Hi

rich

Member
Hi

Only stumbled on this site today.

Been thinking for a VERy long time that I need to lose weight, generally whilst putting it on!

Suppose I should give a bit of background, really.

Just over 3 years ago I was in pretty good shape. Playing football and training regularly, I was slim and actually had a six pack.

Then I finished uni, traded my bar job for an office job and suddenly found I didn't have the time to dedicate to fitness.

Decided to join a gym for the first time ever shortly after I began feeling out of shape, but haven't ever been massively dedicated, though. I tend to get home from work and sit in front of the TV whilst contemplating what to have on this evenings pizza.

I've subsequently told myself I need to get in shape, pretty much every Sunday for the past two years after a Saturday night on the booze.

Come Monday lunch time I tell myself that I'll start tomorrow, and so the cycle continued.

After numerous 'false starts', I've decided that I really need to do something. I've gone from being able to buy nice clothes to having to look at the ends of the rails where they keep the 'odd sizes' - although this is a benefit come sale time, as nobody wants trousers that fit me!

I'm currently weighing in at 17st, I'm a shade under 6ft 3, so whilst I am fat and heavy, I carry it reasonably well. I just look 'big' rather than 'big and fat', although I fear I am falling into the 'big and fat' category, which is why I need to do something about it.

I've started playing football again, just 5 a side once or twice a week, but it stems the boredom of a running machine!

Going to hopefully make a concerted effort to get my 'fat ass' down the gym much more regularly and try to get back into some serious shape.

I have little to no clue about diets, and slightly less will power! Hopefully I can combine a slight reduction in food and better choices with upping my gym time, that way I won't be walking around in a bad mood from lack of food all day long.

I have noticed that in most people's diet trackers they seem to lose a hell of a lot in the first couple of weeks, 10lb in a week seems insane, how is this possible? If someone could enlighten me here, I would be eternally grateful. I'd love to be sat here in 7 days time 10lb lighter!

Any words of advice or encouragement would be much appreciated. As I'm sure many of you are aware the idea of dieting/losing weight tends not to be something deemed 'manly' by a lot of people, so it is a difficult thing to discuss in person with those around me. Hopefully I can use this forum for that sort of thing though.

Nice to meet you all, in a virtual sense of course!

Rich
 
Welcome Rich, to the wonderful world of Minimins. You'll get lots of help and support on your journey whichever path you take.

Some of us are on Very low calorie diets (cambridge and lighterlife for example) and replace meals with liquid food so weightloss is quicker but first weeks weightlosses tend to be quite high.

Upping the exercise and reducing the calories sounds like a good plan tho. It will give the results you are looking for.

Good luck!
 
Welcome to the site, you'll get loads of support here. I guess it depends how extreme you want to go but you could try something like food reduction, or slim fast, my hubby lost about a stone in 3 weeks on slimfast to get back to his target.

Good luck in whatever you choose.
 
I think I'll take a look around the diet pages and see if there is anything that doesn't seem to be too restrictive.

I know there are no easy ways to actually lose weight. Getting fit is hard work, so I am prepared to do that.

I know it won't be of much interest to people, but I'll keep everyone up to date with my progress, however slow!

I just have to face the grim reality of taking the 'before' picture tonight! That should be shocking enough to stop me reaching for the nearest take away menu!
 
Of course we'll be interested, this site is all about mutual support, friendship and appreciation of successes! come on then, you can do it!
 
Welcome Rich,

Seems like you're ready to make the changes you need to - congratulations on being so positive about it!

I think you've got the right idea - upping your exercise and reducing the amount you eat will be a definate starting place for you.

I can't quite decide what is best for myself diet wise so i'm going to continue with eating less and exercising more until I find a better alternative.

I wish you all the luck in the world!

Mali
 
I suppose my biggest flaw is that I don't particularly like a lot of food.

I'm going to try to broaden my horizons and try some foods that I currently would put in the 'don't like' category.

I don't like any fruit, which is a real hinderance when the midmornig or mid afternoon munchies kick in, as I tend to reach for the nearest vending machine!

Might try taking a drink of water instead, I imagine that would be better than a bar of chocolate (better for me, not better!)

I think I need a plan. I'm a very organised person, and a plan is the way forwards.

I like to meticulously plan things, even down to when and where I'm going to weigh myself. There are a few scales at my gmy, and one that charges you £1, but gives you a print out. I think I'm going to pay a weekly visit to that one. The £1 charge will make me want to ensure I'm seeing results!

I'm really excited, actually. Whenever I've tried to lose weight before I've had nobody to really talk about it to.

I suppose reading this forum during working hours will also give me the impetus to not reach for the chocolate bar when I'm beginning to feel peckish.

I think I may be best off creating my own diet, rather than a premade one. Something that limits me to a certain amount of calories a day. I know 3500 calories equates to 1lb of fat, so if I can shave my intake down by 1000 a day, which shouldn't be too hard, I'll be 2lbs a week better off.

So, my plan is this:

Saturday mornings will be my weigh in time.
I will do some form of exercise every day.
I will reduce my calorie intake, hopefully to sub 2000 calories per day.

Is smoking instead of eating a bit like robbing Peter to pay Paul? Being fat and smoking are both bad for your heart, but at least they'll be able to carry the coffin!

I'm waffling, sorry!
 
Good luck for your new plan, drinking water definitely helps you not to feel so hungry and coming on here also helps, esp when you're feeling like caving in there's someone here all of the time to help.

Good luck, you've got nothing to lose except those lbs, incidentally my DH stopped smoking and put all his on because he wasn't used to dealing with hunger the nicotine cravings get confused with food cravings... if you are a smoker as well tackle one at a time!
 
Have you looked at weightloss resources website www.weightlossresources.co.uk (i think) from memory you enter what you eat and it tallies it up for you...might help..
 
err! Missed vital info! Tallies up calorie in take! LOL
 
Thanks to everyone for their messages of support. I feel like I'll let you all down if I don't lose the weight now!
 
Quick question, of a technical nature.

My signature option says I'm only allowed 150 characters, is there any way of upping this? I notice man of you have quite elaborate signatures, you see.
 
you need to post more :) over 50 gets you more !
 
Welcome Rich and good luck, this site is great for support and inspiration, however you choose to lose the weight i'm sure you'll do fine. Personally i couldn't follow a vlc meal replacement diet as i think for me to keep sane i need my food! I must admit i would love the big quick weight losses though. When i started the only fruit i really ate was bananas, i new i would have to eat others, i now eat loads of fruit and veg i would never of ate before. In fact i hated apples always used to buy the same ones and hubby went shopping one day and came back with a bag of apples really crisp and juicy i'm now addicted to these and if i can't find them in the supermarket i get really cranky!
Good luck anyway from the krazyone;-)
 
Good luck rich - less junk food and more exercise seems like a good start ! You shouldn't go hungry though so need to find alternatives to chocolate and crisps etc if you want to snack.

I'm assuming that at the moment you don't cook very much for yourself - maybe it's something that you could get interested in ?
 
I tend not to cook too much, mainly owing to time. Lots of frozen pizzas and ready meals.

Been thinking today that I might go to the supermarket tonight and get some food in that is easy to cook and low on the calorie counter.

I'd be quite happy to eat tuna sandwiches or chicken and boiled rice, to be honest.

I'm not someone who needs 'food excitement', I don't need massive variety, or spicy/hot food or anything. It's more the quantities of it that do for me! :)

I know very little about food nutritions and values and things, but there is a supplement with this months Mens Fitness called 'Nutritional advice for men', which sounds right up my alley!

I take it rice is a pretty good food to eat, must be better than chips!

Does anyone have any suggestions of 'man style' meals that are low in calories? I'm a big steak and chips fan. In fact, I'm pretty much a typical male, too much time in the pub, too many takeaways and not a great deal of will power!
 
Hi Rich. Welcome to the forum:)

I'm doing my own diet, very loosely based on an old weight-watchers plan - so going it alone can work, but it can sometimes be hard going without the support of a group which is where this forum comes into its own!

Can I make a suggestion which may help you on your diet journey. Alcohol is packed with calories and gives your body nothing back, so if you can limit your intake, that alone will help enormously. (I know this from watching my hubby diet).

Good luck with your diet. I look forward to reading about your progress over the coming weeks.

Sam
 
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