Official SI "Get in Shape" Support Group

[BigDog]

Here's some great info for you guys:

From Men's Health

[det2orl]

Allow me to point you to my signature.

I am in the middle of a 100-pound weight loss program (30 down, 70 to go). Five other people have joined my ranks, including my wife, and WayDownTownBang of these forums. Together, we've formed the F.A.T. Coalition - FAT being Fit And Trim.

Check out my blog, jump to the others involved on my sidebar, comment and encourage us, and if you want, start a blog and join us!

Way to go KA!!! Keep up the good work. More than a quarter of the way there.

[cmuspmed]

This thread is a great idea. Support is always looked at highly upon when it comes to dieting.

I am your typical dieter - stick to it for a few months, and then this or that comes up that causes conflicts with my regular workouts and then the "well I will do it tomorrow" mentality slips back in and then I am back at square one.

I have been a pretty large guy for a LONG time. By the end of HS I was somewhere around 225-250 - slightly overweight for 6'1". My first two year in college weren't good to me as I ballooned up to 3 bills. Between my second and third year at college, I was going to get married, so I went hard core on the diet and exercise (anyone heard of "Body-4-Life"?), exercising everyday and cutting carbs/increasing protein, and was able to drop to 225 when I got married. Unfortuately, my wife is a good cook so I didn't stick to it as well as I should have. Then she got pregnant the next March, and I gained weight about as fast as she did (sympathy weight gain?). I was back up to 290 before I knew it. Since then, I have tried reasonably regularly to adjust my eating habits and exercise regularly, but with little consistency.

My reasons for trying to get my weight down are simple. My wife and I have 4 kids now, and plan to have more. We are both quite overweight, and both have this sense that if we don't do something NOW, the potential is that we may not be around to see our grandkids. Additionally, I have my 10 year HS reunion this summer, and would like to look at least reasonably better than I did when I graduated.

The two biggest problems I have come up against currently is the fact that I am getting older and losing weight has become that much more difficult. Add to that the fact that last week I came down with quite possibly THE WORST cold I have ever had and haven't been able to hit it as hard as I want to, the progress has been slow. I have forced myself to walk 2-4 miles/day despite being sick, so that is one positive step I am not letting the excuse of being sick let me be completely lazy.

The other great limiter has always been cost. When I did the Body-4-Life program, you did protein shakes. Obviously those are expensive (my parents always fronted the money for them). Add to that the fact that ANY food that is healthy is more expensive than its less healthy counterpart (see Whole wheat bread v. white bread). Being a one income family with 4 kids makes money for the more expensive foods nonexistent. You would think that a nation that is as out-of-shape as we are, would be smart enough to make those foods that would HELP the situation more affordable, instead of making the bad foods cheap.

I would love to hear any suggestions, recipes, resources, exercise regimens, etc others may have to share. Ideally I want to get down to 2 bills, but would be very happy getting down to somewhere in the lower 200's.

[CALHOUN]

Attachment 1790

I imade this in excel. but cant upload .xls so if you want to save and open in excel its much easier to understand

[Go Blue Girl]

Silly me! I thought I was on a women's website when I say all the talk about dieting, exercise, and forming a "support group" of sorts.

Actually, I think it is great. You go boys! My goal for the new year it to commit to working out 3 days a week. Lately I have been only going once a week, but I want to step it up. Lots of heart disease in my family so I need the cardio workout minimum 3 days a week.

[hupthefool]

I'm in the "you'd better lose some weight" category. My Dr. always asks me every year after my yearly check up, "aren't you afraid?" Family health history, smoking and being overweight are not good combinations.

As Biff stated, it's all a mindset. Couple years ago I humped on the treadmill, ate right and lost a quick 25 pounds prior to a golf outing. Since then, I've put it all back on and then some. I would like to lose 50 pounds and be a hard belly again, although that is a bit of stretch at 46.

So far trying in 2007, I don't have the mind set. Maybe if I took all the pool stuff off of the treadmill I might start walking?

[BubblesTheLion]

It's just hard to get in shape in the winter.
You have to be a bit insane to do it.

IF you got a nice home gym, you're just F-ing lazy.

[rabidgiraffe]

i'm not looking into doing anything major, but i could stand to lose a few pounds. i need to fight off the heart disease history, but a bad knee and a terrible knee don't help. i'm 6'-5", and when i played sports in college, i was at 205. after my knee surgeries (about 7 years ago), i ended up at 220-225 and i haven't been below that since. i'm now at around 230. i don't have time to work out as often as i used to. once or twice a week is standard now. plus, my weakness is i love to eat. i don't eat that bad at all, i keep it relatively lean and balanced, but i love the quantity. i don't have much willpower.

i'm not looking for a major change in lifestyle. just a few tips then can help me drop about 10 lbs.

[hupthefool]

IF you got a nice home gym, you're just F-ing lazy.

You think?:rolleyes:

[WayDowntownBang]

Kevin beat me to it. Kevin, his wife, myself and a few others have formed a webring of blogs that detail each day of our lives, and how we've been losing the weight.

For anyone who is really serious about it, either hit Kevin up on his site or myself on mine (http://icanseemytoes.blogspot.com). It's helped with motivation big time. I'm down about 11 since November 22, Kev's down 31 in a long span, and we've all had success.

If you want, read what we're doing. We're always looking for more members to join the blog ring.

[GaryAngel]

Well, I started just before the Holidays. I have about 50 lbs to come off. I am on 5 meal plan, 1400-1500 calories. You are better off to east more meals that are smaller. I hired a trainer to help be change my diet and to learn how to exercise properly. I workout about an hour a day total. About 20 minutes in the morning do work on the abs, a stroll (5-10) blocks depending on how busy my day is, I try to spend at least 20 minutes outside at lunch time and 30 minutes in the weight room. All together about 60-70 minutes.