shrinkingbrian Member

I'm a big advocate of walking and walking on an incline. I live where there are lots of hills and mountains so I prefer hiking and walking on hills but I will use a treadmill in the winter or when the weather is bad. I have pretty good muscle definition now in my calves. I also do leg weight training exercises 3 times a…

I watched part of the first episode of the new season this week. I'm all for losing weight and staying fit but I think that the show sends the wrong message. You need to lose weight over a longer period of time. It has taken me almost two years to lose 210 pounds. At my last annual physical exam, my doctor suggested to go…

As a former big guy at 405 pounds (and now at 195 pounds), I think finding the proper motivation to live healthy is key. For me, I was afraid of dying young. I was 38 years old and my grandfather died of a heart attack at age 47 and that is way too young. I knew that I had to make changes. Once you have the right…

On the night before I got married, I was playing basketball with my future brothers in law. I jammed my ringer finger on the ball so I couldn't even fit my ring on my ring finger. It took a few days for the swelling to come down. All of our wedding pictures have me with my wedding ring on my pinkie. It's a funny story to…

I need to get my ring resized too. My ring doesn't even fit on my middle finger now that I have lost over 200 pounds.

I started at 405 pounds and now I'm at 197 pounds. I have done swimming nearly early weekday at the local high school. Swimming is a great exercise. I have also done walking and lifting weights but I probably burn the most calories swimming. It's also low impact with little injury compared to other activities. Just make…

I like to call it a "reward" meal for my hard work and I have one reward meal per week. I usually go out Friday or Saturday night to a restaurant. I realize that I eat more calories but it helps me to have something to look forward to during the week and one meal a week that I enjoy helps me with my long term health goals.…

I am 6-0 in height. I started at 405 pounds and now I'm at 197 pounds. Getting under 200 pounds was my original goal but now I want to work on building more muscle and still lose more fat. Once you get to the 220's, I would suggest looking in the mirror. I started taking monthly progress pictures (one pic with a shirt and…

I have lost 208 pounds in the last 19 months. For exercise, I do swimming, waking, and weight training. For bench press, I started do around a max of 10 reps at 105 pounds and now I can do 10 reps at 135 pounds. I still have a long way to go but I'm making progress. I think you can increase muscle while still losing weight…

My starting BMI was 55. My current BMI is 26 which is pretty much my goal weight. Now, I'm trying to add more muscle and decrease my body bad percentage now.

That's great. My resting pulse was in the 90s when I was over 400 pounds. Now that I have lost 200+ pounds, my resting pulse is around 48-55. I don't run (much) but I do lap swim each day, do lots of hiking, walking, and lift weights.

For me, a bowl of oatmeal or granola cereal with milk helps. I also might have a bowl of Cheerios with nonfat milk. I may eat 2 portions and I get pretty full.

I am 39 years old and married with two kids ages 9 and 7 with one more on the way. I was at 405 pounds in Feb. 2012. I'm now at 201 pounds. I just made a decision to lose weight after my little boy told me "Dad, you're too fat!" My family was my inspiration and motivation to lose weight. I'm 6-0. I had to have a…

Thanks everyone for the comments. I ran into an old friend the other day and he didn't even recognize me at first. I guess that happens after you drop 200+ pounds. Do I feel less manly? Absolutely not! I am stronger than ever. I lift weights six days a week (alternating muscle groups each day) and I'm stronger than I was…

I have used walking as one of my main forms of exercise to lose 200+ pounds. I lost the first 100 pounds by just walking and swimming. I have since added strength training but I still love walking. I did some running but I much prefer walking. I had problems with an ingrown toenail but I got the nail permanently removed. I…

I have lost 201 pounds so far. It's been a difficult but very rewarding journey. I'm getting closer to my goal weight. I'm 6-0 in height. Just try to stay motivated to live healthy.

Bananas and carrots are pretty inexpensive. Potatoes, beans, and rice are also inexpensive. My food budget is about the same even though I am eating fewer calories. Buy the big bag of carrots and then wash and peel and cut up into small chunks. They make great snacks and you can pretty much eat as many as you want until…

I went on a two week vacation with my family. I tried to watch my portions but I also tried to enjoy myself. I gained 5 pounds in two weeks. It was a good learning experience that I need to stay focused. I lost those 5 pounds in a week so I think it may have been some water weight from eating high sodium foods. Enjoy…

I was at 405 lbs on 2/17/12. I am now at 205 lbs as of 7/31/13 for a loss of 200 pounds in about 18 months. It is possible to lose weight. You just have to stay dedicated to living healthy by proper diet, nutrition, and exercise.

I have lost 49% of my body weight in the last 18 months (from 405 lbs to 205 lbs). I don't have much loose skin. I stay hydrated and lift weights combined with swimming. My goal is to continue to lift weights and swim and give myself another year for my skin to tighten up and bulk up a little.

I just got back from a 16 day vacation. I had a gain of 6 pounds. I did exercise some on my vacation but I ate at restaurants almost daily. I just have to get back on track now that I'm home. Today, I did my normal exercise routine and it felt great (walking, swimming, lifting weights). I really missed my normal exercise…

Thanks. I need to buy some new clothes. I guess I'm in denial that I'm a "large" t-shirt having worn 4XL and 3XL shirts for over a decade.

Here is a lik for another photographic height weight chart. http://www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.html

I was at 405 pounds at my heaviest back in Feb. 2012. Even though was I very obese, I still found time to walk almost on a daily basis. I started just increasing my distance with walking when I started my weight loss journey. Walking is a great exercise for weight loss. Swimming is also a good exercise that is low impact.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Once I get to 190, I think I'll get my body fat percentage calculated. I can get a bod pod body fat testing for $35 near my house. I have used some online calculators for body fat percentage based on my measurements. i know I'm definitely not there yet but I'm getting closer to my goal…

I do my weekly weigh-in for tracking purposes on Friday morning when I first wake up. Some weekends, I may be up 1-2 pounds but I usually get down by Friday. I weight myself daily but I only track Fridays in my chart. Daily weigh ins can cause some emotional ups and downs but I just have to look at the big picture.

I agree. I have also taken progress photos (once each month) to track my changes. I use the same camera and same spot with the same clothes. The last four months, I have also been taking a self pic with my shirt off to see changes. It's helpful to see your progress. I am putting together a video montage of my photos in a…

When I go to restaurants, I don't take home leftovers. I guess I'm more of a food snob and a little wasteful but I just don't care for leftovers. I try to enjoy everything that I put into my body. When making meals at home, I also throw out leftovers because I don't think they taste very good the next day. I would rather…

Here is my take after losing 193 pounds in the last 16 months. I started lifting weights after about 7 months of my weight loss. I read some articles that recommended weight loss should include some weight training. At first I was a little skeptical but I did it anyway. Almost a year later, I am now a firm believer in…

I have a life insurance policy through my work but I'm looking to get another policy since I'm the sole income provider in my family and I have two small children. I looked at some quotes online and depending on the insurer, I'm only about 10-15 pounds away from being in the elite/preferred plus rating class.