First drawback of losing weight.....

[Gipper]

I have lost 160 pounds and it has changed my life for the better in so many ways in the last year. Tonight I realized my first drawback(obviously one I will gladly live with), I am hitting it soooo much shorter. I am 6'4" now and weigh about 185. It's crazy how nothing feels 'normal' compared to my swings last year. I start a group of three lessons starting Monday and I know in the long run the weight loss will help my game but right now I feel like I am swinging with someone else's body.

[saevel25]

It probably changed your swing a lot. I would focus on getting a better swing. Also, when loosing the weight did you make any effort in retaining muscle mass at all?

Since your index says High for handicap, I would presume a lot of the distance loss is due to the swing.

[Gipper]

Yeah, that is the main reason of getting the group of three lessons. My 8,7,6 and 5 iron are all going the same distance. Last year I was able to "fat push" the ball around and I was able to hit it decent distance while yet still inconsistent. My muscle mass is way down and I am working on building that back up. My flexibility has improved and hopefully that will help in the long run too.

[iacas]

If you can ever find the time to make a trip up to see us in Erie, we'd be happy to help you out.

Congratulations on the weight loss! That's great!

[Gipper]

If you can ever find the time to make a trip up to see us in Erie, we'd be happy to help you out. Congratulations on the weight loss! That's great!

Erik, I have already thought about that. I was thinking about coming up towards the end of the summer or early fall. I was going to try to tie it in to our local outing but I can see how that is not the best timing so I will work on finding another time.

[Hammer 4]

Dang, 160 lbs..? You sir are to be commended. I don't drink but .. Congratz, hope your swing comes around.

[teamroper60]

I have lost 160 pounds and it has changed my life for the better in so many ways in the last year. Tonight I realized my first drawback(obviously one I will gladly live with), I am hitting it soooo much shorter. I am 6'4" now and weigh about 185. It's crazy how nothing feels 'normal' compared to my swings last year. I start a group of three lessons starting Monday and I know in the long run the weight loss will help my game but right now I feel like I am swinging with someone else's body.

You lost 160lbs and now weigh 185bs??   That's damn near half your weight!   CONGRATULATIONS!!!    That has to feel awesome!

[Gipper]

You lost 160lbs and now weigh 185bs??   That's damn near half your weight!   CONGRATULATIONS!!!    That has to feel awesome!

It is humbling and embarrassing that I was so big but I feel like a new person. I went from getting tired after riding 18 holes to feeling good after walking them.

[Vinsk]

Congrats bro! So awesome you lost that weight! Wow! cheers!!

[joekelly]

At those standards, you are pretty lean now. Like Subway honey oat, low fat ham with all the veggies and vinegar only?

Tip my Tam O'Shanter to you on a great result.

[FooFader]

Wow, congratulations on the weight loss. I'm sure you'll get your game back on track soon, I mean actually being able to walk 18 must feel awesome and I may be wrong but I would bet that the game is more enjoyable now you're fitter?

[Gipper]

Wow, congratulations on the weight loss. I'm sure you'll get your game back on track soon, I mean actually being able to walk 18 must feel awesome and I may be wrong but I would bet that the game is more enjoyable now you're fitter?

It is absolutely more enjoyable, hopefully the lessons starting on Monday will get things feeling somewhat normal again. It may sound weird but when I was bigger there was less flexibility and my swing plane was more consistent. I am sure it was the wrong plane though. Now being smaller and more flexible that consistency will take time. I do feel like breaking 100 is a goal that is realistic to me this summer because I have energy to work on my game multiple times a week.

[Parker0065]

First off big time congrats on your weight loss! You probably just added +20 years to your life man!!!!!

I've had a couple 50 lbs weight swings in my adulthood. When I went back to college after the military I blew up. I started running and lost that then blew up again after a few years in my current career, started running again and got most of it off. For me I just have to keep running or I get lazy and the weight comes back. In those couple weight transitions it definitely has effected my swing, always for the good when I lost weight adding more speed and flexibility!

Get some lessons and you will be crushing it farther than ever with your smaller frame and added flexibility. Good luck and again congrats on a fantastic achievement!

[Gipper]

First off big time congrats on your weight loss! You probably just added +20 years to your life man!!!!! I've had a couple 50 lbs weight swings in my adulthood. When I went back to college after the military I blew up. I started running and lost that then blew up again after a few years in my current career, started running again and got most of it off. For me I just have to keep running or I get lazy and the weight comes back. In those couple weight transitions it definitely has effected my swing, always for the good when I lost weight adding more speed and flexibility! Get some lessons and you will be crushing it farther than ever with your smaller frame and added flexibility. Good luck and again congrats on a fantastic achievement!

Thx Parker, I am running a 5k here in the Pittsburgh area on the 4th of July and hope to run a half marathon in Indy this fall. I don't run very fast but like you said it keeps me from getting lazy too.

[CarlSpackler]

Congrats. I lost 60 about five years ago and unfortunately have put about 50 back on. Working on remedying that. I don't remember it hurting my distance, but I do remember having to make some adjustments as I had less mass to rotate around.

[mailman]

Let's see a before and after photo! You sir, are amazing! Regards Mailman

[dbrock504]

Wow congrats on the weight loss. That's amazing! Being 6'4, you need to be at about 200-210 for a good, healthy weight. Focus on putting on more muscle. I'm sure you already know this considering you lost a lot of weight, but just in case you don't:

High protein (chicken, fish, red meat only 1 time a week. Eat body weight in grams of protein. So if you are 185, intake 185g of protein a day), high complex carbs (brown rice, black beans), high in good fats (olive oil, flaxseed, peanut butter, almonds), low refined sugars (candy, coke), high in natural sugars (fruit). Eat 6 times a day in smaller portions to keep metabolism high. I also would recommend a high quality protein such as ISO-100 made by Dymatize. It's a hydrolyzed protein that metabolizes quickly (1 hour) that contains your glutamine, BCAA's and GMI's. Also I recommend a slower metabolizing protein to take after you wake up. I usually go with a blend of casein, whey, whey isolate, whey hydrolyzed, egg, etc. This metabolizes in about 4 hours. Take the ISO-100 immediately after you work out. Working out 3-4 times a week + the proper diet = clean muscle gain. This will not only make you look better, but feel much better on and off the course.

I am a bit of a "bodybuilder" if you want to call me that. I don't compete. I'm 5'8. At 19, I was 135 lbs 10% body fat. I'm 22 and 183 lbs 13% body fat. Bench 245, squat 350 (my squat sucks), dead lift 350, leg press 810 4 times (I never max out on leg press. I have had a knee reconstruction). I didn't tell you those things to "show off" but to kind of give you an idea that I sort of know what I'm talking about. Keep it up! Loosing weight like you did is a massive life change. It's amazing, and it will ultimately affect your golf game.

On the golfing aspect of it: The club head speed comes from the rotation of your hips. Focus on that. I know a 13 yr old kid who hits his distances with me (driver 275+, 4i 210, 8i 160). It isn't your strength that matters as much as your rotation on the ball.

If you have any questions revolving around diet or exercise, feel free to PM me. I NORMALLY will have the answers. If I don't, I can point you in the right direction to someone who will.

[Gipper]

Let's see a before and after photo! You sir, are amazing!

Regards

Mailman