What made you happy today? Part II

[pietillidie]

^TP, plates and car awesome.

Is the long wait for the car part of the ongoing supply chain problems (especially waiting for car chips), or is it just that you've set yourself for that major model release and it will be in high demand? (I noticed the bloke in the video mentioned how popular the current versions are in Australia).

Anyhow, that's impressive you're onto it so far ahead of time. Come to think of it, all the petrol heads I know are the same, knowing years out what they're going to get next!

[pietillidie]

Del.

[pietillidie]

Lost 3.5 - 4kg over the past month. I know it gets harder to lose as you lose, but I've purposely timed my run to coincide with summer, which will see me out and about more and hopefully more active as it gets harder to lose.

I've now lost 8kg! The trick of timing it with the warmer months seems to have worked, especially given the grim short days here in winter. Another trick that works is making the small amount I do eat especially tasty (vinegars, soy, spicy Korean, etc.). It might be just me, but I find the sharp/strong/tart/bitter flavour hit helps. It might be to do with memory or something, but don't quote as I'm only guessing.

Maybe another 4kg to go. I have vicious inflammatory arthritis (part of my motivation for losing weight to begin with), so the hard part will be ramping up my exercise, but I'll give it a crack.

Ideally, we'd spend winters in Oz or LA (family in both), or even Spain/Portugal/Italy/Greece. Mum has fibre to the curb NBN now, so that helps. My work should be be fine, but it depends if my wife can get a remote/flexi gig.

[stui magpie]

Good stuff. Did you make changes to your diet or just got more active.

What's the height and weight now?

[think positive]

^TP, plates and car awesome.

Is the long wait for the car part of the ongoing supply chain problems (especially waiting for car chips), or is it just that you've set yourself for that major model release and it will be in high demand? (I noticed the bloke in the video mentioned how popular the current versions are in Australia).

Anyhow, that's impressive you're onto it so far ahead of time. Come to think of it, all the petrol heads I know are the same, knowing years out what they're going to get next!

Actually I paid the deposit for my RAV4 in November 2022!! it was chips and other parts, but now the demand is just high, when you look at hybrids literally nothing compares. Im actually getting the 2024 model now, because the 2023 is done! Im not getting leather seats, but i love the interior of the one im getting. I dont feel the need for the top of the range, i never use the sunroof in my car now, and the rest is window dressing, so im just going with one step up from base. This is the first car I have actually chosen, rather than just seeing whats out there. Hubby used to buy and sell heaps, so i just kept the ones I liked!! that market died a while ago! We only have classics now.

I decided about 2 years ago my little Eos convertible is just too small, everyones eyes get bad with age, and the vision in this car is bloody terrible, too many blind spots because of the shape of the back. cheers xx

-well done on the weight loss /health improvements.

im done a stone, maybe another 1/2 to go for vanity! i feel so much better, human again!!!

[pietillidie]

^Visibility is a huge part of comfort I reckon, not just safety, so I get that. A car I hired once when we first came here was a shocker (maybe a Vauxhall or something).

I always seem to have friends who are petrol heads for some reason. One visited the other day with a highly sought after Aston Martin model (maybe a Vanquish convertible, though I can't be sure as I'd never seen one before!).

You sound as disciplined as my wife when it comes to diet. She is insultingly amazed I've lost so much weight. I keep reminding her when she met me I was a machine doing weights in the morning and hiking miles around Seoul every night!

Good stuff. Did you make changes to your diet or just got more active.

What's the height and weight now?

This has been mostly diet, partly because of my arthritis and partly because of the crappy English weather and short days in winter.

My diet is roughly the same everyday:

- 2 kiwi fruit and one strong black drip coffee for brekky
- One small piece of toast with peanut butter for lunch and a strong white coffee (easy and also comfort food)
- Fish/chicken (sometimes steak when my wife eats it) and big salad for dinner
- 1-2 mid-calorie beers in the evening instead of snacks

The trick with the diet (for my personality, at least) was first making it very routine so I never have to think about what I'm having. I also made sure I have a little of my favourite childhood/comfort food everyday: a good layer of peanut butter on a small piece of toast (or sometimes an egg on toast instead). Then, I have a very tasty bit of fish/chicken/steak/tofu with a huge salad for dinner (mustards, vinegars, chillis, etc. to make the flavour count).

If I'm especially hungry during the day, I make do with an extra white coffee (not a latte, more like the amount of milk you put in a cup of tea/instant coffee).

Things like peanut butter and beer sound high calorie, but having two comfort items I really like in small amounts seems to work. Going too harsh makes it too joyless.

Here are my BMI numbers. I think I said I wanted to lose another 4kg, but it's actually 5kg:

1. My original BMI 3 months ago:
168cm / 88kg / BMI 31.1 / Obese

2. My current BMI:
168cm / 80kg / BMI 28.3 / Overweight

3. My next stop:
168cm / 75kg / BMI 26.5 / Slightly overweight, but not bad if I'm doing weights

4. Getting too thin I reckon:
168cm / 70kg / BMI 24.8 / Healthy weight, but too thin in the face

Before my damned inflammatory arthritis when I was doing both weights and cardio, Ifelt 74/75kg was about right. If I go down to 70kg, which was my weight when I was super fit in Korea, I get too thin in the face.

I just hope this current biologic anti-inflammatory injection keeps working so I can at least maintain at 75kg.

[think positive]

my eldest daughter just rocked up for mothers day - with an engagement ring on! not allowed to share on facebook, but OMG!! woohooo, im shaking! hes a great guy xx

[stui magpie]

Congrats TP, what a mothers day present.

Ptiddy, well done, I couldn't function on that little food.

When I peaked during Covid and after an enforced layoff exercise due to Hernia surgery, at 191cm I was 105kg, BMI 29 so overweight.

Now I'm 84kg for a BMI of 23, healthy.

I try to minimise carbs, make sure I get healthy fats (olives, eggs, avos), and vegetables, normally eat 3 normal size meals a day, no snacks. I walk 4-5km on average 5 mornings a week and try to do light weights 4-5 days a week just for tone.

I find I can get slack on the diet for a few days as long as I keep up the regular walks and the scales don't move.

[pietillidie]

^That sounds ideal, Stui. I guess the goal is to get to a maintenance stage like you're at now. I'm only game to freewheel once a month. If I get my exercise up hopefully I can at start to do it once a week.

Congratulations, TP. Must be a decent bloke if you approve!

[lazzadesilva]

my eldest daughter just rocked up for mothers day - with an engagement ring on! not allowed to share on facebook, but OMG!! woohooo, im shaking! hes a great guy xx

What lovely news to hear on Mother’s Day! Wish them all the very best.

[Jezza]

Congratulations, Jo.

Well done PTID on your weight loss journey.

[eddiesmith]

Congrats Jo and well done PTID.

I am the exact same height and I got down to 74 which is still overweight! But I don’t think I could have healthily gone down any lower and 70 would be too thin imo despite being healthy by BMI standards.

Currently at 83 and been steady within a kilo or two for 4 years now, would ideally like to drop back to that 75 range but just don’t seem to find the time anymore due to work. As my job is in an office I find I’m doing well to maintain and not put on. Plus I walk to work every single day, but that’s only about 800m so not ever going to make a difference!!!

My original weight loss was down from 105 to 75 but did that over 2-3 years of just minor diet changes and a lot of walking. But then yesterday I had a big day of exercise but felt it was more healthy to eat properly and replace the lost energy than aim for the weight loss.

[think positive]

cheers guys, thankyou all for the good wishes, im over the moon, as is his mum!!!

its been a bloody magnificent day!

[pietillidie]

Congrats Jo and well done PTID.

I am the exact same height and I got down to 74 which is still overweight! But I don’t think I could have healthily gone down any lower and 70 would be too thin imo despite being healthy by BMI standards.

You're defo doing good keeping it stable working in an office. Well done. Funny you also feel 70 is too thin. A doctor once told me he thinks the BMI is a bit overdone and reckoned those last few kgs were generally no big deal. Also, fat cell numbers and distribution are fixed genetically, so in my case when I drop below 74/75 I start looking to thin in the face and still can't get at the annoying last bit of weight on my guts and moobs! The good thing about that is it forced me to turn to weights to try and even the remainder out with muscle. That's when I got super fit 15 years ago with a regime of weights before work and running (actually very fast walking) after work.

[stui magpie]

6am flight to Cairns this morning. Set the alarm (first time in years) for 4am, woke up 1 minute before it went off.

Arrived in Cairns 9:10am, picked up the car, drove to Palm Cove for Brunch then on to Port Douglas.

Currently sitting in a park overlooking the beack and ocean, enjoying the warmth and sea breeze, waiting to be called to say my room is ready.