2016 Walking, Exercise, Weight Loss Member Challenge Thread

[MickintheHam]

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.

[CitizenBBN]

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.

[BigBluePappy]

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.

[Darrell KSR]

Congrats, Pappy! Those are great numbers!

[BigBluePappy]

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.

[blueboss]

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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[Darrell KSR]

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.

[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. 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.

[blueboss]

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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[Darrell KSR]

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.

[Darrell KSR]

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. 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.

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.

[BigBluePappy]

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.

[KSRBEvans]

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.

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.

[blueboss]

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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[KSRBEvans]

In a boot. 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.

[KSRBEvans]

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."

[Darrell KSR]

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.

[KSRBEvans]

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

[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.

[blueboss]

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.

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


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[Darrell KSR]

I'm going to Japan next month and wanted to run in a 5k or 10k race as a cool thing to do. Unfortunately, I did not realize how running crazy they are there. Their cutoff for entries occurred months ago. I am told they have lotteries to see who gets in. For many of their races, they have cutoffs for like 10,000 people. Very disappointed. Wanted to get a momento like a finisher's medal with Mt. Fuji on it or something.

[PedroDaGr8]

I'm going to Japan next month and wanted to run in a 5k or 10k race as a cool thing to do. Unfortunately, I did not realize how running crazy they are there. Their cutoff for entries occurred months ago. I am told they have lotteries to see who gets in. For many of their races, they have cutoffs for like 10,000 people. Very disappointed. Wanted to get a momento like a finisher's medal with Mt. Fuji on it or something.

Which part of Japan are you going to?

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[Darrell KSR]

Which part of Japan are you going to?

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Mainly Osaka, but also staying in Tokyo, with trips to Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima and Mt. Fuji (maybe). Like everything my family does in life, we're still putting it together but at least we have flights and hotels booked.

[PedroDaGr8]

Mainly Osaka, but also staying in Tokyo, with trips to Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima and Mt. Fuji (maybe). Like everything my family does in life, we're still putting it together but at least we have flights and hotels booked.

Nice! We are going to Vietnam in May and might end up in Japan at the end May to visit a Japanese friend who will be there renewing her business visa (she is a 21st generation sake brewer who is now making sake up here in WA because their original brewery is inside the Fukashima exclusion zone). We have a long list of recommendations of things to do in Kyoto from her from when we visited a little over a year ago. I'll send it your way in case it can help. Kyoto was super beautiful when we visited and we really wished we had more time there.

One thing of note: If you want to visit Fushimi Inari (the Kyoto temple with the famous red-orange gates) plan to get there super early, like around 6 am early. The crowds really start arriving by around 7am. By the time we left the temple at 8am it was jam packed. Also, the hike to the top is around 2.5 miles long and around 750ft elevation change. My advice, unless you are dead set going to the top, just go to the main landing (the junction of the first leg and the loop trail that goes to the top). That will give you 90+% of the experience of going all the way to the top without having to spend the time and energy doing the rest of the hike.

Also, if you are a watch person, there is a really nice local watchmaker in Kyoto (brand is Kuoe) that both makes the watch there and uses Japanese movements (mostly Miyota).

[blueboss]

Nice! We are going to Vietnam in May and might end up in Japan at the end May to visit a Japanese friend who will be there renewing her business visa (she is a 21st generation sake brewer who is now making sake up here in WA because their original brewery is inside the Fukashima exclusion zone). We have a long list of recommendations of things to do in Kyoto from her from when we visited a little over a year ago. I'll send it your way in case it can help. Kyoto was super beautiful when we visited and we really wished we had more time there.

One thing of note: If you want to visit Fushimi Inari (the Kyoto temple with the famous red-orange gates) plan to get there super early, like around 6 am early. The crowds really start arriving by around 7am. By the time we left the temple at 8am it was jam packed. Also, the hike to the top is around 2.5 miles long and around 750ft elevation change. My advice, unless you are dead set going to the top, just go to the main landing (the junction of the first leg and the loop trail that goes to the top). That will give you 90+% of the experience of going all the way to the top without having to spend the time and energy doing the rest of the hike.

Also, if you are a watch person, there is a really nice local watchmaker in Kyoto (brand is Kuoe) that both makes the watch there and uses Japanese movements (mostly Miyota).

Ooooo, I want a watch.

I really never thought about Japan as a tour destination, but you guys are intriguing me with the thought of adding it to the travel list.


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[blueboss]

Oh yeah, Lent and no sweets has me cruising around 217 down from bouncing around the 227/230 mark at the start of lent…my first of the year exercise thing went sideways with some ailments. Nothing serious, just good sound excuse not to exercise.


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[Darrell KSR]

Nice! We are going to Vietnam in May and might end up in Japan at the end May to visit a Japanese friend who will be there renewing her business visa (she is a 21st generation sake brewer who is now making sake up here in WA because their original brewery is inside the Fukashima exclusion zone). We have a long list of recommendations of things to do in Kyoto from her from when we visited a little over a year ago. I'll send it your way in case it can help. Kyoto was super beautiful when we visited and we really wished we had more time there.

One thing of note: If you want to visit Fushimi Inari (the Kyoto temple with the famous red-orange gates) plan to get there super early, like around 6 am early. The crowds really start arriving by around 7am. By the time we left the temple at 8am it was jam packed. Also, the hike to the top is around 2.5 miles long and around 750ft elevation change. My advice, unless you are dead set going to the top, just go to the main landing (the junction of the first leg and the loop trail that goes to the top). That will give you 90+% of the experience of going all the way to the top without having to spend the time and energy doing the rest of the hike.

Also, if you are a watch person, there is a really nice local watchmaker in Kyoto (brand is Kuoe) that both makes the watch there and uses Japanese movements (mostly Miyota).

Great tips. I love watches, but my wife would probably unalive me if I found something I couldn't be without, so I may have to skip that, although man, it would be cool. I don't have that many, but I have a small nice collection of a couple--while I wear my Garmin Venu 3 everywhere lol.

Ribbonfish is a good longtime poster here too, lives in Tokyo--doesn't post much, but he's been around forever, and I connected with him. Hoping to at least say hello while we're there, and he was also kind enough to share some tips.

Son is a big Pokemon nerd, and yesterday I was up at 3:30 a.m. attempting to get reservations 31 days in advance when reservations opened at 6pm Japan time at the Pokemon Cafe in Osaka so my daughter (who is now in her 2nd year living there) could join us. Daughter also attempted at 6pm her time while I attempted at 4 a.m. my time--we both struck out, but we simultaneously used a booking service (don't tell anyone) and they landed a reservation for us. They only have seating for 140 and they go literally in seconds. We'll be in Osaka, then to Tokyo, then back to Osaka as our bases -- we will be watching our daughter in different shows at USJ a couple of days, and fortunately, she'll be off a couple of days each weekend and also taking a couple of days off, so she'll be our tour guide, too for a good part of the trip.

I'm probably looking forward to Kyoto more than anything and the Fushimi Inari, just as you said. If you do get a chance, I'd appreciate any recommendations you have, too.

[bigsky]

Ohio! Kyoto was my favorite place in Japan. Tokyo is overwhelming. I was constantly worried I'd miss a train stop and be lost forever. The movie "Lost in Translation" had some of what I felt trying to get around in Tokyo.

Not a recommendation, but we were working in Fukui. Fukui was a good place to get close, see the old men who were WWII veterans and their obvious hostility as i walked the town square, unknown to me a memorial for WWII dead, their looks understandable, but it did have a smaller, midwestern city feel. We spent all our work time north of Fukui at the Dinosaur museum up near where some year of Olympics were held. I was lucky enough to get drunk with one of the main guys from "hello kitty" there and eat everything off the fried foods picture menu with him. After that, no more saki with a plum in it for me, strictly a biiru guy. Compai!

But Kyoto! Get up and wander the little residential streets with their tiny bucket gardens of orchids and other plants, or go to the old emperor's palace, or walk near the river, or walk around the women's university up on the hill near our hotel, or go down to the Geisha district at night, all spared from bombing by the historian air corps general who did not want to burn the old capital, Kyo-to, rather than the new capital, To-Kyo. The orchids were amazing, decades old or even older, huge cascades of flowers.

I enjoyed the bullet trains and loading on the airplane, (stampede), and watching the airplane land on the screen from the camera underneath the plane. Some of the best chinese food I've ever eaten was in Tokyo. Can't say I ever got used to Japanese breakfast, cold noodles and fish flakes, just for example, but the McDonalds had a egg mcmuffin like sandwich with some kind of relish on it that did the trick.

We were there immediately after the Fukishima reactor meltdown. The country was on low electricity so very little air conditioning and all the government guys i was hanging with wore short sleeve shirts and ties, and suits were banned. I brought the Governor a bottle of Elmer T Lee, because Montana whiskey is bad. The country was somewhat riveted, understandably, to the televised investigations and on going reports from the meltdown.

Ex got heat stroke. It was amazingly hot and humid. Since we did not go to southern Japan, Bozeman had/has a sister city there, I did not have to eat horse.

Appropriate to the thread, I lost weight while there.

[PedroDaGr8]

Sent you a DM with the recommendation info! Also responded to a DM from you that I missed!

[Darrell KSR]

Received, thanks!