Biggest Losers of BOS

[Brady]

Okay, I am putting out a challenge to me and my fellow ballers. This is a great time of year to set goals and to work on getting in better shape for skiing this next season. It is also for me like going to AA....in that it is a place where I feel absolute acceptance and can bare my soul without the fear of having most of you come to Utah and mock me to my face for doing so!

 

I am a fat sloppy 267 right now! I have talked about losing the weight, but now I am going to take it to a new extreme. Therefore, I commit to get to 225 by April 30 of this year. Imagine that, a svelt 6 foot 7, 225 pound skiing machine!!! I will even be posting pictures as I go and occaissional weight check ins! Please mock me all you want, I will accept all manner of ridicule, because quite frankly, it is attrocious that after being in such great shape in college, I let myself turn into a sloppy mess!

 

So, my challenge to each of you that need it, to post what you are now, and what you plan on being, and then let's make this happen together!! Maybe we could even have a reward for who is truly the "biggest loser" on this site!!

[A_B]

I'm around 260 +/- 225 would be huge improvement. Should probably be 190 at 6'1".

At 54, I am having trouble losing and keeping it off. Need to lose for the health of it, not just skiing.

[Brady]

Let's do it together my friend!!!!! This site has now become a support system for both our weight issues, and @Horton's hair issues.

[Skoot1123]

@brady - I will be checking on you in ~ a month and will be reporting back to all the Ballers!!!

[Waternut]

Go for it man! Set a routine you can live with. Too much too fast will burn you out and you'll decide it's not worth it. 30-60 minutes a day for 4+ days a week is pretty reasonable for most people. Give yourself at least one day a week to recover and a couple meals each week where you can eat foods you want. A workout buddy is best but if you can't get one, at least decide on a time of day when you'll workout. The more you get into a routine, the harder it is to blow off. When you start feeling like you have an option, things will go downhill fast.

 

Everyone knows diet and exercise is the best but we're all built a little different and the best diet and best exercises for your own success will be dependent on you. For example, I'm an avid mountain biker in the winter but that has very little effect on my weight but my stamina is better for it. I've tried walking to different buildings instead of driving for work which is probably 30 minutes of walking about 3-4 days a week and that has no effect on me at all. I still bike because it's fun and I walk because I'd rather be outside when possible. When I want to lose weight or tone muscles, I've found that very high intensity workouts for 20-40 minutes are best for me. Meanwhile I have friends who have done similar workouts and had very little results and the low intensity workouts for longer time periods work best for them. Your body type, commitment level, and stamina will all play into what's best for you.

[mwetskier]

@Brady - @AB -i had very good success with this: http://carbnite.com/ shook off 25lbs in about 3 months and never felt better. ive been somewhat complacent lately but still stayed within 8lbs of my target weight plus learned several new recipes the wife likes to. oh yeah switching to lo cal beer didnt hurt anything either except for my taste buds.

[Garn]

Hey @Brady! I'm with you. I have a goal to get from 184 to 175. I swear by weightwatchers. I went from 193 to 180 on it last year. I've gone up a bit. I want to get to 175. I'd be a lean, mean. skiing, lovin, machine!

[xrated]

Seesh ya lards!

 

5'8" and around 130-135ish here. Goal is to work on grip strength and get my flexibility back this winter.

[Brady]

@xrated. I can understand why you need to work on your grip......you ain't holding up anything to begin with. That is like me bench pressing 10 pounds!!!! Eat some food!!!! :) But yes, I am a lard. I would love to look down and see what kind of shoes I am wearing!!!!!

[Skoot1123]

Don't know that I'm looking to loose a lot of weight - maybe 5 or so lbs - but then again, if I can start working out again I may end up gaining some weight. P90X3 starts soon-ish.

[JackQ]

I have nothing left to lose. Two years ago I was skiing at 210-214 (6'2"), eating better and biking 3,000/year I finished the ski year at 169. Skiing is not near as stressful on my back (one operation 15 years ago) and joints, skiing better also. The key is to consume more than you eat, even if it is only 100 calories day, over time if you are consistent you will win the war. If you try lose quickly you will most likely fail.

[Nick Sullivan]

I agree with JackQ, nothing beats burning more calories than you take in. Hard work pays off. I skied today and now I'm going to get some cardio in.

[Wish]

@Sully and @JohnCox are the poster boys for how it can be done! Very inspirational guys.

[OTF]

@xrated my spray weighs more than you

[SkiJay]

Great commitment @Brady! Nothing else you can do right now will help your skiing more than hopping up your power to weight ratio.

[xrated]

Hey I'm a small guy now but you should have seen me when I weighed 115.

[bojans]

I had the same goal last year, started at ~270 and now sit at 230, still have another 30 to go. Losing the weight was not as hard as I thought it would be, the first few weeks are tough but once you get in a routine you start feeling much better which makes it all the easier. Good luck

[mwetskier]

@xrated -i'm trying to get down to my original weight. 8lbs 11oz

[lpskier]

I had three different surgeries after water ski season (nothing too serious, just getting tuned up) so was was pretty inactive until about 10 days ago. Starting the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I did the Arbonne Detox Boot Camp with my wife. My wife lost 10 pounds, and I lost two inches on my waist. I'm at 190 right now and want to start the season at 180. I'll do a second Detox in March, and between now and April 1, will lift three days a week, bike (on a stand) three days a week, and snow ski two days for a couple hours. By April 1, I should be ready to go.

 

If you want to try the Detox program, which is really pretty darn good, contact my wife at www.aimeeandcompany.myarbonne.com

 

[Nick Sullivan]

I applaud anyone who goes out and gets into shape by doing the hard work required to make it a sustainable practice. This is my challenge now, I have to continue to work hard and watch what I eat. This is a life long choice that I make every day.

 

Stick with it @Brady!

[A_B]

And do it sooner than later! After 50, it has been extremely hard to change my habits and routine, and there is no help from the biological side of things.

[JohnCox]

You can do this, @Brady. Skiing was the one thing that finally got e to start something and stick with it. I'm about 5'9", and peaked in 2008 at over 250. I got down to 162 at one point, but that was just too skinny, and I had no strength. Hovering at about 185 now, and a little leaner than I was at 162. I'm going to see what 170 with my current muscle content does by the time skiing starts back up....

 

[Razorskier1]

Weight matters a lot. About 6 years back I was 200 most of the season. Got sick in August and lost 20lbs. When I started skiing again late in the month I couldn't believe how much easier everything was, from pulling out of the water to generating speed. I don't think 180 is in my future. However, I have been 190 all season.

[skibumm]

Brady great goal and stick with it I expect to see a lean mean fighting machine this summer. I have never battled weight but am noticing that as I push 50 (less than a year) I am having a harder time staying in shape. Three years ago I was down to 172lbs and I am 6'1" right now in the mid 180s and I certainly feel the difference in my training. I hope to be lose 10 lbs by the frist week in May when I am doing the Saint George Ironman again. So far lots of hours in the gym and 2 lbs gained not the direction I was hoping for. A little diet change and I should be good as I have not been tracking my caloric intake up until now and notice that i need more of a caloric deficit to lose wieght. If you need anything reach out.

[jayski]

MyFitnessPal is a great app for tracking ones diet

[Garn]

So @Brady, hows the Winter and how are you doing towards your goal? We are on the downhill slide to Spring now!

[ricar116]

Keep it up Brady I am 6'5" 49 and strarted the year at 247 down to 238 going sub 225. Going low carb and tracking on Weight Watcher. After the initial carb withdrawels low carbs work very well for me. Goal is mid March.

[Glock]

I am officially joining the BOS Biggest Loser Challenge. I am 35, 6'3" and weighing in at a beefy 217lbs. I saw this thread in January and haven't been ready to commit to a program. I am ready for a life change now. I really want to improve my skiing this year and hopefully progress from rarely skiing through 28 to knocking down 32 regularly. I am actually going to post pictures of myself to start and every couple of weeks to keep me honest. I need you guys to hold me accountable, since my wife is pregnant and temps me with cookies and ice cream several times a week. My plan is to really watch my food intake and do the new T25 program followed by P90X. Should be lean and mean and ready to knock down some buoys by June.

[Brady]

It's go time @Glock!! @Garn, I am down 20 lbs and am getting excited for April!! If all goes well, I will be down to 225 and ready to rock it!!!! My diet sucks, but guess what sucks more? Getting my fat arse in my wetsuit and looking in the damn mirror every day looking like I am a hairy pregnant man!!!!! That is all the motivation I need!!!! I have to go now to eat my Protein!!!!! Goodbye transfat and carbs....hello svelt, mean and lean skiing machine!!!

[Dusty]

What works for me will not work for everyone, but while cardio has its rewards- weight loss hasn't been one of them- (3.5 hours of treadmill = maybe a pound?) Circuit work w/ low to med. weight and high reps with the large muscle groups like legs, chest, back, and shoulders has worked. Crossfit and kettlebell routines burn a bunch of calories and adds muscle which burns more. Doesn't add bulk- which makes me heavier. Makes me hungry but if I eat the same or a little less, the weight falls away.

[Fatroll]

I would love to get to 190 by the may/june, but that is probably a touch optimistic. But, if I am skiing at 190, I may get to see that purple loop.

For me, I hope most of the weight loss work is done. I used to be 312 pounds and have battled the weight yoyo over that last decade. I am now around 205 at 6’ tall. I am in the best shape in my life and ready to take the next step in my skiing. The changes I am making now are training and eating like an athlete. Depending on the time of year, I use weights, p90x, a core/trx workout, running, spinning (became an instructor), swimming, slideboard (simulates skating while I watch TV and I can store it behind the couch), etc as ways to improve my fitness. I use these to improve performance on the water in the summer and one the ice (Beer league hockey). It is good to have these sports to keep me motivated.

As for diet, I will use the p90x app to chart my calories. I have a Ninja blender that has served me well in making smoothies with greek yogurt, fruit, kale, protein powder, almond butter, etc. This help curb appetite and lessens garbage eating.

For some, you may find that you need to buck the trend of eating breakfast. While the conventional wisdom is that you need to eat breakfast to kickstart your metabolism. The conventional wisdom in the 90s used to be if you eat non/low fat you will lose weight, and obesity levels went up. I try to not eat the first 5 hour I am awake each day. The theory on this is that you have a cortisol release first thing in the morning. Any excess energy that is consumed in this period is stored as abdominal fat. While this may not be the case for everyone, it is definitely the way my body works. No food before 10-12 am for me and the weight flies off.

In the end, training is great, but diet is everything... which sucks, because I love beer.

 

[ricar116]

training is great, but diet is everything

Sad, but true. There are not enough hours in the day for working people to exercise off a poor diet

[The_MS]

95% diet and 5% training.

[6balls]

Limited carbs and skew toward protein key for me. Not over the top about it, but careful. Let it slip a bit lately with expected results--from 182 to 192 now dialing in once more. Tough with daughter's hockey schedule and related hotels, road food etc. Pushing hard in the gym, but not frequently enough d/t busy life right now.

[Chef23]

I am with @MS for me it is 95% about the diet. When I can keep to a Paleo type of diet I lose weight. I have been travelling a ton for work and I always have a tough time eating clean when I am doing that.

[Glock]

I agree that diet is the biggest key. It is the one thing that I can really work on since it doesn't take much extra time. I am very limited time wise right now with a very busy work schedule, MBA classes, 2.5 yr old son and a daughter on the way. If I can find 30 minutes to bust out a workout and watch the diet, I can do this.

[ral]

Getting workout time is something that we might not control. Eating, on the other side, is something that can be 100% controlled and only depends on personal will. It is even cheaper to eat little and healthy than overeating unhealthy food. It is surprising how little a 40+ year old person needs to eat to survive...

 

Saying "it is tough to keep a diet because of..." is no different than "it is tough to quit smoking, drinking, drugs, etc...".

 

Not that I can do it, either...

[andjules]

I just wanted to share an article that helped me last year. May not help everyone.

The core idea: Instead of setting task-based goals (I will go to the gym 3 times a week, I won't go to McDonald's this month), re-phrase them as identity-based, e.g. "I'm the kind of person who works out at least 3 times a week", "I'm the kind of person that eats healthy"... if you believe something about yourself, you're more likely to keep your behavior in line with that belief.

http://lifehacker.com/5973583/stick-to-your-goals-this-year-by-using-identity+based-habits

[Marco]

After being sedentary since last October due to knee and back issues, my wife and I joined a gym to try to get back in fighting shape by April. We have been going for 3 weeks now, and we manage to get there 4 days a week and spend 2 hours each day between cardio and weights. We have also been on the smoothie breakfast/salad for lunch, and fish, chicken, or elk for dinner, with no snacking. I even gave up beer. I definitely feel like I am getting toned, but haven't lost any of the 10 lbs I need to shed. Not sure what I am doing wrong, so I'll probably meet with a trainer next week for some professional advice on my training program.

 

I just read the article that @andjules posted, and it is thought provoking. Not sure how to go about changing my identity though. After 54 years, I'm pretty ingrained in being me. The old dog/new trick conundrum.

[igkya]

@ral ... keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. When I start working out, I try to work with lighter weight and do more reps to build lean muscle slowly. Nothing wrong with going heavy at first but it can be mentally tough if your primary goal is to lose weight.

[GAJ0004]

Cut out fast food, canned food(soups, spaghetti etc..), sweets, and alcohol. Do both weight training and cardio. Alcohol slows your metabolism. Fast food and canned food are loaded with sodium which makes dropping weight tough..

 

[Skoot1123]

Man that guy @brady is the leanest meanest skiing machine ever! Only 20 to go @brady!!

[Razorskier1]

@brady -- you're killing it man! Keep it up!

[malibuowner]

@Brady this is awesome.. how about a update.

Don't know how I missed this thread clear back in January.

On January 6 I started my weight loss and work out routine.

So far I am down 12 lbs. but better than that are the inches I have lost.

Over 2" on just my belly alone.

Diet is key but I feel working out is essential to become the person I want.

You can do it in just 30 minutes a night

ANYONE can find 30 minutes to work out.

[Marco]

@Brady I see you are back active on BoS again. How did you fare with your training program? Did you reach your goal of 225? This thread helped to motivate me to get in shape for this season. I dropped 22 lbs and feel better than I have in years. Skiing is so much easier! I see a new PB in my future. Thanks for the motivation!

[Wish]

Yep, great thread. Down 12lbs. Like @OB, I plan to ski at 175. All I did was cut all carbs/starches after 12 noon. Just kept dropping. Even with weekend cheats. Gonna start biking here in the next week or so and my primary diver is off for the summer so skiing gets ramped up.

[Marco]

My target was also 175, which is what I weighed when I graduated high school. 1 more pound to go. I started mid January at 198, and I weighed in at 176 this AM. 4 days a week in the gym since January (less now that I'm skiing), smoothie for breakfast, salad for lunch, and a healthy dinner 6 days per week. We cheat on Sundays as a reward.

 

I'm amazed at how much easier skiing has become with the dropped pounds. I notice the difference in my deep water starts and all the way through the course. My bucket list goal has always been to run 38 at least once in my life (never been past 4 ball), and hopefully this will be the year I'm in good enough shape to pull it off.

[Brady]

@Marco don't get me started on this one. I started, and dropped around 20 lbs and then all hell broke loose! They thought I had diabetes, my thyroid went haywire, and then it got really interesting. I feel like an old man! Needless to say, I got everything figured out and am now back on track....espeically since @scotchipman and @Garn are giving me a ton of grief! I will report back my progress and keep this thread alive. I am glad you guys are finding it beneficial!! Marco, you owe me a pass this summer! Moral of the story, don't take steroids all thru college!!!!! And, like my dear friend @AB would say, stay the F#$% away from the sweets!! uh....and......uh......BEER!

[Marco]

@Brady - Sorry to hear things went haywire on you. Glad to hear you are back on the mend. Keep working at it now that you are back in action. I'm lucky I don't have a sweet tooth but it was hard giving up the beer. I allow myself 1 per week. As for the martini's, well....

[Chef23]

@Brady I hurt my shoulder in February and got totally sidetracked. Not as big an issue as you had but I need to drop 15-20 pounds now. I am away off the ski for the next week and am going to try to focus on not stuffing my pie hole while I am gone.

 

I will also check back here and we can motivate each other.