The Biggest ZS Loser- The Challenge!

[Confucius]

Well, I'm a little over a week in, and I'm sitting at 198.
I forgot to keep an exercise log, but it is basically 3 miles of walking a day, some basic weightlifting and watching what I eat.

2lb down.

[Hannibal]

I'm down:

Name: Mike
Weight: 185lbs
Height: 73"
Age 34

Short term goal (90 days): Finish my P90x program. Gain strength in weak areas, such as abdominals and shoulders. Drop weight to 175-180lbs. I'm ballparking at about 12-15% bodyfat

Putting in my update since I've completed my second cycle.

Name: Mike (still )
Weight: 181lbs

Improved reps on pullups and situps, attributing that to tweaking the diet to compensate for higher activity rate.

I actually wanted to share the begining of my journey back to health and prove that it can be done.
At the end of August 2000 I recieved my honorable discharge papers. That was the start of the decline to the highest weight I had ever had. Over the next four years, my weight climbed, and my activity level dropped as my body struggled to do things I took for granted when in better health. At my highest I was 245lbs. I couldn't sleep on my back, and most nights had to sleep in a partial upright position so I would have less breathing issues. Where I had good flexability, I couldn't bend over to tie my shoes. Finally one night in May of 2004 reality caught up with me. I hurt my back trying to pick up a pair of socks. Not the "ow that didn't feel right" type pain, but the "oh #$# I'm on the floor and I can't get up" type pain. I've never felt so weak and helpless.

My method of coping with what I had long ignored isn't for everyone. I went cold turkey that night and tossed all the junk food that was in my apartment. I took a Spartan attitude towards food and exercise. First it was walks around the block. Then the neighborhood. Then jogging. Finallly running. It was every day. No fast food. No drinking my calories. Keeping my intake at 1800 +/- calories a day, and slowly upping it as I changed. I've maintained my weight for the past 4 years.

This is a lifestyle change. You are slowly cutting away the junk and replacing it with better habits. Just like your B.O.B! I still struggle with wanting to cheat, but remembering the pain of not being able to get up off that floor makes the junk not worth it.
Just remember that anyone can change if they have the proper movitavtion. Diets are not made of fancy pills and gadgets, but discipline and effort.

It can be done. Just be aware of what you are eating and why. Be aware of how you are exercising and why. The rest falls into place.

/pontificate off.

[imrcly]

I lost 3 pounds and a belt loop, but all this weekend I could not move

[velojym]

I weighed in yesterday morning at 307 even, 1 lb down from last week.

[yale]

While I haven't actually joined the Biggest ZS Loser Challenge I have been losing weight. I have lost 20 pounds since my apointment in September at the VA clinic. I weighed in at 305lbs thursday morning. My doctor told me that's over 35 pounds in one year ( was over 340 last summer) and to keep going. I have another apointment in 6 months. Goal is 290 or less for that weighin.

My doctor also had blood work done on me and I got the results in this weekend.

Cholesterol: normal 200 mg/dL
LDL: (bad cholesterol) high 134.8 mg/dL
HDL: (good cholesterol) normal 38.0 mg/dL
Triglycerides: normal 136 mg/dL
Hemoglobin: (blood count0 normal 14.4 g/dL
Liver function:
SGOT (serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase): normal 16 IU/L
SGPT (serun glutamic pyruvic transaminase): normal 22 IU/L
Alkaline Phosphatase: normal 87 IU/L
Total Bilirubin: normal 0.7 mg/dL
Creatinine (kidney function): normal 1.0 mg/dL
Potassium: normal 3.7 mEq/L
Thyroid level: (thyroid gland fuuntion) normal
TSH: 3.37
PSA: normal 0.82 ng/ml

It's important to consult your medical doctor when starting any new diet or exercise program.

[FordGuy2001]

Just weighed again on the shipping scale at work. Down to 243! Just cutting back on my intake of food is all Ive done so far.

[Famine]

Running late on my weigh in (Vacation all weekend through monday, and job interviewing/training yesterday) but I'm happy to report I'm down from 349, to 347. That's down 2 pounds for the week, meeting my goal, just by walking more, and curbing some of my late night snacks.

One of my weight problems is due to my sleep schedule/meal times. Hopefully my new work times will help curb this, and set me on a normal curve.

Cheers, keep the reports coming in guys!

Kevin

[NightHiker]

[Emberfox]

Epic fail this week. A trip to the ER for uncontrollable vomiting left me feeling sick all week. No exercise at all. Didn't eat very much all week though. Didn't even go to the gym this week, so I have not weighed myself there. The scale at the Dr's office is evil. Says I am 204lbs

[TxMedic645]

So this is my first week in reporting, and unfortunately I don’t really have much to report. I wasn’t able to get out and walk/ride my bike like I wanted to because of the constraints of having a two week old. I did however pull the total gym back out, and hope to be able to start working out more rigorously this week. In the past I've failed because I think I've tried to do a some strick workout regement. This time I'm just going to do some excerises I'm comfortable with at a pace I'm comfortable with and add new ones as I feel more at east w/ working out. I did start doing some simple push-ups/sit ups before bed time, and have started eating less with every meal. I scraped all of the popcorn off of my master bedroom ceiling last night and now my arms are sore

At weight in tonight at work, this result was bum. Nada. I’m hoping to do better next week and as punishment for my epic weight loss failure, I’m not letting myself have my 1 coke this week. ( I know it doesn’t sound like much, but trust me, it’s a BIG deal.)

Weight stayed the same @ 260

P.S. I'm still looking for any suggestions you guys might have. Like I said, I've never really worked out so this it tottally new territory for me.

[sworbeyegib]

I know I'm jumping in this kind of late, but I figured I'd post my progress so far. I've always been a big guy, but I broke my leg last year and put on a substantial amount of fat on, as well as "losing" some of the muscle I had. Since then I have eating sensibly, as well as working out here and there.

Age-22
Height- 6ft
Weight (as of 3 months ago)-375
Weight (as of earlier this week)- 344

So far I've dropped about 30 pounds, which I'm stoked about. I'm more concerned about being healthy rather than looking good.

[Festus Hagen]

Ok, 221 last weigh-in, 219 a little over a week later. Had a heck of a day yesterday including a self-river rescue from class IV rapids, and dragging a heavy inflatable kayak up the side of a river gorge (no paddle no more) (plus a 6-hour paddle before that) so I'm sure that has me a little lower today than I otherwise would have. Still I'm pleased, pretty much hanging in there on schedule. Sometimes the weight goes up a little for a while, sometimes it sticks for a week or three, nothing to be concerned about, just stay the course. The wife is starting up weight watchers, so hopefully that will help even more...

[Morphace]

Ok Time to weigh in. So 219 as of last week. Well last night I stepped on the scale and I'm sitting at 217. Which is good news for me. 2 lbs. I was hoping for more as I've increased my workout a bit more, but I'm not going to complain.

I use to wear 34 x 34's jeans I moved up to 36 x 34's and I"m now in 38 x 34's once they started to get tight I said "Na Na" and started losing the pounds. Well last night I grabbed a pair of my lose fit 36 x 34's that I had to stop wearing and I put them on, and they fit again they're no longer too snug. I was quiet pleased that my wardrobe just about doubled and on a whim I grabbed a pair of my 34 x 34's. Now these are not my old lose fitting jeans these were a pair of tighter fitting slacks. I figured I might was well try them on and was quiet pleased to find that they to fit. They are still tight, but it shows that even thou the pounds might not be coming off as quickly as I had hoped the inches are dropping and I'm getting healthy again.

[DaveJohns]

Weighed myself Sat night, and I was down 1.5 pounds (yes, the ".5" matters!! ) so a total loss of 2.5lbs. I have been walking almost every day, and doing my core strength workouts. A big setback happened last night though. I was working a show and really goofed up my achilles tendon on my left foot; every step hurts like a ________. So I doubt I will get many miles in this week. Hopefully I won't become a couch potato while this heals up...

Maybe I will just do more situps this week.

[Confucius]

Ooops, late again. 197, down another pound.

[TEC9man]

Only lost 1 pound this week. Not bad considering it's a holiday week and went to several cookouts. I wasn't able to excercise much as my lungs have been filling up with fluid. Once I do start dialysis I'll lose a bunch as I'm sure I have at least 10 pounds of excess fluid on me.

[Famine]

Weighing in down another 2 pounds this week. Smooth and steady, good going everyone!

Kevin

[FordGuy2001]

Sitting at 241 lbs. this morning on my work shipping scale. So that makes 4 lbs. lost in 2 weeks. Yay Me!!!!!!

[NightHiker]

[Emberfox]

198 - woot! down 2 lbs in three weeks. I only just got to the gym again today and I didn't go at all last week. I have been trying to eat less to make up for that.

[The Punisher]

Did I miss out on this or can you join in midway?

[TxMedic645]

-1 lb this week. I was able to start doing some simple workouts at home after the baby goes to bed. I'm finding that having a 2 week old that requires my attention every 3 hours at night is really hindering my ability to exercise. By the time 8pm rolls around and everyone is in bed, I'm so wiped out that all I want to do is sleep.

I have been trying to eat better, but it's not working well. So far I'm just eating less.

Goals for this week: RIDE MY BIKE I'm planning on riding it to and from work from now on. Continuing to eat less and better this week too. We didn't eat out once in the 2 weeks after the baby, but this week we struggled with that. Getting back to eating in is defiantly going to help my cause. The other thing I'm working towards is getting my total gym up and running again. I need a part that is on order to fix it and once that's fixed I'll be ready to rock and roll.
ready to rock and roll.

[velojym]

306.4
down .6 from the last weigh-in.

Today I was going to bring my bike into town with me, but I ditched the camper shell and haven't rigged up
a proper bike rack yet, so I'll probably take an energetic walk by the river while tossing a dumbbell back and
forth (that can be a surprisingly good workout).
I'm by myself until Wednesday, so I'll take my bike out after work tomorrow, and should still be rested enough (if we ain't too busy Sunday) to make my night cross-country flight on Sunday night.

[Famine]

Did I miss out on this or can you join in midway?

Join in!

Kevin