The mens support thread
 

There was discussion in another thread about a forum/thread for men. So here it is.

Calling all guys at 3fc. This your thread to post for support, advice, comments, whatever, about being a guy on a weight loss journey.

A male here
 

One male checking in.

Not sure what male issues about weight loss exist that aren't shared with females.

'Cept maybe, Superbowl Sunday. But even that seems to have a zillion female posters with recipes and eating tips.

We can do a body count; I've wondered how many men there are on 3FC. Not sure that even the mods know, since I don't recall gender being asked during my admission interview.

This is great i wanted to go over on how other men lost weight i have lost 20 pounds but it has been so hard for me. i still need 35 pounds till i hit that 185 mark. I used to be at this weight but things happened and basically gained alot i currently use a gazzel (running maching about 20min 3-4 times a day) and me and the wife do the wii fit because its very competative and fun with also some calorie burners (20 min run in place game).

I guess we have quite a few male members on the board, not really sure how many regularly post. I once suggested to start a new forum for Men which would cover a lot of things where we differ from most of the chicks over here, for eg. diet, supplements, exercise schedule where we certainly need little different suggestions. I frequently visit bodybuilding.com forums but I do find 3fc to be well moderated & more useful..the mods over here do a very good work to keep 3fc free from all crap.

Hey fellas! Yeah I would be curious to see how many men too. I asked when I first joined if men are welcome and I was told yes so I have been posting some but mostly I have been reading there is a LOT of info archived on this site. I basically learned how to calorie count from this site and use the food calorie counter every day.

I started on Dec1 on the Alli diet plan with the pills and started counting calories right after that and to date have lost just under 30 pounds and losing so I know I am going in the right direction.

Along with dieting I have been running on an elliptical machine every day for an hour and I want to get back into weight lifting but I can't seem to find time for it like I can the elliptical which I do at the YMCA first thing in the morning.

As far as men specific issues I can't think of any unless we start voting on the hottest Before/After pictures ... but ... ahem ... it's a possibility we may find ourselves UNDER the dog house! :D

Im glad to see all of you i just started here and the first question on my mind that i posted was; are there anymore men on this site and they were nice enough to make a thread for us woot. I use a gazzel and its not to bad but i also go jogging and take walks with my wife and watch what i eat but it just doesnt seem to want to come off fast enough ;) .

Good to see some more men joining in :)

I lost over 34 lbs since I started and then my weight loss stalled, I've been struggling to get down the mark of 194 since last 70 + days but the scales simply don't want to go down any further. I do cardio for 45 minutes 6 days a week and heavy weight training for thrice a week which covers three muscle parts once every week, my calorie intake is approx 1800-2000 per day and my body bugg shows that I burn on average 3000 - 3300 cals a day when I exercise...weight simply refuses to come down :(

I tried zigzagging, going up & down on calories and nearly most of the other things suggested on this board however nothing seems to work at the moment..and at this point I even doubt if my BODYBUGG is accurate :D ..I however have stopped worrying much about it and enjoy the new lifestyle and energy loss of 34 lbs have given to me. I fit into my old clothes and look a lot better..lot of my friends do say that I need not reduce any more weight coz I look fit now however I know I have to still lose another 30 lbs in other words I want to go down to a body fat percent of around 15 % for now from 29 % where I'm right now.

I'm addicted to 3FC, nearly every day I spend my time over here, all of the nice ladies here have contributed and helped so much that I find it to be the most resourceful community for weight loss on the web.

For most of Men here I have a question, along with my ON's WHEY I took Muscletech's NITROTECH for three weeks and I'm wondering if someone has an experience if that contributes to plateaus..although I stopped taking it for last two weeks I don't see much progress even after that. Do you guys take any other Supplements other than WHEY ?

Thanks for reading & sharing.

Rinku I don't see how taking whey protein would stop you from losing weight but they mix a lot of other stuff in there so who knows. I think if you stop taking it, everything would be out of your system in week for sure.

More than likely you are just on what everyone says almost everyone will hit sooner or later a plateau in your weight loss.

From everything I have read about everyone just says to keep working out and dieting and sooner or later you'll come out on the other side. How long it will last is anyones guess.

I have read that plateau happens when our body has acclimated itself to your workout and diet. But also if you are restricting you calories like you said maybe your body has gone into starvation mode even though you are not starving at your calorie intake.

My brother-in-law who was a champion body builder for many years used to tell me that you have to shake up your body and surprise it every once in a while when it gets used to your work outs maybe it is the same with dieting? I am no nutritionalist so I don't know.

But one thing is for sure Rinku you have made a LOT of progress and you definitely deserve congrats for that.

I just started my diet and so the weight is coming off pretty easy so far, 8 pounds in one week once! But I am expecting my plateau but I hope it is a long time in coming!

Hello Flatiron,

Thanks for your encouraging words ! 8 pounds a week is a wonderful loss & I do hope that you never see a plateau :) Though when I analyze I sometimes think plateaus are really good thing..now let me express it how, I started my weightloss journey exactly on June 24, 2008 and that was the same time I joined 3FC. Before joining 3FC I was completely a novice when it comes to bodybuilding & fitness. Reading helped me to learn a lot I realized that crash dieting is bad, eating small meals multiple times is good, I knew the difference between good and bad food, I realized morning breakfast is good, I understood the concept of calorie countring and above all I learnt that a failure is not a failure untill you stop trying.

During my last 6 months Journey I have changed my eating habits drastically and now I'm so much accustomed & comfortable to my new eating habits that it looks like a normal routine to me. I eat healthy stuff..do not crave for junk and when I saw long plateaus initially I'd been very frustrated later I realized I'm going through a testing phase and this phase will help me become better. Today when I look back I know these plateaus have somehow helped me in reconditioning myself to think & live healthy. When you choose healthy food over bad food for more than 6 months you really develop a habit to eat sensibly & healthy..no longer the craving for junk happens, ofcourse I do binge at times but next morning I'm back on the track. If I would have lost my desired weight in say 3 or 4 months I would have probably become too comfortable with myself and may be I'd have got back to my old habits..but now it doesn't happens. For the first time in my life I love going to Gym, I love running, I love bycycling & I love all activities that involves physical actions. When the journey becomes long..it becomes easier too..you somehow become used to all kind of challenges and as the age old saying goes, Tough times (Read Plateaus) not last but Tough People do..so I believe with these plateaus Nature does tests and recondition you into living healthy & longer :)

Hey guys (and gals).

I've lurked here different times but have been afraid to post in what I assumed to be a women's domain. Loved reading stuff and gathering more aresenal in my attack on fat, though.

Now that there's a testosterone thread - count me in!

40 yrs old, married to a wonderful woman, 2 great kids, living in Ontario, Canada.

Started last week at 343 lbs, 6'1, football player frame. Used to be almost studly in University (okay, fit maybe, but a stud - no), but am a fill-in for the Pillsbury mascot the past 20 years with this excess weight.

Doing a Body For Life type program - 5-6 small meals daily, equal protein/carbs, lower healthy fats. Doing cardio 3 or 4 times a week, and will start lifting some weights this week.

Lost 10 lbs last week in the starting week - hoping to lose 3-4/wk until I get well under 300, and then a couple lbs weekly (give-or-take) until I hit 225.

Cheers!

Well since we are on the "mans thread" lets get some good ideas on what to eat and motivation to keep it off:) . I hope i can reach my goal of 34 pounds in about 3 months im trying to stay on a 1500 calories honestly i eat small meals but the biggest change is my routine my wife is very supportive. I do cardio about 3-4 times a week and wii fit almost daily (its so fun because its motivating to get ur little avatar into shape) very competative honestly with out that i would only be stuck doing cardio 3-4 times a week. Three small meals is great but im getting tired of my usual lets spice it up a little bit anyone got any ideas. (i dont want this thread to die :D so keep it coming)

3 meals and 3 snacks per day
 

Jeremy - Do you do three snacks between your three meals each day? What are your snacks?

Rinku - Try interval training to break through the plateau. I've been on one for the last 4 months and I've tried everything too, up/down calories or activity. But now I am running and doing the intervals. So far, it's working...good luck!
:dizzy::carrot::dancer::yikes::broc:

Sorry, those fun characters were picked out by my 3-1/2 yr old!:D

I got tired of boiled chicken breast and steamed vegetables very quickly and these three items I have found to be indespensable to make otherwise bland food more palatable.

I use the Parkay butter substitute that comes in the blue spray bottle. Not the pour bottle that has a lot of calories but the smaller bottle with the spray pump. I don't use the spray pump and usually cut the stem off. I pour it directly from the bottle and drizzle it on veggies. There are NO calories it the stuff and if it is at room temp it tastes (to me anyways) JUST like melted butter to me. I love the stuff so much I probably go through 2 bottles a week.

Another product I use it in the Asian food section of the grocery store in my neighborhood they sell Gyoza Potsticker Sauce. Comes in a bottle the size of a regular soy sauce bottle. I now use this instead of soy sauce which as we all know has a zillion mgs of sodium and makes us retain water, or it does me anyways. It doesn't taste exactly like soy sauce but it tastes good and again it tastes a little salty with 1/10 the amount of sodium of soy sauce.

And finally another item that is now indespensable in my kitchen is a bottle of Teriyaki sauce that I again get out of the asian food section. I use this instead of dressing on salads.

I love salads and I have been eating one just about every day but realized that the salad was low in calories but the dressing I put on it, even the low cal stuff, added most of the calories to the salad. I use a capful (it's a pretty big cap, bigger than a soy sauce cap) on a salad and it tastes great to me and only 10 calories.

These 3 products I use a LOT to make my food taste better. I am constantly on the look out for other things as well. I joined Weight Watchers a while back and the WW leader talked about finding alternatives to all the condiments we normally use (dressing, sauces, dips etc.).

If anyone has any of their low calorie tricks to post I would most welcome them. I am divorced and a bachelor now and do most of all my cooking now.

teriyaki sauce is a good idea never thought of that. I barely eat snacks but when i do its like 20 cheezits or a string cheese maybe an all fruit shake. Since i dont have snacks sometimes i binge at night time when i eat supper ..... :( . Now since i have came to this site ive made it my goal to work out everyday for atleast a month nonstop. honestly in the mornign i dont eat breakfest im not hungery in the morning till about 10....idk why i work out for about 30min in the morning cardio then strength training (squats situps pushups ect...) and some yoga....(yes i said yoga wife wants me to do it with her) and thats for about 20min also. I get up in the morning at 2-3 in the morning to work out and 10 is when im starting to get hungry that just doesnt seem right.

(if i have bad spelling its becasue im rushing to head out the door for work :dizzy:)

with that stuff the labelling regulations are such that if a serving size is small enough (e.g. 1 spray), they're allowed to claim that it's fat-free or 0 calories (even though it's not). if you're using it in large servings (not spraying) there are quite a few calories in it - 832 total calories from 93 grams of fat per bottle according to the site below:

http://higherbar.wordpress.com/2007/...d-food-labels/

I get the strongest parmesean cheese I can find from a good italian grocery store, and sprinkle a little on steamed veggies. You need very little for a good flavour, if it's the strong stuff, and the taste is great with very little calories.

hey everyone just thought i would come and check myself in :P wow i feel better knowing that there are other guys in here this is a great site i have alos been lurking around here for awhile i did post here and there! i am just a lil shy to say things I am overweight i have been over weight my whole life i used to weight 257 ten yrs ago then i went down to 178 and now i am back to 239 and climbing i am ready to lose weight but i dont know how exactly i want to do it the right way and safe way!! Being over weight has made me depressed my wholelife and right now i am with the girl i want to spend the rest of my life we have been dating for awhile now but being overweight has taken its toll i worry about what she thinks and it got me lowself esteem i want to change that and be happy and live healthy and this site is the thing to do thanks

OMG! :eek: Froggie your right!!! Thank you so much for posting this! Well so much for the fake butter! I am tossing what I have tomorrow!

I'VE BEEN USING THE STUFF ON EVERYTHING!!!

OOOHH! I'm PO'd! :mad:

morning. just found this. we did have a mens forum years ago but it never reallygot used. hopefully this will work out.

i'm Simon in the uk. 27 just under 300lb. and i do know of another guy on here so i'll try and drag him along.

You know, if it's working for you while using it, maybe try using it in moderation. I mean if it makes bland food taste better, and you're getting results, I'd think reducing the amount you use couldn't be all bad... Just a thought!

Just checking in. Lost 130 lbs and hit goal. now I am trying to keep it off. Have done so for over a year, but the battle still rages on. Keep up the good work everyone

Was waiting for you to find this thread :D

You have any advice for us men that havent met our goal yet wating habits works out routines ect....

I have read a few of your posts and you are very inspirational to us who have not finished our goal.:carrot:

ya mean after we hit goal we can't just kick back and enjoy good food again! :D

I was checking out your pics - very, very impressive.

130 lbs down - how's the loose skin where you lost so much? Starting to shrink some?

Oh, and a question - I know you did WW. How was your fitness regimine while losing the weight? Weights and cardio? The entire year?

Again, awesome inspiration!

yup, diet food....if it seems to good to be true, it probably is :P

That is a good tip. I have been using a lot of really strong flavors, such as aged cheese and hot pepper to spice up my diet food.

Ok, checking in. I am at goal at the present time trying to keep it off. Lost 130 lbs. It was a long road only to find out that the road did not end once I hit goal. Still takes work I guess.

Anybody going to any Super Bowl Parties? I just got my invatation to one I get invited to every year and this couple goes ALL out on the food every year. I asked him if there was going to be any healthy snacks and he just looked at me like I was crazy! LOL!

He said if you want healthy snacks them BRING some. I think I am if I can think of some good stuff to bring. Last year they had besides all the chips and dip and stuff tubs of homemade Polish sausage (he's Polish LOL) and steamed shrimp. Lot's and LOTS of stuff covered in cheese and since it is a pot luck a lot of desserts.

I am thinking if I bring healthy snacks if there is non there I can eat my own stuff at least.

All I can think of is reduced fat chips and crackers which I really don't want to eat because even though it is reduced fat it is STILL a lot of fat and calories.

I was thinking something like tuna bites or chicken on a stick steamed or something but I am not a good cook.

Any ideas??? I really wanna go because we'll watch the game projected on a huge screen like at the movies these people have a great party room with surround sound just awesome to watch the game! :D

How about a party sub. Or maybe a 7 payer dip thats not to bad with the right ingredients.

1 serving = 2 tbsp
29 calories, 1 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat (trace saturated), 3 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 138 mg sodium

Ingredients:
16 oz. can fat free spicy or zesty refried beans
1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
? tsp. ground cumin
? tsp. garlic powder
11-1/2 ounce (about 1-1/4 cups) jar guacamole dip*
? cup chopped green onions
1 cup light sour cream
3 Tbsp. canned, drained, diced green chilis
1-1/2 seeded, chopped vine-ripened tomatoes
4 oz. shredded 75% light cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 cup sliced, drained black olives

found this bad boy.

well....i gained a pound in the two weeks i have been doing cardia for about 45min a day except one day a week. Only been eating 1500 calories a day or less throughout the day. :( this really just didnt make my day at all....

Welcome to the club :) The way our bodies behave is really mysterious and honestly I sometimes find all theories to be half true :p

Hey Jeremy,

I was wondering did you, by any chance, had too intense of a workout? Sometimes, I have noticed, when I exersice too intensely my muscles and joints hurt and during the next days I retend a lot of water. I had read somewhere, it was in 3FC, that hurt and sore muscles retend water to heal.

Maybe that is the case.

My body is hurting all over these past 2 weeks i have very intense workouts (to me they are:D ) i just couldnt fathom working out like an animal then eating right and not seeing any progress for 2 weeks!!! :carrot: < this guy didnt help me out either:)

Well it happened to me when I started weight training..for the first two weeks I gained and then I lost..apparently it was water retention in muscles during the initial weeks. I would like to wait another week to see if its water or something else .

i guess ill just wait another week im going to weigh myself everyday though becasue i was disappointed i think only intake of 1500 calories and doig cardio for abotu 45min a day minus one day a week would shoudl results of atleast 5pounds in 2 weeks :?: