Author Topic: Weight loss and changing looks !! 56k PIC WARNING !! (Read 3560 times)

Brad Johnson · « **on:** November 30, 2007, 01:43:36 PM »

A coworker just snapped a pic of me. I didn't realize how much my appearance had changed with all my weight loss (57 lbs as of this morning, in fact). I guess it would probably be even more obvious in my jeans. My shirt and slacks are kinda baggy right now!

Three years ago, in Jan 2005, I weighed in at somewhere just past 275 (that's as far as my scale went and the needle was past that).

In December of 2005 this was taken. I was appx 250 lbs.

Sometime during spring of 2006. I was between 235 and 240. Note the belt I'm wearing (that's about to cut me in two) is in the first hole. I still wear that same belt, but it's in the last hole and is very loose.

Then this one today at 218 lbs. You can't see it very well, but my ring is about to fall off.

Thor · « **Reply #1 on:** November 30, 2007, 02:06:04 PM »

Good job, Brad. My highest weight was after I retired from the Navy, got up to around 310. I'm hovering around 230 nowadays. I don't have any good pics yet. (I'm 6'4") I still want to lose down to 210, but winter has struck, so it's gonna be tough.

Iain · « **Reply #2 on:** November 30, 2007, 02:06:54 PM »

That last pic has a real campaign picture quality to it.

Congrats on the weightloss, no red suit and beard for you this year.

Had the reverse this year, a friend sent me a picture from first year university - that's 50 much needed lbs ago.

member1313 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 30, 2007, 02:09:22 PM »

I envy that amount of self control.

What did you do to lose the weight? I need to lose some weight myself. Tongue

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #4 on:** November 30, 2007, 02:15:42 PM »

Quote from: Rob87 on November 30, 2007, 01:09:22 PM

I envy that amount of self control.

What did you do to lose the weight? I need to lose some weight myself. Tongue

Eat right and exercise.

Losing weight is easy. It ain't rocket science. It's making yourself do it (and stick with it) that's hard. At this very moment I'd love to put a big hurt on the nearest buffet, but I won't. You just have to make up your mind not to.

Brad

DJJ · « **Reply #5 on:** November 30, 2007, 02:46:35 PM »

If you're satisfied with your current weight, and are now in the maintenance phase, DON'T ACCEPT A SMALL GAIN - NOT EVEN ONE POUND.

4 years ago, I was flying high, having lost 115 lb to get to a weight I probably hadn't been at since early in high school. I've since gained back 30 of those, and it's miserable. I don't know what happened to my magic, but I think it has to do with the fact that I started to accept a 1 or 2 lb gain here and there, and they started adding up. Let me tell you, trying to lose it the second time is much harder - better to not let yourself get in that situation at all.

But congrats on your progress so far.

Devonai · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2007, 04:55:01 AM »

Well done! I went from 250 to 185 in eight months. The first two months were hell, but my body adjusted somewhat after that.

I simply counted all of my calories and subtracted 700 from the possible maximum every weekday. Weekends I still counted calories but ate up to the possible maximum. I did this to avoid sending my body into starvation mode, where fat loss ceases. 5x700=3500, or one pound a week, which is what doctors suggest for a healthy rate of weight loss. My results were slightly faster, which was fine with me.

Keeping it off is tough. I gained ten pounds after I got back from Army basic training, and I've been fluctuating between 190-195 ever since. I would like to be down to 185, but any less than that might compromise my muscle build.

For me, beer has always been the enemy. Cool, delicious beer. Damn.

Balog · « **Reply #7 on:** December 01, 2007, 06:27:30 AM »

Good job Brad! My weight seems to settle naturally at around 1950-200. Too much (I'm 5' 9") but not too bad. I've noticed a bit of a second chin coming in tho, so I need to up the activity level.

El Tejon · « **Reply #8 on:** December 01, 2007, 06:41:25 AM »

You don't need a key to get into your house. You can crawl under the door, stick. grin

Bogie · « **Reply #9 on:** December 01, 2007, 09:49:38 AM »

I hate you.

grislyatoms · « **Reply #10 on:** December 01, 2007, 10:49:16 AM »

Great job, Brad!

What are you doing for exercise?

(Since I gave up the cerveza, I'm seeing pounds come off and I want it to continue without losing muscle.)

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #11 on:** December 01, 2007, 11:18:02 AM »

I walk three miles a day five days a week (a sixth day is optional depending on time). Between 3.5 and 4 mph at a 5% incline. I always take Friday off. That's my reward to myself for being a good boy.

I intentionally parked the treadmill right in the middle of the living room. That eliminated any potential excuses for not getting on it. I usually walk at night while I watch TV.

Brad

Paddy · « **Reply #12 on:** December 01, 2007, 01:25:45 PM »

Do you know if there was any change in blood pressure with the weight gain/loss?

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #13 on:** December 01, 2007, 01:36:09 PM »

Absolutely. High blood pressure was the reason I changed my ways. What got my attention was a little trip to the ER with my BP spiking at 220/160. I still take 50mg of Atenolol every day, but my doc and I are in agreement it's time to start dropping the dosage. I check my BP twice a day.

I'm also going in after the first of the year for a lipid panel (cholesterol check). Amazingly enough my cholesterol never got extremely high even at my largest, though the LDL/HDL ratios were definitely not where they needed to be. We expect it to be way on the side of good from the combination of weight loss, exercise, and healthy eating habits.

My blood sugar never gave me any trouble. But, looking back, there were telltale symptoms I was on the verge of problems there, too.

Brad

Iain · « **Reply #14 on:** December 01, 2007, 02:30:51 PM »

Quote from: Brad Johnson on December 01, 2007, 12:36:09 PM

What got my attention was a little trip to the ER with my BP spiking at 220/160

Do you know what, if anything, the immediate cause of that was? That's horribly high, my systolic is always lower than your diastolic was that day.

Double congrats on sorting it out.

Bogie · « **Reply #15 on:** December 01, 2007, 05:25:39 PM »

Actually, there's a lot of credence to the theory that excess body fat is a symptom of a prediabetic condition - Not the other way around... The body is poorly processing and storing sugars...

Nightfall · « **Reply #16 on:** December 01, 2007, 08:33:35 PM »

Lookin' good, way to go. grin

Laurent du Var · « **Reply #17 on:** December 01, 2007, 10:32:15 PM »

Way to go Brad.
How many times did you watch Cars on that treadmill ?

I have a very fat man slumbering inside me waiting to take over.
Every year before Christmas he is getting real angry and is punching my Belly
from the inside he then is pulling my hair from the inside....

MechAg94 · « **Reply #18 on:** December 02, 2007, 06:50:35 AM »

Congrats. I am about 250. Dropping 30 pounds would do me some good.

The Viking · « **Reply #19 on:** December 02, 2007, 08:18:20 AM »

I've lost 20 pounds without really noticing it until I got to the hospital, and they weighed me before surgery. I was really surprised to find that I weighed about 70 kilograms, instead of my healthy 80-ish...

CNYCacher · « **Reply #20 on:** December 02, 2007, 07:45:32 PM »

Feb 14, 2004:

Feb 26, 2004:

Don't let the smiling fool ya, I was in a world of hurt.

Paddy · « **Reply #21 on:** December 03, 2007, 06:08:37 AM »

Quote

Absolutely. High blood pressure was the reason I changed my ways. What got my attention was a little trip to the ER with my BP spiking at 220/160. I still take 50mg of Atenolol every day, but my doc and I are in agreement it's time to start dropping the dosage. I check my BP twice a day.

Yikes! What happens when it goes that high? Dizzy, pass out, what? Reason I'm so interested in BP is because it has just become a problem for me. I've always had BP readings on the low side, all my life. Now, all of a sudden, it's high-in the 160/105 range. I even got a reading of 189/110 the other day. For no particular reason. It makes no sense, and the doc will probably put me on meds.

Congratulations on the successful discipline.

grislyatoms · « **Reply #22 on:** December 03, 2007, 07:19:32 AM »

Alcohol spiked my BP. Bigtime. Before alcohol, I would run 115-118/70. Last time I had it checked, it was 190/120. That was before I quit drinking.

I was told to watch out for salt, too, but salt intake does not seem to measurably affect my BP.

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #23 on:** December 03, 2007, 08:16:13 AM »

Iain,
I had weight-related BP problems anyway. The spike was because I overdid it on the treadmill and hyperventilated. It's really trippy, you should try it sometime. I'd never had that happen before and freaked. Thus the spike in BP. No outward signs - headache, blurry vision, etc - but the both the EMT and the doc had a go at taking my BP just to make sure the reading was right.

Laurent du Var,
A couple dozen.

MechAg94 and CNYCacher
Way to go!

Gris,
Alcohol is definitely a BP modifier as you well know. The old "watch the salt" bit is a holdover from outdated (or at least modified) medical thinking. Roughly 3% of the population is truly sodium sensitive when it comes to BP. If salt has no discernable effect on your BP then you probably fall in the other 97%.

Brad

CNYCacher · « **Reply #24 on:** December 03, 2007, 08:30:05 AM »

Thanks

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Author Topic: Weight loss and changing looks *!! 56k PIC WARNING !!* (Read 3560 times)

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Author Topic: Weight loss and changing looks !! 56k PIC WARNING !! (Read 3560 times)