Time to Take Weight Loss Seriously

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twiggy

Might Stick Around
Jun 25, 2019
70
0
Niagara Falls
I don't weigh myself often, but I did last night, the scale read 298LBS!
last time I weighed myself, I weighed 282LBS, so I did gain since last for sure.
I've decided I seriously need to make some life style changes.
The main issue with me is over eating, and the types of food I often eat.
I often eat the equivalent of 4 or 5 meals a day, and most of that is junk food, either microwave junk food, fast food, or chips and chocolate bars, etc, drink a lot of pop.
I've decided that I'm going to 1:
- Cut down to a normal breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desert, and only light snacking, on healthier snack options.
- Limit sodas, drink no more than the 1 mug of coffee I drink with breakfast, replace sodas with sparkling/lemon water.
- start exercising regularly, a few times a week. Luckily, my folks and I do have an exercise bike at home, I live in the middle of nowhere, so I can go on nice country bicycle trips on my real bike as well, and there's a gym near me that I can go to as well.
Seeing as my main issue was massively overeating, eating lots of bad stuff, and never exercising, I think eating like a normal person, and exercising should make a big difference, also making healthier choices helps as well.
My eventual goal is to get down to 250LBS as my doctor said that that's an acceptable weight for my height and build. I'm going to give 5 months for that, meaning I need to loose 10lbs a month, which I think is reasonable.
My short term is to get down to 275LBS, in a couple months and a bit.
Of course, when I get down to 250, I'll just have to make sure I don't revert to my old habits, so I can maintain it.

 

woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
11,568
15,211
SE PA USA
Good on ya’.

Reasonable goals, including exercise.
Helpful hint: Don’t get upset when you go off the plan momentarily. It’s going to happen. Just get back on the horse, tomorrow is another day.

 

danimalia

Lifer
Sep 2, 2015
4,385
26,440
41
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Good luck! Stick with it, I am sure you'll feel a lot better. I've lost weight in the past, but gained most of it back, and am pushing 3 bills myself. Actually have an appointment with my doctor to see what Kaiser (my medical provider here in CA) has available. I usually do better on highly structured regiments than anything where I have a choice :D
And remember, nicotine is a natural appetite suppressant.

 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,226
Alaska
I lost 108 lbs in 2010, for me the key was portion control, limiting caloric intake, limiting alcoholic beverages to 1 per day, and regular, but realistic exercise routines, and in my case NO CHEATING on any of the above except on major holidays (and moose season).
Keeping it off was also a challenge. I've got to get back on the program myself here soon. In the last few years Grad school, a new career, my wife's pregnancy, and having a newborn have set me back a bit, hahaha. Back on the plan as of a week ago.
Good luck with yours! It is possible. At first it sucks ass, but after that it just becomes a necessary part of the routine.

 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
Good call. I have just recently made similar changes to my life as well. All my life I go through healthy cycles and not so healthy cycles. The healthy cycles are usually much shorter than the unhealthy ones. I go about a year of healthy eating and a strict regimen of exercise and then I start slipping. You really need to be determined before you make these lifestyle changes and I’ve spent the last 6 months trying to get my head in the game, I have been eating really healthy for a few months now but I just started hitting the gym a little over a week ago now. The first two weeks are the hardest for me, after that I start really looking forward to my gym sessions and of course I enjoy feeling healthy. I’m 6”5, 240lbs. I’d like to lose my man-boobs and my belly and replace the fat loss with more muscle so my target weight will be about 225 lbs.

 

troyniss

Can't Leave
Jul 8, 2018
467
1,194
Michigan
Good luck with your journey.
Have you considered intermittent fasting?

This is a common way to lose weight effectively without over burdening yourself with a super strict diet. It's more emphasis on when you eat as opposed to what you eat, of course eating healthier always has increased results.
Try getting some exercise in even if it's a short walk around the block.

 

workman

Lifer
Jan 5, 2018
2,793
4,219
The Faroe Islands
Good luck! Don't do anything extreme. You'll only grow tired of it and revert to your old ways. Subtle lifestyle changes that can be maintained for several years while still being able to enjoy life is the way to go.

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
3 year ago I was about 270lbs (6’ tall) with blood pressure skyrocketing. Now I’m still around 240lbs, but I just went jogging (fast hobbling) for 16 Kilometers this evening.

(My legs feel like jelly but no sharp pain so everything should be good. There will be an intensive recovery program over the next 48 hours including lots of sleep, eating and swimming/cycling to keep the blood moving. No I don’t recommend running at this weight but it hasn’t killed me yet.)
Yes cycling is a good start, last year I spent 5-10 hours a week on the bike. Great cardio, good foundation for future activities.

The schedule for this summer has been jogging around 50% farther every two weeks (that is jogging once every two weeks, a long recovery time but results have been promising). Having previously done a maximum of about 50 meters on a given day over the last 10 years I’m 99% certain that I would not have been able to pull off current activities without the rigorous cardio training from last year.
Cut the carbs and silly stuff, buy a bunch of clothes to get really sweaty, and maybe most importantly make time for exercise, and you’ll be amazed at what you can do.

 

madox07

Lifer
Dec 12, 2016
1,823
1,689
I have weighted myself this Sunday, 94 kg is a bit much. I am on a diet as of Sunday, trying to stay in the boundaries of 1800 kcals a day, and a 55-25-20 carbs/fat/protein ratio. I feel hungry most of the times but I am trying to suppress it. Weekends are hard, since I usually cheat with beer. While I keep my food intake as low as I can - no hunger strike though, on this heat it's impossible to stay away from beer. Keep up the good work, man, and as woodsroad if you happen to fall down, get back on track asap.

 

mikethompson

Lifer
Jun 26, 2016
11,289
23,316
Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Good luck and good on you for changing the direction of your life. Your story and goals sound similar to that of a friend of mine. Very small changes can really add up, and when you see the changes it motivates you even more.

 

twiggy

Might Stick Around
Jun 25, 2019
70
0
Niagara Falls
Thanks everyone,
and no need to worry, I'm not going extreme, as I said, I am limiting junk foods and sodas, not cutting them out entirely.
It's not really junk food, but I will be having a glass of orange juice with breakfast, and a can of soda with lunch, but after that, just water, instead of 6+ cans, or a 2L bottle like I would have before, I don't even want to know how many liters I must've drank a week previously.
You don't want to know the amount of really unhealthy foods I ate previously, words do not exist to describe it.
So while making healthier choices helps, it's like the "side" of my plan, "the meat and potatos" is just no longer eating excessively, and exercising.

 

voorhees

Lifer
May 30, 2012
3,834
937
Gonadistan
Hell I don't drink sodas, I watch my intake at breakfast and rarely eat lunch. And have a sensible dinner. I am active all day and I still cannot lose . I have some back issues that limits more physically demanding activities. Its very frustrating.

I wish I knew the secret. I don't even snack after 7pm. Since I am alone now, I rarely have food in the house.

 

scloyd

Lifer
May 23, 2018
5,938
12,031
twiggy, I lost 80 lbs 6-7 years ago. I'm 5'10" and went from 254 lbs to 174 lbs in 10 months. I did it using "My Fitness Pal". I logged all food and all exercise. Cutting back on sweets, riding my bike and walking everyday is what helped me do it.
When I got down to 174 I was obsessed with losing weight and my wife didn't like the way I looked (sickly). My neighbor whom I seldom speak to asked if I was going thru some medical issues due to the weight loss. I eased up on "challenge" of losing weight and for the past few years I have been maintaining in the 190's. I like the way I feel and the way I look when I'm 190-195.
The weight loss and exercise got me off my diabetes (Metformin) and cholesterol medicines. My feet and knees no longer hurt and it is so much easier buying clothes.
I wish you the best of luck. You can do it.

 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,268
4,261
Work with your doctor if you plan on loosing 10 lbs. a month for 5 months. I developed Type II after an auto accident messed up my back and limited the physical activity I used to enjoy. (That and I had been retired from the military for four years) I'm 5'9" and my weight got up to 260 lbs. When I had to start loosing weight, I was told the recommendation was 1 lb. a week but to expect the weight to come off faster than that at first. I did it mostly by completely cutting out sugary drinks (don't switch to diet drinks either because they can be worse for you.)and cutting way back on the amount of beer and alcohol I drink. I also started cutting back on starches like rice, potatoes and pasta. I cut back. I didn't completely eliminate them.
I still have a beer every now and then but it's a good craft beer. I still like my whiskey, rum, etc. but instead of buying the cheap stuff and having three or four drinks a day, I buy the better quality, higher cost booze and limit myself to one a day. I'm actually saving money on booze and spending it on tobacco.
Long story short, by following my doctors advice and reducing things that are bad for me, I'm now under 200 lbs. I even weigh less than when I retired from the service.

 

briarbuck

Lifer
Nov 24, 2015
2,287
5,492
If you can actually get rid of the sodas and most of the junk calories, you're 80% of the way there. The rest is dependent on exercise. Well done.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
I've got some fairly serious challenges due to my shoddy colon. I no longer eat red meat, drink any soda, alcohol, nor eat 'much' processed food.
Exercise is limited lately to lunting for 5 or 6 bowls a day.
Several yrs back, my microwave oven crapped out and I decided not to replace it. That helps keep me from those quickie con-agra entrees and the like.
I try to limit my sugar intake, which is one of my weakest links.
It's incredible how difficult it can be to eat healthy fresh, pesticide free fruits and vegetables, but, I try.
I still enjoy what I do eat, and I cook for myself. When you read the labels and find out what those numbers are based on, you should adjust accordingly. I love dark chocolate, for instance, but I only eat the three or four pieces comprising a 'serving' when I do. Likewise I do the same with any of the cheater treats I allow myself.
Eliminating that late night snack and eating in general should end within digestive times, imho. 2 or 3 hrs before you sleep, you don't eat. Supposedly that is moar healthy, and lends to a more restorative sleep.
If you want a snack, popcorn can be good.
So, portion, salt, sugar, fat, carbs, red meat. If you are always hungry now, the switch to fruits and vegetables can help your brain accept the change via natural sugars and fiber.

 

taildraggin

Might Stick Around
May 25, 2019
62
0
A close friend went "keto" and lost a ton fast. He swears and still lives by it. He does run to keep metabolism going, too.
It seems pretty harsh to me, but he's done it for 2 years now and is as fit (55) as we were when kids. Good luck, any way you do it. it will change your life.

 
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