9 week weigh in this morning. Slow and steady. Losing anywhere between 0.5lbs to 2lbs a week with an average of maybe just over 1lb a week in the last 6 weeks.
I’m now 1 1/2 stone down since January 1st so very pleased overall. More to the point people are now noticing which I think helps a lot with motivation. Plus I’m getting into new shirts that I bought a couple of years back with the best of intentions that have sat unworn and festering in my wardrobe.
I’m hoping I’ve found the perfect compromise - I’m eating healthily Monday to Thursday and really being careful. Friday to Sunday I’m eating whatever foods I fancy but I’m being mindful of overall calorie intake, whereas in the past I’d eat like I was in a food tournament:-)
Plus I’m sticking to 15,000 steps a day. Don’t want to tempt fate, but I’m feeling fitter and healthier than I have done in years.
That's great Devonian. Just shows how easy and incorporated it can be and doesn't need to involve lifting weights down the gym.
We've been going to walks in either the morning or the evening of 4-5 miles. On the weekend we did 9 miles Saturday and then 13 miles Sunday. 5 miles tends to be about 10k steps and 90 minutes.
I'm finding that the more we walk the less I cycle so I need to sort that out. That said I stepped on the scales this morning and I'm down 4.4kg since Jan which I'm happy with so far. Still about 8kg away from where I need to be but so long as I keep it up it'll happen in time.
That’s a great amount of walking - helps a lot more than people give it credit for I think.
My Fitbit and challenges has been very effective. Competing against friends in a friendly way is quite motivating although the challenges are really 1,2 or 5 days which is quite restrictive.
Someone told me about Stridekick which is a free app that seems to work for Fitbit, garmin and others so I’m using that as well. Can do longer challenges. Just set up a March challenge with a target of 465,000 steps which is 15,000 a day. I find that keeps me on track to hit my goal everyday. I’m Stephen17 on there.
I hit my target weight this morning: 82.0kg, meaning I have now lost 7.9kg since the start of January, so I am well chuffed with that.
I will continue to monitor my weight once a week to see how it is going and (try to) avoid slipping back into the old ways again. I think if I can stay off the mid-week beer drinking I will probably be fine until the more sedentary winter months come back again.
I am also running regularly again, so will do my best to stick to it. I do not enjoy running at all, but it does feel great when it is over!
@Devonian & Maysie
That's really good news both of you - all the hard work is paying off :)
Do either/both of you do any resistance training as well as walking/running?
Hi Shane
I live in the countryside by the sea with lots of cliffs and hills so walk quite fast which builds up a sweat - Fitbit tries to get you to do 22 minutes a day of higher intensity (based on heart rate/pulse I guess) and I normal do double that. Only other thing I do is I’m trying to lift some light weights a few times a week at home and I’m now trying to incorporate some press ups, sit ups and squats. Nothing to strenuous and really am at the early stages but seems to be working. Stephen
Hi both
I was asking because some resistance training would really compliment your running/walking. This doesn't mean banging out 400lb deadlifts but any kind of exercise with 'resistance' (e.g. gravity with push ups) will result in better muscle tone, high calorie burning, benefits to your cardiovascular system, etc
Yep.
I had to edit my initial reply as I had misinterpreted what you meant, exactly as you suggested, but then realised that sit ups and press ups are resistance training.
I need to lose body fat, but don't want to lose muscle mass. I work on a farm, so every day is a 'workout' of sorts, lugging bags of animal food/water around etc. Not particularly cardio based though.
If the work on the farm gets you out of breadth then it is cardio and probably a lot better (in my opinion) than running as it also involves lifting, dragging, pulling, throwing etc which use all the muscles. It also avoids the impact associated with running on your joints. Losing the body fat will involve a good eating plan but it sounds like you are doing all the exercise you need at the moment!
Weighed myself today and found that I have gained about 1.5-2.0 kg (don’t remember the exact starting weight) since the current lockdown began.
So far this year on average I have run 43km per week made up of 3.5 runs a week and done quite intense strength training including weights on almost all non-run days. Runs are always followed by exhausting and painful (so counts as more exercise) stretches and foam rolling to try and relieve some of the terrible tightness I suffer from due to sitting long hours working (and running). Also do a long walk with family once a week. This is more than I have ever worked out, I think. I have also changed to eating salad for most of my dinners.
The gym is closed so I can’t do a scan but could it be that I have gained a bit of muscle and retaining more water due to change in diet? Probably wishful thinking. It’s more likely that I am eating even more junk during the day
Did my weekly Monday morning weigh in earlier and I've lost another 0.5kg over 7 days. I was really good Monday to Friday keeping it under 1900 cals per day but Saturday and Sunday turned into a bit of a wine and biscuit fest. Not a major issue as I'm hoping to relax off on weekends but obviously not too much as that would negate all the hard work done in the week. I'm using analogue scales so I'm not sure how precise they are. Quite tempted to look at these new smart scales that measure fat, muscle and more. Anyone had any experience of these? I'm looking at the Withings Body+ https://www.techradar.com/uk/reviews/withings-body
10 weeks today!!!
Another 1lb so 1 stone and 8lbs now. Whilst it’s slow and steady now I’m managing to stick to it without much trouble. Generally I’m disciplined Monday to Thursday and then relax a bit at the weekends but don’t go silly.
I’m sure the 15,000 steps a day are very beneficial - Mr Wiley has joined our small Stridekick group and has taken the lead :-)
For those of you who have lost some timber, say 5kg or more, are you feeling colder than normal in the past few months?
Great job Devonian. After my 29k steps yesterday I had a chicken sish wrap and two Penguin bars with a cup of tea after so I'm avoiding the scales today.
Weather is grim here today but I'm going to try get out for 10-15k steps when there's a gap in the rain.
After your 28k (and big lead you now have) you deserve a day off - feel free to ‘forget’ to put on your stepper :-)
Ideal, that’s great. Yep I think after all these years of knowing that slow and steady and all things in moderation work, I’m finally sticking to it!
Great work guys, well done.
I’ve fallen off the diet somewhat in the last few weeks as work has been stressful, rubbish & stupid hours including weekends.
Walking has dropped off the list as I’m struggling for down time. Delivering the project next week & can then get back on it.
Still 2kg lighter than January, so not all bad, but not where I’d planned to be.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Also not had a great week. Migraine attack Monday, which leaves me under the weather all week. Also changes my eating habits, and zero exercise.
But, if your car gets a flat tyre, you don’t scrap the whole car!
17,599 steps / 12km today. Over a distance of 25 - 40 meters... Let me explain
4 trees in the garden were felled by the gardeners and I did the cutting (log-size) and the clean-up of the fir branches: throwing them into a industrial chopper that I'd rented. So about 9,000 of these steps was with carrying a load offir branches to the branch chopper. These branches are cumbersome and heavy! The rent 'window' for the branch chopper was between 8AM and 5PM. I made it in time; I finished around 4PM. That had also to do with the help from my youngest son. So, we had a father-son activity in the pouring rain as well!
A step on the scale after a long hot shower showed that I lost 1,6 kilos today... But I suppose that will come back in the days to come. I lost 19 kilos since the start of my retirement, early December. I'm not doing a diet or something like that. I'm working in the garden, in the workshop etc.
M
Last edited by thieuster; 12th March 2021 at 23:04.
Great to hear that most people have been keeping up the exercise and continuing to make improvements.
Although my diet is still 90% ok, I’m a little off since we went into a minimum 3 week lockdown the other week (but likely to be 5-6 weeks in total). A bit of a pain, having set myself a 16 week training and eating target. I’m trying to decide if I should just discount the weeks in lockdown, and only count the weeks I get to include gym sessions, as I eat a lot better when I’m training most days, as the 16 weeks was just a timeframe that I felt confident of achieving a much lower body fat level.
As I have/had no exercise equipment at home I’ve been restricted to press-up again. Usually 45-50 in one set, and the another 40-45 after a 2 minute rest. However, I had a pull-up and dip frame delivered yesterday, so after putting it together I’ll now start to incorporate some pull-ups and wide grip chins and dips - then I’ll make up for legs and the rest when I can get back in the gym.
Have a great weekend
It's just a matter of time...
Changing my eating habits since January 1 has netted me a loss of 25 lb. (1.8 stone) so far. Only 30 lb. to go!
Here a little workout for those of you who are busy bees
https://youtu.be/mmq5zZfmIws
Easy on the eyes too
Just done my Monday weigh in and I've lost another 2.5kg over the week and am now down to 71kg (I'm 5'11"). This means I've lost 5.5kg since I started calorie counting 3 weeks ago. Quite surprised how quick the weight dropped off. Am around my ideal weight now so am going to ease off and not count on weekends.
I am not an expert but I would recommend that you start by increasing your calorie intake to what will keep you at your ideal weight, for several weeks to get your body used to what is a "normal" intake for you. Only then will you be able to play a bit by indulging sometimes and compensating later.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Well done! I am the same height as you but about 5kg heavier. I have noticed my weight creeping up over the last few weeks but in the absence of gym scanning machine, can't be sure whether it is lean mass or fat. I have not worn office attire since the current lockdown started and jeans don't give you a very clear picture. Tried some of my trousers this morning and I am none the wiser - if I have gained any fat around the waist area, it must be very little. Nonetheless, I should be losing fat, not keeping constant or gaining and one thing is for sure: the trousers haven't gotten any looser. It's clear that my salad dinners (most days of the week) aren't having the impact I desire. I must be feeling like I have the licence to eat whatever I like in whatever quantities I want during the day just because I am going to have a salad for dinner.
I do not have time to exercise any more than I already do. I have successfully shed a lot of fat in the past (my peak weight was somewhere between 98 and 100kg) without measuring or estimating calorie intake vs expenditure so I am not about to start that now. From today I have switched to a healthy lunch (protein shake today, salad tomorrow, repeat) and snacking on fruit during he day. Not cutting out anything, not stopping food enjoyment, just having different things at different times. Looking forward to a 'normal' dinner will hopefully stop me from stuffing my face with junk during the day. This has worked for me before. In any case, food that doesn't taste good (i.e. healthy stuff lol) is easier to consume for me during the day when I am busy.
From your previous post about weight training when not running, your weight gain could easily be muscle mass. I find that lifting weights regularly with protein high food rapidly gains you bulk - even if you are not “ripped” or bodybuilding. When I stopped regular weights (in addition to running) when my gym closed, I found my weight and muscle mass rapidly fall off. Everyone has a natural bulk and you can gain/lose muscle mass over this amount rapidly.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I hope you are right but can't be sure. It's true that during each of the previous gym closures, I ended up gaining a little bit of muscle mass, losing a little bit of fat and keeping an almost constant weight. Even though the weights I was using at home were much lighter, I improvised to make the workouts harder. More importantly, I could be more flexible at home. The windows to go to the gym were short and specific so if I missed the opportunity due to being busy, I lost the workout but I hardly miss any sessions at home.
What's different this time is that I am actually gaining weight. Part of me thinks this *could* be due to increasing my protein intake, investing in more weights for home workouts and running far more than ever before (including previous lockdowns) means it's not so bad if I am eating more. The realistic part of my thinks that's probably wishful thinking lol.
Just to qickly update this thread.
I weighed-in yesterday at 10.1 kg below what I was on 01 January 2021 and am now fairly close to my target weight.
I am back on a couple of hundred calories of chocolate per day, the 85% Peruvian stuff from Aldi is my one vice, in amongst large amounts of fruit, vegetables and fish. Losing the lard has been fairly hassle-free and has been helped by the sage advice given here on this thread so thanks to all for this and for the general motivation and encouragement.
FWIW, I make sure that I set aside an hour or so per day for a stroll around the streets/into the fringes of the local countryside and find this very de-stressing as well as caloree crunching.
Overall, I now have a plan to lose about another kilogramme and, more importantly, have a different attitude to food and exercise which should see me stay much less lardy than I have been for the past few years.
Off now to buy some 34/32 Levi 501s (not on SC) which I should fit into and which will be used as my benchmark to indicate weight gain/loss in the future.
Thanks again everyone.
Gary
Last edited by gc52; 22nd March 2021 at 11:09.
That's a great achievement, Gary - you should be very proud of yourself for keeping the self discipline going for over 3 months now :) It's not the physical part that's the hardest but the mental strength you need to keep going.
Now you have the blueprint for what it takes for you to lose weight, you can choose to either maintain what you have or push onwards to improve even more in terms of shape/muscle tone.
Well done!
Hi Shane
Thanks for all kind words and the input.
I fully intend to carry on with my weight reducton "blueprint" for another couple of weeks then will just continue to eat sensibly and to exercise regularly; two things that I failed to do for the past cuple of years !
Being a worn-out, burnt-up old codger I definitely do not want to become too muscular.
The danger will come after June 21st when the pubs open again. Anything could happen thereafter.....we shall see.
Thanks again.
Gary
Excellent!
I’ve put back on a couple of KG now. Being at home too much, and limited in what exercise I can do - at least weight wise. I could definitely be doing more, and if I can get motivated I might do some online aerobic sessions. I was loving doing Adrienne’s yoga sessions. Great with something for beginners/returners too. So I might incorporate that again.
I’m still a good 1.5-2 inches down on my waist though, so going to try to keep that trend in the right direction again.
I had the 1st vaccine jab last week, and no real side effects apart from a really bad headache and overly tired - but at least some of that could be from other factors I guess.
Keep it up :)
Last edited by Omegamanic; 23rd March 2021 at 10:24.
It's just a matter of time...
I can thoroughly recommend yoga. I started almost three years ago, wish I’d found it 30 years ago.
I’m not flexible, you don’t have to be to do yoga.
I would strongly advise anyone starting out to take it easy, find a class/teacher who offers modifications to poses, use blocks and a strap (or large books and a belt).
I've shed a lot of weight lately, due to the work in the garden. I had a GP appointment last week about something else, but for once the doctor had plenty of time (AZ anti-covid vaccination has been halted here...) and we discussed my weight loss. She told me that BMI is a nice rough 'guesstimation' but that it's more interesting to look at a person's fat percentage. Roughly speaking: a body builder's BMI is too high. One's fat percentage says more (and fore-mentioned body builder should have a low percentage I presume). Sadly, one needs a rather sophisticated scale for proper measuring of the fat percentage.
This is a good workout for the core which also incorporates muscle stabilisation and co-ordination: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4sw...ndex=1&t=1097s
There are two circuits consisting of various exercises - the first starts at 37 seconds and the second starts at 14 mins
Much better than crunches, sit-ups or most ab exercises where you're only moving in one plane and probably using your hip flexors too much anyway.
I've tried the routine and it's really good and challenging! A good routine to incorporate even if you just do a few of the exercises.
Just an update on this ^^^
I set up the Stridekick challenge for March and today completed my 465,000 steps. The challenge and competition with others is great motivation. A couple of my mates do it with me and a couple from Fitbit. Only one person from here joined and that was Mr wileeeey and big congrats to him as he hit the target first - great effort.
I’m setting up an April challenge of only 375,000 steps which is 12,500 a day. Anyone fancies joining me and wileeeey, download the app and look for me in The search box - Stephen17. I can have up to 9 in a challenge so have 3 spaces left.
And look at the difference the group has made. - last March Vs this March and my totals/averages on Garmin. A real motivator and fantastic for our mental health here at home although my wife wishes the walks weren't so long.
I'm going to try keep the walks to before work in a week or two and cycle in the evenings to give you a chance to win this month ;)
Revisiting this after a while. I started on keto a couple of months ago, lost a ton of weight fast, thought I'd be better off moving to high exercise instead, big mistake as put virtually all the weight back on as I was starving. So went back on keto with moderate exercise (15k steps a day) and the weight is absolutely flying off again, and I don't feel hungry.
Lesson learned is find the plan that works for you and stick to it. For me that's calorie deficit via keto and some moderate exercise on top. Current trajectory is a stone a month weight loss which works great as that gets me to where I want to be in 4 months.
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
I know everyone wants results as quickly as possible, but it’s for the rest of your life, and much better to take your time and fit in a change in lifestyle, rather than drastic short term changes. I’ve set myself 48 weeks to get to where I want to be physically. I’m sure it could be done in less than have the time, but likely not with staying close to the diet and exercise regime that I expect to be following now for the rest of my life.
But compliance and consistency are the two most important factors. So you are absolutely right in finding what works for you and sticking to it.
My only real concerns with extreme fat loss in such short periods are - a tendency to lead to repeated yo-yo dieting, and losing more skin elasticity each time. Losing weight more slowly allows the skin more/better opportunity to shrink down.
It's just a matter of time...
Much more realistic imho. 48 weeks seems far more realistic and sustainable than 4 stone in 4 months.
Sadly though we live in a sickcare system.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
“Don’t look back, you’re not heading that way.”