Weight Loss Update - from 275 lbs to 205 lbs since Dec. 13, 2005

[Yollam]

Not that anyone's interested, but I'm now only 25 lbs from my goal weight of 180 lbs. (I'm 6'2", 36 years old) I am still "overweight", but I am already at a size where I feel pretty good about myself. I've lost 5 inches off my waist - all my old pants look like "gangsta style" on me now. That's probably one of the reasons I've become more complacent in the last month or so in limiting my calories to a strict 1500 per day. On a couple of days I actually ate 3000 calories in a day! But I have not stopped tracking everything I eat. I ate a lot on the plane flight from the states to Japan a month ago - it's so boring.

I lost weight pretty rapidly in the first 2 or 3 months, and that has plateu'ed (sic?) to the point where I barely lost 5 pounds in the last month. But I am really enjoying the wonderful foods in Japan, especially the wonderful cakes and such, which are not quite as sweet as American ones - quite exquisite really!

So in the last few days I have renewed my determination to be more strict with my diet and get that last 25 lbs off - hopefully by mid-summer.

I feel like myself again. Light and easy to move. People who say it's okay to carry a bunch of extra weight (they always call it "a few extra pounds") are fooling themselves. It is not good. It feels awful. Your clothes are tight. Your feet hurt, your back hurts - but you've gotten so used to it that you don't notice it as much anymore. You get gassy. It's awkward on crowded buses and trains. When we decided we would move back to Japan, where almost everyone is thin, I knew I had to take the weight off. I did not want to come back here after 5 years in the states and have people gasp at how I had "let myself go".

And of course there is the fact that I want to be with my kids a long time, and my high cholesterol and triglycerides are not going to make that happen. Being tens of pounds overweight can take years off your life (and your quality of life in later years) and being a bit on the slender side can lengthen lifespan even longer.

But I'm still mammoth compared to the men over here. LOL.

I've got before and after pix, but I am still waiting on my scanner and other things to be shipped here...


Anyway. thanks to the DUers who introduced me to www.fitday.com. It's an invaluable resource (and kinda fun) if you want to get a handle on your eating. You really start to realize just how much excess food we take in without realizing it when you force yourself to track everything. Seriously, if you THINK you are eating 2500 cal. per day, you're probably eating 3000 or 3500 if you're not tracking.


Anyway, best of luck to everyone who's working on this. We all screw up a little from time to time - I sure have this month - but that's no reason to quit. It's not a "diet" - it's health maintenance. You wouldn't skip oil changes on your car, so why eat and eat without tracking how much and what quality of food you've eaten? No way.


And anyone who tells you you can eat as much (fill in the blank - proteins, carbs, rice, whatever) as you want and lose weight is CONNING you.

The formula is simple - a balanced diet of proteins, green veggies and grains with plenty of fiber and some carbs - WITHIN a calorie count that is less than your basal metabolic rate, IE how many calories you burn at rest.

Exercise is great - and I walk a lot, but exercise, and even increased muscle mass cannot burn off an extra 500 cal. or more of overeating every single day.


At least that's my thinking - it's the only thing that has ever worked for me, and it's worked great. Sermon over.

[Robeson]

1. That is awesome!....

...many, many props to you!...:bounce: :toast:

[auntAgonist]

2. That is wonderful Yollam..

You are to be congratulated on taking charge of your life and doing so well at losing weight. If you haven't already, I'd like to invite you to join the Weight Loss/Maintenance Group here on DU. You'd be most welcome and an inspiration to all of us.

:applause:

aA
kesha

[Yollam]

4. I went over there once...

I will have to go again. I get distracted and only think to post on weight issues on occasion. I suppose I was posting to try to motivate myself a bit too, since I have been slacking.

But I will definitely be around.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Congratulations!! I need to do the same thing.

What are you doing in Japan?

[Yollam]

6. Same as always - I telecommute.

I do translation and Japanese design layout work, so we decided it was time to move back here since I can do this work anywhere, and our cost of living is much less in Japan than it was in SF, believe it or not.

I doubt we will move back to the States.

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Where are you? I'm visiting Kyoto right now.

And hard to believe that it's cheaper here than in SF. Egads!

[Yollam]

12. Kyoto is crazy expensive - but it's a tourist trap.

We live in Fukuoka. Apartments here are about $700~$1000 for a decent size place - much less in the 'burbs. If you don't drive a car too much and you don't mind the native diet, you can live pretty cheaply.


That being said, I went to Kyoto for my honeymoon, and I really liked it. If you haven't been, I really recommend you visit Nara. It's not very far from Kyoto, and has a much more relaxed vibe, with a lot of greenery and tame deer that come up to you in the park.

Enjoy your stay in Japan!

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. Kyoto is indeed expensive - but it's where my partner lives.

I am going to Nara while I'm here - I haven't been there before, and it looks cool. Also gonna go to Miho museum. Big fan of IM Pei. :-)

We did Toba over the weekend - that was pretty cool!

[Haole Girl]

5. Way to go!

[Yollam]

7. Thank you!

DUers are so supportive! I can hardly pig out now, knowing you're all watching me through the cyber-ether!

:-)

[LeftyMom]

8. Wow!

That's really awesome. :D

[Yollam]

10. I think I'm lucky to be a tall man.

losing 70 lbs for me is VERY different than it would be for a very short woman, for example. It's equivalent to a 5', 135 lb woman losing like 20 lbs, I guess. It's good, but I do have the advantage of being tall and male. I know a lot of people have to struggle with their metabolisms, hormones, etc. But eating less usually does pay off. It just takes longer for it to happen with some people, and that can be discouraging. :-(

[LeftyMom]

14. I lost 45 myself (a whole lot on my frame, I'm 5'2" and 128 lbs)

and then the loss kinda stopped. I really need to get my ass in gear and deal with the last 10 lbs or so of sqishiness, there's really no use carrying around the weight I put on with my kid now that he's five.

I've always had an incredible appetite for a woman of my size and never really ate any less, I just walked a ton (easier to do when one has no car and no choice) and I didn't know about all the vegan junk food options yet. Oddly enough, my discovery of soy ice cream and the end of my weight loss were nearly simultaneous. :D

[Yollam]

15. That's terrific.

Sounds like we're at more or less the same point, body fat percentage-wise. 45 lbs is quite a feat at your height - you deserve a lot of huzzahs for that!

Just take your time - as long as your weight is not inching upwards, there is no rush. Everybody needs a break from denying themselves now and then.

I walk a lot more now that I'm here in Japan (no car either, for now), so that undoubtedly helps.

I also weigh myself daily, then average it out for the week and plot it on a chart. I find that keeping an average for the week's weigh-ins give a better picture of your progress and less likelihood of those discouraging spikes that may show up due to bloating, too much wine the night before, whatever.


Anyway, 128 is not a bad weight at 5'2". It must feel great!

[LeftyMom]

18. I've been right at that weight for about three years now,

I'm just really getting to the point where working to get the last bit off sounds more appealing than dealing with it (what can I say, I'm a bit lazy.)

I hardly ever weigh myself and I don't keep a scale in the house. I've found that when I do I tend to obsess a bit, so it's much healthier for me to just keep an eye on how I look and feel, how my pants fit, etc and then weigh myself every now and then at the doctor's office or my mother's house.

[deadparrot]

11. Congratulations!

That's a great accomplishment. :)

[Broken_Hero]

16. Good job...

Man, you must be doing something right. I'm currently 315, and I started my weight loss at the end of June of last year, when i was 393. It is taking forever, but I planned it that way, I can't deal with working out for hours at a time, and eating nothing, so i'm going slow. I'm 6'4, 315...my goal right now, is to be below 300 by June 20th, I think i can do it. I have hit three platau's, (a weight, where it takes a long time, to break through, like 330, i was 330 for a solid month, before i broke through to the 320's)....

I walk 3.5 miles a day, and bicycle 15.3 miles a day. Low fat, Low sugar, i splurge a bit on carb's, like low carb bread/rice/pretzels....my goal, is 250. And then i will cruise between 250-275 forever, i hope. When i was a junior in high school, i was 425, and when i graduated my senior year i was 235, i just let the weight come back, and I regret it. I am comfortable being a bigger guy, when i was 235, i felt so, tiny, small...I was in a 38 pants, and Large tshirts...so, i will be happy with 250-275. I just wish there was an easier way to do it...:)

But kudo's to you!...I have a question. I watch the Biggest Loser, nad the weight losses that they do per week, are mind boggling. I am thinking they are on some kinda drug to be losing that much weight. LIke doctor Jeff last season, he posted 20plus lb losses quite a few times, and i believe he posted double digit losses for seven weeks. I know I bust ass(especially when i went from 425-235), and I can't imagine anyone losing weight that fast, but those guys on Biggest Loser seem to do it...so my question is, do you, or anyone else think, those people are on some drug, pill?....

[u4ic]

19. Wow...you're doing so well, petersond!

Congrats on how far you've come...and good luck with the rest of it! :hi:

[Broken_Hero]

20. thanks

in short, its been one hell of a bitch. Cause this time around, I got the habit of smoking to get rid of also. I have been smoke free...hmm, the past year, about 8 months or so, solid, the past month, i have been going off/on the damn wagon, but i have been holding strong the past three weeks, its just a bitch. Losing weight is a bitch too, but it has to be done.

I don't want to die because of how much mcdonalds i ate, or how many cigarettes, I smoked. I want to die, because i'm a tough son of a bitch, and that tractor trailer, was just a bit tougher than me, when it runs me over....:)

[u4ic]

21. Well, I hope the tractor trailer doesn't run you over

and that you reach your goal.

You - you sound tough. Keep at it! :toast:

[Broken_Hero]

22. Ha, thanks...

I always figure, when I die, it will be gruesome and full of pain, yes, lots of pain...:) Yeah, I'm mostly tough...football, track and field through highschool, and Junior College...:P

[Yollam]

23. I can't speak for people on that show...

...but as you said, you can't stand to "eat nothing".

What I'm eating, at 1500 cal./day might feel like nothing to you, but it's more than enough to sustain my body and health. Millions of people around the world eat that much as a matter of course. A 3000 calorie is considered quite gluttonous in most countries, but normal here, at least for a grown man.

So anyway, I've lost the weight pretty quickly, and without that much heavy exercise. The biggest loser folks are dieting AND working out like crazy, so the only way they could fail to lose weight is by cheating and pigging out off-camera.

It's interesting that you feel small when you're thin. I feel more like myself. Then again, I do feel a bit "deflated" when I see myself in the mirror after a shower... Congrats on your progress, and I hope you get to where you feel just right.

[Broken_Hero]

24. Okay, hear me out...:)

Good job, on your routine, and I know you will reach your goal. My thought on Biggest Loser is this...

When I went from 425-235 in 16 months or so, from jan of 94 to may of 95, I busted extreme ass. I walked to school, three miles, walked home, another three miles, I worked out for two hours every day, after school for football/and then track and field. I would get home around 5:30pm, and then I would work on our house(our house burned down in feb of 94) and I would spend hours, hauling wood, digging ditches, and busting ass, until 9:30pm, or 10pm.

Then go to bed, repeat process. I ate literally, next to nothing, and anything i did eat, i vomited back up most of the time (see, i did cheat, and i regret it, but am not doing it anymore). And yet, i never posted a over a 20lb weight loss in a single week...I see them working out on tv, and stuff, but i can't see how they are losing that kind of weight? Can you? Seriously?

I know that all of us lose weight/metabolise at different levels, but my biggest weight loss, in week, was 12 lbs, and that was my very first week, in january of 94. I don't see, how these guys on biggest loser, in such large increments, all the time. When I was crusing with my weight loss, i was losing about 3-4 lbs a week, and thats was with me destroying my body by working out, and eating next to nothing...I just don't see how the biggest losers do it, without pills, drugs, or something else...

On Edit: Yeah, i do see myself, as pretty damn small, when i was 235. But when i was over 400, i was in five X shirts, and size 54-56 pants, I just felt tiny, especially when i ended up in size 38 pants, and size 44-46 shirts...:). I feel as though, i put on a lot more muscle and what not in 94-95, because people thought i was below 200, easy, and yet i was damn near 40lbs heavier.

[Yollam]

25. Hmmm....

I'm not really sure. I hadn't really thought about the rate of their loss on biggest loser, and I'm not sure if we are seeing it in real time, or if the process isn't being sped up through the editing process. I don't know, but I've lost 70 lbs in 5 1/2 months, and it hasn't REALLY been all that hard, and if it was for a big cash prize on a TV show, I suppose I could've done it a lot faster...


But as you said, people do metabolize differently.


As for throwing up - I didn't even know men did that - especially big burly football type men. I'm such a wuss, I could never make myself throw up. There have been times after eating too much much that I wished I could, but I guess in the long run I'm better off - I know that it's bad for one's health.

[Broken_Hero]

26. Yup, even

us big burly football men did...at least I did. I was so repulsed, I was anorexic, and then became bulimic, basically. Cause i went from eating, next to nothing, and then went from, anything i ate, i threw. Well, if you started in December, today is May, thats 6 months, and you lost 75 lbs, thats just over 12lbs a month or so...thats roughly, 3 lbs a week...for barely doing nothing. These guys on biggest loser, were losing 15-20 lbs a week, not 3, and barely doing it, like you said. I just dont' see it happening, unless there is something else.

In the show, they had weigh ins, every single week...so the show was sped up, through the week, but they were weighed every single week. It just boggles my mind, that the weight losses that some of them did, was so high, especially after the first "intial" loss. Cause i know, when you first start, you tend to lose a bit of water weight, and post higher losses...but to continue to have high loss counts, its boggles me. I think, DR. Jeff, on the show, lost over 100lbs, in four months...something, like that...I am just at a loss, to understand how...

[u4ic]

17. Congrats, Yollam!

Good work! :thumbsup:

[applegrove]

27. Amazing!!

[Blue_Tires]

28. congrats!

i'm trying to lose as well

[tjwmason]

29. That's astounding.

Major congratulations. :yourock: :toast:

You're right about the forumla - there's nothing complex, keep it simple, keep it balanced.

[Guava Jelly]

30. As someone who is going through the same thing congrats

thats kick ass..
i am 5' 9 "
I went from 237 to 184.4 in 7.5 months and hope to break the 170 barrier by my b-day june 2nd.
Weightlifting and low carbs along with walking have helped me the most.
I would really emphasize the exercise because skinnier is just skinnier but muscle and definition can turn a dud into a stud.
As long as you don't go arnold on it.
I look younger feel better and will live longer.

[Yollam]

32. Nice work to you too.

nt

[Vidar]

31. Congrats.

[MissMillie]

33. thank you for sharing your story

and congratulations on your success!!!!

[Cathyclysmic]

34. Congrats!!

:party:

Keep up the good work!!

[YankeyMCC]

35. Well done!