2023 Fatass Thread of Dominance

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

Well, my vaguely annoying, but not at all surprising, couple of weeks of way less than “expected” weight loss have given way to weight pouring off for about a week.

I’m now looking at all of this from two different perspectives. The first is the way my original spreadsheet worked, but is now being handled by the MacroFactor app suggested earlier by @Lurch. That approach is to use Calories In and weight to “determine” TDEE/Calories Out. I haven’t been using the app long enough for it to get a handle on the situation, but it currently has me at about 3300 TDEE and climbing. I’m really liking the app so far  

The other perspective is using a new spreadsheet (yay!) to use Calories In and Calories Out (using my Apple Watch to get the resting and active burn, while understanding that it may be that the wearable is borderline competent at best for this task) to project weight loss.

I think it will be interesting to see how the two approaches answer the question and the extent to which they agree, or don’t. 

Now, yes, I agree that the last week or so of my attached chart looks suboptimal. However, I clearly had previous weight loss that wasn’t yet being reflected on the scale. My new spreadsheet, which starts with data from last November, says this morning that I am within .06 pounds of my expected weight given my intake and what the watch says I burn. I get that the data doesn’t really support an answer that precise, but I mention it to point out that the dramatic recent drop isn’t due to a recent wildly inappropriate deficit. It is just, I think, reflecting a “normal” amount of loss if the loss had been more linear. 

Anyway, it’s looking reasonably feasible that I can meet my July 4 goal. We’ll see.

[Macanudo 13026]

I see some of you talking about tracking info on spreadsheets.    Are these ones you made or did you get the from somewhere?   Also, if you're using a website for tracking, which one?  I've used the old Livestrong one years ago and other since then but none were really that great.

I'm back to being serious about weight loss and what I eat.   I know from past experience that tracking my food intake really keeps me honest along with letting me see how my overall nutrition is doing.  I am not trying to bulk up and put a lot of muscle on but I know I will need to add some lifting in to round out the exercise.  Right now, I walk between 3-4 miles a day.  I'm not setting land speed records but I do usually cover about a mile within 15-16 minutes.

 

[Lurch 5932]

I use LoseIt now. I had to build a spreadsheet from scratch 10+ years ago, but LoseIt does everything it did, but exponentially better.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

1 minute ago, Macanudo said:

I see some of you talking about tracking info on spreadsheets.    Are these ones you made or did you get the from somewhere?   Also, if you're using a website for tracking, which one?  I've used the old Livestrong one years ago and other since then but none were really that great.

I'm back to being serious about weight loss and what I eat.   I know from past experience that tracking my food intake really keeps me honest along with letting me see how my overall nutrition is doing.  I am not trying to bulk up and put a lot of muscle on but I know I will need to add some lifting in to round out the exercise.  Right now, I walk between 3-4 miles a day.  I'm not setting land speed records but I do usually cover about a mile within 15-16 minutes.

 

I track my weight in a couple of different apps because I like the different charts each one has. 

I track my intake in MacroFactor (not free) at the moment, but I’ve tracked intake at various times using free versions of My Fitness Pal, My Net Diary, My Macros+, and probably others. 

To the extent I track exercise, I use my Apple Watch after having used various Jawbone and Fitbit products in the past.

I use a spreadsheet to combine everything and do some math… comparing “expected” weight change based on cardio, etc. along with some simple rolling averages of various links. I’m sure there are plenty of premade spreadsheets floating around out there that do similar things. I just kinda like building spreadsheets. 

It’s really easy to grab a handful of almonds or some Easter candy and think “meh, this won’t have much effect” until it does. Sometimes tracking helps me avoid doing stuff like that out of old habits more than actually being hungry so, yeah, honesty — or at least awareness — can be a big upside.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

15 minutes ago, Lurch said:

I use LoseIt now. I had to build a spreadsheet from scratch 10+ years ago, but LoseIt does everything it did, but exponentially better.

I went all the way through the LoseIt set up process and couldn’t bring myself to subscribe even with the trial. What do you think of it compared to other stuff you’ve used?

[Lurch 5932]

I went all the way through the LoseIt set up process and couldn’t bring myself to subscribe even with the trial. What do you think of it compared to other stuff you’ve used?

I only used the free version for 8+ years until about 4 months ago. I went ahead and bought lifetime on it feeling that I’m happy paying for the tons of value I’ve received from it since the start.

I’ve not tried anything else since it always worked well for me. It doesn’t seem to have any special sauce so it’s not likely to do anything you aren’t already getting from the others. It does auto adjust my target calories based on each days weigh in, so I never feel like I have to recalculate and adjust anything once I dial in my manual override value. I just keep hitting the targets it gives me each day and I end up with 2lbs week on avg dropping off, so it’s definitely in the right ballpark.

[Macanudo 13026]

10 minutes ago, Doc Daneeka said:

It’s really easy to grab a handful of almonds or some Easter candy and think “meh, this won’t have much effect” until it does. Sometimes tracking helps me avoid doing stuff like that out of old habits more than actually being hungry so, yeah, honesty — or at least awareness — can be a big upside.

That's me.   When I get into the habit of documenting what I eat, I am more honest about what I eat and when.  Fortunately, I really like raw fruits, veggies and nuts.  I just have to be better about grabbing a small amount of carrots instead of something worse.  I stopped drinking alcohol over a year ago and then it took a while to stop craving sugar in general.   I let myself indulge more than I should have with the result of not losing any weight even though I wasn't getting all those empty alcohol calories.  

I have been really bad about was eating out too often.   Lots of Jimmy Johns/Potbelly sandwiches, fast food and Mexican food.   Chips and salsa are one of my downfalls.   

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

7 minutes ago, Lurch said:

I only used the free version for 8+ years until about 4 months ago. I went ahead and bought lifetime on it feeling that I’m happy paying for the tons of value I’ve received from it since the start.

I’ve not tried anything else since it always worked well for me. It doesn’t seem to have any special sauce so it’s not likely to do anything you aren’t already getting from the others. It does auto adjust my target calories based on each days weigh in, so I never feel like I have to recalculate and adjust anything once I dial in my manual override value. I just keep hitting the targets it gives me each day and I end up with 2lbs week on avg dropping off, so it’s definitely in the right ballpark.

Makes sense. When I was using MFP I manually told it to recalculate my target based on my new low weight. Then used my spreadsheet to do it. The app I’m currently using does that, but they say it takes 2-3 weeks or more really to dial in on your expenditure, but I haven’t used it long enough for that, yet. It’s cranked me up to 3300 TDEE but the curve is still headed up.

[Lurch 5932]

I like the mindset of allowing myself to eat and drink anything I want. As long as I track it and get in enough exercise to hit my calorie target, it’s all fair game.

That said, I did adopt the additional protein target which makes this mindset a bit more challenging, but it’s still quite possible to make it work with a less than healthy food selection.

Track every little bit. Turn on the apps reminders to ensure you don’t forget to log a meal. Build the habit and you hardly think about it. I now just reflexively grab my phone to log any time I eat.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

4 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

That's me.   When I get into the habit of documenting what I eat, I am more honest about what I eat and when.  Fortunately, I really like raw fruits, veggies and nuts.  I just have to be better about grabbing a small amount of carrots instead of something worse.  I stopped drinking alcohol over a year ago and then it took a while to stop craving sugar in general.   I let myself indulge more than I should have with the result of not losing any weight even though I wasn't getting all those empty alcohol calories.  

I have been really bad about was eating out too often.   Lots of Jimmy Johns/Potbelly sandwiches, fast food and Mexican food.   Chips and salsa are one of my downfalls.   

Chips and salsa, you say? Also one of mine, but I take them into account. At least the salsa is pretty harmless other than the water I retain from salting it so much. 

I turned into a fatass largely from eating from boredom or habit more than anything else. Well, and being a little lazy. Once I lost the weight I haven’t had to make crazy adjustments to keep it off. My habits are much better but I’m still not immune to Christmas cookies or Reese’s cups. Acknowledging them helps keep it reined in. 

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

6 minutes ago, Lurch said:

I like the mindset of allowing myself to eat and drink anything I want. As long as I track it and get in enough exercise to hit my calorie target, it’s all fair game.

That said, I did adopt the additional protein target which makes this mindset a bit more challenging, but it’s still quite possible to make it work with a less than healthy food selection.

Track every little bit. Turn on the apps reminders to ensure you don’t forget to log a meal. Build the habit and you hardly think about it. I now just reflexively grab my phone to log any time I eat.

The IIFYM — if it fits your macros — approach was really the revelation that got me back to a sane weight. I can eat basically whatever the hell I want — getting enough protein and movement to keep muscle mass — just not necessarily as much as I want. 

Nothing wrong with a Snickers, or a donut, or some Blue Bell, or whatever. Just take it into account as part of your overall plan. It’s the food equivalent of spending money on stupid things. As long as it’s a reasonable amount that fits in the larger whole, it’s fine. 

[Macanudo 13026]

Completely agree with this.  I learned a while ago that depriving oneself is the roadmap for failing.  Back in 2009-2010, I lost a fair amount of weight over 6-8 months.   I still had a slice or two of pizza every now and then but it not 3-4 pieces.  Once I rein myself in, I normally see good results.

I have always had a tendency to over eat and American portion sizes (talking restaurants here) kill me.  I have the mentality of "Well, I just paid X dollars for this and its a waste of money if I don't eat it all."   That's why when I eat out, I'm always up for sharing with someone.   

I just had the following for lunch and it was so good.  Forgot how tasty "healthy" food is.   It might not be 100% healthy but it's better than what I normally eat for lunch.

1 serving of baby carrots

1 serving of plain hummus

1 serving of HEB vanilla bean Greek yogurt

1/2 serving of cottage cheese

1 oz of turkey breast

1 serving of wheat pita chips

All told that's around 650 calories and I'll have a protein shake for a snack later.   Breakfast was a 2 egg omelet with green bell pepper, tomato, onion, ham and cheedar I made at home.   I hadn't made myself an omelet in a while and it was tasty.

[Js1 85659]

6 hours ago, Doc Daneeka said:

I went all the way through the LoseIt set up process and couldn’t bring myself to subscribe even with the trial. What do you think of it compared to other stuff you’ve used?

I used MFP and then LoseIt.  I like LoseIt a lot better, I use the free version. 

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

1 minute ago, Js1 said:

I used MFP and then LoseIt.  I like LoseIt a lot better, I use the free version. 

It looked to me like it was subscription only. I guess i wasn’t playing close enough attention. I may take a look just to see how it works. Once I read about the app I’m using now and thought like 50 times “that’s what my spreadsheet does” I jumped into that one. 

[Macanudo 13026]

I have had way more loss in 5 days than I expected and I suspect it's because:  1.)  I started tracking what I'm eating resulting in honesty and 2.) A conscious effort to eat healthier in general that started several weeks ago.

Last weekend, I weighed 270 on the dot.  I'm 6'2" and that weight definitely  shows.  This morning I am at 266.  I'm not starving myself at all.  I'm coming in at around 2000-2100 calories a day and those have been healthier calories than I normally eat.   We got Chinese take out for dinner last night and I had "real" servings of what I ate instead of how much I would usually eat.   It wax obviously less but in a way more satisfying.   I wasn't scarfing it down and going back for more.  

My ideal weight using BMI is in the mid 190s.  I weighed that in high school and I was skinny as fuck.  My goal is 205 since I want to have some muscle tone.  

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

21 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

I have had way more loss in 5 days than I expected and I suspect it's because:  1.)  I started tracking what I'm eating resulting in honesty and 2.) A conscious effort to eat healthier in general that started several weeks ago.

Last weekend, I weighed 270 on the dot.  I'm 6'2" and that weight definitely  shows.  This morning I am at 266.  I'm not starving myself at all.  I'm coming in at around 2000-2100 calories a day and those have been healthier calories than I normally eat.   We got Chinese take out for dinner last night and I had "real" servings of what I ate instead of how much I would usually eat.   It wax obviously less but in a way more satisfying.   I wasn't scarfing it down and going back for more.  

My ideal weight using BMI is in the mid 190s.  I weighed that in high school and I was skinny as fuck.  My goal is 205 since I want to have some muscle tone.  

Yeah, weight loss — or at least the daily scale — is a fickle bitch, even if the trend is in the right direction. Especially at first. I went a couple of weeks without losing much, then lost 8 pounds in about 5 days, then flattened again. The trend looks really nice, though. 

Here’s the deal on BMI, imo: even leaving aside the issues with density of muscle vs. fat — let’s be honest, though, there probably aren’t a lot of overly muscular peeps hanging out on this thread — BMI doesn’t scale very well the further you get from an average height. Extremely tall people are thinner and extremely short people are thicker at a given BMI. 

https://tall.life/better-bmi-for-short-and-tall-people/

That said, I was like 6’7” when I graduated high school and weighed about 185. Crazy. My goal weight for this bout of loss (not my ultimate goal) is exactly right in the middle of my BMI range, which will make me look a bit thin, but I’m hoping to slowly recomp and then very slowly add some weight while lifting weights and maybe not be so jiggly around the middle. We’ll see.

[Herbie Hancock 7382]

let’s be honest, though, there probably aren’t a lot of overly muscular peeps hanging out on this thread

There aren't a lot, but there is at least one.

[Macanudo 13026]

I am not hung up on BMI and never will be.  In college I weighed 220 and was in great shape.   Lots of tone and was eating pretty healthy.   But on that scale I was overweight.   Didn't matter that I lifted regularly and was running 20-30 miles a week.   

My stated goal might be 205 but it's really the journey not the destination.  As long as I'm back to pushing for the goal and I feel better, I'm a happy camper.

There's a lot to be said for mental health while dieting.  I just finished lunch (shredded lettuce, carrots and cabbage with some turkey breast, shredded cheddar and blue cheese crumbles and a vinaigrette dressing.   Followed that up with some peanut butter on celery.  For some reason, I have been craving sweets after a meal.  I'm not normally a dessert guy and maybe it's just a habit I've gotten into after I stopped drinking.  But damn if that peanut butter didn't hit the spot.   All of that came in at around 725 calories.   

A few weeks ago, it would have been a Jimmy Johns sub with something stupid like Little Debbie Zebra Cakes afterward.   I'd tell myself that the sandwich was "healthy" because I loaded it up with veggies on top of the cheese, ham and bread.  Maybe, if that was all I ate for lunch.  

[Herbie Hancock 7382]

Mac, check out Nuts n' More. Twice the protein per serving, less fat and less carbs than traditional peanut butter. Comes in all sorts of wild flavors that will tickle your sweet tooth.

Legendary Foods also makes a pecan pie almond butter that is sexual. 2g net carbs and roughly the same calories per serving as peanut butter.

[Lurch 5932]

Today is the last day of my two week diet break. It kicked all kinds of ass and I won two golf tourneys while feeling extra fueled. That said, I’m ready to get back to it, still having ~20 lbs to drop in 9 weeks.

Predictably, the scale weight jumped ~5 lbs with presumably excess water weight plus food in gut. I did intentionally over eat by 500 calls a day, but that probably didn’t result in any more than a half pound total of new fat over the two weeks. Should be interesting to see the rebound over the next 3-4 days one that all clears out and my body has to kick in fat burning mode again

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

5 hours ago, Macanudo said:

There's a lot to be said for mental health while dieting.  I just finished lunch (shredded lettuce, carrots and cabbage with some turkey breast, shredded cheddar and blue cheese crumbles and a vinaigrette dressing.   Followed that up with some peanut butter on celery. 

Nice. I had about 2700 calories of homemade pepperoni and jalapeño pizza, Caesar salad, and homemade vanilla ice cream. Over my weight loss target, but still under maintenance. Definitely worth it. 

 

5 hours ago, Herbie Hancock said:

check out Nuts n' More. Twice the protein per serving, less fat and less carbs than traditional peanut butter.

Will be googling that as soon as I hit “Submit Reply.” I’ve been using PB2 with chocolate protein powder to top off my protein for the day. Your recommendation sounds damned good. 

Edited April 23, 2023 by Doc Daneeka

[Herbie Hancock 7382]

Doc, they're both calorically equivalent to regular PB. The macros are the difference maker. But if you're someone that has a sweet tooth then it may be worth the investigation. I don't have a sweet tooth so when it was allowable in my diet I had no problem only consuming the prescribed amount. Be careful if that's your jam.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

19 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Doc, they're both calorically equivalent to regular PB. The macros are the difference maker. But if you're someone that has a sweet tooth then it may be worth the investigation. I don't have a sweet tooth so when it was allowable in my diet I had no problem only consuming the prescribed amount. Be careful if that's your jam.

Understood, but calories, per se, aren’t my issue. Im in pretty good shape with my calorie goals, today notwithstanding, but I’m targeting 203g of protein and, some days, every little bit helps.

When I’m keeping a close eye on things, I weigh calorically dense stuff like peanut butter and nuts in general. They’ll get out of hand in a hurry. 

[Macanudo 13026]

So here's a good update.   I've been back at this for about 2 weeks while watching both what I eat and the portions.  Been feasting on fruits and veggies while getting plenty of good fat and carbs.   I've been eating a lot of salads for lunch with satisfying stuff added to it.   The reminder that a loaded up salad with some turkey or chicken (in the right proportions), cucumber, tomato, radishes, etc. is such a great meal.   I do a half sandwich with some hummus and veggies other days to break it up.   Last night for dinner we had snapper veracruz, mixed veggies and polenta.   My whole meal came in under 500 calories and was delicious.  

I'll admit, I get hungry before meals even with snacks thrown in during the day.  But i'm adjusting to less calories and that should get better.   

The best part about this is that I'm down 7-8 pounds since I started mid April.  I know that kind of weight loss isn't sustainable and my goal is 1-1.5 pounds per week but seeing those first pound come off so fast and easily was a nice victory.  

[Lurch 5932]

My diet break data has been interesting to look at.  On April 10 I started my two week break and was at 204.2  Within the first week on break it spiked up to 210 and eventually maxed at 211.3 on April 22.  From April 24-May 1 as I resumed the regular 2 lb/week diet, it plummeted to 203.2, suggesting I probably only gained 1 real pound of fat during that two week break, then burned it plus one additional pound last week.  Pretty good evidence that the first 5-6 lbs gained when I stop dieting is quickly abandoned water and gut weight once I start again. 

Macanudo, this correlates well with your data, too.  Suggests your likely operating right on target with 2-3 lbs of fat lost in addition to that excess water/gut weight.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

That’s an annoying thing about going on maintenance. My weight goes up though my fat doesn’t. I’m torn between the empirical evidence of the scale before I have my food in my system and after. Realistically, I suppose, I weigh what I weigh. My plan is that after my trend weight reaches my target I’m going to adjust intake to only a slight deficit, which will hopefully counterbalance the non-fat gains. Once my weight starts dropping again, I’ll go to “real” maintenance at my target. 

Then, I just about have myself convinced to bite the bullet and switch from three days a week at the gym to four and to put in the effort these extra calories should allow. I’ve never been especially motivated to lift — I’ve done it in an effort to try to preserve more muscle mass while losing weight more so than to add muscle, per se — but, screw it, maybe even as an old I can put on a little muscle.

[Lurch 5932]

I’m considering just targeting 177 lbs rather than 185 so that my non diet daily weigh ins will be around 185

[Lurch 5932]

11 minutes ago, Doc Daneeka said:

Then, I just about have myself convinced to bite the bullet and switch from three days a week at the gym to four and to put in the effort these extra calories should allow. I’ve never been especially motivated to lift — I’ve done it in an effort to try to preserve more muscle mass while losing weight more so than to add muscle, per se — but, screw it, maybe even as an old I can put on a little muscle.

FWIW, I understand the current belief is that 6-8 sets per week on a given muscle is really the max you'll get benefits from.  Adding additional sets may have some additional benefit, but its fairly negligible and probably not worth the effort, particularly if it interferes with recovery.  Just something to think about if you do start considering that 4th gym day

Edited May 3, 2023 by Lurch

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

21 minutes ago, Lurch said:

FWIW, I understand the current belief is that 6-8 sets per week on a given muscle is really the max you'll get benefits from.  Adding additional sets may have some additional benefit, but its fairly negligible and probably not worth the effort, particularly if it interferes with recovery.  Just something to think about if you do start considering that 4th gym day

Right now, I’m doing basically Push, Pull, Legs, usually three sets of each exercise, though there’s some overlap in muscle groups with the different exercises.  

Doing Upper, Lower, Upper, Lower will get closer me to hitting everything more consistently with 6-8 sets a week, I think. That, along with more focused effort on hypertrophy, will, I’m hoping, yield results. If I don’t chicken out, anyway. 

[Storm the Field 5304]

On 3/8/2023 at 9:31 AM, Storm the Field said:

Welp, it's my 39th birthday today. Just got home from the gym and felt like checking in. 

Unfortunately, I didn't hit my initial weight target for today. Have pleateaued around 198 the last month or so, almost certainly due to bad habits on the weekends. That said, I'm not too bummed about it, because I'm at a much improved muscle/fat ratio (easily a good 5% drop in body fat). Have been pretty religious about hitting the gym at a minimum 4 times a week, often 5. I'm currently stronger and have more muscle mass than at any point since my mid-20's.

Clothes are fitting great. Feel better physically than I have in a long time. Just gotta keep at it.

Lollygagged bad during the final week of March and first half of April. Had a 4-day vacation weekend, couple of mid-week baseball games and a bunch of after-work events, and ended up only working out probably 5 or 6 times during that 3 week stretch, along with too much booze and bad dietary habits. Been back on the routine the last 3 weeks and pretty much back to where I was when I made this post. 

Gonna stick with my current gym routine probably through Memorial Day, but my big project this summer is going to be doing a lot more core exercises and really focusing on trimming down the gut/waist. I'm very happy with where my arms/shoulders/chest are these days, but I've got a lot of work to do below the sternum.

[South Austin 52673]

On 5/5/2023 at 12:09 PM, Storm the Field said:

Lollygagged bad during the final week of March and first half of April. 

 

[Macanudo 13026]

Been feeling great with the reduction in portions and calories.   It's especially satisfying to have healthy snacks in between meals.   I forgot how simple and delicious a little bit of peanut butter is with some celery.   I still have some leftover "regular" peanut butter but I bought a little of the HEB bulk kind along with some of their honey roasted version.   1 tablespoon runs me about 100 calories.   Been eating hummus with carrots or pita chips, cottage cheese with pineapple or berries and lots of veggies with meals among other things. 

I made a decently large salad for lunch today with grape tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese, black olives, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, cucumber and 2-3 oz of leftover pork tenderloin with balsamic vinaigrette that we made last night.  I have never liked a salad drowing in dressing so it was probably only a tablespoon.  All of that came in around 450 calories.   Throw in a 400 calorie breakfast, post breakfast protein powder with milk, post lunch pumpkin seeds with celery and peanut butter and I'm sitting at around 1300 calories for the day with dinner to come.   Everthing I have been eating has been enjoyable albeit I do find myself a little hungry now and then.  

I can definitely be a boredom eater and have to be careful about that.  I am horrible about grabbing stuff that doesn't really have a lot to offer nutrition wise or eating 2-3 portions of something more healthy instead of just one serving.  

Still seeing good progress on the scale but the amount of weight I want to lose isn't going to happen for a while.   Have to just keep on keeping on.  

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

This sounds idiotic, and yes I’ve googled, but I’m looking for tips on walking faster. I really, really, really don’t want to jog. I really don’t. At this point, my default pace is about a 13:30 mile. If I try to focus on it more — which is kind of a pain in the ass when I’m trying to learn more Spanish at the time, but I suppose it’s feasible — I can get to low 13s or very high 12s. 

 

I really can’t get my heart rate where I want it at this waking speed. It feels like I’m going to have to jog or break out the uncomfortable AF weighted vest, but maybe I’m just missing something. 
 

 

[Lurch 5932]

One of the (many) benefits of owning an elliptical machine, if you're willing to consider it.  Being able to control resistance becomes more and more important as you continue your weight loss, as your body becomes more efficient in exercising (plus you weigh less, so you're easier to move).  I don't think I could have been so successful at this without mine.

[4th&Five 41626]

1 hour ago, Doc Daneeka said:

This sounds idiotic, and yes I’ve googled, but I’m looking for tips on walking faster. I really, really, really don’t want to jog. I really don’t. At this point, my default pace is about a 13:30 mile. If I try to focus on it more — which is kind of a pain in the ass when I’m trying to learn more Spanish at the time, but I suppose it’s feasible — I can get to low 13s or very high 12s. 

 

I really can’t get my heart rate where I want it at this waking speed. It feels like I’m going to have to jog or break out the uncomfortable AF weighted vest, but maybe I’m just missing something. 
 

 

[PantsTent 2002]

2 hours ago, Doc Daneeka said:

This sounds idiotic, and yes I’ve googled, but I’m looking for tips on walking faster. I really, really, really don’t want to jog. I really don’t. At this point, my default pace is about a 13:30 mile. If I try to focus on it more — which is kind of a pain in the ass when I’m trying to learn more Spanish at the time, but I suppose it’s feasible — I can get to low 13s or very high 12s. 

 

I really can’t get my heart rate where I want it at this waking speed. It feels like I’m going to have to jog or break out the uncomfortable AF weighted vest, but maybe I’m just missing something. 
 

 

 

Maybe before starting and every mile, stop and bust out some burpees, jumping jacks, high knees, pushups, etc to get the heart going more before continuing on the walk?  

[Macanudo 13026]

The elliptical has been my go to for good cardio for the last 15 years.   Low impact on joints and easy to get moving on.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

I use a treadmill at the gym when I go to lift, but I don’t use it for an hour at a time. I think, maybe, if I could keep my pace at around 13:00 for the hour, that might work. But I get distracted focusing on Spanish.

Similar to what @PantsTent wrote, I’ve considered jogging at an appropriate speed for maybe the first quarter mile to kickstart my heart — yes, that’s the reference you think it is — and see if I can keep it higher if it starts higher. Maybe I should try that at each mile until my watch says my heart is going to pop, but that’s basically how I ended up completing the “Couch to 10 K” just do I could freaking say I did it. 

I think, though, it’s going to come down to ditching the Spanish while I’m trying to walk faster — no me gusta nada — or jogging or wearing the weighted vest. Probably, as much as I hate it, it will be the jogging because my center of gravity is already pretty high and the vest only makes it worse. Sigh. 

Thanks for the input, y’all. 

[Lurch 5932]

Ankle or waist weights?

[Lurch 5932]

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

9 minutes ago, Lurch said:

I was thinking more like Shute, but I liked Vision Quest and I identified more with the gigantic blond, blue-eyed Russian in Rocky IV.

 

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Doc Daneeka

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

17 minutes ago, Lurch said:

Ankle or waist weights?

I could try ankle weights, I suppose. Calls for some research. Thanks. 

[Macanudo 13026]

4 minutes ago, Doc Daneeka said:

I could try ankle weights, I suppose. Calls for some research. Thanks. 

What about concrete shoes?  😁

[Herbie Hancock 7382]

Get a weighted vest. I have a Gold's Gym one I got at wal mart 10+ years ago that can be lightened from 8 lbs all the way up to 40. Absolutely do not get ankle weights.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

7 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Get a weighted vest. I have a Gold's Gym one I got at wal mart 10+ years ago that can be lightened from 8 lbs all the way up to 40. Absolutely do not get ankle weights.

I have one.

“I think, though, it’s going to come down to ditching the Spanish while I’m trying to walk faster — no me gusta nada — or jogging or wearing the weighted vest.”

It’s pretty uncomfortable on my shoulders no matter what I’ve tried and I don’t like feeling so top heavy — though I suppose I’d get used to it eventually — but it seems like one of the two viable options I have available at the moment. 

[Da Fino 2785]

55 minutes ago, Doc Daneeka said:

I use a treadmill at the gym when I go to lift, but I don’t use it for an hour at a time. I think, maybe, if I could keep my pace at around 13:00 for the hour, that might work. But I get distracted focusing on Spanish.

Similar to what @PantsTent wrote, I’ve considered jogging at an appropriate speed for maybe the first quarter mile to kickstart my heart — yes, that’s the reference you think it is — and see if I can keep it higher if it starts higher. Maybe I should try that at each mile until my watch says my heart is going to pop, but that’s basically how I ended up completing the “Couch to 10 K” just do I could freaking say I did it. 

I think, though, it’s going to come down to ditching the Spanish while I’m trying to walk faster — no me gusta nada — or jogging or wearing the weighted vest. Probably, as much as I hate it, it will be the jogging because my center of gravity is already pretty high and the vest only makes it worse. Sigh. 

Thanks for the input, y’all. 

Have you tried bumping up the incline or did I miss that?

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

32 minutes ago, Da Fino said:

Have you tried bumping up the incline or did I miss that?

My problem is out in the real world. I’m on the treadmill for maybe a hour a week at the moment. 

[Js1 85659]

Well front squats are on my 4 week plan for May and hold hell I hate them. Traditional grip feels like I’m going to break both my wrists and cross grip hurts the fuck out of my clavicles and upper bicep. Any recommendations?

And no, I can’t just not do them. Apparently they have a specific function for what’s coming in June on that 4 week plan 

[Herbie Hancock 7382]

Do you have access to a safety squat bar or a Kabuki Transformer bar? If not, heel elevated goblet squats. Or lower the weight. If you're trying to front squat what you back squat, that could be your biggest issue.

[Js1 85659]

I’ll ask my trainer if the gym has a safety squat bar. Good call. And no, my front squat is well below my back squat weight