Long and Hellish Road to Weight Loss: A Veteran's Perspective

mcneelyroyal
mcneelyroyal Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey there! I want to start a discussion about what works and what doesn't. Back in the 1995-1999, my father got my brother and me in weight training. It was great being a 6'2, German, English, Sicilian, Irish dude mainly because it did not take me or my brother to start bulking up naturally. Our issue was that our father and others alike told us we need to "CARB UP!" So after working out, we would have of course, some sort of pasta & a freakin' protein shake. After reflecting on this over the years, it was not the way for us to go. I was always curious as to why we never leaned out. Honestly, we didn't mind since we could out bench and squat the football, wrestling and soccer teams. And no, I never played any of those. I preferred basketball, baseball, golf and bowling. :wink:

Now fast forward to 2001 - 2008. Being in the U.S. Army, I was deemed a "FATBOY" and I'm not talking about the Harley. :tongue: Though I was 6'2 at 230lbs, my BMI is supposed to be that of a twig. Not very conducive for a military member. Anyways, throughout this time, I was strength training. I only have a 46' chest and some nice legs as the ladies have told me. Thank you Squats! :naughty: Because of me being a Tubtub, I have always second guessed what I am eating. I started to watch my sodium intake thinking I had water retention issues. So my happy *kitten* decided to go see a Military nutritionist. Yeah....that was a HUGE mistake. I was just given the food pyramid. :disappointed: I seriously wanted to throw it back at the Officer and open-hand smack him.

To make things worse for my weight issue, I had a lower back issue after my tour in Iraq in 2007. Soooooo of course, I can't run, jump, lift b/c my legs would go numb. I seriously wanted to rip someone apart due to how pissed I was. In 2008, I was medically retired from the Army since they couldn't guarantee my health on top of me setting the standard for my troops to which I hold dear. It would just be poor leadership and judgement if they kept me in.

Anywho, 2009 - present. As a civilian with a secure job, getting married and starting my own business, I have had many set backs. Deploying to Afghanistan twice for 7 months as a contractor, I dropped weight b/c of no McD's or other crap food. That was easy. Coming back was easy but difficult. It was easy to stay on my normal diet of eating healthy. The difficult part of course...HEY look! McDonalds! Wendys! Now keep in mind, I didn't gorge myself like the Romans did in their purgetorium. So you are likely wondering, how much I weigh at this time....260lbs. This is while I am still lifting and eating 1,700 calories. I've been using MyFitnessPal for a good hot minute along with other research.

My recent routine was M, T, W, Th, F doing split routines. Back/Bi, Chest/Tri, Shoulder/Legs at 60 minutes as well as 15 minutes of Cardio. Well this wasn't working for me. So I consulted a VA nutritionist and she informed me I need to eat ~2,200 calories, increase my protein and to lower my carbs. For me, this is easy; however, eating 2,200 calories of good food sucks b/c it is soo much of it.

So my plan now as of 05 November 2017, is perform full body workouts M, W, F w/ 15 min cardio and HIT on T, Th, Sa with Sunday as my rest days. One of my Veteran friends, who was a fitness trainer, just recently informed me that full body workouts for my build would be best for leaning out. Honestly, I hope so. I'm getting tired as is my back.

So what are your thoughts about this whole dealio? Don't be shy. I want others to know my story so we can have an open discussion to help me, you and others.

Replies

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    YepItsKriss wrote: »
    @GottaBurnEmAll

    South park reference? lol i swear thats what "profit" reminds me of... underwear gnomes

    Nah, just me babbling away!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • mcneelyroyal
    mcneelyroyal Posts: 2 Member
    @YepItsKriss: I agree with the nutritionist view on how they are trained; however, I failed to state that my VA nutritionist is also a Bariatric surgeon for more than 10 years and has been working with individuals who are 400+ lbs and has been doing various researches to find out the best courses of action for weight loss. THANK GOD! As for the determination of caloric intake, she used the typical mathematical formula that identified that I should be eating ~2,000 – 2,200 calories. I understand the deficit aspect due to man years of research. When I stated about the pasta, it was purely one food situation out of many of where my father and others led me astray due to the information available which is now partially null.

    @GottaBurnEmAll: MFP wanted me to eat ~1,700 calories based on sedentary, AKA sitting on my *kitten* at work, with 5 days of work out with a 2lbs loss per week. With this said, I recently tweaked things and MFP stated for me to eat the ~2,200 calories. Reading up forums and research is what I do best. The issue that I have is that there is a TON of misinformation; hence, why I spoke with a specialist from the VA to which I was very fortunate to get the information. We are due to speak again every 2-3 months to track my failure/success with the tweakings that I have done regarding food and workout.

    ALL: Food is 70/80% of the issue regarding weight loss and work out is the other 30/20% of the battle. There has been numerous testimonies from celebrities on YouTube who had to drop weight for roles. In regards to carbs, I go after the good carbs (e.g. Fruits, Veggies) and attempt to stay away from the baddies (e.g. breads and processed crap). Of course everything has to be done in moderation. Yes, I have my typical 1L of Hefeweizen beer once/twice a week, but that is to be factored in what we eat. Of course do your own research to find out more.

    www.diabetes.co.uk/nutrition/simple-carbs-vs-complex-carbs.html

    http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/caloriedense-vs-nutrientdense-food-5391.html

    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-most-nutrient-dense-foods-on-the-planet


    https://youtu.be/PlU2htzzflk
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,860 Member
    Complex carbs are starches (grains, potatoes, etc.) and simple carbs are sugar (including those in fruit).

    That said, the most nutritious carbs are vegetables and fruits, probably, and they tend to come with fiber, so I think mostly focusing on vegetables and fruits as your carb source isn't a bad plan. I find some other sources of starchy carbs helpful -- legumes (beans and lentils, potatoes and sweet potatoes, some kinds of whole grains), but find your own way. Since calorie deficit IS what matters for weight loss, the whole carb thing is really about what makes it more sustainable for you to stick to your goal and what makes you feel best. I did an experiment with very low carbs and find that lately anyway I feel best with more fruit and starchy carbs than I was eating (I was always eating lots of veg). I'd say a good pasta meal with some lean protein, a little olive oil, and lots and lots of vegetables can be completely consistent with eating a healthful diet and losing weight (I lost a bunch of weight eating such meals, as part of my diet), but your mileage may vary.

    Anyway, I think the issue is probably less misinformation (although that exists too) as making everyone think that if they don't get everything 100% perfect it won't work. IMO, for weight loss, figure out your maintenance calories and eat less. For muscle maintenance, focus on protein (about .8-1 g per LBM in lb or .65-.85 g per lb of a healthy body weight, more is fine too). For health, eat a healthful diet (good source: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/, but this is really common sense). If you are struggling with energy or satiety, play with macros and eating times.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories