I want to change my image and lose some weight

[lawliet]

Hey everyone

I'm sort of new on these boards. I've kind of been lurking around, checking out some forums and threads and stuff, and I've come to realize that many of you (especially on the health board) give excellent advice and are sincerely caring and interested in the well being of peer posters and the like. It's like there's a neat community on here with people that help each other out. And I kind of need that right now....

For some back round, I'm an 18 year old bisexual male. I've messed around with both guys and girls, and have frequently been told that I "would look so hot if I got rid of some flab." I've been told I have an attractive face, that my sex drive is appealing, but an important part of any healthy and successful relationship involves good sex, and if my body isn't pleasing to my partner, then that can't work. I'm 5ft11in, but look to be 6 ft. I weigh about 250 pounds and have done very little to change my image and body weight. If you look at me head on, my waist doesn't look too wide, but when you look at me from the side, you can certainly see some flab and fat.

Lately, I just feel horrible about my image. I want to be able to look physically attractive and not be called "the big guy" or whatever. I once had someone tell me that I almost scared them because of my size! I want to be able to look and feel good. I want to be able to go to sleep at night and feel healthy, not fat. I want to be able to wear those skinny jeans and nice clothes and not look like a muffin in them!

I want to lose weight quickly and efficiently and feel confident in myself and image.

I figure now is as good a time as any to get going on this since I'll be starting college in the fall. The problem is that I lack motivation, and have no idea where to start! I also live in the obnoxiously hot AZ, where the temperature is about 100+ degrees lately. I also am not in the best of financial situations, so I can't really go out and find a trainer or anything like that. Because of all of this, I need to lose weight quickly and effectively and cheaply!

Starting tomorrow, I'm planning on waking up early (like, 5am, before the sun and its heat really kicks in!) and just walking/jogging/running around my neighborhood for about an hour. I figure if I can engage myself in that activity for 1 hour and stick with it every day, then that could be good. I'm also planning on removing soda from my diet all together and drinking only water. That's literally all I can think of doing right now, besides eating less.

Does anyone have any tips? Has anyone been in a situation like this before? What advice or words of inspiration can you provide? I would give some pictures of my body for context, but my camera is being really irritating lately (i.e. not working). I just feel like I'm in this rut right now, like really unconfident, y'know? I want to change the way I look and feel for good, and I want to do it as easily and quickly as possible...

Just for an idea of how I want to look, here's a link:

http://popsugar.com/gallery/531600/?page=0,6,0&show=large

Yeah, Shia is my current man crush...

Anyway, help/advice anyone? Thanks for reading...I hope to hear some advice soon.

 

[3nipples]

Good for you, but don't start off doing an hour from day 1... start slow and work your way up to it. You get used to getting up at 5, but it's still damn early! I do it for work, so I know...

In terms of diet,

- cut down on as much processed foods as possible. Eat things that have fibre in them, those german dark rye breads instead of white. Avoid anything sweet. That includes artificial no calorie sweeteners. Don't overcook your meals, but DO eat. Starving isn't the answer.

- eat a meal for no longer than 1 hour from start to finish and then STOP for about 5 hours to digest. Stop means just that. Nothing except water and black coffee or tea. No milk, no sugar, no diet drinks, no chewing gum... nothing to disrupt your digestion.

- water between 2-3 litres a day (say 2-3 quarts)

- exercise you already know about

- give yourself a treat once a week, chocolate, cake, pizza, whatever, but try to do it within the regular meal time... and then STOP.

 

[lawliet]

Thanks 3nipples for the advice. How should I start on my excercise plan then, if one hour a day is perhaps overkill when first starting? And is walking/jogging/running really all that I should be doing?

Thanks again

 

[Orlandude]

3nipples offers some great tips! I would add that you might start your exercising for 30 minutes instead of an hour. You need to get your metabolism going and it will take a little time for your body to make adjustments. When you feel ready (and you will!), make it an hour if you want but the body doesn't necessarily need all that much. It just needs exercise. And yes, drinks LOTS of water throughout the day to not only keep yourself hydrated but the water also offers a feeling of fullness. DO EAT!! Do not starve yourself. Starvation diets are not healthy and don't work anyway. As 3nipples suggested, just watch what you eat. NO FAST FOOD and try to avoid fried foods. Lean meats, poultry, fish/seafood, fresh fruits and veggies. There is enough natural sugar in fruits that you don't need sugary sweets. I used to put it into my head that candy and pastry and sweets were like poison!! After awhile, I started believing it!! Watch your carb intake but do eat some carbs. They will give you energy for exercising where you will burn them off. An important thing is to ALWAYS eat a healthy breakfast. It truly is the most important meal of the day. Finally, my doctor always told me that if you want to seriously lose weight, don't eat after 7pm in the evening. Better yet, have your main meal earlier in the day and just have a light meal in the evening. Stuffing yourself at night and then going to bed is the fastest way to GAIN weight!!!

And yes, REWARD yourself on the weekend. Have that piece of cake or a couple cookies or your favorite fast food burger. NOT all weekend....just once! Otherwise, don't buy or keep those things around the house. Too much temptation. If you're going out to eat, eat wisely and skip dessert. If, by Law in your area, you're allowed to drink alcohol, limit your intake. Cocktails and beers are empty calories and fattening.

Good luck! You CAN do this!!

 

[jockboy01]

Yep, great advice as always.

I'd add get a good amount of sleep at night 7-9 hours generally. There is some evidence out there that not getting enough sleep actually might be linked to gaining weight. Otherwise, as stated, start slow and increase. As to exercise, make sure you do something you enjoy. To get and stay like Shia requires a lifestyle change and if you hate the lifestyle, it won't be sustainable.

 

[puka-pride]

#1

your gonna fail if you go into this because u feel sorry for yourself

#2

your gonna fail if you go into this because you want people to be sexually attracted to you

#3

your gonna fail if you aim too high and try to dtop weight fast

#4

your gonna fail if you make up excuses like you don't have a lot of money (excercise doens't require money)

#5

your gonna fail if you consider this change in your diet to be temporary


I am 5'9 I used to be 250lbs I'm now 185... I didn't have money... and I didn't have help

the best motivation to do this is anger

you should be doing this because you look at yourself and realise what you did to make yourself look the way you do its no ones fault but your own... think about everyone in your life who has treated you different cus of your weight... remember the ones who told you you can't... and proove them wrong... you can.. anyone can do anything with the right motivation and the right determination

first thing you gotta do you already know.. NO MORE POP...

but to add to that NO JUICE... in fact NO SUGARS AT ALL unless its 100% natural sugars found in all the fresh fruit you should be eating

DRINK ONLY WATER... you'll notice that when you drink a lot of water a day you'll pee a lot more... BUT you'll also notice your losing a lot of weight.. thats because that fat you see isn't 100% fat.. its also your body storing water because your not getting enough pure h20 in your diet (pop and some juices although delicious dont' do much for hydration)

so drink water... a lot of water regularily and your body will stop storing as much water in your body because your constantly rehydrating yourself

if you like to party (even though your underage i'm assuming...tut tut) limit your drinking to once a month.. and dont' drink anything carbonated and remember before you go to bed drink a lot of water because alcohol dehydrates and that dehydration is the cause of hangovers

NEXT cut out ALL carbs (sugars, breads, potatoes, rice) completely for about 2 weeks... this will detox your body from all of the bad stuff you find in a lot of foods...

oh you'll notice you'll be really cranky in this time.. thats because your body is addicted to the carbs and sugars and your going through withdrawl

AFTER the detox I recommend eating carb again... not a lot of carbs though... very little in fact.. but keep it in your diet for fibre reasons (mmm fibre good) and remember you can only eat good carbs like MULTIGRAIN BREAD and WHOLE GRAIN WILD RICE (no white rice for you)

 

[puka-pride]

ok so this is a second post cus the first was gettign a lil long

the other stuf you should do is excercise

you have a greta idea to go out and be active for an hour a day.. thats exactly what you should do... at least

it shouldn't be too bad as long as you pace yourself at first

since its hot there you have a good idea to wake up early.. another option is to do it late... also remember to bring a bottle of water with you and maybe even make sure there is a rest spot halfway through your walk where you can cool down and rehydrate... when you first start you will deffinatly need the break

I'd also add in some muscle training of some sort... since you dont' have any money or a trainer you should so some cheap at home excercises...

push ups if done properly are very good for you..

and pilates crunches really work the abs

you can also go to a neighbourhood playground and do pull ups on the monkey bars

you might also wanna get a job or hobby that keeps u physically active like landscaping or working on a loading dock packing or unpacking trucks.

remember not to push yourself too hard or you'll burn yourself out.. if you need it take a day to heal

there is actually a very good place to get exactly that kind of advice your looking for

its called www.realjock.com its a gay fitness site.. it has tips to lose weight, shows you how to do excercises and has a lot of hot guys on it

 

[KaraBulut]

The challenge in places like Az and Nv is the heat and the dry climate. Getting an early start in the morning walking and then later running will help. Be sure to drink lots of water.

Your first step in this process is to work on getting into good cardiac fitness with exercise. Don't overdo it. Many people push too hard at first and either get discouraged or injure themselves.

The second step is to begin doing generalized strength and balance exercises. As you begin to get into shape, you can add lifting weights-particularly upper body work which is where most heavy-framed guys need the most work.

It's worth the cost to get a gym membership. Try exercise classes at the gym- yoga will help with strength and balance and the aerobic classes (spin, step, etc) will help you get into good cardiovascular shape. Guys tend to avoid classes but they are both an indoor activity and it offers structure for people who aren't used to working out. The gym membership will also give you access to treadmill, stairclimber and weight machines. It's also a good social outlet to meet new people and be inspired either by a workout partner or my the eyecandy (or both).

If you need a break from the heat- head to Flagstaff for a weekend and do some hiking.

 

[lawliet]

Hey everyone

I started doing my walking stuff this morning, and walked (eventually jogged) for about 35 mins. It was 5 in the morning though, and when I came home, I felt tired and slept for another 2 hours. Is this a bad thing to do? To just excercise like that and then sleep?

Regardless, I woke up feeling refreshed and a little more energized than usual. I haven't really had the chance to go out and totally change my pantry (I'm still living with parents anyway) but I had Weetabix whole wheat cereal for breakfast and a banana.

Just for some back round information, I won't be going to college in AZ. I'll actually be attending a liberal arts type place in Oregon. Every year, my dad and I go on vacation to a ski resort, so I've been skiing all my life. Once in OR, I plan on skiing quite a bit (Mt. Hood is nearby, there's always tons of snow, etc.) I guess that will become the physical thing I like to do. I'm doing all this walking and stuff not only to lose weight but also to kind of build endurance and just become more physically aware of my body. Not only that, but as a college orientation trip, I'm doing some hiking around the Columbia gorge, so I figure I may as well get into shape.

Honestly, I'm viewing this summer more as a preparation for the activities to come. I'm not expecting to lose a ton of weight in a course of 2 or 3 months, but I want to be as productive as possible.

I'm also planning on doing some hiking around an area called Romero Pools. It's a nice 6 mile hike, and I figure if I do it in the early morning, I can escape the heat.

Anyway, thanks everyone for all of your advice and tips. I am always welcome to hear more.

 

[codeerror]

First of all; Congratulations!
You've already taken a major step towards that healthy body you want.
Now it's all about making it rutine.

Hey everyone

I started doing my walking stuff this morning, and walked (eventually jogged) for about 35 mins. It was 5 in the morning though, and when I came home, I felt tired and slept for another 2 hours. Is this a bad thing to do? To just excercise like that and then sleep?

Not necessarily. At least try to drink something before going back to sleep.
Best thing to do is of course not going back to bed. If you don't drink coffee regularly, try drinking a cup right before you go out walking, it will not only wake you up, but also boost your metabolism.

Regardless, I woke up feeling refreshed and a little more energized than usual. I haven't really had the chance to go out and totally change my pantry (I'm still living with parents anyway) but I had Weetabix whole wheat cereal for breakfast and a banana.

Sounds ok, I'd go for bread with some slices of low fat, high protein chicken or turkey on it. Banana is ok.
Protein takes more energy for your body to burn. Although is doesn't increase your metabolism, it certainly is a good substitute for fat.
1g of protein per 2lbs of body weight is recommended.

Just for some back round information, I won't be going to college in AZ. I'll actually be attending a liberal arts type place in Oregon. Every year, my dad and I go on vacation to a ski resort, so I've been skiing all my life. Once in OR, I plan on skiing quite a bit (Mt. Hood is nearby, there's always tons of snow, etc.) I guess that will become the physical thing I like to do. I'm doing all this walking and stuff not only to lose weight but also to kind of build endurance and just become more physically aware of my body. Not only that, but as a college orientation trip, I'm doing some hiking around the Columbia gorge, so I figure I may as well get into shape.

Skiing is great exercise!

Honestly, I'm viewing this summer more as a preparation for the activities to come. I'm not expecting to lose a ton of weight in a course of 2 or 3 months, but I want to be as productive as possible.

Even if you don't expect to lose a ton, you should set goals for yourself.
I think you've already told us your major goal, but try to set goals like:

-To lose (X)lbs by next friday

That way you'll be more focused, and it's alot easier to reach your goals.

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.


Good Luck!

 

[3nipples]

Hey everyone

Regardless, I woke up feeling refreshed and a little more energized than usual. I haven't really had the chance to go out and totally change my pantry (I'm still living with parents anyway) but I had Weetabix whole wheat cereal for breakfast and a banana.

I would put Weetabix in the category of processed foods to be avoided.

 

[lawliet]

^Is it really? I looked all over the box and it seemed okay...Lots of fiber apparently, a lot of stickers claiming to be heart healthy, little cholestrol and few calories. Granted, an awful lot of that could be advertising, but it really seemed okay.

I'm discovering as I go along this process that some of this food is either difficult to find and/or I need to contain it within the food stock and pantry of other family and friends living in the house. I'm aware I need to change what I eat and my eating habits, and then essentially requires a redesign of my pantry, but I don't want to alter everything for my family and friends too. Idk what I'm saying really. I guess I don't want to suddenly start changing the way my family goes to the grocery store and what they eat by my own personal goals, y'know? Hard to explain...

Anyway, I'm looking forward to tomorrow and getting some more excercise in.

 

[latinoguy19]

I am starting a diet program this summer too. I have been doing just about everything people have posted.

In August I was 215 lbs (at 5'9) and I am now 195 just from the lifestyle change of college. I hope to be 155-160 in August/September of this year.

My school has a gym and I live on campus year-round, so I am able to go there. I recently bought an armband for my iPod and now I go jogging everyday.

The most important things would be the breakfast, and getting enough water, and also just having water during the day.

Be positive and you'll be on your way soon!

 

[miyakko]

I studied nutrition and dietetics in college, and from what I calculated in order to maintain your current weight you will need to consume about 3,500 kcal, which is a lot of calories.

By simply reducing calories to about 2,000 kcal and being moderatley active 3-5x a week you should see drastic changes.

Some will say you should drop to 1,200 kcal/day. I have disagree with them. Dropping that low will cause your body to go into starvation mode, the goal is to get a nice balance of calories in ratio to exercise.

I found during my ongoing weight battle, that if I increase my cardio (i'm a cardio WHORE) while not adjust the amount of calories I consume, I plateau on my weight loss.

For healthy weight loss, shoot for 2-3 lbs a week. The initial weight loss will be higher, I remember losing like 20 lbs in the first month (I was a bigger guy). But after that, it slowed down to the 2-3 lbs a week.

I do agree with the others about processed foods. The closest to the natural state possible is the best food for you. I would recommend cooking for yourself and avoiding eating lots of red meats.

I disagree with others about avoiding carbs. The largest part of my diet revolves around whole grains, with a little protein, and LOTS of vegetables. I have issues with anemia, so I do consume a small amount of red meat each week. I prefer fish and poultry for protein source.

Carbs are needed for energy. Your body can convert protein to form ketones; HOWEVER, this will cause a shift in your acid-base ratio of your blood and cause stress on the kidneys. It will also cause your breath to change to a more odd scent of acetone and an ashy skin if used for long term. No dietitian in their right mind will ever recommend anything like the adkins diet.

Like I said, the bulk of my diet are grains and veggies, few protein and reduction of eating sweets.

I start my day off with a veggie smoothie - a carrot, some kale, avacado, romaine lettuce, cucumber, and sometimes a bit of cocanut blended together. Lots of fiber and pack full of nutrients. Beware this will be green and have a strange texture, but it gives a great energy boost in the morning before working out!

 

[codeerror]

By simply reducing calories to about 2,000 kcal and being moderatley active 3-5x a week you should see drastic changes.

From what I know, you shouldn't drop more than 400-500 kcal/day.
But then again i've never really tried to lose any weight.

I disagree with others about avoiding carbs. The largest part of my diet revolves around whole grains, with a little protein, and LOTS of vegetables. I have issues with anemia, so I do consume a small amount of red meat each week. I prefer fish and poultry for protein source.
Carbs are needed for energy. Your body can convert protein to form ketones; HOWEVER, this will cause a shift in your acid-base ratio of your blood and cause stress on the kidneys. It will also cause your breath to change to a more odd scent of acetone and an ashy skin if used for long term. No dietitian in their right mind will ever recommend anything like the adkins diet.

If you split your plate up into three pieces, 2/3 should be carbs like rice or potatoes, 1/3 proteins (meat and such) and then just fill the rest up with vegetables. The most common mistake among people who exercise is not getting enough proteins, the second most common is not getting enough food overall.

 

[versatastic]

Forgive me while I ramble and rebut...

You should drop your caloric intake by 100-300 Calories/day each week until you get down to ~1200-1500Cal/day if you don't really do much physical activity at all, and 1800-2200 if you work out regularly, depending on what you're doing. If you're only jogging and doing light lifting, you don't really need that much more calories. 1600 is fine.

Since you want to lose a lot of fat, you might want to alternate your caloric intake by dropping and adding a bit each week. For instance, drop 300Cal/day the first week, from 3000 to 2700. Then the second week increase it a bit to 2800, and the third week drop to 2500-2600, and so on and so forth. When you get down to the lowest amount of Calories that you want, you should continue to go up and down staying at that point +/- 100 Calories. When doing this, you should match your caloric intake to your physical activity, so do a little more jogging/lifting on your "up" weeks.

Continually dropping calories over time, even gradually per week, may lead your metabolism to go into starvation mode when you get down to a more restrictive diet to try to lose body fat. It's not known why this method works, but you can speculate that it confuses your system when trying to lose weight so you don't go into starvation mode. It also somewhat approximates normal eating habits in that sometimes you eat more than usual and sometimes less, so your body doesn't really know that it's being deprived of how much you're used to eating right now. However, all this can be just another load of crap, haha. (There's a guy preaching about this method on realjocks just because it worked out so well for him. You have to be careful with new trends in exercise physiology. What many call proof is merely anecdotal at best, and statistics are easily manipulated and spun one way or another.) That being said, it definitely won't hurt you like a dramatic drop in calories would.

The take home message is that if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to make a lifestyle change, not dramatically, but gradually. Physiologically it's all about homeostasis, keeping everything in your system within their set boundaries. Any drastic changes, and your body basically overreacts and launches all sorts of different programs to deal with the situation including holding onto and making as much fat as possible to get through an indefinite lenght of starvation. Gradually changing your lifestyle gives your body the chance to acclimate to the new homeostatic set points associated with your desired caloric intake and excercise levels without giving you any problems.


You might want to try eating 6 small meals a day instead of the big 3. Have a light breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And a light snack in between. That definitely gets your metabolism going, always being less than satisfied after a meal. You shouldn't eat big meals anyway. You don't want to get food coma and take a nap in the middle of the day.


Also, you absolutely need carbs, but good carbs like whole grains, not white bread/flour that's basically granulated sugar to your body. You cannot break down fat efficiently without carbs. Human metabolism just evolved that way for some reason. Cutting all carbs for two weeks to "detox" is ridiculous. Potatoes, rice, and whole grains really don't have any bad chemicals in them unless the farms used pesticides. Potatoes acually have lots of fiber and are loaded with vitamins. Just eat them baked or boiled, not fried. What you need to purge your body of is the crap used to make processed foods. Look at the labels of the food boxes. If they have any chemical sounding ingredients, don't buy it.

There is no such thing as whole grain wild rice. Wild rice is grass (the leaves, not the seeds) that's cut to about the length of rice. It's usually mixed in with actual rice kernels, either white or brown, along with other stuff like lentils, millet, and quinoa. I love brown rice. It's not as fluffy as white rice, but the brown jasmine(long grain) and brown basmati (even longer) aren't as hard/chewy as brown calrose (short grain/sushi rice). Stay away from white rice; it's just like bleached flour/sugar.


If you're so tired out from excercising, then a nap isn't really bad for you, especially if forgoing the nap keeps you tired the rest of the day. Sleep is very important, especially if you're tyring to lose weight. A lot of things happen when you're asleep. You rebuild and refresh your body, which takes a lot of calories, and your body will use and remodel your fat. Sleep deprivation makes you hungry because your brain is working double overtime to both stay awake/thinking longer than it should and also to fuel the extra processes keeping your neurons firing. It doesn't take that many calories to keep your brain going, but that extra set of brain processes stimulates your hunger centers. If you're used to working/staying awake more than 16 hours a day, any hunger you might have between your 3 meals a day may be a sign that you're not getting enough sleep. Aside from trying to lose weight, you should always get a good night's
sleep if you drive a lot. A sleep deprived person is far worse than a drunk driver.


Eating right before you go to bed isn't that bad. First of all, after you eat a full meal your body diverts its focus to digestion, not staying alert, which means you will want to rest/fall asleep. Second, what you eat right now is not for energy use for the next 8-12 hours. After eating a meal during the day you feel satisfied and refreshed not because you're using the calories you just took in, but because starting the process of digestion releases energy that you already have stored up. The meal that you eat right now is for replenishing the energy stores that you are using now and will continue to use until your food has been digested and absorbed. So let's say that you're hungry now. It's not because your energy reserves are currently running low. It's because your body knows that if you don't get food now, then your energy reserves will begin to run out by the time you digest and absorb food that you might eat later. Therefore, eating before you go to sleep doesn't mean that it will turn your food into fat because you're not using it. You weren't going to use it right away to begin with.

Skim milk and yogurt are very good for you, and chewing gum actually helps with digestion somewhat because it makes you produce more saliva that has an enzyme that breaks down carbs and the extra water you swallow helps to disolve and dilute the bolus to help the pancreatic enzymes out a bit.


If you drink straight shots, no chaser or maybe a lime wedge or olive, then alcohol has virtually no calories. A single beer, wine, or cocktail mixed with lots of sugar have enough for a small meal. If you don't like shots, have a well drink with just a lot of lime juice or club soda and ice. Actually, drinking "responsibly" without the extra calories will help you in your weight loss goals. Ethanol (drinking alchohol) and its metabolites are so toxic to the body that it diverts all energy for nonessential processes (pretty much everything except breathing and heart pumping) into detoxifying and breaking down the ethanol and its metabolites. That energy takes a lot of calories. That's why after a night of partying, a late night snack is the best meal of your life. However, if you don't eat that frozen burrito or cold take-out and just have a pint or two of water and a multivitamin, maybe half a banana or apple, then that night of partying just did as much for you as a 30 minute cardio session. That is, in terms of calories. If you are lifting for strength or doing cardio for endurance/performance, then alcohol is not your friend. Since your body is using so much energy to detox, it will not use any energy to rebuild your muscles and you are S-O-L because that night of partying just wasted the previous one or two days worth of work outs. Very strenuous activity takes a good 48 hours to heal your muscles.

 

[KaraBulut]

By simply reducing calories to about 2,000 kcal and being moderatley active 3-5x a week you should see drastic changes.

Some will say you should drop to 1,200 kcal/day. I have disagree with them. Dropping that low will cause your body to go into starvation mode, the goal is to get a nice balance of calories in ratio to exercise.

From what I know, you shouldn't drop more than 400-500 kcal/day.
But then again i've never really tried to lose any weight..

2000kcal is a little on the low side for an 18 year old male. Sometimes it's a lot easier to focus on portion control (no more "super-size" it), eating small meals 5-6 times a day and eliminating high-carb foods.

And as codeerror indicated, eating protein in all your meals will help you avoid the "sugar-crash" that comes between meals and temps you to eat high carb foods like candy bars, chips, etc.

On the subject of fruit juice versus soda - both have carbs with no protein. Given the choice of fruit juice or soda, fruit juice is the better choice. But water is always your best bet- no calories.