2016 Walking, Exercise, Weight Loss Member Challenge Thread

[KentuckyWildcat]

I was doing well working out then I pulled a back muscle. I was doing dead lifts but the bad part is that I was just warming up.

So I'm down a few days but I'm feeling better already. Maybe I can get in some cardio later this week.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[blueboss]

Okie dokie...I got my weekly FitBit update, last week

Dailey average
7063

Best Day
11,746

My problem is weekends where I only average about 4000/day.

I also only climbed 7 flights of steps last week which will change when I start exercising because the equipment is in the basement. Lol. That means my stair count should go up by 5-6 sets/week.

My sleep is pretty poor, I'm only averaging 5 hours/day. Of course that doesn't count the hour or so I usually get in the lazy boy before I get up and go to bed.








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[blueboss]

I've got extra snow shovels for those serious about losing weight...stop by and I'll get you started.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bigsky]

I've got extra snow shovels for those serious about losing weight...stop by and I'll get you started. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gets me no > 20 minutes of "fat burn" But I count it if I shovel more than 10 minutes

[bigsky]

Five days of 10k steps last week. 3 workouts including 5Ks. 5 Business lunches= zero weight loss.

[blueboss]

Gets me no > 20 minutes of "fat burn" But I count it if I shovel more than 10 minutes

I ended up shoveling 40 minutes on three days last week. It's helped to get me back in cardio shape so I can go 20-40 minutes on the machine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Darrell KSR]

Five days of 10k steps last week. 3 workouts including 5Ks. 5 Business lunches= zero weight loss.

I had one day of more than 8,000. Every other day was under 5,000. Maybe my worst non-sick week ever.

[Darrell KSR]

OK--so I just spent some time calculating, figuring, etc. I just wanted some rough estimate of what I was doing last year, what I need to do, etc.

Here's what I found out.

First, I weigh 230 pounds. That's rough; I've been a tad over it, and a tad under it recently, but close enough. I calculated a 3.0 mph walk/per mile as 122 calories burned. I figure it's really slightly more than that, because I have enough exercise at 5.2 mph and 3.6 mph (my "run" and "walk," respectively, when I exercise) that it's a little more than that. So I work with the general idea that 125 calories per mile is what is burned.

So then I took 3500 calories/pound, and that gives me 28 miles per pound exactly (that's another reason I rounded off. Again, i don't really care if it's inexact, this is just to get a rough idea).

I used 2,000 steps per mile as my standard. When I exercise, it's less than that; on "every day" use, it's more than that. Again, using round numbers good enough. So every 56,000 steps more than whatever number of steps keep me at my weight, based on my metabolic rate, will lose a pound for me.

I took last year's average, which was slightly over 6,000 steps per day for the entire year, and my weight gain of 5.6 pounds, and determined that, roughly, I needed to burn 53 calories more per day to maintain. So 6,000 steps per day is not enough (given my poor eating habits) to maintain weight; I will instead gain about 1/2 pound a month doing it. Now, if I watch what I eat a little better, it's fine, but I'm trying to focus on exercise first.

So 53 calories per day is about 850 steps per day. Adding to my average from last year tells me that roughly 7,000 steps per day is what I need not to gain any weight. Now, that allows me to eat "bad" and still stay about the same (assuming my metabolic rate won't change--a poor assumption, but I'm assuming it won't be much). It also assumes no "non-steps exercise," which is not accurate, either, as I have started some light weight training mixed in.

But overall, I think I found my mark. 7,000 steps average per day to maintain. For every 56,000 steps over that, I lose a pound. So if I can average 8,000 steps per day, I'll lose about 1/2 pound a month. If I can average 9,000 steps per day, I'll lose about 1 pound a month. If I can average 10,000 steps per day, I'll lose about 1-1/2 pound per month.

That's what I'm going to work on. I'm averaging 5,150 steps per day the last 28 days, so I have to improve. I don't want to go crazy on a diet, either, so starting....TOMORROW....will rededicate myself.

I am going to change my fitbit goal from 10,000 steps per day to 7,500 though. I want to hit it almost every day, and I know me. I just won't do that at 10,000.

[KentuckyWildcat]

First, I weigh 230 pounds. That's rough; I've been a tad over it, and a tad under it recently, but close enough. I calculated a 3.0 mph walk/per mile as 122 calories burned. I figure it's really slightly more than that, because I have enough exercise at 5.2 mph and 3.6 mph (my "run" and "walk," respectively, when I exercise) that it's a little more than that. So I work with the general idea that 125 calories per mile is what is burned.

Speed per mile impacts calories very little. 1 mile of walk / run / jog will burn roughly the same amount.

I hope to do a light work out tonight. The back is still sore, but it is a lot better.

[blueboss]

Does anybody know how long you should wait after eating before exercising, or is it best to exercise before dinner.

Oh and my exercise isn't swimming 😃 because everybody knows you have to wait an hour after eating before you get in the pool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Darrell KSR]

Does anybody know how long you should wait after eating before exercising, or is it best to exercise before dinner.

Oh and my exercise isn't swimming 😃 because everybody knows you have to wait an hour after eating before you get in the pool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Based on my experience, 3 or 4 weeks.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Depends on a lot of variables. Did you go back for seconds? Dessert? Deep fried? Sweet tea or Pepsi?

If all of the above then Darrell is correct.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[blueboss]

Got my weekly update

Last week averaged 8273 steps/day. My best day was 11804.

Averaged 2 flights of steps/day with a daily best of 5

My sleep improved to 6:24/ night.

Averaged 3147 cal/day with a daily best of 3504.

I expect an increase across the board as I go into 20 minute/ day, 5 days/week workouts starting today.

I'll weigh in today when I get home but I imagine I'll be right where I've been since October 234-235...

So here we go, I'll work in a daily 5/wk exercise routine increasing from :20 minute daily workouts up to :40 over the next couple of weeks and then add in some food cutbacks.

Goal is to knock off 20-25 lbs by end of April.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AshCat]

Haven't been on here for a couple of weeks so just saw the thread. I had a pretty good year till the holidays where I picked up about 5 pounds. Started the year just a couple of pounds lighter than I started 2015 at 195. Got back in it relatively hard this first month and have got back down to 190 as of Monday. Most of last year I held between 187-192. Hope to get that down to between 180-185 this year. I'll post more details about what my daily routine was last year, Fitbit numbers, etc.... later.

[Darrell KSR]

Haven't been on here for a couple of weeks so just saw the thread. I had a pretty good year till the holidays where I picked up about 5 pounds. Started the year just a couple of pounds lighter than I started 2015 at 195. Got back in it relatively hard this first month and have got back down to 190 as of Monday. Most of last year I held between 187-192. Hope to get that down to between 180-185 this year. I'll post more details about what my daily routine was last year, Fitbit numbers, etc.... later.

Man, you're a savant when it comes to steps. You fluctuating 5 pounds is nothing. You're my step-hero.

I'm going to start another Fitbit group and I just haven't done it yet so we can start fresh. And it's not just because I've been awful in my steps...which, unfortunately, I have been.

[PedroDaGr8]

After my move, I got lazy and the return to southern food got me. Gained a BUNCH of weight, damn frustrating. Though I do have one question, what the hell is with southern grocery stores with the tiny fresh produce section that is stuck off in a corner?

Anyways, I have started doing StrongLifts 5x5 and CouchTo5K to get myself back in shape. MWF is SL5x5 and TRS is C25K, with Sunday being a rest day. Hopefully, 3-4 months I will be in much better physical shape. Both are programs designed for people who are sedentary to get yourself back in shape. The StrongLifts teaches you bulk motion weight lifting, while C25K as the name implies takes you from not being able to run at all to being able to run a 5K (in 9 weeks though it might take some longer).

Both of these programs are VERY well thought of in the fitness community, because they have excellent apps for the phone, are very nicely tailored for beginners and if you stick with them they do what the name implies.

[bigsky]

15000 steps yesterday Three 5ks a week plus a thirty minute arms/ legs warmup and still the same 183.5 every morning.

Four to five restaurant lunches and other meetings likely contibute but Its tough to pay big money for lettuce.

And 36" waist--should be a 32. This fat around my middle aged middle is hurting my health. And 10 pounds times 10,000 steps a day is how much My 63 yr old heart and legs dont lift?

Thinking of some kind of fast/cleanse/south beach for a month system reboot but I'm worried it coukd affct those bad blood cells or heart situation. But geez Im working--hard but not working my butt off. It is discouraging!

[PedroDaGr8]

15000 steps yesterday Three 5ks a week plus a thirty minute arms/ legs warmup and still the same 183.5 every morning.

Four to five restaurant lunches and other meetings likely contibute but Its tough to pay big money for lettuce.

And 36" waist--should be a 32. This fat around my middle aged middle is hurting my health. And 10 pounds times 10,000 steps a day is how much My 63 yr old heart and legs dont lift?

Thinking of some kind of fast/cleanse/south beach for a month system reboot but I'm worried it coukd affct those bad blood cells or heart situation. But geez Im working--hard but not working my butt off. It is discouraging!

There is a phrase: If you want to get healthier, you do it in the gym. If you want to lose weight, you do it in the kitchen.

Have you tried logging your food intake using an app like MyFitnessPal? It is a tad tedious at first, but when you get in the habit it gets very easy. They have shown most people underestimate the number of calories they are eating by around 25-50% (with people who are heavier being even higher than that).

Additionally, unfortunately, many apps and people also overestimate the number of calories burned by exercise alone. I have seen several studies showing treadmills and the like in particular overestimate calories burned by up to 50%.

For me, I am monitoring exactly how many calories I eat a day (found out I was consuming almost 750 calories more a day than I realized ). Damn calorie dense southern food.

If you look up your TDEE you can get an idea of what ballpark number of calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight. You should be eating a deficit to this number. Since this is a ballpark number, you might have to fine tune this number a bit. For example, you might find while the calculator says you need 2300 calories a day to maintain, you actually need to be below 2100 to lose weight but it gives you a number to start from and you can fine tune from there.

As for paying big money for lettuce, think of it as you are paying the extra money to have a healthier heart and body (watch those restaurant dressings, that little cup often has 2x the calories of the entire salad on the plate).

[bigsky]

Good advice, great one!

[blueboss]

Tuesday update

Steps went up

9270 AV
12372 best day

29 floors
4 AV
8 best day

3247 Cal burn AV
3568 best day

Sleep still sucks
5:36 AV

I actually lost about 1.5lbs down to a flat 234 today, but it's been bouncing between 233-234.

The previous week it was bouncing 234-235.

All in all pretty pleased with getting back in cardio shape to be able to go 30-40 minutes which has been burning around 475 Cals five days/wk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Darrell KSR]

There is a phrase: If you want to get healthier, you do it in the gym. If you want to lose weight, you do it in the kitchen.

I like this.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Back is better. Mostly been doing body weight stuff. Hope to gradually start adding some weights. Maybe tonight.

[blueboss]

Averaged 11, 617 steps/day last week.

During exercise roughly 35-40 minutes/ day five days/week I burn an average of 600 calories.

I've lost about 3lbs since the start of my exercise almost three weeks ago, putting me at 233.4.

Lent starts today so that means no more sweets, cookies, cakes, pastries, pies, ice cream Popsicle's, candy. I do eat fruit and granola....

So we'll see how it goes, it is my goal to lose 20-25 lbs by mid May

See you guys in Skinnyville


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PedroDaGr8]

So I am continuing to push through StrongLifts 5x5 and Couch25K. Frankly, I am enjoying them both. They are both intended for novices who need a plan for getting back up to speed. The StrongLifts is hard but it really is showing improvements (in particular in my back muscles) already and only after 3 weeks. Anyone who is hesitant or needs a lifting program for the gym, this is a GREAT one to get you started. It teaches you a lot of the fundamental compound lifts and slowly, but steadily, works you up in weight. In a matter of time I will go from benchpressing a bit more than the bar to bench pressing with 45lb plates on each side, to benchpressing more than that.


As for Couch25K it is a GREAT way to build running stamina. You do it slow and its main focus is on building up your stamina from a sedentary lifestyle. I am getting to the point that I really enjoy both of these. I go to the gym 6 days a week, roughly 30-45min at a time and it is easy. In 3-6months (depending on if I repeat weeks) I will go from being entirely sedentary to running a 5k every other day. I might not be fast, but I don't care. I will be doing a 5K every other freaking day.

Combined between these two, I will go from being in really bad cardiovascular and muscular health to being in great shape relatively.

[blueboss]

Forgot, week before last I only averaged 10,371 steps/day.

My sleep improved a wee bit, might be because of the exercise.

Burning about 3k Cals/day according to the FirBit which seems a little generous.

I managed to get in my 20's (229)

I'll get my data from last week tomorrow, pretty curious to see my weekly weigh in with the first full week of lent and no sweets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Darrell KSR]

Two things.

1) I have been very poor in my exercise, and in my eating habits.

2) I have lost my Fitbit Zip. I had it Tuesday when I went to Walmart to buy a dorm sized refrigerator (for our kitchen--to add to the other one--while we wait on the never-seeming-to-arrive-new-one--but that's another story). This is the 2nd time I lost my Fitbit. The first time I found it in the back of my minivan, as I had bumped my pocket and it apparently jumped off. Well, I was carrying a large dorm sized refrigerator, and recall being bumped around on my body where I carry it, so I suspect it did the same thing. I have looked in my car, but not exhaustively yet, to see if I could find it. In addition, I knew exactly where I parked--I typically park away from the store, for a couple of reasons--to gain a few more steps coming and going, and secondly, to avoid bumping into another car (or having a car bump into me). So I returned that night with a bright flashlight (Defiant, 3D, 800 lumens, IIRC) and searched, to no avail. I went inside in the unlikely event that someone had returned it--no luck. I left a note with my name and number and description of the Fitbit in case someone turned it in.

It won't work.

The last time I lost it for about a month. I couldn't stand it, so I ordered another one. When I found the original, I gave my wife the new one, which she uses much better than I do anyway. Looks like I'll have to buy another one to replace it. Irritating!

[PedroDaGr8]

Two things.

1) I have been very poor in my exercise, and in my eating habits.

2) I have lost my Fitbit Zip. I had it Tuesday when I went to Walmart to buy a dorm sized refrigerator (for our kitchen--to add to the other one--while we wait on the never-seeming-to-arrive-new-one--but that's another story). This is the 2nd time I lost my Fitbit. The first time I found it in the back of my minivan, as I had bumped my pocket and it apparently jumped off. Well, I was carrying a large dorm sized refrigerator, and recall being bumped around on my body where I carry it, so I suspect it did the same thing. I have looked in my car, but not exhaustively yet, to see if I could find it. In addition, I knew exactly where I parked--I typically park away from the store, for a couple of reasons--to gain a few more steps coming and going, and secondly, to avoid bumping into another car (or having a car bump into me). So I returned that night with a bright flashlight (Defiant, 3D, 800 lumens, IIRC) and searched, to no avail. I went inside in the unlikely event that someone had returned it--no luck. I left a note with my name and number and description of the Fitbit in case someone turned it in.

It won't work.

The last time I lost it for about a month. I couldn't stand it, so I ordered another one. When I found the original, I gave my wife the new one, which she uses much better than I do anyway. Looks like I'll have to buy another one to replace it. Irritating!

Even though you hate it D, just get the wristband style ones. You are much less likely to lose those, as much as you hate them I know you; you hate spending money much more.

Did it today, for the first time ever I deadlifted a full-plate on each side of the bar (total weight 135lbs) for a set of 5. It isn't much for most people but it is a milestone for me getting back in shape.

[Darrell KSR]

1. Went today without wearing my watch. I have to do that more often. I do not want to add to things I wear on my wrist, I want to take away..

2. It is glorious not having to charge that or change the battery for 4 months.

3. I'm still considering something on my wrist because you're right, I hate spending and wasting money.

[blueboss]

Since you can't wear the FitBit in the shower I usually plug mine in to charge it when I get in the shower.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[blueboss]

Tuesday FitBit update

Average steps-10,854/day
Average Sleep-6 hrs
Calorie Burn Exercise 645/ day
Exercise Average 42 minutes/5days/week

AM Weight 227.8


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk