2016 Walking, Exercise, Weight Loss Member Challenge Thread

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Originally Posted by CitizenBBN

I use it weekends when I can, and my next two projects include the ground beef for a big chili (yes very hot this time of year for it but perfect to feed us for 3-4 days of lunches or so) and a prime rib.

During the week it's mostly stir fry and things I can do fast. I can cook most stir fry dishes in 30-40 minutes start to finish, and that's about all the time I have during the week, and many weekends.

I just drop the rice and we go from very carb meal to all but no carb meal. We both like veggies and salads, so this isn't hard as long as I can keep us from having to pick up anything. That will blow up the carb thing in a heartbeat, as will almost anything pre-packaged other than meats.

I do love the egg though, and when I use it I"m going low and slow. THe other project for it, maybe this weekend, is to do about 100 wings and then freeze them with the vacuum bagger for lunches. Going to dry rub them and do them and then have them where we can defrost for lunch and have a decent meal.

The problem during the week is that, even as fast as the egg is, I can stir fry or do a salad faster, and a lot of nights we aren't home until 9 or even later, and never earlier than about 7:30. So dinner has to be fast so we can eat before it's time for bed.

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Over the top chili on the egg (Google cooked on the egg). There a bunches of good foods you can find cooked on the egg if you use google. Cook extra to freeze so you'll have something gooood to eat when you don't have much time. There is no reason for a man with a big green egg and plenty rescoures not to have to eat whatever he wants to eat. Think of foods that will cook at the same temperature and cook one to eat at the time and one to freeze. I'm sure you have to deal with some economics on your business (not $$$$) to make it run smoothly, just put that much logic in your food. Cooking and eating doesn't take as much logic as running a business.

Very hot week this week here in KY. We're going to try walking later in the day. It'll still be hot and humid but a little less hot and the sun being down will help (hopefully).

Be careful.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GQSNx2cW...name=4096x4096

^Absolutely. We take water and our path goes through shaded areas and past a convenience store we can duck into and get a couple of minutes of A/C if necessary.

In my mind, how I envision I look playing Sunday night pickup basketball with the young guys:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3686344874979832

In actuality:

https://youtu.be/mdO6pLLJ8qY

Been exercising like a fiend, but no weight lost. This week I have over 400 "intensity minutes" as defined by Garmin. Usually when I run, most of the minutes get doubled--has to do with your heartrate, I guess, and working hard enough. It's so hot that I've resorted to running indoors on an upstairs indoor track at a gym. It's BARELY better than a treadmill...14 laps for one mile. Circling the same thing over 42 times gets to be quite boring, even though it overlooks a basketball court.

Have also shot basketball a little, play on Sunday nights, and started yesterday with some very light weight training. Also started a walk after lunch and dinner because my day is so sedentary otherwise...

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Originally Posted by KSRBEvans

Yep, that's me. I'm not a medical type so I haven't read any defense or critique of the BMI system, but it just seems unrealistic for my personal situation.

Since March 11 I've lost 28 lbs as Mrs. BEvans and I train for a long walk in Spain this fall. I feel really good--hoping to lose about that much more before we leave. That should get me close to where I want to be.

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Listed to a TED talk podcast while walking criticizing BMI. Unfortunately, it didn't give a lot of great advice on what to consider, practically, besides getting a bioelectrical impedance analysis, probably at a gym (the inexpensive county gym I belong to doesn't have that), an MRI (who is going to spend the bucks for that?) or something called DEXA, which I think is about $150-200.

Oh--I should add that part of their criticism of BMI sounded very much like your own analysis -- that everybody is different and that BMI was first developed using European males who do not necessarily relate to the same as others of different regions, races, etc.

Played 7 games tonight, six games to 15 and last one to 25. Jammed last two fingers on left hand in Game 2 early. Needed somebody to tape me up!

Attachment 10904

Ouch! That looks painful! Hopefully it wasn't your shooting hand. :D

Oh, as bad as I am, it couldn't hurt my shooting much, but fortunately, it was my left hand, and I am a righty.

I'm down 47 pounds since March 11 and hope to lose another 3 or so before Mrs. BEvans & I leave on 9/4 for our hiking/pilgrimage walk. We're walking 2:30 this week, which this morning ended up being 8.7 miles (or a little over 14K, which I guess we have to get used to thinking!).

As much as that is, we'll be walking even more when we walk the Camino Frances. We'll average about 12-14 miles/day, and honestly it's a little intimidating. I wish I could've got down another 10-15 pounds--trying to avoid the repetitive stress injuries you can get when you're carrying too much weight. But we feel good and I'm hoping the work we've done will be to our benefit as we go on this adventure.

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Originally Posted by KSRBEvans

I'm down 47 pounds since March 11 and hope to lose another 3 or so before Mrs. BEvans & I leave on 9/4 for our hiking/pilgrimage walk. We're walking 2:30 this week, which this morning ended up being 8.7 miles (or a little over 14K, which I guess we have to get used to thinking!).

As much as that is, we'll be walking even more when we walk the Camino Frances. We'll average about 12-14 miles/day, and honestly it's a little intimidating. I wish I could've got down another 10-15 pounds--trying to avoid the repetitive stress injuries you can get when you're carrying too much weight. But we feel good and I'm hoping the work we've done will be to our benefit as we go on this adventure.

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Holy moly!!! 47 lbs!! That’s fantastic. I was pleased with dropping 7 lbs… and getting closer to my first goal of 220.


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After two years of exercising and no weight loss, I've dropped 5 to 7 in the last 10 days. My bike rides are suddenly going much better. in an hour+ ride I have suddenly gone from riding 12 miles to 15 plus. I'm not sure what happened. It is not because the weather is better.

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Originally Posted by MickintheHam

After two years of exercising and no weight loss, I've dropped 5 to 7 in the last 10 days. My bike rides are suddenly going much better. in an hour+ ride I have suddenly gone from riding 12 miles to 15 plus. I'm not sure what happened. It is not because the weather is better.

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That's terrific, Mick. You've always been in good shape, but looks like you kicked it into a new gear.

Boy, right about the weather. I was reading the temperatures are going to be dropping next week, finally. It has made it tough for me to try to do my sneaky run at a long lunch hour with those numbers.

Thanks Darrell, but I have a hardcore 15 lbs. that have to go. To add to the problem I’ve gotten almost a half inch shorter over the last year. I’m getting to the age where issues keep piling up.

The humidity and temps are dropping. Hope that’s helping you.

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Originally Posted by MickintheHam

After two years of exercising and no weight loss, I've dropped 5 to 7 in the last 10 days. My bike rides are suddenly going much better. in an hour+ ride I have suddenly gone from riding 12 miles to 15 plus. I'm not sure what happened. It is not because the weather is better.

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I am down 13 lbs (280 down to 267) in the last 10 days. But is because I broke an ankle and now in a cast. When I feel bad I don't eat... but I've also decided to continue on with the semifasting. Last time I was real sick, I dropped over 50 lbs in a span of a month (275 to 220). People said I looked good, never felt so sick in my life!

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Originally Posted by MickintheHam

Thanks Darrell, but I have a hardcore 15 lbs. that have to go. To add to the problem I’ve gotten almost a half inch shorter over the last year. I’m getting to the age where issues keep piling up.

The humidity and temps are dropping. Hope that’s helping you.

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I've had the talk with both of my "boys" (young men) that after age 40, things start to change. Metabolism, injury recovery, muscle, etc. It escalates from there. My exercise habits were not good until after age 50+, and then it has been hit or miss much of the time. Before then, play a little golf, play in a "beer softball" league or two, sometimes play basketball at the "Y," and thought everything was cool. Could skip lunch and a little exercise and could lose 5 pounds in a weekend if needed.

Now, everything is a struggle. You're right about the issues piling up. One after another.

Yes, the temperature/humidity dropping has helped. Yesterday at lunch, I parked at Inverness Nature Park/disc golf course, ran through their paved path in the woods, then on Inverness Center Parkway past the fire station to Valleydale Road, and back. 3.48 miles. Most of the road to Valleydale is a slight incline, with a few moderate hills, and I walk a lot of that. On the way back, it's much easier. Most of the path through the woods is shaded, and most of the sidewalk was shaded. I'm not going to do that often, because sidewalks are harder than asphalt and I've been blessed with not having any knee issues, and would like to keep it that way, especially with my weight being what it is.

I wasn't able to go today; hoping to sneak away tomorrow (weather permitting).

I have gained 20 pounds since March. Not happy about it. Summer, plenty of going up and down my 1 hour “God’s own stair stepper” trail. And I have no better wind than when I started. It probably is some
combo of ills I have or maybe a new one. I blame it on the Athletic Director…

I’m stuck at 227…I really need to start working on getting to my next plateau of 220, but alas, I am lazy of late.


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I'm stuck around 219.

I'm on Day 83 (haven't met it yet*) of exceeding 7,500 steps daily. I started to make my daily goal 10,000, but when I sit on my butt all day until about 6, then find I have 1500 steps (if lucky), it's all I can do to get 6000 more steps, and I knew I'd be missing my goal more than making it if I made it that low. Prior to making this a daily goal, I'd average 3,000 steps per day unless I exercised, then I might get 7500. Now it's just part of my routine. I run 3 or 4 times a week (sometimes only twice), but will walk when I don't run. It's funny, I can get the same number of steps in almost the same time if I walk or run since my stride is shorter walking. I think I calculated that I average about 1800 steps per mile if I run; about 2250 steps per mile if I walk, and I'm no speed demon, so it's just a tad quicker to run than walk briskly, but not much.

I'm doing some work for a nutritionist and she's been helping me with food choices, but it hasn't really shown up yet. Lots and lots and lots of protein -- cottage cheese, nonfat greek yogurt, turkey, chicken, salmon, eggs, over and over. I add frozen fruit to the yogurt and make smoothies, and often smash up a banana with the cottage cheese or have pineapple bits, which I feel is a treat. I still eat "bad" stuff, but trying to wean that out as much as possible. (Basically similar to CitizenBBN's low carb stuff, but just focused on consuming protein instead of avoiding carbs.)

* On Sundays, I wait to see if we're going to have 10 players to play basketball. Playing 90-120 minutes of pickup full-court basketball easily gets the steps I need. Around 5 pm we will get a text message that will tell us. It's the most disappointing text to receive if we fall short, because then I know I have to go run 3+ miles on Sunday night. Bleh.

Nutrition wise, one thing I started doing is saving my vegetables. I always seem to have onions, carrots, celery and peppers of all type hanging around the fridge. Before they go bad, I chop them up and freeze them. I also save other vegetables that are left over from meals such as green beans and asparagus. I pop those in the freezer when cleaning up after meals. When I am ready I dice a potato and fill a pot with the freezer accumulation. I then add 32 oz of vegetable stock, no salt added, or for a special treat a bottle of V8 juice, low sodium. Add some spices. generally keeping salt to a minimum. Bring it to a boil and simmer a bit and I have lunch or dinner for a week or so. For a bit of protein I'll throw in a can of rinsed cannellini beans or black beans.

I feel as though with this strategy I get one healthy meal a day. It gets me past not eating enough vegetables and I have a meal I like with no meat. I am also not throwing away as much food. Of course you could just buy a bunch of frozen vegetables at the store and do the same thing.

The low carb thing is working, but it's important to not to go high fat IMO. We moved to low carb, very veggie and lean protein, and it is working. No real exercise, I'm down 30 pounds. Would love to hit at least 40 by Xmas, 50 would be my absolute ideal, but I will need to get some exercise into the plan I think to get there. I need it anyway, I need cardio badly.

It's not always the easiest, basically almost no fast food works other than salads (with no bread, etc.), burgers with no buns (occasional, their meats are very fatty), so it's tougher b/c it does require more home prep planning and cooking, but it's vastly healthier.

I do a lot of quick stir fry things, those are ideal, in winter I'll do more soups and stews (no potatoes or beans), etc. There are a LOT more keto options than there used to be, so I do use some of the keto tortiallas and chips here and there, which helps fight off doing a binge, but I'm wary of whether they are really that low carb, so I try to go light on those.

Try to keep it under 20 carbs a day. Usually I'm well under, some days right at it, once in a blue moon I'm sure I'm 30-40, but rarely. It is working, even with no exercise. If I could get some actual time on a treadmill I think it would be even more loss.

Also I dont' measure really by weight, though I know it, but by belt notches, and very happy there so far. I saved my belt from my very biggest, when I'm down where I want to be I'm going to measure the difference.

Really buckled down on counting the carbs and watching the processed sugar intake when Grammy had that Blood Sugar spike.
My A1C wasn't in the acceptable level neither.
From a high of 265# which was a while ago and while I would flirt with the 220-225 range, I have slowly trimmed mine down to 210 pounds this morning.
After Thanksgiving Dinner/Supper (we start early and it goes until night) all bets are off.
Want to make it to 200 before it is all over.
The really odd thing is I am not starving myself.

Congrats, Pappy! Those are great numbers!

Yeah, they going to the dogs today, but tomorrow back watching and counting...it just seemed that I was stalled and stuck in the 220-225 range forever.

Good job Pappy… I’m going to use your success for motivation I hope and try to get going and lose some weight… I’ve been hanging 227-230, I feel better around 210 but it’s been a while since I’ve been there.


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We're short basketball players tonight, so I've gotta go out in the cold tonight and get steps in. Nothing more disappointing than that text message that we have to miss a week of basketball.

Hey guys, checking in after walking about 170 miles of the Camino Frances from 9/4-10/18.

We walked from St. Jean Pied de Port, France to Logrono, Spain 9/8-9/16, averaging about 20-25 km/day. Mrs. BEvans and I then both came down with a bad virus (we're sure it was Covid--we just assumed it was and acted accordingly). At that point we changed our plan and decided to stay in that town (Logrono) for a few days to quarantine, then spent a week in Burgos and a week in Leon, both beautiful cathedral cities.

We then took a bus to a small town in NW Spain called Sarria and walked the last 115 km or so to Santiago de Compostela. We decided we'd been walking too much in 1 day during our first stage and decided to walk no more than 15 km (9 miles) per day. So the last part we did over the course of 9 days. In all, we walked about 270 km (about 170 miles) over the course of 17 days.

Our longest day was the day before we got sick--I got us lost and we ended up walking a couple more miles than we should have. That day we walked 46,000 steps. Too many!

Over the course of our Camino I developed a pretty bad case of achilles tendonitis. Still sore, but we went out yesterday for a walk, our first since 10/18, and it was nice to do that again.

When we were hiking the weight was just rolling off me--I couldn't get enough calories in me, no matter how hard I tried. For a very short period of time I felt like Walter McCarty. :evilgrin0007: When I stopped hiking, it sure came back. I'm guessing I lost about 15 lbs while hiking, then gained it back + a couple of lbs when I stepped back on the scale the day after we got home. MTF in another thread.

Here we go, not a New Year resolution, because I never do them. Time to get in cardio shape and get some oxygenated blood flowing, get all of the funk out of my lungs, and really just start feeling better. If along the way I lose a few pounds, bonus.


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Fwiw, I had the pleasure of meeting Blueboss in person Tuesday and I can attest that he looks in fine shape. Great to get moving and in tip top shape, but losing weight definitely doesn't need to be his goal.

I need to lose some poundage. More or less in shape from running a few times a week and playing basketball, but I'm doing it lugging around far too many pounds. I lost 9.6 pounds last year, and probably seriously need to lose another 29.6, but I'll be satisfied if I can get 15 more. I'll be overweight, but for me, I'd take it.

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Originally Posted by KSRBEvans

Hey guys, checking in after walking about 170 miles of the Camino Frances from 9/4-10/18.

We walked from St. Jean Pied de Port, France to Logrono, Spain 9/8-9/16, averaging about 20-25 km/day. Mrs. BEvans and I then both came down with a bad virus (we're sure it was Covid--we just assumed it was and acted accordingly). At that point we changed our plan and decided to stay in that town (Logrono) for a few days to quarantine, then spent a week in Burgos and a week in Leon, both beautiful cathedral cities.

We then took a bus to a small town in NW Spain called Sarria and walked the last 115 km or so to Santiago de Compostela. We decided we'd been walking too much in 1 day during our first stage and decided to walk no more than 15 km (9 miles) per day. So the last part we did over the course of 9 days. In all, we walked about 270 km (about 170 miles) over the course of 17 days.

Our longest day was the day before we got sick--I got us lost and we ended up walking a couple more miles than we should have. That day we walked 46,000 steps. Too many!

Over the course of our Camino I developed a pretty bad case of achilles tendonitis. Still sore, but we went out yesterday for a walk, our first since 10/18, and it was nice to do that again.

When we were hiking the weight was just rolling off me--I couldn't get enough calories in me, no matter how hard I tried. For a very short period of time I felt like Walter McCarty. :evilgrin0007: When I stopped hiking, it sure came back. I'm guessing I lost about 15 lbs while hiking, then gained it back + a couple of lbs when I stepped back on the scale the day after we got home. MTF in another thread.

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Don't know how I missed this, but great work while having a great time. That's the way to do it. But awfully hard to keep it, I am all too aware.

Good for you Blueboss.
Weight isn't anything but a number; except wen you swell up like you swallowed a small human...
Even after being a garbage disposal from Christmas to and through New Year's Day I have reached 208.4 Pounds.
Being in East Tennessee for the 'tween Holiday getaway did not help.
Visited one of Mr. Vaught's & my favorite restaurant, Alamo Steakhouse and Mama's Farmhouse... The Farmer's Daughter in Chuckey, TN had we been there on a day when it is open.

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Originally Posted by Darrell KSR

Don't know how I missed this, but great work while having a great time. That's the way to do it. But awfully hard to keep it, I am all too aware.

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Thanks Darrell. The Achilles still bothers me and I need to rest it, but want to keep moving, so walking about an hour 5 times/week and doing some isometric exercises Dr. Google said would help. Actually seeing a doc next week for annual checkup and going to raise this with her at that time.

On the machine a few minutes (5) a day so I don’t have a heart attack, I’ll bump it up to 10 shortly. Machine, along with shoveling snow and ice, my weigh in today I was at 221.4. I was at 234 around Thanksgiving.

I’m breathing better, feeling better and dropped a few more. I’ve also cut down on my food intake, light lunch/normal dinner or vice versa.


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In a boot. :rolleye0013: My Achilles pain from walking the Camino was better but still there, so my primary doc referred me to a podiatrist. She took x-rays and thinks I may have partially ruptured my Achilles while walking this fall. Getting an MRI, then back to the podiatrist in 2 weeks.

I have to find a way to get aerobic exercise without putting weight on that leg. I'm not a strong swimmer. Going to check out a local gym and see if they have one of those hand bike things.

The MRI results came back. Not good. Apparently I had a "severe, partial" tear of the Achilles. Estimate is the tear was 70% of the way through, and is healing with scar tissue. I remain in my boot until my next appointment on 3/18. Hoping I can just let it continue healing and not have surgery.

I guess the lesson here is not to assume the pain you're having is tendonitis, especially when you're "of a certain age."

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, BEvans. Two steps forward, three steps back on an injury.

I have been taking it somewhat easy, running a little less (but still getting my minimum 7500 steps in every day). The first of the year I tweaked my ankle playing basketball. Due to a variety of things, we were off from playing basketball for a month, other than my own individual playing basketball, workouts mainly. Sunday night I played again, and was fine, but when I came home, my ankle was hurting the same way it was when I first injured it. I thought it was healed. It really hurts when I go down stairs more than anything else. Getting old and trying to stay in shape is tough - and mine is minor. Yours...well, I feel for you. I don't swim (I mean, I can, I'm just not good, and I don't like it), and I guess that would be the best alternative exercise for me.

Achilles injuries are really tough. Follow doctor's orders and hoping it works out as well as it can for you. That's really tough.

Yep, thanks Darrell. And take care of your ankle--maybe see a doc sooner than I did. :D

The doc said surgery wasn't necessary, but stayed in the boot until April 1. I was cleared to resume walking this morning--first time since 2/6.

Trying to listen to my doc--wearing a Figure 8 brace (relatively comfortable as these things go), starting with a mile, increasing by 1/4 mile each week, stretching after. It was so good to get moving again.

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Originally Posted by KSRBEvans

The doc said surgery wasn't necessary, but stayed in the boot until April 1. I was cleared to resume walking this morning--first time since 2/6.

Trying to listen to my doc--wearing a Figure 8 brace (relatively comfortable as these things go), starting with a mile, increasing by 1/4 mile each week, stretching after. It was so good to get moving again.

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Congrats!! Glad you’re on the mend and up and moving.


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