Came up with a new recipe (not tested yet)

this is a similar concept to the meat pizza I discussed earlier.

Brown ground chicken, drain any fat, mix with mozz cheese.
Spread out on sheet
top with homemade BBQ sauce - made with splenda of course or raw sugar if you like
top with smoked gouda and provolone (lowfat please)
top with shredded chicken from the rotis and red onions.

BBQ Chicken pizza.... I will let you know how it turns out with pics of course.

BTW - I had oatmeal this morning and it was almost like dessert. A little smart balance, splenda, and cinnamon. YUM!!! Although, I could barely get my snack down at 10:30 I was so full. The stomach is shrinking, I am full now with much less.

One more change - the H2O consumption has skyrocketed. Today was close to 100oz and I will have some more before bed. I swear I have pissed all day long. One thing I find strange. Normally when I have to piss I can hold it for while. With water, not so much.

For those of you keeping score at home: weight was 250, that's right kids 8 lbs gone and waist was down to 48...yes it is now 3 inches. Today is the start of the 3rd week.

Work out was good. 10 mins on ellptical and 15 on bike. Then I did weights today. Ab machine, curls, 2 different chest machines. Not much, but it is a start.

I think I am taking tomorrow off. It has been 4 or 5 in a row now. I will see how I feel in the morning. I find myself saying I am taking the day off and then I go.

 

Milestone this morning....

10 lbs gone and 3.5 inches

 

Dang, that's awesome!! Seeing the weight come off is encouraging....wish mine would come off b/c I'm kinda frustrated!

 

lol....... I first read it as lost 10 pounds and shunk 3.5 inches as in you know lol......

 

keep up the great work! Since the holiday season is behind us it shouldn't be too difficult to keep the addiction to working out.

 

3.5 inches sounds like alot for only 10 pounds lost?

Either way, 10 pounds is a great start.

 

2 things....One is I am all belly. That is really the only fat part on me and my thighs. Two: I am adding muscle. This is the first time in my life I have worked out.

Hey, I can only go by the tape and scale though.....





Oh yeah: I meet with the Gym owner tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 to set up a workout schedule with weights and cardio. He is also going to show me how to perform all of the work. I will post for review.


One question for everyone: Since I am fat, should I be doing cardio at the cardio level or fat burn level? It says my target heart rate is 125-135 for fat burn. Thoughts?

 

Lower heart rate is my vote until you can get more of the fat off since the fat tissue places extra strain on your heart and you don't want to overstress it. I can't remember - have you had a cardiac stress test?

You will want to get more into a higher rate as long as it's safe, because the "fat burn" thing has been shown to be a myth. The simple secret is calories burned > calories consumed. If you burn 1000 calories in 1 hour or 1000 calories in 2 hours, it's all the same for long term weight loss results. I think of the whole "fat burning" vs. "carbs burning" as burning either current or future fat. You will want to exercise at a rate that you can sustain long enough to burn a significant number of carbs.

 

keep it up man!

 

For JWhite or anyone else who may be interested, South Beach has a 'meal replacement' shake in the works. Probably not a real enticing thought to the men out there who require much more calories in a day, but for a mom-on-the-go like myself, the SB diet was just way too much cooking for me. When I did stick with it, I lost weight, but working 2 jobs, I just didn't have the time to be in the kitchen cooking 3 meals a day just to make sure I was eating the right things. Well, there's an article in a recent 'Woman's World' (I think), that says SB is close to introducing it's new Shake as a meal replacement. The shake, in addition to a piece of fruit or veg., twice daily, and then a sensible SB meal in the evening will have the same benefits as the SB diet itself. They also have SB breakfast bars, and SB snack bars already on the shelves. Just a little FYI for anyone who may be always in a hurry and still want to diet.

Oh, and JWhite, CONGRATS and keep up the good work. And an extra big KUDOS to you for quitting smoking as well; probably the best thing you could have done for yourself.

 

Thanks. I will actually look for the shakes for emergencies situations.

 

Update on diet and workout:

First the diet. I met with the trainer today. I am currently eating less than 50 carbs a day. He has recommended I add a little more of complex carbs (fruit, brown rice, wheat bread) and more protein (especially in the morning), I need meat with my oatmeal. Other than that, he says I am on a good plan. He said that the more weight training I do, the more my muscles will need protein and good carbs for my body.

He also told me to ignore the scale for the next month. Since there is a possibility I will lose little to no weight. He does not want me to get discouraged. He did say to measure my waist weekly though.

The routine. We did one set of 15 reps on each exercise I will do 2 of the 3 days. We are going to do the 3rd day next Friday (next time our schedules meet). I will say that my arms and chest are sore right now. He wants me to follow the below schedule and follow it with 20 mins of cardio. He says do it for 3 days, take off a day, and do it for 3 days. I do not know if I will lift this much weight. He says you can do each area twice a week. We will see how I feel and how I start to look. I might do weights and cardio one day and just cardio the next. I do not know right now. Below is the routine.


Exercise Weight

Day One
Incline Press 20 25 30
Flat Press 20 25 30
Decline Press 25 35 45
Flye Machine 60 65 70
Rope pushdowns 45 50 55
Dip Machine 90 100 110
Overhead Ext 25 30 35
Skull Crushes 10 12 15

Day Two
Leg Press 90 100 110
Leg Ext 60 70 80
Leg Curl 50 60 70
Seated Calf 45 55 65
Shoulder Press 50 60 70
Side Raises 12 15 20
Rear Delt (rev fly) 40 45 50
Shrugs 90 100 110

Day Three
T-Bar 45 50 55
Low Row 70 75 85
High Row 45 50 55
Lower Back 5 10 15
Preacher Curl 25 30 35
Alt. Curl 20 25 30
Cable Curls 40 45 50

The weights are listed and still up for adjustment as I go through. I will do 3 sets and they will increase in weight by the above increments. Number of reps in set are 15, 12, 10

We will see.

 

For carbs, look up the glycemic index and pick foods that are very low on the gi scale. Also if you plan on using wheat bread, make sure it is stone ground or whole grain. Most wheat breads have enriched wheat flour which is just as bad as white bread. If you need more protein for breakfast, I like to mix chocolate protein powder in with my oatmeal. It tastes great and is about 30g of protein per serving. If you are not going to do a low carb diet, look into the 40/40/20 diet which is 40% of calories from protein and low gi carbs, 20% from fat.
Your workout looks pretty strenuous for just starting out and being on a calorie deficit. You are doing a 6 day split and they can really break you down over time. I don't know how heavy those weights are for you but if you are really pushing yourself with those weights now, you will get worn down quick. I would ask your trainer about a 3 or 4 day split and doing cardio on your rest days.

 

WOW- I was not sore anywhere this morning, except my triceps are KILLING me. Hit the gym anyway though.

Here is what I have decided to do. I do not want to burn out. I am going to do one section each day with 20 mins of cardio and take a day off each week. Today I did legs and 20 mins on the elliptical. Tomorrow will be shoulders and 20 mins on the elliptical. I think this will work best for me now.

We will see. Also, what risk do I run if I lift for a few weeks and decided I am not enjoying it or happy with the results and go back to just cardio, situps, pushups, etc?

 

What results are you expecting with weight training? Couple things you need to remember; results take way more then just a few weeks to show and you cannot gain muscle mass on a calorie deficit diet. I would continue to weight train to help prevent any muscle loss while dieting. Doing cardio only will definitely work but part of that weight you lose will be muscle which in turn slows your metabolism level down(1lb of muscle uses 35-50 cal/hr). You will have a much more toned look in the long run if you continue to weight train instead of having that skinny-fat look. Also weight training will increase your metabolism for hours afterwards(up to 24-36) during muscle recovery. I really don't see any benefits of not weight training when you are trying to lose fat.

 

I am expecting to lose weight and not look too skinny at the end. Thanks for all the advice.


Update: Everything is still going good. I had an uptick in weight, but my waist continues to shrink.

weight: 247
Waist: 46 1/4

People are starting to comment on my look....that is big motivation.

 

[QUOTE=JWhite1301]Came up with a new recipe (not tested yet)

this is a similar concept to the meat pizza I discussed earlier.

Brown ground chicken, drain any fat, mix with mozz cheese.
Spread out on sheet
top with homemade BBQ sauce - made with splenda of course or raw sugar if you like
top with smoked gouda and provolone (lowfat please)
top with shredded chicken from the rotis and red onions.

BBQ Chicken pizza.... I will let you know how it turns out with pics of course.

QUOTE]

DO NOT EAT THIS. IT IS TOTALLY DISGUSTING!!!!! It just did not have the right flavor, texture, etc.

 

Keep it up dude...

 

[QUOTE=JWhite1301]LOL, thanks for the warning.

 

side note: I have been talking about quitting smoking so much at work, 3 others are currently smoke free. Hopefully they will last. I also have a friend who joined the gym and will be joining me in the mornings. This is fun.

 

quick note: I am still going. The workout is great....I have a friend who joined and meets me M-Fi. I have not weighed in since Monday morning....I will weigh in tomorrow morning. We will see.

I did measure this morning; down to 45 1/2 inches at the belly button. My weight Monday was still at 247.

Oh yeah: I am cheating majorly tomorrow night for the super bowl. I have killed it on the diet and in the guy in preparation. I plan to do 45 on the ellitpical tomorrow, just to get ahead

 

Keep up the good work! Instead of binging tomorrow, try just eating small amounts of stuff and don't overeat. And drink plenty of water and not so much beer. Beer alone will kill your diet.

My legs were tired & a little sore today. According to the elliptical machine, I burned 615 calories Fri. night when I usually do 500. I pushed a bit harder than usual.

 

Keep it up JW, and Luv is absolutely right about the beer. Go Bears.

 

Well, Beer is not a problem for me, since I do not drink.

I am not going to binge tonight, but I am going to eat some bad carb loaded foods. I just plan to eat in moderation.



drum roll please..........










the official weight his moring is 243.5. WOW!!!!!!!! That is 3.5 lbs since Monday. I like this weighing in once a week thing. Waist is just under 45.5.

 

^^ SWEET! Now don't blow all your hard work today :wink:

 

Superbowl is a tough day for dieters....

 

Update:

Super Bowl night was bad, but not completely out of control. I did not have seconds of anything. When I weighed in Monday morning, I was back to 245.

Official weigh in this morning: 241.5. That is a 2 lb net loss for the week. Waist is down to 44 3/4. It is starting to slow down, but hey, I will take 2lbs a week.

The weight lifting is going good and 20 mins of cardio are now a breeze. I have a friend who meets me during the week.

I found a pasta called Dreamfields. It is whole wheat and has a very low amount of digestible carbs. I would not recommend it for every day eating, but it is a nice splurge that will not kill your weight loss. I made the mistake of making enough for leftovers. I would recommend making one serving at a time. Oh yeah, it takes just like the real stuff once you sauce it.

All in all, things are going well. I do not even crave a cigarette anymore, which is a nice.

One question: Here is my current list of supplements: Men's One a Day and 1000mg of Flax seed Oil GNC. Any thoughts? Anything I am missing?

I will update again next Monday.

 

I took fish oil as well

 

Stick to weighing once a week - you'll see less variation. I have to confess I weigh myself just about every day, and a 5 lbs up after a party is not hard to do at all - just takes some beer and cruising the hors d'ouerves too much.

Your progress is great - keep it up!

The only supplements I take are Centrum Performance (from Costco) and an aspirin.

 

I had my body fat % checked at the gym today.

The first time was 2-3 weeks into my diet and exercise and I pinched around 33 for a % of 26.5. Today I pinched around 22 for a % of 23.5.

The owner of the gym was veryy happy for me. I am down to 241 with the waist right at 44 inches now. The weight loss has slowed down, but the inches are still declining.

 

^^ That's awesome. I've only had my body fat done once, and it was in college while on the swim team. A grad student was doing a study on body fat of athletes. I measured in at 16.5% at the time, which according to the person doing the study was 1.5% below the minimum they say to be for female athletes (18-22%). I'd hate to see what I am now, lol.

 

keep up the good work!

 

I am a converted low-carb fan since 2003. Not Atkins or anything named. Actually, it was more or less like SB.

What I finally understood was that it was not the calories in the sugar itself as much as the crave it creates.

I am at 50lbs less than my lifetime max. I never want to be that fat again.

My target was 1.5lbs a week (which was easy to meet), but 0.5lbs weekly is perfectly acceptable.

The first weeks of dieting do not insure that you feel better immediately. It took me 3-4 weeks to feel a newfound vitality.

One cheating day every 2weeks (I still do). Bar... heuh fridge open. Extremely useful for social happenings. I suggest to not talk about it too often. The goal is to make the right moves and somehow forget how you feel about it. Acquiring new habits.

It is a lifetime thing. I consider it as an illness like diabete.

My problems were really in snacks. Boxes of cookies and poptarts.

I never stopped fast foods. But essentially without French fries and with Aspartame drinks.

With the right moves, it will work - given time; patience is a bless.

 

Good luck with your plan. I lost 70 lbs about four years ago and have managed to keep it off by sticking to my eating plan (for the most part) and being religious about working out. It can be done. Like the above poster said, do not give up. If you have a couple of bad days, fear not. Dust yourself off and get right back to it.

Keep in mind that losing the weight is the easy part. It's keeping it off that's the real challenge. You have to commit to a lifetime of proper eating and dedicated exercise. If you go back to your old ways, the weight will come back.

Good luck. You can do it.

 

Weekly Sunday Morning update for everyone that is still reading this.....


Weight this morning is 239.5. I figure I should be at the 20 lb mark by next week. The waist is a hair above 44.

I am suprised I lost anything this week. I had a couple of cheats this week. I had my typical cheat on Sunday for dinner, then my wife's uncle passed away (we had a big lunchy after the funeral), and then I had mexican Thursday for lunch. I did OK at the Mexican joint, a few chips and salsa and a Chix taco salad (ate half the shell).

I have also decided to not weigh in until March 1. I want to round out the month and see where I am.

 

Keep it going jwhite... nice work, and sorry about your wife's uncle.

 

Alright....

After a 4.5 lb gain, I got back on track and lost the new found weight. This morning is the two month mark and I weighed in at 238.5. That is .5 away from 20lbs in 2 months.

This is great. I also went to a smaller belt today.

Problem is....I quit lifting for now, until I figure out what is wrong with my neck.

 

Way to stay on track, I hope your neck works itself out.

 

Neck Update..... I have a severe sprain in my Left Trap. The reason it hurts at the base of my neck is due this is spot where several muscles come together.

Bad News - This takes around 6 wks to heal.

Good News - I can lift again tommorrow. He wants me to lift all of the weights, just with half of the amount for a while.

 

It has been a while since I did an update. I took 3 weeks off of diet and exercise when my new daughter was born. I was not good at all during this time. However, I only gained 2.5 lbs. I have since lost this plus more.

I went to the doc for my 3 month follow up this morning. I have lost 24 lbs. My BP was down to 105 over 63. He has cut my dosage of BP medicine in half and claims we might stop it all together.

They are checking my chol again now. We will see what it is in a few days....

For those of you that care, my daughter is doing great