I need help losing weight and getting back in shape (1 Viewer)

[culdeus]

@ctsu

I would read up on the science here:  http://www.brianmac.co.uk/energy.htm

When training your body to take higher load at low reps you are not adding much mass (unless a complete novice lifter).  You are instead activating the ATP-CP pathways that basically allow your body to use the muscle you already did have, but never used more effectively.  

This is why you usually (for various reasons, many of them based in broscience) you see bodybuilders looking for mass training high reps varied weight in hypertrophy and power lifters training high weight low reps.  Most of what you "train" in power lifting is your brain.  Basically convincing it that you actually can, under stress lift something over your head relatively equal to your own body weight.

 

[Chadstroma]

This last week was rough. I didn't go off the deep end but I certainly ate much more calories than my goals. I was visiting California- so travel by itself is a challenge. I was going there because my little brother was in a major motorcycle accident and there was also a lot of other stressful things going on (I am not a stress eater but it sure makes it hard to focus on eating healthy when it is still not a habit when other things are going on). And there are a number of places from my hometown area that I wanted to eat at since I haven't been back in 4 years. I didn't weigh myself but my guess is I am about the same as when I left. Now, I am back, so time to get focused again.

On a side note- there was a salesperson I ended up talking to that was a very attractive young lady. Now, I fully get that she was most likely was flirting to get the sale (it worked ) but she first asked if I was married, then brought up my wife again (I forgot exactly what it was) and then asked if I was happily married- she also gave me a card with her number on it which she crossed out the front info and wrote on the back (I did not call so I am not 100% sure if it was a personal or work number). I am not interested in stepping out on my wife (though mannnnnnnnnn, this girl was a solid 8 so it was nice to fantasize about) but because of the several questions about wifey and the phone number- I think there is a chance she did like what she saw and I am sure losing 25 pounds helped in that.

 

[boots11234]

This last week was rough. I didn't go off the deep end but I certainly ate much more calories than my goals. I was visiting California- so travel by itself is a challenge. I was going there because my little brother was in a major motorcycle accident and there was also a lot of other stressful things going on (I am not a stress eater but it sure makes it hard to focus on eating healthy when it is still not a habit when other things are going on). And there are a number of places from my hometown area that I wanted to eat at since I haven't been back in 4 years. I didn't weigh myself but my guess is I am about the same as when I left. Now, I am back, so time to get focused again.

On a side note- there was a salesperson I ended up talking to that was a very attractive young lady. Now, I fully get that she was most likely was flirting to get the sale (it worked ) but she first asked if I was married, then brought up my wife again (I forgot exactly what it was) and then asked if I was happily married- she also gave me a card with her number on it which she crossed out the front info and wrote on the back (I did not call so I am not 100% sure if it was a personal or work number). I am not interested in stepping out on my wife (though mannnnnnnnnn, this girl was a solid 8 so it was nice to fantasize about) but because of the several questions about wifey and the phone number- I think there is a chance she did like what she saw and I am sure losing 25 pounds helped in that.

What's her number?  I'll call and ask her intentions.  

 

[James Daulton]

This last week was rough. I didn't go off the deep end but I certainly ate much more calories than my goals. I was visiting California- so travel by itself is a challenge. I was going there because my little brother was in a major motorcycle accident and there was also a lot of other stressful things going on (I am not a stress eater but it sure makes it hard to focus on eating healthy when it is still not a habit when other things are going on). And there are a number of places from my hometown area that I wanted to eat at since I haven't been back in 4 years. I didn't weigh myself but my guess is I am about the same as when I left. Now, I am back, so time to get focused again.

On a side note- there was a salesperson I ended up talking to that was a very attractive young lady. Now, I fully get that she was most likely was flirting to get the sale (it worked ) but she first asked if I was married, then brought up my wife again (I forgot exactly what it was) and then asked if I was happily married- she also gave me a card with her number on it which she crossed out the front info and wrote on the back (I did not call so I am not 100% sure if it was a personal or work number). I am not interested in stepping out on my wife (though mannnnnnnnnn, this girl was a solid 8 so it was nice to fantasize about) but because of the several questions about wifey and the phone number- I think there is a chance she did like what she saw and I am sure losing 25 pounds helped in that.

Damn, Chad's been dieting for like 2 months total and he's already go 8's throwing themselves at him.  WTF am I doing wrong?

 

[Sabertooth]

CI've being doing keto since Sunday.  Going great.  

Down 10 lbs.. Which is obviously water but damn it's still weight you have to walk around with.  Looking forward to dropping down under 210.  Hoping to go from 222 to 170.  212 today.  

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Had been doing too hitting the gym. Then long work trip with early meetings. Come home to a blizzard. Then the whole house gets sick. Haven't been able to kick myself in the ### enough to start back up. And now my body just aches. ####. 

 

[Chadstroma]

Weighed in this morning. 293 which is down from 321 to start and 299 at the end of Feb. Progress has slowed but I have been taking in more calories by design and my trip to California had me go above budget a few times. My goal for activity has pretty much been a complete failure so far this month. But, I am still making progress.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

Way to go Chad!  Keep it up..nice to hear the story about those panties getting moist for you..confidence is king.  How is your brother doing?

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

I imagine this is oversimplifying but.. re: the last several posts.  I want to shed 30 lbs.  Should I not be lifting weights?

 

[Rick James]

I imagine this is oversimplifying but.. re: the last several posts.  I want to shed 30 lbs.  Should I not be lifting weights?

Lifting weights in and of itself does not lead to gaining weight. Eating at a caloric surplus = gaining weight. 

I assume you want to cut bodyfat and retain whatever muscle you have. In that case, just eat a caloric deficit (google TDEE calculator and go from there) and monitor your protein intake. Most people recommend 1g per LEAN LB, but if you don't know your body fat percentage, you would do anywhere from 0.6g-0.8g per LB. So if you weigh 200 lbs you would want to eat 120-160g protein per day.

This is the path that I'm on. I eat at a deficit to lose weight, but I go to the gym 3-4 times a week and eat ~120-160g protein every day to retain muscle. 

NOTE- lifting weights on a cut can be brutal. some days I just don't have the energy, but I'm losing weight.

 

[Chadstroma]

Way to go Chad!  Keep it up..nice to hear the story about those panties getting moist for you..confidence is king.  How is your brother doing?

He is doing real well in progressing in his recovery. When I first got there he could barely open his one eye for a few seconds, had a traech (sp?) so could not talk, was duped up with pain killers/sedatives, etc. By the time I left, he was talking, able to stand with help. He has started to post on facebook. The first few posts were like "Ia real hapoy abg fw here" kind of jumble but you could figure out what he was saying... the last few days have been regular posts. The big problem now is that he thinks he is all well and the family is trying to slow his roll.

 

[Chadstroma]

I imagine this is oversimplifying but.. re: the last several posts.  I want to shed 30 lbs.  Should I not be lifting weights?

When I was young and not fat- lifting simply made me gain weight (but I was not losing any fat because I did not have much to begin with).

My weight loss so far has been 95% calorie reduction. Very limited activity increase so far which has been the biggest challenge for me.

Overall though building muscle mass enables you to burn more calories. Think of it as the bigger engine in the car means lower MPG (in general). So, if you lift but keep your calorie intake the same- you will lose weight. You might not see the difference as much on the weigh in's as you will in the mirror though since muscle weighs more than fat- in the long run though you are much better off for sure. My goal is to get to that point!

 

[Chadstroma]

Damn, Chad's been dieting for like 2 months total and he's already go 8's throwing themselves at him.  WTF am I doing wrong?

I am guessing she would be a 8 for most people.... for me, she would be pushing a 9. I am a sucker for raven haired, olive skin tone beauties with fit curves. The flirting from her was almost worth the $130 freaking bucks she seduced me out of.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

He is doing real well in progressing in his recovery. When I first got there he could barely open his one eye for a few seconds, had a traech (sp?) so could not talk, was duped up with pain killers/sedatives, etc. By the time I left, he was talking, able to stand with help. He has started to post on facebook. The first few posts were like "Ia real hapoy abg fw here" kind of jumble but you could figure out what he was saying... the last few days have been regular posts. The big problem now is that he thinks he is all well and the family is trying to slow his roll.

Continued well wishes.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

When I was young and not fat- lifting simply made me gain weight (but I was not losing any fat because I did not have much to begin with).

My weight loss so far has been 95% calorie reduction. Very limited activity increase so far which has been the biggest challenge for her.

Overall though building muscle mass enables you to burn more calories. Think of it as the bigger engine in the car means lower MPG (in general). So, if you lift but keep your calorie intake the same- you will lose weight. You might not see the difference as much on the weigh in's as you will in the mirror though since muscle weighs more than fat- in the long run though you are much better off for sure. My goal is to get to that point!

Makes sense.

We had a body fat challenge at work from beg of year through early March that helped me come to grips with what you are saying.  They took our body fat % down in the corporate gym (just with the calipers..i understand the lack of accuracy here).  Then 10 weeks later did so again.

I lost 5 pounds but according to the measurement I lost ~9 lbs of fat and added lean weight.  Not saying its exact but considering I didn't work out before and did a fair amount of upper body weights during that time I can buy it.

Only measurement that didn't go down much in body fat % was my belly.   I went from a horrible eater to an average eater but think I have to eat even better to shed some fat.

244 start down to 239 ftr.  6'2"

 

[Chadstroma]

Makes sense.

We had a body fat challenge at work from beg of year through early March that helped me come to grips with what you are saying.  They took our body fat % down in the corporate gym (just with the calipers..i understand the lack of accuracy here).  Then 10 weeks later did so again.

I lost 5 pounds but according to the measurement I lost ~9 lbs of fat and added lean weight.  Not saying its exact but considering I didn't work out before and did a fair amount of upper body weights during that time I can buy it.

Only measurement that didn't go down much in body fat % was my belly.   I went from a horrible eater to an average eater but think I have to eat even better to shed some fat.

244 start down to 239 ftr.  6'2"

The trainers I worked with in the past made it a point to make sure you worked out your core. By far that is the most important part of your body to get healthy. It will have the most impact on burning calories. Doing upper body is good but if I was you, I would try to make it a point to add in a good amount of training around your core.

 

[GROOT]

Lifting weights in and of itself does not lead to gaining weight. Eating at a caloric surplus = gaining weight. 

I assume you want to cut bodyfat and retain whatever muscle you have. In that case, just eat a caloric deficit (google TDEE calculator and go from there) and monitor your protein intake. Most people recommend 1g per LEAN LB, but if you don't know your body fat percentage, you would do anywhere from 0.6g-0.8g per LB. So if you weigh 200 lbs you would want to eat 120-160g protein per day.

This is the path that I'm on. I eat at a deficit to lose weight, but I go to the gym 3-4 times a week and eat ~120-160g protein every day to retain muscle. 

NOTE- lifting weights on a cut can be brutal. some days I just don't have the energy, but I'm losing weight.

There is zero evidence supporting that much protein intake

 

[Chadstroma]

There is zero evidence supporting that much protein intake

How the heck do you even get to 120-160g of protein in a day?!

 

[Rick James]

There is zero evidence supporting that much protein intake

I'd say there's just as much evidence supporting it as there is not supporting it. It's still being debated. I've seen studies that show anywhere from 0.6g -1.0g per pound. 

Quote from Alan Aragon-- "The pitfalls of under-doing protein far outweigh those of overdoing it. Meeting protein requirements is particularly important when you’re trying to lose weight because protein is the most muscle-sparing and metabolic macronutrient, and it also keeps you full."

So better safe than sorry. Plus studies show you need more than 0.8g/lb when cutting, especially when you are active and lean. Like the study below which concludes 2.3-3.1 g/kg of lean mass.

study

 

[Rick James]

How the heck do you even get to 120-160g of protein in a day?!

It's not that much. A single 8 oz chicken breast has 70g. Eat a breast for lunch, maybe some beans later, top it off with a scoop of protein powder and it's pretty easy.

 

[acarey50]

How the heck do you even get to 120-160g of protein in a day?!

Chicken, fish, meat, eggs, cottage cheese and protein shakes.

And the resultant protein farts.

Figure one egg is about 6 grams of protein

One scoop of protein powder is about 25 G (at least for the Dymatize ISO-100 I have, different brands vary)

1 cup of chicken breast is 43G of protein

3 oz. of sirloin steak is 23g

3 oz. of salmon is 17 g

1 cup lowfat cottage cheese is 28 oz

(figures from google)

So, 3 eggs at breakfast = 18g (scramble in a bunch of veggies and top with some avocado)

Protein shake as a snack is 25g

a salad with a cup of cooked chicken on it at lunch is 43g

Protein shake as a snack is 25g

3 oz of steak at dinner is 23g (and 3 oz. is not a lot, served with say a bunch of veggies and a sweet potato)

1 cup cottage cheese for dessert is 28g - top with some berries for flavor

Comes out to 162g of protein in a pretty easy way. 162g of protein is only 648 calories. Fill in with a bunch of veggies and healthy fats and you can have a relatively low calorie, balanced diet. Can easily replace the protein shakes with other quality snacks if you're not a fan of shakes.

 

[James Daulton]

Chicken, fish, meat, eggs, cottage cheese and protein shakes.

And the resultant protein farts.

Figure one egg is about 6 grams of protein

One scoop of protein powder is about 25 G (at least for the Dymatize ISO-100 I have, different brands vary)

1 cup of chicken breast is 43G of protein

3 oz. of sirloin steak is 23g

3 oz. of salmon is 17 g

1 cup lowfat cottage cheese is 28 oz

(figures from google)

So, 3 eggs at breakfast = 18g (scramble in a bunch of veggies and top with some avocado)

Protein shake as a snack is 25g

a salad with a cup of cooked chicken on it at lunch is 43g

Protein shake as a snack is 25g

3 oz of steak at dinner is 23g (and 3 oz. is not a lot, served with say a bunch of veggies and a sweet potato)

1 cup cottage cheese for dessert is 28g - top with some berries for flavor

Comes out to 162g of protein in a pretty easy way. 162g of protein is only 648 calories. Fill in with a bunch of veggies and healthy fats and you can have a relatively low calorie, balanced diet. Can easily replace the protein shakes with other quality snacks if you're not a fan of shakes.

Keep in mind the food you listed has other macro nutrients that take the total caloric intake way higher than 648 calories.  More like 1,600 - 1,800 I'd wager.  Not a ton of calories but not a ton of satiating food either.  I hate wasting calories on shakes.  

 

[Chadstroma]

I guess I haven't been counting protein.... just calories. In Feb I would have been around 150g of protein a day then.

 

[acarey50]

Keep in mind the food you listed has other macro nutrients that take the total caloric intake way higher than 648 calories.  More like 1,600 - 1,800 I'd wager.  Not a ton of calories but not a ton of satiating food either.  I hate wasting calories on shakes.  

I never said it was only 650 calories total - i was illustrating that it is fairly easy to hit the 160ish grams of protein, and that only takes up about 650 calories. Yes, once you fill in with healthy fats and carbs (which I mentioned in the post) you will be in the 1600-1800 range (quick google calculation on the meal plan I listed comes out to 1650ish calories, and that's with fairly high estimates on the amount of veggies included with the eggs at breakfast, the salad at lunch (i calculate using 3 cups of spinach, 2 tomatoes and adding in an extra 60ish calories of other veggies), the steak and potato at dinner and adding 1 cup of blueberries to the cottage cheese, which is a pretty low calorie total for an average sized person performing low to moderate activity looking to lose weight.

 

[Tick]

I had my first work trip this week since getting back to tracking, kept the gain to 1.6 pounds.  I have another trip starting tomorrow and expect I will put another couple on, but this isn't too bad.

Work travel sucks.

 

[kutta]

I had my first work trip this week since getting back to tracking, kept the gain to 1.6 pounds.  I have another trip starting tomorrow and expect I will put another couple on, but this isn't too bad.

Work travel sucks.

My work travel advice: drink bourbon, not beer. Pass on the bread and pasta at dinner and eat meat, fish, veggies. Eat really liglht lunches - not hard to do if it is catered in. Just take a really small portion. Get up 30 minutes early and get in a quick workout. Heck, if you can't get to the hotel gym, just do some squats and pushups in your room. If possible, walk and take the stairs.

My biggest problem was always the big dinners, but it's not too hard to cut back at dinner and not look like a dousch if you stick to hard liquor, meats, and veggies.

 

[Tick]

 If possible, walk and take the stairs.

I'll be doing field service in the bowels of a container ship, and the bathroom is a deck level... I'll get my stairs in.

Turns out I retained some water while traveling last week - only put on 0.6 points after all, which is within daily swings anyway.

 

[Courtjester]

Wife and I have been using the MFP app for 30 days now. I am down 12 pounds in that time period and my wife is down 7. I have been trying to do 10k steps a day--some days I fall short and only get 8000, but I have kept my food calories at 1300-1350. Today is really going to suck because it is a full on blizzard outside and I can only go up and down the steps so many times.

I would be down further, but getting away from the habit of drinking beer is hard especially with the amount I was used to. I have cut it in half and I am hoping this month I can cut that in half again.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I cannot say enough about a couple changes made recently. I have all but 86'd all white sugar and also white bread types of products, no bakery stuff, nothing. It's hard for a couple days but you will adjust and then you can control it better and allow for a serving once in a while without falling off the wagon completely. I eat a lot of fruit and it curtails sweet cravings. 

-No beer but I am allowing for red wine which has almost no carbs. 

I am down about 25 lbs in 2 months, feels great. Almost all my clothes are too big, even the ones you keep in case you ever do lose a few. 

-Last change is eating out, have almost stopped. It just is too hard to try and figure out what you are eating unless you order an organic green salad and I can make that at home. 

I also am walking about 2-3 miles a day, 5-6 times a week and certain days I add in a bike ride or an additional walk. They keep me calm and I enjoy streaming music so I just look at it as relaxation time more than a workout but it still burns over 400 calories, that gives you a lot of wiggle room and many days I skip eating the calories back. I'm losing 3-4 lbs a week, old target was 225 and the new target is to get below 190, won't be easy but it can be done. 

 

[Tick]

Cool, MOP.  I like the adjusted goal... If it's going well, why not keep going...

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Hold on, you're really saying that someone can't add muscle while losing weight?

People can and have. There have been other studies where the subjects have failed to gain lean mass while losing weight, but if sometimes people do and sometimes people don't, you can't say it's impossible.

(Also, it depends on what we mean by "while." People may not be able to gain lean mass while shedding fat at the exact same instant, but they can very certainly do both in the same month, probably in the same week, and quite possibly in the same day. Anyone who's not on a strict water fast will have a positive energy balance for part of the day and a negative energy balance for part of the day.)

 

[Otis]

There's simply not a metabolic pathway to add lean mass while in a calorie deficit. What's even worse is that early in the calorie restriction lean mass loss is at its worst. Meaning yo-yo type diets ultimately reduce metabolism by frequently starving lean mass while.  This is the issue Otis has and why he will ultimately end up at 280 in 5-10 years. 

I'll take that bet. 

 

[Otis]

People can and have. There have been other studies where the subjects have failed to gain lean mass while losing weight, but if sometimes people do and sometimes people don't, you can't say it's impossible.

(Also, it depends on what we mean by "while." People may not be able to gain lean mass while shedding fat at the exact same instant, but they can very certainly do both in the same month, probably in the same week, and quite possibly in the same day. Anyone who's not on a strict water fast will have a positive energy balance for part of the day and a negative energy balance for part of the day.)

I know I've experienced muscle adds and strength gains while losing weight.  I was eating very well and doing tons of push-ups, pull-ups, sit ups, and dumbbell exercises on a daily basis.  Dropped something like 40-50 pounds and definitely added upper body lean muscle over the course of a year. 

 

[culdeus]

I'll take that bet. 

Which side of it?

 

[Chadstroma]

I am still down 30 pounds from the start which is good but not good in that I haven't made any real progress.

The bad: March was a total failure in terms of my goals. I was suppose to focus on exercise and it just didn't happen. I let some old eating habits creep back. Lost some self discipline.

The good: I kept some good habits. Have mostly kept portions down.

So, I have a renewed focus right now because I have a sleep study to do May 24th. My goal is that I lose as much weight as I can so that when I do the sleep study, I will be under the threshold to be considered not having sleep apnea. If I do the sleep study and still have it, I will be forced to get a CPAP machine which will cost me $100 a month until I meet my deductible. So- I am refocused and energized to lose more weight again. Focus on the foundation I have and build on it.

 

[eoMMan]

I was reading about a variation of Intermittent Fasting (IF) called the 5:2 fast diet that basically says to eat normal 5 days a week ( don't overeat ), but then have 2 "fast days" where guys only eat 600 calories  (500 for women ).

Anyone hear of this or try it?

 

[culdeus]

I was reading about a variation of Intermittent Fasting (IF) called the 5:2 fast diet that basically says to eat normal 5 days a week ( don't overeat ), but then have 2 "fast days" where guys only eat 600 calories  (500 for women ).

Anyone hear of this or try it?

It's been covered before here.  I think this fad is gone and has been replaced with PSMF type diets.  

http://paleoleap.com/protein-sparing-modified-fasts/

Lately you see people doing PSMF on the 2 day interval.  As a jump start to a weight loss program this plan has a lot of science backing it that the 5/2 doesn't.  

Incidentally, the 5/2 plan was discovered by dieticans monitoring recovering anorexics.  They found that even if an recovering anorexic could fast 2 days out of 5 they still wouldn't recover weight.  

If trying a fasting protocol mixed in with weights I would potentially do PSMF on rest days and backload 80% of your total carbs on lifting days.  This requires some bit of discipline, however, that many won't accomplish.  Doing PSMF 100% would be a disaster.  What's funny is that Otis' full bale diet is for all intents a PSMF diet.  

 

[godgers12]

Read this thread about a month ago and went with downlading the app and tracking calories in and out. 6'0 298 (was very surprised i was this heavy, few of us before i weighed had guess around 275 or 280). Put in my goals and it said I could eat like 2400 calories a day. I cut it in half and have been eating/drinking between 1000 and 1200 calories a day for about 3 weeks now. 

I still drink once or twice a week. Usually like 8 or 9 vodka soda splash of cran, which yes I know is not good but I am doing this my way to see how it works. 

Pretty much only eat salads, chicken, turkey, more chicken and chicken. 

Down 21 lbs at the 21 day marker so interested to see where it goes from here.

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

While I think the title of this article is bad (you absolutely should exercise, period, and it's helpful for losing weight) the overall content is excellent:

Why you shouldn't exercise to lose weight, explained with 60+ studies

 

[Courtjester]

 The app has been a godsend.  I am 65 days in and I am at 19 pounds lost. I honestly could be losing more but I am still struggling with drinking beer. That being said, i am only 16 pounds away from my goal of losing 35 total pounds and getting to 190.

However, I have to learn to accept the fluctuations. It is really disheartening to get on the scale and see it  show I gained almost 5 pounds.   This weekend we ate out a lot . I ended up eating more calories than I should've and drinking a few more beers than I should've and it was sobering to see that gain. I came back and I have worked hard this week and got rid of them.  Just sticking at 1200 to 1300 cal and 10k daily steps has been the key in this whole process. 

 

[RUSF18]

I am still down 30 pounds from the start which is good but not good in that I haven't made any real progress.

The bad: March was a total failure in terms of my goals. I was suppose to focus on exercise and it just didn't happen. I let some old eating habits creep back. Lost some self discipline.

The good: I kept some good habits. Have mostly kept portions down.

So, I have a renewed focus right now because I have a sleep study to do May 24th. My goal is that I lose as much weight as I can so that when I do the sleep study, I will be under the threshold to be considered not having sleep apnea. If I do the sleep study and still have it, I will be forced to get a CPAP machine which will cost me $100 a month until I meet my deductible. So- I am refocused and energized to lose more weight again. Focus on the foundation I have and build on it.

A new goal is a good thing. I know last month you said that your wife was going back to work or something which was going to make it crazy around the house and leave yourself unable to exercise, but it read as you setting yourself up with an excuse at the time. If you're not getting any physical activity, and you can't find even 15 minutes a day to move around (which I think was your goal), that's on you. 

The good thing is, like you said, you didn't fall off the wagon. A lot of people run into an issue and then fall apart. It's good to read that last paragraph because I think you mean it all. If you're really not able to find time during the day, wake up a half hour earlier than anyone else in your house and just get it done. You'll be tired at first but you'll earn back that energy through exercising and feeling good. Plus exercising in the morning is a good way to keep your eating focused for the rest of the day, because you won't want to waste that calorie burn.

Good luck bud. 

 

[SameSongNDance]

I eat somewhere between 1000-1200 calories a day and burn anywhere between 300-800. Sometimes I run a deficit on the days I play soccer. I intermittent fast for 12-16 hours a day, usually 16. My diet is essentially paleo plus legumes because I love me some legumes.

In all honesty, it's a miserable lifestyle but I'm ripped out of my mind so I'll take the trade off.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

My diet is essentially paleo plus legumes because I love me some legumes.

Ignore Cordain and the people who repeated his error. Legumes are paleo.

 

[Chadstroma]

A new goal is a good thing. I know last month you said that your wife was going back to work or something which was going to make it crazy around the house and leave yourself unable to exercise, but it read as you setting yourself up with an excuse at the time. If you're not getting any physical activity, and you can't find even 15 minutes a day to move around (which I think was your goal), that's on you. 

The good thing is, like you said, you didn't fall off the wagon. A lot of people run into an issue and then fall apart. It's good to read that last paragraph because I think you mean it all. If you're really not able to find time during the day, wake up a half hour earlier than anyone else in your house and just get it done. You'll be tired at first but you'll earn back that energy through exercising and feeling good. Plus exercising in the morning is a good way to keep your eating focused for the rest of the day, because you won't want to waste that calorie burn.

Good luck bud. 

I got ya. It really is on me regardless and a matter of how committed I am to "just do it" no matter the challenges. I am planning on starting tonight.

 

[Chadstroma]

So, I ended up having an hour for lunch today. I went for a walk which was about 50 min worth of walking.

 

[Chadstroma]

Walked again today on lunch. Did a route that took me about 25 minutes which may be good to do for my lunch breaks. Then if I can get something more in at home- great but at least I will have that for most days (weather permitting).

I have to figure out a wardrobe change pretty soon. I was putting my son in the car and my suit pants fell to my ankles. Thankfully, it was in the garage but these things are super loose on me now.

 

[kutta]

While I think the title of this article is bad (you absolutely should exercise, period, and it's helpful for losing weight) the overall content is excellent:

Why you shouldn't exercise to lose weight, explained with 60+ studies

I really like the article, and I've totally come around to weight loss being about 80% eating and 20% everything else. And I was onboard with everything in the article, until this:

If a hypothetical 200-pound man added 60 minutes of medium intensity running four days per week while keeping his calorie intake the same, and he did this for 30 days, he'd lose five pounds. "If this person decided to increase food intake or relax more to recover from the added exercise, then even less weight would be lost," Hall added. (More on these "compensatory mechanisms" later.)

So if one is overweight or obese, and presumably trying to lose dozens of pounds, it would take an incredible amount of time, will, and effort to make a real impact through exercise.

They are using the above-example to show that exercise doesn't help much with weight loss, yet I think most people would be thrilled with over 1 lb. per week with just an hour, four days a week of exercise. 

In one year, someone could lose 60 lbs. just running an hour four days a week and not changing their diet. That seems like a good deal to me!

 

[Otis]

It's been covered before here.  I think this fad is gone and has been replaced with PSMF type diets.  

http://paleoleap.com/protein-sparing-modified-fasts/

Lately you see people doing PSMF on the 2 day interval.  As a jump start to a weight loss program this plan has a lot of science backing it that the 5/2 doesn't.  

Incidentally, the 5/2 plan was discovered by dieticans monitoring recovering anorexics.  They found that even if an recovering anorexic could fast 2 days out of 5 they still wouldn't recover weight.  

If trying a fasting protocol mixed in with weights I would potentially do PSMF on rest days and backload 80% of your total carbs on lifting days.  This requires some bit of discipline, however, that many won't accomplish.  Doing PSMF 100% would be a disaster.  What's funny is that Otis' full bale diet is for all intents a PSMF diet.  

"Sorry Otis, you were right" would have been a lot shorter.

 

[Otis]

Losing weight is hard.  I'm still stuck at right around 230.  Would love to be 210.  Just haven't had the discipline to get there.  That said, I have no business travel on the horizon for the first time in many months, and I'm trying to be more active.  I walk to my office instead of the subway, and I'm implementing a plan whereby I try and slip out of work early a few days per week and hustle home to meet with my 5 year old -- she rides her bike, and I jog alongside.  It's not a super fast pace, but in our first outing we went a mile and a half, she had an absolute blast, and it's a great excuse for us to spend some quality time together (and it's helping her get more confident on her bicycle -- I'd like to get the training wheels off soon).  I'm looking forward to make this a routine, and extending the runs longer and longer.  I'm hoping this, combined with keeping an eye on my eating habits, combined with walking more will all create a perfect storm for Otis to lose 20lbs.  

We'll see.

 

[Otis]

This thread has me tempted to go full bale.