1-2-3, Time for a brand new me!

[skreyes]

I'm fat.

There's absolutely no other way to put it. It's been that way ever since I could remember, and I don't like it. I'm positive no one does! There are so many things wrong with being over weight, and I'm really starting to feel its effects.

I literally have no energy. I wake up and go through my day in a mindless, hazy fog with no real idea of how I got from one place to another. I get tired just walking up the stairs, and I have no real motivation because all I want to do is sleep. I always get headaches, I'm always sick, and I KNOW it's because I'm feeding myself absolute crap! Crap that, while it tastes good, has no solid nutrional value and leaves me hungry only an hour later. I'm also afraid I could be borderline diabetic, as my family has a long history of it and I'm doing nothing to help myself avoid it.

I don't want to live my life like this anymore. I'm tired of living my life, sitting on the couch as I try to fill the empty void with food. It's time for things to change.

I'm not exactly sure how I'm really going to do this. All I know is that, if I don't start now, I'll just keep putting it off until its too late. However, I do know a few things that I think I can do.

• Cut out juice and soft drinks
• Avoid sweets like cookies and candy
• Eat less white, more brown and whole grain
• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Drink more water
• Exercise 30 minutes to an hour a day

There are so many other things I can do, I know, but it's all about taking baby steps right? I'm officially starting Monday, as I always like to start things at the beginning of a week, but I'll take the day tomorrow to do a little research and really plan out what I want to do.

No more Ms. Fatty Pants. The gloves are off. It's time to step up and get working!

 

[skreyes]

Day 0: Getting Ready

Tomorrow begins the official start of my diet. I've decided to go 90 days and hope to lose about 20lbs by the end of it. Just for reference, these are my "stats."

Starting Stats
Height: 5'2
Weight: 148lbs
BMI: 27

By the end of my 90 days, I hope to be between 125-130lbs. If I can do that, then I believe I can start trying to go lower to maybe 115-120 lbs, but that's a whole 'nother story.

I've read online and in magazines that using heavier weights is better than light weights when trying to shed pounds because it helps build more muscle, and muscle burns fat. I'm a little nervous about using weights as I've never used them before, and the weight room at my gym seems to be dominated by 6-foot tall, muscle-bound men. I might look into getting a session with a trainer once or twice for instruction, but my budget just doesn't allow it at the moment. Using the weight machines over free weights shouldn't be too bad, right? I'm a newbie after all, and there's no reason to jump straight into something I don't know right away.

I know that I shouldn't push myself too hard at the very beginning, or else I'll burn out too quickly and fall off the wagon in a matter of weeks. But I do believe that I have enough will power to make exercising a daily habit for me. I've heard over and over again that exercise is a key to relieving stress, and that stress is a huge factor when it comes to weight gain. Since weekdays are always my most stressful days of the week, I believe it warrants more exercise. Monday through Friday, I'll hit the gym for an hour every day, and take simple walks through the neighborhood on Saturday and Sunday. That's not too difficult, right?

Food has, and always will be, my biggest challenge. It's been my best friend throughout my life, getting me through tough times and awkward situations. I know for a fact that starving myself simply will not work. Eating 6 (small) meals a day seems to be my best bet, and looking through this site, I can tell its worked for others. I know what I need to cut back on, and I'll try to find healthier alternatives to the junk food I'm so used to eating.

Anyway, that's enough for now. Its my friend's son's 1st birthday and I still need to find a gift! Hopefully I can control myself and only grab a small slice of cake (what? It's a party! I can't NOT have cake...)

 

[Tally29]

Good luck! There's also a lot of youtube videos that you can look at for ideas on how to use weights. I would also be a little intimidated by huge guys probably using 50's while I saunter my way by so I can grab the 5's!

I am doing p90x and he always says if you want size you want to around 8 reps but if you want lean you want 12-15 with the last 3 being really hard.

Your exercise sounds like a good plan and of course the eating is the most important part so I think just finding something you can stick to most of the time is great! 90 days and 18 pounds sounds pretty reasonable too. I look forward to hearing about your progress

 

[skreyes]

Day 1: A Nice Start

Hello,

Even though only half the day has gone by, I'm unsure of whether or not I could post later on, and since I really want to get this diary thing going, I'll write what I've done so far and what I plan to do later.

So this morning was cold, wet, and rainy. I really wanted to eat a hot bowl of oatmeal, but I overslept and only had time to eat a banana before getting into the car and driving to work. I only work 3 hours in the morning, so afterwards I munched on an apple as I drove back home. For lunch I made a sort of fish sandwich using a slice of whole grain bread, two fish sticks, with lettuce and a little bit of cheese. I also had some veggie chips to go along with that, but only a small handful.

I really, really hate driving in bad weather, and tend to avoid it if I can. Because of that, I'm skipping the gym today and walking for an hour on my treadmill. I was planning on doing just cardio today anyway, so it's all good.

I'm so glad I don't have class this afternoon/evening. It means I can actually enjoy dinner, instead of scarfing it all down in a rush. My mom prepared stuffed bell peppers, which she stuffed with a mixture of ground turkey, spinach, chopped pasta bits (recipe called for rice, but we don't have any at the moment), and salsa. Baked in the oven for 20 minutes or so, it's like the perfect, warm. yummy sort of dinner for a dreary, rainy day like today. And it's healthy too!

Anyway, I think that's enough for now. So far its a decent start, and I can't wait until tomorrow when I get to write about my 2nd day. For now, everyone enjoy your day and good luck on all of your own weight-loss journeys.