NOVA weight loss pledge thread (neighborhood, maintenance, live in)

[Nemesis16]

Thought it would be entertaining to start a weight loss thread for our sub-forum. We in this area are blessed with diverse foods and a fast paced lifestyle which leads a lot of us to become out of shape or overweight; becoming another statistic for American obesity.

I'm attempting to lose 7 pounds by the end of the month.

We can anonymously list our stats here to motivate each other with suggestions, motivation, etc.

I'll start:

5'8
24
163 lbs.
male

[FindingZen]

Not to detract from this idea...but there is also an Exercise and Fitness forum here where you can share similar goals.

[Nemesis16]

^ Yeah, I realized that before making this thread but thought another thread on here might be warranted since we live in the same area and can share ideas like places to work-out, parks, location of activities, ect. more easily; which would lead to a more conducive and better weight loss program/diet.

[Sonata204]

I agree this is probably better off in Health & Fitness, but I like the "local" idea. I started making small changes in my diet and workout routine in early March, and I've lost 12 lbs. so far. I have another 10 to go.

I live in Shirlington and am a member of the Energy Club gym there. The main things that helped me were:

1) I joined a neighborhood running club (through Meetup.com)
2) I replaced regular sodas with Coke Zero + started drinking more water
3) I pledged to try to make more meals at home, instead of eating out all the time

I like to vary my workouts with classes, so lately I've been trying Bodypump (basically 60 minutes of lifting), Bikram yoga, and spinning.

I'm open to hearing any suggestions people have. I do most of my running in my neighborhood, although I know there are some nice trails and parks in other parts of NOVA.

[Nemesis16]

From all of the information I've gathered, working out is not necessary in order to lose weight.

Diet is key. What you must do is find out your maintenance by using the BMR; use google. Then multiply that number by 1.2. This is the calories it takes to maintain your weight. Subtract 500 from this number every day and you'll lose 1 lb. a week, subtract 1,000 and you'll lose 2 lb. a week, and so on. It's not hard at all.

Also, if you want to boost your metabolism tremendously and really shape your body I suggest lifting weights vigorously. Trust me, if you do it properly you will not bulk up ladies.

[springfieldva]

You can lose weight through dietary changes, alone. But you almost always look/feel better when you're working out, too.

Right now I'm focusing on diet, cardio every day (mostly outdoors) and some light weights at home.
The goal is to shape up/lose weight without injuring myself in the process - walking, biking, swimming are all good exercises for that. Luckily, we have lots of great trails, rec centers, pools, etc. in NoVa. And I've really been enjoying the local produce from the farmers markets.

[Babe_Ruth]

WRIC is reporting today that 68% of Virginians are overweight or obese.
Obviously the Commonwealth of Virginia doesn't have a monopoly on gluttony, but I did think this was still an epic stat/headline.

And just based on the proverbial eyeball test, I'd guess that it's 68% and growing (this data was collected in 2021).
Black Virginians have the highest in-group obesity rate (47%).

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by Babe_Ruth

WRIC is reporting today that 68% of Virginians are overweight or obese.
Obviously the Commonwealth of Virginia doesn't have a monopoly on gluttony, but I did think this was still an epic stat/headline.

And just based on the proverbial eyeball test, I'd guess that it's 68% and growing (this data was collected in 2021).
Black Virginians have the highest in-group obesity rate (47%).

It's unfortunate to see that they used BMI as the metric to determine obesity in their study as it's inaccurate. If we're going by that, then Dwayne Johnson is considered obese.