I lost weight. Playing bass is much easier now!

[Holdsg]

during the worst of the lockdown I gained about 15 lbs.
starting in February, I started eating better, and lost it all to get back to pre-covid weight.
been hanging out there for about 3 months, not gaining or losing, although, ideally, I could loose 30 more and be back to the weight I had in my 30s-40s.
Getting psyched up to do that next 30? not exactly.

 

[pjbassist]

@tb-player Congrats! Hard work pays off, well done!

I have always wondered what

eating clean

actually means? I could Google it, but then I'd be bombarded with weight loss ads for weeks. Maybe you could indulge me a bit and tell me in a sentence or two what "eating clean" means to you, and how you did it. Again, great job, you should be proud!

 

[DirtDog]

Wow! What a difference…well done…

 

[lbbc]

Congratulations on your weight loss! I am 5' 6" and 250 lbs....been that way for the past 15 years. Getting ready to make a change in diet and increase exercising. I'm almost 63 and want to keep playing bass for a VERY long time.

 

[iiipopes]

Yeah, I answered carrots. But the real deal is that in 2013 in the middle of a bunch of personal crap, I let my weight, at 5'10", get up to 220. My health became not good. After slow, careful working on it in all ways, over the course of years, I am now at 185 and holding for a couple of years now. Would I like to be 175? Of course, but probably won't happen.

Congrats to the OP and everyone else who has posted.

 

[MVE]

I have gone through stages in my life where I exercise like an athlete for several months and then fall off the wagon. (The exercise wagon, Im not an alcoholic.)

Anyway, I always noticed that my bass playing was markedly improved when I was working out.
Rhythm and time was just easier to internalize as if the time around me was moving just a little slower and I was just a bit quicker.

 

[ReillyProductions]

I've had weight challenges since I was kid. Grew up chubby, gained a bit in high school, lost it all in college, got up to 275 in my 20s eating takeout every night, got down to 156 on the Slow Carb Diet around 29, then got tired of that diet and gradually crept up to 221 this past winter. I'm 6'0".

In May I started doing Noom. VERY VERY easy program to follow. I am down 31 pounds with absolutely no exercise other than just walking around for fresh air (nothing close to 10k steps a day).

If you want to lose fat INCREDIBLY fast, try Slow Carb Diet (from the book 4 Hour Body). Just brace yourself that it is hard to follow once the rush of the weight loss wears off.

If you want to lose fat easily but gradually, try Noom. I'm not affiliated with Noom, but if anyone wants to PM me I think I can send you a promo code.

My doctor wants me to lose about 10 more, which I should do around November 1. Then gotta prioritize maintenance.

 

[Relayer71]

Most of my life, I've been a big guy. But in recent years, I put on a lot of pounds sitting behind a desk. Recently, I decided it was time for a change. So I started eating clean and exercising. I've been surprised at how easy it's been to drop about 80lb (not without its challenges). Even more so, it's been incredibly rewarding. My head's clear. I sleep better. My doctor tells me my vitals and blood-work are perfect. It's really cool how much better I feel!

But little did I know how much it would affect my bass playing. I mean, I can actually see my fretboard! My body doesn't ache after hours of playing. The instrument feels much more comfortable around my neck. I take up less space on stage. And for some reason, heavier basses don't cause me nearly the problems they used to. It's kind of amazing.

Looking at this photo comparison, it's not so easy to share (or admit to myself). But it's also kind of awesome!

Curious if anyone else has ever had this experience

Well done!

But let me guess... as a bass player, the chicks still laugh and end up going for the guitarist, singer, drummer, horn player, cowbell specialist, manager, roadie, or friend who goes to all your shows who looks like a musician but is really a stock broker, amirite?



JK - that's awesome. Losing and keeping weight off is hard, but worth it for the boosted stamina/energy and overall feeling, but especially for the positive long term health effects.

I've always been thin, but since I got remarried 4 years ago, I've gained 14 lbs (I blame her fantastic cooking!). That may not seem like a lot, but on a thin person, and especially where it goes for me (my midsection and face), it shows. Not to mention another 5 lbs or so from working at home since March of 2020... so I recently started walking 3 to 4 miles a few times a week and laying off the cookies.

(Actually, I've started several times since Spring... it lasts a couple of weeks and then I get lazy! So 80 lbs is quite the accomplishment!).

 

[Relayer71]

Jaco didn't need no hospital!




(sorry, had to do it)

No, he actually really did need one.

(sorry, I had to, too )

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Lost 30lbs by switching to a diabetes-avoiding diet... I've never been big but it's nice to be back at the 150lbs I was 25 years ago.

 

[TOOL460002]

Was 190 in excellent shape, got well over 270 and back down to 200, but just not as muscular as I once was, so I could still stand to lose a few. Also dumped CPAP/sleep medication, lost several pant sizes, XL to L shirts, and my watch doesn't even fit. My wrists legitimately got fat somehow.

However, I can't rest my bass on my stomach nor use it to "fat guy shuffle" cabs around anymore. Having that front cushion mashed into the grill actually made moving those easier. Better grip ergonomics. Probably way worse on the knees, because, well, fat is heavy, but that was one of the few pluses.

 

[g-dude]

Congrats! That's awesome!

I'm 6'1" and about 180 pounds. Pretty skinny to average. Eating got me to this weight. Exercise needs to redistribute things a little. I finally got started recently.... at least regularly anyway.

Lift heavy and take a multivitamin!

Seriously though - if all you do is hit the gym 3x a week for 3 sets of 5 reps for squats, bench press, and deadlift, you'll be able to build a lot of strength in a pretty short period of time, as long as you are getting enough calories (shoot for a surplus of 500 cal a day).

 

[DeepHz]

Congrats! I just dropped 25lbs from 230 at 6 feet tall. My heart thanks me everyday!

 

[Willie5String]

190 to 162.5 last weekend. Fully Vegan now, exercise about 60 minutes a day (cardio and walking). Off blood pressure meds, cholesterol and triglycerides normal, diabetic, not quite normal, but from 130 fasting to 105.
Sleep better, feel better, think better.
Was it easy, no! One (small) meal a day for 12 weeks. But worth the sacrifice.

 

[GeorgesEric]

Skin & bones.
View attachment 4411656

Congrats on your loss!

That's a nice looking bass - what is it?

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

July, 2018 (about 220 lbs)

May, 2019 (about 170 lbs)

Most of mine was involuntary, following a fusion surgery that left me unable to swallow certain foods. I also exercised for physical therapy and to stave off boredom. The loss of appetite compounded it, and my body mass plummeted over the next year. I lost a few more pounds and leveled off at a buck-sixty-some this year. I'm healthier than ever, except for a degenerative spine.

September, 2021. (162 lbs.)

Getting ready for another surgery now. Bring it on.

 

[g-dude]

This is true. I was 155lbs and 5'-10" this past January. But over the past 25 years I have always had high cholesterol (~275), I had gained about 15 lbs (was 140 at the start), hadn't exercised at all due to "life", I became pre-diabetic, and developed asthma.

In January my doc said I'm one of the folks that everyone "thinks" is in good health but that they don't know my labs.

I finally decided to do something about it, as I haven't been commuting into the city 5x/wk.

• I got a peloton (I cut cable to be dollar neutral / negative and went to youtubetv and Netflix instead). I have averaged 15 days/month on the bike, 30-45 minute rides per ride-day.
• I cut out my "unhealthy" snacks and now do a handful of nuts instead.
• And I've cut back on unhealthy carbs (fries and bread), added more vegetables, and added a smoothie each morning (usually with some kale or spinach).

We'll see if a year of this has an impact on my labs. The goal wasn't to lose weight, but I'm ok with that side-effect. If there is no impact, I think I'll keep it up anyway, as I am finally starting to feel a difference. Although I'm freaking slow on the bike - always bottom 40%.

To the OP: congrats on the loss!

So as a recent Peloton convert, I'm going to let you in on a secret - even though my cardio capacity isn't great, the fact that I'm 60lbs heavier than you while only being an inch taller means that I can generate more output. Especially out of the saddle. I end up ranging anywhere between the top 25% to the top 50%. My peak watt output the other day was like 572 watts - didn't sustain it for long, because it was causing my floor to flex and the bike to shake.

On a real bike, my weight counts against me going uphill. On a Peloton, your weight doesn't carry a penalty, so my extra muscle mass gives me an output boost with no trade off.

When it comes to the ranges they offer up, be aware that they usually call out lower cadences than you'd use in the real world, so that again skews things towards those who can grind harder due to more muscle mass.

One thing you should do is the Power Zone training - start with Discover Your Power Zones, and then do Build Your Power Zones. They are the most boring courses on the Peloton, BUT….it works. My FTP (the average wattage that I could supposedly maintain for an hour) went from 173 to 195 to 215 over the course of about 2.5 months.

 

[CPB2019]

So as a recent Peloton convert, I'm going to let you in on a secret - even though my cardio capacity isn't great, the fact that I'm 60lbs heavier than you while only being an inch taller means that I can generate more output. Especially out of the saddle. I end up ranging anywhere between the top 25% to the top 50%. My peak watt output the other day was like 572 watts - didn't sustain it for long, because it was causing my floor to flex and the bike to shake.

On a real bike, my weight counts against me going uphill. On a Peloton, your weight doesn't carry a penalty, so my extra muscle mass gives me an output boost with no trade off.

When it comes to the ranges they offer up, be aware that they usually call out lower cadences than you'd use in the real world, so that again skews things towards those who can grind harder due to more muscle mass.

One thing you should do is the Power Zone training - start with Discover Your Power Zones, and then do Build Your Power Zones. They are the most boring courses on the Peloton, BUT….it works. My FTP (the average wattage that I could supposedly maintain for an hour) went from 173 to 195 to 215 over the course of about 2.5 months.

Thanks! As a former engineer, that makes a lot of sense. And my kids don't call me "chicken legs" for nothing. It felt demoralizing at first, but now I largely ignore it and compare my rides against my PR.

And re cadence, I'm getting better, but my lung capacity was horrid when I first started.

I haven't done any Power Zone workouts yet. I'll have to give them a shot!

 

[5StringBlues]

Getting ready for another surgery now. Bring it on.

Just keep kicking, my friend.

 

[Old_Noob]

Trying to lose Covid and kid weight with intermittent fasting...problem is playing bass has replaced cycling as my hobby of choice