Diet update

[bobquasit]

I haven't been talking about the diet much lately, because Teri and I have fallen off the wagon, seriously and often, lately.

This weekend, for example, we went to IHOP and I once again had chocolate chip pancakes with extra whipped cream, plus coffee with a lot of sugar and cream. For lunch I had weiners, onion rings, french fries, and Coke; I don't remember what I had for dinner that day, but on Sunday my dinner was six pigs in blankets (hot dog halves wrapped in crescent rolls) plus tater tots and chocolate milk. Oh, and lots of Ben & Jerrys vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup.

As a result I was fairly sick for a couple of days while my system purged itself. But on Monday I went back faithfully to the diet, and the pounds immediately started to melt away again. I don't seem to have gained much from my weekend binge - I just didn't lose any - and I've been losing pretty dramatically since. So here's the score:

Starting date: 7/10/2006
Original weight: 292.4
Goal weight: 199
Current weight: 264.2
Weight lost to date: 28.2

And all in less than two months, mind you! Of course, I've also been working out almost every day, except on weekends.

Comments

[lubedpumpkin.livejournal.com]

Congrats! Great work!

[unquietsoul5.livejournal.com]

That's an awful low goal weight you've got set there.... I could see you dropping down to say 220, but 199? I'm not sure that's practical.

Losing 93 lbs is a large expectation... I also think the daily workouts are probably helping things along something fierce. Are you doing weights again, or something else for workouts?

[bobquasit.livejournal.com]

Well, according to all the height/weight charts I can find, I SHOULD weigh between 161 and 184 pounds at the most, so 199 seems reasonable. At the same time, I have to admit that I'll be very happy to reach 220.

Incidentally, those charts are for men with a large frame, which I most certainly have.

The workouts start with at least half an hour of brisk cardiovascular exercise, usually on a cross-ramp machine; once in a while I try something else, but the cross-ramps work best for me. I also sometimes take a walk outside with my co-workers instead; I've timed the walks, and they come to exactly half an hour. Since I'm usually reasonably sweaty at the end of the walk, I figure that's an acceptable substitute.

Either way, if I can possibly manage the time I also use weight machines, concentrating on my back, abdomen, arms, and upper body - my legs are already ridiculously developed, so I leave them alone. :D

Incidentally, my annual physical is nexy month, so I'll discuss a lot of this with my doctor then. I imagine she'll be surprised to see that I've lost thirty or more pounds since last year! :D

[unquietsoul5.livejournal.com]

I've never tried a cross ramp machine, just a basic treadmill kind of thing (and I have zero money for gyms these days so I'm pretty much stuck with what I can do on my own in regards to long walks etc.)

Most of the charts you'll find are, well, skewed. Remember, by the charts, most professional athelets are overweight or even obese. Doctors don't make the charts, and they aren't very scientific.

[bobquasit.livejournal.com]

I'll ask my doctor what she thinks my weight should be; I trust her judgement.

As for cross-ramp machines, I'm a BIG fan of them. They're much better than treadmills, because they have virtually no impact on your joints. And altering resistance and "tilt" allows you to burn up a lot more calories in less time. Plus some models also have handles to work out your arms at the same time - although I don't care for those.

I can sympathize about the cost of gyms, of course. If I wasn't getting the gym membership as a gift from my parents, there's absolutely no way I could afford it.

[moonlitmagik.livejournal.com]

ugh im not on a diet but i can put on weight easy and im getting freakin hungry with what you listed as what you ate

[bobquasit.livejournal.com]

Have you ever had Rhode Island-style "New York system" weiners (which are, of course, unknown in New York)? I don't know if you ever read the entry I did on them a while ago, but they're really very different. Hmm, I just found a Zippy cartoon about them here:

http://www.chron.com/apps/comics/showComick.mpl?date=20060829&name=Zippy_the_Pinhead

We've got good ones here in Woonsocket. "Good" being a relative term in this case, of course. :D

[moonlitmagik.livejournal.com]

never heard of em

re: diet update

[(Anonymous)]

That's great progress over a couple months. Personally, I think it's a pretty reasonable goal you've set, and it's OK to break with the diet a bit once in a while because it helps to control cravings.

The main point is to just eat healthy most of the time and to find healthier substitutes for the things you really don't want to give up. For example, I feel like I need something sweet once a day or so, so my wife and I keep the frezer stocked with Healthy Choice brand fudge bars and ice cream sandwiches. They're pretty low in calories and sugar as desserts go, and they satisfy the sweets/chocolate craving.

It's amazing how much you can improve the health factor of some foods by buying raw ingredients, doing a few substtutions, and cooking from scratch rather than buying the pre-processed stuff that fills the shelves in grocery stores.

You may find that your weight will start to plateau periodically - that's normal as far as I can tell. Just remember, even if that happens, the whole point is not to lose weight, but to lose it and then KEEP it off. That alone is a major win for your health.

I hope you reaching your goal!