HELP, I'm fat!

[phunny]

Just thought I'd post this to see if anyone else is in a similar spot. I just turned 30 a few months ago and I was going over my health/fitness and it's just sad. A couple of years ago I was 6'1'' 205lbs, could easily run 6 miles and a pace of 8mph. I used to box a lot and worked out around 8 9 times/week. And now I'm 229lbs can jog about 1.5 miles at 9.5 - 10 mph. Wife has been ripping on me lately and I gotta do something about it. I guess now that I have pretty much of a desk job and am getting older I can't eat whatever I like.

A big thing that hurt me was that I really wanted to bench over 400lbs so I basically cut cardio and took protein like it was water. I was very close to my goal and then broke my hand. After the hand healed I was having very bad knee pain during any type of squat or leg workout. Turns out that I have arthritis in my left knee, UGH!

I then again started to get back into it and wife was diagnosed with cancer, so that just took the wind out of my sails yet again. Well anyway onto now, I'm going to put this body back into it's original condition but I'm not sure the best way to go about it. So if any of you have advice I'd be glad to hear it.

I'm thinking on a lot of running and body weight exercises for the first 4 weeks and then hitting the weights after that. My diet really concerns me because I have no idea what to eat. Everytime you search you see people eating these foods that I have never seen in any grocer I've been in.

-charlie

Here's a picture of us in case you're wondering what we look like. This is like a year ago, only difference is now I have a gut and she's bald(that's what she tells me, she wears hats 24/7 so I've never seen it.)

 

[xioca]

There is this 31 year old chick in some of my classes, and we always talk. She seriously looks like she's 25'ish, she's a marathon runner. God I wish I was older.

 

[PIMking]

I'm 5'10 205lbs I was about 190 a couple of years ago until I blew my knees out then I got fat. I have had a hard time getting the weight off since I dont like running or lifting weights and when I worked out it was always swimming laps.

My injuries added up the weight. I need to drop at least ten pounds (that will be easy) its getting the extra inches off is whats worring me. I have stretch marks on my sides from my fat and I get real ashamed of myself.

 

[Trav83]

Just stick to fruits, vegetables, lean meats and anything with very little or no fat in it... and just say no to that next donut or slice of pizza you're offered... ya big fatty... j/k

Oh and don't believe that you can eat anything you want as long as it's very low in carbs, that'a crock of s***

 

[phunny]

I'm 5'10 205lbs I was about 190 a couple of years ago until I blew my knees out then I got fat. I have had a hard time getting the weight off since I dont like running or lifting weights and when I worked out it was always swimming laps.

My injuries added up the weight. I need to drop at least ten pounds (that will be easy) its getting the extra inches off is whats worring me. I have stretch marks on my sides from my fat and I get real ashamed of myself.

I love to workout and run, but I'm so unmotivated I just can't seem to get it started. And swimming?, I'm too embarrassed to take my shirt off. Wifey wants to go to the beach next year and I'm like NO! Not looking like this I'm not.

I even talked to the doctor, he gave me phenermine. Thanks but no thanks, I tried it, but I get all emotional and it just freaks me out. I'll see something and just tear up for no reason... Not to mention I think my heart is going to jump out of my chest.

Any of you have a good body weight routine you use? Along with some meal plans that work for you?

 

[PieEyedPiper]

You'd be amazed what avoiding processed sugar will do for the average joe.

 

[Red97Eclipseboy]

I'm 27 and already seeing my body slow down and get pudgy. It sucks. I'm going join a gym and stop eating crap. Someday... I hope...

 

[phunny]

I'm 27 and already seeing my body slow down and get pudgy. It sucks. I'm going join a gym and stop eating crap. Someday... I hope...

I'm thinking it has a whole lot to do with our diets.

 

[dannyd97gst]

Seriously, as long as you burn more calories than you take in, or close to it, you can maintain your weight. I use to be in excellent shape, got married, had a kid, and lost all motovation. But then I ate whatever I wanted and worked out all of the time. Now I eat 5-6 very small meals every day.
Keep sodium and sugar to a minimum, drink plenty of water, and eat foods that "you" prepare. Once you can get on a good habitual routine the rest is gravey.
I'm 5'8", 150lbs and have never weighed more than 165

 

[My1GLaser]

The key is to do something that you can stick with in the long term. Huge changes that aren't easy to keep up with are what ruins peoples motivation. Losing weight is honestly a simple equation of calories in versus calories out.

One pound=3500 calories. You probably need about 2500 calories per day. Eat 2200 calories. Exercise and burn 200 calories. That's -500 calories per day. Thats a pound per week with small changes. 300 calories is a soft drink and a small bag of chips, 200 calories is a couple mile run.

Get the equation in line and do things to keep your metabolism high. Since you weight train I am sure you know some of those. Like if you run in the morning before you eat breakfast, your body has to burn fat from reserve in order to do the exercise.

Eat 4-5 smaller meals thru the day to keep your energy level constant. Get rid of the highs and lows that come with 3 larger meals.

Do you take vitamins? I take Green Source from Vitamin World. It is a food source vitamin not made from chemicals that has herbal energy supplements that really seem to work.

How many soft drinks and alcoholic beverages per week do you have?

Do you ever count calories when you are cooking a meal or portioning out food to eat?

I would say to cut out all processed food and go to a whole foods diet, but who honestly has time to do that and it normally doesn't last. So in reality, buy as many natural and organic foods as you can afford and READ THE INGREDIENTS LABEL when you grocery shop. MSG for instance has a tendency to make you eat, and eat and eat. The phrase "you cant eat just one," "or once you pop you can't stop" is actually mostly true. I like chips too, but I go for Kettle chips or tortilla chips and salsa. Count the number of chips in a serving (or 2), put them on your plate and put the bag away.

When picking out food in the grocery store, opt for the light version. NOT FAT FREE. Most light versions just use skim milk or less oils/fat but retain most of the flavor. Sour cream, yogurt, cream cheese and milk for example.

BTW, I am 32, 5'11 212lbs. 2 years ago I was 185 lbs, and healthy as I could be eating a mostly Natural & Organic diet. I got in a horrible head on collision 5/31/07 and was rushed to the hospital. 3 months of Percocet, Vicodin and recuperating on the couch took their toll and by the end of the summer I was 220. I just never got the motivation to lose the weight until recently.

Make a plan you can stick with. Like mustard on a sandwich instead of mayo. One piece of cheese instead of 2. The more spices you use in cooking, the more the flavor satiates your hunger instead of the quantity of food. I actually lost 25 lbs in 3 months by switching to a nearly completely Organic diet. The food has much more flavor, nutrients and less useless additives. Maybe give that a try. Its gonna cost ya though. That shit is expensive.

Good Luck. It will take a couple months to notice real progress if you are taking small steps, so don't get frustrated. The small steps will turn into a lifestyle and you will be able to make them permanent. You understand about plateaus and slow progress from weight training, so just remember that.

 

[habitatguy187]

One thing that helps tremendously that a lot of people overlook is what they drink. Cut the BEER, soda, and basically anything that's not milk or water. Most people don't need juice as long as they take a daily multivitamin.

I'm the complete opposite as most though, I have to gorge myself to put on weight, it was a real pain when I was lifting heavy. Now my knees are pretty much trashed from skateboarding, basketball, and squating too much in highschool. Sucks horribly but the main thing is to work out for a couple weeks just doing random things until you figure out your weights, then set a schedule and write out a plan to stick to.

Don't think you have to jump back in all at once with a set routine and schedule, just start slow. You sound like you've got experience weightlifting, so you know what to do, it's just a matter of doing it.

As for starting out on cardio only to lose weight first, that isn't needed. Building muscle and lifting hard will take calories just like running will, this coupled with a reduced food intake AND EATING BREAKFAST will make you lose weight very quickly, even if you're not running and doing crunches.

 

[324vr4]

I'm creeping towards the dirty 30 and always have worked out since HS, college, as well as after graduating...I am 6'3" and weighed at my most 243 and I thought I was ripped to sh!t. As of this last year tho, I slowed on my love of beer and 100% stopped going to the gym. I do push-ups at home and sit-ups on occasion and I lost 30lbs doing that...now I'm faster than shit on the ice rink and running, hiking is a breeze too...Try not working out so much and doing more at home; save yourself some dough and rekindle your self-control and you can figure it out...I now weigh only 212 on binge eating days and I feel great...and to think, I can still bench my 330lbs all day long...less is more as far as body composition goes now...plus, clothes seem to "fit" better hahaha

 

[phunny]

One thing that helps tremendously that a lot of people overlook is what they drink. Cut the BEER, soda, and basically anything that's not milk or water. Most people don't need juice as long as they take a daily multivitamin.

I'm the complete opposite as most though, I have to gorge myself to put on weight, it was a real pain when I was lifting heavy. Now my knees are pretty much trashed from skateboarding, basketball, and squating too much in highschool. Sucks horribly but the main thing is to work out for a couple weeks just doing random things until you figure out your weights, then set a schedule and write out a plan to stick to.

Don't think you have to jump back in all at once with a set routine and schedule, just start slow. You sound like you've got experience weightlifting, so you know what to do, it's just a matter of doing it.

As for starting out on cardio only to lose weight first, that isn't needed. Building muscle and lifting hard will take calories just like running will, this coupled with a reduced food intake AND EATING BREAKFAST will make you lose weight very quickly, even if you're not running and doing crunches.

I want to run though. I'm afraid if I go back to the gym I'll burn myself out too fast. I can't just moderate it. When I was working out hard not long ago I got sick daily. I'd have to sit for around 30 minutes against the gym wall to recover. I'm an all or nothing kind of guy.

I know I have to start eating breakfast but I never have in my life. It actually makes me sick. I got some slimfast shakes to drink instead of breakfast.


My1GLaser,
I think its 10 cals will support 1lb of weight . Counting is just a pain in the butt. I was thinking that a great program would be having all of the food barcoded so that when you were getting ready to eat it you could just scan it and it would track cals for you. It is truly scary when you look at a snickers and its like 350 cals, and I have to run for 2 miles for that.

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

P90X...


You'll lose weight while building lean muscle mass. My buddy has gone through three 90 day cycles of the program in which he started at 295lbs and 30% body fat. He's down to 180 and 8% body fat and now regularly does Triathalons and shit like that!

I recently started the program. Starting at 268lbs. And just from eating less crap all together and eating the right stuff. I've managed to drop 20lbs in the last two months.

Also, I bought an elliptical trainer, because when you weigh as much as I did, the impact of running literally hurts your knees. With an elliptical, you can burn the same amount of calories while not putting excess stress on your knees.

I'm just 10lbs away from what I weighed in high school. But, no where near close to my goal! I'd like to be under 200lbs in 4 more months.

Btw, I also have two sit down jobs. It's hard to get motivated to do anything after you've been sitting all day long "Working".

Here's some motivation I guess...

Me a year ago:

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Me -20lbs:

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[pboglio]

I rode 10 miles per day at about a 450 calorie expendature per day. About 2 months of this and zero weight loss, nothing. What happened is I was eating a subtle amount more because I got hungrier, so net caloric difference was zero. I notice this when I ran on the treadmill too, about 400-500 calorie burn but months and months I wasn't loosing a pound. As soon as I focused 100% on dieting I start dropping weight in 2 weeks, like clockwork. I'm 100% for eating at least 3 full meals minimum to keep the metabolism up, I always lose weight eating a good decent breakfast. I used to cut the carbs but long term I find it better to just reduce portion sizes and eat what I want.

I just completely cutout any kind of sodas which saved me about 300 calories per day, then smaller portion sizes. Thats pretty much it.

Just exercise for the health benefits, which I noticed my chronic back pain went away after 2-3 weeks of heavy riding and my trick knee never acted up again. YMMV.

 

[toofast82]

Cut out regular soda completely if you drink a lot of that. Beer too, if you have the self-control
Try to eat small meals so you are content, not full and not hungry. Your body can only digest so much.
I fluctuate quite a bit with weight, I know how to lose it and I know how to gain it right back.
Try to do something active. I move around quite a bit at work, so that helps out. I have had jobs where I just sit there all day, which is no good.
A lot of it is metabolism too.

 

[habitatguy187]

If you eat till you're full you've ate too much.

 

[sag1441]

eat moar chipotle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Eclipsed]

if anyone wants/needs advice feel free to pm me. ive been weight training for years, almost 10. im about to get certified to be a trainer after i graduate in the spring. ive always had a huge interest in fitness/health. although i definitely dont have any specialization in nutrition, i can offer some advice or atleast point you in the right directions.

if you are trying to start watching calories, one of the biggest things already mentioned, cut out pop/soda. diet stuff is better than non diet (in terms of calories) but water/green tea would be ideal.

another generalization about calories and eating healthy, dont just read numbers like fat or sodium, check fiber content and the actual food itself. the calorie system is starting to become outdated. i can go into it more if you guys would like, but if not ill spare you with a wall of text.

 

[housegsx]

if you are trying to start watching calories, one of the biggest things already mentioned, cut out pop/soda. diet stuff is better than non diet (in terms of calories) but water/green tea would be ideal.

Very true. I am by no means overweight, but I switched from regular to diet soda and lost 11lbs in a couple months doing nothing else. At first I hated diet and just switched because diabetes runs in my family, but now I prefer diet.

eat moar chipotle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Chipotlaway gets expensive!

 

[Eclipsed]

Very true. I am by no means overweight, but I switched from regular to diet soda and lost 11lbs in a couple months doing nothing else. At first I hated diet and just switched because diabetes runs in my family, but now I prefer diet.



Chipotlaway gets expensive!

i rarely drank pop, but when i did it was always coke. started dating my gf a couple years ago and she only drinks diet. now i switched over to diet haha. i just like the taste i guess.

im so accustomed to drinking water i always have a taste for it. even thought water has no "taste" haha.

 

[i_nick_2005_i]

+1 on diet soda's. I used to think people were nuts when they'd order a diet coke and a double cheeseburger. But a close friend and his wife only stock diet coke (for "Captain and Coke") So I got used to it, and after awhile I prefered diet coke, mountain dew, sunkist, etc. I'm a beer drinker so I figure drinking diet makes up alittle bit, so I can have a few beers here and there. I also can't stand the sugary, gritty film left on my teeth after regular soda now, I value my teeth I fractured my back and neck in June, and in my recovery I've put on abit of weight And now that winter is coming, I'll be less active.


Moral of the story: Capt. Morgan and diet coke FTW

 

[spooln4fun]

Did we all have some sort of tragic event and gain weight? B/c if so I'm on bored 3 years ago I weighed right at 195lb had an accident and got severely burnt on my legs and one arm had to be rushed to the Pittsburgh burn unit for a week and during recovery i was told to eat carbs and protein. I couldn't get up and go run any more, due to skin graphs healing and what not of trying to walk again. I'm a hefty 250lbs now and still lack some motivation myself. Although I got a free weeks trial to LA fitness and thinking about trying it out hoping to restore some motivation.

 

[juanpac0]

I recommend the 16g for you heftier fellows since the torque will more than make up for the extra weight in the car.

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

I recommend the 16g for you heftier fellows since the torque will more than make up for the extra weight in the car.

Already got one.... Now I'm working on Weight Reduction.