Where to start

[lots789]

Originally Posted by Soldier

Welcome!

Good news; we have people here who can help you with everything your trying to do. Not only are the people here very knowledgable, we're also pretty good at applying what we know to the real world. Personally, I have lost tons of weight and also developed some pretty solid muscle and strength during my time on the planet so far.

First off, you need to know that you CAN change your body. Millions of people want to lose weight, and it's true that most fail, but there are also thousands and thousands of people who have succesfully lost fat and become healthier. You can be one of them. I know how it feels to be depressed. I have a family history of clinical depression and have struggled with it some myself. Just remember, it's EASY to give up, but what will make you happiest is hardly ever going to be the easiest route.

We need to know a little more about you. How old are you? Do you have any medical issues that will affect your weight loss plans? What are your goals (Be very specific here, wether that be exactly how much you want to weigh, to be an exact bodyfat %, or to squat an exact amount of weight.)? What is your living situation?

Living situation is important because some people have far more control over what they eat and what food is around them than others, and that will affect how you need to go about cutting fat.

Once we get some more info about you we can help you make a plan to get you wherever you want to be. Don't be afraid to make extreme long-term goals! Short term, easier goals will help you stay on track, but don't be afraid to dream about what you could some day be!

Thank you for the encouragement. I am 32 with no medical issues other than cat allergies and my bodyfat percentage is fat. Don't know how else to describe it. I am married, own a home and have a son. My wife is a RN and she is supportive.

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by Soldier

I have to disagree with you abs. Back when I had my biggest weight loss I drank 2 liters of diet soda like they were going out of style. My friends actually called me 2 liter because I didn't even bother with cups.

Now a days when I want something in my mouth but can't fit any more food into my intake I get a glass of diet soda. I believe it's helped me stay on track quite a few times. It also really helps on a low-carb diet, because I start to crave sweet things and diet soda takes care of it no problem.

It can be different for different people - I am working on the principle that the OP is not in the same condition as yourself, and does not benefit from your metabolism and genetics.

High calorie drinks are not something I would recommend to anybody who is having difficulty in losing weight. Quite often, sedentary living and a high-carb diet are the two main problems.

[Shadowschmadow]

Lesson Number 1: Calories are King

For a while, you can get away without having to keep track of your calories, but better food choices will have to be made. As I stated before, substituting little things like diet sodas and water can go a LONG way.

For starters, you're going to want to consume high protein foods that are low in calories. This means lean cuts of meats; turkey, 93/7 beef, chicken, fish. You're going to want to reduce your intake of simple carbohydrates - things like pastas, breads, rice, etc.. They offer very little nutrition, at the cost of a lot of calories. In addition to that, it is scientifically proven that protein will reduce hunger. More or less.

Replace convenient junk with convenient health. Carrots, celery, spinach, apples, oranges, watermelon, strawberries; take your pick, they can all be prepared in less than 3 minutes. Tuna is a very convenient and good food. Its high in protein, low in calories and its pre-cooked. Doesn't get much better then that.

I understand that not every day is perfect. Some days we wake up late, forget to pack lunch or get home late and don't feel like cooking dinner. That's fine and all, but having the discipline to make better decisions is what matters. If McDonald's is the only thing convenient to you in the morning; instead of getting a breakfast sandwich get a fruit and yogurt parfait and/or fruit and maple oatmeal. If you have options for lunch, go to a grocery store and pick up a salad from the salad bar. They always have pre-cooked chicken breast - I typically load up on spinach, chicken and eggs. Dinner; same as lunch.

Make better decisions.

[Shadowschmadow]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

^This is all good information, EXCEPT the recommendation to swap soda for diet soda. Soda is bad, diet soda is worse. The sugar replacements in diet and low-calorie drinks make you thirstier and crave sweetness more. Plus several of them have adverse effects on people in a variety of other ways.

Abs, I'm going to tell you something that my "mentor" taught me:

The health problems that are proven results from being obese, or significantly obese, are far more serious than 1 or even 100 diet sodas will ever be. If switching to diet sodas causes you to lose 30 pounds, then f*cking drink up, because the health impact of dropping 10% of your body weight on your current health markers will be significant. 10% reduction, for obese individuals, greatly reduces their risk for the countless diseases caused from being over-weight.

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by Shadow

Abs, I'm going to tell you something that my "mentor" taught me:

The health problems that are proven results from being obese, or significantly obese, are far more serious than 1 or even 100 diet sodas will ever be. If switching to diet sodas causes you to lose 30 pounds, then f*cking drink up, because the health impact of dropping 10% of your body weight on your current health markers will be significant. 10% reduction, for obese individuals, greatly reduces their risk for the countless diseases caused from being over-weight.

That's good, but it doesn't refute the facts regarding Nutrasweet, Sucralose, and other chemicals used to replace the sugar in diet sodas. Some of these chemicals can have negative effects on some people that are immediately noticeable, and some that are not. And some people can drink them all day.

I'd rather see the OP drinking water and milk than any other beverage options available, because just about every other liquid option has some down side. I mean, carbonation is not really ideal; carbonated drinks are much like caffeinated drinks in that they don't genuinely slake your thirst and can in fact dehydrate you.

Beverages shouldn't be sugared, caffeinated, carbonated, full of chemicals, or having the caloric value of 1+ meals (unless it's milk of course) - they should be used to hydrate and genuinely refresh the body.

...is what I'd advise someone looking to lose weight AND feel better doing it.

[Shadowschmadow]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

That's good, but it doesn't refute the facts regarding Nutrasweet, Sucralose, and other chemicals used to replace the sugar in diet sodas. Some of these chemicals can have negative affects on some people that are immediately noticeable, and some that are not. And some people can drink them all day.

I'd rather see the OP drinking water and milk than any other beverage options available, because just about every other liquid option has some down side. I mean, carbonation is not really ideal; carbonated drinks are much like caffeinated drinks in that they don't genuinely slake your thirst and can in fact dehydrate you.

Beverages shouldn't be sugared, caffeinated, carbonated, full of chemicals, or having the caloric value of 1+ meals (unless it's milk of course) - they should be used to hydrate and genuinely refresh the body.

...is what I'd advise someone looking to lose weight AND feel better doing it.

There's a big difference between what is ideal, and what the individual will actually do. Whatever they will be consistent with that allows them to lose weight is the ideal, even if its not the absolute best solution.

[Soldier]

Originally Posted by lots789

Thank you for the encouragement. I am 32 with no medical issues other than cat allergies and my bodyfat percentage is fat. Don't know how else to describe it. I am married, own a home and have a son. My wife is a RN and she is supportive.

Good, very good. That means you can control whats in the house. Here's what you need to do first; go around your kitchen and look at every single piece of food you have. Ask yourself "Is this piece of food helping me reach my goal, or hurting me? If you know that it's hurting you, then toss it. DON'T RATIONALIZE JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO KEEP THINGS.

Everything shadow said is true. At this point in your journey, calories are king.

I've had many people ask me about losing weight over the years, and I always start by telling them the same thing;

You know what you're supposed to eat. You also know what you're not supposed to eat. Apples? Good. Pie? Bad. Sure, there are some things in the middle, but most of the time you know in your heart wether you're sticking to a healthy diet or not. If you want to not only stop gaining, but actually reverse the trend and start LOSING, almost every single eating decision you make will need to be good. If you want something bad and rationalize it by "eating less" of it, you won't lose. You shouldn't have a bod thing around to choose anyways.

Another HUGE thing is to stop eating out. Yes, I mean almost completely stop eating out. Restaurant chefs are like calorie ninjas. They sneak them into foods in ways we mere mortals could never understand. Most salads at restaurants have a zillion calories, just like everything else. They also give you extra food to chew on while you're waiting for your food. Think that a roll from Logan's Roadhouse is no big deal? There's an extra 300 calories and 70g of carbs added to the meal you haven't even seen yet.

I know, it sounds really daunting, and it is at first. Most people can't make these small changes, so they do some stupid fad diet, then go right back to what they were doing before. That doesn't work, period. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. As you continue to make good decisions, it will become easier and easier to make more and more good decisions. Think about it, what would you do if you wanted to become a professional baseball player? Would you go try out right now? You'd get laughed off the field and fail, which is what happens with fad diets. Now think about starting slow and practicing. The more you practiced, the better you would become.

Making good, psotive decisions is the same way! Once you get some experience and practice under your belt, doing things that are hard now will be so easy you won't even have to think about it.

Here are some rules to live by based on what both Shadow and myself have said;

1. Lean protein and fibrous carohydrates (VEGGIES and fruits) are the king and queen of a healthy diet.

2. Plan everything. Avoid being caught in a situation where you can't control your choices because of time. Make it easy to make good decisions by having them around.

3. The best way to not eat crap is to not have it around in the first place.

4. Before puting anything in your mouth, or even on your plate, ask yourself if this is a good decision that is helping you towards your goal of having a healthy diet.

5. Practice makes perfect. Start practicing your decision making today. The sooner and more often you make the right decision, the easier it will become.

6. Don't let the calorie ninjas at restaurants control how much you eat. That's YOUR choice to make, not theirs.

[bruteforce]

I was in a similar boat to the OP 3 years ago, but had started to experience medical issues. For those who have heard all the before, bear with me a moment, it will be over soon.

Dec. 2008 - I was over 360 pounds and diabetic, cholesterol was very bad as well.
Dec. 2009 - I weight in at 225, no blood sugar was fine, cholesterol was perfect.
Dec. 2010 - 405 lb deadlift @ 245

My first step was to cut the following things out of my life completely.
Sugar, Grains, Starchy Roots

Doing this dropped 90 pounds in 5 months while I still ate like a maniac on fresh veggies and lots of meat.

The next 7 months things went slower and I began slowly reducing the amount of food I ate. I never went very hungry, but I wouldn't gorge myself either. I found that very spicy food with high fat content was ideal for me. A dozen chicken wings with cayanne pepper and buffalo sauce was a nice snack and would keep me from feeling like I needed to ingest enough calories for most families weekly food budget.

Doing this took me down to 225 by the end of the year, and adding in light exercise dropped another 10 pounds off. I began adding carbs back in as I started to exercise harder, gained some muscle and some water weight, and some fat as well, but overall felt and looked better. 215 at 6'5" was really just too small.

During all of this, I would limit myself to eating at restaurants every 8 weeks. I had always been a little chunky, usually around 280, before I began dining at restaurants, but packed on the pounds quickly once I made enough money to go out frequently. Cooking at home was good for my wallet and my waistline.

I'm a little different than a lot of people you will run into because I'm a proponent of a very HIGH FAT approach to dieting. Don't let that fool you into thinking I eat unhealthy foods. Avocados, chicken, free range eggs, grass fed beef, almonds, and olives are staples for me. If I don't have the fat from food, I don't get full. At night,I keep eating until I'm full. Anything less than 50% of my calories from fat is no good for me.

My biggest suggestion is planning your meals ahead of time, and sticking to the plan. Write out what you plan on eating for the next week. Be sure that all of the meals are acceptable. One meal that isn't perfect may be ok. 6 meals isn't a good thing. This helps control costs and the psyche. Sure, maybe you want pizza, but if the meat is thawed and ready to go, its easier to cook it and eat it than if you need to go shopping first.

Hope this was helpful, good luck to you on your journey.

[polgas]

hi guys,

i dont know if im in the right thread..but anyway heres my question and a some details:
well im 29 yo and just started bodybuilding/weightlifting about a month or 2 now, basically a noob in the field. i just quit smoking, but still cant resist beers ..anyway i encountered some workout routine on the web its called SL5X5(stronglift) & Anthony Ellis's Gaining Mass Program, so i go to the gym every monday,wed and fri..and on tues, thurs and sat i jog/run..if my goal is to loose the love handles & flabs.stay fit and lets say ahmmm have a body of a triathlete.and my question is am i on the right track, am i doing the right thing?
appreciate any suggestions,comments and advice.

thanks!

[Jesda]

Originally Posted by lots789

Hello everyone,

I don't know where to start. I keep getting bigger and bigger and am starting to get depressed. Right now I weigh close to 280 at 5 foot 7 and don't know how fast to lose the weight and how to workout. I want to look better but don't have to look like a Greek god or anything.

Hey you sound like just the opposite of me. I am the puny little guy that hardly weighs anything. I just want to gain some and be bulkier. Trust me it is not any fun being on this side of the spectrum either.