Getting started. Again...

[Vance in AK]

I'll try & make this a short story... I just need to vent to guys that will understand
Background. almost 55yrs old, 5'6", currently 216#. Stock build. Last year of highschool athletics was sophomore year football. Varsity middle linebacker, quickest 40 on the team, 2nd quickest 100yd. 175ish#. Nothing till 30ish then started running a little, from 215ish down to 180#ish, did a 10k (41ish min). Then 40ish got into mountain biking, did a race or 3, a little road biking, dropped to 178. Left Montana for Alaska & a desk & up & down ever since.
About the first of November I decided I was tired of the fat/out of shape place I had let myself get. About January of 14 I was around 215 & started working hard on treadmill, did a round of HCG for weight loss, by mid June I was about 182. Didn't get out at all over the summer & by November was back to my default 215. Hit the treadmill hard for a month & watched what I ate. By the end of the month I was down to 205 & was doing an hour plus of fast walking in the treadmill at incline 1hr+ workouts of 1100-1300 calories. Calorie intake was down to 1500-1800 per day. Average burn according to my fit bit was over 3000. No lifting to speak of & minor body weight exercises. Planned to hit the Train To Hunt stuff hard when I broke under 200. All was well!
Beginning of December I got respiratory junk & haven't felt good since. Just now starting to have a little energy again. Along with no workouts came holiday food, snacking etc. Today 216#. I'm tired of it. Still coughing & hacking today off & on & have a nasty sinus headache, but at least bfast was a bagel with 2 tsp of peanut butter instead of a couple of sausage McNothings. Lunch was a greek yogurt with a handful of honey bunches of oats with almonds mixed in instead of whatever is on sale at the grocery deli & a piece of cake or doughnut (or 2). I will start keeping track of my food on Fit Bit again. Back to boneless skinless chicken thighs (white meat sucks), etc.
I wanna be in the mountains this spring for black bear & not dying...
I don't have (and no prospects for) a like minded workout partner that work with my schedule, so keep me accountable guys.
Feel free to PM me any time & ask me what I ate that day & if I got my but on the tmill or something.

 

[Brock A]

Keep that diet in check! Eat clean. Way to take steps for improvements.

 

[Doj4Whlr]

Vance- Only knowing what you've posted, pay particular attention to how much sugar you're taking in each day in all the various forms it comes in and drink plenty of water. Try doing some of your exercise routine in the early AM and then some at that unpopular time after work; the idea is to keep the furnace going over a longer period of time. I am nearly the same age as you and I believe that another aspect to deliberately exploit is variation in exercise. Running is key for me but in order to get max benefit, I need to switch the types of runs constantly. Another thing is to fend off muscle atrophy as that is the tissue that will burn up the calories. Moderate but consistent weight training is valuable. Try to maintain a solid core through major body movement type exercises using good form. A little bit of vanity can be a constructive motivator so do the targeted exercises like curls so that you can see some results. Good luck.

 

[LJ Buck]

Your not eating enough Cals IMO. at 1100-1300 cals a day your not getting enough to prevent muscle loss. Shoot to lose a pound a week. Take measurements to track your progress and dont use a scale this will help know if your loosing fat and or muscle. Keep at it!!!!! Get your Protein and Fats in everyday!!!!

 

[good2eat]

Was nearly where you are a year ago. Worked hard to get down to 177 and am now back up 10 lbs but am on it so I expect to get back down to the 177 and maybe a bit more this year. For me, the turning point is always watch what I eat - both food types and quantities. I am a very fast eater so I tend to over eat portion wise as I don't feel full yet. I change this by limiting my portion sizes and not going back for seconds, makes a big difference for me.

Over the last year I have done a ton of cardio both in biking and running and done regular weight training - muscle burns more calories than fat remember.

I second the watch the quantity of sugar suggestions - took me a long time to get away from sugar. Most people have a sweet tooth, I have a full mouth of sweet teeth!! This change has a big impact on my progress, sugar is a self-continuing problem with ups and downs energy wise, crashes etc.

Ultimately it's about earing fewer calories than you burn, every day. That doesn't mean a starvation diet and it does matter what kind of calories you eat!! I used an ap on my phone for the better part of a year, kept me constantly aware of how many calories I ate, how much fat, how much sugar, other nutrients, etc. It's calls MyFitnessPal. The side effect for me is I now know if I've been eating the way I should be, intuitively.

Another suggestion is to eat more but smaller meals. Make breakfast the biggest meal of your day (was difficult for me as I went for years and years without eating breakfast). maybe eat 6 smaller, planned out meals with dinner the least number of calories.

Also, if you don't already, train yourself to workout in the morning.

No silver bullet here, just hard work, dedication and discipline on your part.

 

[BCSteel]

Just to add to what others are saying, it's going to be mostly diet. Your pattern of hitting your goal weight and then letting it slip away shows you want to change but have a hard time keeping in for the long haul. Most people do, its normal. Ease into your new eating habits. I've seen a fair amount of my friends come in guns blazing with their new diets or gym memberships only to fail within a couple of months because they gave up everything they love (junk food and sloth) for dry chicken breast and 10 hrs/week of gym time.

If I feel like having chips I'll sub rice crackers instead. If I feel like having something sweet I'll have fruit instead. If i feel hungry between meals I'll have some Greek yogurt. Doing simple and healthy substitutions helps me stay on track but usually once a week I'll have a chocolate bar or a small bag of chips.

Also, a bbq is a life saver if you're trying to cut down on high cal sauces but bland food doesn't work for you.

You can make your goal if you remember its a long term deal. As long as you're making the right healthy choices on a daily basis you should be heading in the right direction. Then its just a matter of fine tuning.

 

[Doj4Whlr]

x 2 on MyFitnessPal.com so that you can hold yourself accountable. Another thought is to frame this as a life choice, a change to lifestyle, and not merely a condition to sporadically meet. There has been some really good, fundamental feedback here in just a few responses. One thing brother- you have to make the choice and maintain the discipline. Early in the AM when that alarm goes off, when you're sore from two days ago workout, put your foot on the floor! Let auto pilot and muscle memory get you going. Good luck.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I agree on the opinion that you are not eating enough calories. Your immune system has needs also. Eat a superclean diet and shoot for 2400 calories a day or so. Eat calories that are good for you, not garbage calories.

Make it a lifestyle change. The yo-yo weight stuff doesn't help your metabolism in any way either.

Good luck!

 

[Jason Snyder]

Also, on the sugar, I third the notion that you need to watch this intake like a hawk. The AHA recommends that men only take in 37 or so grams of ADDED sugars per day. This is not fruits or natural sugars, like lactose in milk. It's the sugars in all of the processed foods you eat like breads, chips, yogurt, etc. You'll be shocked when you take a look at the nutrition labels on a lot of stuff. A yogurt with fruit has about 25 grams of sugar alone.

High sugar intakes = high insulin levels, which can lead to type II diabetes over time, as well as promoting storage of calories as fat.

 

[Brock A]

Also, on the sugar, I third the notion that you need to watch this intake like a hawk. The AHA recommends that men only take in 37 or so grams of ADDED sugars per day. This is not fruits or natural sugars, like lactose in milk. It's the sugars in all of the processed foods you eat like breads, chips, yogurt, etc. You'll be shocked when you take a look at the nutrition labels on a lot of stuff. A yogurt with fruit has about 25 grams of sugar alone.

High sugar intakes = high insulin levels, which can lead to type II diabetes over time, as well as promoting storage of calories as fat.

Great info, Jason

 

[RyanC]

Hang in there Vance and remember it is the small changes you make that will have the biggest pay off. What I mean by this is don't try to do too much, set realistic goals that you know you can achieve and once those goals are achieved set more goals. For example don't set a goal to lose x number of pounds, instead set a weekly goal of avoiding sugar, not eating fast food, and exercising 3-4 days per week for at least 30 minutes. One you achieve that goal set another goal for the next week. Before you know it you will be feeling better, looking better, and hunting harder!!

When you have down time at home and watching TV pick exercises to do during commercials: push ups, sit ups, plank, air squats, etc. Work on mobility and flexibility during that time as well. We all find ourselves at some point during the week sitting in front of the TV so instead of sitting in your recliner or the couch sit on the floor and get some exercises knocked out.

Stay consistent bud, remember we all stumble on the trail once in while but it's all about getting back on the path and not falling off the cliff. Thanks for sharing your story and know we are all cheering for ya.

Feel free to drop me a line anytime.

Ryan Clairmont
Train to Hunt COO

 

[Jason Snyder]

Start scheduling your workout in your day. It seems that your struggle is with consistency, and as humans once we fall of the wagon it just builds and snowballs to where we realize we've gained 20 pounds and haven't worked out in 8 months.

Start signing up for races or something through the winter and early spring to keep you accountable.

 

[Rob5589]

Been there done that, more than once. A year ago I was 278 at 6'2" at 46 yrs old. 11 years ago I was 190 but, I blame the gain on my Italian wife's cooking
Anyway, I cut my cals to about 2200. Nearly no processed foods other than bread, which I limit. I am heavy on protein, heavy on vegetables, light on carbs. I don't really worry about fats since I eat mostly chicken, fish, or lean beef. I actually use olive oil and avocado oil quite a bit. Your body needs good fat. Lots of water and iced tea. I don't like soda so no problem there. I do protein shakes with almond milk due to be lactose intolerant. Having 4-5 smaller meals per day really worked for me. The routine of eating every 3 hrs was difficult at first but now it is just natural.

I even cut out all booze for 8 months. That hurt, I missed my bourbon. I would say my diet follows along the paleo style diet for the most part. Look into it, it may be something that works for you.

Workouts were very simple; push-ups, pull-ups, planks, jump squats, and stretching. No gym, no weights. Just started with burpees to change it up. I am down to 228, 40"->36" waist, XXL -> XL shirts. The goal is 200-205. I will never be cut and walk around shirtless but, I am OK with that.

I was very strict "diet" wise in the beginning. I measured out 6 ozs here, 4 ozs there. Now it just comes natural. I do not like to look at my diet as a "diet" if that makes sense. It is just a new healthy way to eat. A diet to me is temporary which is why in the end, people fail/regain the weight. I can eat this way the rst of my life and be satisfied. I still eat my wife's pasta, meatballs, sauce, etc but, I limit the portions. I also added back in the alcohol. Hey, man can't live on food alone!

If I can be blunt, forget about high school. That was nearly 40 years ago. You are older, your body and lifestyle has changed. Its time to focus on your 55 year old body and what needs to be done to make it better.

Good luck man! It is tough, mostly mental IMO. But, it can be done.

 

[Vance in AK]

Thanks guys.
I really appreciate the insight & suggestions. No doubt discipline in eating is one of the things I need to really work on.
I like my workouts first thing in the morning & need to get back to it.
I started eating clean(er) this morning & this should be the week things get back on track. I'm putting together a workout area in the basement with the treadmill, some free weights, & some mats for body weight exercises. Trying to make the gym was killing my schedule. Having the TV there to watch sheep hunting DVDs from Proving Trails & some bear hunting videos while working out will help too!