I've lost 40 lbs over the last year - how I did it. - page 1 -

• I've lost 40 lbs over the last year - how I did it. by geddyflea on 13 Dec, 2013 14:00
• Disclaimer:  I'm no pro on the subject and certainly don't want to give anyone unsolicited advice, but my heart breaks reading some of these stories so I thought I'd share what I did, and maybe it would help one of my brothers on the forum.   Once you start and get in the habit, it gets easier.   So I hope by posting this no one takes any of this the wrong way.   I don't want to come off as a narcissist or looking for kudos, just sharing to help.   Please no flames. 
  
  ~~~~~~~~~
  
  Reading through the posts in this forum, sounds like a lot of us have had the same struggle.   I have spent a good part of my 30s and 40s with a spare tire - hated it and seemed like I couldn't get rid of it.   I've belonged to gyms for years but never lost more that 5 lbs at a time, and in fact gradually gained more.   I've hated the way clothes fit, and shirts were XL, borderline XXL.  Going swimming with my family....ugh.   Finally a year ago I found that the LDL and triglycerides were high...high enough to need meds.   I must say it ticked me off that I needed meds at the age of 46.  I am not ready to go there yet!   
  
  The other wake up call is that cancer runs rampant in my family.   I intend to be around as long as I can for my kids and reports I'd read on the correlation between cancer and obesity were scary.  Maybe it is inevitable for me, but maybe I can do some things to make my the odds in my favor.
  
  So, I decided that if I'm going to do this, I need to break some bad habits and see what I can do.   Day by day.  So in January of 2013 I started. 
  
  - The first thing I did was quit drinking beer.  And i LOVE beer.  But I could go through a case in a weekend (but didn't drink Monday - Friday).  Tons of calories here.    I also cut out cokes and any other sugary drink.    I switched to green tea or made crystal light lemonade.  So substitution was the key here.  I'm not going to lie, the first few weekends were hard, but now I don't miss it that much.   After Jan 1, I may work wine back into my diet.   If I'm at a bar, club soda and lime is pretty darn good....and usually free!
  
  - Clean eating.  Check out Tosca Reno's book on Amazon.  I am never hungry, just eat more natural foods.  I pack a small lunch cooler for work and know exactly what I will eat.  You basically have a protein and complex carb with every meal as much as possible.   Example, breakfast is oatmeal and protein powder, Greek yogurt an banana at 10 a.m., packet of salmon and brown rice for lunch, apple and almonds for snack, protein shakes, etc.   Popcorn, veggies and hummus, etc.  Portion control for everything else.   I will order fajitas and just eat the chicken and veggies, skip the rice and am just fine with it.  I will still eat my wife's casseroles, just not as big portions.  Cheat meals are good to satisfy cravings, but once a week.  I pack almonds in my backpack for trips, Quest bars are great because they have hardly any sugar and good protein.   If I'm at a business dinner and they bring out cheesecake with coffee, I simply ask for a bowl of fruit - substitution works.  Overall, I try to stick with foods that are more natural and don't need a UPC code, as much as possible.
  
  - Hit the gym.   I am not an athletic person and hated exercise for most of my life, but I did buy some sessions with a trainer to learn how to work out.  Now I enjoy it - it is an hour of "me" time where I can listen to music on my ipod.   Plus it is fun to see progress.  I could barely bench press the bar with no weights on it 10x a few years ago.  Now I load 45's on each side for my warm up set.   Muscle burns calories.  Check out bodybuilding.com and look for transformation stories - people who were worse than me have transformed themselves into shape, and they share their eating plan, workout routines, etc.   I also like to get Men's Health and other similar mags to keep my head in the game.  There is almost too much information out there, but I do find inspiration and it keeps my mindset.
  
  - Hit the weights one session, do cardio the next.   I am not a fan of cardio as I get bored easily.   I tried every piece of cardio equipment in the gym for a year but one.   Finally, after walking past them for months because it looked foolish, I tried the stairmaster.  Wow!   My heart would beat out of my chest after 5 minutes.  I try to do this for 45 minutes now and do intervals:  slow and steady for 2-5 minutes, then go all out for one minute, then cool it back and do it again.  Try everything and see what works for you.  Classes are good too.
  
  - Here is the elephant in the room:   guys, if you are over 40, get your T checked.    Just do it.  It helps you build muscle, speeds up your metabolism, improves your mood, etc.  Other perks too, if you get my drift.  Even if you don't work out, if it is low you should have it looked at.  Ask your doctor.
  
  - Consistency - If I fall off and over eat one day, I wake up the next day and tell myself I get a do over and do my best to make good decisions.  Keep going to the gym.  I've missed the last week due to business travel but will go tomorrow.   I have plateaued but found that as long as I stay on track, the next week a few more pounds come off.  Hang in there!
  
  I've probably oversimplified some of this, but those basic things are what I do.  I hope this helps someone out there.  I wish everyone good health.  Start today - you can do it!
  
  Peace and Love,
  Geddyflea   
  
  
  
     
• #1 by Mike E. P. on 13 Dec, 2013 14:48
• Great story, geddyflea, and quite an accomplishment. The men in my family die young; my dad 33 and my brother 36. I am motivated by that. Thanks for sharing. Always appreciate knowing what othe people are doing to stay healthy.  I love junk food and wine (and beer and scotch and martins!) so I'm constantly battling myself!
• #2 by slymyke on 13 Dec, 2013 14:55
• Good post, Geddyflea!  It is always good to hear success stories.
  
  Thanks for sharing how you have made some life changes that have made you more healthy.   
  
  
• #3 by TheSlyBear on 13 Dec, 2013 15:09
• Great post, and I think one of the key take-aways is: stop dieting and start eating real food.
  
  And if there's anything in your refrigerator or pantry marked "low fat", throw it away! Look at the ingredients list of any such "food" and you'll see that they've stuffed it full of sh*t to make up for the lack of fat.
  
  I completely agree with geddyflea: eat real food in sensible portions, get active, and yes, get your T checked. Low T is a sonofabitch.
  
  I may still be overweight according to the charts, but my numbers are good, really good, and my doctor is ecstatic. I don't get to a gym, but briskly walk a few miles almost every day. I'm down 30 lbs from my all-time high.
• #4 by Mikekoz13 on 14 Dec, 2013 04:36
• Outstanding post. I've let my workouts be non-existent in the last year. Shame on me. And boy do I feel it. I'm off for 10 days at Christmas and that's when the workouts begin for me.
• #5 by Mr Jules on 14 Dec, 2013 06:46
• I've lost 40 lbs over the last year - how I did it.
  
  Well played.
  
  When it comes to loosing weight, there's no substitute for counting your calories. For most men, 2000 calories per day is sufficient.
• #6 by geddyflea on 14 Dec, 2013 13:22
• Thanks guys (great forum!).  I guess the missing and hardest ingredient is motivation.  I mean, we all know we should eat better and exercise.   But to find that motivator that makes you take action (and consistently!) is maybe the most elusive of all, and probably different for everyone.   
• #7 by slybeard on 14 Dec, 2013 14:32
• Good post - and something we almost all struggle with.  Congratulations on your success.
• #8 by reddog on 14 Dec, 2013 15:13
• I have been on a steady weightloss course for awhile now, but had a setback last week. Went to get the morning paper and slipped on the ice on my front steps. Went down very hard on the side of my ribs right on the edge of the top step, then bounced a couple of times. Broke several ribs, bruised a kidney. Well, I turned 60yo 2 days later, and was feeling every one of those 60 years. I noticed with the lack of activity, I found a few lbs that I lost!! ,
• #9 by geddyflea on 14 Dec, 2013 16:18
• Hang in there reddog!   I slipped on ice on the stairs at DFW airport this week.   Have some nice road rash to show for it.   
• #10 by TheSlyBear on 14 Dec, 2013 20:08
• Sorry to disagree, but counting calories doesn't really work out well for most people. Eating a tablespoonful of sugar or 2 medium carrots contain the same amount of calories, but will be processed by your body very differently. Not only that, but calorie counting can lead to actually not eating enough, and that's a roller coaster that is not sustainable, ending up with binging.
  
  I know someone who frequently skips breakfast so she can "save those calories" for dessert later. Not smart.
  
  But, I'm not a nutritionist, so whatever works for you.
• #11 by Sir Harry on 14 Dec, 2013 23:57
• Congratulations and thanks for sharing!
• #12 by -Doug- on 16 Dec, 2013 17:22
• Good job on the weight loss. I've been into working out lately and have seem decent results with Insanity. I am now on Focus T25.
  
  Your lifestyle/diet changing tips are great. Thanks for sharing!
• #13 by xnewyawka on 19 Dec, 2013 11:59
• Great post, and Welcome to the forum. As I was reading it I was saying, this sounds just how I feel, especially over the last ten months or so. I have found myself in such a funk that I can't seem to get out of.
  I won't go into too much detail, but I have gained weight, especially in the lower abdomen area (gut) which I have dealt with before, but not where it's beginning to really hang over. Not a good feeling. I know my diet is the worst it's been in a long time and it seems all I want to do is eat. I have a great gym membership which I am not using (joined in April, went twice so far). I eat alot of processed (frozen) foods and though I do know how to eat properly, I just can't seem to get out of this mode.
  I'm hoping your example will help me realize how easy it is, and to just get to it.
  Thanks again for the encouraging and inspiring post of your own issues and struggles, and how you have overcome them.   
   
• #14 by Laser Man on 19 Dec, 2013 14:42
• Good work dropping the pounds and keeping them off!
  
  My own story is that my wife gave me a membership to the local Y for Christmas in 2009.  I was pissed at her about it, but started going a couple times a week.  At first I saw little change, but I stuck with it and kept increasing my cardio efforts.  At the same time, I changed my diet (fewer processed foods, more fresh fruits and vegetables, cut out the sweetened soft drinks, have smaller portions).  It took about 18 months, but I dropped 30 pounds and have kept them off for two and a half years.  My blood pressure has come down and my resting heart rate is 50. 
  
  I have to agree with Slybear on the comments about "low fat" and "no fat" foods.  They usually substitute lots junk to get the taste and consistency.