Starting my lifestyle change

good on you man. I was really big into junk food. I got up to 250 and one day I just noticed I wasnt even eating the stuff because I liked it. It was more of an addiction. I havent abandoned all sweets but instead of eating literally 10 pounds of garbage a day I limit myself to one small 1 ounce chocolate bar and i try to have it be dark chocolate as its less fattening. After limiting myself I find I am starting to eat better without even thinking about it. I crave foods I havent even had before which is how I started eating salads and veggies with a low or non fat dip. My only suggestion is to know yourself. Know your limits and know what you can and cant do. Some can only take these steps if its cold turkey. You change it all or nothing. Others if they dive in too quick the shock of it all is too much and before you know it your back eating even more than you were before. And also be weary of your mind telling you you have earned a break. You can do it though man. Listen to your body. Not the voice saying you cant do it. You will overcome.
 
This thread has helped me get back in a "healthy" mindset. 2yrs ago I weighed 350lbs. It was making my job and other aspects of my life all but impossible. I decided I needed to change. I started eating better and doing a workout program 3x a week. I got down to 265 in about 6 months. I'm back up to 305. The last 1 1/2yrs have been the worst of my life, both personally and professionally. It's been easy to use that as an excuse. Easier than admitting to myself that I had become lazy and mentally weak.

It's time to change that though and this thread has made me realize I need to get healthy. It's not easy. As a matter of fact it's going to suck initially but it will be worth it. Good luck to you on your journey. I'm actually looking forward to mine this time.
 
I think the most important part to living a healthier lifestyle and getting "fit" is a "clean" diet, meaning eat less crap, processed foods. The less ingredients the better, the less chemicals the better, the less processing the better. Water for me is crucial. You have to stay hydrated, helps flush out the impurities and helps digest food better. Also keeps you full in between meals. Adding in exercise is always important. Get a heart rate monitor, work within a moderate zone for an hour two to three times a week. This helps build endurance. With weights, stick to basic movements. Nothing crazy, add weight when you can, form beats numbers. I would rather have five reps of perfect form, than ten sloppy movements. Setbacks happen, injuries, cheat days, don't beat yourself up over them, this is a long haul, not a sprint. Good luck, you seem to be on the right track. A support system is also important and you seem to have found that here.
 
JPate said:
I think the most important part to living a healthier lifestyle and getting "fit" is a "clean" diet, meaning eat less crap, processed foods. The less ingredients the better, the less chemicals the better, the less processing the better. Water for me is crucial. You have to stay hydrated, helps flush out the impurities and helps digest food better. Also keeps you full in between meals. Adding in exercise is always important. Get a heart rate monitor, work within a moderate zone for an hour two to three times a week. This helps build endurance. With weights, stick to basic movements. Nothing crazy, add weight when you can, form beats numbers. I would rather have five reps of perfect form, than ten sloppy movements. Setbacks happen, injuries, cheat days, don't beat yourself up over them, this is a long haul, not a sprint. Good luck, you seem to be on the right track. A support system is also important and you seem to have found that here.
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:thumbup::thumbup:
 
I wish you success in transitioning. As Ajack60 and others have said, it's not easy to create a lifestyle change. It's not a weekend diet or avoiding fast food, I've discovered diets don't work. Part of it is to take stock of who and where you are right now and learn to appreciate the person looking at the reflection in the mirror. You will never be like anyone else, we're all unique in our challenges and issues in life. Find a place of support, most of us have someone impartial that would listen to us. Just in that listening a difference can be made. And when you're at your worst, find forgiveness, find someone and offer your kindness and support. Growth periods can be rough, but also very rewarding. Good luck!
 
So over the past two weeks I've been dealing with a move into my new place. So basically instead of going to the gym I use moving as an excuse to not go. It's very frustrating, almost like there is a me that wants to get healthy, but also a incredibly lazy me that finds justifiable reasons not to go. I'm fairly certain that I haven't lost all that much weight. On top of that I've been traveling a lot for work so Hardee's has been almost every other day the past two weeks. I guess I'm hitting a little rut that is dam near trying to put me into my old habits. The only good thing that has really happened since all this is I don't buy chips nearly as often as I use too, and if I do its usually lightly salted popcorn. But I'm still pretty pissed off at myself. I'm thinking of switching gyms so I can work out with a friend at work, but doing so will add an extra 30 minutes to my 1 hour commute from work. Ugh, weight loss sucks.
 
It is ok to have setbacks, it is not ok to give up. Get back on the program right away and use this little failure to show yourself they you are strong and can beat this. Little victories add up to big ones.
 
Hill walking sounds like a good idea. Stairs also work.

Then have a chicken with olives, tomatoes, feta cheese and avocados. :thumbup:
 
I wish you the strength to succeed, 4 days ago I had a MI/heart attack at 51. I am/was pretty damn fit, practiced martial arts with extreme physical workouts. They can't tell me what caused the blockage but I think a poor diet (fast food) when I was younger working many hours on the road didn't help. Help yourself now, do it...I can no longer carry a pocket knife on me because a cut could be really bad because of the anti coagulant meds I now take. Trust me, it sucks.
 
Just checking in. Keep up the fight. I am limiting carbs. Dropped 10 lbs about. No fast food and feeling better. Sugar intake is down too. I don't get sleepy at 3 pm anymore.
 
I appreciate all the support. Latley I have had problems sticking to healthy choices. I believe it is work related stress and every night I kick myself in the ass for the crap I have ate, or the lack of determination at the gym. That is if I even go... Latley I have been deciding to quit my full time job and take up college and a part time. I have two years of college under my belt and I'm only two classes away from my associate. But if I do decide to go back I'm aiming for a four year degree in a field in criminal Justice. Eating habits is a problem still for me even though I've been trying to fight the cravings for two months now. I know that the problem is that I'm just not determined enough and I'm also to comfortable in my usual present physical shape.
 
On a side note, I need to keep reading my first post, just to remind myself that what was true three months ago is still true.
 
I did this late last year.

Im 6ft4in tall and weighed in then at 350lbs. I wore a 4x shirt and 46 jeans. Ive always been a big guy. Probably 10 years ago I went on a diet and got down to around 280.....then lost ground.

So Nov 2014 I decide.....hey, I did it once.....lets do her again.

I put a little calorie counting program on my phone, grabbed an exercise bike (rode only 3 times a week for 20 mins) and gave it a go.

Jan 2015 (3 months) I was at 280. Feb 2015 I was at 260.

At one point I got down to 251.....and now Im at 261. I seem to float in that area. Im wearing size 38 jeans for the first time since probably 4th grade.....but I still wear a 3xl shirt mostly because I need the length.

Everyone asks what I did.....thinking there is some grand advice.

There isnt. I stopped eating so much.....its that simple. Its really not a huge mystery.....I was fat because I ate to much. I stopped eating so much.

Yeah....20 mins of exercise here and there didnt hurt.....but due to my work schedule there were entire months I didnt exercise and still lost weight.

Eat less.....lose weight.

My big hangup. I work nights.....10am to 6pm. Its a mostly sedentary job.....and its really easy to eat your way thru a work shift.
 
aaronrkelly said:
I did this late last year.

Im 6ft4in tall and weighed in then at 350lbs. I wore a 4x shirt and 46 jeans. Ive always been a big guy. Probably 10 years ago I went on a diet and got down to around 280.....then lost ground.

So Nov 2014 I decide.....hey, I did it once.....lets do her again.

I put a little calorie counting program on my phone, grabbed an exercise bike (rode only 3 times a week for 20 mins) and gave it a go.

Jan 2015 (3 months) I was at 280. Feb 2015 I was at 260.

At one point I got down to 251.....and now Im at 261. I seem to float in that area. Im wearing size 38 jeans for the first time since probably 4th grade.....but I still wear a 3xl shirt mostly because I need the length.

Everyone asks what I did.....thinking there is some grand advice.

There isnt. I stopped eating so much.....its that simple. Its really not a huge mystery.....I was fat because I ate to much. I stopped eating so much.

Yeah....20 mins of exercise here and there didnt hurt.....but due to my work schedule there were entire months I didnt exercise and still lost weight.

Eat less.....lose weight.

My big hangup. I work nights.....10am to 6pm. Its a mostly sedentary job.....and its really easy to eat your way thru a work shift.
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I'm in a similar situation as you then. Due to my job I can easily wind up sitting all say or end up walking 4miles according to my phone other days. I.E. I made a trip to and back from Norfolk yesterday, gone for 13 hours. Most of that trip was sitting in my truck gulping down monster because of the night before I only got three hours sleep. So it wasn't a very healthy day, the same for today as well. I'm trying to start the gym but when I have a random schedule like its hard to get to the gym. I think I went once this week. I do hope to go in the morning though.

It's pretty amazing how fast bigger folks drop weight at a ridiculous rate and one would think that it would be easy. But the cravings and bad habits for years make it very tough.

I said "I do hope to go to the gym..." When its completely my choice. I will go in the morning.
 
1. You biggest battle is in the kitchen. Stop eating garbage and stop drinking calories. You don't have to starve yourself. Just swap the junk for real food.

2. Get your rest.

3. People (mostly gym owners and personal trainers) love to tell you that you need fancy equipment and constant supervision to do anything for your fitness. You don't. Go for a walk or a swim. Do some body weight exercises. Walk up and down some stairs. Climb a hill. Do a few push ups, sit ups, squats, and plank spiders before you head out in the morning. Heck, lie down and stand up a few times. You'd be surprised how much of a workout you can get just moving your body around. Start slow but start now.

:thumbup:
 
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