Lose Weight (and get fit) Before Roo Thread

That’s awesome!!

I prefer to do my workouts in the morning, and the best way I’m able to do that is by working out at home. We’ve built up a pretty good home gym for where we’re at, but I worry about missing out on certain things like being able to use a leg press.

Also, building a home gym is expensive! I know there would be membership fees for a gym, but man, there has been some sticker shock along the way for some of the equipment we have bought. And we keep progressing out of the dumbbells, which just get more expensive the heavier they get.

yeah, outside walks are such an imperative part of my mental health regimen. 

The thing that really got me started trying to get healthier was that my a1c was in the borderline/prediabetes range (5.9). My dad was diabetic, so it hit home especially hard when I got that result. That was almost two years ago, and I had gotten it down to 5.6 last time it was checked (which is right on the line between normal and prediabetic), but today, it was down to 5.3, so squarely in the normal range! Woohoo!

Edit: Brought my cholesterol down into normal range too!

That’s awesome! Love the goal of adding in more fruits and veggies. I follow a bunch of fitness people on Instagram, and my favorites are the ones who are all about looking to what you can add to make yourself healthier, rather than only looking at what needs to be reduced or restricted.

Getting ready to go back to keto for a while. Did it for all of 2019 and lost 50 pounds, 30 of which have never returned. Just gotta get rid of some of the carby stuff in the house so it doesn't go to waste. This feels like a good time to try to slim down a little.

Keto worked great for me. Not only did the weight fall off fast, I felt great, had no side effects, and it was easy to stick to once I figured out what I could eat. And before anyone says I'm dumb, my cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood sugar were all great on keto. I didn't just eat bacon and butter all day, and actually ate more vegetables than ever. Not needing a nap after work every day because there was no carb crash was amazing.

Fine print: I also practiced intermittent fasting while on keto, and still do frequently. I've never been huge and always stay fairly active. I know keto may not be ideal for everyone but it did wonders for me.

great work, keep it up!

feel this to a terrible extent, sober January but all of a sudden found myself eating treats like nobody’s business

My wife recently got a new, not WFH job and so my morning routine has had to adjust a bit. instead of leaving for work at 6:30, now I can't really leave until after the kids get on the bus at 8:00. so i've got some extra time on my hands.

Based on This reddit comment about drake doing 100 burpees, I decided to try and do 100 burpees in the morning before my shower. I hate burpees and 100 seems daunting, but I break it down into chunks and it's doable as a HIIT type workout. Only been going on 5 days now but it's a great way to get the heart rate up. I usually just like to lift weights and rock climb, and I haven't really done any cardio since I trained for a half marathon in 2021, but I feel great in the morning and I've actually cut down on my coffee consumption too!

because i've been working so much my workouts for the past few weeks have only been short 20 minute HIIT rides. which are great for overall mental and emotional well-being, which is the primary reason i exercise, but LISS has a lot to offer the mental side as well.

yesterday i did a longer 45 minute power zone low intensity endurance ride for the first time in a while. i love those so much, the first 20 minutes feel so easy, then eventually i start steady pouring sweat. i don't get that super high heart rate gasping for air thing i do with HIIT (which i also love), but instead the grim steady intensity of my heart rate being just slightly higher than i'm used to over a long stretch of time.

i love the HIIT because my mind simply doesn't have time to think about anything, once i'm on the bike it's just go go go, no time for reflection, especially with tabata rides. but i love the LISS rides because my mind does have to be there, be present in that moment, and deal with the fact that i've got another three 8 minute zone 3 stretches in front of me, and also i'll never really get any true recovery in the ride, just a dip down into zone 2 for a couple of minutes which, for all intents and purposes, has the same cardiovascular impact as zone 3.

Doing pretty good still at cutting my drinking down significantly. That being said my portion control is awful and I havent made as much progress as I hoped. I have at least been building better fitness habits.

we underestimate how much sugar is in alcohol if you’re drinking a fair amount of it frequently. Sugar cravings happen to most people who are regular drinks and then cut it out.

I’m at day 36 sans alcohol now and still eating more sweets than I did when drinking but less than I did like, first two weeks of January - so I’m just letting it be a thing for however long it needs to be

I otherwise eat super healthy - lots of fruit and veg, mostly beans and nuts and tofu/tempeh for protein instead of processed fake meats, and I mostly cook my own meals at home. So it’s all about the 💫 balance 💫

*tofu high five* ☺️

I try to follow the 90/10ish rule w food - 90% or so of nutritious, not highly processed foods and then just 10 or 15% of things like impossible meat, vegan ice cream, cookies, etc

Agreed, some people certainly use keto as an excuse to eat a ton of bacon, butter, red meat, cheese, etc., but that's just silly, because the point of following a specific diet plan is improve your health. It does indeed focus on fat and nearly eliminate carbs, but it isn't supposed to be an especially high protein diet or a reason to just go nuts. For me, it has been a method I don't hate too much to stick to. I'm sure there are plenty of other plans that can deliver similar results, and some that are even better, but if I hate them or don't feel good on them, there's no way I'm sticking with them.

To me, it seems like a no-brainer to eat a lot of vegetables on keto, since many are low-carb, and as long as you're getting that oh so satisfying fat, you don't need to eat a bunch of junk to feel full. Broccoli, romaine lettuce, spinach, celery (often with peanut butter), and nuts are about all I need in addition to a fatty main dish. It's not for everybody but it works for me because I maintain some balance and have found plenty of things I like that fit. I made a keto version of Mounds once that was amazing, but I haven't really gotten into all the weird fat bombs and all that. Peanut butter with super dark chocolate works great for me.

On Monday 2/20/2023 we have 16 weeks before Bonnaroo monday. with consistency and determination and a wllingness to adjust 1.5 to 2 lbs per week is absolutely possible. 1 pound a week should be very reasonable if you're determined.

2/28/22 i was at 213 by 6/14/22 i was at 199. true story. and i wasn't working as hard as i could have should have. did not have bonnaroo to focus on.

consistency is the key and holding off weekend binging. if you have the time and money for the gym, high dollar cardio machines there (and the steam room) work wonders for me. i do an hour of cardio every day (usually) before work.

drink at least a 1/2 gallon of water daily and try for a gallon. colder the better.

calorie counting has helped me considerably these last four weeks. really working on staying down 10 lbs in 4 weeks by monday 2/20/23. i am there now but weekends you know. smh.

finally i weigh in and log my weight daily. keeps me accoutable every day. i can stand the mental fatigue but understand it might not be helpful for every one.

respectfully, i think that hard wall may be in your mind. i was averaging between 190 and 220 for 4 years and really thought 180 was it for me. but have been below 190 since last July.

you absolutely can achieve this goal. Set the goal and fight like hell for it every day. you will be able to celebrate at roo on style knowing you achieved your goal. if nothing less i am here to support you. reach out. you got this.