From 265 to 225 and still a long way to go.

W

Water-holic

New member
Hi All,

I'm new to the forum but wanted to get some pictures up of my progress so far. I started loosing weight about 3 months ago and have already shed 40lbs! I am 6' tall and 28 years old. I have stopped drinking soda, and started eating healthy and doing exercise. The weight loss is slowing down, but I really didn't expect to loose so much so fast.

Here are some pictures from last 4th of July 2008 when I was around 265.




And here are some at my current weight of 225 (well this was actually a week ago).







I really don't know what my goal weight will be. at the end of high school I went from 260ish down to 165 but I wasn't happy with how I looked. I crash dieted and think I lost a lot of muscle that time as I was still very flabby. I hope to have better results this time and I hope to never look back!

In the first pictures (sorry, I cant find any full body pictures at the moment) I was 265 and wearing a 2XL shirt and 44 pants. In the current pictures I am wearing a Large shirt and 38 pants.

This place seems so motivating so I hope to get the support and inspiration I need to keep going. I will keep you posted as I progress.
 
Thanks for the nice comments so far!

Wow! Reminds me a lot of myself! Good job on the 40 lbs!
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I looked at your pictures NolaRob and you're right. Very similar. I hope to achieve results like your current pictures. Great Job!

On a side note. I am starting to hate fridays in the office. I came in this morning and there are donuts and brownies. Ugh... and the 2 ladies that work in the same room as me are alsways eating chips and cookies and candy bars... I have been really good though. I have only caved in 1nce in 3 months! Oh well... I'll make it until I get home to work out and then make some healthy stir fry.
 
Wow.. you look great! Big difference already!!!

Well done on the first 40 and Keep it up for the rest you want to lose!!!
 
Hi Everyone and thank you for the nice comments. Keep them coming because they definitely help motivate me :)

I am a little bummed out at the moment and am becomming affraid that there is something about me that makes me flabby... maybe something even out of my control? I don't know. I notice so many other pictures of people at their heaviest (a good example is of Derrick on this forum) who even at their heaviest, still have a "tight" stomach. I am not like that, I am droopy, with the weight loss thus far, my stomach doesn't stick out as far (and has never stuck out like Derrick's, in his before photo) but to me Derricks before photo is still more attracktive then what my midsection looks like after 45 lbs lost. Even when I was down to 165 many years ago, I still had the same look (just smaller) to my midsection. I just don't get it. I am doing a lot more strength training this time around, but am fearing having similar results as I had before, which killed my motivation to stay thin. At 6' 165 lbs I really didn't have any more weight to loose, but hopefully it was just a matter of loosing fat and gaining muscle... I don't know.

I went out over the weekend and bought one of the scales that measures bodyfat. It also measures water, and muscle (or everything else... I'm not really sure... it doesn't make sense because the bodyfat, water and muscle measurements are all in % and they equal over 100% so I am a bit confused how that is possible). But it weighs me at 217.2 lbs (where my old scale is now saying 220 lbs) so I have lost more weight since my original post last week. But it says that I am at 33% bodyfat which at my current weight seems outrageous... but with how I look and feel seems like it's probably accurate. I wish I would have had this scale at 265lbs just to see what the bodyfat measurement was then. But to sum it up, i am not weak... I have some muscle burried under all of this fat. I am even starting to see bicepts and tricepts (just starting to see them) again for the first time in a looong time. Maybe I need to start focusing a lot more on crunches, planks and other ab workouts than I am to get rid of this flab, or maybe it's something I am doomed with? I really don't know. I have a tall midsection so maybe that has a bad affect with gravity? At 6' i wear between a 30 and 32 inch length in my pants so, short legs and tall midsection..

What do you all think? It's just scary to think that at my current weight of 217 lbs I am still at a higher bodyfat percentage then Derrick was at his weight of 250 lbs.

Derrick, I appologize to keep using you as an expample but you seem to be the most similar in starting weight and height as I am. You do look fantastic and I congradulate you!
 
Hi water-holic. I don't mind you using me as an example. We always compare ourselves to other people, even when it doesn't make sense to. I can tell you right off the bat that I am almost positive we store our body fat differently. The good news for you is your fat isn't as bad for your heart because you are storing most of it under your skin and not under your muscle. I have/had visceral fat which is more unhealthy for your heart. It is stored under the muscle and might even be harder to lose. I can't remember all the facts, just the ones I mentioned so far.

My life long friend is exactly like you and stores his fat under his skin but above the muscle. So if he did jumping jacks without a shirt on, his skin would definitely bounce and jiggle more than mine. He is probably about 5' 11" and 220 pounds right now. I can't imagine you wouldn't see a noticeable difference if you got down to about 12 or 14% body fat.

As for the body fat scale, those impedance ones can be rediculous a lot of times. I have had one since 1999 or 2000 and while I love it because it is accurate in weight and lasts forever, the body fat percentage reading is laughable at best. First of all, it reads as much as 8% high. I have always known this because I have had much more accurate ways of measuring body fat such as skin fold calipers and under water weighing. Last August I went to the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, TX and they did a 7 site skin fold test as well as underwater weighing. I was 229 lbs at the time and both methods said I was 25% body fat. However, my Tanita scale at home said I was as high as 33% body fat. Secondly, it fluctuates as much as 7% in a week and often several percent in a day. Last August it would say as low as 29% and as high as 33% just a day or two later. Today, it reads 13% on the low end and 21% on the high end.

Hope this information helps. Perhaps you can research visceral fat and see what the opposite is. Subcontaneous is a word in my mind right now but that might be some calculous word or something. Maybe you will find some better answers to some of your concerns. Good luck and don't worry about things you can't control right now.

P.S. Yes it is subcontaneous. I usually remember numbers correctly but not always words. This time I was right though. :D
 
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Thanks for the reply Derick, I'm glad you don't mind me using you as an example.

I have been looking up subcutaneous fat all afternoon. And although there are a zillion hits on google, I haven't been able to find a lot of good info about it, or if there is any differences in loosing it than there is with visceral fat. I did have my blood pressure checked when I was at the doctor a month or so ago (I was at 240lbs then) and it was actually below normal (still good but below the number they say to shoot for). I think it was high when I was at 265 because my face would always get red and hot to the touch.. so maybe I have been loosing visceral fat so far and not really subcutaneous fat since the visceral fat seem to be the one with more health risks connected to it? I don't really know. But reading about this has been interesting so far.. but when I was at 165, I still had a lot of subcutaneous fat. So maybe there is something diet related or excersise related that i need to change to target this kind of fat. Although, I think i am eating exceptionally healthy.

As far as the scale goes, i checked the bodyfat when I got home this evening and it was reading 27% this time, so that is interesting.. makes me happier than 33% but I am starting to agree that it is an unreliable way to check that. I think I will call my doctor in the next week to see if they have a means of checking bodyfat. I have been wanting to get in there to have my cholesterol checked anyway. I am just curious to know if it is ok or not.

Thanks for the reply though. It was very insightful.
 
A good place to get your body fat measured would be a wellness center, if you have any locally, or a local gym. But they are only as good as the person taking the measurement. I like the one that uses at least 5 measurement sites. In my opinion, the more sites the better. I am almost positive the one I did in Dallas, TX used 7 sites and it was within 0.4% of the under water method which is supposed to be very accurate. I am sure they all have a margin of error so that is why the Cooper Clinic averaged the two methods they used on me. Keep using your scale though. You can just record what the lowest reading is each week/month and as long as it slowly goes down over time you should know you are heading in the right direction.

If I were you, I would definitely try to have a good resistance training program. That muscle has to help fill out the skin you don't like. Don't get dicouraged. What is the other option? To remain heavy your whole life? Let the changes come slower this time also. I am not sure about this but I often wonder if losing weight real fast doesn't allow the skin to shrink as much. I would like to know if there is any truth to that. Maybe not.
 
Hi Derick, Thanks againg for replying. I am going to start looking for a wellness center or something of the like to have my body fat measured. Right now the scale stays pretty constant at 33% BF but like I said, I have seen it as low as 27% now too.

I am going to try and up the resistance training now. I work out by myself at home so I have to be careful on the amount I lift since I dont have a spotter. I keep reading things both ways as far as heavy weights and low reps, or light weights with high reps being better for me. Does anyone have any good insight on what would be better for me? I by no means have a goal of wanting to be huge like a bodybuilder, I want to end up tone and defined though.

I am slowly uping the distance i can jog on the treadmill, along with the the distance I walk my dog, so I hope the cardio helps as well.

Let the changes come slower this time also
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This is a weird one too, I think I know why I lost weight so fast last time, but this time I am eating healthy and I think I am gaining muscle, but the weight is still comming off quickly. I think I am starting to slow down on the weight loss to a more normal pace but up until now, i have been loosing approximately 4lbs a week. Is that too fast? I am actually having troubles getting calories in since I am eating healthy. I feel like I still eat a lot, but at the end of the day it is rare to get up to 1500 calories which I have read is about the minimum for a male. I am rarely starving though, and I have the energy to do my workouts, but with foods that are better for you, It takes a lot more of it to get to the calories up there. I would say I am typically getting about 1200 calories in a day. Any feedback on all of this is much appreciated.

PS. before when I crash dieted... my diet workout pretty much consisted of 1 mile of jogging in the morning. wendy's grilled chicken sandwich plain (and sometimes a baked potato with butter) and then 6-9 Budweisers for dinner. And lots of water throughout the day. I think it's easy to see that was a bad and unhealthy diet, and could have contributed to rapid weight loss.
 
:hurray: Congrats on the 40lbs lost! Keep it up the Great Work and you look Fantastic!!!

1200 calorie is pretty low for a male.
 
Well 4 lbs per week seems like a lot to me but look at what the contestants regularly lose every week on The Biggest Loser. Personally I think 2 lbs per week is a lot and I was ecstatic to lose that much the first 3 months. I lost 10 to 12 lbs per month for the first 3 months. Then 5 lbs per month the next two months, then I actually gained 4 lbs in December of last year. Increasing my intensity and dedication when January 2009 came around, I got back to losing 1 to 1.5 lbs per week.
 
Thanks for the inspiring comment superfox!

1200 calorie is pretty low for a male.
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I kind of agree with you superfox. I am trying to figure out how to add more calories to my intake without adding much more food, and without making them unhealthy calories. I could probably eat 3 apples or something for the calories to get it closer to 1500 but I would truley be too stuffed to add that much food and at this point I kind of feel guilty if I were to say add some cheese to brocolli or cauliflower for some extra calories. I was doing some math based off of some other posts on the forum and it looks like my resting metabolic rate is 2604 - 3038. That is based off of taking my current weight (217lbs) times 12 to 14 so someone please correct me if I am not figuring that out correctly. But with keeping the food healthy and nutritious, I really cant see how I would add more calories without being so stuffed that I can't move :). But someone please feel free to comment if this sounds unhealthy or needs to change. I am definitely here to learn just as much as I am here for the motivation.

Well 4 lbs per week seems like a lot to me but look at what the contestants regularly lose every week on The Biggest Loser
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Good point Derrick, I have never watched the biggest looser but I am wanting to give it a try just to see what it's all about. I hear my mom talking about it all of the time. I'll have to see when it's on. But from what I have heard, you have a good point. It sounds like they loose massive amounts of weight in a short time.
 
Isn't amazing to see the difference from the eating habits we had before? When I didn't track anything I ate, It's scary to know that I was probably eating for 2 people! I ate anything that looked good. I ate even when I wasn't hungry. Now that everything is watched, 1200 -1500 is just enough to satisfy you.

For adding a bit more calories, how about adding in some grilled chicken.
Oh, I also have a link I can send you for a calorie calculator. Check you messages.

-Cat
 
Hey Superfox,

Grilled chicken is a main staple of my food intake, I would say I a piece of grilled chicken for dinner with some veggies and usually whole grain brown rice 4 or 5 times a week. I love grilling chicken breasts. I have lots of different seasonings to keep the flovors from getting old. I guess I could eat more chicken :p

I really want to start looking into making sure I am getting the proper balance of protein/carbs/fats in my diet. Off to start surching for that information or an easy way to calculate it.

On a side note.... I gained weight for the first time since i have started loosing this weekend. It was terribly hot and my air conditioner didnt kick on when I started it up for the first time this year. I was too hot to work out and didnt want to be sweating while cooking dinner because I can't stand sweating while I am eating. I am going to blame RJAZ520 because I read his latest post to his thread and it made me decide to order a pizza and ate way too much of it :p I was up about 4 lbs when I weighed myself this morning but I way myself constantly so hopefully it will be back down in a couple of days. Just kidding about blaming you RJAZ520, I don't blame you, if anything you are motivation to me!!

The AC is back up and running today so no more hot weather to keep me from continuing.
 
Hey I haven't been on recently but I'm back!
Wow Pizza. How much weight did you gain from the pizza?? Did you eat the whole thing? Remember all in moderation =)

Yes, Chicken is my best friend. Not only is it low in calories but filling.
I have to say I didn't work out last week. I ate a lot less. Been way too busy to even think about food. The only work out I got was a hiking trip on Sunday to Zion National Park. However with all that said, I managed to lose 6 lbs for that week!!! I'm super excited!

Well, Keep going at it!!!! You are a Superstar!!! =D
 
Hey Doug,
Just checking in....How is everything going? Looks like you're doing well.

Isn't interesting once you start counting calories?? I had to up my calories as well but find better ones too!!

Have a great weekend!!
 
Hey guys. I've been on the forum a lot lately but not checking my own page here :p

The only work out I got was a hiking trip on Sunday to Zion National Park. However with all that said, I managed to lose 6 lbs for that week!!!
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Good for you Superfox! I went hiking on Monday myself. It was great. The dog enjoyed it too.

Just checking in....How is everything going? Looks like you're doing well.

Isn't interesting once you start counting calories?? I had to up my calories as well but find better ones too!!
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Hey PEC, I'm doing ok. Still got a lot of craziness in my life but i've been doing a bit better with it all lately. Ya, the calorie's from fat, protien, and carbs thing is a bit overwhelming at first. I'm starting to get the hang of it. Its actually becoming sort of a hobby for now.

I am fluctuating back and forth between 210 and 215. I weigh myself constantly so I expect those fluctuations but it's good. I hope to be under 200lbs soon!! That will be a good feeling and is officially my next mini goal.

I hope you all are doing good still! Keep up the good work.
 
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