Admission of fatness…
I am fat.
Too bloody fat, and I’ve got to do something serious about the weight problem. I’ve just come back from suit shopping and in a shop full of suits they only had 2 which were my size.
Sick.
Right. Measurements tonight (no, no naked pictures of me!), and weighing. Then targets are set, and stick to the plan this time to get my health and fitness back, now that I have been a non-smoker for almost 4 months, I can do this too.
Re: Admission of fatness…
Thanks Charles, Frances has been doing those for some time now and I know the kids treat these smoothies as medicine and do their utmost not to drink them! I on the other hand love them, especially with breakfast! But having a jug in the fridge “just in case” would be nice actually… What do you think Frankie?
Admission of fatness…
Actually – I would stay away from juices. They are very high in sugar – albiet natural. Better for you to actually have a piece of fruit for the fiber. I would have a good breakfast. A healthy lunch. But, most important – I would have an early and light dinner – at least 4-5 hours beore you sleep at night. You may wish to give yourself a one day machbous day – where u can eat what u want. Its more sustainable in the long run than just wiping out whole foods from your diet.
Quitting smoking always makes u gain weight because smoking actually increases your metabolism. However, the day will come when u go to a restuarant/ bar – and when you come back – you will be grossed out by the smell of nicotine in your hair and clothes. I used to be a smoker, and quite twice. The first time I quit for a year. The second time has been 8 years and counting. I hate it now … I cant stand the smell, and funnily enough, when around smoke, I get the worst headache because I am not getting enough oxygen to my lungs
Elliptical machines are fab. Very good cardio. And much better on ur knees than anything else.
Good luck Mahmoud – a lean mean fighting machine!
Jasra Jedi
Re: Admission of fatness…
I want to look in the mirror one day in the morning, and SLAP myself because I have zero defects, that’s when I’ll be a lean, mean and fighting machine! (I love that movie Innerspace [sorry if the link breaks, but look for it in imdb.com, it's a 1987 movie and well worth watchine!], that’s where the slap came from!)
I wouldn’t just give up everything, that’s why I never subscribed to the “high protein” diets (Lamya, come in whereever you are!) but this in this morning’s GDN:
Admission of fatness…
Dear Mahmood,
I’m 5’9″, 62 years old and I weigh 145, which has been the case for about the last 25 years now. But that wasn’t always so. At one point, I tipped the scales at 190. What made the difference? Well, it does help to be obsessive/compulsive – as long as you can turn that in the right direction. And patience – as noted by an earleir poster – is essential. Don’t expect any quick results from the diet/gym. It’s probably going to take at least 6 to 9 months before you’ll start seeing any results worth noting.
Whatever you do, don’t go for any “crash diets” or any liposuction – all the weight you might lose that way will return very quickly. What’s needed is a life-style change, and I mean one that you’ll stick to for the rest of your life. That includes, of course, diet and exercise.
You probably won’t believe it, but I do 4000 stomach crunches and 1000 push-ups 5 mornings a week. And I go to the gym for about 4 hours weekly. Of course I didn’t start off that way; the first time I tried doing the crunches, I managed 50 the first day – and only 25 the second day. But by Jove – it’s darn addictive (at least for me). There’s only one thing I hate more than going to the gym – and that’s NOT going. You CAN do it, believe me. Not that it’s going to be easy, but the payoff makes it all worthwhile.
Set up your schedule so that you can give yourself little treats every now and then; it helps to have something to look forward to. But I wouldn’t buy any home work-out equipment; with every person I’ve ever known who did so, that expensive piece of equipment ended up just gathering dust. Join a gym – and, if you can, get a buddy (or buddies) to work out with.
If you backslide, forgive yourself – and then return to your workout schedule. Don”t let a slip or two make you throw in the towel.
All the best in your quest for fitness. And remember – if a lazy slug such as myself can do it, you most certainly can.
Regards,
John
Admission of fatness…
Well Mahmood,
[b]It’s going to be a good contest! [/b]This is just what both of us need, competion.
Actually Looking forward to it. Have a lot of home gym equipment & weights, but It is all in storage. Instead of having to rely on diet mainly. Thinking better pull some weights out of storage.
Best I’ve done in attempts to quite smoking since starting again is 10 days. I’m told I’ve not very pleasant to be around during those times.
Today was my last Hoo-Ra for the next 90 days. If I’m in this contest, Got to have that last Hoo-Ra. Drove accross the Metroplex to the Sombraro, a little known hole in the wall restuarant with some of the best Mexican food & the coldest draft to be had around here. Curious?, Do you have Mexican Resturants in the ME? There’s a Lebanese restuarant around here, never tried it though. Maybe I should? But run into that whole “What to order thing”. Maybe you have some advise as to what to order ?
Thanks for the challenge. But mainly thanks for the Great Hospitality you show to your readers.
Your First & Top Class Kind of Man Mahmood. We all appreciate it, The worlds a better place
with men like you bridging cultures & barriers. I’m even considering my own blog because of guys like you.
[b]BUT Enough of the niceities, let the contest & the chiding begin[/b], “Mahmood has a fat Ass, Mahmood has A fat ASS, [b]MAHmood Has a FAT ASS!” [/b]. (Oh-hell, I’ve got a fat ass too).
Walt in Texas
Admission of fatness…
Dear Mahmood,
Whoops – how could I, after all my time overseas, have forgotten that the rest of the world uses kilos, not pounds? The figures I gave (190 and 145) are, of course, pounds. Sorry about that oversight.
As for the reps – well, as I mentioned, it helps to be a tad obsessive/compulsive. And remember – when I started, about 25 years back, I could do only a few crunches and push-ups each morning. But very gradually I kept adding more and more on. What’s the limit? Well, I’m satisfied with the push-ups at 1000 a morning (it’s a nice, round – so to speak – number), but I think I’d like to hit 5000 crunches per day. Then I believe I could be content and stop pushing the number upwards.
It doesn’t take all that long, either. I get up at about 3:45 am and am ready to head out for work at 7 am.
Most definitely stay away from “fast food”; I haven’t seen the inside of a McDonald’s (or any of the others) for decades. Fill up on salads and water.
OK, I’ll admit it – I’m rather proud of my persistence. If anyone cares to look, here’s a photo – taken a couple of years ago at a gym in Riyadh.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/johnslat
It’s all about priorities, I think. And your health – especially when you’re a geezer, as I am – has to come very high on the list. If you don’t have your health, you have nothing. And you, Mahmood, have to take care of yourelf – not just for yourself, but for your family, as well.
Regards,
John
Admission of fatness…
take a pic of urs now (naked — ok in shorts only) and then other one after 3 months (or however long it takes u to shed all that fat) and then u can post a “before” n “after” pic for all ur loyal fans to see
Cheers
Al
Re: Admission of fatness…
or completely sicken them!
the picture with me holding the mac mini up should be the start point though, as there is no way am I going to post my picture up in briefs. Too much and I don’t want to be held responsible for anyone’s blindness due to looking at such an image
1st Weigh-in
here’s the beef!
Mahmood’s specs on Feb 20th, 2005
sorry, the measurements put up this afternoon for the chest are wrong, from 124cm it should have been 116cm. this is corrected now.
Re: Admission of fatness…
My specs are up!
Yes we do have excellent texmex restaurants in Bahrain, Senor Pacos is my favourite, not for their food specifically but their excellent margaritas! Their food is Arif’s (my son’s) favourite, so much so that he bought himself a Mexican cookbook and he’s occassionally subjected us to his cooking.
There are a few more around town as well..
This topic has set my tastebuds going. Got to go and get some lunch for the troops…
Re: Admission of fatness…
John your weight is unbelievable! How did you get it? Was it a hereditary situation or illness? I cannot imagine anyone at 190kgs! Shedding 45 kilos is also very impressive, so are your repetitions. I would be an extremely happy person if I could get up to 20 pushups without fainting or dying!
Today is D-Day for me, one of the “rules” which I hope to replicate with the others in this house is a total ban on fast food! Frances and Arif are both down with a throat infection at the moment and as it is also a day off, I went to a local restaurant and bought some chicken biryani for everyone and 3 salads to share. The salads (Fattoosh) I love and I inhaled one before touching the rice and chicken, which was a half portion, then followed that with a little fruit. I feel full. I could eat more, but am now comfortably full so I left the table.
I’m running some errends this afternoon, one of which is to register at a local gym and start the process of getting my body back.
Admission of fatness…
Dear Mahmood,
Have you heard of (or tried) the Atkins diet? – no carbs:
http://atkins.com/
http://atkins.com/why/index.html
My wife is doing it – and, though I hate to admit it, it works. Problem is – I don’t see it as a life-long regimen. However, once you drop the pounds with Atkins, then you can switch to a more congenial diet and keep up the exercise.
Regards,
John Slattery
Admission of fatness…
Mahmood, you sure you have a 124 cm chest and 126 cm tummy, that sounds huge to me, I’ve just been imagining it with comparison to my height (182 cm) and that’s like 2/3 i.e. ~ 4 ft. Is that possible, I dunno I might be a bit clumsy as I just woke up half an hour ago.
Re: Admission of fatness…
I got man titties!
As the man said: “ma tetties are beggar than yoors”!
My stomach just projects forward, I don’t carry the weight around my back as well. The best way to explain it is to put up a picture, and I ain’t gonna do that!
Admission of fatness…
Hi Mahmood,
Walt’s Current spec’s for the contest Are:
Height: 180 cm
weight: 104 kg
neck : 47 cm
chest: 112 cm
stomach : 121 cm
bottom : 115 cm
arms: 38 cm , 31 cm
legs : 51 cm over 38 cm
Man tittie size, about an A or B cup I’d say.
Walt in Texas
Re: Admission of fatness…
I have quite a number of friends who tried/trying/done it. Quite a number of them however say that almost immediately you stray a little off, you gain all the weight back with interest. So I’ll stay away from that.. Plus I know myself, I enjoy a variety of food and cutting the portions in half is a lot easier than cutting whole swathes of foods.
Admission of fatness…
Struth all this talking of diet and food is making me bloody hungry!
Foreman grill thingie is for sale in Al Fair/Spinneys here in Muscat so it should be a doddle to get it in Bahrain. My family in the UK swear by it, for me it would be another item of clutter in the kitchen, I bought a tomato cutter yesterday thinking I would eat more salad stuff and it is a waste of bloody space.
I would consider surgery, my mate had her stomach stappled, by christ let me tell you the pain she went through. She thought she was going to vomit with starvation, you have to eat ‘back to baby food’ for ages after too. She’s still not pencil thin but it seems to be working now.
Just keep off the burgers, try to drink less, and jump up n down like a lunatic in front of good ole Jane Fonda! can you please post this as video on your website, could do with a laff.
Admission of fatness…
Hi Mahmood, My Chunky Friend.
Still Checking this Posts comments? If you are , How’s week one going?
Hope your trip went well, I always loose weight when I travel.
Walt In Texas.
Admission of fatness…
The new best-seller in the US is entitled “French Women Don’t Get Fat.”
Because they eat very small portions & walk everywhere. Can you walk in Bahrain?
Re: Admission of fatness…
Of course we can, but not on pavements because that’s the exclusive domains of either Datsuns 140Js or VW Touregs and anything in between. To walk in Bahrain is quite a dangerous enterprise.
Admission of fatness…
Hm. It’s tough that you can’t walk, which is the most natural form of exercise around.
I disagree with crash/fad diets and gym obsessions.
No matter how much I denied it, I had to admit that portion size was crucial. Since cutting portion size and walking more I’ve lost about 4 kilos.
By the way I’ve tried to register but I’m encountering problems–I keep getting referred back to the age disclosure.
Re: Admission of fatness…
Sorry for the delay Walt, it’s been a madhouse around here!
Ok, woke up this morning and weighed myself:
107.5 kgs! Change is -2.5
Didn’t measure my waistline, but will do tonight.
Admission of fatness…
Hi Mahmood,
107.5 KG’s (236.9966lbs), not bad at all. Congradulations That’s 5 lbs, a good rate. I find it comes off in spurts of weight. I’m starting to lose weight real fast at 102kg now, but my body is telling me this weeks drop is unhealthy weight lose. Some muscles are aching, telling me my body is trying to canibalize protein from muscle tissue. Going to have to start taking in more calories, ummm from steak.
Surprised you have time to look back at these posts at all with all that’s going on there. Since I asked how’s it going , haven’t even been back to look myself. Been reading the later posts.
Anyway thought your: “A harbinger of doom” was a well expessed post. The well spoken voice of reason.
If you check this thread again.
Until next time, From one thinner Fat Man to Another.
Take care Mahmood.
Walt In Texas
The nerve of some people
Someone (the first letter of his name is Desert Island Boy) accused me in an email today that I sold Porkie because I couldn’t fit in it any more, that’s why I also bought a Cayenne S! What cheak! No DIB, I sold Porkie to a guy who’s sure to take very good care of her (he’s the tech manager at the Porsche dealership) and it was time for me to say goodbye…
I bought the delectable Cayenne S because I’ve been lusting after it for at least a couple of years. Now that I am able to plonk the down payment without getting too much of a stomach ache, and with the encouragement of our lovely Porsche-head Sandee, I went for it.
Let me tell you about weight loss however: the bloody scales are screwy, I was 107.5 a few days ago, this morning I’m up to 109 BUT my waist is certainly less, about 2 – 3cms down.. so go figure.
One thing I did on my trip to Germany recently is that we stopped at Hugo Boss factory outlet, and I bought 3 (lovely but much more expensive than I’m used to paying for) shirts, none of which I can comfortably fit in at the moment:
The first is 17.25-inch neck, that I plan to fit in COMFORTABLY in 60 days.
The second is 17-inch neck, that I plan to fit in comfortably in 120 days.
The third and my favourite (of all time I can tell you) is 16.5-inch, and that I plan to fin in comfortably in 180 days.
How is that for a plan?
Well, in 180 days I probably will have enough saved for getting a lovely Porsche 911-996!
Let’s wait and see…
Admission of fatness…
Well, if you’ve been exercising, I would imagine that to be a gain in muscle mass.
Gee Mahmood, you’ve turned the tables on me haven’t you! Now I know you realize I meant no offense, but I do have to defend myself against your esteemed readership that it was all in good ribbing (PRIVATE ribbing I might add!!!) I’ll admit to being a smartass about it…
You know we’re all behind you, and we admire the steps you’ve taken to take care of yourself. I’ll be glad to apologise if anything I may have said was in poor taste.
Re: Admission of fatness…
hehe, not at all John, I just couldn’t be bothered to write another topic at the moment and you provided a perfect response opportunity: feelings about the car, my weight status and the future plans, so how could I resist BUT reply in public?
How to Improve Your Running Form
this is really a “note to self”, I suck at running and I have never ever felt comfortable running with painful shins after only a few minutes of running that I’m convinced that I’m doing it all wrong. And I have duck feet, pointing outwards… this article suggests that I can get insoles to correct the situation, never knew that. In any case, I’m very envious of regular runners.
http://www.ehow.com/how_117781_improve-running-form.html
You get too tired, or you get hurt. How can something as apparently simple as running be so tricky to master? Take a few lessons from Fluffy. Cats stretch regularly, have excellent balance and excel at relaxation. These same principles apply to running. Remember, cheetahs are the only animals on earth that can reach speeds of 70 miles (110 km) per hour.
Steps:
1. See a physician before you begin a new exercise program. Take a treadmill stress test to ensure that your cardiovascular system can handle the rigors of running.
2. Stretch. Spend about 10 minutes before and after the run stretching your hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, ankles, glutes, back and shoulders. Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Stretching increases flexibility, reduces risk of injuries, and improves form and fitness.
3. Adopt a balanced running posture. Keep your back straight and your face looking straight ahead a few yards (meters). If you need to turn your head, use your neck to avoid unnecessary twisting of your back and hips.
4. Keep your shoulders, arms and hands relaxed while you run. Let your arms swing freely at your sides, bent at a 90-degree angle. Keep your fingers loosely curled, not in a fist.
5. Strive for a smooth heel-to-toe encounter with the ground. Land softly on your heel or midfoot; your foot should be straight below your hip when it comes in contact with the ground. Push off from the ball of your foot when your foot leaves the ground. Make sure your feet are straight, not pigeon-toed or pointed outward.
6. Breathe deeply and rhythmically through your nose and mouth to ensure your muscles are getting plenty of oxygen.
7. Start at a slow pace when you begin a run to allow your body to warm up.
8. Run at a comfortable, steady pace with even strides. Keep your pace slow enough so that you are able to carry on a conversation. If you experience pain, fatigue or heavy breathing, slow down the pace and/or take a brief stretching break.
9. Walk or jog slowly for 5 minutes at the end of your run to cool down, allowing your heart to return to its normal rate. And remember to stretch afterward.
Overall Tips:
Improper stretching causes injuries. Stay properly aligned as you stretch and move slowly and smoothly; avoid bouncing or sudden jerks. Muscles shouldn’t hurt when you stretch. If they do, you probably are overextending the stretch.
Pull yourself up straight and tall while you run to discourage slouching or leaning. Take care not to overarch your back.
Check yourself while you run to make sure your shoulders haven’t tightened up inadvertently. If they have, pull them down to release tension and relax. Stop to do some shoulder stretches if necessary.
Your arms help you keep your balance. If you feel off-kilter, make sure your arms aren’t crossing in front of you or swinging too far back. They should move along your sides in rhythm with your leg movement.
You can buy insoles for your running shoes to correct feet that turn inward or outward. Consult a store that specializes in running gear.
Re: How to Improve Your Running Form
Good luck. Never really liked running, aside from playing footie.
Admission of fatness…
Greetings & Good Morning Mahmood!,
We are nearing the Half Way point in this illustrious contest of will & weight loss.
Sticking with the diet If the contest is still on. Let us know how it’s going! Or are you saving it for a future post?
Very best regards,
Walt
Re: Admission of fatness…
Walt of course I didn’t abandon the diet, nor am I saving the response for a post… uh uh, not at all. Just been busy and had to amend my diet to “see food” diet: I see food, and I eat it!
I’ll update you more fully after the F1 weekend…
Admission of fatness…
Mahmood,
The F1 weekend sounds like quite an event, Enjoy! Understand the the excitement. We are looking forward to future events at the Texas Motor Speedway here. The Indy Race coming in June is my favorite, but Nascar Busch races are much more then norm.
Looking forward to your post F1 update.
Walt
It’s started at last
and it only took 2.5 months to get going!
I’ve just come back from the gym where I did 30 minutes walking on the treadmill, completed 2 somethings (don’t know the unit of measure that machine uses, but it is American made) and then 30 minutes on the bike where I completed 14 whatsits then almost killed myself on that effing climbing machine for 5 minutes where I almost blacked out, especially as my left calf almost knotted up!
I could breath a bit better now (hence could type).
But to cut to the chase, I ENJOYED IT!
What I didn’t enjoy was discovering that I have put on SEVEN kgs and 2.5 cms to my waistline. Damn! Well, that “feeling” was what pushed me to go and get started.
What are holidays for after all?
Walt, howyadoinsofar? restart? anyone else want to join this noble enterprise?
Admission of fatness…
lost 1/2 inch, and
1.5 kgs
so far
though I had the whole of last week off due to cold
just back from the gym
it feels gooood!
Admission of fatness…
Was that you in the cc gym earlier today mahmood?! hehehe i thought it was but my pupils were all dialated from an eye exam earlier that day. I’m sorry man but you looked terribly lost. Maybe a trainer or something might help.
J
Re: Admission of fatness…
not guilty your honour! I don’t go to cc, but gg!
Re: Admission of fatness…
[quote] Actually – I would stay away from juices. They are very high in sugar – albiet natural.[/quote]
What I used to do is mix fruit juice 50/50 with Gatorade or Powerade or another ‘electrolyte sports drink.’ I can’t stand them straight up, to me they have too little flavor, by mixing them you’re gaining some electrolytes, and yet cutting calories, as sports drinks have 1/3 or fewer calories of most juices. I have an uncle who used to teach aerobics & whatnot who had the advice of mixing juices 50/50 with a sweetener-free club soda / seltzer – the juice will have more than enough sweetness to carry over the lack of any sweetener from the bubbly. Still a very refreshing drink, you’re still getting the benefit of vitimins & whatnot, but with 1/2 the calories.
I just started an exercise regimen myself 3 weeks ago — I’m only 84 kilos, lost 5 kilos over the last couple of years and kept ‘er off, but I was 57 kilos before my heart attacks almost 15 years ago (at age 24) — I’m a very small framed person and altho I [b]seriously[/b] doubt I’ll see 57 kilos again, dropping 15 more (and more importantly, getting back in shape) will definately help!
BTW, I’d found this site thru a Google search… keep up the good work on the site, and hope the fitness is going well!
Laterz,
Roger “Merch” Merchberger
Admission of fatness…
The training is going very well, I could lose a bit more per week if I change a few more habits, but over all am happy with the results so far.
I’m now at:
weight: 113kgs
waist: 48.5 inches
That’s 4kgs and 2 inches since I started the gym 6 weeks ago.
Re: Admission of fatness…
How tall are you Mahmood? I cant really get an idea based on the videos. Weight also has a lot to do with natural body frame size. That is why I dont like the Body Mass Scale way of judging weight. If you are muscular or large framed you will often hit into the overweight or even obese section of this scale even though you are in great shape. Body fat is the real way to judge. They sell scales that do a pretty accurate job of measuring body fat.
If you have been going to the gym it is likely you have put on muscle, which has a density weight of 5 times that of fat. So if you have lost 4 kilos it is reasonable to think that you could have lost almost a stone in fat. Good on you! Keep up the good work.
Admission of fatness…
as of yesterday, I’m now at:
weight: 111.5kgs
waist: 47.25 inches
!!!
1st Milestone Reached!
Me extremely happy this evening… first weight milestone reached. I realise that it is going to be a hard slot reaching the next, but I’m game and I’m still enjoying – and looking forward to – going to the gym so far!
Weight: 110kgs!!!! < ---- this is the first weight milestone
Waist: 45.75 inches!!!
next weight milestone is 100kgs.
And to think that on May 1st I can’t stay for 5 minutes on the Stepper, I can now do 30 minutes and not break into too much of a sweat! This week I changed to the Elliptical cross-trainer/come cross country skier and I felt “honest” after 20 minutes on that as sweat was pouring off me (not a pretty sight I know, but to me it was beautiful, especially when you consider that I’m one of those people that doesn’t sweat easily.)
I habitually now do 30 minutes on one machine, normally that’s the bike or the stepper, followed by 20 minutes on another machine which could be the cross-trainer or the treadmill. I intersperse these with some stomach exercises, leg ups, crunches, etc.
I try not to go over 1 hour in the gym, I actually limit it to 50-55 minutes as I only take a break of a maximum of 2 minutes between exercises (30 seconds between sets) and I’m outa there to get home.
Once I get home, I take the dogs for a 30 minute walk!
Beeeeautiful!
Re: The nerve of some people
It took a bit longer than I anticipated above to be able to fit into a Hugo Boss shirt, but I’m glad to report that this morning I decided to try the 17.25″ shirt, and it fit perfectly! Here’s proof:
Needless to say that I’m very happy at this new development. One more, I had to cut off an inch and a half off my belt because it was too big!!!!!!