Friday, May 4, 2007

I Am A Square...

For the first time in my life, my waist is NOT larger than my inseam. I've got on a pair of 32X32 pants. This is completely and utterly uncharted territory for me.

In other weight- and body size-related fronts, I can no longer pretend that my motorcycle gear still fits me. The chaps that, when originally purchased, had to be tenuously buckled on the second grommet in, are now about 8" too big for me - even with the back re-stitched (the chaps I have can be laced one of two ways in the back to allow for extra room). The smallest leather jacket I own is also my first biker jacket, a size 48 that I bought in 1989 (!!!). I was 18.

It is too big.

Weight loss is 'spensive, bubba...
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9 comments:

Ambulance Driver said...

"Weight loss is 'spensive, bubba..."

As expensive as the alternative?

So tell me, Jay...how did you lose the weight? Any secrets, other than the standard lifestyle and diet changes?

May 5, 2007 at 12:20 AM
Jay G said...

AD,

Good point. Between having to see the doctor every three months to monitor my BP, plus the BP meds, plus, oh, the family history of heart disease (including my dad having a heart attack and triple bypass at 56...)... Well... No time like the present to get in shape...

As far as losing the weight, I had a mantra: "I am militant about what I put in my piehole."

In a nutshell, I changed the way I ate, not what I ate.

I've actually been toying with putting ink to paper and seeing if I can come up with a diet "book" if you will. I've lost almost 90 pounds and gotten myself off of blood pressure meds with my diet modifications. I've gone from a size 44 waist pants to size 32. 12 inches off my waist. Shirts have gone from XXL to L or even M in some cases.

Also, I've inspired my closest friend to lose weight as well, and he's down 55 pounds. Something's working here...

May 5, 2007 at 8:06 AM
Ride Fast said...

Wow. Congratulations. I'm sure your scooter thanks you, too ;-)

May 5, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Anonymous said...

Congratulations and kudos for a lot of hard work and discipline.

-Mike

May 5, 2007 at 9:42 PM
RW said...

My friends call your pants thingie "reaching .500", akin to a sports team reaching the .500 plateau in win-loss percentage (such as the Patriots going 8-8). Whenever your waist is above the length you're above the .500 barrier, which is the body's equivalent of going below the Mendoza line.

For most of my life I was 34-36 & much of the 34 was gut and 36 was skinny legs. We found out that if my wife stopped drying my pants & instead only put in the drier for 10 minutes & then hung & ironed later I could easily wear 34 length pants - which is great since 36 length is hard to find, especially at a decent price or in the sales section. Then, I migrated the waist to 36 and now that I've focused on my legs in this year's weight training sessions I've developed a muscle just below my hip* that has made 36s a non-entity. It's hard mentally to realize that I can't wear 36s any more, but knowing that the problem isn't buttoning them - which I can do - but getting them over my thighs is something I can handle.

So, now I'm actually a 38-34...and, yes, my gut is getting bigger instead of smaller (long story....getting back on the wagon).

You can add me to the "inspired" list as my quest to continue to get "bigger" is being coupled a lot lately by my stomach also getting bigger & so your diet entries help remind me to put the #@$*ing fork down. Seriously, I'm stretching the waist a bit too far, lately. It's all diet & all I need to do is replace a lot of the meat-laden sandwiches that I take to work with what I've done for 8 years (grilled chicken, good sides). Focus, focus, focus.

* here is a pic of the area in question (that area with the definition that is just below the hip/ass & on the side of the extreme upper leg. That's now protruding on me & making some of my 38s tight in the thighs). It's from a Mr. Olympia contest, which should make this link completely "not gay".

May 5, 2007 at 11:53 PM
Anonymous said...

Damn I wish I had longer legs.

But thanks to your and Ricky's inspiration I am down 48 pounds so far this year. My goal was to lose 52 pounds this year. It looks like I am gonna make that in 5 months.

No pills. No prepackaged food. Nothing special at all. I eat whatever is on the table. Just very damned little of it.

May 7, 2007 at 8:47 AM
Jay G said...

Buck,

That is GREAT news!!! 48 pounds is what my son weighs - so you've lost a hyperactive six year old boy... :)

As a side note, those NutraSystem commercials crack me up. Talk about preying on people's gullibility... Yes, you *WILL* lose weight if you eat the NutriSystem meals. However, you have to have the willpower to eat ONLY the NutriSystem meal. If you don't have the willpower to eat less, NutriSystem isn't going to work for you.

It's the same sort of chicanery as the old American Express commercial that starts out with some young buck getting humilated at his first business lunch because his credit card is denied for payment because he's over his credit limit. The AMEX pitch is that AMEX has no credit limit.

What they conveniently forget to tell you is that AMEX requires payment in full every month; if you are not disciplined enough to pay off your balance at the end of each month, AMEX is not for you. And if you pay in full every month, chances are one business lunch isn't going to push you over your limit anyways...

May 7, 2007 at 10:18 AM
Anonymous said...

I especially like the commercial where the guy says, "Eat like a MAN and still lose weight".

Nah. Not any man that I am familiar with.

Jay the trick is gonna be keeping this shit off. When I read the statistics that say 98% of people who lose 75 pounds or more normally gain it back plus even more after less than three years a cold chill runs up and down my spine.

Say it ain't so.

May 7, 2007 at 1:04 PM
Jay G said...

Buck,

Trust me, I am quite concerned about putting the weight back on.

Several things make me optimistic about this time:

1. This is, by far, the longest I have ever stuck to any sort of diet modification. I attribute my success here in correctly studying my past eating habits and identifying areas where I could change.

2. The VAST majority of people who gain the weight back are those that went on a diet and then went off that same diet when they lost the weight. I didn't go on a diet; I changed the way I ate food. I'm eating the same food now that I ate a year ago when I was losing weight. I've added in more calories in healthy ways (and a few not-so-healthy ways just to keep my sanity).

3. For me, I'm a cheap bastard. I've had to shell out big $$$ to replace my wardrobe. All of my "fat" clothes have been donated to charity for a reason: I won't go back simply because I don't want to replace everything again...

:)

4. My plan is to use my waistline quite literally as an indicator - when my pants start to get tight, it's time to cut back until they're no longer tight. I am still weighing myself daily and recording weekly; I do not plan on stopping that practice, as it keeps me honest...

May 7, 2007 at 2:33 PM

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