So I've lost 25 pound in 40 days, what do I do next? (1 Viewer)

[Vince Maskeeper]

As of today, since i started keeping track in late January, I have dropped from 255 to 230 pounds.

I also weighed in around the first of the year on a friend's scale (which i don't count too much as I have no way of knowing if it is accurate), an on that one i was about 267... I started that week watching what I eat much closer and officially started counting a few weeks later, Jan 25th @ 255 pounds.

So I have documented losing 25, and might have lost as much as 37 since the first of the year!

And, I didn't jump on any fad diet- just started watching what I eat and counting calories a bit- knowing that I'm not all that active (although i have added treadmilling to my routine, but only one or two times per week and only for an hour or so). I just figured it's simple math, burn more calories than you consume, keep the % of calories from fat under control-- and sure enough, it worked great!

With these small changes in diet and excercise, the weight really just dropped off.

Although, i guess when you go from stuffing your face with shit and doing nothing all day to eating half-way healthy and standing up once in a while, your body is happy to shed some of the excess.

Anyway- i feel the wall coming soon-- the weight has really melted away with little effort to this point, but I can see it is gradually tapering off. I kind of figured the first 20 pounds would go fast, since i really have so much weight to lose, but knew eventually I'd get to the harder stuff.

I'm planning to try to take it to the next stage, and wondered what additional changes I could/should make to really take the weight loss to the next step.

Right now my calorie intake is only about 1500 per day, which seems low- but I feel great. My exercise is only a couple times a week- and even then I really only brisk walk on the treadmill (though my average has climbed every week, i'm still about 3.75mph for 3-4 miles per session-- my treadmill is a bit too cheap for a 230 pound man to run on).

I'm considering joining a gym, but when you have to drive 20 minutes to get there- I feel like I need to be able to work out for more than an hour to make it worthwhile, and my stamina just isnt there yet.

Anyway- I'm just wondering, given relatively limited spare time I have in a given week, what I can do to keep the weight dropping at the speed it's been going so far. I'm going to stick with my current eating habits, but wondered what kind of additional steps I can take- and what might be most effective.

I'd like to eventually get below 220lbs and then start on building back up with muscle. I don't know if old fashioned gym-class exercises like pushups and situps would be helpful, or if it's better just to try to make more time for the treadmill in order to burn calories and continue losing fat.

-Vince

PS: Despite dropping a good deal of weight, my measurements haven't changed that much. I maybe lost 1 inch of waist since i started keeping track- should I be worried about this? It seems like ads on TV have people who "dropped 25 pounds a 5 pant sizes", when I'm well on my way to 30 pounds gone and I've barely lost an inch...

 

[Mark Romero]

25 lbs and only an inch? Have you noticed other areas of your body losing inches? Thighs, chest? Surely you must fit into smaller clothes? I can't imagine it has just been water weight.

 

[John Berggren]

I went from 215/220 to 185 since January 1 combining the South Beach Diet with a daily regimen at the gym. I started waking up early at 5:30 and hitting the gym before the crowds.
I alternated days with upper and lower body, both days I would do 30-45 minutes of cardio (usually the cross trainer).
I would not plan to skip any day at the gym, so that when I couldn't go, it wouldn't be a big deal. I've probably missed 7 or 8 days since I started.
I strongly recommend this method. South Beach is a carb-conscious diet, but it's not unhealthy in the way Atkins is. Even at the start, you can eat virtually any vegetable, which is verbotten in Atkins. After 2 weeks, you can eat virtually everything you are used to eating.

 

[Matt Gordon]

HTF Member John Stone went from semi-fatty to ripped, and documented his progress here:

John Stone Fitness

Of particular interest will be the forums, which have all sorts of people in similar circumstances and lots of good advice about losing fat, gaining muscle, nutrition, exercise routines, etc.

 

[John Berggren]

People carry their weight in different places. Most of mine was in my belly, but a lot of people have it distributed throughout their body. I wouldn't worry so much about it if you plan to continue. Do be sure that you aren't making "Atkins-like" mistakes by losing weight and raising your cholesterol.

 

[ChrisMatson]

Vince, I applaud you on your progress!

You have been doing great on your own to this point. It may be time to consult with a trainer to devise a plan that works with you and for you. It really doesn't take much effort to lose the weight. You have the hardest part down--deciding to do it!

You stated the obvious basis of weight loss: Eat Less, Exercise More! It is almost that easy. You need to be sure that you are getting adequate nutrition, not over-straining your body, and working with a routine that fits your lifestyle.

STANDARD DISCLAIMER--I AM NOT A NUTRITION EXPERT
Adding even light weight training to a weight-loss routine is always a good idea if you are in otherwise good health. Adding muscle mass will help you burn more calories with less work. Muscle is an active tissue while fat just sits there.

Good luck and keep up the work.

 

[Ron-P]

I noticed in his latest pic, his ears are much closer together.

Seriously, congrats Vince, that takes some serious dedication. Best of luck on your continued efforts.



Peace Out~

 

[Darren Haycock]

I wouldn't worry about the 1 inch thing dude. I've heard that while you lose fat all around your body, the gut is the part of the body that usually makes the last stand. You'll get there!

 

[Bob_Bo]

Congratulations Vince!

Some weight training should get you to the next level. Building more muscle mass will help elevate your metabolism and aid in burning off more fat.

20 minutes to the gym is rough, you might consider a home gym if you have the room. I have a few friends that love the bowflex units.

Cheers!

 

[Garrett Lundy]

How to continue to lose weight.

Buy a motorcycle. research the Iron Butt Association.

Complete a 100ccc.

You'll be thinner, tireder, and smell like a wet gopher..... and then you can catch 10 hours of sleep and head for Mexico!

 

[John Stone]

Great job, Vince.

As you noted in your post, you are probably headed for a stall. You are eating far too little for your weight. You want to create a mild caloric deficit to help prevent muscle catabolization and plateaus, while keeping your metabolism revved. Aim for a minimum of 10x your body weight (in pounds) in calories each day. Eat very "clean" -- stay away from simple carbs like sugar, high fructose corn syrup, soda, white breads, white rice, potatoes and anything processed.

I would highly recommend adding weight training to your workout schedule, and you should also look into HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) cardio. I've had excellent results using HIIT. The workouts are short (20 minutes or so), but grueling. If you are in decent shape, you should be able to handle them.

Good luck and continued success! Feel free to check out my fitness page for more tips, weight training and HIIT cardio workouts and motivation. Drop me a line or PM me on my forum if you think I can be of any assistance. I'll be happy to try and help.

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Very good job, Vince. It sounds like you are doing very well. Good luck with "Phase 2" of your healthy routine.

 

[Bruce Hedtke]

You can spend an hour in the gym, but you don't need to be working out constantly for it to be a benefit. Start by working out for 10 minutes, then rest for 10. Walk some cool down laps or do more stretching. If you need to rest longer, rest longer. The important thing is that you're being active and your body will respond over time. You WILL gain stamina and burn calories. Just know your limits and listen to what your body tells you.

Bruce

 

[Jonathan Burk]

I would recommend checking out this site:

http://www.healthcentral.com/fitorfat/fitorfat.cfm

I also recommend monitoring how much of your weight is from body fat. I've heard great things about these scales that do the job for you quickly:

Scales that measure Body Fat

Congrats, and keep up the good work.

 

[Cees Alons]

Congrats, Vince!

Have to lose some myself. Maybe... starting right now. Good to hear about a success like that. The lost inch 'round the waist may become a bit more with extra excercise for the abdomen. Perhaps the stuff could be packed a little more tightly...

Cees

 

[Bob Graz]

I think the answer is that after a certain point diet will only get you so far, then exercise has to take you the rest of the way. Even then, there seems to be a point where given that you've modified your diet and have a regular exercise routine, that you do seem to reach a limit weight wise.

I went from 215/220 to 185/190. It took me many months. I decreased carbs, ate smaller portions (less calories) and did the treadmill for 30 mins or more 4-5 days per week.

I then changed my fitness routine to 30 mins of eliptical trainer 3x per week and upper/lower body strength training on Cybex equipment 2x per week. Although the strength training has certainly improved my overall muscle tone and has made me feel better, I am not losing anymore weight.

185 plus +/- a few pounds seems to be where I've stabilized. I'd rather be in the 175-180 range, but I don't see it happening.

By the way my cholesterol has dropped from 220's to 160's consistently. Blood pressure may have improved marginally but not significantly. My waist decreased by about 2.5 in.

Overall I've certainly learned the value of better diet and exercise, it made a big difference in how I feel.

 

[streeter]

I'd recommend not measuring up your future weight loss to these 25 pounds lost in the first 2 months. It's easy to get excited and calculate how much longer you'll have left to reach your goal weight, but it often starts fast and then slows down.

In the past 15 months I went from 310 to my current weight of 230 lbs. (keep in mind I'm 6'6) My goal weight used to be 210, but now I'm not looking at the numbers as much as body fat.

I also decided to forever give up fast food (anything that has a drive-thru) on New Year's. Two months down, the rest of my life to go. I haven't missed it yet.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

First of all, I would like to thank everyone here for your advice and words of support... I knew the HTF crew would come through with tons of useful information. I'm pretty happy with the weight loss so far, and looking forward to keeping it going...



I'm close- I don't buy any fried foods-- I do have to cop to buying Wendy's salads and the occasional Subway sandwich (no cheese or mayo). I like having salads for lunch- but I don't have time to prep the stuff- so picking up a salad from a take out place is easier-- and wendy's gets the vote because they put all their nutritional info on the website-- whereas buying from a local market doesn't have the same figures available.


Bottomline

I do know I'm gonna have to up the exercise while keeping the intake under control-- I'm just not sure the best bang for the buck.

I'm just trying to figure out if I should stick with the treadmill for now, a couple times a week- supplement it with basic stuff I can do around the house (like pushups), or change the approach for aerobics, or join a gym, or what. I'm trying to figure out the best fat burn in least time invested- without killing me (as i'm still an out of shape bastard!)

I did pick up some small 5 pound dumbells I have been using while treadmilling... they make me sweat a lot more, if nothing else. I think I really need to get to RUNNING instead of walking- but until i can figure out how to make my treadmill not squeek with every impact- I'll have to save that for a gym...

So I guess I'm saying, if you were in a situation where you had 3 evenings, 2 hours each, to work out- and no other time (can't do 20 min a day for example)-- what is the best way to use this time? My goal is continuing weight loss, not so much muscle building yet-- so how would you use this time, knowing that the gym might mean a 40 minute car trip?

-V

 

[Mark Romero]

There ya go. I didn't mean to imply that your efforts were fruitless. Congratulations on your accomplishments thus far. I am in the same boat as you but on a larger scale. Where did you measure your stomach with respect to your waist? For us fat guys, our "waist" is the area below our gut which in actuality should be at our navel which of course would be your stomach measurement. 4.5 inches in the stomach is a great achievement.

 

[Mike Broadman]

That's happening to me, and I exercise 4x/wk!

Definitely add weight training. I don't know what to tell you about your schedule, but the benefits of working with weights is still underrated or misunderstood by a lot of people.