I need help losing weight and getting back in shape (2 Viewers)

[culdeus]

Bet culdeus is a beast (no shtick). Pic?

Lol, still in a bulking phase so got a bit of a gut right now. Hit all time high weight Monday. (166) started at 142. Goal is to hit 175 or 180 in about 2 years and still wear same pants.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

A gut at 162 lbs? Maybe if you are 4'11". You don't know what a gut is!

 

[culdeus]

A gut at 162 lbs? Maybe if you are 4'11". You don't know what a gut is!

166 thank you.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

A gut at 162 lbs? Maybe if you are 4'11". You don't know what a gut is!

166 thank you.

My bad fatty.

 

[Green and Gold]

I started Weightwatchers right before Thanksgiving. I'm 5'8" and clocked in at 199 pounds at that point. I didn't start exercising at all for the first two months (just started the gym a week ago), and I'm at 174 pounds. I'm not saying the program is for everyone, but it was certainly effective for me. I still have at least another 15 or so pounds to go before I re-evaluate how I look/feel, but losing over 10% of my body weight so far isn't a bad accomplishment.

The trick for me going forward is to not think of this as a diet, but a lifestyle change. Keeping the weight off is the goal.

 

[comfortably numb]

I started Weightwatchers right before Thanksgiving. I'm 5'8" and clocked in at 199 pounds at that point. I didn't start exercising at all for the first two months (just started the gym a week ago), and I'm at 174 pounds. I'm not saying the program is for everyone, but it was certainly effective for me. I still have at least another 15 or so pounds to go before I re-evaluate how I look/feel, but losing over 10% of my body weight so far isn't a bad accomplishment.

The trick for me going forward is to not think of this as a diet, but a lifestyle change. Keeping the weight off is the goal.

This is the biggest part for anyone trying to do anything weight loss or exercising related.

Whatever works for you is what you need to stick to.

Keeping this effective for the long term is the main objective and for anyone, just remember, sometimes what worked for you in the short term may not work for you in the long term.



Great job. Keep it up!

 

[Sabertooth]

Anyone ever do intermittent fasting. I am working on the 5:2 method which is basically eat normally (but not like a ####### idiot) 5 days and two 24 hour fasts in there.

So I ate normally Sunday and ended with my last meal at 5:30. Didn't eat again until 5:30 Monday. Ate a ton of carbs between 5:30 Monday and 5:30 Tuesday. Have been fasting since then. I won't eat until dinner tonight. At that point, I am going to only eat between 1 and 9 the rest of the week until Sunday evening.

Some observations.

1. Have to be mindful of the carbs. Went way overboard like the piece of #### carb addict that I am. So I won't be doing that again.

2. It isn't even hard at all if you stay busy during the day.

3. It's like hitting a mini goal every time you fast and don't fail. It's Mentally quite rewarding to hit that 24 hour mark.

4. There are supposedly a lot of digestive benefits to it but I'm not going to lie, I need to lose weight so I'm just trying to do that for now.

5. There is a certain gratification in denying oneself. Not sure how to explain it. It's kind of zen in a way if that makes sense.

Mindful and measured is my motto for the month. Measure food, measure time, measure success, and be mindful of what I am eating.

Google Brad Pilon and Eat Stop Eat for more information although I didn't buy any book or anything. Just basically hit up Reddit and searched intermittent fasting.

Interesting.

I haven't done this but shaped this similar line of thinking into my recent plans.

Instead of fasting, it's just skipping a meal or say lunch today was an avocado and tomato.

Perhaps I will work into making through a day without eating but at this point it's small goals and being mindful of my eating habits.

As in lunch doesn't HAVE to be a sandwich or a meal that involves meat.

I do grasp the zen comment.

Self denial gives you a sort of control feel to another level.

Yeah, I am an hour and a half away from my 24 hour goal right now. I just heard my stomach growl for the first time today as I got ready to type this. It isn't hard physically for me. I stayed busy working on a rental all day. The key is staying mentally occupied.

I'm surprised at the energy I have to be honest. Almost like I'm over jacked up despite no caffeine since this morning.

 

[acarey50]

For intermittent fasting, also look at Lean Gains (I believe that is the name, look up John Berardi)

Rather than a couple of 24 hour fasts, it is more based on certain eating windows, kind of like 18 off, 6 on, where you fast for 18 hours of the day, and eat within that 6 hour window.

So for example you only eat between 2 and 8 pm, then fast from 8pm until 2pm the next day.

I've found that to be much easier to maintain when I did it and lost quite a bit of weight.

You can adjust that feeding period to fit your schedule, and can even adjust the periods (like 20 off, 4 on, or a 16/8 split).

Just something else to consider if you are looking at the various IF protocols

 

[Sabertooth]

Anyone ever do intermittent fasting. I am working on the 5:2 method which is basically eat normally (but not like a ####### idiot) 5 days and two 24 hour fasts in there.

So I ate normally Sunday and ended with my last meal at 5:30. Didn't eat again until 5:30 Monday. Ate a ton of carbs between 5:30 Monday and 5:30 Tuesday. Have been fasting since then. I won't eat until dinner tonight. At that point, I am going to only eat between 1 and 9 the rest of the week until Sunday evening.

Some observations.

1. Have to be mindful of the carbs. Went way overboard like the piece of #### carb addict that I am. So I won't be doing that again.

2. It isn't even hard at all if you stay busy during the day.

3. It's like hitting a mini goal every time you fast and don't fail. It's Mentally quite rewarding to hit that 24 hour mark.

4. There are supposedly a lot of digestive benefits to it but I'm not going to lie, I need to lose weight so I'm just trying to do that for now.

5. There is a certain gratification in denying oneself. Not sure how to explain it. It's kind of zen in a way if that makes sense.

Mindful and measured is my motto for the month. Measure food, measure time, measure success, and be mindful of what I am eating.

Google Brad Pilon and Eat Stop Eat for more information although I didn't buy any book or anything. Just basically hit up Reddit and searched intermittent fasting.

To each their own but I don't think this would be a very long-term good solution. The first concern I would have is a person's blood sugar level. Some people (I am one of them) just don't function well when they aren't keeping the system at a decent level. I can easily go all day without eating and do it several times in a row but there is always that one day every so often that, when I do it, I get physically sick and puny and feel like crap until I eat and then it lingers.

But more importantly, from every thing I have ever read and researched on the numbers of calories and the simple "in/out" mechanics of body weight and food, it comes down to the fact that if you try to starve your body, it very quickly compensates and does all this "over my head" stuff where it convers this to that and stores fat purposely for energy, etc, etc, and kind of totally goes against you.

About 5-6 years ago, I did P90x and I was quick to realize that I was "half" doing it because my food choices were less than ideal compared to what Tony and his crew recommend. At the same time, a female friend of mine who had all the classic "lose weight" issues that women seem to target more than men was jumping on board with me. She ate better than I did (by far) but she was crunching the numbers so hard on calories that she got into basically fasting and eating so little.

Meanwhile, I was trying to eat marginally better but found myself "grazing" and eating 5-6 times a day, but slightly better and more often.

Of course, it is an apples to oranges comparison between me and a woman (or any two people, sometimes), but with us both under the same exercise program and following the same nutritional guidelines, and her eating better than me and me eating more often (and more) than her, my results were much more noticeable. She struggled and struggled and griped about only eating 950 calories a day,etc.

She finally broke and tried it my way and quit counting every cracker calorie and started "grazing". She ate more. She complained about feeling hungry less, Her results improved (not crazy or anything but better than she was).

The other thing I am convinced in my own mind about is FORGET artificial sweeteners. Nothing good comes form it. It seems to work contrary. THe more you eat of them, the worse you feel, the more your body craves real sugar and you overdo it when you boomerang. You mentioned the ZEN aspect. If you want to refrain or exercise a discipline in self control, I would earmark the idea of control over the sugary stuff as the point of emphasis in that one.

Thanks for the response. I agree on artificial sweeteners. We all know they are bad. I am definitely going to be mindful of my diet tonight coming off the fast. Beef tips and potatoes on the menu but I am going to make sure I get a nice big salad in too.

As far as the other stuff, grazing doesn't work for me. I am a compulsive eater. I tend to graze way too much. I'm just getting started on this IF thing. Seems to be a good fit. In terms of long term viability, I think it would great outstrip Paleo or Low carb because you are able to easily work it around holidays or weekend nights out. We shall see, I sure as hell have tried a lot of different stuff. This just seems to be working for me, for now.

Getting hungry now with the end in sight.

I hopped on the scale Sunday morning knowing I was going to fast Sunday night and came in at 220.2. I weighed myself this afternoon about two hours ago 213.2z. Now I know a lot of that is water and bloat, but damn that's encouraging. I don't want to carry all the bloat anyway. I know if has to do with glycogen stores too but don't fully understand all the science there.

I'm just going to try and stay under 2000 calories the rest of the week. Shouldn't be hard. See what I weigh Sunday morning. Measured and mindful.

 

[Sabertooth]

For intermittent fasting, also look at Lean Gains (I believe that is the name, look up John Berardi)

Rather than a couple of 24 hour fasts, it is more based on certain eating windows, kind of like 18 off, 6 on, where you fast for 18 hours of the day, and eat within that 6 hour window.

So for example you only eat between 2 and 8 pm, then fast from 8pm until 2pm the next day.

I've found that to be much easier to maintain when I did it and lost quite a bit of weight.

You can adjust that feeding period to fit your schedule, and can even adjust the periods (like 20 off, 4 on, or a 16/8 split).

Just something else to consider if you are looking at the various IF protocols

Im combining 5:2 with lean gains now. Sunday: kitchen closes at 5:30

Monday: fast until 5:30 (eat 5:30 to 9:00)

Tuesday: eat 1:00-5:30 (I'd rather skip breakfast than my late tv snack)

Wednesday: fast until 5:30 (eat 5:30 to 9:30)

Thursday: eat 1:00 - 9:00

FRIDAY: same

Saturday: same

Sunday : eat 1:00 to 5:30

Repeat. Days are flexible. but this will be the normal plan. See how it works. All training will be in fasted window.

 

[Tick]

I started the new year using the free "Lose it" app with a 1lb a week goal. Good success in Week 1, dropped 3 lbs, but no change the past two weeks. I was under my Cal count each day as well, so it is frustrating. But re-motivating myself to keep at it.

I need to drop 25lbs, I walk every day for one hour, and mix in the exercise bike once or twice a week for an hour, but I really need to crack down on my misc sweets and carbs, which are my downfall. That is where my Calorie counting I think will help

I think I need to take this on a Monthly basis, since I've been journaling every day, but very slow results. Almost was de-railed this week with that bad weigh in after two weeks of being a good mindful eater, but this is a marathon not a sprint.

I am hoping a weigh in in March will show solid results and get me over the 5lbs loss and on my way to 25..

I hit 50 this year, so it is time to drop the 25lb mark with a real effort. Weighed in at my max weight so it is time to make it happen

Thanks for this thread for additional motivation.

For me, I weigh myself maybe once a month....

I try to measure my success on how I feel along with the confidence I am making better dietary and fitness choices.

The actual weight number can often hinder your mental progress when checking it too often at least for me.

I weigh pretty much every morning. Yes, you see weird spikes/dives, but consider the last five weigh-ins for me (over about a week - missed a couple):

172.8, 172.8, 172.4, 172.0, 171.8, 173.8, 171.8

So, consistent slow weight loss with one spike in there.

If I had only weighed in yesterday, I would have been disappointed. Since I'm weighing daily, I see yesterday as the blip it was.

 

[Tick]

Thanks for the response. I agree on artificial sweeteners. We all know they are bad.

We do? I won't be surprised one day when we find out they're bad for you, but so science doesn't think so.

Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/artificial-sweeteners/art-20046936

But according to the National Cancer Institute and other health agencies, there's no sound scientific evidence that any of the artificial sweeteners approved for use in the U.S. cause cancer or other serious health problems. And numerous research studies confirm that artificial sweeteners are generally safe in limited quantities, even for pregnant women. As a result of the newer studies, the warning label for saccharin was dropped.

 

[NutterButter]

I started the new year using the free "Lose it" app with a 1lb a week goal. Good success in Week 1, dropped 3 lbs, but no change the past two weeks. I was under my Cal count each day as well, so it is frustrating. But re-motivating myself to keep at it.

I need to drop 25lbs, I walk every day for one hour, and mix in the exercise bike once or twice a week for an hour, but I really need to crack down on my misc sweets and carbs, which are my downfall. That is where my Calorie counting I think will help

I think I need to take this on a Monthly basis, since I've been journaling every day, but very slow results. Almost was de-railed this week with that bad weigh in after two weeks of being a good mindful eater, but this is a marathon not a sprint.

I am hoping a weigh in in March will show solid results and get me over the 5lbs loss and on my way to 25..

I hit 50 this year, so it is time to drop the 25lb mark with a real effort. Weighed in at my max weight so it is time to make it happen

Thanks for this thread for additional motivation.

For me, I weigh myself maybe once a month....

I try to measure my success on how I feel along with the confidence I am making better dietary and fitness choices.

The actual weight number can often hinder your mental progress when checking it too often at least for me.

I weigh pretty much every morning. Yes, you see weird spikes/dives, but consider the last five weigh-ins for me (over about a week - missed a couple):

172.8, 172.8, 172.4, 172.0, 171.8, 173.8, 171.8

So, consistent slow weight loss with one spike in there.

If I had only weighed in yesterday, I would have been disappointed. Since I'm weighing daily, I see yesterday as the blip it was.

I too like weighing myself daily. Its nice seeing that little bit come off each day and gives me a little extra motivation to stay the course.

 

[dmac37]

I decided to start a serious weight loss plan after new years eve. I weighed in at 265lbs and decided to set a goal of losing 30lbs in 60 days. As of today I'm down to 242lbs. I'm going to try and bump my goal to 229lbs by Feb 28th.

My plan was to take in approx. 1,200-1,500 calories a day, pretty drastic for a guy who is 6'5". I cut out all alcohol, I was basically drinking a case of beer each weekend so this alone was a good reason the weight came off early in the beginning. I know this is not a long term answer but my method works for a short term crash diet.

Low Carb Diet- zero sugar, no simple high GI carbs, no processed food, and zero alcohol

Breakfast- clean oats w/ a little skim milk and chocolate protein powder, every day but maybe 1 weekend morning

Lunch- tuna pouch, pickle, apple, no carb yogurt or healthy leftovers to change things up a few days

Dinner- fish and veggies or salad w/ lean protein or a healthy homemade soup

Exercise:

HIIT Cardio- 3 or 4 days per week I ride the stationary bike with a pattern of 10 seconds balls out then 20 seconds regular peddling. I start out for 5 minutes and keep increasing until I'm up to 15 minutes. I do this first thing in the morning on a empty stomach. I know many don't believe in this theory and say that you cannot spot reduce but I have found this is one way to somewhat attack belly fat vs conventional cardio.

Weights- 3 evenings a week I do a full body workout with free weights. I start with fairly light weights while gradually increasing the weight and changing up the number of sets and reps to avoid a plateau.

I agree with what a few have stated above, a serious diet & exercise program is easier to stick with if you have a goal driving you. Mine is a beach vacation in Punta Cana first week of March.

Once I return I need to incorporate a more basic long term plan than the drastic calorie reduction I'm doing now.

Any ideas?

 

[Sabertooth]

216 this morning. Let's see where I end up Sunday morning. I'm guessing 218.

 

[Daywalker]

I started the new year using the free "Lose it" app with a 1lb a week goal. Good success in Week 1, dropped 3 lbs, but no change the past two weeks. I was under my Cal count each day as well, so it is frustrating. But re-motivating myself to keep at it.

I need to drop 25lbs, I walk every day for one hour, and mix in the exercise bike once or twice a week for an hour, but I really need to crack down on my misc sweets and carbs, which are my downfall. That is where my Calorie counting I think will help

I think I need to take this on a Monthly basis, since I've been journaling every day, but very slow results. Almost was de-railed this week with that bad weigh in after two weeks of being a good mindful eater, but this is a marathon not a sprint.

I am hoping a weigh in in March will show solid results and get me over the 5lbs loss and on my way to 25..

I hit 50 this year, so it is time to drop the 25lb mark with a real effort. Weighed in at my max weight so it is time to make it happen

Thanks for this thread for additional motivation.

For me, I weigh myself maybe once a month....

I try to measure my success on how I feel along with the confidence I am making better dietary and fitness choices.

The actual weight number can often hinder your mental progress when checking it too often at least for me.

I weigh pretty much every morning. Yes, you see weird spikes/dives, but consider the last five weigh-ins for me (over about a week - missed a couple):

172.8, 172.8, 172.4, 172.0, 171.8, 173.8, 171.8

So, consistent slow weight loss with one spike in there.

If I had only weighed in yesterday, I would have been disappointed. Since I'm weighing daily, I see yesterday as the blip it was.

I too like weighing myself daily. Its nice seeing that little bit come off each day and gives me a little extra motivation to stay the course.

I think the opposite. You often see such meager results on a daily basis that it's discouraging.

I don't weigh myself but If I did once a week is plenty. Guaranteed to lose if you are hitting it. Always positive reinforcement. Can have a bad day too without freaking out.

 

[Sabertooth]

Either way. As with everything else regarding dieting and weight loss, do what works for you.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

I decided to start a serious weight loss plan after new years eve. I weighed in at 265lbs and decided to set a goal of losing 30lbs in 60 days. As of today I'm down to 242lbs. I'm going to try and bump my goal to 229lbs by Feb 28th.

My plan was to take in approx. 1,200-1,500 calories a day, pretty drastic for a guy who is 6'5". I cut out all alcohol, I was basically drinking a case of beer each weekend so this alone was a good reason the weight came off early in the beginning. I know this is not a long term answer but my method works for a short term crash diet.

Low Carb Diet- zero sugar, no simple high GI carbs, no processed food, and zero alcohol

Breakfast- clean oats w/ a little skim milk and chocolate protein powder, every day but maybe 1 weekend morning

Lunch- tuna pouch, pickle, apple, no carb yogurt or healthy leftovers to change things up a few days

Dinner- fish and veggies or salad w/ lean protein or a healthy homemade soup

Exercise:

HIIT Cardio- 3 or 4 days per week I ride the stationary bike with a pattern of 10 seconds balls out then 20 seconds regular peddling. I start out for 5 minutes and keep increasing until I'm up to 15 minutes. I do this first thing in the morning on a empty stomach. I know many don't believe in this theory and say that you cannot spot reduce but I have found this is one way to somewhat attack belly fat vs conventional cardio.

Weights- 3 evenings a week I do a full body workout with free weights. I start with fairly light weights while gradually increasing the weight and changing up the number of sets and reps to avoid a plateau.

I agree with what a few have stated above, a serious diet & exercise program is easier to stick with if you have a goal driving you. Mine is a beach vacation in Punta Cana first week of March.

Once I return I need to incorporate a more basic long term plan than the drastic calorie reduction I'm doing now.

Any ideas?

Great great work dmac.

Keep the success stories coming guys!

 

[comfortably numb]

Either way. As with everything else regarding dieting and weight loss, do what works for you.

Yep, if you are an every day weigher and it works, keep at it! If you are a once a monther and it works, keep at it!

 

[Baloney Sandwich]

Come on Gussy. I know you are lurking, so what if you are back on the McDonald's train daily. Even if you are waiting in the drive thru lane right now to pick up a couple of egg mcmuffins, a few hashbrowns and a diet coke you can post an update. No better time than now to get back on track if you have fallen off the wagon.

 

[Hang 10]

Couch to 5K Training Plan: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

FBG Running thread: https://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index.php?/topic/724983-ran-a-10k-anyone-got-some-snowshoes/

HTH

 

[Winning IS Everything]

Come on Gussy. I know you are lurking, so what if you are back on the McDonald's train daily. Even if you are waiting in the drive thru lane right now to pick up a couple of egg mcmuffins, a few hashbrowns and a diet coke you can post an update. No better time than now to get back on track if you have fallen off the wagon.

Agreed, come back in! Plenty of us here to support each other!

 

[boots11234]

So I read this thread the first day and saw myself in Gussy. Well after reading a bunch of posts I decided to give it a shot, I was already down a bit before reading but really got motivated. FF to today, I'm down 16 pounds in about 4 weeks!!

I am 6' 248 when I started. Down to 231. Here's what I've done:

Completely stopped drinking. (Read the Easyway to cut down drinking and just stopped. I'll share that story for another thread)

Walk 30 minutes a day. Currently walking about 7K steps a day with a goal of hitting 10k a day. Once I hit 10k going to start the Jillian CD's another FBG recomended (no I'm not gay and neither was the FBG).

Don't drink any calories. No pop, diet pop, milk, no calories.

No carbs (pasta, bread, chips, cookies). Only plant based carbs.

2 smoothies a day - typical smoothie spinach, beet, yam, ginger, dollop of organic coconut oil (I read it's very important to have a fat with smoothie so vitamins will be absorbed), flak seeds, then 2 frozen mixes of berries. I switch this up depending on what I have on hand. So I'll add a avocado, carrot, kale, just whatever I have around.

Typical meals: salad, oil based dressing, cheese, egg. Smoked salmon.

hamburger, mustard, steamed veggies. No bun. I use lettuce.

Salmon, butter, veggies, salad.

Nuts as a snack.

My one cheat is morning coffee with flavored creamer. The only reason I have a cup is I read it's good for you.

I drink probably 2-3 gallons of water a day.

I never eat after 6 to 6:30PM.

When I started had blood pressure checked, was 135 over like 85. Today I had some blood work done and for fun had BP checked again was 98/70!! Amazing. Truly.

I am currently 231 goal weight of 185. No rush, weigh myself daily and for example today I was up 1 pound but I don't sweat it. I know if I keep on working this system I'll get to my goal weight in about 5 to 6 months.

One other key is I don't look at this as a diet, more of a lifestyle change. I am 46 with a 12 and 9 year old. I want to be around for them for a long time. I also don't want to have them be embarrassed of me because I'm fat. Wife is fat but won't change (might change wife's but that's another thread). My daughter actually said to me "I inherited the fat gene". Made me feel awful. Sad thing is she's thin and in great shape, same with my boy.

In closing the most important thing I did was quit drinking. I laugh/feel sorry for all those in the thread about quitting drinking in Feb. If you feel you need to cut down or quit for a month, you drink too much. Just quit for good.

 

[boots11234]

Has anyone know anything about Resistant starch? I've been reading about it, apparently you can eat certain starches like cold pasta noodles, unripe bananas and not gain weight from the carbs in them. The theory is they fill you up and are not digested in stomach or in upper small intestines but make you feel full. Anyone with info on this and willing to share would be appreciated.

 

[Sabertooth]

Sounds like a great way to bounce out of ketosis and sabotage your progress. Pretty soon you are totally off the wagon. You don't need starch if you are going with a keto diet. Just don't even start down that path.

 

[comfortably numb]

So I read this thread the first day and saw myself in Gussy. Well after reading a bunch of posts I decided to give it a shot, I was already down a bit before reading but really got motivated. FF to today, I'm down 16 pounds in about 4 weeks!!

I am 6' 248 when I started. Down to 231. Here's what I've done:

Completely stopped drinking. (Read the Easyway to cut down drinking and just stopped. I'll share that story for another thread)

Walk 30 minutes a day. Currently walking about 7K steps a day with a goal of hitting 10k a day. Once I hit 10k going to start the Jillian CD's another FBG recomended (no I'm not gay and neither was the FBG).

Don't drink any calories. No pop, diet pop, milk, no calories.

No carbs (pasta, bread, chips, cookies). Only plant based carbs.

2 smoothies a day - typical smoothie spinach, beet, yam, ginger, dollop of organic coconut oil (I read it's very important to have a fat with smoothie so vitamins will be absorbed), flak seeds, then 2 frozen mixes of berries. I switch this up depending on what I have on hand. So I'll add a avocado, carrot, kale, just whatever I have around.

Typical meals: salad, oil based dressing, cheese, egg. Smoked salmon.

hamburger, mustard, steamed veggies. No bun. I use lettuce.

Salmon, butter, veggies, salad.

Nuts as a snack.

My one cheat is morning coffee with flavored creamer. The only reason I have a cup is I read it's good for you.

I drink probably 2-3 gallons of water a day.

I never eat after 6 to 6:30PM.

When I started had blood pressure checked, was 135 over like 85. Today I had some blood work done and for fun had BP checked again was 98/70!! Amazing. Truly.

I am currently 231 goal weight of 185. No rush, weigh myself daily and for example today I was up 1 pound but I don't sweat it. I know if I keep on working this system I'll get to my goal weight in about 5 to 6 months.

One other key is I don't look at this as a diet, more of a lifestyle change. I am 46 with a 12 and 9 year old. I want to be around for them for a long time. I also don't want to have them be embarrassed of me because I'm fat. Wife is fat but won't change (might change wife's but that's another thread). My daughter actually said to me "I inherited the fat gene". Made me feel awful. Sad thing is she's thin and in great shape, same with my boy.

In closing the most important thing I did was quit drinking. I laugh/feel sorry for all those in the thread about quitting drinking in Feb. If you feel you need to cut down or quit for a month, you drink too much. Just quit for good.

That's awesome!

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

Get it boots!! Keep those success stories coming gang.

 

[culdeus]

Has anyone know anything about Resistant starch? I've been reading about it, apparently you can eat certain starches like cold pasta noodles, unripe bananas and not gain weight from the carbs in them. The theory is they fill you up and are not digested in stomach or in upper small intestines but make you feel full. Anyone with info on this and willing to share would be appreciated.

Simply put I think some people are resistant to certain types of carbs and some aren't. It's nearly impossible to figure out without a glucometer which starches you are resistant to. things like rice noodles and green bannanas make some anecdotal sense since people in these areas that consume large amounts stay relatively lean for their calorie intake. Same reason you see people quoting islands that eat nothing but root based carbs as super lean. It may be that people adapt to it. Who knows.

You know what isn't a resistant starch, sugar. For most people that's all they need to worry about. Sounds like you are well on the right path.

 

[boots11234]

Has anyone know anything about Resistant starch? I've been reading about it, apparently you can eat certain starches like cold pasta noodles, unripe bananas and not gain weight from the carbs in them. The theory is they fill you up and are not digested in stomach or in upper small intestines but make you feel full. Anyone with info on this and willing to share would be appreciated.

Simply put I think some people are resistant to certain types of carbs and some aren't. It's nearly impossible to figure out without a glucometer which starches you are resistant to. things like rice noodles and green bannanas make some anecdotal sense since people in these areas that consume large amounts stay relatively lean for their calorie intake. Same reason you see people quoting islands that eat nothing but root based carbs as super lean. It may be that people adapt to it. Who knows.

You know what isn't a resistant starch, sugar. For most people that's all they need to worry about. Sounds like you are well on the right path.

I did some more research on it last night and it sounds like the consensus is potato starch is also good for gut bacteria. I have colitis so this is very important to me. I'm currently growing my kefir grains and should be drinking kefir in a week. Also have been eating kimchi again. I think in the coming years much more is going to be discovered regarding the importance of the gut and it bacteria. Heck it's already happening with regards to inflammation. Inflammation is the beginning of most diseases.

I forgot to mention I only drink filtered water. I bought an ispring 5 level filtration system off amazon. Love it. Plus it was very affordable.

 

[Winning IS Everything]

Has anyone know anything about Resistant starch? I've been reading about it, apparently you can eat certain starches like cold pasta noodles, unripe bananas and not gain weight from the carbs in them. The theory is they fill you up and are not digested in stomach or in upper small intestines but make you feel full. Anyone with info on this and willing to share would be appreciated.

Simply put I think some people are resistant to certain types of carbs and some aren't. It's nearly impossible to figure out without a glucometer which starches you are resistant to. things like rice noodles and green bannanas make some anecdotal sense since people in these areas that consume large amounts stay relatively lean for their calorie intake. Same reason you see people quoting islands that eat nothing but root based carbs as super lean. It may be that people adapt to it. Who knows.

You know what isn't a resistant starch, sugar. For most people that's all they need to worry about. Sounds like you are well on the right path.

I did some more research on it last night and it sounds like the consensus is potato starch is also good for gut bacteria. I have colitis so this is very important to me. I'm currently growing my kefir grains and should be drinking kefir in a week. Also have been eating kimchi again. I think in the coming years much more is going to be discovered regarding the importance of the gut and it bacteria. Heck it's already happening with regards to inflammation. Inflammation is the beginning of most diseases.

I forgot to mention I only drink filtered water. I bought an ispring 5 level filtration system off amazon. Love it. Plus it was very affordable.

First, congrats on your progress!!!! Second, we do filtered water also. Seems to make a big difference and the systems are affordable.

 

[boots11234]

Has anyone know anything about Resistant starch? I've been reading about it, apparently you can eat certain starches like cold pasta noodles, unripe bananas and not gain weight from the carbs in them. The theory is they fill you up and are not digested in stomach or in upper small intestines but make you feel full. Anyone with info on this and willing to share would be appreciated.

Simply put I think some people are resistant to certain types of carbs and some aren't. It's nearly impossible to figure out without a glucometer which starches you are resistant to. things like rice noodles and green bannanas make some anecdotal sense since people in these areas that consume large amounts stay relatively lean for their calorie intake. Same reason you see people quoting islands that eat nothing but root based carbs as super lean. It may be that people adapt to it. Who knows.

You know what isn't a resistant starch, sugar. For most people that's all they need to worry about. Sounds like you are well on the right path.

I did some more research on it last night and it sounds like the consensus is potato starch is also good for gut bacteria. I have colitis so this is very important to me. I'm currently growing my kefir grains and should be drinking kefir in a week. Also have been eating kimchi again. I think in the coming years much more is going to be discovered regarding the importance of the gut and it bacteria. Heck it's already happening with regards to inflammation. Inflammation is the beginning of most diseases.I forgot to mention I only drink filtered water. I bought an ispring 5 level filtration system off amazon. Love it. Plus it was very affordable.

First, congrats on your progress!!!! Second, we do filtered water also. Seems to make a big difference and the systems are affordable.

Thanks! I took a pic of fatty me. I'll take another when I meet my goal and post them. YIKES!

 

[gussy]

Quick update, I'm still "efforting" I guess you'd say,still fall off the bandwagon and make bad choices occasionally (last night, perfect example), I'm still down. I'm down about 6lbs from where I started, which technically, I guess, has me on my 1lb/wk pace, but it feels awful slow and is hard to stay motivated. The McD's breakfast has been cut drastically. I still get it about once every two weeks. The booze has been cut way down. Can't remember the last time I drank at home, but still have a tendency to sometimes overdo it when out socially (see last night). We still go out more than we should, I work to make better decisions when I'm out. A lot of times it's the lack of support around me that is my downfall, and I don't want to make excuses (right before I do), but it's just what it is. Wife is a frequent offender. She'll ask "How's that diet going" if she thinks I've fallen off, and then make something like fettuccini alfredo for dinner. I'm like, "how the #### do you think it's going?". I think I mentioned my ex in here a while back who I'm still close with. She got married a month ago and we hadn't talked in a while so I did brunch with her yesterday. I ordered the smoked turkey egg white omelet. She weighs about 98lbs, and orders the belgian waffle and then says "you'll eat half, right?". Later in the day I had met with my broker/owner, I've been working really hard to secure a new location for our office in a one year old office complex in our city, and it looks like it's finally going to happen, so of course a bunch of us go out yesterday afternoon to celebrate, and I got stupid, drank too much, came home, kid had ordered pizza, hit that and tried to go to bed, didn't sleep worth a ####, and thought all night about how one bad decision affects me for multiple days. I've been exercising far more than I ever did, but still not as regular as I should be. 3-4 days a week on the home treadmill. As some of you know, I like to gamble on sports, so I basically just give my wife the upstairs remote and tell myself the only way I can watch something is to go downstairs and walk. We leave for Mexico on Tuesday for 8 days with 4 other couples, so I no next week will be a trainwreck. I think I've kind of told myself I can get more serious about things when I get back. I hadn't really checked in because I just don't feel like I'm doing as well as I should be and didn't really care to have guys like Arizona Ron express his disappointment in me between banging hot girls who may or may not be lesbians or have boyfriends who want other dudes to cum on them, lol.

 

[DocHolliday]

The easy thing to do is to find excuses to give up or to put the diet off for an evening, a day, a week, whatever. Do not tell yourself that you will get back on track on 2 weeks. Just keep trying to do better every day. You lost 6 pounds. Keep doing what you are doing and you will be down 10 pounds total in a month. That is a win.

There have been a lot of successful weight loss stories in this thread. Go back and read one or two every morning for motivation. You may not achieve their level of success and that is ok. You are not competing against them. You are trying to live longer and healthier.

You are never going to live up to AZR's standards. He is living in a different world than the rest of us.

 

[comfortably numb]

I weighed myself last night

189.5

I was 199.8 sometime in mid Dec.

I'm taking the slow approach to this as my long term goal is feeling healthier, adding better eating choices and losing some weight.

The most drastic things I have done are cut out FF and soda.

(have had a couple soda's here/there maybe 30oz in total?)

But generally, my main thing is starting with some more conscious eating choices.

-Water with all my meals. (never thought I could do this...eating pizza with water??)

-If I do eat pizza, I don't have to hit 4 plain slices. 2 will do.

-If I get a sandwich out that is high in calories. I will do 1/2 for dinner and 1/2 for lunch

-Every Monday I go to a farmers market near my job and buy fruits, veggies and nuts to leave here in my office.

Those are my snacks and sometimes lunch. Instead of eating junk when I get hungry, i will eat a mango, some walnuts, carrots or spinach.

-At times I may skip lunch or dinner or it will be just an avocado with some other light stuff.

With winter here I haven't been running, so I am looking forward to incorporating running soon along with several half marathons this year.

My weight goals are 180 for 5/1 and 170 for 12/15...that would basically be 30lbs in 1 year.

I'm going to shake shack for lunch!!!

 

[MAC_32]

A lot of times it's the lack of support around me that is my downfall

Understanding this is a good first step. Doing something about it is the next one.

 

[Winning IS Everything]

I weighed myself last night

189.5

I was 199.8 sometime in mid Dec.

I'm taking the slow approach to this as my long term goal is feeling healthier, adding better eating choices and losing some weight.

The most drastic things I have done are cut out FF and soda.

(have had a couple soda's here/there maybe 30oz in total?)

But generally, my main thing is starting with some more conscious eating choices.

-Water with all my meals. (never thought I could do this...eating pizza with water??)

-If I do eat pizza, I don't have to hit 4 plain slices. 2 will do.

-If I get a sandwich out that is high in calories. I will do 1/2 for dinner and 1/2 for lunch

-Every Monday I go to a farmers market near my job and buy fruits, veggies and nuts to leave here in my office.

Those are my snacks and sometimes lunch. Instead of eating junk when I get hungry, i will eat a mango, some walnuts, carrots or spinach.

-At times I may skip lunch or dinner or it will be just an avocado with some other light stuff.

With winter here I haven't been running, so I am looking forward to incorporating running soon along with several half marathons this year.

My weight goals are 180 for 5/1 and 170 for 12/15...that would basically be 30lbs in 1 year.

I'm going to shake shack for lunch!!!

Good job! Keep it up!

I am 6'2" and started at 273 pounds on January 10. Weighed in this morning at 262. I am very happy so far. Keys:

Only have a soda once a week with a meal out with the family. Rest of the time it is water and more water. I even got one of those infuser bottles where you can add fruit and stuff for flavor.

If I have pizza, it is always thin crust and I limit myself to 4 squares and the pizza will be loaded with veggies.

I still eat at every meal, never skip. I have always heard skipping is rough on weight loss so I do not do it. Even if a meal is all veggies or a salad, I eat something.

VERY little alcohol. If I go to my In Laws, I am basically forced to have a Miller Lite with them. I do it as social happiness helps my motivation, but then I do an extra 15-20 minutes in the pool that day.

This part is for Gussy,

Hang in there bro, you can do this. If you feel bad, come in. We will not judge, only try to motivate. Good luck!

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

comfortably numb, Gussy (yes Gussy), and WIE checking in with success stories as well. Great great Friday for this thread!

As GB hagmania says.. we're gonna make it.

 

[cstu]

I'm down about 6lbs from where I started, which technically, I guess, has me on my 1lb/wk pace, but it feels awful slow and is hard to stay motivated.

It's not slow at all - it's 52 lbs. in a year.

 

[LongDuckDong]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I started following the BodyBeast DVD on beach body and it has taught me a lot about how to lift - my improvements have been slow, but steady, and it's a great discipline. I will say the leg workouts are as hard as anything I've ever done.

For eating I do IIFYM (IIFYM.com) - I lost a lot of weight years ago on low carb, but got to about 220 and couldn't budge off of it.

I was 227 pounds on 11/9/14 and that day started IIFYM at about 1675 calories - bumping up to now where I'm at almost 1900 calories a day, my final goal is to get hopefully to around 2200.

This morning (weigh every day) I was at 170.4. In 2009 I was at 310+. I'm not a supermodel, still have a really hard time as a divorced guy getting women (self image is still that of a fat guy sadly), but I have slayed this beast.

I realize you're not looking for autobiographies here, so I'll spare much more, but I will say this - for many of us who are heavy, food is a legitimate addiction. I have my demons like everyone else, and food was my drug of choice. I still am addicted, much like those who struggle with drugs or gambling or sex or whatever else. I will always be addicted. My choice is to work out enough to somewhat counteract the food I do eat, and to be as focused as I can on what I will lose in terms of self respect if I go off the wagon and eat badly again. Which is why I very, very rarely allow cheat days. Maybe 5-7 in a whole year. Not because of the weight gain - A binge day can't hurt more than a pound or two - but because feeding that addiction is a bad thing to do if you can avoid it.

I do wish you all well in your weight loss because as much as it hasn't changed my life to lose weight (I'm still the same guy), I know what an achievement it is.

 

[comfortably numb]

I weighed myself last night

189.5

I was 199.8 sometime in mid Dec.

I'm taking the slow approach to this as my long term goal is feeling healthier, adding better eating choices and losing some weight.

The most drastic things I have done are cut out FF and soda.

(have had a couple soda's here/there maybe 30oz in total?)

But generally, my main thing is starting with some more conscious eating choices.

-Water with all my meals. (never thought I could do this...eating pizza with water??)

-If I do eat pizza, I don't have to hit 4 plain slices. 2 will do.

-If I get a sandwich out that is high in calories. I will do 1/2 for dinner and 1/2 for lunch

-Every Monday I go to a farmers market near my job and buy fruits, veggies and nuts to leave here in my office.

Those are my snacks and sometimes lunch. Instead of eating junk when I get hungry, i will eat a mango, some walnuts, carrots or spinach.

-At times I may skip lunch or dinner or it will be just an avocado with some other light stuff.

With winter here I haven't been running, so I am looking forward to incorporating running soon along with several half marathons this year.

My weight goals are 180 for 5/1 and 170 for 12/15...that would basically be 30lbs in 1 year.

I'm going to shake shack for lunch!!!

Good job! Keep it up!

I am 6'2" and started at 273 pounds on January 10. Weighed in this morning at 262. I am very happy so far. Keys:

Only have a soda once a week with a meal out with the family. Rest of the time it is water and more water. I even got one of those infuser bottles where you can add fruit and stuff for flavor.

If I have pizza, it is always thin crust and I limit myself to 4 squares and the pizza will be loaded with veggies.

I still eat at every meal, never skip. I have always heard skipping is rough on weight loss so I do not do it. Even if a meal is all veggies or a salad, I eat something.

VERY little alcohol. If I go to my In Laws, I am basically forced to have a Miller Lite with them. I do it as social happiness helps my motivation, but then I do an extra 15-20 minutes in the pool that day.

This part is for Gussy,

Hang in there bro, you can do this. If you feel bad, come in. We will not judge, only try to motivate. Good luck!

Yep on this part...if you are running a marathon you don't quit because you have to stop to tie your shoe lace or realize you are not gonna meet your time.

You keep running to finish the race.

 

[James Daulton]

2 steps forward, 1 step back is just fine.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Gussy, you need professional help and I'm not being rude, I'll explain. You need to go see your doctor and get a nutritionist assigned to you. I'm sure you have health insurance and if not then you really need to run and see a doctor.

I would encourage you to work with a nutritionist and also think about a professional trainer even if it is someone that can just encourage you to walk 2-3 times a week, you need a lot of help friend. These results you post are sad. When I am dropping weight and concentrating on my health which I thank you as this thread got me motivated to not want to be a fat ###.

At the least you need to be keeping a food journal thru MyFitness Pal, it's the best and easiest to use, it has all kinds of reminders. If you cannot commit to looking at what you are actually eating daily, I would rather just hand you a fork and knife and tell you to just enjoy and not worry about your weight. Not being mean but you're not really serious so just enjoy the food and stop thinking about it. Either make a choice and get serious or stop wasting your time.

It's like an alcoholic who keeps drinking but a little less and promising you they have it under control. Denial is what I am saying. You came here to seek help, I really believe you need professionals who can help you.

I'm sorry if I am coming across as gruff, I want to encourage not discourage but I want you to get motivated and I promise it will be so worth it in a month or two as you start seeing faster results. Typical weight loss I see from the avg person who is 50-100+ lbs overweight and a male is usually 5+lbs the first week. That's if they are logging their food, drinking plenty of water, walking for 30 min 3-4x a week, the weight will just fall off. Your metabolism is going to speed up and you are going to get very excited about the possibilities.

Go for it Gussy! And go see some professionals, please.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I decided to start a serious weight loss plan after new years eve. I weighed in at 265lbs and decided to set a goal of losing 30lbs in 60 days. As of today I'm down to 242lbs. I'm going to try and bump my goal to 229lbs by Feb 28th.

My plan was to take in approx. 1,200-1,500 calories a day, pretty drastic for a guy who is 6'5". I cut out all alcohol, I was basically drinking a case of beer each weekend so this alone was a good reason the weight came off early in the beginning. I know this is not a long term answer but my method works for a short term crash diet.

Low Carb Diet- zero sugar, no simple high GI carbs, no processed food, and zero alcohol

Breakfast- clean oats w/ a little skim milk and chocolate protein powder, every day but maybe 1 weekend morning

Lunch- tuna pouch, pickle, apple, no carb yogurt or healthy leftovers to change things up a few days

Dinner- fish and veggies or salad w/ lean protein or a healthy homemade soup

Exercise:

HIIT Cardio- 3 or 4 days per week I ride the stationary bike with a pattern of 10 seconds balls out then 20 seconds regular peddling. I start out for 5 minutes and keep increasing until I'm up to 15 minutes. I do this first thing in the morning on a empty stomach. I know many don't believe in this theory and say that you cannot spot reduce but I have found this is one way to somewhat attack belly fat vs conventional cardio.

Weights- 3 evenings a week I do a full body workout with free weights. I start with fairly light weights while gradually increasing the weight and changing up the number of sets and reps to avoid a plateau.

I agree with what a few have stated above, a serious diet & exercise program is easier to stick with if you have a goal driving you. Mine is a beach vacation in Punta Cana first week of March.

Once I return I need to incorporate a more basic long term plan than the drastic calorie reduction I'm doing now.

Any ideas?

Awesome. I am a couple inches shorter but I think I had ballooned to about your weight. I don't use the scale much, I go by inches, belts, and clothes. If you go from say a 42 inch waist to a 40 inch waist, I can usually tell you that's around 20 lbs you lost give or take. I started getting serious around the 8th of the month and started logging my activities and food. If I had to guess I am close to where you are in that 245 range, trying to hit under 200 by my 42nd in April. Inspiring, thanks and gl.

 

[boots11234]

Ok so here's today's first meal: http://postimg.org/image/q78li29t1/ Going to make it brahs

 

[matuski]

Ok so here's today's first meal: http://postimg.org/image/q78li29t1/ Going to make it brahs

May I suggest ditching that disgusting can of dip before worrying about anything else?

 

[boots11234]

Ok so here's today's first meal: http://postimg.org/image/q78li29t1/ Going to make it brahs

May I suggest ditching that disgusting can of dip before worrying about anything else?

Lol I totally agree. I'm halfway through easyway to quit smoking book. Plan on quitting next week when I finish. I haven't drank in a month from the same authors book for alcohol.

My oldest daughter said the exact same thing

 

[Sabertooth]

218.6 this morning and yesterday morning. I had a couple cocktails on Saturday night so I was expecting total nullification of my gains (losses?). Didn't happen, I went from 220.2 to 218.6 so right on with my pound and a half goal per week. Let's see how this week goes. Biggest thing I learned last week was that hunger does indeed work in waves. It does not simply build and build. I think that lesson is far more valuable than the 1.6 pounds of fat I lost. I also hit my goal twice which was quite rewarding just from a self confidence standpoint.

Fasting again now. Won't eat today until 6:30. Making chicken parm tonight but really want to be mindful of carbs. Not working out at all as of right now, I do physical work (house flipper). Going to start back up on stronglifts next week.

 

[Otis]

So I read this thread the first day and saw myself in Gussy. Well after reading a bunch of posts I decided to give it a shot, I was already down a bit before reading but really got motivated. FF to today, I'm down 16 pounds in about 4 weeks!!

I am 6' 248 when I started. Down to 231. Here's what I've done:

Completely stopped drinking. (Read the Easyway to cut down drinking and just stopped. I'll share that story for another thread)

Walk 30 minutes a day. Currently walking about 7K steps a day with a goal of hitting 10k a day. Once I hit 10k going to start the Jillian CD's another FBG recomended (no I'm not gay and neither was the FBG).

Don't drink any calories. No pop, diet pop, milk, no calories.

No carbs (pasta, bread, chips, cookies). Only plant based carbs.

2 smoothies a day - typical smoothie spinach, beet, yam, ginger, dollop of organic coconut oil (I read it's very important to have a fat with smoothie so vitamins will be absorbed), flak seeds, then 2 frozen mixes of berries. I switch this up depending on what I have on hand. So I'll add a avocado, carrot, kale, just whatever I have around.

Typical meals: salad, oil based dressing, cheese, egg. Smoked salmon.

hamburger, mustard, steamed veggies. No bun. I use lettuce.

Salmon, butter, veggies, salad.

Nuts as a snack.

My one cheat is morning coffee with flavored creamer. The only reason I have a cup is I read it's good for you.

I drink probably 2-3 gallons of water a day.

I never eat after 6 to 6:30PM.

When I started had blood pressure checked, was 135 over like 85. Today I had some blood work done and for fun had BP checked again was 98/70!! Amazing. Truly.

I am currently 231 goal weight of 185. No rush, weigh myself daily and for example today I was up 1 pound but I don't sweat it. I know if I keep on working this system I'll get to my goal weight in about 5 to 6 months.

One other key is I don't look at this as a diet, more of a lifestyle change. I am 46 with a 12 and 9 year old. I want to be around for them for a long time. I also don't want to have them be embarrassed of me because I'm fat. Wife is fat but won't change (might change wife's but that's another thread). My daughter actually said to me "I inherited the fat gene". Made me feel awful. Sad thing is she's thin and in great shape, same with my boy.

In closing the most important thing I did was quit drinking. I laugh/feel sorry for all those in the thread about quitting drinking in Feb. If you feel you need to cut down or quit for a month, you drink too much. Just quit for good.

Love reading posts like this one. Inspirational. Congrats, keep it up!!

 

[Otis]

I'm getting on board here. And I'm the poster child for failure in this stuff...

I had a haunting thought last night. I'm about to turn 40; history of heart disease in the family (killed my grandfather in his 50s; my dad has had multiple but modern medicine and pharma have managed it such that he is thankfully still with us). I imagined my wife having to explain to my 5 year old daughter that daddy is in heaven and that she'll never see me again. If that's not reason enough to drop 20-30lbs and be as healthy as I should be, nothing will do it.

Anyway, thanks for the great stories. I'm on board. Good luck Gussy.

 

[comfortably numb]

I'm getting on board here. And I'm the poster child for failure in this stuff...

I had a haunting thought last night. I'm about to turn 40; history of heart disease in the family (killed my grandfather in his 50s; my dad has had multiple but modern medicine and pharma have managed it such that he is thankfully still with us). I imagined my wife having to explain to my 5 year old daughter that daddy is in heaven and that she'll never see me again. If that's not reason enough to drop 20-30lbs and be as healthy as I should be, nothing will do it.

Anyway, thanks for the great stories. I'm on board. Good luck Gussy.

Yep and i think the ability to stick with anything lies in the mindset.

It's kinda the reason, for me anyway, the weight is secondary. I don't want this to feel like I am always fighting with a scale.

Priorities for me are things like

-live and feel healthier day/day

-don't get heart disease

-don't get diabetes

etc

I don't want to go crazy and aim just for a number as a goal.

For me, I don't just simply want to aim for a number cause once I get to the top of the mountain...then what?

I am making my way up the mountain slowly...enjoying the views and bringing enough gear to build a small little house to take up a permanent residence atop that mountain.

Once I get there, the plan is to actually WANT to stay there with better eating and dieting choices.

There will be some mistakes along the way...I may have to climb down the mountain again cause I brought the wrong tools to build my little house...and that's OK.

The point is to keep climbing until you have all the tools to build your permanent house atop that mountain.

We all climb it in our own way....on our own time but the main goal is to keep climbing with tools to build something permanent.

I know it's a corny analogy but I feel a lot of people, myself included would just climb, armed with nothing and when they reach the top or get close to the top of that mountain...you look around..get a little bored and start to walk back down.