Forgot I have a late afternoon meeting on the other side of town today. That plus a dinner at 7 means I can't workout tonight. So I got up at 430 and was waiting at the Y when it opened. Super low energy- everything felt 2x heavier. And I missed a couple of things because people were farting around on the machines.

But I got it done. I've built my habits to a point that I don't make excuses, I make accommodations.

In reply to TXTransplant This is the way

I still have not implemented my lunch workouts but I have packed a bag and bought a master lock (I don't usually take enough to the gym to need a locker). The freeze combined with dad duty kept me home and occupied. I was able to fit in a couple of my Mind Pump workouts in my garage gym.

I can say that my eating choices have taken a complete 180 and I feel great. Getting lots of protein, eating fruits and vegetables, plenty of water, basically shocking the system post-holiday season.

Lets keep it up!

In reply to TXTransplant

TXTransplant said:

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Forgot I have a late afternoon meeting on the other side of town today. That plus a dinner at 7 means I can't workout tonight. So I got up at 430 and was waiting at the Y when it opened. Super low energy- everything felt 2x heavier. And I missed a couple of things because people were farting around on the machines.

But I got it done. I've built my habits to a point that I don't make excuses, I make accommodations.

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I'm not going to pretend I'm not half asleep powering through the first of my workout in the AM, but the slow movement and sips of coffee warm me up so that after the 5-15min of core exercises, I'm ready to get to work.
The early mornings create some challenges about mid-day but I'm a much better person in the afternoon knowing the hay's in the barn.

In reply to RustyBoltz I would definitely prefer to work out in the morning, just not at 5 am. Due to my work schedule, that's what it would have to be, so I opt for evenings instead. Fri, Sat, and Sun, I'm usually doing something by 7 am, which is a much better time.

I'm avoiding caffeine for the next few weeks to assess a specific issue I'm having. Not having my 9 am cold brew with vanilla cold foam is really a drag today, pun intended. I am feeling it.

Good workout this morning.

We throw a party every year this weekend so gotta make sure I keep things under control. Not opposed to treating myself a little, but this seems like a good training opportunity. If I can get through tonight and have a good time while keeping it under control, it will be a good experience to have in my back pocket.

"Hey man if you got through the party, this will be a piece of cake."


Hope y'all are all staying strong and keeping with it.

Passed the test with flying colors. Pretty accurate accounting of everything and total for the day was about 2500 calories. And this is a big time rager kind of party.

Handling the more routine special occasions will be east compared to this.

In reply to bagger05

bagger05 said:

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Passed the test with flying colors. Pretty accurate accounting of everything and total for the day was about 2500 calories. And this is a big time rager kind of party.

Handling the more routine special occasions will be east compared to this.

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Yeah handling big parties is tough! I found for me that if I just ate nothing but protein during the day then I can enjoy myself at parties with eating whatever i wanted.

In reply to True Anomaly

True Anomaly said:

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bagger05 said:

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Passed the test with flying colors. Pretty accurate accounting of everything and total for the day was about 2500 calories. And this is a big time rager kind of party.

Handling the more routine special occasions will be east compared to this.

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Yeah handling big parties is tough! I found for me that if I just ate nothing but protein during the day then I can enjoy myself at parties with eating whatever i wanted.

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That was what I did.

Extra scoop of protein after my workout and then the only thing I ate before the party was chicken breast. I think I was at my protein goal and only 750 calories in by party time.

Definitely will deploy that strategy anytime I've got something special in the evening.

In reply to bagger05 What protein do you use? I might look at egg white protein, but I'm curious what others are using. I've never been a big fan of whey protein powder.

In reply to Ryan the Temp I use egg white protein powder exclusively. It has no flavor, can completely blend into most foods, and it doesn't have a weird aftertaste or make me belch like plant based proteins do.

I like the Now Foods brand. Egg white protein has gotten pretty expensive since the great egg shortage (some brands doubled in cost), but you can still find it at a decent price if you shop around. Amazon is no longer my go-to source.

I'll play

On Jan 1:

47 y/o M
5'9"
171 lb

Have access to body scan:
It suggests losing 18 lbs fat from abdomen
Also measures each limb's muscle. Says I'm at about 97-99% ideal

Goal is to lose that 18 lbs of abdominal fat and get each limb well over 100% muscle (~105%)

This months goal is to have weight down to 167

I hit 166.8 Friday. Back to 167.4 today Monday. I know from experience weekends are always worse even though they don't seem worse as I'm living it. I guess it's just easier to eat less at work

Alcohol: no particular goal but I'm currently day 24 without

I like this thread and hope to stick with the goal and keep accountable on here

In reply to Ryan the Temp In our cabinet for rotation:
Gold Standard Vanilla Whey
GS Chocolate Casein
GS Plant Based Vanilla Protein
Vanilla Ka'Chava (received a couple bags from an IronMan event)
KOS Chocolate

My primary is the GS vanilla whey - typically 1.5 or 2 scoops into a shaker + coffee in the mornings
Chocolate Casein in the evenings

The other three I primarily mix up into a variety of shakes/smoothies for my wife. She's vegetarian and was hooked on Shakeology for a while but I found KOS to be a cheaper and lower cal alternative.

In reply to TXTransplant

TXTransplant said:

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I use egg white protein powder exclusively. It has no flavor, can completely blend into most foods, and it doesn't have a weird aftertaste or make me belch like plant based proteins do.

I like the Now Foods brand. Egg white protein has gotten pretty expensive since the great egg shortage (some brands doubled in cost), but you can still find it at a decent price if you shop around. Amazon is no longer my go-to source.

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Thanks. I'm definitely looking for something I can put into other foods like overnight oats because shakes get old, even though I do drink the Premier Protein 30g shakes after the gym and occasionally with breakfast.

Monday check in 283 lbs.

Down another 6 but man it was a tough weekend. Lots of cravings.

243 this morning. 1.8 lost last week. 82.6 total.

Good week working out. I didn't get to do a timed 5k outside because it was cold AF but I got on the treadmill 3x and worked on endurance.

In reply to Ryan the Temp Ive been pretty loyal to premier protein for on the go needs. Chocolate Peanut Butter and Cinnamon Roll are my favorite. But yesterday I gave the HEB brand a shot, specifically the Dulce De Leche, and it was really good. Coupon made it like $3 cheaper than the PP brand.

12/15/23
Age: 36
Ht: 5'05"
Wt: 174
nFFMI: 25.02
BF%: ~17%

I weighed 174 in mid December when I started my goal to be down to about 160 by mid-March. I have floated between 170-180 since about 2014. I'm built like a tank with a mesomorph body, so BMI and Navy standards always have a problem with me (Was always sent to the "fat" line for weigh-ins).

My progress has been stunning, and I'm crashing through what I thought possible.

1/22/24
Wt: 163
nFFMI: 24.04
BF%: ~15%

80% of this is clean eating. I started ordering daily meals from Factor, which usually are chicken/pork and a vegetable, ranging from 400-900 Calories. For snacks, it's either a fruit (cherries/peaches/apple sauce), a slice of prosciutto, or a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter. The goal is to hit between 1600-2200 Calories six days per week. I do take creatine, using the HCl dosage. It's what we used to take playing football in college, and I got away from it after an emergency surgery in 2014 when my appendix staged a coup. Dinner is usually about 4 oz of steak or a few scrambled eggs with Tabasco, coupled with the aforementioned snacks.

I have a cheat meal each week, where I eat whatever I want, but I usually plan that. For example, Sunday was a Large Wing Combo from Wingstop with +5 wings on the side. A week ago, it was 2 Chipotle burritos plus chips and guac. I've found this keeps me on track and keeps cravings away.

The workouts have become essential as well. It's divided into three parts upper/lower/run, one per day with a rest day. I do each twice per week. I am also a walking fiend. I aim to hit 10,000 steps/day but routinely crush through 15,000/day. I was a walking dude before any of this weight loss started, so I'm on about a 70-day streak of breaking 10,000 steps. I've also lowered my mile time by about 1:15/mile, which is huge for a slow a guy like me. Resting heart rate has dropped from about 65bpm to 57 bpm.

Last week at the office, I had multiple people ask me if I'd lost weight and told me I looked younger. Midsection definition has returned, but abs are not fully formed yet. Upper chest definition has returned as well. Now, that I'm smashing through the original goal, I'm aiming for 150. I ran a marathon in 2012 at about 145.

In reply to Ryan the Temp

Ryan the Temp said:

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TXTransplant said:

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I use egg white protein powder exclusively. It has no flavor, can completely blend into most foods, and it doesn't have a weird aftertaste or make me belch like plant based proteins do.

I like the Now Foods brand. Egg white protein has gotten pretty expensive since the great egg shortage (some brands doubled in cost), but you can still find it at a decent price if you shop around. Amazon is no longer my go-to source.

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Thanks. I'm definitely looking for something I can put into other foods like overnight oats because shakes get old, even though I do drink the Premier Protein 30g shakes after the gym and occasionally with breakfast.

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That's exactly what I use it for. I make my overnight oats 4 servings at a time. I found when I was using plant based protein powder, the protein was breaking down. By the third or fourth day, the oats would have a very bitter taste. I do not have that problem with egg white protein.

I also use it in acai bowls, omelettes/scrambled eggs, and the occasional smoothie (smoothies aren't my favorite).

The vanilla flavor is pretty good, too (I use that in the acai bowls and smoothies). I have not tried the chocolate.

Acai bowls after a workout in the summer when it's really hot are awesome! Plain acai has pretty much no sugar. I sweeten mine with the vanilla egg white protein and add a little cacao powder, chia seeds, and 3/4 cup Greek yogurt before blending. Freeze, and then let it partially defrost (while you workout) before topping with berries, cherries, peaches, a few crumbled up Bare banana chips, cacao nibs, and a dusting of cinnamon.

UPDATE:

Steps last week: 106,013 (15,145 avg)
Calories last week: 13,972 (1,996 avg)
Protein last week: 1,267 g (181 avg)
Lifting sessions last week: 4

7 day average weight: 224.40 (-2.43 lbs vs Jan 15)
Total weight lost (7 day average) since Jan 11: 3.69 lb
Total weight lost (raw number) since Jan 6: 6.4 lb

Right on target. I'm shooting for dropping about 1% of my weight each week (I've read that this is a safe number to shoot for without losing muscle mass as long as you're lifting and getting enough protein), so did slightly better than my goal. On the lookout for huge drops and not losing.


Big wins:

- Kept things under control even though we had our big party. Found some good strategies for dealing with these types of challenges. This was huge.

- Moving up in weight on flat bench (235x8, 225x10, 215x12) and incline (210x8, 200x10, 190x12). Getting close to getting back to where I was a few months ago. Also increasing my reps on chin ups and pull ups. Those should go up nicely because as I'm getting stronger I'm also losing weight.

In reply to Ryan the Temp I just use whey protein. My body seems to tolerate dairy really well -- I eat a ton of it. Plain nonfat Greek yogurt with a scoop of whey protein is good snack if I'm behind on protein for the day.

Optimum Nutrition Whey in vanilla ice cream flavor is my go to powder. I too add it sometimes to some Oikos Triple Zero Vanilla (my favorite "bland" greek yogurt) or just drink a scoop in my pre workout. It's widely available, cheap, and it mixes easily.

It tastes fine by itself and gets out of the way for other flavors if need be.

Goes awesome with some milk and frozen berries in a blender for "ice cream".

In reply to aggiegolfer03

aggiegolfer03 said:

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Optimum Nutrition Whey in vanilla ice cream flavor is my go to powder. I too add it sometimes to some Oikos Triple Zero Vanilla (my favorite "bland" greek yogurt) or just drink a scoop in my pre workout. It's widely available, cheap, and it mixes easily.

It tastes fine by itself and gets out of the way for other flavors if need be.

Goes awesome with some milk and frozen berries in a blender for "ice cream".

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Love it as well. I do have a few other whey protein flavors from different companies, but the Optimum vanilla ice cream is always on standby. It just tastes better, and thankfully is one of the cheapest on the market. So much versatility. I love adding it to pancakes too!

In reply to aggiegolfer03 I can't do the triple zero yogurt... something about stevia that tastes weird to me.


Lemon yogurt + strawberries & cream whey is pretty good.

In reply to bagger05

bagger05 said:

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I just use whey protein. My body seems to tolerate dairy really well -- I eat a ton of it. Plain nonfat Greek yogurt with a scoop of whey protein is good snack if I'm behind on protein for the day.

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I can tolerate dairy just fine, but I've had kidney stones twice, so I cut back on dairy. I still have Greek yogurt 3-4 times a week and I'm trying Skyr for the first time tomorrow, but I try to avoid consuming too much.

In reply to Agzonfire

Agzonfire said:

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Age: 39
Current: 263
June goal: 250
2024 goal: 240

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Update. 258 this morning. If I hit goals early, I'm good with that. I didn't want to put out some crazy number that would seem unattainable at the time. Or maybe I go under the goal weights and then slowly gain to where I still hit the numbers. I don't know, I just want this to be something that lasts and not a 1-2 month sprint.

In reply to Agzonfire 5 lb in three weeks seems like a good place to be.

Keep on truckin.

In reply to GeorgiAg Whoa man that's some rapid progress! Congrats!

How much were you boozin before you got started on this thing lol?

In reply to CC09LawAg Very well said. Weighing less isn't the end-all. I have heard that some folks on the weight loss drugs that are out there are losing weight but getting fatter.

Being at 220 and 15% body fat is way better than being 200 and 30% body fat. I think there's something to be said for shooting for a healthy WEIGHT as well, but I think it pales in comparison to being strong and lean.


I got this suit but haven't tried it out yet. Would love to have these data points as well. As far as I know you just have to buy the suit -- you don't have to pay a subscription (which is very cool these days).

3D Body Scan Suit by ZOZOFIT|Measurement At-Home|Highly Accurate Scan


DEXA scans and such are great, but a handful of accurate measurements with a tape measure will get you pretty dang close. Hardest part of that in my experience is measuring accurately and consistently. It's not difficult to pull that tape a little tighter to show progress. Just too much room for measurement error, which is why I bought the suit. I hope it will be more consistent.

I'll report back on the suit. Hopefully it is fast and easy. I'd like to check this once a week if it's not too big of a pain in the ass.

In reply to CC09LawAg Great point and that's my approach as well. I have always weighed more than I look, so that's why my goals are based on strength and how I feel/fit.

I weigh myself every day on an impedance scale, and some of the variations it can spit out are just laughable.

I ALWAYS lose day to day water weight as muscle mass and "gain" it as fat. I finished off some soup we had (chicken breasts, green beans, carrots, small round potatoes, broth and SALT) yesterday and did a back workout. Retaining water like crazy and was up like 4 lbs over yesterday even though I know I only ate like 2800-3000 cals (should be a slight deficit). Scale registered it as 3lbs of fat gained...

If you're strength training with attempted weight loss you are 100% guaranteed to get something positive out of any "true" variance. You're either gonna get stronger/more muscle faster or lose weight as body fat as you get stronger/retain muscle. Either one is acceptable progress.

In reply to bagger05 I'd actually prefer it sweetened with splenda, but I'm not the one being paid to develop and market that product.