Old, formerly fat guys

I'm 58, 6'4" and this January I hit 322 on the scale. I've been wanting to try something but I didn't know what. I've done Wt. Watchers in the past and had some success, but I know the diet alone wasn't what I needed to get into any kind of decent shape. (I know, round is a shape, LOL). I saw a video someone shared on facebook about an overweight disabled veteran named Arthur Boorman. Google it. Long story short, he bought some dvds produced by a former pro wrestler named Diamond Dallas Page. Its a cardio yoga work out that doesn't require a gym membership, expensive equipment, or a huge time commitment. 20 to 30 minutes, three times a week starting out. I just crossed the 30 day mark and I've lost 11 pounds, 2 inches off my chest and 3 inches off my waist (gut). I am eating healthier but I'm also feeling better. The two can kind of feed off each other. I've upped the workouts to about 5 a week, but who doesn't have a half an hour a day to get their life back? I can't do all the moves, but modifications are shown, and I can do moves now that I couldn't do last week. Progress. Check it out on you tube.
It ain't your Mama's yoga!
 
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Try to not eat after 5:30 pm. Start reading labels. Eat a serving, as measured by whatever the label says. Count or keep track of the calories you eat. Weigh yourself every morning. It takes weeks to change bad eating habits. I know, I weighed over 220 lbs at 5'9" but now down to 178. Still would like to lose 18 pounds.
Keep at it. It can be done.
 
I'm 5'10" inches tall, 61 years old, and last March I weighed in at 203 lbs. Note, by the standard BMI charts this is "overweight" and heading towards obese. For a lot of years my weight would range between 165 and 175 but after quitting smoking in 2012 my weight started going up.

So after 40 years of a 1 1/2 pack a day habit and being basically a couch potato I decided I needed to mend my ways after the sudden death of my older brother who was only 59. Step One was quitting smoking as noted. Last March I started on Step Two. Which was to get a bit wiser about my diet. McDonalds is now a once per week treat on Monday morning and that treat is a Sausage McMuffin with no egg with a Diet Coke. Note, that Diet Coke is my weekly allotment for that beverage, the rest of the time is either Tea, Milk, or Gatoraide G2. I started Step Three May 15, 2015 and that was to start exercising daily and it's where where I made the most significant gains in losing weight. Started out by walking just 1 measly mile and slowly built my mileage and pace up until I was walking/jogging 6 miles a day after work and doing up to 10 miles a day on the weekends. December 11, 2015 I weighed in at 162 lbs. at my Doctor's office. Do the math and that works out to an average weight loss of just 1.5 lbs. a week. The lesson here is that those claims about doing this or that resulting in losing 20 lbs. in 1 or 2 weeks is a boat load of BUNK. Getting weight off and keeping it off has no easy fixes, you have to change your habits and commit to making those changes permanent.

Note, last October I joind a gym so I could still exercise when the weather is miserable and I am fortunate that it's only 4/10 mile from my house. Now I will typically work out for 1 to 1.5 hours 6 days a week. For me joining a gym provided an alternate means of exercising when I overdid the walking and ended up with a severely inflamed 4th metatarsal in my right foot that kept me from doing any real walking for 6 weeks. Tip, when you feel a pain like stepping on a pea sized stone in your shoe stop walking immediately and go to a zero impact exercise until you are 100% pain free. My foot got so bad I had so see a podiatrist and get 2 rounds of cortisone. When that happened I shifted my cardio from the treadmill to some new torture devices, as in recumbant and erect stationary bikes and an eliptical trainer. Take it from someone who has been there, it's a lot less strenuous to walk or run than it is to ride a stationary bike or elliptical trainer for long periods of time. You'll also discover that you don't use the same muscles in the same way on any of these devices, the bikes will light your backside and thighs on fire and the elliptical gets every muscle above the knee in the legs burning.

Now for my current status. I'm still weighing in between 161 and 164 lbs. but I am MUCH more fit than I was even two months ago. I've equipped myself with a Garmin Forerunner 15 with a heart monitor and a typical session will average about 800 calories burned with an average heart rate of about 140-145. My resting pulse has dropped from 80 last May to 54 last Saturday. I can also crank the incline on the treadmill up to 10% and go at a 15 minute per mile pace for a full hour without my heart rate going over 140. Note, on the elliptical or bike I'll typically be going at it for 40-50 minutes with a heart rate between 150 and 160. Crank the resistance and pace up on those machines and they'll really give you a workout. On the treadmill I limit myself at present due to my foot issues. I've also started taking Whey Protein supplements because at our age these are essential for building muscle. Until I started taking supplements I was stuck on a plateau I just could not get past.

Note, I am working towards a personal goal, thus the reason for the high intensity of my workouts. That goal is to go for a run with my brother in law and beat him. Granted, a rather silly goal but boys will be boys even when they are Old Farts. BTW, Evan is a lifelong runner who still does 3 miles a day after retiring from the Air Force. So, I may not actually be able to beat him with my history of smoking but by golly I'm going to try. On the plus side I do feel REALLY good now and even if I often dread going to the gym after about 10 minutes of cardio the endorphins start to kick in and I actually start enjoying it.

Final tips. First and Foremost, get good shoes and plan on replacing them about every 200 miles. Because worn out soles will beat up your feet and cause problems like metatarsalgia or stress fractures. Second, Dr. Scholls Active Series or Edge Sport shoe inserts are something I consider essential. Because as you age the connective tissues in the soles of your feet get thinner. Third, BUILD UP SLOWLY. That means don't plan on running even 100 feet for at least 3 months after you've started long distance walking. Try and progress too quickly and you'll end up needing knee surgery. Walking reduces the load on your knees by 50-70% and you'll actually burn more calories per mile walking than you would running. I'll also tell you have there are a lot of physicians today that feel that people really shouldn't do a lot of long distance running at our age due to the damage to the joints it can cause. If you want a low harm exercise walking is the finest exercise you can do and even if your pulse rate tops out at 130 doing that for 2 hours will provide plenty of cardio. I'll also tell you that Plantar Fasciitis is something that any runner or walker our age will become well acquainted with. Note, this is a pain in the sole of the foot on standing or walking after being idle for a moderate or long period of time. When I get up in the morning the first 50 steps or so can be rather painful. However, once I walk for enough distance to get my feet loosened up the pain vanishes. Note, the standard "cure" for this condition is total rest of the feet for up to 6 months. Since this condition typically doesn't cause any real damage you really don't need to do this. However, if you can't "walk the pain away" within 100 to 200 feet don't push your luck and get yourself to a podiatrist. Because pain that doesn't ease quickly with some light exercise is an indication of an underlying condition that really does need treatment.
 
I'm mid 50s and started weight watchers with my wife at the first of year. I'm down 15 lbs. and feeling great. 5 more to go for my goal, then I'll try and stay in a +- 5 lbs range.

I never thought I'd do something like weightwatchers but it works for us. ;)
 
Unfortunately, the only way I can lose weight is to quit drinking. Lost 20lbs last year eating sticks and greens and vegitables, and no beer. Started drinking beer and eating pizza again around Christmas and gained back 10lbs. I gotta lose it again, my knees are killing me.
 
yup, I don't drink much anymore. A couple beers if going out to eat on Friday night is about it. A beer is as bad for weight as a coke.
 
JCase said:
48, 236 pounds 6'1"

Get My Fitness Pal, it's a free app you run on your phone and a web interface. Works great to easily track and set goals. It can even scan barcodes using your camera. My goal in MFP is 50% protein, 30% carb, 20% fat.

Last year I tried doing P90x... way to much jumping and what not for my knees.

I then went to Body Beast, wow! Now this is a he man workout. I love it.

Use calipers along with your scale. The calipers will help keep you motivated. For example with me. As per the scale over 6 weeks I only lost 4 pounds, but I added .5 inch to my biceps, 1.5 inch to my chest, lost 2 inches to my waist. But here is the kicker!!! By using calipers and scale I know I lost 4 pounds. But gained 3 pounds of muscle! Fat takes up 2 times the physical space on your body verses muscle. Therefore my resting metabolic rate is increased by having more muscle (you burn more calories at rest with more muscle) My percentage of body fat is down which makes me feel good even though it's only 4 pounds.

I look a lot better, feel a lot better even though the scale only showed 4 pounds. I have 5 to 40 pound dumbells. When I started I thought 40 ponders would last me a while, guess what? I need to buy 50's now.

Body Beast has really motivated me. It includes an eating plan and recipes in the program. You even get a free coach with any of the Beach Body programs. P90x was not for me, but they have other programs.

I don't represent or am affiliated in anyway with them. I just feel the have great programs that work.

My coach has a Facebook page that has about 100 people that help to motivate each other and answer all kinds of questions. Especially if you start getting frustrated with your progress.

Edit: motivation example for me. Leg day I lifted a total of 8,000 pounds the next time I did legs I lifted a total of 10,000 pounds. (You only do 1 body part 1 time per week)
Click to expand...

Building muscle slows weight loss. Muscle weighs more than fat.
 
JCase said:
48, 236 pounds 6'1"

Get My Fitness Pal, it's a free app you run on your phone and a web interface. Works great to easily track and set goals. It can even scan barcodes using your camera. My goal in MFP is 50% protein, 30% carb, 20% fat.

Last year I tried doing P90x... way to much jumping and what not for my knees.

I then went to Body Beast, wow! Now this is a he man workout. I love it.

Use calipers along with your scale. The calipers will help keep you motivated. For example with me. As per the scale over 6 weeks I only lost 4 pounds, but I added .5 inch to my biceps, 1.5 inch to my chest, lost 2 inches to my waist. But here is the kicker!!! By using calipers and scale I know I lost 4 pounds. But gained 3 pounds of muscle! Fat takes up 2 times the physical space on your body verses muscle. Therefore my resting metabolic rate is increased by having more muscle (you burn more calories at rest with more muscle) My percentage of body fat is down which makes me feel good even though it's only 4 pounds.

I look a lot better, feel a lot better even though the scale only showed 4 pounds. I have 5 to 40 pound dumbells. When I started I thought 40 ponders would last me a while, guess what? I need to buy 50's now.

Body Beast has really motivated me. It includes an eating plan and recipes in the program. You even get a free coach with any of the Beach Body programs. P90x was not for me, but they have other programs.

I don't represent or am affiliated in anyway with them. I just feel the have great programs that work.

My coach has a Facebook page that has about 100 people that help to motivate each other and answer all kinds of questions. Especially if you start getting frustrated with your progress.

Edit: motivation example for me. Leg day I lifted a total of 8,000 pounds the next time I did legs I lifted a total of 10,000 pounds. (You only do 1 body part 1 time per week)
Click to expand...

That would be great if I had a smart phone.
 
brigeton said:
yup, I don't drink much anymore. A couple beers if going out to eat on Friday night is about it. A beer is as bad for weight as a coke.
Click to expand...

Oh man, don't pick on beer. I walk more so I can drink beer. Beer makes the walking worth it, or is the other way around. Remember it is a lifestyle and attitude change, and if you do not enjoy the food and drink you consume or the exercises you are doing, it will not work. Another hint is only eat if you are hungry. All foods taste better if you are hungry. So things you might not otherwise like, you may find they taste pretty good if you are really hungry.
 
Steak and salad, and only steak and salad everyday will help you loose pounds. I lost twenty five pounds back in the 80's using this diet recommended by a friend. It works!
 
kwselke said:
Oh man, don't pick on beer. I walk more so I can drink beer. Beer makes the walking worth it, or is the other way around. Remember it is a lifestyle and attitude change, and if you do not enjoy the food and drink you consume or the exercises you are doing, it will not work. Another hint is only eat if you are hungry. All foods taste better if you are hungry. So things you might not otherwise like, you may find they taste pretty good if you are really hungry.
Click to expand...

It's not just the calories, I just don't drink that much anymore. Beer doe's taste better to me in the summer when it's hot but most of the time I can take it or leave it. I agree with you on eating something you enjoy. Most of the meals I see on the weight loss websites do not sound appetizing to me at all. I'm in a rural area and a lot of the stuff I don't think my stores even carry. I am going to cut down on carbs.
 
JCase said:
I have 5 to 40 pound dumbells. When I started I thought 40 ponders would last me a while, guess what? I need to buy 50's now.

)
Click to expand...

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/PowerBlock-Elite-Dumbell-50-Pound-pair/dp/B00G7RHGNY/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1455292124&sr=1-1&keywords=Power+block"]Amazon.com : PowerBlock Elite Set Dumbell, 50-Pound (pair) : Dumbbells : Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zSoVHBajL.@@AMEPARAM@@51zSoVHBajL[/ame]

These maybe a good option for Dumbbells. They are cheaper than individual units and can be expanded as you get stronger. Out sports medicine dept uses these and they are great imo.
 
brigeton said:
How did you loose weight? I am 5'11". when I was working I was about 220#, I should have been under 200. I've been retired about a year and a half. Last fall at the doctor I was 235, I didn't have a scale at home but bought one last week and I was 250. Partly because I finally quit smoking about 3-1/2 months ago. So anyway I should be loosing about 50#.
I have an exercise bike I've been riding and cut out the ice cream and did go down to 246 in the last week. I don't mind most vegetables but really don't like lettuce or salad. I want something I can stick with and not go back to my old ways after I loose weight.
Click to expand...


Eat less, move more. Cardio burns calories instantly, strength training permanently raises your metabolism so you continue to burn calories even at rest.
 
I was taught to clean up my plate. The food you leave is better off there than in you.
It took a while to get untrained.
 
David R said:
I was taught to clean up my plate. The food you leave is better off there than in you.
It took a while to get untrained.
Click to expand...

Ah yes, memories of my childhood... Join the Clean Plate Club!

When I get serious about loosing weight I leave one bite left on my plate, in honor of the starving boy in India that would give his right arm for that scrap.

Now that I do almost all of my own cooking I just serve up smaller portions.
 
When in college I went from 180 to 135 in 3 semesters. Whiskey. Lots and lots of whiskey:D

About 22 years ago, I lost around 35 pounds in a month, maybe six weeks. A cheating woman can do that to you:(

Now I need to lose some weight again, but not like before:rolleyes:

Lots of good ideas here, thanks.
 
johnbeaver said:
When in college I went from 180 to 135 in 3 semesters. Whiskey. Lots and lots of whiskey:D

About 22 years ago, I lost around 35 pounds in a month, maybe six weeks. A cheating woman can do that to you:(

Now I need to lose some weight again, but not like before:rolleyes:

Lots of good ideas here, thanks.
Click to expand...

I think back to when I was in my 20s and 30s and how fast I could heal and how much over indulgence my body could absorb, I'm amazed that I survived to see 60.

A lot of the pains and problems I face now I can trace back to trying to get in shape fast when I was younger, or simple accidents and health issues that have come up as I have aged. The facts are it takes time and determination to get into shape at any age. As you get older it takes more time. Determination is needed to go longer and slower, and take time off to rest and recover, and make sure you do not hurt yourself to the point of not being able to continue an active lifestyle. An exercise program and rehab are quite similar, but it is much better to be in a simple exercise program.

If you are going to do a fad diet or magic exercise routine, ask yourself if that is the program you want to be on two to five years from now, or do you just want to lose weight fast then sit on the couch and overeat until you feel bad about yourself or your doctor says you are not going to live much longer if you continue this way.

If you need motivation find motivation. If you need direction find direction. I like to walk and be outside, so I walk outside. I also do upper body resistance exercises three or four times a week.

One final comment. Three minutes on a exercise bike is a warm up at best. A workout would be a minimum of 30 minutes.

Good luck to all.

From an old guy that still feels fat and intends to just keep up doing what I can do to get into better health and physical condition.
 
brigeton said:
How did you loose weight? I am 5'11". when I was working I was about 220#, I should have been under 200. I've been retired about a year and a half. Last fall at the doctor I was 235, I didn't have a scale at home but bought one last week and I was 250. Partly because I finally quit smoking about 3-1/2 months ago. So anyway I should be loosing about 50#.
I have an exercise bike I've been riding and cut out the ice cream and did go down to 246 in the last week. I don't mind most vegetables but really don't like lettuce or salad. I want something I can stick with and not go back to my old ways after I loose weight.
Click to expand...

10lbs so far, 40 or 50 to go.
 
yashua-p said:
I went to the"...think of all the starving children in China...." school of dining.

regards

yashua
Click to expand...

I am pretty sure that doesn't work in this country any longer. But it works for the Chinese mom's that are telling their kids, about the starving children in the USA these days.
 
I am also changing my life style so I can be around for my family years to come. I have lost 40 lbs since beginning of January. Some quick thoughts. Everyone's body is different and responds differently, at my lowest weight as an adult I was 235 and almost sickly.... I am 6'3" tall and very muscular...... Used to bench over 400 lbs in highschool when I played sports. What is working: eliminate as much sugar as you can, it's in everything and stop drinking soda or beer.


Do not eat processed foods of any kind.

Count calories, get an app on your phone to monitor your intake.

Drink plenty of water, all day.

Have coffee after a meal.

Eat good quality vegetables, fruit in moderation.

Reduce breads.

Realize it is a lifestyle change and be diligent. If you screw up a few days, get back on the wagon.

Keep your goals in mind.

Literally tell family friends I am doing this and I will do xyz weight loss this year ......hold yourself accountable
 
What is the difference between steel cut oats and the old fashioned kind as far as weight loss goes? I love oatmeal and have a bowl every morning. Should I switch to the steel cut variety?
 
Plain old oatmeal is where the groats are rolled between progressively closer rollers.

Steel cut is where the groats are chopped by knives.

main difference is that Steel cut oats take longer to cook.

It's all oats.

Don't forget to put some raisins in there...

Skye
 
When I came down with triple pneumonia and a couple of other things at the same time I tested as a type 2 diabetic. I do not test that way now 6 months later but the Dr says I am a diabetic. Go figure. What I did do was get on the diabetic diet, lost 20 pounds. Which allowed me to quit the BP meds. I still need to lose another 20-25 which may be hard to do for my large frame. Kill the carbs, I figured I'd have to eat dirt on the diabetic diet, actually there are lots of good things.

You can get all kinds of free info and diet books. Try it for 10 pounds off and you will be convinced.
 
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