Obesity Discussion Forums

[Jack Of Oz]

Thought I'd start a new thread here to detail *hopefully * losing my last 35 pounds or so. When I joined here in early November I'd already lost 20 pounds (since September) and have lost exactly a stone since then. Today I'm sitting on 201 pounds and hope to be at my half way point within the next few days.

My strategy so far has been to basically watch my calorie intake (without actually counting them) but to concentrate on stripping unnecessary fats out of my diet and engage in exercise up to 2 hours a day. I walk my dog (let him off the leash) very briskly for 40/45 min twice a day and also engage in some weight exercises and situps/pushups twice a day. Nothing too strenuous but enough to build up a sweat.

With my diet, I like to stick to things I enjoy eating. I'm a weetabix kid from way back so 3 1/2 weetabix and some peach slices start my day off nicely. Lunch is usually a tuna or ham sandwich on wholegrain, it was smoked salmon for a while but got fed up of that and am taking a rest. I sometimes also have a vegetable soup for lunch if I don't feel like a sandwich. For dinner I eat basically what the family has but my wife makes sure its healthy, chicken, steak or pasta... with either baked potato and salad/veg. Snacks are fruit and low cal yoghurts... sometimes fruit salad and some low fat ice cream. Not a big coffee drinker so limit them to one a day and have given up even diet coke now and drink either water or diet flavoured mineral water (no cals).

Have just basically thrown all the junk out of my diet (no one had a bigger sweet tooth than me) and limited my alcohol intake... just a few light beers now and thats been the secret of my loss until now... just want to keep it going and aim for my goal of 75 kilos (165 lbs)... when I get there I'll see if I need to fine tune... have an aim also to eventually get my body fat count down to 15%... think its about 27.5% presently having been up near to 40% when I started. My BMI is also down to under 30 for the first time in years so I'm happy with that also having been up at near 35 in September.

Anyway thats about it from me... any suggestions or observations are welcome... and thanks to all those out there that have kept me motivated the last couple of months...

Jack

[Obesity Discussion]

Congratulations so far!!! I have to ask, what are Weetabix? Getting rid of the junk, watching the amount of food you eat and upping the exercise routine seems to have really paid off! It's amazing how just a few changes could have such an impact. Everything on the food list looks great, though I don't know if I'd qualify pasta as healthy.

Keep doing what you're doing, as it's pushing you in the right direction!

[Jack Of Oz]

Originally Posted by Obesity Discussion

Congratulations so far!!! I have to ask, what are Weetabix? Getting rid of the junk, watching the amount of food you eat and upping the exercise routine seems to have really paid off! It's amazing how just a few changes could have such an impact. Everything on the food list looks great, though I don't know if I'd qualify pasta as healthy.

Keep doing what you're doing, as it's pushing you in the right direction!

sems to be a British/aussie type brekkie bran cereal, thought Kelloggs was an all American brand... surprised you guys haven't got it but no doubt theres something similar with a different name

Well I did use to eat a lot of junk... and skip breakfast... so it was a pretty BIG change really and thats before I added exercise to my previous near nothing regime..

:: The Weetabix Food Company

[Obesity Discussion]

Thanks for the Weetabix background If it's not loaded with sugar, we don't have it here.

[Audrey]

Congrats on all your weight loss so far! You're just about half way there

Good idea on the blog! I know mine has helped me focus on my goals a lot more, even if I haven't really gotten much closer to achieving them. It's nice to have a place to write down your thoughts on the whole process as well.

You've lost just about 15% of your original body weight so far! Keep up the great work!

[Jack Of Oz]

Originally Posted by Audrey

Congrats on all your weight loss so far! You're just about half way there

Good idea on the blog! I know mine has helped me focus on my goals a lot more, even if I haven't really gotten much closer to achieving them. It's nice to have a place to write down your thoughts on the whole process as well.

You've lost just about 15% of your original body weight so far! Keep up the great work!

Thanks Audrey... thought I was going to get to half way this morning... perhaps tomorrow now?

Hadn't thought of it as 15% of my body weight but yeah makes a big difference I can tell you

[sass63]

Congrats Jack your doing an awesome job! Keep up the good work and you will hit your goals in no time.

[Jack Of Oz]

Originally Posted by sass63

Congrats Jack your doing an awesome job! Keep up the good work and you will hit your goals in no time.

thanks sass

well cracked the half way mark today ... 200 llbs ... so into the last 35 lbs as of today.

took me just under 3 months to lose the first half and I'm settling down to about a 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) loss per week as of the last few...

haven't given a timescale to lose the next 35 lbs as of yet but will try to knock it off by the end of March... might slow down a bit before then as I get smaller?!?... I don't know how these things work as have never lost weight before ... anyway thats the plan stan!

[Obesity Discussion]

You will probably slow down, as you need to keep readjusting your intake as you drop pounds......

[Jack Of Oz]

don't want to eat any less than I am now tbh... am comfortable with the amount and not having any hunger cravings... will look at maybe increasing my activity rate in my exercising mid way through January but will just go with whats been working for me up until now or at least until I hit a brick wall and will then maybe look for some suggestions?!? ... thanks for your reply and support

[Audrey]

Originally Posted by Jack Of Oz

don't want to eat any less than I am now tbh... am comfortable with the amount and not having any hunger cravings... will look at maybe increasing my activity rate in my exercising mid way through January but will just go with whats been working for me up until now or at least until I hit a brick wall and will then maybe look for some suggestions?!? ... thanks for your reply and support

Yay for half way there!

Just play it by ear. Remember though, it's good to switch things up every now and then. I just switched up my exercise routine (trying HIIT) and man, it's kicking my butt! I thought I was in shape!

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by Jack Of Oz

don't want to eat any less than I am now tbh... am comfortable with the amount and not having any hunger cravings... will look at maybe increasing my activity rate in my exercising mid way through January but will just go with whats been working for me up until now or at least until I hit a brick wall and will then maybe look for some suggestions?!? ... thanks for your reply and support

If you add exercise then that should keep you going on a solid weight loss path, as your calorie deficit will continue to increase.....that should keep you from having to change your intake for a while.

[Jack Of Oz]

thanks Audrey... have checked out that HIIT and might give it a bash... se if it works for me... sounds like it might bust my butt too!

[Obesity Discussion]

HIIT is intense....especially the first time. I've gotten a few people locally to try it and they're pretty beat afterwards

[Jack Of Oz]

Originally Posted by Obesity Discussion

HIIT is intense....especially the first time. I've gotten a few people locally to try it and they're pretty beat afterwards

did a bit of jogging today... felt ok so am going to start on Monday... found this 'course' on the net so will try this one...

Muscle Media

going to incorporate it into a 40min session including a warm up and warm down from Monday and see how it goes... will push myself as hard as I can without killing me

will jog on for next 3/4 days in anticipation...

will also be interesting to see if it budges my weight... been pretty static for a couple of weeks now compared to earlier losses but as has been pointed out to me by a few people this was probably only to be expected..

[Jack Of Oz]

Might have mentioned previously that it was a visit to the doctors back in September that kick started my weight loss... was told I'd need to go on meds because my cholesterol was too high but asked for three months to see if I could turn it around.

Well got my 3 month tests back this morning and firstly the doc was extremely impressed with my weight loss down from 108 Kg to 92 Kg on his scales (clothed)... my cholesterol results were pretty good too apparently... with just my LDL (bad cholesterol) to bring down a bit further... theres nothing else I can do to bring this down seemingly... was told to just do what I've been doing and it will be a natural reduction when the body is good and ready... seems years of unhealthy living takes time to reverse...

Anyway got the following normal levels at the following site:

http://www.abc.net.au/health/library/stories/2006/08/03/1829380.htm

Total cholesterol: less than 5.5 mmol/l - Mine 5.5 down from 7.4
LDL: less than 3.5 mmol/l - Mine 3.8 down from 5.1
HDL: greater than 1.0 mmol/l - Mine 1.2
LDL to HDL ratio: less than 4 - Mine 3.3
Triglycerides: less than 2.0 mmol/l - Mine 1.2

Also he had done tests on my liver and kidneys and despite years of alcoholic abuse he said they were remarkably healthy and had repaired over the last 3 months... must admit I'd given them a bit of punishment just prior to the last test...

hehe gonna live forever..

[Obesity Discussion]

Wow, good for you!!!!! You must be feeling really good about yourself now!

[sass63]

WTG Jack thats great and thanks for the link for the HIIT I didnt have a clue what that was all about.

[Jack Of Oz]

Originally Posted by sass63

WTG Jack thats great and thanks for the link for the HIIT I didnt have a clue what that was all about.

hey neither did I till Audrey mentioned it and thanks OD... yeah am feeling pretty good all round at the moment I must admit... should have done it literally two decades ago!

[sass63]

Originally Posted by Jack Of Oz

hey neither did I till Audrey mentioned it and thanks OD... yeah am feeling pretty good all round at the moment I must admit... should have done it literally two decades ago!

I hear you on the decades ago! but whats the most important is we are doing it now.