40 lbs Lost for My 40th

NoelKingwell

Existential Crisis Alert!

Got back to logging my food at Christmas 2020 with my 40th Birthday half a year away. My goal was to be sub-10% BF and I charted my course by simplifying it down to concentrating on calorie intake and challenging myself to work on a new Bodyweight Skill each month, as well as 30 to 90 minute walks outside most days.

212 to 187 before a 2 week vacation in March where I concentrated on weight maintainance while enjoying myself, and I returned still 187.

Added Weight Training back in the gym in April, a weekly Lane Swim in May, and hoping to add a weekly Boxing Class when everything opens back up later this month.

If you'd have told me at Christmas that I could even get under 180 lbs, which I haven't been in 20 years, I wouldn't have believed you.

6.5 months and I've gone from 212/16.9% to 172/ 7.2% (according to my scale, I know it's probably not that low if I were to get a caliper test) and the most mind blowing thing to me is how much I've increased my daily caloric intake as I've gotten leaner and I'm still dropping bodyfat.

All 3 weeks before my 40th.

Tic78

Great result. Happy birthday when it comes. What height are you out of curiosity

NoelKingwell

Thanks

I used to claim to be 6' but recently I've had 2 separate Doctors assure me that I am indeed closer to 5'11". lol

Tic78

How many years have you lifted? I had a similar goal a few years ago. I got there but with the gym shut for over a year I blew it and now have about 30lbs to lose (for the fourth time!!!!)

NoelKingwell

I started going to the gym in my teens and worked and managed gyms in my mid-20s. As an adult, I've yoyo'd up and down to as heavy as 230. I got into decent shape about 7 years ago and have maintained 190-200 until the pandemic. I just don't have the attention span or patience to hit the gym for longer than a half-hour, so I've been circuit training since April and following it up with a nice, long, brisk hike outside. Here's an Instagram post of my workout.

I'm glad I waited to add the lifting until I was 3 months in and had my eating on point this time around. I always found that lifting made me hungrier, which made it harder not to blow up my menu with cheat meals that turned into cheat days that turned into cheat weeks, etc. lol

Now, I've changed my thinking from "watching" what I'm eating, to "knowing" what I'm eating and it's made it a lot easier to stick with my daily calorie intake.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Tic78

Checked out the videos thanks for sharing. Not sure I will be able to do a frog push up anytime soon!

I know what you mean about cheat days turning into weeks. I had a cheat year with the pandemic. Calories went from 2100 a day to 4000 lol. Now I have to pay that price and am back at 2200 now.

40th birthday cakes don't have calories just so you know

yweight2020

Awesome job, Happy birthday 🤗🥳♥️

FABRICWOMAN

Happy birthday. Wozza yozza, what a transformation. Keep up the good work.

happimess01

What a legend! Congrats! How many calories were you eating? How much was your deficit? Thanks!

NoelKingwell

@Tic78 Fingers crossed I don't eat myself into a sugar coma! Lol

@happimess01 I started out at 1700-1800 and have increased to 2100, 100 Cal's at a time, as my activity increased and my bodyfat dropped. If I have to guess, I'll end up around 2500 for maintenance. Increasing incrementally until I find that equalibrium.

cymande1961

Excellent commitment - and Happy Birthday!

NoelKingwell

Post Bday Week Camping Trip Update:
My last weigh in of my 30s was 169 lbs, which put me just past the 40 lbs Lost mark. Left that day for a week at Prince Albert National Park here in Sask and enjoyed a week of Birthday Cake, Pizza, BBQ Burgers, Campfire Hotdogs and of course Roasted Marshmallows. I wanted to let myself indulge without completely blowing it up and falling back into bad habits, so I continued to log my meals, even when some days entered into the 4000-5000 calorie range. Every morning I got up early and picked a different 5-10km hike to do, and spent afternoons at the beach reading and soaking up the sun.

Returned home and hopped on the scale.... 177 lbs! Hahaha.
Lots of it was puffy water weight from all the crap I ate and I've lost 3 lbs in the 4 days since. Recalibrated my calories back to 2400cals and have hit the gym, pool and walking trails each day just like before.

I feel really good about my strategy of KNOWING what I'm eating over "WATCHING" what I eat. Knowing what I eat means knowing my Daily Calorie Intake and allows me to enjoy the foods I love while maintaining my healthy body composition and lifestyle.

DON'T LET THE GUILT OF HAVING A CHEAT OR REFEED DAY MAKE YOU SAY SCREW IT!! LOG EVERYTHING AND RECALIBRATE.

Tic78

Well done and Happy Birthday. Still on the way back down here but will get back there 💪

TannerBoyl

That is so awesome! Congratulations on achieving your goals! All that hard work and consistency paid off!