Surprisingly quick initial weight loss

Uriel

Uriel

Uriel

Soldato
Joined
15 Jan 2006
Posts
7,771
Location
Derbyshire
I've always struggled with my weight but train fairly regularly and would consider myself pretty fit despite being overweight (running a mile takes me about 8 mins). I'm 6'1" and weighing in on Monday I'd hit 18st 10. I've been over 19 stone before and it wasn't pretty so decided to change gear on the 'diet' (I have to restrict my eating just to avoid putting on weight)

So - switched the regular coffees (with only skimmed milk or black I might add) for green tea. Restricted fat, sugar and made sure any carbs I have are pretty complex. most drinks have been water. I've snuck in a pint and some cake there too so not too strict. In Addition to the usual alternate cardiovascular, hiit and weights gym sessions I've added some exercise at home - press ups to failure, plank and pull ups under the dining table a couple of times a day.

Anyway - morning weigh in 5 days later puts me at 18 stone nothing. 10lbs shifted in 5 days. I'm a bit surprised and wondering if I should hold back a little or just keep it up and see where I get to.
 
I've not drastically cut calories. I'm eating as much lean protein and veg as I want. Plenty of oily fish and olive oil etc. If I'm hungry I'll eat something - just being careful about what I snack on. When I say restrict I just mean cut down not ban anything. The only things I've not touched that I'd normally eat are white bread, butter and marge.

That's why I'm surprised. It doesn't feel like I've made major changes.
 
Had a couple of 'relaxed food days' but back on it today. Knocked about 40s off my mile time from 2 weeks ago. 7:20. Fastest I've run it in about 2-3 years. Can't complain.
 
Still chugging along nicely. One stone down in a week and a half. Built in a couple of cheat days where I eat mostly what I want. Just don't go overboard on portions and careful about desserts.

May have to have a bit of a rest from the running though. Achilles has been a bit sore the last couple of times I was out. Will probably switch to cross trainer at the gym until it's better.
 
Just ran 11km ish this evening. Took me about 71 minutes on a hilly route. First time I've run over 10k since 1998. Achilles is fine and I didn't get too out of breath. Legs feel like lead though...
 
Settled into a more steady 2 lbs loss a week now. More like the sort of progress I was expecting. 1 stone 2 lbs shifted so far, which tipped the scales at 17 stone 8 this morning. Gradually upping weights in the gym at the same time. Short run times are currently about the best I've done in 3 years.
 
All on track. 19lbs lost to date (another 3 this week). I'm at roughly my lowest weight since 2003, running my quickest times since 1998 (when I was 3 or 4 stone lighter than now), beaten my lifetime press-ups record (25 initially to failure or 42 in 2 minutes).

A bit less than a stone to go and my BMI will no longer be rated as obese...
 
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Progress update. 23 lbs down so far. That's slightly scary as it's roughly how much my son weighs. He'll be one in a couple of weeks and I've only been at it since late May. Still shifting about 2-3 lbs a week.

Had a bit of a setback this week, injuring my back playing football, but stayed disciplined and still managed to train using the cross trainer. Also managed to scrape a bit faster on my 1.5 mile running time this morning despite the injury. Could hardly jog mid week but it's only a little bit sore now and warming up stops it hurting at all.
 
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Hmm - pics...

Not been taking many. Will have a look to see if I can find a suitable heavy one before posting an 'in progress shot'.

Anyway - another week another 2 pounds down. Now 16 stone 13 lbs so 25 lbs down from May this year. Taking it back to before I used to regularly run or go to the gym in about 2006 I was 19 stone 5 lbs so 33 lbs down from my all-time high.

Actually - maybe if I can find two initial photos - the first full fat - then after regular excercise a few years later but still carrying plenty of blubber. Then onto the work in progress shots...
 
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OK pics coming up...

This is me back in 2006, around 18 stone something high. If you don't want stretch marks, don't gain so much fat or do it slowly...
4842095608_1e574fee3b.jpg


Will take a shot from a similar angle once I hit 2 stone lost.
 
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I have been thinking I don't look too much different although others are noticing. The biggest difference is if I flex muscles. Some areas are starting to show past the fat, which is nice.

Having said that I've had to buy a smaller belt, running my best times in 10 years, more than doubled my personal best for press ups.

Nice to see the odd milestone going past. Expecting to get past the 2 stone mark this week. At the current rate of progress I might get my BMI under 30 during august. My body fat monitor scales indicate that I've reduced my body fat by 3% in the last 2 months (comparing the before and after percentages with weight, that amounts to about 15-16lbs of the weight loss so far being fat, but I take bioelectrical impedance figures with a pinch of salt).

It's all work in progress bit you can't always see the changes in the short term. Fat's a bit like snow. If there's lots in the first place a lot needs to 'melt' before you can see what's underneath.
 
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Okey dokey - comparison shots:
First shot Approx 18 3/4 stone (circa 2006 although it's roughly the same weight I was in May this year). 2nd shot taken yesterday morning - 16 st 8 lbs (30 lbs lost since May)
4842095608_1e574fee3b.jpg
4850928364_40e5d217f7.jpg

So - rather unexpectedly - 5 lbs down this week, which is a bit faster than usual. Only lost 1 lb the week before so midweek diet was a little stricter than usual to compensate (I thought I was about to hit a bit of a plateaux). Bear in mind I've had a few years worth of inconsistent gym attendance since the first shot so I can't say that's what just over 2 months difference looks like. Just don't have any recent 'full weight' shots with my top off.

Edit: oh yeah - nice work cheets!
 
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A little further evidence of how much of a pinch of salt to take Bioelectrical impedance readings with:

I've had 3 readings taken on different equipment in the last couple of days.

  • Salter home scales (athlete algorithm) 26% body fat
  • Salter home scales (normal algorithm) 29% body fat
  • Tanita (normal algorithm) 39.1% body fat.

I like the '.1' just to give the impression of precision.

And comedy moment down the gym, while having my BF% 'measured' on the Tanita equipment. The machine gives a print out including BMI, which is 31.1. The guy who'd taken the reading starts talking me through the results. Looks at my BMI reading and starts saying " BMI is a function of your height and weight (all good so far...) so given your height and weight (looks up my height and weight on a wall chart) your BMI should be about 31. That's exactly what the machine says so that's just right... perfect - exactly where you need to be" :rolleyes:

I just nodded and smiled.

Edit: It's not just bioelectrical impedance that has its flaws. YMCA tape method puts me at 17%. US navy tape method has 25%. Do any of these things agree with each other? 17-39.1% is quite a range. Not really that bothered and I actually don't need to know what it is. Wouldn't know where to start with skinfolds...
 
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Another week, another pound. 16 st 7 lbs now. That's with extra crisps and cake...

Just an observation. I seem to be setting my fastest running times just after the weekend cheat days. Replenished glycogen maybe? Or could it be that it happens to be just after my usual Sunday weights session?
 
Right then... Progress has slowed recently but down 2 1/2 stone so far to 16 st 3 lbs. Another pound and I can hit the BMI under 30 by the end of August target. It's rapidly approaching though. Crack on...
 
Quick update. Morning weigh in puts me at 16 st 2. That puts me at a BMI of 29.95. That means for the first time in 10 years I am not obese (according to BMI classification). That's after going to a barbecue last night, which involved burgers and cake.

A minor moment of triumph :)

Onwards and downwards...
 
A wee thread resurrection - to bring a bit of realism and honesty. You see these threads that look like something of a success story and then end. The reality for me, is during my adult life I've lost up to 3-4 stone about 3-4 times and then put it back on later. The results described above turned out to be another one of those episodes.

So roll on 3.5 years. 16 stone 2 was as low as I got. I recall we went on a week's holiday and afterwards I didn't train as often. My young baby became a small boy and we had another one. I started priortising family time over training. I started eating whatever the wife and kids were having because it was easy. 3 times weekly gym visits with a little extra training at home dwindled to once a week where I was rarely pushing myself. It's a slippery slope. The weight gradually crept back up - a little at a time. But I let it get past points where I'd told myself I'd intervene - 17 stone, 18 stone - and then it got further.

So earlier this year I went over 19 stone again. There are glimmers of hope. Pound for pound, I'm faster and stronger than 2010. Thankfully the rise was arrested and I've gradually got back down to 18 stone 6 lbs. Made time for more running again recently and I'm managing a couple of miles most days. I ran a sub 12 minute mile and a half last week (still a minute off my 2.5 stone ligher best 2010 time though). I still occasionally beat PBs for press-ups or sit ups in a couple of minutes (51 and 61 respectively recently).

But yeah - reality check. It seems I can't really slack off on the training or diet much without consequences. The diet that helped me shift weight before does little on its own without training (tried that) so either I train, get stricter with the food or need a more radical rethink.

So hey - wish me luck!
 
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I think it's not so much typical median food as the 'little' extras here and there that add up. Midweek breakfast, lunch and daytime snacks all fairly healthy. It goes pear shaped at evenings and weekends.

I think too many evening meals are based around starchy carbs, which don't fill me up so I either eat large portions or snack later. Then I'm not strict enough about what I snack on (often sandwiches, more rarely biscuits or cake if we have it in). I've found eating more lean protein and veg helps fill me up and sets me up for the rest of the evening but the missus loves pasta, pizza, bread potatoes etc. She eats smaller portions though and has never been overweight.

Going running or to the gym in the evening seems to help with food intake. I guess I actually eat less on those evenings

Weekends are another matter. There's often a cooked breakfast once a week and a roast dinner with pudding at my mum's. It all adds up.
 
Oh, definitely bad habits but it doesn't take much in terms of excess food intake to put on a stone on in a year (or 3 in 3). Supposedly just a couple of biscuits or a fruit corner yogurt a day would be enough.
 
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