Been on my diet for 5 days so far. Drinking 150 ounces of water per day, taking in two meal replacement shakes per day (one at 8am, one at 6pm), one 400-600 calorie meal per day (at noon) and snacks (an apple or raw veggies) every two hours or so. Taking in around 1200 calories per day and am down 8 pounds in 5 days and that's without cardio. I am moving my elliptical machine into the spare bedroom so I don't wake the wife at 5:30 am when I want to work out. My goal is to drop 40 pounds in the next 10-12 weeks.
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That's a lot to drop in 10 weeks. Good luck and stick with it!:-) Keep us updated.
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Fat Fox Fitness Tip of the Day

You will see on many peices of exercise equipment "cardio zones" and "fat burning zones"

If you are doing cardio as part of your fitness regimen to lose weight here is a little tidbit for you. There is a fat burning zone and a carbohydrate zone (most of us want the fat burning) but in the end it is irrelevant when it comes to overall fat loss. The "fat zone" says lower intensity will burn fat however, when you do higher intensities the body moves more out of homoeostasis, so when it has to return back to normal it takes much longer and requires more oxygen and calories to do so. It is called Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). In fact studies show that increased use of subcutaneous fat happens during this period. So while you may burn a slightly higer amount of fat during the "fat zone" exercise your total burn doing high intensity workouts (anaerobic interval training) for the same time frame will result in significantly more total caloric burn and fat loss and will improve overall cardiovascular capacity much more than "fat zone"

Now having said that it is not for the weak of heart and I mean this both objectively and subjectively. If you are at any risk talk to a doc before trying this out. Also working yourself at the edge of your total capacity is tough. The results are awesome though.

Anyway just a little tidbit for the day.


Good luck to all in there goals whatever they may be.
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Awesome tip, Shawn. I did not know that about the fat zone on the eliptical machine. So it's better not to use the fat zone monitor at all.:-)


Weighed in at 250 today. Down one pound. I was as low as 247 this week, but the weekend hurt me. No exercise and ate a bit too much. But it was my oldest daughter's birthday and we were celebrating (I know that's not an acceptable excuse, but I'm using it anyway).
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Man I have to say my first month has been filled with success, I am well in advance of my goal. I know there will be a slow down if not a stall even but at this point I am doing very well.

I think the major difference this time around is the ceasing consuming Alcohol (specifically beer)

This was a tough one for me as I love my beer and the last time I did this I reduced my caloric intake but included a beer a day.

Here is the reason I chose not too this time.

Alcohol has a few negative effects.

1. It stimulates appetite helping to dull those sensors in your brain that register when you are full even as little as one drink can cause this.

2. While only around 5% of the calories in Alcohol are turned into fat the remaining alcohol is processed by your liver and turned into acetate which is then transfered to your bloodstream to use as fuel (rather than any fat stores)

3. Alcohol increases the amount of cortisal (a muscle wasting hormone) and breaks down testosterone (a muscle creating hormone) for up to 24 hours after consumption. Less muscle means a lower overall metabolic rate which leads to less calorie burn. The results are amplified if exercise is done after consuming alchol.

4. Beer has many plant estrogens (female hormone) that can cause estrogen increase in men. This leads to increased fat storage in the hips and pelvic region (spare tire maybe) and increase pectoral fat (man boobs anyone)

Those are my reasons for giving up the booze this time around.


If I am pissing anyone off by posting this info up just say so........I am not trying to be preachy to each there own I am only sharing what I have learned.
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Good info Shawn, I too am a beer and wine lover and I have cut out salt, caffeine and alcohol from my diet and today I fit into a pair of pants that I was going to throw out a month ago. 10+ pounds off in 8 days (I realize water weight comes into play as well). I have also been using my elliptical machine and kept my heartrate above 140 for 20 minutes last night.
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I'd rather be pissed off than pissed on.:-)

Keep it coming, Shawn. Very valuable info you are posting here. Alcohol is my bane as well. I try to keep it to the weekends, but when I down a fifth of whiskey in one or two days, it's probably worse than drinking a little bit every day.
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Time for a little break from the exercise to let my body recover. Gonna take Saturday and Sunday off and be super strict on my intake.

I tend to the obsessive side and don't want to end up with tendinitis in my hamstrings.

Still on progress and cruising along.
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went to the gym today. first time in 2 months i think. switched from regular cola to coke zero, water + bitter lemon.
i am probably trying to do 45 min cardio before work. I also drive 4,35 miles with my bicycle to work.
dont have much time next week. goal for next week is 4 gym visits.
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Sounds like a good plan!:-) Keep up the good work.
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Weighed in at 250 today. Only a pound less. I need to get more physical.:-)
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My pants are getting looser everyday it seems. I'm down about an inch and a half on my waist after 11 days of dieting and amazingly, I am enjoying the challenge. I cut out Alcohol, Salt and caffiene from the diet and am eating more veggies now than every. I make a few trips to the organic farmers market and stock up with fresh produce and am learning how to prepare some pretty great dishes. I'm going to try to lose another 7-10 pounds within the next two weeks.
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GOOOO Andy!!! I'm gonna be your cheerleader. But no pompoms ok? :-)

I think it's awesome and you're on the right track here... change of lifestyle. The results may seem 'slower', but they will be results and they will last. No yo yo stuff. Just remember to change it up, especially with exercise. Like cycle on and off things.. key is cardio. .. eh, I'm rambling on what everyone else has touched on..bunch of smart peeps here!! :-)

Good luck hun, let me know if I can help. (no I wont go running, to the gym, or cook for you lol)
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Thanks Sondra.:-)

Looks like the only way I'm gonna be effective is to also cut out the alcohol. I know everyone else that has been successful has done so. My problem is too much whiskey on the weekends.:-)
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I don't drink at all, Andy. Actually, when I quit, it's when I gained so much weight. Go figure, right?
I'm hanging at around 197 still. I haven't been drinking my water near enough and my appetite is all over the place. I'll be screwed up for at least a few more weeks until I'm done changing all my meds for my back.
I really can't concentarte on anything right now cause my meds have my head totally screwed up. I got lost in the living room a little while ago. :-)
I've basically tied myself to the couch for the last week, and without exercise, even with nearly no food intake it's hard to keep things under control.
I'm not concerned so far as I don't start gaining quickly, and I'm not. I'm actually still losing weight or staying pat. Still can't get to the 185 I was at, but I'm not at all focused, either.
It'll take about a month for the new meds to smooth in and the old stuff to wear off, so I'm just gonna coast for awhile.
Fortunately my back is feeling better, and my whole spasticity seizure crap is under control. If the "Lost in Space" goes away, I'll be in pretty good shape come spring. :-)
I just gotta keep away from the shop. And that's driving me nuts. I can't do much of anything without screwing it up or getting hurt. :-)
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down from 239 to 224 in 14 days. Andy, cut out the booze and you'll see a difference. Looking back, most of my caloric intake came from alcohol and now it's coming off.
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I've been tracking it and around 15-17% of my intake is alcohol. Knowing that makes me feel like an alcoholic.:-)
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Hate to agree with you Andy as it sounds like you enjoy your Whiskey as much as I my beer.

Unfortunately as I mentioned before Alcohol has a double whammy. The extra calories you don't need and how it is metabolized.

I don't think of it as giving it up.........only obtaining to reach a goal

Keep at it amigo nothing succeeds like perseverance.

Had my semi monthly meeting with my coach today..........seems I am ripping it up...........in his words "We need to get you to slow down a bit" I know what he is getting at not to keep my expectations that this rate of change will continue but for now I maintain the pace.

Good luck all.
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I lost 1.6 pounds a week for however long it took, Shawn. Then I just stopped. Ran out of fat. Now I have a little on the gut, but I lost it all on my back and everywhere else.
50 pounds of fat is a wheelbarrow full. Can't believe I was lugging that much extra around.
I tried to get back to working out by going to Physical Therapy, but it just exasperated my back problems. So I'm back to doctoring (not that I've ever stopped).
It's all coming together slow but sure.
Time takes time, brother. Be patient and listen to your doctor. Don't hurt yourself when all you need to do is be patient. Give your body time to acclimate. It needs it. :-)
It'll all come off. You're too stubborn for it not to. :-)
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If it's any consolation, Andy, I'm an alcoholic. You wouldn't make a pimple on an alcoholic's ass. That's a good thing. :-)
Set it down for a bit and acheive your goals. Either that or find an alcoholic beverage without such a negative impact on your plan.
Once you're reached your goal, you'll enjoy and appreciate your whiskey that much more, I bet ya. :-)
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