Ben's Fat Loss Diary

[liza3]

Yes beautiful area for sure!
Good to avoid the possible rabid foxes! lol!
Your speed of running sounds all amazing to me. Can't imagine being disappointed by anything below 2 hours for a HM!!
I may have missed this in your numbers, but do you know what your time is per mile when you run a hilly route vs flat? I am trying to not get too hung up on speed (or my lack thereof) but am wondering what running a flatter course might do for me speed-wise...

 

[Ben_In_NC]

That’s a great run! Have you ever done road races? May I ask what’s your 10k pr? You seem like a great athlete, keep it up!

Well, to flesh that out, I've run two races ever. First was in October 2013, within a few weeks of hitting the 100-pounds-lost milestone for the first time. (274-->173, but was back in the 270s by July 2015. I'll tell that story and the lessons I learned at some point here...) That was the 1:41:41.

I lost another hundred from March 2021 through late 2021, down from 285 in December 2020 into the 180s for most of November 2021 through February 2022. I did a local race (over in Winston-Salem, which is just 15 minutes from my house) in early April of this year. I tried to lose too aggressively in the weeks leading up to that race to try to get a little faster, ended up binging some because I was super hungry, gained a little (was 191 on race day) , and finished in 1:56:16. (I may have posted 1:56:56 earlier, but I just checked and it was 1:56:16.)

So, I've only run two races. The first one, almost 9 years ago, was the PR. I am 53, so that age difference may well matter. I really don't know if I CAN ever run as fast as I did in 2013 just purely because of age-related decline. I hope to be the best version of my 53yo self that I can be and find out, though!

 

[Ben_In_NC]

Yes beautiful area for sure!
Good to avoid the possible rabid foxes! lol!
Your speed of running sounds all amazing to me. Can't imagine being disappointed by anything below 2 hours for a HM!!
I may have missed this in your numbers, but do you know what your time is per mile when you run a hilly route vs flat? I am trying to not get too hung up on speed (or my lack thereof) but am wondering what running a flatter course might do for me speed-wise...

The closest thing I have to an apples to apples comparison would be my long runs on July 2nd and 9th of this year.

July 2nd--in my home town of Columbus, GA on their Riverwalk, which is pretty flat: 13.23 miles, 11:20 pace. 73 degrees, 86% humidity, avg HR 138.

July 9th--back in Greensboro, 10.48 miles, 12:53 pace, 73 degrees, 93% humidity, avg HR 139

Both of those were during my "base building" phase where I kept my heart rate in Zone 2 throughout the entire run. I was a minute and a half faster in Columbus than in Greensboro.

 

[Llama]

Age-related speed decline in those years would probably be noticeable on sprint distances but much less so for longer distances. I suspect you could still beat that time given enough training/build-up time.

 

[Cate]

I'll just say I'm a little in awe!

 

[Ben_In_NC]

I'll just say I'm a little in awe!

Don’t be just yet. Here, right now. THIS is where I need this forum/accountability/etc more than ever. And it’s why you’ve seen me—and hopefully will continue to see me—posting more in this thread recebtlyz. Right in the 180-185 range is where, multiple times in late 2021 and in 2022, I have faltered. The last time I was at this weight or lower, (3/24/22,) I binged so badly that the scale went up 10 pounds in under 2 weeks.

The good news is that the LOW end of my daily calorie budget (i.e. not counting the boosts on Friday and Saturday) is ~700 more than it was last time I was here (2200s vs 2900s.) I hope I’ve learned from past mistakes. Trying to quick-drop 2 weeks before the early April race was just stupid. I knew better even then, but I convinced myself I could willpower my way to it. I didn’t.

But it wasn’t just that one time. It was several. I first fell below 185 on this journey on October 19, 2021, and have yet to even hit 178, which definitely would have been above “healthy weight” back in October, and likely still is. I am intentionally not setting a goal weight. I’m in a great place right now with both diet and exercise, and I haven’t binged since early July. I just want to keep that up. I’d love to just see how I’ll feel, how I’ll look, and what I weigh if I can go 3 months, 6 months, a year, and more without any crazy binges.

And if four weeks from this past Monday I’ve lost more than 7-8 pounds, I’ll up the calorie intake again.

 

[Llama]

Given all that I think it's all the more important you raised your calorie goal. And if the next 7.5 weeks don't see you drop as much weight it may be worth considering just accepting that for now. If you keep reaching the same weight and rebounding when you try to go lower that may be the weight your body currently wants to be. Someone posted a link a while bank - you may already have seen it or it may even have been you - to a bmi calculator that took into account age as well as height and weight. A quick search turns up this one: https://www.smartbmicalculator.com/ I was surprised how high it let me go at 42.
Not saying you can't or shouldn't go below 185 lbs, of course, but should you start to feel yourself start to slip again around that point (temporary) maintenance might be a sensible idea.

 

[liza3]

I am intentionally not setting a goal weight. I’m in a great place right now with both diet and exercise, and I haven’t binged since early July. I just want to keep that up. I’d love to just see how I’ll feel, how I’ll look, and what I weigh if I can go 3 months, 6 months, a year, and more without any crazy binges.

That sounds great. I think weight goals can only take us so far. I think knowing you're feeling great about diet/exercise/lifestyle choices are a really good thing to focus on, rather than focusing on a number on a scale.
Good for you for continually learning from past successes and mistakes--that's how we grow

The closest thing I have to an apples to apples comparison would be my long runs on July 2nd and 9th of this year.

July 2nd--in my home town of Columbus, GA on their Riverwalk, which is pretty flat: 13.23 miles, 11:20 pace. 73 degrees, 86% humidity, avg HR 138.

July 9th--back in Greensboro, 10.48 miles, 12:53 pace, 73 degrees, 93% humidity, avg HR 139

Both of those were during my "base building" phase where I kept my heart rate in Zone 2 throughout the entire run. I was a minute and a half faster in Columbus than in Greensboro.

Thanks for that--that's helpful for me. I have been thinking of getting a fitbit or something that can give me more data on how I'm doing with my running--i have no idea where my heart rate is at during runs at all.

 

[Ben_In_NC]

Given all that I think it's all the more important you raised your calorie goal. And if the next 7.5 weeks don't see you drop as much weight it may be worth considering just accepting that for now. If you keep reaching the same weight and rebounding when you try to go lower that may be the weight your body currently wants to be. Someone posted a link a while bank - you may already have seen it or it may even have been you - to a bmi calculator that took into account age as well as height and weight. A quick search turns up this one: https://www.smartbmicalculator.com/ I was surprised how high it let me go at 42.
Not saying you can't or shouldn't go below 185 lbs, of course, but should you start to feel yourself start to slip again around that point (temporary) maintenance might be a sensible idea.

Oh, I definitely plan to be cautious about this, but I also seriously doubt that this is that place for me. I think I was just significantly under-eating for the amount of exercise I do, and it was around this weight that it kept catching up with me.

Down from 185.39 to 185.34 this morning, and now it gets interesting. Today is the first of the big Friday calorie increases. My guess is that two things are going to happen...

1. Scale weight will increase--perhaps by a silly amount--on Saturday mornings. Friday is typically the day I burn the fewest calories due to it be the one day where I have no structured cardio scheduled. I'm eating more on Fridays to help fuel the long run on Saturday morning.
2. Performance increase on the long run Saturday mornings due to better pre-fueling.

This week in particular, I'd actually be perfectly fine with a small net weight gain from now over the weekend, given that I'm currently nearly 3 pounds below where I was on Monday morning.

Daily Summary for Thu, Sept 8th​

Calorie Summary Daily calorie budget 2,912 Food calories consumed 2,907 Exercise calories burned 528 Net calories for the day 2,379 +/- for the day 533 under budget

Weight Summary lbs Start Weight 277.8 lbs Today's Weight 185.4 lbs Lost So Far 92.4 lbs

Daily Log	Calories
Early Snacks	232​
Banana by the gram	220 Grams	197​
Collagen Peptides	10 Grams	35​
Breakfast	1075​
0% Milkfat Greek Yogurt	346 Grams	183​
Granola Cinnamon Pecan Keto (30g=1 Serv)	59 Grams	315​
Natural Triple Berry Blend	215 Grams	123​
Simply Granola Oats, Honey, Raisins & Almonds	74 Grams	294​
Whey Protein french vanilla	31 Grams	110​
Dark Chocolate, No Sugar Added, Baking Chips7	14 Grams	50​
Lunch	666​
Beef Sirloin Filet Steak	224 Grams	480​
Nutrient data missing for: Fiber, Sugars
Green Beans by the gram	106 Grams	32​
Sweet Potato, w/ Skin, Raw—BL	179 Grams	154​
Afternoon Snacks	523​
0% Milkfat Greek Yogurt	171 Grams	91​
Jell-O Cheesecake Pudding Mix	19 Grams	71​
Vanilla Ice Cream, Gold Standard Whey Protein	12 Grams	46​
Nutrient data missing for: Fiber
Dark Chocolate, No Sugar Added, Baking Chips7	18 Grams	64​
Nuts, Pecans, Halves 28gr	35 Grams	250​
Dinner	306​
Broccoli Florets	164 Grams	55​
Costco - Salmon Fillets Keta	180 Grams	219​
Tomatoes, grams	182 Grams	33​
Night Snack	105​
Kiwi, Medium, Gold	172 Grams	105​
Exercises	528​
Fitbit Adjustment	0 Min	528​

Nutrient Summary	% Calories
Fat	116g	33.9%​
Saturated Fat	33g	-​
Cholesterol	399mg	-​
Sodium	1,111mg	-​
Carbohydrates	298g	38.5%​
Fiber	73g	-​
Sugars	128g	-​
Protein	214g	27.6%​

Pull weightlifting this morning: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/9571192824

 

[Ben_In_NC]

Breakfast after the workout this morning was OH so good: blueberry pancakes made from smashed bananas, oat flour, flax, protein powder, and a few other things.

 

[Cate]

Oh, yum they look good. I think you seem to have everything worked out well with your balance of diet & exercise this time. You seem to be keeping a good eye on it & can correct it as you go. I would love to know what else is in the see pancakes, please Ben if you can be bothered.

 

[Ben_In_NC]

Oh, yum they look good. I think you seem to have everything worked out well with your balance of diet & exercise this time. You seem to be keeping a good eye on it & can correct it as you go. I would love to know what else is in the see pancakes, please Ben if you can be bothered.

With a fork, mash two bananas thoroughly until they're basically liquid.
Add to bowl...

• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 60g oat flour
• 15g ground flax seed
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein (doesn't have to be whey...but I'd definitely use a protein powder with vanilla flavoring)

Mix all ingredients together. If necessary (depends on how big the bananas are and I guess how big your protein powder scoop is) add water to thin to the consistency of pancake batter. (Typically I end up adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to thin it just a bit.)

I added 120g of blueberries to the batter today.

Heat pan to medium. I use a nonstick pan and don't have to use any oil or butter with these guys. Turn just once and they stay fluffy. Makes 3 good-sized pancakes, about 800 calories, including 46g of protein.

 

[Ben_In_NC]

Quick evening hits...

• 11.5K steps on my no-run day. Mini-festival this afternoon at my kids' school brought about a good bit of walking, and also relatively short walks with the dog morning and evening.
• Calorie goal was 3348. Ate 3347.
  
• It's supposed to rain here most of tomorrow. Will have to leave super-early on my long run to miss it.
• Made it official and signed up/paid for the November HM today.
• More than 350g carbs today. Hoping that’ll help the long run fueling.

 

[Cate]

Thanks for the recipe, Ben. I'll buy some protein powder

 

[Llama]

Made it official and signed up/paid for the November HM today.

Exciting!

 

[Ben_In_NC]

Down from 185.39 to 185.34 this morning, and now it gets interesting. Today is the first of the big Friday calorie increases. My guess is that two things are going to happen...

1. Scale weight will increase--perhaps by a silly amount--on Saturday mornings. Friday is typically the day I burn the fewest calories due to it be the one day where I have no structured cardio scheduled. I'm eating more on Fridays to help fuel the long run on Saturday morning.
2. Performance increase on the long run Saturday mornings due to better pre-fueling.

This week in particular, I'd actually be perfectly fine with a small net weight gain from now over the weekend, given that I'm currently nearly 3 pounds below where I was on Monday morning.

Heh. Scale weight dropped from 185.34 yesterday to 184.99 this morning. I know that there are some that theorize that eating more tells the body it doesn't need to hold on to fat as much. Who knows?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'll keep watching it and adjust again if need be. I really don't want to lose too fast, and of course I want to be fueling enough. Of course, it's hard to tell anything from just one week. We'll see.

• It's supposed to rain here most of tomorrow. Will have to leave super-early on my long run to miss it.

Made it out the door in time to get started at 4:49am, and only had to deal with a little drizzle in the last 15-20 minutes of the run. I did an hour and 55 minutes easy zone-2 running, then 20 minutes of pretty hard running, and ended with a 5-minute cooldown. I'd have to check, but I don't think I've done all Z2 for that long at a 10:15ish pace like I did this morning. And I definitely felt really strong for the 20-minute harder effort even after nearly 2 hours of running. Details here: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/9577673500

 

[liza3]

Made it out the door in time to get started at 4:49am, and only had to deal with a little drizzle in the last 15-20 minutes of the run. I did an hour and 55 minutes easy zone-2 running, then 20 minutes of pretty hard running, and ended with a 5-minute cooldown. I'd have to check, but I don't think I've done all Z2 for that long at a 10:15ish pace like I did this morning. And I definitely felt really strong for the 20-minute harder effort even after nearly 2 hours of running

That whole run sounds amazing and lovely. Out early morning, running a great pace, feeling strong--all sounds awesome! Way to go!

 

[Ben_In_NC]

As of today, Garmin estimates me at 1:48:39.

​

It might be fun to track this number weekly, as Garmin doesn't keep up with it. The "today" in the original post was Thursday, 9/8, but Saturday after the long run seems to make sense as an update day.

Saturday, 9/10, Garmin estimates:
5K--22:33
10K--47:41
HM--1:48:29
M--4:09:18

(For the record, I don't recall the exact estimate at the time of my HM race in April, but the estimate was closer than I would have thought to the actual, especially when adjusted for the hilly course.)

 

[Llama]

Another fun statistic to track; I like it!

 

[Ben_In_NC]

​

Another fun statistic to track; I like it!

I do love me some numbers!

Scale up to 185.7 (+.7) this morning. That puts me at 2 1/2 pounds down since Monday, so another small gain tomorrow morning would put me right around 1% down for the week.

Weight lifting this morning. I think my Sunday for at morning chest/shoulders/triceps workout is second only to the long run in terms of "workouts I REALLY look forward to doing." I love both the exercises on the schedule for Sunday, and the fact that I'm often (as was the case today) all alone in the gym for at least a part of my workout. There's only one other early-morning regular who does six or seven* days a week, and like me, he tends to have a wider range of arrival times on Sundays. Sometimes we're there at the same time, sometimes he arrives after I'm well into my workout, and sometimes I get there after he's well into his. Today I didn't see him at all, so I was there for an entire hour alone.

Today I led worship at church, and it was the first Sunday that we've had two morning services, which meant I had to be there at 7:30am...which meant I didn't have time to do my normal Sunday morning easy/recovery ride. I only lead once a month, so rather than trying to make up for it somehow, I'm probably just going to live with the fact that I'll miss the lightest/shortest cardio workout of the week once every 4ish times.

2915 calorie budget today. Ate 2911. 12.3K steps up to now and about to do the evening dog walk. It'll be a relatively short one. Probably end up around 14K.


*--(No idea if he works out on Saturday mornings, as I'm never there then due to the long run, but like me it's extremely rare for him to miss a day Sunday through Friday.)