Just a note of encouragement to those who are closing in on goals.

It feels extraordinary to hit one of them when you least expect it.

Since January I've dropped from 242lbs to 204 lbs - not a ton by the standards of this board, but very significant to me (I'm 6'2"). I'm a little behind on some of the goals I set for July 4, but really needed a few new pairs of shorts to make it through the summer without unintentionally dropping my pants.

I figured a 36 waist would do it - I was a pretty snug 38 before. They were falling off of me and so I put on the 34's - which fit perfectly.

It's been almost 20 years since I was able to wear a 34 waist (I'm 35), and it was a big surprise for me. Really a huge ego boost.

Summation: the sense of accomplishment that you get when you hit the mark is amazing, and there is a huge payoff at the end.

Keep up the hard work - it does get you there.

bd

hey congrats man!! You should take some pics and post your diet. Keep on workin' hard!!

My plan has been pretty simple:

1. Workout (inc. cardio) as detailed in the book Core Performance by Mark Verstegen. It's one of those functional books that teaches you to train to be an athlete, not just lift for lifting. I highly reccomend it.

2. Diet. I am not much of a calorie adder, but I pay attention to the numbers on all of the items that I eat. The basic diet principles have been:
a. Eat less more often.
b. Eat less processed food.
C. Drink a lot less red wine than I did before.
d. Think of food as the raw materials for yourself (interesting concept)
e. Stop eating fries and chocolate chip cookies (two weaknesses of mine)


The first key is consistency:
I have missed a grand total of 2 planned workouts since starting in January (one day off per week, plus a planned week off last month). My diet has been really good almost every day, but I still can go out and eat a steak once in a while - as long as I don't eat cookies and ice cream 5 times a week.

The second key for me was lifting weights again. It won't make you huge, it will make you strong, and it helps you burn fat like nobody's business. If you are not sure as to whether it's right for you, dive into it for 10 times over 3 weeks.

The third key for me was tracking my weight daily and putting it into a spreadsheet. This idea seems to be oddly controversial around here, but the idea was to get feedback every day. It also served as a good reminder to me at the beginning of every day that I needed to work on getting healthier.

Last immediate goal for me is to get to 200 by July 4.

Vanity goal: a 4 or 6 pack by labor day - I'm getting a little closer, but it's still not there. Never had one before, but who knows - I may get there yet.

Great progress man! It's amazing how a person can't just settle. I like that you have your vanity goal. I know when I made my goals (still in progress), I upped them as I went along. I'm down to a loose 33 waist from a solid 36. I haven't been below a 34 for 11 years. I might actually get to 32 in the near future- and my original goal was a 34 waist.

Keep it up man. I'm going for a six-pack at some point soon. Never had one either- so it will be totally cool to actually do it.