Fat Enders

[Holden]

Did I mention I try to stay under 1800 calories a day?

And don't go below 1200!

Provided your exercise regime matches up with your calorie intake. To few calories can have a deleterious affect on the body as I described in an earlier post. It's not necessarily how much you eat but what you eat which is why the steak is a good idea.

[secondwind]

Yes, that steak cooked on the grill was excellent .  I'm counting on the running to rev up my metabolism and counteract the occasional calorie splurge. 

[Dr. Dread]

Didn't work out yesterday. So I must pay:

265 - again... 

[Dr. Dread]

Provided your exercise regime matches up with your calorie intake. To few calories can have a deleterious affect on the body as I described in an earlier post. It's not necessarily how much you eat but what you eat which is why the steak is a good idea.

Can't you eat whatever you want if you're reasonable about it?

[karlhenning]

I think I should just try to keep the clarinet in practice.  When I'm practicing a lot, I tend to eat lighter than usual.

[Dr. Dread]

I think I should just try to keep the clarinet in practice.  When I'm practicing a lot, I tend to eat lighter than usual.

I like to play music. Too bad there is no time.

[secondwind]

First week weigh in report:

Amount to lose--50, 49, 48

Those were the easy pounds to lose, though.  I remember it gets harder after the first couple.

Note to self:  Must run first thing in the morning.  Waiting until 1 pm is a big mistake at the end of June.  By July, it could be fatal.

The bad news:  I leave Saturday for two weeks of traveling.  Restaurant meals.  Sitting around on various modes of transport.  Tailor made for weight gain.

[Dr. Dread]

The bad news:  I leave Saturday for two weeks of traveling.  Restaurant meals.  Sitting around on various modes of transport.  Tailor made for weight gain.

Keep doing your steps. Split restaurant meals. 

I've hit a wall: 265.5 today. Even after running a bit yesterday during my walk.

[Dr. Dread]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21655928/

[secondwind]

Let me get this straight--maybe I can leap ahead 25 lb in the countdown?  Which puts me at 23 now?  Not back for 8 days! 

Back from the run/walk.  I also went to the gym with hubby this morning--early, he likes to be there when the doors open at 5:30 .  I did some upper-body strength exercises there, since running and walking don't do much for upper body strength. 

Don't be discouraged by the plateau, Dave.  I hate them too, and I hate them even more in my playing than in weight loss.  Work, work, work, and more work, and no progress.  Occasionally, things actually get worse because I'm trying to focus on too many things at once and generally trying too hard.  It is very discouraging, but eventually, sooner or later, there's a breakthrough to a new level. 

[Dr. Dread]

Let me get this straight--maybe I can leap ahead 25 lb in the countdown?  Which puts me at 23 now?  Not back for 8 days! 

Back from the run/walk.  I also went to the gym with hubby this morning--early, he likes to be there when the doors open at 5:30 .  I did some upper-body strength exercises there, since running and walking don't do much for upper body strength. 

Don't be discouraged by the plateau, Dave.  I hate them too, and I hate them even more in my playing than in weight loss.  Work, work, work, and more work, and no progress.  Occasionally, things actually get worse because I'm trying to focus on too many things at once and generally trying too hard.  It is very discouraging, but eventually, sooner or later, there's a breakthrough to a new level. 

Thanks for the encouragement. But don't worry; I'm still mad at it. This plateau is going DOWN! 

[ChamberNut]

Dave, maybe it would be better to not look at the scale every day, but only once a week, max?

[Dr. Dread]

Dave, maybe it would be better to not look at the scale every day, but only once a week, max?

Yeah. I was thinking the same thing this morning. But I like to give myself a hard time. 

[ChamberNut]

But I like to give myself a hard time. 

Well then.....carry on dude! 

[Holden]

Dave, maybe it would be better to not look at the scale every day, but only once a week, max?

As I said in my first post, measuring yourself using the scales is not a good way of doing it because of all the variables involved. Stay off the scales (they probably aren't too accurate anyway), carry on as you are and then sigh with satisfaction when you realise that the belt you've been wearing has to come in at least one notch.

[Dr. Dread]

As I said in my first post, measuring yourself using the scales is not a good way of doing it because of all the variables involved. Stay off the scales (they probably aren't too accurate anyway), carry on as you are and then sigh with satisfaction when you realise that the belt you've been wearing has to come in at least one notch.

By now it's a habit, so what the hell. It's not going to affect the other stuff I'm doing.

[Dungeon Master]

My 2c:

Sell your car.

Seriously.

I have not used a car for my own purposes since the early 1990's. As a family, we do own a car and use it on family outings, but for my work commutes, shopping and generally getting from A to D, I ride a bike or walk.  Rain, hail or shine. And lately, snow.

I am encouraging my kids to do the same. We ride to school every day, about 1km, but a good effort for my kids aged 5, 7 and 9. Of course, we have to dodge the minivans delivering fat kids.

The beauty of this system is that I don't have to force myself to exercise at a gym or any other artificial kilojoule burning establishment. (translation for our US friends: kilojoule is the metric term for energy). Burning energy is part of normal daily life. My kids are voracious eaters, and are also very slim.

The other big advantage is that I burn so much energy by not using a car that I can eat anything, any time and stay slim. And I love my food. I've been 74kg (translation for our very few non-metric nations  - Burma, Liberia and USA: 163 pounds) and 183 cm (translation: 6 foot) ever since I can remember.

Now modern society does not make it easy - we have managed to set up our cities, and especially our suburbs so that it is very difficult to live without a car. It is no coincidence that the rise of suburbia has matched the increase in obesity in USA/Canada/Australia. Notice that Europe, with its high petrol prices and better civic design, does not have as big a problem with obesity.

Difficult, but not impossible. If you choose your city (and I do) and choose which part of the city to live in, you can live, work and play without using a car for the bulk of your activities.

As I said, my 2c.

cheers
Rob

[secondwind]

I know it's true--getting rid of the car would get rid of the extra pounds.  Some years ago I lived in the Netherlands for a year and a half, didn't have a car, and walked or biked everywhere I went.  When I moved back to the US, I couldn't understand why I started gaining weight, until I thought about the exercise level I had maintained in the Netherlands and how it dropped to zero when I returned to the automotive lifestyle.  Sad but true.

[Dr. Dread]

Yeah, when I didn't own a car, I was skinny. Of course, I smoked and drank a lot then too.

[Joe_Campbell]

One thing to keep in mind, Dave, is this: one pound of fat contains about 3500 calories. In order to burn that off, you'd have to run/walk about 35 miles. I'm not saying this to discourage you but to keep you realistic in your expectations of what will actually be quantifiable in your quest to lose weight.

I strongly agree with the suggestion that you shouldn't look at the scale every day. Weighing less may be the goal, but my guess is you're ultimately trying to change your lifestyle so that you can sustain a healthy body type, instead of just stopping the weight_reduction_activities once your goal is met.

With this in mind, the small changes you make to your lifestyle will most definitely add up: walking/running/biking instead of driving, less/no fast food, less TV, etc...but they won't happen overnight. This can be the most frustrating part about anything that requires discipline and dedication - the lack of immediate results. I assure you, however, that if you continue to live according to the goal you've set for yourself, the weight will come off, regardless of whether or not you're looking at the scale.