Weight Loss Success Stories: Body Fat  

Finding a good workout buddy can be harder than lifting the weights themselves. So we at MensHealth.com wanted to help by bringing together our virtual workout buddies in our online forums to focus on one goal -- getting leaner by Labor Day.

This was never about who fared the best. There were to be no winners nor losers. The goal was for readers to share their experiences and know they could rely on others to deliver a swift kick in the rear if they slacked off.

So on July 14 we kicked off the Leaner by Labor Day Club, using the Men's Health e-mail newsletter to encourage guys to come on board. Readers who needed workout and nutrition motivation signed up and tracked their progress in a thread in our Belly-Off forum.

Throughout the seven weeks, four men -- coined "Team Lean" -- stood out from the rest in their consistent willingness to help each other and check in on a daily basis. Again, these aren't the winners. They're examples of success, stories we can all learn from.

Team Lean features Pick E. Guy (Vincent Caster), Pedalin' Dad (David C.), MiddleAgeDad (Tod Adkins), and Kevnik (Kevin Brandon). These men built a fitness community by cheering each other on and recognizing accomplishments. They've even decided to keep their informal group together through Thanksgiving. You still have time to join what's now called Thinner Through Thanksgiving, where these men will continue to be a presence, encouraging you to reach your goals. Look below to read about MiddleAgeDad, and return to our site tomorrow for Kevnik's story. We also have Pick E. Guy's and Pedalin' Dad's stories included in the related links to the right.

 

MiddleAgeDad's Success Story

Tod Adkins

Forum Name: MiddleAgeDad (MAD)

Profession: Environmental, health & safety specialist

Hometown: Lake Jackson, TX

Starting Weight: 186.3 lbs. / 13.6% body fat

Ending Weight: 190 lbs. / 12.3% body fat

Age: 43

Goal: Decrease body fat to less than 10% while increasing weight by adding muscle

When the Leaner by Labor Day Club began, Tod Adkins was already in the kind of shape many guys in the forum desired. But four years ago Adkins weighed more than 240 pounds and carried around more than 30% body fat. Since then, he's lost over 50 pounds. His success motivated others involved in Leaner by Labor Day who hoped to accomplish similar goals.

 

Weight Loss Wisdom

Adkins offered advice by relating his weight-loss experience with members like Kevin Brandon (Kevnik). Brandon's goal is to lose 60-plus pounds of fat, at the rate of two pounds per week. "I'm about a year behind you, MAD," Brandon writes. "But I'm coming up."

When Brandon wrestled with the scale and contemplated cutting even more calories, Adkins was there to help. "Be careful not to slip yourself in the starvation mode and thus slow down your metabolism," Adkins wrote to Brandon. "You may want to consider another measurement such as body fat or waist size. As you are putting on muscle, it weighs more than fat and may be fooling your scale."

 

Cutting Cholesterol

Aside from helping others reach goals, Adkins had plans of his own. His goals involved building muscle and losing fat. He also had high cholesterol in January (then 213) and wanted to work on getting his high-density lipoprotein (HDL --the good kind of cholesterol) levels up (he was at 45 in January). The doctor suggested statins, but Adkins had a better idea.

"I thought, 'Do I want to start taking meds the rest of my life or do I want to step away from the doughnut and get my butt into shape,'" says Adkins, who was consuming between 3,000 and 4,000 calories a day in the form of doughnuts and fast food. He told the doctor to give him three months, and if he didn't lower his cholesterol naturally, he'd agree to take a statin. Seven and a half months later, Adkin's total cholesterol is down to 142, and his HDL is up to 52.

 

The Man with a Plan

For the first three months, Adkins focused on eating healthier (about 2,700 calories) and walking, 20-45 minutes three-to-five times per week. He improved his cholesterol by cutting out saturated fats and eating the right foods, his staples being steel-cut oatmeal, low-fat cottage cheese, and turkey deli-meat. He also added healthy fats like flaxseed, almonds, walnuts, olive oil and flaxseed oil, and took fish oil and psyllium husk supplements.

After weight came off, he started weight training to gain muscle and lose body fat. He increased his calories to 2,900 per day, and now lifts four days a week, using heavy weight and low reps, focusing on one area each workout (chest/biceps, back/triceps, legs, and shoulders/abs). He also jogs or walks on non-lifting days, then does sit-ups and pushups.

Adkins recorded all his triumphs (getting down to 12.3 % body fat) and gripes (two Pillsbury Crescent rolls at dinner -- "Geez, how do they pack so many cals in a roll!" he wrote). But knowing he had to lay it all out in front of an audience -- the good and the bad -- motivated him. "Reading about others getting over the daily grind inspires me," Adkins says.

1. Prev:Diet: Work and Working Out  
2. Next:Weight Loss Success Stories: Biking