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Blackadar · 10-07-2010, 08:11 AM

First of all, congratulations to everyone in this thread. Keep up the awesome work and take time to be proud of your accomplishments.

My own story is that I grew increasingly sedentary the last few years, culminating with the birth of my daughter a year ago. I gained a huge amount of weight. So I decided about 7 months ago to work it off. I'm down around 35 pounds (still a lot more to go) and fitting into clothes I haven't worn in 4-5 years. My chest size is back over 50 too...so I'm getting bigger in the right areas and smaller in others.

Here are some things that have worked for me thus far:

1. Switched from diet soda to water. Diet soda gives me the munchies. Switching to plain old water curbed my appetite and made me feel better - no upset stomach, less gassy, etc. I don't miss the caffeine and now can't stand the taste of a Coke (though Sierra Mist is quite nice). In fact, I've gotten rid of virtually all so-called branded diet food in place of fresh fruits, nuts, raw veggies, etc.

2. Cardio Power Fitness Music | Download Workout | Cardio Music Workouts | Cardio MP3 Downloads for iPods If you're on a treadmill, elliptical, jogging, stairmaster, bike, whatever....go to that website and start buying their MP3s. It's the best workout encouragement you'll ever find and they'll make you workout harder. The workout times go from 32 minutes to over an hour, so there's something for everyone. Seriously, do yourself a favor and check these out.

3. Italian Ice. I love ice cream, but it's hugely fattening. I've switched to Italian Ice (100 calories a cup) and so I still get my sweet fix without sacrificing my diet. Considering they're already in little cups, you have calorie and portion control without sacrificing enjoyment.

4. Set smaller goals, no more than 30 days out. I didn't want to look too far ahead, because I knew (know) it's a long, hard road. I needed to not get ahead of myself. So I celebrated every 30 days of working out. Only two months ago did I start one of those 90 day programs because I built up the workout habit. It's too hard to try to lose 30, 50 or 100 pounds, but you can focus on losing 5 pounds this month. It's so much easier mentally.

5. Working out at 5:00 AM. Yes, it still sucks to get up that early. But with a wife and two kids, that's the only time that can (almost) always be all mine. No interruptions, no interference. So now I wake up, throw on the workout clothes and workout prior to my morning shower. So rather than trying to figure out what time I have to workout, it's just part of that morning routine. It's become a habit and makes it much easier to continue to workout consistently.

Anyway, keep up the awesome effort guys (and gals)! And keep posting your successes...your accomplishments are inspiration for others!

10-07-2010, 08:11 AM	#558
Blackadar Retired Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fantasyland	First of all, congratulations to everyone in this thread. Keep up the awesome work and take time to be proud of your accomplishments. My own story is that I grew increasingly sedentary the last few years, culminating with the birth of my daughter a year ago. I gained a huge amount of weight. So I decided about 7 months ago to work it off. I'm down around 35 pounds (still a lot more to go) and fitting into clothes I haven't worn in 4-5 years. My chest size is back over 50 too...so I'm getting bigger in the right areas and smaller in others. Here are some things that have worked for me thus far: 1. Switched from diet soda to water. Diet soda gives me the munchies. Switching to plain old water curbed my appetite and made me feel better - no upset stomach, less gassy, etc. I don't miss the caffeine and now can't stand the taste of a Coke (though Sierra Mist is quite nice). In fact, I've gotten rid of virtually all so-called branded diet food in place of fresh fruits, nuts, raw veggies, etc. 2. Cardio Power Fitness Music \| Download Workout \| Cardio Music Workouts \| Cardio MP3 Downloads for iPods If you're on a treadmill, elliptical, jogging, stairmaster, bike, whatever....go to that website and start buying their MP3s. It's the best workout encouragement you'll ever find and they'll make you workout harder. The workout times go from 32 minutes to over an hour, so there's something for everyone. Seriously, do yourself a favor and check these out. 3. Italian Ice. I love ice cream, but it's hugely fattening. I've switched to Italian Ice (100 calories a cup) and so I still get my sweet fix without sacrificing my diet. Considering they're already in little cups, you have calorie and portion control without sacrificing enjoyment. 4. Set smaller goals, no more than 30 days out. I didn't want to look too far ahead, because I knew (know) it's a long, hard road. I needed to not get ahead of myself. So I celebrated every 30 days of working out. Only two months ago did I start one of those 90 day programs because I built up the workout habit. It's too hard to try to lose 30, 50 or 100 pounds, but you can focus on losing 5 pounds this month. It's so much easier mentally. 5. Working out at 5:00 AM. Yes, it still sucks to get up that early. But with a wife and two kids, that's the only time that can (almost) always be all mine. No interruptions, no interference. So now I wake up, throw on the workout clothes and workout prior to my morning shower. So rather than trying to figure out what time I have to workout, it's just part of that morning routine. It's become a habit and makes it much easier to continue to workout consistently. Anyway, keep up the awesome effort guys (and gals)! And keep posting your successes...your accomplishments are inspiration for others!