1 minute ago, TheDeuce said:

I refuse to follow #1, I just like food too much. ?

I used to feel that way too, not anymore.

How long will I have to work out to burn off this White Castle feast I'm getting ready to eat?

6 hours ago, TheDeuce said:

Thank you for sharing this, I needed it. 

In my first week, I lost 9.4 pounds. This past week I only lost 1.4, and I was immediately disappointed. After I got out of my feelings, I realized that was still over 10 pounds in two weeks and a great accomplishment. I plan to start adding in a workout routine this week so hopefully that keeps going as well. 

I took notice of that 9.4 pounds.  Obviously, that is tough to sustain.  And its not really safe according to some.  I think 2 to 3 pounders per week is very doable.  3 to 4 is aggressive but possible.  Over 4 lbs. a week over time is very hard.  Its definitely not linear.  My bet is that as you establish a routine you will see trend.  They key is keep from giving any back week to week if possible. 

I found I could lose 4-5 lbs in one day - all in water - working outside on warm/hot summer day.  It is amazing how much water in weight you can sweat out doing yard work on a Saturday morning.  Aggressive loss in one or 2 days maybe dehydration in disguise.  So keep hydrated! 

Also, sodium intake will cause variances.  It will cause water retention.   Have some hot wings for dinner and all of sudden you are 2 or 3 lbs more than the day before.  Alcohol will drive up the numbers for a day or two as well.   Those days after a visit to BW3s are hard! 

Find what works, and maybe what does not and move to something else.  It's the proverbial marathon and not the sprint.  

3 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

How long will I have to work out to burn off this White Castle feast I'm getting ready to eat?

Probably not too much... there's a reason they call'em sliders.

When it comes to exercise I never could get used to the social gym settings.  So have tried to do it at home.  I find that dumbbells (ranging up to 15 lbs), kettle bells (15 and 20 lbs) and the large and small exercise balls form a great foundation.  I also have some Nike ankle weights and a low end BowFlex.  But that's it.  There are lots of tiktoks or FB Reels that show good routine using dumbbells and kettle bells.

I found that focusing on squats was a game changer.  At some point I realized I could only do 4 total squats at a time.  So now I do squats 3 times a week in 3 rounds of 20 reps and recently moved from using 15 to 20 lbs kettle bell while doing them.  For some reason this seemed to add impact to the morning work outs. 

1 minute ago, Bluegrasscard said:

When it comes to exercise I never could get used to the social gym settings.  So have tried to do it at home.  I find that dumbbells (ranging up to 15 lbs), kettle bells (15 and 20 lbs) and the large and small exercise balls form a great foundation.  I also have some Nike ankle weights and a low end BowFlex.  But that's it.  There are lots of tiktoks or FB Reels that show good routine using dumbbells and kettle bells.

I found that focusing on squats was a game changer.  At some point I realized I could only do 4 total squats at a time.  So now I do squats 3 times a week in 3 rounds of 20 reps and recently moved from using 15 to 20 lbs kettle bell while doing them.  For some reason this seemed to add impact to the morning work outs. 

I love it!

I do a lot of the same stuff at home.  I have 10lb dumbbells and like you said there is a bunch of content online to show you what to do.  One of my favorites is medicine balls.  I have a 6, 8, 12, and 15.  You can do so much with medicine balls.  One last idea is a jump rope and a heavy rope.

18 minutes ago, theguru said:

I love it!

I do a lot of the same stuff at home.  I have 10lb dumbbells and like you said there is a bunch of content online to show you what to do.  One of my favorites is medicine balls.  I have a 6, 8, 12, and 15.  You can do so much with medicine balls.  One last idea is a jump rope and a heavy rope.

I have never done the medicine balls.  That is something to look at to add to keep things fresh. 

Here is a video showing how the exercise ball and dumbbells can be used for chest presses and flys.  This show how a bench is not needed to do some advance things.  The content creator is the daughter of neighbors. 

 

 

5 hours ago, TheDeuce said:

I refuse to follow #1, I just like food too much. ?

I learned a long time ago that no matter how much you work out, you can never outwork a poor diet. In life, if we had to pick between diet and exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle, any doctor will tell you a diet wins 100 out of 100 times. I get it, it is tough. I LOVE food and all types.

12 hours ago, Bluegrasscard said:

I took notice of that 9.4 pounds.  Obviously, that is tough to sustain.  And its not really safe according to some.  I think 2 to 3 pounders per week is very doable.  3 to 4 is aggressive but possible.  Over 4 lbs. a week over time is very hard.  Its definitely not linear.  My bet is that as you establish a routine you will see trend.  They key is keep from giving any back week to week if possible. 

I found I could lose 4-5 lbs in one day - all in water - working outside on warm/hot summer day.  It is amazing how much water in weight you can sweat out doing yard work on a Saturday morning.  Aggressive loss in one or 2 days maybe dehydration in disguise.  So keep hydrated! 

Also, sodium intake will cause variances.  It will cause water retention.   Have some hot wings for dinner and all of sudden you are 2 or 3 lbs more than the day before.  Alcohol will drive up the numbers for a day or two as well.   Those days after a visit to BW3s are hard! 

Find what works, and maybe what does not and move to something else.  It's the proverbial marathon and not the sprint.  

This is all great info, thanks!

I've been successful in the past "counting calories," basically just watching what I eat and moving a few times a week. That allows me to have the stuff I want, in moderation, and is easier to stick to. That's what I'm transitioning to now. 

10 hours ago, bugatti said:

I learned a long time ago that no matter how much you work out, you can never outwork a poor diet. In life, if we had to pick between diet and exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle, any doctor will tell you a diet wins 100 out of 100 times. I get it, it is tough. I LOVE food and all types.

Speaking specifically when we go out to eat, it's usually to Texas Roadhouse or some other steak place. I'll get a sirloin, side salad and maybe rice. I've cut WAY back on Coke, I used to pound sodas any time we went to a restaurant. 

34 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

Speaking specifically when we go out to eat, it's usually to Texas Roadhouse or some other steak place. I'll get a sirloin, side salad and maybe rice. I've cut WAY back on Coke, I used to pound sodas any time we went to a restaurant. 

My big downfall is sweets/desserts and snacking - even on "healthier" stuff - from the time I get home until dinner. My wife and I have honed in this month and aside from my recent work trip to Pittsburgh, last night was the first time I ate anything not prepared at home... it was a salad from Crisp 'n Green. Meal prepping on the weekends is an annoyance, but it is an absolute time and money-saver. Plus you know what you are eating.

2 minutes ago, bugatti said:

My big downfall is sweets/desserts and snacking - even on "healthier" stuff - from the time I get home until dinner. My wife and I have honed in this month and aside from my recent work trip to Pittsburgh, last night was the first time I ate anything not prepared at home... it was a salad from Crisp 'n Green. Meal prepping on the weekends is an annoyance, but it is an absolute time and money-saver. Plus you know what you are eating.

Luckily I don't really have a sweet tooth. When I get a sweet craving, I can usually satisfy it with a spoonful of frozen Cool Whip. 

1 minute ago, TheDeuce said:

Luckily I don't really have a sweet tooth. When I get a sweet craving, I can usually satisfy it with a spoonful of frozen Cool Whip. 

The dumb part is, when I go without it, I'm fine. It's habitual. I can do a handful of blueberries and be satisfied.

What I do for healthy-ish sweets: Dates with almond butter. Non-fat greek yogurt, blueberries, almond butter, and a touch of honey or date syrup.

2 hours ago, TheDeuce said:

Speaking specifically when we go out to eat, it's usually to Texas Roadhouse or some other steak place. I'll get a sirloin, side salad and maybe rice. I've cut WAY back on Coke, I used to pound sodas any time we went to a restaurant. 

Same here.  And I get water to drink whether I'm watching what I eat or not. 

10 hours ago, TheDeuce said:

This is all great info, thanks!

I've been successful in the past "counting calories," basically just watching what I eat and moving a few times a week. That allows me to have the stuff I want, in moderation, and is easier to stick to. That's what I'm transitioning to now. 

I think this is a great way to do it.  You are transitioning to a healthier version of yourself through discipline.  One you get "there," wherever there is in your mind, hangout there for awhile until it becomes your life.  Then, once you are stable with that transition, look to make a couple of more positive changes.  Baby steps...