healthlyforever
New member
1. I weigh 250 - this is my most honest estimate, but I don't own a scale, I don't believe that weight is the *actual goal* for me. My real goal is to be more physically fit and healthy and fit better into my clothes, which I believe is going to happen if I lose about 50 pounds.
2. Timeframe: 6 months
3. Methods: exercise every day, and eat better foods.
4. My wife, my family (my infant baby is only 3 months old though, but she is motivation), and my brother, sister, parents. Friends too but I'm sort of embarrassed to be telling people I'm doing something like this, even though I know I shouldn't be. I'm hoping this forum can also be a good way to support me in reaching the goal.
So my mission starts now ... here are some other details about me and my goal:
Height 6 feet, 2.5 inches. Weight 250 lbs. 24 years old. Never smoked.
If I was at an ideal weight right now, it would be 200lbs.
In four months I'd like to be at 215 or even 200lbs would be great in 4 months!
I want to lose weight because I will feel better about myself, I will feel more confident just being around other people. Frankly its embarrassing to be "overweight" and everyone can just tell from being in your presence.
Obstacles:
- having the motivation and finding the time to do exercise each day
- Not wanting to swim because it makes my hair and skin crappy (even though I would love to swim laps as an exercise, I used to swim during high school and college and it was great for my health and fitness!). Also because swimming requires a pool pass which costs money (but I think its only about $150 per year or something). Also swimming is mentally draining because its hard to come up with appropriate practices.
- excuses for not doing exercise such as lack of time (I'm very busy at work. I currently have to leave at 7am and don't get home until 6:30pm and I also work on business projects outside of work while I'm at home that take up a lot of my time)... excuses also include horrible weather outside, because I've always thought that
- lack of activity during every day: for my job I spend almost the whole day at my computer working on the Internet. The same is true at night when I work on my other projects - a lot of time spent sitting in a chair and on the couch. I don't watch much TV at all (except for maybe sports on weekends, but those are usually more social environments).
Why I believe I currently have a problem:
- I have the problem because I don't exercise enough and I don't eat right.
- I know that being 6'2'' and weighing 250 lbs is overweight and I feel unhealthy.
Lifestyle changes that will help:
- integrate exercise into my routine (I love the "trigger" idea and building it into my current routine)
- establish healthy eating into my routine
Have I lost weight in the past?
- sort of ... I've been at more acceptable weights and felt more fit, but I've never felt I've been at my optimal level.
- what worked in the past was having someone to go to the gym with, having a team sport (like in High School) where I was bound by team rules, so there was motivation to not let the team down. However, I don't like being motivated in that round-about way, I want to be self motivated.
Why didn't I lose weight and gain it instead?
- because it's faster, easier, and tastier to eat what I want. There's also a lot of impulsive things - I've found that hunger + available food = I eat that food.
- I loved to party in college (and still do!) which means beer / drinks on weekends and when going out to dinner. The thing is, I had friends who did the same things I did but were in great shape (I know it's because they adhered to a better eating diet and exercise schedule).
- my friends and family like to eat out, fast food, order pizzas, and drink for fun
I cook at home but I don't really have a lot of good ideas. I can make chicken, pasta, burgers, mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti and meatballs, frozen pizzas. I don't like making things that take too long because then I get so hungry waiting!
I go out to eat at least once a week (I hardly ever get bad fast food like McDonalds, but it does happen occasionally, maybe once every couple of months). I like to get Chipotle, bar food, pad thai.
I probably do bing eat, but not horribly, I rarely feel "stuffed", but I do sometimes feel like I didn't have to eat as much as I did.
I don't really experience what they call "emotional eating", but maybe I eat when I don't really need to sometimes.
I do eat while watching tv, on the computer, and while working.
Snacks that I eat: chips and salsa, pretzels, apples with peanut butter. I try to eat these in moderation, but sometimes its more than I would have wanted to eat.
In terms of exercise right now I don't really do any, although every morning and afternoon (before and after work) I walk to the train station, which is about 20 minutes of walking both ways ... so it amounts to 40 minutes of walking. I know it's not really much but its some activity worth noting ... especially compared to all the sitting around that happens during my job and at home.
I would love to have a treadmill, but I'd worry I wouldn't use it. I used to have a membership to a local gym but canceled it because it got too expensive, but when I was there I used the treadmill every time I went. I was able to establish a routine doing that when I had the membership, I didn't feel like the membership went to waste. I also lifted weights there for about 20-30 minutes each time I went.
The only rewards I have for meeting this goal is being in good shape and knowing that I'm living a healthy life, which would be a great ongoing reward.
I have the ability to be organized and discipline myself to do these things but I have never made it part of my routine. In fact I have done degrees of these good habits before, but I'd like to bring it to the next level and be in better shape than I've ever been. I've never written a post like this on a forum, but my hope in doing so now is that I can have others to help motivate me, offer suggestions and tips, and cheer me on.
2. Timeframe: 6 months
3. Methods: exercise every day, and eat better foods.
4. My wife, my family (my infant baby is only 3 months old though, but she is motivation), and my brother, sister, parents. Friends too but I'm sort of embarrassed to be telling people I'm doing something like this, even though I know I shouldn't be. I'm hoping this forum can also be a good way to support me in reaching the goal.
So my mission starts now ... here are some other details about me and my goal:
Height 6 feet, 2.5 inches. Weight 250 lbs. 24 years old. Never smoked.
If I was at an ideal weight right now, it would be 200lbs.
In four months I'd like to be at 215 or even 200lbs would be great in 4 months!
I want to lose weight because I will feel better about myself, I will feel more confident just being around other people. Frankly its embarrassing to be "overweight" and everyone can just tell from being in your presence.
Obstacles:
- having the motivation and finding the time to do exercise each day
- Not wanting to swim because it makes my hair and skin crappy (even though I would love to swim laps as an exercise, I used to swim during high school and college and it was great for my health and fitness!). Also because swimming requires a pool pass which costs money (but I think its only about $150 per year or something). Also swimming is mentally draining because its hard to come up with appropriate practices.
- excuses for not doing exercise such as lack of time (I'm very busy at work. I currently have to leave at 7am and don't get home until 6:30pm and I also work on business projects outside of work while I'm at home that take up a lot of my time)... excuses also include horrible weather outside, because I've always thought that
- lack of activity during every day: for my job I spend almost the whole day at my computer working on the Internet. The same is true at night when I work on my other projects - a lot of time spent sitting in a chair and on the couch. I don't watch much TV at all (except for maybe sports on weekends, but those are usually more social environments).
Why I believe I currently have a problem:
- I have the problem because I don't exercise enough and I don't eat right.
- I know that being 6'2'' and weighing 250 lbs is overweight and I feel unhealthy.
Lifestyle changes that will help:
- integrate exercise into my routine (I love the "trigger" idea and building it into my current routine)
- establish healthy eating into my routine
Have I lost weight in the past?
- sort of ... I've been at more acceptable weights and felt more fit, but I've never felt I've been at my optimal level.
- what worked in the past was having someone to go to the gym with, having a team sport (like in High School) where I was bound by team rules, so there was motivation to not let the team down. However, I don't like being motivated in that round-about way, I want to be self motivated.
Why didn't I lose weight and gain it instead?
- because it's faster, easier, and tastier to eat what I want. There's also a lot of impulsive things - I've found that hunger + available food = I eat that food.
- I loved to party in college (and still do!) which means beer / drinks on weekends and when going out to dinner. The thing is, I had friends who did the same things I did but were in great shape (I know it's because they adhered to a better eating diet and exercise schedule).
- my friends and family like to eat out, fast food, order pizzas, and drink for fun
I cook at home but I don't really have a lot of good ideas. I can make chicken, pasta, burgers, mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti and meatballs, frozen pizzas. I don't like making things that take too long because then I get so hungry waiting!
I go out to eat at least once a week (I hardly ever get bad fast food like McDonalds, but it does happen occasionally, maybe once every couple of months). I like to get Chipotle, bar food, pad thai.
I probably do bing eat, but not horribly, I rarely feel "stuffed", but I do sometimes feel like I didn't have to eat as much as I did.
I don't really experience what they call "emotional eating", but maybe I eat when I don't really need to sometimes.
I do eat while watching tv, on the computer, and while working.
Snacks that I eat: chips and salsa, pretzels, apples with peanut butter. I try to eat these in moderation, but sometimes its more than I would have wanted to eat.
In terms of exercise right now I don't really do any, although every morning and afternoon (before and after work) I walk to the train station, which is about 20 minutes of walking both ways ... so it amounts to 40 minutes of walking. I know it's not really much but its some activity worth noting ... especially compared to all the sitting around that happens during my job and at home.
I would love to have a treadmill, but I'd worry I wouldn't use it. I used to have a membership to a local gym but canceled it because it got too expensive, but when I was there I used the treadmill every time I went. I was able to establish a routine doing that when I had the membership, I didn't feel like the membership went to waste. I also lifted weights there for about 20-30 minutes each time I went.
The only rewards I have for meeting this goal is being in good shape and knowing that I'm living a healthy life, which would be a great ongoing reward.
I have the ability to be organized and discipline myself to do these things but I have never made it part of my routine. In fact I have done degrees of these good habits before, but I'd like to bring it to the next level and be in better shape than I've ever been. I've never written a post like this on a forum, but my hope in doing so now is that I can have others to help motivate me, offer suggestions and tips, and cheer me on.