willimon - Member

willimon

Joined March 2011

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Weight History

Start Weight

349.0 lb

Lost so far: 70.2 lb

Current Weight

278.8 lb
Performance: losing 6.0 lb a week

Goal Weight

200.0 lb

Still to go: 78.8 lb

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: Okay, I'm now a 49 year old guy, now an engineer in Richland, WA (back in Easter Washington), and after making my weight goal last decade I have, after holding my weight for a few years, gained back almost to where I started. The second start I tried to make in 2015 didn't take. I need this one to work.

The image was from when I was last at my target weight. It's here for inspiration. :)

OLD BIO (for context)

I'm a transplanted Eastern Washingtonian now living in rural Middle Tennessee, a 37 year old man who is rapidly becoming a 98 year very old man, it seems. I've mostly recovered from a severe bout of Congestive Heart Failure that had me stumbling into the ER with less than 25% heart function in October of '09, and have learned to deal with the diabetes that I've been diagnosed with since (and that probably caused the whole mess). The out of control blood sugar has likely been with me for many years undiagnosed, and now I'm saddled with Diabetic Neuropothy. My fingers, toes, legs and hips can tingle, numb up, hurt like the dickens or feel ice cold for no reason and with no warning, one at a time or all at once. I do an odd sort of step and shuffle when walking, and my left pinkie is permanently asleep. Ain't life grand?

;)

Actually, it really is. I'm learning to dig myself out of this funk, control my own body and regain control of my life. Fat Secret is really helping me with this. The Diet Calendar alone makes it worth it, but the community makes it fun. There are some great folks on here, and I enjoy reading your posts and journals.

:)

*UPDATE: All but none of the above now applies (in 2015). I dropped the weight, went back to school, and now work as an engineer in East Tennessee. However, after three years of holding stable in the 210s I've started creeping back up. I know what works, so I'm back.*

willimon's Weight History

view willimon's complete history

Following

	bridgielee
	last weighin: losing 0.8 lb a week

	RubyRedSox
	last weighin: losing 1.9 lb a week

	mikecontos
	last weighin: gaining 0.0 lb a week

	Twinieten
	last weighin: losing 0.7 lb a week

willimon's Cookbook

cals: 194kcal | fat: 11.20g | carbs: 10.89g | prot: 13.78g

Saucy & Savory Stuffed Peppers

When you're in the mood for Italian flavors but want something more than a plate of pasta, look to these easy stuffed peppers instead.

view complete cookbook

willimon's Latest Posts

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG???
Use a generally accepted BMI calculator like the one at WebMD (FatSecret's calculator is apt to have you eating yourself silly and gaining not losing) and get a better idea of what your target daily intake should be, and eat to it. Not over it, but as has been said repeatedly in this thread don't consistently come in way under it. It definitely sounds like your body's in "starvation mode", and your metabolism has thrown on the brakes. You simply cannot lose weight over time by trying to over do it. That 100 pounds WILL come off (I'm coming up on 70, myself), but it will take months, not weeks.

As far as exercise, I've found that as you lose weight your activity level just seems to naturally increase as you tire out less and stay on your feet more. Exercise is a great addition to a weight loss plan, as it strengthens your circulatory and respiratory systems, increases your muscle mass and can help boost your metabolism. However, remember that if you do incorporate real exercise into your plan, then you need to eat calories to replace those you've burned. Exercise is NOT a free ticket to go under your RDI, and those burned calories push your target HIGHER. If you aren't eating enough to replenish what you burn working out you're going to find your exercise may be more of a negative than a positive. If you're going to run your body hard, you MUST fuel it.

Also, the assertion that you have to have a structured exercise program to lose 100 pounds is not true. It is perfectly possible to lose 100 pounds by diet alone. The benefit exercise will give you is in building up the calorie burning muscle and cardio/respiro health that will help you to keep that weight off. And, if you find you simply cannot live within your RDI's calorie restriction, then exercise can help even out your overeating, but that doesn't sound like a problem you have. So exercise definitely does get a big thumbs up, but don't feel like you have to be Jillian Michaels to get your 100 pounds off. You don't. Just do what you can, when you can.

But eat all the way to that RDI! =)

posted 08 Jun 2011, 16:02

Confused

PantherIII wrote:

This question is going to sound idiotic to most, but I really have no idea Confused

I understand that when we set our RDI it takes into effect our activity level. So if my RDI was 3000 calories a day, would I subtract calories I burn through exercise from that number? Or is the formula designed to already estimate that you will be burning those calories through exercise.

As stated by K, your RDI assumes a regular, average level of activity if you used anything other than "sedentary" when setting it up. If you do, say, a lot of regular walking at work, then this wouldn't be a bad idea to add in an assumed daily baseline of activity. However, if you try to use it to automatically add in things like work outs, then you had better do exactly the same workouts pretty much all the time. If you deviate, you must know how much exercise you've done either over or under your limit and add or subtract that in (You add calories to your RDI for exercise. These aren't calories you've eaten, these are calories you've gone further into deficit. You should actually eat more to cover them and maintain your regular deficit amount.) This can get confusing.

A better way to do it may be to calculate your RDI using the "sedentary" setting (unless, as stated, you walk regularly at work or something). Then, add your exercise in every day just as you do your food. You're assured of a much more accurate result this way.

posted 12 May 2011, 20:46

Trouble uploading profile pic
I think you'll like Firefox. I'm not a particular Microsoft hater or anything, but in my experience it's far more stable than IE. My pet peeves, which are that damn springtime rotten snow/mud mix and people who don't wash their hands, definitely also include the web page I'm working on freezing up every 15 frickin' minutes. =P

Oh, btw, likes are rainy days, boat rides and small red and white canine cousins, so I guess it all works out.

posted 28 Apr 2011, 22:58

The calories out doesn't seem to make sense...

bridgielee wrote:

This was helpful but confusing.

I need input. I am trying to determine how to calculate my rdi. I have been really working out and lowered my intake-but I feel hungry and some days really weak after working out -I am having trouble staying awake and waking up in the morning and a before I increased my exercise I slept well and woke refreshed.

sometimes this all just seems more confusing than it is or that I am making it that way.. Rolling Eyes

Gnat was right, and had a very valid clarification of what I meant in my earlier post. Like her, I have my RDI set for "sedentary" and add exercise as done (read, "rarely" Wink

. I think this is more accurate than putting in a baseline assumption on your RDI. And, yes, BMR. Mah bad.

Razz

Bridgie, you say you're really working out (I take the "really" to mean an increase from previous levels) and that you LOWERED your intake. That would be a mistake n my opinion. What working out affords you is an opportunity to eat MORE. You still want to maintain that same deficit from your total caloric needs, so if your caloric needs increase, then your caloric intake needs to increase by the same amount. The bottom line thinking if you are a subscriber to the "starvation mode" theory (and as the survivor of many a yo-yo heavy-on-denial diet, I happen to be) is that eating too little is actually WORSE than going over your planned RDI. That's because consistently going beyond the deficit you've planned into your diet and that will enable you to lose weight at a slow, predictable weight will cause your body to metabolize muscle. Muscle in your body burns energy, at rest or in activity. Metabolizing it is bad news, as it reduces your caloric need and thus drives the deficit higher. To combat this, your body sloooooows that metabolism so that it doesn't actually have to eat itself to survive. Can't blame yourself for wanting no part of a Donner Party Banquet, especially since YOU'RE on the menu. Thus, seriously, don't over-deficit. You may get a faster short term loss, but say hello to gaining it all back (and that insurance policy li'l bit extra) when your body rebels.

Clearly, you know full well your energy level woes are due to starving yourself, so lemme help you: Cut it the heck out!

Very Happy

posted 26 Apr 2011, 00:16

full-fat dairy or low-fat dairy?
Not all fat reduced cheese products add in starches to retain that cheese texture. If what you are looking at is a part skim milk version of a normally whole milk cheese, it won't be any different besides having less milkfat. Also, some cheeses are always made with skimmed milk (like parmesan) and have less fat by volume than other cheeses. Where this starts to be important these days, now that the Evil Dr. Fat has been discovered to be just another category of calorie, comes when you are either watching your caloric intake, your saturated fat intake, or both. Me, I'm a calorie counter, and yet I still crave volume in my food. That means if I can find a low fat version of something that has fewer calories per ounce, I'll take it. However, I'm also diabetic, which means those high GI starch fillers they use are as verboten for me as they are for an Atkinser. More so, really, as they'd just break diet and I'd wind up advancing my diabetic neuropathy. But dairy is important in the diet, so many studies show this. So, low fat NON sugar added dairy is my answer.

posted 15 Apr 2011, 20:13

willimon has submitted 5 posts

willimon's Recent Food & Exercise

	1,000 g Green Cabbage
	8 servings Jimmy Dean All-Natural Regular Pork Sausage
	1 serving McDonald's Sausage McMuffin

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willimon's Groups

Yes... I have Diabetes
This group is for anyone who is in some way affected by Diabetes. Past, Present, or Future... You or a loved one! Come join!

Dieting Diabetics
A group for diabetics wanting to lose weight, slim down, reduce BMI or otherwise get and/or stay healthy.

Gamers: The Gathering
Jolt and Twinkies are the stereotypical staples for pen & paper, video and trading card gamers but we can do better.

30's with 50-100 lbs to Lose
30 somethings with 50-100 pounds to lose.

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