New Guy

E

Edinburghtubs

New member
Hi Folks.
Just a quick intro.

I'm 31, and as you may have guessed from the username, i'm from Edinburgh, Scotland.

Currently creeping up the scales at the moment.
I did have a fantastic drop in weight a few years back, but change of job meant i couldn't get into a proper routine (excuses excuses... ;) )

But now sitting on 226lbs, and a BMI of about 34. So need to get my butt into gear and make a move.
My target is 153lbs.

I normally have lots of motivation, for about a week, and roll back to my old habits, so coming on here will give me the insentive to keep going so i can post my goals and record my progress.

Hope to speak to you all soon.

Andy. :)
 
Last edited:
Welcome Andy

Being able to marshal the enthusiasm and focus for the long term is about the hardest thing there is in terms of weight management. Most anyone can work hard or focus for a week or two, but losing nearly 60 lbs will require a long time.

I'm in the same boat (my ends a bit lower in the water though :)) But coming here is a great idea. Start a diary and involve yourself. It's a great way to stay focused.

What are you going to do diet and exercise-wise to start reducing?

David C
 
Welcome to the forum. :)

I hope we are able to mustard up some motivation for you. However, at the end of the day, it's on you to do this for yourself. If you don't want to do it, nobody here will be able to push you into action.
 
Thanks Guys.

David,
Yes, 60lbs is a heck of a lot of weight to lose. Although i may aim for more of a loss.

My main area that i need to lose is my stomach, it's totally out of proportion to the rest of my body, and is where most of my weight is sitting.

My changes are as follows ( i started yesterday)

No alcohol at all. (done it before, so can do it again)

No snacking on rubbish. (currently eat 1 choc bar a day, 1 packet of crisps and usually something fried for lunch)

Introduction of fruit instead of the crisps/chocolate. (banana, orange, apple or similar)

No fizzy drinks, Coke, Sprite , lucozade etc..I'll mainly stick to water.

INtroduction of eating a breakfast, rather than my normal huge lunch, then pigging out the rest of the day.

Obviously balanced meals at lunch/dinner time.

Excersise wise, i'm still a member of the gym i used to visit, so i'll take up my old fitness plan.

This mainly consisted of -

15 mins rowing machine
15mins treadmill at various speeds
15 mins excercise bike
Then i would do a small workout on various legs/shoulder chest machines.

I used to do this 3 times a week, with some swimming inbetween on the days i didn't go into the gym.

This worked very well for me, i went from 220lbs to around 196lbs in 4 months.
But as i said, change of job stopped me from my regular routine.
I've now got a normal 9-5 job, which means i can pick up again.

I'm really looking forward to the challenge ahead, and am remaining positive that i can reach my goal, albeit a long way infront of me.
 
Edinburghtubs said:
Yes, 60lbs is a heck of a lot of weight to lose.
Click to expand...

Not really.

I'm helping a woman lose hundreds of pounds at the moment. At least that's the goal.

60 is nothing... you can do this quite easily if you remain consistent.

Consistency is key.

My main area that i need to lose is my stomach, it's totally out of proportion to the rest of my body, and is where most of my weight is sitting.
Click to expand...

You probably know this, but the fat will leave your body anyway it damn well pleases, unfortunately. You can't pick and choose where you'll lose the fat from.

My changes are as follows ( i started yesterday)

No alcohol at all. (done it before, so can do it again)

No snacking on rubbish. (currently eat 1 choc bar a day, 1 packet of crisps and usually something fried for lunch)

Introduction of fruit instead of the crisps/chocolate. (banana, orange, apple or similar)

No fizzy drinks, Coke, Sprite , lucozade etc..I'll mainly stick to water.

INtroduction of eating a breakfast, rather than my normal huge lunch, then pigging out the rest of the day.

Obviously balanced meals at lunch/dinner time.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a great start. Cleaning up the diet is the logical first step.

Don't forget about your veggies and water.

Then i would do a small workout on various legs/shoulder chest machines.
Click to expand...

Don't forget your back.

I'd also try out free weights. They are loads better than machines.
 
Thanks Steve.

I do some back excersise, but not too much as i injured it in a car accident a few years back, so i tend to take it easy on the back and gradually build up.

As for veggies and water...i cant stand veggies..but i do force myself to eat them, and at the moment i'm on about 2.5L water a day. (good old water machine at work takes a beating) ;)

I know you say 60odd Lbs isn't a lot to lose...but it is when i've lost zero at the moment. :D
 
Edinburghtubs said:
I do some back excersise, but not too much as i injured it in a car accident a few years back, so i tend to take it easy on the back and gradually build up.
Click to expand...

Gotcha.

As for veggies and water...i cant stand veggies..but i do force myself to eat them,
Click to expand...

If you really have a tough time getting your veggies in for the day, you could try a product known as Greens Plus. Basically a powder form of veggies that you can add to a shake or the like. Not promising anything on taste, but it's quick and harmless.

I know you say 60odd Lbs isn't a lot to lose...but it is when i've lost zero at the moment. :D
Click to expand...

Just trying to add some perspective. :)
 
Interesting about the Greens Plus.

Just had a peek on their UK website.

£40 for the powder, might give it a try as i really cant stomach some veg.

I'm fine with raw carrots, green beans, but asparagus etc..YUK !

Oh, and if it tastes gross...i'm sending it to you to finish !!!!! :D :p
 
Hi Andy,

Ditto on the Vegetables. Learn to eat them. My kids hated vegetables because their Mother (my ex) boiled the life out of them, leaving them mushy and grey and tasting of stale flatulance. Hard to like that.

Try it my way (well, Julie Child's way really). Steam the vegetables until just slightly tender. Then run cold water over them fro a minute to cool them and to completely arrest the cooking. The color will be vivid. Fix the rest of the meal and just before serving, heat up a wok or saute pan with a table spoon of olive oil and saute the veggies back up to heat with some salt, pepper, garlic and whatever herbs you like. With green beans I toss in a handfull of almonds, slivered, with spinach I throw in some currents or raisins.

My kids love it!

But eat it anyway! Forget the idea that all of the food you eat has to taste good. Sometimes it is important to eat foods because they are good for you. Think of it as prescriptive eating.

When you are ill you take medicine because it will help make you better. You don't take the medicine because you like the way it takes, right? So take your vegetables the same way...until you learn to enjoy them. They'll help keep you healthy.

One way is to sneak them into foods you do like so the texture or taste is lost in the mix.

David C
 
Thanks. :)

Well my first week has brought me a bigger drop than i thought.
I was only aiming for 2-3lbs for the first week, but i've dropped 7lb in total.

More than i actually wanted, as i'm not looking to rapidly reduce weight, this is a nice long term challenge, but all the same, it's nice that i've not gone up ! lol

Will be sticking to the same routine next week, if it falls the same amount, i'll look at cutting back on the excersise slightly.
 
Well it's likely that you've shed some water along with a couple pounds of fat and maybe even some muscle. It's common for the first couple of weeks.

I think (were it me) I'd stick with the exercise and up the food intake a bit. But healthy foods, not chocolate or alcohol.

How much are you eating? Do you know how much you are taking in in terms of calories? Lots of people don't like counting them, but if you don't it's like flying blind or flying without a fuel gauge. Plus with all of the online calorie logs it's easy!

David C
 
A Scottish lad, eh? Welcome to WLF. :beerchug: <---water, not beer. :rotflmao:

The guys are right--gotta eat those veggies..:eek: Do you like Asian cuisine? Because there are some great Indian and Thai pastes in the markets you can buy and mix with the veggies. I do it all the time and my H and I love it. Dave is right about not boiling the veggies until they are soggy and nasty. I like to saute them in a bit of xvirgin olive oil--or sesame oil. Yummy.

If you don't mind, how tall are you? I ask b/c 153 seems a bit low for a guy.
 
Well i'm getting there !
Managing to shift it fairly well so far, although this week has only seen me drop 3lbs, so time to start upping the excercise a little.

Never felt so good ! :D
 
Absolutely nothing wrong with 3 lbs a week! But as you get stronger and healthier, by all means pump up the exercise portion.

Are you at 180 lbs now? Or did you change your goal?

And can i ask how tall you are? 153 lbs sounds quite low for a goal weight. Especially if you are increasing your muscle mass!

Michael
 
I hadn't thought of a diary to be honest.

It could be worthwhile, and also interesting to look back on in a few months/years.

Been a bit sick these past few days, so not expecting to lose much this week, as i've not been to the gym since last thursday.

But all going well, i'll be there tonight for a swim, then back into the cardio on Wednesday. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top