How do you keep the weight off?

[Ranching]

I'm 6'4", my playing weight in HS was 270. Tore up my knee and dropped to 220. Graduated college when I was 21 and weighed 226. Got engaged two years later at 240. Weighed 280 after a couple of years of marriage. Became a head coach and between the 6 hours a day of athletic class, practice and coaches meetings, 6-8 hours a day of watching film, 4 hours of drinking and the rest at home and sleeping i grew to a svelte 340.
I decided to lose some weight when my daughter was 12, wanted to walk her down the aisle one day. I started dieting, speed weights and walking. Can't run with a reconstructed knee and ankle. Lost 110 lbs. Kept up the workouts for about 4 years. Hurt my back in the weight room. Gained 40 pounds. I'm at 270 right now and pretty healthy at 53. Yesterday I started biking. Gonna try that and see how my back reacts.
Oh!!! I also switched from beer to scotch!!!
What do you guys do to keep the weight off???

 

[CouchCoach]

I dropped 30 one time doing Atkins and really didn't have a problem with staying on it, then something happened. Through some life changing events, my cravings and taste changed. I do believe I became a stress eater but had to have comfort food, which had not been comfort food in the past. So, now I am back to needing to drop 30.

OH!!!!!! I also added scotch to beer and bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, rum, tequila and wine!!!!! I really love wine and would have a hard time cutting that out on Atkins.

I tell ya, Ranching, here's where my head is now and I have a very hard time selling myself off of this. I am 72, live alone so I don't have another I am trying to please and I am not searching for the next one to do that with and I am content, if not happy, with that. As I explained to my doc when he suggested I reduce my alcohol intake, give up cigars and lose about 30 lbs, I asked him "why? You want me to give up the things that bring me joy in order to get healthier and deprive myself of the few things in life that bring me joy and whatever level of emotional and mental happiness I have now? Just so I can say I did it and celebrate by returning to my self-indulgent lifestyle?" He hasn't come up with a good answer for me yet.

What I do care about is how I feel while still above ground. So, I am looking into my assault on my cuddly self and devising a plan, I find a bottle of wine helps me plan better, with Atkins, Keto and South Beach Diet in the mix. I walk everyday but am still limited by Hector, my new hip, but I bought a recumbent exercise bike and that takes the stress off the back and the hip.

 

[visionary]

1. DONT go on a diet, change your lifestyle to eat healthier

2. Portion control: it’s a real thing. Whatever you have in your plate, eat 70% of it and put the rest in the refrigerator

3. prefer proteins over carbs, salt and sugar. NO fast food or soda or juices. Minimize fried stuff and DONT eat out except occasionally

4. Aerobic Exercise regularly: Swim or water aerobics if knees are bad.

 

[CouchCoach]

1. DONT go on a diet, change your lifestyle to eat healthier

2. Portion control: it’s a real thing. Whatever you have in your plate, eat 70% of it and put the rest in the refrigerator

3. prefer proteins over carbs, salt and sugar. NO fast food or soda or juices. Minimize fried stuff and DONT eat out except occasionally

4. Aerobic Exercise regularly: Swim or water aerobics if knees are bad.

I think Visionary might be my doc.

 

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

I made some changes at 40. I wasn't really overweight, just wanted to weigh about 10 pounds less and maintain it. I made simple changes. Gave up beer and started drinking only whiskey/scotch. I eat only two meals a day with a small lunch and then whatever for dinner. I didn't give up sugar, but I don't touch desert, sugar in coffee or tea, and I don't keep sweets in my house. I don't snack in between meals. I didn't give up fast food (a man needs a Whataburger now and again) but I only eat it a couple times a month. I started counting steps too. I just use the health app on my phone and make sure I get 15,000 a day. It's hard sometimes and I usually have to finish by pacing my living room, but my dogs love it and they're both in great shape. I also carry around a CanDo 30 pound double handle medicine ball with me while stepping in my house and you can do a whole world of exercises with it. The biggest change for me was having my son leave for college. We went from having a house packed with chips & dips, jerky, candy, pizza, subs, fried chicken, and Asian carryout to a geriatric fridge with 2% milk, feta, grapes, yogurt, celery sticks and leftover soup . That will cut the waist size real quick.

 

[Rockport]

I'm 6'4", my playing weight in HS was 270. Tore up my knee and dropped to 220. Graduated college when I was 21 and weighed 226. Got engaged two years later at 240. Weighed 280 after a couple of years of marriage. Became a head coach and between the 6 hours a day of athletic class, practice and coaches meetings, 6-8 hours a day of watching film, 4 hours of drinking and the rest at home and sleeping i grew to a svelte 340.
I decided to lose some weight when my daughter was 12, wanted to walk her down the aisle one day. I started dieting, speed weights and walking. Can't run with a reconstructed knee and ankle. Lost 110 lbs. Kept up the workouts for about 4 years. Hurt my back in the weight room. Gained 40 pounds. I'm at 270 right now and pretty healthy at 53. Yesterday I started biking. Gonna try that and see how my back reacts.
Oh!!! I also switched from beer to scotch!!!
What do you guys do to keep the weight off???

Biking is great if your knee can hold up. Doesn’tseem like exercise. I do that and also use an elliptical. Easy on the knees. While I do that I listen to audio books you can check out for free online if you have a library card. PM me if you need details.
I switched from beer to wine. Im afraid I might like the Scotch too much.

 

[Ranching]

Biking is great if your knee can hold up. Doesn’tseem like exercise. I do that and also use an elliptical. Easy on the knees. While I do that I listen to audio books you can check out for free online if you have a library card. PM me if you need details.
I switched from beer to wine. Im afraid I might like the Scotch too much.

I may take you up on that PM one day, if @Reality ever lets me PM again. Still paying for my Garrett Sucks days! Lol.. thanks Rock!

 

[Runwildboys]

Biking is great if your knee can hold up. Doesn’tseem like exercise. I do that and also use an elliptical. Easy on the knees. While I do that I listen to audio books you can check out for free online if you have a library card. PM me if you need details.
I switched from beer to wine. Im afraid I might like the Scotch too much.

I listen to Sirius or Pandora comedy. I should see if I can get the Star Talk podcasts on my phone.

 

[jsb357]

Sometimes I would wonder about getting in shape and how to accomplish that.

Then one day I realized that I was in shape.

Strange I know but technically round is a shape.

 

[Ranched]

What do you guys do to keep the weight off???

Keto!

 

[Ranching]

Keto!

I like doing up/downs and in/outs.

 

[Runwildboys]

How do you keep the weight off?........Tell her to go home.

 

[morasp]

Exercise
Weights
Leslie Sansone two mile walk
Breakfast
Oatmeal 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup coconut, 1/4 millet (cooked), So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk (the refrigerated one), Ceylon cinnamon.
Snack
three figs
Lunch
Cooked green lentils in an instapot w/ Pacific vegetable, broth smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, real salt, pepper
Green smoothie water, 1/4 avocado, coconut, real salt, greens, raspberries, strawberries, one frozen banana
Dinner
Oatmeal same as breakfast or roasted Sweet potatoes or sweet potatoes and apples and Ceylon cinnamon
Roasted Broccoli or roasted brussell sprouts or cauliflower or big green salad (romaine, cabbage, celery, onion, cilantro, bell pepper, good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, real salt, pepper)
Salmon patties or big bowl of homemade soup or turkey burgers

Now Brand Plant Enzyme w/ each meal.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I generally use a potato peeler. It works well, but it tends to leave a mark.

 

[aria]

I’m 6’2 and around 250-255 with ~12% body fat. I work out regularly (at the gym right now) and eat healthy most of the time with a once a week bender and eating like crap (sometimes more, sometimes less).

It’s seems I stay in this range regardless. I’ve barely lifted during the shut down and I stayed the same weight but lost size. When I broke my leg, I was out of the gym for 3-4 months, dropped 20 lbs of muscle but put it back on quicker than I thought.

In the rare instance I go a month with only binge drinking a couple times I can actually still make good gains but I usually end up getting stronger and eventually get hurt or start aching all the time. I look at as the drinking keeps my weight lifting in check, lol.

In college I was a lot more disciplined and hard core plus I could smoke herb which cut down the drinking significantly. I would routinely bulk up to ~250 and cut to 215 in ~6-8 weeks. I’m 41 now, cut back on most supplements and frankly just don’t care as much. I pretty much maintain and am happy with it but lifting doesn’t rule my life as much as it used to.

It’s obviously not as easy to make the same gains or purposeful “losses” as it was when I was younger. I keep telling myself that I’ll start lifting lighter because let’s face it, over time heavy lifting is a recipe for a major injury and breaks down your joints, but I still haven’t brought myself to do it. It’s not easy for me to lift less than what I know I’m capable of, even if I lighten the weights and up the reps. I assume one day a major injury will be the reality check. I still want to be able to hike and snowboard when I retire, not end up like some guys I know and barely be able to walk.

As far as strictly keeping “bad” weight off I think it’s just a healthy balance of keeping muscle, diet and cardio. I’m not a big fan of the fad diets because I think it’s a temporary fix and usually severely limits what you can eat. Great results for a quick fix but as soon as you go back to normal it comes right back. I love carbs!

Having said that...I still eat large amounts of protein but not like I did in college. For example, I’ll have a 23 egg white (with 2 whole eggs) fold over for a mid afternoon meal, along with hard boiled egg whites for b’fast, post workout protein shake and some sort of chicken or pork dish for dinner. On the other hand, if I drink it would be 4-5 bottles of wine with an 18” pizza for dinner and another 18” pizza for hungover breakfast and that would kill any caloric deficit gains I made from eating healthy during the week. As with everything I do, go big or go home!

Welp, thanks for starting this thread Ranch, that reply just killed my time doing cardio

 

[CouchCoach]

Exercise
Weights
Leslie Sansone two mile walk
Breakfast
Oatmeal 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup coconut, 1/4 millet (cooked), So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk (the refrigerated one), Ceylon cinnamon.
Snack
three figs
Lunch
Cooked green lentils in an instapot w/ Pacific vegetable, broth smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, real salt, pepper
Green smoothie water, 1/4 avocado, coconut, real salt, greens, raspberries, strawberries, one frozen banana
Dinner
Oatmeal same as breakfast or roasted Sweet potatoes or sweet potatoes and apples and Ceylon cinnamon
Roasted Broccoli or roasted brussell sprouts or cauliflower or big green salad (romaine, cabbage, celery, onion, cilantro, bell pepper, good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, real salt, pepper)
Salmon patties or big bowl of homemade soup or turkey burgers

Now Brand Plant Enzyme w/ each meal.

Does Leslie walk back with you?

You are this thread's poster child for healthy eating and I admire you. Most likely, you will live a much longer life than I will with my decadent and self-indulgent lifestyle but I will die happier than you will live.

 

[aria]

I dropped 30 one time doing Atkins and really didn't have a problem with staying on it, then something happened. Through some life changing events, my cravings and taste changed. I do believe I became a stress eater but had to have comfort food, which had not been comfort food in the past. So, now I am back to needing to drop 30.

OH!!!!!! I also added scotch to beer and bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, rum, tequila and wine!!!!! I really love wine and would have a hard time cutting that out on Atkins.

I tell ya, Ranching, here's where my head is now and I have a very hard time selling myself off of this. I am 72, live alone so I don't have another I am trying to please and I am not searching for the next one to do that with and I am content, if not happy, with that. As I explained to my doc when he suggested I reduce my alcohol intake, give up cigars and lose about 30 lbs, I asked him "why? You want me to give up the things that bring me joy in order to get healthier and deprive myself of the few things in life that bring me joy and whatever level of emotional and mental happiness I have now? Just so I can say I did it and celebrate by returning to my self-indulgent lifestyle?" He hasn't come up with a good answer for me yet.

What I do care about is how I feel while still above ground. So, I am looking into my assault on my cuddly self and devising a plan, I find a bottle of wine helps me plan better, with Atkins, Keto and South Beach Diet in the mix. I walk everyday but am still limited by Hector, my new hip, but I bought a recumbent exercise bike and that takes the stress off the back and the hip.

I love your attitude, I feel the same way in many aspects and I’m sure the older I get the closer I’ll feel to the way you do...but I have a ways to go

I’ll say this, working out helps me mentally but it’s more of a hobby. My dream is to retire in the mountain and be able to hike and snowboard whenever I want.

If I lived in the mountains now I would probably never touch a weight again and as a result I would lose about 20-30 lbs of muscle and just be “skinny” but fit from hiking and boarding all the time. Living in DFW, there’s really nothing I enjoy doing outdoors so I end up at the gym by default.

 

[morasp]

Does Leslie walk back with you?

You are this thread's poster child for healthy eating and I admire you. Most likely, you will live a much longer life than I will with my decadent and self-indulgent lifestyle but I will die happier than you will live.

I doubt it, I'm very happy, probably an order of magnitude happier than when I used to drink and eat whatever I wanted etc. Studies have shown that coconut helps boost serotonin levels in the brain. After a life threatening DVT/PE I took a serious look at lifestyle and made health a priority.

 

[BigStar]

Cereal for dinner a couple nights a week/or chicken soup if want something hot. On lighter days I usually need to take a sleeping pill to get me down due to less calories/no meat, etc.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Cereal for dinner a couple nights a week/or chicken soup if want something hot. On lighter days I usually need to take a sleeping pill to get me down due to less calories/no meat, etc.

Sleeping pills? I'm worried about you buddy. Those things are no good to take on a regular basis.