I've lost it

Down 2.6 pounds from last week, making it 22 pounds since March 8. No "lose it" pic this week, but instead the first selfie I've taken with the bride in a long time that I didn't hate. (Forgive the stubble!)



A milestone for her, too: this is her new "skinny" picture, the lowest weight she was down to two years ago (but that was after a messy appendectomy surgery and long recovery). I'm 10 or so pounds away from my wedding weight (7 yrs ago).

Good for you!

No scale movement, but I've lost another inch off my gut (down 7-inches since early March). I hit my first goal, which was to fit into a specific shirt and blazer before the end of term, which I did last week for some interviews we're running.

I signed up for a sprint triathlon in mid-September, a 1/4-mi swim, 10-m bike, and 5k run. My next goal is to finish the tri, but more importantly, build up some fitness along the way. Walking*just* started getting easy for me so it is time to up my game. I figure cross training will be better than doing any one exercise alone.

Congrats!

Is that really your backpacking set up? I just bought a GG Gorilla and can't wait to put it to use.

Yep, It's a Gorilla. My previous pack was a second-gen Gregory Whitney that I got when I graduated high school and earned my Eagle Scout award (I've used it exclusively for about 13 years now), so it's been a transition getting used to the Gorilla. I thought it would be too small coming from the beast, but ends up it is the perfect size for me and my gear needs. The longest I've been out was a 7-day trip, carrying 4 days of food before a resupply stop and I still had enough room. I like to eat big on the trail, too. I'm definitely not a gram weenie, but I've been swapping out my old gear the last year for lightweight options and I find that backpacking has been MUCH more enjoyable. I'm sure downgrading MY weight has been a part of that, too.

I'm hoping to make it up to your neck of the woods this summer. Work might send me outside of Portland for a few days, so if that's the case I can take some time afterwards to do a little backpacking. I'll pick your brain if that's the case. I'm thinking 100-mile wilderness just for the AT cool factor, but I'm open to other, less used routes/trails.

Reckoner said:

Yep, It's a Gorilla. My previous pack was a second-gen Gregory Whitney that I got when I graduated high school and earned my Eagle Scout award (I've used it exclusively for about 13 years now), so it's been a transition getting used to the Gorilla. I thought it would be too small coming from the beast, but ends up it is the perfect size for me and my gear needs. The longest I've been out was a 7-day trip, carrying 4 days of food before a resupply stop and I still had enough room. I like to eat big on the trail, too. I'm definitely not a gram weenie, but I've been swapping out my old gear the last year for lightweight options and I find that backpacking has been MUCH more enjoyable. I'm sure downgrading MY weight has been a part of that, too.

I'm hoping to make it up to your neck of the woods this summer. Work might send me outside of Portland for a few days, so if that's the case I can take some time afterwards to do a little backpacking. I'll pick your brain if that's the case. I'm thinking 100-mile wilderness just for the AT cool factor, but I'm open to other, less used routes/trails.

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Please hit me up if you're coming this way. I live just outside Portland. I'm always ready to make an excuse to hike.

The entire 100 mile wilderness is a 10 day minimum, I'm told. It can be sectioned but it is a bit if a logistical pain with car spots.

Anywhoo, back on track. Congrats on losing all that weight.

I had a great physical exam today. My blood pressure and weight are my lowest that the doc has on record for me. He ordered a full blood panel, so hopefully the results of that will be good, too. They were all in the normal range last time, and I KNOW I've been eating much better since then.

He commented that his patients that have done the best with successful and sustained weight loss are people who use tracking apps online and on their phones. He's not big on BMI or "ideal weight" zones and said he'd trust my judgement on what reasonable goals should be. He said that I am legitimately big boned in my ribcage and hips relative to my height. Lose the gut yes, but don't stress over BMI.

Best of all, he signed off on my triathlon training. He cautioned me against doing too much too soon, and as a rule he doesn't like people taking up running much past 35 if they don't have longtime experience running (I'm 30). He said to focus on bicycle and swimming up front and save running training for when I have another 10 pounds off my frame. I can still jog and build up with a simple plan now, but he doesn't want me to kill my knees by pushing it.

Reckoner said:

I had a great physical exam today. My blood pressure and weight are my lowest that the doc has on record for me. He ordered a full blood panel, so hopefully the results of that will be good, too. They were all in the normal range last time, and I KNOW I've been eating much better since then.

He commented that his patients that have done the best with successful and sustained weight loss are people who use tracking apps online and on their phones. He's not big on BMI or "ideal weight" zones and said he'd trust my judgement on what reasonable goals should be. He said that I am legitimately big boned in my ribcage and hips relative to my height. Lose the gut yes, but don't stress over BMI.

Best of all, he signed off on my triathlon training. He cautioned me against doing too much too soon, and as a rule he doesn't like people taking up running much past 35 if they don't have longtime experience running (I'm 30). He said to focus on bicycle and swimming up front and save running training for when I have another 10 pounds off my frame. I can still jog and build up with a simple plan now, but he doesn't want me to kill my knees by pushing it.

Click to expand...

Good for you!!! Keep up the good work!

I've lost 24 pounds in 10 weeks. I'd have to eat an extra 84,000 calories to gain that back. That's 21 jars of Nutella*, or roughly 1 jar every 32 hours for 10 weeks. I'm a Nutella fan, but that's gross.



(*The big ones, because come on, who buys little jars of Nutella?)

What a great job. Keep at it.

I love these threads.

I have no new loss picture as my scale movement is still stalled, but my legs are getting bigger and I've lost another inch off my waist.

Such a great thread. Keep up the good work, stay motivated!

Good on you! every little bit counts

It feels like I've hardly moved the scales the last 5-6 weeks, but it is starting to go down again. I've lost 26.2 pounds since early March.

Just found this thread, very very cool. Congrats on the journey!

Warning: Thread Zombie! Eagle-eyed Clubhous-ers will notice the most recent post in this thread until now was June 26, 2014. This was over a year ago. The loss was 26.2 pounds. You can probably guess what happened next and why I stopped posting…

I competed in a sprint triathlon (the shortest kind) and lived!

…okay, so maybe that wasn’t what you were going to guess. But what you probably guessed came to happen not long after the tri. My weight loss tapered into maintenance. Maintenance creeped into a pound up here or there. Fast forward, and I gained more than where I started. Mega-bummer.

I’m happy to say that I have a new “Lost It” addition: -25 pounds. This puts me close to where I was when I last posted in this thread. So then, today’s updated “I’ve lost it” image:



Down 25 pounds, or roughly the weight of my alu road bicycle, give or take or a full water bottle or two.

By the way, this is the same steed that will carry me at the same triathlon in a month’s time.

A bit more...
So what does it mean to have lost, gained back and then some, then lost again? I should say at the offset that I disappointed myself. I screwed up. Big. I’d much rather have lost 50 pounds once than 25 pounds twice. Fortunately, I am of a mind that there is something to learn in every situation, and doubly fortunate, I had some data to analyze from the good and bad periods that has given me some perspective.

For example, in the two months that I’ve been back on the horse, I’ve been able to see how my weight loss has been different this time compared to last year.

Exhibit A: Weight loss graphs
In the first go around, I crushed about 10 pounds at the start, lost the next 10 gradually, then really yo-yoed for the last five. This time around, it has taken roughly the same amount of time to lose the same amount of weight, but instead of spiked peaks and valleys on the graph, it has been a gently downward trending line, flat line, further trending down, shorter flatline, and more downward trend.

Exhibit B: Body measurements
Interpreting the data further, I see that my body weight (scale) does not necessarily tell the whole story. Although my weight is roughly the same now as it was a year ago, my body measurements are small across the board—enough that pants and shirts don’t fit now that fit fine at the same weight last year.

Exhibit C: Fitness
Looking at my triathlon training numbers from last year to this year, most of my numbers are better—distance I can swim in open water, speed I can attain and sustain on the bicycle, lower heart rate in the run, and so on. I anticipate that in a month I will be at or just under the race weight I was last year, but I can see from my training data that I’m already well ahead of where I was fitness-wise.

Even longer version, if you’ll allow it
If there is anything I have learned from reflecting upon my failure, it is a reinterpretation of how I approach the idea of discipline. I’m not much for self-help and motivational speakers, but I appreciate Jim Rohn’s quote that:

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”

I think last year I saw my discipline as the kind of discipline I associate with punishment and reformation: you have gained too much weight so now you must be disciplined to lose weight. You have eaten too many bad things so now you must be disciplined to eat “right.” You have been too lazy so now you must be disciplined to move more.

My perspective has been changed to an interpretation of discipline I associate with training, practice, and study. Whereas last year I was focused on losing X pounds in Y months, this year I am more interested in meeting my calorie goals for the day. A friend who has struggled with addiction told me his mantra: “I don’t need to be sober for the rest of my life, I just need to stay sober today and wake up sober tomorrow.” He says that throughout the day, every day.

I really didn’t want to run today but I cranked out a few miles anyway. I ended up going farther and faster than I’ve done yet. Because I ran today, I am better prepared for the race in a month. Because I am competing there, I am inspired to do a Century road race (100 miles) this winter. Because I am pushing myself, I must be mindful of how I fuel my body. Because I am mindful of how I eat and how my body is working, I am seeing the benefits of weight loss and a return to health and fitness.

Through this view of discipline—a study, a practice, as opposed to a punishment—I am making the daily work add up to significant gains. I can go to bed happy that I met my calorie goals for the day, that I met fitness goals even though I didn’t want to. I can go to bed happy that today’s training and practice means I can wake up tomorrow without the regret of skipping. Today’s training and tomorrow’s training and a whole string of daily trainings will eventually get me to where I want to be.

TL;DR
I was losing weight. I gained it back. I’m disappointed with that but I'm losing again and in a much better head space.

TL;DR from Kindergarten Cop

Good for you!!!! Glad to see you are back on the horse

You've got a great attitude, Reckoner. I have no doubt you will do great at your triathlon, and do great keeping up with your new (improved) lifestyle.

Good man! The point is that none of us can get there without work. Keep it up.