Need starting advice

majid01
majid01 Posts: 4 Member
in Getting Started
Hello everyone!

I'm a 19 year old, diabetic male, weighing 128kg. I clearly need to lose weight. I am really motivated, but just don't know how to start. I'll soon start a new semester at uni and I will have easy access to a gym. I'm studying abroad so, ideally, I'd like to surprise my parents in 5-6 months when I'll get back home. I'll have atleast two hours a day to hit the gym, but where should I start? Cardio?
Also, food-wise, I've downloaded mfitnesspal and recently started tracking down what I'm eating. I'm really motivated and looking for some drastic changes... What would you guys recommend?

Thanks!

Replies

  • HaleyRainCloud
    HaleyRainCloud Posts: 1 Member
    I would also like to hear this advice! I have any medical problems and I'm just so sick of being overweight, but to lose my weight I have to remember to take my
    Meds. And I NEVER CAN. does anyone have advice for that as well?
  • BUMPSTEAD
    BUMPSTEAD Posts: 17 Member
    Hey use all the steps for a heathly lifestyle they all work. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day even more if you can. Eat 5-6 small meals a day. Make your changes slowly but steady. Use your internet for your advantage. Youtube have some fabu people sharing weight loss stories with what they ate including their workout routines for weightloss. Check them out.


    Good luck
    Bumpstead MFP
  • FitnFeistyLyness
    FitnFeistyLyness Posts: 757 Member
    eat to live is great for helping with disease. its whole foods plant based, but if you eat meat make it lean, healthy clean meats. make sure you balance your fats, protein and carbs.. focus on eating real foods compared to processed foods
    get plenty of fruits, veg.. especially greens. nuts, seeds , beans,

    i focus on the power of 3

    clean eating
    ex at least 30 min a day- move that body
    drink water. magical liquid

    i would do cardio 3 days weights 2 days.. see how that works alternating muscle groups.you need to tone as you release the weight.

    you can do alot in 5 =6 months if you set your mind to it

    be active here join a group get support. log honestly and be consistent

    this is what has worked for me, but you have to find what works for you.. were here to support you.

    this is my group

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/18785-motivation-support-and-accountability
  • Spewze72
    Spewze72 Posts: 82 Member
    Well that's a pretty broad question! I would say, to summarise, try to keep it simple. Don't set unrealistic goals, make it sustainable. Read as much as you can...I trawl these forums daily. I'm sure someone will come along with the links to "In place of a road map" and "Sexy Pants" posts fairly soon!

    Good luck :)
  • BUMPSTEAD
    BUMPSTEAD Posts: 17 Member
    Place Meds by your bed unless you have to eat first make it the first thing you do before anything. If you have to eat first set an alarm on your cell phone. Weightloss can cause for alot of prepping it can be like another job until it just becomes second nature.
    Check out youtube weightloss stories very imfornative. Good luck lady.
  • kkmalay
    kkmalay Posts: 88 Member
    lift heavy! get those large muscle groups burning up fat for you, cardios great too but adding muscle really helps move the process along quicker, also eat way more protein than mfp settings suggest, especially if you start lifting weights. Squats, deadlifts etc, being a young guy you'll make changes quickly and see gains quickly too, you WILL surprise your folks in 5-6 months, good luck!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    just start with entering your food everyday, it will show you where you are overdoing it and what kind of foods are your 'kryptonite' . read lots of the success stories, there are new stories everyday and they are sooo inspiring, Start moving a little more each day, you'll soon find the pounds start coming off and that it turn will motivate you more, and in a year or so you'll have your own success story. I read on here somewhere 'to be your own hero' great advice. all the best and feel free to add me if you like

    +1

    You don't have to cut out foods or eat so many times a day. Eat at a moderate deficit. Do some exercise for half an hour a few times a week. Weigh/measure and log your food.

    Be safe with keeping your diabetes in check, but it is possible to just eat what you like. There a quite a few diabetics who are successful (Ed Davenport for one).

    Edit for spelling
  • Elsie_Brownraisin
    Elsie_Brownraisin Posts: 786 Member
    As someone has said, a lot can be done in 6 months, but I'd recommend being kind to yourself and realistic.

    Enjoy your time abroad!
    I would also like to hear this advice! I have any medical problems and I'm just so sick of being overweight, but to lose my weight I have to remember to take my
    Meds. And I NEVER CAN. does anyone have advice for that as well?

    I also have a condition requiring medication, but it has the opposite effect and makes me gain weight. I get it packed up for me by the chemist into dossett packs, divided by time/day as I take a cocktail. Can you leave your meds near somewhere you go often (the kettle?) or set an alarm on your phone? I have a child so mine are locked away, I'd forget without an alarm.
  • donnihatcher
    donnihatcher Posts: 3
    Remember to keep your lean protein high, around 100 g a day, if you do you won't crave the sugar. Stay away from white breads and any sugary treats. I would recommend a quick start, usually for the first two weeks you go very low carb to drop several pounds, then you feel success and it helps you stay motivated. Weight watchers does that. I did it and it was great! Then you slowly add in carbs. Plus it rids you of cravings. Good luck and you will love that you stuck with it!
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
    Hi. Just remember that, when exercising, it can bring down your glucose for up to 12 hours afterwords. It might be best to touch base with your endo regarding if any medicine dosages need to be changed. Coming from personal experience, even a half-hour walk when I do not adjust my bolus insulin for it will cause me to go low very quickly.
  • dtimedwards
    dtimedwards Posts: 319 Member
    Forget about drastic changes, start slow. Just log what you normally eat for a week or two. Before you even hit week two you'll see plenty of simple ways to shave off extra calories just by using proper portion size. Then slowly you'll see what foods you are eating that don't satisfy you and you'll automatically ditch them in favor of more filling foods (most likely you'll want to get rid of excess carbs and replace them with fats and proteins).

    As far as working... do whatever YOU LIKE. Try whatever the gym offers, but don't go with one thing because of "guaranteed results", go with the one that is enjoyable. If you start on some crazy program that you hate, you'll just quit. doing a mediocre exercise every day forever is more beneficial than half-assing some complex routine that you'll never do past Feb 1. Once you get accustomed to exercising on a set schedule, you'll probably want to branch out into other things.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Definitely keep it simple. The calorie deficit is going to be what loses the weight, so focus on tracking food accurately and hitting your MFP goal as consistently as you can. (Hitting, not aiming to go way below it.) Try and get plenty of protein (more than MFP recommends for a start) and just get a good balance of nutrients.

    You don't have to eat "clean", you don't have to cut certain foods out (unless obviously they affect your diabetes), and you don't have to do hours of exercise a day. If you're completely new to exercise, get the ok from your doc, and start gently. The best type is the type that you enjoy ad therefore will stick with. Don't do so much that you burn out after a couple of weeks.

    Cardio is great for burning more calories (log them on MFP and eat at least most of them back to get back to your original recommended deficit). It's also great for heart/lung fitness and mental well being. Even walking is great, especially if you're really unfit to start with. Some form of resistance training would be very beneficial to help you hang onto the lean mass that you have right now, while you're losing weight. Whether it's body weight exercises (check out the nerdfitness website) or weights (check out Starting Strength or Stronglifts or New Rules of Lifting).

    Most importantly, hit your calorie goal, and keep it simple. Make gradual changes as you go along.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Everybody's different. It will take trial & error to find what works for you.

    Start here (and take before photos!): http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    I would look to doing a strength routine like 'starting strength' - very basic, but works your body pretty comprehensively.
    For me, it also burns a lot of calories and of course makes sure that muscle is retained as much as possible.

    Keep your protein levels high.

    Add in cardio for both calorie burning and, well, cardio-vascular health :).
  • GemmaRowlands
    GemmaRowlands Posts: 360 Member
    I would also like to hear this advice! I have any medical problems and I'm just so sick of being overweight, but to lose my weight I have to remember to take my
    Meds. And I NEVER CAN. does anyone have advice for that as well?

    What if you had a life threatening condition? Would you remember to take your meds then? I'm fairly confident you could. Make it a part of your day. Keep your meds near where you keep whatever you have for breakfast, or set an alarm each day. It seems silly to suffer over something as simple as memory :).
  • carennewell
    carennewell Posts: 5 Member
    I buy really small ziplocks at the grocery store, dollar general or walmart.I find them in the pharmacy section of the stores. I fill up about 2 weeks worth with all my supplements and my medication. When leaving out the door for work, I grab one. I keep it on my desk all day to remind me to take them when I am supposed to take them. I have also kept it in my purse for days when I do not work. I also keep a back up in my desk at work or in my purse in case I forget to grab one. It helps me to remember to take them and its much easier than opening each bottle every day. I hope this helps!
  • majid01
    majid01 Posts: 4 Member
    Wow! Thanks for all of your input!!! I'll definitely try to maintain that MFP calorie objective. What really made we want to change was that, last semester, I did 1 hour of badminton per week, and a couple of months later, my blood sugar was down, my liver enzyme was way down and so was my weight (down 3.2 kg). All of that by only doing 1 hour of badminton per week! Ultimate goal is to get rid oh the metformin, and from what I saw, it's doable!!! I'll start eating more veggies and fruits as well as eating more lean meat. Now that I'm down to 5 courses (and not 7) , I'm really hoping that the extra time will push me to work out.

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