New and Completely Lost

B

BenBOMB

New member
Hello everyone, my name is Ben and i'll give you my situation for better understanding.

Right now i'm 17, turning 18 on May 1st, and going on my last 3 months of high school. I was diagnoised with depression and aniexty about a year and a half ago, and ever since things have just been really bad.

I know a large factor is my weight problem, i've always been over weight and pretty much everyone in my immediate family is over weight besides my sister. I'm sitting at about 210ish I think, last time I checked, and height is
5'5". I really believe that if I was skinny I would have better thoughts about my self and better control over my depression/aniexty.
Lately it's been really effecting me, keeping me from school, homework, friends, and pretty much everything. I don't eat often, probably avg one meal, which is at dinner time. Then maybe something like a push-pop and some milk before bed.

I wanted to start a diet plan but have no idea where to start. Right now money is somewhat of an issue so I want to try to start off with some basic stuff then work up. I just have no idea exactly what to do besides eat better, and exercise. I plan on trying the p90x when I have some money.

So i'm in need of specifics, what should I be eating, how often should I be eating, what exercises should I be doing and for how long, i'm just really lost and could use some help.

Thanks in advance, I hope somone can help me out.
Ben
 
And just to add in, please don't take my age to thinking i'm not serious about this.

I'm trying everything I can to come over my problem and I think my weight is a big issue that's making it take place. I'm very serious about this and will do whatever it takes to accomplish my goal.
 
Hey there!

I always tell people that the first step of successful weight loss, is admitting that they need to do something! I also think you've made a great step by coming on here and starting a diary!

Diaries are important for so many reasons! I have found my diary a great place! I would suggest that you record EVERYTHING you eat and drink - when, how much, and why (were you hungry? bored? sad?). You should also record the physical activity that you're doing! Make it as detailed as you can! The more you record the more you can look back and see how you've improved. The more you record, the more the community can help you, provide tips, encouragement, and guidance. And most of all, if you record everything, and you're not getting the results you want, you can look back and see what you should change!

I have found my diary a great place! I record EVERYTHING! I even post about my feelings and thoughts- weight gain is often connected to emotions and stressful situations! By having this place, it gives me the opportunity to vent and think about things- and it's a safe, warm, comforting community where no one judges you!

Depression and anxiety can contribute to both weight gain and weight loss...but it's important to know that having a healthy diet and exercising regularly can significantly help you with both of those conditions! Diet and exercising can help both of those, and hopefully contribute to your positive feelings!

Weight loss isn't just about feeling good about how you look, it's also about gaining confidence, self-esteem, and joy out of the journey! Losing weight is a big task, and you should be proud of yourself for wanting to take it on! And every pound you lose, every inch you shed, should make you feel proud of yourself for all your hard work!!

Also, I know where you're coming from about money- sometimes it seems overwhelming and expensive to eat healthy and to exercise. But there are A LOT of exercises you can do without spending money! You can walk and run outside- that's AWESOME cardio!! And you should also do strength training! So at home, you can do lunges, crunches, push ups, and a bunch of other exercises!! There are some great posts on here about doing at home strength training! And if you check around, i'm sure you can also find a lot of great people on here that can help you out with that!

Also, for your diet, it's important to eat small meals early and throughout the day! You should start your day off with a healthy breakfast! Oatmeal, a banana, and a glass of water is a fairly cheap meal! And it's healthy, hearty, and will fill you with energy!!

you can do this! It'll be work, but it'll be worth it :)

I hope you keep us updated!! :)
 
Hey Ben, welcome to the forum!

Tik had some great advice for you! There are many exercises that you can do for free; walking and hiking outside being the easiest. There are also many body weight exercises that you can do with little or no equipment. I post this all the time, but it's a good starting point for ideas:

Free Exercises, Exercise Instructions, Custom Workout, Personalized Workout, Ab Exercises, Abdominal Exercises, Training Programs

I would pick 8-10 exercises that cover all the major muscle groups. Aim for doing this routine 2-3 times per week, then gradually work on adding more exercises or sets to the routine.

As Tik said, a diary can be extremely helpful. You can start a diary in the Weight Loss Diary section on this forum, or if you're not comfortable with people giving their input, maybe try starting a free food log at a site like fitday.com or eatracker.ca.

Either way, I would suggest looking around the site and reading up on what others have done to get an idea of where to start!

Good luck, keep us posted, and ask lots of questions!

P.
 
Welcome to the forum!
I agree with all of the advice from Tik and P.
Just take it slow. Do some research and decide what is going to work for you. What works for one person may not work for someone else.

Try low calorie to start. Cut back on certain things like soda, sweets and other high calorie foods. If you eliminate one thing from your diet every week you will be on the right track. You can't go wrong with lean meat, chicken, salmon, turkey etc., lots of fruits and veggies, and don't forget to drink plenty of water. Eat smaller meals. Don't load a huge plate with tons of food. I've found that using smaller plates helps me to eat less. It's a psychological thing. I had a habit of always wanting to finish everything on my plate no matter how full I was so as to not waste food. So I've broken this habit by using smaller plates with smaller portions. I also recommended purging your kitchen of all temptations. If it's not in the house, you can't eat it.

Diets are great but you also have to make sure you're getting enough exercise. Definitely start walking. It's the best way to kick start your weight loss. Work your way up with longer walks and eventually start running. It's the cheapest exercise there is! When you do have a little money, invest in some free weights and resistance bands. They're easy on the wallet and great for the body.

Finally, my last piece of advice would be to challenge yourself! The challenge section of the forum is great. The monthly challenge is a great start. Set a goal and try your best to achieve it in a certain time frame.

Just take small steps and you'll see a huge improvement!
You just have to fully commit to the changes you want to make. Best of luck on your journey! I hope we hear more from you!
 
When I first started with weight training, I used gallon milk jugs filled with water, which are about 8 pounds each. Good to start, though I soon graduated to a set of dumbbells with changeable weights, up to 25 pounders now, in about ten months, that cost me about fifty bucks total.
 
Hello Ben,

Welcome to the forum.You are sure to find the help and support you need here,it's a very friendly community.
I'm sorry to hear about how you've been feeling lately,but I think it's brilliant you want to do something about it and make yourself feel happier as aposed to dwelling on it,it's just so easy to do.
Everyones advise so far has been absolutely fantastic,spot on with helpful tips and how best ways to get started.I really do believe that starting off slowly and making little changes to your every day routine will make a difference very quickly.
I persoanlly feel exercise is a brilliant way to make you feel better about yourself,it's a fantastic head-clearer!It can be hard to start off with,but just take it nice and steady.If you can walk somwhere instead of bus,train or car,do it.Or if it's a bit to far,take a moment in the day to go for a walk.After doing this a few times a week,pick up the pace a bit and walk for a bit longer.You'll find rather quickly you'll be able to last longer!Eventually you may want to give jogging a go.Swap unhealthy snacks for fruit,and make sure you eat three meals each day,but small portions of food that contain lots of vegetables.Perhaps swap white breads,pasta,rice for wholewheat,to fill you up for longer.Water is just so good for you,try and swap fizzy drinks for water,or some squash to start off with.
These little changes will be the start of something big!We're all behind you 110%!
Let us know how you get on and all the very best of luck :)
 
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