Howdy. Pardon this wall of text.
Benevolay
Posts: 18 Member
I don't really know if this site is right for me, but I'm going to give it a shot. You see, for pretty much all of my adult life, I've been a leech on society. I've never accomplished anything. I've never learned how to drive. I've never had a job. I've done nothing. I'm the... quintessential man-child that they show in movies, living with their parents well into adulthood. I'm 27 years old and I weigh 318 pounds. I never bothered to exercise.
Roughly two weeks ago, my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Survival rates are low, to say the least. They gave him four months to live but I am hoping that the treatment he receives - which starts in the next few days - will go well. Suffice it to say, it was a wake-up call for me. I need to do something with my life and my weight is going to be Priority A. I didn't even mention how both my father and my brother have diabetes. The diabetes wasn't enough to wake me up. But now I am fully awake.
The reason I said this site might not be right for me is because it plays things too conservatively. I don't want to eat 2,000 calories a day, thank-you-very-much. I aim for 1,500 but often fall short of there. To me, that's just fine. You see, after I graduated from high school, I pretty much stopped eating breakfast and lunch. I would eat one big dinner and I would eat unhealthy junk food whenever we could afford it. I suppose I should be fortunate that we couldn't afford it very often, so I wasn't constantly stuffing my face with snacks.
So now, even though I eat far less, I feel more full. I eat something for breakfast, lunch and dinner. By most of your standards, I don't eat enough. Usually, my breakfast consists solely of one breakfast bar. My lunch? One chicken/turkey sandwich with half a glass of juice. My dinners are probably still "bigger" than average, but the calories are still low for the day. The "worst" thing I eat are two Red Baron mini-pizzas. Combined, they're 820 calories total. But when paired with a 120-190 calorie breakfast bar, and a whole-wheat bread turkey sandwich totaling short of 250 calories, it's still well within my goals. Even on the days I drink half a glass of juice.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I think when people go on diets, they make the mistake of thinking they "have" to eat healthy. They give up all of their favorite foods and force themselves into a corner. That's not right. The name of the game is portion control. Or at least it should be. I aim to eat more fruits and vegetables, especially for my dinners, but I'm pretty sure I can still lose weight eating a hamburger every now and then if I keep the calories accounted.
I've always had good willpower and I am thankful for that. For pretty much all of my life, I drank soda like water. Well... I never drank water. When I was thirsty, I grabbed a soda. As a kid. As a teen. As an adult. I cut out the vast majority of my soda intake a few years ago. I guess it WAS a response to my relatives getting diabetes, so I wasn't totally dense. Now, I usually only drink soda for special events - or at least ones that are special to me. The Super Bowl, or a video game that I've been looking forward to for years. I plan to stop that, however. I'll probably still drink a soda when I go to the movies, but I only go to the movies once-or-twice per year. Again, not really a rich family.
So, I have no desire to cheat on my diet. There are candies and snacks in the house, but I don't eat them. I don't attempt to "reward" myself for exercising. The way I see it, the exercise IS the reward.
And with that... the elephant in the room, I suppose. Other than me. I never really exercised, as I've said. Even back in high school. I passed gym class by goofing off with friends. We always elected to go outside and walk, but there was no supervision. So we passed for doing nothing. I intend to change that, but it's hard to find something I can do at my weight. I intend to walk, seven days a week for 90 minutes. Of course, those 90 minutes are only actually 80 minutes. It tends to work out that way when you stop to drink water every lap around the yard. It's a big yard. Full of uphills and downhills. Kind of slows me down.
I just got back from my walk today. I bought a pedometer for $35 and I don't think it's entirely accurate, but it put me at 10,115 steps. 3.21 miles at 2.10 miles per hour. Total walking time: 1:23:03.
I walked as fast as I could, but because my yard is uneven, I have to slow down when going down or up hill because there are divots where I can twist my ankle. But I stay moving. I don't sit down. The only time I stop is to get a drink of water, which usually only takes 10-15 seconds.
My folks keep telling me I'm walking too much, but the rest of the day? I'm doing nothing. Sitting back in my room watching TV and playing video games. I used to think that was the American Dream. The real American Dream. Doing want you want with no responsibilities. But it's time I grow up.
I'm going to keep walking and I'm going to keep my calories under 1,500. I'm hoping that, as I lose weight, I will begin to do some other forms of exercise. The only weights that I own are two fifteen pound dumbbells, but at my weight, doing anything - even basic curls - is awkward and doesn't feel mechanically correct.
Roughly two weeks ago, my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Survival rates are low, to say the least. They gave him four months to live but I am hoping that the treatment he receives - which starts in the next few days - will go well. Suffice it to say, it was a wake-up call for me. I need to do something with my life and my weight is going to be Priority A. I didn't even mention how both my father and my brother have diabetes. The diabetes wasn't enough to wake me up. But now I am fully awake.
The reason I said this site might not be right for me is because it plays things too conservatively. I don't want to eat 2,000 calories a day, thank-you-very-much. I aim for 1,500 but often fall short of there. To me, that's just fine. You see, after I graduated from high school, I pretty much stopped eating breakfast and lunch. I would eat one big dinner and I would eat unhealthy junk food whenever we could afford it. I suppose I should be fortunate that we couldn't afford it very often, so I wasn't constantly stuffing my face with snacks.
So now, even though I eat far less, I feel more full. I eat something for breakfast, lunch and dinner. By most of your standards, I don't eat enough. Usually, my breakfast consists solely of one breakfast bar. My lunch? One chicken/turkey sandwich with half a glass of juice. My dinners are probably still "bigger" than average, but the calories are still low for the day. The "worst" thing I eat are two Red Baron mini-pizzas. Combined, they're 820 calories total. But when paired with a 120-190 calorie breakfast bar, and a whole-wheat bread turkey sandwich totaling short of 250 calories, it's still well within my goals. Even on the days I drink half a glass of juice.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I think when people go on diets, they make the mistake of thinking they "have" to eat healthy. They give up all of their favorite foods and force themselves into a corner. That's not right. The name of the game is portion control. Or at least it should be. I aim to eat more fruits and vegetables, especially for my dinners, but I'm pretty sure I can still lose weight eating a hamburger every now and then if I keep the calories accounted.
I've always had good willpower and I am thankful for that. For pretty much all of my life, I drank soda like water. Well... I never drank water. When I was thirsty, I grabbed a soda. As a kid. As a teen. As an adult. I cut out the vast majority of my soda intake a few years ago. I guess it WAS a response to my relatives getting diabetes, so I wasn't totally dense. Now, I usually only drink soda for special events - or at least ones that are special to me. The Super Bowl, or a video game that I've been looking forward to for years. I plan to stop that, however. I'll probably still drink a soda when I go to the movies, but I only go to the movies once-or-twice per year. Again, not really a rich family.
So, I have no desire to cheat on my diet. There are candies and snacks in the house, but I don't eat them. I don't attempt to "reward" myself for exercising. The way I see it, the exercise IS the reward.
And with that... the elephant in the room, I suppose. Other than me. I never really exercised, as I've said. Even back in high school. I passed gym class by goofing off with friends. We always elected to go outside and walk, but there was no supervision. So we passed for doing nothing. I intend to change that, but it's hard to find something I can do at my weight. I intend to walk, seven days a week for 90 minutes. Of course, those 90 minutes are only actually 80 minutes. It tends to work out that way when you stop to drink water every lap around the yard. It's a big yard. Full of uphills and downhills. Kind of slows me down.
I just got back from my walk today. I bought a pedometer for $35 and I don't think it's entirely accurate, but it put me at 10,115 steps. 3.21 miles at 2.10 miles per hour. Total walking time: 1:23:03.
I walked as fast as I could, but because my yard is uneven, I have to slow down when going down or up hill because there are divots where I can twist my ankle. But I stay moving. I don't sit down. The only time I stop is to get a drink of water, which usually only takes 10-15 seconds.
My folks keep telling me I'm walking too much, but the rest of the day? I'm doing nothing. Sitting back in my room watching TV and playing video games. I used to think that was the American Dream. The real American Dream. Doing want you want with no responsibilities. But it's time I grow up.
I'm going to keep walking and I'm going to keep my calories under 1,500. I'm hoping that, as I lose weight, I will begin to do some other forms of exercise. The only weights that I own are two fifteen pound dumbbells, but at my weight, doing anything - even basic curls - is awkward and doesn't feel mechanically correct.
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Replies
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Good for you, keep working at it and you will succeed.0
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I agree with you on not cutting out all foods that you like. I try to make room for my vices (mainly ice cream). I don't think that the right thing to do is to "diet", especially since most diets out there are not sustainable after a time. I am counting calories and doing what I need to do with that, I just make sure to leave room a few times per week for my fixes.
I think that as long as you feel good, you aren't walking too much. Especially since you say that the rest of the day you don't do too much. I can say that after working in restaurants for 10 years and being on my feet for 12-16 hours per day for 6 or 7 days per week that what you're doing shouldn't be too much unless you have underlying health problems, though the way you make it sound, the only thing you have going on is trying to lose weight.
I completely understand how you feel about wanting to do other exercises when you've lost some weight. I feel the same way! I feel completely awkward trying anything but walking at this point. I can't wait to get to a point that I feel comfortable doing a variety of things to keep it interesting.
Good luck on your journey! You can do it!0 -
Starting an exercise program at your weight is meant to start slow. I Jogged 3 seconds every half mile. I do not agree with you about not eating healthy but I do agree with you about not making the foods you like off limits. There is a balance. I eat what ever I want just not a lot of it. You can do this. You have to change your life. I did it and started an exercise program and I have had multiple sclerosis for 22 years. I had every excuse in the book not to. Its awesome you want to do this for yourself. This is the right place for you. I have some high fat days on my meal plan. Its just that every day is not a high fat day. You might find as you get healthier you want to eat better. My top weight was 330 lbs. I have kept if off for 12 years. You can do this0
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You can do this. You are doing it for your own self respect and I applaud you!0
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I'm going to keep walking and I'm going to keep my calories under 1,500. I'm hoping that, as I lose weight, I will begin to do some other forms of exercise. The only weights that I own are two fifteen pound dumbbells, but at my weight, doing anything - even basic curls - is awkward and doesn't feel mechanically correct.
Walking is good. If you can handle two walks a day that would be great. Be prepared to buy some new walking shoes eventually.
(do not worry about your parents freaking out about your walking. they will become accustomed to it)
Add other types of exercises -- check Youtube.
Consider making an appointment with a therapist.0 -
I'm new here as well (first post) but I think I can be somewhat helpful. I think anything that motivates you to make a change in your life is a good thing and I wish you luck. This may be too personal but you sound a bit depressed as well as you're looking for changes to make maybe you could evaluate your mental state. I have first hand knowledge of that and there's nothing to be ashamed of, but I digress.
Eat. If you want to lose weight and keep it off you need to eat. This site will tell you what your baseline calories are for your height and weight and it's important that you take that seriously. Your body doesn't know the difference between diet and starvation and it will trigger more and more hunger hormones the longer you eat below your baseline calorie requirement. You're right about not completely avoiding your favorite foods. You'd be surprised how a cheeseburger can renew your will power. I'd also start studying and memorizing the calories in things. You can eyeball your meals and even an entire day if you have memorized the calories in certain items and ingredients. It will also help you detect restaurant dishes that have more calories than they should (like those salads drenched in dressing, cheese and croutons). Seriously dude, eat. Eventually, eating healthy will lose it's novelty. Even if you are still motivated to make a change you don't want to be fighting your biological impulses if you don't have to.
Secondly, the good thing about being really over-weight is that everything will lead to weight loss. Think of it this way. Picture cleaning a room that you haven't cleaned in years. As soon as you walk in you're overwhelmed with things that you can fix, move, throw out, etc. Weight loss is the same way. In the beginning your body will shed pounds just because you are not accustomed to exercise. Run, can't run bike, don't have a bike walk. Push-up, yes even one or two. Squats. Lifting rocks, children, lawn equipment. All of it will burn calories and help to reactivate your metabolism. Be careful of diabetes. If it runs in your family you should be aware of the symptoms and watch for them as you begin to exercise.
Lastly, information is very helpful. There is plenty out there about the human metabolism and exercise in general. Losing weight often involves lifestyle changes (at least it does for me) sleep, eating, drinking, etc. If you have the time try to read books and articles about the human body, metabolism and the overall effects of exercise. Avoid anything gimmicky or connected with a fad diet they are full of misinformation. This will teach you what happens when you eat, how your body gains and sheds fat, what exercises do what and why and loads more. Last, but not least I'd see a doctor. They won't even let you take high school football without a physical. This is even more imperative in your late 20's. Tell the doctor about your plans and your family history and make sure you get a clean bill of health. Beyond that... Good Luck!0 -
Guess I should post an update. My father passed away on July 8th. That happened far quicker than it should have, but I suppose I always knew. It's why I went into "action mode" the moment I learned he was diagnosed. I've tried to continue my walking, but that hit a snag due to the funeral and the immediate grieving. However, with the exception of the night of the funeral, I've maintained my calorie count.
I weigh myself every Sunday when I first wake up. The scale keeps giving me slightly different weights each time I weigh myself, even with mere seconds between attempts, so I weigh myself multiple times and write down the result that shows up most frequently. I weighed a 20 lb. weight and it showed up as 20 lbs., so I think I'm just having trouble standing on it evenly due to my weight.
June 29th, 2014: 318 lbs.
July 6th, 2014: 315 lbs.
July 13th, 2014: 311 lbs.
July 20th, 2014: 308 lbs.
July 27th, 2014: 303 lbs.
I'm still not eating "healthy" foods, but I'm losing weight and, to me, that's what matters most. Granted, what I'm eating now is far healthier than the stuff I used to eat. I still have no inclination to cheat on my diet and don't snack throughout the day. I'm just eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. I usually fall between 1200 and 1600 calories a day.
Walking is still more-or-less the only exercise that I can do, and I still can't be bothered to log what I eat. Mentally, I know what I eat. I count the calories in my head. Writing everything down just seems... redundant.0 -
Walking isn't goint to hurt you. 3.67 miles a day, at your age is nada.0
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You had me at "quintessential man-child." BRB, going to finish reading.0
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pancreatic cancer is a *****, sorry for you loss. don't let this wake up call go to waste.0
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I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. I'm glad your focusing on your journey towards being healthy.0
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Figured I'd stop by this thread again. Time has been going by quickly. My walking slowed down in August until it eventually came to a stop. The summer heat was brutal. By the time the weather cooled, I was so out of habit that I simply stopped going on my walks altogether. Instead, I use an elliptical machine I purchased. Granted, it sat unused for a month, but three weeks ago I vowed to use it. I started doing ten minutes on Monday-Friday at resistance level three. My machine doesn't show the speed of the workout, but I stayed between 30-40 RPMs and finished with 300-320 total revolutions.
The first week, my legs turned to jelly after using the machine for a minute. I powered through it, however, and eventually was able to do the full ten minutes without feeling horrible. This past Monday, I set the resistance up to four and used the elliptical for twelve-and-a-half minutes. I try to keep my RPMs above 40.
Here is my weight loss progress. I know some people say not to go by the scale, as your goal should be to lose fat and not weight as weight can mean muscle. However, I don't think I had very much muscle to lose, so as far as I'm concerned, less on the scale is a good thing.
June 29th, 2014: 318 lbs.
July 6th, 2014: 315 lbs.
July 13th, 2014: 311 lbs.
July 20th, 2014: 308 lbs.
July 27th, 2014: 303 lbs.
August 3rd, 2014: 298 lbs.
August 10th, 2014: 295 lbs.
August 17th, 2014: 291 lbs.
August 24th, 2014: 287 lbs.
August 31st, 2014: 284 lbs.
September 7th, 2014: 280 lbs.
September 14th, 2014: 276 lbs.
September 21st, 2014: 274 lbs.
September 28th, 2014: 272 lbs.
October 5th, 2014: 269 lbs.
October 12th, 2014: 266 lbs.
Edit: In August I bought a precision scale that shows more accurate weights. I no longer get different results when I weigh myself.0 -
Hey, congrats on your weight loss. You're doing great even with the curve balls thrown at you.0
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