Fed Up Fatty

[jakesnake771]

Hey All,

So here's the skinny (if there is some sort of pun there, it was certainly unintended haha): I'm 24 (I'll be 25 in October), 6'0''/6'1'' and between 360 and 370 pounds. My current lifestyle is sedentary but I would like that to change. I know at my weight that HIIT cardio, jogging, running, etc isn't advised. When I went to the gym in the past, I was pretty satisfied with biking. I wasn't a big fan of the elliptical and I enjoyed swimming when I had the time. I have since moved away from that old gym; not terribly far from it but I'm much closer to an X-Sport Express but unfortunately they don't have a pool. I work an IT desk job that causes me to wake up around 6:30AM and get home between 4:30 and 5:30 PM. Due to this schedule, I've found it somewhat difficult to go to the gym. I tried the early morning workout and kept that up for a while but the early wake ups were causing me to be exhausted at work and as a result, the quality of my work went down which is something I want to avoid. I know health should be #1 but in the economy and what not, I don't want to risk losing my job because I'm not putting forth the effort that is expected of me. As well, when I get home from work, I've been finding it hard to get the motivation to head to the gym. Perhaps there is some sort of at home routine I could work with..I feel that I would probably have a better chance of working out if it were in my home than a drive away.

I recently moved out of my parents'' house into an apartment with my college roommate. He is somewhat fitness oriented, or was for a while, but with the stresses of his new teaching job and the after school coaching he participates in, he doesn't get home until 7PM or later. So my attempt to use him as motivation is fruitless. With the freedom of living outside of my parents' place comes the ability to control what food I buy and stock the fridge and pantry with, both good and bad.

I've been a big guy as far as I can remember, with it really escalating Junior/Senior year of high school and up. I've reached a "comfort zone", if you will, in regards to the quantity of food I eat, the way I look, the way I feel and the way I interact with others. I've gotten to the point where I can make jokes about myself in an attempt to keep negativity from others away. But this is something I want to stop. I'm tired of looking this way, feelings this way and living this way. I know I deserve to be happy and healthy.

So it is here that I turn to you all. I've followed the forums on and off for a few years, typically when I'm looking for a source of motivation, etc. I'm ready to change; I want to change. I've been reading several testimonials from people who have been doing IF and have had great success. I gather that any sort of scientific research done on it shows that meal frequency/regularity isn't a big issue and that it's probably calories in vs. calories out. If I'm wrong, please let me know. I'm intrigued by IF but I want to gather more information about it. I actually have a buddy who has been doing IF for a month or two (maybe longer) and has had good success. I believe that he's down about 30-40 pounds and looks great. The gym he works at is even considering putting him on posters or other materials around the gym due to his success. Obviously his weight loss has to do with his eating coupled with his work out plans.

My question is: is IF something I could consider doing at my size? If so, is it something I could/should sustain for prolonged periods of time (weeks/months)? If it isn't feasible for me, at this time, what else would you recommend. I always have issues finding reliable calculators for daily caloric intake so I'm somewhat all over the board when it comes to finding a number to follow. As well, I've read about people taking BCAAs, multi vitamins, fish oil and coconut oil. I don't have a ton of experience with supplements so I put it in your hands.

I know there are plenty of easy things in life, but weight loss isn't necessarily one of them. It's a struggle and a journey. As much as I would like to lose the weight in a week, I know it's not possible and not healthy to lose a lot in a little bit of time. I've accepted that this is going to be a year+ effort. My friends from college recently got engaged and are planning a wedding in the Dominican Republic next June. I don't think it would be possible for me to get to my goal weight by then, but I would certainly love to make significant progress by then; progress that will allow me to be comfortable with myself.

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. This is not something I can do on my own, but with the support of your friendship/advice and courtesy, I think I can finally begin my way on the path to good health.

To a better me!

Jacob

I apologize for the length of this post and I don't necessarily expect it to be read all the way through. For some reason, I get comfortable talking and pouring my soul out when I'm posting on a forum haha.

[David Dunn]

Before this get complex hear me out.

You are obese and need to understand that this will take a long time.

Simply eat less, a lot less, a majority of which should come from lean proteins (beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs etc) and vegatables with healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil and fish oils.

DO NOT get into extreme supplementation or diets.

Exercise regularly using simple compound weight training exercises. DO NOT get into extreme amounts of movements or techniques. Just do something basic. Walk, walk, walk...for cardio. DO NOt get into these HIIT methodolgies and extremes of the like. Simply walk as fast as you can for 60 mins a day. If you like do more.

The key to success is doing something that you can and will sustain for the long haul...a lifetime. Keep it simple and you will be able to succeed.

Good luck!

[jakesnake771]

Thank you for the quick response! I agree with what you are saying and I appreciate your honesty. When you say to eat less, do you have some ballpark figure in mind? I just ran a caloric intake calculator and it gave me a BMR of 3132. Doing the typical "subtract 500 calories a day for a pound of weight loss per week" I get 2632 which I guess, to me, still seems high. If I were to drop 1000 (for 2 pounds of weight loss) that would put me in around 2132. Does this seem like a more appropriate goal? Perhaps bump it up to 2200 or drop it down a smidge more to 2100 or even 2000?

[David Dunn]

IMO start wherever you want. I use 10x BW/Cals but I am 47yo endomorph with a desk job. Add the exercise as outlined. Assess your progress (lbs/wk) after 4 to 6 weeks. Adjust accordingly. Only you and your experience will nail it down perfectly. I would encourage you to not be in a rush and do this thing so it is something you own and make a lifetime lifestyle. If you drop too much to fast you rsik binging and setbacks. IMHO

[dds]

just remeber man, you have to START somewhere with this weight lose, i started last Dec. at 325# and im now floating between 275 and 280#'s.............it will take time and it is a big life change, but you can do it.

1. go to the dr. and have them run some blood work on you, they might find something that you need to know about b4 you start hitting the gym (heart problem, lung problems, ect.)...my Dr. found out my Test level was 170 and im only 37yrs old.

2. pick a gym that seems to have good trainers, do some looking around cause if you dont like the gym you will not want to go there much.

3. get a trainer to help you on your way. i did this, my background is football and wreastling in HS, but after 20 years i didnt know wherre to start in the gym and the trainer did. with her help ive lost 45-50# and have gained muscle and im on my way to being my oldself.

4. start watching you food intake and dont run out and buy every supp. under the sun, the supp. buying will come down the road.

i hope some of this helps out man and good luck with the weight loss, you can and will do it!!!!!!!

[Rucksdaddy]

Pretty much good advice here. You basically need to start doing exercising in any form and eating healthier. I'm not personally a fan of counting calories, if you just eat more natural foods (vegetables, fruits, lean meats, healthy fats) you will see the changes come. I think trying to count calories adds stress and deters you from sticking with it. You can do that if you choose when progress starts to slow.

APPNUT

[jakesnake771]

Thanks all for the replies, I'm definitely taking everything into consideration and starting to formulate a plan of attack.

One of my biggest issues, I'd say, is that I consume a lot of liquid calories. Whether it be juice (the devil, I know), milk or otherwise (gatorade, etc) it all has calories and is stuff I should cut out. Well, mostly, I mean should I stay away from milk? I typically prefer 1% but can go either skim or 2%..I prefer skim out of those two choices. Obviously if I chose to consume milk, it should be limited to a glass or two daily max. Juice is definitely a vice of mine and I know I have to eliminate that as much as possible.

You might be asking/thinking about water. Unfortunately for me, water just isn't something I can do. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can force down some water if I'm working out, at a drinking fountain, etc. You would never see me grabbing a glass of water. It has something to do with water's lack of flavor; it has taste, but it has no flavor and for some reason that causes me to be disgusted. I've chugged a 16 oz bottle of water before and felt sick to my stomach for a while after. It's probably all mental, but hey, my brain powers my body in some sense. I've discovered a product that allows me to consume "water" in an appropriate quantity (64oz, etc). The product is the Propel Zero water packets. Each packet has 0 calories, 0 fat, 30 mg sodium, 0 carbs, 0 sugars and 0 protein. It has a couple of vitamins, but nothing major. Given that it has a small amount of sodium, is this something that could be acceptable as an alternative to plain water? The way I see it, and have argued it, is that it is a major step up from juice and other beverages I would consume. It gets the water in my system at a very low cost.

What do you all think?

[Rucksdaddy]

Thanks all for the replies, I'm definitely taking everything into consideration and starting to formulate a plan of attack.

One of my biggest issues, I'd say, is that I consume a lot of liquid calories. Whether it be juice (the devil, I know), milk or otherwise (gatorade, etc) it all has calories and is stuff I should cut out. Well, mostly, I mean should I stay away from milk? I typically prefer 1% but can go either skim or 2%..I prefer skim out of those two choices. Obviously if I chose to consume milk, it should be limited to a glass or two daily max. Juice is definitely a vice of mine and I know I have to eliminate that as much as possible.

You might be asking/thinking about water. Unfortunately for me, water just isn't something I can do. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can force down some water if I'm working out, at a drinking fountain, etc. You would never see me grabbing a glass of water. It has something to do with water's lack of flavor; it has taste, but it has no flavor and for some reason that causes me to be disgusted. I've chugged a 16 oz bottle of water before and felt sick to my stomach for a while after. It's probably all mental, but hey, my brain powers my body in some sense. I've discovered a product that allows me to consume "water" in an appropriate quantity (64oz, etc). The product is the Propel Zero water packets. Each packet has 0 calories, 0 fat, 30 mg sodium, 0 carbs, 0 sugars and 0 protein. It has a couple of vitamins, but nothing major. Given that it has a small amount of sodium, is this something that could be acceptable as an alternative to plain water? The way I see it, and have argued it, is that it is a major step up from juice and other beverages I would consume. It gets the water in my system at a very low cost.

What do you all think?

Go with Crystal Light. It will satisfy your sweet craving without the calories.

APPNUT

[David Dunn]

Thanks all for the replies, I'm definitely taking everything into consideration and starting to formulate a plan of attack.

One of my biggest issues, I'd say, is that I consume a lot of liquid calories. Whether it be juice (the devil, I know), milk or otherwise (gatorade, etc) it all has calories and is stuff I should cut out. Well, mostly, I mean should I stay away from milk? I typically prefer 1% but can go either skim or 2%..I prefer skim out of those two choices. Obviously if I chose to consume milk, it should be limited to a glass or two daily max. Juice is definitely a vice of mine and I know I have to eliminate that as much as possible.

You might be asking/thinking about water. Unfortunately for me, water just isn't something I can do. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can force down some water if I'm working out, at a drinking fountain, etc. You would never see me grabbing a glass of water. It has something to do with water's lack of flavor; it has taste, but it has no flavor and for some reason that causes me to be disgusted. I've chugged a 16 oz bottle of water before and felt sick to my stomach for a while after. It's probably all mental, but hey, my brain powers my body in some sense. I've discovered a product that allows me to consume "water" in an appropriate quantity (64oz, etc). The product is the Propel Zero water packets. Each packet has 0 calories, 0 fat, 30 mg sodium, 0 carbs, 0 sugars and 0 protein. It has a couple of vitamins, but nothing major. Given that it has a small amount of sodium, is this something that could be acceptable as an alternative to plain water? The way I see it, and have argued it, is that it is a major step up from juice and other beverages I would consume. It gets the water in my system at a very low cost.

What do you all think?

Ditto to what Rucksdaddy said...'cept I use the Great Value brand and use just enough to knock the water flavor out of the water.

[soul0wner]

I'm not a huge fan of plain water myself, but there is a good amount of options out there. Like they said crystal light, or store brands and there is mio also.

[Cary K]

I agree with the others, any of the no calorie packets you add to water is fine.

[Rucksdaddy]

Ditto to what Rucksdaddy said...'cept I use the Great Value brand and use just enough to knock the water flavor out of the water.

Actually, I use Great Value too, better than CL. But I just figured he would know Crystal Light instead of explaining the cheap Walmart brand.

[gokix811]

I think no calorie sweetner should be okay. I dont mind drinking water, I add tons of ice and drink it cold. For some reason I enjoy it more this way, and it makes me even more thirsty!

[Miss Q]

Jake- I think it's great you want to make some changes in your life!! Any updates since you last posted??

[tjlav]

Thanks all for the replies, I'm definitely taking everything into consideration and starting to formulate a plan of attack.

One of my biggest issues, I'd say, is that I consume a lot of liquid calories. Whether it be juice (the devil, I know), milk or otherwise (gatorade, etc) it all has calories and is stuff I should cut out. Well, mostly, I mean should I stay away from milk? I typically prefer 1% but can go either skim or 2%..I prefer skim out of those two choices. Obviously if I chose to consume milk, it should be limited to a glass or two daily max. Juice is definitely a vice of mine and I know I have to eliminate that as much as possible.

You might be asking/thinking about water. Unfortunately for me, water just isn't something I can do. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can force down some water if I'm working out, at a drinking fountain, etc. You would never see me grabbing a glass of water. It has something to do with water's lack of flavor; it has taste, but it has no flavor and for some reason that causes me to be disgusted. I've chugged a 16 oz bottle of water before and felt sick to my stomach for a while after. It's probably all mental, but hey, my brain powers my body in some sense. I've discovered a product that allows me to consume "water" in an appropriate quantity (64oz, etc). The product is the Propel Zero water packets. Each packet has 0 calories, 0 fat, 30 mg sodium, 0 carbs, 0 sugars and 0 protein. It has a couple of vitamins, but nothing major. Given that it has a small amount of sodium, is this something that could be acceptable as an alternative to plain water? The way I see it, and have argued it, is that it is a major step up from juice and other beverages I would consume. It gets the water in my system at a very low cost.

What do you all think?

Jacob,
Congrats on getting motivated enough to look for a way to become a better you. You said it's probably mental! Yes it is, remember this, where your mind goes your body will follow!!!

I do understand your pain, lack of time and concern with the economy especially in the IT field and what it means to your job. Try to find a gym between you and your house, never go home without hitting the gym, once you sit down at home you are done for the night. (Right there with you).

Some advice I have, that I have not seen offered is GOALS, not just long term, make short term goals ones that you can actually achieve every week, write them on an index card and carry them with you everywhere you go and read them every chance you get! write them in the positive format. e.g I will, I can .. Never use the word "try", try just sets you up for failure. As Yoda says "Do or Do not, there is no try". Create Long term goals, use visualizations and positive affirmations to help you get to the end result. When you reach your weekly goal give your self a non food reward to enforce positivity within your mind and subconscious

Take pictures!!! Take pictures of yourself from the front, back and side in your underwear or a pair of shorts with not shirt. Do this every eight weeks and compare them. You will not notice how well you have done by looking in the mirror. If you find yourself getting less motivated sooner than eight weeks take pictures at that week and look at were you are now and were you was at in the beginning.

This is some of the best mental advice I can give you, this has worked for me so far. I had you by almost 100lbs (was 448) and I am at 290 with about 27%BF. You can do this! The decisions you make today lay the steps for tomorrow, if you fall and overdo it with eating, don't beat yourself up to bad, feel bad and use that as a reason to get back on tack at that moment, never say there is always tomorrow to get back on track.

The hardest lift of all is your ass off the couch!

Hope this helps you,
Tom

[Cary K]

Jacob,
Congrats on getting motivated enough to look for a way to become a better you. You said it's probably mental! Yes it is, remember this, where your mind goes your body will follow!!!

I do understand your pain, lack of time and concern with the economy especially in the IT field and what it means to your job. Try to find a gym between you and your house, never go home without hitting the gym, once you sit down at home you are done for the night. (Right there with you).

Some advice I have, that I have not seen offered is GOALS, not just long term, make short term goals ones that you can actually achieve every week, write them on an index card and carry them with you everywhere you go and read them every chance you get! write them in the positive format. e.g I will, I can .. Never use the word "try", try just sets you up for failure. As Yoda says "Do or Do not, there is no try". Create Long term goals, use visualizations and positive affirmations to help you get to the end result. When you reach your weekly goal give your self a non food reward to enforce positivity within your mind and subconscious

Take pictures!!! Take pictures of yourself from the front, back and side in your underwear or a pair of shorts with not shirt. Do this every eight weeks and compare them. You will not notice how well you have done by looking in the mirror. If you find yourself getting less motivated sooner than eight weeks take pictures at that week and look at were you are now and were you was at in the beginning.

This is some of the best mental advice I can give you, this has worked for me so far. I had you by almost 100lbs (was 448) and I am at 290 with about 27%BF. You can do this! The decisions you make today lay the steps for tomorrow, if you fall and overdo it with eating, don't beat yourself up to bad, feel bad and use that as a reason to get back on tack at that moment, never say there is always tomorrow to get back on track.

The hardest lift of all is your ass off the couch!

Hope this helps you,
Tom

Good advise on the short term goals. Plus good advise all around, especially from someone going through the same thing as he is.

[Jiigzz]

Firstly, good on you for trying to change your lifestyle, I certainly hope you stick to it for your future healths sake.

Alright; this is my viewpoint: Weight loss is no easy feat, and at some points during your weight loss journey you will hit plateaus and even gain a bit ofmass back as your body tries to adjust, don't be discouraged by weight fluctuations because these will occur. In order to try offset any discourgaement you may face, try to avoid the scales on a daily basis and just focus on weighing yourself once every week or two and keep track of your progress.

As for your diet, a good starting point is to give your diet some very serious consideration. Write down everything you eat in a day, including chocolate bars or biscuits etc. and try calculating your average calorie intake from this information; remember to be as accurate as possible, ommiting stuff will only discourage you when you stop losing weight as you failed to take that candy bar into account. Then start making healthy adjustments. If your not good with sticking to goals, then change one thing at a time. Don't force change if it'll only end up discouraging you. Maybe instead of 1 litre (im from NZ) of Orange juice, try half, or 250ml and go from there. Instead of a bag of full fat chips, try low fat, low calorie alternatives until your ready to drop them altogether. Start making small changes which you can keep and every month try cut something else down, or switching white potatoes for a salad etc.

As for exercise, try walking as much as possible up stairs, down stairs, etc. even hide the remote if it means you have to get up to change the channel; it might not seem like much but every little bit counts. Even try do a few body weight exercises to assist.

As far as supplements go, you will notice that there are alot of fat burners out there and you may be tempted by them to help shred the fat faster; avoid these, at least for the next few years. It could just end up complicating things due to the fact that it raises your body temperature and the stimulants will make your heart work harder, and being over weight it is likely its already at full capacity of how hard it can pump.

The onus is on you to get up and move, and theres no easier way to say it. If you want it, you have to work for it; much like all of us do to achieve our own goals and things.

I truly wish you all the best, but theres no magic pill, no shortcuts. Work hard and you'll notice the results. Good luck

[dds]

Firstly, good on you for trying to change your lifestyle, I certainly hope you stick to it for your future healths sake.

Alright; this is my viewpoint: Weight loss is no easy feat, and at some points during your weight loss journey you will hit plateaus and even gain a bit ofmass back as your body tries to adjust, don't be discouraged by weight fluctuations because these will occur. In order to try offset any discourgaement you may face, try to avoid the scales on a daily basis and just focus on weighing yourself once every week or two and keep track of your progress.

As for your diet, a good starting point is to give your diet some very serious consideration. Write down everything you eat in a day, including chocolate bars or biscuits etc. and try calculating your average calorie intake from this information; remember to be as accurate as possible, ommiting stuff will only discourage you when you stop losing weight as you failed to take that candy bar into account. Then start making healthy adjustments. If your not good with sticking to goals, then change one thing at a time. Don't force change if it'll only end up discouraging you. Maybe instead of 1 litre (im from NZ) of Orange juice, try half, or 250ml and go from there. Instead of a bag of full fat chips, try low fat, low calorie alternatives until your ready to drop them altogether. Start making small changes which you can keep and every month try cut something else down, or switching white potatoes for a salad etc.

As for exercise, try walking as much as possible up stairs, down stairs, etc. even hide the remote if it means you have to get up to change the channel; it might not seem like much but every little bit counts. Even try do a few body weight exercises to assist.

As far as supplements go, you will notice that there are alot of fat burners out there and you may be tempted by them to help shred the fat faster; avoid these, at least for the next few years. It could just end up complicating things due to the fact that it raises your body temperature and the stimulants will make your heart work harder, and being over weight it is likely its already at full capacity of how hard it can pump.

The onus is on you to get up and move, and theres no easier way to say it. If you want it, you have to work for it; much like all of us do to achieve our own goals and things.

I truly wish you all the best, but theres no magic pill, no shortcuts. Work hard and you'll notice the results. Good luck

great post and great advise