158 Days

No problem losing a pound a week if ditching the booze. Be careful on stag do if you have been a while without drinking though. The body adapts to toxins over time but loses the ability to tolerate them fast. The most common admissions to hospital for alcohol poisoning are from those used to high intake who went dry then binged. I know my advise on this is like taking guidance about cannibalism from a vegan but I do stats for a living and I'm sure this is one you don't want to be.

You are evidently doing well on the realistic and maintainable slow and steady approach, otherwise known as the one that works. The next thing is to find out if this is something you will likely continue. My brother and his wife are rapidly approaching their first anniversary and both dieted, badly, to fit in suit and bodice for the wedding. Both are now heavier than before the diet, my brother being more so. there was no doubt in my mind this would happen neither of them were enjoying it and talking about looking forward to being back to normal before the wedding. Yes I am considered a bit of a freak in my family too.
There is nothing wrong with dieting down for a singular event once in your life and then living the same way the rest of it. I love fitness and take it a bit far often, that is me and I am strange. Most people consider fitness a chore something I understand but only by comparing it to sitting around in a pub with a bunch of drunks for me. I organised my brother's stag do and the evening went from me being buddy brother to crash barrier/ visual personal security as he and others struggled with staying upright and tried to dance. Fair to say I found that a chore especially when needing to look a bit imposing to avoid my brother getting the hiding a few felt he deserved, it worked because it was easy to see I was sober, co-ordinated and fit in the way that says 'maybe not.'
The time this becomes a hazard is when it becomes a swing of the yoyo, people who crash diet and then pile on repeatedly have a thoroughly dreadful life with regards health and pain. Don't go there, better to be unhealthy consistently than do that.

The key questions to ask yourself to know if you are going to continue after the target has been managed are.
Do I enjoy this fitness lark?
Am I happier doing this than I was before I did it?
Am I happy with what I have achieved?
What do I want to achieve next?
The first and last are the most important. If you don't like what you are doing, I will practically guarantee you will not keep it up and not having a goal leads to maintenance zone and very few stay there for long.
it is important to be honest with yourself. I train at stuff that would bore most people to tears, and love it, because for me it's interesting. There is something primeval about being able to grab hold of an inanimate lump of metal and move it or run that appeals to me. However put a ball at my feet when I am running and direct me to a rectangular goal, I get bored.
I change my aims frequently. The weights sessions are changed on an 8 week rota with annual goals in mind. The current is to get to a set weight and trim back, when I have done that and look prettier, the targets will go to more functional style again, what I have been doing for years. I know I will end up looking at myself and thinking 'yeah looks ok now what can I do with it' because I am never happy enough with what I have. That is what keeps you going. Every year I set realistic goals and unrealistic ones, the realistic are generally achieved the unrealistic often not, but when I get both it feels brilliant.
There was an inspirational picture a while ago with the words 'Be proud but never satisfied' on it and that is the key to success. Be proud of what you have done and be sure to congratulate yourself when you have done well but if you aren't working toward something it becomes harder to keep the motivation going.
You may get to 13 stone and look exactly as you want to for the wedding and decide that aesthetic is the way forward for you. There are only two people who matter on this one and you are the second priority here. If you think trimming down would be best but the better half wants there to be more of you I can guarantee the benefits of building up will be worth it. The point of aesthetics is ability is largely irrelevant, as goldfish pointed out a while ago there was a body builder proud of being able to outlift others his size, kind of missed the point there we feel.
Alternatively you may look at some activity and think that is where you want to go. If so do it. I have a list of things I have done and enjoyed, some I can never do again, some I would like to but have chosen not to due to the times the classes take place, others I have just moved on from. I used to run marathons, something that used to feel natural and only difficult due to the pace I insisted on running. Now I burn over 730 calories just running 5.4 miles at lunchtime so a marathon would require over 3,500 calories to complete if I could do it, so I don't want to go there. I can't box or do martial arts anymore due to a head injury. I loved ballet and contemporary dance, but finding adult classes is not easy, especially when you are male, and those I have heard about are mid evening when I want to be with my family. Adrenalin sports are great when you genuinely don't care about the risks and can enjoy it, add family and suddenly fear is not fun anymore, the risk comes with guilt as you realise that you could be leaving wife and child without husband, father, main wage. Leaving something behind is fine, we change over time and that is good.

I hope you are enjoying what you do and will keep at the fitness. I am happy being boringly fit in part because my wife likes the shape that makes me and as a married man keeping the better half happy makes me happy. I have changed shape a lot during the time we have been together, I shifted away from aesthetic/ functional mix to full functional for well over a decade, but I made sure she was happy with what was happening. This year is largely targets she has indirectly driven, she likes the fact I have been building up and would prefer the arms making a bit of a comeback, functional fitness tends to use arms as connections to the torso strength so they are strong but look a bit flatter than most want. I think after 15 years of putting up with me she deserves at least a year of me training predominantly to please her.
 
My issue is I always tell myself at the beginning of the week that I won’t binge, and by them time ive done a week of work, I can’t wait to get my first beer inside me. I realise I need to be a bit stronger, but when me and the Mrs first got together 7 years ago, I was already a bit of a binge drinker, and so was she. As a result we used to get buggered together :D She has calmed right down now, and I think its about time I do, at the ripe old age of 27, im about to embark on married life and looking into the not too distant future im sure ill be trying for babies etc. I understand what you mean, maybe leading up to my stag ill keep a steady (but not overly excessive) amount of beer coming into the system, my body may go a bit nuts after 10+ years of beer flowing through the veins.

Once I get the wedding and honeymoon out of the way, ill definitely keep up with the training. I need too, im running 13.2 miles in October for a half marathon (my wife to be ran this 2 years ago and I want to beat her time ;D). Not only that though, it makes me feel good. Me and the Mrs go to the gym together in the mornings before work, and we have started trying new things. I was all about cardio before, but now ive incorporated weights and mat work to try and work on muscle groups I’d have never bothered with before. As an example, I ran 2 miles today, completed 15 minutes on the elliptical trainer, completed 10 minutes on the rower and then went on the calf press, bicep curls before doing some press-ups and planks. I burned just over 600 cals doing cardio alone (according to my app) so felt really good coming into the office this morning. Like I say, ill definitely be maintaining gym and running for as long as it interests me, and with the beer belly ive got, there’s still a big motivation there!

Do I enjoy fitness? – I hate waking up early but once I start working out, and especially when ive finished, I do! It’s all about finding the motivation sometimes!

Am I happier doing this than I was before? – If truth be told, yes I am. As well as the training though, im also calorie counting. Im on 1,410 cals a day at the moment. Am I enjoying that side as much as I was before?? Maybe not, eating whatever I wanted and not worrying, drinking as much beer as I want and not worrying was great – although I ballooned in weight. So overall, im happier than I was before :D

Am I happy with what ive achieved? – To this point, I am! But I know there’s a long way to go. When I set the target of getting to 13 stone, I always thought I could achieve it, but felt I’de get there sooner. However, now im a bit more realistic, I appreciate it takes a lot longer to lose weight than it does to gain it. My motivation to get to 13 stone will get me there…hopefully within the next 12 weeks!!

What do I want to achieve next? – Well, kinda covered this above, but there’s no way ill be sticking at 13 stone if I still feel I don’t look right. I would like to get rid of my second chin and my beer belly! If these things are still lingering at 13 stone, ill be back asking for advice. Surely, as a 5’10”, at 13 stone I should be looking pretty slim. Im kind of a broad guy anyway (so im told), so I believe ill be fine at 13 stone, but like you’ve said, theres always room for improvement!

Im not into any risky sports, so you won’t catch me hurtling down a 90 degree ski slope in France anytime soon – to be honest, the most risky I get is taking a long walk most weekends with a bag of clubs on my back….FORE! I think golf, with what I do in the week (gym/running) is more than enough anyway…I mean, some of these courses are very long.

It’s a nice thought to know ill be starting life as a married man in the best shape ive been in years. She says she’s happy with how I look now, but that doesn’t make me want to stop! I would give myself no more than a 4/10, I want to see myself as 7 or 8/10 and the first thing I need to do for that, is to shift some of this timber!

Thanks for all your help in this thread by the way! You Crazy OId Man!!
 
Ye but i bet you are a lot more muscly than i am, thats the difference. The weight is not my biggest concern, its the shape im in. I want to trim as much fat as i can before i start bulking up. If i start weight training as i am, i'll look like a fat mess im sure!

Just completed a 4 mile run this morning, thought i'd give the gym a miss. I really, REALLy want to get rid of this beer gut. What would you suggest is the easiest and fastest way? Running is good right? I assume sit-ups would be good, but then i hear that if i do too many of them, ill end up building muscle over the fat that is there, leaving me looking how i look now?
 
This is where I give you some news you really won't want to see.
The body uses fat for a few things. Energy storage almost everyone knows but the other main one is protection of organs. The torso has a lot of vital organs and no skeletal protection, so the body puts more fat there than elsewhere on healthy bodies, those who are causing damage to organs under that area will find there is more laid down in those areas, which is where you get the infamous beer belly.
Because this area is so fragile the body will also want to give up its fat stores there slower than elsewhere, especially if there is still damage occurring. The body knows there is damage, it doesn't know keeping fat around there won't help. So you will have put more fat there than elsewhere and it will get burned from there slower, not great news but unfortunately true for good reasons regarding special survival, bad on modern aesthetics.
There is no way to selectively remove fat that doesn't involve surgery. Millions are made every year by companies ignoring this but they are interested in profit not you.
Ab work does either build or tone the muscles in your stomach. The majority of the fat in your midriff will be outside these so the adding muscle on top of fat is 95%+ wrong, the other 5% will be around your organs. However as I know building up your core to be able to squat heavier etc. does mean building muscle so even though I can pull a 6 pack with fancy breathing my stomach sticks out because the muscle was built for use not tightened for appearance.

Getting rid of fat is what you are already doing. The path to visible abs lies down that road. You could have the most amazingly powerful abs in the world but while there is fat over them you won't see them. Žydrūnas Savickas is a classic example, his abs will be stronger than the sum total of every muscle in my body combined, no six pack in sight and I wouldn't want to be the person telling him he was fat if he was in a bad mood, it could be a way of finding out if a human being can be compressed into a shoe box.

The bad news is there is no quick way, its fat burning all the way and for every pound of fat you lose only a couple of ounces of this will be from your torso, so this is a target to simply keep in mind in the coming years.

The advantage is you will be training with your wife so this will likely happen in the course of time and it will feel great when you get there because it will have been the result of such a long concerted effort.

Crazy thing with me is I sought them, got them then decided to go full functional and frequently lost them when training changed. Most people would be upset by this, I saw it as inevitable.

Going well. 4 miles run will have felt good. You'll be doing better distances than I do soon. I only go to 5.4 as there is no time for more in my lunch.
 
Not loving the sound of that but such is life, if i can get my belly more flat/toned than it is currently, i'll be happy! Its so good speaking with someone who knows so much as doing this kind of revision online often leads to block ends

I'll keep up the running. I need to be doing 8-11 mile regularly before i approach my half marathon. Done a local 7.5 mile run on Saturday last week! Gonna do 8 miles minimum this weekend :D
 
So, weigh day wasn't good this week - i weighed in at 14st3.8lbs - 4lbs on!! Ridiculous!

What makes it more ridiculous is the fact i weighed on Saturday morning and was 13st11lbs....and i didnt do anything silly like eat loads yesterday. This has confused the hell out of me. Plan this week, cut down on carbs, or completely cut them out where i can. The only issue with this, is it limits what i can have for lunch (normally sandwiches/wraps/pasta)....so what can i eat that will give me enough nutrition to keep me going through the day?
 
That is water fluctuation. There is no way you have gained 7 pounds in one day without water gain. It means you were low on water the day before and high the day after, it's not unusual, though that extreme can be confusing.
If you want to go low or no carb that is your choice. It will give you short term loss and then gain, most of the loss will be water, as will the gain with some fat due to reduction in metabolism.
Personally I would say drink plenty of fluid to flush the system and allow it to find equilibrium. I consume 2-3 litres a day and obviously sweat or urinate most of it out but it does mean my weight fluctuates less than those whose intake is less predictable.
 
That must be it then. In the week i drink plenty of water (500ml bottle filled at least 6 times, sometimes more).

Its so annoying when you fluctuate though isnt it? I just want to go down down down haha. Was back in the gym this morning though, and got a nice 8 mile run planned out tomorrow morning to kick start my body for the week ahead!
 
It seems very contradictory but the least accurate measure of fat loss is the scales.
Fat is remarkably light, an unscientific but real way of showing this is putting a lump of lard in some water and seeing how much of it sits above the surface.
Muscle is heavier because it is largely water, so gaining 2 pounds of muscle and losing around 1.5 pounds of fat would show gain in weight though not fat. You are getting into resistance work and that will move you into the realm of this type of measure.
Water by contrast is very heavy. Gaining a half stone of water will make virtually no visible difference, half stone of fat will be more visible.
This makes the mirror a better guide. Or you could try what I have been failing to do this year by taking weekly photos to assess progress.
Clothing fit is good too, of course.

Mentally this is really hard because when gaining or losing we generally have a weight in mind, self included. Knowing the scales aren't lying but may not be telling the whole truth is not always helpful, but worth keeping in mind, anyone saying this is easy is either lying or just annoying.

If you have just started consuming more water regularly this will cause fluctuations until your body gets used to it. This took me a few months, but after that I had stability.
 
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Ye i suppose i could start the photo thing now, with 79 days to go until the big day it'll be a good time to start and see if my shape changes over the next few weeks :D
 
Ok, so i havn't been here for a while :/

17 days until the big day, that has come around fast. Although ive maintained a high level of training, i just cant seem to get the weight off. That may have something to do with all the beer i insist on drinking though :'(

However, since i started with more regular gym sessions and eating reasonably well for 5 out of 7 days, i have dropped from 14st 10lbs to around 14st (so 10 lbs off....and they have stayed off). I have actually been down to 13st 8lbs recently, but i seem to have taken my foot off the peddle and am now back to just over 14 stone at weigh in this morning.

I have just over 2 weeks to drop as much as i can. Do i go carb free and beer free for the next couple of weeks and hope for the best? Hmmmmm
 
Avoid carb free like the plague. Beer free will help you no end, it will also make your stag do cheaper as you will get drunk faster.
Still drinking heavily and losing weight has to be considered a success story in anyone's world, so congratulations.
10 pounds off is 35,000 calories burned over what you have consumed, which is 20 days of food requirement for the average person (gained by averaging the 1,500 for women and 2,000 for men). So in 141 days you have burned 161 days of calories and likely gained some muscle mass en route so there will be more success that is harder to measure.
Keep us up to date.
 
This is true! As i mentioned a few months back, i have incorporated some weight training into my gym regimes now so maybe thats why my loss hasn't been falling as rapidly as it was when i started. I lost 10lbs in about 6 weeks i think, but then for the remainder of the time ive put some on, lost some, put more on and so forth!!
 
You are now roughly at my target weight, going to take me longer to get there because I want it to be predominantly lean mass. Natural scrawny little rats struggle with that and aiming at 14 stone when knowing nature made me 9 is pushing it, though in fairness I would have said 12 was when I started and I got that after around 4 to 4.5 years, then stuck there for around 15 years by choice.
I don't know what you are like genetically, if you gain easily there is a strong chance there is muscle gain with the fat loss. Goldfish posted some pictures a while ago of a former client who gained 7 kilos that were virtually invisible in the images, she had lost body fat and gained muscle meaning she stayed roughly the same size just got more lean and toned while gaining weight.
My wife gains fast which is an issue now because she has been full on banned from weights in the form she is best and cannot bare the tease of using them insultingly light. When we trained together she was lifting 1/3 my weights at the start, not a newbie, well trained already, I gained strength and she still increased to 1/2 my weights over time. She has to be the most infuriatingly natural power athlete for someone like me to workout with, I come at the bar spitting fire and self-loathing, give it hell and shattered for a couple of minutes after. She would be totally relaxed chatting right up to the lift, give just as much, then a few seconds later look ready to go again.
By contrast I gain very slowly but stay lean.
 
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