under & in better shape when I head to my Fantasy Baseball trip in March

Distant-Term: Begin to find a healthier balance between “militant” adherence to a diet and exercise plan vs. being “off” of it and just going crazy with bad foods and drinking. I need to find something that is more sustainable over time without these wild swings of total discipline vs. total debauchery.
---------------
Good luck to those who are jumping on a new health commitment in the New Year!

 

[belljr]

At some point in 2023 I hit my all tim high 237.6

Sometime before Christmas I got to 229 something.

So with the holidays debauchery and a great 5 days I weigh in at

Official 2024 weigh in. 229.6 lglg

Week 2 229.6 .....not too sure why my weight didn't move. Been tracking calories and had a pretty good week

Marathon not a sprint

 

[rockaction]

Is it Wednesday yet? That's when I increase my dosage of Ozempic.

I'm not sure I can eat any less. Today I had a bowl of cereal for lunch and a piece of pizza for dinner. Then I had a pack of Starburst for dessert and crushed a half-pint of ice cream for a late night snack. My weight is still the same upon awakening. About 217.4 pounds of nearly pure rectitude.

I kid. I wrecked it, Dude. I should cut the sweets.

 

[Goldminer1]

At some point in 2023 I hit my all tim high 237.6

Sometime before Christmas I got to 229 something.

So with the holidays debauchery and a great 5 days I weigh in at

Official 2024 weigh in. 229.6 lglg

Week 2 229.6 .....not too sure why my weight didn't move. Been tracking calories and had a pretty good week

Marathon not a sprint

I weigh-in daily when I'm at home with my regular scale. I've found that a lot of websites tell you not to weigh-in daily, because you can get too easily discouraged. I've found the opposite to be true. There are days when I inexplicably gain a pound and days when I'll be down 2 pounds. The consistency of daily weigh-ins, helps me realize that a single day's worth of data, isn't a good indicator of where I'm "really" at in terms of my weight.

If I weighed in once a week and it happened to be a random day where I was up 1.5 pounds, that would be really frustrating. Similarly, if I weighed in on a big down day, then weighed in again the next week, and hadn't seen any loss from the week prior, that would be really discouraging. But the reality is that neither the high day nor the low day are great data points for my actual "average" weight over the course of a week.

A good example is that I often find that I'm at my lowest on Saturday or Sunday mornings, which really has a lot to do with the fact that I am able to sleep-in on those days. During the week, when I'm getting up at 5:15am every day, it can be tough to get the amount of sleep required to see significant weight loss. Things like that, I wouldn't have even thought of before I started this back in July, but now it is something I just "know" about myself and the process.

 

[Goldminer1]

Is it Wednesday yet? That's when I increase my dosage of Ozempic.

I'm not sure I can eat any less. Today I had a bowl of cereal for lunch and a piece of pizza for dinner. Then I had a pack of Starburst for dessert and crushed a half-pint of ice cream for a late night snack. My weight is still the same upon awakening. About 217.4 pounds of nearly pure rectitude.

I kid. I wrecked it, Dude. I should cut the sweets.

One of the things I've always told people was that I was overweight, because I didn't eat often enough. Which sounds counterintuitive, but really isn't when you break it down.

I wouldn't ever eat breakfast, I'd snack on junk, then have a huge calorie bomb of a meal in the afternoon after work, because I was so hungry and felt like I needed to eat - NOW! And I wouldn't know when to stop.

I knew I was really hungry, and that because I was so hungry, I "needed" to eat a huge amount of food. The reality, is that hunger isn't solved by eating more food, the reality is that you need to eat -enough- food to satisfy your hunger and then stop eating. I still struggle with that idea, and probably will my whole life.

For dinner, because that calorie bomb, after-work meal was usually something like fast food or some other version of empty calories, I'd still have a huge plate or two of spaghetti or something similar for dinner, but I would feel "good" about it, beacuse at least I hadn't eaten fast food twice that day (which wasn't rare).

Having "set" times that I eat has really helped. I always have breakfast, I make sure to have healthy snacks in-between meals, and having my kitchen stocked with food that is healthy, tasty and easy to prepare, is huge for me.

One of my other huge downfalls was "not knowing" what food I had at home. So, if I had gone out on an errand and was returning home, I would convince myself that I was "unsure" of what was there to satisfy my hunger, so I'd just stop somewhere and get something that I knew I liked, and was obviously zero effort to make.

Now, I know exactly what I have at home, what I'm going to eat, and when I'm going to eat it. The mystery and therefore, the food "anxiety" is eliminated. Those relatively simple solutions have been game changers for me.

 

[belljr]

I weigh myself pretty much daily. It's been up and down 1 pound all week

 

[Major]

Is it Wednesday yet? That's when I increase my dosage of Ozempic.

I'm not sure I can eat any less. Today I had a bowl of cereal for lunch and a piece of pizza for dinner. Then I had a pack of Starburst for dessert and crushed a half-pint of ice cream for a late night snack. My weight is still the same upon awakening. About 217.4 pounds of nearly pure rectitude.

I kid. I wrecked it, Dude. I should cut the sweets.

Yeah man, try getting more nutrition in your calories. It's not just about losing weight but eating healthier will also make you feel/look better. If I eat like sh*t, I feel like sh*t. It's tough to do if you're traveling but at home, meal prep is your friend. Here's a sample of what I eat daily broken up into 4-5 meals.

Coffee with a scoop of Iso whey protein and MCT oil
Steel cut oatmeal with tsp of peanut butter
green wheat grass drink
2 eggs and 2 egg white omelette with peppers
plain greek yogurt (Fage or Siggis) and handful of blueberries/strawberries
Grilled chicken, steak or turkey
brown rice
veggies - spinach, mushrooms, avocado topped with salsa/pico de gallo
Barebells protein bar

 

[Alex P Keaton]

I would say this: every person is unique, and we all have bodies where some things work for us and other things don't. I'd like for people to share ideas of what has worked for them and avoid criticizing what has worked for others (unless it is absolutely clearly health detrimental). It should be noted that none of us are doctors, and you should always follow your doctor's advice as they are more informed and have more data about your health than any of us.

Good progress being made! Keep your focus on your goals, and don't let a one day (or stretch) of bad decisions totally derail you. Make the next right health decision. I know the first 2 or 3 days when I cut my calories, I have the hunger pains, but I know I'm not going to starve. After that my stomach shrinks a little, or I just get used to it, and it becomes much easier. Stick with it!

Good stuff. And really glad & appreciative that you continue to post in here!

I’m heading home from vacation tomorrow, so my next health push begins on Sunday. Going back to what has worked for me before, along with a couple new things:

- using MyFitnessPal app to track calories
- getting in about 8 miles per day of steps via walking, jogging and/or running
- not eating after 8pm
- the 100 Push Up Plan (have been back at it for 2 weeks or so)

New things I’m trying:
- exercise first thing each weekday
- having ample supply of fresh fruit and veggies in the fridge ready to go
- no ice cream or cookies in the house for the first 8 weeks (this is my vice)
- yoga 2x per week. I’m only half joking about going 1x per week to a class with hot younger women as motivation. 1x per week (minimum) I will go with my wife!

The holidays are always rough for me. It’s way too easy to slip back into my sugar addiction, and I definitely did that this year. My first weigh-in will be Sunday, and I fully expect to be very close to my weight back when this thread began. While that is a bit depressing and feels like a big hill to climb, the reality is that I can do this. I’ve done it before. It is very simple — I just have to want the outcome enough to make a change. That’s been my barrier.

My reasons to want to change:
- I’ve had recurring knee pain for about 12 months now. PT has helped a lot, but I know that losing 15 pounds would make a dramatic difference.
- my cholesterol still isn’t great, and I’m on meds to help with it. I hate taking meds. My diet needs to change, for both cholesterol and for long-term health. My dad had a heart attack in his early 60s. I’d rather avoid that.
- I don’t want to keep losing weight, gaining it back, lather/rinse/repeat. I want to be a good example for my kids.
- would like to improve my core strength and flexibility


Good luck to anyone else committing to a goal or considering it. Just do it! Take the action now!

Today is day 4. It was depressing to weigh in on Sunday and realize I have almost the full 15 lbs to lose to reach my target (14.6 to be exact). Then I remembered “hey, you’ve done this before, you’ve got this!!”

I’ve been sticking largely to the game plan. Eating healthier. Counting calories. Getting in steps (only 6 miles per day instead of 8…….crappy weather, oh well). Doing pushups. No yoga yet, but I’m not beating myself up over being less than perfect!!

Beat my calorie goals the first 3 days. Haven’t weighed in yet but will on Sunday morning. 1x per week weigh in so that I don’t obsess about daily weight fluctuations.

Will report my daily calories and weigh in results each Sunday.

Ok, I’ve been absent and not reporting in. That’s bad on multiple levels because a) it doesn’t keep me publicly accountable, b) it is easier to forget to log calories, c) I can’t benefit from the ideas of others in here.

So the past 2-ish weeks I’ve largely stuck to my plan. Had 2 bad eating days out of about 17, which is a solid ratio. And even on the “bad days” I over consumed by 500-700 calories instead of 2,000 calories, so the damage was minimal.

I’m eating multiple portions of fresh fruit (which autocorrect just changed to “Fritos” briefly lol) and veggies. Have cut out morning cereal altogether and switched to oatmeal or turkey sausage + 1-2 eggs.

Still craving sugar, but that is lessening over time. Haven’t done enough consistent cardio — would love to get to 1x every day with at least 30 min of HIT cardio, but only at 3-4x per week now. Rejoined weekly speed drills on Sunday with local running club. Gotta get back to daily stretching and strength training.

So……some positive, some room to improve!

Weight progress:
Week 0 (1/2 week): -0.3 lbs vs base
Week 1: -1.1 lbs
Week 2: -0.7 lbs

Total: -2.1 lbs

While weight loss is one goal, I’m trying to put sustainable changes in place to improve my overall health. I need to keep reminding myself that *how* I do this is more important right now than *where* I get to. Long term changes. Life changes.

My aunt just had a series of small strokes. She’s fine for now — but her cardiac health is terrible. It’s a good reminder, and while I’m not young () it isn’t too late to make changes.