Just wanted to tell you all how proud of myself I am

[weatherlover427]

I'm gonna need a new pair or two of shorts soon.

No, not for THAT reason.

(Get your minds out of the gutter. )

The reason for that is because I have lost so much weight these past few weeks (which is one of the reasons I have been on the board a bit less recently) that my shorts are getting looser and looser... !

I weighed myself this evening and it said 245.5. That is after eating lunch and after drinking a fair bit of soda all day long. (I know, not good). But what IS good is the fact that the 245.5 is 1 pound LOWER than what it was on Sunday with nothing in my system AND it is 3 pounds lower than two weeks ago!!

So in the past 2 months I have lost 10 lbs. I am very happy and hope that thi trend continues. If I get down to or below 200 lbs I can get off of 4 of the pills that I am on right now.

[Deenac813]

That is wonderful! I know how hard it is to lose weight. I lost about 55 lbs over a year ago and so far I have been able to keep it off. Keep up the good work and good luck!!

[Miss Mary]

Josh - that's great! Keep at it and don't stop. I went from a size 12 to a 4, after several surgeries 5 years ago. I had diet restrictions then, still do in many ways, but I couldn't drink carbonated beverages for a few months. My drinks through out my day included: water, hot tea, iced tea (mixed with honey), and lemonade (simple, country time mix with sugar). In addition to drinking just those beverages, I self imposed no solids after dinner. I only took in water after 7 p.m. I ate for 12 hours on, 12 off, 4-6 small meals a day. I also was walking 30 minutes a day, brisk power-type walking in which you swing your arms. Consequently, my pregnancy weight of 6+ years FELL off! I had such an assortment of sizes in my closet! In time I leveled off to a 6 and now I'm a size 8, 5 years later. I want to stay an 8 so when I feel the weight creeping back, I implement what worked for me 5 years ago - less soda, more exercise, no after dinner snacking (that's a big no-no, try just this strategy and I think you'll notice a difference). You see if a person tends to eat a heavy snack late at night and shortly before bedtime, your body doesn't have an effective way to burn off those extra calories. Looking back I know the huge snacks I would eat between 9 and 10, then retiring by 10:30, went directly to my hips/legs/stomach now! One more benefit from no solids after dinner - I slept much more soundly, sometimes straight thru the night.

You know just reading your topic made me realize I need to hit that treadmill again. You're young Joshua, it's when you're my age, you really need to implement all of these things. But in your case, if you do it now and keep at it, when you're older, you won't put on weight!!!

Please don't think I'm preaching, I just like to mention what worked for me 5 years ago. Since it really worked, I feel as though I can endorse what I did.

Mary

[azskyman]

Congratulations Josh...keep on working on it! I dropped 24 lbs back in 2001 and have kept most of that off. Still need to drop another 12-15 myself. I think a few of those will fall off as I continue to wheelbarrow thousands of pounds of rock around the yard with the new landscaping...and doing that with temps about 95-100! Ugh!

Anyway, good for you. Keep focused and remember even a pound now and then is a great thing to celebrate!

[NWIASpotter]

Congrats to you Josh, keep on going strong!!!

[Skywatch_NC]

CONGRATULATIONS JOSHUA!!

WAY TO GO, BRO!! ((((HUG))))

Eric

[Tornado_Chaser2005]

good job joshua! ive been 145 for a few years now, and ripped like ARnold the Goveronator was. Youll be like me in no time;)

[Pebbles]

WTG...keep it up.

[Lindaloo]

Congrats Josh!

[StormCrazyIowan]

That's very good Josh! As some of ya know, I dropped about 50 pounds in an 8 month period, and I've kept it off the last 5 months, and it was no easy task! I did a lot of what Miss Mary said, and I cut out places like Mickey D's (every now and then I slip up, but I'm human!) and it worked for me! Also, I drink Diet soda. I'm still not what anyone would consider thin, but I look good and I feel good and that's what matters most! If anymore weight comes off great, if not, I'm happy as long as I don't put it back on! Keep up the good work!

[pojo]

You see if a person tends to eat a heavy snack late at night and shortly before bedtime, your body doesn't have an effective way to burn off those extra calories.

Mary, that is so true. I have tried to impose that rule myself, but on camping weekends, we usually have smores after 9pm... and plenty of liquor. To burn that off... I try to get into the pool to swim within 48 hours.

Josh, cut back on fatty foods also... try to keep yourself to a lower fat diet (sometimes a low carb one). I weigh myself 2x a week (due to plasma donations) and I try not to get over a certain weight. I also have to take into consideration what clothes I am wearing when I get weighed. I have to stay under a certain weight for the Air Force Weight/Height standards. Thankfully, I'm under it and I'm hoping to stay that way. But, I hope to lose a little bit more. My problem is losing the stomach bulge. I did so much strength and conditioning during basic training and tech school which caused a majority of it go leave, but once I stopped working out (at tech school pace)... that bulge came back. I have a size 10 waist, but I hope to drop to a size 6 or 8. Due to my step-dad's heart problems, my mom watches what she buys. Low fat, low sodium foods. When I'm shopping for my work breakfast... heathly foods like yogurt; smoothie yogurt drinks; nutri-grain bars, etc.

Anyways, congrats on losing the 10 lbs. Do what you can to lose the 45 additional lbs. It can be done!

[Miss Mary]

Shannon - smores and liquor! What a combination!!! LOL You're young, you can handle that!!! Me? I'd be sick for a few days.... I'm glad you do burn that off. I think a diet should be realistic though. You can't be on one 24/7. For example, around the holiday season there are parties. If I know I'm going to one, I eat light that day. Or if I overeat at a party, I eat light the next day. I think it's okay to treat yourself now and then, even if to smores and liquor!!! Thanks for the laugh tonight Shannon.....you're too funny.

Mary

[azskyman]

Ha! Smores OR liquor would be tough for me! The combination would be lethal.

[azsnowman]

That's GREAT Josh......keep up the good work! NOW, if you REALLY want to loose weight, ditch the soda bud! That's MY downfall, I've pretty much given it up (down to 1 can a day) and I've dropped 38 lbs in 2 months!

Dennis

[Miss Mary]

Ditto on the soda suggestion Dennis. In my first reply on Josh's thread, I mentioned I gave it up for 2 months. Losing weight was an added benefit, I had given it up for another reason. But in time I missed my Pepsi and when I could have carbonated drinks again, that habit started up. Now I'd like to limit my intake to one soda a day. Then ideally one every other day. But I get headaches if I don't get that caffeine buzz and after morning coffee, an afternoon Pepsi really picks me up. So I can understand how addicting they are. Ugh....

Mary

[coriolis]

Congratulations Josh, and everyone else. We'll be the fittest board of them all pretty soon.

[weatherlover427]

You see if a person tends to eat a heavy snack late at night and shortly before bedtime, your body doesn't have an effective way to burn off those extra calories.

Mary, that is so true. I have tried to impose that rule myself, but on camping weekends, we usually have smores after 9pm... and plenty of liquor. To burn that off... I try to get into the pool to swim within 48 hours.

Josh, cut back on fatty foods also... try to keep yourself to a lower fat diet (sometimes a low carb one). I weigh myself 2x a week (due to plasma donations) and I try not to get over a certain weight. I also have to take into consideration what clothes I am wearing when I get weighed. I have to stay under a certain weight for the Air Force Weight/Height standards. Thankfully, I'm under it and I'm hoping to stay that way. But, I hope to lose a little bit more. My problem is losing the stomach bulge. I did so much strength and conditioning during basic training and tech school which caused a majority of it go leave, but once I stopped working out (at tech school pace)... that bulge came back. I have a size 10 waist, but I hope to drop to a size 6 or 8. Due to my step-dad's heart problems, my mom watches what she buys. Low fat, low sodium foods. When I'm shopping for my work breakfast... heathly foods like yogurt; smoothie yogurt drinks; nutri-grain bars, etc.

Anyways, congrats on losing the 10 lbs. Do what you can to lose the 45 additional lbs. It can be done!

You know Shannon, muscle weighs more than fat; so if you are working out as much as you say you are (and I have no reason to doubt you, don't worry about that ); then I would say you have no reason to worry about body fat content. Just keep working at it and you'll be in good shape (pun somewhat intended) in no time!

To everyone - I took myself on a huge bike ride today. Must have been about 10-12 miles. I can tell that my gut is getting smaller already.

[ColdFront77]

Wonderful job, Joshua! Keep up the good work!

I am a soda drinker and have a sweet tooth and have remained around 100 pounts. Still wondering what will happen by my 30th birthday (which is just under three years).

I understand metabolisms slow down around that time; my sister's did. She use to weigh about what I do now and easily gained 15 pounds during the half year or so after she turned 30.

[weatherlover427]

Thank you very much Tom.

The interesting thing is - as I have increased my activity level these past couple of weeks, my level of energy has gone down so much that I have been falling asleep in the middle of the day now, sometimes for as long as 3-4 hours at a time (like I did today). Normally they are about 2 to 2 1/2 hour naps though.