Visited the Doc, gained ten lbs instantly :~(
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afraid of whales
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Visited the Doc, gained ten lbs instantly :~(
Had a physical last March, Doc weighed me in at 253 (I'm 6'2"+ male, 48.5 years old today). I set a goal of 33lbs by Sept. Did the big lifestyle change thing, fixed my diet, ride my bike to work, mountain bike or walk 18 holes on weekends, took up Tai Chai. Weighed myself on the bathroom scale this am, 223lbs, went to the Doc for a physical and weighed in at 233.
OTOH:
lost 20 lbs as documented by the Doc
My bad cholesterol dropped from 220 to 134
My BP is 80/120, best it's been since I started with this Doc 13 years ago
My general fitness is soooo much higher, I'm bike commuting 16~20 miles, 4~5 days a week, Thai Chai on Saturday and then riding a killer 23 mile loop on Sunday (or golf/walking 18 hilly holes).
She (the Doc) was all pumped up and really happy for me, so I got over the 10lbs difference. We agreed that losing 20lbs more is a good target for Feb '10.
My glucose level is still a little high, she said it'll go down when I lose my belly.
Wife is kinda pissed, I'm hoping she can join me in the lifestyle change thing and feel the effects.
Lost all the weigh in my legs, arms, back...everywhere but my belly. That's just starting to get smaller. People are just starting to notice I'm losing weight, 40" pants are very lose, 38" might even fit!
I haven't lost any weight for the last 6 weeks, looks like I need to count calories....
OTOH:
lost 20 lbs as documented by the Doc
My bad cholesterol dropped from 220 to 134
My BP is 80/120, best it's been since I started with this Doc 13 years ago
My general fitness is soooo much higher, I'm bike commuting 16~20 miles, 4~5 days a week, Thai Chai on Saturday and then riding a killer 23 mile loop on Sunday (or golf/walking 18 hilly holes).
She (the Doc) was all pumped up and really happy for me, so I got over the 10lbs difference. We agreed that losing 20lbs more is a good target for Feb '10.
My glucose level is still a little high, she said it'll go down when I lose my belly.
Wife is kinda pissed, I'm hoping she can join me in the lifestyle change thing and feel the effects.
Lost all the weigh in my legs, arms, back...everywhere but my belly. That's just starting to get smaller. People are just starting to notice I'm losing weight, 40" pants are very lose, 38" might even fit!
I haven't lost any weight for the last 6 weeks, looks like I need to count calories....
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Congratulations! Looks like a huge change on all counts, esp. the cholesterol numbers.
I suspect bathroom scales are deliberately set to be a bit optimistic to make their customers happier.
I suspect bathroom scales are deliberately set to be a bit optimistic to make their customers happier.
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The number on the scale isn't as important as the overall change (which should have been comparable no matter how far off the scale is). The frame of reference may be different, but the results are real! Great work!
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It's hard not to focus on the scale but as your other numbers show you are doing great! Hey, 20 lbs isn't too shabby either!
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all those other numbers are what really kills, the scale is just a reference.
Great job, and Congrats! Keep up the good work, and remember to take recovery days, and try out something new. Always good to crosstrain. Biking doesnt work the arms much, so tennis would be good. Kayaking does a little for me, but I tend to paddle hard to get to a fishing hole, then sit there for an hour or so and paddle hard back
Keep us posted! I gotta get more desire to exercise, its real hard when you work second shift. Seems I am always tired. Probably need to make a Dr. appt myself...
Great job, and Congrats! Keep up the good work, and remember to take recovery days, and try out something new. Always good to crosstrain. Biking doesnt work the arms much, so tennis would be good. Kayaking does a little for me, but I tend to paddle hard to get to a fishing hole, then sit there for an hour or so and paddle hard back
Keep us posted! I gotta get more desire to exercise, its real hard when you work second shift. Seems I am always tired. Probably need to make a Dr. appt myself...
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Congratulations on the improvements! Keep in mind, it may be the doctor's scales too. My (ex) doctor, when I told him his scales were 15 pounds off every other scale I tried, just smiled and said "I know". That's part of why he's my ex doctor...
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You are doing fantastic. I know that it sounds like a cop-out, but if you are the type of guy that puts on muscle-bulk fast, a lot of that weight really can be muscle. I started out around 360 lbs in 2004, and my doctor took all kinds of body-fat and muscle mass measurements the first year that she started me on a program.
I DID lose muscle, until I got down to around 270 lbs, but then I was able to ride a lot harder outside on my bicycle. Before that, most of my 1+ hour aerobic exercise was on elliptical trainers, treadmills, and stationary bicycles. Once I started riding outside, my weight held fairly steady for 2-3 months, but my pants kept getting looser. I forgot the exact numbers, but when I finally started losing weight again, the doctor told me that during that time I had lost something like of 25-30 lbs of fat, and gained about 20 lbs of muscle (the rest was her getting me to actually drink enough fluid). She did not believe it was possible, but that is what the body submersion percent body-fat tests indicated.
Also remember, that heavier people fluctuate in weight more than normal people. Everyone's weight can fluctuate in the neighborhood of 3% - 5% each day, due to things like hydration, what is in your digestive tract, etc. People around 150 lbs can fluctuate about 3-5 lbs on a normal day, so that is the number that lots of doctors and dieticians are taught, but the heavier you are, the more pounds that you will fluctuate.
Maybe next time, you will be 10-15 lbs lighter than the day before? Way to go!
I DID lose muscle, until I got down to around 270 lbs, but then I was able to ride a lot harder outside on my bicycle. Before that, most of my 1+ hour aerobic exercise was on elliptical trainers, treadmills, and stationary bicycles. Once I started riding outside, my weight held fairly steady for 2-3 months, but my pants kept getting looser. I forgot the exact numbers, but when I finally started losing weight again, the doctor told me that during that time I had lost something like of 25-30 lbs of fat, and gained about 20 lbs of muscle (the rest was her getting me to actually drink enough fluid). She did not believe it was possible, but that is what the body submersion percent body-fat tests indicated.
Also remember, that heavier people fluctuate in weight more than normal people. Everyone's weight can fluctuate in the neighborhood of 3% - 5% each day, due to things like hydration, what is in your digestive tract, etc. People around 150 lbs can fluctuate about 3-5 lbs on a normal day, so that is the number that lots of doctors and dieticians are taught, but the heavier you are, the more pounds that you will fluctuate.
Maybe next time, you will be 10-15 lbs lighter than the day before? Way to go!
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Congrats, with those numbers you know you can push it even harder now. All your newly developed muscle (the scale doesn't lie) will just roast the rest of that energy off. Cut out anything with corn syrup in it. The major indicators at this point are how your clothes are fitting/falling off and how much harder you can push yourself.
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Keep up the good work...I think you're doing super! The number on that scale doesn't tell the whole story...those blood numbers are terrific.
Pinyon is right, heavier people have larger fluctuations in weight. As a woman who was 340 pounds I could swing 15 pounds, especially at my monthly cycle. Now at 170 it's maybe 3-5 pounds. And yes, muscle is heavier than fat but it also helps you burn more calories. You may want to invest in a scale that reads body composition as well as total weight...fat, muscle and water. That's a far more complete picture of what's going on and is really helpful to help you stay motivated.
Some other things to keep in mind: you cannot pinpoint where you lose the fat. You can target where you build muscle, but your body is going to decide which fat to use when it needs to burn calories.
If you hit a plateau, the best thing to do to bust it is increase your protein intake by about 30 grams or so. That's an extra boneless skinless chicken breast, or a protein drink. (I love the Syntrax Nectar Lemon Tea powdered protein. 23 grams protein per scoop and just 90 calories. Mail order it if you can't find it where you live.) Some people will try to bust a plateau by cranking down the calories but that's really just forcing your body farther into starvation mode. You gotta feed those muscles protein because the more muscle you can build, the more calories they'll burn.
I've learned a lot of things about weight loss. Tried and failed over and over before going the gastric bypass route. But even with that tool in my belly, I still have to be very active and diet conscious. Losing 175 pounds was HARD and I'll be danged if I'm letting it come back!
Pinyon is right, heavier people have larger fluctuations in weight. As a woman who was 340 pounds I could swing 15 pounds, especially at my monthly cycle. Now at 170 it's maybe 3-5 pounds. And yes, muscle is heavier than fat but it also helps you burn more calories. You may want to invest in a scale that reads body composition as well as total weight...fat, muscle and water. That's a far more complete picture of what's going on and is really helpful to help you stay motivated.
Some other things to keep in mind: you cannot pinpoint where you lose the fat. You can target where you build muscle, but your body is going to decide which fat to use when it needs to burn calories.
If you hit a plateau, the best thing to do to bust it is increase your protein intake by about 30 grams or so. That's an extra boneless skinless chicken breast, or a protein drink. (I love the Syntrax Nectar Lemon Tea powdered protein. 23 grams protein per scoop and just 90 calories. Mail order it if you can't find it where you live.) Some people will try to bust a plateau by cranking down the calories but that's really just forcing your body farther into starvation mode. You gotta feed those muscles protein because the more muscle you can build, the more calories they'll burn.
I've learned a lot of things about weight loss. Tried and failed over and over before going the gastric bypass route. But even with that tool in my belly, I still have to be very active and diet conscious. Losing 175 pounds was HARD and I'll be danged if I'm letting it come back!
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you gain about 6 pounds in clothing (shoes included).
When you were weighed at the dr's, did you take your shoes off and empty your pockets and remove belt?
I carry about 2-3 pounds in keys, cell phone and wallet/check book....I can easily see adding 10 pounds in clothing and accessories.....taking a number 1 or 2 is supposed to help to, but for me I get heavier afterwards.....if someone could explain that to me that would be awesome!
OP- great job!
When you were weighed at the dr's, did you take your shoes off and empty your pockets and remove belt?
I carry about 2-3 pounds in keys, cell phone and wallet/check book....I can easily see adding 10 pounds in clothing and accessories.....taking a number 1 or 2 is supposed to help to, but for me I get heavier afterwards.....if someone could explain that to me that would be awesome!
OP- great job!
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Great Job! I love stories like this, helps to keep me motivated.
#14
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Thanks for all the kind words. idrinkred, your story is inspiring! Just 20lbs has been hard, I'll think about how hard you worked as I try for my next 20lbs
I wanted to go back to the Doc after 6 months to be sure I was moving in the right direction. My goal is to be in proper shape before I turn 50, I am hoping to be there next Feb when I turn 49. Waiting one year wasn't an option. Glad I found out about the scale!
- The weigh-ins were ~1hr apart (had a couple glasses of H20, no food). I was naked at home and had just my undies and a tee-shirt on at the Doc's, no chance for other explainations with a 10lb difference. I did want to know how much I lost on her scale, I didn't weigh myself for several weeks after the Feb appointment. Truth is what I need, I cannot allow me to fool myself. I am trying to lose 1~1.5 lbs per week, it is hard to see this kind of progress in less than 1 month (because of all the things mentioned that effect the weight measurement).
- Blood numbers did make me happy. My Dad had a heart attack at the age of 68 and he has always had correct BMI and a good diet (unlike me). If I want to play golf with my grandkids, I better address these issues before it's too late.
I was thinking 30lbs was too good to be true, it was It has motivated me for the next 20lbs, I'm going to have to get serious about caloric intake. I've got three kids in their teens, they'll going to need me for quite a few more years, they are my underlying motivation.
Didn't hurt that the ladies in the lunch room noticed my weight loss, we men aren't any different
I wanted to go back to the Doc after 6 months to be sure I was moving in the right direction. My goal is to be in proper shape before I turn 50, I am hoping to be there next Feb when I turn 49. Waiting one year wasn't an option. Glad I found out about the scale!
- The weigh-ins were ~1hr apart (had a couple glasses of H20, no food). I was naked at home and had just my undies and a tee-shirt on at the Doc's, no chance for other explainations with a 10lb difference. I did want to know how much I lost on her scale, I didn't weigh myself for several weeks after the Feb appointment. Truth is what I need, I cannot allow me to fool myself. I am trying to lose 1~1.5 lbs per week, it is hard to see this kind of progress in less than 1 month (because of all the things mentioned that effect the weight measurement).
- Blood numbers did make me happy. My Dad had a heart attack at the age of 68 and he has always had correct BMI and a good diet (unlike me). If I want to play golf with my grandkids, I better address these issues before it's too late.
I was thinking 30lbs was too good to be true, it was It has motivated me for the next 20lbs, I'm going to have to get serious about caloric intake. I've got three kids in their teens, they'll going to need me for quite a few more years, they are my underlying motivation.
Didn't hurt that the ladies in the lunch room noticed my weight loss, we men aren't any different
#16
afraid of whales
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Small update. I've been stuck at ~233lbs for 6 weeks, I decided it was time for real action. I've started using the Calorie Counter web site. It's been a week now and I learned a few things:
- Alcohol and deserts are making me fat. I cut both out cold turkey.
- My exercise program is really buring calories.
I'm able to exercise 6000~7500 calories per week now I need live on 2200~2400 calories per day. It will take a few weeks to see the results, no sweets and alcohol is making me feel better, I have more energy.
- Alcohol and deserts are making me fat. I cut both out cold turkey.
- My exercise program is really buring calories.
I'm able to exercise 6000~7500 calories per week now I need live on 2200~2400 calories per day. It will take a few weeks to see the results, no sweets and alcohol is making me feel better, I have more energy.