Significant weight loss.

[Stache Attack]

Good on you for quitting alcohol and tobacco. I eat clean alcohol I can skip for awhile but enjoy it. Tobacco I’m pretty stuck on.

 

[OMF]

I think you missed the part where he said how much less he was eating. Yes the injection is part of the reason he is eating less. But he is losing weight because of less food consumed

Hey KsRancher, never mind @307. He's not even good enough to be a 308! Some people just have no joy in their lives.

 

[Yoder]

I just turned 50 this year and it made me realize the reaper is coming. A good friend of mine recommended a book called Outlive The science and art of longevity. It's a great book, a little dry but it will put the fear of God into you about exercise and diet. It goes through the risk factors for the top diseases that are killing Americans and what to do to lower your risk for all of them. Biggest killers, obesity, sugar, processed carbs and a sedentary lifestyle. No big shocker there. It's only been two weeks but I cut out all sugar and processed carbs and dropped 8lbs so far. 25lbs to go. My dad is 73 and can hardly do any of the things he loves anymore all because of his diet, weight and lack of exercise. He has the mentality that he busted his ass in construction his entire life so he earned relaxing and eating garbage. Don't think this way, you have to earn it daily.

 

[nphunter]

It makes a huge difference. I’m normally in the 225-330 range and drop to about 210-215 prior to hunting season each year. This year I’m planning to start early and try to get under 200 and stay there. My biggest excuse is winter time laziness, I work a desk job and just don’t get hardly any exercise in the winter.

We are putting a gym in at the office and I plan on using it this winter once it’s done and hope to stay active year round.

 

[ianpadron]

Next step, kick the pharmaceuticals and keep it off. The weight loss drugs are a VERY slippery slope and don't build the necessary habits to avoid going backwards once they're removed from the equation, regardless of what a doctor tells you. And that's not me hatin', that's me genuinely wanting to see you hit #200 naturally and sustainably.

At the end of the day, it's all thermodynamics...if you burn more calories than you consume, you'll lose weight. If a drug can get you there and build some semblance of a habit...better than being overweight I suppose, but not a holding pattern I'd want to count on for any length of time.

Nice work on ditching the booze and tobacco products too, men need to do a better job encouraging our brothers to treat their bodies with more respect, kicking those 2 habits is huge.

 

[ODB]

I just turned 50 this year and it made me realize the reaper is coming. A good friend of mine recommended a book called Outlive The science and art of longevity. It's a great book, a little dry but it will put the fear of God into you about exercise and diet. It goes through the risk factors for the top diseases that are killing Americans and what to do to lower your risk for all of them. Biggest killers, obesity, sugar, processed carbs and a sedentary lifestyle. No big shocker there. It's only been two weeks but I cut out all sugar and processed carbs and dropped 8lbs so far. 25lbs to go. My dad is 73 and can hardly do any of the things he loves anymore all because of his diet, weight and lack of exercise. He has the mentality that he busted his ass in construction his entire life so he earned relaxing and eating garbage. Don't think this way, you have to earn it daily.

My dad turns 83 in a month. No high BP, no cholesterol issues, he is a type 2 diabetic (barely) and has managed it with half a pill for 40 years. I believe it was his avoidance of sugar and carbohydrates when he was diagnosed that has kept him in such good shape for this long. Most people think he's in his early 70s.

Keep up the good work on your end.

 

[OXN939]

As I've happily admitted in many posts over the years, I've always been a fatty.

Well, a few months ago I decided not to be. Well, I decided I needed to shed about 20lb anyway.

I have osteoarthritis in my left ankle & complications from a gunshot wound in my right knee & as I'm getting older (holly shit, I'll be 50 next year!) I thought that I could probably get a couple of cortizone shots before my Wyoming hunt this season.
I spoke to my podiatrist & he took a bunch of X-rays & an MRI of my ankle & came to the conclusion that as is about 90% fused, nothing was going to really help there.

Spoke to my GP about the ligaments in my knee & he agreed that steroids would help, but he didn't want to do cortisone right off the bat & gave me some Prednisone to try first. Being as he's one of my best friends he suggested, in that best friendy way, that if my joints weren't under so much strain, they'd hurt less.

'Huh. Logical' I thought.

That day, I weighed in at 265. I've never really 'looked' obese, being 6 foot & generally a big guy, most people wouldn't guess me as being that heavy. See, i gain weight evenly, all over. No big gut or tiddies, i just...... increase.

So, I asked his advise. Which is often not the best idea when it's a buddy, but he must've caught on that I was serious. Hell, I overcame alcoholism solely because I didn't want to take blood pressure meds & I quit tobacco because someone told me I couldn't. I'm hard headed like that.....
We had a very long, serious discussion, including a consult with a dietician. It turns out that I already had a very healthy diet (I don't eat fast food, virtually zero processed food, negligible processed sugars & as I'm gluten intolerant, not much in the way of simple carbs! After a lot of head scratching, eventually he suggested I maybe try semaglutide injections to at least help with portion control & you know, toss in some extra green leafy stuff. The goal was to get me to 240, a weight I knew was achievable & I was far more comfortable at.

So I did.

That was on September 1st.

As of this morning, I'm down to 219. I've gone from a 42" waist & 56" chest, to a 38 waist & 50 chest. My knee & ankle are causing me zero pain, whatsoever & the energy I have is astonishing to me. The Wyoming trip was a massive eye opener, in that it gave me motivation to do things I never thought I'd do (it sounds dumb to you mountain types, but 12 miles in a day, half of which was uphill, without getting angry, frustrated or hurt is, to me, miraculous. And I wanted to do it again. Every day! ) I'm no longer phased at having to hike to my hunting spots. In fact, this season I hoofed it to a stand that my younger, much fitter hunting bud has never actually reached without a 4-wheeler!

My diet has changed immeasurably since that day. I no longer prioritize food & frankly, if I miss a meal I no longer stress about it. I'm happier than I've ever been in my own skin.

The reason for this post: I'm not looking for back-pats or 'attaboys' I just want to throw out there a little post Christmas motivation. If I; a middle aged, injured, perpetually overweight guy (shit, I weighed more at 18 than I do today!) can shed it, my hand to your God, anyone can do it.

Also, I just got out of the shower, giggling. I was washing my right leg & noticed a couple of things.....
1, I didn't recognize my own leg &
2, I had been stood, unaided, on one leg, for the first time that i can remember!

It feels good folks!
200 by April!

Good on ya man. If you haven't already, try cutting out seed oils... they're in probably 80% of grocery store bought foods, and there is a lot of research coming out now suggesting that they're a significant driver of pretty much every metabolic disease out there. Takes a good bit of effort at first and cuts out almost every option other than cooking your own food, but easy day when you know what you're looking for

 

[robtattoo]

Good on ya man. If you haven't already, try cutting out seed oils... they're in probably 80% of grocery store bought foods, and there is a lot of research coming out now suggesting that they're a significant driver of pretty much every metabolic disease out there. Takes a good bit of effort at first and cuts out almost every option other than cooking your own food, but easy day when you know what you're looking for

I guess I kinda already have!
I pretty much cook everything I eat from scratch, with the exception of gluten free pasta & the occasional sauce.
I pretty much only eat meat I've hunted & fish I've caught. I think I maybe bought 3 or 4 beef steaks & 5 or 6 pounds of bacon in the past year. I don't eat anything at all pre-packaged (nope, I do have an occasional can of Bush's beans) I maybe do 6 loaves of gluten free bread a year.

I mostly fry in olive oil & butter (honestly, I don't really know if that's good, bad or neutral.) or home rendered lard.
I've always loved cooking & this is pretty well how I've always eaten.

As I say, I spoke with a dietician & I really do have a very good, healthy, mixed & varied diet. I've added in a LOT of fresh greens & salads & I'm trying to go far lighter than normal on dressings (1 measured tbsp of low fat Ranch/coleslaw dressing mixed, or balsamic vinaigrette per salad)

I know a couple of folk have said that my weight loss & appetite changes are all down to medication & to a large degree, they're correct. But at the same time, I'm also putting a ton of effort into changing what, when & how much I eat & recognizing that I don't need to eat as much as I think. After 35+ years of basically being in control of my own food, almost exclusively, that's a lot harder than you'd think. I went through a period of eating literally nothing, just to see how long it would take to notice a dramatic energy loss, then eating small amounts to gauge when they came back to 'normal' levels. Not that I'm any kind of scientist! I check my blood pressure 3 times daily, looking for spikes & slumps & adjust my food intake to try to keep it constant.
My exercise has increased since September. Now that I have less pain & mobility issues, it's actually enjoyable. Even a mild uphill hike with a 15lb pack on, before then, was painful & miserable. Treadmills & elliptical were almost impossible for me. I could literally only do upper body stuff & honestly, I'm strong enough.
I hunted a very hilly spot in Lynchburg this afternoon. I got bored after 20 minutes in the stand & went for a walk around instead, carrying my rifle, 320z of water, heavy waterproof Barbour jacket (I left my damn hunting jacket at home & it was in the truck) insulated pants & various other sundries. I'd guess my pack was close on 20lb.
I did 4½ miles & thoroughly enjoyed every damn uphill step of it! The novelty value of actually being able to do something as simple as that is a MASSIVE motivator for me!
I've always hated the gym & will probably never set foot in one on purpose, but right now, I am really enjoying just walking with a pack. Once hunting season goes out in a couple of weeks, I'll be doing some of the hilly park trails around here. I don't want to lose this feeling & I'd really like to build up some leg muscle again.
I just bought myself a mountain bike to try & do a little more.

 

[Reburn]

how much I eat & recognizing that I don't need to eat as much as I think.

The drug helps with portion control and relearning how much to eat per sitting.

I say good on you and good job. I wish I could take it. lasting change takes time and effort.

 

[Liftman101]

Way to go. The drugs are not an automatic success. It is still about attitude and being ready to put in the work to feel better. The people I know who tried Mounjaro or Ozempic only lost a little weight and then stalled out.

 

[doty_soty]

Losing my weight was the hardest, yet most rewarding, thing I’ve ever done. Congrats.

 

[Squirrel Master]

Congratulations!! That's awesome!! Now come join us in the WOD thread!!

 

[1jeds]

Next step, kick the pharmaceuticals and keep it off. The weight loss drugs are a VERY slippery slope and don't build the necessary habits to avoid going backwards once they're removed from the equation, regardless of what a doctor tells you. And that's not me hatin', that's me genuinely wanting to see you hit #200 naturally and sustainably.

At the end of the day, it's all thermodynamics...if you burn more calories than you consume, you'll lose weight. If a drug can get you there and build some semblance of a habit...better than being overweight I suppose, but not a holding pattern I'd want to count on for any length of time.

Nice work on ditching the booze and tobacco products too, men need to do a better job encouraging our brothers to treat their bodies with more respect, kicking those 2 habits is huge.

This right here. It's all about energy balance (expenditure vs intake) and doing it in a way that is sustainable long term. There are zealots that swear by carnivore, or that carbs are bad, or to fast. These are all ways to restrict calories, and all macronutrients serve a purpose. These ways will all work to help lose fat and it depends on what fits best for you. I find that understanding the makeup of the food I eat and tracking macros is the most flexible way to achieve this long term. I also have a hard time following the logic of a diet that restricts fruits and non-starchy vegetables.

I eat way more carbs than most people, but I also expend a lot, and pay attention to timing around workouts. I also regularly get full blood panel tests, etc.

All that to say - congrats on losing the weight and feeling good! Whatever mechanism you end up choosing and can sustain is what matters. I'll be pulling for you to keep it going, diet and exercise is the most important thing we can do for our healthspan.

 

[Maverick1]

As I've happily admitted in many posts over the years, I've always been a fatty.

Well, a few months ago I decided not to be. Well, I decided I needed to shed about 20lb anyway.

I have osteoarthritis in my left ankle & complications from a gunshot wound in my right knee & as I'm getting older (holly shit, I'll be 50 next year!) I thought that I could probably get a couple of cortizone shots before my Wyoming hunt this season.
I spoke to my podiatrist & he took a bunch of X-rays & an MRI of my ankle & came to the conclusion that as is about 90% fused, nothing was going to really help there.

Spoke to my GP about the ligaments in my knee & he agreed that steroids would help, but he didn't want to do cortisone right off the bat & gave me some Prednisone to try first. Being as he's one of my best friends he suggested, in that best friendy way, that if my joints weren't under so much strain, they'd hurt less.

'Huh. Logical' I thought.

That day, I weighed in at 265. I've never really 'looked' obese, being 6 foot & generally a big guy, most people wouldn't guess me as being that heavy. See, i gain weight evenly, all over. No big gut or tiddies, i just...... increase.

So, I asked his advise. Which is often not the best idea when it's a buddy, but he must've caught on that I was serious. Hell, I overcame alcoholism solely because I didn't want to take blood pressure meds & I quit tobacco because someone told me I couldn't. I'm hard headed like that.....
We had a very long, serious discussion, including a consult with a dietician. It turns out that I already had a very healthy diet (I don't eat fast food, virtually zero processed food, negligible processed sugars & as I'm gluten intolerant, not much in the way of simple carbs! After a lot of head scratching, eventually he suggested I maybe try semaglutide injections to at least help with portion control & you know, toss in some extra green leafy stuff. The goal was to get me to 240, a weight I knew was achievable & I was far more comfortable at.

So I did.

That was on September 1st.

As of this morning, I'm down to 219. I've gone from a 42" waist & 56" chest, to a 38 waist & 50 chest. My knee & ankle are causing me zero pain, whatsoever & the energy I have is astonishing to me. The Wyoming trip was a massive eye opener, in that it gave me motivation to do things I never thought I'd do (it sounds dumb to you mountain types, but 12 miles in a day, half of which was uphill, without getting angry, frustrated or hurt is, to me, miraculous. And I wanted to do it again. Every day! ) I'm no longer phased at having to hike to my hunting spots. In fact, this season I hoofed it to a stand that my younger, much fitter hunting bud has never actually reached without a 4-wheeler!

My diet has changed immeasurably since that day. I no longer prioritize food & frankly, if I miss a meal I no longer stress about it. I'm happier than I've ever been in my own skin.

The reason for this post: I'm not looking for back-pats or 'attaboys' I just want to throw out there a little post Christmas motivation. If I; a middle aged, injured, perpetually overweight guy (shit, I weighed more at 18 than I do today!) can shed it, my hand to your God, anyone can do it.

Also, I just got out of the shower, giggling. I was washing my right leg & noticed a couple of things.....
1, I didn't recognize my own leg &
2, I had been stood, unaided, on one leg, for the first time that i can remember!

It feels good folks!
200 by April!

Any update, @robtattoo ? April coming up!

 

[robtattoo]

Any update, @robtattoo ? April coming up!

Not much, unfortunately.

The loss has slowed right down in the last few weeks. I've been sitting at 212 for the last week and a half. It took 2 weeks to break below 215.
However, I have increased my exercise a lot. I'm trying to walk at least 5 miles a day, get more involved with the physical part of my business & step away from the office work I've always done & I'm spending a lot more time working with the horses. I also traded out my riding mower for a push mower. Which is pretty significant, since I've got 4½ acres to mow.
I've lost a further 1½" from my waist & I can now comfortably wear 36" waist Wranglers & in most T- shirts I'm wearing size large. I know I'm spending a frigging fortune on clothes!

 

[def90]

Great job OP!

Loosing weight really comes down to calories in < calories out. Exercise and/or weight training will speed up the process.

Plenty of calorie calculators out there on the web that will help you know how many calories you should be eating based on age, size, weight, and activity level and also track what you are taking in.

 

[ztc92]

I just turned 50 this year and it made me realize the reaper is coming. A good friend of mine recommended a book called Outlive The science and art of longevity. It's a great book, a little dry but it will put the fear of God into you about exercise and diet. It goes through the risk factors for the top diseases that are killing Americans and what to do to lower your risk for all of them. Biggest killers, obesity, sugar, processed carbs and a sedentary lifestyle. No big shocker there. It's only been two weeks but I cut out all sugar and processed carbs and dropped 8lbs so far. 25lbs to go. My dad is 73 and can hardly do any of the things he loves anymore all because of his diet, weight and lack of exercise. He has the mentality that he busted his ass in construction his entire life so he earned relaxing and eating garbage. Don't think this way, you have to earn it daily.

Great job losing weight and keeping it off. Sounds like you’re developing some healthy habits that will serve you well for years to come!

Regarding the quote above, just a plug that this book is available as a free audiobook on Spotify if you’re not much of a reader but still interested. I really enjoy Peter Attia’s podcast and have been a listener for a few years. This book is like taking all the best parts of hundreds of hours of his podcast and synthesizing them into an easy to read (or listen to) book that focuses on healthspan (quality of life) rather than lifespan (the number of years you live). I’d recommend it to anyone who is enjoying this thread or wants to improve their health.

 

[sam78]

Welcome..

 

[OregonSteeler]

Not much, unfortunately.

The loss has slowed right down in the last few weeks. I've been sitting at 212 for the last week and a half. It took 2 weeks to break below 215.
However, I have increased my exercise a lot. I'm trying to walk at least 5 miles a day, get more involved with the physical part of my business & step away from the office work I've always done & I'm spending a lot more time working with the horses. I also traded out my riding mower for a push mower. Which is pretty significant, since I've got 4½ acres to mow.
I've lost a further 1½" from my waist & I can now comfortably wear 36" waist Wranglers & in most T- shirts I'm wearing size large. I know I'm spending a frigging fortune on clothes!

Now that it seems you have your diet down and what does/doesn't work for you, increasing your exercise level will help you continue on your weight loss journey. If you haven't already, get a watch or fitbit to track your heart rate, calories expended, and other health metrics. I've found that these really help you learn how your body is working under certain types of conditions.

Also, as you lose weight, your body becomes more "efficient" meaning that it takes more effort to burn off calories. On that same 5mi walk, your body burned way more calories when weighing 250 compared to 215.

Continue to push yourself INCREMENTALLY and challenge yourself. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish if you set a long-term goal and work towards it. And your body will thank you down the road!

Congrats on your journey! Keep us posted on your progress please!

 

[ThorM465]

First after reading the OP I'll say I'd start using BPC 157 and injecting it in that lower leg area. This stuff is amazing at healing skeletal / muscular injuries. I've had great results with it and so have friends. Unfortunately the corrupt FDA has banned pharmacies from compounding it at the behest of big pharma, but it can still be had. If I had the money I'd take a trip to Mexico/Panama for Stem Cell Therapy. I haven't done this, but people are reporting great results.

Congrats on the weight loss. I wouldn't touch the weight loss injections. Not based on what's coming out on that stuff. I've cut 40lbs myself since the first of the year. As of Jan 1st I switched to a carnivoreish diet, meat, fresh fruit, and a little dairy. It's amazing how less hungry you are when you cut all sugar, starches, and bread out of your system except fresh fruit and you're putting down ~1 gal of electrolytes a day (kaged or Element). The hunger you experience is even different. I heard something recently that is 110% true, it's impossible to overeat on real food. I'm down to 205lb from 245lb since the first of the year, most of that was lost in the first 6 weeks, then covid hit my house. I added a little sugar yogurt, honey, & nuts to my diet while dealing with that. I intend to cut it back out of my system again. However, this weight loss rate is probably healthier. I'm 6' and trying to get back down to 190lb and then back to ~200lb with muscle.