ForRealThisTime Diary of a mad man

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ForRealThisTime

New member
Hi all,

I have been checking out the forum and it is excellent, the support shown between members and the stories shared are inspirational to say the least.

My story is that I have always been a little overweight since I was in my late teens. I used to workout and was quite muscular but then I got caught up in a career that has been very successful but has left little time for taking care of myself.

When I feel my clothes are a little tight I stop eating and drop some weight. I dropped 24lbs a couple of years ago when I suddenly went off the idea of eating dinner, strange I know, but at the time I was really busy with work and just wanted to sleep when I got home. In 2 months I dropped 24lbs without even trying. I couldnt believe the comments people made to me. everyone said "wow you look much better, you should stay this weight it suits you" and I did feel a lot better about my appearance. A year or so later I had put the weight back on though...

I have now decided to make a real effort to get down to a weight that suits me and found this forum. I have never discussed my weight with anyone ever and I think that coming on to a public forum, albeit under a nickname, might give me a sense that someone is watching me and is interested in how I am progressing... maybe.

So here it goes!

Current weight - 216.9 (I was 223 up until a few weeks ago when I cut down on what I was eating)
Height - 5ft 11
Goal weight - 190lbs (I have no desire to be small or skinny I like being a manly size :p )

How I am going to get there -
Walking 5 miles 4 days per week and hiking 10 to 15 miles at weekends.
Doing some dumbbell work
Not eating late at night
Not snacking on junk food
Drinking significant quantities of water
Cutting down my calorie intake to create a calorie deficit

Timeframe - I would like to drop the first 14lbs in 2 months and the rest as long as it takes after that.

Challenges - motivation to go every day and walk 5 miles also weather can be unpredictable.

Inspiration - my friend who weighed 20 lbs more than me and is the same height is now down to 185lbs so I know it can be done.

I plan on doing this, when I put my mind to something I dont mess around. I want to update this diary as often as possible and would really appreciate comments and feedback from other members. I really feel that the members of this site could be the factor that pushes me the extra mile :)

So.... here it goes.....

Today:
Food intake
Cereal and 2% milk
Special K protein bar
Roast chicken for lunch
Steak and asparagus for dinner
Cinema tonight (popcorn without any butter etc... some things I cant do without)

Exercise:
About to go and do 5 mile walk


Weight is 216.9lbs
 
hey bud!

Good luck on the weight loss. 14 lbs in 2 months sounds great!
thats about 2 pounds a week. Cool!

Are you going to count calories, or do some extra calorie burning?

Lookin forward to your progress.
 
Hey mate thanks for the good luck wishes :)

I think 2 pounds a week is reasonable given that I will probably drop a considerable amount in the first couple of weeks and then less in the next few so over two months it should average out *fingers crossed*

I dont think I would have the patience for calorie counting, that sounds a bit lazy doesnt it!! Maybe I will if I find what I am doing is not working out.

My plan is to walk 30 -35 miles per week which should equate to 3000 - 3500 calories burned (100 calories per mile roughly). Apparently 3500 calories burned equates to 1lb of fat. With a significantly reduced calorie intake I think I can find another 3500 calorie deficit per week to get rid of another 1lb. Sounds simple right :)

I am looking forward to see how this actually works out in reality. Do you have any tips for me?
 
ForRealThisTime said:
Hey mate thanks for the good luck wishes :)

I think 2 pounds a week is reasonable given that I will probably drop a considerable amount in the first couple of weeks and then less in the next few so over two months it should average out *fingers crossed*

I dont think I would have the patience for calorie counting, that sounds a bit lazy doesnt it!! Maybe I will if I find what I am doing is not working out.

My plan is to walk 30 -35 miles per week which should equate to 3000 - 3500 calories burned (100 calories per mile roughly). Apparently 3500 calories burned equates to 1lb of fat. With a significantly reduced calorie intake I think I can find another 3500 calorie deficit per week to get rid of another 1lb. Sounds simple right :)

I am looking forward to see how this actually works out in reality. Do you have any tips for me?
Click to expand...


Nope. No tips yet! Well...maybe a couple. Lotsa water...stay hydrated.
And calorie counting isnt hard. After a month, you get a good idea of what basic foods are...ie eggs 70, can of tuna 140, etc etc etc.
The hard part is guesstimating portions. Like steak, or cereal or nuts. Thats where I have trouble. So I err on the wild side and usually it works out in the ballpark.

Looks like you got all your ducks in a row!

Good plan with the walking.

Good luck!
 
thanks for the reply :)

I completed my 5 mile walk earlier and was too late for dinner so I went to the cinema without having dinner and ate some popcorn. I weighed myself earlier and am registering at 213.7 I will wait until after breakfast tomorrow morning and see what the scales say then.

Tall glass of water before bed and take one more day in my stride tomorrow.
 
So after loads of water last night and breakfast this morning I am at 214.7. I plan on doing another 5 mile walk later today. I was on vacation recently and just got back so I know a lot of what is vanishing is probably waste (ewww) but I am certainly down a lot from the 223 I started at a few weeks ago.

Mentally it would be good to see a 2-0-something on the scales. I think if I saw 209 for example I would be far more inclined to put effort in to not going back above it. I am learning that so much of this is mental. If I think about what I am trying to achieve in practical terms it sounds very simple. You put a certain amount of calories in and you burn a certain amount of calories per day. You need to burn more than you put in. In real terms things pop up that mess up my plan but only because I let them, and I really have no intention of messing up this time.

I plan on doing a long hike on Saturday and then carrying out a cleanse on Sunday. I use magnesium oxide which when mixed with water leaches compacted material from your insides. I do this every once in a while and it is very effective and makes me feel really good.

Short term goal is 209!
Plan for wed,thur,fri walk 5 miles
Plan for sat hike 10+ miles
Plan for sun cleanse

If I keep my plan simple and short term I believe I have a better chance of sticking to it.

You know this probably sounds silly and obvious but I really prefer feeling normal and not bloated and over full. At the moment I feel pretty normal and think to myself "I know that I dont like feeling bloated so why do I ever get that way to begin with?". I am making a pledge to not get bloated from over eating for the rest of June. Again... making these small promises to myself while hopefully lead to my lifestyle changing rather than me saying "I will never eating a large dinner again" which just sounds like too much of a commitment to me. Small steps will hopefully get me to the finish line and by that time I will have a healthy lifestyle that naturally continues without me having to think about it every day.

Wow I am rambling :)
 
rambling is SOOO allowed :) its your journal and you never know what may come out without you realizing it while your fingers are typing away, lol. thanks for stoppin by my journal and giving support. hope to keep seein us both here! ~Lisa
 
Today I had some branflakes with raisins for breakfast. I had some coconut water (if I could drink nothing else for my entire life it would be that).

For lunch I had a big bowl of mixed lettuce, some red onion, a chopped up tomato and some low calorie tomato dressing with some sunflower seeds sprinkled on for good measure. It was mmmmMMMmmmm. I actually love veggies and would happily eat a salad over a carb filled bonanza lunch any day of the week. Its just that sometimes its easier to grab a sandwich but I am making an effort to keep stocked up on non sandwich friendly things.

I have also made a conscious decision not to eat processed meats from now on. The idea of bits of meat scraped from thousands of different chickens or turkeys and processed into something that is a "slice of chicken/turkey" is just wrong... I watched the documentary "Food Inc" recently and it has put me off food in general but especially processed food.

As I didnt have time for dinner yesterday I am going to have the steak and asparagus I was supposed to cook then. I hate steak that is really soaked in oil so I use a very good non stick frying pan which means you need zero oil. I sear both sides of the steak at a very hot temperature and then put it into the over on a baking tray to let the fat drain off. Leave it in at about 190 for 18 or so minutes and it is so tender and nice mmmmMMmmm. Its a great way to cook steak if you like the texture to be that of a medium steak but you dont want it pink. The asparagus goes on a griddle pan for a few minutes and thats it!

Once dinner is consumed it will be off for my 5 mile walk!

I like writing here... even if no one is reading lol it gives me a feeling that if I dont do what I said I was going to do I am lying to people and I dont like lying so I will follow through on what I am saying.
 
ForRealThisTime said:
I like writing here... even if no one is reading lol it gives me a feeling that if I dont do what I said I was going to do I am lying to people and I dont like lying so I will follow through on what I am saying.
Click to expand...

Alot of us feel that way, lol. Hence why people go MIA when we're cheating! lmao
 
Back from my 5 mile walk, woooo sweating hard tonight in the deep South!
I had a large sweet potato with my dinner which filled me right up.

Feeling good!

Following on from the diet coke thread elsewhere on the forum I decided to make some ginger ale to enjoy over the next few days. I grated up some root ginger and put it in a 2ltr bottle with a couple of spoonfuls of sugar and filled it up with water. Gave it a good shake and let stand. I will put it out in the sun tomorrow and give it another shake tomorrow night and then next day will put it in the fridge and see how it turns out when its nice and cold :) Love ginger... mmmmmmm

Tilapia fillets defrosting in the fridge for tomorrows dinner :)

Just had a weigh in... 213 on the button! I am down exactly 10lbs woohoooo :) 1 more lb and I am one third the way there.
 
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Great JOB!!!! That's NICE!! 10 lbs lost is amazing!!! :D!!

...and YES, someone is reading! ;)! We can SNEAK up on you and read all about it! So keep it coming! Love your 5 mile walks...before you know it they'll be 5 mile RUNS!! :) Keep up the great work!!

I especially liked when you had a revelation about your own little Incospicous Computer Venting here!! hahaha ;)!!! hhahaha GOTTA LOVE IT!! CLASSIC!! Venting is amazing. I think that's half all of our problems in life. We don't vent enough, and when we do half the time there is no one to Listen!
 
That gingerale REALLY tastes like Giner Ale? I suppose if I didn't want to use Sugar, I could replace it with Agave Nectar right? You think it would bubble?
 
Hey Alta thanks for the reply, I was reading your diary recently and its some of the most colorful and frankly manic brain dumps I have ever encountered :) Your recent comments about getting baked had me laughing, and reaching for the bong at the same time ;)

This is my first time making ginger ale this way. Usually I get my blender out and blend ginger a tiny amount of sugar, some lemon juice and ice and it makes a very very nice frozen drink. I read online recently that you could make ginger ale with sugar, ginger, water and some yeast. You put them in the bottle and then put them somewhere warm for a couple of days and the yeast reacts with the sugar and causes it to gas up. After the bottle is firm when you try to press in the sides it is time for the fridge. Apparently if you leave it too long it can explode or will turn to alcohol.... hmmmm.... I might try that one :)

As I didnt have any yeast I decided to make it without and see what it tastes like. I will update here once it is done :)

I dont know if you are a fan of ginger or not but it is so good for you and makes a great topping for fish. If I am making swordfish for example I put it in the oven with roughly grated ginger on top a splash of vinegar and a few cherry tomatoes cut in half placed on top. After 18 - 20 minutes it is absolutely fantastic, like something you would expect to get in a nice restaurant. Ginger is very good at easing stomach problems too so if you have an upset stomach ginger is your guy!
 
HA!!! :D! Manic brain dumps!! ;)

...No worries, no worries. I'll take that as a COMPLIMENT! ;)!!

Sounds good!....let me know if it really turns into alchol?! hahah....:D!

Last year when I was a raw foodist, I took a fermentation class, and it was VERY interesting. Didn't get around to doing it at home, would just buy the stuff fermented already. Kombucha drinks are AMAZING!
 
oh it was very much a compliment :) I am a very chatty person but also quite a deep thinker and fear for the day when I really do a brain dump, I am not sure the world is ready for what may find its way out! Thoughts of religion, politics, music, movies, travel, art, sociology, business, invention, technology and pretty much anything in between are usually floating around somewhere in my brain. I am quite sure I have some sort of neurological disorder which has yet to be diagnosed lol... my thoughts are always going in 50 different directions at once.

Wow I havent had kombucha drinks in years, they were an acquired taste if memory serves me correctly but I remember consuming them daily at a place I worked a few years ago.

If the ginger ale turns in to alcohol forget about me telling you about it I will be trying to sell it to you ;)

I just read your diary entry again regarding the Mexican dinner you had recently lol... you really dont do anything by half do you? It was kind of a case of "If I am falling off the wagon today I am going to do it in style!" :) I flew back to the US last week, I hate plane food and wont eat it so after a long haul flight I am typically starving! My girlfriend and I stopped at a local Mexican place and indulged, the chips and salsa are just too damn good there. Whilst awaiting the arrival of our food and chatting the chips just vanished.... then a second basket arrived.... mmmm .... if I have to fall off the wagon I hope I land close to a nice Mexican restaurant... margaritas helping to wash down the gastric delights!

Anyway back to the healthy plan!! Tilapia for dinner tonight hmmm maybe just done simple in the over with some lemon juice.

PS: I just checked out your before and midway pictures and holy shit! You obviously have the secret :) I will be calling upon you when my progress stalls.
 
:smilielol5: hahah...Thanks! :D!!!

I miss Komuchas too!!! ...You had me rolling...!! That was the funniest thing EVER when you said, "if I have to fall off the wagon I hope I land close to a nice Mexican restaurant... margaritas helping to wash down the gastric delights!" :smilielol5:!!!!

Comedy!! Again, thanks for the compliments! Brain spill away on my account. You seem very amusing! hahah
 
I am finding it nice to be anonymous on here right now. Usually I am the center of attention in work and on our forums which I run. I share a lot of myself with regard to business and hobbies but here I have not even shared my name and yet people are chatting to me and have not pushed me to share anything with them, I find it is making me discuss my weight and think about it in an open way which I have never done before, its actually a bit weird.

I have never seen or thought of myself as overweight. It has never stopped me doing anything in my life. I have never had any health problems or trouble with women or work or any other aspect of my life. Maybe that is why I never cared much about my weight? maybe if it had more of an impact on my life I would have done something about it?

I recently turned 30 and I want to be healthier. I have started hiking and got in to photography. Never in my life have I ever needed physical fitness to do anything but with hiking I wanted to be able to push myself and found that I was probably more fit than I had imagined. Soon after starting I did a 16 mile hike and could have gone further. From then on I began thinking "what if?". Like what if I put a little more effort in to this would I be able to do 20 miles? would I be able to do 30 miles.... I realised that I had not been using my body to its full potential and if I didnt start using it now imagine in the years to come how I might feel when I was physically not able to use it.

Stemming from the stuff I have been writing in this diary I began thinking about how other people see me, believe it or not I have never thought about this before. I am now trying to think if this is because I am extremely confident or if it is because I just didnt want to think about how others view me. I am kind of siding towards it being because I am confident. I know I am not extremely overweight or anything but my friends and family have never mentioned anything to me about my weight. They have never said "you should lose a few pounds" or "you look like you have gained some weight" but often when they see me they say "you look like you have lost some weight". I have never thought about it but maybe they are trying to make me feel good so I will go ahead and lose some.

I am now thinking about how the world sees me. Not from the point of view that it bothers me but more from the point of view that I find it interesting. Do people look at me when I walk in to a store and think "you shouldnt be in here because nothing in here would fit you" or do they think "he is a big chap the clothes in here would look tight and good on him". I am that kind of build for some clothes, big arms and shoulders and nice muscular legs (my fav part of my body). It interests me to know what people think when I sit beside them on a plane. Do they think "oh no a big dude sitting beside me" or do they see me as normal size because I am not really that big, it could be either one... I dont know.

One thing I do know though is for all the time I have spent not thinking about how the world sees me I am more interested in how I see me. I love to dress well, I love clothes and shopping - I am straight I swear. I love different styles of clothes. I will wear shorts and a polo shirt one day and the next day I will be wearing an expensive suit and immaculate shirt and fancy tie. I really feel different depending on the clothes I am wearing. I do notice how different the responses are from people depending on how I dress. Maybe this is the equivalent to being overweight and being a normal weight. Maybe people would have a different reaction to me if I was a different size, I guess I will soon find that out.

I have been thinking about a business trip I took a couple of years ago. I was on a flight and a very large lady was in the seat beside me. At first when I saw her coming I thought "this could be a tight squeeze", at the time I was not particularly big but I was not really small either. She sat on the inside at the window and we started chatting. She was very good looking and we chatted for the whole flight. It is now stuck in my mind that if we had never chatted I would still remember her because of her size, if I try to remember other people I sat beside on flights since then I would have difficulty but I remember her vividly. Its so weird that weight plays such a part in peoples lives and can define how someone is remembered.

Finally as my meandering comes to a close, for now, I was thinking about my father. He has never been a small man, not ever! He has always had a stocky powerful looking build but has a belly etc. I never looked at him as overweight. Even now I look at him and he could easily do with losing maybe 30lbs but I dont see him as being overweight, its weird. He has always had compassion for overweight people. If we were watching a documentary on TV and there was a half ton guy complaining that he couldnt lose weight whilst shoving cream cakes in to his face I would say "look at him... complaining when he is doing nothing to stop his weight increasing" and my father, who always has an opinion on everything, would surprise me by saying "you dont know his circumstance, you have to feel for him because he doesnt want to be that way, no one wants to be that way". It always surprised me that my father would be so gentle with his words on such a matter but it was a side to him that kind of confused me. Now that I am a little older I have compassion for people in that sort of situation and I think maybe my father has struggled with his weight throughout his life. Maybe all those years when I saw him as a powerful male figure he was not happy with himself. This goes back to my original point on perception. How am I perceived? how is anyone perceived? We look at ourselves and each other and never really know if what we think is the same as what anyone else thinks. My father probably never knew, and still doesnt, that he was a figure of physical power to his son.

hmmm makes ya think.
 
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