The "I sometimes break a sweat" thread

[shrader]

There's a ton of regular weight fluctuations on a day-to-day basis. My advice is to weigh yourself every morning and record it, but don't pay attention to it. Then after each week, average the weight for that week and that should be a reasonable estimate of your true weight (and thus weight loss) while minimizing the daily anxiety over the number.

 

I'm not sure I'd even go that far.  It's going to be tough not to fixate on the number with daily trips to the scale.  I'd go once a week or something.  Even with fluctuations, if you're trending downward, you'll notice it.

[Derrico]

I think I'm actually going to go the once a week rule.  Also, those aren't my problems Josie as I make sure I weigh first thing in the morning and near commando hahahaha.

[Cereal]

Regarding the veggies d4rk mentioned - that's bang on.  On my Google Tasks list is a task that reads:

 

Eat a wide variety of lightly processed foods

 

At a previous job I was notorious for my fruit/veggie drawer in the fridge.  Always filled, sometimes nine different fruits/veggies per workday... makes you feel great, and gives you energy!  (My favorite after a solid weekend of drinkin/fried food/tailgating/etc. is to load up on berries for a couple days to cleanse my poor body.)

 

Another task on my list is:

 

EAT TO RUN (not run to eat)

 

This may apply more directly to some than others... but, in marathon training, or daily exercise, or whatever, you should be fueling your body AHEAD OF TIME in order to have the energy available for the next workout/long run/etc.  While you do need some carbs and protein to rebuild your muscles pretty immediately following exercise, it is unnecessary to use a solid workout/etc. as an excuse to binge/go crazy AFTERWARD.

[Eleven]

One more piece of advice, gathered from various things I've read and confirmed by the trainer who kicks my ass weekly:  Don't focus on your weight, focus on your body shape.  Most specifically, your waistline.  You want that to shrink while at the same time other parts gain muscle mass.

[Drunkard]

Drinking lots of water can also help you keep your weight down. I dropped about 25-30 pounds 4 or 5 years ago by eating less junk food, joining a gym, drinking more water and cutting back on beer. I cancelled my gym membership a year later and basically stopped working out other than occasionally doing some push ups or pull ups every couple weeks or so and I've still managed to keep the weight off (I went from about 195 down to about 165 and now I hover around 170). Now I still eat horribly but with the exception of coffee in the morning and the occasional beer or 12 that happens every few weeks/months I strictly drink water unless I'm eating a meal. I probably drink about 12-20 glasses of water everyday and despite my poor diet and lack of exercise (doing push ups and pull ups just often enough to avoid getting tits) my weight stays about the same. I don't think people realize how many calories you consume in fluids betweens sodas, ice tea, milk, juice, and all that stuff. I still can't bring myself to drink water with a meal but if you stick to mainly drinking water when it's not meal time it can go a long ways to keeping your weight under control, as long as you don't mind having to piss like 10 times a day.

[darksabre]

Drinking lots of water can also help you keep your weight down. I dropped about 25-30 pounds 4 or 5 years ago by eating less junk food, joining a gym, drinking more water and cutting back on beer. I cancelled my gym membership a year later and basically stopped working out other than occasionally doing some push ups or pull ups every couple weeks or so and I've still managed to keep the weight off (I went from about 195 down to about 165 and now I hover around 170). Now I still eat horribly but with the exception of coffee in the morning and the occasional beer or 12 that happens every few weeks/months I strictly drink water unless I'm eating a meal. I probably drink about 12-20 glasses of water everyday and despite my poor diet and lack of exercise (doing push ups and pull ups just often enough to avoid getting tits) my weight stays about the same. I don't think people realize how many calories you consume in fluids betweens sodas, ice tea, milk, juice, and all that stuff. I still can't bring myself to drink water with a meal but if you stick to mainly drinking water when it's not meal time it can go a long ways to keeping your weight under control, as long as you don't mind having to piss like 10 times a day.

 

I picked up the water bottle habit in college and it's stuck with me since. I've pretty much got one of those green Gatorade bottles within arms reach at all times. Sure, I drink a lot of coffee, but I drink just as much water. 

 

I used to drink Milk like crazy. I've cut back a little bit in recent years but I still go for the 2% fat. I've found switching to 1% didn't make any real difference and I believe that some milk fat is healthy. 

 

Booooooze is the biggest contributor. I think a little bit every day is good for health. But I've cut back a lot as I've started to approach 30. I feel a lot better than I used to. 

[JJFIVEOH]

I've been going to the gym for probably 10 years or more. For the first few years I only went there to jog on occasion and use the machines for 30-45 minutes once or twice a week. Back then I was 175 pounds. Within the last few years I went from that routine and now I'm up to 3-4 days a week at the gym @ 2-2.5 hours each time..... three 5K's a week and a couple of 25-45 mile trips on  my bike a month. In those last few years I changed/added my routine significantly four separate times. Each time I added 10 pounds almost immediately. Now I'm up to 215 pounds and I've only added 1" to my waist. But after all that time I still haven't lost any fat. I can cut down on my portion for a few weeks and not drop a pound, I can eat like a pig for a few weeks and not gain a pound. I ate so much crap for the holidays and I entered 2016 weighing the same I did two months ago. It's not so much that I can't lose weight but I can't even get my weight to fluctuate. Not that that's a bad thing but at some point I'd like to see some kind of correlation.

 

A couple of years ago I went to north GA/western NC for two weeks during that massive heat wave they had. I had a full kitchen the whole time but I didn't stock it, so I never really made any big meals to pig out on. Most of my meals were on the fly, fruits, snacks............ and then go out for dinner. I probably hiked 50-60 miles over those two weeks, throw in the sweaty conditions and smaller meals I figured I would have lost at least a couple of pounds. I weight myself when I got home and I hadn't lost a single pound.

 

I just don't get it.

Absolutely absolutely do this. It's so much healthier than freaking out about "weight gain" when all you really need to do is take a big crap. Water weight adds a lot.

 

Judge by your clothing fit, and by sight, provided you can see unbiased. I cannot. I actually refuse to weigh myself much anymore, as well. Makes me crazy. BMI numbers don't help. Don't let it play mind games with you. Set a goal weight that seems reasonable, average your weight, and feel good about it. 

 

I've never been a big believer in BMI. If I were to weigh what they consider low end of the safe range I would be sickly.

Edited January 7, 2016 by JJFIVEOH

[darksabre]

I've been going to the gym for probably 10 years or more. For the first few years I only went there to jog on occasion and use the machines for 30-45 minutes once or twice a week. Back then I was 175 pounds. Within the last few years I went from that routine and now I'm up to 3-4 days a week at the gym @ 2-2.5 hours each time..... three 5K's a week and a couple of 25-45 mile trips on  my bike a month. In those last few years I changed/added my routine significantly four separate times. Each time I added 10 pounds almost immediately. Now I'm up to 215 pounds and I've only added 1" to my waist. But after all that time I still haven't lost any fat. I can cut down on my portion for a few weeks and not drop a pound, I can eat like a pig for a few weeks and not gain a pound. I ate so much crap for the holidays and I entered 2016 weighing the same I did two months ago. It's not so much that I can't lose weight but I can't even get my weight to fluctuate. Not that that's a bad thing but at some point I'd like to see some kind of correlation.

 

A couple of years ago I went to north GA/western NC for two weeks during that massive heat wave they had. I had a full kitchen the whole time but I didn't stock it, so I never really made any big meals to pig out on. Most of my meals were on the fly, fruits, snacks............ and then go out for dinner. I probably hiked 50-60 miles over those two weeks, throw in the sweaty conditions and smaller meals I figured I would have lost at least a couple of pounds. I weight myself when I got home and I hadn't lost a single pound.

 

I just don't get it.

 

I've never been a big believer in BMI. If I were to weigh what they consider low end of the safe range I would be sickly.

Same. BMI says my ideal weight is 175. Yeah. Sure. Good luck with that. I'd be emaciated. 

[Drunkard]

I picked up the water bottle habit in college and it's stuck with me since. I've pretty much got one of those green Gatorade bottles within arms reach at all times. Sure, I drink a lot of coffee, but I drink just as much water. 

 

I used to drink Milk like crazy. I've cut back a little bit in recent years but I still go for the 2% fat. I've found switching to 1% didn't make any real difference and I believe that some milk fat is healthy. 

 

Booooooze is the biggest contributor. I think a little bit every day is good for health. But I've cut back a lot as I've started to approach 30. I feel a lot better than I used to. 

 

I've got a 20 ounce bottle of Aquafina that I refill from the water cooler several times a day at work and I keep one of those Brita water pitchers in my fridge at home. It helps a ton keeping my weight stable and being a cigarette smoker it combats the dry mouth as well as encouraging me to probably drink more water than I normally would. Beer was tough for me to cut back on as well but the older I get the more I've realized the fun of getting drunk is now outweighed by the pain of dealing with hangovers. I probably only get drunk a handful of times a year now and just sit back and enjoy a couple of beers another handful of times a year. I drink whole milk but mostly only have it in cereal or when I'm eating something really sweet like cake, brownies, cookies, etc. A half gallon of milk used to always go bad on me before I could finish it but I started buying the organic stuff and it lasts like 3 times as long in the fridge as the regular stuff.  

[PASabreFan]

Soy milk is great. I know, a lot people yuck out. I buy the plain, organic, unsweetened. I honestly like it much better than cow's milk.

 

Has anyone walked a marathon?

[JJFIVEOH]

Soy milk is great. I know, a lot people yuck out. I buy the plain, organic, unsweetened. I honestly like it much better than cow's milk.

 

Has anyone walked a marathon?

 

Oh dear god.............

[TrueBlueGED]

Same. BMI says my ideal weight is 175. Yeah. Sure. Good luck with that. I'd be emaciated.

Just ditch the beard.

[darksabre]

Just ditch the beard.

EMACIATED. 

[Eleven]

Soy milk is great. I know, a lot people yuck out. I buy the plain, organic, unsweetened. I honestly like it much better than cow's milk.

 

Has anyone walked a marathon?

 

Soy milk is fine.  It's almond milk you want to stay away from.  Only 1g protein per cup.  (Soy, 8; cow, 10.)

Just ditch the beard.

 

 

EMACIATED. 

 

I think he was referring to Josie.

[darksabre]

Soy milk is fine.  It's almond milk you want to stay away from.  Only 1g protein per cup.  (Soy, 8; cow, 10.)

 

 

 

I think he was referring to Josie.

:lol:

[sabills]

Trying to kickstart my plan to actually get in shape this year by starting a beginners Muay Thai class this week or next. I imagine it will kick my ass, but the first month is free in case its way to much for me, and I'm better with stuff when I have a goal beside just "bike for an hour" or "run 5 miles". There are classes are at Riverworks on Wednesdays at 6:30, and I curl there at 8, so if I can walk out of the class without falling over I can just shower and change, then jump on the ice, which would consolidate my activites for the week into one day, and that leaves me the rest of the week to actually accomplish things (or the exact opposite of that).  Looks like fun; heres hoping I can follow through on it.

[josie]

Same. BMI says my ideal weight is 175. Yeah. Sure. Good luck with that. I'd be emaciated. 

I should be like... 120 according to that BMI stuff. I got down to 120 once. Goal weight was 105. I was hospitalized. It was horrible and I was hospitalized not long after that for a heart attack scare.

 

I'm around 135-140 now at 5'5", and a size 4-6. My head is so screwed up, I still think I'm massive. Thanks, BMI and crappy doctors. Muscle weighs a lot more. That's what I tell myself.

 

 

I think he was referring to Josie.

D4rk is my beard, you found me out. Love me some ladies. 

[Eleven]

I should be like... 120 according to that BMI stuff. I got down to 120 once. Goal weight was 105. I was hospitalized. It was horrible and I was hospitalized not long after that for a heart attack scare.

 

I'm around 135-140 now at 5'5", and a size 4-6. My head is so screwed up, I still think I'm massive. Thanks, BMI and crappy doctors. Muscle weighs a lot more. That's what I tell myself.

 

D4rk is my beard, you found me out. Love me some ladies. 

 

That's why shape means more than weight.

[darksabre]

Trying to kickstart my plan to actually get in shape this year by starting a beginners Muay Thai class this week or next. I imagine it will kick my ass, but the first month is free in case its way to much for me, and I'm better with stuff when I have a goal beside just "bike for an hour" or "run 5 miles". There are classes are at Riverworks on Wednesdays at 6:30, and I curl there at 8, so if I can walk out of the class without falling over I can just shower and change, then jump on the ice, which would consolidate my activites for the week into one day, and that leaves me the rest of the week to actually accomplish things (or the exact opposite of that).  Looks like fun; heres hoping I can follow through on it.

I want to find soccer in the spring if I can. It all kinda fell through last year. 

That's why shape means more than weight.

Yup. I've had to drill this into Josie's head since we met. It's about what you do to be healthy, not what you weigh. Eat well, exercise enough, get enough sleep. Worrying about weight is for boxers fighting down a weight class. 

[Taro T]

I've been going to the gym for probably 10 years or more. For the first few years I only went there to jog on occasion and use the machines for 30-45 minutes once or twice a week. Back then I was 175 pounds. Within the last few years I went from that routine and now I'm up to 3-4 days a week at the gym @ 2-2.5 hours each time..... three 5K's a week and a couple of 25-45 mile trips on  my bike a month. In those last few years I changed/added my routine significantly four separate times. Each time I added 10 pounds almost immediately. Now I'm up to 215 pounds and I've only added 1" to my waist. But after all that time I still haven't lost any fat. I can cut down on my portion for a few weeks and not drop a pound, I can eat like a pig for a few weeks and not gain a pound. I ate so much crap for the holidays and I entered 2016 weighing the same I did two months ago. It's not so much that I can't lose weight but I can't even get my weight to fluctuate. Not that that's a bad thing but at some point I'd like to see some kind of correlation.

 

A couple of years ago I went to north GA/western NC for two weeks during that massive heat wave they had. I had a full kitchen the whole time but I didn't stock it, so I never really made any big meals to pig out on. Most of my meals were on the fly, fruits, snacks............ and then go out for dinner. I probably hiked 50-60 miles over those two weeks, throw in the sweaty conditions and smaller meals I figured I would have lost at least a couple of pounds. I weight myself when I got home and I hadn't lost a single pound.

 

I just don't get it.

 

 

I've never been a big believer in BMI. If I were to weigh what they consider low end of the safe range I would be sickly.

Very interesting that your weight doesn't fluctuate at all.

 

Being an engineer by background and wanting to lose weight a while back, started tracking calories & weight daily. Saw general correlations between the 2. Wife got me Garmin's version of the fitbit ~1 year ago and the correlation between body weight delta & net calories is extremely directly correlated (which is pretty much common sense, but the degree to which the lines overlay is surprising; haven't bothered to check the R^2 but it has to be close to 1). The only time it isn't is if there's a reason for my body to be dehydrated - then that weight will probably be off a day or 2.

 

I'd always been of the view that the correlation was there, but not anywhere near as direct as it's appeared for the past year.

 

Has been very easy to watch weight since - burn more calories if there will be an unusually large amount of calories coming in.

 

Planning on trying to gain some strength this year. Will be interesting to see how the correlation matches up when there is (hopefully) some additional muscle mass added.

[JJFIVEOH]

Very interesting that your weight doesn't fluctuate at all.

 

Being an engineer by background and wanting to lose weight a while back, started tracking calories & weight daily. Saw general correlations between the 2. Wife got me Garmin's version of the fitbit ~1 year ago and the correlation between body weight delta & net calories is extremely directly correlated (which is pretty much common sense, but the degree to which the lines overlay is surprising; haven't bothered to check the R^2 but it has to be close to 1). The only time it isn't is if there's a reason for my body to be dehydrated - then that weight will probably be off a day or 2.

 

I'd always been of the view that the correlation was there, but not anywhere near as direct as it's appeared for the past year.

 

Has been very easy to watch weight since - burn more calories if there will be an unusually large amount of calories coming in.

 

Planning on trying to gain some strength this year. Will be interesting to see how the correlation matches up when there is (hopefully) some additional muscle mass added.

 

That's cool that you plotted everything out to see how it all functioned together. My guess is most people don't do that. I know a few on here mentioned calorie tracking. I'll admit my diet isn't great. I don't eat a lot of candy, I don't eat fast food at all, but I do enjoy the heavy stuff....... pasta, potatoes, whole milk, meat, breads, etc. Although my early meals generally consist of fruit, power bars, granola.

 

I'm not sure what is tougher, controlling a good diet or maintaining a steady workout routine. For me it's the diet because working out is easy now that I've done it for so long. Then again the main reason I started working out was so I could enjoy the tasty foods. Good luck with the weight training, the first couple of weeks are the toughest.

Edited January 8, 2016 by JJFIVEOH

[Doohickie]

That's why shape means more than weight.

 

Hey.  I'm in shape.

 

Round is a shape, right?

 

 

 

I'm that rare guy for which BMI is right on.  When I'm in the obese range, I feel like .  When I'm in the overweight range, I feel kind of meh.  When I'm in the normal range, I feel :w00t:

Edited January 8, 2016 by The Big Johnson

[Taro T]

That's cool that you plotted everything out to see how it all functioned together. My guess is most people don't do that. I know a few on here mentioned calorie tracking. I'll admit my diet isn't great. I don't eat a lot of candy, I don't eat fast food at all, but I do enjoy the heavy stuff....... pasta, potatoes, whole milk, meat, breads, etc. Although my early meals generally consist of fruit, power bars, granola.

 

I'm not sure what is tougher, controlling a good diet or maintaining a steady workout routine. For me it's the diet because working out is easy now that I've done it for so long. Then again the main reason I started working out was so I could enjoy the tasty foods. Good luck with the weight training, the first couple of weeks are the toughest.

Thanks.

 

Good question on which is tougher. To me, they're similar. If there are pressing deadlines, don't get as much exercise but also don't eat as much. (I guess, when busy just don't think about eating.) But if tired and lazy on a Saturday, will seem to be snacking constantly and a lump on the couch. If I have time, will get a reasonable amount of exercise in and end up eating a reasonable amount as well.

 

Interestingly (at least to me), I'd typically gain weight over a 3-4 year period, finally hit a weight where I noticed that I felt sluggish then diet and increase exercise and lose the weight over a 4-6 month period then restart the cycle. Might hold that weight for 6-12 months, but once it started going back up, it was going to go up. Could NEVER lose weight until it got to the "magic #" that triggered the willpower. Since I noticed how direct the correlation is, I've been able to lose about 8 lbs even though I was only ~12 pounds back into the gain weight cycle. (Though that 8 lb loss was over a much longer than typical time span.)

[ubkev]

Trying to kickstart my plan to actually get in shape this year by starting a beginners Muay Thai class this week or next. I imagine it will kick my ass, but the first month is free in case its way to much for me, and I'm better with stuff when I have a goal beside just "bike for an hour" or "run 5 miles". There are classes are at Riverworks on Wednesdays at 6:30, and I curl there at 8, so if I can walk out of the class without falling over I can just shower and change, then jump on the ice, which would consolidate my activites for the week into one day, and that leaves me the rest of the week to actually accomplish things (or the exact opposite of that). Looks like fun; heres hoping I can follow through on it.

 

I suggest you begin with a Jean Claude Van Damme marathon, starting with Kickboxer, followed up by Blood Sport.

 

Seriously, you should enjoy that. Do you have any martial arts background, or is this your first shot at it?

[darksabre]

I made it to the gym four nights in a row this week. Feels good. I've really never focused on upper body in my life so I'm making an effort this winter to try to put some muscle on. My legs are trunks compared to the rest of me. I'm like a poor man's velodrome racer.