Damn, I am so out of shape.

[Metalhead]

COVID isolation hit me hard, I put on weight and lost muscle tone. Now I am fighting to get it all back.

I started lifting weights again today, and my body is telling me I started off too heavily.

This is somewhat disgraceful.

 

[Crabcore]

Definitely start out slow / light! It's so much better not to injure yourself while trying to establish a new habit (if establishing a new habit is your goal, that is!). You can never go too light in the beginning (in my experience), because 5 minutes / 5 pounds beats zero!

I got really lucky with the whole COVID / lockdown thing -- that was my breaking point, for some reason. Now I only take a day off in the event of sickness or an emergency just because it feels so good

I definitely wouldn't call it disgraceful though, either. A lot of people struggle with this!

 

[VictorR]

You could have figuratively walked away, but instead you're taking the courage to get back on track.

Far from being disgraceful, that shows humility and strength.

I'm on my post-COVID comeback as well, so you're not alone in this!

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Do you get the Washington version of OHP?

You could be getting free Physical Therapy.

 

[DogzSpirit]

Yes, it is a surprise. To many people. Slow and steady is the way to go. I do a recovery day between weight resistance workouts. 65 here, and it may be good incentive for you to know it is easier in your 40's to get back up to par, than to begin that recovery in 10 years. Every ten years or so, I see the difference in challenge presented, and am happy I didn't drop the ball too much when younger. On the same point, I am disappointed that I dropped it as much as I did.

40's is a tremendous opportunity to rehab oneself. If you have any challenges and have insurance, go to PT for they will give you good advice on working stretches into your workout, recovery tips when sore, and how to avoid the wrong type of soreness.

 

[Ken]

COVID isolation hit me hard, I put on weight and lost muscle tone. Now I am fighting to get it all back.

I started lifting weights again today, and my body is telling me I started off too heavily.

This is somewhat disgraceful.

Yea, it feels disgraceful, but rest assured, you are not alone! There are so many people of the entire population that is right where you are.

The thing is; while it feels disgraceful, you are not doomed. With some effort, it is resolvable.

FYI, just something that will help; watch the documentary, "The Game Changers" on Netflix.

I did this back in 1989 in response to becoming a type 1 diabetic. (No The Game Changers documentary did not exist in 1989, but the science did.) Not only did it resolve my diabetic issues, but my energy went through the roof - and has been that way ever since. I also know a few hundred people that has done the same, all with the same results. I know a lady, Ruth Heidrich, that was dying with stage 4 cancer, who refused treatment, because there was no hope for her survival anyway. Instead she decided to go to Dr. John Mcdougall who has a very strong reputation. She figured, what's to lose? He put her on the same lifestyle depicted in the documentary and she has since outlived her oncologist and decades later, now in her late 80's, still runs everyday just to burn off all the extra energy.

I know changing one's lifestyle is gruelingly difficult, but I can tell you it is worth the effort. I am certain that if I didn't do it, I would not be here today enjoying this forum - or anything else. This diet has saved me from type-1 diabetes, celiac disease and crohn's disease - just to name a few.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

Glad that you are paying attention to your fitness. During the COVID limitations I continued with outdoor activities, so stayed active.

 

[Sasha22]

COVID isolation hit me hard, I put on weight and lost muscle tone. Now I am fighting to get it all back.

I started lifting weights again today, and my body is telling me I started off too heavily.

This is somewhat disgraceful.

Keep on keeping on.

 

[Sherlock77]

COVID isolation hit me hard, I put on weight and lost muscle tone. Now I am fighting to get it all back.

I started lifting weights again today, and my body is telling me I started off too heavily.

This is somewhat disgraceful.

Never give up, we all started somewhere... I don't know much about weight lifting, but there is some good advice in this thread...

 

[Metalhead]

I am sore, but stretching this morning helped to alleviate a lot of that. I still am going to try to get in 10,000 steps today while sticking between 1,800-2,000 calories. I realize that most of my empty calories are of the liquid variety. For years, it was beer. Then it became soda. Now I am drinking mostly tap water.

 

[Metalhead]

A part of my 10,000 steps a day involves walking up an incredibly steep hill M-F to get to my office from downtown first thing in the morning.

After three days of this, my calves are begging me for a rest.

 

[MNAus]

I hear you. Covid was massively damaging to my physical and mental wellbeing. Not the lockdowns and the disease, but getting kicked out of houses so landlords could make a huge profit from the printed money, getting laid off from companies that then posted record profits, etc. I've spent the last 3 years protecting my family from capitalism, and I am knackered. Sadly my own health just couldn't figure in the top 5 priorities. Keeping the kids safe and in warm beds, etc all came higher. But I'm going back to the gym!

 

[Metalhead]

I am 6'3" and 285 lbs currently, and I did lose 20 lbs so far but I look at my belly and I feel utter disgust at what I have allowed myself to become.

I wish I could fast for a few months and become super thin, but that isn't healthy at all.

I wish I could hibernate all winter long and wake up with a size 32 waist, but that is not possible.

I wish I could lose the rest of this weight super quickly. I wish I was strong enough to live off a few hundred calories a day. But I am too weak willed and eventually I will eat.

 

[Magna]

Are you able to exercise or do you have physical limitations which prevent you from doing so? How many calories on average do you think you consume each day?

 

[Rodafina]

I understand, Metalhead. It’s a very frustrating feeling to have. Sustained weight loss takes such a long time and it is very difficult to keep up hope, positivity, and motivation for the entirety of how long it takes.

All I can say in this regard is to celebrate the small successes. 20 pounds is actually a big success, and if you can keep that up, you will see change over time.

 

[Metalhead]

Are you able to exercise or do you have physical limitations which prevent you from doing so? How many calories on average do you think you consume each day?

Well, after I gave up soda, I am tracking my calories and keeping myself around 2K a day. Most of my belly came from liquid calories - soda and beer.

 

[chincey_james]

I have experience with losing weight and keeping it off.

Shame is not a solid ground to build a "healthy" lifestyle on. Shame keeps behavior the same.

Here are the two things I try to do:

1. Self-love. I decided to adopt a "healthier" lifestyle not because I was punishing myself for my past gluttony or pursuing a certain weight goal. I decided to do it because I wanted to take care of myself and reward myself with feeling better. Oscar Wilde said, "To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance."

2. Permament lifestyle changes. No more intense dieting. Instead, I limit myself to three big meals a day and quit snacking in the evenings. If I get hungry after dinner, I eat fruit, not potato chips. After several months of doing this, I had lost 20 pounds, all without ever once feeling like I was depriving myself.

Just the fact that you've already lost 20 pounds is amazing. Maybe you'll be even more successful if you take a softer and kinder approach with yourself?

 

[Magna]

Well, after I gave up soda, I am tracking my calories and keeping myself around 2K a day. Most of my belly came from liquid calories - soda and beer.

2,000 calories per day for a 6'3" male is actually within a range of likely resulting in weight loss especially if you added just a bit of exercise most days of the week. If you kept to 2,000 calories per day and added a 30 minute walk approx five days per week I'd be very surprised if you didn't lose weight over time.

I've found that tracking my caloric intake using an app has been one of the most helpful things in maintaining a healthy body weight for me. Thankfully I find calorie tracking to be fun and interesting. I've been tracking my calories for a few years now. The tracking app I use syncs with my watch which I in turn use to track my exercise. More exercise each day means more calories above my normal daily allotment I can consume if I want to and the app does all the calculations automatically.

 

[Metalhead]

Yeah, I just have to keep on doing what I am doing, but I want to be 220 lbs right now. However, I want patience and I want patience right now.

 

[Aspychata]

I skipped breakfast, upped my protein with protein powder, and protein yogurt. If you can substitute a meal with high protein or healthy salad maybe? I did half a ramen package drained, and one fried egg on top. It was slow, but the weight came off. My partner was exactly like you. He gained his weight in his belly. He finally lost the belly over 2 years, then it took another year for his skin to tighten up. He is going to the gym, it took a little coaxing, and that is helping. Good luck, sounds like you are getting this under control. Basically , it's cutting food intake. That's the tough pill to swallow, especially if you are a emotional eater. I had to deal with mouse issues last nite, and l picked up two pumpkin donuts, l was so stressed, because l am not a farm girl. I am a true city slicker urban rat girl.