Checking in for the first time in a while...I am not looking for likes or attention but I get a fair amount of PMs and text messages from folks asking questions about my diet and either saying keep it up or that I motivate them to start so I am trying to stay in here as a pay it forward if nothing else.
Stating Weight -318.2 (12/27)
Today - 238.0
Total loss: 80.2 lbs
80 lbs. Damn that's embarrassing that I had that much fat to lose...and still more to go.
Been a few minor victories lately.
I had plateaued hard and evaluated everything. Cut out cheat days. Re-arranged meal timing. Increased workout frequency, intensity and composition. And weekly gains were measured in fractional pounds. Down a half pound this week. Up 2 tenths the next. September was largely a waste. And admittedly I had some "life" in there as well that got in the way.
Something clicked 2 weeks ago, and caused me to break out a calculator. I will share it for anyone struggling along because its worthwhile.
Why was my diet which worked so well suddenly not working? Was it hormone changes? Digestion adaptation? "Fat converting to muscle which weighs more so Im getting smaller but the scale stays the same"(this is largely a lie if you are obese dont fall into the trap)?
When I type that out its probably obvious to everyone except this idiot. But let me spell it out in case it isnt.
Using this:
RMR Calculator | Resting Metabolic Rate Calculator - Omni
I can estimate that in the beginning My body was needing around 2,963 calories per day just to live.
So I had been eating 10oz of steak 2x a day and 4 eggs in the AM and 3 eggs in the PM (Why 4 and 3? I dont know its just what I picked).
Total calories consumed per day = 2,196
That's a deficit of 767 Kcals per day or 5,369 Kcals per week. Generally accepted data is it takes a 3,500 lb deficit to burn a lb of fat. So early on without any exercise or movement, just breathing, I should have been losing about 1.5 lbs per week. Heck even if I had a screw up (which were very very few in the beginning) I still had a nearly 2,000 calorie buffer to lose 1 lb per week.
But now at 245 the calculator says I only need 2,462 kcals per day. Meaning I was only creating a 266kCal/day deficit or 1,862kcal/week. 1862/3500...means with zero cheats and 100% compliance I could only expect around half a lb per week. Add in 1 screw up or "life" and no loss. Sounds a lot like fractional scale movement, huh? So my body was doing exactly what science would predict. Shocking. This shit actually works.
So I cut my portions back to 8oz of steak and 3 eggs at each meal. I removed 4oz of steak and 1 egg per day from my diet and its been back to a steady linear drop.
225 suddenly doesn't seem so unattainable.
There is still work to be done to get there. No doubt. But we are moving in the right direction. I also go back at the end of this month for a 6 month follow up Dr appointment to get updated blood work. Hopefully we find my body is liking the diet and no issues. If not we will adjust and plow forward.
But I mentioned earlier about a couple small victories and those are worth sharing. If you go back to my first post in the thread I mentioned much of my weight history. (I re-read it recently based on a PM I received) But two numbers jumped out to me.
1- I mentioned that in 2012 when I last went on a weight loss journey I got down to 238 and that was my bottom. Well this AM what did I weigh? Same 238. We arent stopping here this time. I will also add that last time my life was in a bit of turmoil. That was at the peak craziness of the ECORS days, I was working for Cummins and we were mid buyout, plus I had some personal issues going on and all-in-all much of my weight loss at that time was done very unhealth-ily. I wasnt losing weight and making my life better I was kind of spiraling and the weight was a by product. This time I am doing it right. I am happy and healthy and I think its sustainable! (Although my company was bought out earlier this year...trend?)
2- I mentioned in post #1 when I graduated HS I weighed 295 and wore a 36 pant. Well Finally in the last month Ive had to break down and buy some new clothes because I looked like a clown. Cinching the belt down wasnt cutting it anymore.
Im not done and didnt fill the closet up. But I bought 2 pair of "work pants" and 2 pair of blue jeans. The jeans are 36, the pants are 38s...so not all the way back to a 36 but progress.
Anyway enough of my rambling I got a shit ton of work to do.
Keep up the good work those who are fighting.
@Jody Treadway ...thanks brother. You remain a major inspiration whether you know it or not. Not sure you'll ever get my ass on one of those 2 wheelers....but Im not saying never.
