Weight loss/Diet so I don't die questions

[Armando Penblade]

I recall reading it's effectively genetically controlled and that it's a lot like a FILO stack in programming: wherever your body starts dumping fat to begin with is the last place it'll go to remove it in the end (which happens to be your organs and the like, but only the world's tip-top elite bodybuilders are ever in danger of burning that off).

Mind you, I've barely dropped 5lbs in the same amount of time after gaining 30 (and I was still 60lbs over weight before the 30), so it's not like I can practice what I preach so well when it comes to fitness knowledge/dieting strategy.

[Slainte Mhath]

FWIW, I'm in the same boat. I've lost a bunch of weight but I'm still waiting on the belly to go away to a point where I'm happy with it. I think it's the last thing to go for guys. :)

Defintely FILO (First In Last Out) when it comes to belly fat on guys. It's the most common place the male body stores fat, and it's very easy for aging guys, even active ones, to develop a gut. I'm 42 this month, 6'1" and 212 lbs.. I'd love to lose those 12 pounds, as it's all around my middle. Luckily I've always had a lean build, so I'm only a 38" waist (little smaller actually as 38 pants will slide down without a belt to hold them up yet 36 can be a bit tight) and most people don't look at me and immediately think "overweight". Yet I see it in every mirror, picture and reflection I see of myself.

Diet and exercise. Two simple words I need to be better aquainted with. I'm going to start switching my diet to a lot more grilled chicken and less red meat and fatty foods. I already eat lots of fruit, veggies and yogurt, but I need to minimize the soda and drink more water. Lastly, I need to up my exercise from the 10-15 minutes every other day I get in now to 30 minutes a day at least. I've recently learned about military burpees* and am going to gradually include them in my routine.

*-Military Burpees are squat thrusts with a push up integrated in the down position and a jumping jack (or simple vertical leap) integrated in the standing position. Much harder than a traditional squat and works more of your muscle groups.

[Nixxter]

Nice going Walter (and Warren and all)!

My advice is keep it up, all that you are doing. I lost about 20 pounds over the course of a year rolling into this spring, then, gained it back. I've road biked about 13 of it off now.

I had to completely give up sweets (and should really eat healthier in general). My wife was enabling me by having a couple half gallons of ice cream in the freezer at all times, but now agreed to not do that. It helps, though I know I am responsible for what I do to me, not her!

[walTer]

For sweets, let me recommend this. It is 1 or 2 net carb chocolate that is sold at Trader Joes. It comes in Milk and Dark and you get 3 squares in a serving, and 2 or less carbs, no processed sugar and you feel like your sweet tooth is satisfied. I love this stuff. I have not had any dessert in 6 months...except for this. It is definitely worth grabbing a bar and checking it out.

[Joel]

WALTER YAY

[ElGuapo]

FWIW, I'm in the same boat. I've lost a bunch of weight but I'm still waiting on the belly to go away to a point where I'm happy with it. I think it's the last thing to go for guys. :)

Son of a... but that's where I need to lose it the most!

It hit me last week like a thunderbolt when I saw how fat my head looked in my employee id photo.

"It's like everyone just swelled".

[foogla]

Also: everyone should be lifting weights. You'll feel awesome, you'll look better and you lower risk of a lot of diseases.

[Cobra]

Also: everyone should be lifting weights. You'll feel awesome, you'll look better and you lower risk of a lot of diseases.

I've noticed that it's not enough though. I lift weight at the gym 4x1.5 hours a week for over 6 months now and I've barely lost weight. I think my diet is just so bad that it compensates for everything I do at the gym.

[Armando Penblade]

With a lot of weightlifting, your body weight might not change a lot, especially if it's the first major workout you've taken up. Muscle weighs more than fat, so even if you're burning off calories and fat, it's being replaced by muscle almost as quickly. If you had a decent body-fat percentage measurement before starting, get another one done now to see the real improvement. . . or learn that you're some sort of sideshow freak doomed to remain tubby forever :(

[Shimarenda]

I've noticed that it's not enough though. I lift weight at the gym 4x1.5 hours a week for over 6 months now and I've barely lost weight. I think my diet is just so bad that it compensates for everything I do at the gym.

Exercise burns far fewer calories than most people think. It's great for one's health, and it helps keep the weight off, but it's not a good weight-loss strategy by itself.

[SlyFrog]

You also need to be aware - if you were severely overweight, and were overweight for a long time, some of the "gut" and other stuff might not go away. Some of it is likely to be loose skin, and if you lose a lot of weight (particularly at older age), the skin is not as resilient and does not necessarily snap back.

This does not mean you should stop working on it - just a potential reality check so that you don't beat yourself up when your continuing efforts don't necessarily yield the exact results you want (hardcore, rock hard skin and muscles).

So keep working on it, but don't get badly disappointed if you cannot easily achieve that 20 year old Adonis like look.

[Relayer71]

You can lift all the weights you want - if you're not doing cardio OR not eating the right ratio of protein/fat/carbs OR having too many calories daily, you're not going to get rid of the fat.

Same thing with crunches/ab exercises: you can do these 4 or 5 times a week and you WILL build muscle but it will be covered under layers of fat.

Running/aerobics/speed-walking are key in trimming the fat off, in addition to watching what you eat.

Keeping active in general also helps a lot. You can work out an hour a day several times a week but if you sit at your desk all day at work then sit at your desk/couch while at home in the evening and all weekend, drive 6 blocks to get groceries when you can walk, you will make progress but it will be slow.

[Relayer71]

Abdominal fat is also the toughest to get rid of. I have a small frame, very small bones and have long skinny arms and leg and everyone is always commenting on how thin I am but there have been times when I feel fat because I have a ridiculous amount of abdominal fat. Yet I wear 32 waist pants (I'm about 5' 9", 147 lbs).

[walTer]

I have lost about 5 inches off my waist but I am still a bit off my goal. I won't stress out over the bit of gut that may remain. That said, once I started really losing, and I finally got on my bike, I was very surprised how weak I was. Too many years of office work and playing WoW definitely took its toll.

I ride about 5 miles every day and with my new diet, really the weight is just falling off, for now. Plus the strength I have gained just from bike riding is great. It is nice to be able to keep up with my 14 year old on a hiking trail now. I would not have been able to do that just by dieting. Plus I am now basically controlling all of my blood levels- cholesterol, sugar etc...naturally.

That said, I will still walk around the house without a shirt on just to annoy my kid. I know she is proud but she is also horrified as well.

[Mr_PeaCH]

Way to go, walTer. Very inspiring stuff.

In a kind of parallel universe I underwent similar changes of my own at about the same time as you. Perhaps not as drastic but my methods were by and large the same.

The motivation in my case was having separated from my wife at the start of the year and moving out. There I was, 45 and about 6 feet tall and probably 220 lbs, and I haven't been in decent shape in probably fifteen years. I sort of recognized that if I didn't 'do something' I risked letting myself slip further and further into malaise. Besides, I was really looking forward to meeting women again and wanted to make myself more presentable.

I vowed to stop eating 'junk' (including stuff like white bread), to stop drinking sodas, to prepare my own meals (nothing frozen) and to start working out. And if none of that worked to my satisfaction I would very seriously consider cutting down on my drinking but I did stop drinking beer for what that's worth. :)

My working out largely consists of jogging and some simple core and strength (sit ups, push ups). I have plateaued at about 3 or 4 miles maybe 3 or 4 times a week. If I get to the beach or something and surf particularly vigorously I count that as a work out as well.

Once I started seeing the results the exercise became almost addictive and I look forward to the next time I can get out and jog. Or I can't wait to get home to turn on a podcast or some music and get down on the mat and exercise. I like that I feel a little sore all the time but I know I've succeeded in getting myself in much, much better shape. I have not become compulsory about checking my weight but it was with great relief that I discovered I was below 200 lbs for the first time in a long time and it appears I might reach my goal of 185 if I'm not already there.

For me it was all about two things: Feeling good. And looking good. I'm coming around to the feeling that there is probably nothing I can do to get rid of that last bit of belly fat but overall I'm much, much improved so I think I can live with that.

[Slainte Mhath]

That said, I will still walk around the house without a shirt on just to annoy my kid. I know she is proud but she is also horrified as well.

That will never change, it's how kids are wired. You could be one of the Spartans from the movie "300" and if you walked around in public with your shirt off your daughter would still be all "OMG dad, so gross". ;-)