This is what 60 Pounds (27 KGS) Looks Like

[MJ DeMarco]

::May 16, 2018 : 275 pounds.::

::May 24, 2018 : 266 pounds.::

Great start.

Any idea what happened to the photos on your original posts? They're missing.

 

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[Vigilante]

Great start.

Any idea what happened to the photos on your original posts? They're missing.

No. I didn't remove them.

 

[Dubidu]

Any time I need some motivation I may just come back and look at that photo.

Vigilante have you heard of the proteifine diet? I've never tried it myself but as you're able to afford to purchase the south beach diet it might be an idea to mix up bundles i.e. try the south beach bundle first and then try the proteifine diet? From what I understand (and I emphasise I haven't tried it so I can't provide input/output metrics) it is basically keto and if you google it there are a handful of reviews. In Europe you can only get it via a doctor or nutritionist (I'm sceptical of the latter as basically anyone can call themselves a nutritionist but the fact that it's also available from doctors suggests there may be some scientific merit in it)? It works out about 30 dollars per day, I think.

Regardless, look forward to your results with interest .

 

[Dubidu]

Kudos to you Dave for coming to terms with and sharing your issues in public like this. Takes some balls to come out and admit our problems, but doing so can also force yourself to stay accountable.

I myself had the opposite problem most of my life. I used to be jealous of people who were big. Up into my mid 30's, I was a scrawny, skinny dude - 6' 5" weighing only 162 pounds....

I used to tell myself I wished I was a little overweight rather than underweight. Felt like everyone stared at me. I could eat whatever I wanted and how much - I just could NOT gain a f*cking ounce. May sound nice to some but I hated it.

Then I decided one day (like you) that enough was enough. Started reading up on the problem and taking action. Started lifting. Eating differently (protein being the biggest change). I am still on my journey, but I am no longer 162lbs. Still trying to climb and almost at 220lbs now with a 4-ish 'pack'. I'm a hardgainer though so it has taken me a loooong a$$ time, lol.

As it is with building a business and success: It really does come down to persistence and never quitting. Basically all the Fastlane principles apply. Just replace "financial freedom" with "health/body freedom".

Even though we are coming from opposite ends of gaining vs losing weight, I still want to share some important advice that I think can help you.

Below are the vitamins I take daily..
MANY people, especially in the US are deficient in things like Magnesium and Zinc. And for men over age 40, things like Vitamin B5 and E's are also deficient. (And they will positively affect your Testosterone levels, which someone mentioned earlier will also affect your ability to lose fat and gain muscle). By eating a much healthier diet, you will get more of some of these with your daily intake. But it may not be sufficient, depending on your weight, your body's absorption ability, etc.

For those of you struggling with sugar cravings or cravings in general - vitamins and minerals will greatly help to curb those cravings. They help restore and maintain our physiological balance. And it's a cheap investment. Most of these you can get for a few bucks at Walmart. (But don't skimp on getting quality and natural Vitamin E vs the synthetic cheap kind).

Depending on your starting point - some vitamins/minerals will take time to "build up" in your system so allow 4-6 weeks. (Some however, like Magnesium you can notice more immediately). You may find that after a while - you no longer crave the sugars so much, and something you ate before (like a candy or soda) will now taste WAY too sweet for your tastebuds.

• Vitamin C, 500 mg
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid), 500 mg
• Vitamin B6 (P5P), 1.5 mg
• Vitamin B12, 1000 mcg
• Vitamin D3, 5000 IU
• Vitamin E (Non-synthetic - all 4 tocotrienols and all 4 tocopherols), 50 mg
• Magnesium Citrate, 1500 mg
• Zinc, 50 mg
• Folic Acid (Methyl Folate), 400 mcg

We don't "feel" the effects of all these vitamins, but our body does over time and you will *indirectly* feel the effects of them. B6/B12 for me in the morning however gives me focus for the day, plus Magnesium at morning and before bed gives me WAY better sleep.

I have never drank coffee and never will (I hate the taste, lol). But B6/B12 + lots of water does it for me. Better for you than caffeine anyway.

If anyone here is struggling with some hard times emotionally, depression, or similar - magnesium really is almost like a miracle mineral. Calms you and evens things out. And it's cheap AF!

I agree with magnesium; my only qualification to that would be that apparently magnesium glycinate is the one that is best on the tummy and highly absorbable compared to other magnesiums like magnesium citrate. That has been my experience anyway. You can also get Epsom bath salts (I don't know what they are called in America) or magnesium flakes (can't remember the brand) and sit in the bath; it has decent absorb-ability via the skin apparently. More and more research is starting to come out on the impact of nutrition on mental health as well as physical health. Both are important if we're going to be successful Fast Laners, right?!

 

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[Eskil]

it has decent absorb-ability via the skin apparently

Indeed. There are also magnesium oils which can be applied topically to the skin for very good absorption (and thereby eliminating any potential upset stomach issues for some people).

 

[Roli]

I was in the grocery store the other day, and snapped this photo. Each bag of flour weighs 5 pounds. Next time you are in the grocery store, pick one up. Feel how heavy that is. The bottom shelf of this photo represents 60 pounds.

That's how much extra weight I am carrying around. Every day. Every time I get up from a couch. Every time I play with my kid. Every time I walk down the street. Imagine carrying the weight of 12 of those flour sacks with you every hour of the day, every day of the week, every week of the year.

I'm killing myself. What would it be like to unchain that weight? I have no idea. I have been fat for years.

It all changes now.

There was one time in my life where I reversed the curve. As you've read all of the threads recently here, weight management for most people is not rocket science. You burn more calories than you eat, you lose weight. The one time I did this right was when I was eliminating all of the garbage and for me, cutting out the carbs.

So I looked at Paleo (pretty rigid) and Keto (unsustainable). I settled on the South Beach Diet, because in my younger days, that is the health regimine that I did that melted off the fat and was sustainable for me for the long haul.

I cheated this time, because I can. I ordered a month's worth of customized food directly from the folks at www.southbeachdiet.com so that I could have a turnkey, forced fat reduction. And I can tell you that for 30 days, I won't deviate from it. They're sending me breakfast, lunch and dinner, a month's worth along with a few snacks inbetween as prescribed by them. I will add to it some non-starch vegetables, and that will be it, kids.

And I will share with you here the real numbers. I won't wear you out every single day, but will do a few checkins a week. If you're not interested, simply ignore the thread. However, I am posting it to keep it real, and to hopefully encourage other fatasses out there to take radical action to achieve radical results.

If you want to do it but don't have the up front dough to hire them to be your chef for a month, no worries. South Beach is a plan that simply shows you from what you would normally have available what to eat and not to eat. We all kind of know that anyway, but they systemize it. They make it simple. The first week is radical, similar in nature towards triggering it Ketosis although they call it something else. However, you don't need to buy the food plan. You can simply buy the latest edition of the book from Amazon and follow that. https://www.amazon.com/dp/031237206X/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

I need a radical shakeup in my life, and @LightHouse gave me sh*t about not going all in on something so important.

Since I will adhere to the plan ALL IN with 100% discipline, you'll be able to see first hand if it works or not. You'll get the real numbers. But frankly, how could replacing chocolate donuts (@Chitown) with bell peppers NOT work? It will work. I'll be doing 30 minutes of exercise a day (up from zero) and eating what they think is the perfect low carb, balanced diet.

I'm going all in. Time to shake sh*t up. No big declaration without big action. I am expecting results. While this is not a 30 day plan (it's a forever plan) the thread will be alive for the next 30 days because I want you to see that you can do what ever you set your mind to.

Everyone's got issues. It is what you DO about those issues that defines your life. If health is a variable that to a certain degree I can influence for today, then I owe it to my family to make some radical changes.

The shipment of food arrives by Friday, but unlike a lot of people who make a "resolution" I'm not binging beforehand. I binged for decades. I am ready to rock and roll. Look for a photo from this weekend of what a 50# food delivery looks like.

::May 16, 2018 : 275 pounds.::

Weird, I'd always pictured you as really skinny!

I highly recommend watching and following AthleanX on Youtube and maybe even buying one of his programs. 30 days following that and you'll be carved out of wood!

Also choose intensity over time with your workouts, it's better to burn out in 10 minutes than cruise a 30 minute sesh. Also focus more on body weight exercises to begin with, these will burn the most fat.

Do lots of static stuff in the beginning, planks etc. build your core before lifting heavy weights, focus on technique over personal bests.

Biggest one of all, don't focus on how many reps/sets you're doing, the reason being you start to 'cheat' in order to make that number, whereas if you just train for failure, or even failure within a time limit (go for 45 seconds or till you can't anymore) will get you huge gains.

Good luck, I'll be checking in!

 

[Artie Bernaducci]

This is now sitting on my desk. I will see this 300x a day.

Hey Vigilante, 10 days in...how are you making out?

 

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[Vigilante]

Hey Vigilante, 10 days in...how are you making out?

::May 16, 2018 : 275 pounds.::

::May 24, 2018 : 266 pounds.::

 

[Artie Bernaducci]

::May 16, 2018 : 275 pounds.::

::May 24, 2018 : 266 pounds.::

Great! Congrats!! Keep up the good work man!

 

[LightHouse]

Looks like today is the day for a weigh in update.....

 

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[ZCP]

@LightHouse is holding out for the pics ......

 

[AllenCrawley]

Weigh in.

 

[Vigilante]

I'll let you know when I break through 260. The phase I'm in now I'll be dropping a pound or two per week. First 5k is on Father's Day

 

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[LightHouse]

I'll let you know when I break through 260. The phase I'm in now I'll be dropping a pound or two per week. First 5k is on Father's Day

ooookkkkkay. In the mean time, have you had any zero days with the food and/or adding in moving more?

Fathers day is just under 2wks out. Are you doing C25K or are you planning on walking it? Any stretch goals for the 5k?

 

[Vigilante]

ooookkkkkay. In the mean time, have you had any zero days with the food and/or adding in moving more?

Fathers day is just under 2wks out. Are you doing C25K or are you planning on walking it? Any stretch goals for the 5k?

Yes, but I have no interest in this becoming a daily journal. All you need to know is what I post.

The stretch goal for doing a 5K is doing the 5K.

 

[G-Man]

All you need to know is what I post.

 

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[AllenCrawley]

All you need to know is what I post.

Soooo, no more questions? Gotcha.

 

[LightHouse]

Yes, but I have no interest in this becoming a daily journal. All you need to know is what I post.

The stretch goal for doing a 5K is doing the 5K.

You know how I know you are still eating the 'good for you' stuff, cause your attitude shows it

...

 

[Kak]

This thread is beginning to remind me of people who were thoughtful enough to post how-to videos on YouTube FOR FREE and then in the comments, people bitch about it not doing it right or being good enough.

@Vigilante is a busy guy, he is generously donating (yes donating) his time documenting this. He is not obligated to do anything. Some people need to chill out.

 

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[G-Man]

@Vigilante is a busy guy, he is generously donating (yes donating) his time documenting this. He is not obligated to do anything. Some people need to chill out.

Says the guy that looks like the Monopoly man.

 

[Vigilante]

Says the guy that looks like the Monopoly man.

Actually he looks more like this (minus the leisure suit) :

 

[andviv]

Just a quick note: Vig, I keep this thread in my mind constantly and this has helped me make a good decision here or there when chossing between different menu options. I want to thank you for that motivation.

 

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[AllenCrawley]

This thread is beginning to remind me of people who were thoughtful enough to post how-to videos on YouTube FOR FREE and then in the comments, people bitch about it not doing it right or being good enough.

@Vigilante is a busy guy, he is generously donating (yes donating) his time documenting this. He is not obligated to do anything. Some people need to chill out.

Lol

 

[YoungPadawan]

I don't know if this has been mentioned or not, but have you considered a treadmill desk?

I built a treadmill desk for less than $450 bucks (treadmill included) and I use it a ton. Just shoot me a message if u want to learn how to build one .

 

[MetalGear]

I just lost about 10lbs over the past month and a half myself. My overall quality of life and well-being has improved and it is leaking into other areas of life.

 

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[Vigilante]

I have a reasonable chance of breaking through 260 by Sunday (father's day). Which would be a great milestone, on top of the 5k I am doing on Sunday. However, I am not going to do anything artificial to meet that artificial deadline. Just following the plan.

As I approach 15 lbs lost (in just under 3 weeks) here are a few random thoughts :

• As far as "easy" weight to come off, it is expected that the Ketosys will produce a radical weight loss in the first few weeks. Would be nice if I could continue to drop 15 lbs every three weeks, but that's not the way this works. So, the jumpstart worked and the easier weight is falling off. Nearly 3 x 5# bags of sugar in weight removed
• Today I am the heaviest I will hopefully ever be again. Same with yesterday, and same with tomorrow.
• Once I started drinking that much water, what is amazing is that my body now wants that much water and when I don't do it, something feels off. The body responds to the super hydration as a naturally created filter. I think the water is critical.
• I am wearing a shirt today that three weeks ago I probably wouldn't have picked as it was noticeably tighter. So that's fun. And that's just the beginning.
• I am back to wearing my wedding ring every day. When you get fat, the fat goes everywhere including your hands. Losing fat I think it starts to come off of certain areas for me faster, like my face, my hands, my (literal) beer gut
• The eating cycle was easier to break the way I did it (essentially with a strict plan and food created by someone else). If you don't have the money to do that, you still could do it a day at a time by following a strict, scheduled meal plan.
• I spend less money on food today than I did three weeks ago.
• I don't miss the carbs.
• I have cheated exactly zero, with the exception of a couple of ingredients that have slipped in here and there. By cheating, I am talking about there have been no "screw it I am just going to eat this chocolate cake" moments because I really believe that being healthier feels better than any food tastes.
• I think eventually you lose the memory of the taste of the foods that created the fat. Like, I love(d) pork sausage, but it's terrible for you. I can eat turkey sausage that's not. On south beach, you could start your day with an egg or two, skipping the toast that would normally accompany that. I haven't had a crumb of bread in 3 weeks. South beach says I could reintroduce whole grain breads, but why would I? It's not that far of a slippery slope between that and the occasional "well, I can have one piece of shitty for you bread" and if I don't really miss it, why reintroduce it?
• We made some kick a$$ taco salads the other night with zero carbs.
• We went to a kick a$$ salad bar last night. It was devoid of most proteins (I did not add beans) but all in all, a change from the way we normally would go out
• I am considering making some carb free margaritas tonight (tequila, fresh lime juice and a drop of orange extract). Probably will be great as I have had zero alcohol in three weeks.
• I drink way less energy drinks than I did when I started. Not sure if I was drawing my hydration that way (making my body work overtime for it) or literally getting my energy that way to combat being a sloth. In any case, I had no plans of quitting them (sugar free, obv.) but it is interesting. I drink so much water that I don't really want 32oz of more fluid. However, I shall make room for some tequila.

So yeah, I am killing it. In a slower grind right now, and as the fat drops off I will introduce more physical activity to increase the CICO and just to kick it up a notch.

I'll be on the road next week for a few days, but I am zero percent worried about it. For the airport, instead of grabbing a bag of peanut butter M&M's and some fat fast food, I'll grab some nuts or a South Beach bar from my briefcase. When I travel, I eat less anyway but I will likely do some scrambled eggs for breakfast and maybe a salad for dinner, just having a South Beach bar for lunch. Keeping the business trip as short as possible for a variety of reasons, but have zero chance of letting something like travel derail me.

Some time in the next week, I will break into the high 250's. Really when I get into the 230's (several months from now) is when I will be feeling great, and when I approach 200 (before the meetup) I will be a lean, mean fighting machine. I haven't seen south of 230# in maybe 20 years. Things will get tougher, but I have no plans to turn back.

It's become a quest. It's no longer a diet. It's simply who I am. I don't desire that shit any more.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

It's no longer a diet. It's simply who I am

And that's the only way it works.

You have to look at your former self and say "WTF? How did I live like that?"

Congrats on the great start.

The hardest part is saying "no" to all the temptations circling like vultures; fast food, candy bars, junk and it sounds like you've been winning the battle...

 

[Vigilante]

And that's the only way it works.

You have to look at your former self and say "WTF? How did I live like that?"

Congrats on the great start.

The hardest part is saying "no" to all the temptations circling like vultures; fast food, candy bars, junk and it sounds like you've been winning the battle...

I just don't want that life anymore.

 

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[MetalGear]

I just don't want that life anymore.

I got a big 64oz metal water bottle and it helps me hydrate because I need to refill it less(office environment with slow flowing filtered water).

Paying attention to my body and pacing myself with a more periodic exercise and rest has helped, I used to go too gung ho in the beginning before but this is helping me stay consistent.

Have you tried MyFitnessPal? I don't follow it exactly but it helps me be mindful of where I am and helps me mentally assign calories to specific meals.

Looking forward to reading about your progress!

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[Real Deal Denver]

I have a reasonable chance of breaking through 260 by Sunday (father's day). Which would be a great milestone, on top of the 5k I am doing on Sunday. However, I am not going to do anything artificial to meet that artificial deadline. Just following the plan.

As I approach 15 lbs lost (in just under 3 weeks) here are a few random thoughts :

• As far as "easy" weight to come off, it is expected that the Ketosys will produce a radical weight loss in the first few weeks. Would be nice if I could continue to drop 15 lbs every three weeks, but that's not the way this works. So, the jumpstart worked and the easier weight is falling off. Nearly 3 x 5# bags of sugar in weight removed
• Today I am the heaviest I will hopefully ever be again. Same with yesterday, and same with tomorrow.
• Once I started drinking that much water, what is amazing is that my body now wants that much water and when I don't do it, something feels off. The body responds to the super hydration as a naturally created filter. I think the water is critical.
• I am wearing a shirt today that three weeks ago I probably wouldn't have picked as it was noticeably tighter. So that's fun. And that's just the beginning.
• I am back to wearing my wedding ring every day. When you get fat, the fat goes everywhere including your hands. Losing fat I think it starts to come off of certain areas for me faster, like my face, my hands, my (literal) beer gut
• The eating cycle was easier to break the way I did it (essentially with a strict plan and food created by someone else). If you don't have the money to do that, you still could do it a day at a time by following a strict, scheduled meal plan.
• I spend less money on food today than I did three weeks ago.
• I don't miss the carbs.
• I have cheated exactly zero, with the exception of a couple of ingredients that have slipped in here and there. By cheating, I am talking about there have been no "screw it I am just going to eat this chocolate cake" moments because I really believe that being healthier feels better than any food tastes.
• I think eventually you lose the memory of the taste of the foods that created the fat. Like, I love(d) pork sausage, but it's terrible for you. I can eat turkey sausage that's not. On south beach, you could start your day with an egg or two, skipping the toast that would normally accompany that. I haven't had a crumb of bread in 3 weeks. South beach says I could reintroduce whole grain breads, but why would I? It's not that far of a slippery slope between that and the occasional "well, I can have one piece of shitty for you bread" and if I don't really miss it, why reintroduce it?
• We made some kick a$$ taco salads the other night with zero carbs.
• We went to a kick a$$ salad bar last night. It was devoid of most proteins (I did not add beans) but all in all, a change from the way we normally would go out
• I am considering making some carb free margaritas tonight (tequila, fresh lime juice and a drop of orange extract). Probably will be great as I have had zero alcohol in three weeks.
• I drink way less energy drinks than I did when I started. Not sure if I was drawing my hydration that way (making my body work overtime for it) or literally getting my energy that way to combat being a sloth. In any case, I had no plans of quitting them (sugar free, obv.) but it is interesting. I drink so much water that I don't really want 32oz of more fluid. However, I shall make room for some tequila.

So yeah, I am killing it. In a slower grind right now, and as the fat drops off I will introduce more physical activity to increase the CICO and just to kick it up a notch.

I'll be on the road next week for a few days, but I am zero percent worried about it. For the airport, instead of grabbing a bag of peanut butter M&M's and some fat fast food, I'll grab some nuts or a South Beach bar from my briefcase. When I travel, I eat less anyway but I will likely do some scrambled eggs for breakfast and maybe a salad for dinner, just having a South Beach bar for lunch. Keeping the business trip as short as possible for a variety of reasons, but have zero chance of letting something like travel derail me.

Some time in the next week, I will break into the high 250's. Really when I get into the 230's (several months from now) is when I will be feeling great, and when I approach 200 (before the meetup) I will be a lean, mean fighting machine. I haven't seen south of 230# in maybe 20 years. Things will get tougher, but I have no plans to turn back.

It's become a quest. It's no longer a diet. It's simply who I am. I don't desire that sh*t any more.

I looked this up, and I was very surprised to see that I can have bacon and eggs for breakfast.

This is now my new diet plan as well.

The weight you have lost so far is beyond my expectations. Thanks for all the GREAT info, and the progress tracking. You are doing more good than you'll EVER know!

I might even take it a step further. I might buy 60 pounds of flour and put them in a pile. Every five pounds, a bag transfers to a different pile. THAT would be something to see every day that would keep me on track and excited.