akboy58 Member

I’ve always loved working out, but early on, in my 20s-30s, I had constant problems with injuries and pain, so much so that I eventually gave up. Fast forward to a major life reboot in 2013: 90-lb weight loss, and back in the gym, but THIS time under the supervision of a really good trainer. I still have a fair amount of…

If you have access to a stability ball, try these hamstring curls. I do them a lot, and find them really effective: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wagn999nhA

I've been maintaining at 175-180 lbs for almost 3 years now, but what I didn't realize is how much my body would change -- and continue to change -- with exercise. This is mostly a good thing, although I had kind of hoped that after buying and then discarding three progressively smaller wardrobes I could stop for a while ..

I’m 59, and I lost 80 lbs 4 years ago. I worked hard at the gym all through the 18 month weight loss and still do, so was able to maintain (and modestly increase) my muscle mass, which helped some. I still have loose skin, but it has tightened up significantly during my 3 years of maintenance. The earlier comment about…

This is important to remember. In my first year or so of working out, after losing 80 lbs and coming off two decades of inactivity, I injured myself A LOT, even though I was working with an attentive and intelligent trainer. But also be aware that consistency in the gym DOES pay off--be patient, don't give up, and slowly…

I started working out with a trainer three years ago. I do a combination of things, including bodyweight exercises, machines, and free weights. My body has changed COMPLETELY in that time, and I am still making measurable progress month by month. My goal is to be the buffest 59-year-old ectomorph with an arthritic shoulder…

I lost the weight, and have been pretty successful in keeping it off. The big challenge now is to overcome the "skinny-fat" phenomenon. So at 58 years old I'm trying -- essentially for the first time -- to put on some significant muscle. After 3 years of serious gym-going and a pretty rigorous diet, I have finally, mostly…

I've gone from looking like W. C. Fields in the gym, to looking like Urkel!

I work out 3-4 times a week. When I can afford it, I prefer working with a trainer. For those sessions I'll come in 20 minutes early to stretch and warm up on my own, then I'll do a full 60 minutes with the trainer: very focused, very intense, minimal breaks, and minimal chatting. It's never the same workout twice in a…

I usually work out in the morning, anywhere between 8 am and 9 am. I get up early, have breakfast (low carb pita with nut butter of some kind, plus strong coffee with 2% milk), travel to the gym, which takes me about an hour by city bus, more coffee, then I'm ready to go. Mornings suit me better for several reasons already…

I don't have all the exact stats, but FWIW (quotes are recalled from recent conversations with my GP on this very subject) -- November 2013 6'0" @ 255 lbs/116 kg, 53 YO, little or no regular exercise - Glucose: "Pre-diabetic" - Blood pressure: 110/70 (controlled w/ 2 BP medications) - Resting heart rate: 75 bpm - HDL/LDL:…

Having a trainer has been incredibly helpful for me. The guy I train with has a background in physical therapy, and I have a background in overtraining and chronic injury, so it's a good fit :-/. He never offered specific diet advice, but early in our training he kept telling me how much more we could do if I lost some…

Scallops brushed with olive oil and Tamari, sprinkled with a little garlic powder, and broiled; microwaved fresh green beans, with a little butter; and a "rustic mash" of equal parts new potatoes and Birdseye SteamFresh cauliflower in garlic sauce, plus a little grated parmesan. An apple to follow, then fruitcake for…

When I started with my trainer two years ago I wasn't convinced I needed him to achieve my goals, but I'm convinced now. When I was young and in shape -- and stupid -- I used to injure myself constantly due to bad form, and needless to say never even thought of asking anybody else for advice, much less pay for it. The…

I wish I could limit fatal holiday temptations to Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, but I can't. I've got several pounds of leftover turkey in the fridge clamoring to be made into Turkey Tetrazzini, for one thing; and having navigated that and other Thanksgiving hazards, I've got nearly a month of Christmas parties to…

I went through something like 4 separate wardrobes on the way from 255 lbs to 178 lbs. I started out with a 50 suit size, a 42-inch waist, and casual wear mostly in the XXL range. I'm now wearing a 38/40 suit, a 32-inch waist in pants, and most of my knock-around clothes are size M. I've been maintaining at the 178-lb…

I weigh myself almost every morning on an Aria scale, which logs it to my FitBit account, and to MFP. After a year of doing this I have a good idea of the general trend -- pretty steady, thank god! -- and also how the minor daily fluctuations relate to my diet and exercise regimen. If I'm suddenly up a pound or two I can…

I'm a big fan of my personal trainer. He's pushed me to do things in the gym that I would NEVER EVER in a million years have tackled on my own, and I see the the progressive benefits every day, in my weight, in my (increasing) level of fitness, and, frankly, in my mood and general outlook. It's not cheap, but for me it's…

I'm a data-driven guy, also a bit obsessive, so I continue to log (but not weigh--I never did get into weighing my food) even though I'm more than a year into maintenance. For one thing, I find it comforting, a sort of "security blanket;" for another, I've got a new set of nutrition goals relating to fitness and body…

Same here. When I got my Fitbit I was surprised to find my RHR at 48-52 BPM, but when I asked my doctor about it he just congratulated me on a successful diet/exercise program. My medical records show that my resting heart rate was 75-90 BPM I started getting fit, and that it just gradually lowered as I became more active.

When I first got my Aria I was bummed to see that it gave my body fat as 22%. I felt better once my nutritionist gave me a proper body fat calculation with calipers: 14%. As I continue to recomp, I find that the Aria body fat reading does trend downward roughly in line with what my nutritionist is telling me -- just at a…

I was at a conference recently with colleagues who hadn't seen me for a while. I got into conversation with somebody who I'd once worked with closely, about 75 lbs ago; we had been chatting for several minutes about my organization when he turned to go, saying, "Nice to meet you. By the way, whatever happened to [_____]…

Saw my GP the other day for a checkup, he confirmed that I can remain off meds for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and irregular heartbeat -- all the ailments I had when I was heavy. As I've lost weight and gotten more fit he's been weaning me off them, and now they're gone, I hope for good!

I'm a year into maintenance after losing almost 80 lbs over the course of two years -- 255 lbs --> 177 lbs, 2013-2015. There was a quite a lot of loose skin at first, but it has slowly gotten better. I've been working out a lot, trying to replace some of the fat bulk with muscle, so that helps; and the leaner I get the…

When I got my FitBit last August and saw a RHR figure in the low 50s I was a little concerned. But I checked with my GP, who looked at my office visit vitals for the past three years; and in the course of my "fitness and weight loss journey" it does appear that I've gone from a RHR of 75-90 bpm (!) in 2013 (@255 lbs) to…

Gazpacho!

I log pretty much everything except for my two nightly Tums (20 calories); I also tend not to log small food samples picked up at the supermarket or elsewhere.

Try Vietnamese or other Asian fish sauce -- delicious. Lots of sodium, but a little goes a long way.

I was completely sedentary for almost 20 years. I started losing weight and working out in the fall of 2013, and for MONTHS what I mostly felt was pain as my body gradually got used to regular physical activity. Only in the last year have I felt that long-promised increase in stamina and energy, but I have to say it's been…

This. Early on in my diet/exercise project I developed IT band issues plus pain, and they really didn't resolve until I saw a PT for a couple of courses of specialized rehab exercises. It took a while, but that was a year ago, and I haven't had any problems since (knock wood).