The new adventures of old Krafticus (2 Viewers)

[Irish]

Good luck Mark, you've taken the first big step - a step that may not necessarily be the hardest step, but IMHO is the most important step. It sounds like I was in pretty much your exact shoes about 2-3 years ago. I've always been a big guy but relatively active (played O line in high school & some college, averaged 220-250lbs when in good shape), slowly put on more weight after college but it really got bad after the boys arrived. The combination of no sleep from the babies plus a crazy work schedule plus a relatively cavalier attitude about taking any time for myself resulted in 350 lbs of a mess. I already had high blood pressure from sleep apnea, and was diagnosed with type 2 a few years later. My numbers were a mess, was also in the 8-9 range with the A1C in addition to the high blood pressure and being the heaviest I'd ever been. Made a decision/commitment worded similar to your OP to my wife & kids, who expressed concern that I was killing myself. I wish I could say that I've lost 100 lbs and everything since has been a huge success, but life with kids, family and other priorities can be tough. I started by getting track with my meds, committed to getting back to the gym a few days a week, and started to make some dieting lifestyle changes. I unfortunately wasn't in the "I drink 4 cans of soda a day" group where cutting that out resulted in dropping 40 pounds in 4 weeks, but after re-starting an honest food diary to track what I ate, realized my portion sizes needed to get smaller and I needed to focus on eating out less, especially lunch at work. Altogether, I've lost around 35-40 pounds over the past 2 years (hovering at around 310), but I've got all my numbers under control now, almost to the point where the doc is considering reducing some of the meds. So while not a complete success story, I consider myself on the right path, hoping to get back down below the 300 line in a few months. A few others have noted how important making time to prep meals is - I agree with this 100%, and you don't have to go crazy, start small - start by committing to prep one healthy meal a day and go from there. I would consider myself a relatively picky eater as well (fish = gross, veggies = meh), but what I would say is find a few you can tolerate and start with those. Mine keys were oatmeal, greek yogurt and salad. So pretty much every work day, I have a yogurt and a cup of steel cut plain oatmeal for breakfast, then a salad and an apple for lunch. I've gotten into the routine that I prepare everything the night before (except the oatmeal, I heat that up at the office), and that's my routine. Dinner is then whatever the wifey cooks for the family, I just try to limit the processed & high carb stuff and limit portion size. I won't lie, it fuck'n sucked for a long time getting used, and I still slide back into occasional stretches where I'm grabbing a sandwich or burger & fries for lunch when life starts getting hectic. But you can always jump back into the routine again.

I really wish you the best of luck, congrats on taking the first step. (y) :thumbsup:

 

[BGinGA]

Another vote here for eliminating soda, bread, and pasta from your diet completely, and drinking water as a primary food group. Just significantly cutting back on sugar (and foods that convert to sugar) goes a long way towards helping fix both the weight and health issues. It's pretty incredible how effortlessly the pounds can drop, and how much better one feels (more energy, less aches, etc.).

You mentioned in passing what type of foods you don't like, as a picky eater. But what foods do you like? Zero in on the healthy ones and start there..... and good luck with the new you. (y) :thumbsup:

 

[B.C.]

Whatever you decide to do good luck.

Move more eats less is a pretty good starting point. Picky eating wont help but even then if you manage to simply cut your portion size you are on the way. As others have said, cut the soda, sugar and the carbs where you can (processed/packaged foods, breads, pasta, rice, etc.). I had some success years ago on the South Beach Diet. Plenty of protein to start then adding in natural fruits and vegetables over time. Drink LOTS of water- especially with every meal, snack on healthy nuts - cashews, almonds.

Start walking around the neighborhood each day/night. Do it with the wife even! I boxed and smashed the weight off, but if you have a bad back, go swimming. There's no better exercise for you than laps at the pool and the weight will fall off.

The above tips from someone who also currently has 30lbs to lose!!!

 

[trever]

Small changes add up over time
Progress will not be linear
You don't have to be perfect to improve

 

[Perthmike]

I also agree with cutting right down on sugar, bread and any pre packaged food that is full of additives.

Stick to whole foods as much as possible, oats or muesli is easy for breakfast and will fill you up. Eat lots of chicken, rice and vegetables.

 

[Anthony Martino]

Don't listen to these witch doctors with their "exercise" and "eat all the stuff that isn't fun" talk!

I have the ultimate tool to reach your ideal weight. Wait for your growth spurt. I figure I need to be about a foot taller to get there, I'm 40 now so I'm sure that spurt is just around the corner. I hope this helps.

 

[RowdyRawhide]

Some good advice here so far

A few thoughts:

as said cut down soda....completely if you can. DO NOT drink DIET SODA, there is a lot of research the last few years that point towards it making you gain weight(do you know any skinny people that drink it, I don't) as well as some long term serious side effects of sugar substitutes

watch what goes in your mouth most importantly it is much easier not put calories in your body than to work them off at the gym

find a chewing gum that you like, and keep it handy and chew it, its harder to throw a handful of cookies, chips, M&M's in your mouth if its already occupied, plus I think helps with cravings

Cut back on alcohol, save it for weekends or special occasions.

Get a trainer for first few months of the gym, at least twice a week, you will be more accountable if you have to meet them for workouts. I would almost tell you to ask for the trainer, that has been there the longest, this is a high turnover job and everyone is an expert in weight loss and diet If you want go to the gym a few times and try to find the fittest trainer (not the biggest meat head) and signup with them

start substituting one meal (preferably lunch or dinner) a day with a protein/food shake. Be careful when doing this because most fruits have a lot of calories, make sure you know how many calories you are putting in your shakes...these can be deceiving if you don't watch it, I have the Nutri bullet and love it. If you or your wife have a pinterest account there are thousands of recipes on there. In fact just signup for a pinterest account if you don't have one, there's a bunch of workouts, recipes for foods and shakes, and the days of it being a girly site are way past.

You have taken a big first step, in recognizing there is an issue and getting started in a resolution for it

theres more but this is a good start for ya

GOOD LUCK

 

[krafticus]

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and support. Today is now day 1.

I saw my old endocrinologist yesterday (you may recall my previous insurance / job issues), and she is good at straight shooting. Yesterday was ok, but I want to blow her away when i go back in September.

I am going to look into the apps and start a home workout routine. I cannot afford a gym or trainer at this point. That, and I don't have time for the gym. Maybe once I eat better, I'll sleep better too.

So, here starts day 1. My scale at home registered an even 220.0. I'm not going to be obsessed with the scale, and only weigh myself once or twice per week.

Breakfast of champions today. chai tea with no sweetner and a Greek yogurt. Fasting sugar this morning was 86mg/dl which is good. (Had some Thai soba noodle dish for dinner last night).

Mark

 

[krafticus]

Which ones? Have you tried different cooking methods? I'm a big fan of roasting my veggies. I roast everything from carrots, to cauliflower, to broccoli. You can roast them on the grill or the oven. Experiment with different seasonings on the veggies?

I don't like onions, tomatoes (sliced/raw), mushrooms, avocado -- With some exceptions. Cooked onions when smaller are good. Cooked and sundried tomatoes are good. Seeded raw tomatoes are ok, especially on bruschetta. Mushrooms, chopped fine enough where I can't see them are ok (i.e. Chicken lettuce wraps from PF Changs). Avocado when mixed with a dressing is ok. Avocado has that spongy texture that makes me gag.

Sad thing is that I do not get excited about food. There is nothing out that is "OMG, that looks AMAZING" For example, when I get a hamburger, I only put ketchup and mustard on it. All of that other stuff doesn't work for me. I like pickles by themselves, but not on anything. Same with hotdogs.

When we go out, I usually find the most plain thing on the menu (club sandwhich, burger, steak, chicken sandwhich). I will work on expanding this.

Also, salads don't fill me up. I can make a huge salad with tons of raw veggies, finish it, and I'm still hungry. I wait it out, and yup, still hungry. Today, I will be doing some research on some new recipes and such, and hitting the grocery store this evening.

Mark

 

[krafticus]

Also, someone suggested fish. I love fish, mainly the more mild white fish (so no trout). The problem is, I am the only one in the house that likes it. My wife loves shellfish, but again, nobody else does. Due to this, we never buy it. Fresh fish is also pretty expensive in the grocery stores here. maybe I should take a trip to the DC waterfront and get some fresh fish and hit it on the grill. hmmm......

 

[Irish]

If you like salads but find them unfilling, you can try adding some protein like grilled chicken. We usually have some type of chicken for dinner over the weekend, I try to grill or bake an extra piece or two while prepping dinner to cut up for my salads during the week. Other protein alternates could be chick peas or kidney beans.

 

[Anthony Martino]

Don't focus so much on your weight. Make sure you are including some strength building in the mix. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it also will increase your resting metabolism. So if you're going to exercise, don't focus only on cardio.

And of course cutting down on things can help. Maybe go from eating 4 cookies to eating 2. Drinking half a soda instead of a whole soda, etc. Make small adjustments that you can maintain and stick with, and gradually work your way up to bigger and better things. Wishing you the best

 

[bergs]

Lots of good, helpful advice here, but several people have made this recommendation. One caution: treadmills -- particularly inclined -- and stairmasters are knee killers.

My wife's and my physical trainers down here say to avoid inclined treadmills at all costs and to hit the elliptical machines instead.

I hear this all the time, but when I get on an elliptical machine I want to weep because of the pain in my knees. Granted one of them needs replacing - putting that off as long as I can though. I didn't have anywhere near the same level of pain with a treadmill.

 

[bergs]

Krafty - I lost 40 lbs in 4 months via going to a nutritionist. I thought it'd be torture because my eating habits are very similar to yours, but she spent a ton of time with building menus that offered enough diversity that I wouldn't get bored and go back to whole milk half gallons and bags of chips. Primarily I just cut down carbs. Hardest part was milk - I fucking love milk - literally will drink a gallon in a day no problem.

Sadly I put it plus more back on, but I'm back to cutting it. Down 13 lbs in the last 5 weeks. Got more work to do but I'm just trying to stay away from the foods that I know would eventually kill me. Gonna get draconian after vacation week after next and really try to shed pounds. Good luck man.

 

[gopherblue]

Also, someone suggested fish. I love fish, mainly the more mild white fish (so no trout). The problem is, I am the only one in the house that likes it. My wife loves shellfish, but again, nobody else does. Due to this, we never buy it. Fresh fish is also pretty expensive in the grocery stores here. maybe I should take a trip to the DC waterfront and get some fresh fish and hit it on the grill. hmmm......

It was me. Sardines. Cheap and very very good for you. Try my sardine pasta recipe, and don't tell anyone what is in it. They'll wolf it down.

 

[pltrgyst]

I hear this all the time, but when I get on an elliptical machine I want to weep because of the pain in my knees. Granted one of them needs replacing - putting that off as long as I can though. I didn't have anywhere near the same level of pain with a treadmill.

My situation exactly -- putting the right knee replacement off as long as I can still play decent tennis doubles. 50 years of basketball and volleyball have taken their toll. But I pretty much cannot walk down a flight of stairs, and gimp around even on level ground. When I do get the right knee done, I'll probably realize how much the left knee hurts.

It's not the treadmill that is supposed to be so bad, but inclining it.

The elliptical machines don't really bother me, so I'm lucky in that regard.

 

[krafticus]

I've got a partially torn ACL, but it doesn't bother me too much on a normal day. I tore it about 20 years ago playing basketball in college. Was not diagnosed until about 2 years ago. I don't want to have surgery, and will put that off as long as possible. Now, on top of that, my shoulders hurt. I had an MRI last Monday (60 minutes of pure hell), and am waiting to hear back. My X-ray's showed bone spurs, but the doctor thinks I may have ruptured AC joints. (yes, plural). Add on to this a sprained ankle and thumb ..yeay me!!

so, running hurts, treadmills hurt, and I have never been able to do more than 5 minutes on an elliptical as I am winded beyond belief. 45 minutes on the recumbent bike .. no problem at all

 

[gopherblue]

I've got a partially torn ACL, but it doesn't bother me too much on a normal day. I tore it about 20 years ago playing basketball in college. Was not diagnosed until about 2 years ago. I don't want to have surgery, and will put that off as long as possible. Now, on top of that, my shoulders hurt. I had an MRI last Monday (60 minutes of pure hell), and am waiting to hear back. My X-ray's showed bone spurs, but the doctor thinks I may have ruptured AC joints. (yes, plural). Add on to this a sprained ankle and thumb ..yeay me!!

so, running hurts, treadmills hurt, and I have never been able to do more than 5 minutes on an elliptical as I am winded beyond belief. 45 minutes on the recumbent bike .. no problem at all

Swimming.

 

[ohio3302016]

I lost 60 pounds about two years ago. My current body fat percentage is 8.5. I don't have anything new to add here: Sugar is the devil! Eliminate it. Cut out processed carbs. Low carbs, moderate protein and moderate fat. Lots of vegetables. And lift weights!

 

[JTBass]

I lost 60 pounds about two years ago. My current body fat percentage is 8.5. I don't have anything new to add here: Sugar is the devil! Eliminate it. Cut out processed carbs. Low carbs, moderate protein and moderate fat. Lots of vegetables. And lift weights!

And remember how long it actually took you to be good at poker from when you first started playing and relate that to learning to eat healthy. It takes time and mistakes, dont get discouraged as your trying to change a lifetime of food mismangement. Give yourself small realistic attainable goals.

Good luck and all the best.

Jeff

 

[krafticus]

And remember how long it actually took you to be good at poker from when you first started playing and relate that to learning to eat healthy. It takes time and mistakes, dont get discouraged as your trying to change a lifetime of food mismangement. Give yourself small realistic attainable goals.

Good luck and all the best.

Jeff

Hahaha. I still suck at poker

 

[p5woody]

Just checking in, how is it going?

 

[Forest@Farmington]

Not sure I can add to much but, I have lost 25 lbs with just diet. I need to start the exercising but, for now diet it is. No soda (Maybe an old fashion on a Friday) but, nothing beyond that. If you like spaghetti we do a spaghetti squash with spicy Italian turkey brats that is very good. You can substitute any healthy meet. We follow a lot of the recipes in the 17 day diet which helps kick start your metabolism.

When my wife and I first started I did not like any of the food. I found I needed to spice it up and then everything stated great. Find what you like that is good for you and eat. Salads, yogurt, oranges, (before 2 in the afternoon) and don't eat after 7:00 PM.

Good Luck and hope all works out.

 

[krafticus]

Just checking in, how is it going?

Sorry for the lack of updates.

I started out well, but then fell back to graces pretty quickly. I've got way too much going on right now, and I cannot prioritize any of it.
I wish this was easier.

I would really love to work with a life coach, but I cannot afford one.

Anyway, I will pick myself back up somehow

Thanks for the support everyone.

Mark

 

[Chicken Rob]

I completely reversed type 2 diabetes. The best advice I can give is consider reading this:

https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Code-Unlock-Secrets-Metabolism/dp/0991218108

I saw Dr. Maurer at his clinic and he was an amazing help. Lost 90 pounds from my peak. Despite this I'm still fat. I used to be huge. If not for my recent Illness I would probably still be making progress. I am getting back to the regimen as I'm regaining strength though.

He has some exercises that are amazing for your blood sugar metabolism. You can get the videos from his web site and do them at home. They're tougher than they look.

 

[p5woody]

Sorry for the lack of updates.

I started out well, but then fell back to graces pretty quickly. I've got way too much going on right now, and I cannot prioritize any of it.
I wish this was easier.

I would really love to work with a life coach, but I cannot afford one.

Anyway, I will pick myself back up somehow

Thanks for the support everyone.

Mark

If your serious about this, I suggest posting weekly updates here. It worked for me, also setup a reward/ punishment system, what ever works better for you. I bought/opened poker chips as I hit milestones. You need to figure out what motivates you.

 

[detroitdad]

If your serious about this, I suggest posting weekly updates here. It worked for me, also setup a reward/ punishment system, what ever works better for you. I bought/opened poker chips as I hit milestones. You need to figure out what motivates you.

I did the same thing. I wasn't into poker chips the first time I started this. If I maintained my discipline then I would set a reward date and going out for a hell of a dinner

 

[Rhodeman77]

Sorry for the lack of updates.

I started out well, but then fell back to graces pretty quickly. I've got way too much going on right now, and I cannot prioritize any of it.
I wish this was easier.

I would really love to work with a life coach, but I cannot afford one.

Anyway, I will pick myself back up somehow

Thanks for the support everyone.

Mark

Old routines are easy to fall into, that is why they are the old routines!

There will always be excuses why you don't do something if want to find them.

If being healthy and fit were easy, everyone would be.

You need to find ways to break the routines and make new healthy ones. Set the alarm 30 minutes earlier each day and place it across the room so you have to get up to turn it off. Then use that time to prep your healthy meals for the day.

 

[Mesnik44]

Mark,

You've started something to change what your situation was. That is a HUGE leap forward. Yes the old routines are easy to fall back into, but you've at least tried. Kudos to you! It will come. Slowly but surely it will come. Best of luck!

 

[surferb]

Late to the party. How's it going?

Appreciate the genuine honesty. You're a perfect time in your life to make positive changes. My wife is a nurse practitioner - her tried and true advice is to start simple. Make exercise something you enjoy and do most days of the week. Many people in this position take up walking, because it can be done anywhere. Try podcasts or audiobooks to stay motivated. Most weight change will be attributed to diet. Try adding 2 vegetables to the beginning of each meal, don't worry about changing or eliminating anything in the beginning.

If you stick to this you should notice positive changes in a few weeks, which should create more momentum. Celebrate and share positive successes like: sleep better, exercise a little easier, pants fit, etc.

Best of luck. Please keep us updated.