Exercise, fitness, weight, calories, and overall health: Christmas Eve 2016-until

[Darrell KSR]

230.0 1/1/2017

3.9 miles at gym as son and I again closed it down.

[Darrell KSR]

I decided this fall to diet prior to the eating season (Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years). That way I wouldn't be starting the New Year behind the 8 ball. I went from low 180s to low 160s which is basically my low weight (when I get there) for the last 10 years. I'm 44 (45 on 1/2). I'm going to try and keep this going into the new year.

I haven't been exercising much since it got cold even though my work pays for a gym membership. Just hard to leave home to go sweat once I've hit the easy chair.

My weight loss was all diet (mostly) as I wasn't looking to exercise when I was losing. For breakfast I eat either grits or a nature valley bar (granola, peanut butter or fruit & nut). For lunch I either eat soup or a salad Monday thru Friday. Basically I will have only eaten 300-400 calories through lunch. I usually eat some type of fruit either in the morning or afternoon. I love Honey Crisp apples and Cherries. For supper I eat what I want but I don't make a habit of eating poorly if I can. I do this because if I try to limit what I can eat I'll fall off the wagon in 24 hours.

I've made it a habit to drink water....as much as I can. I usually drink a whole cup/glass before each meal and some in between. I'll flavor it sometimes with many different flavors. Those pouches are generally only 5-10 calories. I think this has helped greatly.

One thing I've added is a Probiotic for digestive help. I think this has really helped but can't guarantee it.

Our church starts a 21 days of prayer and fasting on 1/1. It's basically the Daniel fast as in Fruits, vegetables and nuts allowed i.e. whole foods. Last year me and my wife lasted 3 days before succumbing to starvation . We've told ourselves we'll do better this year as we were unprepared last year.

I think you guys hit the nail on the head earlier. The key is not to diet but just change your habits. The second you tell yourself your on a diet your sub conscience starts rebel against you.

If I end up getting to 150 it'll be the first time since I was in my 20s.

That's fantastic, K.

I love the idea of a spiritual fasting like that for cleansing all kind of things. I'm not going to tell you what I've had to eat today, but I want to commend you for your great work and root you on as you begin 2017. Keep it up!

[MickintheHam]

Congrats Critter!

Darrell, speaking of probiotics, a great breakfast or snack idea is at Publix. In the produce section they sell yogurt with fresh berries and granola. It comes in a dome cup. I get it as a snack or as breakfast. It is a great, healthy grab and go item. It takes no longer than stopping at McD's. Individual plastic spoons are at the end of the case.

[MickintheHam]

I miss my old physician. He and I were the same age. Anytime I complained he told me it was because I was getting old.

But he and I had a lot of good conversations about weight loss. The key take away was eating less. When you are overweight it mostly because you eat too much. As you age metabolism slows and you don't burn off the calories you were eating that made you overweight. So you gain more weight. In my case some of the meds were designed to lower metabolism. And as the the doc told me, you would have to do an incredible amount of exercise to lose any weight if eating remained a constant. So while I exercise some, the key to losing weight is to watch what I eat. It is so hard to do.

[Darrell KSR]

I miss my old physician. He and I were the same age. Anytime I complained he told me it was because I was getting old.

But he and I had a lot of good conversations about weight loss. The key take away was eating less. When you are overweight it mostly because you eat too much. As you age metabolism slows and you don't burn off the calories you were eating that made you overweight. So you gain more weight. In my case some of the meds were designed to lower metabolism. And as the the doc told me, you would have to do an incredible amount of exercise to lose any weight if eating remained a constant. So while I exercise some, the key to losing weight is to watch what I eat. It is so hard to do.

I am finding that to be absolutely the case with me. Not losing weight, regardless of exercise (although I have not become an exercise fiend), and I'm not just referring to recent events in the last month or so. I have to learn to eat less. I do well for breakfast and lunch, usually, but I falter from about 4pm til midnight, during my "eating frenzy" stage of the day.

Great idea about the Publix yogurt snack/.unch thing. I have one close to my work and one close to my home and one close to where I teach a 5pm class one day a week, sometimes two days. In fact, I have grabbed a McDonald's drive-through before in route to the 5pm class, and the Publix (Valleydale/Caldwell Mill Road) is right behind it. Crazy.

Update on the heart-healthy mixed nuts from Walmart--as I said, I picked up a large can that day. That night, I had a handful of nuts, and they worked fantastic. In fact, they worked so much that is all I ate for the evening--no dinner, no other nuts, no nothing, because--I forgot--many nuts give me bad indigestion. I can eat things like pistachios, but other nuts, like peanuts and walnuts, are ones in which I have a big food intolerance.

So I need to either get "just" the kind of nuts I can eat (pistachios, almonds, and then I have to see), or go a different direction with that.

[badrose]

I forgot about probiotics! I use Perfect Biotics. One every evening with my meal. They're wonderful.

[elicat]

And as the the doc told me, you would have to do an incredible amount of exercise to lose any weight if eating remained a constant. So while I exercise some, the key to losing weight is to watch what I eat. It is so hard to do.

This week I finally quit trying to handle my weight on my own when I hit a new high (260). I went the physician-supervised route. 800 calories a day for seven days starting yesterday to start with, but only twenty minutes a day of walking for exercise. So that's the proportion.

800 calories ain't much, in case you were wondering. I'm thinking of being hungry all the time as a badge of honor!

For some reason I remember that when I graduated from high school I weighed 184. I'll never see that again, but getting to about 200 or odd change over it would be good.

[Darrell KSR]

800!

If you don't mind, I would enjoy reading what you eat and drink for a couple - few days to see what it is like, if you get a chance to post it here.

Also, after your first week, what calorie intake are you going to consume?

[Darrell KSR]

By the way, my first trip to the doctor in many, many years is coming up Wednesday.

[elicat]

When you look at the menu options it's pretty austere. This morning I had one boiled egg and a protein replacement shake. (One of those goes with every meal.) At lunch in a bit I'll have 4oz of chicken breast and 4 oz of salad with various vegetables, plus the shake. Dinner is pretty much like lunch. I can have one shake by itself for a snack during the day.

There are a few other options. A little oatmeal can replace the egg, no sweetener in it though, which makes that pretty much inedible. Fish or pork can replace the chicken.

I don't remember how much the calorie intake goes up next week. There are five "phases," and there are little changes in each one.

Before I got on the scale on Monday I would have said this would not be worth it, I'd rather be fat. But once I was actually that fat and knew it, it became worth it.

[Darrell KSR]

My wife and I joined as a two-person team this afternoon on "Scale Back Alabama," where the goal is to lose 10 pounds in two months.

My official weigh-in was 235.0 this afternoon. That's wearing clothes, keys in pocket, wallet, etc., so it's about 230, I'd guess, in the morning when I normally weigh the least.

I need to weigh 225 or less in two months. Going to work on it. Ought to be doable, except I haven't lost real weight in a long time.

My wife goes to the gym often--usually 5 times a week--and walks at a brisk pace about 4-1/2 to 5 miles on the treadmill, in about 75 minutes. And she hasn't lost weight in 16 years (since my youngest was born), according to her. So I don't think she's going to make it, but we are going to encourage each other as a team.

If the team members both lose the pounds, they are entered into a drawing for 9 team prizes. Odds are pretty small, since it is state-wide, but it's just for fun anyway.

If only one team member loses the pounds, that individual is entered into a drawing for a $100 achievement award, where they give out 40 of them. Again, odds will be small, but it's just for fun.

There are android and iphone apps for it, too.

[elicat]

My wife and I joined as a two-person team this afternoon on "Scale Back Alabama," where the goal is to lose 10 pounds in two months.

Heard about that on the radio the other day. Maybe I should sign up. I might have lost ten pounds by the end of next week at this rate!

[Darrell KSR]

One packet of instant oatmeal and a banana for breakfast. Check.

[blueboss]

My wife and I joined as a two-person team this afternoon on "Scale Back Alabama," where the goal is to lose 10 pounds in two months.

My official weigh-in was 235.0 this afternoon. That's wearing clothes, keys in pocket, wallet, etc., so it's about 230, I'd guess, in the morning when I normally weigh the least.

I need to weigh 225 or less in two months. Going to work on it. Ought to be doable, except I haven't lost real weight in a long time.

My wife goes to the gym often--usually 5 times a week--and walks at a brisk pace about 4-1/2 to 5 miles on the treadmill, in about 75 minutes. And she hasn't lost weight in 16 years (since my youngest was born), according to her. So I don't think she's going to make it, but we are going to encourage each other as a team.

If the team members both lose the pounds, they are entered into a drawing for 9 team prizes. Odds are pretty small, since it is state-wide, but it's just for fun anyway.

If only one team member loses the pounds, that individual is entered into a drawing for a $100 achievement award, where they give out 40 of them. Again, odds will be small, but it's just for fun.

There are android and iphone apps for it, too.

I see you didn't list your wife's weight...you Sir are a very wise man!! Wiser beyond your weight in gold!!!


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[Darrell KSR]

Not wise. She didn't even tell me! I was there at weigh-in, and she would not let me see.

I have an idea, based on information given to doctors when she had an outpatient thing earlier this year, but you're right, she'd destroy me if I told. And it's much better than mine for me, but that's irrelevant to a woman!

[Darrell KSR]

Two hard boiled eggs for lunch.

Don't worry, I promise I'm not going to do this for every meal, just my way of being publicly accountable.

[Darrell KSR]

I am starving, by the way. I am going to have a snack in a minute. Drinking as much water as I can, with some coffee in between.

[Darrell KSR]

Banana.

[Darrell KSR]

We had chicken tacos last night, but I just had grilled chicken, tomatoes, salsa, onions and lettuce. Had a boiled egg before bed. Was a good day.

Woke up a little hungry, so had a mini-breakfast of another hard boiled egg.

#8tolose10

[Darrell KSR]

Have started with Bragg's organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (ACV) with "mother" now. I'm not believing it is a true weight loss thing, but I like the pectin in it as a little suppressant, I like the probiotics of the "mother" and the (at least anecdotal) ability to control and manage indigestion and acid reflux. I was prescribed proton pump inhibitors (nexium, prilosec) years ago for acid reflux and was told by my gastroenterologist I would have to take it daily for the rest of my life.

Instead, I learned over time I could control the acid with fewer doses. Maybe 2-3 per week, maximum. Friend of mine had the same issue, same diagnosis and prescriptions from 20 years ago, and I ran into him the other day and asked him how he was doing. I told him that I was managing mine with reducing the daily doses down to a lot less. He told me he hasn't had any for several years since he began taking ACV daily.

We'll see about that. I know my stomach creates far more acid than it needs; but I'm hoping weight loss and maybe ACV will either eliminate the need or at least further reduce and control the need for proton pump inhibitor medication.

[catmanjack]

How much ACV do you drink daily?

[Darrell KSR]

3 teaspoons currently, at most. Will be 2 today. It's on the light side, but I am going to ease into it.

Mix 1 teaspoon with 8 ounces of water, and drink 30 minutes or so before meals. The water alone will be beneficial.

[catmanjack]

Starting to have bad acid myself and taking prilosec but usually can control mine with the foods I eat.

[catmanjack]

I have heard there is the burn plant in liquid form that works really well too, will have to
find the name.

[elicat]

I jokingly said I might have lost ten pounds by the end of the week on this crazy diet. Turns out I'm down 11 as of this morning!

[Darrell KSR]

I jokingly said I might have lost ten pounds by the end of the week on this crazy diet. Turns out I'm down 11 as of this morning!

That's great, elicat.

There's probably some reasonable scientific explanation for it, and mine is not as drastic, but I, too, have lost EDIT--only 4.5, not 6--made an error in what I thought I initially weighed-- pounds in 7 days as well. The math doesn't really work for more than about 1-1/2 to 2 pound loss, so I can't really explain why it is more than that.

My maximum calorie intake during these 7 days has been 1238 calories, and I'm not necessarily trying to keep them that low, but just leaving leeway for a 1500 calorie thing. I'm trying to lose 15 pounds in this "Scale back Alabama" deal, and if I "fall short" and "only" lose 10 in 8 weeks, I won't be too disappointed, but I really want 15, especially with the fast start.

[blueboss]

I'm almost back in shape to do cardio. I'm up to ten minutes and in 4th day out of the 5 day goal, I'll bump it up to 15-20 minutes for the next 5 days, and then I should be good to go 40 minutes five days a week



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[Darrell KSR]

223.8. Lowest in awhile. Want to hit 215 if I can in March when I weigh back in on Scale Back Alabama. No bonuses for losing more than 10, but I think it would be cool.

In the past 8 days, my highest calorie total is still 1275. No exercise this week so far; but going to try to go around lunchtime today.

[Darrell KSR]

8 days worth of inputting every speck of food that went into my mouth. I'm not sure I'm eating "right," and as long as I am dropping some weight due to the caloric dietary intake, I'm not going to worry much about it, but for future reference....

Last night I had Chicken Salad Chick, which was not good for the diet, as evidenced by the 1140 calories alone I consumed for dinner, which is about what I've had for many of the entire days. Plus there was a lot of fat in those chicken salad scoops, which I guess makes sense, now that I think of it. I have to pay closer attention to what I eat when we go out. Much easier to control at home.

I'm guessing I'm not eating enough protein, I'm still having too much fat, not enough fiber, too much sodium, etc. I'll work on that after I get a little more weight under control.


8 Days of Diet.jpg

EDIT--thanks to the Fitbit App for all of the numbers. I just put them on the spreadsheet for ease of viewing.

DOUBLE EDIT--the average snacks number is actually 159.25. I did not have a "0" input for Tuesday, which skewed the numbers, since it divided by 1 fewer than it should have.

[blueboss]

223.8. Lowest in awhile. Want to hit 215 if I can in March when I weigh back in on Scale Back Alabama. No bonuses for losing more than 10, but I think it would be cool.

In the past 8 days, my highest calorie total is still 1275. No exercise this week so far; but going to try to go around lunchtime today.

Now you've got me motivated. I creeped up to 234...now it's on. Tonight I started on my 15-20 minute week. I went just over 17 and am still alive. I'll start looking at diet here in a week or two.... first things first.


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