Losing 100 Pounds

[Donn]

Originally Posted by openeyes

I would be very careful about losing weight nearly that fast. Realize that while a pound of fat is 3500 calories, a pound of muscle is only 600. In order to lose that much weight so quickly, it's very likely there's an emphasis on losing muscle mass (eating more protein and lifting weights helps preserve muscle mass, but that's going a bit beyond this post). This is why so many people put weight back on, as a pound of muscle burns 50 calories per day doing nothing, and each pound lost lowers one's basal metabolic rate.

I recommend that people pay more attention to bodyfat % (easily tracked via cheap calipers as mentioned elsewhere) than weight. Also, don't diet. Adopt eating and lifestyle habits that you can comfortably maintain for a lifetime: getting sufficient rest, chewing food at least 10-30 times, stopping the instant one feels full (no matter how much is left on your plate), cutting out heavily processed foods as much as possible, and integrating enjoyable physical activities (such as dancing and martial arts class) into your daily life. Moderate weight lifting has a healthy place in everyone's life, at every age. Find ways to have fun with whatever you choose to do, and it'll all go much more smoothly, with a better chance of the weight staying off for good.

I've never been seriously overweight (just a little chubby, which was quickly corrected by eating less bread), though when my mom took a bit of my advice a few years ago she lost about 60 pounds in a year, and has remained at a fairly ideal weight ever since. She's happily much more active than before and enjoys going hiking/kayaking at age 50. Her frequent colds seem to have disappeared as well. Remember, whatever age you are, life can be so much better if you take action, though if you've been reading Steve's site, you likely already know that

Makes sense to me. I do watch calories though and my weight comes off at a moderate rate. Weight training helps too.

[Greg Todd]

Originally Posted by Cron

Hey Greg, can you make them middle column on your blog wider? One paragraph can go all the way down the page.

Thanks for the suggestion, Cron. I'll look into it. I'm not high tech at all, and I'm using a Wordpress template, but my friend who helps me with the site may be able to do something.

[Greg Todd]

Originally Posted by VeganMelissa

Hey Greg,
Three years ago I lost 99 pounds. I found that setting exercise goals that I could not get out off was a good motivator for me. For instance, after I lost the first 30 pounds, I signed up to do a 3 day charity walk that was 60 miles in 3 days. I HAD to train for that or I'd kill myself when the actual walk came. It helped keep me motivated. I walked every mile of that walked and loved it. After that, I signed up and paid for a hiking trip to Kilimanjaro in Africa. (Once you pay there is no going back) 5 months later I hiked up Kili with 3 of my friends and I was the only person to make it to the top. I know these are extreme and costly but now I plan smaller hiking trips to Yosemite, Bryce Canyon etc so that I keep going.
Find a physical activity that you've always wanted to do and get started!
Whenever you get down on yourself and can't see the end remind yourself that you are in better shape now than you were before and that counts.
Good luck! You can do this!

Thanks, Melissa. That's a great achivement! I intend to work up to walking 2 hours a day, while listening to George Noory and Diane Rehm podcasts on my mp3 player. I can go about an hour now.

[Greg Todd]

Thanks for your suggestions, Elaine. I am trying to listen to my body, and I"ve noticed that I feel much better when I eat a simple meal of one or two items, and not the regular American style of eathing several different foods at the same meal. And I've found that yogurt isn't much of a health food in my case, either-most of them have sugar, and try as I might, I can't buy 5 and then eat one a day. I'll eat two or three a day. So I'm laying off.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by Greg Todd

Thanks for the suggestion, Cron. I'll look into it. I'm not high tech at all, and I'm using a Wordpress template, but my friend who helps me with the site may be able to do something.

Another suggestion would be to disable the requirement to register and login to post comments. I think you would get a bunch more comments that way. If you are worried about spam, wordpress includes the akismet spam filter, which works excellently. Sure, sometimes you have to delete spam, but its worth it for increased comments.

[Greg Todd]

Thanks, Lucas. I'll check into it!

[impaul99]

Hi Greg, I'm not sure if you've taken a look at my "Getting in Shape" series of articles, but I've just finished writing the fifth article in the series. I've been on my program since December 19th and so far I'm loving it. You can find the article here: Getting in Shape Series - Step 5 - Shifting Your Identity .

Also, if I could make one suggestion to your signature, it would be to say "I Intend to lose at least 100 pounds of unwanted fat in a healthy way..." instead of just "100 pounds", because there are unhealthy ways of losing weight from your body, as well as losing muscle instead of fat, or even something as crazy as losing a limb in a car accident or something. You don't really want to just lose weight, you probably want to lose fat, and also gain health. Just a suggestion.

[Cron]

Hey Gregg;

If you can you might want to have a doctor and/or a nutritionist put you on a plan. You will have something objective to stick too and if you find a pro who has done this before they can give you valuable advice.

I remember reading about the governor of Alabama who did a reduction like yours ( his doctor told him his life depended on it ). His doctor advised him to diet down first so as not to hurt his joints when he started exercising.

A few years ago I started taking long walks again after being sedentary for a long time. I also didn't stretch and got a case of plantar fascitis ( heel spurs ) that lasted for years.

[elainevdw]

Originally Posted by Greg Todd

Thanks for your suggestions, Elaine. I am trying to listen to my body, and I"ve noticed that I feel much better when I eat a simple meal of one or two items, and not the regular American style of eathing several different foods at the same meal. And I've found that yogurt isn't much of a health food in my case, either-most of them have sugar, and try as I might, I can't buy 5 and then eat one a day. I'll eat two or three a day. So I'm laying off.

Ha, well, I'm glad to know that I'm not alone in overeating yogurt!

By the way, your blog is really fun to read! Another fun-to-read blog by a lady who has already lost over 100 lbs is The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl. You might enjoy it, seeing as you two are blogging in similar genres.

[Greg Todd]

Originally Posted by Kiba

Hi, your blog is inspiring, even though you just started out. I also have the same goal as you and also started out. Your blog, I have a feeling is going to be inspiring. And inspiration keep me going. I wish you the best luck.

My intensity is much higher(I am not as overweight fortunately) but the time is much shorter. I am in my fourth day and gradually increasing the intensity. My goal is to reach 30 days of exercise. That is pretty much the entire month of January.

I am 15 years old and weigh 188 pounds. That is a lot of weight.

Thanks, Kiba! And best wishes to you on your journey to fitness!

[Love]

Good determination! (Instead of good luck...)

Cheers!

[The Protagonist]

Bodybuilding.com - Male Transformation Of The Week - Transformation Of The Month - Randy Ogle.

that guy did it and you can too. Listen man I used to be fat too, now I am pretty ripped. There is only one thing that I can truly attest to that, and that is this site:

Bodybuilding.com - The Future Of Bodybuilding! Huge Bodybuilding Site.

go on there, register on the forums, you will get nutritionsts helping you out, people will hook you up with a good weight plan, and you'll stay motivated.

[Donn]

Originally Posted by The Protagonist

Bodybuilding.com - Male Transformation Of The Week - Transformation Of The Month - Randy Ogle.

that guy did it and you can too. Listen man I used to be fat too, now I am pretty ripped. There is only one thing that I can truly attest to that, and that is this site:

Bodybuilding.com - The Future Of Bodybuilding! Huge Bodybuilding Site.

go on there, register on the forums, you will get nutritionsts helping you out, people will hook you up with a good weight plan, and you'll stay motivated.

Great place to look. Lots of training and nutrition articles...exercise protocols too.

[Keith]

Steve's latest podcast (http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/200...l-achievement/) seems like it'd be really useful to you. It even uses losing 100 lbs as an example.

[ChefSalad]

Youghurt's only really healthy if you eat plain youghurt (maybe with some fruit, but NO SUGAR!). Otherwise it may as well be thawed out ice cream. You can make your own youghurt from scratch to save money.

[Greg Todd]

Elaine, I love Diet Girl's blog. I can't get over what a good writer she is.

Thanks for the encouragement, Love.

Protagonist, Randy Ogle's transformation really is amazing. That's what I hope to achieve.

Keith, I did listen to Steve's latest podcast. I know I need that identity shift if I'm going to become the person I want to be. I had a bad few days this past week where I slipped back into my old behaviors. It was pretty ugly. But in keeping with my promise, I wrote about it online. I've got to figure out how to quit identifying with the person who eats several Big Macs at a time, and start thinking like a healthy, energetic person does.

[Bingjie]

Hi Greg, you can go check out Look younger, live longer – RealAge for interesting health tips. MD Michael Roizen also wrote some books, I'm reading up "You, on a diet" right now, and it's a great informative read! Here's some tips:

- walking at least 30 min a day can help you be more sensitive to your mind's satiety center, so you'll stop whenever your body's had enough nutrients, instead of still continuing to eat for pleasure. you're already walking, so keep on doing it!
- eating some healthy fat (eg. almonds, walnuts) twenty minutes before meals can actually make you fuller, so you'll eat less.
- do at least 10 deep breaths every morning and when you feel tired. It's the best way and also free way to naturally detox your body.

And also, I suggest you take off the focus on the 100 pounds to LOSE, and instead, concentrate on the ideal body you'd like to achieve, eg. working towards a leaner and stronger 200-pound body. Focus on what you want, instead of what you don't want, if you believe in the IM principle.

Lastly, you can go to this thread for more ideas: "Side Effects of Losing weight"

Have fun!