Wow, looking good Dave! Great job!
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This is a great thread. I'm tall (6'5'') and topped out at 280. Saw some pictures of myself and asked who the fatso was. I absolutely hate exercise unless it's outdoors or playing basketball. I've forced myself to do the bike/treadmill when it's cold and do a 3 mile fastwalk with my wife when it's warm. I do crunches while watching TV. Food was my biggest problem. I eat a small breakfast and lunch but snack like crazy from 8-12 every night. I cut out a lot of the chips and sugar and stopped eating after 8pm. I've been stuck at 251 for about 2 weeks but am keeping with it. I just have to motivate myself to exercise more. Also using a calorie counter on my iPhone which helps a lot. I think 230 would be great for me and hope to hit it this year.

MCS
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We have the same weakness.. snacks. I tried giving them up, it just doesnt work. Same time frame problem for me as well.

Some things I did which you might try.

1. Changed the snacks. Added a lot of diversity, but lower calorie options. Everything from pickles, sugar free jello, fruit and yougurt (the combination is filling and tasty), nuts, 100 calorie snacks are good but you end up eating a bunch of them. Try and limit each itme to 1. If you need more eat a different snack. I set a upper threshold for the snacking that fits within a daily calorie number. For example, since I like to snack eat fewer calories for L,D so that there are 4-600 calories in the plan for snacking.

2. Water, water, water. When I snack, I force myself to drink a glass of water with each snack. Seems to prevent the "going deep" urge.

3. The deadly time window - that 8-12 period where you can just get in the grazing mode. The best solution I have found is to do my exercise around 8:30 or 9. Including prep and clean-up it burns an hour and a half of the danger zone.
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I do those Jello Chocolate Decadence cups at 60 calories. I too do the water thing. I keep a 24oz jug with me at work and go through 3 before 5:00 and then have 2-3 16oz glasses when I get home. The snack thing is easy unless I'm under a lot of stress as I'm a stress eater.

MCS
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Dave it is always amazing seeing your pictures side by side. You didn't use the phrase but I just don't like term "before and after". I think many will like "Before and Current". "After" implies that you're finished, done, and cannot get better.

Any of us in the weight loss, maintaining, muscle building game do not want to think we're finished. Be happy with your results (Dave and all), but strive for more. "Dissatisfaction is the basis of progress."

My words of wisdom for the day :-)
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Intake vs Consumption

Do you keep track of these?

Start here: http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/calories-burned

Mine looks like this:
Calories Burned

Your Calories BurnedDaily Energy Expenditure: 2695 kcal ( 11283 kJ)
Additional Calories from Exercise:+ 610.0 kcal ( 2554 kJ)
Estimated Energy Requirement: 3305.0 kcal ( 13837 kJ)

Around 2700 calories in my "normal" semi active life burned each day.
+
610 calories burned by daily exercise routine.

= 3300 calories burned per day in my current mode.


So... intake of great than 3300 per day = weight gain. Less equal weight loss.

Takes 3000-3500 calories to lose or gain a pound. So in theory, and in my experiece over long enough time frames, an example -if I consume 2500 calories a day will lose a pound every 4 days or so.


The hard part for me was being honest about understanding the intake part of the equation. It's a starting point for doing something about it. :-)
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Agreed. 193 seems to be where I want to "stick". I'm just not happy with it. Mostly because I still haven't been able to develop a regimen of exercise/eating that I'm happy with. One that's "normal".
Not eating or eating right is not a problem. I really could care less what I eat anymore and I'd be happy with noodles and rice every day. That helps keep my Isaac's in check and allows me to work. Not being strong, I'm not doing well accepting that. I've lost a lot of strength over the last year.
I just finished up Physical Therapy and wanted to head straight to the gym with Lisa, but a bad bout with Isaac's blew out the back of my thigh and my shoulder. Now I have to heal those before I can even ride the bike at the gym.
It's been tough to find that "Happy Place" with all the health drama, but it'll come as my faith allows it.
I went from 38's to 33's, so that's something to be happy with. :-)
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Forget the gym, Lisa is a beautiful woman. Have you considered focusing on a more natural weight maintenece and health progaram? Daily recreational sex? :-) (Sorry not meant to be crude just married guy funny for the impossibility of the thought - as your house can only hold so much furniture)
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Congrats on perfection, my friend! Dave, you look great. Now the important question: has it helped with the golf swing? :-)

I'm down 70 since you last saw me. 235->165. Haven't felt this good in loooong time. I don't really want to lose any more and should probably hit the gym to try to put back on some muscle--the only exercise I've really been doing has been yoga and tennis.
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I've focused on it such that it's created chafing, my friend. :-)
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Most excellent my friend! SLight improvement in the golf as I can have a more natual swing.

Muscle building is where I am at now as well. From my low to now which is + 12 lbs figure about 50/50 fat and muscle.

IN my executive health check-up the fancy machine said I was at 13% body fat or 25 lbs. 12 pounds lighter / ago I got near or below single digit body fat % and was looking "too thin".
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alot of people i know do the theory of "Waterloading".. if they want a snack, they will drink a bottle of water, and THEN have a snack, and then dont drink for 45 mins after the snack, so it retains in your stomach for a while, and by the time the water settles in, it helps give you a full feeling
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I have a 30oz. tupperware cup full of water within reach 24/7. It has a lid and stopper so I don't spill it continuously. There is no doubt it keeps me from being hungry all the time, or at least it used to help until new habits kicked in. Now I do it for the health of it. Keeps the motor clean. :-)
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so where have you been hovering Dave? lets get an update !
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come on dave, lets get an update! hope your not slippin! lol
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