Good afternoon everyone.

I never used to be this weight, yet one day I woke up and looked myself in the mirror and there I was. 5'6, 260 lbs... a big fat mess. i've tried some of the fad diets but they just don't seem to work. now i'm a 26 year old guy, i know i should be alot better than this.

what i've basically come to ask is if anyone can give me some advice on what to do.. what would be the best way to lose weight and keep it off..and how long do you think it would take?

please help

It'll take about a year if you want to get into peak physical condition. But don't be discouraged, you can see big results in just a couple months. I myself was over 270 just 3 months ago, and am now down to 220, losing over 50 lbs. It takes a complete and total change of your eating habits, as a lifestyle change not just a diet. I stopped eating fast food, take out food, and restaurant food, period. I have eaten out a total of about 3 times in the past 4 months. No more sugared drinks or refined carbs. My diet changes have resulted in an average weight loss of over 3 lbs a week, with very little exercise. My diet breakdown goes such as this:

Beverages: Water, water, water, diet & light drinks.

Foods: Vegetables- All except potatoes.
Proteins/Meat- Boneless skinless chicken, fish- salmon, tuna etc.
Other: Yogurt, salads, anything that is low calorie, low fat, low carb.

Count your calories, and goto this website to find out what you need to be eating: http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

Best of luck! And let me tell you, at least for me, it has not been hard (so far at least)

hey thanks for the advice, but i still do have a question. what kind of exercises do you think i should be doing? i mean personal trainers are WAY out of my budget so i have really no idea what i should do on that front.

thanks again

Smooman,

Every bit of movement you can get into your day will help...

I think that you should join a gym. You might be able to get your first month free by collecting free week coupons from your local paper, Val-Pak, etc.

My thinking is this: if you are going to walk, say, you will be better off in air-conditioning during the Summer, and if you are de-conditioned, the cushioning of a treadmill deck will be good, too. You will also get some realistic, and hopefully high 'calories burned' numbers from the machines.

You should also get some minimal "Trainer" services, at least an orientation, from someone who knows something, for no additional cost. If you go at off times, you may be able to get some more answers for free.

Foodwise, you are in luck. Fruits and Vegetables are your friends-get them while the season is on.

Best of Luck!
K

wow what a cool link! Thanx for that.
Smooman you don't need to join a gym to exercise, specially if you are just starting out. Walking is a great way to exercise and its free.
good luck!

Right, Gidgey, that's why I mentioned it, too. I am not generally a big fan of gyms myself. You can lose an hour just going to and from the gym, between driving, changing, and the extra shower.

But if Smooman happens to work 4-12, I wouldn't want him walking outside where it's 100F, or inside at the mall where there's a million temptations, and for someone who's just starting out, soft surfaces like a treadmill deck are good, and the incline and speed controls can make it more time efficient, and the calorie counter is good, many clubs have Jacuzzis, which are a nice reward/motivator, AND worst case, there are people around who are trained to deal with medical emergencies.

Not bad for about a buck a day...hopefully, you don't pay a big enrollment fee, use the heck out of it for a few months, then quit.

Either way...the trick is to get moving.

I bought an eliptical machine and it works wonders for me. Try to find one on sale, because in the long run (which if this is trully a life change for you, excercise should be forever) you will save thousands of dollars. You get the benefit of not having to go anywhere to do your workout. You can do it anytime you want. You can dress any way you want. It's fabulous. I do a 30 minute workout before breakfast and a 30 minute workout after dinner (wait at least 45 minutes or more) and I'm loving it. I just do it while watching T.V.

I also bought a few free weights. Nothing big, just interchangeable. I have 30 pounds of weight to play with and I can go from 2 pounds to 30 on one barbell.

Anyway, good luck friend.

i actually thought about buying an eliptical, they have this real kiddy looking one for about 100 bucks at my local sports store but according to the salesperson "it can be used by adults too". so i dunno. summer always sucks for me.. never been a person to like the heat, then again ive been fat for a long as i can remember so maybe thats the reason right there.

thanks again for the advice!

the problem with cheap gym equipment is that it's usually cheaply made -- rather than just on sale... 100 dollars is pretty inexpensive for a piece of equipment, I'd jump on it first to make sure that it will support you and you will be able to use it effectively... if it's frustrating to use, you won't use it (least I wouldn't...

a thrifty alternative... check www.craigslist.com or www.freecycle.org for your areas and see if people are either giving away equipment (it happens a lot ) or are letting go of equipment for cheap.

Golds Gym has been running a promotion on their website that they are giving a month for free.. might be worth checking out to see if you like it...

again thank you guys for all the support, i think i might go and jump on (read obliterate) that machine this weekend and see if it doesnt cry out for death. lol.
starting to eat a little better too, heard that green tea was good for losing weight, and eating a little dark chocolate (which tastes awful btw) is supposed to be good too (at least, according to the rumor mill that is my friends). so hopefully things will progress.. however slowly (of course.. fast would be nice

one question i have for everyone here.

because of my slow decent into fatness i've managed to get stretchmarks and things on my skin, and i was wondering...

will your skin be totally distended because of the extra weight? or will it end up slowly repairing itself and return to normal. i mean, if i have to get surgery done i will but.. id rather avoid it if possible.

again thanks for the advice people

Good job so far, and good job on making this life changing decision. Im 21 myself, I used to be a star football player in high school. My highest ever was 245, maybe even 250, im down to 210. Its hard work, but its worth it.

My advice would be, eat below ur calories. What do i mean by that? Take ur weight, multiply it by 13, 14, or 15. 13 if you're not active, 15 if you are very active. When u get that number, that's the number of calories u need to eat to maintain ur weight. If u want to gain weight, you eat above that calorie number. If u want to lose weight, its best to eat at least 500below that number. Because, 3500 calories equals 1lb of fat. So, if u eat 500calories below the number of calories u must eat to maintain, then, on paper, you should lose 1lb per week.

To count ur calories, check out, www.fitday.com after you eat, and u get a chance to get on ur computer, log in what you ate, ex. grilled chicken, mashed potatoes with butter, etc. N it will tell u how many calories you have eaten so far. it helps you keep track of what you ate, and how many calories youve eaten.

If you work hard, you may be able to get down to a more comfortable weight. At first, you'll lose a lot, i lost almost 20lbs in 2 weeks! but most of it was water weight i suppose. But, its a good start. If u stick with it, the only direction your weight can go is down. =) goodluck bro

hmm that seems like good advice but.. well i kinda did the math and

260*13 = 3380 cals
-500 = 2880

i dunno but that seems like alot doesnt it?


just asking, i really dont know much about this weight loss stuff <as my weight shows lol>

Hi!
You can try some cream on the stretch marks, however, being pregnant twice myself, trust me when I say that over time they will eventually fade and not be so prominent. Good Luck and get moving!

If you loose the weight w/diet and exercise your skin should spring back into shape. You might be able to see some of the marks, but by the time you are 40 you probably won't care anymore, so I wouldn't waste the money on the surgery.

As far as exercise, just find something you like (or don't hate) that is easily accessible and try to do something everyday. Good Luck.

stretch marks fade a bit. Mine have. i gained weight horribly quickly when i was 15.

I find walking almost everywhere.. very good exercise. i am boycotting buses unless its over an hr walk one direction. Work for me is 40 min walk away.. so i get up an hr earlier.