Well...it finally happened!

[Dumpster Diver]

...I'm too fat now for a G-1 Jacket!

It's been a long time coming staving it off far as possible but the last 10 long months of being here in the ides of winter. To top things off, actually the whole Quarantine thing left me too big for my britches...say, I'm finding myself now to be 20 pounds over...it's not unnatural, I don't have that type of body that I can eat whatever and be skin and bones or have a nice trim and firm edge to my physique or anything, when I was below my weight 5 years ago I really worked for it and earn that kind of shape every inch off my waistline.

That being said, I think I can drop at least 10 pounds in a couple months without too much trouble, I haven't weighed in, but I'm definitely out of shape for the summer, I'd like to be able to shim into my G-1 for the fall, but late fall? I don't know if I have the right stuff what it takes at this point to burn it back off again this year.

 

[Benny Holiday]

It sure is a struggle. I've lost 8 pounds this year with another 14-15 to go. I've got a number of both vintage & repro suits I want to fit back into, and of course I want to be healthy. I hear ya brother.

 

[navetsea]

rope skipping (if you don't have heart or knee or ankle problem that is)

 

[Carlos840]

 

[Monitor]

Yep, don't eat as much. Just quitting on candy and sugar will get you back into that G1 by the time you'll need a jacket again.

 

[dan_t]

Ahhhhhh, but are you happy?

 

[Robbie79]

I know this feeling very well. I‘ve lost about 15kgs in the last 5 years (now I have my ideal weight) without much trouble as I‘m doing more sports and more importantly I‘ve more and more changed my diet after time (Just a bit less greasy food, less salt, less sugar, less meat...doesn’t mean that I don‘t still eat this kind of food, just less of unhealthy food and more healthy food) of course without starving as I don’t want to be hungry all day....aaah, forgot to mention that my wife is a nutritionist.

 

[Edward]

It sure is a struggle. I've lost 8 pounds this year with another 14-15 to go. I've got a number of both vintage & repro suits I want to fit back into, and of course I want to be healthy. I hear ya brother.

I'm in the same boat - except I'#m quite cavalier about my health, and it's really only about vanity for me, to be blunt. Part of it has been that for various reasons we've not be able to go out dancing for the last couple of years, which definitely has had an effect. The other thing is a bad combination of chubby genetics on my dad's side, middle age, and my lack of my dad's ability to drop weight relatively easily by taking no joy in food. I'm also avoiding dropping weight via an exercise regime, as I know I'd only end up resenting it, being miserable at the time it was taking away from my life, and not sticking to it. I'll get there in the end - it's long, slow and tedious but it seems better to do it in a way I can stick to rather than drop right down to the size I waswhen I was eighteen in two months and then pile it all back no again and worse (been there, done that!). Walking to dog is helping, definitely - and I enjoy that. Oddly, the pandemic helps too as we've made a concentrate effort to think more about what we're eating, cut way back on sugar, ordering in and the rest, but in a way where I'm not missing it.

I've never owned a G1 ,but I have had other USN jackets. Are G1s as skinny fit as an AN6552? I know I have to go up a good couple of sizes in one of those.

 

[El Marro]

I've never owned a G1 ,but I have had other USN jackets. Are G1s as skinny fit as an AN6552? I know I have to go up a good couple of sizes in one of those.

Edward,
I have never owned an AN6552 but from photos they appear to be practically identical to the G-1, and I have way too many of those damn things. I always go up one size from my civilian jacket (or suit) size to achieve a nice trim fit.

 

[Stand By]

Hello DD,
Well, you are not alone, mon ami.
And I'm still laid off from the hospital but am very busy every day around the house with the animals (8 dogs, 3 cats, chickens and ducks) and the property (sanding and waterproofing the deck, lots of yard work, painting the upstairs landing, ceilings, kitchen cabinets, working on the coops etc) - and so I've been very productive, which has staved off the beer that I have every day. It used to be one a day (like a medical prescription for taking the edge off a crazy world! That was then!!) but since the world seems to have stepped through a looking glass and slid into a collective neurosis, I've found myself enjoying 1-2 more often. Lovely. So we all have our thing. For some it's sugars, or carbs, or salty snacks ... it's tasty beers for me. Oh, and I've rediscovered my enjoyment of ice cream!
But I have always said that I think that an honest desire to get back/stay in shape for a G-1 or A-2 or similar variant is as good an incentive as any to control the weight; and I've always found that it's simply diet and exercise. When I blew my Achilles tendon years ago, I stopped drinking entirely as I didn't want any weight gain whilst I was recuperating and I knew that, as I couldn't burn the calories on the bikes, I couldn't have the calories in my beer. So that was it for me for 2 months - until I started my physio and got back in the saddle ...
As, as we all love our A-2's and G-1's (and my Aero ANJ-3 in my case) as they resonate with us on such a personal level for whatever reason, if we couldn't wear them well - and needed to change our look - what would we opt for?!? I have no idea on that for me. So I'm just glad to be active and busy every day ...!
I hope you can find whatever motivation you need to get back to the ol' you, DD.
Cheers!

 

[jacketjunkie]

A pound of fat equals roughly 3500 calories. Running at moderate pace as well as most other forms of low intensity long duration cardio will have you burn roughly 700 calories per hour which means you have to run for 5 hours straight to burn one pound of fat. Considering the average joes running routine consists of 30 minutes of running and 3 days of resting, cardio may not be the best solution to lose weight. Lifting weights for fourty seconds then rest for two minutes and lift weights for another 40 second is not either.

Carlos840 and Monitor are right, just eat less and drink less high-calories stuff like coca cola, juice or alcohol. For most people, switching to drinking water only will already mean consuming 400-600 less calories a day while eating just as much as before. If you cut sweets on top of that, you can cut up to overall 1000 calories a day while not having to limit yourself at breakfast lunch or dinner at all. If you find the discipline to do that, you'll lose these 20 pounds in a matter of a few months without going to the gym once.

 

[MrProper]

I am still a fan of the calorie balance. If I eat less calories than I need, I lose weight and vice versa. How strong the effect is depends a little on individual genetics.
if I increase calories consumption, I have to pay less attention to the food

 

[zebedee]

This is odd, but it works for me: I cut out bread and any other carb that isn't a smallish boiled potato and have that once a day. I cut desserts completely (I have one on Saturday) and I eat meat like beef or chicken which I fry (in little oil) or grill. You can boil a chicken breast and it's ok, and a plain fish steak (like salmon) works. I have whatever meat I'm having with boiled green vegetables. Typically, I'd eat twice a day. Even low exercise on this and I lost weight quite quickly.

 

[ton312]

I think the biggest thing is sugar. Be it from food or alcoholic beverage. I don’t eat any sweets, never have tbh. But I will gladly sit with a 24oz ribeye and bottle of Tito’s. My sugar fix comes from alcohol. When I’m training I can balance the intake. When I’m not (like now) it’s much harder. I like to eat and eat a lot. I also like cocktails. Try not to drink beer because it upsets my stomach but I’ll be dammed if I don’t love beer too. Porters in winter and session IPA’s in summer. I haven’t had a beer in 3 months though. I try snacking more frequently on nuts and vegetables during the day. I find eating a little bit, more frequently, helps me not binge at meal time. If I skip lunch...I’ll eat a 20K calorie dinner and have a heart (and belly) full of dread.

 

[Mattofumi]

There’s some really good food diary apps out that will give you a energy intake goal and track what you’re eating (as long as you tell it the truth ). I’ve lost about 5kg of isolation weight that way. Makes you a little more conscious of what you’re eating. And yeah as others have said cutting out the high sugar drinks can make a big a change in your kilojoule intake (if you’re drinking those to start with obviously).

 

[Edward]

I think the biggest thing is sugar. Be it from food or alcoholic beverage. I don’t eat any sweets, never have tbh. But I will gladly sit with a 24oz ribeye and bottle of Tito’s. My sugar fix comes from alcohol. When I’m training I can balance the intake. When I’m not (like now) it’s much harder. I like to eat and eat a lot. I also like cocktails. Try not to drink beer because it upsets my stomach but I’ll be dammed if I don’t love beer too. Porters in winter and session IPA’s in summer. I haven’t had a beer in 3 months though. I try snacking more frequently on nuts and vegetables during the day. I find eating a little bit, more frequently, helps me not binge at meal time. If I skip lunch...I’ll eat a 20K calorie dinner and have a heart (and belly) full of dread.

I'vew alwaysconsiered myself fortunate that I don't like beer, as ti does seem a way to pile on the weight. On the other hand, if that had been the cause, it would havebeen much easier to give up!

 

[johnnycanuck]

When I was unemployed For a year lost 50 pounds. Gained almost all of it back over Three years back at work. So here I am again getting back on track. #1 water. I drink anywhere between 100ml to 150ml a day. #2 30 minutes of exercise a day. Keep in mind muscle and strength keep burning more calories over the day Than cardio. #3 eat good food - veggies, complex foods and if you have to have a treat make better choices. Go for the smaller size. Have one beer instead of two.
My two cents worth for moving in the right direction. I personally jumped head long into a Beachbody program. Eating and workouts. It worked for be but I know it’s not for everyone.
Johnny

 

[bn1966]

Pools's closed so no swimming for me..having to pound out the miles with the hound & down to two beers a week..have cut out most processed food and reduced candy intake..can't afford a new wardrobe!!!!!!!!!

 

[Monitor]

A friend of mine who's really into fitness and sport and I mean like hard core into it, living for it, she says that without changing a single thing about her exercise and lifestyle routine, she can control her weight perfectly by just kicking sugar & soda out of her diet when the need arises.

Never liked cake that much myself but I consider chocolate to be one of like three good things in life but regardless, I completely gave up on all sugar rn, milk, cut down on meat and I'm down to a single meal a day and I actually feel great. I like losing weight but I don't like feeling guilty if I eat anything at all in addition to that one meal. And I do. Gotta keep that in check...

 

[TheOldFashioned]

I'm not a dietitian/nutritionist/medical professional so take my words with a grain of salt, but based in my own experiences and anecdotal evidence I have to concur with a lot of what has been already shared. Two summers ago I topped out at my max weight after slowly packing on some pounds and getting "dad bod." Over the course of the next 9-12 months I lost ~30lb (~13.5kg) and several percent body fat and have kept it off since. The two biggest things in my opinion were drinking more water and cutting out as much (added) sugar as possible.

I aim to drink a minimum of 80oz (2.4L) of water each day, and that doesn't include other liquids such as milk or juice. Those will have natural sugars (lactose and fructose) which are OK if in moderation. Definitely no soda, it is completely worthless. I honestly can't even remember the last time I've had some. If you drink juice make sure it's all natural and not the cocktail blends which typically have a bunch of added sugar. But again, water is best.

As mentioned above, eliminating sweets was the other big thing. That being said, I did allow myself one cheat/off day a week, typically Sunday, where I would allow myself one small portion size sweet. Often this would be low carb/sugar ice cream or maybe a bite size dark chocolate. After a while your body adjusts and you get used to it and no longer desire it. When you do have it you can actually enjoy it and not feel guilty about it.

Aside from exhibiting portion control I didn't follow any strict or fad type diet, so no Keto/Atkins/Hollywood juice cleanse. I may have sometimes did an intermittent fasting 8/16, but again not a strict diet by any means. If I wanted a cheeseburger I had a cheeseburger. If I wanted spaghetti I had spaghetti. Just little to no sugar.

I did increase my exercise routine, but moreso for the additional benefits of strength and/or cardiovascular health than solely for weight loss. You have greater control running a caloric deficit by your diet choices than through your workout routine. That being said, the point by @johnnycanuck about muscle is a good one, as muscle "burns" more in a neutral state metabolically.

The one other thing I did use was a fitness tracker to help keep tabs of things. I didn't measure everything out, count every calorie, etc, but having at least some type of baseline, goal, and a running history of progress (or lack thereof) does help in my opinion. Heck, even a pen and paper and sharing with a friend would work, just something to help keep you accountable.

Anyway, just sharing my experience. It's worked for me so far and it seems as though it's worked for others as well.