The 2024 Weight Loss Thread

[TameRacingDriver]

J4CKO said:

If you dont run, give it a try if able as nothing seems to give me the same benefits, not going mad, a 5k 2 or 3 times a week and the day after a run I am usually a pound lighter than the day before and feel slimmer. It seems horrible but it gets less horrible and what you though was impossible becomes normal routine.

I get a good buzz from it, get some trainers and running gear, download the BBC Couch to 5K and give it a try. Also seems to help with bloodflow to the lower regions if you get my drift...

I've been thinking about this, this morning.

Tbh I absolutely hate running and I'm quite unfit as well in terms of CV fitness - I can walk for miles but running, well, much more than a minute for me is good going.

Last time I tried c25k I ended up with an injured Achilles tendon which took 6 weeks to heal so I'm a bit wary at the minute.

I'm also aware of the possibility it will increase my appetite.

I would like to try again but I think it's wise that I lose weight and I think at the moment, walking and weights is the way for me, there's lots of research suggest this is the best combo for fat loss and sustainable exercise with minimal injury risk.

[McGee_22]

Running is out for me - little to no knee cartilage left on either side. I have an exercise bike that is getting increasing use.

[TameRacingDriver]

I reckon if I do try and ramp up the cardio at some point this year, I'll likely try an e-bike but we'll see. Can't see the point in forcing myself to do something I hate.

At least with my walking I'm getting some intensity as I live in a very hilly area (which is also what makes running so much harder to get into).

[lizardbrain]

Brisk walking has much of the same benifits of running, it just takes you longer to get there!

[TameRacingDriver]

lizardbrain said:

Brisk walking has much of the same benifits of running, it just takes you longer to get there!

Yep and the way I see it is that if I can't or won't run for more than half an hour but I can walk for an hour or more then I'm getting the same benefit really other than the improved lung fitness, but the hills take care of that to some extent

[Baldchap]

TameRacingDriver said:

Yep and the way I see it is that if I can't or won't run for more than half an hour but I can walk for an hour or more then I'm getting the same benefit really other than the improved lung fitness, but the hills take care of that to some extent

The key is not to let perfection get in the way of improvement.

Walking might not be as good as running but it's a damn sight better that doing nothing!

[caminator11]

I appreciate that exercising isn't the key to losing weight, but it definitely helps my mental state - which then makes me more likely to stick to a nutrition plan.

If you haven't tried it I'd strongly recommend using an ERG (rower). It has no impact at all and also spreads the load out brilliantly across your legs, back and arms so you're never really "sore". Never been injured and I've done it off and on for a long time.

I make sure I do 5km every day which takes about 19 mins, sounds like not much but over a year it adds up and its dead easy to fit into my schedule. On weekends I might ramp it up a bit and do some more, goal is to make sure I hit 1.8m meters a year which is basically that 5k a day goal.

[OMITN]

As a means of being able to refer back and remind myself what I'm doing, my eating adjustments to lose weight are as follows:

1. Give up sugar
2. Skip breakfast
3. Soup for lunch (need to make that work for the 3 days pw in the office)
4. Limit snacking
5. Regular evening meal

This doesn't seem too radical, though my current body shape tells me it clearly is..!

Anything more and I am unlikely to sustain it - experience tells me that.

Exercise to lose weight is out for me - I'm one of the unlucky ones in life for whom vigorous exercise is bad for me - but some more moving around and lifting a few things is inside the realm of OK to do. So I will.

[Fetchez la vache]

OK Looks like I'll have to join. 11st 5 1/2 which is probably the heaviest I've ever been. Hope to get down to 10st 7, but somewhere in between is the tipping point where I start snoring which is pleasing the Mrs. no end
Supposed to be walking 260km in 12 days in April too, so that's another good reason to shift xmas excess...

[mcelliott]

If you’re going to do a walk, then 30 minutes after your last meal of the day, I do a 40 minute walk after my evening meal, helps digestion and stabilizes blood sugar levels, as well as improving sleep, decent sleep has been proven to be of help in weight loss too

[Lordbenny]

95 kilos after Christmas need to be 85 so…..keto diet, dry January AND a positive covid test yesterday…that should do it!

[J4CKO]

TameRacingDriver said:

J4CKO said:

If you dont run, give it a try if able as nothing seems to give me the same benefits, not going mad, a 5k 2 or 3 times a week and the day after a run I am usually a pound lighter than the day before and feel slimmer. It seems horrible but it gets less horrible and what you though was impossible becomes normal routine.

I get a good buzz from it, get some trainers and running gear, download the BBC Couch to 5K and give it a try. Also seems to help with bloodflow to the lower regions if you get my drift...

I've been thinking about this, this morning.

Tbh I absolutely hate running and I'm quite unfit as well in terms of CV fitness - I can walk for miles but running, well, much more than a minute for me is good going.

Last time I tried c25k I ended up with an injured Achilles tendon which took 6 weeks to heal so I'm a bit wary at the minute.

I'm also aware of the possibility it will increase my appetite.

I would like to try again but I think it's wise that I lose weight and I think at the moment, walking and weights is the way for me, there's lots of research suggest this is the best combo for fat loss and sustainable exercise with minimal injury risk.

Key things are to stretch before, and after, dont run through pain if its getting worse, difficult to tell between a transient little gripe and something that will take a while to recover from.

I found initially I got all sorts of aches and pains, some could be down to being a 16 stone 50 plus bloke running, I did have recurrent foot problem that never got diagnosed fully and hampered my progress but seem to have got past it. I have found as well that I am more mobile day to day as well with less aches and pains.

I do think there is an element of toughening your body up, tendons, ligaments, muscles, bones and whatever all take a pounding, so it stands to reason if you havent run for ages there will be some degrees of getting your body (and mind) used to it, going at it like a bull at a gate is counterproductive and you will cause injury.

I didnt think I could ever run the route I now do every couple of days, thats a revelation and the trepidation about going has gone, wouldn't say I look forward to it, but I look forward to how I feel afterwards and dont mind it, and to be fair it can be quite pleasant despite the running aspect, yesterday was a glorious day and crisp, had some decent music going and it went quickly.

I mentioned the mind aspect, thats the clincher for me, I get away from my desk, out of the house, feel I have done enough exercise for the day and don't have to think about it and then the following day you wake up feeling a smidge leaner and a bit more toned, it gives me a positivity which I lose if I dont go and sit on the couch, eating crap and boozing, and when I do that stuff, if I have been for a run it feels like I have at least earnt it.

I think sometimes we think the limitation is physical, and in a lot of cases its more mental "I cant do that", "Im not a runner", "I cant run to save my life", which is,in a lot of cases people saying "Running is hard, im not doing that, im too fat and unfit", but the possible becomes the actual (pretty much my old schools motto) and then you get a new possible, which for me is to go under 28 mins for 5k, drop 26 pounds and do a 10k. Then we procrastinate and use excuses like "its raining", rain is never fatal, you get wet, another motto that is actually pretty useful "Just do it".

Its worth getting decent gear, I have some Brooks trainers and a few pairs of Ron Hill Running shorts, I find that anything that distracts you is a sure fire way to ruin your run, like wearing bottoms that slide down, trainers that aren't suitable and your music stopping, even a runny nose is annoying, so I take some tissues. A Fitness tracker watch is useful to see progress but not essential.

I wouldnt not run because I might be a bit hungrier, I got back yesterday and had half a tub of Carrot and Coriander Soup and a couple of rounds of toast, would have had that anyway, the increase in appetite wont be more than the 450 calories the run burns according to my watch.

I find if I do it, it means I watch my diet more and want to exercise in other ways, like a virtuous circle, like the non virtuous one over Christmas of booze food and inactivity.

[TameRacingDriver]

Thanks mate, appreciate the encouragement but for now I'm going to stick with walking, as I know it works, and I'll most likely pursue this, if I feel like it, when I've lost a bit more weight. The way I see it, is if I don't enjoy it I won't stick to it and past experience tells me I'm not really built for running! I know that sounds like an excuse but as others say, doing something is better than nothing and I really don't want to risk injuring myself at this stage.

The hills round here present a challenge anyway and I'm doing a weight lifting routine that is around many sets with short breaks so I'm regularly getting out of breath anyway.

[TameRacingDriver]

So after another crap night sleep, and a random insult from another PHer on another thread , I have another really good reason to succeed.

I have sleep apnoea and I'm having to wear a CPAP in bed which seems to result in me barely sleeping some nights (like last night), while others I get a good rest.

There seems to be a suggestion that losing weight can reduce or cure this condition and I'd really like to get rid of this fking thing if I can.

My only concern is that when you don't sleep properly sometimes weight loss can stall, nevertheless another 0.45kg was lost this morning despite my lack of sleep.

Although my target is 76 kg, ultimately, if that still results in a high-ish body fat percentage, I'd really like to go lower. Ultimately I'd like to be as lean as feasible possible without living like a total monk, however, I reckon what I'm doing now is sustainable long term. Although I'd like to also have some muscle on the frame rather than just being skinny.

Maybe one day I may even see my abs for the first time ever

So even if I hit my target I'm going to keep going.

[Mannginger]

I sleep terribly. Last few months have been dire really. Hadn't appreciated it impacted weight though. Will do some reading on that.

Not that I can do much about it. I get to sleep immediately but 3/4 is my new normal for waking up (5/6 hours sleep typically)

[TameRacingDriver]

Mannginger said:

I sleep terribly. Last few months have been dire really. Hadn't appreciated it impacted weight though. Will do some reading on that.

Not that I can do much about it. I get to sleep immediately but 3/4 is my new normal for waking up (5/6 hours sleep typically)

I seem to having good nights and bad, on and off. I suspect the good nights are because I'm knackered from not sleeping properly the night before. I had a terrible night last night and I've felt "hungover" all day (despite not touching a drop).

It seems that lack of sleep can increase appetite and wreak havoc with your weight regulation and whatnot, effectively reducing your metabolism. There's an article here:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC90316...

Article said:

This narrative review highlights current evidence on the effects of poor sleep on weight management. Disturbed sleeping patterns, in terms of both quantity and quality, have been documented to lead to an increase in energy intake, mainly from snacking, especially on foods rich in fat and carbohydrates. The relationship between sleep and weight loss seems bi-directional, and although studies up to date use different intervention protocols and/or outcome measures, there is an evident dysregulation of the neuroendocrine appetite control system during sleep deprivation that alters the metabolic rate, with a negative impact on weight maintenance or weight loss interventions [13,67]. Further research should focus on determining the most effective sleeping patterns for optimal hormonal and metabolic function to facilitate and maintain weight loss in overweight and obese individuals, without overlooking the age-related differentiations due to neuroendocrine and lifestyle changes.

[4Q]

I somehow managed to gain 1kg the first week but have lost 2kg this week so 1kg down overall so at least going in the right direction at last.

[the-norseman]

I usually weigh myself when I get up around 8 but due to being on day shifts this week I've been getting up at 5, hoping the scales are telling lies.

Started at 100.7, went down to 100. weighed in this morning 101.

[pistolpete12]

Ill join in
few years back i really sorted myself out, then the wife became ill and everything else sorta fell away since
I was a lean 75kg.. I would like to get to that

I did start to loose weight 2021/2 when I started running, but having been an engineer all my life my knees aren't the best, I was also pretty ill in May last year when I started to want to get into it.

all just lots of excuses for mot really looking after myself

i am a very active person, on feet all day at work so defo not "unfit" but now the wrong side of 40 I need a nudge to eat properly I think I am around 85-90kg the heaviest i've ever been
I play squash every sat morning with my older brothers too
So ill get on the scales and add to the sheet.

[22]

Starting to see some good losses get chalked up - incredible work folks.

I've still got a coldy bug which seems no worse than sniffles through the day but then coughing and disturbed sleep through the night. Think I feel worse from the lack of sleep than the bug.

Have been eating well better and today showed a little 0.5kg loss for the week. I'm still a chunk heavier than the end of November last year, but at least heading the right way. Was 1kg lighter this time yesterday but had two big meals yesterday (both properly healthy but too much).

Treat day today so can have a takeaway with the family. I said I'd try and reduce treat day to treat evening, but I'm not quite there yet. There's a special school (their words) down the road who have a cafe run by some of their more able learners which I adore and am partial to their wares (only open at the end of the week).

Overall the trend is a good, albeit slow moving one. I'll take that.