I Want To Get Fitter!
 

So I went to one of those weight loss places and we spoke. I began our meeting with a joke about how overweight I have allowed myself to become. We all laughed.

They asked me about my weight loss goals. I told them that I wanted to get down to the weight I was when I was in the Marine Corps. I let out a nervous chuckle because I know I am a big man now. The specific weight loss specialist talking with me at this point chuckled too.

She asked to know my age now and my age when I was serving in the Corps.

40 now, 18 - 22 back then. She said some other stuff and I don't remember what she said because I had tuned her out as I thought about how small I was back in those days.

She asked my for a specific weight that we should work towards.

I said 130 - 140. She seemed startled. I reminded her that because of my height that is where I needed to be in order to have a healthy BMI and if I aim for 130 - 140 and land at 150, I would be ok, but near the top of my healthy BMI limits for a man my height.

She put me on one scale to give me my weight at that very moment.

Oh the guilt and shame!


She put me on this other scale and it printed out a hole bunch of numbers and stuff.

We went to her office and she sat me down, looked me in the eyes and told me that it was IMPOSSIBLE for me to ever weigh 130 or even 140 pounds ever again!

I was genuinely shocked. I even became defensive as I swore to her my determination to meet my weight loss goals. "Maybe she doesn't think I am serious about this," was one of my thoughts. My mind was racing as I tried to convince her that I was absolutely serious about losing weight!

She said, "Mr. Davidson, calm down just relax. It is impossible for you to ever weigh 130 pounds again and be healthy because (approximately) 160 pounds of your weight is Fat Free Mass."

"What? What do you mean by Fat Free Mass?"

"160 pounds of you is not fat. You have a lot of mass that we don't need to get rid of. You are NOT (emphasis hers) as fat as you think you are."

I smiled.

"Really? I am not that fat?"

"You need to lose weight in order to be healthy, but you're not as big as you think you are and you don't have to lose as much as you think you do in order to be healthy. I've seen men and women in much worse situations than you. We have helped them and we will help you too!"

Until that moment, I had not felt that good about my weight in such a very long time.

I need to lose weight and I will-- but apparently, I really am "big-boned" and maybe, just maybe, my brain is big too!

I walked out of that office feeling like "the BOSS!"

Re: I Want To Get Fitter!
 

JD, it isn't a program. it is a lifestyle. Do you brush your teeth? Do you shower on a regular basis? Use toilet paper on a regular basis? Well, if you answer yes to all the above, then you would understand what I'm saying. Your parents taught you to brush teeth, shower with soap, and use toilet paper. They never taught you to exercise, to eat properly, and to lift heavy. How many push ups did you do in Boot Camp? How many did you do when you got there, and how many did you do when Boot Camp ended?

Re: I Want To Get Fitter!
 

Dude, ain't no way in heck you can mistake mine for fat free mass.

The machine they put you on measures fat, muscle and water weight...it's possible water weight is a big contributor to your weight.

Up your water intake and you will get rid of a bunch of it. Your body will start releasing it's resverves.

I wish you the best man and hopefully I can join you on the journey soon.

Re: I Want To Get Fitter!
 

JD, I am glad you are trying to better yourself. I have lost 18 pounds in the last couple of months. I started at 252 and I weighed today at 234. I have been doing intermittent fasting with low carb and high fat and vegtables diet. I have been trying to drink a lot of water as well.

Question: I don't mean to be grose, but I wander if anyone has any ideas to why a low carb diet would cause your bowel movements to become very infrequent? Is this a normal thing?

Sorry JD for asking this question on you thread.

Re: I Want To Get Fitter!
 

here are the conclusions I came to on how to live my life:

* first you need a mission statement, narrow life down to the most important things you want to be and accomplish

* then decide what steps you need to take to accomplish your life goals

* next you need a schedule, make a daily schedule of when you are going to do the things you need to do to

for me it is like this:

my values
*relationship with God
*health
*family

It's like being in the service, I set my alarm clock for 5AM so I can read my bible, pray, workout, and pack a healthy lunch before I go to work every day. Evenings and weekends I plan family time.

Re: I Want To Get Fitter!
 

:thumbsup:thumbsup:thumbsup

My wife and I have started making a weekly eating schedule for ourselves. It helps her with groceries and worrying what to fix each day. We have saved money cause we waste less and eat out less. We are eating at home things that are more nutricious. A schedule helps to become more aware and prepared. A person can deviate sometimes a little from it, but from my own experience it helps keep us on track.

Re: I Want To Get Fitter!
 

Eating less isn't good, eating foods which have the proper nutrients is good. Sedentary lifestyles are killing off more people then any other illness. Again, people need to understand that exercise is hygienic and not something we fit into a schedule. We shower, we use our tooth brushes, and the toilet paper roll. Because we were trained to do so, we were never trained to exercise, .Lifting heavy, calisthenics, cardio all these exercises to fully achieve wellness. I applaud any beginning in taking care of your health, so please don't get me wrong. You and your wife want to eat right, but there is an issue called 'skinny fat" Losing weight shouldn't be the overall goal. Becoming stronger and healthier is the goal. Not being tried all the time and weak is more likely to happen as your goal is just to lose weight. Fat burning also must be understood that your brain is made up of fat. So, be very careful what you are burning up. High protein low carb diets aren't made for everyone. Everyone is different, and the bathroom is usually where the high protein diet takes its toll. Carbs and proteins go together. No way around it, and it shows up in the bathroom. So, unless you want to pass cinder blocks with rebar, regulate carbs with protein. Everything is a balance, which is done holistically.

I pray for your work in getting good health. :thumbsup

Re: I Want To Get Fitter!
 

oatmeal, broccoli, cabbage, and salads are good for digestive health.

Re: I Want To Get Fitter!
 

I've been doing soup and salad when people are not feeding me breakfast tacos.

Flour tortillas are from the debil.

Re: I Want To Get Fitter!
 

Jermyn, keep us informed about what you learn in the program and your progress towards your goals. It will keep us all motivated to do well.