Losing Weight

[SJGUSMC21]

As the topic suggests, I have been on a road to lose weight for about a year now. I quit smoking 3 years ago, and at about the same time my back and hip went out (being treated by the military for it) then COVID hit. So it was like a perfect storm for weight gain. Yes, I know, excuses are like assholes.... Regardless, I blossomed up to the disgusting weight of 258! I am 5'9". Terrible, not to mention what it did for my existing health problems I already had. Finally said enough. Last November we bought a treadmill (I hate the cold now...use to like it) and I have been on it almost daily every day since. At first, I was just walking....but walking just takes too long. Then one day I got motivated and started running....bad mistake. My frame couldn't take my weight and I almost blew out my right knee (certainly was swollen and a bit deformed). So back to walking I went...but this time in pain. I had already lost 10 pounds so I wasn't going to stop....damn my knee.

As time went on, the pain finally went away...and I had lost another 7 or so pounds...so I started 'jogging' a bit. My walks were on average of 4+ miles a day, on the weekends longer. So I would add in .25 miles, then .40 miles then half a mile of running each time. Then I lost over 20 pounds and felt I could run. So I did...'run Forrest run'. Now, I have lost 38 pounds and am very proud of my accomplishments. Could I have lost more? Oh yes, but as I mentioned in another thread, we just got a dog, and so I was stuck on puppy training for over a month, then both of my daughters got sick...it was just bad for about 1.5 months...but now I'm back. So I went from 258 to 221, and I am dropping even faster now that the San Antonio Hell Heat weather is on. My goal is to be down to 185 by the end of summer, which is more then reasonable....with out going into vapor lock as well.

What also helped was to get a TV and put it in front of the treadmill. I use a Firestick on it, and watch YouTube Walking/Running videos and I travel the world while listening to my tunes and burning off the fat. Its great and I certainly recommend it.

Last Sunday, I decided to go run for real outside. First time in 20 years. OMG was it different. I have always been a runner....but since I retired and I started having my health issues, I stopped (smoking as well). Wow...the difference between a treadmill and pavement is amazing. I guess it can be summed up like this: On a treadmill, the earth conforms to you, when running outside you conform to the earth. I was so damn dizzy for the first mile or so, I almost stopped, but I eventually got use to it. Amazing the difference. This to will improve as I go from running outside once a week, to twice to three....etc.

Anyway, thought I would share. I can't believe I ballooned up to that size. For those that are trying to lose weight, hope this helps.

Semper Fi!

Nope, What-A-Burger Milkshakes are NOT diet approved!

 

[Griswalduk]

Good luck

 

[sebastiantombs]

I got caught in the weight loss thing by smart watches. My SIL gave me his old FitBit and I started watching my activity. That was OK and at the time I was passing through the 190 mark, 6 feet tall but slim build, so it was mostly pot belly. I had diabetes, Type 2, but managed to beat that with diet and exercise. Back then I was pushing 250. The FitBit died and I bought a Garmin Instinct Tactical, far more watch, and it integrates with MyFitnessPal so tracking food, calories and nutrients, went right along with that.

Fast forward to today, three years later, and I'm down to 150. I was walking 20-30 miles a week with some jogging thrown in but have had to stop that. I have arthritis in my right knee and it's too easy to overdo it one day and be stuck on the DL list for a week. I have been adding exercise with free weights, gotta be careful with squats, leg curls and leg extensions though, and calisthenics slowly. I've switched the proportions of carbs, fat and protein around as well from the traditional 40-30-30 to 30-30-40 to, hopefully, gain more muscle mass a little more easily. We also have a treadmill and an elliptical as well and I use both sporadically only due to the knee problems.

My goal was to change, permanently, my eating habits. When I used to have pizza I had a pizza, the whole pie. If I had fast food, two Whoppers with cheese, a large fries and a large Coke. Now I don't eat fast food at all and soda is an extreme rarity. Now two slices of pizza is enough. I really think the key is to lose weigh slowly and steadily making adjustments in food and calorie intake as you go so it becomes a lifestyle. My daughter and SIL go on keto diets, paleo diets, lose lots of weight, get bored, start eating wrong again, then rinse and repeat. The trick is to find equilibrium in your eating and activity so things are easily managed to allow for that special meal or "going off the wagon" for a weekend, Holiday or special occasion.

 

[looney2ns]

A foot/ankle surgeon friend of mine says that running is hell on all of your joints, from your ankles to your knees, to your hips right on up your spine. You will pay for it in some form or another eventually.

He thanks those that do it, because it keeps his practice going full tilt.

 

[TonyR]

After struggling for over 31 years, I finally lost 135 pounds back in 2004............. when I divorced my first wife!

 

[redpoint5]

Fantastic effort, keep it up!

You've already employed some great strategies to help reinforce good habits. Putting in a reward, like TV while exercising, is an excellent strategy.

I made the mistake of jumping right back into weight lifting after taking 2 years off by doing a bunch of sets of bench-press and pull-ups. My elbows have been hurting for months following that. Now that I'm 40, I guess I can't just do whatever I want and expect my body to just deal with it. Gonna need to ease into activities again, like you did.

Weight control has always come naturally to me. I stopped running/weight lifting when covid hit, and naturally just began skipping breakfast. Now my first meal is at noon, and I eat whatever I want for the rest of the day. Lost a lot of weight, down to 165 (I'm 6'2"). I don't like being that skinny and pathetic, but it is easier on my bad back (destroyed L5-S1 disc).

I'll just mention that losing weight has more to do with diet than exercise, though both are important to good health. Reduce liquid calories (pop, beer) as those don't create a sense of fullness for very long. Eat what you want but limit portion size. I've found my stomach gets used to eating less, or more, depending on my habits.

 

[Fastb]

We're all getting older. Joints are wearing out, especially if you engaged in activities like running, basketball, soccer, etc. And add to that the sneaker "technology" from back then. Converse sneakers, THE go-to basketball sneaker back then, only had a thin foam inner sole. Thin. Not sorbothane of other shock absorbing inner soles. The impacts travelled straight through and hammered joints.

I've never been over weight - I'm 6'2" and 165lbs. But I've had 5 joints replaced: both hips, both knees, and one ankle. I can empathize with the ailments mentioned above.

But the purpose of this email is to encourage sufferers to get joints replaced!

• hip joints have the highest customer satisfaction rating of any elective surgery.
• the most common patient reaction: "I should have done this years ago!"
• I've never met anyone who was displeased with getting a leg joint replacement.
• Pain free legs let you walk like a young man, w/o stooping, shuffling, or favoring a leg. I walk erect, w/ shoulders back. And have good balance, even in rough terrain. No more buckling due to pain,
• My first joint replacement was ~ 2005. That knee joint is still going strong!

People in this forum know this well, ie: Technology is always advancing. Years ago, I had chronic ankle arthritis (partly due to two screws from a skydiving accident). The orthopedic surgeon recommended fusing the ankle because artificial ankle joints weren't very good. Times have changed. In Feb this year, I had my ankle replaced. Hi-res MRI, 3D printing and greatly improved artificial joints gets the credit. My ankle is working pain-free now.

Don't live with bad joint pain! Consider a joint replacement....

Your MILEAGE May Vary! Especially if travelling on foot!
Fastb

 

[mcapeed]

We're all getting older. Joints are wearing out, especially if you engaged in activities like running, basketball, soccer, etc. And add to that the sneaker "technology" from back then. Converse sneakers, THE go-to basketball sneaker back then, only had a thin foam inner sole. Thin. Not sorbothane of other shock absorbing inner soles. The impacts travelled straight through and hammered joints.

I've never been over weight - I'm 6'2" and 165lbs. But I've had 5 joints replaced: both hips, both knees, and one ankle. I can empathize with the ailments mentioned above.

But the purpose of this email is to encourage sufferers to get joints replaced!

• hip joints have the highest customer satisfaction rating of any elective surgery.
• the most common patient reaction: "I should have done this years ago!"
• I've never met anyone who was displeased with getting a leg joint replacement.
• Pain free legs let you walk like a young man, w/o stooping, shuffling, or favoring a leg. I walk erect, w/ shoulders back. And have good balance, even in rough terrain. No more buckling due to pain,
• My first joint replacement was ~ 2005. That knee joint is still going strong!

People in this forum know this well, ie: Technology is always advancing. Years ago, I had chronic ankle arthritis (partly due to two screws from a skydiving accident). The orthopedic surgeon recommended fusing the ankle because artificial ankle joints weren't very good. Times have changed. In Feb this year, I had my ankle replaced. Hi-res MRI, 3D printing and greatly improved artificial joints gets the credit. My ankle is working pain-free now.

Don't live with bad joint pain! Consider a joint replacement....

Your MILEAGE May Vary! Especially if travelling on foot!
Fastb

Glad to hear it worked for you. Neighbor died from knee replacement so it isn’t risk free. He was 71 and in good health. Blood clot is what killed him.


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[sebastiantombs]

I've been putting off injections into my knee but will be making an appointment soon, hopefully before replacement becomes necessary.

 

[TonyR]

Glad to hear it worked for you. Neighbor died from knee replacement so it isn’t risk free. He was 71 and in good health. Blood clot is what killed him.

Wow.
I'm on Coumadin to prevent clots (have Deep Vein Thrombosis and Peripheral Artery Disease) and I'd have to go off it for 5 days in advance of any surgery so it has to be pretty darned serious/important before I can even consider it.

 

[looney2ns]

I had my left hip replaced 3 yrs ago, and will need the other one replaced at some point, but at this time it remains pain free.
I had the Anterior method, vs the old posterior method. 5" incision vs a 12" incision. No muscle's cut vs lots of muscles cut.
Recovery time, 6-8 weeks vs 3-5 months.
I'm completely happy with the replacement, I'm one of those that would say, Why didn't I do it 5-6 years sooner.
There is a risk with any surgery, but you've got to vet your surgeon, heavily.

My neighbor had a knee injected, 10 yrs ago, and hasn't had to do it again since. YMMV.

 

[concord]

@SJGUSMC21, good going on dropping the weight. Went from 170 to 188 over the last two years, missed the good food / salad bar at work, along with running with a few friends during lunch...doing as a group keeps you motivated.

My uncle (former SeaBee) had both knees replaced, he was a mechanic...guess standing on concrete all day for 35 years took it's toll, he's back to bowling like he's in his 30s. A friends wife tried the latest thing, Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, but didn't work for her.

 

[johnfitz]

At first, I was just walking....but walking just takes too long. Then one day I got motivated and started running....bad mistake.

I was walking 20-30 miles a week with some jogging thrown in but have had to stop that. I have arthritis in my right knee and it's too easy to overdo it one day and be stuck on the DL list for a week.

A foot/ankle surgeon friend of mine says that running is hell on all of your joints, from your ankles to your knees, to your hips right on up your spine. You will pay for it in some form or another eventually.

This is what I found also, walking gives great results, jogging just leads to trouble for me.

 

[Fastb]

As any Doctor will tell you (and Honorary Dr Looney2ns, lol), there is a risk with any surgery. That said, replacement joint surgery is pretty invasive. Infections were a major concern (as well as blood clots).
- I missed my brother's funeral because my Dr refused to let me fly for weeks after the surgery. The risk of the low cabin pressure and possible blood clot problems was too great. After the short-term risk of infection or clots is the long-term risk caused by any infections in your body. I must take antibiotics before any dental visit. I must aggressively treat any potential infection. Why? There's little-to-no blood flow inside a metal joint, so the white blood cells can't attack infections very well at all. Bacteria can "hide" in the artificial joint, I'm told. Infections are a major life-long risk.

I've had 5 of my 6 leg joint replaced - and no regrets. YMMV.

Tony, being a former traffic signaling engineer, you undoubtedly saw the "WALK" signal at intersections light up many times. I can only imagine the replies in your head when that bright signal screamed "WALK".
"Walk? That's to be avoided!"
"Walk? I wish!"
"Walk? My knees hurt just thinking about it!"
"Walk? Where's my Ibuprofin?"
(forgive my attempt at humor)
Fastb

PS: Injections had barely any effect. And they're only effective for a while. (Not a cure)

 

[TonyR]

Tony, being a former traffic signaling engineer, you undoubtedly saw the "WALK" signal at intersections light up many times. I can only imagine the replies in your head when that bright signal screamed "WALK".
"Walk? That's to be avoided!"
"Walk? I wish!"
"Walk? My knees hurt just thinking about it!"
"Walk? Where's my Ibuprofin?"
(forgive my attempt at humor)
Fastb

Actually I was a traffic signal 'technician' for a little over 31 years so I actually had my hands on it and worked in the field out in the middle of it with power still on so it was more like "RUN" ! But yes, like others here, my 73 year old knees are shot, in my case likely from kneeling on the concrete sidewalk while getting into ground-level pull boxes and signal cabinets. My left knee tells me a day ahead about impending bad weather; it's the one that got hyper-extended in boot camp in '69 by stepping knee-deep in a rotted tree stump hole at night, then 20 men ran over me which bent it the wrong way...swelled up like a country ham.

Then in my 13th year of signals in '86 I was stupid and instead of going to get a ladder I climbed up 3 levels of pallets racks to get down a box of designer-type street lights (mushroom-looking, not the cobra-head style) for a ritzy neighborhood, lost my footing and grip and fell 12 feet to a cement floor. I landed on my feet and was rewarded with 2 herniated disks from the stupidity. Only missed a few days of work, never went on disability and kept on working for another 18 years. God only knows how.

On top of the arthritis at L4 to L6 due to the fall, I experienced your "normal" ageing (I guess) with arthritis as well in my feet, my knees, my hands and wrists, got a plate in my right foot, PAD and DVT (left leg) but I get around pretty good. None of it's life threatening, just painful at times but I still feel blessed beyond what I deserve.

I walk as much as I can, when I can...no handicap plates or handicap placard hanging from the mirror of my F-150 and I'm grateful for that. I just wish I could take Naproxen sodium for my pain or any NSAID for that matter...it messes with my clotting factor too much (I'm on Coumadin for blood clots in that left leg due to PAD/DVT) so ice is my best friend. I've worn out 2 of those Velcro-fastened waist belts with blue ice gel you put in the freezer.

It seems though if I sit around too much I get worse off than I do if I do too much...for me the trick is to find a happy medium between "not enough" and "too much"....I'm still looking!

 

[DesertRat]

Geez!! You guys make me feel pretty lucky. I'll be 84 come August and my only issues are that I'm a bit over weight and I get a little stiff if I sit too long. I have never had any serious health issues.

I've never had a physically demanding job in my adult life and I never played sports after grade school. When I was younger, I loved to long distance swim. I'd swim across various lakes when I lived in Minnesota. In other words, I never abused my body with work, sports or exercise. Of course genes may have something to do with it too.

I guess I should add that I did abuse my body with cigarettes and booze in my younger years. I haven't smoked for over 50 years but I do still have a drink once in a while.

DesertRat

 

[SJGUSMC21]

Lots of great advice here. Funny, I was the weight control NCO at my last duty station. I had nightmares about my 'fat' Marines. Here I was a Gunny running the shit out of overweight Majors, CWO's, LtCol's., etc. I hated that job...but I learned a lot. I could have lost a lot more then what I have, but it was my decision to NOT quit having a soda a day, or a grilled cheese sandwich, etc. I do eat a lot of healthy things....but I am mostly a juicer type of guy with tons of fruit and 100% natural smoothies. Love them and lots of energy. I am also careful not to gorge myself as well. I eat until I am barely full,l then I stop. That has also helped a great deal, also with acid reflux. I could lose it a lot faster...but right now, a pound or 2 a week, is fine. And now that it is summer in San Antonio (like when is it not?) I will shed it even faster.

As for running, yes I know that walking is better. But I truly do enjoy running. I will continue to do it until I can't or like I said, I go into vapor lock, either way. I would prefer the first option.

 

[sebastiantombs]

I've worked both physically and non-physically over the years. For 73 I consider myself pretty lucky with the minor physical problems, arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis and so on. When I say I walk that means a mile in 20 minutes or less. When I'm in a store I have to make a conscious effort to slow down so I don't run people over. I still get dressed and undressed without sitting down, my balance is still very good. As long as I can keep moving, doing things I like to do, like pulling cable and mounting a new camera or splitting some firewood I'm happy.

 

[DesertRat]

I just hope Tesla perfects "Full Self Driving" before I have to take my driver's test in 2025.

DesertRat

 

[Gargoile]

As odd as this may sound... Try Roller blades or roller skating. It has less impact on your joints than walking and the only issue is if you fall is the only impact. It gets your hearth rate up so it has cardio benefits too and most of it it help you maintain your balance too.
Just tonight my watch showed me I burned 2,135 calories in two hours and my heart rate was avg 135 and a max of 183 bpm