(SOT) Serious lifestyle question that ties in with guns...

M

Mike Irwin

Staff
OK, guys, I've finally decided that it's time to do something about my weight.

I'm carrying 80 to 100 pounds more than I should. Although I don't look as overweight as I am (well distributed fat, even my hair is fat, I think :)), I want to lose this weight for a number of reasons:

1. Obvious health reasons.

2. It's killing my knees and feet.

3. I'd be a lot happier.

4. Being fat makes it hard as hell to carry a handgun in an IWB holster.

5. I can't hunt like I used to.

6. My favorite gun belt doesn't fit anymore.

7. And frankly, I'm getting sick of seeing the "fat redneck gunowner" tag. Right now it fits me to a T, so it's time to be a THIN redneck gunowner.

Has anyone here tried Weightwatchers? I've looked at quite a few different systems, and WW seems to be the one that most fits in with how I want to loose weight.

The big thing is that they teach habit moderation, not "eat our food until you lose the weight." Special food is fine, IF you want to eat it for the rest of your life...

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Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.
 
Don't really think much of the various weight-loss companies. Basically they tell you to eat less and exercise more. Duh! OTOH, for some it's possible that shelling out the money for the program is an added incentive. From what I understand though, of all the available programs, WW is certainly one of the more reputable.

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"...and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Luke 22:36
"An armed society is a polite society."
Robert Heinlein
"Power corrupts. Absolute power - is kinda cool!"
Fred Reed
 
You sir must workout. That's I said it. WW is fine and all but you have to eat right and exercise. I suggest you start walking and riding a bike. Both are nice low impact exercises. I'm young so I bike, run, swim, do circuts and throw in some kayaking. Of course I didnt do a lot of these things for six months because of a leg injury and now just getting back to it. Get a bike and helmet and get out there. Ride three days a week and walk two days. You will feel better. I promise.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mk86fcc:
Don't really think much of the various weight-loss companies. Basically they tell you to eat less and exercise more. Duh! OTOH, for some it's possible that shelling out the money for the program is an added incentive. From what I understand though, of all the available programs, WW is certainly one of the more reputable.
[/quote]

I meant to mention that one of my coworkers has done WW, and has lost, and kept off, 68 pounds. She's going to be my "buddy" through this.

What I do like about WW that none of the other companies seems to do is the focus on nutritional education and lifestyle changes.

I come from a HORRIBLE food background -- Pennsylvania German. There is almost NOTHING healthy or weight wise about PA German cooking. Everything is fried in lard, including the fresh fruit. :)

When I was married I was working to improve those habits, but when we split, it was back to the old ways -- carnivor platters (a 20-ounce steak light garnished with a rack of lamb).

It's also the group support thing. Doing something like this is, for me, virtually impossible. When it comes to doing something that I know is good for me, but which I don't like, I need the lemming mentality that the group offers.

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Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.
 
I think taking a basic course in nutrition would do you a world of good better than any "diet". Has helped me control my weight for the last 4 years since I was diagnozed with diabetes (yet another reason you should loose weight.) I lost 30 pounds in 4 or 5 months. Once you see how many calories are in what portion of food you can get a better handle on how much you should eat.

Being a diabetic (non-insulin dependent) I can eat pretty much anything I want, it's just I have to be careful of how much I eat and when. Spreading the calories over 4-5 meals and snacks a day is what made a big difference.

Peace... Keith
 
Mike -
Didn't mean to sound critical. Bottom line is, if it's stupid, but it works, it ain't stupid. Having spent my share of time in a well-known 12-Step program, I can attest to the value and importance of group support - it really does help (at least it did me).

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"...and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Luke 22:36
"An armed society is a polite society."
Robert Heinlein
"Power corrupts. Absolute power - is kinda cool!"
Fred Reed
 
What Cobraman said. Tough to keep it up unless it is interesting and/or fun tho.

You left out the cold bacon grease sandwiches that were a treat for kids.

Boils down to burnin more than you eat and drink. Water stead of pop, beer etc.

Good luck sir.

Sam.....ten stone n five, gotta lose that five.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike Irwin:
it's time to be a THIN redneck gunowner. [/quote]

Hey, that's me!

Actually, exercise (as others have noted) is the key. You don't have to run. Just walk or ride a bike if your knees or ankles are protesting.

My son has a two-hour football practice three times a week. While he's doing that I go for an hour's walk on a steep, hilly path. Then I do the "cool down" exercises along with his team.

Knock off the alcohol (I limit myself to one beer a week, on Friday, unless I'm at a party or something). Cut back on the meat. Quit the junk food and the fast food entirely.

And guess what: healthy food is usually cheaper. My lunch yesterday was an apple, a banana, a wheat bagel, an apple pie and a bottle of unsweetened tea. Cost? Three dollars and ten cents.

Dinner last night was a Vietnamese dish my Dad learned how to make while he was over there, we call it "roots and rice". It's just flavored rice along with carrots, onions, water chestnuts and so forth, all steamed in one pan.

Breakfast this morning was a ham bisquit, a wheat muffin and coffee. Cost was two fifty.

You have to make a committment to a healthy lifestyle if you want to lose weight and keep it off. The alternative is a heart attack at 55, like my Dad had and one of my office mates just underwent.

Ken Strayhorn
Hillsborough NC
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by cobraman:
You sir must workout. That's I said it. WW is fine and all but you have to eat right and exercise. I suggest you start walking and riding a bike. Both are nice low impact exercises. I'm young so I bike, run, swim, do circuts and throw in some kayaking. Of course I didnt do a lot of these things for six months because of a leg injury and now just getting back to it. Get a bike and helmet and get out there. Ride three days a week and walk two days. You will feel better. I promise.[/quote]

I walk at least a mile every night, with my dogs. That's not optimal, though, as it's walk, stop, sniff, walk, stop, poop, walk, stop, mark territory. And that's just me, the dogs are worse!! :D

I know the necessity of exercise. Believe me, I know that. I have lost quite a bit of weight in the past, but it's come back because I: A) slack off on the exercise, and B) don't change the eating habits.



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Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.
 
oooooo, meat platter!

there is a guy at my church that lost ~60 pounds over the last year

He is on a high protein, low carbo diet.
At the BBQ last week he has 4 hamburger patties & no buns & some fresh veggies

Certain body types are engineered for certain fuels.
The trick seems to be finding the right food & exercise balance.

We PA Germans have to watch der strudel und funnel cakes and work out more with the battle axe.
;)

i went to Johnstown, Pa's ethnic food festival a couple of weeks ago.
i saw very few hard bodies.
i gather its the beer, perogies & TV.

dZ
 
This method worked for me:

1. Be a poor college student.

2. Have car totalled by unlicensed, uninsured driver (not me) :mad:

3. Start riding bicycle to & from campus at lesat twice a day.

4. Ride bicycle to & from grocery store. The added benefit of only being able to carry 2 lightly-loaded bags of groceries accelerates the process.

I dropped 35 lb. over the course of a spring semester & summer school this way. Gained it all back, plus, when I started working a real job. :( Good luck.
 
I'm not a dietician and I don't play one on TV, but I know a bunch of guys that really slimmed down on that low/no-carbohydrate, hi-protein diet. One guy lost 80 pounds and looks so different you can barely recognize him. Can't remember the darn name of the diet. Seems to me the good thing about this diet is that you can eat stuff that tastes good, like meat and... uh... more meat. I guess milk and eggs cheese are protein, too.

You can increase your metabolism by doing increasingly more challenging cardiovascular stuff like speed-walking, walking with hand-held weights or walking up and down hills, and that really helps burn the stored calories. Since you're already walking, just turn up the intensity very gradually. Don't try to take on too much at once or you'll get pissed off and quit. It also really helps to have a designated hell-or-highwater exercise time carved out.
 
DZ & Brugger,

It's called the Atkins diet (one variation). Low to zero carbohydrates.

I tried it. It became VERY frightening after about 3 weeks.

Started to loose weight, also started to feel totally and completely divorced from my body.

Started getting tremors. (That REALLY frightened me, as MS runs in my family.)

After 3 weeks I started having visual hallucinations.

I thought I was starting to go insane.

My doctor, who recommended that I try it, immediately pulled me off of it, and did a series of tests. I had high levels of protein in my urine, which can be a problem with these diets, and which can be extremely hard on the kidneys.

My liver functions were also totally out of whack.

------------------
Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.
 
Mike,

This is working for me. I joined a karate class and the weight has been slowly coming off. Diets and exersizing on my own did me no good as I soon lost interest. I love going karate class so much that I want to loose the weight so I can do better in class. It might be worth a look.

Best of luck,

David

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If your looking to government for the solution, you obviously don't understand the problem.
 
As a Genuine OFF, I know a little about this.
You have to exercise regularly and even if you only walk, make it a workout and increase the distance and speed.

You most likely eat too much and this probably has a psychological component involved. Need to figure out what food represents to you and why you feel you need or deserve to eat too much.

Ohter than that, it's a cakewalk!

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You have to be there when it's all over. Otherwise you can't say "I told you so."

Better days to be,

Ed
 
It's a cakewalk

Thanks, Ed!

Now I want cake!

)(&*%($)(*&#)((*&$()*&#)(*&&)(* :D

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Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.
 
I've seen pleny of people go on WW or Jenny Craig and not lose ANY weight after months on the diet. The reason: they still sat on the duffs and watched TV all day. Get out and walk for 30 minutes a day, and don't be leisurely about it. MOVE! Push yourself to walk as fast as you can for about a minute or two. If you can, weight training will help.

Diet is simple. Keep the fat low, but don't eliminate it. Keep carbohydrates at the same level or less than your protein intake. The types of carbs that you eat can matter to. Eliminate sugar (sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, etc), and go with potatoes (Yams are good too), brown rice, oatmeal. Avoid breads, chips, pretzels, etc. Don't even keep the stuff in the house. That's the easiest way to avoid it.

Your problem with carbs before may be that you let them get too low. If you do, your body doesn't have enough readily available energy. You can get tired and in severe cases, tremors.

As a precaution; take a multi-vitamin. Unless your anal about what you eat, you'll probably miss some vitamins.

Good luck! If you don't notice any difference after two weeks on a program: change something.
 
Drink AT LEAST one ounce of ice water per pound of body weight. This has several benefits:<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI> All that water is excellent for flushing out the kidneys
<LI> Your body will burn up calories in raising the temp of the cold water to 98.6
<LI> The water will fill you up so that you don't snack in between meals and you'll even have a hard time even getting your regular meals down.</UL>I dropped forty pounds in ten days and kept most of it off for a couple of years before slowly gaining it back but my problem is late nights at the office with a vending machine. Regards, FUD.
 
Ya gotta find an activity that you like, so you'll be regular with it and not get bored and drop out. Walking, racquetball, whatever.

This being TFL, here's my recommended exercise regimen:

Visit outdoor shooting range.
Shoot 3x. Walk 200 yards (to check group--that's 100 yds each way)
Repeat 10 times. That's 2000 yards walking or a little over a mile.

Repeat above 3x per week.

After 3 weeks, switch to 200 yard range. Now you're walking over 2 miles.

Its not a complete program, but it will improve your weight AND your shooting! Double the benefit!

Enjoy.
 
1) Exercise. Not only do you need to do aerobic exercise, but you should do some weight training too. Muscles burn more calories than fat, thus raising your metabolism.

2) Cut out the booze. It's just to easy to come home after work, plop down on the couch and drink a beer. Then another one or two. By that time, you're all relaxed and tired and sluggish, so you move into the couch for the rest of the night. And you've just had 600 calories or so of beer.

Some friends of mine have used this program:
http://www.bodyforlife.com/

and gotten great results. The book is quite cheesy, but they look good.

Personally, I'm just out of physical therapy, but should hopefully be starting it myself soon.

M1911
 
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