CAG Lose It weight loss challenge.

You're trying to lose fat right now. I personally am a believer in the walk it off (fat) vs running (burn off what you just ate). You could do a mixture of them all, but I recommend walking at least 2 miles a day minimum whether you are losing weight or not. I also think the fresh air and sunlight do wonders for you mentally, just one more added benefit.

dohdough, come on now bro. salad 10+ times a week? he's not a cow, he can't just graze on leaves all day :p
 
If someone's idea of a "healthy diet" is eating iceberg lettuce covered in salad dressing and a bowl of fruit, then they're doing nutrition wrong. This is coming from a vegan, by the way. (Although, I have been trying to work ahi back into my diet. So, I guess I'm not completely vegan anymore.)

Leafy greens, like kale, spinach, Swiss chard, and everything else is a great way to ingest vitamins. Iceberg lettuce has no nutrition. And covering it in fatty salad dressing is awful. Fruit is high in sugar. Unless he's maximizing his vitamin potential by eating fruit like goji berry, pomegranate, mangosteen, and other superfood, I'd avoid fruit unless it's for juice. Plus, sugar leads to tooth decay.

I'm back from a vacation visiting home (Oʻahu) with my girlfriend. Health-wise: Never realized how many fat people live in Hawaiʻi (outside of the Samoans, who have a habit of being fat). Obesity is everywhere.
 
I think the week off helped way more than hindered. The extra rest has provided some nice gains this week. (Usually, I just do a deload week...but I may have to start the "no workout" week instead.)

Plus, I recently started seeing someone...and she's just as big a health nut/workout buff. Counting calories, running and lifting like a fiend; it's been great.
Unlike past girlfriends, she doesn't have the "common" junk food at her place...meaning it's much easier sticking to it when we visit each other.
 
[quote name='Chase']If someone's idea of a "healthy diet" is eating iceberg lettuce covered in salad dressing and a bowl of fruit, then they're doing nutrition wrong. This is coming from a vegan, by the way. (Although, I have been trying to work ahi back into my diet. So, I guess I'm not completely vegan anymore.)
[/QUOTE]

I don't think I ever said I had "covered" my salad in dressing. I would usually throw on a tablespoon of dressing or less. Although, I will admit that eating salad for most meals does get old after a while. I may start throwing in some grilled chicken for a little flavor. We shall see.
 
Not tossing any stones. Just a general statement in regards to vegetarians, nutrition, and diets. :)

Good luck to you and your goals. Everyone who frequents this thread is plenty knowledgeable.
 
[quote name='Chase']Not tossing any stones. Just a general statement in regards to vegetarians, nutrition, and diets. :)[/QUOTE]

Fair enough. ;) I will admit, I do need to do more research on what other things are better to eat. Nutrition is something I definitely need to get more involved in, rather than the "oh, if it's fruit or vegetable it'll automatically help me" mindset.

I'm open to all tips!
 
More before/afters

here is me in September (from the OP). Just starting up eating healthy again and hitting the gym

c80b2b6f.jpg

Then here I am today. Same shirt. Started strong lifts in January.

fcba96d7.jpg

I was actually pretty happy when I saw the progress.
 
That is very nice progress sean...you can see that your shoulders, neck and triceps (arms in general) have grown. You definitely fill the shirt out better.

I'm shaking things up a bit, (stress / maybe just my general eating habits) has been leading me to lose more weight than I want to. Not that I'm unhealthy, I just don't want to become manorexic looking. I weighed in at 172 yesterday.
 
olmypics have gotten me back in the swimming mood, been so long though. and all i have is trunks and i can't do laps in those, need to find something.

don't really want to go speedo, maybe something in between. affordable recommendations? what do you guys use?
 
Just got back from vacation and man am I a mess. I worked out a few times while I was away but I ate ice cream every goddamn night. I also ate a ton more in general than I normally do and I was hurting at the gym this morning. If I can get back to pre-vacation levels by the end of the month I'll call it a win. August will be the month of salads for me!
 
Damn - at the gym this morning there was some girl in ridiculous shape lifting light weights and doing crazy amounts of cardio/push-up exercises in between sets. I'm not sure I could keep up with her and I'm also not sure if it is depressing or inspiring - she was obviously in her mid-20s so she probably has way more energy than I do. I hate getting old.
 
[quote name='Javery']Damn - at the gym this morning there was some girl in ridiculous shape lifting light weights and doing crazy amounts of cardio/push-up exercises in between sets. I'm not sure I could keep up with her and I'm also not sure if it is depressing or inspiring - she was obviously in her mid-20s so she probably has way more energy than I do. I hate getting old.[/QUOTE]

:lol:

I know what you mean...I was at the gym yesterday and there was a girl sprinting on the treadmill in front of me before I got there. I got on my treadmill, did 60 minutes, and when I was done she was still there...maintaining her sprint.

Very deflating.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']I always feel like people like that should be put down, or be forced to work out in a black box so the rest of us normal people don't have to watch them.[/QUOTE]

:lol:

I wouldn't go that far...It was very impressive. I was talking to one of the trainers, and aparently she is one of those Ultramarathon runners. That made me feel better.

And it did deter me from getting a soft-pretzel on the ride home.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']I always feel like people like that should be put down, or be forced to work out in a black box so the rest of us normal people don't have to watch them.[/QUOTE]

yeah, but then how would I stare at her ass? :D
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']I always feel like people like that should be put down, or be forced to work out in a black box so the rest of us normal people don't have to watch them.[/QUOTE]


Pretty much what Javery said. It's nice to see a woman in the gym who is for real. Most of the ones at the gym I was going to over the winter were the "I'm going to do 20 minutes on the stair master at the lowest speed while I drink my sports drink and read People magazine" types. I always used to wonder why they even paid for a gym membership, just walk down the street a block and come back if that's all the effort you're going to put into working out.



I had a minor setback yesterday. Ran a couple miles to a small park, decided to do pull-ups there since they had some staggered pull-up bars. Did a few sets of dead hang pull-ups, then some sets of chin-ups, then some mountain climbers and didn't have any problems. Got ready to start heading home and I thought, screw it, I'm going to try a couple one-arm chin-ups before I leave. So I managed 2 full reps on my right arm and I got halfway through the second rep on my left arm when my hand started burning.

Looked at my hand, and one of the callouses had torn almost completely off my hand. Should have known using the bare metal bars at the park wasn't a good idea. It was bleeding a little but not that bad. Worst part was having to run the couple miles back home before I could clean out the wound. So now my grip is all screwed up because the spot on my hand is so tender.

I've read about people tearing them off during weight lifting before, but it's the first time I've ever had it happen. Anyone ever deal with this before? How long does it take to heal over completely? It looks like it took a couple layers off, so I'm thinking it's going to be more than a few days #-o.
 
Heading up to the grocery store tomorrow and thinking of switching things up. Sort of getting tired of eating salad non stop, and obviously the results have been minimal to zero. Was contemplating picking up some grilled chicken that I could cook in the oven or grill, etc.

Any other stuff that would be worth picking up that is still semi tasty but health and good for you? I've never been a big fruit person, albeit it I have tried a variety, apples are about the only thing that has stuck.
 
Bought a Breville juicer - going to attempt to down two of them a day though the recipe I had ended up tasting like I was mowing the lawn with my mouth. Going to add in extra lemon and mint to see if I can get it to be more bearable.
 
[quote name='blindinglights']Pretty much what Javery said. It's nice to see a woman in the gym who is for real. Most of the ones at the gym I was going to over the winter were the "I'm going to do 20 minutes on the stair master at the lowest speed while I drink my sports drink and read People magazine" types. I always used to wonder why they even paid for a gym membership, just walk down the street a block and come back if that's all the effort you're going to put into working out.



I had a minor setback yesterday. Ran a couple miles to a small park, decided to do pull-ups there since they had some staggered pull-up bars. Did a few sets of dead hang pull-ups, then some sets of chin-ups, then some mountain climbers and didn't have any problems. Got ready to start heading home and I thought, screw it, I'm going to try a couple one-arm chin-ups before I leave. So I managed 2 full reps on my right arm and I got halfway through the second rep on my left arm when my hand started burning.

Looked at my hand, and one of the callouses had torn almost completely off my hand. Should have known using the bare metal bars at the park wasn't a good idea. It was bleeding a little but not that bad. Worst part was having to run the couple miles back home before I could clean out the wound. So now my grip is all screwed up because the spot on my hand is so tender.

I've read about people tearing them off during weight lifting before, but it's the first time I've ever had it happen. Anyone ever deal with this before? How long does it take to heal over completely? It looks like it took a couple layers off, so I'm thinking it's going to be more than a few days #-o.[/QUOTE]
This is why you should wear gloves.;)
 
Thsi might be a good place to ask this. A friend of mine (who tends to get into fads easily) swears by those Al Bundy toe shoes that have no arch support. I told him they weren't good for his feet because of that lack of arch support, but he swears his feet feel better wearing them then a normal pair of shoes. I tend to believe medical experts when it comes to something liek this, and everything I've read said that wearing shoes without arch support can lead to problems later on. Has anyone tried those things or read anything that contradicts medical experts (with actual evidence that is).
 
i thought the general consensus was that barefoot running is very healthy, just that it needs to be taken at a very careful pace, and there's a steep learning curve.

that's all the toe shoe is, running barefoot with some comfort/protection. worth all the trouble and money? i dunno.
 
Well most doctors I've seen interviewed and comments I've read written by them say otherwise. Same reason why sandals aren't good for your feet becasue they're usually flat.
 
There just isn't enough studying to determine what is better for you feet/knees/legs. That is why doctors usually just take a neutral stance on the subject.

The running that you do with the finger toe shoes is all "toe" striking. The heels never touch the ground when you run with them.

Other running shoes that have heel support promote "heel" striking. The heels usually hit the ground first and roll to the toes before coming off the ground. Ideally people say this is good for long distance because it is less stress on the ankles.

For me, I just toe strike all the time in my regular running shoes. Then again I hate running with a passion. In other news I am down to a 167lbs, which is two weeks early for my jiu jitsu tournament. My weight class max is 167lbs. The plan is to get to 163/164lbs five days before the weigh ins and properly eat my way back up to 166lbs (need to cover the weight of my gi aswell).

Hope everyone's summer goals are being met!
 
[quote name='blindinglights']Looked at my hand, and one of the callouses had torn almost completely off my hand. Should have known using the bare metal bars at the park wasn't a good idea. It was bleeding a little but not that bad. Worst part was having to run the couple miles back home before I could clean out the wound. So now my grip is all screwed up because the spot on my hand is so tender.[/QUOTE]


I thought I did a fair amount of weathering my hands just because I don't wear gloves when I lift (including when I lift heavy). Made holes in my hands while chopping wood. If it's bad, use liquid bandage (instead of Super Glue). Totally made the healing process less of a pain in the ass.

[quote name='seanr1221']Down to 179. Finally hit the 170s on this cut. Although I won't be surprised if im 181 tomorrow.[/QUOTE]


If you drink three liters of water a day, as you should (;)), two pounds could easily be water weight. (And congrats on returning to form.)

Also: Take it easy when using FiveFinger shoes for running. Some people have had their feet fracture because they were overzealous.

As a person with flat, wide feet, I wear New Balance running shoes and toss in arch support. When I don't have to wear shoes, I love my Crocs athletic recovery sandals. If I could, I'd wear those to work. :lol:
 
2 questions:

Any one tried cooking with coconut oil? Also coconut water, anyone here praise it as the holy juice that it supposedly is?

And this ones weird: How much biking in millage is considered a great amount? I know its eventually on how many calories you burn that defines a good bike ride/work out. But i ride about 10 miles a day when i bike at the beach. I have no clue if that's a lot or a little, lol.
 
[quote name='Viol8tor']Any one tried cooking with coconut oil? [/QUOTE]
Very high in saturated fat, though you could do worse (it's better than hydrogenated oils).

I'm a huge fan of olive oil. Tastes great and is super healthy.
 
Went primal a little over a month ago, lost nearly 30 pounds (down to 245 at 6'4") and I'm repping 300 pounds on bench again. From the get go, sex drive, energy, everything went through the roof when I ditched grains and added more saturated fat/cholesterol to my diet.

Why I didn't do this ten years ago is beyond me. Would have been beast mode in HS.
 
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[quote name='Chase']I thought I did a fair amount of weathering my hands just because I don't wear gloves when I lift (including when I lift heavy). Made holes in my hands while chopping wood. If it's bad, use liquid bandage (instead of Super Glue). Totally made the healing process less of a pain in the ass. [/QUOTE]


The liquid bandage helped and it's mostly healed over. It's just feels a bit strange now because instead of a callous, it's concave inward. I guess it'll just be like that until another callous forms.

Also, how do you cook your swiss chard? I'm trying to find a way to prepare it that tastes good.
 
[quote name='Viol8tor']2 questions:

Any one tried cooking with coconut oil? Also coconut water, anyone here praise it as the holy juice that it supposedly is?

And this ones weird: How much biking in millage is considered a great amount? I know its eventually on how many calories you burn that defines a good bike ride/work out. But i ride about 10 miles a day when i bike at the beach. I have no clue if that's a lot or a little, lol.[/QUOTE]

I use it when I make popcorn, its a great flavoring for when I'm popping the seeds.

Also biking wise, that is a decent distance. For most it is pretty far, though the more you do it the more you'll realize how much farther you can go / faster you can do the 10 miles. It is a good amount though, don't get me wrong.
 
Started Insanity this Monday and I'm trying to decide a good way to track my body's progress. Measurement is my go to while weight is my secondary, but where in particular should I be measuring and how often?
 
[quote name='Hiroshou']Started Insanity this Monday and I'm trying to decide a good way to track my body's progress. Measurement is my go to while weight is my secondary, but where in particular should I be measuring and how often?[/QUOTE]

Honestly, if you are going to do Insanity you won't have to track anything. You will lose some weight and turn into a badass just by following the program. I've been doing it since February and I haven't lost much weight overall but I threw out all of my clothes because I've shifted the weight around so much. Other than my stupid effing 37 year old stomach (which isn't too horrible) I'm pretty toned everywhere else.
 
[quote name='Javery']Honestly, if you are going to do Insanity you won't have to track anything. You will lose some weight and turn into a badass just by following the program. I've been doing it since February and I haven't lost much weight overall but I threw out all of my clothes because I've shifted the weight around so much. Other than my stupid effing 37 year old stomach (which isn't too horrible) I'm pretty toned everywhere else.[/QUOTE]
Have you been following the diet as well? I need to go shopping today and was considering buying a few things to try it out for a week or two.
 
Please please please please please please please please please please please please please don't follow the diet. Don't follow any diet. Research foods that are good for you/bad for you. Research calories, fats, carbs, protein amounts your body needs etc etc and then start making your own choices and your own diet based on that. Watch your calories, make the diet work for you but don't follow any cookie cutter diet BS because you will do it, you will get tired of it, and you will gain weight again.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']Please please please please please please please please please please please please please don't follow the diet. Don't follow any diet. Research foods that are good for you/bad for you. Research calories, fats, carbs, protein amounts your body needs etc etc and then start making your own choices and your own diet based on that. Watch your calories, make the diet work for you but don't follow any cookie cutter diet BS because you will do it, you will get tired of it, and you will gain weight again.[/QUOTE]
Any idea where to start? Recommended calorie counters etc.?
 
I'm still hovering around 160 pounds.
Have started adding a bit more cardio into my mix. Have been doing a nice routine on the bleachers (sprints, hops, etc.). I also ran a 20:55 5K last night; that felt pretty decent.

My last goal at this weight is to get a half-marathon ran...but I've had recurring knee issues forever now. Once I get 4-6 miles in, my knee starts to lock up. (Definitely not shoes or anything, and, doctors visits in the past were useless.)

Will then start a BIG bulk cycle again. Would love to be a solid 175-180.

[quote name='Hiroshou']Any idea where to start? Recommended calorie counters etc.?[/QUOTE]

The first few weeks of calorie counting is a learning process. Just start with a calorie deficit a bit smaller than what you get these days, stick with that for a couple weeks, and you should lose a pound or two. If it's more than that, you may be cutting too many calories.

Oh, and about the biggest thing I can recommend if you're going to count calories: BUY A FOOD SCALE! My food scale is the most used thing in my kitchen.
I have this one, and, have had no issues. There's plenty of options on Amazon. (Just read some reviews and go from there.)
 
Thanks for the replies, I'll do some research before I head out to the store tonight and I'll update my exact weight and height when i get home. Here's hoping I can pull through this, its been pretty hard so far.
 
[quote name='Hiroshou']Any idea where to start? Recommended calorie counters etc.?[/QUOTE]

1/2/3

1= carbs
2= protein
3= VEGGIES

What ever your intake of carbs is for the day you need 3 time that amount in veggies (that means your protein gets 2 times your carb amount). I suggest this because most people do not ever eat their greens. By greens I mean that dark green stuff. Also ask your self "Does it swim, run, fly or grow?" If what you are about to eat is none of those, then don't eat it. Don't worry about calorie count right now, just keep a log of what you eat per day (also mark the time too!). After 3 weeks you should see where your bad eating habits are. Get at it! You got 3 months before the holiday eating session! You'll be surprised how much weight you can drop from just adding more greens.


@Feeding the Abscess: Feels awesome right? At least you are there now instead of much later in life. Keep at it! (so jealous of 300lb press. Best ever was 245lbs @ 180lbs. I WANT THAT 315!)


@perdition(troy: My brother is a cycling fiend now and his typical route is 30-40 miles. He says he tries to keep it under 3 hours, but that is all dependent on his route traffic. Ideally your average pace is 1 hour for 10 miles, but an active person should be capable of doing that in 40 minutes. Granted my brother has a $1500 clip in cycling bike with matching outfit, so what he says is highly construed to his standards.
 
[quote name='panzerfaust']I get ideas from this chart when grocery shopping. Although, I might start cutting out grains soon as well.

Except beer.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Panzer this was incredibly helpful. Lots of good choices it seems I found referenced elsewhere.
 
[quote name='j-cart']@perdition(troy: My brother is a cycling fiend now and his typical route is 30-40 miles. He says he tries to keep it under 3 hours, but that is all dependent on his route traffic. Ideally your average pace is 1 hour for 10 miles, but an active person should be capable of doing that in 40 minutes. Granted my brother has a $1500 clip in cycling bike with matching outfit, so what he says is highly construed to his standards.[/QUOTE]

My work commute is 9.8 miles one way, I hit that between 31~33 minutes on average. 30 miles is a pretty nice ride, my Sunday afternoon route is 35 miles, usually takes me just under 2 hours and 15 minutes. It just all depends on what you want to get out of the ride :)
 
I've definitely picked up my training again and have seen satisfying results in terms of fat loss. I haven't weighed myself yet but I will have to do that one morning on an empty stomach. I feel good again and my confidence has risen back up. It's not just my body but I am happy that I've dropped some pounds off my face so I don't have as much of a baby look anymore. Disappointing to say I look smaller than I did 2 years ago but I'm sure I will get to where I was and surpass that even. That being said I need to work a lot more on my delts, forearms, obliques, traps, and of course chest.

2ni0gsp.jpg
Progress from April 26 to yesterday August 8. I've been leaner than this before but I'm much closer to where I want to be now at least (and mind you I'm a little bloated from all the foods I've eaten all day).
 
Did my first lap swim since like, 15 years ago, and 15-20 minutes destroyed me. Was taking breaks every lap, but I think it was mainly the breathing that was throwing me off. Or that I swam after lifting. Either way I need to get used to this again, because it feels great.
 
Definitely swim slow when you first get back into it so you can get the breathing down. Make sure you exhale completely underwater before you come up for the next breath, you don't want to be puffing out the last of your air before you can take more in when you come up.
 
[quote name='blindinglights']The liquid bandage helped and it's mostly healed over. It's just feels a bit strange now because instead of a callous, it's concave inward. I guess it'll just be like that until another callous forms.

Also, how do you cook your swiss chard? I'm trying to find a way to prepare it that tastes good.[/QUOTE]


I just pan fry it with some safflower oil (which is my favorite oil), onion, and a little garlic. From there, I toss it with garbanzo bean, smoked paprika, pepper, and some salt and curry powder. I eat half of that with some black rice, and that's a meal.

Troy is on the money, Hiroshou. A few weeks ago, I wrote the following diet and exercise guide for a friend. It is the basis of what I do.

http://chasebyblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-devastation-method-workout-diet.html

—

As I made a mention here, I have been at 175, which feels like the lowest I can go without feeling like complete shit. Not that I have made attempts to get down to 175. Just the result of certain supplements, stress, injury, vacation—amongst other things. My girlfriend gives subtle hints, here and there, that she wants me to return back to massive—as I first met her when I was a Hulk-like 190. I dunno what I want to do. 175 is a lot easier on my back. I feel like a freakin' woman with enormous tits deciding if she wants to keep them or continue having back problems.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/nbol/fightersfood.html

I just got my order of this stuff. Two bottles. Perhaps my subconscious has made up its mind. Shit.
 
Down to the last belt loop on the size 48 belt :D

Changed things up a bit this week, walked to work twice (1.5 miles) and did DDPYoga at night.
 
Nice work everyone!

This morning was the "Pure Cardio" workout. Man, I hate that one. It is so tiring. I also started lifting a little bit more (all light weights) and I'm a bit sore in some spots that I guess Insanity wasn't hitting. I feel pretty good though overall.

I'm down to a size 33 waist and basically only buy clothes that are "L" (I used to get XL for everything). I could squeeze into an "M" but then people will ask me why I'm shopping at Baby Gap because of the tightness.
 
Original weight: 300lbs
Current weight: 229lbs
Next goal: 220lbs

Hey guys. Did my weekly weigh in today and reached 229lbs down from the original 300. I have not exercised much the past month been in a big funk since my best friend's mom who raised me since I was 14 passed away. I still walk 1 miile during my lunch break at work, but have not exercised outside of that except for 2 times. I guess I need to get back in the swing of things yet I am losing 4lbs a week working out less than I was before.

We did our yearly wellness policy screening at work last week and I got the results of my blood work today. I am no longer borderline diabetic. My blood sugar and cholesterol and everything is all in the normal expected ranges. My BMI is also at 29 which means I am still "Overweight".

Has anyone who lost a significant amount of weight noticed they are shorter? I was 6'2" in high school, but when I did my wellness exam they said I was just under 6'1". My shoes also went from size 14 to size 12 1/2.
 
I've lost an inch =\

I'm 5'11.5" (I WANT MY POINT 5) instead of my normal a little over six foot height I've been since high school. I'll take losing that inch over the extra weight I was carrying though!

That is just awesome in terms of your bloodwork. Just keep trucking along. Very sorry about your loss.

Javery, my wife doesn't let me buy clothes if they aren't tight. Sometimes I draw the line, but now I just kind of accept whatever she hands my way.
 
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