WIsh me luck guys

NS3210
NS3210 Posts: 17 Member
Hello community, I'm a 21 year old college student and it's always been hard for me often due to depression and the lack of motivation and laziness. I'm around 285 and looking to lose 50 but ultimately if I'm up for it 80. So far as of today, I only had 1149 calories out of 2400, and I haven't had a single soda today. I'm planning to exercise atleast 5 days a week, Monday to Friday with the weekends off. If I can't do one weekday, I'll make up for it on a Saturday or Sunday. Currently the plan is to walk for 30 minutes. I want to work on cardio first before I tackle weight lifting in about 2-3 weeks. As time progresses, I hope to extend my walk periods by 10 minutes every 2 weeks. I'm open for suggestions.

Replies

  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Good luck!

    But really, it's not about luck, it's about commitment and habit. Commitment is important at the beginning; you have to make yourself eat at your calorie goal (but not below it, at least not by very much) and exercise. After a while it becomes a habit.

    When I was your age I lost about 50 lb. and kept it off for 5 years. Then I got a new job with more responsibilities, switched from walking to driving as my way to get to work, and didn't make time for exercise. Over the following decade, I regained those 50 lb. and a bit more too. It's good that you're making this change now; just don't forget to be vigilant afterwards!

    Your walking plan looks great. Walking is excellent exercise and it's fairly low impact. If you find that your walks are too sedate, you can try picking up the pace. In a year or two you might even want to try running. Cycling is also a great exercise, especially since you can vary the intensity by changing gears. I'm not sure why you don't plan to walk on weekends - you might consider taking one day a week off (or doing a shorter walk), and then adding a longer walk or hike on a weekend (if you have more time then).

    If you haven't found this page yet, I highly recommend the links on it:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

    ETA: Oh, one more important thing: don't give up anything that you can't live without for the rest of your life. If you are cutting out soda entirely, is that something you plan to do forever? If not, you need to learn to consume it in moderation. People who regain weight after a significant loss often do so because they succeed due to restrictions and then fail when they go back to their old ways. This is a lifestyle change on which you've embarked.
  • NS3210
    NS3210 Posts: 17 Member
    Thanks for the suggestions! I tend to be busy on the weekends that's why I prefer the Monday to Friday workout routine. I also like to do my walking in the morning about an hour after breakfast, and before noon.
  • melgmfp
    melgmfp Posts: 7 Member
    Good luck!

    Im new to this too. I am the same age as you and weigh 205 lbs and im looking to lost between 50/60. Ive lost a lot of weight before in the past but somehow manage to pile it back on with interest every time!

    Ive been doing this for about a week and have set myself the target of 40 minutes cardio and 30 minutes weight training 5 times a week alternating between upper body, lower body and core which is what my personal trainer told me I should do back in my skinny days! Its probably best to ease yourself into it but I can't help it because I know I used to be very fit I just want to be back there again! Now im rambling but honestly good luck and if you need any motivation from a fellow newbie feel free to message me.