Well it's a Monday night weigh in this week, as I am back after four days at Caloundra with the GF.

Was a lovely break and just weighed in @ 95 1/2 kg, am very happy with that!! Haha.

Cholesterol results from a week ago-

2011- naughty, @ 6.7. Told to go away and fix it. Three months later, was 5.3.

2015- 6.4. not bad but need to get it back down again.

Edited March 23, 201510 yr by Darren69

Was a lovely break and just weighed in @ 95 1/2 kg, am very happy with that!! Haha.

2015- 6.4. not bad but need to get it back down again.

 

Well done on the weight:

 

6.4 is a little high but really depends on the breakdown of HDL vs LDL (VLDL) ie a fasting lipid profile test?

 

I'm in tomorrow for my yearly bloods btw. Sigh,... getting old is a bastard.

Edited March 23, 201510 yr by Tom.Stopforth

My quack just tells me the number and if it's 'good' or 'not good' and one cannot pick and choose doctors these days. :/

one cannot pick and choose doctors these days. :/ 

 

 

Too true..

Hi Darren,

I hope this gives you some encouragement - here is my not so regular tracking of my weight loss efforts from Jan 2014 to today. 

Regards

Frank

 

OK, well done. But lose weight or grow a beard - not both at the same time! :mad:

 

(Still embarrassed about not recognizing you at the recent gtg )

I've only got the beard until I'm off the Clexane.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Wow! Flatout wow! After reading every page of this post I'm blown away by all the compassion and support. I joined SNA to share my trivial hifi journey but this thread shows there are still loads of great people out there willing to give a guy a helping hand.

To the dude who went from 3 cartons per week down to a 6 pack- that's a bloody awesome effort! That equates to better than cold turkey for most.

To the guys going cold turkey- hats off to you for making a change.

And to the guys battling the bulge... Keep up the great work but don't lose sight of "the grass is greener" syndrome. I'm one of those guys that grew up stupidly skinny and slowly grew into my body. I'm now 6'2" and 70kg and totally happy with my body image now but geez in my experience you cop just as much **** for being skinny as you do being fat. Took me a long time to get past the crap I copped when growing up.

So have a goal and strive for it but if you struggle or don't get there it's not the end of the world because the grass is always greener...

Edited March 24, 201510 yr by captaincheeese

How very nice of you to say so Capt'n   I think all aboard the good ship of Temperance and Moderation (and for some) Abstinence have all benefited from their choices. 

 

Now for  abit of happy news  - got my bi-annual bloods back today. I am pleased with the result. Your total cholesterol score is calculated using the following equation: HDL + LDL + 20 percent of your triglyceride level.

 

My total Cholesterol is 4.2, with Trig 0.6, HDL 1.4 and LDL 2.4 (the latter still a little on the high side). However it is much much better than 6 months ago when my LDL was up over 3, HDL around 1.8 and Trig over 1 - total score was 5.1 or 2 by memory. 

 

@ daz  =  HDL is "good" cholesterol, LDL is "bad" cholesterol and Triglycerides you want as low as possible. A high triglyceride level combined with low HDL cholesterol or high LDL cholesterol is associated with atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in artery walls that increases the risk for heart attack and stroke.

 

Source: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

 

Everything else was very normal except for a slightly elevated ALT (indicating the possibility of a fatty liver). I'll try and lose a few more kg's and have another crack at it, as the general consensus is to lower your ALT lose some weight and stop  grogging.

 

Blood pressure was at it's usual low level of 110/65 (I always get dizzy when I stand up quickly), and resting pulse back to 60. Weight this morning  was 81.5kg, which I am very happy with given I have been largely inactive for a couple weeks - a bout of chronic fatigue syndrome (which is a gift that keeps giving...) making life unpleasant - coupled with indulging a sweet tooth.  Body fat on the scales this morning was 26.5 % which is the lowest I have had in quite some time. Overall heading in the right direction. 7 kg to go to get to 75kg, which is my target weight. If I get cracking I could be there in a couple months. 

 

I  might have to give up the creme brulee's and tarte tartin's for a while. Hmmm. 

Edited March 26, 201510 yr by Tom.Stopforth

Excellent results Andrew, and no doubt, with an attitude like that.

Thanks for the link and advice, shall check it out in full tonight.

My partner is on blood pressure tablets and also has vertigo! Yes, not nice sometimes.

@@Darren69

 

I only just go around to reading this thread - good stuff!

 

You mentioned way back somewhere about half an hour of Yoga a day for your back. I'd encourage you to try to push that out to 1 hour for a whole variety of reasons, principally more "meditation time" plus benefits of extra strength work etc. I have found in my practice (~15 years) that half an hour just doesn't cut it. I do have a quickie practice, buts its for emergency use only

 

Also on the depression front, something that really worked for me is niacin (have a read here and here), might be something to look at

Just reporting in from that other thread where a different approach to healthy lifestyle is being explored by at least one member(me!)there.

 

Latest results from blood tests give a 4.6 Cholesterol level and a few other things that are at good levels except ferrite levels which aren't.

 

Today's effort on the treadmill at very fast walking speeds(can't run) resulted in 5.315k's in 40 minutes(you try that without running) and by 43 minutes at an easier pace 6k's and 520 cals burnt(which is my goal...500 cals). I then do 30 minutes in the pool exercising.

I've managed to increase the distance each day since Feb 19 when I started and the weight...gee whiz it's unbelievably hard to get over my Everest which is 100kg's, I've been down to 100.9 and haven't been able to budge it yet below that.

About 12 kgs dumped but also there has been a tightening up of muscle as well so it's all good.

 

But I'm down from 102cm waist to 97cm and none of my shirts fit me any more and I need a new wardrobe.

People have been saying I look a bit gaunt in the face. @@rantan do they say that about you RT?

 

Legs,upper chest and arms is where it's dropped off. Love handles have gone down to love grabs if you can hang on to them and roof over the tool shed has diminished to an eave over over the outside tap.

 

 

I'm sure it could be better if I was off the grog but I'm not and that's why I'm heading back to that other thread and the fridge with the vintage Coopers in it.

 

 

WD to Daz and Tom and Frank and the rest of the abstemious adherents in your quests.

 

 

Just reporting in from that other thread where a different approach to healthy lifestyle is being explored by at least one member(me!)there.

 

Latest results from blood tests give a 4.6 Cholesterol level and a few other things that are at good levels except ferrite levels which aren't.

 

Today's effort on the treadmill at very fast walking speeds(can't run) resulted in 5.315k's in 40 minutes(you try that without running) and by 43 minutes at an easier pace 6k's and 520 cals burnt(which is my goal...500 cals). I then do 30 minutes in the pool exercising.

I've managed to increase the distance each day since Feb 19 when I started and the weight...gee whiz it's unbelievably hard to get over my Everest which is 100kg's, I've been down to 100.9 and haven't been able to budge it yet below that.

About 12 kgs dumped but also there has been a tightening up of muscle as well so it's all good.

 

But I'm down from 102cm waist to 97cm and none of my shirts fit me any more and I need a new wardrobe.

People have been saying I look a bit gaunt in the face. @@rantan do they say that about you RT?

 

Legs,upper chest and arms is where it's dropped off. Love handles have gone down to love grabs if you can hang on to them and roof over the tool shed has diminished to an eave over over the outside tap.

 

 

I'm sure it could be better if I was off the grog but I'm not and that's why I'm heading back to that other thread and the fridge with the vintage Coopers in it.

 

 

WD to Daz and Tom and Frank and the rest of the abstemious adherents in your quests.

 

 

 

 

Well done mate. I see you found Mt Everest as well.

It's a hell of a climb but the view ,once you get there, is amazing. Couldn't agree more about how it changes your face and appearance though. I reckon I look older but everyone has been diplomatic enough to disagree. Either way, the before and after pics are in stark contrast and I know where I will be staying. I am now locked in the maintenance phase and although easier than the original quest it is still and likely always will be, a huge challenge.

 

The one thing I have sworn, avowed and set in stone is that I am never going back.

 

Trust me, it is all worth it.

@@Peter the Greek , thanks so much for the info and wouldn't you know it, I already take B3 to help keep my cholesterol down. I didn't know it could help with the doldrums. Great!

Since learning how to manage it, I don't experience depression that much, or maybe I do but it is just a furry little creature that scuttles through every now and then, not the Godzilla it once was. Anxiety is the worst thing for me these days.

Also, one really does not want to be 'that guy on the forum with depression'. Cheezmonn.

@@Luc great stuff Lee and yep, I reckon the beautiful amber fluid would be 80% responsible for any weight I carry around, it really is that bad...am still having a beer as I love it as much as the next bloke but it really is poison. Six pack a weekend has been a great move, a very good compromise.

I also know a new word, abstemious. Thanks.

Yep, it goes from everywhere except the gut, gut is laaaaast. A man ends up walking around on matchsticks with skinny arms and face and still the love handles cling on, haha. People have commented on my weight loss, which is nice, as in, not vanity, more that 'something is happening'.

Yeah Darren, the gut is so stubborn! I lost over 20kgs, have awesome definition in my legs from cycling, lost it in the face, have little Grover arms, but the gut just sits there mocking me saying "F you mate!".

Yes , I think it's called visceral fat.

 

I'm getting mine down though.

 

You need to target it though. I'm a little bit surprised that my entirely imagined exercise routine is doing the business but I'll admit that not everybody has a pool to jump in to do what I'm doing.

 

Young blokes like Daz&Jake should cruze the gut/love handles in.

 

Jake next time you get the call to bring a tanker in tell 'em to to take a walk and park the heli' and swim out to that Liberian flagged coal transporter... end of the roof over the toolshed.

 

...and if the worst happens you'll never have to whinge about record prices again or the longevity of silky oak.

WTF are you smokin' Luc!

 

A tanker is not a coal carrier. You can land a helo on a coal carrier but not a tanker! I can not walk on water. I am not young.

 

Grover arms. haha!!

If the missus and I sleep on our arms in bed, we develop 'muppet arm'.

WTF are you smokin' Luc!

 

A tanker is not a coal carrier. You can land a helo on a coal carrier but not a tanker! I can not walk on water. I am not young.

 

@@Jake : I said 'swim' you numpty not 'walk' . There are only a few of us who can do that you know.

@@Jake : I said 'swim' you numpty not 'walk' . There are only a few of us who can do that you know.

Haha, well I can't FN swim either!   

Yeah Darren, the gut is so stubborn! I lost over 20kgs, have awesome definition in my legs from cycling, lost it in the face, have little Grover arms, but the gut just sits there mocking me saying "F you mate!".

 

I am sure you have better fitness than I Jake but i suffer a similar issue. Any idea on your body fat percentage?

 

Ah yes, that stubborn spare tyre that remains after all of your extremities appear to have withered into nothingness. I have known that f*%+#r too many times not to know how frustrating it is. Same as for the final  approaches to the summit of Everest: some days it seems that no matter how hard you struggle "The Barrier" is unyielding. Going from 184kg one May I hit 124kg in November for one week and settled for a while at 127kg.

 

We'll see how it goes this time. Surgery is on Tuesday. The special pre-surgical diet I have been on for the last couple have weeks saw 7kg go in the first week. More since but I haven't been on the scales to know how much. Had an episode at work related to the rapid weight loss and unchanged blood pressure medication that saw me leave in an ambulance last Tuesday. I was back home the same night and back at the doctor on Wednesday morning. No problems since then.

Edited March 28, 201510 yr by JukKluk2

Was going to PM as I thought it was getting close.

I will video the MotoGP from Qatar so you can watch it when you get home.

Let us know how you fare Klukky, if you are OK with that.

Daz

Thanks for the thoughts @@Darren69, but you have no need to record the MotoGP on my behalf, I have never been a fan of  anything to do with motor sports I'm afraid. Appreciate the thought though.

 

I will update as soon as i am able. That will most likely be on or after Good Friday when I am due to come home as there is no WiFi available in the hospital.

@@JukKluk2 will wait for the update.

MotoGP- was being silly, it's a running joke at my office. About 0.003% of Aussies are into motoGP and that's when an Aussie is winning!

Sunday night weigh in, wasn't too worried if I had put weight on, have had more than the six pack this weekend, maybe 8- beers.

94 kg. Really happy. 5kg weight loss so far.

Easter coming up!