Weight/Diet Help

[Anybodyhome]

I'm 61 years old, 6'6" and now tipping the scales at 295 and I need help.

I've always been pretty athletic and competed as a triathlete until I was 40, even qual'd for the Ironman twice. My competitive weight was between 185 when I began racing at 24 and topped out at 210. Of course, I was active duty Navy and had to maintain weight, which was no problem at all.

When I retired, I began working more physically demanding jobs and gained some decent muscle mass far different than my triathlete muscles. Not such a big deal, I got up to about 240 or so and stayed there for almost 20 years. 4 years ago I began gaining weight, turned into a slug with little motivation to do anything and really started feeling like sh!t. Was diagnosed with hypothyroid and over the past 4 years I've gained almost 50lbs. I'm on a daily pill which my doc says is as high a dose as he feels safe without doing damage to my kidneys... and it's not that high a dose. 

Anyway, I'm in the gym 3-4 days a week to keep my energy level up. Combination of cardio and weights and walking (I can no longer run without my knees threatening to kill me). Upper body strength is more than I've ever had and my thighs still have some of that cycling form. The problem is between my solar plexus and pelvis. Not so much a spare tire but an uncomfortable belly fat. Most people tell me there's no way I can weight that much and, of course, no one is going to tell me honestly that I look overweight. I don't eat much, try to keep my caloric intake to less than 2000 cals.

Any diet ideas that aren't crazy fads? I do eat HomeChef 2 times a week and all of their meals are less than 900 cals or so and healthy, fresh products. My goal is to drop 25-30 and get somewhere I'm physically comfortable. Ultimately I'd like to get back to 240, but my doc doesn't think that's realistic.

Thanks in advance, guys.

[CelibatePimp]

I'm not a certified personal trainer. Now that that's out of the way, the truth is the most effective way to lose weight/gain weight is diet. I am 5'10" and used to weigh around 120 back when I started weight lifting. I would bench more than people who looked bigger and yet always looked scrawny until I tweaked my diet and begun to bulk.

Simply put, if your body has excess calories, it's going to fat and you'll bulk and in a deficit you will lose weight. At your age and height, maybe 2000 calories a day is above maintenance and I'll look to cut that back.

Sources of macro molecules for energy goes carbs>fats>proteins. Your body will start breaking down fat only after glycogen is used up (carbs are stored as glycogen). If however it obtains all the carbs it needs for your daily activities, you'll lose no weight. Good ways to do that will be having a high protein diet (for your age I would be worried about your kidneys) or try exercising first thing in the morning (since your body has been fasting overnight).

Cutting back calories is the easiest and fastest way. Go down to 1500/day while trying to cut back also the daily carb intake and see how it goes.

[lightsout]

Your BMR is probably around 2500 calories, so around 1800-2000 per day is a good range to try to get to. 

In terms of diet, it's not entirely how much, but what. Garbage in, garbage out. Keep processed sugar to as near 0 as you possibly can. Keep fruit to no more than 2 servings of whatever it is per day. Keep any wasted calories from carbs to a minimum (candy, beer, white breads, etc). Intermittent fasting is also not a bad idea, but don't go extreme. Having a 8-10 hour window where you consume nothing with the exception of water is good. Most do this naturally because sleep (duh), but just avoid eating those two hours before bed if at all possible and don't eat as soon as you wake up. Keep your fluids to just water for a week or two as well. Doing all of that, while hitting the gym and doing cardio, you should start seeing some progress. I went from 230 (worst shape of my life) to 212 in 2 and a half months. Now, I am also in my late 20s so there is that to consider as far as how much easier it is for me to change my body and shed fat, but I do think that dropping down closer to 250 over the next half year or up to a year or so is extremely doable at your age. It will just take more discipline and some careful consideration into workout intensity.

If you're not seeing results within a month or so, then just ratchet up the intensity in the gym. Go a little heavier where you can, pound out a few more hard reps, etc. I've been lifting since I was 14 and took it for granted that I would just be able to workout and see results. Once I really got back into lifting a year or so ago. After 2 months of lifting and sure, gaining a little strength and muscle definition started showing slightly more, but not REALLY seeing a change in the scale or body fat, I thought I was just stuck. Took a friend's advice to just go harder than I was going at the time and it paid off. Now I can't do anything but go heavy in the gym and I love it. Again, at 61, I'm not sure what your tolerance to that would be. So just alter where you have to, but you get the basic idea.

[Jimmy]

Hypothyroidism is a bitch.  I have it and it makes losing weight even more difficult. I've found that maintaining weight loss has been ok but getting it down is the hard part.  Whatever you decide to do just stay consistent. 

[Paa Langfart]

You will probably hear from Igo soon and I think he has good advice.  I do not know about the hypothyroidism part but I do know how I have personally lost about 20 pounds ( mostly middle body fat ) over the last few months, lowered my bp, and feel and look much better.   When I went to my Doctor for my yearly physical a couple weeks ago my resting heart rate was 57.

 

cut way back on salt and dairy product as well as eggs - I do Not eat meat of any sort and only occasionally fish

cut my sugar consumption to about 1/3 of previous levels

cut my alcohol consumption to about 1/3 of previous levels - this one was tough for me - it got to be a habit over the last several years to have a cocktail or 3 or 4 to wind down every day - but after a few weeks it actually became pretty easy to just skip the booze and have a glass of water instead

working out 6 or 7 days a week instead of 4-5 and making at least 3 of those workouts strictly cardio via swimming or rowing for a minimum of 40 minutes non stop

I took up meditation - I try to practice that at least 4 or 5 days a week for 20 minutes - I used to think this sort of thing was a crock of crap - I now feel like it makes me stronger mentally, reduces anxiety and helps me roll with lifes twists and turns - and I think it gives me more energy with the more positive outlook

What ever you do IMO it is important to commit to a lifestyle change - not some 6 week wonder diet.  Commit to your health first - EVERYTHING ELSE takes a back seat.  You aren't worth a damn to your loved ones if you're in a coffin.

I am within a few years of your age   - good luck

[Ounce]

As others have said, go calculate your TDEE (https://tdeecalculator.net/ is a good simple one) to see your basic energy expenditure on a daily basis.  Once that's done, you can scroll down to the Macro nutrients section see the basic macro nutritional templates you need to maintain your weight, add weight/muscle, or in your case, cut weight.  

Using this as a guide, I've planned my meals now around my macro requirements for protein/fat/carbs and had a great deal of success (dropped 13 lbs in past 2.5 months). I recommend the moderate carb template if you are working out intensely at all, as in a carb starved state that will become very difficult over time. 

I use a post workout protein shake and late evening casein protein supplement/pudding both from Ascent to good measure.  These help me meet the high protein requirements and as well the casein is very beneficial for overnight maintenance of muscle mass/repair, so you don't have too much degradation while cutting. 

 

Good luck!

[imminent rogaine]

Make sure you are taking the meds as directed ie probably on an empty stomach if I am thinking of the right med. Seems obvious but not everyone follows directions and  certain thyroid meds are useless with food.

Try as hard as you can to reduce/eliminate added sugars. Try to limit sugar to only naturally occurring sugars like in fruits; and then, consume the whole fruit, not just the juice. If you haven't, eliminate any sodas or sugary drinks all together. Assume that your sugary drinks are going straight to your gut.

Try to work in some low impact, high intensity interval training ( I am currently working on adding these, myself) - Kettlebell swings are a good example; maybe some medicine ball stuff.

I don't really focus on Macros other than maybe avoiding empty carbs. I eat balanced meals and really try to focus on micro nutrients. Your body is a machine made up of systems; healthy body systems run on vitamins and minerals. Feed your body with quality inputs. Everytime you look at a label or a food, think about what the micro nutrients are doing to benefit your body. Doing this really helps me to stay motivated toward eating healthful foods. I've posted this before but I like this site: http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php to see the breakdowns of what is in foods and what makes them healthy. It shows a nutrient breakdown and research that either proves or suggests healthy effects on the body.

Good Luck, man. Give us updates on your progress and any methods that work for you. You've got this.

 

 

[E CaT PanTHer 2]

definitely some great advice given so far. As someone else pointed out, I would definitely look into intermittent fasting as well or if you want to take it one step further, fasting for 24 hours once a week. The body is an amazing machine. Its ability to regenerate and fight off viruses and other ailments, its self defense mechanisms, and just its overall ability to recoup and perform vital functions for the body are all tasks your body is itching to perform, but is never given the opportunity b/c we're constantly shoveling food down our throats 7-8 times a day, so digestion is given priority over regeneration. 

Once you stop eating, your digestive system finally takes a break, and all your organs that would usually be busy digesting food are finally freed up to perform other vital functions like cell regeneration, cleansing of the intestinal track, and just riding the body of toxins that have built up over the years from all the food we've eaten. 

when you hear your stomach growl, most people attribute that to hunger and are quick to grab some more food, which is true, but this is actually the activation of your migrating motor complex which triggers hunger contractions that travel the entire length of your gut, helping to clear out stomach contents, mucus, food particles, bacteria, and other accumulated debris between your meals. 

I can't say enough about fasting, but remember, start slow, and then slowly increase the intervals of your fasting. I would start with maybe a 12 hour fast once a week, then increase it to 24 hours once a week. I promise you your body will thank you immensely for it, and all the health issues you've been experiencing will be gone before you know it. 

[Jackofalltrades]

2 hours ago, E CaT PanTHer 2 said:

definitely some great advice given so far. As someone else pointed out, I would definitely look into intermittent fasting as well or if you want to take it one step further, fasting for 24 hours once a week. The body is an amazing machine. Its ability to regenerate and fight off viruses and other ailments, its self defense mechanisms, and just its overall ability to recoup and perform vital functions for the body are all tasks your body is itching to perform, but is never given the opportunity b/c we're constantly shoveling food down our throats 7-8 times a day, so digestion is given priority over regeneration. 

Once you stop eating, your digestive system finally takes a break, and all your organs that would usually be busy digesting food are finally freed up to perform other vital functions like cell regeneration, cleansing of the intestinal track, and just riding the body of toxins that have built up over the years from all the food we've eaten. 

when you hear your stomach growl, most people attribute that to hunger and are quick to grab some more food, which is true, but this is actually the activation of your migrating motor complex which triggers hunger contractions that travel the entire length of your gut, helping to clear out stomach contents, mucus, food particles, bacteria, and other accumulated debris between your meals. 

I can't say enough about fasting, but remember, start slow, and then slowly increase the intervals of your fasting. I would start with maybe a 12 hour fast once a week, then increase it to 24 hours once a week. I promise you your body will thank you immensely for it, and all the health issues you've been experiencing will be gone before you know it. 

I can't say enough good things about Intermittent Fasting. I fast specifically for autophagy regularly, look that up if you aren't familiar with it, it's amazing.

 

[Goondal]

There is no diet that works for everybody as everybody is different but this is what worked for me:
-Pescatarian
-Only drink water
-No bread (I have no cut out all grains, just bread)
-No added sugar
-Do not eat after 6:30pm (honestly if you do nothing else but this you will start losing some of the weight)

I do cheat on rules 3-4 about once a month.  I went from 223 at the beginning of January to 183 in mid-May.  I gained about five pounds this summer as I was drinking like a fish on an extended vacation out west but plan on losing about twenty more now that I am home.

The most important thing is something that works that you also enjoy, otherwise you will never stick with it.

[Anybodyhome]

I kept track of my daily caloric intake for a week (between 2000-2500 per day). First move was to decrease caloric intake by 10%. Second was looking at fat gram intake and decreasing that simply by eating healthier.

I haven't changed my gym workouts, although I want to add another day per week. I add a couple minutes to one of my cardio exercises each workout (Peloton, treadmill and elliptical). I'l also add a couple pounds to a couple reps of different lifts as well. 

I'm trying to eat earlier in the evening as well, but that's a trick in and of itself. I get home around 5:30, on gym nights I don't get home until 7:30 and then dinner. Wife doesn't usually get home until 7-8, so that may not change, so I'll have to do it smarter. I eat a whole lot better and healthier when we're at home in Mexico. The food is fresh, mostly without all the chemicals, and as long as I stay away from the grain products, it's all fresh veggies, fish and fruit. 

The hypothyroidism is what it is, there's not a lot I can do about it. The real trick is to find the healthy foods that won't mess with my gut. Foods like nuts, which are good, are also those which are the most difficult for the body to digest, and without a gall bladder and hypothyroidism, it's like throwing a brick on your shoulders. 

I am fasting on Saturdays- usually 12-14 hours during the day. Water only.   

I appreciate everyone who contributed and commented. I'll take those suggestions that make sense and apply those and see what works. 

 

[heel31ok]

7 hours ago, Goondal said:

There is no diet that works for everybody as everybody is different but this is what worked for me:
-Pescatarian
-Only drink water
-No bread (I have no cut out all grains, just bread)
-No added sugar
-Do not eat after 6:30pm (honestly if you do nothing else but this you will start losing some of the weight)

I do cheat on rules 3-4 about once a month.  I went from 223 at the beginning of January to 183 in mid-May.  I gained about five pounds this summer as I was drinking like a fish on an extended vacation out west but plan on losing about twenty more now that I am home.

The most important thing is something that works that you also enjoy, otherwise you will never stick with it.

that's it everyone responds differently...that's why there are hundreds of diet programs...I like your 6:30 deadline...it also helps relieve you  from late night acid reflux...if you have it...

[*FreeFua*]

It's really not hard guys. Track what you eat. Figure out what your body best reacts to when it comes to carbs/fats/proteins and go with it. Figure out how many calories you burn in a day and then set your diet accordingly.

[cookinbrak]

Currently doing the ketogenic diet. It's going well, so far.

I want a pizza so bad, tho.