The SDMB Weight Loss Club!

[Velma]

I am going to try the interval training tonight. Hopefully it will give me a little jump start again (I think I lost a few pounds, then slowed down).

[lauramarlane]

I went to pilates last night and it was great–the instructor is a real killer (but in that good way ). I’ve been reading through this thread and found that I’ve started thinking about WHEN I lose the weight, not IF I do. That is a big change for me–I just hope I can keep it up!

Good luck, everyone!

[Atrael]

I’ll chime in, although I’m getting close to my goal now. When I started about a year ago, I was 6’2 at 240lbs. Way into the “obese” category on the wheel of fat that my nutritionist showed me. As many dopers have said, the biggest change I made was cutting out the crap. No more bag of chips and container of dip in the evening. No Doritos. Stuff like that. Instead, since my snacking was so habitual for me, I tried to have snacks that weren’t nearly so bad for me. Like pretzels, or baked tortia chips and salsa, or Wow! Doritos. I started eating something for breakfast ( a meal I usually skipped during the week). So now I eat one package of instant oatmeal. For lunch I switched to Lean Cuisine meals, instead of Wendy’s or McD’s. I was so hungry at first, that I had to get the hearty portions meals, but after 2 weeks, I was able to go down to normal portions. Also, she said to use the ratio of no more than 3 grams of fat per 100 calories. One thing I did differ from my what my nutritionist recommended was portion during some meals. I was a big guy, no way that 3 oz. of meat at dinner was going to satisfy me, at least not then. Now it’s not so bad, but it would have killed me at first. We hardly ever eat fast food anymore, simply because it’s almost impossible to find anything that’s not terrible for you. And I looked at these changes as permanent. Not just a “diet”. I will never be allowed to eat ruffles with french onion dip again…shrug…oh well. It was tough at first, but I lost 30lbs in 4 months. For those of you cutting your calories down to 1600 or 1000, please be careful, as that is a pretty low level, and may cause health problems.

Along with that, I started running. Although I had to start with a run/walk program, that gradually progressed to being able to run 6 miles a day now. While running isn’t a solution to everyone, it is a great way to burn calories, and improve your fitness.

I agree heartily with the poster that stated that your body learns to recognize your workouts, and then adjust to them. That’s why once you have an established “base” of conditioning, doing some sort of workout routine is a good idea even for casual runners. I’ll copy the text of the routine that I used, from a poster over at the runner’s world forums. I’d link right to the thread, but their board is down right now. As for interval training, you shouldn’t do that more than once a week. What interval does is increase your max VO2, allowing not only your heart to pump more oxygenated blood, but also train your leg muscles to use that blood more efficiently. Note that repetition training helps increase your stride pace, and helps to reduce your times. It’s similar, but slightly different. It requires less time, at a greater speed. so you become used to that faster speed gradually.

I know I hit a small block, where I just couldn’t lose anymore through my diet. I felt that taking anything else away would just cause me to blow it entirely. So I upped my weekly mileage, and included some workouts. I’m now at 197, with about 10-12 lbs. to go. Also for those of us that are close, remember that the closer you get to your ‘ideal’ weight, the harder and slower it will be to lose it. Don’t give up, and keep plugging.

Workout that I currently run:

The problem with what you want to do is that you would like to maintain the same intensity training over time to see how fast you can get. For this, all you really need to do is simply run faster every time. The problem is that your body will get used to it and eventually you would reach a plateau where you will not be able to get faster. In other words, you will see some improvement until your body says no more, at which time you may hit the wall.

What you want to do, IMHO and to avoid injury, is to train in cycles (periodization), at the end of which you can peak. You break these cycles into phases each of which puts emphasis on the different systems in your body. That way you will allow your body to rest, as well as introduce different shocks to it so as to keep it constantly adapting. You can’t just do speed work all the time and expect your body to adjust without injury. That has been my personal experience.

I use a mixture of training philosophies from different coaches such as Jack Daniel’s. But I adapt them for my own with the help of a heart rate monitor. I do the four phases as described by Daniel: Foundation / Injury Prevention (FI), Early Quality (EQ), Transition Quality (TQ), and Final Quality (FQ). This all really breaks down to the following primary workouts for the given phases: Base/Long, Reps, Intervals, and Tempo. Then you can mix in secondary emphasis exercises depending on which type of races you are interested in running. In your case you want to improve your 5 km and 10 km races. Then you can mix in exercises such as Tempo or more Interval runs throughout the many phases except for the first phase, which helps build a base. Since you already have a base you can probably start from Phase II, which puts primary emphasis in Reps, and then move onto the longer Intervals as part of Phase III. Use these as your primary exercises and throw in Tempo and Long runs in the mix. Use Easy runs as Active Recovery.

In the context I am describing the following apply:

Repetitions are used to exercise your Anaerobic system. You do this by performing runs that follow the pattern: 0:45 x 6 with 3:00 recovery (or 1:4 or similar, unless you are more fit in which case you can change the ratios and number of repetitions). The goal here is to run fairly fast (around your 3 km to mile race pace) while controlling your running form. It is not an all out sprint. You use long recoveries to ensure you fully recover (this part is important; you need to fully recover to be able to run at the same intensity).

Intervals are slower than Reps (5 km to 10 km race pace), but faster than your Tempo pace. They are longer with equal or smaller recovery periods. The goal here is to stress your body’s ability to use oxygen (VO2max), unlike Reps which emphasize on running anaerobically (without oxygen). For example, I currently do 3:00 x 6 with 1:00 recovery. You can increase the number of intervals as you see fit.

Tempo pace equates to steady, medium hard runs where you run close to your lactate threashold. This threashold is normally around 88% of VO2max, which is about 85-90% of your maximum heart rate. The recommended minimum is about 20 minutes. You can also perform these as intervals of say 15 minutes each with 1 minute rest. That way you can get 30 minutes of quality threashold runs in one session. When I first started I had a very hard time keeping up. Now, I can more comfortably hold a Tempo pace for much longer than 20 minutes.

You can definitely start easy, then move to tempo for 20 minutes, and finish easy. It is a good way to start. Later, when you can do it for longer, you can run the whole session at tempo pace.
Now, since you can run every day except Friday, I would consider the following exercise pattern where Day 1 starts on Sunday in my example:

Phase II

Day 1: Long run with Strides in middle or end of run. Make it no more than 25% of your overall weekly mileage or double the distance of your longest run in the week.
Day 2: Easy run or rest. A reasonable active recovery run is 3-5 miles.
Day 3: Repetitions. Do 10 to 15 minutes easy pace to warm up. Then do 0:45 x 6 with 3 minutes active recovery (jog @ easy pace). After you do these for the first time you will be able to determine how many reps you can do and if you need less time to fully recover. At the end of the session do 10 to 15 minutes ease pace to cool down.
Day 4: Easy run or Rest.
Day 5: Tempo. These are normally medium long runs for me. I do these for 5 miles approximately. Your mileage will vary. You can also do these as intervals of 20 minute duration with 1-2 minutes recovery. The idea here is to maintain the same pace throughout the run to teach your body to deal with lactate buildup.
Day 6: Rest.
Day 7: Easy run or Rest. You can also start throwing in some races if you feel up to it.

Phase III

Day 1: Long or Race.
Day 2: Easy run or rest.
Day 3: Intervals. Do 10 to 15 minutes easy pace to warm up. Then do 3:00 - 5:00 x 4 with 1 minute active recovery (jog @ easy pace). After you do these for the first time you will be able to determine how many reps you can do and if you need less time to recover. Unlike reps, for intervals you don’t want to fully recover. Every interval will be harder. You don’t want to run longer than 5:00 per interval. If you find that you can do the 5:00 run easily then increase the number of times you do it. As you get fitter you will notice that you can run easier and longer at this pace. At the end of the session do 10 to 15 minutes ease pace to cool down.
Day 4: Easy run or rest.
Day 5: Tempo.
Day 6: Rest.
Day 7: Easy run, Restor Race.

Phase IV

During this phase you want to start lowering your weekly mileage and remove the harder runs. You want to let your body recover to allow it to peak. At the end of this phase you should be able to run faster than before. You will feel strong and hopefully injury-free.

Day 1: Long or Race.
Day 2: Easy run or rest.
Day 3: Tempo. At this point you can add maybe a mile or two.
Day 4: Easy run or rest.
Day 5: Tempo.
Day 6: Rest.
Day 7: Easy run, Restor Race.

Note that the length of each phase will be dependent on how much time you have in your hands. I would recommend a three or four week-per-phase cycle to start with since you don’t have a set time you want to peak. I would also consider adding Phase I, where all you do is Easy runs at the beginning and introduce some Long runs at the end, to allow your body to recover before the harder runs to come. Also note that Phase IV is used to taper and therefore should be of less quantity while maintaining some of the quality with Tempo runs.

If anyone has any questions about running, while I’m not an expert, I’ll be more than happy to share what I’ve learned.

[Kaio]

*Originally posted by //\etalhea|) *
**Of course, it appears that I’m going to lose more weight thru stupidity anyway. I weighed in at 226 yesterday, Then I realized that I had weighed fully dressed with my boots on. Naked, I weigh 22.5 lbs.

Then I went to sleep. Slept over 8 hours, which is highly irregular for me, I usually get 5.

When I woke up, I weighed 218.5. I lost four pounds while I was asleep. How is that possible? I took no pills or chemicals of any kind, not that I believe any of those claims are real.

After a day at work and two meals, I now weigh 219.5. Go figure. **

You typically will weigh less in the morning, simply because you’ve been “fasting” while asleep – you have less water weight in you, and no food in your stomach. By evening you can easily accumulate 5+ pounds of food and water. That’s why I typically weigh myself in the mornings, after good sleep (which for me means on the weekend) – I weigh less than I would at other times, and I think it’s a more accurate measure, and it encourages me more. If I can see myself weighing 160 instead of 165, I’m gonna do it.

I also wouldn’t recommend weighing more than once a week. Your weight will fluctuate over the course of seven days and won’t accurately reflect how much you’ve really lost (plus seeing that you’ve “gained” a pound is incredibly frustrating). I try to weigh on the same day and approximate time every week to account for that.

[lorinada]

*Originally posted by norinew *
** No simple carbs (white flour, refined sugar, white potatoes, white rice, dried fruit or fruit juices **

Hmmm, I think you are a little misinformed. At first I thought you were getting “simple” confused with “refined”, but then you threw in potatoes.

Simple carbohydrates are what we commonly call sugars. They are called simple because they consist of no more than two sugar units bonded together. The strength of these bonds determines how fast they are converted to glucose during digestion. Sucrose is simply two glucoses bonded together so it turns to glucose almost immediately. Fructose, on the other hand, has a very strong bond and takes longer to convert than many complex carbs. Sugars would include table sugar, the sugars in fruits, some of the carbohydrates in vegetables (carrots and corn, particularly), and the carbs in milk. Whether or not they are refined they are still sugars.

Complex carbs are generally called starches and are called complex becuase they are comprised of many chains of sugar units. They are found in rice, wheat, beans, vegetables, potatoes, oats, and some fruits. They are complex whether or not they are refined. It takes a while to break all the bonds down into glucose, so it generally (but not always as in the case of fructose) converts to glucose over a longer period of time.

The third type of starches are the celluloses and gums. These are generally called fiber.

The difference between refined starches and whole or unprocessed or unrefined starches is that some or all of the fiber has been removed from them.

Hope that clears it up.

[norinew]

Intitially posted by lorinada
Hmmm, I think you are a little misinformed.

Not so much misinformed as oversimplifying my weight loss plan, I guess. What I really avoid doesn’t deal so much with simple vs complex carbs as what carbs make me crave sugar. White potatoes will trigger cravings for sugar, while sweet potatoes don’t. (Mashed sweet potatoes, made with milk, butter and cinnamon are wonderful, BTW). But thanks for trying to show me the “straight path”

[MeanJoe]

Just a little update and bump for the thread:

Started Diet 2/17/2003
Starting Weight: 214lbs
Starting BMI: 31.6
Today’s Weight: 191lbs
Today’s BMI: 25.6
Total Loss: 23lbs
Target Weight: 175lbs
Remaining: 16lbs

1 pound to go until I hit my next milestone (10 pound increments) and I’m really excited!

MeanJoe

[Velma]

Wow. 1/2 hour of interval training last night (1:4) kicked my ass. It did make the time go by quick, though! Along with Atrael’s plan I think I will try to do an interval workout 2x a week, and a longer, good steady pace workout 2x a week, with stretching and pilates mixed in for strength. I am starting to see improvement in strength and flexibility too (hello, arm muscles! Where did you come from?). I am to the point where I am starting to see results and it is fun.

Way to go, MeanJoe!

[Quasimodem]

Quasi checking in. Just wanted to say I dropped another pound of fat since I last posted, and am now at 218.

If anyone who rides his/her bike on The Silver Comet Trail in Dallas Georgia sees a greasy spot on the pavement, that will be from me: go around it, okay?

So far this week, I have accumulated 67 miles cycling and have kept my calorie count at or below 2K. I hope to average 100 miles a week on the bike and /or trainer and I hope this will put me into a calorie deficit and help me to lose a bit faster.

So you workout/cyclist gurus: Am I dreaming? :D:

Congratulations to all of us for choosing to be healthier and leaving those little fat puddles all over the place!

Don’t know where everyone lives, but here’s an invitation to ride with me , and an invite to stay at Casa Quasi with dinner on me as well!

Ya buncha losers!

Q

[zev_steinhardt]

Another pound and a half gone. Now under 170 (actual weight: 168.6). Only 10.6 more pounds to my goal weight.

Zev Steinhardt

[Quasimodem]

BTW: For any serious cyclists that like to track your miles and speed, there is a great free site called www.bikeprolog.com where you can do just that.

Of course you can do the same thing with a spreadsheet program, but this is just so much easier, and it isn’t just for cyclists either. It accepts any exercise activity, and tracks your calories for you as well.

Anyway, I’m in there with 184 cycling miles on the year, and I’m ranked somewhere around the mid 300’s out of something like 500 plus members. We do seasonal challenges and track our progress. It’s a lot of fun for a 53 year old guy whose only sport he was ever good at was fencing. (Also good exercise, and not just for the body!)

Q

[Quasimodem]

*Originally posted by zev_steinhardt *
**Another pound and a half gone. Now under 170 (actual weight: 168.6). Only 10.6 more pounds to my goal weight.

Zev Steinhardt **

Way to go, Zev! Stay with us after you get to goal, okay? We’ll need you for inspiration purposes!

Zev also has one of the coolest names on SDMB, IMHO!

Q

[Deadly_Nightlight]

Guess I can check in- I have lost about 100, 377 to 260 thereabouts, my goal is 145(orless)
I have to low carb because of somemedical stuff so I am glad there are other low carbers here

[Quasimodem]

I know Mean Joe doesn’t recommend interval training on bikes (also known as spinning), but I bought the Spinervals DVD so that on the days when I can’t ride outdoors , I can mount the bike on the trainer and ride inside.

I would like to hear from any Spinners and would like to know your routines. (If you’re a part of the group, or just lurking).

Thanks

Q

[Dante]

Late comer here, but I’ll jump in.

On January 4th, Mrs. Dante and I joined Weight Watchers. I weighed in that day at 207 lbs. Last week, I weighed in at 181.4. So I got my 25 lbs. magnet!!! Yay for me.

I have about another 25 lbs. or so to go. I’m aiming for somewhere between 155 and 160. I may increase that though if I like the way I look at 165. I just want to get rid of my manboobies!!!:eek:

[DaToad]

Just weighed in. Down from 278 to 271, since Tuesday AM.

[Quasimodem]

Woohoo! Da Toad!

(Quasi feels like a cheerleader, or Wal-Mart greeter. Or something. :D)

Y’all know we’re gonna be accused of padding our post-count, dontcha?

Q

[norinew]

Quasi, can I put on a cheerleader skirt and join you? (Although I still have about 90 or so pounds to go before I’d look halfway decent in a cheerleader skirt:)). Because we all rock!

And we’re not trying to pad our post counts! We’re trying to un-pad other things!

[Quasimodem]

*Originally posted by norinew *
**Quasi, can I put on a cheerleader skirt and join you? **

Well, yeah, I guess. As long as I don’t have to do any splits, and I guess me and you better not try to form any pyramids for a while, okay? We woudn’t wanna hurt them skinny folks underneath us, right? :D:D:D

Good luck, norinew!

Q

[MeanJoe]

Quasi said:

I know Mean Joe doesn’t recommend interval training on bikes (also known as spinning), but I bought the Spinervals DVD so that on the days when I can’t ride outdoors , I can mount the bike on the trainer and ride inside.

Um… I never said that. Perhaps you have me confused with someone else? I’m a big fan of intervals, since I can’t run straight for 3 miles (or 1 mile even) I do a pseudo-interval workout on the treadmill at the gym. I alternate between brisk walk for 1/4 mile and moderate/fast run for 1/2 mile for a total of 3 miles. I have watched the spinning classes at the gym and once I find one that matches with my schedule I am going to drop in and give it a… spin!