Grossly overweight

[MashadaR]

I'm a 28 year-old guy who feels like he's 50 everyday of his life. I know why, too. It's because I am just over 300# and it's like I'm two people instead of one.

I do have a weakness for food and not diciplined. I hate veggies - litterally, some actually make me wanna puke. I jsut don't know what to do. I don't know if I should just go to a gym and start trying to bench 5lb weights or what?

I'm very out of shape and do not want to incorporate any health problems. What is the first step I should take?

I'm in dire need.

Thanks for the help.

 

[LiberatedChick]

Start with cardio exercise. This raises the heart rate and get's the body burning extra pounds. Running, cycling, step aerobics and swimming all class as cardio exercise but if you don't fancy going straight into running straight away then try going or brisk walks. If you're very unfit you may not be able to walk too far at a brisk pace but don't let that discourage you. Start off small and work your way up until when you go for your walk you're spending longer walking. Once walking feels like it's getting too easy start jogging.

 

[Sun_flwer]

Are you trying to meet a need in your life with food?Veggies are good for you but if you don't like them much why not try some low-fat versions of the things you do like.Your not going to stick with any exercise program if you don't enjoy it. Try something you like. Maybe swimming at first as it will have the least impact on your joints. Get a buddy and start walking. Exercise is always more fun with a friend. Find someone to be accountable to. Pray to God. Ask Him to give you the strength,will-power, and grace to make healthy choices for yourself. You can do it!

 

[CJ.23]

Hi mate, I'm with you on this one. I recently stopped smoking, and have put on over thirty pounds. I weigh about 230lbs now (I'm 6' tall, but have a small frame), and I don't seem to eat very much. I worried about this long and hard, till it occurred to me that I simply don't get any exercise at all; ok I walk to the shops etc, and never take a car anywhere, but really I spend hours every day just in front of the computer. I have therefore committed to walking about 5 miles a day; maybe not all at once, but a few gentle walks, and sometimes perhaps a swim or a bike ride. I'll let yuou know how it works out.

And hey, how big you are has nothing to do with what kind of a person you are. I like big people!

all the best and good luck,
cj x

 

[Ave Maria]

Make sure you lose the weight slowly. I heard that a rate of 1-2 pounds a week is normal. Otherwise, you might just gain it back.

 

[goat37]

First... before you do anything, I would seriously consult a physician. They will help you come up with a plan for your eating habits as well as exercise so you don't work to hard and hurt yourself...

Also... do not try to lose weight too fast by doing something like starving yourself as it tends to have the opposite effect in the long run. In order to seriously lose weight and keep if off, if you are committed, is to change your lifestyle... this means diet AND exercise, not just one or the other for a limited amount of time. Coming from a person who used to be very large himself, I know that I can't just work out to get to where I want and then stop, it's a complete life change that I had to make in order to keep the weight off.

Cardio will be a must... walking on treadmills to start, ellipto-trainers, recumbant bikes... these will boost your heart rate.
Weight training, if you do any... make sure it's light weight, as you don't want to add any more mass to your frame, you want to replace the fat you have with lean muscle...
Cardio will burn lots of calories while you do it and increases endurance, muscle keeps your metabolism up all throughout the day.

Aside from that... (since this is a forum for each of our own opinions) I wouldn't try any fad diet like atkins or anything... I would just try to eat healthy, good mix of proteins, fats, and carbs as your body WILL need them for the exercise... and just cut back on the portions.

Good luck and may God be with you!

 

[hischildsindik]

I would suggest walking first, a treadmill is good, start out at a rate that you can talk while you walk... evenutally building speed and time, thus distance.

As for eating, try cutting your meals in half. Serve out your normal portions, and then cut that in half. Even starting to do this one or two meals a day is good.

It is really all about lifestyle change. If you diet, that's not a good mental attitude. Especially if you cut the word up.... DIEt... eeek... haha... Cut your portions, cut the fat, white sugar and white starches down in your diet. All good starts... and don't give up.

I agree with accountabilty and the buddy system, as it was spoken ealier.

 

[crimsonxbeauty]

MK... I started a thread asking if overeating is a sin.. and if it is gluttony it is a sin. You said that you have trouble controling what you eat so I'm assuming that you may be suffering from. I suffer from being captive by the sin of gluttony and I'm fighting it with a 60 day online program. go to settingcaptivesfree.com and click on The Lords Table course. It has helped me sooo much. It is super hard at first, but I really suggest you do it. I'm on day 26 and I haven't lost much weight yet (I have trouble getting out and excersizing) but I do feel closer to God. I highly recomend checking it out. you can IM me anytime you feel like.

 

[Anti-Fear]

You need easy cardio vascular exercise.
I found the easiest to be on a stationary bike where you sit in a chair and the handlebars are on the sides and the seat is designed to support your back. That is most effective in my opinon. For beginner at least.

 

[Greenriser]

it's a good idea to gradually cut out the worst food satuarted fat and high sugar. The easiest way is to eat good fats like omega 3 fat in tuna, eggs that are boiled, chicken w/out the skin. If you like cakes try and stick to bread and fruit, but try limit to the amount of bread for you, when you can. At the same time, gradually begin to exercise, possibly to your favourite music. And drink plenty of water thoughout the day - take a water bottle with you during exercise (1 litre plus) too.

If you dont like vegetables, a good idea would be to juice them with fruit in a juicer. I.E. Carrot and Apple.

If you do make any changes, make them slow. You wont see results overnight, so you cant expect that, but it can be good to see yourself as different.

If you have any health concerns you should see a doctor on what to eat. It can be good to write down exactly what you're eating and understand that. That way, you can tell your doctor and he might be able to help you with a program (you would have to ask). Anyway, I hope I helped. Natural foods are really cool, first learn how to boil eggs

 

[Greenriser]

bananas are also good for energy. Try to eat bread and bananas w/out unhealthy foods (like cake, gravy, butter)

 

[Greenriser]

add vegies to your sandwiches when you can, and cut back on toppings in your foods (high sugar, high fat dressing).

 

[Greenriser]

if you like your cheese and ham sandwich, leave alittle space for tomatoes, cucumber, maybe some capsicum, purple or green cabbage, onions, olives, avacado . Just get some vegies while you gradually make changes

 

[Greenriser]

finely dice your vegies with a knife or blender. That way you dont taste them as much.

 

[Prowler2213]

I'll try not to restate anything that has already been said. The one thing I would suggest however is WATER.

I don't know if you drink a lot of sodas or not but if you do, replace them with water and tea. If bottled water gets expensive you can buy a filter and drink straight from the tap. (Or is that only here in LA where a filter is needed?)

Also if you drink one or two glasses of water before you're meals, you won't eat as much regardless of the servings.

 

[MrsGnomeCrusher]

Keep a food journal. Before you eat anything, write down what you're feeling and what you're eating and the amount that you're eating. You might start seeing a pattern of what you're consuming and why you're consuming it.

Also, the biggest thing that I've found that helps me is to plan ahead your meals. If you fly by your seat, most likely you'll eat the wrong thing and too much of it. Measure and plan before hand. That helps a bunch.

Also, the water that someone above mentioned. Sometimes we think we're hungry when we're actually thirsty. Go figure. I find this is true in my case, too.

 

[angelnstix]

drink at least 8-10 glasses of WATER daily. Very important.

 

[Cright]

My first suggestions would be ( some already mentioned)

get rid of the soda and drink water!!

start an cardio program. One of my fav's is Walk away the pounds! (it has 1 mile 2 mile and 3 mile programs) start w/ the 1 mile. It's made for people who are starting exercise programs that haven't previously been involved in them. (she's also christian ) Try to do it 2 to 3 times a week to start.

cut all bad carbs - bread, juice (too much sugar), candies cookies ect..

Finally...
and this is most important.. realise that this is a long term project. Don't get disappointed if you lose slowley.. that's important to staying motivated and improving!

I am in the process of losing weight myself.. I'm down 36 lbs in the last 13 weeks.. I'm working on losing alot more too.. I feel soo much better.. I'll send you a PM with more detail! I wish you success!

Carina

 

[dragonchaser]

Go to your doctor first. It is so important to get a check up before you begin any type of exercise program. Drink lots of water!!!!!! IT IS A TRIED AND TRUE METHOD!! It helps to fill you up and keeps you hydrated. Lots of times when we feel hungry our bodies are actually trying to tell us we need water. Good for you wanting to take control of your life. That is the first step. Keep people around you that support your decision for better health. Believe in yourself. Seek professional advice from a nutritionist if you can. Whatever you do-do not diet. When you do it just screws up your metabolism. Eat what veggies you can and control your portions. Drink water before each meal. Good luck to you!!

 

[brokenbananas]

Mashada,

I'm going to suggest something that no one else posting has suggested. Most of the things you wrote about are more of a state of mind. Yes, there are physical aspects to what you say and that is what other people wrote about, but the first thing is your mind. If you do not reprogram your mind, even if you implement the good suggestions others have stated, you will struggle to maintain those things.

I could write a book on this subject, but, there are already other people out there who are motivational that can do a better job helping and teaching you. No one person, including me, can tell you the exact formula for what will work for YOU. This will take work on your part. Jeremy Likeness, a motivational coach and personal trainer, has a bunch of awesome articles on his site that can be of use to you: http://www.naturalphysiques.com/cms/ . Another good site is Tom Venuto's site. He's a natural bodybuilder. http://www.fitren.com/res2art.cfm

Both these sites have tons of great articles on how to lose weight, get into better shape, motivational/inspirational stuff, and a whole list of other things. I've come to respect these 2 men a lot.

Keep learning and implementing the things that will work for you. If you fail, get back up and try again...something different. You can do it!!! "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13.

May God Bless You,
Doris