Looking for some opinions.

[tluszcz]

Hey FF. (Can I call you that? As you can see I'm new here. ) I've come here for some opinions, and hopefully some help. I'm a 16y old male, currently at a weight of 278lbs. Time for a change, I can't tell you how many times I've said that and never followed through with it. "I'll start tomorrow."

I'm looking to lose as much weight as I can, as fast as I can, in a safe way (If there's even such a thing). I know the first place to start is my eating habits, their horrible. I never eat 3 meals a day, It's more like one meal and the rest is just snacking. The problem is, I don't know how to change my eating habits, I'm not sure what to eat or when to eat it. I also don't exercise enough. I was looking at the p90x workout system, and thought that might be a good fit, as it comes with a chin up bar and some other things, and I already have a treadmill. I'm not sure what other peoples opinions are on that, or if there's a better workout system cheaper, or even free. (Free is good, as I only make minimum wage, but I'll drop the 200-300$ on a workout equipment if you guys think it'll be better for me.)

So, what do you think I should do?

Thanks in advance,
RJ.

p.s. I know everything is kind-of all over the place, my writing skills suck.

 

[bunnyrabbit]

Re: Looking for some Opinions

First of all, I commend you for seeking help which shows you are serious about your goals. While I cannot speak for everyone in this forum I can speak for myself in saying that fast weight loss is almost never a good option. When you lose weight rapidly, the skin does not have time to shrink back to it's original state, causing a saggy look. Personally, I think slow and steady weight loss is best.

I don't know if you've heard of it, but I used the book Body-for-Life by Bill Phillips to lose my extra pounds. It teaches you how to eat (5-6 small meals a day), when to eat (every 2-3 hrs), What to eat (complex carbs and lean protein), and how to work out, which I had no idea before I bought this book. I went from a size 14 to a size 4 in less than 2 years...took a while b/c I cheated quite a bit! Since you are a man and have more muscle mass than me (a girl), it will take you less time to lose the weight once you get started b/c muscle burns fat. On the program you alternate cardio one day and weights the next and since you already have a treadmill, there's your cardio. You just need some free weights.

But then there's the diet part. The main thing I learned was to eat low or no fat foods and I cut out sugar by switching to splenda or stevia. And water, water, water! It's not the easiest thing in the world to do, but the results are priceless. I would NEVER go back to the way I was...miserable. I know you can do it too! Good luck on your endeavor!

 

[tluszcz]

Thanks for your reply! I'm going to look on the website for my local bookstore to see if they have it in stock, if not I'll order it. What do you think about p90x? I plan to start tomorrow, just on the treadmill, I bought the iFitness iPhone app and read through most of it, I'm going to try to do what I can without free weights or anything un-till this Friday. (Payday! )

Thanks again,
Ry.

 

[summer123]

I think you need to get a good base fitness before you even think about PX90, don't waste your money unless your able to take it on properly or your results just wont cut it.

I'd also say correct your food- its rarely as easy as you think. PX90 has a nutritional component but if your not used to eating what suggested and when its suggested you may fall off the bandwagon and find it hard to pick yourself back up again.

Work on getting yourself a decent fitness level and eating properly first, there are tonnes of stickes on the forum which are worth looking at and should give you a fair idea of what you need to do but first thing to deal with is your food, eat wring and exercise feels 10 times harder then it needs to be.

 

[Skivvy9r]

I'm with Summer. Don't start putting money into fitness programs you aren't ready for. First thing you need to do is slow down. You didn't get overweight fast and you won't lose the weight fast. In my experience, the faster you lose the weight, the more likely you are to put it back on. It takes time to develop new eating and fitness habits. Consider making small changes you can live with rather than large changes simply to lose the weight. Changes made specifically to lose the weight will be abandoned once you reach your weight goal. Then you're at risk of falling back into the same old habits that got you overweight to begin with. Make a few changes at a time and start moving more. Figure out how many calories you should be consuming to lose one to two pounds a week. Keep a food diary. Start eating planned, balanced meals and snacks. When you eat, do it as it's own activity. That is, don't eat and watch TV or while you play video games, etc. Lot's of small things you can do that will pay dividends. For exercise, just start with walking. Get out and walk for an hour, as far and as fast as you can tolerate. Once you're comfortable with that, start pushing up the pace, mix walking with jogging. Just continue to push yourself and stay focused on your goals. Oh, remember to take a "before" picture. It will be helpful as you motivate yourself a few weeks (or months) into it. Good luck!