Hi!

I visited H&F before but didn't feel it concerned me. Now that has changed. Trying to pop up what's left of my life. Some background: I quit nicotine in 1992. After that some attempts in leading a healthier life, regularly irregular. Got a gym card maybe ten years ago, sometimes didn't go there for a couple of years. I once dropped 10 lbs in one month counting calories for real, wasn't sustainable.

Now there seems to be things happening on a more prolonged, hopefully permanent basis. I left the car at home 1.5 years ago when going to work, for getting at least some exercise. Then I quit alcohol half a year ago. I did a health survey and found my blood pressure was a bit high. Decided to drop 20 lbs, have now been on vegetables and VLCD-drinks for a month. Got a small chock when checking the blood pressure, it had gone down to normal, must mainly be the smaller salt content? That was a huge unexpected bonus!

So there's 15 lbs left to drop, the reason is mainly the waistline. All this is very well, but now I've decided to go to the gym every day for one hour. I will regulate what I do there, for not getting overloaded. Mainly hoping the exercise will do some good for my psyche, I have a tendency for pondering things and getting tired. I chose one hour a day, because that's a substantial investment and practically what I can come up with.

Views?

Moving more and eating less seems like a pretty great plan; you may find it necessary to weigh/log your food if your weight loss stalls, but as long as what you're doing it working there's no need to sweat it (assuming basal macros and micronutrient needs are being met).

Good luck!

Thanks! I relay on science for getting at least a minimum of everything necessary, so I'm drinking VLCD smoothies and soups of different flavors, mainly Nutrilett an Allévo. I buy ready mixed sallads with mainly only vegetables + dressing, and sprouts, tomatoes, berries etc. I only estimate calories, but think they should be under the "demand" each day, maybe 1500. Have temporarily turned almost vegan, don't know how to classify the VLCD drinks though.

In fact this is fun, that must be a positive. Earlier didn't consume much vegetables, they are here to stay. Say after work I'll consume a salad, not tons of cheese, for example. Trying to make decisions that have a potential to survive. Last time I tried that didn't happen.

So here are my stats:

Length is surprisingly near 190 centimeters flat on average. Let's say 189-191 centimeters.

Weight right now: 85.5 kilograms. Have some old bathroom scales, not very much off anyway, but must go digital at some point. Was about 87.5kg when starting to reduce weight one month ago.

Abdominal circumference: 103 centimeters. That's the thing needing attention. My body is built so that formally normal body-mass index means a bit overweight.

So my goal is becoming 77.5 kilograms, in that after reaching that goal I'll try to never go above 80kg and never under 75kg. That means starting reacting at the latest if and when the weight rises to 79kg after reaching the 77.5. This undertaking of dropping many kilograms will be a one time project.

Many may think I have no problem but as they say: everything is relative.

Yet another hour of gym, feeling great!

My strategic numbers also in inches and pounds:

Length: 6'3
Weight start: 193lb
Weight now: 188lb
Weight goal: 171lb
Waist: 41"
Waist goal: whatever it is when reaching 171lb

A small small correction: my HEIGHT is 6'3, just not to induce any form of confusion...my LENGTH definitively isn't...


My nearest gym opens at 10AM. Count on me being early. You've got to utilize the benefits of a free day! Working days I use another gym of the same chain, more convenient then on the way home.

Good luck with your goal, although I have to say 77kg is very lean for a 6ft3 male imo. What made you arrive at that number?

My body is built lean. The fat goes to the belly, and I've read it should be below 100 centimeters, ideally 90. Could check it up on the internet but I have a hunch I lost one centimeter in circumference for every kilo when I once dropped five kilos. So the math tells me I could go from 103 centimeters to 95. Sounds good to me.

What I'm hoping most for is not getting any BS of doing situps for getting the belly to melt. Frankly it's fat under there and just needs to get burnt.

The 77.5 kg means a BMI of 21.5. It's a compromise, "normal" BMI is (19)20-25. One reason for 77.5kg is it meant exactly a 10kg drop, but the more important is it'll be easy to remember this in the future: "Never under 75kg, never above 80". Some kitchen (no pun intended) psychology.

Naturally, if my muscles start to build up seriously I may go for 82.5kg somewhere in the future, but it'll show. Can't see that happen in year 2018, I'm not in any body building program.

Was to the gym and took a look in the mirror. In addition to the visceral fat I knew of I could also spot remarkable handles. Who would believe with my bodyweight? Made me even more determined.

I don't think anyone in here would recommend that.

More muscle mass is beneficial for health and fitness, but I'm sure you already know that.

I haven't looked into the benefits of muscle mass as such, more into the non-benefits of fat. If I can't get more average healthy years I will not take the pain of consciously building muscle. But my daily one-hour regime at the gym probably gives some muscle too. What I do at the gym? Basically go through all the gadgets with light weights/strain, over and over again.

Probably not very much. You should have a read through this book and see if it's something you might be interested in implementing.

https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Stre.../dp/0982522738

Thanks, ordered it as an e-book! May very well learn a thing or two even if it will not mainly be my thing.

My weight is now 85kg=187lb. It has been there last time a bit over a week ago, but is a new low since starting to report. I don't standardize my weighing much, only light clothes and no immediate urge to the "restroom". One kg up or down is standard, trying to spot the trend.

I keep a simple record with date and weight. Started April 2 with 87.5kg. Maxed a week later at 88kg. Have weighed myself 21 times all in all, looks to be an average of every second day, varies, no big deal.

Thought I can report when hitting a new low also in the future. When those add up we have a real change at our hands.

Man this feels good. Wonder why I haven't put in real hours at the gym before. Apparently I can regulate the strain so that I can go there every day for an hour. You kind of lock me up and tell: "do whatever you feel for". Really have to listen to your body with this style of no resting days.

Back to 85.5kg. Feel I didn't have very many VLCD smoothies yesterday though. The day before I was hungry as a beast, and had VLCD smoothies and vegetables accordingly.

My strategy at it's core is practically not having any high calories stuff at all (only "danger" is the salad dressing). Then you don't reach 2000 calories in a day almost whatever you do.

So my guess today is I will drop 2kg per month. Intend to go to 77kg flat at first, to have some margin upwards. And when autumn is a the door the hard part begins, how to keep the achievement alive? Preliminarily I'm planning to try to eat balanced then, but if the weight reaches 79kg I will take the diet I have now for a week or two. Must learn how to eat at some point.

My body is aching a bit here and there, the frightening thought about leaving one day of gym crossed my mind. No, I will go. I could basically use the treadmill at low speed, walk around, a little low energy stationary biking, training lightly parts of the body not aching.

My psychology is simple. Don't overdo anything, but show up every day, and it's all gonna be ok.

Happy Mother's Day!

For some reason I have not really felt hungry today, it's already late in the afternoon. If this happens more I may reach my weight goal sooner. 1000 cal a day should be my minimum anyway, imo.

No hunger during the day means hunger in the evening. So it will go slowly.

What's the best thing with all this is I've started to exercise for real. Feeling much better on many levels. This just has to be permanent. I'd better remember this statement if and when some reason not to exercise comes along and all falls apart (yet again)

Permanent, permanent, permanent. Let it sink in. Because it's good.

Somehow I can almost feel my muscle build. Take into account I did nada except some walking before, so there may happen something even without serious power training. This may impact my weight goal. Waist circumference may become a better indicator of the progress. So playing with the thought of only going down to 82.5kg=182lbs this time around, and then watch what the workouts can do for making the muscle/fat ratio more beneficial.

If so, I have only 2.5kg left to lose. Suddenly halfway! Then my body-mass index goal would be 23, comfortably somewhere in the middle of the "normal". Doubt I will start any power lifting, so my muscular development may plateau at 1/2-1 years of training? Think aerobic training will make up 60-70% of the volume as time goes by?

Yes, have decided it'll be 82.5 kg = 182 lbs. You need to have the guts to adjust your goals, if there's a good reason. Doesn't mean failure, the direction hasn't changed. At least I'll not be left without some muscles I might have got.

Life is full of compromises, isn't it!

As a fellow tall, I can say that resistance training should really benefit you.

Let's see how things turn out. Don't really care about looks, may look better without visible efforts to try something, you need to take your fights where you can win . But to a certain amount, why not...

Wonder if I'll come down to ideal numbers on this:

https://www.health-calc.com/body-com...o-height-ratio

2.5kg more down may take an inch off. Then exercise should take another two if all goes well. Wonder if that'll be the way things play out. Interesting to see anyhow.

Weight 84.5kg=186lbs! Ideally I will never go above 85kg again. Three kg off, two left to go. Ate some fish salad today, you need to take shots at a more normal diet.