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PAX FIT TEAM

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Posts

  • asleepypandaasleepypanda Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Long story short: different strokes for different folks. I'm going off of experience/own research and it may be well different from what others believe or have read. But that is the nature of diet and exercise. I think anyone coming here looking for advice will do well to read these different views and consider them carefully, or try some, if not all of them.

    I completely agree! One thing I'm realizing is living with someone else who has a different diet plan and exersice routine is making it difficult for me to stay consistant. When I lived by myself I had a much easier time losing weight. @_@

    asleepypanda on
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  • KhildithKhildith Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I'm interested in this. There is also a "PA Weight Loss Challenge" thread in Debate and Discourse if you wish to cross post and see if they have any interest as well.

    A little about me:

    I grew up with a family that eats large and plays video games. I never really learned the basics of nutrition and was well over 250 pounds by high school. That continued until recently, when I forced myself to get educated and start working on losing weight.

    I'm very large, over 350 pounds now, but the good news is that at my weight even small changes add up really fast to weight loss. Just thinking a little about what I eat has let me create an 800+ calorie deficit (past maintenance levels) every day without any real trouble and I'm still eating really large (about 2600 calories a day) so I don't feel hungry at all. People suggested I don't drop too much lower, calorie wise, or I'd feel some of the worse effects, and might end up with even worse loose skin than I'm already going to have.

    I've started using a treadmill, slowly working on the Couch to 5k Plan.

    I'm also starting to lift weights, but I need to go out and buy a weight bench.
    In the meantime I'm also working on the One Hundred Pushups Plan.

    A resource I found really helpful was The Beginners Health and Fitness Guide.

    I'm about a month into my loss, and I'm around 12 pounds down already, and feel great.

    Looking forward to whatever you guys come up with.

    Khildith on
  • ptriz21_teamkillptriz21_teamkill Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    @Khildith
    Good Job! you sound like you got everything going in the right direction. Your current calorie deficit is a good one. Its easy to think "well if 800 calories works this well then 1600 calories should work twice as well!" but you are right to stick where you are at. Eventually, as you become smaller you will of course need to re-assess your calories, but you are looking good for now.



    As I said a few posts ago, here are my current stats
    5'10"
    168 lbs
    23.2% body fat (according to impedance scale)
    33.5" around the belly button
    Planned changes: increase calories from 12-1300 up to 16-1700. Going to increase my fat intake. Have been reading that in order for your liver to process your fat stores, it has to believe it will be getting an adequate amount of new fat. Going to continue making protein the center of my diet, making up at least 40% of my calories. We'll see. I will update this in 2 weeks.

    ptriz21_teamkill on
    3DS: 3325-2059-2105
  • GamesharkGameshark Watch how I soar Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I'll always remember in high school my coach slapping a bottle of pop out of my hand after practice one day and giving me an earful about it. I've never been able to drink pop since (however, coffee has since filled the void in my life).

    I've hovered around the 160 mark for God knows how long, so I'm looking at ways to get out of this plateau. I've seen a lot of hype recently with people saying you shouldn't eat carbs after a certain time at night (6pm~). Anyone have experience with this? I feel like that's the main thing I need to focus on now. I'm far too guilty of coming home late at night and devouring something full of carbs and going to bed soon after.

    Gameshark on
  • MattauiMattaui Dallas, TXRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Gameshark wrote: »
    I'll always remember in high school my coach slapping a bottle of pop out of my hand after practice one day and giving me an earful about it. I've never been able to drink pop since (however, coffee has since filled the void in my life).

    I've hovered around the 160 mark for God knows how long, so I'm looking at ways to get out of this plateau. I've seen a lot of hype recently with people saying you shouldn't eat carbs after a certain time at night (6pm~). Anyone have experience with this? I feel like that's the main thing I need to focus on now. I'm far too guilty of coming home late at night and devouring something full of carbs and going to bed soon after.

    When you eat isn't as remotely important (if it's important at all) as what you eat. Devouring something full of carbs is always a bad idea if you're trying to lose weight, even more so if it's high in sugars. Part of the reason we crave carbs is because we eat so much of them, which conditions our bodies to actually secrete insulin in anticipation of having more carbs, creating an insidious cycle.

    Ever since I cut 90% of the carbs from my diet (I'll slip up or splurge now and then, but even then my current carb consumption is ridiculously lower than where it used to be), I simply don't get hungry in the way that I used to, so much so that I occasionally have to remind myself to eat. I used to get the same sorts of nighttime snack cravings, and those are long gone now.

    Mattaui on
  • tokyodovetokyodove Perth, WARegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    anybody know if theres any good places to jog in seattle?

    tokyodove on
  • ElmoFuntzElmoFuntz Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Mattaui wrote: »
    I'll reiterate my suggestion that people strenuously avoid trying to count calories or go on a caloric restriction plan, and see what cutting all carbs from your diet does. This talk of under 1500 calories for an adult of any size is pretty shocking and I've never read anywhere that such a thing would be considered healthy. Long term starvation diets (and that's what 1500 calories a day is) do. not. work. You can't help but lose a few pounds by forcing yourself to do that, but let me know where you are after doing that for six months or a year.

    Trying to eat less and exercise more, how do you think the vast majority of people are going to handle that? They'll struggle, feel terrible, fail miserably and then go back to gaining weight. You're burning more energy, and thus you'll have to eat more, or you'll be creating an even greater caloric deficit between what your body needs to burn and what you're taking in. This isn't to say exercise isn't good for you, but exercise isn't nearly so linked to gaining or losing weight as it's been portrayed to be. They're really two different discussions, and for most people who have weight issues, it's much more about diet than it ever was about not moving around enough.

    There's also the issue of the age of the individual here - I'm 34, so I'm battling with a slow metabolism that's just getting slower, but I weigh less than I did when I was 18, so I consider that a pretty major victory. I try to run when I can and hit the gym when I can, but it's always, always, always been about what I'm eating. I highly encourage anyone who hasn't tried it to at least give the ultra low carb thing a go. Don't count calories, just eat only fat, protein and leafy green veggies, keep to under 20g of carb a day. Give it a couple of weeks and see what you think, you'll be very surprised.


    It is probably not wise to tell people to avoid counting calories, at least not in the beginning, as this is the foundation of weight loss. As several people have stated the bottom line is calories in must be less than calories out (or burned) it does not matter what type of calories it is. Granted some are better than others to cut out but they all work to lose weight. Additionally cutting out carbs is crazy hard to do (it's shocking how many foods have carbs in them). Even a low carb diet is unsustainable for most people in the long term. Too many of us like our potatoes, pasta, and breads. Even if you are able to eliminate carbs though eating too much steak, sausage, bacon, eggs, etc will still put you over your calories.

    I agree that 1500 calories is a pretty low number as a top calorie consumption unless you are already very low weight and just trying to lose a couple pounds. That number depends on your size and weight and you will have to adjust it down as you lose weight. To give an example my starting number was 2750 it's now 2100 to lose 1 pound a week. Of course you get to adjust this number up if you exercise.

    I have been dieting for over about 18 months now and lost just over 100lbs in that time. The key is to not make some major drastic change that you will hate. You can't go and make a 180 degree change in what you eat and do right away or you will NEVER sustain it long term. Cut back on what you eat make small changes and have 1 day a week (maybe 2 at the start) where you can "cheat" just don't go all super crazy on cheat day. I still have a cookie or 2 during the week, pop (diet only now), and other snacks but I also only have 1 (and not a gigantic 1 pound cookie!) or something low calorie like some of the hunts sugar free puddings. You should be trying to do this long term it is a marathon not a sprint. Sprints get you there fast but also don;t last long term. Oh and be prepared to plateau and not lose weight for awhile. It happens heck I even gained about 8 back over the winter because it was a pita to get out and exercise. Don't give up if this happens just look at what you are doing (exercise, eating) and adjust as needed. In the beginning of any diet weight will literally fly off this is not the norm once you get in long term.

    ElmoFuntz on
    Go for the eyes Boo, GO FOR THE EYES!
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  • ptriz21_teamkillptriz21_teamkill Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    ^^^
    Right, the specifics of the diet can vary, but as long as you create a calorie deficit, it should work.

    A thought on cheat days: a lot of people are scared of them and think it will undo any hard work. Think of it this way, a pound of fat is 3,500 calories. That is a huge excess just to gain 1 pound of actual fat mass. If you step on the scale after a cheat day and gained a a pound and a half or something, don't freak out, its probably fluctuation in water weight. Just don't go crazy on the calories. A good idea is to exercise on your cheat days. Make some room in your calorie "tank" and earn the extra calories.

    ptriz21_teamkill on
    3DS: 3325-2059-2105
  • ElmoFuntzElmoFuntz Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    If anyone wants to get super serious about this and can afford to spend some $ on your health I can't recommend highly enough the bodybugg (it's that armband you see people wearing on the biggest loser). I did a bunch of research on devices to help me tell what I burn during the day and this won out hands down. There is probably no way I would have lost as much as I have without it. Besides being a great "reminder" to myself it is also surprisingly very accurate. Some ask me if it bothers me to wear it and the answer is no it doesn't irritate my arm or anything really the only time i notice it is when it hits something. Sadly their website pretty much blows for recording food (or it did and I have not tried it lately although you do have to have a subscription to use the bugg) so I use myfitnesspal. The money spent was well worth my health. If you do get one I recommend the watch as well so you know at a glance what your calories are if you do not get the new version that connects to your droid/iPhone otherwise you have to upload to the website to get the info.

    I want to clarify the bugg/fit is NOT meant for motivation its for tracking accurately what you burn versus consume. Knowing at a glance that its 5pm and you have burned 1900 calories so far today and only ate 1600 and you will burn another 120 per hour if you do nothing so gee I can have that cookie I want for 250 calories and still meet my 500 calorie deficit is a very empowering tool to have. Yes it does work as a reminder when you wear it but that is not its purpose.

    ElmoFuntz on
    Go for the eyes Boo, GO FOR THE EYES!
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  • yanthraxyanthrax boners bonersRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    ElmoFuntz wrote: »
    If anyone wants to get super serious about this and can afford to spend some $ on your health I can't recommend highly enough the bodybugg (it's that armband you see people wearing on the biggest loser). I did a bunch of research on devices to help me tell what I burn during the day and this won out hands down. There is probably no way I would have lost as much as I have without it. Besides being a great "reminder" to myself it is also surprisingly very accurate. Some ask me if it bothers me to wear it and the answer is no it doesn't irritate my arm or anything really the only time i notice it is when it hits something. Sadly their website pretty much blows for recording food (or it did and I have not tried it lately although you do have to have a subscription to use the bugg) so I use myfitnesspal. The money spent was well worth my health. If you do get one I recommend the watch as well so you know at a glance what your calories are if you do not get the new version that connects to your droid/iPhone otherwise you have to upload to the website to get the info.

    For counting calories, I prefer using MyPlate from LiveStrong.com. It's free, and there's a pretty good database of food already in the system. There's an iPhone app as well, but it's not that great (or worth the 3 dollars I paid). It still can be a nice reminder to track your meals.

    Also, the BodyMedia FIT seems to be the definitive device for tracking calorie burn. I guess if you REALLY need it to motivate yourself and can justify paying the ludicrous amount that device and subscription would cost you, it's worth it. However, if you have pretty good discipline, it's by no means required.

    My recommendation is to save your money and get an iPod shuffle or one of the newer Nanos. It won't track your fitness by any means, but it's the best thing ever for exercise. It's light, compact, and easy to use when working out. I know lots of people were initially turned away from it because it doesn't have a screen but if you're working out you really don't care about something like that. I purchased a 1GB 2nd generation Shuffle when I first started working out in 2007 and I still have it to this day. It easily holds 8+ hours of music and it's the best investment I've made thus far. 60 pounds later and it's still the one thing I refuse to leave the house without.

    yanthrax on
  • ElmoFuntzElmoFuntz Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    FYI the BodyMedia Fit is the same exact thing as the bodybugg. The bugg version is just sold by the 24hour fitness guys. The website is essentially the same and either version will work the same but you will want to check pricing. I just ended up with the bugg version because they had them on sale at a great price that included the watch. They also give 6 months free website access vs bodymedia's 3 months.

    I want to clarify the bugg/fit is NOT meant for motivation its for tracking accurately what you burn versus consume. Knowing at a glance that its 5pm and you have burned 1900 calories so far today and only ate 1600 and you will burn another 120 per hour if you do nothing so gee I can have that cookie I want for 250 calories and still meet my 500 calorie deficit is a very empowering tool to have. Yes it does work as a reminder when you wear it but that is not its purpose.

    A ipod/nano/etc are great for exercising but they will not in any way track your calorie burn there are several programs for the touch and phone that can guess at it but they are not anywhere near close in most cases. I started out on my journey doing best guesses and using other tools to try to estimate what I burned during the day and none were accurate. You would be amazed at what you really burn (and consume) when you see accurate results.

    As for MyPlate try MyFitnessPal.com its got an awesome free easy to use website and an equally awesome iPhone and Droid app. I used the livestrong website as well as a couple others briefly but switched after a friend showed me myfitnesspal.

    ElmoFuntz on
    Go for the eyes Boo, GO FOR THE EYES!
    vn6ID15.png

  • yanthraxyanthrax boners bonersRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    ElmoFuntz wrote: »
    stuffabout bodybugg

    I know the bodybugg is for accurate tracking, and it's great if you really want to spend a lot of money on something like that, but for what you're paying you might as well join a gym. Yes, you won't get accurate calorie tracking, but you're going to have a lot of free weights and machines at your disposal. Making any change to a sedentary lifestyle by adding exercise is going to give you results.

    Is it really important to track your exact calorie burn? Your basal metabolic rate along with the Harris Benedict equation is pretty much going to give you a good ballpark idea to find out what your body is burning. I know everybody's body is different, and you're going to have to finetune your own diet/exercise based on your own success/failures but it seems kind of unnecessary to purchase a device that gives you an exact count. When you eventually get into the rhythm of eating well and exercising regularly, I can't see a device like this being much use when you hit that point.

    Difference of opinions I suppose. I feel self motivation is a better way for weight loss versus relying on numbers, but whatever floats your boat.

    tokyodove wrote: »
    anybody know if theres any good places to jog in seattle?

    As for jogging, there's all sorts of websites like http://www.walkjogrun.net/ where people post their running routes. While this is sort of cool, I just use http://www.trails.com/googlemap.aspx because it's simple and I can pick a route around my neighborhood I'm familiar with without wondering if the path I'm going is correct to get the distance I want and whatnot.

    Does anyone here have a good amount of experience with Vibrams FiveFingers shoes? My pair is coming in the mail today, and I bought the smallest size Bikilas and I'm really hoping they fit. Their size 40 is supposed to fit feet of size 10.25" or so, and my feet are slightly smaller. I've never done any barefoot running before (past the age of 6 or 7) so I'm excited and at the same time kind of nervous because I have no idea what to expect.

    yanthrax on
  • ElmoFuntzElmoFuntz Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    yanthrax wrote: »
    Does anyone here have a good amount of experience with Vibrams FiveFingers shoes? My pair is coming in the mail today, and I bought the smallest size Bikilas and I'm really hoping they fit. Their size 40 is supposed to fit feet of size 10.25" or so, and my feet are slightly smaller. I've never done any barefoot running before (past the age of 6 or 7) so I'm excited and at the same time kind of nervous because I have no idea what to expect.

    I own a pair actually and sizing depends on the pair. I have the Treksport if i recall correctly. I wear a 10.5 shoe and a 44/45 in the vibram so your probably pretty close. Word of warning with these shoes do not put them on and go running on day one or even day 7 or you will regret it and hate them. Wear them for a few hours at a time for a couple weeks (sometimes even longer for some people) to break your feet in and get calluses/blisters where you will get them. I went for a 3 hour walk a week after wearing mine and still got some minor blisters and very sore feet. Luckily I had brought my normal shoes with my as I needed to switch out 2 hours in. I have heard some really great "horror stories" from people who tried running right off with them. If you go into a store they will give you the same break in advice.

    ElmoFuntz on
    Go for the eyes Boo, GO FOR THE EYES!
    vn6ID15.png

  • MattauiMattaui Dallas, TXRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    ElmoFuntz wrote: »
    This is dumb advice to tell people not to count calories. As several people have stated the bottom line is calories in must be less than calories out (or burned) it does not matter what type of calories it is. Granted some are better than others to cut out but they all work to lose weight. Very low carb is very unsustainable for most people as well.

    I'd greatly appreciate you not calling my advice, or anyone else's, dumb, as that's a rather non-constructive sort of criticism. I know this is a very delicate subject for most folks who are interested, and while I appreciate that you've had your luck losing weight your way, I, too, have had luck losing weight my way. I'm not making things up or suggesting things that I myself haven't tried. The reason I'm even here saying this is that I know it's worked for me and worked for other people.

    I would be very curious to know exactly what you used to eat and what you've cut out the most, since for most dieters it's the carbs that they cut out that makes them lose weight, even though they've not gone to what they consider a low carb diet. Most people who have weight issues are heavy not because they were consuming too much fat or protein, but vast amounts of carbs, primarily sugars. It also depends greatly on just how many calories you were taking in previously, to be sure.

    You mention losing 100 pounds and that's clearly something that's worked for you and I can understand that you'd be pretty jazzed about wanting to share your success with everyone, and I appreciate your input.

    Mattaui on
  • yanthraxyanthrax boners bonersRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Thanks for the advice on the Vibrams ElmoFuntz. I'm excited to get off work and try them on.
    Mattaui wrote: »
    ElmoFuntz wrote: »
    This is dumb advice to tell people not to count calories. As several people have stated the bottom line is calories in must be less than calories out (or burned) it does not matter what type of calories it is. Granted some are better than others to cut out but they all work to lose weight. Very low carb is very unsustainable for most people as well.

    I'd greatly appreciate you not calling my advice, or anyone else's, dumb, as that's a rather non-constructive sort of criticism. I know this is a very delicate subject for most folks who are interested, and while I appreciate that you've had your luck losing weight your way, I, too, have had luck losing weight my way. I'm not making things up or suggesting things that I myself haven't tried. The reason I'm even here saying this is that I know it's worked for me and worked for other people.

    I would be very curious to know exactly what you used to eat and what you've cut out the most, since for most dieters it's the carbs that they cut out that makes them lose weight, even though they've not gone to what they consider a low carb diet. Most people who have weight issues are heavy not because they were consuming too much fat or protein, but vast amounts of carbs, primarily sugars. It also depends greatly on just how many calories you were taking in previously, to be sure.

    You mention losing 100 pounds and that's clearly something that's worked for you and I can understand that you'd be pretty jazzed about wanting to share your success with everyone, and I appreciate your input.

    As for counting calories, it's important to do so, at least when you're beginning everything. The bottom line is this: if it works for you, it works for you. it might not work for the next guy, but your advice is something someone else could always take into consideration. My personal opinion is that counting calories is important fundamentally so you can gauge how many calories you typically eat on your normal diet, and how your diets could improve. However, when you start getting obsessed about it, it can sometimes be discouraging, and detrimental because you spend all of your time thinking about food, and when the next time you can eat is, and how much you can eat. Your thoughts get plagued with food and it's really easy to fall off the wagon.

    I originally wrote a huge emo post about how I was a fat kid and all my motivations for weight loss and how I went from 5'8" 240lbs to 173, but then I decided that it really wasn't important to tell the internet how I did it, because that's going against what I just said. While it could be an interesting read, it's might not work for you. Instead I'll give you some tips on what helped me eventually succeed.

    Assess the food you're eating, and the quality of the food you're taking in. Less is going to make you lose weight overall, but you might still look flabby. I'm not saying go out and only buy organic vegetables, fruit, and grass fed cattle because not everyone can afford that lifestyle, but think about why Target can sell a pound of meat for less than 5 dollars, and a local grocery store/butcher sells it for almost twice that. Where your food comes from really does matter. 400 calories in pizza is worse than a 400 calorie meal of chicken, broccoli, and brown rice. Your body relies on food for fuel, and if you're feeding it bargain bin meals, you're going to feel like terrible too.

    Do your research. Don't just follow things because you read it in a magazine. Find science to back up claims on why something works, and why others don't. I know this is probably painfully obvious but a lot of people just do whatever magazines tell them and they wonder why they're not getting results.

    Get exercise. Both resistance and cardio training are important, but to follow up on the last bit, do your research. A good place to start is Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength. You don't necessarily have to read this, but it's worth looking at if you have any interest in it. If you're of a larger frame, I would wait to do any cardio until you're lighter so you don't damage your knees by bouncing a large frame on them and putting yourself out of commission for a few weeks. Google and Exrx.net are your best friends for this.

    Stop drinking and smoking. I know it's fun and hard to avoid socially, but these two are seriously your worst enemies. I'm not going to bore you with the details of why because you can get a better explanation through the internet. Alcohol hinders muscle growth, and smoking is just terrible for you. Stop doing both and you'll not only look and feel better, but you'll save yourself a lot of money.

    Motivate yourself. Set goals and timeframes and use a tracking website to pursue them. My girlfriend and I regularly use fatbet.net to keep ourselves in check. We usually set a wager so we have something to work towards. Other things I've done range from promising myself a meal out at the end of the week if I don't skip any workout days, to a nice article of clothing or an expensive piece of electronics hardware. If you feel like you have something to work towards, it's easier to justify working your ass off even if you're sore from the previous day.

    Anyone else can feel free to add anything or extrapolate because I'm starting to feel like one of those cheesy motivational speakers at this point, but if you have any questions I would be more than happy to try and answer them.

    Edit:
    Now that I've actually mentioned it, if there are people willing, maybe the people who are going to PAX Prime would be willing to engage in a Fatbet? We'd have to establish rules to prevent people from cheating, but we could use the site to set reasonable goals with the end date being the PAX weekend, and the person to reach and maintain their weight for the longest time I will personally offer a prize of some sort.

    yanthrax on
  • ptriz21_teamkillptriz21_teamkill Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Mattaui has a point. When people start cutting things from their diet and replacing them with healthier alternatives, chances are, they are cutting carbs. Soda, desserts, chips, french fries, pastas/breads/rice. I would argue that the most addictive things to eat are carb ladden, more so than fat ladden.

    ptriz21_teamkill on
    3DS: 3325-2059-2105
  • MattauiMattaui Dallas, TXRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I'm pretty sure I mentioned my sources earlier, but here's a couple of books by Gary Taubes who draws together a lot of very meticulous research to make his case - http://amzn.to/lSFwEl is the link to his Why We Get Fat, and his longer, more substantial book is listed there too; Good Calories, Bad Calories.

    Then there's a very informative video about sugar in particular by Dr. Lustig - http://bit.ly/avIcA6

    I'll also agree that yes, by all means, do whatever works for you! If you're happy and losing weight on what you're doing, that's fantastic.

    Mattaui on
  • grim123grim123 Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    hey before you all start from scratch again we have a group over on the D&D forum
    http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=139158

    grim123 on
    Aww nutsack.
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  • S2000GanS2000Gan Spartan-Rogue Class, Red Squad Bellevue, WARegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Would anyone in the Redmond area be interested in joining me on a bike ride a weekend this summer? or a few?

    I used to bike to Seattle a bunch last summer but Ive been lazy over the fall/winter

    I tend to bike the sammamish river trail from marymoor park up till it changes to the Burke gilman trail then into Seattle and back.

    Eventually id like to try biking down through seattle to the i90 trail then across the i90 bridge and then through Bellevue back to marymoor but first I need to get back into being able to get to Seattle.

    S2000Gan on
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  • RedsfxcRedsfxc Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Hey everyone,
    Keep up any hard work you've been doing and don't give up on your goals. This website is going to take me longer than I had hoped because I just got a new job finally. I haven't forgotten or given up on this. I went from working a few hours on weekends back to full time. I'll have a set schedule soon and will be able to manage my time better. In the mean time do whatever works well for you and keep posting if you have ideas/recommendations for others to use.
    You can do it!

    Redsfxc on
    "If you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything"
  • SarahstraszaSarahstrasza Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Soooo.. I was doin good.. Dropped about 40 lbs and then my boyfriend took me on a cruise at the begining of february.. aaand I gained 15 lbs BACK. >.> D'oh!!! I blame the oh so delicious miami vices and the 24 hour pizza/soft serve ice cream... but.. more so the booze.

    ANYWAY, back into kickin it up a notch! My sister just had gastric bypass, so naturally my sibling rivalry is tellin me "Oh hell no, she's not gonna be the skinny one..." As bad of a person as that makes me sound anyway... shes sort of my inspiration at the moment. I've always been smaller than her.. and I will not let her beat me!

    For those of you who struggle with playin by the rules -ALL- the time like me... keep in mind it is GREAT to have a cheat day... but space it out. For me, I have found that it's best to leave one DAY a month for an all out cheat day. I'm not sayin go out and eat 20 lbs of food but, sneak in that special beverage or your missed favorite candy bar.

    And also keep in mind.. If you are a picky eater like me.. It's not about what you eat, it's about how much of it you eat. And whew.. pretty sure I lost 10 lbs just from switchin to sugar free artificial energy! (mmmm Nos!)

    Keep up the work my dears!

    Oh yeah.. and with summer upon us.. *WATCH OUT FOR ICE CREAM* I'm sure most of you know but ice cream takes forever to send the memo to your brain that you are full. It is extremely easy to overeat. So .. note that ice cream makes for bad secretaries! I've found that if I need that sweet, cold fix... I will either hound on an otter pop or two... or make some koolaid (minus the sugar), freeze it in some ice cube trays, and toss it in the blender for a lighter calorie slurpee.. (Watch OUT for crystal light. I've found more often than not it freezes very weird.. and if it sits in your freezer for a while, it finds a way to seperate from the ice and sucks up freezer burn.) AND stay AWAY from milkshakes and/or Stone cold. I just found out a few months ago my favorite smallest size shake, is nearly over my daily calorie intake. Ouuuuch

    I think that's all for now. .. Maybe..... yuuuup.

    Sarahstrasza on
  • CaptainTapoleCaptainTapole Awesome in the Possum - Yee-Haw! Northern CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    To add on the Summer desserts/sweets...Dreyer's Fruit Bars.

    Seriously, one of the best cold inventions ever IMO. Ranging from 25-120 calories per bar, they have all natural fruit juices and some have real fruit pieces in them as well!

    CaptainTapole on
    The Girl Who Gave Everyone the Shortest Jenga Game Ever.
  • arwen_doll16_LOTRarwen_doll16_LOTR Commander Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    So I was happy to say that I lost 5 pounds!! However I stepped on the scale today and seemed to have gained it back. In fact this five or so pounds seems to be coming and going on an almost daily basis. Could this be my scale? Or is it me actually gaining and losing weight? Or could it be something else?

    arwen_doll16_LOTR on
    I should go.
    534159_4247466298641_1660805487_n.jpg
  • LigerLiger Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    I'm definitely interested in this. At my lightest (and fully grown) I was at 175. Granted, I was making $3.15 an hour to live on and riding my bike 5 miles a day. Then I got married and my husband got a job at an Italian comfort food restaurant...

    I was at 199 last month. I'm at 195 now but I've been doing a good blend of cardio (weight loss), weight training (muscle gain) and beer (I love beer).

    My method:
    3 times a week I go to the gym. I do 15 minutes of high resistance on an elliptical, then move to weights. Mondays are arms, shoulders, back and core. Wednesdays are arms and legs. Fridays are core and legs. After doing enough that I can't do anymore (keeps me sore for a day or two after) I do 30 minutes cardio on an elliptical, treadmill, stairs, whatever. I usually do one of the pre-programmed routines.

    I don't have a strict diet. I HATE strict diets and I can't keep up with them. I stick to the phrase "Moderation is key." Also if I ever feel hungry between meals, I reach for a glass of water first. Often times I will feel full for a while longer after finishing a full glass and I don't have to eat.

    I'm definitely gaining muscle, and I think that as I do more cardio I'll lose more weight. Damn that beer...

    My goal is 185 by PAX. 180 if I moderate the beer with everything else. :P

    Liger on
    5932306549_6b4d957b56.jpg CUSTOM LANYARDS FOR PAX
  • ptriz21_teamkillptriz21_teamkill Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    So I was happy to say that I lost 5 pounds!! However I stepped on the scale today and seemed to have gained it back. In fact this five or so pounds seems to be coming and going on an almost daily basis. Could this be my scale? Or is it me actually gaining and losing weight? Or could it be something else?

    5 lbs per day? I assume you exaggerate a little? Your weight is going to fluctuate with the amount of water and food you have in your body.

    Here is a thought. One pound of fat is about 3,500 calories. One pound of muscle is about 1,600 calories. Lets imagine that your body converts every excess calorie to either fat or muscle. If 2000 calories (hypothetical) is what your body requires to maintain your current weight, you'd have to eat a minimum of 1,600 calories x 5 lbs = 8,000 calories IN ADDITION TO the 2,000 your body has burned, all in one day, in order for you to gain this 5 lbs you speak of.

    That was a very rough example, but understand that flucuation on the scale should not cause you to panic. Best thing to do is check and record your weight everyday and look for the trends.

    ptriz21_teamkill on
    3DS: 3325-2059-2105
  • ptriz21_teamkillptriz21_teamkill Registered User regular
    edited June 2011

    As I said a few posts ago, here are my current stats
    5'10"
    168 lbs
    23.2% body fat (according to impedance scale)
    33.5" around the belly button
    Planned changes: increase calories from 12-1300 up to 16-1700. Going to increase my fat intake. Have been reading that in order for your liver to process your fat stores, it has to believe it will be getting an adequate amount of new fat. Going to continue making protein the center of my diet, making up at least 40% of my calories. We'll see. I will update this in 2 weeks.

    Well I'm late. That post was made 5/23. It is now almost 4 weeks later. Here is my update

    Still 5'10"
    This week I've been around 162 - 162.5 lbs
    About 22%. Was a less at one point this week but seemed like a weird blip.

    Eating more has not stalled my progress. In fact I notice a positive difference when I eat more during the day. For example, I might eat McDonald's Quarter Pounder and fries (don't worry, I record it and make sure stay within my calorie plan), and go for a run that night and it's easier than days when I have a chicken breast and vegetables for lunch.

    I am happy to be losing about a pound per week. It seems painfully slow, but checking the scale every morning and watching the numbers tick around give me a rush like I'm at the black jack table or something lol. Also a pound a week is a very healthy goal. And the mirror is definitely being more kind these days.

    ptriz21_teamkill on
    3DS: 3325-2059-2105
  • arwen_doll16_LOTRarwen_doll16_LOTR Commander Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    [/QUOTE]

    5 lbs per day? I assume you exaggerate a little? Your weight is going to fluctuate with the amount of water and food you have in your body.

    Here is a thought. One pound of fat is about 3,500 calories. One pound of muscle is about 1,600 calories. Lets imagine that your body converts every excess calorie to either fat or muscle. If 2000 calories (hypothetical) is what your body requires to maintain your current weight, you'd have to eat a minimum of 1,600 calories x 5 lbs = 8,000 calories IN ADDITION TO the 2,000 your body has burned, all in one day, in order for you to gain this 5 lbs you speak of.

    That was a very rough example, but understand that flucuation on the scale should not cause you to panic. Best thing to do is check and record your weight everyday and look for the trends.[/QUOTE]

    No unfortunately I kid you not. I assumed it was not my actual weight. I also assumed that it was not something like my clothing seeing as I wear jeans and a tshirt everyday. Most likely I assume it is my scale since it is not that good and is pretty old, I got it from my mother who I recently found out has had it for years (when I say years I found out it is about 8)

    arwen_doll16_LOTR on
    I should go.
    534159_4247466298641_1660805487_n.jpg
  • sobjwsobjw Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    I was 217 on March 29th. This morning I was 184. 33 pounds in 11 weeks. I was losing a pound or so every day for quite a while, it's definitely slowed down the past few weeks. I probably lost it too fast but I'm glad I started seeing immediate results. It definitely made it easier to continue when I could clearly see progress every day.

    Counting calories has definitely helped, got a free app on my iPod that is working pretty well. Eating less overall but the real difference has been cutting waaaay back on beer. I was probably drinking 20 beers a week before & almost all rich microbrews. Now just a few a week, sometimes micros, sometimes light beer.

    I'd like to be under 170 by PAX which I think I can do. I will be playing hockey three times a week all summer so that will burn up a ton of calories.

    sobjw on
    I live on a farm.
  • pewpewmagoopewpewmagoo Registered User new member
    edited June 2011
    Hey PAX FIT TEAM,

    I've been reading through a lot of replies through this thread and one point I really wanted to drive home is that carbs/calories are not your enemy. They are your fuel, especially if you are going to the gym almost everyday. I've been training for 2 years now and have only just started to see drastic results in my physique after I switched to a very balanced and strict diet 6 months ago.

    Breakfast: 1 scoop ON whey protein, 2 turkey bacon strips, 1 packet of oatmeal
    Snack: 1/3 cup of almonds, 1 apple
    Lunch: 100g chicken, 1 cup of brown rice, 1/2 cup of broccoli
    Snack: Oh Yeah protein bar
    Dinner: 1 cup lean ground beef, 1 cup whole wheat pasta, 1 teaspoon olive oil
    Pre-workout: 5gr BCAAs
    Post-workout: 2 scoops ON whey protein

    This diet has worked wonders for me. Someone looking to build muscle but not gain excess fat should try this diet.

    Also, DON'T BE AFRAID TO LIFT WEIGHTS! Cardio is good but adding a good weight-lifting routine to your regimen will help you loose excess fat so much quicker. That goes for you to ladies, don't be afraid to lift something heavier than those pink dumbbells; you don't produce enough testosterone to gain the volume of muscle men can.

    If you have any questions feel free to ask. :)

    pewpewmagoo on
  • Fengie The NinjaFengie The Ninja Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    THE PROBLEM

    I lost thirty lbs eating small, frequent meals after I had my daughter. Unfortunately, two years later, I was stricken by an on-the-job injury that limited my mobility. Fast forward a few months and here I am ten lbs heavier. Dang it. With physical therapy, I got most of my mobility back, but the exercises I can do are limited.

    I have been working to lose this weight by PAX. With my limited mobility I really had to change the way I ate because my body was not burning the calories. My metabolism slowed to a crawl and my family's history of diabetes was starting to loom over me like an evil shadow.

    THE SOLUTION

    My sister, who grew up with juvenile diabetes, gave me a copy of her meal plans and her old 'how to cook diabetic friendly meals' cookbooks. I contacted a nutritionist and started a diet plan appropriate for my size, age, lifestyle, level of activity, and metabolism. My exercise regimen consists of walking and swimming. I started walking ten miles a week and gradually started to go up to four miles a day. My caloric restriction when I am not exercising is 1,200 calories. When I do my long walks I eat complex carbohydrates with protein and carry water with me. I now drink much more water than I did before and that alone has helped with energy levels.

    In time I can work up to power walking and jogging. So far I have not lost any weight, but I feel TONS better. My energy is back and I am back to being awake and alert at work. I am 4'9'' and when I did weightlifting I was pure muscle at 140 so I am wondering if I am not losing weight because lean muscle is replacing fat. I am currently 130 and would love to be 120 again. My doctor has recommended that I do not go below 115 and 100 lbs is out of the question. We will see how this goes.

    Fengie The Ninja on
  • Otto the MadOtto the Mad Registered User new member
    edited June 2011
    So I was happy to say that I lost 5 pounds!! However I stepped on the scale today and seemed to have gained it back. In fact this five or so pounds seems to be coming and going on an almost daily basis. Could this be my scale? Or is it me actually gaining and losing weight? Or could it be something else?

    You are just seeing fluctuations in water/glycogen retained in your body. 5 lbs isn't out of the ordinary, depending on your total weight, to fluctuate in a 24-hr period. Your body loses quite a bit of moisture overnight, and dietary intake of sodium or carbohydrates can increase retention throughout the day. Oddly enough, not drinking enough water can cause retention as well. Try tracking your weight on a weekly basis, daily is too variable.

    Otto the Mad on
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