Weight Loss For Hunting in 2024

[Goose10]

Use an app like Lose It, MyFitnessPal or whatever to log your food (and drinks). Cheap and makes you realize what food is not good for you and what you can eat more of and still be lower on calories. The apps let you log your weight, set goals and follow the progress. Once you get the used to logging the food along with some moderate exercise losing weight almost becomes a math equation.

 

[christian1]

Why limit yourself to 20 days? Just quit drinking. It doesn’t do anything to help you reach your goals.

Because I want a realistic goal.

 

[Felix1776]

I tell you guys what, I've always rolled my eyes at these fad diets, but I started doing this super low carb/keto/carnivore/atkins whatever you want to call it eating approach just to try it out, and it really seems like it's working. I'm already losing (some of it's definitely water) and the best part is I'm basically never hungry now. I lost about 30 lbs last year on a "bodybuilders diet." High protein, high carb, super low fat. No matter how much I ate, I was always hungry. At my last physical, my doc was warning me about my blood sugar as I'm apparently flirting with being pre-diabetes. Type II has been a plague upon my family. I'm going back to the doc early next month for another check up so I'm going to stick with it and see what my labs look like. Probably drop some lbs in the process. I feel like I might have really stumbled onto something here.

 

[Felix40]

Because I want a realistic goal.

It blows my mind that someone would identify alcohol as something that’s negatively impacting them but say “it’s so unrealistic to quit drinking that I won’t even try”.

It’s one of the easiest things to get rid of. Don’t buy it when you go grocery shopping and don’t go to bars.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Count your macros. You’ll find it’s difficult to meet your protein but stay under your carbs.

Don’t do a diet that isn’t sustainable. Build healthy life habits. You can’t outwork your fork. It only works until it doesn’t, as many have attested to.

Drink alcohol in severe moderation. Avoid sweets, sugars, etc.

 

[jimh406]

Do some research to understand what healthy food is actually healthy. YMMV, but I think most of what we've been taught is counterproductive to losing weight. Also, some of what we've been taught to eat actually causes inflammation. Things like grains and seed oils are horrible for many people.

Many "foods" are treated by the body as sugar including bread, fruit, juice, etc. On the other hand, not all alcohol is equal. Spirits are zero carbs while mixed drinks, wine, and beer are not.

I agree that there isn't one diet for everyone. I think many people do very well on some variant of Keto. That is, reduce the carbs to whatever works for you. Clearly, severe calorie restriction diets are very hard if not impossible to follow while other "diets" like the carnivore or Keto works because you don't have the feeling of hunger all day.

I'm down about 40 lbs from last year which puts me at about the same weight as when I was in my best shape in college although I do want to walk more. I don't have a goal weight in mind, but I think 5-10 more loss could be helpful. At this point, I think more exercise will help me more than simply losing weight.

 

[Ac338]

I see a lot of low carb diets on here but even when cutting I’ve always stuck to a 40/30/30 with carbs being 40% of my daily calorie intake. Also when cutting I actually up my fat intake a little. Healthy fats are the key like nuts, peanut butter, oils, avacado, eggs, fish. Stay away from white breads, sugars, obsessive pastas. Opt for Brown rice, moderate pasta, fruit, black beans, oatmeal, whole grain bread instead. I find it easier to eat mostly the same things throughout the day with only changing my dinners up. Makes it way easier to keep track. No matter the diet you try to do it’s as simple fact that if you’re in a calorie deficit you’ll lose weight if you’re not you won’t. Don’t try to lose five to ten pounds a week it’s not a fast game there’s no instant gratification, you’re not getting to where you want in a few weeks it’s going to take time. Find a calorie amount that allows you to lose 1-2lbs a week adjust the calories down once you plateau as the lower your weight the less calories you’ll have to intake to continue losing. Meal prep, pack all lunches and snack. Stay consistent a bad day can mess up a whole week. Refrain from cheat meals until you have consistency under your belt and then still only make it a meal not a day. Keep it healthier still like a ribeye, baked potatoe with some fixings and grilled asparagus. Try not to go all crazy and eat a whole pizza and a tub of ice cream. Take pictures monthly for your motivation, scale doesn’t always tell the full story. Weigh once a week at the same time not daily.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Carbohydrates are sugar. Period. Your body converts every single carb to glucose because that is a primary source of fuel. The absorption rate of the glucose is what is lost important.

Also, a random workout regimen is not nearly as beneficial as a designed plan with goals to increase strength and performance.

You lose muscle as you age. Period. If you aren’t countering this by trying to build muscle you’re on the losing side of the equation.

 

[rem308]

That's a great goal, and speaking from experience, makes a huge difference in the elk woods! Good luck

 

[christian1]

It blows my mind that someone would identify alcohol as something that’s negatively impacting them but say “it’s so unrealistic to quit drinking that I won’t even try”.

It’s one of the easiest things to get rid of. Don’t buy it when you go grocery shopping and don’t go to bars.

Glad you have it all figured out. Glass houses

chris

 

[Robobiss]

I’m in. I’d like to drop to a lower weight class for grappling (currently 193 or so and fairly lean, looking for 185).

The problem with a lot of these like people are having, losing weight, then putting all/most of it back on is that they are seeing health and fitness as a temporary thing. “I just need to get to X weight or X pant size then I’m in the clear”

It doesn’t work that way. Living your life the way you had been living it, made you fat, and made you unhealthy. No amount of weight loss or temporary health obsession can keep you from getting fat again if you see it as something temporary and fall off of the wagon again and again after reaching your goal.

The change needs to be for your lifetime. One thing I’ve done that seems to work is to completely axe a meal out of my diet. It’s a lot harder to overindulge and go over your calories for the day if you are completely missing an entire meal. Call it “intermittent fasting” if you will. I don’t snack either.

I love breakfast, breakfast foods are definitely my favorite. But NOW I’m a guy that just doesn’t eat breakfast. (One day per week, Sunday, I go out to breakfast with some guys from work, this is my only cheat day). I eat dinner, whatever time, 6-9 PM depending on how late I’m at the gym the night before, and I don’t consume another calorie until noontime the following day. No breakfast. If I am being really undisciplined other days and “need” to eat (unless you are seeing your ribs you really don’t need to, you want to) I will eat a protein bar.

That doesn’t mean skip breakfast and get a XL iced cookie dough and French vanilla infused coffee with 400 calories that would make a white girls from the suburbs envious. That doesn’t mean chug a monster full of sugar instead, either.

Whatever you consume should have very very little or no caloric content. If you need caffeine in the morning, take a hit of some Mtn Ops. Or drink a black coffee. Cream and sugar in your coffee are empty calories and they are killing you. If you can’t drink coffee without it, figure out how. Black coffee is a lot nicer to my stomach, as well.

Water is your friend, I drink close to 100 oz/day. The only liquids otherwise that I consume are Mtn OPs ignite (morning caffeine), and black coffee. Alcohol is straight up bad for you, nothing but empty calories despite being so amazingly enjoyable. I used to be a very heavy drinker. Now it’s a couple of beers per month (used to be 12/day. Thank you USMC). I won’t even mention soda, we all should be aware of how terrible that is by now.

I also do the lions share of my cardio (just about daily) during this “fast”. It’s an easy routine to keep up. Just wake up every day, and do SOMETHING. I really like YouTube and watching hunting videos, my IPad is permanent personnel on my stationary bike. Every morning I bust out 6-10 miles sipping on my energy drink while watching hunting videos in my basement. It’s really easy. It gets my blood pumping, and starts the day on the right foot.

The point is, for me, a crazy workout routine or diet that you follow to a T is something that is hard for a lot of people to keep up with long term and it’s easy to get lazy, or sick of it, and fall off the wagon. If you simply change who you are to “a guy that doesn’t eat breakfast” you can find the willpower to keep it going indefinitely and eventually start to “enjoy” the raw “I’m going to kill someone if I don’t eat” feeling in your stomach. Diet and exercise are equally important, but we need *lifestyle changes*. Not quick but short lived periods of health.

Sorry to ramble on. I have seen a lot of positive benefits of this lifestyle change. I am leaner than I have basically ever been in my life. Going from a chunky powerlifter type that drank like a fish in my mid-20’s to having a 6 pack at almost 30 (and staying that way) is a very positive benefit for me. But YMMV.

 

[Robobiss]

Glad you have it all figured out. Glass houses

chris

Questions brother. What are you drinking and when/why? If you figure that out, it will likely be easier to taper off to a more reasonable amount, or stop completely. But only if you want to.

I ask as someone who has certainly had an issue with overindulgence for most of my adult life. I used to drink like a fish. Easily a 12 pack a day. Then I got out of the Marines but was still good for a 6 pack+ every night. For years.

For me, beer had become a part of my routine. My daily routine consisted of coming home, smacking a couple beers around, cooking dinner, drinking a couple more, eating dinner, drinking a couple more. Etc. I have always been the guy in the friend group to be able to count on having a beer in his hand or being able to drink more than everyone else and still be “fine”.

Over time I had completely made alcohol a part of my daily routine and life. When I started getting more health and fitness minded (always been a gym rat, but treated my body like garbage) the thought of NOT drinking every night seemed literally impossible. The thought of stopping literally gave me anxiety “how would I get by?”.

It’s sad to say that. It really is. For me, I identified that it had become a (negative) part of my life and coping mechanism. I “needed” it to complete my day. I felt like I had earned it. For me the hardest part was breaking the routine. Instead of beer I started drinking flavored seltzer water every time I wanted a beer. It sucked. I longed for the feeling of that cold beer in my empty stomach and the slow creeping feeling of it taking effect.

The first week was hard. All I could think about was a 6-er of coors lite. The second week was just as difficult. Over time it has gotten easier and easier. Sure I would drink a corona at a restaurant (that was allowed per the rules I made myself) or even at the house for a holiday, or a party, or something. But aside from that, I have not bought beer to drink just to drink it in 6 months or so. I was a month or so clean completely before the holidays, where I did drink a few (again, within the “rules”). But have been back to “clean and sober” since.

If you have any interest in quitting, or drastically slowing down, finding the “why” was really helpful for me.

 

[Luked]

Im in the same boat.
I am trying to drop quite a bit.
Im 5'10" and 230.
Soda is my hard one to kick.
I dont really eat well either and dont exersise like I should.
I did start a Mtn Tough program and am working on that.

 

[jahaze]

I struggle between trying to lean out and trying to gain weight. I'm in my mid 50's, 5'7" tall and bounce between 210-220 lbs. I'm also a competitive powerlifter and lift heavy 4 days a week. Problem is I can pick up an elk, but couldn't carry it more than 5-ft without getting winded. I really need to improve my cardio, which should also lean me out.

I eat really crappy, so I need to fix that. Drink only black coffee and water, but love my fast food .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Yoder]

I'm down 14lbs as of this morning. 192 to 178. 18 more to go. I'm hoping by the end of February. No sugar, minimal carbs. Only one cheat day so far. I couldn't resist that damn pizza.

 

[*zap*]

if your struggling to drop sugar (pop, cake, etc.) try eating natural foods that are higher in sugar....apples, blueberries, etc. That way your not eating all the other processed ingredients....

 

[JB.USMC]

When I drew my first elk tag last year, I knew I could not hunt the mountains at 200lbs (im 5' 7") I did strict carnivore for 2 weeks. Felt great (after the sugar withdrawals. weird) but could not sustain that diet I NEED/WANT some variety. from July- current this is what I eat:
MEAT.
EGGS.
BUTTER.
FRUITS (APPLES BANANAS AND PENUT BUTTER EVERY DAY SNACKS)
LOTS OF WATER.
BLACK COFFEE.
PORK RINDS .
HARD CHEESES.
THE OCCASIONAL ONION/PEPPERS AND SUCH.

I buy 4 packages of breakfast sausages. many packages of diced ham. couple cartons of eggs. and with a couple deer in the freezer you keep somewhat of a rotation going so its not steak and eggs. steak and eggs. steak an..... you get it lol. when wife makes tacos, bowl meat and eggs and ill leave the rice and tortillas alone. (not easy)

I lost 35lbs in 3 months and am still maintaining this "diet" (july 23-present)
Alot of what keeps me going is all the negative statistics coming to light about sugar and cancer and all the crap in our food and cancer. Im no scientist or dietitian. But this works for me. I feel good.

I struggled alot with the "what the heck do i eat".

* Along with this every day I stretch, do as many body squats and push ups as I could (in sets of 10 working my way to 100 total) - this really takes less than 20 min and can be done almost anywhere.

Hope this helps someone. Aint gonna do it unless you do it. Good Luck.

 

[*zap*]

^ that food list looks great...

ground peanuts are ok but commercially processed peanut butter is not very good for you.

jmo.

 

[Geewhiz]

Skip dinner every day for 2 weeks (and don’t make up for it at breakfast and lunch). You’ll lose 15 pounds instantly.

Its literally this simple.

Think thermodynamics. Eat less food and you will be less fat. By eating only a normal lunch every day (no breakfast, no dinner) I can lose over a pound a day. It's not easy, but it is that simple.

 

[Yoder]

This was a great podcast about the problems with sugar and processed foods: