The start...

Hello,
This is my first time ever posting on this forum, first time ever attempting a diet, first time ever admitting i need to diet to anybody other than myself and the first time really discussing this with anybody.

Firstly, a little bit about me. I'm 21 years old, i work for one of the major banks and i became a dad 9 weeks ago. I am a die-hard follower of Middlesbrough football club, travelling up and down the country and sometimes out of the country to support my team. I also have an amazing fiancee who supports me in everything i do and is supporting me in my diet, and is also taking part on a diet of her own, not that i feel she needs to, but it'll help me too i think.

I've toyed with the idea of going on a diet for some time i think, i've sat on my sofa plenty of times on a Thursday/Friday night and thought "Right, on Monday i'm going on a diet!" and it's never quite worked out. Then there's been the times where i've said "Right, i'm going to America/Spain/Italy in 6/12 months i need to start a diet for that" and before i know it i'm on the plane and heavier than i ever was.

I am 6ft2, i weigh approximately 20stone which works out i think of a BMI of somewhere around 40-45, grossly obese i believe.

I think the birth of my son 9 weeks ago has really made me want to diet, i want to be able to keep up with him has he's growing up. I'm a young dad, 21, saying that i know alot of people these days have kids at 14/15 year old but at 21 i feel quite young and from my circle of friends i am the only one who has settled down with future wife.

The main problem facing me is that I don't like Veg. I never have. Lettuce, Carrots, Parsnips, Onions, Tomatoes, Cabbage, etc etc if it's green and goes in a salad/relish then chances are i don't like it. I've toyed with the idea of the tablets/pills you see advertised as diet supplements but i wouldn't know which ones worked, and to be brutally honest i don't want to fill myself full of tablets.

I work 5 days a week, in an office for a bank (as i mentioned above) so i can be found most of the time nibbling on sweets and stuff. Today was the first day for as long as i can remember that i didn't eat any rubbish. I took a fruit salad to work which included a banana, an apple and some grapes to work and had them for my dinner, had 2 cans of diet coke instead of the usual 4/5 cans of full-fat coke and when i came home i had a jacket potato with low-fat butter.

I want to lose ALOT of weight, i know i have to and i know it's going to take a long, long time. I don't want to watch my son grow up and have kids at his school pick on him for having the fat dad, having the dad who can't run etc etc i want to play football in the park with him.

None of my friends are into going to the gym, and even if they were i think i'm too self concious to walk into a place surrounded by muscle-clad people all lifting weights and 'feeling the burn.' I feel the burn walking up the stairs to go to bed.

I've started now, i'm really concentrating on this. Fruit, pasta and potatoes are going to be the base foods i think, diet coke/water at work aswell and little things such as getting off the bus 1 stop early and walking the rest of the way, helping out more round the house hoovering and stuff etc etc and hopefully i will see some difference. It's a long shot, and i don't have faith in myself whatsoever but i really hope for my son that i can lose this weight.

Here's hoping.
Thanks for reading.

Regards,
SPJS

Hey its great you've taken the initiative and decided you want to diet. Also talking about it especially on here where everyone is really supportive will really help you out. I'm 21 just like you and at our age losing weight is that little bit easier.
I know sometimes fruit and veg can seem really boring and some people just don't like it but trying a wide variety of things perhaps fruits you've never tried before might help you find fruit and veg you enjoy. Also cooking things differently can really help, I managed to convert my BF to eating cabbage just by cooking it in a different way (adding garlic and herbs and lightly frying it instead of it being soggy boring mush).
If you have a lot of weight to loose its worth thinking about food replacement diets. There's loads of subforums on here which can help you decide which diet is right for you.
Finally good luck and I look forward to seeing you around on here!

I'd add don't be afraid to ask for help. Having been slim for all of my younger life, I hadn't a clue how to diet so i went to Weightwatchers for a few months. There are many men there and it's a good and very doable diet. whatever you choose, GOOD LUCK. You will certainly enjoy your son much more if you can keep up with him. Congratulations to you and your wife-to-be!

Hope all works out for you, if you make it you'll never look back! I have a small suggestion for those who don't really like veggies, like pink fluff says you can cook things differently. Make veggie/pasta sauce by simply cooking the vegetables first until they are soft, then sticking them in a blender with your usual pasta sauce. Hidden but you'll still get the nutritional benefits.

Welcome and best of luck with your journey. Just take it one day at a time and those little steps you've already started will soon mount up. Have you thought about starting on any plans, or are you just going to try healthy eating? Lots of different plans out there to suit all types of people, just finding one to suit you is the hard part and then sticking with it. But it sounds like you are in the right frame of mind to do it, and that's half the battle already. If you're not in the right place in your own head then it's really hard. But you sound very determined which is fantastic

Have a look round all the different forums and look at the different plans people are on. There is everything from total food replacements, to just simple calorie counting and healthy eating.

As for the veg/salad/fruit issue, I was never a big one for eating them either. But there are things I do like and I have introduced things I didn't used to eat in over the past few years. I actually love my salad now and get cravings for it funninly enough! I eat carrots, broccoli and cauliflour and enjoy them, but not so keen on other veg. Fruit is easier as I like quite a lot I do take a multi vitamin everyday to make sure I'm getting everything I need, and I was on slimfast up until yesterday (just trying the alternate day diet for a few weeks) so the slimfast shakes etc are nutrionally balanced. Maybe a plan you might be suited to?

Good luck with whatever you decide on and keep us posted x