I'm gaining weight....

R

rjj621

New member
Guess I fit into the newcomer area. I could use some advice.... here's my story

A few weeks ago I decided I need to get back into shape after taking a 20+ year hiatus from any real exercise. My 12 year old daughter and I went for a walk through a state park and by the time I reached the top of a hill I was out of breath, my heart was pounding and I wanted to collapse... wasn't even a very big hill.
So I quit smoking after 20 years, cut out most of the really tasty but nutrient deficient food I lived on and joined a small local gym and go 3 or 4 times a week.
I'm 6'4 and started the gym at 271lbs, needing to loose the fat on my stomach, drastically improve my cardio and build up a little again. Figuring I could get back down to about 240-250... where I was in high school while playing football, working out and actually healthy.

The stationary bikes are boring so I decided to try the dreaded treadmill and walk and jog to start improving my cardio and endurance while fighting off 20 years of smoking. That first day I was able to jog about 1/16 of a mile at 6mph before I thought my heart would explode and I walk 3/16 before doing it again and noticing how ungraceful I am (it's really sad to witness, at 271 my foot comes down hard) and my shins hurt. Now I'm at 1/8 and walk 1/8 and still ungraceful as ever and more pain in my shins. After reading I found I need better shoes, build those muscles and no running for a while. I'm not running because I enjoy it, I actually hate it but I see the improvement in distance and it feels like it does more for me.

I've been doing the weight training after the cardio and not as strong as I used to be but it's coming back.
Stepped on the scale last night before I left... 278. What?!? I'm going in the wrong direction and I don't think I'm balancing it with fat loss.

Any tips??
 
rjj621 said:
Guess I fit into the newcomer area. I could use some advice.... here's my story

A few weeks ago I decided I need to get back into shape after taking a 20+ year hiatus from any real exercise. My 12 year old daughter and I went for a walk through a state park and by the time I reached the top of a hill I was out of breath, my heart was pounding and I wanted to collapse... wasn't even a very big hill.
So I quit smoking after 20 years, cut out most of the really tasty but nutrient deficient food I lived on and joined a small local gym and go 3 or 4 times a week.
I'm 6'4 and started the gym at 271lbs, needing to loose the fat on my stomach, drastically improve my cardio and build up a little again. Figuring I could get back down to about 240-250... where I was in high school while playing football, working out and actually healthy.

The stationary bikes are boring so I decided to try the dreaded treadmill and walk and jog to start improving my cardio and endurance while fighting off 20 years of smoking. That first day I was able to jog about 1/16 of a mile at 6mph before I thought my heart would explode and I walk 3/16 before doing it again and noticing how ungraceful I am (it's really sad to witness, at 271 my foot comes down hard) and my shins hurt. Now I'm at 1/8 and walk 1/8 and still ungraceful as ever and more pain in my shins. After reading I found I need better shoes, build those muscles and no running for a while. I'm not running because I enjoy it, I actually hate it but I see the improvement in distance and it feels like it does more for me.

I've been doing the weight training after the cardio and not as strong as I used to be but it's coming back.
Stepped on the scale last night before I left... 278. What?!? I'm going in the wrong direction and I don't think I'm balancing it with fat loss.

Any tips??
Click to expand...

You don't say what you are eating? What is your diet like? Weight loss in its simplest form is Calories in < Calories Out. Try walking instead of running to begin with especially if your shins hurt. Remember it has taken you a long time to get to where you are now- it isn't going to happen overnight. Weight loss is something that requires determination and perseverance. Try starting a food diary. If you have gained 7 pounds it sounds like you may be overeating. The food diary will let you see where the calories are coming from. You can try something like My Fitness Pal which is an online food and exercise diary. It will give you some calories for everday food but it isn't always that accurate but can at least give you a ballpark figure of daily calories. There is lots of information in this forum - look at the stickies and different people's diary to see the things they are doing to lose weight. Educate yourself as to what works and what doesn't. Remember that weight loss in not in the body but in the mind. You can do this. Good Luck!!
 
Thanks for the response, I didn't consider adding the diet information. Thinking about it there is no way my current caloric intake is higher than it was before.
A few weeks ago and for as long as I can remember this is my average weekday.
Coffee with cream and sugar
Stop at 7-11 to get 'energy' drink (NOS) and Mt Dew (throwback if available)
about 11am have a large sandwich and fries from deli or very greasy double bacon cheeseburger and large fries with another Mt Dew
Mid afternoon go get another drink from corner store and find a snack
Get home and have a few beers and finally raid the fridge to eat something before bed

Now
Coffee with cream and sugar
Small bowl of Go Lean crunch
Roast beef sandwich with multigrain bead I make and yogurt
Granola bar for snack or another yogurt
After an hour or so being home I go to find something to eat and keep the portions smaller than I used to.

No more soda, I drink water all day...ugh.
 
rjj621 said:
Thanks for the response, I didn't consider adding the diet information. Thinking about it there is no way my current caloric intake is higher than it was before.
A few weeks ago and for as long as I can remember this is my average weekday.
Coffee with cream and sugar
Stop at 7-11 to get 'energy' drink (NOS) and Mt Dew (throwback if available)
about 11am have a large sandwich and fries from deli or very greasy double bacon cheeseburger and large fries with another Mt Dew
Mid afternoon go get another drink from corner store and find a snack
Get home and have a few beers and finally raid the fridge to eat something before bed

Now
Coffee with cream and sugar
Small bowl of Go Lean crunch
Roast beef sandwich with multigrain bead I make and yogurt
Granola bar for snack or another yogurt
After an hour or so being home I go to find something to eat and keep the portions smaller than I used to.

No more soda, I drink water all day...ugh.
Click to expand...

Your diet doesn't look too bad except I don't know what you eat when you say you 'go to find something to eat and keep the portions smaller than I used to'-lol. Remember we can't go on what we used to eat. If I told you that I used to eat 2 pizzas a day and then I tell you I cut back to 1 and I am still not losing weight - it would make sense, right? It is still overeating. Just because you cut back on your food intake doesn't mean that you still aren't overeating. Now I assume from your now list that you don't eat this everyday. Keep a food journal and do some calculations on the number of calories you are eating. Then you can make adjustments accordingly.

Have you had a doctor check up lately? It is always a good idea to get a check up just to make sure everything is as it should be. If you have had a check up lately you need to really take a look at what you are eating everyday and get some exercise. The weight loss may not come right away. There are things that will make you gain weight- salty foods is a good example- it makes you retain water and hence weight. Some people can see a 3-5 pound weight gain just from that. It may take a lot of water and a few days for your body to flush it out. Remember there will be weight fluctuations so don't get discouraged. When I was losing weight sometimes I seen a 3 pound gain and I didn't do anything different than the week before. I am the kind of guy that can eat the same thing day after day after day-lol. So I know when something doesn't make sense. Sometimes even when I was running 20 miles a week and eating 1300-1500 calories I still would gain the occasional pound here and there. It was weird.

The key is don't get discouraged. Be consistent and persevere. You can do this!!
 
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