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Getting in shape for Vegas

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by Kiwijake, Dec 5, 2015.

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  1. Kiwijake

    Kiwijake Tourist

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    So I'm in my mid thirties, married, with five year old twin boys. I have let myself go the last few years and am now weighing a massive 266 pounds. I'm 6'2 but would like to get down to 200 odd pounds by the time me and my poker buddies head away for our big Vegas adventure planned for September 2017. It's a ways away but need to get my life in order anyway so this is a good milestone to work towards. My hope by sharing this is to keep me honest and on track. I have downloaded an iPad app to record my details and will post results every few weeks or so.

    The plan is pretty basic, eat lots of good clean food and get consistent exercise. I'm going to try to stay away from the more fad like diets as they never seem to last, and stick with lots of fruit, veges, nuts, and lean meats. My biggest issue is the drive through (I'm on the road a lot for work) so planning and making good food to take with me to avoid this will be important. Exercise will start with exercise bike, walks and push ups. After I get a little less round the plan is to incorporate kettle bells, and some boxing training with my mate.

    I know if I stay consistent I'll be happier, healthier, and loose a ton of weight. In almost two years time I'll make the long flight from New Zealand to Vegas looking slim and impressing all the ladies with my kiwi accent and abs of steel. My cardio training will help with the long degenerate poker, blackjack, and craps sessions. That's the goal but it's a long way off. Going to try to set lots of little milestones and work towards them and enjoy the process.

    Cheers,

    Kiwijake
     
  2. Flowers

    Flowers VIP Whale

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    I have always struggled with my weight -- focused on losing about 30 pounds now -- and I applaud your commitment to getting and remaining healthy. You've got a great and sensible plan. I am among the many VMBers that I know will be cheering you on1
     
  3. BreakEven

    BreakEven High-Roller

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    First off, good luck to you! That is definitely an achievable goal.

    I think the idea of posting status updates here frequently - or even just tracking the stuff for yourself - will really help. Many studies have shown that the accountability/peer pressure are just enough to keep us engaged :)

    I'd encourage you to start by logging your food. There are a lot of apps that support this. That'll help you track cals/protein/fat/carbs/etc, and keep you on your daily/weekly calorie goals. Don't worry, you won't have to do this forever. It's to build good habits.

    Remember to live a little every now and then. You can't live on a diet where you deny yourself everything you like all the time. Have a cheat meal once a week or something. Eventually you'll figure out that even fantastic "cheat" meals can still be aligned with your goals!

    It will be tough. There will be ups and downs. Nobody is perfect, so don't beat yourself up when it happens. Stick with it!
     
  4. Chrisbeans

    Chrisbeans High-Roller

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    You can totally do this! I, too, have struggled with my weight. I lost almost 30 pounds before my 2014 Vegas trip. Here I am, a year later and have gained all the weight back and then some. I truly believe that consistency is the key. If I kept doing what I was doing to lose those 30 pounds, I'd still be in great shape and I wouldn't look and feel like crap right now. Well, I have my next Vegas trip coming in February 2016 and I'm hoping to start my health and exercise goals ASAP. I'll be rooting for you and wish you the best. I'm sure there are many people on this board in the same boat as you and I, so we won't be alone in this weight loss journey. With the New Year coming along, it's the perfect time to start better/healthier habits. YOU'VE GOT THIS!
     
  5. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

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    Awesome you want to get healthy! You're married so the abs won't matter. The kiwi accent will get you lots of chat time with the ladies and if you want to stay married, chat is all you need.

    Get sexy for your bride and healthy for your trip!
     
  6. Electroguy563

    Electroguy563 Vegas Joker

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    Yep. +1. Forget about the Vegas chicks. Only money impresses them.
     
  7. simundo26

    simundo26 Low-Roller

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    how many calories do you eat a day ? reduce it by 500 a day, if your going to the gym i would recommand a push/pull/legs routine, with 20 mins of cardio couple of times a week
     
  8. JosieCat

    JosieCat VIP Whale

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    After I successfully lost around 180 pounds of boyfriend :), I have been living a much healthier lifestyle. I moved out October 1, and am down 26 pounds and am wearing jeans 3 sizes smaller, haven't been to a casino since my 10/4 trip to Vegas, and have quit smoking.

    I find that exercise is the key. Not only to help you get in shape, but the more you burn off exercising, the more you can eat. I also bought a Fitbit and monitor my progress on the Fitbit site. It's fun to see the weight you've lost.

    Good luck and keep us posted.
     
  9. captainron62

    captainron62 VIP Whale

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    Consistency, that is the key. If you are sweating you know you are working out. I like to maintain a good sweat for at least 30 mins before I slow down. Also stay away from processed foods and sugar as much as possible. If possible keep some basic fitness gear at home. Dumbells, bands and something to step up on and back down can be golden.

    Even if you have a shiz day and can't make it to the gym, at least jog in place in intervals in front of the TV. If you eat clean, pound the water and maintain 5 or 6 days a week you will see results in 3 weeks big time and that will motivate you to continue.

    Everyone quits because they don't see results, but they aren't constant enough usually. Diet will be 70% of the battle.
     
  10. DavidR82

    DavidR82 Low-Roller

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    Do you have access to a gym? There are some very decent programs to follow along on bodybuilding.com. You can even get an app to bring with you that has all your scheduled workouts.
    I've struggled as well with having a profession where I am in a car for most of my shift and its very convenient to just get fast food. Above all, its what you eat. Calories in vs Calories out. There are also plenty of apps out there you can get on your phone to start tracking your calories, such as MyFitnessPal. When I was doing that, I did notice a decrease in weight and after plugging it in over a few weeks, you will pretty much know what you can eat and portion sizes. Eat clean foods as much as possible. Stick to it and it will come!
     
  11. LolaDoggie

    LolaDoggie VIP Whale

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    My husband has lost about 110lbs since December of last year. He's been chubby his whole life. He did it with portion control, eating breakfast (which he never did), no snacking after dinner, no fried foods, no junk food, and fruit when he craved sweets. He slowly increased his veggie intake from 0 to about 3 portions a day. He's still working on eating veggies. For exercise, he did work around the house. Over the spring and summer he did renovations on the house. That's it. Nothing complicated. Right now he's trying to figure out how to maintain the weight loss. He had a hard time switching from losing mode to maintenance mode. By that I mean he kept losing past where he wanted to be. We'll see if we need to get a gym membership or something. He seems to be doing OK.

    It's a huge change for him because he used to eat like an out of control 4 year old. I felt like I was grocery shopping for 1 adult and 1 child. We're probably saving $200 a month in food because he eats more normally now. There are so many packaged foods I don't have to buy anymore. And then portions of course. I never thought he would change his eating habits.

    Anyhow, doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Just keep going.
     
  12. WhskeyTangoFoxtrot

    WhskeyTangoFoxtrot MIA

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    These are the best inventions, ever! I love mine!!
     
  13. ngrund

    ngrund High-Roller

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    you might want to consider going to see a nutritionist that will evaluate you and advise you of an eating plan for your body chemistry.
     
  14. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

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    Way to go Josie!
     
  15. Elf70

    Elf70 High-Roller

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    I use a Fitbit to track my activity and MyFitnessPal to track my calories. Tracking absolutely everything you eat will make you more accountable. After about a month you will be amazed by how much your eating habits have changed and how much weight you have lost. The advise posted above about seeing a nutritionist is excellent. It's a great way to understand the changes you need to make. You also need to eventually work in splurge days or meals. For me, I eat whatever I want when I'm on a Vegas trip. (I go about every three months). I get right back to healthy eating as soon as the plane lands at the end of the trip. My next goal - quit smoking and not gain weight. Good luck on your weight loss. Keep us posted.
     
  16. JosieCat

    JosieCat VIP Whale

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    Thanks! Have a great trip!
     
  17. BayouBengal

    BayouBengal VIP Whale

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    I have a Fitbit to track my activity and use my fitness pal to track nutrition. The big stumbling block for me is alcohol on the weekend while watching football or going to a local casino.
     
  18. Kiwijake

    Kiwijake Tourist

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    Thanks everyone for the support and comments! I have had a look at the Fitbit's and they seem pretty cool, will definitely be asking Santa for one of those. This is day one for me today, started the day up early doing some crunch's and then a blast on the bike. I'm feeling very positive about the whole thing but understand consistency over time is key. I'll update my stats every week or so for motivation. Expect to see a big drop off the first week and then settle into some consistency. Christmas will be tough but as BreakEven says you need to live a little too! The goal over that period is to keep exercising, and don't beat myself up for having some not so healthy food - just keep it to the big family get together's and eat clean the rest of the time.

    Thanks everyone!
     
  19. fudgewapner

    fudgewapner High-Roller

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    I'd also consider a financial inducement. Perhaps set up some pound-to-dollars type arrangement where you take extra bankroll if you meet certain weight loss targets by the time of the trip. Knowing you get an extra $1,000 or whatever you decide to spend at the tables can be quite powerful. Then if you've kept the weight of in say 18 months, you get to go to Vegas again.
     
  20. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    I'm on a big health journey right now. Trying to live to see 50. :) I've lost a small person in weight so far, so it must be working.

    Eat food. (Hint: if it comes in a box or a bag, it's not food)
    Mostly plants.
    Not too much. (and not too little either)
    Move your body.

    That's my plan. The hardest part for me was getting away from "convenience foods" like fast food and things that come in a package. I cook a lot more than I did before, but that's not a bad thing, just required some adjusting.

    I had to add the part about not eating too little. I was losing weight at a good clip and then thought, well if I just eat less.... Yeah, that didn't work and I just ended up sick from it. Food is fuel and when you don't put gas in the car, the car doesn't run.

    The "move your body" part is still the one segment where I have to really put forth an effort. Like yesterday - I was so tired and crabby from all the holiday stuff I'm trying to get done before a surgery at the end of this week. I did not want to think about exercise, I wanted to think about napping. :) But I got on the stationary bike and did my miles. While I know it's the "right" thing to do, sometimes I have to give myself some tough love and just get it done.
     
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