I will do it...this time

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plain-jane

New member
So I, like many others, have tried to lose weight multiple times and been, shall we say, unsuccessful. I bought a scale tonight, weighed myself, and almost cried. At work last week, one of my customers felt it was appropriate to tell a total stranger than she (as in myself) was fat....since when is THAT appropriate conversation? My boyfriend and I have also been taking about marriage, and the last thing I would want is to be self conscious on my wedding day.

I am 23 years old, 255 lbs, and super insecure. I am going to school to be a secondary English teacher, and I enjoy every minute of my classes. I work at an outdoor sports store selling clothing and shoes (ugh SOOO many shoes are upstairs and the last thing I want to do when I get home from work is exercise :( ) I'm sure I'll have more about myself and life later, but that's all for now.
 
Hey plain-jane, if it doesn't seem like exercising is in the books right now, you'll have to pay more attention to your diet. What is your daily diet usually like?
 
Hey PLB, it isn't that exercising isn't in the cards (I'm doing zumba twice a week when my schedule allows and I have an elliptical ...although it is slightly broken at the moment)...I just am having a hard time motivating myself after 8 hours of running stairs at work. My diet isn't the best, but isn't the worst. I am usually good...yogurt or bowl of cereal at breakfast (sometimes with a piece of toast with jam or peanutbutter) and I usuuually do have breakfast. Lunch depends on my schedule as does dinner, but usually my portions are good. The problems I usually run into are trying to eat with my boyfriend (who is a stupid bean pole and eats about what I do plus another half as much :( ) I do know there is improvement space in my diet, but I do want to get more motivation for exercise, even on the days after I get home from work. I am counting cals on fitday.com (or I was going to start doing it today...I've counted there in the past) and I want to shoot for 1,600 to 1,800 for now and see how much energy I have after a week or two, then take a second look at things.


I have considered doing weight watchers for my eating, but I just don't think it's in the cards. We don't have a center in my town, and I feel like I want to give it a try on my own before forking out that much cash...I figure if I can actually keep track of my calories, I'll be in at least a better place than I am now.
 
Hey Jane,


If you're willing to input your calorie intake into fitday.com (at least for a while), then, in my opinion, don't put money into weight watchers. Instead put that money into some small pieces of exercise equipment for your home, a few personal training sessions to get you going, or a fitness membership (my bet is that you would be more interested in group fitness classes, but I could be wrong). What do you think you would prefer to do in terms of exercise?
 
I have some exercise equipment...an elliptical (can only do about 20 minutes at a time on it, though because one of the feet sits sideways and it hurts realllly bad) some free weights, and a yoga mat that I use for pilates. I have done some "training" before when I have started gyms, and I know (mostly) what I need to be doing...what I am having problems with is actually doing it. I certainly do prefer group fitness classes...and I go to zumba on Tuesdays and Thursdays through my university. I really do enjoy hoping on an elliptical doing going for about 30 or 45 minutes, but with mine right now that isn't a reality. I have been considering re-joining a new gym, but I really dislike most of the places around here and I hate working out on campus except for the group fitness...people are so damn judgemental.


Sooo...in short.


I like group fitness (have zumba..1 hour 2x per week)

I have an elliptical for small time, but I feel like if I was at a gym for equipment, I would probably go down in weight much more quickly. I have troubles doing stairs or running because of knee injuries (and surgeries) a while back.
 
Do you have a friend that would work out with you? It sounds like as long as you have someone to go with, you'll be a bit more motivated to actually go.
 
I have three friends who have said a couple times they want to help me, but it just doesn't seem to happen. I signed up for the group fitness classes with one of the girls, but she never goes tot hem with me and the other two are all talk. I've kind of learned that to do this, I need to be able to get myself motivated to do it and not be dependent on other people helping me. That's kind of why I joined this forum was for encouragement and motivation to keep going because I don't want to rely on those people who will just not even try with me.
 
Well you've definitely come to a good place for support! One of the best things you can do is to start a weight loss journal in this section here: http://weight-loss.fitness.com/f/9/weight-loss-diary. Keep coming back to post what you've been up to and you might just find that others will be checking in on you and giving you encouragement along the way :)


Let me know if you do start a journal (post the link here) and I will follow your progress!
 
I actually started one yesterday. Here is the link: http://weight-loss.fitness.com/t/51903/a-step-jog-run-in-the-right-direction
 
Jane I heard alot of things that my wife would say when we first started on our journey. We work different schedules so we have to work out alone. She always would tell me the reason why she would not go is because she worried about what other people would say or think about her since she was over weight. I told her that most people who are at the gym are focused on one thing and that's their work out. The ones that are not I say F them. Who cares what they think. If they are not your friends or family then their thoughts and opinions are worthless. When I first join our gym i would stay away from the free weights because I thought that was only for the super bodybuilders. I finally told myself that that was bs I have every right to be there too. So just remember you have every right to be at that gym too.
 
I agree with PLBfitness... FitDay is a great program to help track your daily intake of foods among other things. The important thing to me isn't calories - I could care less about calories (look up the definition of a calorie and try and figure out how in the world it applies to the human body). I use FitDay to track fats, carbohydrates and protein. Lots of animal (saturated) fats (I average about 95g per day) and lots of protein (averaging about 105g per day) and LOW, LOW carbs - I average about 80 per day which is WELL below the FDA's recommendation of 300 grams! The entire base of the FDA's food pyramid is basically sugars... SUGARS! Check into some online information about low-carb eating and don't diet! Diets fail - lifestyle changes don't. Oh... and screw that scale. Scales will lie especially in the ten days leading up to your monthly cycle. But a tape measure? It just doesn't lie. Depend on the tape more than the scale!
 
I can't speak in terms of what is the healthiest option (as far as what to avoid, the amount of fats proteins carbs to eat, etc) but I'll share what has worked for me. I feel like I'm set in my ways and eating habbits already at this age so when I reached my breaking point I decided THE simplest way was just to count calories. AND IT WORKS. Whether it's the healthiest way or not, I don't care, because it works. I treat my day literally as a math problem- subtracting food values from my daily allowance. Eventually, you get into a routine and it isn't so bad. I also try not to eat past 7 PM but I understand everyone's on different schedules. Also, water water water! Drink lots of it because it will help to make you full. I also have come up with little tips such as not eating in scrubs (im in the medical field) or sweatpants. Those clothes will always fit but I'll be less likely to binge or overeat in a pair of jeans! Weight loss and maintenance is a daily struggle for me and constantly on my mind- and while I envy my naturally thin friends who can mindlessly snack and eat out whenever they want- I've come to accept that this is my body and these are my genes and if I have to work HARDER than others to get the body I want... so be it. Good luck to you
 
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