Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
I had a premonition once, I enjoyed it so much I had another one.
Great story Rick! I am sure it will inspire many (or at least one hopes it will)!! We have a lot in common and so I thought I would share my bit as it has helped me shed some excessive poundage this year!!!Reading this thread for the first time! Ah, weight… what happened to those days of eating anything you wanted with zero gain? Becoming as a popular show of the time, thirty-something, did me in.
I’m 5’ 10” with a muscle mass thing that makes BMI or any such height/weight metric useless, but there came a point where there was no denying it… not just “need to drop a few pounds,” I’d gotten fat and out of shape. My normal 195-215 range had crept up to the 220s, then the 230s. For years, up and down. January of 2021 found me a pandemic assisted all time high of 240 and the writing was on the wall (or the scale): get serious now or the future’s looking huge.
I added a Concept 2 RowErg, something we’d began using for fitness tests at the PD before I retired, and started a regular and sustainable-for-life level of exercise on it. In June, I also started an “intermittent fasting” routine to eliminate one of my worst habits- nighttime snacking. It’s just eating normally 8 hours of the day, then just water or tea during the other 16. I laugh at myself because this is really just normal eating, period! How sad that we have to give it a name and infer it’s fasting! Lesson One: Exercise is essential, but you can’t outrun your fork.
Anyway, slow and steady… more properly “sustainable high intensity effort and reasonable food intake,” wins this race. I don’t want to just lose weight, I want to focus on being healthier all around. Not just a weight change, a healthier lifestyle. No freaking out, no eliminating 100% of this or that, no vegan, keto, paleo, or whatever. Just reasonable eating and a level of exercise I can continue for life.
The journey has been enlightening. Challenging, in a great way. I’m doing well, and my health numbers are showing it. Weight is down to 202.5 as of last Thursday, which is lower than it’s been this century, even during three months of intense exercise at the FBI Academy at Quantico, though my muscle mass is lower now. So, when I finally quit focusing on weight, it actually dropped. I’m going to continue the exercise I am on until January, then add to it some weight/resistance training to keep muscle growth up; important for we gentlemen on the north side of 60. There is no “finished” spot here, it’s a path I’m walking. And yeah, I’ll still die in the end. But I might gain a few years and, even if I don’t, the quality of life gained every day is more than worth the effort of exercise and telling myself “no” now and again at the dinner table and refrigerator door.
I share this in the most humble and un-bragging way, hoping it’ll inspire someone to start, or to keep going. I re-started right before turning 61. Younger or older, you can too. Within your own capabilities (and don’t be shocked if you discover they’re higher than you thought), do something. Do it now.
Lots of similarities, especially the almost 3.5 pounds per inch scale bashing. Keep that health focus, and the weight takes care of itself. I just want to be as healthy as I can manage while not sucking the fun out of life by obsessing on it. Balance, brother… it’s the way!Great story Rick! I am sure it will inspire many (or at least one hopes it will)!! We have a lot in common and so I thought I would share my bit as it has helped me shed some excessive poundage this year!!!
I too am 5' 10" these days. I used to be 5' 11", but I think that extra inch consolidated in my belly over the past 10 years or so ;~() In high school (decades ago) at my physical peak, I was 185 and although that might seem like a lot for 5' 11", you have not seen my legs, which were huge in those days from all the bicycling I did. My calves were larger than Schwarzenegers when he won his first Mr. Universe. In my 20's I partied like Keith Richards (with much more limited funding). Did not get fat during that time (probably in part due to the drugs I was doing daily), but I was still in horrible shape. In my 30's, I started to put on the pounds as work was paying well, I was not doing nearly as many "bad" drugs and my alcohol (that special drug) consumption increased significantly. When I turned 40, I made a big lifestyle change and took a year off of alcohol, dead animal, smoking (the illegal stuff) and began for the first time since high school, a daily exercise routine. I went from 220 to 190 in that year. Then shortly after my 1 year "cleansing" I met my girl (who I am still with) and more or less fell into a "nesting" routine. Was no longer exercising daily (unless you count dancing between the sheets), started eating a lot of meat again, drinking, smoking, etc. Over the course to the decade plus that followed, I peaked out at 240 in December of 2020 (previous record was 235 in the late 90's/early 00's).
I have quit alcohol 5 times in my adult life for a year each time. There have been a few reasons and they are 1) I did something REALLY stupid while drunk - 2) My body was pleading for relief from the daily poisoning - 3) Wanted to prove to myself that I could stop on a dime - 4) Alcohol was taking too much of my time. Going in to 2021, I had decided (even before I weighed myself to see my record breaking 240) that this year would be different, and decided to stop drinking for a year based on reason 4. Thing was, I would go out to dinner, have 3 drinks (beer or tequila or wine), come home and rather than accomplish something, would fall asleep in my office chair. Knowing that I had a lot I wanted to accomplish musically in 2021, I decided it was time for another break (last one was 2018 and that was my body pleading for the stoppage that year). I have accomplished more this year musically than any other single year in my life. I have played more guitar this year than all my life combined. I was not freaking out about the weight, but to my surprise, when I weighed myself two weeks ago, I was at 216!!!!!!!! So that is 24 pounds lost this year (I hope I never find them again) and that was with the only daily exercise being jamming!!
Like @RickP, I am not trying to brag, but want others to know that simple changes in lifestyle can make a big difference in weight. I believe I will be participating in this challenge, but don't know that I will be an "official participant" due to the fact that I will likely not be able to participate in the "awards ceremony" if it is anything like the original challenge from 2013! But I will still be there in spirit and challenging myself to get back to that illustrious 190 (which would be 26 pounds to loose based on last weigh in)!!
Looking forward to the motivation of the race, and I encourage all to participate!!!
YT vid was not showing for me, so I embedded it here using the "Media" icon (had to as it was so appropriate - thanks for including that):Lots of similarities, especially the almost 3.5 pounds per inch scale bashing. Keep that health focus, and the weight takes care of itself. I just want to be as healthy as I can manage while not sucking the fun out of life by obsessing on it. Balance, brother… it’s the way!
Enjoy those holiday meals. This thread comes roaring back on 1 JAN 2022.
You killed it G!Too bad this wasn't in 2021. I lost almost 70lbs this year and feel much healthier for it. Very glad I did it.
You killed it G!
I still look twice half the time to make sure it’s you.
Nope. I'm a biker and I need to look the part.
Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride!
(..and I don't mean one of those silly spandex wearing bicycle people who ride through town as recklessly as possible and assume that it is everyone else's responsibility to ensure their safety while they ride without looking where they are going. Nope, I'm the fat guy on the big black Harley with 20" ape hangers and loud pipes who wants to be left the hell alone and assumes that everyone else on the road is a hired assassin trying to kill me. )
Nope. I'm a biker and I need to look the part.
Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride!
(..and I don't mean one of those silly spandex wearing bicycle people who ride through town as recklessly as possible and assume that it is everyone else's responsibility to ensure their safety while they ride without looking where they are going. Nope, I'm the fat guy on the big black Harley with 20" ape hangers and loud pipes who wants to be left the hell alone and assumes that everyone else on the road is a hired assassin trying to kill me. )
Are you going to change your forum name to Hangar20 or 20inchHanger? All kidding aside, loud pipes saves lives! I have lived it and I don't know how many times my loud pipes (2000 FLSTS and 2003 FXSTDSE) stopped some idiot from hitting me!! Shiny side up Brother!!!. . . 20" ape hangers . . .
Tertiary…. I am curious how much I have to lose before my farts sound different.