Losing Weight

[MasonAsher2014]

For a while now I know my weight has held my life down. I'm 6' 215 pounds with really no muscle. Never go to the gym and sit and eat all the time. I want to get my weight down to about 170 or so. I have been trying to create better eating habits but it's been pretty hard. I need more flexibility for golf but really just so I'm not embarrassed to walk around with no shirt on. I need help! What are some things that you guys did to lose weight and how did it work? Being in college it';s kind of tough but I think that with some help from fellow golfers I may be able to turn it around and stop growing outward.

[saevel25]

 

 I need help! What are some things that you guys did to lose weight and how did it work? Being in college it';s kind of tough but I think that with some help from fellow golfers I may be able to turn it around and stop growing outward.

1. Calorie count every day. You can't lose weight if you don't know how much you take in.
2. Limit calories to about 500 less than your daily resting activity level. For me, my resting calories is 2600 a day. So I want to eat around 2100. A good rule of thumb to start with is multiply your current weight by 11-12 and that is your resting calorie intake.
3. Never eat back calories you burned off working out unless you are training for a sport that requires a higher calorie intake to being with.
4. Exercise.
5. Stick with it for more than a month. After about 3-4 weeks it will start to become a habit.

I recommend learning how to cook so you can be your own quality control. Try to eat more meats and veggies. They are less calorie dense then processed food and they will keep your more full longer.

[Valleygolfer]

Stop eating all time. I know that sounds like I'm being a smart ass but it is in some ways as simple as that. Losing weight is weight is in your head. You don't need food all the time. You could easily go a 2 weeks on the reserves you have as long as you are not diabetic. Maybe not comfortably.

I use intermittent fasting. Look it up. Tons of research and info out there. It's a good diet for non exercising people even though I would recommend exercising. It can help you control your eating habits with a schedule.

 

[MasonAsher2014]

2 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

Stop eating all time. I know that sounds like I'm being a smart ass but it is in some ways as simple as that. Losing weight is weight is in your head. You don't need food all the time. You could easily go a 2 weeks on the reserves you have as long as you are not diabetic. Maybe not comfortably.

I use intermittent fasting. Look it up. Tons of research and info out there. It's a good diet for non exercising people even though I would recommend exercising. It can help you control your eating habits with a schedule.

 

 

3 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

Stop eating all time. I know that sounds like I'm being a smart ass but it is in some ways as simple as that. Losing weight is weight is in your head. You don't need food all the time. You could easily go a 2 weeks on the reserves you have as long as you are not diabetic. Maybe not comfortably.

I use intermittent fasting. Look it up. Tons of research and info out there. It's a good diet for non exercising people even though I would recommend exercising. It can help you control your eating habits with a schedule.

 

Thanks guys, to make it more clear, I am not really eating all the time. I don't usually eat breakfast then I eat  lunch and usually a pretty big dinner. I then get hungry at about 8 or 9 and then eat until I'm not hungry. Ithink that lies my problem. I have been tracking calories and it has been a little tougher than I thought.

[Elmer]

8 hours ago, MasonAsher2014 said:

For a while now I know my weight has held my life down. I'm 6' 215 pounds with really no muscle. Never go to the gym and sit and eat all the time. I want to get my weight down to about 170 or so. I have been trying to create better eating habits but it's been pretty hard. I need more flexibility for golf but really just so I'm not embarrassed to walk around with no shirt on. I need help! What are some things that you guys did to lose weight and how did it work? Being in college it';s kind of tough but I think that with some help from fellow golfers I may be able to turn it around and stop growing outward.

I would tell you from my experience, it is far easier in college than later in life.
As you get older your metabolism slows down and it gets harder and harder the older you get.
I have battled with trying to slim down every winter and usually fail.
As everyone else has indicated eat correctly, but not too much. Dont skip breakfast because that is the kick start to your metabolism.

Walk as often as possible, I try to walk 10,000 steps a day. I Try!!!!

Beer is wasted calories.
Beer is the bane and boon of my life(mmmm... extra hoppy IPA!!!). This would explain my beer gut and failure to slim down.


if you are young, active and eat properly and create good habits you should not have an issue!

And when you figure it all out please let me know!!!!

[baller7345]

I managed to lose 130 lbs over the course of 6 months last year (I know that was probably a bit fast).  What I did wasn't exactly hard or complex, though getting up the motivation to start did take time.

I cut out all calorie intensive drinks (non-diet soda, pretty much all milk [still allowed some skim milk], juice, etc), stopped eating snacks, and stopped eating second helpings at meals.  I played basketball for 30 minutes a day for the few few months, then transitioned over to walking 9 holes 3-4 times a week with at least one 18 hole day on the weekends.  The weight just fell off.

Golf may get a bad rap as the sport you can play no matter your shape, but for me it was the best way to lose the weight because it wasn't boring.  Normal workouts are something that I have to force myself through.

Edited March 24, 2016 by baller7345

[pumaAttack]

Count calories and create a deficit.  A pound of fat is roughly 3500 calories.  So if you eat roughly 500 calories less per day than your body needs, you will lose 1 pound a week ( 7 days X 500 Calories = 3500 calories).  Up that deficit to 7000 calories a week, or 1000 calories a day, you will lose 2 pounds a week.  You really don't want to go over that though.

Use this site to figure out your Basal Metabolic Rate:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ 

Enter your age, height, weight and sex to get your minimum calories needed.  Then multiply that number by your daily activity level (usually around 1.2 for sedentary).

Subtract either 500 or 1000 calories from your daily calorie needs and if you honestly stick to that goal, you will be guaranteed to lose weight.  

The key is to cut out wasted/empty calories like beer, juice, soda, junk food and focus on eating whole foods that provide nutrition.  You will fill full and satisfied and still create the deficit you need to lose weight.  Your body will turn to your fat reserves for the extra energy it needs to function.

Edited March 24, 2016 by pumaAttack

[Golfingdad]

4 hours ago, saevel25 said:

1. Calorie count every day.
4. Exercise.
5. Stick with it for more than a month.

I don't disagree with the other things @saevel25 said, but I know first hand that just getting started on this can be overwhelming, so I thought I'd make his list even easier.  Last year in mid January I was 285 pounds and besides a little golf, I didn't exercise.  I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.  Then with a little nudge from the wife and a co-worker, I got myself a FitBit.  Started paying attention to how much walking and other exercise I was doing, and how much I was eating.  8 months later I had lost almost 60 pounds.  (My exercise also included martial arts classes, but that part doesn't matter much.  Get any kind of exercise; walking, golf, tennis, gym, who cares.  Just move around more.)

There are dozens of free phone apps that can do the work of a FitBit, so you don't need one of those.  Just something that will count your calories and give you an idea of what you need per day.

Good luck!

[iacas]

If you're not far overweight, you can also just:

• Exercise a little more.
• Eat a little less.

You don't have to change your entire lifestyle.

[saevel25]

23 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Then with a little nudge from the wife and a co-worker, I got myself a FitBit.  Started paying attention to how much walking and other exercise I was doing, and how much I was eating.  8 months later I had lost almost 60 pounds.  (My exercise also included martial arts classes, but that part doesn't matter much.  Get any kind of exercise; walking, golf, tennis, gym, who cares.  Just move around more.)

That is another great idea. Anything that keeps you focused on your goal can help. If that means a FitBit that you can set daily goals or set up challenges with other FitBit users is a very good idea.

 

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, Golfingdad said:

I don't disagree with the other things @saevel25 said, but I know first hand that just getting started on this can be overwhelming, so I thought I'd make his list even easier.  Last year in mid January I was 285 pounds and besides a little golf, I didn't exercise.  I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.  Then with a little nudge from the wife and a co-worker, I got myself a FitBit.  Started paying attention to how much walking and other exercise I was doing, and how much I was eating.  8 months later I had lost almost 60 pounds.  (My exercise also included martial arts classes, but that part doesn't matter much.  Get any kind of exercise; walking, golf, tennis, gym, who cares.  Just move around more.)

There are dozens of free phone apps that can do the work of a FitBit, so you don't need one of those.  Just something that will count your calories and give you an idea of what you need per day.

Good luck!

Are your hands registered as lethal weapons by the FBI now? 

[chspeed]

2 hours ago, MasonAsher2014 said:

I then get hungry at about 8 or 9 and then eat until I'm not hungry.

For me, this was the key. Learning how to go to bed hungry. After I conquered that, I can lose weight relatively easily. Don't get me wrong, I eat right, exercise, etc. but being able to go to bed hungry was what allowed me to lose weight.

[Marty2019]

Don't make it such a huge deal that it's hard to tackle. 

Just get started.   Practice saying no to something.  Anything.   Soft drinks.  Beer.   Don't eat after 8:00.   Take a walk.   Above all, get used to being hungry.   If you're hungry, it's probably working.   Hunger is your friend.   Say that to yourself.   "Hunger is my friend."  

You don't have to change everything overnight.   You can make a permanent lifestyle change incrementally.     Just say no to something.   Anything.  Pretty soon, you'll get good at saying no to things.  

 

[Phil McGleno]

49 minutes ago, Marty2019 said:

Just say no to something.   Anything.  Pretty soon, you'll get good at saying no to things.  

Just ask my wife.

[Golfingdad]

1 hour ago, boogielicious said:

Are your hands registered as lethal weapons by the FBI now? 

LOL, not even close.  I don't feel very particularly skilled at any of it yet, although I do have a purple belt. :)  My main takeaway has just been the health of my back, and a decrease in general "creakiness" in the mornings. 

48 minutes ago, Marty2019 said:

Don't make it such a huge deal that it's hard to tackle. 

Just get started.   Practice saying no to something.  Anything.   Soft drinks.  Beer.   Don't eat after 8:00.   Take a walk.   Above all, get used to being hungry.   If you're hungry, it's probably working.   Hunger is your friend.   Say that to yourself.   "Hunger is my friend."  

You don't have to change everything overnight.   You can make a permanent lifestyle change incrementally.     Just say no to something.   Anything.  Pretty soon, you'll get good at saying no to things.  

 

Holy crap, absolutely!!!!!!  Great advice.  I forgot to mention above, but I stopped drinking diet soda a couple of months before I started actually eating better and exercising.

[nevets88]

To add to exercise more, eat less, eat real food. Stay away from anything processed, get lots of veggies and fruit. In university, it's really hard when you're on a meal plan and you have that mini fridge in your room, but get used to portion control now, because it gets even harder in the corporate world.

[TN94z]

From my experience, just clean up your eating habits and start working out. You will lose. Counting your calories and completely changing your lifestyle is great, but I have seen it burn many, many people out who are just starting. If you cut out the sugary drinks and just eat more lean meats and veggies, you will lose. I have counted calories and got my eating down to the exact macro percentages that I wanted for each day and lost weight. I have also simply cut out drinking sweet tea and replaced it with water while eating a little more cleanly and lost weight.

It's all going to boil down to what "you" can do on a consistent basis. If you cannot do it consistently, no diet is going to work that well.

[utrinqueparatus]

16 hours ago, MasonAsher2014 said:

For a while now I know my weight has held my life down. I'm 6' 215 pounds with really no muscle. Never go to the gym and sit and eat all the time. I want to get my weight down to about 170 or so. I have been trying to create better eating habits but it's been pretty hard. I need more flexibility for golf but really just so I'm not embarrassed to walk around with no shirt on. I need help! What are some things that you guys did to lose weight and how did it work? Being in college it';s kind of tough but I think that with some help from fellow golfers I may be able to turn it around and stop growing outward.

Getting started is the most difficult thing. No-one wants to be embarrassed by walking into a gym and feeling out of place, I understand that very well. Two thoughts: 1.) Assuming that you have a bicycle go to Amazon and get a CycleOps indoor cycle trainer. Easy to use easy to assemble. Start with ten minutes at a decent cadence around 60 - 80 revolutions per minute. Build this up by 1 minute per day until you are doing one hour. Cycling is great, very little pressure on the lower body compared with running. The fat will pour off you over the course of a month to six weeks. Five days a week, no more. 2.) Go buy a set of TRX straps see the internet and YouTube. They are great, take them wherever I go. The best bit of home help gym equipment ever in my humble opinion. Food, Fruit, nuts, lean protein, carbs lots of green vegetables and protein shakes. If you are training you need to put the calories in or you will feel tired, listless and won't want to train. All the best.