Tips on Getting in Shape

[tigerfan482]

Hello all.

So I have become a rather large guy (5'8" and 240# ) and have resolved this New Year to get in shape. I've joined a gym that I have yet to go to and I have been, more successfully than the gym, trying to eat better. My biggest problem is that I work 2 jobs and am usually very busy or tired to motivate myself to go to the gym. Also, as a consequence of always working, I tend to grab quick things to eat which aren't usually the healthiest.

So has anyone here been in a similar situation or have any general advice to offer on how to both eat healthier in compressed time frames (i.e. not having a lot of time to cook very healthy at home) and getting and staying motivated to go to the gym after work (would most likely be at night since I work full time 9-5 and then in the evenings from 6-10)?

 

[codeerror]

Check out the sticky section at the top of this board. Several useful threads there.

Also, PM me whenever you want to.

 

[Benvolio]

The gym is not much help in losong weight, except for the cardio exercizes. At your weight, cardio can be damaging to the joints. I suggest you concentrate on losing weight for now.
Tests show that the very low carb diet will be more successful. Best to think of it as NO carb. At that level of carbs, the diet is physiologically different from other diets. Eat meat, cottage cheese, no carb protein powders, low carb vegies, brocoli, cauliflower,green beans. Takes your lunch to work. The first 48 hours you may feel hungry etc, but after that the no carb diet produces ketones in the blood which limit hunger and provide energy.
This is basically the Atkins diet, but calling it a low carb diet focuses the attention on the how many carb can be eaten (about 40), and going just a tiny amount over the number turns off the diet. Most people eat too many, so you should focus on eating no Carbs. After a few days the rapid loss (easily a pound a day, more at first) will give you the motivation.

 

[KaraBulut]

So I have become a rather large guy (5'8" and 240#)...

Speaking frankly, it look you a while to get to 240 and it will take you a while to get back into shape. So, this isn't going to be about dieting or exercising. It's going to be about some big and hopefully permanent lifestyle changes.

My biggest problem is that I work 2 jobs and am usually very busy or tired to motivate myself to go to the gym. Also, as a consequence of always working, I tend to grab quick things to eat which aren't usually the healthiest.

And this is probably part of what you're going to have to change. It's not clear- are you working two jobs five days a week? Or is the evening job just a part-time job that you work a few days a week?

Working a 16 hour day is a stressor on your body. This increases your cortisol levels which makes you gain weight. It also makes you hungry and you're more likely to snack and eat easy foods like drive-thru fast food.

Is there any way financially that you can cut back to a more reasonable work schedule?

In the interim, there are a lot of practical things that you can do. If you work in a sedentary job, find a walking buddy. There's probably already people in the office who walk on their breaks and after lunch. Join them. If you work in a multi-story office, take the stairs instead of the elevator.

There are frozen dinners like Lean Cuisine that have a reasonable number of calories and healthy portions. Plan your meals for the week and buy prepared dinners according to the plan. You may find that the first few days of eating healthy, you feel hungry. Plan for healthy snacks to bring water to work- string cheese, nuts, whole grain crackers- things to satisfy those cravings but don't overindulge.

Don't carry change to work- it just makes it too easy to hit the vending machines.

Incorporate exercise into your schedule. Need to do some shopping? Go to an indoor mall, shop and then walk around the mall for 30 minutes after you finish shopping. When going places in your car, park a distance from your destination and walk. If you find yourself with time on your hands at home, instead of hitting the refrigerator, take a walk in the neighborhood, at the park or around the track at your local public school. Replace couch time with productive activity.

 

[SexyGuy]

What KaraBulut has said is pretty much on the mark. If you have the time (say a day off from both jobs), I would suggest you make little tubberware packages of sliced produce - one could be with carrot, celery, broccoli, whole tomatoes, etc, while another could be fruits - that you take with you to work. If you want to dip it into some dressing, I would do an italian dressing made with olive oil, vinegar, and your favorite seasonings (ground pepper, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary and thyme are my favorites). You could also use that time off to plan out and prepare your meals for the week, freeze them and take them out when you want to have them for lunch/dinner.

I would also cut out all of the sugary drinks, including juices. While they may be considered healthy, they have a crap ton of sugar in them. Switch over to herbal teas - peppermint is a good one - and water. If you don't like plain water, do the following:
-slice a lemon and half a cucumber thinly and place into a pitcher.
-sprinkle some chopped or bruised mint on top of that.
-place ice on top of the produce and fill the pitcher with water.

If left over night, the flavors of the three will infuse into the water and make it very delicious tasting. You can also drink it right away.

One last thing: don't follow any of those fad diets, like the Atkins diet. They only work in the short term by starving your body of important nutrients. Instead, work on changing your food habits, and what you eat. I cannot stress the importance of a food diary - it's amazing to see what you eat over the course of a few days and to see what you can cut out to make the changes you want.

 

[Benvolio]

I suggest it is better to lose the weight first and then focus on learning to hold down your weight down. No carb diets are faster and much easier. Less of a torture. No need to measure and fret over onces of this and tablespoons of that. And, as you lose, exercise becomes easier and more productive. Profressional preference for the theoretical slow weight loss has been a peescription for a fat society.it is your decision. I suggest you try both methods for a week and see which works best for you.

 

[tigerfan482]

Thanks for the advice. I'm definitely going to try out everything listed to see what can work best on my schedule.

What is good is that I love eating fresh veggies and drinking herbal teas (minus sugar). I already avoid sodas or I only drink diet soda if there isn't another viable choice. Mostly it's water and either unsweet or naturally sweetened drinks (read: honey.)

As far as the jobs go, I actually work two jobs because it does provide a financial benefit, but it also keeps me busy and not sitting at home watching TV.

I think my biggest problem is the fast food, which I have greatly cut back on, but I still eat out far more than I should. I've also been watching portion control, but I will have to try something to drop the weight at least to a more manageable size to allow for the workouts. When I do go to the gym, I mostly just walk on the treadmill for 30-40 minutes.

But again, thank you for all of the advice and I'm going to work with it to see if I can get something going.

 

[justsimon]

I have a lot of food allergies so it's easier for me to bring my own lunches to work. I usually make a large batch of something on Sundays and it will last most of the week.

Some of the meals I make:
· Chicken breast, rice, and veggies
· Salad with chicken and a hard boiled egg (oil, vinegar, and honey dressing)
· Tuna (this is for when I'm feeling lazy)
· Rice, chicken, and avocado

I usually bring fruit or nuts for a snack. I do eat unhealthy foods from time to time and I'm working to be better about that. It helps that I feel noticeably better when I have a clean diet.

Walking is a great way to get into exercising. If you can find ways to walk throughout the day, it will become a habit. Skip the elevator and take the stairs. Go for a quick walk on your break. Park further from work and walk the rest of the way.

Getting in shape will take time, but it will be worth it.

 

[crimsonpaine]

I made it a plan last year to get in better shape, started in April after my Doctor asked me if I was trying, my weight was jumping all over the place, my heaviest I remember was 236. In April he started me on Phentermine to help control my appetite, and I took that for 5 months, lost 22 pounds just with a change in my diet and a new attitude about what I ate.

I wanted to get to 200 or under by the end of the year, but took me a few days into 2013 to get there. I haven't joined a gym yet, but I am thinking since I have to be out tomorrow I will stop in one a lot of people at my work use. They have all been very positive and encouraging (along with my family and friends) so I'll feel good about joining there.

I have worked a "desk" job since December 1999, and that kind of lead me to being where I was. I am right now between 196-197 and I think the first time since high school I have been under 200.

I try very hard to eat good Sunday-Friday, and treat Saturday as a free day to eat things I wouldn't normally eat during the week. It's working for me, and I know I'm not going to undo 12+ years of bad eating and miniscule exercise, so I don't stress myself and set up roadblocks for myself.