A re-introduction from a man in the land of the chicks
 

Hello everyone.

I found this site about 9 months ago when I first decided I wanted to lose some weight. At that time I really didn’t have much of an idea of how I wanted to go about doing it. Since that time I’ve lost about 20 pounds, but I wasn’t really trying. Now, in my mind I have a pretty good idea how I want to go about losing the rest of the weight and so I’m back to try and connect with some new people in a similar boat.

My biggest issue is not a lack of willpower so much, but a lack of concentration. The last time I tried this I would forget I was trying to lose weight and ended up indulging too much, too frequently. So, in order to rectify that I’m hoping to make some friends here to offer support to and I’m also keeping track of things on a blog.

I realize there aren’t many men around here so I hope I’m not intruding. But honestly have you tried going to 3fatguys.com? Don’t bother. So, I’m turning to the fairer sex. It seems you have a great community here.

If anyone is looking for mutual support, I’d be more than happy to be an online buddy.

Other than that I’m just happy to be here and look forward to hopefully contributing.

Welcome back -- greetings to you from upstate NY.

You're still young -- think of this like being one of four men in a room full of women -- you can be the center of the universe!

I have a chunk of plump to lose, but I've got a decent start on it. I'm doing kind of my own plan -- saw a nutritionist who basically said stop eating the junk, so instead of paying her to say it every two weeks, I'm working at it on my own. Some good days, some bad but it's working. What are you trying?

Hey Shelby,

I'm not really trying anything in particular. Nothing more than limiting my calories and increasing my exercise as I lose weight. It's not a very intriguing plan, but it's really the only thing that has a scientific basis for working (and I'm a big fan of science).

Thanks for replying and good luck!

Welcome back Charles, good to have you! Greetings from Boston. I've been doing exactly what you're doing been doing since November and I'm down 29lbs... its not glamorous and it was defiantly a tough start but it does work. I have days that aren't perfect but its the right direction to go in. Keep posting so we can all get to know you! You should come join us in the 100lb club.....everyone there is pretty fabulous

Hey neighbor guy! :wave:

I'm basically doing the same thing you, NESunshine and shelby are, been doing it since the new year. So far, it's working. :crossed: I think my mind, my body and my feelings are all in agreement with one another because it's involved changes that all three have been able to live with so far. It's basically been substitution, reduction, moderation and upping the exercise...the only cold turkey is the one in my sandwich. :p

:goodluck:

Not an intrusion! You are more than welcome! Good luck and talk to you around!

NESunshine: Thanks for the support and congratulations on the weight loss you've already had. I'm impressed.

trekkiegirl: Hi neighbor girl! Are you ready for some snow finally? I am, I want to get out and go snowboarding.

I think you're on the right track as far as how to approach this weight loss thing. I, for one, am not going to go for any technique that hasn't been around for at least 50 years. So that essentially means reducing calories and exercising more.

Reddalice: thanks for the warm welcome. I feel a little bit like a guy walking into a woman's bathroom on this site. But I'm okay with that. I've never complained about being outnumbered by women before and I'm certainly not going to start now.

I like your blog.

Originally Posted by :
This is a good, solid weight for…say, a sea lion, but I don’t think it’s so great for a 6′ tall guy.

That really made me laugh.

I can relate to your motivation section. I'm very motivated by the little girl I was baby-sitting who said "gosh, your hiney is huge". Nothing quite like that for the motivation to get one started losing weight.

Good luck in your quest.

Hi there - I've lost 70 pounds following the "eat less, exercise more" approach. Everyone asks me what plan I'm on, and they almost seem disappointed that I don't come up with something more exotic than counting calories and getting my exercise in regularly. But me, I'm thrilled because you know what - it works!

Hey Charles - Cool blog! I also liked the sea lion analogy. I always enjoy a little humor and snarkiness. Keep up the good work.

Good luck...Tricia

Hi Charles!

Welcome! I read your blog, and it sounds like you have thought a lot about what works for you and what doesn't. That's GREAT! It took me many years to come up with a plan that worked for me!

My oldest son dropped 75 pounds in about eight months by taking up running and cutting out fast food. He's always been an athlete (field events, football, Tae Kwon Do) and has lifted since he was 15. His weight went on by neccesity as he prepared to compete at the national level in college for shot and disc. Having extra weight on you increases the distance that you can throw. Now, as a post-college track and field coach, he wanted to get trim so that he could explore other activities like hiking, rollerblading, running, and skydiving. His fiancee is a distance runner, so she worked out a running program for him.

One of his happiest moments was finishing his first marathon last fall in 3 hours and 46 minutes!

He's 6'4" and 200 lbs. He says that feels just right to him. It is over what the charts say, but he's very large-boned and quite muscular. He said that he likes the way his clothes fit and how he has energy that he lacked before. Running caused him to sacrifice his fast-twitch muscles in favor of developing his slow-twitch muscles (used more for endurance activities like running and hiking), but he says that since he no longer is competing nationally, it is a reasonable trade-off.

He's been very interested in my weight loss and has encouraged me along as I lose more and more weight. It really makes me feel proud when he tells me that he knows weight loss can be tough and that he's very happy that I am getting healthier.

Congratulations on developing a plan that you feel comfortable with, because that seems to be the key to this weight loss 'THANG"!!!

Come and post often! We chicks enjoy having some roosters around the farm!!

Cheryl

Good Luck Charles,

I have actually been a member here since 2003, but just made my first post Tuesday. I started on Monday and am working with a team in a competition. Hopefully this will keep me motivated.

I'm an engineer so I am also a big science. The body should be looked at like an engine. You've got to burn more fuel than put in. It's as simple as that.

One suggestion I would make is to reduce if not eliminate the simple carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice, potatoes and regular pasta. I'm not saying do South Beach or Atkins, but the simple carbohydrates break down quick and go right to fat. When a body builder wants to get rid of that last little bit of fat to be ripped for a competition. What does he cut out the last two weeks? Fat? no it's carbohydrates. Just a suggestion but it will increase the rate that you lose weight

Hey...I'm a newbie 2....
 

:hug: We all gotta stick together in this thing called "weight loss"!!! Hope to have you as a pal, and supporter!! Way to go on the 20, by the way....:D

Thanks everyone! It's my big one week anniversary and I've really enjoyed getting to know some of the people on this site and I appreciate all the support.

Welcome Back!

There are other guys on the forum so you're not alone in that.

Congrats on your loss!! Post Often...

Hey Charles,

Just read your 2/19 blog entry and I agree with you. I think individuals have to figure out what is going to work for them and and adapt that into their lives rather than trying to force themselves into something they may not be ready for. It's easier for some people to subscribe to a program if their eating habits and preferences, as well as some other behaviors, tend to lend themselves to that program to begin with. If I came across a program that said "you can't have cheese, bread or anything salty and you have to document everything you eat and do but you'll lose the weight very fast" I wouldn't do it because I know I wouldn't be able to sustain it long-term...heck, not even short-term. :p

So, instead, I essentially considered what I was consuming and how much and asked myself several questions along the lines of, okay, what do you want to keep as is, what do you want to keep but modify to a lower-calorie version, what would you not really miss much if you didn't have it (or at least didn't have it frequently), what new choices or the increase of certain choices can you incorporate that both taste good and are good for you?

Same deal with the exercise. I'd kill or at least cripple myself, I think, if I started out trying to do 30 intense minutes at one shot. :p But, hey, I can do 10-minute bursts 3 times and work my way up from there. I mean, I'm up to a 15-pound loss after about 7 weeks of what some, including me sometimes, might consider minimal-to-moderate effort...lol, it doesn't always feel that way, especially after exercising. :D At this point for me it becomes a question of can I keep going at this level and expect a reasonable, somewhat gradual pattern of loss or can I adapt myself to a slight increase in effort and maybe lose an extra pound or two a little quicker? :carrot: I'll focus on my ultimate goal when I get closer to it; in the meantime, I focus on the next few pounds. I'm like the tortoise in my tracker--I can see the goal in the distance but it's gonna take me a little while to get there and I just have to focus on the next few steps that put me closer to it. :)

How's the snow and ice by you, btw? I'm seeing people still having trouble getting cars out. At least they finally picked up the garbage. :p

I agree, Trekkie. I lost a lot of weight before, and this is my second journey with less to lose but man is it harder. Guess why I gained it back? Exactly what Charles says. You stop restricting and you stop spending 2 hours a day 7 days a week at the gym and try to have a life that includes some partying and dinners out with the boyfriend, and you pack it back on. I personally am having success with SB, bc I am in the "introduce carbs back in" phase. We'll see what happens. I think Charles's model seems pretty sound to me, and it is certainly worth a try. Oh, and I love the blog, Charles. I also have a side blog, but it has nothing to do with dieting, so I don't push it here. Take care, and good luck! :D

Hey, welcome! I did it pretty much the same way you're planning to, too. Old fashioned and pretty boring, but it tends to work. All of the other methods are really just more systematic ways of doing the same thing, its just about which method works for you. Nothing too constructive to say, just a hello from another northeasterner:)

In the world of big boobs, tiny waists, and "just a little junk in the trunk", I am the station wagon. Flat all the way down and no real curves. I look like a roll of Jimmy Dean sausage turned upright. At 6' tall and 340 lbs, and a size 24, I don't look like I weigh that much, but I do. I carry it all over, not just in one concentrated area. I used to run 8 miles a day and lift weights for 3 hours, followed by 50 laps in the campus pool, but that was college, and back then, I was 220. Still fat by some standards, but I was in awesome shape, and I thought I was hot. Now I'm married, and I want so bad to show that woman to my husband, he has only seen the station wagon. So, you're into science...I was a physics major in college, but changed my major to drafting design and computer networking technologies because it was more hands on...so now I sit at a desk all day, staring at a computer map. I am pretty intense and I don't hold back my opinions, so, hopefully some of you men are the same way and can kick my rear into shape with some harsh realities.
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