Joined a gym and starting a diet. Anyone up for a weight loss challenge?
- Thread starter Tenacious E
- Start date
48 inch chest for me but 46 when trimmer. Sadly my waist is about 38. Edited to note closer to 36 than 38
Why would you start a couple weeks before the greatest holiday known to man?
Probably going to get trolled for this, but I'm 6'3" pushing 350, not sure. I'd have to lose 70 pounds to hit 20%? I think if I do the keto diet again I can make it work. Is this going to be a friendly deal?
Edit: Also, I'm 32
Edit: Also, I'm 32
I think most people here aren’t TRULY dicks, and a lot of it is tongue in cheek. Especially if you show humility. For me this is more trying to keep myself honest because I have run into a few guys like jwolfe and swag. I haven’t met jason in person but we will meet eventually. If posting here keeps you motivated please do so! If you are ever in the Des Moines area I will buy you a beer.
I’m in as well.
5’10” @ 238. 52” jacket, 36 waist. 57yrs old.
goal: get down @ 210-215. That would put me @ 15-18% bf.
Bye bye carbs, hello fats.
5’10” @ 238. 52” jacket, 36 waist. 57yrs old.
goal: get down @ 210-215. That would put me @ 15-18% bf.
Bye bye carbs, hello fats.
I did Keto and Low Carb before i went to Disney World in 2018 and went from 345 to 295 in about 4 months, but I was also doing mostly low carb. I think Keto burns it quicker.
i did a protein plan 20 some years ago with great results. It took years to put all the weight back on. I think all the low carb plans work about the same it just depends on how motivated you are to not cheat.
Right? I think the first 15-25 pounds was water weight and it came off in the first week or two. It was crazy.
Wife (no pic) said I needed to lose 30 pounds this year. I guess that leaves about 8 weeks to lose 45 pounds 
***There was no “or else” as part of her request.
***There was no “or else” as part of her request.
I’m old and female and definitely don’t want to bang anyone’s wife but I will play along. No chance I’m posting my weight but I’ve lost just a hair under 20% since June 22 and another 20% from here will put me right at my goal. I need it off before my son’s wedding.
Looks like people got in. Good. This is about my 3rd time starting in the last month. I'm weighing in on Mondays. Started at 243.2 yesterday. I'm legit fat and not just needing to tone up. I need some accountability and maybe this will help. And I'm a man. I'm 40.
Anybody remember the Nathan For You weight loss incentive episode? We can do something like that for this.
1. People decide their goal.
2. People send me naked pics of their spouses.
3. If they don't meet their goal, I post the pics on here.
What a motivator.
1. People decide their goal.
2. People send me naked pics of their spouses.
3. If they don't meet their goal, I post the pics on here.
What a motivator.
I mean, I can send you one of my husband but not sure you want to see that
I have lost 30 in the last year and 50+ from the low point. No need for contests. Its a daily grind. -500 calories a day, 1 lbs a week....
I'm 6 foot and weight 160, not really interested in weighing 130 pounds so I'm out, congrats on getting yourself fat over the years though.
If your goal is "losing weight", get a heart rate monitor, or smartwatch that has a HR function WITH indicators or settings for aerobic/anaerobic zones.
Rookie mistake for out-of-shape people is to just head to the treadmills or go out and "run a mile or two". They get into their anaerobic heart rate zone within about 30 seconds, and the rest of the run only burns carbs - no fat. Biofeedback loop generates more enzymes that burn carbs, not fat. They might get in great cardio shape, but they stay fat.
If you want to burn more fat, aside from eating better, stay in your aerobic zone during cardio exercise, for MOST of your run or walk. For most people, depending on your age, that means a HR no higher than 120-130 bpm (and that number drops with age). That means you're exercising in your aerobic zone, and to metabolize fat, you need oxygen - as soon as you exit the aerobic zone, oxygen depletion means the enzymes that would burn fat shut off.
The old Frank Shorter message: be a better butter burner. Do cardio in your anaerobic zone a day or so a week if you want to build up cardio health, but to train your body to build up the fat-burning enzymes, keep your workouts in the aerobic zone for most of the workout and then do the sprints last after you've recovered.
Either measure your Max Heart Rate from workouts, or just use the
"220 - Your Age" formula
E.g. 220 - 45 = 175 = MHR
Then, keep your heart rate below 60-70% of the MHR:
175x0.6 and 175x0.7 = 105-122 bpm
You will think you are hardly even running it'll be so slow starting out. But do 30 min or more at the low heart rate, preferably an hour every day or every other day. That sets your body up to more efficiently burn fat, 24/7.
Rookie mistake for out-of-shape people is to just head to the treadmills or go out and "run a mile or two". They get into their anaerobic heart rate zone within about 30 seconds, and the rest of the run only burns carbs - no fat. Biofeedback loop generates more enzymes that burn carbs, not fat. They might get in great cardio shape, but they stay fat.
If you want to burn more fat, aside from eating better, stay in your aerobic zone during cardio exercise, for MOST of your run or walk. For most people, depending on your age, that means a HR no higher than 120-130 bpm (and that number drops with age). That means you're exercising in your aerobic zone, and to metabolize fat, you need oxygen - as soon as you exit the aerobic zone, oxygen depletion means the enzymes that would burn fat shut off.
The old Frank Shorter message: be a better butter burner. Do cardio in your anaerobic zone a day or so a week if you want to build up cardio health, but to train your body to build up the fat-burning enzymes, keep your workouts in the aerobic zone for most of the workout and then do the sprints last after you've recovered.
Either measure your Max Heart Rate from workouts, or just use the
"220 - Your Age" formula
E.g. 220 - 45 = 175 = MHR
Then, keep your heart rate below 60-70% of the MHR:
175x0.6 and 175x0.7 = 105-122 bpm
You will think you are hardly even running it'll be so slow starting out. But do 30 min or more at the low heart rate, preferably an hour every day or every other day. That sets your body up to more efficiently burn fat, 24/7.
Not an expert but from what I've read you are both right and wrong. While you burn a higher percentage of fat calories in the "fat burning zone" you burn less calories and fat overall than if you would work out more intensely. Also, high-intensity exercise can also lead to an afterburn of calories, and increase your carviovascular health. https://www.self.com/story/the-myth-of-the-fat-burning-zone For me, I like to do the elliptical trainer in step with different songs, some fast, some slow. For the fast ones I decrease the work level, for the slow ones I increase it. Usually the calories burned per hour is about the same, right at 1,000, and my heart rate is between 150 and 165. It works great. csb
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My program has been pretty much the same going back 30 years. I shoot for four days at the gym and no more than an hour each day. I typically start with weight training first. If I do my cardio first, I’m wiped and have no energy to lift. I will lift for 30-40 minutes and work two muscle groups each day. Chest/back, legs/shoulders, bi’s/tri’s. I try to do 3-4 different exercises per muscle group with 3-4 sets per exercise. Just getting back into it after a while, it will be light weight with lots of reps to start as I work through the first couple weeks of soreness. I’ll eventually go heavier with fewer reps. I do a mixture of machine and free weight work. The remaining 20-30 minutes of each workout is spent on the treadmill, jumping rope and/or the row machine. Given my age, I should probably start working in some stretching too.
Diet wise, it’s extremely simple for me. Limit carbs. I will limit alcohol during the week to next to nothing. Meals consist of meats and vegetables with maybe a salad here and there. I also have a good protein formula that I order through Gainful that doesn’t taste like shit. It’s vanilla flavored and I add fruit, milk and ice to it and blend. Very tasty and I can have it in place of meals occasionally. The weight just falls off.
Good luck. I’m sure others will chime in too. Holler if you have any other questions. I'm looking forward to this because my primary workout partner moved away a few years ago. I have been seriously half-assing it since then. I need accountability, hopefully this is it.
I'm pretty much the same. Cool story here is that I was at the Y after thanksgiving trying to burn off some calories. Went hard on the elliptical for an hour. Then decided, hey let's just do some lifting. I was on the pec deck and was going to exhaustion when my pec tore off the bone and it had to be surgically reattached. I don't think it would have happened if I was fresh and had all of my energy. So I am very reticent about lifting heavy weights anymore, and when I do lift, it is with a "full tank." When I do lift it is by day chest/shoulders, biceps/back, and legs/abs. Given that I haven't really worked out for about 5 years after the pec surgery, I am just starting back in with straight cardio. Will hit the weights when a good amount of fat comes off. For diet like you I limit alcohol and carbs, and eat lots of steak, chicken, and shrimp. Will also do turkey bacon and eggs for breakfast.
Again, sure, you'll burn more calories going hard and fast, but your entire workout is in the anaerobic zone, which means your body never builds up fat-burning enzymes to burn fat. You work out for maybe 1 hour out of 24 hours, so the other 23 hours, your body craves carbs, because it's only got carb-burning tools for fuel.
Not saying to NOT do harder cardio; but if you want to lose weight and keep it off, exercise longer at a lower heart rate to reset your energy-creating enzymes so they'll burn more fat. Then, when you sit around for the other 22-23 hours a day, those enzymes dominate and burn more fat.
EDIT: as you get in better shape, you'll find your aerobic heart rate level rises up
You can even do this without a HR monitor - pace yourself at a level you can have a conversation without breathing hard (at all). That's your aerobic limit. And if you're really overweight and not in good cardio shape, that exercise pace will literally be a moderate to brisk walking pace.
We started walking at the same time we got serious about our diet and I’ve noticed that my body loses better doing this. I also have watched my resting heart rate drop from low 70s to 58. Which I think is pretty good for an old, fat lady.
Then in your case maybe you should lift some weights.I'm 6 foot and weight 160, not really interested in weighing 130 pounds so I'm out, congrats on getting yourself fat over the years though.
I'll just stick with not being a fat slob and stay in shape.
Your body also basically "resets" when you build up those aerobic enzymes (fat burning enzymes), so you crave fewer carbs, and you literally burn fat first for the ~160 hours a week you're NOT doing 'hard workouts'.
I have had one near-miss. It was when I was in college and was doing incline bench by myself. I went to put the weight back on the rack and I had the bar too high on the right side and missed. The pec was about to go when someone saw me and grabbed the bar. I learned a good lesson on that one. Since then, I don't take any chances. If my body is too sore or I'm not feeling right, I'll do something else instead of risking injury.
Our workouts sound pretty similar. I will mix up the muscle groupings too just so my body doesn't get too used to what I'm doing. I will also mix in heavier days along with lighter days to shock the system a bit.
If I lost 20% of my weight I would be in really good shape (assuming the weight loss plan gets some muscle on too). I just don't have the motivation.
I'm 5'10" and 235 which sounds obese but even when I was in really good shape I was 180 which, according to BMI, was overweight. My doctor told me not to pay attention to BMI because it doesn't work with my body type. My 'lower half' is thick (butt, thighs, etc.) which I need to keep so I can continue to pound the golf ball past nearly everyone I play with.
I'm 5'10" and 235 which sounds obese but even when I was in really good shape I was 180 which, according to BMI, was overweight. My doctor told me not to pay attention to BMI because it doesn't work with my body type. My 'lower half' is thick (butt, thighs, etc.) which I need to keep so I can continue to pound the golf ball past nearly everyone I play with.
