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Dw4218

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AHello, my name is Dave. I am 30 years old. I'm 6' tall and weigh somewhere in the neighborhood of 430 lbs. I'm tired of being what I am and I need help.

It's hard to organize my thoughts in a clear and organized manner so ill just kind of ramble.

I realize I have a major health issue with my weight and lack of activity. I love to eat, and I love to eat bad food. The sick thing is, know I have a problem, but I can't beat it. In every other aspect of my life I'm disciplined...I'm responsible with my money....I'm an honest husband and a loving father to my 3 month old first child Ryleigh ( daddy's girl!). I work for a major retailer, but am lucky enough to operate at a capacity that allows me to work a set schedule from 6am-3pm. I recently was denied a promotion at work. To be honest I felt like a fraud talking about personal accountability and holding my team accountable when I am the condition I'm in. I stress pretty bad. I'm currently losing my grandmother to lung cancer.

I need help, suggestions on how to start. Diet suggestions, work out, should I consult a physician?

Bottom line is...I want to be around for my daughter. If I continue at the rate Im On right now I don't think I'm gonna make it to see her grow up.

Anything you guys have for me would be greatly appreciated.

--Dave
 
Hi Dave,


I felt compelled to answer your post, and so this is my first post in this forum.


I think you have the strongest motivation to change...your daughter. Finding that motivation is the biggest part of instigating change.


The other thing is to be patient with change - it will take time. Fortunately, you're still young, and I think that might make it easier as well.


I went through a similar change at 37 years old (3 years ago), and lost about 40 pounds. I've had high-blood pressure since my mid-twenties, and loved eating fatty food. It also didn't help that I wasn't active (and getting less so as I got older).


Before I write anymore, I'll say that I'm not a doctor, trainer, or dietitian/nutritionist. I'm just someone that went through losing some weight, and have learned a lot from it (and, gained a passion for being fit).


What worked for me is to really focus on diet first, and slowly build up the exercise - keep the long-term goal in place.


Initially, the focus I put on my diet was solely on calorie counting (still most important today that I focus on)...it makes you absolutely aware and accountable of everything (I mean everything!) you put in your mouth. In fact, it would help to write down every single piece of food you eat without change for a few days (measure everything though, but eat as you normally would). You should then be able to calculate exactly the calories from that - it's a bit of homework, but precisely what you need to know (don't worry about the fat, protein, fiber, sodium for now...that can get sorted out as you go). Before attempting to reduce your calories though, I think it's essential to review with your doctor or a registered dietitian to see how low you should go. Personally, I initially did a "crash" calorie diet that ended up working for me, but if I just went down to my 2300 calories a day I get now, I would've eventually lost the same weight as well (same goal, just longer time to get there).


As you start reducing calories, you'll naturally start finding replacements for some of the high-calorie foods you may eat (easy ones, like low-calorie salad dressings and mayo, low-cal or reducing bread, reducing/removing cheese, etc). As well, start adding in 1-2 servings of veggies or fruits for every meal, preferably raw or from frozen with no additives (more veggies than fruit - especially if your diabetic). DASH diet can help give you guidelines of what to eat. 1 serving would be half a cup.


I also split my daily routine into 3 meals and 3 snacks. What I like about this is you'll be eating every 2-3 hours...which, will be important with reducing calories (you'll definitely be hungry, at least for the first month or two, so eating frequently helps). For me, I did about 400-500 calories for meals, and 200-250 for snacks. You'll likely require more, but just to share my idea.


It's also very important to measure everything (if I haven't mentioned that). Sauce, margarines, butters, pasta, cheese, etc. Use measuring cups and spoons. It takes extra time, but it will help you know exactly what your getting. I've heard a lot of people tell me they think it's crazy, but 3 years later, I still measure everything (it actually gets easier, I don't even think about it ;-)...and I hit my goal 2.5 years ago.


The exercise will obviously become a factor as well...but, again, slowly building up. At first, the biggest focus is just making the time and priority. Get out and walk (or treadmill)..slowly turning into a jog at times when possible (even in small bursts). Again, important to review with your doctor . But, making that time is the first step. Exploring other exercise options to do in your time will come as the weight starts to come off. Resistance/Strength training would be a great alternative to "cardio" type exercises every other day. I would also suggest to get in the routine everyday - or, at the very least 6 days. It might sound like a lot, but getting in that routine early will help keep you motivated and from stopping again.


Hopefully that helps a bit. I can keep throwing out other advice, but that should be enough to get started. Just stay focused, and motivated, and be patient. Every day you get up, remember why you started this change. I told my wife a couple years ago that my health was the most important thing, and she looked surprised that I didn't say my family...but, I told her, without my health, I can't care for my family.


I'm also on Twitter (@BodyFit_EatWell) and post all my meals and snacks (with photos) that I eat in a day. I'm doing this for now to hopefully share some ideas and healthy options. My diet continues to go through refinement, so it's quite a bit different than it was 3 years ago...but, I don't fit any category of paleo/pescatarian/vegan/atkins diet - I eat what's good for me 95% of the time, and enjoy (in smaller quantities) those foods I love to eat.
 
Welcome to the forum, Dave. And thanks to BodyFit for the above post! I can direct you to some threads in the forum that may help with getting you started, but I dont want to overwhelm you with reading if you're not interested. The main thing is to make a plan to make small changes to your daily diet and activity. Trying to overhaul everything all at once sets most people up for a lot of frustration and failure. One way you could go about planning what changes to make is to write down everything... EVERYTHING... that you eat over the course of a couple of days or even a week. Take a good look at that and decide where you want to start. You can post it on the forum here if you want ideas or suggestions. This is what a lot of folks will do in the Weight Loss Diary section. You might start with trying to replace your intake of sodas, juices, etc. with water in the first week. The next week, you could try cutting back on alcohol and caffeine a bit. Then you could try adding in a short walk 3 times one week... and so on. Obviously, these are just suggestions and everyone will approach things differently, but having a plan rather than "winging it" will be a major benefit to your success.
 
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