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AlexStepanski
AlexStepanski Posts: 5
in Introduce Yourself
I am 27, I am recently divorced and I can't even get a girl to look at me. I hope it is mostly due to my weight but even so, I really want to lose weight to feel better, live a more active lifestyle and be around for my daughter rather than having a heart attack or some other health complication.

I currently have high blood pressure 135-145 over 90 normally. I am 6'0 tall and weigh approx 320 lbs, I will take our free health check thing at work and verify. I have a very tight budget but my work does offer a free basic gym. I work in a physical environment currently but I want to be a truck drive which will only add to my problems. I currently move boxes anywhere from 5lbs to 90 lbs for 5-6 hours a night, that is when I am not on the forklift in the warehouse.

My x wife is overweight too, it's been really hard to lose weight with her around, she was not on the same path as me (Not why things didn't work out) and I had quit soda for 2 years before getting with her and started back up for the past 2 years with her. I since quit soda once more, 1 month now with no soda. I try to drink as much "pure" water for infants/ babies with no fluoride as possible. I also switched from 2% to 1% milk. I stopped eating out at fast food places for the past month, although I did become weak at Walmart and stopped by Subway for a oven roasted chicken sandwich

I plan to eat better, I love pizza and I bought a lot of them, they are in the freezer, I am hopping to limit myself to pizza to 3 times a week to start with. I also bought some sneakers that should be here Saturday to start using the gym at work. I have friends that work out after work. I want to start off slow but I want progress. I even bought whey protein shake mix but I was told not to use it because it will make things worst. I have no idea, what I am doing but I try to follow what people say is good, that's why I am here. Need to get educated. .

Replies

  • gimmedatfork
    gimmedatfork Posts: 19 Member
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    Well welcome because you're exactly where you should be right now!

    There are a lot of people in your same situation or who have been in the past who can help you and keep you motivated.

    If you ever lose hope just remember that you're not only doing it for yourself, but for your daughter. She deserves to have a healthy dad who will always be there for her.

    Good luck! :)
  • amyjanetx
    amyjanetx Posts: 70 Member
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    You can do this! Good luck!! Cutting down on the pizza and starting to work out sounds like a great start!
    : )
  • cirellim
    cirellim Posts: 269
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    Welcome welcome

    You've come to a great community everyone here will be more than happy to help keep you motivated and your fitness goals on track!
  • livingforjesus90
    livingforjesus90 Posts: 46
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    Hi,
    I just started to realize that I really need to lose weight like in July--last month! I weighted about 155 and I'm 5 ft. Now I weight 147.2. Sometimes I feel weak and I wanna eat my Oreo or have a cheeseburger sandwich but I am vey good at controlling myself. My problem is I feel like I'm barely losing anymore weight! I don't know what to do. I eat healthy good. No sweets, no rice, nothing that is a major fat. I did do once a day a free day a week so my body would keep losing weight .. But I guess it's not working out for me?? I'm trying to be 120-125. Please help?! By the way, today I just started to work Out .. Even for just a little bit because I hate exercising. :( any suggestion why I may be barely losing weight ?
  • AlexStepanski
    AlexStepanski Posts: 5
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    The things I plan on doing is exercising without realizing it, I am a car guy so I plan to go from junkyard to junkyard walking up and down hills to see all the cars when I can. The post office is one block away, I used to drive to it and now I walk to it. Also park far away when your at the super market,, it protects your car and gives you a little free exercise. Comfortable shoes is a big help, if you go to a shoe specialist store and specify you want the most comfortable walking shoe they have it can make the difference. I refuse to have a walking shoe even though I should, I walk with my steel toe leather boots with gel inserts.
  • crpeterson84
    crpeterson84 Posts: 19 Member
    Options
    Hey Welcome!
    I am new to this als, been at it for not quite two weeks. I think the most important decision you made it to start. This website is great, there is a lot of encouragement. There is also a lot of people who have great suggestions.

    Good luck!
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Options
    I've spammed this in hundreds of threads... I figured it was about time to give this info a permanent home.

    1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
    2. Make sure you eat enough.
    3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
    4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
    5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
    6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
    7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
    8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
    9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
    10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
    11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
    12. don't set time restrictions.
    13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
    14 BE PATIENT.
    15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
    16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
    17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
    18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

    pretty much that.

    ...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

    the typical MFP users does this:
    1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
    2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
    3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
    4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
    5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
    6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
    7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
    8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
    9. Argument ensues about who is right.

    Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

    I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

    Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

    Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    ...and here's another approach.

    Block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.

    From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.

    Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.
  • loconnor466
    loconnor466 Posts: 215 Member
    Options
    Welcome, glad you are here! Please read what Trog posted, it was one of the most informative and useful posts I read when I joined MFP. Good Luck!
  • michirusan82
    michirusan82 Posts: 15 Member
    Options
    I've spammed this in hundreds of threads... I figured it was about time to give this info a permanent home.

    1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
    2. Make sure you eat enough.
    3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
    4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
    5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
    6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
    7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
    8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
    9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
    10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
    11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
    12. don't set time restrictions.
    13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
    14 BE PATIENT.
    15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
    16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
    17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
    18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

    pretty much that.

    ...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

    the typical MFP users does this:
    1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
    2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
    3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
    4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
    5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
    6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
    7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
    8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
    9. Argument ensues about who is right.

    Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

    I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

    Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

    Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    ...and here's another approach.

    Block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.

    From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.

    Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.

    I love you!!!! Shh don't tell my husband lol :flowerforyou:
  • handbagfan
    handbagfan Posts: 148 Member
    Options
    Welcome.:flowerforyou:
    You've made a fantastic choice by joining. :bigsmile: Agree with trogalicios - some good topics and forums but do your research, ask questions but as stated give as much info. We are all different, be honest and truthful with all logging it is a life style change not just a quick fix so don't get down if it takes a while.:smile:
    Feel free to add me if you wish for support and motivation, I log on daily.

    Thank you trogalicios for your fantastic post. Love it.

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