Halfway To Goal

[Guest JaksOuttaTheBox]

Since I was 17, I've been well over the 200lb mark, except during a 9 month period of heavy drug addiction in my later 20's. I got on the scale this morning and was pleasantly surprised by what it read - 197. This means I've lost 40 lbs since October and only have another 20-30 to go. Once I hit around 175 i intend on putting 15-20lbs back on in muscle at that point. I am super happy with myself today!

-Jaks-

[Guest]

Congrats that's awesome! Go you! Just don't get discouraged if your pace slows - the lighter you get the harder it is to lose at the same rate.

[Guest]

That's awesome! I've also besn working on my weight and have lost 25lbs in the last two months..

Keep up the good work!

[Guest AllisonRae]

Wonderful job, I started dieting when I quit smoking in early December, I have currently lost a little over 20 pounds since then and remain nicotine free. I really want to loose another 30 by the end of the year.

Hugs,

Allison

[Guest Raya]

Way to go!

My goal was to get below 200 (from 250) and I ended up stabilizing at 165.

Don't forget to work on flexibility if you do decide to add mass- strength plus flexibility equals toughness

[Charlize]

You have every right to be proud of yourself. Once you get to the gym it will help as muscle burns more calories than other tissue even while at rest.

Hugs,

Charlize

[Guest JaksOuttaTheBox]

Thank you, everyone! And congrats to each of you too!!!

What have you all been doing to drop the lbs? Personally I just made a few small changes in what and how I eat as well as added a lot of walking (instead of driving) to get places (to and from work, the store, etc). Cut out fast food except as a very occasional treat. Stopped drinking soda but allow myself one 20oz of diet soda a week. Drink a ton of water. Make sure I eat at least 3x a day. More veggies and whole grain foods. Cut out processed foods and preservatives. Basically I dun see it as dieting but a lifestyle change in my diet.

Due to life circumstances, I won't be able to join a gym anytime in at least the next year most likely. My gf nor I currently drive and money is extremely tight. So I need to start looking into stuff I can do at home. Someone suggested checking out online classifieds for a free or cheap weight set.

If anyone has any suggestions on exercises I can do at home to trim and tone my mid-section (around the hips, abs and mid to lower back) that isn't sit ups or crunches, please tell me!!! (I have several spinal conditions so sit ups/crunches are no good for me until those areas are much stronger.)

Once I eventually get top surgery dun, that'll be another 10-15 lbs gone too. LoL

-Jaks-

[Guest JaksOuttaTheBox]

Allison-

How did you quit nicotine? That's also on my to-do list. Been smoking a pack a day for about 22 years and I'm only 33.

[Guest]

For abdomen workout you could try leg lifts? Lay on your back and lift your legs just a tad bit off the ground and hold. That might still cause pain though. Worth trying.

[Guest AllisonRae]

Hi Jaks, I was a light smoker for 24 years and quit cold turkey I had lots of support from family and friends, especially my friends here.I have tried quitting multiple times over that 24 years but when it came right down to it I just needed the right inspiration. And that was I found out the risk involved with HRT and nicotine. So I decided that the habit would be history way before I could get HRT. It is almost 4 months now and I feel so much better!

Hugs,

Allison

[Guest alexaz]

Hi Jaks

Try Isometrics. SP?

This is an exercise that you do with muscle against muscle or tightening muscle.

It doesn't involve equipment so the cost is nill.and doesnt take up any room.

Isometrics is a very effective form of exercise and isnt as invasive as lifting weights.

Im sure that there are lots of utube and forms on the subjust.

Good luck and "may the self force be with you". lol

Alexaz

[Guest JaksOuttaTheBox]

Ky Ki -

It's worth a shot! Thanks for the suggestion!

-Jaks-

[Guest JaksOuttaTheBox]

Allison -

That is awesome! Cold turkey sounds like the only way I'm gonna be able to do it as well, judging from the methods I've used to kick other habits. I always find an excuse not to give it a shot and just lump it under not being ready. How long was it before the extreme cravings ceased?

-Jaks-

[Guest JaksOuttaTheBox]

Alexaz -

I'm gonna look into isometrics. From your brief description, it sounds like something that might be right up my alley. Thanks!

-Jaks-

[Guest Kayla Grace]

Congrats that's awesome! Go you! Just don't get discouraged if your pace slows - the lighter you get the harder it is to lose at the same rate.

How I wish you were wrong Kira. Oh how I wish it was the opposite.

I'm proud of you Jaks. Losing weight takes a lot of determination and self-restraint. If you'd like a little more info about it, feel free to check out my channel. I have a guide on both mtf and ftm - although you'd likely favor the ftm over the mtf

Train hard, so your body will have to train harder.

God Bless

Kayla <3

[Guest Raya]

Jaks, about the how to question on weight loss, sounds like you are already on the right track with lifestyle change and not diet. I started with south beach diet guidelines and stayed with it (no empty carbs, and eat proteins or fats with any carbs to slow absorbtion)

For core strength exercise you may want to do some heavier stretching and bending of waist until back issues let you go with sit ups and crunches - go slow, don't jerk or lunge, remember to breathe. Strangely, starting my routine at my head and shoulders and working down helps a lot, especially when I had back pain. Also just "suck in" your gut a lot thru out the day, this will help abdominals, posture, and make you feel "chesty" in a masculine way

For smoking I found the nicotine gum very helpful, but not needed past the first week. E - cigs and vaping did not help me at all

[Guest]

Congrats that's awesome! Go you! Just don't get discouraged if your pace slows - the lighter you get the harder it is to lose at the same rate.

How I wish you were wrong Kira. Oh how I wish it was the opposite.

Kayla <3

Tell me about it. Life would be so much better.

[JJ]

Hi Jaks

When I transitioned I lost 200 lbs and having been bedridden for 3 years at that point I needed to rebuild atrophied muscle yet I have some serious knee and back issues-especially back. After the weight loss I found my arms and upper body was stick thin so I looked into exercises I could do to build upper body mass without stressing my back-I have broken three vertebrae in my upper and three in my lower back in separate incidents as well as herniating the discs in the lower three when I broke them-in addition to the daily hiking that helps keep weight off. I found resistance tubes and began working with them while wearing wrist weights for the hike and workouts. I used stronger and stronger ones till I worked up to the ultra resistance body builders are now using. It not only keeps my arms strong but also strengthens my core, shoulders and back.

This is a pic taken this week. I still wear the same size pants I did when I stopped losing weight on Drs orders but my shirt size has gone from small to large -except in athletic fit where I can still wear a small to medium-because of my arms and shoulders. Because I'm 68 I will always have excess skin from the extreme weight loss. But I have kept it off 34 months now. (I take a pic once in awhile to compare & make sure I am maintaining muscle mass which I can tell better from a pic)

For me the most important thing is realizing that this wasn't a diet but a lifelong change in how I eat and live my life. Taking it off is hard but in a way keeping it off is far harder unless you commit to the fact that you can never go back to the old ways or you'll end up not only gaining it back but more. I once figured it up and I have lost over 1000 lbs in different diets in my lifetime though until the end I was always very active. My real weight problems resulted from a sensitivity to Prednisone which resulted in a 165 lb weight gain which I would partly take off only to gain more back over a 20 year period. over and over again.

But taking it off and keeping it off can be done-not only that but I really enjoy the way I eat now-especially the free eating day once a week.

Congratz again on the weight loss. I know you'll make your goal and keep it off as well.

JJ