2019 Weight Loss Group


SpiritDragon
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30 minutes ago, unixknight said:

I haven't really been very active.  I do try to get out and walk at lunchtime during work (especially because I have a sedentary job so any excuse to get out of my chair is a good one), but I'm not very consistent because...

...the weather is not nice here this time of year.  It's been unusually rainy lately too.  I have a nice bike in my shed that I was riding regularly a couple years ago and would like to resume.  My house is near a bike trail I'd like to try.  I do also have a heavy bag in my basement but I stopped using it much about a year and a half ago because the noise that propagates through the house when I use it messes with the baby's naps.

I totally get that. I find with Canadian winters lasting as long as they do that I can only count on about four months of the year that being outside is truly enjoyable. It often works out to more depending on how the year plays out, but still as a general rule I know myself well enough to know that when it's cold and miserable and icy I prefer to stay indoors. Perhaps you'll want to leave lunch time walks and bike rides for days when the weather is nice as an auxiliary activity while the primary focus is on five to six short 15 minute workouts in you man cave.

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 That should be easily doable.  My man cave is in the basement so I'm up and down the stairs anyway.  The only concern I have is that my knees have been protesting when I go down recently, though I think that's because of the additional weight I've been adding lately.

Joint pain can be a tricky thing, because it often goes away with a little more activity, but it can also signal worse things to come. Do your knees have pain in the front, side or rear when descending stairs? Do they crack and pop? Feel tight? Does the pain stop immediately or continue a while after the stairs have been completed? Often times joint pains are also due to muscle imbalances and my corrective exercise nature is wanting to look at that for you. Unfortunately, I can't do a thorough assessment without meeting in person. Perhaps the following will be of some assistance: https://www.diyjointpainrelief.com/knee-joint-pain-relief.html 

I have found Gary Crowley to be useful for teaching some good release techniques that you can do yourself. Sadly, I see the site has a lot more advertisements than it used to.

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Yeah slow is good.  I will say though that since I quit the soda I feel my energy level improving. 

How does a 15 minute circuit 3x/week with 5 minutes of stairs 3x/week sound to start? Back off the stairs and replace them with simply marching in place if your knee pain is getting worse and not better. In time your knees will be ready for stairs.

For your circuit try the following:

1 minute intervals of doing as many repetitions as you can

Body weight squats

Push-ups

Jumping jacks

Full body extensions (low impact vertical jump, don't actually jump but move like you would fairly explosively)

Active recovery walking in place/fidgety standing and hydration

Repeat 3 times

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Today is day 7 of the week long soda purge.  I had given myself permission to have a Pepsi after 1 week with the idea of continuing to abstain for as long as I can bear it.  So I should start tomorrow with the log?

Sounds great!

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I have been supplementing water with lemonade, though I try to get sugar fee lemonade or water it down.  My wife plans to make me homemade lemonade with a juicer to become my staple drink. 

I may need to do something similar myself. My wife has had juice around to try to encourage our oldest to have a strong signal for potty training - I really like juice, but would usually have water because I wouldn't have the juice around. Forgive me - this is about you and not me - I think you're on the right track. How do you feel about this plan?

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As for that last 20oz... that's a psychological accommodation to one of my character flaws...  I'm like a cat.  I can be in a room all day long but the instant I feel like I can't leave, that's all I want to do.   I find it easier to abstain when I have the choice not to.  If I get rid of that soda the cravings will spike and I'll go get more Pepsi just to get back into the feeling of being in control, only I'll binge.  (Because the reality is, at that point, I most certainly do NOT have control.)

Anyone who says soda is not addictive is someone who hasn't been there.  (And I envy them for it)

It's good to know that about yourself. I maintain that you are the true expert on you, I've learned a thing or two about how the human body works and how people respond to different things, but when it comes to you, you will always know better than I do. 

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30 minutes ago, SpiritDragon said:

Joint pain can be a tricky thing, because it often goes away with a little more activity, but it can also signal worse things to come. Do your knees have pain in the front, side or rear when descending stairs? Do they crack and pop? Feel tight? Does the pain stop immediately or continue a while after the stairs have been completed? Often times joint pains are also due to muscle imbalances and my corrective exercise nature is wanting to look at that for you. Unfortunately, I can't do a thorough assessment without meeting in person. Perhaps the following will be of some assistance: https://www.diyjointpainrelief.com/knee-joint-pain-relief.html 

I have found Gary Crowley to be useful for teaching some good release techniques that you can do yourself. Sadly, I see the site has a lot more advertisements than it used to.

If I descend stairs only a couple of times in a day, there is no pain and sometimes they sound like Rice Krispies all the way down.  If I'm up and down a lot they start to hurt and, if I remember right,  they ache toward the base of my kneecap.  The pain goes away when walking or sitting doesn't persist unless I go down stairs again.

I'll check out that link!

30 minutes ago, SpiritDragon said:

How does a 15 minute circuit 3x/week with 5 minutes of stairs 3x/week sound to start? Back off the stairs and replace them with simply marching in place if your knee pain is getting worse and not better. In time your knees will be ready for stairs.

For your circuit try the following:

1 minute intervals of doing as many repetitions as you can

Body weight squats

Push-ups

Jumping jacks

Full body extensions (low impact vertical jump, don't actually jump but move like you would fairly explosively)

Active recovery walking in place/fidgety standing and hydration

Repeat 3 times

I'll start that tonight.

30 minutes ago, SpiritDragon said:

I may need to do something similar myself. My wife has had juice around to try to encourage our oldest to have a strong signal for potty training - I really like juice, but would usually have water because I wouldn't have the juice around. Forgive me - this is about you and not me - I think you're on the right track. How do you feel about this plan?

Nah this is about all of us.  Being able to relate to the person giving advice makes it easier ;)

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1 hour ago, unixknight said:

If I descend stairs only a couple of times in a day, there is no pain and sometimes they sound like Rice Krispies all the way down.  If I'm up and down a lot they start to hurt and, if I remember right,  they ache toward the base of my kneecap.  The pain goes away when walking or sitting doesn't persist unless I go down stairs again.

I'm no doctor.  But... my athritic mama always says, when it comes to joint pain, drinking lots of plain tap-temperature water does wonders.  As many ounces of it as half your body weight in pounds.  So, if you're 200 pounds, you drink 100 ounces a day at least.

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2 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

I'm no doctor.  But... my athritic mama always says, when it comes to joint pain, drinking lots of plain tap-temperature water does wonders.  As many ounces of it as half your body weight in pounds.  So, if you're 200 pounds, you drink 100 ounces a day at least.

For me, that would be...   a lot of water...

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9 minutes ago, unixknight said:

For me, that would be...   a lot of water...

For me too.  But I gotta say, I had a dinner party a few days ago for my jiu-jitsu friends and one of them showed up carrying his own gallon of water.  He's about 200 pounds I think.  His personal trainer was at the party with us and he said he's required to finish that gallon everyday.  I told him he was slacking because he's supposed to have already finished his gallon of water as it was already 9PM but then the guy said that was actually his 2nd refill of that gallon for that day.  Interestingly, the guy also brought his own dinner to my dinner party.  Hah hah.  He had to eat specific foods at specific times of the day and his black plastic container had a chunk of chicken breast, broccoli, and rice in it - something I would love to eat minus the broccoli.

 

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53 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

I'm no doctor.  But... my athritic mama always says, when it comes to joint pain, drinking lots of plain tap-temperature water does wonders.  As many ounces of it as half your body weight in pounds.  So, if you're 200 pounds, you drink 100 ounces a day at least.

I really appreciate this. Hydration would no doubt be helpful if the body is not replete to begin with. I also love that you are taking on a supportive role as well. I think we'll all have the best outcomes if we all add support and share what has worked for us or, in this case, the wisdom of others. Speaking of which, would we find it motivational as a group to post weight loss and keep track of pounds lost as a group? No one needs to share their actual weight if they don't want to simply share +/- weight so we keep a running tally. Just a thought. Perhaps we'd prefer a different metric such as inches off the waist? Maybe either/or/both?

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1 hour ago, SpiritDragon said:

I really appreciate this. Hydration would no doubt be helpful if the body is not replete to begin with. I also love that you are taking on a supportive role as well. I think we'll all have the best outcomes if we all add support and share what has worked for us or, in this case, the wisdom of others. Speaking of which, would we find it motivational as a group to post weight loss and keep track of pounds lost as a group? No one needs to share their actual weight if they don't want to simply share +/- weight so we keep a running tally. Just a thought. Perhaps we'd prefer a different metric such as inches off the waist? Maybe either/or/both?

Yes, running tally!  + or -.  Make it Biggest Loser except instead of each of us competing against each other, let's compete as one group against some metric.  Like... let's set a goal of 20 pound average weight loss in the next 3 months.  Or something like that (not sure how a group metric would work with different weight loss goals).

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Some of my favourite recipes that are packed with nutrition, filling and relatively low in calories making them excellent weight loss options:

https://www.drfuhrman.com/recipes/1641/black-bean-and-butternut-squash-chili - Because I love Chili, and some of you will too I'm sure

https://www.drfuhrman.com/recipes/1556/fudgy-black-bean-brownies - Everyone needs some goodies from time to time, why not have them be healthy and helpful to weightloss. My biggest issue with these is the time it takes to make them.

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/zoodles-marinara-zucchini-noodles-with-chunky-tomato-sauce/ Anyone trying to reduce refined grains and increase veggies who hasn't yet tried veggie noodles is missing out. They aren't exactly the same as spaghetti for flavour or texture to be sure, but they are quite delicious. You can follow the step given here with a plethora of different vegetables and sauces. Add some black beans and mushrooms to your sauce or some ground beef or chicken if you prefer some meat.

I'm pretty simple when it comes to salads, just chop up some lettuce and whatever veggies i feel like adding and call it good. I know @anatess2 prefers her veggies raw, so I thought I'd make sure to include something here for her as well. http://chefthisup.com/recipe/9348/dr-fuhrman-balsamic-vinaigrette-salad-dr/ I love this balsamic dressing on a simple salad with some strawberry slices and a sprinkling of slivered almonds and maybe some shredded carrots.

I also find one of the easiest ways to bump up my fruit and veggie intake, which subsequently decreases junk intake, is a morning smoothie with greens and berries. I'm terrible at measuring, I just know by look what I'm putting in my blender. I like to throw in a banana with probably a cup of mixed berries, as much spinach as I can stuff into the blender, a teaspoon of ground flax and as much almond milk as it takes to get the consistency right (feel free to use dairy milk or soy or rice or whatever floats your boat). If this doesn't have sufficient staying power to get you to lunch try adding some protein powder or having some other food as well.

 

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3 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

Yes, running tally!  + or -.  Make it Biggest Loser except instead of each of us competing against each other, let's compete as one group against some metric.  Like... let's set a goal of 20 pound average weight loss in the next 3 months.  Or something like that (not sure how a group metric would work with different weight loss goals).

Sounds good. What if we choose the weekend to post our results? I think it would be helpful to have a fairly consistent day, say Saturday for posting weight loss numbers, but I also realize that we all have differing schedules and so on. I guess as long as we know what day to expect to hear from each person individually so that we can keep each other accountable and ask for those results should they not be posted when anticipated. Thoughts?

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2 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

Hey Sensei @SpiritDragon, how do you want that food journal?  One entry a day?

Any way you want it... that's the way you need it :sing:😄

If it's easier for you to post daily that's great. If you'd prefer to wait for a grand reveal that's also great. I might prefer all three at once, but either will do just fine.

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i know some of you will prefer more meaty dishes.

Try these on for size:

Kung Pao Chicken - Credit Gourmet Nutrition volume 1

Ingredients

Marinade:

1lb raw chicken breast chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1-inch cube fresh ginger, chopped

2 tbsp white cooking wine (you may substitute vinegar, lemon juice, or white grape juice if your wine supply in the house is low :) )

Other ingredients:

1/2 cup skinless roasted peanuts (unsalted)

1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch squares

1 medium green pepper cut into 1-inch squares

A handful of dried red chiles (substitute a dash of chili powder if necessary)

8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup chicken broth (from bouillon)

1 tbsp soy sauce (preferably low sodium)

2 tbsp peanut sauce

2 tbsp peanut oil

Instructions

Place the chopped chicken, garlic, ginger, and cooking wine in a large bowl and refrigerate while preparing the remaining ingredients.

In a large skillet or wok, heat a tablespoon of peanut oil over medium-high heat for a few seconds, and then add the chicken and its marinade. Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked throughout, about 6-8 minutes. remove the chicken, add another tablespoon of peanut oil, and then stir-fry the peanuts for about three minutes, until browned.Add the onions, green pepper, chiles, and water chestnut just until vegetables start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, and peanut sauce, mix thoroughly, and serve.

Prep time - 30 minutes

Difficulty - easy

Servings - 3

Per serving - ~670 calories, 57 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate, 34 g fat

 

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On 1/1/2019 at 9:12 AM, anatess2 said:

  If a zombie apocalypse happens and all that is left to eat is white rice and canned tuna, or canned corned beef, or canned Spam, or Li'l Smokies I'd die a happy woman.

 

I'd be extremely happy with just these options.  :)   

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I've decided that I'm not making a weight loss goal.  This year I want to concentrate more on strengthening muscles in legs and arms.  Sucks getting older and losing it.  

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11 minutes ago, pam said:

I've decided that I'm not making a weight loss goal.  This year I want to concentrate more on strengthening muscles in legs and arms.  Sucks getting older and losing it.  

There's nothing wrong with that at all. I'd be happy to help you with that too if you would like. 

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@pam do you have a plan in place that you are intending to follow? Are you hoping for something you can do at home, or do you prefer the gym? Perhaps you have a home gym 😀

There are so many great options for strengthening up the body. The best news is that studies show even in very advanced age muscles can still be strengthened and developed.

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On 1/1/2019 at 12:33 AM, unixknight said:

Additional info.... Last week I found that I'd reached 370, and that's just not acceptable.  I decided to cold turkey quit Pepsi for one week (at least) and see what happens.  I'll weigh in again on Wednesday evening and see the result.

365.

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1 minute ago, SpiritDragon said:

@pam do you have a plan in place that you are intending to follow? Are you hoping for something you can do at home, or do you prefer the gym? Perhaps you have a home gym 😀

There are so many great options for strengthening up the body. The best news is that studies show even in very advanced age muscles can still be strengthened and developed.

I have a gym membership that I use a lot for cardio (treadmill etc.)  I go in and watch the featured movie while I walk.  :)   I only have time about 3 days a week.  I'd like to find some things I can do at home for those days that I just can't make it to the gym.  

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2 minutes ago, pam said:

I have a gym membership that I use a lot for cardio (treadmill etc.)  I go in and watch the featured movie while I walk.  :)   I only have time about 3 days a week.  I'd like to find some things I can do at home for those days that I just can't make it to the gym.  

Do you have any equipment at home such as dumbbells or resistance tubes/bands? They aren't necessary, but may be helpful if you have lost quite a bit of strength since your prime. If you're anything like those I personally know with inflammatory bowel diseases (you do, right? I'm not confused with someone else?) it's harder to pack on muscle because of nutrient absorption struggles on top of everything else. But it can still be done, and you are to be applauded for going for it.

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43 minutes ago, SpiritDragon said:

Do you have any equipment at home such as dumbbells or resistance tubes/bands? They aren't necessary, but may be helpful if you have lost quite a bit of strength since your prime. If you're anything like those I personally know with inflammatory bowel diseases (you do, right? I'm not confused with someone else?) it's harder to pack on muscle because of nutrient absorption struggles on top of everything else. But it can still be done, and you are to be applauded for going for it.

I don't have any of those but can always purchase.  Yes you are right.  I have Crohn's disease.

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