Need some good advice please..

[xxbillabongxx]

I am 29 years old and a construction worker. I am currently 6' 220. I use to average 165 in the summers 185 in the winters. I was like that ever since high school. I played alot of sports in school and out. But since I gave up playing hockey,volleyball, football about 4 years ago to put more into my career and my marriage at the time(divorced now) I have gained the weight. I always ate like I do now.. Not the healthiest by far. I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy. But with my work I dont get to eat breakfast or lunch much.. so its more of a eat one meal a day. some of those times is very late. Now I know I will get alot of you need more meals a day and dont eat late well it doesnt work my lifestyle right now. I would love to eat breakfasy but im not hungry 4-5am. We dont take a break or lunch hardly ever. So anyone in a similar situation that can offer some suggestions on what I should do? I want to lose about 20-25 pounds I mostly just have belly and face weight. I am new to this so if I posted wrong information or in the wrong place just steer me into the right direction. Thanks for reading my post.

 

[DCarr10760]

Hi and Welcome!

I think you answered your own question...

I played alot of sports in school and out. But since I gave up playing hockey,volleyball, football about 4 years ago to put more into my career and my marriage at the time (divorced now) I have gained the weight.

And...

I always ate like I do now.. Not the healthiest by far. I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy.

Clearly, one or the other (or both) of the above things need to change.

Your problem is not that you only eat one big meal a day and that you skip breakfast, your problem (like every other person who has to lose weight in the world) is that you are taking in too many calories and burning too few.

Eating often throughout the day is great for maintaining consistent blood sugar levels and avoiding the rush's and slumps that people feel that can lead to carbohydrate cravings. But if you are not experiencing this and it's not a problem (You can deal with being hungry) then work with what you got, one meal.

But if one meal a day is all you got, with a physically intensive job, to gain weight, you must really be packing it in! So you have to cut back-but healthfully.

The calorie rules still apply, figure out how many calories you need to eat to lose 2 lbs a week and only eat that many. On your days off, eat better. (less food more often).

Start exercising, that's the lifestyle change that you made that caused the weight gain, so that needs to be added back in.

Get enough sleep. Drink plenty of water and lots less alcohol.

You know what to do!

Start by making improvements where you can. Then build from that base. You'll do fine. During this time, though, think about how you can make long term changes to your life, to your job and to your outlook on those things that will allow you to eat better throughout the day. More things are in your power to change than you suspect. I doubt you would be fired for taking the thirty five seconds to whip out a sandwich and down it!

Do it while you're peeing, you got one hand free!

David C

 

[xxbillabongxx]

DCARR,

Thanks for the reply I have mixed feelings about your post though. First yes I used to be very active but I dont have the time to jump back into playing sports I am working 6 days a week dark to dark I have no room to fit it in. You also said im taking in too many calories and burning too few? I dont know if you ever had a labor intensive job but sweating and lifting heavy weight all day is all I do. You said I must really be packing it in. Nope not really. I sometimes get a second plate but nothing out of the ordinary. I eat more on days off or weekend when I have time to pick. I feel that since I been doing hard work constantly over many years + playing sports during the week + my age at the time I kept in good shape. I know with weight lifting sometimes you have to "shock" the muscles to get a response doing the same thing every day as tough as it can be I think im just that use to it? Maybe im way off there? You said drink lots of water and less alcohol.. I never mentioned drinking alcohol. I dont drink, smoke or do drugs. As far as water goes I drink over a gallon a day. I also drink homemade tea when I get home/ sometimes soda too. Lastly I wont be fired from eating anything because I own my own business. Problem is we keep moving no time to eat or most of the time I think im too use to it but I dont get hungry either. When I was younger and weighed in at 165 -185 I wanted to be 200 I wanted to put on size. We lifted weights a few hours a day for a few years. I ate alot and never seen anything until I stopped playing sports so maybe all that time of trying to gain the weight finally came after I stopped playing.. I think for me it takes awhile to gain/lose weight but since im not as young its tougher to lose it. Thanks for your reply I will just keep trying to make things better.

 

[DCarr10760]

Not trying to imply you were a drinker, just going through the general stuff. Sorry.

But it's clearly beyond me. If you are not taking in too many calories or if you're not burning too few, then I would think it would be impossible to be have gained 35 - 55 lbs? But you have? So something has changed. Sure our metabolism slows as we get older but there are plenty of guys my age (46) who are in great shape by keeping things in balance.

So, something doesn't add up.

Just trying to help.

Good luck with it!

David C