This Sucks

I'm five days into a low carb diet, did a walking video for the first time this morning, and I'm embarrassed as hell. I woke up before I thought anyone else would be to do it, and Made the mistake of putting headphones on. When I turned around to grab my water bottle my wife and two step kids were standing there watching me. Hell even my dog was standing there.

I basically feel like I've been emasculated. I'm 27, I'm 6 ft 8 in tall. Linger around 450 pounds, at least I hope it is because the scale I ordered from casual male is back logged. I used to hunt and fish, hike all day to STAY IN SHAPE. Now I'm reduced to doing a video my disabled wife does to lose weight because any other cardio hurts my back too much to do. In high school I couldn't walk into the school gym without a football player trying to talk me into joining the team, 7 years ago on more than one occasion I was offered a job on the spot to be a bouncer. But now I'm so embarrassed of myself that I'm constantly checking my shirt to make sure my gut isn't hanging out, which is hard to find things long enough when your this tall and your gut hangs over your belt.

I get it's taken years to get as fat as I am, and it will take years to lose the weight, but I'm tired of being embarrassed all the damn time.

Replies

  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    A man steps up and does what needs to be done.

    Honestly, if this is a video your wife does, you should see if she wants to do it with you at the same time. Could be good time together. Heck, I'd say see if the step kids want in too. I sure wish my family had done something physical when we were younger. Would have helped EVERYONE in my family.

    Do not be embarrassed at all. You're getting the job done. No shame there.
  • jtrack3d
    jtrack3d Posts: 91
    This sounds like an acceptance issue.

    I know my gut hangs out. I own that. I did that. Sure, it doesn't help that the wife offers me homemade cookies and brownies because she loves me and knows I love them. That's me. So like DanaDark says... once I OWN what I did to myself, I have to OWN my solution.

    If a workout video with Jane Fonda works for you, do it. If you don't want people watching, just say so. That's pretty easy... "hey y'all, please don't watch me do this video, it makes me self conscious and I need to focus."

    Seriously, my wife owns a Dance Fitness Studio. I am the ONLY guy there and now I am an instructor... yeah, me, ... a ~50 year old balding white headed dude in a room full of women dancing to Beyonce.

    I make no excuses, I shake my 'thang'. I may suck at it. But in the end... I own it and the resulting benefits there are... a great bunch of ladies and a lot of fun and exercise too.

    Bottom line, do it for you... and say how you feel, that's all you can do.
  • alecyar
    alecyar Posts: 3
    So yesterday I sauted my veggies in olive oil and then put the roast in to warm up. Add cavenders and its delicious. I screwed up and had two snacks instead of one. But its a big gob of peanut butter and a glass of milk, which has got to be better than the plethora of Costco munchies I would normally consider a snack (a couple rice krispies, a couple tree tops, 4 or 5 cheese and cracker things.) My daughter and i had to go to albany to hide my son's birthday present at my father in law's house, so lunch was pepperoni and carrots. Still better than my normal 3 double cheeseburgers no ketchup add mayo. Today I finished the 2 mile in 30 minute walking video I found on YouTube. It hurt like hell, but I tried to just get lost in music. I thought a lot of times "I'm hurting and I've done X minutes. I can stop". But I would just sing in my head to drown it out. The amazing thing is I finished 20 minutes ago and my back or bad leg doesn't hurt anymore than normal. I can do this. I just have to readjust my head.
  • RckyMtnTJ
    RckyMtnTJ Posts: 15 Member
    Take everything one day at a time. It's a journey, not a sprint. Make small changes and do what you can. Eventually you'll look back and be proud of what you've accomplished. You will have setback, but in general, if you continue to move forward you will make progress.
  • KeyOfJ
    KeyOfJ Posts: 9
    I have trouble with snacking too at times...our bodies get addictions to certain things...it takes a while to overcome them, but you can. Do not beat yourself up, use these times as motivation.

    You are doing great because you are doing something...keep it up!
  • jtrack3d
    jtrack3d Posts: 91
    Yea, wanting to snack is hard for me too. I love to grab something around bed time. Instead of throwing those pop tarts into the toaster (OH HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM), I have switched to either pita chips and hummus or low calorie yogurt. I still get my snack, it still tastes good.

    TJ is also correct that mentally you want results NOW. But if you really chart out your goal, now isn't in the picture... it's over there. So if you start running to fast at the start, you'll just get frustrated.

    I tune out the future goal, I know it's there, but I tune it out. My goal is the little one... eat better today... exercise a LITTLE today... Check my log in MFP today and decide if I am "okay with it". I don't have to love it. Aim for the tiny successes... they add up.
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
    You are getting good advice. At your weight, just throttling back on calories and going for a walk will cause some pounds to go off. What worked for me was finding filling foods as substitutes for calorie-dense treats like peanut butter, pasta, cookies, etc. One thing that helps me douse cravings is a protein smoothie. Get some chocolate protein powder, mix with milk and ice and blend at warp speed until smooth. There is your 200 calorie chocolate shake---BAM! Also, walking is your friend. I use an iPod and listen to podcasts, books on tape or music. You kind of zone and the time passes as you burn calories. Every minute walking outside is a minute away from where the cookies are kept, right? You need to learn to measure and log your food--get a food scale even if it feels effeminate. You will soon learn how much you are really eating and why things got away from you. A freaking apple was twice as big as I thought until I started weighing them.

    Set small, attainable goals. Walk one more block, lose 2 pounds this week, etc. You will get on a roll and those around you will get used to your new routine. Take some pictures of the current you in just shorts and save them. They will look ghastly to you later but they are a great way to see what's happening to you as you succeed.