A cry for help!!

josepherb

Hello, I'm not sure where to post this. It's all over the spectrum. Exercise, eating, weight loss, I'm new to this, everything. For those of you who take the time to read and reply, I would like to thank you very much ahead of time. I'm desperate, to say the least. I'll try to hold nothing back, no shame, right? Yeah..

I'll start with who I am and such. My name is Joseph, I'm twenty years old, junior in college, 6'2", 230lbs. I'm overweight. My stomach is a bit too large. My clothes are getting tighter and tighter. People are starting to notice (I used to be about 160 for most of high school). I have no energy. I feel miserable.

Now, as for what I'm struggling with. I eat fast food at least once a day. I have the equivalent of six cans of soda a day. I would like to cut both of those out completely. I stopped drinking caffeine this summer but college thrusted me back into the addiction. I haven't had caffeine today and I'm really feeling it as I type this.

I need a slap in the face. I need motivation. I love reading, any material that I could read would help me.

I need very simple, tasteful meals to eat. I want to start eating more fruits and vegetables, but I don't know what to eat or how to make it. There must be some super awesome resource for someone like me. Fingers crossed.

You know what? I'm going to start my exercise routine on Monday (no way I could this week, holidays). And I'll stick to that. I'll write a blog post every single day. Anyone who wants to follow me can do so. I'll return the support. Maybe that's what I've been missing out on. Motivation. I've never had anyone to constantly push me. I'll make that promise to myself. Monday. It's happening. I have a gym at my school, so that's perfect. And I have it all worked out, I've been planning for this all summer.

I do need extreme amounts of help with food though. If anyone could help me, please message me, add me as a friend, etc. I would prefer to find people my age, since our bodies will be more similar at this point in our lives. Thank you so much.

musicaljessica

Hi. I understand what you mean. I eat so much fast food. Yesterday I finally cut the fizzy pop out of my life. Why wait til Monday? I'm sure you could find half an hour today? Or tomorrow?

I think the answer is just deciding what you want. Would you rather your life back? Or that burger/chocolate bar/etc?

I know what you mean with the motivation thing. I struggle with that - nobody in my life gives me a kick up the bum. In actual fact they do the opposite. Suggesting McDonalds, bringing cake or pizza home, "treating" me to chocolate when I'm doing my best to diet.

I also have about 70lbs to lose, and I'm 21. I'm also a University student so understand the stresss of studying, exams and assignments. I'm learning to say no - both to others and to myself. Can't get my head around the moderation thing though. I'm not programmed to just have one chocolate. It's like it's none of ten!! So Christmas doesn't help me at all!!!

I wish you the best of luck. It's not easy. But it does get easier as you get used to the new lifestyle - I promise you that. Be prepared for the headaches when you get the junk out, have some paracetamol on hand for those! Just remember water is your friend. And nobody ever got fat by eating too many fresh fruits or vegetables!

I'll add you ok?

Jess x x x

josepherb

Hi. I understand what you mean. I eat so much fast food. Yesterday I finally cut the fizzy pop out of my life. Why wait til Monday? I'm sure you could find half an hour today? Or tomorrow?

I think the answer is just deciding what you want. Would you rather your life back? Or that burger/chocolate bar/etc?

I know what you mean with the motivation thing. I struggle with that - nobody in my life gives me a kick up the bum. In actual fact they do the opposite. Suggesting McDonalds, bringing cake or pizza home, "treating" me to chocolate when I'm doing my best to diet.

I also have about 70lbs to lose, and I'm 21. I'm also a University student so understand the stresss of studying, exams and assignments. I'm learning to say no - both to others and to myself. Can't get my head around the moderation thing though. I'm not programmed to just have one chocolate. It's like it's none of ten!! So Christmas doesn't help me at all!!!

I wish you the best of luck. It's not easy. But it does get easier as you get used to the new lifestyle - I promise you that. Be prepared for the headaches when you get the junk out, have some paracetamol on hand for those! Just remember water is your friend. And nobody ever got fat by eating too many fresh fruits or vegetables!

I'll add you ok?

Jess x x x

I guess the biggest problem is that I really enjoy eating terrible foods, especially since they are engineered to taste good and such. I get very bored with bland, healthy foods. I need food that has taste, also filling. I hate the feeling of hunger. Ahhhh.

abby459

I am a little bit older then you and out of college....but I know the weight loss struggles. A quick question for you: do you have any means of cooking....stove, oven microwave, ect? Are you in a house or dorm? Makes a big difference. What I can say for now is to buy lots of fruits (no cooking involved) and for veggies, try the steamable frozen type...they still taste great and only need a microwave. If you do have a stove or oven, try cooking larger portions of soups or casseroles on the weekend to eat throughout the week. Get some low-fat, low cal granola bars, light string cheese, almonds, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, or anything else you like to snack on. Keep those type things in your bag for around campus.
As for the soda....I recently quit soda and coffee too. I know its rough!! I switched to iced green-tea with splenda or truvia....it helps with the caffiene withdrawl. You could also to regular tea. Use a natural sweetener for less cals.

Good luck to you and feel free to add me if you need some motivation!!!

busyPK

Here are my suggestions.
Search the threads on fast food because a lot of people eat it (although learning to cook will be helpful in many ways for you) and still lose weight. I think Subway and grilled chicken most places is a good option.
Cutting down your soda intake - start with cutting one then a couple more the next week, and so on. Replace it with water and drink lots of it! If you need a pick me up, try coffee (you like coffee?).
I found the crockpot as my best friend when I was learning how to cook, but if you are just cooking for one that might not be the best option. Do you live on your own, or in dorms with no kitchen?
And it is never early enough to start exercising! Even if you won't "really start" until Monday, get up and take a walk, do some crunches, do something active today because we all know too well the saying, "I'll start my diet Monday..."

I wish you all the best and there are so many wonderful people here who are more than willing to help!

rainbowbow

Firstly, it doesn't matter what I say, what anyone says, what some article says- you either want it or you don't. You are going to make your needed changes on your OWN accord, not because I tell you positive bullsh*t.

Do you want it? Then do it. You know you're capable of it.

Do you not want it? Then continue what you're doing.

Do you not really want it but needs some self gratification telling you it's okay?

I love the following quote- "suffer the pain of self-discipline or suffer the pain of regret; the choice is yours."

At the end of the day it's your choices and actions that make the difference. Change your lifestyle, small steps, and do it for yourself. Don't make excuses- you're only cutting yourself short.

musicaljessica

What about carrot sticks and houmous for a snack? It replaced the crunch of my crisps. Plus you can buy a big pack of carrot batons for next to nothing.

I eat nuts and raisins instead of sweets.

I keep a pack of sugar free mints on me which helps pretty much any craving.

Have grilled chicken. Opt for extra salad fillings when you have fast food.

If you reeeallllyy want something just have it. Don't keep denying yourself something or you'll get obsessed and end up going crazy over it.

danmoffett

Hi.
I know what you mean about the weight gain. If you don't do something now, it's only going to get worse. I got up to 340 pounds and at 6 foot tall I was FAT.
I've lost 145 pounds in the past 21 months. I've got about 10 or 15 more to go and I know I'll get there.
I've learned diets don't work. You gain it back plus more. It has to be a lifestyle change.
Weight loss is simple. Change what you eat and the pounds will fall off. No diets, No pills, No exercise (although you will want to exercise when the weight comes off).
HOW?
Cut out all sweeteners, wheat, and excess salt. That is No sugars, No wheat, No processed foods, No fast foods.
I eat lots of good fats like coconut oil, olive oil, butter, whole cream, beef, fish, poultry, and eggs.
You can't overeat on good food. AND it costs less to eat right. I can prove it.
I will you success.

Dan

bms34b

Luckily, there are tons of resources available for recipes and exercises. Unluckily, you're the only one who can do anything about it and that's hard. Keep this feeling you had while you wrote this post, and remember it. Bring it back every day and you'll do great.

I'd start with the fast food, personally. Avoid it at all costs! Cooking is really not hard, and it's cheap if you do it right. Things to start with include 1. Oatmeal for breakfast with truvia and cinnamon. Cheap, easy, low cal, delicious. 2. Frozen chicken breasts - roast with any vegetable you like brushed with Olive Oil and Kosher salt (plus whatever other spices you like). Hard the first time, easy after that. High protein and lots of nutrients. 3. Potatoes. You didn't mention money being an issue, but you're in college. Me too. Potatoes are cheap, as are sweet potatoes, and you can prepare them exactly like the chicken. Slice them up, throw some olive oil and kosher salt on them, and bake.

You can do this!

firefly171717

Don't give up! We are here to support you! and you can do this!!! start small, take a walk, get a smaller sized meal, do one less pop, or even a sip today. Its very hard to get in shape and eat well, but you can do it!!!!

josepherb

Luckily, there are tons of resources available for recipes and exercises. Unluckily, you're the only one who can do anything about it and that's hard. Keep this feeling you had while you wrote this post, and remember it. Bring it back every day and you'll do great.

I'd start with the fast food, personally. Avoid it at all costs! Cooking is really not hard, and it's cheap if you do it right. Things to start with include 1. Oatmeal for breakfast with truvia and cinnamon. Cheap, easy, low cal, delicious. 2. Frozen chicken breasts - roast with any vegetable you like brushed with Olive Oil and Kosher salt (plus whatever other spices you like). Hard the first time, easy after that. High protein and lots of nutrients. 3. Potatoes. You didn't mention money being an issue, but you're in college. Me too. Potatoes are cheap, as are sweet potatoes, and you can prepare them exactly like the chicken. Slice them up, throw some olive oil and kosher salt on them, and bake.

You can do this!

Thank you for this! I am going to have to avoid fast food at all costs. It's really just a matter of not letting myself get into the car and going into the kitchen instead. I need to find some sort of roadblock, either mental or physical. And as for money, I do not have lots of it. This is pretty rough but I REALLY WANT TO DO IT. Hm.

josepherb

I am a little bit older then you and out of college....but I know the weight loss struggles. A quick question for you: do you have any means of cooking....stove, oven microwave, ect? Are you in a house or dorm? Makes a big difference. What I can say for now is to buy lots of fruits (no cooking involved) and for veggies, try the steamable frozen type...they still taste great and only need a microwave. If you do have a stove or oven, try cooking larger portions of soups or casseroles on the weekend to eat throughout the week. Get some low-fat, low cal granola bars, light string cheese, almonds, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, or anything else you like to snack on. Keep those type things in your bag for around campus.
As for the soda....I recently quit soda and coffee too. I know its rough!! I switched to iced green-tea with splenda or truvia....it helps with the caffiene withdrawl. You could also to regular tea. Use a natural sweetener for less cals.

Good luck to you and feel free to add me if you need some motivation!!!

I live in a house with my parents, we have a stove, oven and microwave. I'm very interested in cooking bigger meals to eat throughout the week, I just need to find some material to get me started with that. I'm very big on finding resources to rely on, rather just thinking things up myself.

zbmb30

If you want to start Monday, you can start Monday. I get that the holidays are here and schedules are chaotic. But make sure you start when you are going to start. If you could get just a little bit of exercise in now, go ahead and do so. No time is better than the present.

You can do this. You just have to seriously want it and be ready to start. That's the scary part for some people, the beginning of change. But don't be afraid to get going, it's worth it, I promise! But if you are not fully into starting, then don't because you have to be completely ready to make the change yourself. You can't do it for family, a significant other, friends, or anyone else. You have to do it for yourself.

When it comes to soda, start off by trying to cut back one soda per week. So like next week you would be one soda less than usual, the next week cut it back by two, the third week cut back on three sodas, etc. It works and you won't have to worry about the headaches and tiredness that you get by cutting it out and going cold turkey. This is what I have been doing lately and it works. I am down to about one or two small amounts of diet soda a day. I drink about 14-16 servings (cups) of water a day. I actually crave water.

Once you start cutting out the sodas and start trying to eat healthier food, you will feel a big difference. When I eat things that aren't very nutritious now, I know it because it makes me feel sleepy and blah. When I eat the way I am supposed to, I feel really energetic and bust out my workouts when I get off work without any problems.

As far as what to eat in college. . .When I lived in an apartment in college, I would make chicken. I would either grill it or boil it. I would make salad or steam veggies. You can make a baked potatoe or sweet potatoe. If you need something sweet, try sugar free jell-o, sugar free pudding, etc. A great snack I love is an apple with a little bit of peanut butter. It gives me the "pick-me-up" I need during my last leg of work before I go workout. Breakfast I am getting to where I like some egg whites and oatmeal. I was shocked because I thought I wouldn't like it, but it's great.

Oh, and if you live in a dorm, a great investment would be something like the George Foreman grill. I used that in the dorm and was able to make a lot with that, my microwave, and mini-fridge. You'd be surprised at what you can do! There are ways to do this. Do not get discouraged. You are not alone, we are all going through the weightloss journey too!

dargytaylor

scroll thru the recipe message boards. tons of recipes on there!

also, maybe invest in a crockpot? dinner will be ready for you when you get home. again, the message boards have tons of recipes.

in the meantime, check out skinnytaste.com; http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/RecipeIndex
http://crockingirls.com/recipes/main-dishes/

those are a few places to start! good luck to you

justanotherbrickinthewall

Having motivation and taking action is the first step, good job. You seem very determined, which is great. If you want, I can message you some recipes on here.
Losing weight is challenging but I know you can do it.

DKBelle

Moderate foods, workout a bit and drink lots of water you will be fine and lose weight
Here are some useful site:

www.bodyrock.tv
www.myomytv.com
www.diet.com

This one I load with informations daily (if I have time)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooking-ideasHomemade-Healthy-Foods/179121125503371

kasarin

Have you thought about eating 5 or 6 small meals a day? I have lost 145lbs since I switched my eating habits. I feel a ton better. I am never hungry and never full. I eat 6 meals between 100-300 calories a day. I was a 6 can a day Pepsi fanatic. I just forced myself to drink double the amount of water I drank for each pop I drank. Within two weeks, I was craving the water and not needing any pop. I will send an add your way, you can see how my food is split up.

jhardenbergh

If you are looking for Healthy recipes to make and how to cook them, I thought I read that in your post. My wife uses these sites religiously. She will actual alter some of the recipes to make them even healthier. Some of this stuff can be packed up and brought with you as well, saving you the money from stopping at Fast Food Restaurants.

hungrygirl.com I know you are a guy, but what's good for the goose is good for the gander

google Gina's Skinny Recipes and you can find some more. There are all types of meals including desserts on each of these sites, I am sure you will find something you like.

I travel a lot for work and often have to stop at Fast Food restaurants, If I go to McD's I will grab a Southwest Chicken Salad with no dressing about 290 calories. The salad doesn't really need the dressing. A Subway sub or salad. I try to avoid the burgers at McD's or Wendys or BK. Panera Bread has some good options. I had a Tai Chopped Chicken Salad 1/2 the dressing only 370 calories and very filling. Their you pick 2 combo Low Fat Chicken Noodle and House Salad has under 250 calories. Add an apple and you got a pretty filling meal. Just make sure you watch the sodium and drink a lot of water.

As a poster above wrote, eat more meals that are smaller and have a lot of protein and fiber. It will keep you fuller longer

gazz777

Sounds like me, but I kept going - hovering over 300lb in my 40's. I am now at my first goal weight - over 80lb down from where I was at the beginning of the year.

All I did was make a few small changes. Drop soda (cold turkey !!) and sugary drinks, stopped adding sugar to hot drinks and to breakfast, and walk 15-25 miles per week.

To keep the cravings for caffeine away, I drank black tea, and sometimes (not liking the taste of black tea), just hot water in a cup.

As a former coach potato and now a wellness evangelist (broad description that may include fitness coach), I am at a place I NEVER thought I'd be this time last year.

Oh, and don't worry about what other people think. Often, they don't - they are probably thinking about their own 'stuff'

re08scue

Here's the answer: Say NO to fast food. Just do it. Put your foot down and say: I am not going to poison my body with that stuff anymore!

Now go web-surfing for some fresh meal ideas. Eatingwell.com is a great site.
You can do it!

_Tristan_

OK, my two cents. Find a sport you like and find a place to do your sport. It's the best way of getting into shape and staying in shape. Actually, find two sports or three. There are lots of sports out there and lots of leagues to play them on. We all need motivation and just going to the weight room is very hard without getting stronger to do something specific.
My reasons to get into shape, stay in shape and get stronger are all of the sports I play. I want to be a better volleyball player, soccer player and coach. Find your sport and find a fun place to do your sport.
Good luck!