The Unfat Challenge.

[kayaktheworld]

Yeah, I'm a real fat ass. Fat asses win multiple medals at the State Championships for swimming.

I think the truth is, you were scrawny.

[WWCD]

Yeah, but the Special Olympics don't get competitive until the national level.

[cloudpeak]

320.6 after the trip & colorado.. gained about 2 lbs.
back to 1000 calories/day now.

-steve

I seem to recall that you said you're 6'6". For someone your size, 1000 cal/day guarentees that you're going to binge. I'm 5'7" and female, and on a 1000 cal/day, I'd be desperate for food all day long.

At your size, you probably burn almost 3,500 calories per day just sitting around. If you cut 500 calories/day and added a little exercise, you should be able to lose a pound a week and keep it off. As a fringe benefit, you would be able to eat real food while you do it and you wouldn't be inclined to eat the whole pantry every few days. You wouldn't have to skip that burger either.

[steve]

I seem to recall that you said you're 6'6". For someone your size, 1000 cal/day guarentees that you're going to binge.

...waiting for that guarantee to come through.

-steve

[WhiteLight]

Listen, guys and gals, let's give steve a break already. If he wants our input, I'm sure he'll ask for it. As he's politely explained several times, he has given plenty of thought to the choices he's making. He can adjust his weight-loss plan as he goes along, based on his own experience.

Many ways over the mountain...

[steve]

whitelight,

thanks.

-steve

[shera]

Listen, guys and gals, let's give steve a break already. If he wants our input, I'm sure he'll ask for it. As he's politely explained several times, he has given plenty of thought to the choices he's making. He can adjust his weight-loss plan as he goes along, based on his own experience.

Many ways over the mountain...

Seconded.

But maggots give each other shit. Continuously. He can deal.

Steve, what's your plan once you start approaching ideal weight? The way you were eating before obviously wasn't good for you and your current regime can't last forever, right?

So whatcha gonna do when you're lean and mean?

Oh yeah, please say again your max weight, current weight and ideal weight.

[steve]

But maggots give each other shit. Continuously. He can deal.

I can deal, but most of the time, when we give each other shit, it's tongue-in-cheek.. and in this case people are just repeating stuff because they didn't bother to read the thread. it gets annoying.

Steve, what's your plan once you start approaching ideal weight? The way you were eating before obviously wasn't good for you and your current regime can't last forever, right?

interesting question. I was just talking about this with sprite today. obviously the goal will to assume a lifestyle where I'm maintaining the goal weight.. I think the key is to cease the habit of overeating, and that's one of the reasons for this 1000-calorie thing. I will eat normal food that everybody enjoys, but in the case of pizza, just a slice or two rather than five or six.

in any case, that is a bridge that I'll cross when I come to it..

So whatcha gonna do when you're lean and mean?

Run marathons, maybe ultras. climb a few high peaks, especially elbert, whitney, granite, gannet, borah, hood, and rainier. ski the backcountry. look competent in the bumps. ride a bicycle without destroying it.

It's funny to me that people who are in ok shape take for granted the stuff they can do..

Oh yeah, please say again your max weight, current weight and ideal weight.

max weight, circa 1996, was about 400.
min weight, september 1999, about 305.
this time last year, i was 350.
december 10, 2006 (las vegas marathon), about 320.
one month ago, 340.
start of unfat challenge, 330
right now, 315.
ideal weight: 225, give or take.

more than what you asked for, but it tells a story.

I have a cousin (pictured left) weighs about 550. I'm in the yellow shirt, and weighed about 325-330 at the time.


-steve

[kayaktheworld]

I would like to see anyone who is only in "ok" shape RUN an ultra.

[steve]

I would like to see anyone who is only in "ok" shape RUN an ultra.

yes, but I bet they can ski the backcountry or ski the bumps, and I bet they take it for granted.

[SkiED]

sorry steve but the kid does kinda have a point....granted he is a moron who doesnt understand the demands/stress of adult life but still to get to your size is pretty irresponsible.... you have to have little to no self control to allow yourself to get that big.

[WhiteLight]

OK, so maggots may give one another shit. Fine, for them. But I'm not a big fan of groupthink, or collective bullying (disguised as tough-love, or any other excuse), so I'm gonna go with respecting steve's very clearly and politely expressed wishes that people would get off his ass, already.

Any person who has been overweight gets enough of a ration of grief just walking out the door and putting up with the moralistic tut-tutting of the likes of SkiED. Seems like everybody feels they have a "right" to make other peoples' bodies their business.

Listen, lots of skinny fucks are waaaay more irresponsible, and lacking in self-control, than a guy here who is making a solid effort to change. SkiED, do you go out of your way to scold skinny smokers? Skinny alcoholics? Skinny hedge-fund fuckheads?

You don't like his methods? Tough shit. Keep your eyes on your own plate.

Fuck this culture and its heavy-bashing, and those here who think they have a "right" to wag their finger like some of y'all do. Save your ammo for those who are actually hurting you.

[steve]

skied, pissed off that I pointed out how happy east coasters are vs. utah/california skiers this year, has gone to insulting me in PM: "wow you got it all figured out man! If only you could figure out how to control your simple urges to eat an entire box of pizza."

that about says it all regarding him..

what sucks is that he's taking this (awesome) thread and trying to hijack it into a flamewar.

[shera]

Wow, steve, you are the SKINNY one in your family! How are you gonna go home when you're a scrawny long distance runner.

Major props for deciding to change your life. FKNA, you are going after the right things. And thanks for letting us in on the process. Yeah, you'll catch flack here, but we care! I know you can handle the straight talk!

I made a major life change so I could be outside all day, every day. For my health and well being. Bumps, backcountry, all that stuff - worthy.

Now about your "plan" - I don't like it much. You're saying you're just gonna eat the same crap but not as much of it. Please think on that further. Start considering the nutrient content of whole, raw, fresh foods and start considering the addictive properties of highly processed carbohydrates and start thinking about heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, etc. Worst of all, start thinking abotu getting sucked back into that vortex that you are scratching and clawing your way out of right now.

You could start now by working fresh veggies into that extremo diet of yours. Calorie/nutrient ratio - throught the roof.

And read this website: http://www.whfoods.com/

Steve, I am rooting for you!

[shera]

OK, so maggots may give one another shit. Fine, for them. But I'm not a big fan of groupthink, or collective bullying (disguised as tough-love, or any other excuse), so I'm gonna go with respecting steve's very clearly and politely expressed wishes that people would get off his ass, already.

Any person who has been overweight gets enough of a ration of grief just walking out the door and putting up with the moralistic tut-tutting of the likes of SkiED. Seems like everybody feels they have a "right" to make other peoples' bodies their business.

Listen, lots of skinny fucks are waaaay more irresponsible, and lacking in self-control, than a guy here who is making a solid effort to change. SkiED, do you go out of your way to scold skinny smokers? Skinny alcoholics? Skinny hedge-fund fuckheads?

You don't like his methods? Tough shit. Keep your eyes on your own plate.

Fuck this culture and its heavy-bashing, and those here who think they have a "right" to wag their finger like some of y'all do. Save your ammo for those who are actually hurting you.

You're saying that you have no clue who we are and that you don't like us. Typical JONG. Go find yourself another forum - I recommend www.epicski.com.

[steve]

Now about your "plan" - I don't like it much. You're saying you're just gonna eat the same crap but not as much of it. Please think on that further. Start considering the nutrient content of whole, raw, fresh foods and start considering the addictive properties of highly processed carbohydrates and start thinking about heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, etc. Worst of all, start thinking abotu getting sucked back into that vortex that you are scratching and clawing your way out of right now.

yeah. that whole aspect of a plan for maintaining 225 is definitely up for discussion.. I can tell you that since I enjoy eating, I'll still concentrate on low-calorie foods, tending to include the whole/raw/fresh category. the most processed thing I'll eat is bread, macaroni or perhaps pizza. The highest-calorie thing I'll eat is red meat. It's pretty easy for me to avoid super-processed snackfoods such as potato chips. I've been drinking coffee black for over 10 years, and fast food has been strictly "no-no" for almost three years now.

Also important to point out is that since I, too, want to pursue an outdoor lifestyle, and since losing weight will help me do that, I'll be burning a lot of calories almost every day by hiking, running or trail running, skiing, cycling - whatever I'm doing. My wife has pointed out that during marathon training, after running 10 miles or more, I'd be worthless for the rest of the day from exhaustion. But running 10 easy miles at 225 is a lot easier than running 10 easy miles at 325.. and hopefully something to look forward to, rather than dread.

Even at the sub-1000 calorie lifestyle, I'm already noticing that I'm a little faster when jogging and more nimble in the bumps. I think this is a direct result of the small amount of weight I've lost.. the only thing that would be lacking at this point is endurance sports, lasting longer than 45 minutes to an hour, and that's just because I'm not taking in the nutrition to support it.

[WhiteLight]

You're saying that you have no clue who we are and that you don't like us. Typical JONG. Go find yourself another forum - I recommend www.epicski.com.

If you're being sarcastic, then, heh!

If you're being serious, then, nope. No one person in this groups speaks for the whole. I'll be sticking around.

I'm in this thread to work on losing some weight, getting healthy, and using the positive momentum of the Unfat Challenge group to do so. Not interested in derailing it with flameouts.

----

Back to the subject at hand: picked up some organic bulk foods at the local store, experimenting with cooking new foods from scratch. My biggest challenge so far, again, has been portion control. I cook up a pot of something delicious, and end up eating more than needed just 'cuz it takes so damn good!

SparkPeople.com is super cool. It sends out emails with gentle reminders and really good tips. Can't believe it is a free service.

[pointedem]

Hey Steve.

Not sure if this was brought up yet, but I noticed you were cutting your calories back to ~ 1000/ day. There is one main reason why this is self-defeating. Your body will go into "conservation mode", and instead of revving up your metabolism (goal), you will actually slow your metabolism down. You may lose several pounds at first, but I can guarantee you will quickly hit a plateau with your weight loss.

A better way to look at your weight loss is not to over-analyze your caloritic input, but instead focus what kind of calories are you eating? Add whole grains, lean protein and a TON of veggies and fruit. Cut out processed SUGAR and BOOZE if you want to see results. Google HFCS, and learn how to avoid it. Learn how to master the steamer, don't fry anything. Drink WAY more water then you think you need. Buy a juicer and use it. There is a ton of really good advice out there on how to lose weight; every valid method to get healthy/ lose weight is going to tell you that cutting back to 1000 calories a day is self defeating and will leave you without energy.

Best of luck,
Point.

Edit: read most of the thread, this comment has already been covered.
It holds the most truth, however. Whether or not you choose to listen is up to you.

[shmoesmith]

I have come to post that since I haven't really gotten started, other than ramping up my weekend activities, I will be contributing $20 to the winner

The problems:

1.) I DESPISE formalized working out, and I don't have time to do daily stuff like hiking or bike riding due to my work schedule (in to work before the sun comes up, and out of work after the sun goes down)..therefore the gym, which I hate, is the only solid option for a workout.

2.)I'm not cooking.
a.)not enough time to cook(see work schedule)
b.)cooking for 1 person is $

3.)My heart just isn't in to losing weight. The last time I was successful at it was when my wife asked me to lose weight for her. I don't like my gut, but my fitness level hasn't prevented me from doing any of the activities I really love. Losing the gut would really be for looks alone. Since I don't have anyone to really look good for, I really don't mind it being there so much (other than the pants fitting a bit tight)

4.) None of my friends have a gym membership at Golds (they are all at 24hr) so no one is there to drag me out to the gym with them.

I need some motivation. I'm calling on the maggots for help.

[Van_skier]

2.)I'm not cooking.
a.)not enough time to cook(see work schedule)
b.)cooking for 1 person is $

A few tips for that:
1. Even if you're cooking for 1, you can still buy larger packages to save $$$. Meat is a perfect example. For certain cuts of meat that freeze well (pork, chicken breasts, some type of beef, etc...) I buy larger packages when they are on sale and freeze the meat in individual portions that will be ready to cook when I need them.

2. Cook larger portions and freeze / refrigerate leftovers. This will save you $$$ and lots of time since you'll have prepared meals ready to heat when you are in a rush... Pretty much like TV dinners but your own healthier version.

3. To save time, cook fast meals (eg. stir-fries) or let a crock pot do a lot of the work.

some tips on " Eating cheap while still eating well." can be found in this forum thread : http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=...t=eating+cheap

[WhiteLight]

shmoe,

I'm with ya on not digging the gym scene. Working out indoors on machines feels weird and unnatural to me. Of course, I keep my gym membership active to give myself the illusion of being fit.

I've never done night-time MTB'ing, but I have friends who love it. They have regular ride nights, usually on fire roads. Of course, all the beer-drinking they do apres kills some of the calorie-burn, but it sure seems like a fun, social way to get out and move. Not sure what conditions are like in your area for that type of thing, but maybe in the warmer months ahead...?

[shmoesmith]

shmoe,

I'm with ya on not digging the gym scene. Working out indoors on machines feels weird and unnatural to me. Of course, I keep my gym membership active to give myself the illusion of being fit.

I've never done night-time MTB'ing, but I have friends who love it. They have regular ride nights, usually on fire roads. Of course, all the beer-drinking they do apres kills some of the calorie-burn, but it sure seems like a fun, social way to get out and move. Not sure what conditions are like in your area for that type of thing, but maybe in the warmer months ahead...?

not a bad idea. I think the HID lights for bikes are pretty $$ though...like in the $200+ range.

[fiddler]

Started out at 232, now down to 219. I know it's because in the last work uniform order I ordered bigger pants and a longer belt.

[steve]

310.8 this morning..
I am now down about 30 lbs since the start of lent, and 20 lbs since the start of this contest.

hey shmoe, the gym sucks, i know. plus it costs money. fuck that.
the solution - go outside. i've never been to utah, but everything i hear indicates that the hiking and biking is amazing there. there's your weekend day off. as far as weekdays, you'll do tremendous good just by jogging or running for 20-30 minutes before or after work. it doesn't have to be much, but it has to be something.. even bicycling - as long as your cadence is fast enough to get your heart rate as high as you would by running, would be great.

as far as food goes, take it from me: if you don't have the motivation, you aren't going to do it. it's actually pretty easy if you want it bad enough. but, if the motivation isn't there, you could at least concentrate on lower calorie options - instead of that beef steak, have a tuna steak, seared on the outside, raw on the inside, covered in old bay and lemon juice. and if you must do fast food, at least skip the fries.

[snow_slider]

193 as of this morning. I'm now down almost 11 pounds. I plateaued around 196, but now that I'm past that, I should drop the next 4-5 pretty easy (before I hit the next plateau).