300 Consecutive Days of MFP w/Pics! Almost 60 Pounds Lost
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EPICSRT
Posts: 222 Member
So, lets just go straight to the stats and pictures, and then if you feel like reading, please do!
I am 5 feet 10 inches tall.
*Starting Information 6/29/2011:
Starting Weight: 220 pounds
Starting Waist: 44.75 inches
Starting Neck: 17 inches
Fat: 30% (approx)
*As of today 4/22/2012:
Weight: 162 pounds
Waist: 32.5 inches
Neck: 14.25 inches
Fat: 15% (approx)
TOTAL LOST:
Weight: 58 Pounds
Waist: 12.25 Inches
Neck: 2.75 Inches
Fat: 15% (approx)
Body fat noted above was obtained using a digital scale (I’ve only used the once scale since I began).
Before:
Started MFP on June 29, 2012
This is me at about 225 pounds
August 23, 2011 – 20 pounds lost and 30 Day Shred Begins
September 21, 2011 – 30 Day Shred Results
Please note, I actually lost about 50 pounds by Christmas 2011. Since then I have slowly working on reducing body-fat, losing some more inches and trying build up a little muscle. The “After” is where I am at today.
Now:
For anyone who’s interested, my diary is public. I do not eat clean, nor is what I consume always the healthiest. I have come to terms with the fact that I will NOT give up foods (including junk food) that I love to eat. I am just determined to be smarter about how much of it I consume and mixing in the “better for you” foods I was previously lacking. For me, this has been about changing my habits so that my weight loss is sustainable without fad dieting and still being able to enjoy what I eat.
For those that might want to know the details:
Although I have never been significantly overweight I still have had my own struggles with eating and weight. I have often turned to fast-food and junk food as a regular part of my diet, and I have been paying for it!
We all have our own history and I figured I would share a little of mine: Joining the military, I weighed about 150lbs when I entered boot camp at age 18. When I finished my 2-year enlistment I weighed 200lbs. While on the ship I spent a minimum of 3 hours a day in the weight room, 6 days a week, and had a body fat measurement of about 9-11%. I use to have aspirations to compete in All Natural competitions. I wasn’t completely ripped, but I was headed that way. I watched what I ate and didn’t have any issues with being able to make time to exercise.
Over the years I have become less physically active and have utilized my time for other pursuits, not related to my lofty aspirations of my military days, such as returning to school. All the while, my weight never really dipped below 200lbs (or at least not for very long). As time went on I went from a 32” waist to a 38” waist and at one point had to buy 40” waist pants. My body had physically changed, and my weight at one point peaked at about 227lbs. This may not seem like a lot compared to others, but I at about 5’10” tall, compared to where I was at in the military, it was is not good.
I had been bouncing from about 205lbs to 227lbs for the last 10 years and reached a point where I had become just plain fed up with being tired, feeling lethargic, being out of breath with light exercise and just plain old not happy with man in mirror!!
I decided it was time to make a change!
I knew I needed to start tracking calories but didn’t know quite where to begin, until it dawns on me that there was probably an app for that. After some research and examining a few, I decided that MFP was probably going to best suited to my needs.
Being at “car guy” I decided to take an approach I figured would work best for me. I love classic cars, working on them and doing restorations. I referred to what I was going to do as “Mod The Bod!”
I decided that I would have to begin my own “Frame-Off” approach to getting back to better health.
Phase 1 – Teardown requires focusing on four things:
Controlling Portion Size
Controlling Consumption Rate
Controlling Overall Caloric Intake
Reintroducing Exercise To The Bod
The idea behind “Teardown” was exactly that! Shed the weight! This was not a speed contest. It was setting reasonably obtainable goals utilizing the four ideas listed above. The best way for me to begin my Mod The Bod road trip was to find a way to incorporate the four ideas above into my life. My goal for Phase 1 was to reduce my weight from 220lbs down to 185lbs before entering Phase 2 – Reconditioning.
Controlling Portion Size
This is mostly a mental stumbling block. Somewhere along the way (over the last 15 years) my portions at a meal have gotten larger and larger to the point of being ridiculous. For instance, I could cook a 3lb. tri-tip and easily eat a third of it along with the rest of my dinner. And don’t get me started on dessert! After a dinner like mentioned above, I could easily consume a third of a quart of ice-cream! I do not know why. I see food, I eat food! That mentality had to stop!
Controlling Consumption Rate
Fortunately, over the years I have slowed my eating down a bit. As a friend had previously mentioned to me, you have to give food time to settle in the stomach and actually provide a little time for the brain to register when the stomach is full. I am generally good with my consumption rate; I just don’t stop when I probably should.
Controlling Overall Caloric Intake
Hey, if you read my issues on controlling portion size, then this is a no brainer! I decided that I would use the MyFitnessPal app to monitor my caloric intake. THIS WAS NOT EASY at first!! I was use to stuffing my face with a lot of food and now I actually wanted to watch what I consumed. I chose the MFP because it seemed the most comprehensive and easiest to use of all the ones I previewed. And, best of all, it was completely free!!
Reintroducing Exercise To The Bod
This would not be as easy as it may sound. Getting up at 5:30am, 30 minute commute, at work by 7:00am, off at 5:00pm, 30 minute commute home (1:15 hour if I have to pick up the daughter from school), then dinner, chores (if needed), spend sometime with the daughter and wife, before I know it – bedtime! Since I was only marginally physically active, I would have to find alternative ways to incorporate exercise into my weekly routine. I started with a slow approach by doing very light, low intensity exercise periodically throughout the week.
My mid August I was felt I was ready to take on a daily exercise routine. I just didn’t know where to begin. This is where MFP’ers come in. After searching the forums I found plenty of information on Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. I decided to give it a go.
During 30DS I hit my goal of 185 pounds. YES! So that meant “Teardown” was completed and it was time for reconditioning. Reconditioning would still include some weight lost, albeit not as aggressive, but would mainly focus on reducing the fat and increasing muscle tone. This was NOT the time to “bulk up!” This was about leaning out by working with what I have and crafting a more physically fit body.
Here are my goals of Phase 2:
-Reduce weight to about 175 pounds (that’s another 10 pounds off).
-Increase muscle tone (don’t need to be completely ripped, but I want to look good).
-Reduce body fat percentage to at most 15%.
-Reduce the remaining fat from around the mid section (this is the biggest problem area).
I finished 30DS and was amped at the results I was getting and rolled right into JM’s Ripped In 30 Days. Near the end of September 2011 (about 90 days in) my stats where as follows:
Weight: 180 pounds
Waist: 37.25 inches
Neck: 15.5 inches
Into the beginning of November it had been 130 days since I decided to make a change in my life! I am still amazed at my results over the first 4 months! My stats at 130 days in:
Weight: 170 pounds
Waist: 35.25 inches
Neck: 15.25 inches
This meant I could officially start Phase 3 - Rebuild.
Phase 3 – Rebuild:
This was third part of my “frame-off” restoration. Now that the weight was off and my body fat percentage was in the upper teens the focus would be to shed more fat and at the same time try to build lean muscle. After finishing Ripped In 30 Days I decided to try JM’s 6 Week 6 Pack. I did this work out for about two weeks and didn’t feel that it was producing the same kind of results I had previously got from 30DS and RI30D. I got off the daily exercise wagon and decided to see what it would take to maintain my weight with only periodic moderate exercise and continuing to watch what I ate. I put my self into maintenance mode in the MFP app.
By December 25, 2011, utilizing the aforementioned approach, I was down to about 165 pounds. I had lost 55 pounds since starting at the end of June 2011! I was happy, but also concerned that with minimal exercise I was still losing weight. This began nearly a four month long battle with trying to get this eating thing in check to ensure I wasn’t under eating or over eating. After about 4 months of playing with the foods I eat, cycling calories and almost always being over my weekly-suggested caloric intake even with adding in exercise from JM’s Extreme Shed and Shred I still went down a couple more pounds. There came a point where the weight loss finally seemed to come to a point of leveling out, as I hadn’t gained or loss in about six weeks. So I decided to average my overage for the previous four months and calculate that to a daily number and have since modified my daily intake to reflect what I should be consuming.
After this, I decide that I could officially start Phase 4 - Maintain.
Phase 4 – Maintain:
This is the fourth (and final) part of my “frame-off” restoration. Now that the weight is off and my body fat percentage is down to an acceptable level the focus will now be to maintain a weight between 164 and 170.
I still have a little more fat to shed and at the same time try and build a little more lean muscle. Please note, I AM NO LONGER TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT. How I plan to achieve this will be continuing to watch how much I consume and finding excuses to get up off the couch and lead little more active lifestyle. In addition, I have renewed my commitment to incorporate a 50/50 mix of cardio and strength exercises into my routine.
Still no six pack yet, but I haven't been working as hard as need to make it happen. I do have an outline of where it should be as well as some a bit more definition on the side of where the six-pack should be. Maybe in a few more months I will get there! If I don’t, I’m not going to stress about it too much as I am pretty near content with where I am today!
I am 5 feet 10 inches tall.
*Starting Information 6/29/2011:
Starting Weight: 220 pounds
Starting Waist: 44.75 inches
Starting Neck: 17 inches
Fat: 30% (approx)
*As of today 4/22/2012:
Weight: 162 pounds
Waist: 32.5 inches
Neck: 14.25 inches
Fat: 15% (approx)
TOTAL LOST:
Weight: 58 Pounds
Waist: 12.25 Inches
Neck: 2.75 Inches
Fat: 15% (approx)
Body fat noted above was obtained using a digital scale (I’ve only used the once scale since I began).
Before:
Started MFP on June 29, 2012
This is me at about 225 pounds
August 23, 2011 – 20 pounds lost and 30 Day Shred Begins
September 21, 2011 – 30 Day Shred Results
Please note, I actually lost about 50 pounds by Christmas 2011. Since then I have slowly working on reducing body-fat, losing some more inches and trying build up a little muscle. The “After” is where I am at today.
Now:
For anyone who’s interested, my diary is public. I do not eat clean, nor is what I consume always the healthiest. I have come to terms with the fact that I will NOT give up foods (including junk food) that I love to eat. I am just determined to be smarter about how much of it I consume and mixing in the “better for you” foods I was previously lacking. For me, this has been about changing my habits so that my weight loss is sustainable without fad dieting and still being able to enjoy what I eat.
For those that might want to know the details:
Although I have never been significantly overweight I still have had my own struggles with eating and weight. I have often turned to fast-food and junk food as a regular part of my diet, and I have been paying for it!
We all have our own history and I figured I would share a little of mine: Joining the military, I weighed about 150lbs when I entered boot camp at age 18. When I finished my 2-year enlistment I weighed 200lbs. While on the ship I spent a minimum of 3 hours a day in the weight room, 6 days a week, and had a body fat measurement of about 9-11%. I use to have aspirations to compete in All Natural competitions. I wasn’t completely ripped, but I was headed that way. I watched what I ate and didn’t have any issues with being able to make time to exercise.
Over the years I have become less physically active and have utilized my time for other pursuits, not related to my lofty aspirations of my military days, such as returning to school. All the while, my weight never really dipped below 200lbs (or at least not for very long). As time went on I went from a 32” waist to a 38” waist and at one point had to buy 40” waist pants. My body had physically changed, and my weight at one point peaked at about 227lbs. This may not seem like a lot compared to others, but I at about 5’10” tall, compared to where I was at in the military, it was is not good.
I had been bouncing from about 205lbs to 227lbs for the last 10 years and reached a point where I had become just plain fed up with being tired, feeling lethargic, being out of breath with light exercise and just plain old not happy with man in mirror!!
I decided it was time to make a change!
I knew I needed to start tracking calories but didn’t know quite where to begin, until it dawns on me that there was probably an app for that. After some research and examining a few, I decided that MFP was probably going to best suited to my needs.
Being at “car guy” I decided to take an approach I figured would work best for me. I love classic cars, working on them and doing restorations. I referred to what I was going to do as “Mod The Bod!”
I decided that I would have to begin my own “Frame-Off” approach to getting back to better health.
Phase 1 – Teardown requires focusing on four things:
Controlling Portion Size
Controlling Consumption Rate
Controlling Overall Caloric Intake
Reintroducing Exercise To The Bod
The idea behind “Teardown” was exactly that! Shed the weight! This was not a speed contest. It was setting reasonably obtainable goals utilizing the four ideas listed above. The best way for me to begin my Mod The Bod road trip was to find a way to incorporate the four ideas above into my life. My goal for Phase 1 was to reduce my weight from 220lbs down to 185lbs before entering Phase 2 – Reconditioning.
Controlling Portion Size
This is mostly a mental stumbling block. Somewhere along the way (over the last 15 years) my portions at a meal have gotten larger and larger to the point of being ridiculous. For instance, I could cook a 3lb. tri-tip and easily eat a third of it along with the rest of my dinner. And don’t get me started on dessert! After a dinner like mentioned above, I could easily consume a third of a quart of ice-cream! I do not know why. I see food, I eat food! That mentality had to stop!
Controlling Consumption Rate
Fortunately, over the years I have slowed my eating down a bit. As a friend had previously mentioned to me, you have to give food time to settle in the stomach and actually provide a little time for the brain to register when the stomach is full. I am generally good with my consumption rate; I just don’t stop when I probably should.
Controlling Overall Caloric Intake
Hey, if you read my issues on controlling portion size, then this is a no brainer! I decided that I would use the MyFitnessPal app to monitor my caloric intake. THIS WAS NOT EASY at first!! I was use to stuffing my face with a lot of food and now I actually wanted to watch what I consumed. I chose the MFP because it seemed the most comprehensive and easiest to use of all the ones I previewed. And, best of all, it was completely free!!
Reintroducing Exercise To The Bod
This would not be as easy as it may sound. Getting up at 5:30am, 30 minute commute, at work by 7:00am, off at 5:00pm, 30 minute commute home (1:15 hour if I have to pick up the daughter from school), then dinner, chores (if needed), spend sometime with the daughter and wife, before I know it – bedtime! Since I was only marginally physically active, I would have to find alternative ways to incorporate exercise into my weekly routine. I started with a slow approach by doing very light, low intensity exercise periodically throughout the week.
My mid August I was felt I was ready to take on a daily exercise routine. I just didn’t know where to begin. This is where MFP’ers come in. After searching the forums I found plenty of information on Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. I decided to give it a go.
During 30DS I hit my goal of 185 pounds. YES! So that meant “Teardown” was completed and it was time for reconditioning. Reconditioning would still include some weight lost, albeit not as aggressive, but would mainly focus on reducing the fat and increasing muscle tone. This was NOT the time to “bulk up!” This was about leaning out by working with what I have and crafting a more physically fit body.
Here are my goals of Phase 2:
-Reduce weight to about 175 pounds (that’s another 10 pounds off).
-Increase muscle tone (don’t need to be completely ripped, but I want to look good).
-Reduce body fat percentage to at most 15%.
-Reduce the remaining fat from around the mid section (this is the biggest problem area).
I finished 30DS and was amped at the results I was getting and rolled right into JM’s Ripped In 30 Days. Near the end of September 2011 (about 90 days in) my stats where as follows:
Weight: 180 pounds
Waist: 37.25 inches
Neck: 15.5 inches
Into the beginning of November it had been 130 days since I decided to make a change in my life! I am still amazed at my results over the first 4 months! My stats at 130 days in:
Weight: 170 pounds
Waist: 35.25 inches
Neck: 15.25 inches
This meant I could officially start Phase 3 - Rebuild.
Phase 3 – Rebuild:
This was third part of my “frame-off” restoration. Now that the weight was off and my body fat percentage was in the upper teens the focus would be to shed more fat and at the same time try to build lean muscle. After finishing Ripped In 30 Days I decided to try JM’s 6 Week 6 Pack. I did this work out for about two weeks and didn’t feel that it was producing the same kind of results I had previously got from 30DS and RI30D. I got off the daily exercise wagon and decided to see what it would take to maintain my weight with only periodic moderate exercise and continuing to watch what I ate. I put my self into maintenance mode in the MFP app.
By December 25, 2011, utilizing the aforementioned approach, I was down to about 165 pounds. I had lost 55 pounds since starting at the end of June 2011! I was happy, but also concerned that with minimal exercise I was still losing weight. This began nearly a four month long battle with trying to get this eating thing in check to ensure I wasn’t under eating or over eating. After about 4 months of playing with the foods I eat, cycling calories and almost always being over my weekly-suggested caloric intake even with adding in exercise from JM’s Extreme Shed and Shred I still went down a couple more pounds. There came a point where the weight loss finally seemed to come to a point of leveling out, as I hadn’t gained or loss in about six weeks. So I decided to average my overage for the previous four months and calculate that to a daily number and have since modified my daily intake to reflect what I should be consuming.
After this, I decide that I could officially start Phase 4 - Maintain.
Phase 4 – Maintain:
This is the fourth (and final) part of my “frame-off” restoration. Now that the weight is off and my body fat percentage is down to an acceptable level the focus will now be to maintain a weight between 164 and 170.
I still have a little more fat to shed and at the same time try and build a little more lean muscle. Please note, I AM NO LONGER TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT. How I plan to achieve this will be continuing to watch how much I consume and finding excuses to get up off the couch and lead little more active lifestyle. In addition, I have renewed my commitment to incorporate a 50/50 mix of cardio and strength exercises into my routine.
Still no six pack yet, but I haven't been working as hard as need to make it happen. I do have an outline of where it should be as well as some a bit more definition on the side of where the six-pack should be. Maybe in a few more months I will get there! If I don’t, I’m not going to stress about it too much as I am pretty near content with where I am today!
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Replies
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What a great story. You touched on a lot of the same things I had been thinking about as I started this journey 3 months ago. Great great job!! My husband and I feel the same way about eating also. It is just nice to know we are not the only ones.
Congrats!!!0 -
I'll be honest, I skimmed through your story...but what I did grab from it was that you ARE an inspiration to many out there! Especially using JMs 30 Day Shred...I didn't really think about it, but guys CAN do it to (user her DVDs) and get great results! Just look at you! You look great! Keep up the amazing work you're doing and thanks for sharing!
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Wow... thank you for taking the time to share all that. I love to read how people achieved their goals. The photos are great too... big difference!0
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You've definitely nailed the weight loss process! I used to watch as you dropped 2 lbs a week in total awe (and jealousy, haha)!!! ;o) Great job finding your balance and recognizing your food challenges while taking a hold of them and showing 'em who's boss! You have such a similar (I mean, SO freakin' similar) frame as my husband. He started doing StrongLifts 5x5 and the changes in his body (in terms of muscular development) are VERY NICE on the eyes!
I suggest looking into that program - it's a non-complicated way to build up some strength/muscle since you are pretty much done with your fat shedding. Keep up the great work!! 0 -
You look great and I can so relate to the car guy thing except I'm a girl, maybe I need to use your Mod The Bod approach. Me, my husband and son are restoring a 73 chevelle right now for my sons first car.0
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i want to come back and read.. thanks for posting.0
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I will definitely re-read this when I'm home from work, but this is very inspirational. Thanks so much for the post...I see a lot more of women's before & after's, so seeing results from my gender is definitely motivating.
-Brad0 -
GG!!! You're amazing!0
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Thank you for the great comments,
Sorry about the novel, but I figured I would get all the info out at once instead posting multiple times.
princessyork: love chevelles! I'm a bigger fan of 64-67, but still like the early 70's.
MrsRipdizzle: thank you for your motivation along the way! I may not have a whole lot to say, but when I do - watch out! Lol!0 -
Another note, maintaining has so far been easier that I originally expected. I was worried that I would keep yo-yo'ing on weight. I have also come to terms with the fact MFP is now a pretty permanent fixture in my life!
I will continue to monitor my intake and exercise to make sure I am not over eating (which is still easy to do) and to make sure I stay active.0 -
Great accomplishment! (although not so sure about the shaving part)0
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WOW amazing congrats !!0
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You look great! And your little one is adorable!0
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Awesome!0
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You look amazing! Your hard work has definitly paid off!0
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Awesome job, really. Thanks for sharing the whole story, it is very inspirational.
I checked your food diary too, it's really nice. Good to see someone that lost while eating plenty. No wonder the transition into maintenance is easier than you thought
Again, well done, enjoy the ride now 0 -
Great story with lots of details. Very realistic with your goals and congradulations!!0
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What a terrific story! Thanks for sharing....very inspirational!0
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It's interesting to read this because I pretty much have the same body as you (in size, weight, height and body fat %)... but I'm curious if the same approach would work for me considering I'm a woman! lol Men tend to lose weight more easily than women, sadly...
But I like your approach, I'm all about planning and steps! I'm a little bit less on level ground with exercise than I am with other things (like finances!) with exercise and losing weight it's so uncontrollable... I am unsure about how much it's going to take to get my metabolism up and running well.
Did you start losing weight right away? I've done pretty much everything you did in the phase 1 and I know it's only been a week but I'm not seeing ANY change... I will continue on, I just want to know if there's anyone who it took a whileto get their body INTO it?0 -
Congratulations on your success and thank you for the inspiration. The breakdown that you developed is something anyone can follow as long as they are determined. Great Job. What a great example for us and your family. Continued success in all your endeavors.0
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