Losing Weight and Getting into Shape

[Little Rickie]

Haven't weighed myself lately but have been putting in a lot of aerobics (2-3 hrs a week) and some weight lifting, (30 min 2x a week). It's helping my hiking and energy level. If I feel good I exercise more. Hopefully the weight loss will follow.

 

[WinterWarlock]

I'm right there with you guys - when I got back from Chile I was at just about 230...now I'm down to 215, and trying to get to 192 by October for my Hawaii vacation. Traveling is the hardest for me...last time I was on the road, I was in three days of meetings from 8AM until 8PM, and then out to dinner with everyone. It's REALLY tough to eat right, and then get up and exercise under those conditions.

 

[csprague]

I'm late to this thread, but I thought I'd share my own story. I got into hiking by way of photography, but as recently as 4 years ago I weighed in at 260lbs, on my tiny 5'5" frame(!!!).

I'd always wanted to go to Chimney Pond to photograph it, so a friend of mine and I made a reservation for October 14th, '06. This reservation was made 4 years ago tomorrow, to be precise (8/26). That's the day I started walking. I figured if I wanted to make it up there with gear, I HAD to start training, as prior to that, it seemed like I had a firm 1,000' vertical ceiling on any hikes I went on. I simply could not climb any more than that before pain/fatigue became overwhelming.

In early September of that year, to help train, I went and climbed Pleasant Mountain. It took me forever, with a ton of sweat, cramps, burning muscles, very frequent and long sit-down breaks, you name it - but I pushed on and made it. That felt good. A week later I went to Acadia with a friend and climbed Sargent Mountain. That was also hard, and gave me cramps, lots of sweat, etc, but I was starting to like the "view from the top."

I added a few more that fall (St. Sauveur in Acadia, Sentinel and South Turner in Baxter), and hiking was fast becoming my preferred means of exercise. In the end, we never did camp at Chimney Pond, as the forecast was for rain the day we would have had to hike up there, though we stayed at Roaring Brook instead and day-hiked to Chimney Pond the next day instead, a destination I made it to slowly but without incident. Between August 26th and October 14th I managed to lose 14lbs.

I had been heavyset since college, and for years, climbing up to Baxter Peak seemed an impossible goal, one that I didn't even bother striving to before, as what I had to overcome just seemed just overwhelming before I started losing weight. But after making it to Chimney, I had my eyes set on it for the next summer.

I continued hiking that fall, and started snowshoe-hiking that winter, first up Borestone, then Baldpate. The weight kept coming off. And then on a lucky day, 7/7/07, at this point weighing in at 187lbs, I climbed Katahdin for the first time

By July of 08 I'd lost 102lbs, and was hiking all the time. I haven't stopped yet: http://betelgeuse.umeqs.maine.edu/chris/hikes.htm

Alas, my weight loss now stands at somewhere around 75bs, to my shame, but I blame that on moving to a new apartment that has a ginormous kitchen, allowing my to indulge in another hobby of mine, serious cooking. But I'm taking steps to make that hobby more healthy, and I'm again losing weight, very slowly this time, but that's probably a good thing. I'm down 17lbs since February.

Chris

PS if anyone is interested, here is a before/after picture of me at my two extremes. The one on the right is a bit weird, but I'll give kudos to anyone who can identify the object I'm swinging

 

[alistair]

Thanks for reviving the thread, Adam. I've had a few tough outings this year, where I had some real energy/endurance issues and it finally just pissed me off! I've lost about 8 pounds in the last month, going from 260 to 252. Mainly portion-control, and resisting the temptation to snack on sweets. (Snickers bad!!!!)

Something that seems to be working for me is not eating in front of the boob tube (eating unconsciously). We actually sit at the table and talk...I know, kinda scary. But this helps with eating slower, allowing my brain to tell me that my stomach is full. Got a long way to go. Would like to get down to Alistair's starting weight of 225 for now. Haven't seen the sunny side of 230 since I was about 30 years old.

I usually run before I eat supper, and I've found that I'm seldom very interested in over eating. As I said I don't think I was eating enough food to lose weight.

 

[Little Rickie]

I'll give kudos to anyone who can identify the object I'm swinging

[[/img]

I should take some before pictures.

Looks like your holding a thing for mashing grains for home brew or crushing grapes? Maybe stirring the fermentation tank?

 

[csprague]

Looks like your holding a thing for mashing grains for home brew or crushing grapes? Maybe stirring the fermentation tank?

Very good. That is indeed a mash paddle. I suppose my consumption of beer (and now that I've been outed as a homebrewer, it goes without saying that said beer isn't light beer) doesn't help with my weight maintenance, either...

However, I have yet to drink beer *during* a hike. Now if I could only resist the temptation to apres-hike at places like Moat Mt, Ebenezer's, Bray's, Sunday River Brewing Co, etc...

 

[Umsaskis]

Ah, even hikers have this issue! Never had it until I had kids. Now I'm struggling with that extra 15 pounds and not being able to exercise much because to go out and walk with the girls means we go 1 mile every 2 hours and I don't get any exercise out of it! So I bought a mini-stepper and I have to practically run on the silly thing to get any workout from it, but I add pushups and crunches and overall it helps, I guess. At least it gets me into enough shape that it isn't painful to climb hills, but I can't do it as fast or with that effortless feeling I had before the kids. And it sure is boring to do a mini-stepper in the house, but what else can I do with a 1 and 3-year-old? Motivation to keep at it is in picturing myself skipping along effortlessly above treeline, and that is usually enough. And, on occasion, I sometimes actually get out of the house to climb above treeline....

 

[dentonfabrics]

Very good. That is indeed a mash paddle. I suppose my consumption of beer (and now that I've been outed as a homebrewer, it goes without saying that said beer isn't light beer) doesn't help with my weight maintenance, either...

However, I have yet to drink beer *during* a hike. Now if I could only resist the temptation to apres-hike at places like Moat Mt, Ebenezer's, Bray's, Sunday River Brewing Co, etc...

No matter how much beer I drink, I can't seem to lose a pound.

 

[Little Rickie]

So I bought a mini-stepper and I have to practically run on the silly thing to get any workout from it, And it sure is boring to do a mini-stepper in the house, but what else can I do with a 1 and 3-year-old? Motivation to keep at it is in picturing myself skipping along effortlessly above treeline, and that is usually enough.

Do you have any stairs in your house. I have two flights, 24 steps up and 24 steps down. Yup, boring as hell, but I got no excuse not to get an hours worth of exercise in, I turn up the radios on both floors. The stepping down is an important strength builder.

I too imagine myself grinding up and down a mountain trail.

 

[Sadie]

I agree the stairs inside is boring but great exercise to do during napping and the like. I used to do that when I couldn't get out of the house because of teh kids as well (kids now 4 and 2 so still young!) I'm fortunate enough now to be able to get out to the gym a few times a week, but it is definitely killer going after working all day + after putting the kids to bed (husband stays at home with the kids of course!).

After the 2nd child, it was impossible getting exercise, besides the silly feeling (but effective) home stair exercise. After being at it for ~5 months, I was able to finally drop the baby weight and then some. I'm now back to college age weight after dropping 30 lbs since Christmas & in best physical shape since college too. When I do on rare occasion get a chance to hike, it has been so great being in good shape again and not huffing and puffing as I have in recent years! Weight training was also key I think to helping with weight loss and helping get into good shape and build up strenth that is helpful for hiking (my knees don't get wobbly after long hikes anymore!). Of course weight training is much easier if there is access to a gym. Climbing stairs in the house during nap time is a great way for someone trapped in the house with little ones for sure, but I have been so happy that I have been able to work out a schedule to get out to the gym post kids bedtime even though it is totally exhausting.

 

[mirabela]

Hey, great thread. Good work, everybody.

Since early 2006 I've gradually shrunk from about 230 to this morning's 187. I credit hiking and running. Running helps my hiking, and hiking helps my running. Both of them make me fitter. My resting pulse is in the low 50's now. I'm glad.

 

[J.Dub]

I turn up the radios on both floors.

Same station, I hope...

 

[WinterWarlock]

Same station, I hope...

If not, maybe that's his motivation to keep moving from one floor to the other, and not get stuck in the middle listening to both.

 

[PA Ridgerunner]

If not, maybe that's his motivation to keep moving from one floor to the other, and not get stuck in the middle...

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am.....

Thread drift...name that band.

 

[WinterWarlock]

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am.....

Thread drift...name that band.

Stuck in the middle with you.

Stealers Wheel dude....you're showing your age

 

[Rik]

Stuck in the middle with you.

Stealers Wheel dude....you're showing your age

So are you.

 

[WinterWarlock]

So are you.

Shhh! You weren't supposed to notice that.

 

[Daubie]

I agree the stairs inside is boring but great exercise to do during napping and the like.

Sadie, I think you have something here. Trying to exercise in the house is a battle against boredom as much as the waist line, but the concept of exercising on the stairs while sleeping? --- brilliant!

I'm currently down to 235 from 265 and enjoying the extra energy and speed on the mountains, basically using Giggy's technique (thought I had come up with it first-oh well) of:

1) stop eating crap food and eat less food
2) find time to move around....

Agree that this is a great thread. Lot's of good input from people that have fought this battle successfully or that still are!

Jeff

 

[Sadie]

Sadie, I think you have something here. Trying to exercise in the house is a battle against boredom as much as the waist line, but the concept of exercising on the stairs while sleeping? --- brilliant!

Ha Ha! Wish I could really pull that off. OK, brain doesn't quite work as it used to! I meant while the kids are napping

 

[Craig]

Good News

(CNN) -- Twinkies. Nutty bars. Powdered donuts.

For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too.

His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most -- not the nutritional value of the food.

The premise held up: On his "convenience store diet," he shed 27 pounds in two months.

CNN Article

A dozen Krispy Kreme donuts in your backpack wouldn't be too heavy. I wonder if they'd freeze in winter?