Slow and steady

[phantasticpharmer]

Dear Concept2 compatriots.
Sharing a bit of success that I have had recently in spirit of mutual support.
After the gym reopened in August with COVID protocols in place, I restarted my rowing journey.
Since then, I have lost 10-15 lbs (was not diligent about getting the 'before' weight) and lost a couple of inches from my waistline.
I feel better and stronger. I'm not looking to break any records. I only want to do my best and stay in shape.
I appreciate the Concept2 logbook and the ErgData app that allows me to track workouts easily. And, I love the full body workout I get from the rower.

I restarted slowly and in the past month or so, I have been hitting the rower 2-3 times per week (thanks in large part to my partner who joins me at the gym). I generally stick with 30 min or 5000 meter workouts. I have hit my personal best for both this month!

I'm moving soon (in the US - NJ) and have used the find a rower function to identify a couple of gyms with rowers. Hoping to find a community there or online.

Thanks for listening. Stay strong and stay positive. Wear that mask!

[Monty Thrupp]

Im due to start my journey of mass reduction next week and from all that i have read slow and steady defintely wins that particular race. I have had rotator cuff issues so high intensity rows are out of the question. Im aiming to do those long and steady 10k sessions which i hope to average about 45/50 mins per session once i have built up the requisite stamina. My goal is to drop about 60 pounds which seems very possible if a tad daunting!

[Tony Cook]

Welcome both, belated for OP.
Stick at it and as long as you don’t go OTT with what you consume the weight will go. I didn’t want to lose any weight but in 8 months of building up the miles 6kg (13lb) just fell off me. If I left out the puddings and custard, cakes and biscuits there would be nothing left of me!
Good luck and keep us updated.

[Dangerscouse]

Im due to start my journey of mass reduction next week and from all that i have read slow and steady defintely wins that particular race. I have had rotator cuff issues so high intensity rows are out of the question. Im aiming to do those long and steady 10k sessions which i hope to average about 45/50 mins per session once i have built up the requisite stamina. My goal is to drop about 60 pounds which seems very possible if a tad daunting!

Ime, slow and steady definitely made me lose weight. Keep a keen eye on the diet though, and don't feel like you've earned treats, but equally don't starve yourself to try and speed up the weight loss.

Finally, enjoy the process and don't only focus on the goal of losing weight. "Measurement is only useful when it guides you and adds context to a larger picture, not when it consumes you" - James Clear. Weight loss is important, but when you reach that goal, if that's all you focus on, there's a big possibility that you will lose interest in rowing / exercise, and slowly add on the weight.

[gouldilocks]

Phantasticpharmer - you are doing really well and it looks like you have hit upon a successful formula - as Stu(Dangerscouse) has mentioned, eating well is a massive contributor to any weight-loss regime but you have to make sure you eat enough - the important thing with the changed eating habits(NOT dieting) is to make sure it is sustainable, the same with the erging, to ensure long-term success.

I have managed to lose nearly 50 lbs since September with a combination of sensible eating, daily walking and daily long, slow erg sessions and have strived to ensure that I don't go over the top with any of the three and lose motivation.

Monty - the good news is that you don't need high-intensity erging sessions to lose weight - your goal is certainly achievable with the right training and eating and treating it as a long term goal(a bit like eating an elephant - a bit daunting but can be done one bite at a time ).
Best of luck on your journey.

Paul G