My wife has challenged me to get fit....again....

[Andy9]

Hi All,

 

I'm not sure that anyone wants to see this specifically, but I need a place to track my journey and hopefully receives a little encouragement along the way.

I started shooting last year and got right into USPSA local match and then found an IDPA match also and am hooked! My fist and only gun so far is a CZ SP01, also got a DAA belt, holster and mag pouches extra mags and the other stuff you need to compete. All nice so far, anyway, I don't have a large budget so i can't just go buy the next gun on a whim, but my wife gave me the green light BUT after I get back into reasonable shape  (ya, there was a "but"). So this reasonable shape is something i need to do anyway but now i have a carrot to chase and that progress is what i will be tracking here.

 

Starting point just north of 400, ya 4 bills, that's to big, and i need to get to 300, that's the goal. I used to be a real fit guy, 6'4 and 275 and exercising almost daily, but 14 years of a desk job and 4 kids killed that and created my existing "dad bod". it is now time to fix that for health, and for becoming a better shooter. So I am starting the journey now - Shadow 2 is in the sights!!

 

Shooter make ready, Are you ready........BEEEEEP!!!   

[pjb45]

So much to work with here:

Baseline

1. Are you healthy enough for a physical training program

2. Watch your diet-do not eat everything on your plate-you can eat less

3. Start walking

Exercise Program

1. Set your fitness goals-write them down (ala Lanny Bassham)

2. Find a program that will coach to achieve your goals.

3. Internet is your friend--HIIT is a big deal;  so many ways to do HIIT

4. Do not ignore mobility work

5. Eat better foods---no more fast food = empty calories

6. Look at all the diets and combine the best parts, KETO is interesting, WW, .....

[MemphisMechanic]

Things are different with goals of increasing steength and muscle mass, but for simple weight loss (your primary objective) it’s simple.

 

calories out > calories in.

 

Exercise. At all. Eat lunch at your desk then go for a walk instead of dining out with the fellas.

 

Go for a walk again after work, or climb on an elliptical at the cheap local gym.

 

Eat the same volume of food you do now, so you’re less tempted to cheat. But make it better fare. Apple with peanut butter smeared on it when you’d normally snack on a donut in the morning, etc.

[Andy9]

Thanks for the support. The eating healthy is easy, it is just the quantity and regularity, I snack way to often. 

I think the hardest is part is the exercise, I have become a sloth :/ and that is what needs to change.

 

Memphis, like you said, calories out > calories in. I actually have an elliptical at home, but i have to train my brain to equate using it to new gun.  

 

 

[Dr. Phil]

Maybe hang a picture of your new blaster on the mirror in the bathroom. Every time you see it, it is a reminder of where you are headed..

 

Hang one on the elliptical also. Great motivation...

 

Maybe beg borrow or steal Lanny Bassams' book "With Winning In Mind". There is an excellent section on ways to "remind" yourself what it is you want to accomplish.

 

Remember that we are pulling for you!

 

You got this man...

[jkrispies]

43 minutes ago, Andy9 said:

Thanks for the support. The eating healthy is easy, it is just the quantity and regularity, I snack way to often. 

I think the hardest is part is the exercise, I have become a sloth and that is what needs to change.

 

Memphis, like you said, calories out > calories in. I actually have an elliptical at home, but i have to train my brain to equate using it to new gun.  

 

 

I know it sounds a little girly but Weight Watchers is easy and effective.  All you need from them is the app on your phone and then be consistent with it.  Tracking points is super easy.  Not difficult to do if your wife is doing it with you or at least eating the same home cooked meals.  It will seriously curb the snacking.  I lost 35 pounds over the past year and kept most off through the holidays.  Truly the key was doing it with my wife so the nightly meals at home were in check too.  The rest of the meals (at least during the work week) were on me so not a problem.  After that it’s keeping an eye on the scale and don’t forget that adding only a quarter pound a week seems insignifcant at the moment but in two years, 25 pounds will sneak up on you out of nowhere.  

Edited January 12, 2019 by jkrispies

[Hi-Power Jack]

15 years ago I went on a "DIET" - didn't work - kept gaining weight slowly.

 

Then MD told me I needed to eat "healthy" and I cut way back on carbs and fats.

 

Didn't realize it but in three months I lost 25 lbs.

 

Don't "go on a diet" - start eating healthy      

[Winny]

Don't know your age, but guessing you're somewhere in the middle age range or so.  Go get you testosterone checked along with your thyroid.  Men our age are suffering from a low T issue which makes the fat stay and makes you lethargic, tired, and just not want to do anything after awhile.  It's worth looking into.  Good luck on your journey!

[pbRex]

On 1/12/2019 at 2:01 PM, Andy9 said:

Thanks for the support. The eating healthy is easy, it is just the quantity and regularity, I snack way to often. 

I think the hardest is part is the exercise, I have become a sloth and that is what needs to change.

 

Memphis, like you said, calories out > calories in. I actually have an elliptical at home, but i have to train my brain to equate using it to new gun.  

 

 

 

Andy I was very bad about grazing in between meals.  I've just started intermittent fasting and I like it thus far.  I'm on the 18hr fast/6hr eat at the moment and haven't really changed what I'm eating (during the 6 hours) and I already notice a difference.  As @MemphisMechanic said, its all a calorie game, with IF I've been able to reduce the extra calories in between meals.  

[IHAVEGAS]

You will be the 5th USPSA shooter I know to lose in excess of 100lbs.

Keep us posted. Kick ass. 

 

15 minutes ago, pbRex said:

I'm on the 18hr fast/6hr eat at the moment and haven't really changed what I'm eating (during the 6 hours) and I already notice a difference.

 

Have heard great things about various versions of that. 

[pbRex]

1 hour ago, IHAVEGAS said:

You will be the 5th USPSA shooter I know to lose in excess of 100lbs.

Keep us posted. Kick ass. 

 

 

Have heard great things about various versions of that. 

@IHAVEGAS I dont plan to lose that much (approx. 30-40lbs) but I will make sure to keep you all posted. 

 

[George16]

When I retired 8 years ago I weighed 178#. Now I weigh about 157-159#. I ate a lot for breakfast after running 3-4 miles and my breakfast consisted of bacon, eggs, sausage and hash browns. I gained weight in spite of the running and weight exercise I was doing. 

 

After retirement, I decided to lose weight by doing the same or adding more HIIT exercise and changing my diet. Instead of my usual breakfast of bacon ages etc, I prepared a glass of smoothie consisting of frozen fruits, nuts, almond milk and protein powder. The protein powder in the smoothie keeps me satiated. I had been doing this ever since and also keeping up with my fitness regimen. So far, the I had maintained my weight at 157-158#. I’ll be 52 in a couple of months and healthier than ever compared to 10 years ago.

 

For snacks, I also chugged down a small glass of smoothie with some nuts like pistachios or eat some fresh fruits.

 

You can do it. It’ll be hard at the beginning because it’s a lifestyle change but it’ll get easier once you get used to a new routine.

[practical_man]

Andy

you’re going to succeed!!!  It’s just a matter of choosing to change your habits and priorities. 

 

Post you long term goal and intermediate objectives. That will help you  stay committed. 

 

Post your “practice schedule”. By that, I mean the approach you are taking to get to those intermediate goals. That will help you remember. 

 

Post it on the fridge and anywhere else you will be cognizant of it. 

 

Suggestions: 

 

Keep a good diary. Write down what you eat and how you feel. Track your metric and compliance with practice schedule. It will help you find what works best for you. 

 

Use a reasonably stable metric. Measuring your waistline is a good one that’s less affected by fluid intake, etc.  the scale can be maddening. Measure once a week, same day, same time regardless of what metric you choose. 

 

measure meal portions with a scale and measuring cup. 

 

Be realistic. Reducing quantities is better long term than fads like eliminating all carbs or all fats. Eliminating diet soda and artificial sweeteners is usually helpful because those things work against your body’s mechanisms to feel full. 

 

Drink lots of water. We often feel hungry when actually thirsty. 

 

Make sure you get enough protein through food or supplements. Sustaining the lean mass is important. 

 

Dry fire a little when you feel the urge to snack. 

 

Exercise a little every day, as your health will tolerate. I’m a fan of the kettlebell swing. Start slow, 10 swings for a couple sets. Increase every other week or so as you get stronger. It’s deceptively simple and effective; almost efficient in terms of time and suck factor so it’s easy to stay with it. A single 16Kg bell from your local big box store costs about $50 and will do all you need. 

 

We went through this when my wife had gestational diabetes (all 4 kids). I did the diet and exercise with her. It sucked for about a month, then you get used to a new way of living and it’s easier. Not easy, but easier. 

 

You can do this!! You will enjoy life more and have more fun with people and things you love. It’s an investment in your future. 

 

Now Get to Work!

[Andy9]

I am posting a status update.

By the way, SUPER big thanks for the reply's I really appreciate it!

 

Great so far, about 8 pounds down from my first post, Probably a lot of water retention gone. I do think that eliminating alcohol consumption has helped. I only had one beer this week!! Also condensed portion size and snack size. Amazing enough, with these changes a significant reduction of sugar happened and my joints don't ache much today.

 

I didn't get into the exercise thing yet, except for I got a set of hand grip strengtheners and a set of small dumbbells to have at my desk. Belive it or not, this has been great!! These allow me to simulate trigger work, endurance and gun grip while at work. So when i have a food craving, I grab a dumbbell and practice aiming and firing at a set of targeting points on my wall. 

To aid in my excitement, I came across on the USPSA website the classifier stage drawings so i can practice on those too!! ( who doesn't need that )

 

Now for goals....... (I hate goal setting, I just prefer having fun)

I would like a pound a day loss, that may be some what unrealistic, but i'm a fat guy with a lot to loose, not just a guy trying to get in shape.

The next step is to start a little cardio on the elliptical (urgg). Not being a morning person makes this hard, however i have plenty of audio books to chetch up on, I just need to force my self out of bed earlier than work requires. Wish me luck here, I'm an afternoon person.

 

Week start weight 398 

Week ending weight 390

 

I will keep posting

Thanks Again!

 

[BentAero]

Good job, Andy! Next time you're at the Grocery, pickup (don't buy, just pickup) an 8 lb bag of pet food and tell yourself "I've lost this much weight already!"

 

Side note: what communities do you shoot USPSA/IDPA in? I get up to Michigan once or twice per year...

[Andy9]

10 hours ago, BentAero said:

Good job, Andy! Next time you're at the Grocery, pickup (don't buy, just pickup) an 8 lb bag of pet food and tell yourself "I've lost this much weight already!"

 

Side note: what communities do you shoot USPSA/IDPA in? I get up to Michigan once or twice per year...

 

Between Brighton and Flint - Livingston Gun Club runs monthly matches and in July they have a major called Ryan Rocks Charity Blast  http://ryanrocksoutdooradventures.org/events/event/2019-ryan-rocks-charity-blast/  

 

The last time i did a significant get in shape thing (14 years ago) I was running 3 miles a day with 10 lbs dumbbells and what i was telling my self is WOW I have lost this much weight!! It is a great motivator to connect results to something tangible.

[MikeyScuba]

Some tricks.

 

we use stevia/xylitol packs instead of sugar 

in the example of apple with peanut butter, apple with cinnamon is yummy 

vinegar,spices, bbqing are a good substitute for oils, sugar and frying 

 

After many $1000’s spent, the only supplements I’d use are fish oil (liquid, not capsules), whey protein, multi vitamin and decent magnesium supplements. I also like flax seed meal, but it’s more food than supplement.  I have a shake every day with:

 

frozen berries

steamed kale

whey protein

ginger + circumin root

flax seed meal

fish oil

 

this would make a great post workout shake if you took the flax and oil out.

[practical_man]

19 hours ago, Andy9 said:

I am posting a status update.

By the way, SUPER big thanks for the reply's I really appreciate it!

 

Great so far, about 8 pounds down from my first post, Probably a lot of water retention gone. I do think that eliminating alcohol consumption has helped. I only had one beer this week!! Also condensed portion size and snack size. Amazing enough, with these changes a significant reduction of sugar happened and my joints don't ache much today.

 

I didn't get into the exercise thing yet, except for I got a set of hand grip strengtheners and a set of small dumbbells to have at my desk. Belive it or not, this has been great!! These allow me to simulate trigger work, endurance and gun grip while at work. So when i have a food craving, I grab a dumbbell and practice aiming and firing at a set of targeting points on my wall. 

To aid in my excitement, I came across on the USPSA website the classifier stage drawings so i can practice on those too!! ( who doesn't need that )

 

Now for goals....... (I hate goal setting, I just prefer having fun)

I would like a pound a day loss, that may be some what unrealistic, but i'm a fat guy with a lot to loose, not just a guy trying to get in shape.

The next step is to start a little cardio on the elliptical (urgg). Not being a morning person makes this hard, however i have plenty of audio books to chetch up on, I just need to force my self out of bed earlier than work requires. Wish me luck here, I'm an afternoon person.

 

Week start weight 398 

Week ending weight 390

 

I will keep posting

Thanks Again!

 

 

Great job Andy. You’re on the road now and making progress. In a couple weeks the new habits will really take hold. Be strong. Resist temptation. 

 

The distractions at work are a great idea. A little hand and shoulder strength is always a bonus. Tell everyone it’s to fend off carpal tunnel

 

Try to quit carbonated beverage 100%. It will help. Besides, a little bourbon and water just tastes better on a cold evening...

 

Get out that tape measure as part of your progress tracking. Seriously. Just measure waist or hips. 1 data point is all you need to correlate progress. Especially when the scale seems stuck. 

 

You can probably do consistently maintain 5-8 pounds per week for a couple more weeks. Then it will slow down some as your body adjusts. At that point kick up movement a bit. Start light. You will be amazed at how much knee bends and pushups will help when you start exercise again. Just a few reps per set and a couple sets at the beginning. You’re in this for the long haul. Start steady and build up as you are ready. Focus on being just a little better each day and you will get to your potential.

 

As as others have said, protein is key. I use ON brand protein powder daily. You can get it at Costco or Amazon. 1 scoop is 125 kcal with 25grams protein. Your body needs that extra protein when you’re under the stress of a diet. Invest in your health and make sure you’re getting around 1 gram of protein per kg body weight. The last thing you want is to lose muscle mass instead of fat. 

 

Its takes real courage to commit to a lifestyle change. You can do this. Stick with it, even when you seem to get stuck at a plateau. Just like shooting...stick to the fundamentals and do the work. 

 

We we are cheering for ya. 

[Hi-Power Jack]

23 hours ago, Andy9 said:

 

I would like a pound a day loss, that may be some what unrealistic, but i'm a fat guy with a lot to lose, 

 

That's a bit much.  Would be nice, but you're setting yourself up for failure.

 

Just eat healthy, and don't weigh yourself for a month.   See what you weigh then.

 

Bet you've lost 10 -15 pounds.      

[jkrispies]

On 1/19/2019 at 5:33 PM, Hi-Power Jack said:

That's a bit much.  Would be nice, but you're setting yourself up for failure.

 

Just eat healthy, and don't weigh yourself for a month.   See what you weigh then.

 

Bet you've lost 10 -15 pounds.      

Agreed somewhat.  I weigh myself once a week every Tuesday morning.  Weighing in is important information to know if you’re doing it correctly or not, bearing in mind that everyone’s metabolism is different.  Two of my friends swear by Keto and a third gained weight on it.  Don’t weigh yourself often (normal fluctuations will frustrate you) but don’t wait so long between that a bad plan goes unnoticed. 

 

Mondays are bad for me to weigh in due to typically more salt than usual on the weekend, but it’s out of my system by Tuesday morning for an authentic weight.  When I’m heavy, 3 pounds per week is pushing it but possible.  Realistically 1-2 pounds per week is better because it’s sustainable and less likely to return when it comes time to maintain.  Remember that it’s a marathon and not a sprint.  One pound a week doesn’t sound like much in the moment but in a year that’s 50 pounds, which is a lot.  

Edited January 21, 2019 by jkrispies

[Steve RA]

Only two and a half years to a reasonable weight.  The trick - as mentioned several times previously - is to maintain a reasonable cut in food intake and moderate exercise and stick to it.  Sticking to it is the hardest, but, most rewarding part.  

[Jcgatus]

Im reading all kinds of awesome suggestions. Main thing is to consult with your Physician to see if doing some diets and workouts are going to be ok.

 

One thing that I have to do when its time to slim down after hibernating... Is prepare your mindset. Simply put, boost your willpower.

 

As weird as it sounds, mastering your mental will let you master everything else in life. Im not saying that I have done just that, but i can with my health. There is a science behind it.

Ive done almost every diet out there because I was desperate. But, I would crash and gain twice the weight. Ive bought supplenents and spent more money on eating healthy, only to fall back on pizza and ice cream.

After rewiring my psyche, which was a long process, I could turn it on or off. You master your thoughts, you master your body, you master your actions. Good luck, cant wait to see progress pictures!

 

 

[Hi-Power Jack]

4 hours ago, Jcgatus said:

  prepare your mindset.   boost your willpower.

 

True dat   

 

You know that we all crave:   salt, sugar, carbs, fat.   They are currently our rewards.     

 

Have to convince ourselves that they are NOT rewards, they are the ENEMY.  They

cause high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, fat-filled organs, etc etc etc.     

 

Rather than taking all the pills that MD's will be happy to Rx you to combat these

health problems, you can solve them all by eating what is good for you:  healthy

carbs, lean meat, fruit, vegetables and nuts.

 

Mindset :   cut out what is hurting your body and eat what is healthy for your body.      

 

 

[Jcgatus]

I made it fun using shooting workouts, which made getting into shape effortless. I was doing two things at the same time; i did drills that improved shooting And at the same time, im losing weight!

 

Im currently running a blog/vlog. I purposely balooned up to an unhealthy weight. I wanted to set an example for my family (who are all at risk for heart diseases and diabetes) and my troops. Im in the military and im in charge of younger troops that make excuses all the time.

 

Anyway, during the holidays, i challenged my peoples to a new years weight loss challenge. I normally weigh in at 160. So during thanksgiving all the way until the new years, I just ate everything and stayed stationary. I gained 40 lbs. I was not blessed with good genetics and im no personal trainer, but 40lbs was rough since I had to get new clothes in just a month.

 

So far, Ive lost 15lbs. By no means, I am not bragging. Im in the "suck" with everyone else trying to live healthier. Only difference is, my mind is already set on the end results and showcasing the journey. You got this, you just need to rewire then neurons!

 

 

[p7fl]

I've never been in your position of being a big guy wanting to losing a large amount of weight. Just average with average issues.

Everyone is right about calories and everyone is right about eating healthy foods.

Food is fuel not entertainment.

Excercise  IS important for many obvious reasons but if the work outs your are doing are not something you enjoy or or not challenged by  they will not work. Personal experience is  training in the martial arts for 30 years before I ever picked up a gun, still training and still enjoy training. It is not an effort at 70 to put an 1/2 hour in each day.  You have to find excercise that you like to do.

Also, is that you have a family so make being healthy a family goal, it is something you can share with the six of you and support each other. Being on BE is cool. Having someone with you every night is cooler.

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by p7fl
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