kingkeld's Journal, 18 December 2013

Good morning!

Let's start rockin'!

I'm in an 80's mood this morning, and the TV is blaring Def Leppard. There's a new blu-ray out from their Las Vegas residency, called Viva Hysteria!

They're not as fun to watch as they used to be, I think they're getting old or something, but the music is great. Check it out:

<iframe src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:user:1141241474:playlist:1JTwoS4BHoOu12iELo4Xxx" width="300" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe>

Enjoy!

...

Yesterday went great. I met all nutritional goal, had my calories, and did what I'm supposed to do.

I walked a little more than I probably should, but not purposefully at all. It just happened, as I got a few more tasks to take care of than I had planned. Nothing big. I ended up at 11,000 steps.

...

I think I'm writing weight loss history for me today. Today is the 3rd day in a row that I weigh in at the exact same weight. I don't think I have ever done that before. Not that it really matters, it's just a fun observation.

Let's take a look at all the numbers from today's weigh-in:

Weight:
Day after surgery: 82.4 kg
17.12.13: 83.1 kg (steady)
18.12.13: 83.1 kg (steady)
Average 7 days: 82.1 (up)
Average 28 days: 82.7 (steady)

Bodyfat:
Day after surgery: 07.5% (6.18 kg)
17.12.13: 09.4% (7.81 kg - down)
18.12.13: 08.3% (6.90 kg - down)
Average 7 days: 10.2% (down)
Average 28 days: 10.2% (down)

Muscle weight:
Day after surgery: 72.5 kg
17.12.13: 71.6 kg (up)
18.12.13: 72.4 kg (up)
Average 7 days: 70.1 kg (up)
Average 28 days: 70.6 kg (steady)

Fluid Percentage::
Day after surgery: 68.5% (56.44 kg)
17.12.13: 65.9% (54.76 kg - up)
18.12.13: 67.3% (55.93 kg - up)
Average 7 days: 65.2% - up)
Average 28 days: 65.4% - up)

Total Daily Energy Exp.:
Day after surgery: 3379 calories
17.12.13: 3342 calories
18.12.13: 3381 calories
Average 7 days: 3277 calories (up)
Average 28 days: 3302 calories (up)

Abdominal fat:
Day after surgery: 4
17.12.13: 4 (down)
18.12.13: 4 (steady)
Average 7 days: 4.6 (down)
Average 28 days: 4.8 (steady)


Pretty much all numbers are great! I really don't have all that many comments to them, other than that I like the trends that they are showing. I'm truly loving having this scale, it shows me so well how I am doing, and it gives me that feeling of total control.

I still find it amazing that I am maintaining the low body fat percentage with the high calorie intake that I'm having. 3300 calories for almost two weeks straight - with little to no exercise! I know I will have to UP my calorie intake once I get going again. I'm almost scared.

I try hard to get all the calories from real food and smart choices, but it's hard. There WILL have to be a few calorie heavy things in there, just to up the calories. I'm not afraid of the carbs, there isn't all that much room for them once the protein and fat requirements are met.

I still tend to go a little high on the fat intake, but I think it's a good thing to "sacrifice" a little here, also to avoid ALL too many carbs.

...

Today, I'm gonna go for another omelette, 5 eggs, tons of ham and sausage, a little chili and onion, and a huge chunk of cheese. This is lunch.

Dinner is "biksemad", which is basically leftover meatballs and sausage, with potatoes. It's served with beets and fried eggs, drenched in Worchestershire sauce, and sometimes served with rye bread. Yum! It's a good "Man's dinner". I love it.



I will have to UP the carb intake significantly today, or I just won't meet my calorie goal. I need to eat ENOUGH. It's essential. Today, I will allow myself a little of the christmas sweets. I will buy a small bag and enjoy it this afternoon or evening. I haven't had ANY Christmas candies this year. None.

I hope I don't wake up the Carb Monster doing this, but I am pretty confident that I won't. He's fast asleep, and I think I can keep him sleeping. I won't go overboard in candies or anything. Just a little to meet my goals, and to enjoy that Christmas is actually just around the corner.

...

There isn't much Christmas spirit around here this year. The weather is just grey and dull, I'm home recovering from surgery, and Wife and Daughter are both at work literally all day.

I try to help out and do as much as I can to make life easy on them, of course, but I suck at doing Christmassy stuff.

...

I found a video online yesterday, googling for news on Intermittent Fasting. This guy - I read his blog now and then - is brilliant.

If you are at all interested in weight loss, and in information about what actually works and what doesn't work, you need to check this out. It will be the most important 13 minutes that you will spend for a LONG time.

I have bookmarked this, and I plan to watch it on a regular basis.

I'm stealing a TON of it for my classes too. This is SO inspiring, simply because he cuts it all to the bone.

Weight loss - when you look at it right - IS EASY. And he makes us see it.

This is exactly what I try to do when I teach weight loss. I do nothing different. It makes me happy to see that there are others with the same ideas and approaches out there. It hopefully means that none of us are totally insane. :)

<iframe width="450" height="338" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/o-jMqsShqMQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Neat, huh?

...

One thing that I REALLY like that Jason says is to do your weight loss OBJECTIVELY!

We have so many feelings vested in food. We think about it all the time, and when we're not using fatsecret or other tools, we gain weight. Most people are overweight simply because they aren't in control of their food intake. Most people that aren't in control because they don't know what they're doing.

We eat with our feelings, and are feelings are messing with us. Not good.

So, the solution is obvious. Take a step back, and look at what you are doing objectively.

Find out what you are allowed to eat. How many calories, how much protein and fat, and how many carbs?

Sure, it's harder than "just eating healthy", but what IS healthy anyways?

I don't consider myself eating healthy. I eat what I like and what I feel like, but I make sure that my macro requirements are met, and the results are simply amazing.

The more I do this - and Jason has really helped me realizing this - I see that this is true.

If I don't want vegetables, I'll skip the vegetables. If I want chocolate, I'll have chocolate. If I want a big, juicy steak - I'll have my steak. BUT I WILL MAKE SURE THAT MY MACRO REQUIREMENTS ARE MET!

This is what I have done the last two weeks, and the results are astonishing! I just can't wait to get moving on my workouts again, and I just can't wait to see where I can take it from here. I have HIGH expectations, but I think they're in no way unrealistic.

It makes perfect sense to me. People who "eat right" are subconsciously eating what their bodies require. Whether they know it or not, they are eating close enough to their macro requirements that it works for them.

However, in order for an overweight/out-of-control person to see success and maybe even beyond success, you need an added focus. This is where Fatsecret and other calorie counters come in.

Once you know what you're SUPPOSED to eat, and start doing it, then you're golden. Things WILL happen.

For me, the macro requirements are pretty simple.

Right now, I'm doing 1g of protein per lb of body weight. This IS over doing it, but I also feel really good doing it. I have seen several studies that indicate that 0.6g per lb of LEAN body weight (full weight minus body fat) should be enough. But a lot of the body builder sites recommend this, and it also helps keeping the carb allowance down.

I make sure that AT LEAST 30% of my calories comes from fat intake. Our bodies need fat to aid muscle building. I do try to not go very much higher than this, but I tend to fail here.

The rest of the calories can be spent on carbs. Carbs aren't bad. They give us energy, both for workouts and for our brains. They do have a downside, though. When we over eat carbs, they will make us retain water.

I have seen the water retention MANY times. Mostly, I see it when I go overboard in candies. The thing is, of course, that when I go overboard in candies, I REALLY go overboard. If I stick to my macros, and stay within my allowed calorie intake, I will NOT retain water. At least nothing worth mentioning.

The key thing is still... calories in and calories out.

There are no healthy foods. There are no unhealthy foods. There are no fattening foods. There are no diet foods. There are foods that fit your macros on any given day, and there are foods that do not.

If you already had all your calories for the day, then anything you it - be it cake or broccoli - WILL make you gain weight.

Now, it's not ALL that easy to hit the macro goals. It needs some planning. If you just wing it through the day, then you're gonna end up in trouble.

Plan the meals ahead, so you know what you're doing. If you - like me - like to have an afternoon snack, or like to have a little something after dinner, then plan it. Planning things becomes a habit, and it makes it so much easier to follow plan with your goals are very specific.

Imagine the candy scenario - one that has brought me in trouble SO MANY TIMES:

I used to allow myself to go to the candy store on Saturdays. I did this until not very long ago.

The rule was to record all the candy, even if I went over my calories. Saturdays would be Indulgence Days, and I could do this.

Wrong.

I would constantly over-eat. I would go THOUSANDS of calories too high, and beat myself over the head with it.

Consider the alternative.

I sit down Friday night, or early Saturday before I eat ANYTHING, and plan my meals.

I know what I am allowed. I know I want candy.

First, I register the candy. I allow myself, say, 300g. It's a nice, large portion, but I can fit it into my 3300 calorie allowance easy.

Then I plan lunch and dinner. Normally I would plan these first, but today my candy is my priority.

I make sure that the main meals are heavy on protein, and okay on fat.

I consider whether I want more snacks through the day. If there is room, then I will add them.

Having done this, I take a look at the numbers. If protein is too low, then I'll add more meat, cheese, eggs, fish, cottage cheese to my plan. If it's higher than needed, I'll take some off. If I can't reach my goal doing this, then I'll add a protein shake. I make these from protein powder, so I can add them 1 gram at a time, until I see the right numbers.

Then I look at the fat. How is my level? Is it high enough? Is it WAY too high? Trim and/or adjust.

I then look at what is left of my calorie intake. Personally, I like to eat to the max of my intake. I'm so far in the game that I can't take a calorie deficit of more than a few hundred calories without losing muscle. Others can take a larger deficit, and if this is the case then it's smart to just stop here. The lower calorie intake will give a bigger fat loss, and it'll cut down on carbs. Carbs are what we can better be without.

Next step: FOLLOW YOUR PLAN. FOLLOW IT IN DETAIL. Again, it takes that you build a habit. It takes that you plan your meals. It takes that you may have to bring your lunch to work.

...but it takes the entire guessing game out of your weight loss journey. Doing this, you will know EXACTLY what you're doing. You will feel that you are in charge, and you will not feel hungry.

If you feel hungry, then you haven't made the right food choices for you. Try to make it better tomorrow. It takes time to get your bearings.

I am sure you know what kind of snacks are important to you. I am sure you know what situations you tend to crave something. I'm sure you pretty much know when these situations occur.

A good example on this: I tend to sit home alone a LOT right now. I know that when I spend my afternoon at home, I get bored and I want to snack. It happens every time.

My solution is to simply incorporate a snack that I KNOW will be fulfilling for my afternoons.

For me, I typically put a chocolate bar or a couple of fruits - depending how my calorie allowance looks - to kill that craving.

The snacks won't need to kill hunger for me. I won't be hungry at this time - the protein has taken care of that. It's just a matter of satisfying that little devil that whispers in my ear when I get bored. Let's not confuse this little devil with the carb monster. This is different. The carb monster is the one that makes me spin out of control all day.

...

I went to try out the workout machines yesterday, as I said I would.

Don't worry - I didn't do anything stupid.

I basically sat in most of the machines and did a lift or two, just to feel how they would affect my chest and stomach.

The focus was NOT to workout. It was to feel if anything would pull in a way that could harm my newly done surgery.

I simply sat in the machines, put them at my usual weight, and did one or two reps with FULL focus on my stomach area.

I'm happy to say that nothing - other than the few obvious ones that bends the stomach skin - really will do any harm.

Of course, I won't start working out until I have my surgeon's blessing. It would be stupid to get going too fast, just because I am eager. I am VERY eager, though. It's hard to resist.

I miss the well-being that I get from working out. I miss he feeling when the muscles are pumped, and I miss getting my heart rate up. It's great.

I remember just a few years back when I wasn't at all interested in this. My very first mission was to simply work out a weight loss system that didn't require exercise. It all sounded like too much effort.

Now I know better. Had I known and felt back then what I do today, things would have been done differently.

...

Today, I'm thankful for:
- The feeling of EVEN MORE focus and understanding of what works in the world of weight loss.
- Morning coffee.
- Nights sleeping tight.
- Wife.

Have a great Wednesday! Life is good!
183.0 lb Lost so far: 158.7 lb.    Still to go: 0 lb.    Diet followed 100%.
losing 1.5 lb a week


Comments 
How long do you have before 6ou can work out again? I am happy that I have always realized exercise would make weight loss go faster so I did lots of proper research from the beginning. I also agree that just watching your calories and obtaining macros is way simpler mentally then to try to eat perfectly healthy every day. I am very thankful that because of Fatsecret I am better informed mentally of how much is acceptable for me to eat and stay in a healthy calorie range. Now that I had measured my food so long it is much easier to eyeball it because before I always underestimated how much I was eating. 
18 Dec 13 by member: iamachristianjesusfreak
Sounds like you are recovering nicely, and doing well on the maintenance path. I read but I don't always 'get' all the number stuff, but that's okay, I'm still tagging along :)  
18 Dec 13 by member: sarahsmum
JesusFreak - I was always aware that exercise would benefit my weight loss journey - I just didn't want to do it! :) Later on, when I was able to do it, and started to feel like implementing it, I had restrictions in the way that I HAD to get to under 25 BMI, which in my case basically meant that I couldn't build muscle, as it would weigh me down. This would mean that I wouldn't qualify for surgery.  
18 Dec 13 by member: kingkeld
Draglist - as far as you are in the game now, I think it is DEFINITELY time for you to start looking at macros. If you up the protein to the recommended values, along with doing some fast, intense strength training, your muscles will go ballistic! I highly - HIGHLY - recommend that you focus on this. I'll be happy to help. 
18 Dec 13 by member: kingkeld
I am very interested in the "macros" Do you have any tips or websites so I can figure out what my macros should be? Thanks for all your help on your journals...Cheers 
18 Dec 13 by member: Lynn1958
Lynn, check out www iifym com (put dots inbetween - Fatsecret has trouble with links in the comments. :) Here, go to calculator and find the IIFYM calculator.  
18 Dec 13 by member: kingkeld
Kingkeld - thanks - will give it a try. 
18 Dec 13 by member: Lynn1958
Kingkeld - thanks - will give it a try. 
18 Dec 13 by member: Lynn1958
Keld - thanks, I'll look at that too :) Can't have too much info? Well I can, me personaly, but I still like to look, in case I'm missing something - ROFL. 
18 Dec 13 by member: sarahsmum
Keld, so glad you are doing great in recovery! You always provide awesome information on what you've done and what you continue to do! Thanks for all that. Jason's points are very solid and concise. He's so right, and I've seen it all proven over and over again in my own weight loss. I'm finding macros very useful to me. I've been working out, but I have to bump that up a few notches. Do you workout every day? Thanks again, have a GREAT HOLIDAY! 
18 Dec 13 by member: Rob.c.weiss
Hi again Keld: I checked out IIFYM and did my calculations. I must be a real carb JUNKY. It is going to be quite a challenge for me to get my carbs in check (around 17g only). I am consistently WAY over that. I have been averaging 50% (not g) carbs, 25% fat and 25% protein. If you have tips for keeping the carbs in check let me know. Thanks for all your help! 
18 Dec 13 by member: Lynn1958
Lynn, I'm hoping that 17g is the per-meal number...  
18 Dec 13 by member: zebdavison
Lynn, 17g doesn't sound right. If you like, send me the relevant info - age, height, weight, activity level - in my inbox and I'll take a look. 17g, regardless whether we talk meal or day, is unsustainable, if you ask me. :) 
18 Dec 13 by member: kingkeld
Rob, when I'm not on sick leave I work out three times per week, and it's 100% strength training. I do not do cardio machines at all, other than a quick warm up and a couple of 45 second spurts inbetween strength. Other than this I walk a lot. It's essential that you don't do strength training more than every other day. Muscles grow on the days where you do NOT work out. :) 
18 Dec 13 by member: kingkeld
Thanks, Keld! :D 
19 Dec 13 by member: Rob.c.weiss

     
 

Submit a Comment


You must  sign in to submit a comment
 

Other Related Links

Members



kingkeld's weight history


Get the app
    
© 2024 FatSecret. All rights reserved.