shrinkingbrian Member

We eat our veggies as an appetizer about 5-15 minutes before we eat dinner. We give our boys a bowl of some fresh veggies like cucumbers, carrots, or green peppers. They are hungry for dinner so they will eat them. I do the same and it really does help.

Here is my non-scale victory for the day. Two cute girls that I haven't seen at my gym (Planet Fitness) in a few months commented on how good I look. They asked how much weight I have lost and they were shocked when I told them I had lost 187 pounds. I'm happily married by receiving comments from attractive members of the…

I went to the movies and could put both armrests down.

Thanks everyone for your positive comments. It's been a difficult journey so far but so worth it. I'm working on a video that I plan to post to YouTube. I took monthly self pics to show my progress that I plan to turn into a slideshow with music. My boys were my main source of inspiration.

Height: 6-0 Age/Gender: 38 male Highest weight- 405 lbs Current Weight- 220 lbs Lowest weight- 9 lb (as a newborn baby); 195 lbs as adult Goal weight-190-205 with athletic/muscular build

Take some pain meds and take it easy for a few days to see if it gets better. I hurt my back through a combination of pulling weeds and lifting weights and I was on the lamb for a few days. It felt better in about 5 days. When you start any exercise program, especially lifting, start slow and then gradually increase your…

Here is a comparison pic.

Thanks everyone for the positive comments. It's been a hard journey but very rewarding. My son was my source of inspiration when he told me "Dad, you're too fat!" It really broke my heart and I knew and I had to make a change. I'm been working hard and exercising now about 2-3 hours a day. I have been taking monthly photos…

Personally, I think for weight loss, especially if you are obese, walking is better than running. Running puts a lot of stress on your knees and joints which can cause long term problems. Walking is more enjoyable than running for most people who are overweight. Plus, you can walk longer than running. You also avoid more…

I have had some challenges with my wife with my weight loss. She eats lots of cookies and keeps snacks and candy around the house and it's hard to resist but I just have to deal with it. I gained about 150 pounds the first year of our marriage. I take personal responsibility for that but after 10 years of marriage and…

I joined my local Planet Fitness in August 2012. It was cheap and close to my house. I like it. For my weight loss, I first started just with walking and swimming but I wanted to add some weight training and use cardio machines when the weather was bad. Since then, I have lost about 80 pounds (180 pounds in total). I was a…

Here are my goals: * run 3 miles in under 30 minutes * do 3 pull-ups unassisted There are the Marine Corps minimum fitness requirements.

I wear a size 13 EE. I buy my shoes off Zappos. Big feet means big shoes.

Good job on the progress so far. I started at 405 pounds in Feb. 2012 and I'm now at 226 pounds (I'm 6-0). I agree with the other post above that you lose more pounds when you first start out. I lost 69 pounds in my first four months (dowm from 405 to 336) and 95 pounds in my first six months. By comparion, in the last…

I'm 6-0 and very happy with my height. I'm now at 227 pounds and I can now buy clothes pretty much anywhere. I still have another 25-30 pounds to lose but I'm happy where I'm at. I don't hit my head on door frames and I can set in a normal size car, use a normal size bike, and pretty much anything else. I know a guy who is…

I have lost 178 pounds in 63 weeks (about 2.8 pounds/month). For the past six months, I have been averaging a loss of 2.1 pounds per week. I don't have problems with loose skin. I also lift weights, swim daily, and stay hydrated. Age and genetics can also be factors. My mother had bariatric surgery followed by several skin…

I do lap swim Monday-Friday at the local high school in the mornings. I get an annual pass for $90. I usually get a lane to myself. It's a nice indoor pool and good exercise when the weather is bad. Swimming can be a great workout. If you swim vigorously, you can burn a ton of calories and it's good for toning. I can now…

I donated blood today. I did my exercise and workout before donating blood. I will probably take it easy tomorrow. I'll see how it goes with my lifting and exercise. I also have been drinking lots of water today. I think I'm close to 2 gallons for today. I think donating blood is a very altruistic act. It took me about an…

I'm usually up 1-2 pounds by Monday from my weigh-in on Friday morning. I try to get in some exercise on Saturday but my gym doesn't open until 7 am on Saturdays so it's hard since I have so many other things going on during the day with my wife and kids. I'm usually much better during weekdays Monday-Thursday. I take…

I like turkey and ham. I usually have a sandwich and an apple for lunch each day. My favorite sandwich is sliced ham with medium cheddar, lettuce, tomato with fat free mayo, pepper, and tobasco sauce. It probably about 350 calories for the sandwich. I also will have turkey and provolone. I used to like Home Pride bread but…

I have lost 178 pounds without running. I don't care for running, Plus, it's bad for your knees. I prefer walking, hiking, swimming, and lifting weights. You can burn a lot of calories swimming. I also live near the mountains and walking and hiking is also good exercise.

I live in Utah and there are some nice hiking trail near my house. I make sure to bring water since I go on longer hikes 2+ hours. Make sure to hydrate with hiking. Hiking is a great exercise I think, plus the scenery is nice. I like to mix things up and gon on different trails. I like to hike solo so I go on popular…

There is a concept in economics called "economies of scale." If you can buy in bulk and mass produce something, it's usually less expensive per unit. If I have a craving for a burger, I go to Wendy's or BK and get a burger for $3 and then move on.

Try a bag of carrots for veggies and then cut them up. A bag of carrots is usually pretty cheap. Also, you can get a whole bag of potatoes for a few dollars. I then make baked potatoes with a little bit of grilled chicken breasts. For fruit, bananas and apples are usually pretty cheap. I also like to hit the farmer's…

I think waiting a few days after a cheat meal or binge can be helpful. If I go out for pizza on Friday night, I will wait until Monday or Tuesday until I weigh myself. I use Friday morning for my weekly weigh-in. I then chart my weight in a graph. If you weigh yourself daily, there can be lots of ups and downs that can be…

I started at over 400 pounds. At first, I used just walking. Walking and swimming are both low impact exercises. Some people also like water aerobics. You can lose weight just walking. It's a great exercise. Walking is great because you can do it anywhere and it's free. I also think walking is great time just to reflect…

I focus on healthy lifestyle changes with diet and exercise. For exercise, I do mostly walking, lap swimming, and lifting weights. I did just walking and swimming for the first six months but then added weight training. For diet, I try to eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. I try to eat…

Thanks. I lift weights six days a week alternating muscle groups each day (arms, back, shoulders on M,W,F; legs on Tu, Th, Sat). I am also taking a self pic with my shirt off once a month and noticing some difference muscle definition. I swim each weekday for 30-45 minutes which also helps with toning. Swimming is a great…

Here are my favorites: Cheerios Honey Nut Cheerios Quaker Oats, Honey & Almonds Natural Granola Quaker Oats oatmeal (maple and brown sugar) I usually have oatmeal 5-6 times a week for breakfast with a banana and some other seasonable fruit (strawberries, 1/2 apple, plum, cutie). I have granola on Saturdays. They changed…

I drink water before and during my morning exercises (lifting weights and lap swim) but I wait until later to eat breakfast. I get up at around 4:30 am so it's a little early to eat I think for me. I eat breakfast around 7:30 am with my family so it's also a social thing to be together with my wife and kids.