Me + Poker + Drinking + The hours Im keeping = about 40 lbs overweight

WackityWhiz · #1 06-06-2005, 10:56 AM

I've put on a hefty amount in the last 3 years or so. Damn poker. I would be thrilled if I could motivate myself to lose about 40 lbs. It's definately going to be hard, but I think if I set my goal at around 2 lbs/week, I might be able to pull this off by the end of the year.

I weighed around 210 when I was in the best shape of my life. This was my sophomore year of high school. I was benching 280 and running a 4.8 40yard dash. Ever since I quit playing football, wrestling, and track, the pounds just keep coming.

And now that I don't work and just sit around and play poker and drink about 1-3 times a week, I'm finding it difficult to start my regression of lbs.

I just need to stay away from fast food and excercise a little. If any of you are overweight out there I'm sure you think about this all the time. What if you'd done 20 pushups and 50 situps every day for the last 6 months. Think of how much better you would feel.

I've tried the Atkins diet before and it's all just short term weight loss. I've never really pounded out the 2 lbs/week like I should. I'm going treat my weightloss goals just like I treat poker. Slow and steady, not gonna go for the big score right off the bat. We all know where that usually leads, no matter what you are doing.

NO FAST FOOD, LITTLE BIT O' EXERCISE, 2 LBS/WEEK TIL I LOSE 40 LBS....

BreakfastBurrito · #2 06-06-2005, 11:27 AM

2 lbs/week is a LOT. You may be able to keep that up for about 3 weeks before it becomes significantly harder. If I were you I'd just throw away the scale except for monthly check-ins. Concentrate on what you talked about, improving diet and exercising more. Working towards a fitness goal like say running a 10k in 50 minutes may be better than setting a weight goal.

WackityWhiz · #3 06-06-2005, 11:32 AM

thx ... god I'm so hungry looking at your avatar...

[img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

swede123 · #4 06-06-2005, 11:35 AM

The burrito is correct. 2 lbs per week is not sustainable unless you are massively obese. Really aim towards better dietary habits, which include less drinking (alcohol has sooo many calories), and work your way up to a steady exercise regiment. As someone who used to be very athletic it may be hard to begin by taking long walks or riding an exercise bike for 30 mins at a time, but what you need is exercise that you don't mind doing day in and day out for a long time, so you don't want to burn yourself out by trying to run ten miles the first week you're going at it.

Good luck,

Swede

Popinjay · #5 06-06-2005, 11:43 AM

You need 3 things (in order of importance)

1- proper diet
2- weight training
3- aerobics

ceyoung · #6 06-06-2005, 11:45 AM

2lbs/week is very attainable. most people actually recommend that as a good goal to set for yourself.

Alobar · #7 06-06-2005, 11:50 AM

[ QUOTE ]

I've tried the Atkins diet before and it's all just short term weight loss. I've never really pounded out the 2 lbs/week like I should. I'm going treat my weightloss goals just like I treat poker. Slow and steady, not gonna go for the big score right off the bat. We all know where that usually leads, no matter what you are doing.

NO FAST FOOD, LITTLE BIT O' EXERCISE, 2 LBS/WEEK TIL I LOSE 40 LBS....

[/ QUOTE ]

You definately are on the right track. Dont waste any time on a stupid fad diet. Its s simple numbers game, calories in vs. calories out.

2lb/week (and have it all be fat) is actually a really tough and is the like the maximum fat loss you can realisitically expect to lose. So if you cant quite keep that pace, dont get down on yourself.

The biggest thing you can do, is quit eating crap. When you learn how many caloires are in soda and fast food compared to normal food, you will be amazed. So cutting these out from your diet is key. Its hard at first, but once you go like a week or two, you wont even miss it. (note: and dont replace fastfood with frozen pizzas and TV dinners, these are just as bad. Its time for some actual cooking to be done).

Exersise. Anything is better than nothing, but focus on areobics. Pushups and situps are good, but they wont help with weightloss. Cycling is one the best (if not the best) way to aerobic exersise. If you dont have a bicycle or access to a stationary, youve always got the option for walking/jogging. Which ever route you go, start out with a time you can easily manage. Say like "I will walk/run/ridebike/whatever for 15 minutes". Then after a few times, add 5 minutes to that total, then after a few times 5 more minutes, and so on. Ideally you want to work up to doing at least an hour at least 4 times a week.

Also importnat tho is you have to allow yourself a chance to cheat. Pick a day, and have that day be the one day a week you let yourself eat something thats forbidden by your diet. Dont be stupid and order like 15 large pizzas and eat them all (thats exactly the behavior that allowing yourself to cheat once in a while, helps you avoid).

You sound like you are pretty mentally ready tho, and realize that slow and steady wins the race, and its something thats going to take some time. So just hang in there, dont get down on yourself, and good luck!

Anders_G · #8 06-06-2005, 11:52 AM

Replace all beverages with water and exercise 30min a day (this can be something as simple as walking). A guy i know dropped 20kg this way in only a few months.

Rushmore · #9 06-06-2005, 11:54 AM

I have found that I am willing to do infinitely more aerobic exercize if I am able to do something else at the same time.

I find myself most effective when I make sure that my DVR (Tivo, whatever) is set to record some of my favorite stuff, then I can get on the treadmill or whatever while I get caught up on NYPD Blue, Law and Order, or Tom Goes To The Mayor.

I think the attention distraction makes the time go a lot faster.

Also, you may want to try phenylalanine or tyrosine, which are amino acids which have had a great effect on me. They give you a boost in energy and suppress the appetite a little bit, at least for me.

Good luck.

Alobar · #10 06-06-2005, 11:55 AM

[ QUOTE ]
2lbs/week is very attainable. most people actually recommend that as a good goal to set for yourself.

[/ QUOTE ]

There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat. To lose 2 lbs of fat in a week you have to have a 7000 calorie differential, or 1000 calories a day. 1K calories a day is a big difference. One your body notices. If you start to go higher than 1K a day, your body goes into starvation mode and starts burning other things besides fat for energy, which isnt good and definately inst good in terms of a trying to lose body fat.