To the big and tall guy that can never lose weight

marc8686
marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
in Success Stories
I'm 6'3 and built like a linebacker and starting weight almost 420lbs, steadily putting on weight for 8 years now and no matter the attempted diet or regimen, could NEVER lose weight. terrible at self discipline, NEVER exercised, ate whatever i wanted whenever i wanted without regard to health. standing too long or walking too far was a workout. BUT! I finally made a decision, and with a little good guidance have now lost almost 15lbs and ALREADY some ppl are commenting on a thinner face (even the ppl that dont know im working out or eating better, so its not just a friendly compliment to make me feel good haha). my whole family is extremely overweight generations back and i have that genetic predisposition to weight gain where it seems everything you eat counts towards you twice as bad as everyone else. IT DOESNT MATTER! God meant for us all to be healthy and fit, dont fall for the enemy's traps of self limitation and doubt. 15lbs is no HUGE success story, but to the guy that has NEVERRRRRRR been able to lose any weight thats a big deal...and im sure im not the only one out there. feel free to message me with any thoughts if you have them. just know THERE IS HOPE for you "big guy" (people love calling overweight men "big guy" lol). god bless

edit: i am to be down 50 lbs by new years and 100lbs before Sept 2013, i expect you all to keep me accountable to that! :)
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Replies

  • lifewerks
    lifewerks Posts: 7
    Great job on losing the 15 lbs! I know how it is. I've been overweight all my life and my family is big too. But that doesn't mean anything. God wants us to be happy and healthy just the way he created us to be. Any amount of weight loss is a big deal. It takes a strong person just to want to lose weight. It's hard to find it within yourself at first but seeing what others have done and continue to do too helps at least for me it does. I'm here for support when you need it. We both can do this! Stay strong.:happy:
  • slade37
    slade37 Posts: 23 Member
    I started at 387 and I HATE being called big guy. Diet is 70 percent of the battle, but the quickest way too create the calorie deficit is to set a realistic goal with calorie intake then burn some calories with excercise. Remember calories are energy, and energy=1/2 MVsquared. So if you are heavy, by definition you will burn more by just moving than some smaller person. As your conditioning improves move a little faster in quick bursts (interval training).

    Walk. after every meal just 20 minutes. Thats it. It adds up to an hour a day, around 400 calories at our size and stick to 2200 calorie intake and a poind or two a week for a couple of years and you are there.

    Its a marathon dude, not a sprint. Keep it up.
  • slade37
    slade37 Posts: 23 Member
    I started at 387 and I HATE being called big guy. Diet is 70 percent of the battle, but the quickest way too create the calorie deficit is to set a realistic goal with calorie intake then burn some calories with excercise. Remember calories are energy, and energy=1/2 MVsquared. So if you are heavy, by definition you will burn more by just moving than some smaller person. As your conditioning improves move a little faster in quick bursts (interval training).

    Walk. after every meal just 20 minutes. Thats it. It adds up to an hour a day, around 400 calories at our size and stick to 2200 calorie intake and a poind or two a week for a couple of years and you are there.

    Its a marathon dude, not a sprint. Keep it up.

    E=1/2 M V2
  • marc8686
    marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
    I started at 387 and I HATE being called big guy. Diet is 70 percent of the battle, but the quickest way too create the calorie deficit is to set a realistic goal with calorie intake then burn some calories with excercise. Remember calories are energy, and energy=1/2 MVsquared. So if you are heavy, by definition you will burn more by just moving than some smaller person. As your conditioning improves move a little faster in quick bursts (interval training).

    Walk. after every meal just 20 minutes. Thats it. It adds up to an hour a day, around 400 calories at our size and stick to 2200 calorie intake and a poind or two a week for a couple of years and you are there.

    Its a marathon dude, not a sprint. Keep it up.

    great advice for sure man, im in it for a marathon, not expecting anything overnight. im at 2300 calories, and i try to get as close to that as i can without stuffing myself. its actually VERY VERY easy to net below 2300/day when im actually eating whole foods and not processed junk. my goals are based on a simple 2lb/wk average. as big as i am 2 lbs comes off pretty fast, some weeks ill lose nothing, others i'll lose 5, who knows what will happen. its a great journey and im excited for the lifestyle change
  • allnewellie
    allnewellie Posts: 156
    Best of luck on your new life!

    MFP has been one of my greatest tools over the past years...being accountable and knowing that other friends fighting the same fight might be the difference between a good choice and a better one...LOL
  • kmelissa02
    kmelissa02 Posts: 45
    congrats on the 15lb loss!!
  • msstuard
    msstuard Posts: 131 Member
    Congratulations. The first 15 is the biggest it means you've started! So again congratulations! I was in a similar spot 5'11" and approximately 300 Lbs. when I told people I wanted to get under 200 they said I was crazy. (" I was a big guy and not supposed to be that small I would look anorexic" ). Now at 185 and feeling great, In the best shape of my life. Add me if you want I understand the big guy thing.
  • MindyG150
    MindyG150 Posts: 1,296 Member
    I can't wait to read more about your journey.
  • msstuard
    msstuard Posts: 131 Member
    I started at 387 and I HATE being called big guy. Diet is 70 percent of the battle, but the quickest way too create the calorie deficit is to set a realistic goal with calorie intake then burn some calories with excercise. Remember calories are energy, and energy=1/2 MVsquared. So if you are heavy, by definition you will burn more by just moving than some smaller person. As your conditioning improves move a little faster in quick bursts (interval training).

    Walk. after every meal just 20 minutes. Thats it. It adds up to an hour a day, around 400 calories at our size and stick to 2200 calorie intake and a poind or two a week for a couple of years and you are there.

    Its a marathon dude, not a sprint. Keep it up.

    good for you too. I was at work a couple weeks ago and had to move something heavy, for the first time since I can remember every one looked at someone else and said "Mel your a big guy can you move this" My name is Mark and for the first time someone else was the big guy. :-)
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
    My husband is big too, and I think the diet part is more difficult for men--it's not "manly" to be eating less, and he's always hungry! But you clearly are on the right track, and I'm sure you'll continue to inspire others! Great work!
  • tywayne7513
    tywayne7513 Posts: 16
    congrats! im just getting started and need the encouraging words
  • Sadiemae2008
    Sadiemae2008 Posts: 11
    very inspiring, thanks for sharing!!! :-)
  • futurestarz
    futurestarz Posts: 510
    It is a big deal. I'm only at 10 lbs, with a lot more to go and I think that's a big deal. 15 lbs is like losing a 6 month old baby or a pretty heavy bowling ball. You should be very proud. Keep up the great work!
  • suzieqcookie
    suzieqcookie Posts: 314 Member
    for what it's worth, i am in a similar boat.. the "big girl". i am the "big girl" no matter how thin i get. When i worked for nutrisystem, they did an intervention on me for being anorexic, and when we got out of the meeting they saw a large box had been delivered and said "susan can get it, she's a big girl".

    it SUCKS.
  • fhsjewfro
    fhsjewfro Posts: 101 Member
    used to be 6'"1 @ 280lbs as a 17 year old

    now thanks to puberty, dieting, and heavy lifting i am 6'3" @ 200lbs as a 19 year old, and i control whether my weight goes up or down

    actually just started bulking back up after a 4 month cut from 215lbs down to 195lbs

    dont be scared to fail, i failed in a few things i did, then i learned how and why i failed and came back ready to fight even harder

    you can do it man, dont ever let anyone tell you differently
  • marc8686
    marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
    thanks for the support guys, means a lot. my 4 week weigh in was today for a 2.4lb loss. total of 14.8 lbs so far. just over 402lbs, ill be breaking back into the 300's for the first time in a few years in the next week or two. pretty cool. this thread was honestly meant to encourage the "big guy" thats struggling to lose his first few pounds and show him ITS POSSIBLE! but all the support is inspiring. someone said something about reading more about my journey here, on my profile theres a little explanation of the thought process behind "DISCIPLINE 2012" and how it's affecting my life. Pretty cool stuff really.

    take care all
  • kate4vt
    kate4vt Posts: 20
    This is awesome. My husband is a "big guy"... and truly hates to be called that. He is 6'2" and currently 315lbs. We both just started our weight loss journey, but for once, I'm actually out-losing him. For the last two weeks, he hasn't lost at all. MFP says he can eat 2130 calories (while I get 1200), and he takes full advantage of it. Additionally, when he cuts the grass (basically 2 nights a week), he gets an exorbitant amount of cardio calories, and he generally uses it as an excuse to eat more (or drink more beers). I think this is why he hasn't been losing. Have you been exercising at all? Do you eat your cardio calories?
  • trackercasey76
    trackercasey76 Posts: 781 Member
    I'm 6ft and was 420. Simply by staying 2000-2200 calories a day and moderate exercise I have lost 82 pounds in about a year and a half (I gained about 20 in there) but I am serious about it now. My first major goal of 100 pounds is in site. You can do it too!!
  • marc8686
    marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
    This is awesome. My husband is a "big guy"... and truly hates to be called that. He is 6'2" and currently 315lbs. We both just started our weight loss journey, but for once, I'm actually out-losing him. For the last two weeks, he hasn't lost at all. MFP says he can eat 2130 calories (while I get 1200), and he takes full advantage of it. Additionally, when he cuts the grass (basically 2 nights a week), he gets an exorbitant amount of cardio calories, and he generally uses it as an excuse to eat more (or drink more beers). I think this is why he hasn't been losing. Have you been exercising at all? Do you eat your cardio calories?

    seems like a pretty accurate calorie goal for a guy his size assuming he leads a pretty sedentary lifestyle, not a physically demanding job 5 days a week or something. and you should definitely eat your exercise calories. My goal is 2300 a day right now, which because of my size is a pretty significant cut......i use like 3300 a day just getting around. your calories isnt just a LIMIT, its also a GOAL. so your husband's calories are at 2130, this is already a 2,000 calorie deficit. he should try getting to 2130 per day NET calories, not just consumption. so if he does a 500 calorie workout, thats now 2630 goal. now take into consideration, you dont STUFF yourself to reach your goal. he needs to be eating about 5 times a day of good foods. cut out the beers and processed stuff if possible. if you get up early and get a high carb meal in , then a few hours later eat something, then lunchtime eat again, then afternoon and dinner etc etc. this bumps the metabolism. ive noticed this myself. i used to be able to eat one or two meals a day and never feel very hungry. now i can eat a 700 calorie breakfast and 2 hours later my body will be ready to eat again. your husband needs to understand its not JUST a numbers game. beer and stuff are empty calories and are doing nothing for your body but harm. poisoning your body like that can absolutely hurt your weight loss chances.
  • marc8686
    marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
    i posted a more detailed post in the 'introduce yourself' area about my journey if youd like to check it out id like to hear your thoughts :) thanks guys.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/704193--discipline-2012-just-get-sick-of-laziness
  • cyclingben
    cyclingben Posts: 346 Member
    Awesome Job on starting check out our big man group

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4111-the-big-men

    I started at 420 last June. Down to 275 and never thought i would be wearing a size 38 in my life....but here i am. Keep it up and it will come. Greatness doesn't happen overnight, but its totally worth it
  • KimL122
    KimL122 Posts: 273 Member
    Congrats on the 15 lb loss and yes it is a big deal. Stay positive and keep pushing & I sent a FR.
  • ALW65
    ALW65 Posts: 643 Member
    Awesome Job on starting check out our big man group

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4111-the-big-men

    I started at 420 last June. Down to 275 and never thought i would be wearing a size 38 in my life....but here i am. Keep it up and it will come. Greatness doesn't happen overnight, but its totally worth it

    I took a peek at your profile when I saw that great number on your ticker - I just had to say how fantastic you look, and I love that happy smile on your face! How smart you are to be having these realizations and making changes at such a relatively young age - no doubt you're going to go very far in life! :flowerforyou:
  • marc8686
    marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
    Awesome Job on starting check out our big man group

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4111-the-big-men

    I started at 420 last June. Down to 275 and never thought i would be wearing a size 38 in my life....but here i am. Keep it up and it will come. Greatness doesn't happen overnight, but its totally worth it

    I took a peek at your profile when I saw that great number on your ticker - I just had to say how fantastic you look, and I love that happy smile on your face! How smart you are to be having these realizations and making changes at such a relatively young age - no doubt you're going to go very far in life! :flowerforyou:
    absolutely right, looking great man. 145 lbs in just over a year is awesome
  • jdvs515
    jdvs515 Posts: 1
    This is just the topic I needed to read today. Thanks!

    I am starting in a similar position. As of this writing, I am 6'6" and weigh 440. I also hate being the "big guy," even though I've been that way since I was a child. My problems have always stemmed from not being able to control my eating and drinking habits, and also lacking the energy/motivation to get moving, so those are definitely things I am working on.

    This is going to be a long battle for me, but I finally feel ready to take on this challenge.
  • TxAlpha
    TxAlpha Posts: 173 Member
    <
    6'3".....was 440 back in 2009.......I'm 316 right now....but I look like I'm about 275......so it can happen.......just keep pushing.....
  • marc8686
    marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
    This is just the topic I needed to read today. Thanks!

    I am starting in a similar position. As of this writing, I am 6'6" and weigh 440. I also hate being the "big guy," even though I've been that way since I was a child. My problems have always stemmed from not being able to control my eating and drinking habits, and also lacking the energy/motivation to get moving, so those are definitely things I am working on.

    This is going to be a long battle for me, but I finally feel ready to take on this challenge.

    absolutely man, and dont think of it as this LONNNNNNNG difficult journey. your goal needs to be to eat healthier and live a more active lifestyle so you are HAPPIER and more energetic!!! with this goal in mind......you can see success EVERY DAY! the weight loss will just happen over time as a byproduct of this lifestyle change. looking at it like this, you arent waiting until next year before you are successful.......you are successful EVERY day....and on top of that you have weight loss to be proud of as well
  • GHUMBEL
    GHUMBEL Posts: 8
    Kinda thin in the Face.. Good luck on the journey:smile:
  • marc8686
    marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
    Kinda thin in the Face.. Good luck on the journey:smile:
    why thank you *grin* ive actually always been pretty lucky on how i carry my weight. for a long time you couldnt even tell i was overweight.....even now at over 400lbs i can claim to weigh 300-350 and people would believe me. because i was so active in my youth, have such a tendency to retain muscle, and have such a stocky tall frame, ive always looked like i weigh less than i do (or so ive always been told). ive told multiple people i was going to lose 100lbs within a year and they asked me, uhhh do you have 100lbs to lose? when in reality i have about 140 i could lose.
  • jasonclev
    jasonclev Posts: 10 Member
    God meant for us all to be healthy and fit, dont fall for the enemy's traps of self limitation and doubt.

    AMEN!!!

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