Training & Nutrition - Weight Loss Club

It s a doctor style scale, not a doctors scale (if that makes sense)

YOu have to make sure those things are prefectly zeroed or else you are getting wrong answers. For alot of the summer i have been weighing myself on the same scale everytime. Its a digital scale. (ig ot this from my mom who did weight watchers) you should only weigh yourself once a week (or over a longer period of time) and always on the same scale. So you choose.

doctor's scales are more accurate (unless it's broken). Is the one you got at Target a digital scale?
It's made by Taylor, and is a dial scale.

Taylor Profession Dial Scale (model #909)
http://www.taylorusa.com/consumer/scales/precisiontech.html


Like I said...I know that if you just stay consistent with the same scale its the same (speaking in relatives).

I can't just waltz into the doctor's office and ask to be weighed....but the scale at work is that same type of scale the doctor's use. However...I don't know if the scales need to be serviced or calibrated once in a while and I'm sure the scales at work have probably been there 20 years and never touched.

First off you need to pick 1 scale. You need to weigh with the same clothes when you weigh, and weigh only once a week (I can't do this).

I went to the doctor today. I go every 3 months for zanax for stress, Now my doctor is very sensitive about my weight. He knows I exercise and knows I love to eat. He was very pleased that I had stuck with my lifestyle changes since January and for the first time acknoweleged that I may have a thyroid probelm which is contributing to my weight struggle. It will be interesting when the blood work comes back.

good luck/job everyone.
Ritz Keep it up bro! Your doing better than most people i know!
Why1504 good luck with that blood work there's benefits either way the results come back. 1. no mediacation and you still ahve ot loose weight
2. there is a problem and you are stuck taking a pill every day for hte rest of your life. but oyu loose weight. Hope it all works out!

Bransom, don't worry, I'm not riding the deathtrap. I've been doing some walking, and recently a small house fire has afforded me many opportunities for carpentry. Let me tell you, when you've dropped a significant amount of weight, you'll start noticing all sorts of situations you never thought about when you started the diet, but which absolutely required it. I've spent the last two days sawing, hammering, ripping and tearing at the top of a 30-foot extension ladder. I HATE tall ladders.
But imagine doing that at 400 pounds!

This morning after breakfast I weighed in at 298.4 lbs. That's the first time I've weighed less than 300 in a LONG time. I think I must have been close to 300, if not over, when I got married five years ago.

Man, I feel for you Don. Ladders aren't my favorite thing either, and I'm at 285 this morning. Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :D

Damn, that's an optimistic way of looking at a house fire! But congrats on the drop below 300. That's great news. And, um, by the way: I'm with ya on the tall ladder stuff. I hate those things.

Congrats to you, too, Ritz. Keep going!

Meanwhile, I just got back from two weeks on the road and managed to not gain anything, which for me is a success. I'm home for a few weeks (I think) before traveling again which hopefully will give me some time to lose a few pounds.

I was just about to go back out there and put some OSB on the outside, and my pager for the ambulance squad went off. Turned out to be a rescue squad call for a 50-year-old male who fell two stories and broke his arm and leg. :uhoh:

But the more I go up there, the better I get at it.

All of these posts are very inspiring, one way or another!

I'm 35 and have just remembered the great thrill of riding a bike. A couple of weeks ago I started out and couldn't even ride two miles before I died. I'm up to riding my bike to work twice a week (6 miles) and riding the bus home (it's Texas and 102 at 5:00!), and then riding for an hour on Saturday morning. I also follow the Suzanne Somers diet (protein and veggies by itself, starchy carbs by themselves, fruit on an empty stomach, no sugar, no caffeine) and I feel smarter and faster than I have for years! I eat a veggie delight sandwich every lunch (go Jared!) and eat protein and veggies the rest of the day. (I hate fruit!) Anyway - I've lost 10 pounds in three weeks and have gained energy like never before. Plus, my legs are really toning up!

I've got 40 pounds left to go!

Have a question for all you smart people out there . . . If I drink unsweet, de-caf iced tea, is that the same as drinking water? How 'bout regular?

thanks for the companionship on this biking thing. . . all my co-workers think I'm nuts!

I can't just waltz into the doctor's office and ask to be weighed....but the scale at work is that same type of scale the doctor's use. However...I don't know if the scales need to be serviced or calibrated once in a while and I'm sure the scales at work have probably been there 20 years and never touched.

you might be able to get in for a nurse visit - i need a couple of shots for a job and my doc's office was able to fit me in to see the med assist for them on the same day i called, only about an hour after i called in fact. since you dont need to see the doc it's worth a shot, that way you'd know how accurate your new scale is

Some doctors might surprise you, too. Depends on the doctor. Mine told me that any time I wanted to stop in during business hours and use the scale for a minute, I should go ahead. Your doctor wants you to lose fat!

I'm starting wonder what it would cost to do a bodyfat analysis--the full, submerge-me-in-a-tank version. Might be something to do every year or every six months. As I get back into weightlifting it might be interesting.

I posted on the general forum (with pictures) about the weekend I had away with Kirke from this forum....and ALL THE FOOD I ATE!!! :mad: I just can't seem to control myself!!!!

*sigh*

Anyway, I will try to resume good behaviour so that I will get to 135 by mid-September.

Mugglemomof3,

Unfortunately, water and iced tea aren't quite the same. :-(

Seriously, I know water can seem boring. Personally, I chug water because I know I need to for weight loss -- I drink it fast to get it over with -- but I sip decaf tea because I like it. Funny thing, though: after a couple of years of chugging water, I'm starting to like it more.

Me too. I drink water all day, and I love it.

I posted on the general forum (with pictures) about the weekend I had away with Kirke from this forum....and ALL THE FOOD I ATE!!! :mad: I just can't seem to control myself!!!!

*sigh*

Anyway, I will try to resume good behaviour so that I will get to 135 by mid-September.
Dearest....you can lose more weight if you wish....but I, for one, think you looked just fine. :D

I'd be lucky to have a girl so pretty!

Aww! :o Thank you KingTermite, you are a sweetie! :)

Aww! :o Thank you KingTermite, you are a sweetie! :)
Shhhhh! Don't tell anybody....don't want to lose my rep as the mean bad@$$ guy, ya know! ;)

I hear you! I can't tell you how many "deadlines" I've missed. I found an old notebook of mine, one where I used to write down recipies and grocery lists and to-do lists and odds and ends. It was from 1995 and I was finally a stay-at-home mom with my third child. I had this great plan to eat right and exercise all year and finally get rid of those last 25 pounds I had put on while having babies. I jotted down notes all year, and only lost about 10, but I was down to 165.

Well, today is 2005 (10 years later) and I'm at 217! Disgusting! I've been on some great "diets" and lost 10-15-25 lbs, but obviously gain it all back and then some!

But, here goes again. I started riding again 3 weeks ago and have lost 5 pounds but gained a new-found, old passion for riding! I love being on the bike, so maybe, just maybe I'll finally make my goal of 180 by my birthday (December) and keep it off this time, since I'm trying to increase my endurance enough to be able to tour with my boyfriend when we get married, sometime in about 6 years. He's a road racer and rides 40-50-60-70 miles three times a week, etc. Hopefully he'll be the inspiration I need to keep going!

Thanks again for sharing, all of you, it sure helps to know others are in the same predicament!

Snaps to all of you who are losing and never, never, give up. As the Chinese saying goes, Fall Seven Times, Stand Up Eight! :)

Just keep moving. The rest does almost take care of itself.

I ate a skimpy breakfast this morning, then got called out on an emergency ambulance call that turned into two emergency calls as such things are wont to do--and I had run out of the house without my wallet. I thus skipped lunch and all snacking entirely and, by 2:45 when I finally got home, I'd had maybe 400 calories all day. I try to eat between 1500 and 1800 now, around maintenance for my target of 200 lbs. But I was running really late for a job interview by that time and still needed to shower, shave and change (I hadn't expected to be gone from 10:30 to 2:30 when I left, but they really needed someone to go) so I just grabbed a water and the biggest banana on the bunch on my way out the door. So, maybe I'd had 700 calories by this time, probably not. Essentially I'd had an english muffin, a bite of eggs, a bite of an apple (I had just taken my first bite when the page call came, and I forgot about it when I was looking for my shoes) plus a banana and a whole bunch of water. For the entire day. I was eating like a supermodel and I was STARVING.

But when I called again to remind the interviewer that I'd be running late, they told me she was running late too. She thought nothing of it and ended up offering me the job, making twice what I make now. I start Monday. So there I was, about 800 calories behind on my daily intake just when I really, REALLY wanted to take my wife and kids out for a huge celebration dinner. We went to Friday's (the kids' favorite) and I was able to have a huge plate of barbecued chicken and veggies plus the appetizer without the tiniest shred of guilt. I found I didn't even really want dessert.

I should have bought a lottery ticket.

Oh yeah, and the new job is close enough to commute on a bike and nearly doubles my current income. Let's see. . . . oh yes, here it is:

Busted Crappy Bike + (2)Income + Bike Commute = SHINY NEW BIKE
:D

Hi guys. I just got into cycling as a commuter and to help me get into better shape. I have been lifting weights and eating a well rounded diet for some time now. However I needed to add some cardio in and biking really appealed to me. Im looking to get down to about 12% bodyfat and stay in that area. I literally just bought a bike this weekend (Giant Cypress) and have taken a couple rides. So far i am loving early AM rides. If any of you are looking for great information and a very supportive and helpful eating and exercise forum check out www.johnstonefitness.com. John Stone also has an amazing story himself. You will see me in there a lot with the same handle and avatar. Maybe ill see some of you over there.

Yo, Don — Excellent news! Wow, I think you're having a good week ... new job, double the money, can commute by bike. Will you buy me a lottery ticket, too? :beer:

Congratulations Don!!!!!!

Welcome badgolfer and thanks for the link. It's a really great site.

That's great news Don, congrats!

I also have some pretty good news today. I weighed 136.5 this morning! I've lost 10 lbs! More, if you count the brief swing to 152 then 148, before I settled on 146.5 as my starting benchmark!

BMI is now 22.7! :)

Wow! Looks like we're all havin' a great day! Congrats Don and juf2m!

Congratulations, Don! What a great day that turned out to be! Enjoy your new job and commute! :beer:

Bransom, double what I was making before wouldn't seem like much to a lot of posters here. But it's a fortune to me. I'll be teaching special ed classes in a town of 2,000 people, if that gives you a clue as to the astronomic heights of my newly minted money-pile. ;)

That's all right Don, it still looks like there's a high probability of a new ride in your future. :D

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :)

I weighed myself today, just to see where I
was at and since starting a few weeks now and have dropped down
23 pounds, but as I said, some of muscle is also on board for the
ride now, so for me it's not a constant check on the scales, as
I'm in it for the life improvement stage of things, not just a diet
that you go on and can't wait to get off of, this is something that
I plan on just continuing with!

For instance our eating has changed a bit and the family is also getting
into the deal a little, not as positive about it as I am but they may
turn the corner. Tonight we had steamed veggies with some saugage
mixed in to add some spice along with it, very good, I could have gone
without the saugage but it was a lighter saugage with spinach inside
some strange thing but tasty.

34" pants fit easily now but I'm a ways from the 32", I was hoping by
end of Sept, but if not, I'll eventually make it there.

A lot stronger now as well, and riding my bike a bit quicker too, adding
more miles during my errand runs at lunch, now I'm up to almost 10 and
some days just over, all within an hour's time including stops to the
bank, post office, dvd rental and other things, not all of the stops each
day but usually the dvd rental as a pivot point and then around a small
lake at my top speed, was able to get up to 25mph but haven't done
that again yet, wind or fatigue, it's been REALLY hot here lately.
Let me tell you, on a winding flat path, 25mph is tough to get up to! ;)
So for all of you working it down, hang in there, keep the mental thoughts
going strong, and I'd recommend not weighing yourself every day as
things can fluctuate, go about two weeks and mark it down and see
where you're headed.

G2

Hey, Don: My wife has been an elementary school counselor for the past five years so I've seen the pay scale. :eek: (She also just resigned so that she can finish her clinical supervision and go into private practice.) But doubling your money is still doubling your money, and that's still great news.

Of course, six months from now you'll feel just as broke as you do now — but you'll have more stuff. We — meaning all of us — seem to be able to expand our spending to accomodate virtually any level of income. :)

Mandatory weight-loss content:
The day before yesterday, my last day at my old job, I ran into one of the bus drivers from school. She hadn't seen me in six months or so. She asked how my summer went, and I told her I'd had surgery but things were going great. She responded:
"Oh, that does sound great! So, did you have your stomach stapled, or that lap band, or what?"
:D


Now, on to our regularly scheduled hijack:
Most of the "stuff" for now is going to be home improvements which are sorely needed, so I'm hoping they'll be a little more permanent than just blowing money on stereos and TV's. I do want a bike. My wife promised me a gun, but I'm going to get a safe instead. I need one.

I haven't been able to overpay on the mortgage and student loans during my "under-employment," so I'm going back to that. I expect to pay both off early. But I wasn't putting money aside for retirement before, and I do want to start that now. We have a pension system called Teacher's Retirement System, but I don't trust it. If they deliver what they promise, it's a pretty good retirement if you have the time in. But if they tell me to take half my benefits and like it, as I suspect they might, there won't be much I can do about it. And by paying into TRS, I avoid paying into Social Security, which wasn't much of a security blanket to begin with.

So, basically I'm going to spend money on these things:
1. Retirement
2. New windows, insulation, furnace upgrades, wiring, bathroom.
3. Overpay mortgage and student loans to eliminate debt.

I'd like to build a new desktop computer, get some of the knives I've been drooling over, etc, but reality is that I don't need those things. The bathroom, in particular, is a sorely pressing need. The current bathroom is a porch adapted by inbred carnies at least 40 years ago. The tub scares my wife; she won't sit down in it to take a bath. The floor is worse and about a 3% grade, and they actually put a large detour in the plumbing specifically to locate the toilet almost in the middle of the room, for no apparent reason. We call it a Walk-Around Toilet.

She can't complain, though. She just HAD to have this house. It's got so much "potential." We are the stereotypical young couple from every bad haunted-house movie you've ever seen. ;)

See? You're managing to lose weight and figure out how to spend all of your new income. But it sounds like you're going to spend it wisely (assuming there's a new bike thrown in there someplace.) Stereos and such lose their value within seconds of buying 'em. Your home, your retirement, your next good bicycle — they all do just the opposite.

Well, okay, maybe the bike won't appreciate but good ones do hold their value pretty well. And the health and longevity that you're creating by getting in better shape riding that bike mean that you have a better shot at actually using your retirement. I mean, hey, what good is retirement if it just means your wife gets to live like a princess after you're dead???

By the way, I've heard that "so much potential" thing before. :eek: Just remember, sometimes the best renovations begin with either a bulldozer, a chainsaw, or a For Sale sign.

Kinda like a car that's surpassed it's usefulness... Just jack up the radiator cap and drive a new car under it! LOL! Peace, Ritz.

HTTP://WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :D

Ha HA! Mine is an evil laugh!

The hijack is complete!
:D

I was able to get in 26 miles this morning! I'm still fat, but that's changing! Peace, Ritz.

I only managed to get in 9 miles this afternoon. About 5 miles into it, I noticed the bike bouncing a bit over the pavement expansion joints. Bouncing? Hmmm.... So I stopped and found my rear tire losing air rapidly. No big deal — I've got a spare tube. I change the tire and start inflating it with my frame pump. Oh, ya! Now I remember how badly my frame pump sucks. Total POS. I'd sworn after the last flat tire (thankfully, it's been a long time since I had one) that I'd replace it but, lazy ass that I am, I never did.

So I limped home with about 15 lbs of pressure in my rear tire. That made for a decent workout, what with the heat, hills, and all.

And this time I did replace the POS pump with a (hopefully) better Blackburn model. With luck, I won't have to try it out for a long time.

Sorry to hear about the flat, and the less than spectacular pump. Congratulations are in order for your purchase of a shiny new pump, and the achievement of a great workout! There's always an upside.

I managed to get in another 7.8 miles around tha 'hood, with my four-year-old in tow.
Yep, 33.8 miles today... now if i could only weigh less. 283 today.

283 beats 299 any day. . . . NOOOO! My hijack! It was nearly complete. I'd have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you durn kids.

I put in a little over 18 miles today, the last 8 or so in driving rain. If it hadn't been for the rain, I'd have turned east instead of west at the halfway point and made a much larger loop--I was having WAY too much fun. It felt great to be back on a bike, and everything fit beautifully. Riding was effortless, although my legs are stiff as boards now. I got run off a road and almost went over the bike trying to get my feet out of toe clips, got chased by dogs twice, rode in the pouring rain . . . . but it was fantastic.

Did I mention I bought a Giant OCR2 yesterday?
:D
I can't stop smiling.

Ya, baby, NEW TOYS!!! :)

So how'd you decide on the Giant? And who or what ran you off the road?

Well, I rode an FCR4. I thought I would ride the FCR4, ride a Specialized Sirrus, and maybe ride an OCR3 to make sure I didn't want it. But I thought if I ever wanted road bars, I would just switch the handlebars. Of course, it turns out you can't do that without switching shifters, brakes, etc.

Well, the FCR was great, but I couldn't help looking at the OCR models they had. The only other road bikes were Specialized Allez and Sequoia, and those were out of my price range. Actually, so was the OCR2, but I bought it anyway. I asked to ride an OCR3, and Matt the sales guy said he had an OCR2 set up in large. I didn't realize that meant he actually didn't have an OCR3 in that size. I rode the OCR2 and immediately fell in love. I rode it forever; I didn't want to take it back. When I got back, I found I wasn't really excited about the FCR4 anymore (when I rode the FCR4, comparing it to that Huffy, I really loved it.)

Well, of course they didn't have an OCR3, so I asked what the difference was. It would have taken four weeks to get an OCR3 in my size, and I really wanted to buy there. I didn't want clipless at first, and I knew I didn't need the swoopy racing wheels with a low number of spokes, so Matt told me that if I'd take a set of hand-built 32-spoke wheels and some platform pedals he'd give me the OCR2 for $650. That sounded reasonable to me, so I called the wife and she said she didn't care--after she caught her breath. I told her I'd be willing to sell a gun to cover the difference. Wheelfast threw in a couple of small freebies (toe clip pedals, Schrader adapters for the valve stems) and fitted it to me nicely, and the first year of maintenance is free as well. I've never bought a bike at a bike shop before, so forgive the bubbling. The new wheels seem great; they took all the bumps and thumps I couldn't avoid today with no problem.

So I bought it and took it home intending to ride it over to my parents' house to meet everyone for dinner, but when I got home the dark clouds were rolling in and the wind was swirling. I had time to put the bike in the dining room and close some windows on the house before the store let loose, so I didn't ride it that night.

But this morning it was cool and fairly clear, so I got up, went outside and transferred my bag and computer to the OCR3 and took off. That bike is a joy! Nobody really ran me off the road; a truck behind me honked to let me know he was there. I tried to move over, but I guess I'm still not used to the handling--I went a little too far, got onto the slope at the edge of the crowned road, which pulled me off into the soft gravel, which pulled me into the grass. I was trying to slow down and control it, which I did manage to do without going down, but I had a heck of a time getting my feet out of the toe clips.
I was also chased by dogs, but it was almost fun on that bike. I just yelled at them to stop, and when they didn't, all I had to do was tap the shifter a couple of times and leave them far behind!

Great ride. It did dump buckets of rain on me on the way home, but I was still miles from home and there was no lightning, so I just started pushing a little harder. It was just beautiful. . . .

Very cool. I'm jealous. Gotta finish the "convince the wife" routine so I can go get a new road bike, too. ;)

Congrats Don!

Hey Gary, just wanted to drop in and say hello...it's good to see another cutlery enthusiast who's into cycling on this board. ...not many of my knifemaking buddies are into riding bicycles...not cool enough for them.. :)

Don, congratulations on the new job! ...and new bike! :) I've got a couple year old OCR1 and love it...well, I should say I did love it, still do I suppose...but it's not been getting much ride time since I got into recumbents...I think I'll take it out for a ride today...been awhile since it's seen the pavement.



...as for an update on my weight loss progress...well, it's been going abysmally...but, I'm still keeping up hope...I've still not been able to break that 220 barrier...due, for sure to my diet...dang it I like to eat good food...but I have started cooking much more lately as opposed to eating out, and am trying to exercise more portion control and have cut back considerably on eating meats...so I'm still trying... :)

-Darren

Stuck at about the same weight for almost 9 months now. Getting pretty frustrated. Now with fall and winter approaching I am looking hard a a winter training program. Ordered a set of rollers, have a trainer and weight set. Now if I can just find the motivation to set the schedule and stick with it!

I'm happy to hear so many are doing so well. I really have to remember to check in here on a more regular baiss!

Hey, there are knife nuts here? Cool. I don't make anything but charred, misshapen lumps of steel, but I do love knives.


Zin, at what weight do you find yourself stuck?

Hi Don,
I've been suck at ~220lbs (+/- 5lbs) for such a long time. 2800 miles so far this year and still sitting right there. Last year I had 2705 for the entire year and lost 40lbs.

I know I'll get over this hump. I just have to keep plugging away. :)

Keep plugging Zin, Were right there with Ya'. I just saw the movie "Super-size Me" last night... :O Man, what a shocker! I don't do fast food very often, but after seeing that movie, I don't think I'll ever step foot into another Mc D's. Peace, Ritz.

HTTP://WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :D

[QUOTE=Don Gwinn]Hey, there are knife nuts here? Cool. I don't make anything but charred, misshapen lumps of steel, but I do love knives.

QUOTE]

Yep, a couple from what I can tell! :) When I'm not doing work for my ph.d. I'm either at the anvil forging blades or at the welding bench building forges to sell to bladesmiths....this is, of course, when I'm not out riding! :)

I recognized Gary Graley's avatar from some of the knifemaking forums I frequent. :)

-Darren

Allright... I need some support gang. I'm coming from 212 in late April and shooting for a goal of 160 by the end of the year. I've been doing great so far by the increased exercise of jogging/riding and watching the food intake and losing about 2lbs. per week. I'm was down to 178-179 for the past three or four days.

My biggest problem, like many others, is portion control. Yesterday I just couldn't stop myself. I had three diet pepsi's during the day, my usual packed lunch, snacked a bit before dinner (which is unusual for me) and then had a couple large plates of food for dinner. It was shake n' bake covered chicken breast(s), broccoli and cheese rice, and broccoli. I got up this morning feeling guilty about last nights loss of control or should I say BINGE. I stepped on the scale and was shocked to see 183lbs. I had to take a step back, zero the scale and try again... nope that didn't help. I realize its probably water weight and tomorrow I should be back under 180 but this sure is weighing (no pun intended) on my mind all day. I feel like going home early and just riding all day but I can't so I'll just sit here and feel bad all day.

John

Smaller portions much more frequently. I am following the "diet" (although I consider it a life change in eating habit, not some wierdo-plan to follow for 3 weeks,FYI) from the Body For Life book. I think the the entire book and it's principals are amazing. You might want to to check it out, it's by Bill Phillips. If I don't eat every 2 hours, I seem to lose control and eat lots of whatever is in front of me.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060193395/qid=1124285944/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-2512386-3276769?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Allright... I need some support gang. I'm coming from 212 in late April and shooting for a goal of 160 by the end of the year. I've been doing great so far by the increased exercise of jogging/riding and watching the food intake and losing about 2lbs. per week. I'm was down to 178-179 for the past three or four days.

My biggest problem, like many others, is portion control. Yesterday I just couldn't stop myself. I had three diet pepsi's during the day, my usual packed lunch, snacked a bit before dinner (which is unusual for me) and then had a couple large plates of food for dinner. It was shake n' bake covered chicken breast(s), broccoli and cheese rice, and broccoli. I got up this morning feeling guilty about last nights loss of control or should I say BINGE. I stepped on the scale and was shocked to see 183lbs. I had to take a step back, zero the scale and try again... nope that didn't help. I realize its probably water weight and tomorrow I should be back under 180 but this sure is weighing (no pun intended) on my mind all day. I feel like going home early and just riding all day but I can't so I'll just sit here and feel bad all day.

John


Weigh yourself in the morning, as soon as you wake up and use the bathroom. Your weight will be the most consistent at this time. Water weighs 8 lbs per gallon and it's pretty easy to be 1/2 gallon low or high and not feel any effects from it.