"Put Down The FN Donuts!" (A Journey of Getting Healthy)

[Chitown]

You don't look out of shape at all. I see some great genetics and body tone underneath there, it's just buried under a little too much feel good eating... you got this!

@MJ DeMarco,

Thank you, MJ. I ain't gonna lie - I love eating and drinking.

 

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[Chitown]

@Chitown - congrats on the life decision.


Honestly, I see these things as extremely binary.

I am going to be the best entrepreneur I can be if I am healthy, have stamina, endurance and good self esteem.

I don’t believe I can be the best businessman I can be if I am not taking excellent care of my body.

Health for me comes from making healthy food and excercise choices.

It’s binary to me. I either do it, or I don’t.
And if I *don’t* do it, then, I can’t look at myself in the mirror, as I’m living a lie.

So, I excercise 3 days a week (boxing) and hired a lady to help monitor my eating. I personally eat more meals, in smaller quantities. This helps me not eat big meals that I don’t need.

Nothing from fast food, nothing from a food court. Basically, most of what people eat, I don’t eat.

And then I excercise. I lost weight (I’m 160lbs and 5’9, lost about 11 pounds), look better, feel better and my girlfriend is happier

—
To me, it’s binary. I either do it or I don’t.

You seem like a smart guy. Hopefully you’ll be able to make the smart choice and get yourself on the healthy path once and for all.

A lot of people here are rooting for you. Keep us updated on your progress, and don’t let us down

@WestCoast,

You are absolutely correct! I've said to my lady on more than one occasion that until I get my physical being straight, my mental and spiritual capacities will continue to suffer. I remember how sharp my thinking was before packing on all this weight. In my current condition I sometimes forget if I've washed my feet during a shower and will re-wash them just in case.

I stand there thinking, "Damn! I'm not even social security age, yet, I can't remember little stuff."

That has been a tremendous wake up call! After the Meetup a binary choice was the only choice on the table for me. My family has a right to expect that I'll take care of myself. Plus, I don't want to be the laughing stock of the Fastlane. Now that scares me.

Thanks for the well-wishes!

 

[ExaltedLife]

One thing I've found is that when I lift real heavy and don't eat a whole lot after, the fat just melts off. I think the repairing of muscle tissue burns a lot of energy.

 

[ExaltedLife]

View attachment 18774

Here it is folks! 47 years old and 212 pounds. I look fifteen years older. Gotta go...gotta go!

You have a body type very similar to mine. If you do squats, deadlifts, bench press and rows and eat healthy you'll look like a fitness model in much less time than you'd expect.

 

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[ExaltedLife]

Oh and bulgarian squats. You don't need to lift real heavy either - just do a comfortable weight and do it very slowly and smoothly. Lots of people just throw weight around using momentum to get reps, but that's not how muscle building works. Go slow up, go slow down, and you'll get some intense muscle inroading (microtears in deep muscle fibers) without having to do multiple sets.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

You have a body type very similar to mine. If you do squats, deadlifts, bench press and rows and eat healthy you'll look like a fitness model in much less time than you'd expect.

Yea, a lot of people don't realize what they can change in 12 weeks when the nose hits the grindstone on proper nutrition (macros) and regular exercise.

 

[Yoda]

I have little to say here, other than carbs, over time, will kill you. Carbs (read: sugar) is directly correlated to diabetes and heart disease. Cut it out, and your body can just about fully recover in 90-180 days.

@Chitown don't let anything stop you. Your goal, your commitment, your battle... but it's also your win, if you want it.

 

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[GPM]

Chi! You have got this!

You are going to be a ripped machine in no time flat! Looks like you have some serious abs hiding under a little bit of hard work and discipline.

Can't wait to get down to LA for a visit and have some big muscles greet me for some healthy eats and story swapping.

I want to eat some greasy enchiladas for breakfast, smothered in salsa verde. But... every time I think of that I think to myself "I need to put down those F*cking doughnuts!" So now I am eating a breakfast of fresh mango, papaya, bananas and apple, with some bran cereal with a ton of hemp seeds dropped on top. Keeps me full as heck for hours and DAMN does it taste good!

 

[Chitown]

You have a body type very similar to mine. If you do squats, deadlifts, bench press and rows and eat healthy you'll look like a fitness model in much less time than you'd expect.

@ExaltedLife

Thank you! That's what I was thinking. I look at a set of weights and yoke up - you're probably the same way. I want to lose as much as I can - through better eating habits - without hitting the weights, right now. Those are literally doctor's orders. Once I get my blood pressure down we're going to perform a stress test to determine whether I can return to the gym.

Those exercises you listed above are some of my favorites. I'd like to find a gym in the L.A.-area with tires, ropes, sledgehammers, etc. I love that stuff and what it does to your body. Sand bag workouts are another method I recently discovered. Damn! Talk about an incredible workout...

 

[MoneyDoc]

@ExaltedLife

Thank you! That's what I was thinking. I look at a set of weights and yoke up - you're probably the same way. I want to lose as much as I can - through better eating habits - without hitting the weights, right now. Those are literally doctor's orders. Once I get my blood pressure down we're going to perform a stress test to determine whether I can return to the gym.

Those exercises you listed above are some of my favorites. I'd like to find a gym in the L.A.-area with tires, ropes, sledgehammers, etc. I love that stuff and what it does to your body. Sand bag workouts are another method I recently discovered. Damn! Talk about an incredible workout...

How many calories are you taking in daily?

 

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[S.Y.]

@ExaltedLife

Thank you! That's what I was thinking. I look at a set of weights and yoke up - you're probably the same way. I want to lose as much as I can - through better eating habits - without hitting the weights, right now. Those are literally doctor's orders. Once I get my blood pressure down we're going to perform a stress test to determine whether I can return to the gym.

Those exercises you listed above are some of my favorites. I'd like to find a gym in the L.A.-area with tires, ropes, sledgehammers, etc. I love that stuff and what it does to your body. Sand bag workouts are another method I recently discovered. Damn! Talk about an incredible workout...

Check out Freeletics. All bodyweight workouts. All you need is a yoga mat. No excuses.

Mobility/flexibility works do wonder.
- Kelly Starrett has a great & free Mobility WOD program.
- Yoga for flexibility

How many calories are you taking in daily?

Not a big fan of counting calories. If you do, you have to look at how many calories your body needs vs how many you eat. Much better to focus on the quality of food. It is difficult to overeat healthy stuff (nuts excluded)

Keep it up @Chitown !

 

[MoneyDoc]

Not a big fan of counting calories. If you do, you have to look at how many calories your body needs vs how many you eat. Much better to focus on the quality of food. It is difficult to overeat healthy stuff (nuts excluded)

Keep it up @Chitown !

I'm sorry. But I don't agree with you. Counting calories is the basis of weight loss. It's impossible to lose weight if you don't know how much you're eating. Under-eating is just as bad as eating too much. Nuts are one of the most caloric dense "snacks" available. There's more calories in a handful of cashews than there are in 21 pieces of chips. If you're going to put in the effort to lose weight, at least do it the right way. A lot of people think weight loss or fat loss is dependent on "healthy" vs "unhealthy" foods. A lot of people think eating salad instead of chips will make them lose fat. That's the furthest from the truth.

Also, if you don't know your bodies maintenance calories, how on earth are you supposed to lose weight? What you're neglecting is the basis of weight loss and the reason why so many people are overweight. It's not because they're eating McDonalds. It's because they're eating TOO MUCH McDonalds.

 

[S.Y.]

I'm sorry. But I don't agree with you. Counting calories is the basis of weight loss. It's impossible to lose weight if you don't know how much you're eating. Under-eating is just as bad as eating too much. Nuts are one of the most caloric dense "snacks" available. There's more calories in a handful of cashews than there are in 21 pieces of chips. If you're going to put in the effort to lose weight, at least do it the right way. A lot of people think weight loss or fat loss is dependent on "healthy" vs "unhealthy" foods. A lot of people think eating salad instead of chips will make them lose fat. That's the furthest from the truth.

We will agree to disagree on this one. Many people lost weight by counting calories, others simply by focusing on what they eat. The OP should choose what works for him.

My view is - aside from nuts, cheese and bananas - you can eat pretty much anything good quality food to satiety and you will drop to a healthy weight. It is very hard to overeat on things like broccoli, bell pepper, cauliflower and gain weight. They are low calories food and fill you up pretty quick.

Also, if you don't know your bodies maintenance calories, how on earth are you supposed to lose weight? What you're neglecting is the basis of weight loss and the reason why so many people are overweight. It's not because they're eating McDonalds. It's because they're eating TOO MUCH McDonalds.

I am not actually. Empty calories are the culprit for most.
Have them eat too much kale or spinach or veggies in general, and let see if they don't drop weight.

 

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[lowtek]

We will agree to disagree on this one. Many people lost weight by counting calories, others simply by focusing on what they eat. The OP should choose what works for him.

My view is - aside from nuts, cheese and bananas - you can eat pretty much anything good quality food to satiety and you will drop to a healthy weight. It is very hard to overeat on things like broccoli, bell pepper, cauliflower and gain weight. They are low calories food and fill you up pretty quick.



I am not actually. Empty calories are the culprit for most.
Have them eat too much kale or spinach or veggies in general, and let see if they don't drop weight.

What you are saying is pretty much true, but it is not the whole truth. It is very difficult to eat to excess when you're consuming large quantities of dense veggies and lean meats, but without counting calories (read: macronutrients) this approach will only get you so far.

You will eventually reach equilibrium, where your calories in = calories out, and if you're not at your target body composition (which is what you *should* be targeting), then it's difficult to get a handle on where to go next.

If you have no idea how many grams of fat / protein / carbs you're consuming, how will you know what to adjust? You can always reduce overall food consumed, but if you're taking in too little protein, then you'll lose muscle mass. This is not optimal, and hardly what anybody wants.

If you blindly cut fat, without knowing what quantity you're consuming, you run the risk of damaging your hormone production. For an older male, this is especially disastrous, as their test levels are naturally in decline anyway.

I'd tell @Chitown to combine both approaches. Swap out shitty food with healthy ones, as per your suggestion, but make sure to be counting your macros so you don't cut the wrong things and do more harm than good.

And as always, lift heavy shit, put it back down, repeat until you're strong.

 

[S.Y.]

What you are saying is pretty much true, but it is not the whole truth. It is very difficult to eat to excess when you're consuming large quantities of dense veggies and lean meats, but without counting calories (read: macronutrients) this approach will only get you so far.

You will eventually reach equilibrium, where your calories in = calories out, and if you're not at your target body composition (which is what you *should* be targeting), then it's difficult to get a handle on where to go next.

If you have no idea how many grams of fat / protein / carbs you're consuming, how will you know what to adjust? You can always reduce overall food consumed, but if you're taking in too little protein, then you'll lose muscle mass. This is not optimal, and hardly what anybody wants.

If you blindly cut fat, without knowing what quantity you're consuming, you run the risk of damaging your hormone production. For an older male, this is especially disastrous, as their test levels are naturally in decline anyway.

I'd tell @Chitown to combine both approaches. Swap out shitty food with healthy ones, as per your suggestion, but make sure to be counting your macros so you don't cut the wrong things and do more harm than good.

And as always, lift heavy sh*t, put it back down, repeat until you're strong.

Totally make sense.

@MoneyDoc, scratch what I said earlier. I agree with your position.

 

[LightHouse]

@ExaltedLife

Thank you! That's what I was thinking. I look at a set of weights and yoke up - you're probably the same way. I want to lose as much as I can - through better eating habits - without hitting the weights, right now. Those are literally doctor's orders. Once I get my blood pressure down we're going to perform a stress test to determine whether I can return to the gym.

Those exercises you listed above are some of my favorites. I'd like to find a gym in the L.A.-area with tires, ropes, sledgehammers, etc. I love that stuff and what it does to your body. Sand bag workouts are another method I recently discovered. Damn! Talk about an incredible workout...

Great and all, but what are your results from the past week? Each update you are talking about stuff you want to do...but nothing about what you have done.

How's this week's weigh in, how's the new patterns going, how's giving those clients off, how's the new biz ideas work....

Come on Tony, quit bullshitting us! [emoji173]

 

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[Andy Black]

I had a donut the other day. Don’t know why the fuss over them.

You got this @Chitown.

 

[ZeroTo100]

I had a donut the other day. Don’t know why the fuss over them.

You got this @Chitown.

I love donuts...but If I eat a donut I have to run 3 miles just to burn it off. It's way easier to just not to eat that donut! lolol...Unless it's a Sunday than anything goes lol

 

[Guest06196]

I had a donut the other day. Don’t know why the fuss over them.

You got this @Chitown.

The origin of the donut comes from a story where an actor lost his golden opportunity due to the bloated figure caused by overeating donuts on the beach.

(Quietly supporting @Chitown )

 

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[B. Cole]

Awesome thread @Chitown! I’m jumping in with you.

I had a great run in late summer through the fall of last year, lost 42 lbs. between July and November (5’10”, went from 334 to 292. I slowly f’ed up and got 10 pounds back through birthdays and the holidays. It was very simple - eat clean and do cardio a few times a week. No bullshit, protein, lots of fish, veggies, kept my calories around 1500/day (low I know, but 1800 made me plateau). When I started I couldn’t fast walk 15 minutes without being out of breath. Worked my way up to walk 2 minutes, run 1 minute for 30 minutes. Blood pressure and heart rate went down big time, felt great.

Back on it now, shooting for 65 more pounds this year.

Remember the thread about “has moving to a warm climate improved your life” or something like that? Winters suck here in NC, and I lose my motivation to go outside and exercise when it’s sh*tty out. Bad excuse, but I hate working out in the house. Another bad excuse. I also struggled to keep it up through winter when I was prototyping and focusing on my product. Another bad excuse.

“Take care of your body. I’s the only place you have to live.”
- Jim Rohn

We can do this together

 

[ExaltedLife]

I have little to say here, other than carbs, over time, will kill you. Carbs (read: sugar) is directly correlated to diabetes and heart disease. Cut it out, and your body can just about fully recover in 90-180 days.

@Chitown don't let anything stop you. Your goal, your commitment, your battle... but it's also your win, if you want it.

It's not so much that carbs themselves are bad, but that carbs ALONE are bad. When you eat a carb heavy meal without sufficient protein and fats, the carbs turn right to sugar and spike your insulin levels - over time this is what kills you. If you exercise and eat less carbs (but not the refined shit) and always alongside fiber, protein and fats, you should be fine. If you don't eat carbs, your body will just make the glucose it needs from the protein you eat instead. You'll never be free from glucose as such. Take a look at sushi for a good example of a balanced meal - protein and fat from fish, bit of carbs from rice, fiber from veggies.

 

[Chitown]

How many calories are you taking in daily?

@MoneyDoc,

Between 2300-2500.

The goal is 1800-2100 calories per day, coupled with super sets when I eventually partner up with a trainer, Power yoga (Vinyasa), wind sprints at the beach and Matt Furey's Combat Conditioning exercises which are fantastic and a$$-kicking. I'm not going to rush into everything at once. Slow and steady is the objective.

As you know, the quality of what we put in our mouths is 80% of the process to achieve healthy sustainable weight loss. I had some orange juice - which I diluted with water - this morning with breakfast for the first time in weeks. I've cut sugar by at least 80%. No more brown sugar in my steel cut oats. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and apples are now my sweeteners.

I've had two beers in a month. I enjoy my red wine but have to watch the intake of my favorite vino because alcohol metabolizes into fat.

But so far, so good. I lost another pound this week. I now weigh 211.

 

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[Chitown]

Hey folks,

A lot of you have been kind enough to follow this thread and I really appreciate that. I'll do my best to read and respond to the posts that I haven't over the next couple of days. Thank you all for the information, insight and support.

 

[Dave Daily]

Try this eating method on for size. It's my go-to when I'm not self-sabotaging. Oh look...a doughnut!! Oh yeah, here's the link:

 

[MoneyDoc]

Cmon @Chitown, it takes 2 minutes to post an update daily.

If you’re serious, you would hold yourself accountable and post daily weigh-ins.

I’ve tracked every single thing I’ve put in my mouth for 478 days straight now. It’s really not that hard.

How’s the progress?

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

As you know, the quality of what we put in our mouths is 80%

I'm sure you've heard the "The 80/20 Rule" but when it comes to food, it's 80/100... 80% of your results will be accounted by 100% of what you put in your mouth. 20% of your results will come from activity; gym, exercise, etc.

Gym = Event.
Food = Process.

 

[S.Y.]

Hey folks,

A lot of you have been kind enough to follow this thread and I really appreciate that. I'll do my best to read and respond to the posts that I haven't over the next couple of days. Thank you all for the information, insight and support.

Where you at?
any new milestone(s)?

 

[Philip Marlowe]

@Chitown - what's the word? How are things?

 

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[Philip Marlowe]

@Chitown - what's the word? How are things?

@Chitown About to hit my garage gym - talk to me Chitown!

 

[MJ DeMarco]

The silence isn't a good indicator! C'mon Tony!