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[andythinkpad]

From my experience, a networked scale that tells you your daily weight is a bigger motivating factor than wrist fitness gadgets.

You don't even have to post it, just look at the numbers on your phone is enough for me.

 

[Quonny]

From my experience, a networked scale that tells you your daily weight is a bigger motivating factor than wrist fitness gadgets.

You don't even have to post it, just look at the numbers on your phone is enough for me.

Daily weighing is dangerous. Bi-weekly or weekly is good, but weight fluctuates way too much for daily measurements to mean anything.

 

[thechristoph]

Searched thread for 'vitamin', no results.

Ever get your vitamin levels checked by your doctor? Mine has prescribed B-12 and D to me because I was anemic (anemia isn't just sickle-cell or iron deficiency; it can come with a lack of vitamins as well).

I got that shit regulated and I lost 60 pounds in 6 months. Along with activity and responsible eating, of course.

I strayed from the path, my levels got low again, and I haven't lost anything in the last 4 months.

 

[Flopfan]

daily walks

So much this.

In the beginning don't focus on changing your diet , just focus on getting more active. Take small steps , starting big at the beginning by going to a gym or running or sports will just tire you very quickly and you will lose motivation.

Start by measuring your weight. Then take daily walks for 30 minutes and then weigh yourself again after a month. You will lose weight and be more confident and motivated , then you can take the next step (gym , changing up your diet etc)

 

[Soodes]

Maybe if your 15, but if your mid 30's and up your metabolism is low.

The change in metabolism is so insignificant it's not a factor here, and the idea that different people have hugely different metabolism's is a convenient lie some people tell themselves.

Metabolism can slow down with aging, but it's at most 5% per decade.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10688279
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0019657

 

[jmdajr]

I would make sure to mix things up and try not to eat the same thing everyday (even though I do in some ways).

Tired of apples? Eat oranges. Eat strawberries.

Tired of chicken? Eat Turkey. Eats red meat every once in awhile.

Tired of peanuts, have almonds. Have cashews.

etc.

Me I don't count calories. I just try to eat real food and avoid added sugars and refined carbs. I drink whole milk, eat cheese, etc. Maybe that doesn't work for everyone but in my opinion the main enemy are sugar and refined carbs. By far.

Set up goals. Monthly. Weekly. Daily. However you want. But you need these goals for life. Everyone that wants to be in good health and fitness never stop setting goals. There is no peak where you all of a sudden stop.

 

[UnluckyKate]

for 3 years I stayed inside my house, playing game all day, eating nothing but pasta and chocolate biscuit. I had severe depression.

Then I met a girl. I wanted to step up my game.

I needed to to exercice for my heart because it's weak and it hurts so I was lazy and avoiding heart pain so I never did sport but it's a vicious circle of course the less I was doing the less I could do.

Anyway. Two months ago I subscribe to a gym. I tried to go for an hour every morning after getting up. I never felt so good. I still struggle (heart issue) but I can see my way of life improving, having better sleep patterns, trying to eat better too. It's hard but it's about finding motivation, A motivation.

Last month I got my first job. Is it because of sport ? because I was not as gloomy at the interview ? Maybe I was more confident ? I don't know. But I feel everything coming together in my life, right when I decided to move my ass. As simple as that.

Turns out, the girl isn't for me (didn't got rejected, its just she's not for me) but it's okay. There will be more. And I do this for me.

Everybody got excuses. Morbid overweight, heart condition (me), asthma, back pain, bad knee... but anybody can do it. Just start low, get the hang of it.

You won't melt right away. it's about patience and sweating. But it's a virtous cycle.

4 years go I was dead for 4 minute in this operation room because my heart sucked. 6 month later I was living half way around the globe, dating the most amazing woman in my life. When I lost her I didn't came out of the house for 3 years. Now I'm going everyday to the gym for an hour.

Life has its up and downs.

Get a grip. Get a motivation. A goal. Hang to it. Don't let life take you down.

 

[NealMcCauley]

I've been going on walks around my neighborhood for the last year. So far I've lost sixty pounds and my legs/body are in good enough shape that I can start jogging/running for a little bit too. I run out of breath easily so I need to watch myself but I've already noticed an improvement in how far I can go.

Food wise I'm sticking to chicken and fish with veggies and fruit. I don't drink unless it's the weekend or a special occasion.

Depression truly sucks but exercising is one of the best ways you can handle it from my experience.

 

[Chorazin]

Move more (set a step goal and meet it every day) eat less (sign up for MyFitnessPal), meet your calorie goals every day.

It's really that easy. You don't need to run marathons or lift weights to lose fat.I lost 150 pounds that way!

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

Best way I find is not to keep that shit in the house OP. If I go the supermarket, I buy the food I need and nothing more. Lot of water, try to keep myself moving so I'm doing something instead of eating out of boredom.

 

[jmdajr]

Move more (set a step goal and meet it every day) eat less (sign up for MyFitnessPal), meet your calorie goals every day.

It's really that easy. You don't need to run marathons or lift weights to lose fat.I lost 150 pounds that way!

The formula is super easy. Carrying out the formula is not. Society is constantly trying to fuck you over with it's bad food and habits.

You almost have to change your whole fucking brain/body chemistry to no longer crave junk food in large quantities.

I am pretty much there, but for many it's like trying to give up drug addiction. Like literally.

 

[blast processed]

The change in metabolism is so insignificant it's not a factor here, and the idea that different people have hugely different metabolism's is a convenient lie some people tell themselves.

Metabolism can slow down with aging, but it's at most 5% per decade.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10688279
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0019657

This is the last time I'm posting on this, as studies have show eating later will ultimately gain weight. There's a reason why they say starting your day off with breakfast you should eat like a king, lunch eat like a prince and dinner eat like a pauper.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/06/26/will-eating-at-night-really-make-you-gain-weight

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/why-eating-late-at-night-may-be-particularly-bad-for-you-and-your-diet/2015/08/24/ad8b85ac-2583-11e5-b77f-eb13a215f593_story.html

https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/people-who-eat-and-sleep-late-may-gain-weight

 

[Nowy]

You'll probably get (or already have been given) a lot of information that seems contradictory in this thread. One person will say do this while another person says don't bother with that, do this. Weight loss consists of many different paths that lead to the same destination. Some ways work better for some people and not others. I struggled with weight for most of my life. I tried to lose it, but would fall off the horse every time.

The 'path' I eventually discovered is a diet called "the ketogenic diet". Its whats considered a high fat, low carb diet. Something about this diet clicked with me. I was losing weight, not feeling hungry, and had a lot of energy. I stopped craving stuff like chips and pizza after a couple weeks and the weight just melted off of me. It just wasn't a challenge at all to lose the weight. Once I hit my goal weight, I added more carbs back to my diet, but compared to the average person, its still probably below average. (Here is a site I found that talks about low carb high fat diets. Also, the keto subreddit is a good resource with a lot of people willing to share stories and help newcomers.)

I'm not saying my path is the right way, I'm just saying it worked for me, and maybe it can work for you. You'll have to experiment until you find something that clicks.

 

[Soodes]

This is the last time I'm posting on this, as studies have show eating later will ultimately gain weight. There's a reason why they say starting your day off with breakfast you should eat like a king, lunch eat like a prince and dinner eat like a pauper.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/06/26/will-eating-at-night-really-make-you-gain-weight

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/why-eating-late-at-night-may-be-particularly-bad-for-you-and-your-diet/2015/08/24/ad8b85ac-2583-11e5-b77f-eb13a215f593_story.html

https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/people-who-eat-and-sleep-late-may-gain-weight

I can also easily find studies saying the complete opposite on this, that eating before bed is not only fine, but can also be good for you.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22330017
http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fit/lose-weight/myth-too-late-to-eat

I won't say it's stupid to stop eating before bed, everyone should do what they find works for them. But it's definitely not an agreed upon fact that eating before bed is a bad thing, and it's not something that will affect most people in any significant way.

 

[shadowkat]

Not sure what else I can add, but I've lost 27 pounds since January. I just changed what I ate. More fresh vegetables, complex carbs, different grains like quinoa, couscous, and bulgar. I cut out all pop (including diet) and switched to water. I spoke with my doctor to make sure I was doing things right and she referred me to a dietician so I have some more help. I got a Jawbone, so I track my food, sleep and steps. I exercise at least 3x a week and average close to 10000 steps a day. There are still some additional changes I want to make but I don't want to overwhelm myself. I also weigh myself daily, first thing in the morning.

You've made a good start. Continue with it and figure out what works best for you.

 

[zswordsman]

I hear ya OP, I was in a similar situation. Last year at 5'7" 245 I was gross as heck. I tried working out but it wouldnt matter cause of my crap diet. So I took drastic measures and got a hard ass construction job and then a landscaping job, it sucked and was hard work but I managed to lose 40lbs without a diet change but then I hit a plateau.

However by that time I had enough discipline and felt good enough about myself to where I could do a diet plan and stick to it. Been off carbs for a while, down to 192 and going. Also started going to the gym, weights and cardio.
It's hard man. Especially if you eat a crap ton and don't exercise but you can do it. It gonna hurt too, especially the exercise but when your down 100lbs you're just gonna laugh and say it was easy like a distant memory.

Also find a workout partner, I feel that I run a little faster and lift a little more when there's someone else.

Edit: oh yeah water too, cut everything else out, juice, soda. Drink water, at first it sucks but then you get used to it and prefer water.

Also my diet is keto also like Nowy said. seems to be the only thing that works for me. Well worth it, sucks about the carbs but you feel drastically better on it.

Also, you can walk 15 miles a day of you want to lose weight landscaping style. That's how much I would record a day and burned a lot of fat doing that.

 

[Hoo-doo]

This is the last time I'm posting on this, as studies have show eating later will ultimately gain weight. There's a reason why they say starting your day off with breakfast you should eat like a king, lunch eat like a prince and dinner eat like a pauper.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/06/26/will-eating-at-night-really-make-you-gain-weight

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/why-eating-late-at-night-may-be-particularly-bad-for-you-and-your-diet/2015/08/24/ad8b85ac-2583-11e5-b77f-eb13a215f593_story.html

https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/people-who-eat-and-sleep-late-may-gain-weight

You know, if you're going to refer to 'studies' to bolster an argument, you should preferably link the actual studies, not just the articles that (often clueless) media write about these studies.

Without reading the actual paper it's often difficult to separate fact from opinion.

I can also easily find studies saying the complete opposite on this, that eating before bed is not only fine, but can also be good for you.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22330017
http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fit/lose-weight/myth-too-late-to-eat

I won't say it's stupid to stop eating before bed, everyone should do what they find works for them. But it's definitely not an agreed upon fact that eating before bed is a bad thing, and it's not something that will affect most people in any significant way.

Neither of the links you gave said the opposite, to be honest.

 

[blast processed]

I can also easily find studies saying the complete opposite on this, that eating before bed is not only fine, but can also be good for you.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22330017
http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fit/lose-weight/myth-too-late-to-eat

I won't say it's stupid to stop eating before bed, everyone should do what they find works for them. But it's definitely not an agreed upon fact that eating before bed is a bad thing, and it's not something that will affect most people in any significant way.

Just sayin what worked for me and several others.

You know, if you're going to refer to 'studies' to bolster an argument, you should preferably link the actual studies, not just the articles that (often clueless) media write about these studies.

Without reading the actual paper it's often difficult to separate fact from opinion.



Neither of the links you gave said the opposite, to be honest.

Links to those studies are in the articles.

 

[BrassMonkey1010]

If you want it bad enough you can do it! Myfittnesspal is a great tool to get a basic reference of how many calories are in your favorite foods.

I have lost over 100lbs and am at a healthy 150lbs now. I still kind of eat like a fat guy, (I skip breakfast and lunch in favor of black coffee and then have a massive 2000 calorie dinner) but it is my favorite way to stay under my calorie limit. After you find whatever works best for you then its not too hard at all.

 

[Glendemonium]

I would make sure to mix things up and try not to eat the same thing everyday (even though I do in some ways).

Tired of apples? Eat oranges. Eat strawberries.

Tired of chicken? Eat Turkey. Eats red meat every once in awhile.

Tired of peanuts, have almonds. Have cashews.

etc.

Me I don't count calories. I just try to eat real food and avoid added sugars and refined carbs. I drink whole milk, eat cheese, etc. Maybe that doesn't work for everyone but in my opinion the main enemy are sugar and refined carbs. By far.

Set up goals. Monthly. Weekly. Daily. However you want. But you need these goals for life. Everyone that wants to be in good health and fitness never stop setting goals. There is no peak where you all of a sudden stop.

Was curious, had to look this up because I thought I was doing well:

http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/refined-carbohydrate-list/

Guess I need to take honey out... I've been putting that in my tea

 

[JimmyRustler]

I used one of these threads at motivation at first:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=140847501

Simply going into it with the mindset that others could do it that were a lot fatter than me, made me push myself even harder.

The most important thing however is to realize that it doesn't take so long to loose weight if you do it properly. Get your nutrition straight as fast as possible and you'll have huge results within a few months.

For me it used to be a huge downer that I thought it takes so long to loose weight. It doesn't. Do it right.

 

[Violet_0]

I am the polar opposite, I need to gain weight and I am struggling, trying to get 2000 calories down me a day seems impossible, I just do not get that hungry.

protein shakes, milk

 

[Soodes]

Neither of the links you gave said the opposite, to be honest.

True, just that it could have one beneficial effects in one case. I could probably find some better ones if I specifically googled for them.


My problem is just that people can make weight loss into something very complicated when it really isn't. People start a diet or a routine that makes them lose weight, but then attribute these methods more credit than they deserve. If a method made you lose weight, it's because you made a permanent routine change that led to you consuming less calories.

 

[Krakatoa]

I am the polar opposite, I need to gain weight and I am struggling, trying to get 2000 calories down me a day seems impossible, I just do not get that hungry.

Milk and Cheese.

 

[JimmyRustler]

protein shakes, milk

That doesn't actually have a lot of calories. Would rather recommend him weight gainers.

 

[Dead Prince]

i struggled with weight growing up. but then again i didn't care until the last year of high school and told myself i would change. which i did. was cool. i stayed active for a good 5 years and ended up slowly gaining weight and 2 years ago i ended up losing it again with about 20 pounds to drop for reasons. it's all about commitment. don't just go in there doing it just for the sake of doing it. enjoy what youre doing to lose weight. more importantly don't go looking for a quick fix just because summer is around the corner or something.

That doesn't actually have a lot of calories. Would rather recommend him weight gainers.

peanut butter.

 

[Soodes]

I am the polar opposite, I need to gain weight and I am struggling, trying to get 2000 calories down me a day seems impossible, I just do not get that hungry.

Snack on nuts, mix in almonds when you can, they're great and loaded with calories.

 

[TheOfficeMut]

I'd like to start cutting out carbs as well since I incorporate a lot of that into my diet. I had eggs and sausage this morning. Now I'm snacking on cashews. Later I plan to have a salad with some grilled chicken and veggies. And in the evening I'll probably top it off with something small. Is this a good plan to keep consistent throughout the week if I'd like to be on a keto diet and lose weight? Will the nuts harm me?

 

[Clearos]

Keep it simple at first. I don't expect you to hit the gym 3-5 times a week and eat an all natural diet.

Make a focal point to eat under 2000 calories. Even if it is junk food. I use to have a bag of twizzlers and a lot of diet soda. I started to slowly cut bad things out until i ate better but don't try to cut it all at once or the cravings will probably push you over 2k.

There are probably a lot better/healthier more efficient ways but I feel this is the least effort and I think most people need a job start and an easy win before you start to go for a straight up life style change.

If you don't have like minded people continue to talk to GAF about it. Having support is huge and having like minded people in your corner is a great resource.

 

[Kor of Memory]

This is how I went about things:

Step 1: Ween yourself off of soda/caffine. This is going to cause headaches, and it sucks, but there is a crazy amount of calories in Soda that people don't realize. If you need to transition to tea or lemonade first, that's fine. But remember the goal to end with you drinking water 99% of the time.

Step 2: Movement. This plays off of step 1 a bit. When you find yourself drinking water more regularly, you'll find yourself making more trips to the bathroom. This is okay. Any excuse to get you up away from your desk for a short period of time is alright. In fact, get a water bottle that you have to fill up regularly to drink from. Does your work have multiple water fountains or fill stations? Use the further one from your desk.

Are you allowed breaks in the day? Try to take a 15 minutes break once a morning and once an afternoon. Walk. Use this time to literally experience the world around you. Walk down a street you've never been. Walk the perimeter of your building. Wherever you can go. Buy yourself a small fan for your desk because you are going to be sweaty by the time you get back. Especially if you live in a warmer place.

Step 3: Portions. Slowly dial back the amount of food you think you need for every meal. Realize that you should only have one "big" meal a day. The other two should be a sort of appetizer. Maybe cut out 1 of your regular sides. If possible sub a small salad for a side in place of those mashed potatoes/corn/coleslaw/fries. Realize that there is no such thing as "anti-calories". Don't just add a salad to your already large meal thinking it will help fill you up, especially if you add to many toppings/dressings to your salad.

Step 4: My Fitness Pal. Counting calories sucks, but thankfully there's an app for that. You tell MFP what you weigh, and what you want to weigh and it gives you an allowance. This will help you realize your problem areas. Maybe that full glass of OJ is a bit too much for breakfast. Maybe that fourth slice of pizza is going to take up the entirety of your calorie allowance so you hold back. Becoming aware of calories is a crazy learning experience. When you realize those snack cakes in the vending machine are 15% of your daily calorie intake... you start to really wonder if those snack cakes are worth it. Then you start making deals with yourself. 'I can have a little bigger dinner if I walk another 30 minutes.' That kind of stuff. MFP allows you more calories in the day.

Step 5: Exercise. Hey, if walking for 30 minutes gets you an extra 80 calories, maybe running will get you an extra 180. You start adding in all your workouts and suddenly you get to eat again. Then you end up with something like this:

Note* This is not the healthiest example. My leftover calories are way too high. I just missed a fair portion of breakfast and then after work I mowed the lawn (166 calories), went for a 20 minute run (302 calories) and a 40 minute walk (181 calories).

 

[acevans2]

Will power is necessary to stop eating those pastries and things. Will power is like a muscle, and you have to exercise it to make it stronger. Start by saying "No" to a pastry opportunity once. Maybe you'll have one again soon, but as you build up more and more times you've said "No," start to keep track of how many in a row you can reject.

At some point, you can start to coast. "I've stopped eating these for a week and half already, why should I have one now?"

And be sure to keep those bad foods at arm's length- don't buy them at the grocery store and have them at home, with almost no barrier to enjoying one. Just about everyone will fail to resist when there's nothing in the way but walking over and eating one.

 

[Soodes]

Any nuts in particular? I would have peanut butter but it makes my IBS bad.

Pretty much all nuts are great, think Almonds are considered the overall best nutrition wise, but you can't go wrong with walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts either.

Pasta also contains quite a bit of calories.

 

[Violet_0]

I stuff my face with milk and cheese whenever I get the chance, should I just load it up on grain bread and eat lots of breakfast cereal inbetween meals maybe?

Never tried protein shakes, aren't they bad for you though unless you have a good workout regime? I have a heart problem so I can't really push myself too much in that regard.

I don't really have personal experience with gaining weight (slightly underweight myself) but I know some guys who chucked down protein shakes to "bulk up" and ended up gaining mostly fat due to not exercising enough, so I figure it works pretty well if more weight is all you want

but apparently there are plenty of alternatives, too

 

[jmdajr]

Was curious, had to look this up because I thought I was doing well:

http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/refined-carbohydrate-list/

Guess I need to take honey out... I've been putting that in my tea

Yeah sadly honey is not the best. I also thought it was healthy. Pretty much the only thing you should consume with sugar is fruit because of the fiber. And that means eating the fruit not juicing or blending it.

I don't worry about the lactose in cheese/milk though.

edit: My protein shake is whole milk, plain yogurt, protein powder, and peanut butter. I was doing too awesome with my no sugar/refined carbs and started looking... kind of like I was dying. lol. This works. It's not enough to significantly put on the pounds but stops me from losing more.

 

[Psychotext]

for example the 4 slices of cheese that's clocking in at 208 calories and a whopping 1280mg of sodium.

Just a note on this... UK labels generally list salt instead of sodium, so what tends to happen is people put the salt figure into the sodium field. A slice of Leerdammer Light has 0.3g of salt per slice, so about 124mg of sodium. So in actuality 496mg of sodium.

Sadly it basically means that anyone using MFP in the UK has worthless sodium numbers. I tend to fix them when I notice, but it's a battle that can't be won.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Get a Fitbit device (I reccomend the alta) or an Apple Watch. Seriously, their fitness capabilities make it a little game of hitting your calorie count or step goal. My OCD on filling bars and meters motivated me want to hit those goals before the day's end. I've already lost 10 pounds through cardio alone.

Also since running can be really harsh on your knees (as I quickly found out from pushing myself too hard running) give the elliptical a shot. Not only is it easier on your joints, but I lose up to double the calories after an hour than I did running. It pushes you harder, but spaces out the stamina you consume as to not totally exhaust you so quickly. I love it.

You can fucking do it!

 

[btags]

Obviously the simple thing to say is eat less, but for exercise you really have to find something you enjoy doing. It does not have to be the most strenuous activity, but if you enjoy doing it you will be more likely to do it each day. Even so, the toughest part is getting started with exercise. Do not expect much after a week and expect it take a week or more to get used to do regular exercise.

 

[shoreu]

I make a lot of friends working out by just talking to them or joining in sets

 

[jmdajr]

Obviously the simple thing to say is eat less, but for exercise you really have to find something you enjoy doing. It does not have to be the most strenuous activity, but if you enjoy doing it you will be more likely to do it each day. Even so, the toughest part is getting started with exercise. Do not expect much after a week and expect it take a week or more to get used to do regular exercise.

No doubt. Plus the soreness after makes you not want to do it again. But it gets better. Have too keep looking forward.

I do recommend DAY 1 not to over do it. Whatever you think you can do, do half. And then see how you feel the next couple of days.

Don't wipe yourself out or...god forbid..get injured. Then you can't do a god damn thing!

 

[Jeronimo Jones]

You have to start somewhere, so my advice is to start by being more active. Walk more, take the stairs instead of elevators when possible. I also recommend a Fitbit or something similar. Building up to working out/walking/jogging a few times a week is the goal.

Substitute fruit for less healthy snacks, substitute water for other drinks to cut out extra calories, eat more fresh fruits/veggies and less processed foods can help you drop weight and you'll have more energy. You could look into basic meal prep where you grill or bake chicken/fish and veggies and pack lunch for the week to control your caloric intake.

I won't pretend to always follow these rules but I'm eating much better and am more active than last year and the results show. I wanted to lose some extra weight and I'm down more than 10lbs since November and have kept it off.

 

[Milly Osworth]

Don't weigh yourself. Use the mirror as your scale.

Scale numbers only stress you out.

This is bad advice.

Focusing on your weight gives you short term goals. Losing weight is a marathon and setting your daily goal of losing some weight every day will help you.

 

[KimbleJay]

Good luck OP. I'm trying to find the motivation myself but really struggle to say no to tempting food..

Diet clubs like WeightWatchers and Slimming World have worked for me in the past. Is there something similar that you could sign up for? Even though I'm not exactly the most social person and didn't really enjoy engaging in group discussions, just the fact that there are people around that can hold you accountable for your weight and offer praise when you've had a loss is a big help, I think.

Most importantly though, just start small. Depriving yourself 100% is never, ever going to work because you'll just get down in the dumps and end up failing miserably after only a short amount of time. Allow yourself your favourite treats - in moderation. Like takeout? Let yourself have something at the weekend, or indulge in a chocolate bar at the end of the week. Life is too short to go completely without your favourite things.

Food preparation helps too - make your own lunches instead of buying, be careful only to buy healthy things when you go shopping, etc.

Like everyone else has said, exercise of course helps - and start small. If you do no exercise currently, just start off with 10 minutes a day - brisk walk, jogging on the spot, etc. Every week, up it by another 5-10 mins, however much you can handle.

It's a long road that won't happen overnight, but take it slow and allow yourself to celebrate every small milestone.

Good luck!

(I really should also follow my own advice.. heh..)

 

[Fewr]

In my experience:
- signed up to a gym
- found a training buddy
- I've been doing 2hrs of exercise on weekdays, weekends sometimes a couple more, others nothing.

I do marathon training + weights or only weights, depends on the day.

My weight was about 187-196lbs (85-89kg), and now I'm at 154-158lbs (70-72kg). It took me about a year. The most important part is not to miss a day, that's how you learn to love going to the gym.

The hardest part is getting up in the morning. Get up, do something, even if it's just 20mins of push ups or whatever, it helps.

EDIT: about food, I didn't start worrying about what I'm eating until after about 6 months.

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

Sugar is horrible, if cut that out, you already feel better. The way suger/carbs is digested is the key, and if you avoid both, you will feel less hungry. Not to say that you can't give yourself a treat, just don't obsess on the feeling of eating something sweet. Because that feeling of pasteries or what not, goes away after you swallow, and from there on you are just going to crave more suger.

Its a drug.

Few things to watch to make yourself feel empowered:

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/secrets-sugar/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381335/



Like you, I am extremely over weight (been losing it somewhat steadily over the last few months).

Its a life style change. For me, my downfall is energy drinks. Yeah, they are only like 200 calories each, but they will make you crave to eat sooner than you really need to.

 

[entremet]

Will power is necessary to stop eating those pastries and things. Will power is like a muscle, and you have to exercise it to make it stronger. Start by saying "No" to a pastry opportunity once. Maybe you'll have one again soon, but as you build up more and more times you've said "No," start to keep track of how many in a row you can reject.

At some point, you can start to coast. "I've stopped eating these for a week and half already, why should I have one now?"

And be sure to keep those bad foods at arm's length- don't buy them at the grocery store and have them at home, with almost no barrier to enjoying one. Just about everyone will fail to resist when there's nothing in the way but walking over and eating one.

Willpower only goes so far.

Humans have terrible willpower management.

Habits are better. Habits become automatic and then you're on cruise control.

But they take time to build and people are too impatient to build them effectively. New research says its take 60 days for a habit to form.

 

[jmdajr]

Sugar is horrible, if cut that out, you already feel better. The way suger/carbs is digested is the key, and if you avoid both, you will feel less hungry. Not to say that you can't give yourself a treat, just don't obsess on the feeling of eating something sweet. Because that feeling of pasteries or what not, goes away after you swallow, and from there on you are just going to crave more suger.

Its a drug.

For real. Sugar doesn't turn on the signal in your brain that you are full. It's not like fiber or fat.

You can eat it almost infinitely. Poor liver.

 

[Bruce Springsteen]

GAF I need your help, I have nobody around me that can support me through what is for me, an incredibly hard challenge. I need to lose weight but i've been having an incredibly hard time doing it. I've been alone for about 2 years now as the games industry is hard to get into, so my career required that I moved away from my family and friends.

2 years ago I weighed 230 pounds but now I am around 320 pounds and I'm lost. Every day I say "this is the day" but by lunch time it's out the window and i've eaten 2 pastries and a hot dog. I want to get out of this, I feel awful both mentally and physically and most of all I feel lonely and isolated.

Give me whatever you can give me whether it's advice, weight loss tips, your personal experiences or just support. I want to break out of this cycle and If i'm honest I know exactly how to lose weight but it's a very much a psychological barrier that I need to overcome.

I've just thrown all of the junk that i've bought for myself in a bag and will be taking it to work tomorrow to leave in the kitchen. I want this and I definitely don't want to be sat in a doctor's office one day being told that my inability to lose weight has ended my life early.

It all starts with you being mentally tough with your diet. Signing up to a gym is meaningless if you're not eating right, it's also the easiest thing about losing weight as it's just one hour in a day while eating right is other 23 hours. I see too many people at the gym that aren't in shape AT ALL but are always there, because they don't eat right.

I used to be like you, then one day I just said enough is enough and started to eat right. You got to get to that on your own

 

[Violet_0]

Its a life style change. For me, my downfall is energy drinks. Yeah, they are only like 200 calories each, but they will make you crave to eat sooner than you really need to.

have your tried sugar-free energy drinks? I occasionally drink some when I need the caffeine, and they're zero cal

 

[despire]

Sure you can eat, but assume he goes to bed at 10 or 11pm your body needs time to digest and burn it off. I've done it and it makes a huge difference.

No it doesn't. What you're implying isn't based on anything scientific or true for that matter.

Late night eating is associated with weight gain because people who eat most of their food at night tend to make worse food/lifestyle choices overall.

Maybe if your 15, but if your mid 30's and up your metabolism is low.

No no no your body doesn't work like that.

 

[Psychotext]

No it doesn't. What you're implying isn't based on anything scientific or true for that matter.

I eat all my calories within two to three hours of going to bed. I'd be FUCKED if it was actually a problem.

I'm putting it in the same scientific bracket as the "loads of small meals all day" argument.