Time off to exercise - your comments

I understand where you're coming from, but this is most likely rooted in a wish to make an amazing transformation before people you know see you again and these plans tend to backfire and add to our self worth issues. Like others have said, it would be wise to keep working and just add one hour a day of exercise. If you are really passionate add another hour of just walking or stretching. During your time at work you can save up for new clothes, gym classes that are motivating, accessories, healthful food, you name it. I've tried doing a few hours a day before and you burn out quickly. Suddenly you become ravenous and eat back all your exercise calories, etc.

I don't recommend taking time off from work. Unemployment (regardless of how it is initiated) is the root of all weight gain evil. I have been out of work for 6 months+. I gained 20lbs very early on, on top of whatever I wanted to lose when I was working. If you look at my ticker, my weight loss goal is the same as yours. I can't WAIT to get back to work because I know I will drop 20lbs just from actively working again. There are 24 hours in a day and you want to work out 3-4 hours per day, but what happens to all that other unaccounted time in a day? I think it is a risk losing the active time you have at work for a few more hours of work out time. Also, I hope taking that time off doesn't put your job security in jeopardy because a new job search could be hard and long. I hope this helps!

Also, I'm currently out of work (not by choice) with time on my hands and I only work out 1 hour each day, 5 days a week.

4 hours a day is doable... 3 hours a day shopping for and preparing healthy meals, and 1 hour a day working out. A recipe for success. The 50 lbs in a few months idea is never going to work.

It's not crazy if you're training for something, and over training is an excuse (most of the time). Most people will never come close to actually over training.

Once you get going every day, you start to recover faster (assuming you eat well). When your body physically tells you to stop, then stop. Fatigue, soreness, cramps - are all normal things. Excruciating pain that physically limits your exercise is not. Use common sense.

You should fit exercise into your schedule though. I work full time (no kids and not married so I have extra time in those respects), and I can fit in 2-3 hours of exercise a day. I don't usually, but i can.

I lost 47 pounds in 5 months working 9 hours per day 5 days a week.

All you need is 1 hour of exercise 6 days a week and a healthy diet!


Go to work and get paid. A good job is hard to find these days!!!

Similar story. June of last year I was 290ish. By the end of the year I was 230ish. That's with 45 minutes of cardio 3-4 days a week, some simple lifting 3 days a week, and a simple diet change (pretty much did meat/veggies/dairy only most of the time).

Well contestants from the Biggest Loser take 3-4 mths off to lose weight & workout up to 8hrs per day, so I don't think what you are doing is "crazy"!

they have hundreds of pounds to lose. OP only has 50.

this is ridiculous. just take 30-60 minutes a day and watch what you eat.

Thank you all for your comments.
No, the picture is not me. I thought it would encourage me a bit more seeing it everyday......
It is very hard for me to lose weight. I lose 1 or 2 lbs a week and if I "cheat" one day I seem to gain 2-3 back.

1 - 2lbs a week is EXCELLENT progress. You should be happy with that.

the 2-3lbs you gain from cheating for 1 day are likely just water weight, or food that hasn't left your digestive tract yet. This usually goes down in 2-3 days leaving you right back on track. you cant put on 3lbs of fat overnight, it is simply impossible.

The things that you would do to keep the weight off are the same things you'd do to get it off, so it's best to practise now and do it slowly than do a mad rush and figure it out later and risk putting it all back on.

You and I are similar in age... from one 40 yr old human to another: 90% of our success is in diet. Any fool can exercise. It's those calories consumed (usually late in the day) that make the difference.

I've been working our weights and cardio steady for over 4 years and my weight bounces between 199 and 223 - completely dependent on my eating habits. Currently I'm eating healthy and melting down to 199 again. It all starts and ends in the supermarket !

4 hrs! aint nobody got time fo dat.