Getting back in shape sucks

[Guest]

So, for those who remember, I lost a bunch of weight a couple years ago. Got down to about a size 30 waist, which was unbelievable for me, especially after I gained weight when my wife was pregnant with our first child. Then, about a year ago, I got put on a medicine that has weight gain as a major side effect, so I gained about 15 pounds back. Been trying off and on to get it off, but not very successful. I've just been so stressed that I was giving myself excuses to eat unhealthy or skip exercise.

 

I'm back on it now, for real. Cutting my unhealthy eating a lot, and doing P90 (the lesser version of P90X, for people like me who even at top shape never was that great at cardio, never able to run more than about 4 miles). Did strength on Monday and cardio today. They're supposed to be done back-to-back on the same day, but I'm not physically capable of doing it that way right now.

 

Really want to get back into the clothes I bought two years ago, and I'm super dedicated, but this really sucks.

[Driver]

I feel you. I've been trading the same 35 pounds up down for 20 years now. My problem is i hit that mark and nothing else works, and I get tired of eating healthy and I hate working out.

[Guest]

The good news is, I've dropped about 3 pounds so far. I have a pretty easy time dropping it if I focus on it.

 

But it still sucks.

[Jacen123]

I'm right there with both of you. I gained a lot of weight once I moved after grad school, then took it, and then some, off and kept it that way for a few months until I had a car accident. Even though I escaped any real injury from that, it still beat me up a bit and I stopped paying close attention to what I was eating and gained some of it back. I then started jogging a lot, including running a number of races, including even a 14k, so I took even more off. That was great until I pushed too hard and got shin splints. I gradually gained most of the weight back and never got back into running like I had been. I reached an equilibrium for awhile there, but then got massive anxiety problems that kept me from doing much of anything, including eating. Those days, I often struggled to get up to 1500 calories per day. As a result, I lost 30 pounds in an unhealthy manner. Since then, I gradually gained it all back. I lost 12 pounds at the beginning of 2017, but I've basically been treading ground since then.

 

I'm going to really start pushing myself again to start exercising more and eating better now that the semester is over.

[Poe Dameron]

It might be a good idea to decouple exercise and weight loss in your head. Truth be told, it really doesn't work all that well (especially strength training). If you want to lose weight, your diet is the first, best, and largely only place to start.

 

Exercise is about health and looking good naked. You can feel good if you've been exercising regularly. You can monitor that your blood pressure and heart rate have gone down. You can look in the mirror and see the definition and muscles there if you work hard enough. But if you're measuring success from a scale, the results will probably be disappointing.

 

My own weight issue right now, and likely for the rest of my life is that my metabolism is simply trashed. Losing 110 lbs means that I'll likely never be able to eat 2,000 calories a day again without gaining weight even when I am exercising. My own preference is to do some light running on a consistent basis. I've found that I can consistently run 1.5 to 2 miles a day and feel comfortable. I may get a 150 calorie buffer for my effort, but that's really nothing.

 

The cost of the illusion of weight loss from exercise might be giving your brain, that is distressed to lose weight and is giving you unconscious signals to eat more, an excuse to cheat on what's really important in losing and maintaining weight, your diet.

[Jacen123]

Yeah, exercise isn't going to get it done directly without good eating habits. One of my two big issues is that I've been a really picky eater for a long time and not really the good kind of picky, like refusing to eat junk food. I've just had a hang-up with a lot of fruits and vegetables since I was fairly young. I know that I need to eat more of them and I have been making a definitive effort to do so. I can definitely tell a difference in not being as hungry when I eat better food due to all of the great fiber and low calorie density in vegetables, but it's not easy to change 30 years of bad habits.

 

The other issue is that I am a stress and boredom eater. Exercise definitely helps me a lot with this one since it is a great stress reliever and keeps me physically occupied so that I don't feel the urge to eat to keep me busy. Even though I know it helps control my eating and anxiety and I actually do like exercising, the big problem I face with this now is that I usually don't have time to devote to exercise these days until the evening and I am usually just exhausted after work and/or still have work I need to get done at home, which keeps me away from my exercise equipment.

[Lucas1138]

 

My own weight issue right now, and likely for the rest of my life is that my metabolism is simply trashed. Losing 110 lbs means that I'll likely never be able to eat 2,000 calories a day again without gaining weight even when I am exercising. .

You should really look into reverse dieting. Your metabolism almost assuredly isn't permanently "broken." It will likely take a lot of work and time, and you'll have to judge for yourself whether that's worth it or not, but it's correctable. (Source: Self. I lost 75 lbs, was at like 1,600 calories a day for long period of time, worked my way back to ~3,000)

 

It might be a good idea to decouple exercise and weight loss in your head. Truth be told, it really doesn't work all that well (especially strength training).

 

 

Yeahhhhhh, that's not really accurate.

 

You said it yourself, extended crash dieting isn't the answer because it can lead to metabolic damage. LISS (low intensity, steady state) cardio is for the most part a waste of time (in this context) - unless you've got a lot of weight to lose and literally any extra expenditure will make a difference. Cardio is nothing but calorie expenditure, and in the case of In vs. Out, yeah your IN number is a lot bigger and more worth manipulating. As far as cardio goes, HIIT (high intensity interval training) provides a larger, more sustained boost to your metabolism after your workout is completed. Where you're really off the mark is the strength training aspect. The best thing and most sustainable thing, by far, is strength training (and supplementing with a plenty of protein in your diet). When you strength train you build muscle - and increased muscle mass is the most surefire way to burn more fat and raise your BMR.

 

Obviously the way you eat is the biggest piece of the puzzle - but if you're treating it as the only piece that's a huge huge mistake and is a great way to end up feeling like you're permanently restricted to 1,500 calories per day or whatever.

[monkeygirl]

I'll be your online weight loss buddy! I have to lose my extra fat now after a lifetime of hefting it around. I need surgery and they won't do it till I drop the fat. Got all my blood work done and talked to my PCP yesterday. I have pretty big metabolic issues so this is going to be even more fun!

 

My doctor told me it's 1/3 exercise and 2/3 diet for me. He wants to to do weight training, which I've done before and love and swimming-each 2 X per week and given me 1500 calories a day to play with-on a diabetes style diet.

 

Well. Alcohol and cheeseburgers were fun.

[Lucas1138]

They still can be (fortunately)! They just require more planning (unfortunately).

 

Did the doctor give you macronutrient (Carbs, Fat, Protein) totals to hit for that 1,500 calories? If that came from your PCP, it might be worth seeing a diabetic doctor and/or an actual nutritionist to see if you can get a little more detail on those numbers. I don't know the doctor's background or qualifications, and I'm obviously just a guy on the internet, but I know in my mom's case (which sounds very similar) getting that elaboration, and knowing you're getting an accurate, attainable, and maintainable number helped immensely.

[Driver]

I really really suck at food. Why would I want to spend $50 at the store, clean my kitchen, spend an hour cooking something average, and clean the kitchen again when I can walk 4 blocks at get an amazing $6 burrito from a truck?

[Guest]

My wife died an awesome job with food. Lots of super awesome healthy stuff, which is actually a struggle sometimes. "Oh, this is great but is only like 400 calories and I'm going to be hungry again in an hour"

[Lucas1138]

Fibrous foods that keep you filled up and healthy snacks.

I really really suck at food. Why would I want to spend $50 at the store, clean my kitchen, spend an hour cooking something average, and clean the kitchen again when I can walk 4ocks at get an amazing $6 burrito from a truck?

This was/is a struggle for me. Meal prep is the way I (try to) deal with it. I cook chicken in bulk and eat it throughout the week, and rely on rice/frozen veggies a lot. On days where I know I have time I'll actually bother cooking, but more often than not I don't. I know it's not the most exciting thing, and meals can get repetitive - but that's what God made 10,000 kinds of sauce for

[Ms. Spam]

Weight is the hardest thing ever.

 

I've had to step up my cardio. I'm walking most days 2 miles during the work week and on the weekend I push it to almost 7 miles with some hills and inclines. I have no money in the budget so playing Pokemon Go has helped a lot because I earn "points" when I walk. I hate going to gyms. I mostly walk at night at 9 PM at a lighted park with a walk run track. I haven't watched teevee in three months and no soda or alcohol. Much. It's getting to the end of the school year so maybe a few celebration beers.

 

Eating healthy is the hardest part. I've found instead of eating three meals I break it up into smaller snack times. So almonds and carrots and cheese or fruit and try to eat something good in the morning before I start. For me I have the worlds most crammed schedule. I teach from 7:45 AM to 3:30 PM then I have masters classes (which this semester is done) and work part time in a call center 3 to 4 days a week to help pay for the Masters program so I don't graduate with a ton of debt. I am lucky because I can reach out for free to a school nutritionist to get help.

 

Lucas is pretty much spot on I think about the metabolism thing.

 

I've lost 20 lbs but the thing to think about is you gain muscle mass when you exercise so it's also about say measurements like 30 inch waists and stuff.

[CoLA]

I say try bike riding, it's how I mostly stay in shape and keep my stamina up! I'm not really into weights or anything but do push ups, pull ups and dips on a regular basis for upper body stuff.

What I like most about it is I can just ride with my headphones on and just go for as long as I feel like. It's usually like an hour or so on average.

I also stretch a lot which is really good for before and after exercising. I recommend this, as well! Throw on some ambient tunes from Youtube and just stretch for 10-15 minutes at least once a day.

But! Like everyone here is saying, diet is a big part, I pretty much eat no junk food with the exception of 1 or 2 snack bars during the day when my stomach gets growly. It's tough to go without some of those junk foods but you get used to it, at least I have. And it's okay to have it once in a while, just as long as it's not too much or too often.

[Poe Dameron]

Where you're really off the mark is the strength training aspect. The best thing and most sustainable thing, by far, is strength training (and supplementing with a plenty of protein in your diet). When you strength train you build muscle - and increased muscle mass is the most surefire way to burn more fat and raise your BMR.

 

While aerobic exercise can help a bit, strength training is particularly inefficient as a dieting tool. I've heard the same thing myself about how muscles burn more fat and all that and it makes some sense, but I've seen little evidence that it works for a non-athlete just trying to shed some pounds.

 

Like I said, exercise is good and good for you. Just don't expect it to melt the pounds away unless you go full tilt.

 

 

 

My wife died an awesome job with food

 

Man, that's an unfortunate typo when discussing health matters.

[Guest]

That reminds me of a friend who, prior to autocorrect, texted me "I died.". Turns out she had dyed her hair.

 

She wasn't good with written language at all.

[Cashmere]

I need to drop 30 pounds, but I'm fighting the diet part. I hate taking hours each week to measure, portion and pack all of my food. Signed up for another half marathon, so that will help with the exercise part at least.

[Guest]

It might be a good idea to decouple exercise and weight loss in your head. Truth be told, it really doesn't work all that well (especially strength training). If you want to lose weight, your diet is the first, best, and largely only place to start.

 

Exercise is about health and looking good naked. You can feel good if you've been exercising regularly. You can monitor that your blood pressure and heart rate have gone down. You can look in the mirror and see the definition and muscles there if you work hard enough. But if you're measuring success from a scale, the results will probably be disappointing.

I've found that sticking to a consistently healthy diet is impossible unless I'm exercising. When there's no exercise. Exercise just helps me a lot with creating order and discipline in my life, so I'm less likely to say "I'm super stressed and hungry so I should just eat whatever." If I'm exercising, my body gets the memo and doesn't tend to go that way.

 

Not sure that I'll ever look good naked, though.

[monkeygirl]

Weight is the hardest thing ever.

 

 

 

 

TRUTH. It's like telling an alcoholic they can only have one 8 0z drink 3 times a day. and that's all.

[monkeygirl]

 

Where you're really off the mark is the strength training aspect. The best thing and most sustainable thing, by far, is strength training (and supplementing with a plenty of protein in your diet). When you strength train you build muscle - and increased muscle mass is the most surefire way to burn more fat and raise your BMR.

 

While aerobic exercise can help a bit, strength training is particularly inefficient as a dieting tool. I've heard the same thing myself about how muscles burn more fat and all that and it makes some sense, but I've seen little evidence that it works for a non-athlete just trying to shed some pounds.

 

Like I said, exercise is good and good for you. Just don't expect it to melt the pounds away unless you go full tilt.

 

 

 

My wife died an awesome job with food

 

Man, that's an unfortunate typo when discussing health matters.

 

speaking of typos;

 

strength training is particularly inefficient as a dieting tool....?

[Poe Dameron]

 

 

I've found that sticking to a consistently healthy diet is impossible unless I'm exercising. When there's no exercise. Exercise just helps me a lot with creating order and discipline in my life, so I'm less likely to say "I'm super stressed and hungry so I should just eat whatever." If I'm exercising, my body gets the memo and doesn't tend to go that way.

 

I get that. Routine is one of the best ways to stick to a weight loss program. It's probably why it's near impossible not to gain a few pounds back when you let your foot off the gas. Once the routine is lifted, bad habits can sneak back in.

 

I'd worry about linking it with exercise though. Exercise is so easy to fall away from. You can get busy, or injured, or just come down with a case of laziness for a few days and that routine is broken. Then your whole weight loss regime is under threat instead of just the supplementary portion.

 

 

 

speaking of typos;

strength training is particularly inefficient as a dieting tool....?

 

I don't get it.

[Destiny Skywalker]

I actually love exercise. It's my me time and I am a competitive person. I like HIIT workouts, too. If you do it right, you'll bump your metabolism temporarily. I want to get back into soccer but I'm so tired of playing with guys who don't pass and are going to win every single header, and I couldn't find a women's only team. Unfortunately, I can't outrun my fork no matter how hard I try. But yes, definitely feels easier to stick to a good diet when you're exercising. Maybe because you tell yourself, "Ugh, this cake is an hour at the gym!"

 

I hear you on the metabolism being kind of trashed, though. I was about to declare mine legally dead. I can really only do about 1700 calories a day and it really sucks. I'm not very tall, though, and desk work sucks. I do 15,000 steps a day on average and go to orangetheory 3x a week, and that last 10 lbs I want to lose does not want to budge. I probably need to cut out wine, but that's my sanity between work and kids.

 

As for strength training, I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding here. Yes, muscle weighs more than fat by volume. It's also denser, so it will take up less space. That's why sometimes people get thinner but weigh more when you put on muscle. If you have more muscle, though, you also will have a higher metabolic rate. I'll admit that I think "bulking up" to put on a ton of muscle is kind of stupid, but hey, if it makes you happy, that's your thing. I've never gotten into the meathead mentality despite my love for exercise. I guess I'm just a cardio person, but a lot of it is the total disregard for safety that I see a lot of times. Too low of squats (gonna blow out that knee one day), poor form in general,

traimer who pride themselves on their clients being unable to walk after a session, the injuries from pushing too hard, etc. It just reeks of a lot of stupid behavior for the sake of pride.

[Odine]

This isn't directed at you Destiny, but a lot of women are unnecessarily afraid of weight training. As if by lifting weights once or twice or thrice a week is going to turn them into a testosterone charged Amazonian muscle woman (in a bad way). Which is not only simply not the case, but it's kind of insulting to body builders everywhere who work extremely hard all day every day to look the way they do. Weight training is not the boogeyman that some people think. Though I imagine a lot of gyms can be intimidating in the freeweight and weight machine section, with alpha male dick heads prancing around.

My girlfriend and I do couples personal training every Friday for an hour, which consists of cardio and circuit training with weights. It's so much fun, and we leave the gym buzzing. (If not supremely exhausted). And for private workout sessions it's pretty inexpensive all things considered. Coupling that training with a run once or twice a week manages to keep us in pretty good shape.

[Guest]

 

I've found that sticking to a consistently healthy diet is impossible unless I'm exercising. When there's no exercise. Exercise just helps me a lot with creating order and discipline in my life, so I'm less likely to say "I'm super stressed and hungry so I should just eat whatever." If I'm exercising, my body gets the memo and doesn't tend to go that way.

I get that. Routine is one of the best ways to stick to a weight loss program. It's probably why it's near impossible not to gain a few pounds back when you let your foot off the gas. Once the routine is lifted, bad habits can sneak back in.

 

I'd worry about linking it with exercise though. Exercise is so easy to fall away from. You can get busy, or injured, or just come down with a case of laziness for a few days and that routine is broken. Then your whole weight loss regime is under threat instead of just the supplementary portion.

 

At first I wasn't entirely sure that you were directing this at me. But I understand how you could. My goal really is what the thread title says: getting back into shape. I'm very aware that exercise isn't the sole factor, or even the primary factor, in weight loss. It is the primary factor in getting into shape, though. There are plenty of super skinny people who are in terrible shape. Heck, I'm actually not really that concerned with weight at all, and only know I've gained because I have to be weighed regularly and get blood work done regularly, because along with weight gain, diabetes is a possible side effect of my meds. So both a healthy diet and exercise aren't just preferred, but strongly suggested.

 

 

 

 

speaking of typos;

 

strength training is particularly inefficient as a dieting tool....?

I don't get it.

 

I think she's misunderstanding the point, especially since the link goes along with your statement. You have to differentiate weight loss from size loss. It is possible to lose inches while gaining weight, but it probably isn't super likely to have that big of an impact unless you're really aiming to increase your muscle mass. But that's a reason why BMI is not a great method to determine health. For most Americans, it fits fairly well. We have high BMI because we're fat. But there are people who have high BMI because they have a large amount of muscle.

 

Anecdotally, I have a friend who got a call from a military recruiter after about 2 years of college (may have been Marines, but this was 16 years ago, so I don't remember). They had a good conversation, then the recruiter asked his height and weight. 6'1, 260 lbs. Way too high of a BMI to be accepted. He then explained that he was a college football player and he could bench press well over 300lbs. The recruiter quickly changed back to trying to get him, but my friend wasn't interested at all.

[Destiny Skywalker]

Yeah, I dont actively avoid weight training at all, but many people do. Orangetheory actually has you spend 50% of your time doing weight/circuit training (sounds similar to your couples personal training). And I actually like that it's not just body weight focused like past boot camp-style classes I've gone to. But yes, probably 80% of women just care about a number on a scale, and weight training will impact that. I probably would've lost my last 10 lbs if I was all cardio, but my legs and glutes are way stronger than a year ago. I'm actually happy to see that muscle definition in my legs again. I've always had fat arms, even when I was skinny, and those have toned up pretty nicely as well. But the reason I do group personal training is that I'm not creative enough in the weight room to come up with a good regimen on my own that will keep my heart rate up (and as I've learned, arm exercises are not going to get my heart rate up because my arms are not big enough yet). I'll admit that I find weight training a bit boring and repetitive, which is probably why I prefer cardio in general. Even then, I'd rather play soccer than run 3 miles for the sake of running, because I have to think about strategy. OTF does hold my focus a bit better because they change the speeds and inclines to spike your heart rate and recover. I just get tired of meatheads, which we do have some at OTF, most are former Crossfit types... really not trying to hate here, but it's more the attitude and the feeling that most people really don't lift safely. I really appreciated a trainer stopping me on Sunday morning because my form was shit, and she wouldn't leave me alone until I was doing it right. Even then, I see dumb stuff like people setting the treadmill to 12 mph and 15% incline just to say they held it for 15 seconds, so it's not just the weight training. I prefer to increase my max slowly and maintain it for an entire 30-60 sprint. I've gone from a 6 mph top speed to 10.6 mph since July. A big part of why I have an attitude about this stuff is because I had some lousy coaches who tried to push me past my safe zone, and I am generally pretty self-motivated and don't slack off. Almost every time it resulted in an injury. I know my body and it's capabilities, which is why I build slow. Each week it's 0.1 mph faster or 1% incline higher, and it's getting harder and harder.