Hi everyone,
I've been skulking around the forums for about a week now and thought I'd better say Hi.
So... Hi.
I've read a lot of the topics and got some really useful info from them, but I was also a bit confused by some, so I'll probably be asking a load of questions later.
OK, a little bit about me...
As the title says, I'm more than a little disgusted with myself. Growing up I was always the skinny one. As a teen and in my early to mid twenties I was slim, and reasonably fit, doing a lot of walking and cycling. I never really thought about what I ate. I was able to eat all sorts of junk and never gained a pound as I was so active. However, in recent years I have not been so active. In fact I went from very active to somewhat active, to practically sedentary, in just a couple of years. My eating habits remained the same though and I slowly started gaining the weight. I think that because the gain was so slow, that is why I never really noticed.
Anyway, I stepped on the scales about 5 weeks ago, and couldn't believe what I saw. I really was disgusted with myself. How could I have let myself get like this. So, I decided to do something about it.
I made myself get active. It's not like I was ill or disabled in any way, so I really had no excuse. I get up early every morning and go for a walk for about an hour. I also do some exercises like squats, lunges, calf raises, crunches and a bit of work on my arms using dumbbells. I have to say that although it was hard at the start I am really enjoying it now. I actually look forward to it.
I can't say my eating habits have really improved that much though. When it comes to dieting I have absolutely no will power, I'm just so used to eating what I want, when I want. I have cut the portion sizes down though and watch my daily calories. I used an online calculator to work out my daily calorie needs so I make sure to always stay below that. It was about 2300, and I try to stay between 1200-1800 a day. I also replaced all white bread with brown, and eat salads on the side instead of chips (that's fries for all you Americans). I know I should be doing so much more, but it's a start, and I'll get there eventually.
So far I've lost about 10 pounds, averaging 1-2 pounds a week, although I lost a big chunk in the first week. I'm also loosing inches and can fit a lot better in my clothes.
I'd just like to mention that although I have a target weight of 130-140lbs (I'm 170lbs at the moment), I'm really more concerned about fat loss and not just weight loss. It's just that sometimes its easier to work with the scales and inch tape. Of course, if I ever see my abs I'll know I'm doing something right.
Anyway, that's it for now. I'm off to read some more threads before I start asking my own questions.
I've been skulking around the forums for about a week now and thought I'd better say Hi.
So... Hi.
I've read a lot of the topics and got some really useful info from them, but I was also a bit confused by some, so I'll probably be asking a load of questions later.
OK, a little bit about me...
As the title says, I'm more than a little disgusted with myself. Growing up I was always the skinny one. As a teen and in my early to mid twenties I was slim, and reasonably fit, doing a lot of walking and cycling. I never really thought about what I ate. I was able to eat all sorts of junk and never gained a pound as I was so active. However, in recent years I have not been so active. In fact I went from very active to somewhat active, to practically sedentary, in just a couple of years. My eating habits remained the same though and I slowly started gaining the weight. I think that because the gain was so slow, that is why I never really noticed.
Anyway, I stepped on the scales about 5 weeks ago, and couldn't believe what I saw. I really was disgusted with myself. How could I have let myself get like this. So, I decided to do something about it.
I made myself get active. It's not like I was ill or disabled in any way, so I really had no excuse. I get up early every morning and go for a walk for about an hour. I also do some exercises like squats, lunges, calf raises, crunches and a bit of work on my arms using dumbbells. I have to say that although it was hard at the start I am really enjoying it now. I actually look forward to it.
I can't say my eating habits have really improved that much though. When it comes to dieting I have absolutely no will power, I'm just so used to eating what I want, when I want. I have cut the portion sizes down though and watch my daily calories. I used an online calculator to work out my daily calorie needs so I make sure to always stay below that. It was about 2300, and I try to stay between 1200-1800 a day. I also replaced all white bread with brown, and eat salads on the side instead of chips (that's fries for all you Americans). I know I should be doing so much more, but it's a start, and I'll get there eventually.
So far I've lost about 10 pounds, averaging 1-2 pounds a week, although I lost a big chunk in the first week. I'm also loosing inches and can fit a lot better in my clothes.
I'd just like to mention that although I have a target weight of 130-140lbs (I'm 170lbs at the moment), I'm really more concerned about fat loss and not just weight loss. It's just that sometimes its easier to work with the scales and inch tape. Of course, if I ever see my abs I'll know I'm doing something right.
Anyway, that's it for now. I'm off to read some more threads before I start asking my own questions.
