Bear Down Wildcats

I'm just glad that after my post wedding weight gain period that I've stabilized and have actually lost a couple lbs since X-mas. Holding steady! (still could lose 20-30 lbs though).

Broke the 180 barrier this past weekend!!! Was 195 in Jan, so I'm telling reallly good with these results and gaining muscle.

Haven't been this way since late college when all my Swiss girlfriend at the time wanted to eat when visiting Tucson was Mexican food and Daisy Maes steakhouse. That was the end of my slimness (in honestly, my slimness was dying a gradual death all during college, but this tipped it over the edge) and then professionnal training just destroyed it.

So good to be back in the 170s.

In June I summited Mt Tallac 9900k near Tahoe. With crampons and trekking poles
End of this month going to marble mountain wilderness near yreka.

And going to cap off my summer with an overnight summit attempt on Mt Whitney (14900) highest part of contingous 48, in September.

Gotta hit stairs and mountains climbers and burpees hard...

Started year at 260. Weighed in today at 234. Goal weight is college weight of 190.

Simple plan: use My Fitness Pal to track food and limit to 1800 calories a day and try to make all food nutrient-rich food, avoiding complex carbs. Get 10,000 steps in a day - no matter what. Get additional light cardio in 3-4 times a week. It's been pretty easy so far. Expect to hit my goal mid-Summer in time for bikini season

Great job everyone!

I'll add mine.

On my 44th birthday (End of December) I weighed in at 190. It was the heaviest I've ever weighed. I made a goal of getting to 170 by my 45th birthday.

Since, I've been running 3 miles every other day and just doing some basic exercises. Diet- I'm basically eating 2 meals a day (low carb) / very little snacking and no deserts. Basically no added sugars to anything.

So just over 2 months in I'm at 174. I feel really great too and have much more energy despite cutting out afternoon sodas (both regular and diet)

Wow great job guys!

I wanted to add this too- I've never really been 1 to workout and never really ran before... so it took a while to build up my stamina and at first I had to really force myself to do it. But after 2 months in, I am now looking forward to my runs and I actually think they are positively effecting my mental health as well. I do my runs in the morning, work out all my issues and am in a really good mood the rest of the day.

Alieberman wrote:I wanted to add this too- I've never really been 1 to workout and never really ran before... so it took a while to build up my stamina and at first I had to really force myself to do it. But after 2 months in, I am now looking forward to my runs and I actually think they are positively effecting my mental health as well. I do my runs in the morning, work out all my issues and am in a really good mood the rest of the day.

Yes sir, that's how it works. Good for you for getting over that initial hump and continuing.

I've been in full rehab mode since January 6th. Getting my groove back. I did this once before in 2010-2011 after my divorce. Got down from 270 to 220. It was a lot easier at 44 than it has been at 51. Started out this time at 265 and I'm down to 242 as of Saturday two months into it. It's taken a while for the weight to start coming off, but it seems to have kicked in now.

Haven't had a drink other than water in two months. Don't eat any carbs. No eating out and doing all my own cooking. All real food. Nothing out of a package. Experimenting with intermittent fasting - been hearing a lot about eating within a 10-hour window and fasting for 14 hours. Seems to help jump start things. Been really mixing it up on the workouts. Kettle bells and other random exercises at the gym. Jumping rope - fuck that's hard. I like the elliptical machine for cardio too. Long power walks and a couple of greenbelt bike rides - will up the mountain biking as weather permits. Went on my first run Saturday for an hour. Seeing the old therapist once a week and really digging deep there. Working hard on anxiety. I've taken up meditation using the Headspace app - really like the meditation. Highly recommended. See my doctor in two weeks for the full meal deal. Got my eye exam. Still need to go to the dentist. Basically living the monastic lifestyle for the time being.

Shooting for 200lbs or thereabouts.

MrMeow wrote:

Alieberman wrote:I wanted to add this too- I've never really been 1 to workout and never really ran before... so it took a while to build up my stamina and at first I had to really force myself to do it. But after 2 months in, I am now looking forward to my runs and I actually think they are positively effecting my mental health as well. I do my runs in the morning, work out all my issues and am in a really good mood the rest of the day.

Yes sir, that's how it works. Good for you for getting over that initial hump and continuing.

I am hoping to do this but right now feel like I am too heavy to run. When I get down to about 210, I'm going to give it ago. In addition, I will bike my 10-15 miles 4x a week and get back to playing basketball at my old gym. And after that, I'm going to get the band back together.

BearDown89 wrote:I've been in full rehab mode since January 6th. Getting my groove back. I did this once before in 2010-2011 after my divorce. Got down from 270 to 220. It was a lot easier at 44 than it has been at 51. Started out this time at 265 and I'm down to 242 as of Saturday two months into it. It's taken a while for the weight to start coming off, but it seems to have kicked in now.

Haven't had a drink other than water in two months. Don't eat any carbs. No eating out and doing all my own cooking. All real food. Nothing out of a package. Experimenting with intermittent fasting - been hearing a lot about eating within a 10-hour window and fasting for 14 hours. Seems to help jump start things. Been really mixing it up on the workouts. Kettle bells and other random exercises at the gym. Jumping rope - fuck that's hard. I like the elliptical machine for cardio too. Long power walks and a couple of greenbelt bike rides - will up the mountain biking as weather permits. Went on my first run Saturday for an hour. Seeing the old therapist once a week and really digging deep there. Working hard on anxiety. I've taken up meditation using the Headspace app - really like the meditation. Highly recommended. See my doctor in two weeks for the full meal deal. Got my eye exam. Still need to go to the dentist. Basically living the monastic lifestyle for the time being.

Shooting for 200lbs or thereabouts.

Good job man - keep it up! And I can vouch for it getting harder as you get older. I turn 51 next week and it's not coming off as fast as before. I am vowing to never let it all go again - way too fucking hard to get it back.

cpt wrote:

MrMeow wrote:

Alieberman wrote:I wanted to add this too- I've never really been 1 to workout and never really ran before... so it took a while to build up my stamina and at first I had to really force myself to do it. But after 2 months in, I am now looking forward to my runs and I actually think they are positively effecting my mental health as well. I do my runs in the morning, work out all my issues and am in a really good mood the rest of the day.

Yes sir, that's how it works. Good for you for getting over that initial hump and continuing.

I am hoping to do this but right now feel like I am too heavy to run. When I get down to about 210, I'm going to give it ago. In addition, I will bike my 10-15 miles 4x a week and get back to playing basketball at my old gym. And after that, I'm going to get the band back together.

Maybe you're not too heavy. Many years ago I occasionally attended a running clinic in San Diego (where I still live) put on by Ozzie Gontang (you can read about Ozzie here: http://www.mindfulness.com" target="_blank). A regular attendee, Frank, started running with easily 100 extra pounds of body fat. With Ozzie's help, Frank lost the weight through running and diet. Frank couldn't really run at first, it was more of a start and stop (very) slow trot, but over the course of several months he got to a point where 5 miles without stopping was do-able, then he went from there. Just a thought.

MrMeow wrote:

cpt wrote:

MrMeow wrote:

Alieberman wrote:I wanted to add this too- I've never really been 1 to workout and never really ran before... so it took a while to build up my stamina and at first I had to really force myself to do it. But after 2 months in, I am now looking forward to my runs and I actually think they are positively effecting my mental health as well. I do my runs in the morning, work out all my issues and am in a really good mood the rest of the day.

Yes sir, that's how it works. Good for you for getting over that initial hump and continuing.

I am hoping to do this but right now feel like I am too heavy to run. When I get down to about 210, I'm going to give it ago. In addition, I will bike my 10-15 miles 4x a week and get back to playing basketball at my old gym. And after that, I'm going to get the band back together.

Maybe you're not too heavy. Many years ago I occasionally attended a running clinic in San Diego (where I still live) put on by Ozzie Gontang (you can read about Ozzie here: http://www.mindfulness.com" target="_blank). A regular attendee, Frank, started running with easily 100 extra pounds of body fat. With Ozzie's help, Frank lost the weight through running and diet. Frank couldn't really run at first, it was more of a start and stop (very) slow trot, but over the course of several months he got to a point where 5 miles without stopping was do-able, then he went from there. Just a thought.

cpt - thanks for the encouragement above. Yeah, I waited a bit to start running . . . er, uh jogging/plodding along is more like it. But now that I've lost the initial 20 lbs etc., I didn't have any problems with my first run at 242 lbs the other day. Main thing for me was getting my legs stretched out well over the last couple of months. When I first started working out my knees were killing me - and I've never had any knee injuries or problems. My chiropractor friend suggested good hamstring stretching - suggesting that my knee was out of alignment and the various muscles and such were pulling it this way and that causing the pain. So I dutifully stretched after my walks and workouts and the pain resolved really quickly. Keep it up!

Alieberman wrote:I wanted to add this too- I've never really been 1 to workout and never really ran before... so it took a while to build up my stamina and at first I had to really force myself to do it. But after 2 months in, I am now looking forward to my runs and I actually think they are positively effecting my mental health as well. I do my runs in the morning, work out all my issues and am in a really good mood the rest of the day.

I few years ago I started to run a lot and stopped lifting weights. After about 5 or 6 months my knees hurt a lot. Doctor said to keep lifting and it went way. Just a heads up if that happens to you. Good work to you and all of you.

MrMeow wrote:

cpt wrote:

MrMeow wrote:

Alieberman wrote:I wanted to add this too- I've never really been 1 to workout and never really ran before... so it took a while to build up my stamina and at first I had to really force myself to do it. But after 2 months in, I am now looking forward to my runs and I actually think they are positively effecting my mental health as well. I do my runs in the morning, work out all my issues and am in a really good mood the rest of the day.

Yes sir, that's how it works. Good for you for getting over that initial hump and continuing.

I am hoping to do this but right now feel like I am too heavy to run. When I get down to about 210, I'm going to give it ago. In addition, I will bike my 10-15 miles 4x a week and get back to playing basketball at my old gym. And after that, I'm going to get the band back together.

Maybe you're not too heavy. Many years ago I occasionally attended a running clinic in San Diego (where I still live) put on by Ozzie Gontang (you can read about Ozzie here: http://www.mindfulness.com" target="_blank). A regular attendee, Frank, started running with easily 100 extra pounds of body fat. With Ozzie's help, Frank lost the weight through running and diet. Frank couldn't really run at first, it was more of a start and stop (very) slow trot, but over the course of several months he got to a point where 5 miles without stopping was do-able, then he went from there. Just a thought.

Thanks for the advice. You are probably right. But right now, I'm in a groove - it all seems to be working. My plan is to start adding new things when what I'm doing stops working or working as well.

cpt wrote:

MrMeow wrote:

cpt wrote:

MrMeow wrote:

Alieberman wrote:I wanted to add this too- I've never really been 1 to workout and never really ran before... so it took a while to build up my stamina and at first I had to really force myself to do it. But after 2 months in, I am now looking forward to my runs and I actually think they are positively effecting my mental health as well. I do my runs in the morning, work out all my issues and am in a really good mood the rest of the day.

Yes sir, that's how it works. Good for you for getting over that initial hump and continuing.

I am hoping to do this but right now feel like I am too heavy to run. When I get down to about 210, I'm going to give it ago. In addition, I will bike my 10-15 miles 4x a week and get back to playing basketball at my old gym. And after that, I'm going to get the band back together.

Maybe you're not too heavy. Many years ago I occasionally attended a running clinic in San Diego (where I still live) put on by Ozzie Gontang (you can read about Ozzie here: http://www.mindfulness.com" target="_blank). A regular attendee, Frank, started running with easily 100 extra pounds of body fat. With Ozzie's help, Frank lost the weight through running and diet. Frank couldn't really run at first, it was more of a start and stop (very) slow trot, but over the course of several months he got to a point where 5 miles without stopping was do-able, then he went from there. Just a thought.

Thanks for the advice. You are probably right. But right now, I'm in a groove - it all seems to be working. My plan is to start adding new things when what I'm doing stops working or working as well.

Good to hear. Keep up the good work.

I just wanted to post a little cautionary tale about dieting and weight loss. I will be using my experience as the example. Please note, this experience is exclusive to myself and may not be indicative of what others can or will experience.

Back at the start of February 2017 I weighed myself and was not surprised that I ballooned up to 245lbs. For reference I am 5'10 and was 32 years old when I started.

I decided that I would start losing weight. I cut my calorie intake to 1400 per day and would run 3-4 miles 4 times a week. I also drank water all the time. The weight was falling off at a crazy rate. By the time the Cats got to the S16, I was down to 220.

I kept on this diet, and before I knew it, almost all my clothes from the previous year and a half were gigantic on me. Everything was going fine, or so I thought. Fast forward to May. I have a Mother's day dinner with my parents. My cheat meal consisted of a little bit of steak, some veggies, and cheesecake. I woke up that evening with severe pain in the center below my ribcage. I ended up throwing up a little and falling back asleep. I just passed it off as bad food.

Towards the end of June I was having breakfast with my then girlfriend (now wife). After eating an omelette with ham and cheese, I spend the rest of the day running to the toilet. Note, at this point my weight was around 195lbs.

The pain that woke me up in the past comes back occasionally but never as severe as that one night. I eventually go see my doctor. He says to take some omeprazole. I do.

Two weeks into July, specifically July 15th. I wake up at 5am with the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life. It feels like I am exploding from the inside. The pain is localized to my center, just below the ribcage and to my right as well. The pain is causing nausea and diarrhea. I am immobilized on the floor till I feel like vomiting again. This goes on for 6 - 7 hours. I am stubborn and just thought it was food poisoning from some bad food I ate the previous night. My girlfriend convinces me to go to the hospital.

The bloodwork shows that my pancreas is dangerously swollen. They suspect gallstones, but none show up on the ultrasound. I spend the next 4 days in the hospital as they bring the swelling down. This is a miserable experience. They tell me they have to bring the swelling down by not letting me eat or drink anything. All nourishment and hydration comes via IV. While I am in the hospital they to an MRCP on the pancreas and gallbladder. They do not detect anything. I get discharged from the hospital with what they say is "Idiopathic Pancreatitis." They also refer me to a gastroenterologist.

Towards the beginning of August, my weight is now 185. I have not exercised in over 3 weeks, but I still eat healthy. As part of the whole pancreatitis thing, I am eating hardly any foods with fat.

The gastroenterologist does an endoscopic ultrasound showing a buildup of sludge in the gallbladder and refers me to a surgeon.

Surgeon thinks the sludge is not concern for removing the gallbladder, but orders a HIDA scan to check gallbladder function. The HIDA scan comes back normal. The HIDA scan was done in September. Certain foods would bring on pain in the right side of my body, just below the ribcage. The surgeon recommends monitoring it and checking on it every 3 months. If things change, we do surgery.

December comes and my wife and I do a quick wedding in the courts. That night friends and family all go to a fancy steakhouse for dinner. I am not too hungry and wary about eating delicious ribeye as it may cause pain. I decide I may as well enjoy it. I eat half of it and feel satisfied.

That night I get severe pain in the region of my gallbladder. This goes on for 7 hours. I decide to go back to the hospital. The ultrasound shows my gallbladder is swollen. They schedule surgery for me.

I end up having my gallbladder taken out on December 21st. Since then I have never felt better. All food settles and does not cause pain anymore. My weight is still around 185 - 195. I want to lose 20lbs more.

After everything that happened back in 2017 I decided to consult some family members who happen to be GI doctors in New York. Their explanation is that crash dieting or going headfirst into a new diet and workout regiment can cause buildups of gallbladder sludge. The sludge can backup your gallbladder a little bit before it drains. When it is backed up it swells, or gallstones can develop. I never developed any stones, but that was chalked up to low cholesterol levels.

To wrap things up, dieting and exercise is good and will yield results. Just be careful with going too hard. I would hate for any of you to have to go through the shitstorm I experienced.

Thanks for that story - I will definitely have that on my mind as I progress.

I'm on the wrong end of this game.

At graduation from college, I wore a suit to my cousin's wedding with a 30" waist. I am kind of square, and at just around 5'8" I was at 165-170 lean (and somewhat muscular, but never swole). So that was my peak

I worked at home the 5 years before changing roles in my company almost 2 years ago. I had some pretty out of date clothes, so I sprung to get some new stuff. Pants, in particular, had changed a lot, and I bought a few pairs of tighter legged business-casual type pants. 32" waist. I had gone up to 36" at my worst, cut out sugar drinks of all kind and worked out, and was at that 185#, 33-34" waist place for a long time. But I had the perfect setup working at home...multiple mini-meals a day, worked out a couple of times a day (nothing heavy...just enough to wake up. Pushups/pull-ups/squats/planks type stuff). So I bought all these clothes. Was about 175-180lbs, and buying tapered polos and enjoying the modern t-shirt sizing.

20 months later, I am over 2 bills, a 36" waist that is getting tight, and those work clothes are just mocking me. I am an individual contributor and lucked out to be put in a building with a very casual dress code, so I am good there. But my waist has given way to the Café and a short but heavy infatuation with the carmel macchiato with half & half.

So I have started again...2 weeks, 5 lbs lost, back under 200. Working out in the morning before a shower to jump start my life (after a stretch...I am old). Repeating the workout when I get home. Going for walks like all the women on this campus. Walking the canal in Chandler. Playing...OK, I am ready to admit this...pickleball. I am the 2nd youngest guy there, but those old dudes are good at this game. I will work my way back to the basketball court...it is my goal. I haven't played regularly for about 7 years due to back issues, but I am taking it slow this time.

I love this support group we've got going here!

You got this Ev!!!!

We are soon going to be the best in shape message board on the internet!

Alieberman wrote:I love this support group we've got going here!

You got this Ev!!!!

We are soon going to be the best in shape message board on the internet!

Thanks. I could probably use some outside support since my wife actually prefers me more dad bod-like. But I am entering the "no longer shocking if he drops dead of a heart attack" age zone...not normal, but not shocking. I am 10 years behind when my dad died of a heart attack (55).

(not named Ev, tho. Reminds me of Mecham too much. East Valley).

So five days in Vegas gained me back five and a half pounds! Gotta get back in the groove!

cpt wrote:So five days in Vegas gained me back five and a half pounds! Gotta get back in the groove!

There is a chance that a good portion of that weight is just water. A lot of the bad foods that we consume in places like Vegas tend to have high sodium. That will make your body retain more water. But keep at it and put In that hard work, you will be fine!

232 lbs this morning. Down from 265 right after the Holidays. Been consistent at the gym, very clean eating, and zero booze for three months.

The kicker for me I think has been intermittent fasting. I was hearing a lot about eating only within a 10-hour window and fasting for 14 hours every 24 hours. What's worked for me is that I eat a good breakfast and a late lunch at like 1:30 or 2. Gym and sauna after work. No dinner. Water only for the evening. That way the metabolism boost and afterburn from the workout only has my fat to chew on. First couple of nights were tough, but it was amazing how quickly my body adapted and my appetite/portion size has decreased dramatically. I only do this M-Th and allow for normal social eating on the weekends, dinners out, invites, etc. The goal was to convert my metabolism from a sugar burner to a fat burner and I think I've succeeded. Consistently losing a few pounds a week.

Working hard. Feeling good.

BearDown89 wrote:232 lbs this morning. Down from 265 right after the Holidays. Been consistent at the gym, very clean eating, and zero booze for three months.

The kicker for me I think has been intermittent fasting. I was hearing a lot about eating only within a 10-hour window and fasting for 14 hours every 24 hours. What's worked for me is that I eat a good breakfast and a late lunch at like 1:30 or 2. Gym and sauna after work. No dinner. Water only for the evening. That way the metabolism boost and afterburn from the workout only has my fat to chew on. First couple of nights were tough, but it was amazing how quickly my body adapted and my appetite/portion size has decreased dramatically. I only do this M-Th and allow for normal social eating on the weekends, dinners out, invites, etc. The goal was to convert my metabolism from a sugar burner to a fat burner and I think I've succeeded. Consistently losing a few pounds a week.

Working hard. Feeling good.

Wow, your numbers are almost identical to mine. I hit 260 around Christmas. Sitting at 228 right now. Done it by limiting myself to 1800 calories a day (using MyFitnessPal to track; with a few cheat meals a week where I don't go completely nuts), walking 10,000+ steps per day (got FitBit for Christmas that I use religiously), with some light cardio thrown in. About to ramp up the intensity of cardio, biking at least 3x a week. Goal is 190 by Sept. 1.

cpt wrote:

BearDown89 wrote:232 lbs this morning. Down from 265 right after the Holidays. Been consistent at the gym, very clean eating, and zero booze for three months.

The kicker for me I think has been intermittent fasting. I was hearing a lot about eating only within a 10-hour window and fasting for 14 hours every 24 hours. What's worked for me is that I eat a good breakfast and a late lunch at like 1:30 or 2. Gym and sauna after work. No dinner. Water only for the evening. That way the metabolism boost and afterburn from the workout only has my fat to chew on. First couple of nights were tough, but it was amazing how quickly my body adapted and my appetite/portion size has decreased dramatically. I only do this M-Th and allow for normal social eating on the weekends, dinners out, invites, etc. The goal was to convert my metabolism from a sugar burner to a fat burner and I think I've succeeded. Consistently losing a few pounds a week.

Working hard. Feeling good.

Wow, your numbers are almost identical to mine. I hit 260 around Christmas. Sitting at 228 right now. Done it by limiting myself to 1800 calories a day (using MyFitnessPal to track; with a few cheat meals a week where I don't go completely nuts), walking 10,000+ steps per day (got FitBit for Christmas that I use religiously), with some light cardio thrown in. About to ramp up the intensity of cardio, biking at least 3x a week. Goal is 190 by Sept. 1.

Good job cpt. I want to see 199 on the scale as my initial goal then see where I might go after that. Haven't tried any fitness apps/gadgets yet, but I might as things progress. Buddy of mine has a killer Garmin watch linked to MyFitnessPal and he swears by it. Keep it up man.

Challenged myself to bike to work this am, first time ever doing that! 10miles from home to work.

Wow good fun,but I realized I’m only half way there (have to get home at the end of an 8 your day). Saw some deer, ducks, rabbit, and geese along the American river on the way in.

Hoping to continue to work on cardio/lungs/legs in advance of MT Shasta attempt Memorial Day weekend.

I’m getting stronger but not cutting weight as much as I’d like to this training time around. But I also haven’t been as on point with my diet as I was when training for Whitney. And I went the sac republic game last night and had a few with my cousin. Today was necessary torture. Lol

I don't mean to brag or anything but I finished my 14 day diet in 3 hours and 22 minutes.

Thumbs up Greg! Super efficient!

I've lost 10 lbs in 3 months. Nothing crazy and I've only made minor adjustments. I am planning on working harder over the summer though. I'd love to see 199 someday again haha

WildcatStunner wrote:I just wanted to post a little cautionary tale about dieting and weight loss. I will be using my experience as the example. Please note, this experience is exclusive to myself and may not be indicative of what others can or will experience.

Back at the start of February 2017 I weighed myself and was not surprised that I ballooned up to 245lbs. For reference I am 5'10 and was 32 years old when I started.

I decided that I would start losing weight. I cut my calorie intake to 1400 per day and would run 3-4 miles 4 times a week. I also drank water all the time. The weight was falling off at a crazy rate. By the time the Cats got to the S16, I was down to 220.

I kept on this diet, and before I knew it, almost all my clothes from the previous year and a half were gigantic on me. Everything was going fine, or so I thought. Fast forward to May. I have a Mother's day dinner with my parents. My cheat meal consisted of a little bit of steak, some veggies, and cheesecake. I woke up that evening with severe pain in the center below my ribcage. I ended up throwing up a little and falling back asleep. I just passed it off as bad food.

Towards the end of June I was having breakfast with my then girlfriend (now wife). After eating an omelette with ham and cheese, I spend the rest of the day running to the toilet. Note, at this point my weight was around 195lbs.

The pain that woke me up in the past comes back occasionally but never as severe as that one night. I eventually go see my doctor. He says to take some omeprazole. I do.

Two weeks into July, specifically July 15th. I wake up at 5am with the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life. It feels like I am exploding from the inside. The pain is localized to my center, just below the ribcage and to my right as well. The pain is causing nausea and diarrhea. I am immobilized on the floor till I feel like vomiting again. This goes on for 6 - 7 hours. I am stubborn and just thought it was food poisoning from some bad food I ate the previous night. My girlfriend convinces me to go to the hospital.

The bloodwork shows that my pancreas is dangerously swollen. They suspect gallstones, but none show up on the ultrasound. I spend the next 4 days in the hospital as they bring the swelling down. This is a miserable experience. They tell me they have to bring the swelling down by not letting me eat or drink anything. All nourishment and hydration comes via IV. While I am in the hospital they to an MRCP on the pancreas and gallbladder. They do not detect anything. I get discharged from the hospital with what they say is "Idiopathic Pancreatitis." They also refer me to a gastroenterologist.

Towards the beginning of August, my weight is now 185. I have not exercised in over 3 weeks, but I still eat healthy. As part of the whole pancreatitis thing, I am eating hardly any foods with fat.

The gastroenterologist does an endoscopic ultrasound showing a buildup of sludge in the gallbladder and refers me to a surgeon.

Surgeon thinks the sludge is not concern for removing the gallbladder, but orders a HIDA scan to check gallbladder function. The HIDA scan comes back normal. The HIDA scan was done in September. Certain foods would bring on pain in the right side of my body, just below the ribcage. The surgeon recommends monitoring it and checking on it every 3 months. If things change, we do surgery.

December comes and my wife and I do a quick wedding in the courts. That night friends and family all go to a fancy steakhouse for dinner. I am not too hungry and wary about eating delicious ribeye as it may cause pain. I decide I may as well enjoy it. I eat half of it and feel satisfied.

That night I get severe pain in the region of my gallbladder. This goes on for 7 hours. I decide to go back to the hospital. The ultrasound shows my gallbladder is swollen. They schedule surgery for me.

I end up having my gallbladder taken out on December 21st. Since then I have never felt better. All food settles and does not cause pain anymore. My weight is still around 185 - 195. I want to lose 20lbs more.

After everything that happened back in 2017 I decided to consult some family members who happen to be GI doctors in New York. Their explanation is that crash dieting or going headfirst into a new diet and workout regiment can cause buildups of gallbladder sludge. The sludge can backup your gallbladder a little bit before it drains. When it is backed up it swells, or gallstones can develop. I never developed any stones, but that was chalked up to low cholesterol levels.

To wrap things up, dieting and exercise is good and will yield results. Just be careful with going too hard. I would hate for any of you to have to go through the shitstorm I experienced.

This..almost the exact same thing happened to me a few years ago after doing a weight loss competition at work. Removal of my gallbladder after a couple years of doctors visits and late nights with "heart burn." My surgeon told me folks of indigenous decent are particularly prone to gallbladder issues. We just aren't equipped to handle the modern American diet.

I injured the crap out of myself (not working out...but competitively) so my workout opportunities are dead.

So healthy eating it is...

Fuck.

Going back at it again. I am at 195 right now and I want to try to get to 170 - 165.

WildcatStunner wrote:Going back at it again. I am at 195 right now and I want to try to get to 170 - 165.

I weighed in at 190 on Dec 26th... that's when I decided to lose weight.

Today I weighed in at 168. My goal is to maintain a weight of 163-167... so I'm so close.

Alieberman wrote:
I weighed in at 190 on Dec 26th... that's when I decided to lose weight.

Today I weighed in at 168. My goal is to maintain a weight of 163-167... so I'm so close.

this post makes me very happy - way to go, Ari

Props to everyone working on bettering themselves. I'm pushing 37 and it takes a lot more work than it used to.

Who knows how much weight loss I'll actually achieve, but since I had to have my gallbladder out last week at age 32 and have been treating my body like a garbage disposal of fried and fast food and alcohol for a while, I'm cutting down on things. No fast food or fried food or anything super fatty for a while for me and I'm cutting the alcohol intake down by like 90%. Will see where that takes me in a few months.

I'm hovering around 210, which would be a good weight for me if it was muscle. They just opened a gym pretty close to my house. I think it's about that time.

I have been going to Orange Theory Fitness 3 times a week for over 1/2 month now. It is expensive, therefore I am surprised how many people are members. It is an intense workout with a coach for an hour. You leave feeling you worked out hard. I spent $22/month for LA Fitness but I wasn't going like I should. This place I never miss a class. It actually costs money to miss a class. Plus when I'm obligated to go I go. You wear a heart monitor during the entire workout to see how hard you need to work (or back off). I've never worked so hard since I played organized basketball back in the 70s. In the middle of July they have a weight loss challenge where the winner gets cash. Work out 3 times a week and be active in nutritional seminars.

Catintheheat wrote:I have been going to Orange Theory Fitness 3 times a week for over 1/2 month now. It is expensive, therefore I am surprised how many people are members. It is an intense workout with a coach for an hour. You leave feeling you worked out hard. I spent $22/month for LA Fitness but I wasn't going like I should. This place I never miss a class. It actually costs money to miss a class. Plus when I'm obligated to go I go. You wear a heart monitor during the entire workout to see how hard you need to work (or back off). I've never worked so hard since I played organized basketball back in the 70s. In the middle of July they have a weight loss challenge where the winner gets cash. Work out 3 times a week and be active in nutritional seminars.

I went to OTF for the first time this morning. Really liked it. The instructor was great. Trying to figure out the best way to handle maybe going once or twice a month there but also keeping up with regular weight lifting as well as the other fitness things I do.

Down to 175. Before fucking up my ankle.

Goal now is to maintain until I can hit the trails again.

CalStateTempe wrote:Down to 175. Before fucking up my ankle.

Goal now is to maintain until I can hit the trails again.

The physical therapists know me when I walk into the door. I've come to the conclusion that the most important factor in working out is shoes. You need to make sure your shoes aren't worn and fit correctly. I go to a place called "Runners Den" for shoes. They are really good at finding the right fit. I got very comfortable shoes for work too (I walk a lot at work). The other factor is not to overdo it. I made that mistake and acquired Achilles' tendinitis. Eventually I would like to compete in 10k runs when the time is right. Meanwhile I am enjoying immensely going to the gym again. I love intense workouts. I went through intense workouts when I was competing and had forgotten how enjoyable and challenging they were. It took me over a month to get back into the groove, but workouts have changed from a chore to something I look forward to.

Catintheheat wrote:I've never worked so hard since I played organized basketball back in the 70s.

That's amazing what you are doing. Didn't realize you were that old.

I played rec basketball for decades, then when I couldn't do that switched to racquetball until I tore my shoulder up pretty good. Unfortunately all the pounding for years have made my knees and ankles pretty weak. Trying to walk every day and twice a week going up and down 5 flights of stairs at the library.

Alieberman wrote:I wanted to add this too- I've never really been 1 to workout and never really ran before... so it took a while to build up my stamina and at first I had to really force myself to do it. But after 2 months in, I am now looking forward to my runs and I actually think they are positively effecting my mental health as well. I do my runs in the morning, work out all my issues and am in a really good mood the rest of the day.

Wanted to add an update on this... to toot my own horn. This post was from about a year ago. I am down to under 160 pounds (190 pounds on Jan 1, 2018) and today I just completed my first ever Sprint Triathlon (1/4 mile swim, 14 mile bike, 3 mile run)

I never thought I would be someone who would (or could) accomplish this. (Especially at the age of 45) Feeling pretty awesome.

Awesome job!

Nice job Ari!

I did a couple of those spring triathlons while I was in the Army. They are ass kickers.

Good job Ari. I get tired driving 17.25 miles.

Great job, Alieberman!

With a 2 year-old, I still have to choose between exercise and sleep.

Since we're on the subject of gyms, fitness, and working out has anybody ever used wrist weights for jogging?

My 2 to 3 mile runs, 3 to 4 days per week, constitute the extent of my work outs and I'm looking for a way to involve my upper body without taking specific time for working out arms and shoulders. In my case 1.5 LB wrist weights.

The feedback I get is mixed. My former UA Track & Field runner says he's only seen weight vests used for running. My bartender, who's a female competitive body builder, says she's heard it's "bad for your joints." Online I found a diagram showing what muscles are engaged by wrist weights, assuming it's fine to add to your jogs/runs.

Anyone with more direct advice?

Eek, I’d worry about your rotator cuffs. The cyclic notion of your arms could put some stresses that could degrade your shoulder tendons. Stick to the weighted vest