The HTF Weight Loss Support Group (1 Viewer)

[Tim Fennell]

I have dropped over 25 pounds since January. I am 6'1" and

when I hit 224 I decided I had to do something. We have a treadmill at home which I use to walk 45-60 minutes every morning ( watching the HT while I walk ) I also have cut out beer at night at least during the week and have cut back on lunch now eating either a salad or soup.

This morning the scale read 198. I have gotten down to 193 but being busier in the summer has cut into treadmill time.

Tim

 

[Anthony_Gomez]

So far so good. Just got back from my late night cardio. i still did the walking and stairs, but added in some jogging. I feel mighty sweaty right now=) I need a shower!
Oh..and I was good and resisted the bad for you snacks. had celery with peanut butter instead Good stuff!

 

[Anthony_Gomez]

Alright=)...down to 170. Eating healthy and exercizing...and I still feel like I have plenty of energy. weightloss is probably going to slow down a fair bit now since my body is no longer in shock.

 

[Brian Harnish]

Well, I have some excellent news to report! Today, the scale reads 240. Yup. 240!! Down from 261 (gained back the 10 lbs. I lost before) before I started working out five weeks ago. I haven't weighed 240 in several YEARS!! This means I've lost 21 lbs. total so far since I've cut out a lot of junk in my meals (traded for healthier foods) and started weight training and cardio.
It can only get better! About 40 more lbs. to go 'till I reach my target weight. This'll be a snap!!

 

[Ronald Aguilar]

Brain-
Congratulations on the weight loss. I just found this thread and am glad that others are working on their weight too. Almost a year ago, I lost about 45lbs in a little over 3 months. I have gained a few pounds back and am back on my program. I did the "Body For Life" program. Here is some basic information about the program...
1. Eat 6 times a day (normal food), drink lots of water
2. Work out for 4 hours a week. It breaks down as follows..
Lift weight 3 days a week, about 1 hour a session
Do intense cardio (HIIT) 3 days a week for 20 minutes each session
3. Set goals!
4. Take before and after pictures and measurements. This is a really great motivator.
5. One day a week you don't exercise and eat whatever you want and how much you want...
Another really good support group for this program and a few others is http://www.leanandstrong.com
If you follow the link, go into the "gallery", then "transformation gallery". You will see many people that have done this program with before and after pictures. You will be amazed!
I am working on dropping the last 25lbs and get under 15% body fat over the next 3 months. I am currently at 225 and 5'10".
Ron Aguilar

 

[Brian Harnish]

Ron- Thank you. I really feel great and I do not plan on going back to my old lifestyle (fat, weak, and sedentary...ugh) at all!
I am familiar with the Body For Life program (in fact, I've read Bill's book a couple times). The last time I started reading it (early this past June), I barely got halfway through it when I finally decided: "I want to be THIN and HEALTHY. I will NOT be fat anymore!" The next day I joined LA Fitness and I never looked back. Anyways, I'm planning on starting the program intensively within the next week. I'll also enter the 2002 challenge. Who knows? I may just be one of the next winners!
And damn it, I plan on making it a reality. So far, what I've been doing is working and I can't wait to lose this last forty pounds.

 

[Chris Smith]

OK, its time to join. I've been reading all of your success stories for a few weeks, but put off going on my own diet until after my vacation.
But now that I've gone and gotten myself engaged , I really need to lose some weight.
I'm just shy of 6' and weigh in at 291. I hope that I can be as successful as all of you have been so far and I hope you all don't mind such a newcommer into your group

 

[Chris Smith]

Funny, I join and everyone stops posting. Sorry guys, I guess I should join the Thread Killer Thread.

Well, if anyone is keeping track, I'm down 5 pounds to 286, not too bad for the first week.

Mmm, Burger King Chicken Whopper and Side salad makes a pretty decent, low-cal lunch.

 

[Bill Catherall]

Oh...hey! I didn't even see ya come in Chris. Welcome, and congrats on the first 5 lbs. Have you started an exercise program yet? That's really the biggest factor to weight loss. Eating right is important...but not as important as exercise (unless poor health prevents exercise of course).
I weighed in yesterday, but the scale was acting all funky. If my weight shifted even the slightest it would throw the scale off. I couldn't get a good reading. It was somewhere between 195 (impossible) and 215. Then I re-weighed today (hoping they fixed the scale at the gym) and I came in closer to 215 (still not completely reliable, it was still acting funny). At least I'm pretty sure I beat that 220 plateau I was experiencing there for a couple weeks.
I went on a pretty difficult hike last week (Yosemite Point...10 miles total including side trails...most of the hike was hairy switch-backs) and had a pretty easy time with it. There were other people in my group, youth and adults, who were having a very difficult time. I took the lead and slowed the pace down considerably to make sure that those having the hardest time were not being worked too hard. At the extremely slow pace I was going up the mountain I was feeling great, but everybody else was huffing and puffing along...I know I would have been exactly the same way 2 months and 20 pounds ago! It's amazing what weight loss and exercise can do to our health.
I will admit though, when I came down off the mountain my legs were pretty sore, but I never felt I didn't have the energy to make it. It was a very cool feeling.

 

[Chris Smith]

As for excersize, nothing really standard yet. I'm trying to golf 2-3 times a week (walking 9, which I'm pretty tired after, so it must be doing some good. Plus I'm so bad right now, I'm playing Army golf, Left Right Left Right causing me to walk ~twice the distance of the course). My girlfriend (who's trying to lose weight as well) and I are going to start something more serious soon. I can't do much at the moment due to some foot problems, but as soon as this clears up (couple of days) I want to start lifting some too. Just going to the driving range and hitting balls for an hour works up a real good sweat, so it must be doing some good there too.
Oh, and I missed a smiley in my other post. I was just joking around, but thanks for the congrats. Also was a bump to see how everyone else is doing.
I have two years to lose some weight since my fiance and I are getting married sometime in the summer of 2004. Time to get cracking!

 

[Michael*K]

Okay, I'm officially adding my ID to this thread. Stepped on the scale yesterday and filled out at an embarrassing 263 lbs. And I'm only 5'11" It's the heaviest I've ever been. :frowning: And I'm not sure where the weight gain has come from. I work out at least three days a week and I'm an avid bike rider. Guess I need to make some serious changes to my diet. All I know is at the age of 32 and with a family history of heart disease, I need to get my act together or I'm really going to be in trouble. I have a doctor's checkup late next month and I'm almost embarrassed at the thought of stepping on the scale there. If I can lose at least ten pounds by then I'll be starting on the right track.

 

[Chris Smith]

Hi Michael, welcome. Have any idea on how you're going to change? Any specific changes in diet or just overall eating better?

Just an update, 3 more pounds down today. That seems like a lot, probably just not as much water in my system.

 

[Bill Catherall]

Michael - Have you ever had your cholesterol checked? If not, be sure to do so at your next doctor's appointment. Knowing your cholesterol levels will greatly help you to determine what kind of diet to go on. You could also talk to the doctor to find out what he recommends.
I highly recommend trying a low-carb diet. However, even though it's not necessary to consume more fat in a low-carb diet, you tend to anyway just because of the nature of it. Although fat doesn't cause you to gain weight, and it may or may not adversely affect cholesterol (raising both good and bad cholesterol together), if you're already suffering from high cholesterol it might be a bad idea to go that route. There are many many different ways to dieting and everybody's body works differently.
One thing I'd do for sure though is to drastically cut back the amount of sugar you eat. This can be accomplished even with a low-fat high-carb diet. No soda, no candy...basically stay away from donut shops and vending machines. :wink: Having a treat once-a-week isn't going to hurt anything. And fruit is GREAT at curbing those sweet-tooth appetites.

 

[matt bee]

I'm curious, how do you all deal with curbing your appetite? My biggest problem is that I eat a LOT. I can't seem to just set aside a small portion of food and put the rest away. If it's there I find myself eating it.

I also tend to eat a lot at work, I think maybe out of boredom. Sitting at a desk all day I tend to munch on stuff continuously through the course of the day. I've been pretty good about bringing stuff like carrot sticks and fruit in my lunch to minimize the bad effects of eating so much, but man I eat a lot. I can't seem to help it.

 

[Chris Smith]

What has helped me so far is to drink LOTS of water.

I'm a soda junkie. I've been drinking Diet Caffinee free for about 2 yrs now, but still drinking 8-12 sodas a day, which is really bad for your stomache and the salt doesn't help you much either.

I've switched to water at work (well, mostly water, cut down to 4 sodas or so a day). I drink out of a huge glass and continually refill it. That way I always have a ton of water in my stomache which keeps the hunger down. The water also assits in weight loss, so it's a Good Thing.

 

[Tony_Faville]

Have not posted my results in awhile so I thought I would finally chime in.... I'm down to 295, from 365....70 pounds baby!

Still doing Herbalife and still feeling great.

 

[Bill Catherall]

Matt - Eating many small meals is better than eating a few big meals. I'm a big eater too, so I have snacks of fruits and vegetables lined up for my "in-between-meals meal." Personally, fruits really satisfy me. I like variety, so I rarely eat the same fruit twice in a day. That also helps me.
The water thing may work for some people, but it doesn't work for me. I've found drinking lots of water makes me even more hungry. But I still drink a lot of it anyway to keep me properly hydrated. I too keep a big glass of it sitting near by for sipping throughout the day.
Eating more protein may also help your appitite. If you need to eat less fats (due to high cholesterol) there are many places to get protein besides from red meat. Try chicken, fish, beans, or even protein suppliments added to milk or shakes.
I've found that a handful of grapes or raw baby carrots are much more satisfying than a handful of potato chips.
As for leaving a bit of food on your plate...I don't like to throw away food, so I just take less of it. Take just a little bit, like a fist size portion, and eat that. If it's not enough (still feeling hungry) then take about a half-fist portion and eat that. Now if you're still feeling hungry try just giving it some time. Sometimes our stomachs can take a while to realize we're actually full (especially after going hungry...another reason to eat more meals). If after 30 minutes you are still hungry then eat some fruit or vegetables to "top it off."

 

[Bill Catherall]

Oh yeah...and I also have a Balance energy bar as my mid-afternoon snack (eating one right now 3:24pm). That REALLY helps get me through the afternoon.

 

[Matt Heebner]

Hey all,

I was following this thread a while back, then it sorta disappeared, now its back. I too have been dieting, and trying to exercise more. I am 5'10", and was 254 about 16 days ago. I was a football player who weight-lifted in high school, and even into college. I have pretty large bone structure, but I am trying to get down to my pre-married weight of 190.. that was eight years ago, and at about 6% body fat.

I have not read every entry in this thread, but I am currently following the Atkins diet. I know that it is not the favored diet by some on this thread...but it is working great for me. In 16 days, I've lost apprx. 15 pounds to 239ish. My energy level is up, I am more active, and everything seems to be going great.

Some of the things I do are:

-drinking 60 to 80 oz. of water a day.

-eating about 4 to 5 times a day, smaller than meal-size portions.

-try and get in at least 30 min. of physical activity a day. I work a very physical job, so actually if I turn it up a notch of two, I'm sweating like crazy, and I can get my heart a-pounding. Slower days I try and walk with the wife, or do "around the house activity" like cutting my grass as well as some of my older neighbors (who can't due to age) lawns also.

I will say that this is the first time that a diet has worked so well for me. My wife and I tried Herbalife...she's still on it as it works for her, didn't seem to work for me as good, Slim-fast, and weight-watchers. Like I said before, I know some of you aren't fond of Atkins, but it works great for me as it was very easy to adapt to my lifestyle.

This thread was sorta a "mini" inspiration for me. I will post back any significant losses as they happen.

Thanks guys...

Matt

 

[Michael*K]

Probably my biggest problem is my eating habits at work. It's tough having the vending machine 50 feet from your desk. During a busy workday or late evening it's just too easy to justify walking over for a quick "energy boost." Too often this translates into a candy car or bag of chips loaded with fat and calories. Second, I really need to cut down on the number of times I eat out at work. I justify things by saying it's easier to go down to the cafeteria and grab something quick than to bring something for the microwave and wait 8-10 minutes for it to heat up. Definitely will be packing my lunch more often now. Third, I really need to cut down on the soft drinks at the office. Sure I just drink diet, but the caffeine and carbonation aren't doing my body any favors, I'm sure.
As for cholesterol, it's something I keep a keen eye on since my dad dropped dead of a heart attack at 48. My mom and younger brother (who's thin as a rail, BTW) both have had cholesterol problems that require medication. Somehow, despite the weight problems I've had, I have managed to avoid high cholesterol readings. Only once did I have a "borderline" reading and after changing my diet (more fruit, oatmeal, etc.), it was back to normal three months later. High blood pressure has never been a problem for me either, despite a family history of hypertension.
The weight definitely has raised some alarm bells, though. Last January I went to the doctor complaining that I frequently had a bloated feeling in my stomach and that I found myself making small, but frequent belches to relieve pressure in my stomach. My doctor ran complete bloodwork, which showed an elevated liver enzyme level. It scared the shit out of me, especially when a follow-up ultrasound showed a "shadow" around one of my kidneys. They followed that up with a abdominal/lower chest CT scan that apparently turned up nothing. The elevated liver enzyme remains a mystery and I was told to come back in six months for a new blood workup. That will be next month and hopefully it's back to normal. I am a little concerned because the bloating/belching (which disappeared for five months or so) has returned recently. If I can lose 8-10 pounds before the doctor's visit, I know I'll be doing myself a world of good. Maybe it will help me rid myself of that bloated stomach. And if I can lose another 8-10 before I have to get fitted for a tux in late September, it will be even better.
I'll never be height/weight proportionate because I have a pretty stocky frame, but my ultimate goal is to get down to my post-college weight of 190-195. Man, at the weight I felt like I could do anything. Ahhhhhh. :b