[Aloneatma]

I am 51 and I haven't visited a doctor in the last 25 years. Haven't checked my cholesterol or sugar or blood in the last 10 years.
I weigh 70 kgs and am 174 cms tall. Body fat 17%. With a 31 inch waistline.
I follow a few simple but age old principles.
I eat everything that my grand parents and parents ate.
No meat except fish once a week for omega3. No supplements.

NO sodas, especially coke or pepsi at all
Pizza and burgers maybe once in 3 months.
Minimal sugar but lot of jaggery..
No eating after 7pm. Sundays are cheat days, for some wine, beer and greasy food.

Cardio twice a week. Body weight training twice a week. Yoga once a week. 2 rest days.

Maintained my body weight for the last 30 years. Still fit into my nephew's pants who is 21.

No gym. No fitness trackers. No gizmos. Have trekked almost 50 forts in Pune and nearby districts. Have completed more than 25 half marathons.

My advice. Keep it simple. Fitness and health is a way of life. Make it practical so as to make it sustainable. As we would take extra care of our cars it's our absolute duty and responsibility to care for our body which is a vehicle for our soul.

Healthy body leads to healthy mind. Healthy mind leads to a healthy soul.

Take care.

[superbad]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

1. People still ask me if I am sick.

2. My belly isn't completely flat. A small amount of fat sits there persistently: the solace being that from the size of an SUV tyre, it has come down to the level of a street bike's .

3. It could be my genetic make up, but a slight slip up in food intake and/or slackening in physical activity results in a quick accumulation of weight. Always keeps me on tenterhooks.

Congratulations on your achievement, takes real patience, discipline & determination to stick to your goals for so long.

Don't worry too much even if your belly isn't completely flat, a small amount of fat is necessary for your body, it acts as an energy reserve & prevents you from depletion or fatigue. Better to be slightly overweight rather than underweight.

[shankar.balan]

Such first class advice thanks a lot.

I used to be slim. I do play sports. I am also 51.
But all these years of travel and general indiscipline have caused weight gain. I have inherited issues such as BP and Pre Diabetes. I had a smoking related heart health scare 3 years ago and simply came to an absolute dead halt as far as smoking is concerned.

I have been inspired by @graaja’s health threads. And in my own way am making an attempt.

I have seriously taken up the intermittent fasting regimen to try and clean up and detox myself.

Zero alcohol.
Zero sugar except for Coconut jaggery in small quantities.( Ive never really been a ‘sweet tooth’)
Zero snacking between meals (Ive never really been a snacker).

Start the day with Methi seeds soaked overnight in water. And a half glass of Karela Juice.

Only three small/ medium meals a day.
I do have a few cups of black tea or black coffee during the day.

Breakfast of fruit and eggs etc around 0900-0930 range. Sometimes breakfast at 10-1030 range.
Light lunch of a little diabetic friendly rice and small portions of dal and veg and maybe meat and some curd around 1300-1330-1400 range.
Light dinner of Pasta or Phulka Dal/ veg/ meat at 1845-1915 range.
Zero snacks in between. And absolutely nothing until morning, except one cup of black tea post dinner and water as needed.

Effectively I am fasting 14-16 hours at night depending on circumstance.
2 to 3 short but brisk walks a day. 1 longish walk in the morning. 18 holes of Golf on weekends. No buggy. Only walking. Maybe 8kms total during a round of golf.

The single biggest thing I believe is removing alcohol which is an insidious influence.

Im into this regimen now for a few weeks and Im working on this for 3 months to begin with and will want to extend it to 6 months once I cross the 3 month milestone.

It is not difficult. It is only a matter of will power and discipline. This leads to sustained consistent behaviour and I honestly am not feeling like I m missing anything.

Probably one good thing is I do not like evening socialising and parties. I have always preferred to do all my socialising on the golf course…

I do hope this works out well and I knock off the kilos and the belly….

Originally Posted by Aloneatma

I am 51 and I haven't visited a doctor in the last 25 years.
My advice. Keep it simple. Fitness and health is a way of life. Make it practical so as to make it sustainable. As we would take extra care of our cars it's our absolute duty and responsibility to care for our body which is a vehicle for our soul

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by superbad

Congratulations on your achievement, takes real patience, discipline & determination to stick to your goals for so long.

Originally Posted by vigsom

Congratulations

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Congratulations dailydriver! 1192 days continuously is no small feat!.

Thanks.

It has been quite a journey. Had someone told me three years ago that I could be like this, I would certainly have laughed it off. Each day was a pain, specially in the beginning.

And then there were/are days when complacency tried/tries to break the chain and rhythm of activity.

It is a constant fight, but a satisfying one!

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Just a general wonderment. What about alcohol in your diet.

A complete teetotaler sir.

[niteshm]

I have reduced my weight from 84 kg to 62 kg in approximately 3 years. I started by removing sugar from my diet. But we soon realised that it is not the proper way, as humans burn sugar for energy more efficiently than other sources. My colleague insisted on watching The Game Changers documentary, where I realised that there is another way. I started researching/ digging the internet/ YouTube for whole food plant-based (WFPB) diets. I changed my diet to WFPB in the year 2020 and have been on it since then. My spouse is already a vegetarian, so it was easy to remove dairy and reduce most of the oil/fat from our diet and go full on WFPB. Our diet is the traditional Maharashtrian diet with all/ most animal products removed and sometimes replaced by plant-based alternatives. In addition to that, we have reduced the use of cooking oil a lot. We don't have curry with vegetables floating in oil anymore.

My cholesterol reports over the years are as following:
Year: 09/19 - 02/21 -12/21 -05/22
Tri: 139.8 - 121 - 115.3 - 70
HDL: 39.5 - 53.1 - 57.1 - 46
LDL: 133.64 - 116.3 - 142.8 - 107
VLDL: 28 - 24.2 - 23.1 - 14

As an exercise I started running in 2019, started with 5 km and slowly built up my aerobic capacity to run 2 full marathons this year.

I look forward to YouTube videos which mention references to renowned journals. One of my favourite is the following talk by Dr. Michael Greger. He has another video on How not to die.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjQMNyEMjvs

[graaja]

Originally Posted by niteshm

I started by removing sugar from my diet. But we soon realised that it is not the proper way, as humans burn sugar for energy more efficiently than other sources.

Can you share more details on how you came to this conclusion?

From the many articles I have read my understanding is that fat is a much efficient fuel compared to carbohydrates when it comes to energy density as well as inflammatory response. Carbohydrates provide an instant energy and is preferred for fight/fligh events. Of late, endurance athletes are switching over to fat as primary fuel. There are many videos and articles that support this theory.

IMO, internet is full of articles that support both side of the arguments. It is upto the reader to read all and then make their choice. I would request you to read on articles about the other side of the story as well and make the choice.

As a triathlete, I used to depend heavily on sugars to fuel my workouts. Fortunately, I realized this mistake and changed. I have explained all this in the beginning posts. So do not want to repeat.

Originally Posted by niteshm

My colleague insisted on watching The Game Changers documentary, where I realised that there is another way. I started researching/ digging the internet/ YouTube for whole food plant-based (WFPB) diets...

The "Game Changers" is more of a propoganda movie than based on scientific facts. Please do a search "Game changers debunked" and go through some of the articles and videos and then make your choice.

EDIT: Adding some links to the other side of the story.

https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition...ie-fact-check/

https://chriskresser.com/debunking-t...ers-joe-rogan/

All things said, if it works for you and gives you health and happiness, you should follow that path.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by niteshm

My cholesterol reports over the years are as following:
Year: 09/19 - 02/21 -12/21 -05/22
Tri: 139.8 - 121 - 115.3 - 70
HDL: 39.5 - 53.1 - 57.1 - 46
LDL: 133.64 - 116.3 - 142.8 - 107
VLDL: 28 - 24.2 - 23.1 - 14

Good to see you are comparing / keeping track of your historical records and improving on it significantly.

[Linuskm]

Wanted to share my personal experiences for losing weight and the means and end result observed in 1-2 months timeframe

I am on vegetarian diet since 20 yrs and approaching 50s and current have a bmi of 25.5 would consider active just like a average Joe who does some basic physical activity. I do eat moderate and enjoy sweets a little

In my early 30s used to go to gym almost 5 times a week spending close to 1.5 hour per visit, did cross training for 40 mins, then little bit of strength training and free weights 100 lbs and bench press 200lbs still was weighing 170+ pounds this I continued for 4-5 yrs but never was able to bring my weight to below 165 lbs.

Then I did start yoga with 30-45 minutes almost whole week, and surprisingly in couple of months was able to bring down my weight to 163 lbs. Was still doing little bit of strength training mostly free weights and bench press.

Then there was a period where physical activity was limited to occasional brisk walks in the park and little sprints, this was not helping and was back to 180 lbs.

Recently bought a exercise bike and have been spending 30 mins each morning and evening and have seen good results in a month. Currently at 170 lbs and feel energetic with increased strength.

All this above activities didn't help to reduce cholesterol levels which were always high normal (guess hereditary). Have started medicine from 1 yr and cholesterol numbers are well below at normal levels.

Ofcourse each individual has different metabolism etc and lot of factors vary and outcomes may be different for others.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Linuskm

All this above activities didn't help to reduce cholesterol levels which were always high normal (guess hereditary). Have started medicine from 1 yr and cholesterol numbers are well below at normal levels.

Ofcourse each individual has different metabolism etc and lot of factors vary and outcomes may be different for others.

Sorry if I sound pessimistic or discouraging, but in all probability you will again be unable to sustain you weight loss or maintenance in the long run with just exercise be it yoga, cardio, strength training etc. This is because of age and Insulin Resistance, so the only way to get your weight loss going is to focus on the diet and stick to it consistently - eating low carb with moderate protein (from natural sources preferably) and dietary fats, nutrient dense vegetables including leafy and cruciferous vegetables and excluding starchy ones like potatoes, etc will get you on track. After diet is taken care of, you can do you strength training (will help with muscle build up) and other cardio exercises (generally an hour or so 5 days a week should be good enough).

Also I will suggest you get the following blood work done (in case you haven't recently), not intending to scare you though, this will help in the long run and with your plan/approach:
1. Fasting insulin (serum insulin)
2. Fasting blood sugar
3. Post Prandial blood sugar (post meal)
4. Hba1c (average blood sugar over a 90 day period)

Even if your sugars are normal, high fasting insulin can indicate insulin resistance that could raise sugars few years later (idea is to identify it and take corrective action early).

[Linuskm]

Originally Posted by NPV

only way to get your weight loss going is to focus on the diet and stick to it consistently - eating low carb with moderate protein (from natural sources preferably) and dietary fats, nutrient dense vegetables including leafy and cruciferous vegetables and excluding starchy ones like potatoes, etc will get you on track. After diet is taken care of, you can do you strength training

Diet is vegetarian with good amount of fruits and vegetables and I do eat less portions.

Also I will suggest you get the following blood work done (in case you haven't recently), not intending to scare you though, this will help in the long run and with your plan/approach:
1. Fasting insulin (serum insulin)
2. Fasting blood sugar
3. Post Prandial blood sugar (post meal)
4. Hba1c (average blood sugar over a 90 day period)

Have done blood work like a year back and everything was normal except high BP 140-100, taking BP medicine and readings are normal. Will check on fasting insulin test next time.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Linuskm

Have done blood work like a year back and everything was normal except high BP 140-100, taking BP medicine and readings are normal. Will check on fasting insulin test next time.

I will suggest getting it done soon - high BP and high cholesterol could both be linked to gradual increase in insulin resistance (though it may not yet be at alarming levels). Please do try and read / watch some videos on YouTube (search "Insulin resistance" or "Ben Bikman" who is an authority on the subject and has some great videos most where he is interviewed by someone and he explains it so well).

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Linuskm

Wanted to share my personal experiences for losing weight and the means and end result observed in 1-2 months timeframe

I guess you have already done your share of Google for all this. None the less I will add to it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giD_S2mr7Iw

I still believe the solution to this still lies with smart diet change. Control Sugar/Carbs through fasting. I think cholesterol levels can also be controlled. In all your efforts did you try altering diet? I guess you did not; Thinking basic veg diet can't be bad. Trust me eating 3 meals a day full of carbs (Rice/Paratha/Bread) can be hard on sugar levels (worse than sweets).

I think physical exercise may not help control this. You need a radical shift diet in my opinion. Hereditary problem will come. But you need to try to control Carb intake.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Linuskm

Recently bought a exercise bike and have been spending 30 mins each morning and evening and have seen good results in a month. Currently at 170 lbs and feel energetic with increased strength.

+1 to NPV and Ampere.

If you want to lose weight and maintain weight loss, then you have to look at your diet, not exercise. There are several reasons why exercise alone does not work.

• Contrary to the belief that exercise burns fat, it is not that simple. In an individual who is not fat adapted (trained the body to use fat as primary source of fuel), body will burn fat only when it has depleted the glycogen stores in the muscle and liver and when insulin levels are very low. Only with a low carb diet and/or a combination with IF, insulin levels can be maintained low to make the body tap into stored fat.
• There can be breaks in exercising due to several factors like injuries, illness or other personal circumstances. When these breaks happen, all the lost weight will be back. Diet is much more in our control than these factors that affect exercising. You can have a few days of food extravaganza during festivals or travel, but can return back to healthy diet. Recovery from injuries or illness is not that much in our control.

In my experience of the past several years, I have found diet to be sustainable for life to maintain weight. I have been into endurance sports like long distance running and triathlons. But only when I started working on my diet, I have been able to maintain my weight.

It is another myth that vegetarian diet is healthy than non-vegetarian diet. The high levels of rice and wheat in the diet results in more sugar in the blood which leads to higher insulin levels and development of insulin resistance etc. So even with a vegetarian diet, you have to focus on cutting rice and wheat and replace it with vegetables, paneer, channa, dal etc.

I would suggest you to take a different approach and work on your diet. The initial posts in this thread explain in detail about low carb diet. I have explained about intermittent fasting in my "Fat to Fit" thread below.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...s-journey.html (Fat to Fit - A journal of my fitness journey)

Do your research with an open mind (I was reluctant to follow these concepts in the beginning) and choose a healthy lifestyle. This does not mean that exercising is not needed. Exercising is needed to keep you fit, strong and mobile.

So exercise for fitness and diet to maintain weight and health. All the best with your health and fitness journey

[Linuskm]

Originally Posted by graaja

+1 to NPV and Ampere.

If you want to lose weight and maintain weight loss, then you have to look at your diet, not exercise. There are several reasons why exercise alone does not work.
[list][*]Contrary to the belief that exercise burns fat, it is not that simple. In an individual who is not fat adapted (trained the body to use fat as primary source of fuel), body will burn fat only when it has depleted the glycogen stores in the muscle and liver and when insulin levels are very low. Only with a low carb diet and/or a combination with IF, insulin levels can be maintained low to make the body tap into stored fat.[*]There can be breaks in exercising due to several factors like injuries, illness or other personal circumstances. When these breaks happen, all the lost weight will be back. Diet is much more in our control than these factors that affect exercising.

Appreciate your insights, I do eat very less portions of rice like 10 gulps at lunch and dinner is light like oatmeal, poha or one chapatti.

I guess would follow the same and maintain bmi around 25. Bike riding did burn extra fat around waist and friends and colleagues have inquired what diet I was following

May be will switch to yoga again in a year timeframe, in my opinion this was more effective than physical activity to reduce weight and also the calmness and inner strength gained as a side effect.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Linuskm

Appreciate your insights, I do eat very less portions of rice like 10 gulps at lunch and dinner is light like oatmeal, poha or one chapatti.

Eating less is again subjective. Also the fact its keeping your sugar/cholesterol levels high does say some thing. I understand there is an hereditary angle to this.

Just to weed out the fact its not the diet you should try to contain carb and try extended fasting hours. I strongly believe it should help.