Glad to hear you are pretty healthy and I am so inspired by your weight loss. Perhaps this is just a plateau, the initial pounds come off fast and the rest come off more slowly.
Todd's 50-54 Weight Loss Plan - 25 lbs Down Already
- Thread starter Phog Allen
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Glad to hear you are pretty healthy and I am so inspired by your weight loss. Perhaps this is just a plateau, the initial pounds come off fast and the rest come off more slowly.
You don't lose weight in the gym, you lose weight in the kitchen....
That said, work on packing on muscle. Muscle burns more calories per pound than anything else, you'll automatically lose fat as you gain muscle, presuming your diet is good.
Putting on muscle means heavier weights, fewer reps, and more compound exercises that work your whole body at once instead of isolation exercises.
That said, work on packing on muscle. Muscle burns more calories per pound than anything else, you'll automatically lose fat as you gain muscle, presuming your diet is good.
Putting on muscle means heavier weights, fewer reps, and more compound exercises that work your whole body at once instead of isolation exercises.
GOOD MAN! IMO the two key components are very much in line with your program:
#1. Establish a program of regular physical actiivity.
#2. Eat more meals at home where you can control what goes into your food.
Keep up the good work!
#1. Establish a program of regular physical actiivity.
#2. Eat more meals at home where you can control what goes into your food.
Keep up the good work!
- Thread starter
- #24
Thank you BigJ. I have noticed my body shape has changed already. While I haven't lost weight in the sense of pounds dropped, I do think I have put on some muscle pounds. My wife says I look thinner even though the scale says the same. Less than a month of weight training and results are already showing. Not much but some. I do have to watch the high density foods since they are typically laden with fat and carbs. It works better when I eat a can of green beans or similar for lunch and keep it to one serving of a main dish at night. I have went through these weight plateaus before and you have to just push through them and wait it out. I will break it, it will just take a bit of time.
"A can of green beans" isn't terribly well-balanced as a meal ..... better than a Big Mac, I guess, but your body isn't going to be happy without any proteins or complex carbs for that long.
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- #26
Gents, an update. I have managed to knock another 6 pounds off the frame. 228lbs on the scale. Don't ask me how. Last week or so was my worst eating week since I started. Mind, it was not off the rails or anything like that. Just not as healthy and restrained as I would have liked. Still, I am most happy to have started taking weight off again. Since I started around 15 July, I have knocked a solid 30 pounds off my weight. It is actually around 32lbs but I like to round down to allow for bumps along the way. The main thing is I am changing the body shape as well. The wife says I have put a bit of bulk in the arms and I can see the difference in leg muscle tone as well. Slowly but surely. At this rate, I am going to make it to my goal. It may become the 60-54 since I would like to make it back to under 200lbs and I am already over half way there. Wish me luck.
Thanks for the update. Congratulations on doing so well. 
Weight loss is almost entirely about diet so if you have hit a plateau and aren't losing weight you are eating more than your body needs (to lose weight).
For those who enjoy weight lifting then that's a good activity. If you don't enjoy it then it's not sustainable. I don't enjoy it but do enjoy going to the climbing gym 3 times or so a week. I walk 2 to 4 miles every night in my neighborhood.
I never had to think about any of these until hitting 50. I'm 6'1" and got up as high as 200 lbs. Now I'm 185 lb and would like to get to 175-180 lb. I just changed my diet. When I stick to it I lose weight. If I have a donut and/or soft drink I don't lose weight and if I continue I start to gain weight.
I bought a juicer. I only use it in the morning for one glass of juice and the juice is mainly from vegetables with just an apple to make it drinkable. I find it's a good way to start the day. One thing I notice about sugar is that once you start it's hard to stop. It also tends to make me want water less and it's easier for me to crave more junk food.
When I just avoid it, everything is (much) easier. My new diet of vegetables and some meat is easy to stay with as it tastes good and I feel better. I just stay away from restaurants. Over time you learn about more and more food. I now eat beets, sweat potatoes, broccoli, spinach, avocado, fresh tomatoes and eat little bread, rice and pasta. Any meat is fine for me.
I just don't keep anything in the house that I don't want to be eating. When I buy a donut or soft drink it's just a single item that I pick up while at the grocery store. My intention is to just lose that craving as well so I don't want it rather than totally have to rely on discipline.
Gym climbing and rock climbing provides another motivation. Less weight in the climbing world is the same as more strength and it's also much easier on the body/joints, etc.
Good luck to everyone!
For those who enjoy weight lifting then that's a good activity. If you don't enjoy it then it's not sustainable. I don't enjoy it but do enjoy going to the climbing gym 3 times or so a week. I walk 2 to 4 miles every night in my neighborhood.
I never had to think about any of these until hitting 50. I'm 6'1" and got up as high as 200 lbs. Now I'm 185 lb and would like to get to 175-180 lb. I just changed my diet. When I stick to it I lose weight. If I have a donut and/or soft drink I don't lose weight and if I continue I start to gain weight.
I bought a juicer. I only use it in the morning for one glass of juice and the juice is mainly from vegetables with just an apple to make it drinkable. I find it's a good way to start the day. One thing I notice about sugar is that once you start it's hard to stop. It also tends to make me want water less and it's easier for me to crave more junk food.
When I just avoid it, everything is (much) easier. My new diet of vegetables and some meat is easy to stay with as it tastes good and I feel better. I just stay away from restaurants. Over time you learn about more and more food. I now eat beets, sweat potatoes, broccoli, spinach, avocado, fresh tomatoes and eat little bread, rice and pasta. Any meat is fine for me.
I just don't keep anything in the house that I don't want to be eating. When I buy a donut or soft drink it's just a single item that I pick up while at the grocery store. My intention is to just lose that craving as well so I don't want it rather than totally have to rely on discipline.
Gym climbing and rock climbing provides another motivation. Less weight in the climbing world is the same as more strength and it's also much easier on the body/joints, etc.
Good luck to everyone!
- Thread starter
- #29
Seattle, agreed...to a point. Even when you are behaving yourself dietary wise, your body can go in to a sort of starvation mode. Sort of like it says, uh oh, all of a sudden you are taking in nearly what you were and I think I am starving a bit. It will try to store this as fat for reserve. I know that is not a great explanation but if you ask a dietician they will tell you something similar. I think it is so. After I picked up just a bit of calorie intake, bam, the weight started coming off again. Still at 228llbs so plateauing again. And also agree, enough food is enough. And changing up the diet really helps too. The last few weeks have been higher density foods and this week I will start in again with a rather lighter regimen of veg and juices mixed with proteins.
Weights? Well, it may not be popular but it is about the easiest way I have seen to turn muscle into leaner mass. I can tell a noticeable difference in the musculature of my calves and certain thickness/bulk in my upper body that was never there(well, not counting some extra fat!). You get the point. I am one of those who quickly becomes bored with calisthenics. Pushing your entire body weight around is actually very beneficial since it tells you right now how heavy you really are. I just cannot seem to get into it. 30 minutes hard on the elliptical six days a week helps with the cardio.
Weights? Well, it may not be popular but it is about the easiest way I have seen to turn muscle into leaner mass. I can tell a noticeable difference in the musculature of my calves and certain thickness/bulk in my upper body that was never there(well, not counting some extra fat!). You get the point. I am one of those who quickly becomes bored with calisthenics. Pushing your entire body weight around is actually very beneficial since it tells you right now how heavy you really are. I just cannot seem to get into it. 30 minutes hard on the elliptical six days a week helps with the cardio.
- Thread starter
- #30
Gents, update. I am down 35 pounds since starting 15, July. I finally got the fat meter moving downward again. I jumped on the scale two days ago; 225lbs. I am doing it. One day at a time. More importantly I am reshaping my body as well. No kidding. I can see the difference in musculature and definition. Particularly in my lower legs. And my torso is getting bigger at the top than the bottom! Hard work and it require discipline but I want to maintain a healthier life going into my middle years. I will not be an Olympic athlete. I wasn't when I was 25, let alone when I am closer to 55. But I can and will become more fit and able to wear decent clothing. Thanks for following along.
Great job Todd! Good to see you're sticking to your plan so well.
Excellent! Keep working!
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- #33
11 November, update; Still hitting the gym six days a week. Typical routine is 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer in the morning, weights at night. Legs one day, upper body the next. I sometimes take one day off from either routine if I feel like I am a bit muscle fatigued. If there is one thing I have cabbaged on to from the guys at work who lift all the time, is don't get yourself injured by pushing it too hard all the time. Sometimes when I skip one day's routine, particularly the upper body, I feel much stronger and energetic the next time. I can tell the difference in body density already. Even though I still carry too much extra poundage, what is underneath is much sturdier than when I started. The human body is a miraculous thing.
Weight? Semi-steady but still trending downward. Today I got on the scales(before working out) and registered 223/224lbs. Down one or two but a guy my size can vary a few pounds per day depending upon water intake, etc. Still, I have dropped an honest two and a half stone in less than four months and I am happy about it. I still need to reset the diet a bit more since the last week or so I splurged on some sweeties and heavier foods I should not have. Not a load of it but more than I should. I am more than surprised and happy to see I kept it burned off. Back to form this weekend forward.
One thing about the food. Once you wean yourself off of too many high density calorie foods, it is much easier to stay off them. At least for me. Now I seem to feel much more full on much less food. Score. And the neat thing is, I really haven't removed any one item from my diet. I just don't eat nearly as much or as often. Don't get me wrong. I do not consume sweet beverages. I never really have. Not in any great quantities. I go through maybe the equivalent of 24, 12 ounce cans of soda per year. I just don't drink it much. Too sweet. So that is a help. Remember, you guys with diabetic issues, diet is a huge thing and your physician will have the best ideas for you. I know that most of us simply consume too much sugar and I have made a consistent effort to lower how much I consume. Pastries are my Achilles heel and I have made myself cut back on it drastically. Not removed, but few and far in between these days. I am much better for it. Okay, time to quit rambling. I will post again in a week or so.
Weight? Semi-steady but still trending downward. Today I got on the scales(before working out) and registered 223/224lbs. Down one or two but a guy my size can vary a few pounds per day depending upon water intake, etc. Still, I have dropped an honest two and a half stone in less than four months and I am happy about it. I still need to reset the diet a bit more since the last week or so I splurged on some sweeties and heavier foods I should not have. Not a load of it but more than I should. I am more than surprised and happy to see I kept it burned off. Back to form this weekend forward.
One thing about the food. Once you wean yourself off of too many high density calorie foods, it is much easier to stay off them. At least for me. Now I seem to feel much more full on much less food. Score. And the neat thing is, I really haven't removed any one item from my diet. I just don't eat nearly as much or as often. Don't get me wrong. I do not consume sweet beverages. I never really have. Not in any great quantities. I go through maybe the equivalent of 24, 12 ounce cans of soda per year. I just don't drink it much. Too sweet. So that is a help. Remember, you guys with diabetic issues, diet is a huge thing and your physician will have the best ideas for you. I know that most of us simply consume too much sugar and I have made a consistent effort to lower how much I consume. Pastries are my Achilles heel and I have made myself cut back on it drastically. Not removed, but few and far in between these days. I am much better for it. Okay, time to quit rambling. I will post again in a week or so.
Nice work, Todd.
Great work, Todd. With the food, I find that I'm eating well and closely watching calories, when I eat something that's really not good for me, (high fat, etc) it makes me feel positively awful.
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- #36
Thank you Tony.
Bob, my experience is the same. I had some Taco Bell loaded grillers a couple of weeks ago(they are only $1.69 each, that's why) and afterward felt positively bloated and uncomfortable. Same for any high sugar food. I took a sip of my daughter's Coca Cola yesterday(fountain type) and nearly gagged on the sugar. Two sips was enough for me.
Interestingly, I think this is a somewhat normal thing as you reach your middle years. My dad was really heavy when he was younger. When he hit about 52 years of age he started losing weight at a fairly rapid pace. By 55 or so he was down probably 70 pounds from his heaviest. I think along with musculature(and memory!) you start losing your appetite and cravings from when you are younger. No one wants to age their body that's for sure. So taking care of it when younger makes a big difference later.
My conundrum is that it's easier for me to lose weight simply by restricting calorie intake. If I exercise, it seems to turn on the metabolism and I end up eating way more than I burn.
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- #38
Bob, I hear what you are saying. Once a week or so I have a decently heavy meal. The body seems to respond well to it and it does not seem to make me gain weight. Interestingly, I hit the scales again this week(not my normal routine) on the 15th. That was the fourth month to the day I started this little exercise. 220lbs! Forty pounds off in four months. Just over three stone! I am more than happy. Now I realise that a six foot guy can and will vary his weight a few pounds day to day from sweating out water to whatever. But for that one day I will take it! Now to manage myself well through Thanksgiving and Chrismastide.
Antique Hoosier
“Aircooled”
Somehow I missed this thread and it is one I REALLY need to follow! I am inspired Todd with your journey and in need of similar actions myself. I am personally up in weight from 177 two yrs ago to 225+ now. I feel best around 185 and your story proves that I need to get on that trek. Great job so far Todd!
- Thread starter
- #40
Mike, thank you for the nice comments. As for losing weight, the number one thing was leaving the restaurants alone(even if you go, eat a house salad and then a light appetiser), almost completely leaving fast food restaurants and most packaged/freezer fast foods like burritos or similar where they lay, and limiting home cooked food, which is every bit as fattening as fast food most times, to a single portion of each. Do this for a month and stay off the scales during that time.
I have been maintaining a forty pound weight loss for a week or so now so hopefully will not have a hiccup. Also, when you take to the gym, just stick with the cardio stuff for a few weeks and then think about resistance training. And if you have any sort of questions about starting such a regimen, for goodness sake ask your sawbones first. They pick up on health issues we don't. Other than that there is no formula or special dietary foods I use. I eat most of the same foods I did before, just WAY less. And for the tally book, I do not typically drink soda which is a big sugar bomb and gets many people in trouble.
I have been maintaining a forty pound weight loss for a week or so now so hopefully will not have a hiccup. Also, when you take to the gym, just stick with the cardio stuff for a few weeks and then think about resistance training. And if you have any sort of questions about starting such a regimen, for goodness sake ask your sawbones first. They pick up on health issues we don't. Other than that there is no formula or special dietary foods I use. I eat most of the same foods I did before, just WAY less. And for the tally book, I do not typically drink soda which is a big sugar bomb and gets many people in trouble.
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