Hey all.
My name is Brian, I am a 20 year old college student and I've had a problem with obesity since I was about 14 years old. I have always denied the fact that I was overweight because I have always felt in good health. In the past couple years I have encountered a reaccuring problem with my ankles and knees. The pressure I put on them on a daily basis is becoming too much and I am constantly prone to sprains and twists.
It was last week when I decided it was time to make a life change, not just go on a 'diet', I am still young and if I get in good health I feel like I can really live my life more completely.
A little about me and my eating habits:
My weight right now is somewhere around 430 lbs.
I feel like I do carry that much weight better than most that size, but that doesn't make me feel better about myself. I actually could very well weigh more than that at this point because it has been a couple months since I've weighed in and I definately have not been LOSING any.
On a daily basis I eat A LOT. And I also tend to eat foods that are easy, affordable, and greasy... As I said, I'm a student, so that's easy enough. I don't want to even START to get in to what I used to eat on daily basis because the list goes on and on... I can say though that I've estimated at times in upwards of 8000-10000 calories.
I basically get no excercise. during the school year I walk to class Monday-Thursday and between classes, but things don't get much more intense than that. I am also active in the theatre and get some random excercise when working and doing theatre.
I am ready to lose this weight. I have tried dieting before and once on Atkins I lost about 20 lbs in three weeks with no excercise. I have realized that if I can commit to this, I can probably drop the weight fairly quickly.
The hard part with me is that commitment. I use food as a tool to keep me from being bored. It's the only coping mechanism I really know for any problem I have. I most of all use it for comfort. And, I love food. Part of the challenge in this diet is for me to eat good food. If I'm eating bad food, I just won't be able to do this. Luckily I like to cook so I hope to find ways to cook healthy but great food.
My initial plan is to lose 120 lbs. I am 6'3 and at 300 lbs, I am still very much overweight, but it is a goal that I think is reasonable at this point. As I said though, this is a life change and not a diet, so I am hoping to continue to lose until I am down at a healthy maintainable weight.
I have read so many different methods for weight loss and have sort of drawn the conclusion that healthy foods, excercise, and nutrition is the key.
I know most of you will tell me to count calories and be really specific with my regiment, but I have trouble commiting to things like counting calories, so my initial plan for this diet is to eat when I'm hungry, but lower portions than usual, and only certain foods. At this point I feel like any drastic change in diet and excercise should have a positive effect considering what I do now. I feel challenged also because when it comes to fruits and vegetables there are few I REALLY enjoy.
My food list is as follows:
Only water for drink (No pop, no juice, no milk)
Bananas
Apples
Celery
Egg Whites
Low-Fat Cheese
Low-Fat Yogurt
Fat Free Turkey
99% Fat Free Ham
American Cheese
Low fat cheddar cheese
Onion
Green Pepper
Mixed Greens
Low Fat Ranch Dressing
Low Fat Mayonnaise
Healthy Choice White Bread
Salsa
Turkey Bacon
Steak fajita Pieces
Pretzels
Peanut Butter
Applesauce
Pears
Lean full chicken breasts
My Excercise plan is this:
I have already started with 100 situps and 50 pushups a night. I bought a pass today to a place to workout, and beginning tomorrow I plan to work out 4 times a week for at least an hour. This will consist of heavy cardio either biking or eliptical. I will still continue to do my pushups and situps every evening.
Obviously, when weight starts to come off I plan on mixing in weight training with my workout plan.
Yes I am in college, and yes I do occasionally drink. I have decided to only drink on Friday and Saturday nights and try to keep with clear liquors, but I know that will be a struggle. I have also thrown in the opportunity to have one cheat dinner a week, also on the weekend, provided that I worked out that day and will work out the next morning.
I am excited for the challenge to lose this weight but I am also very nervous and have already had many challenges and temptations. I love Food Network and tonight I was watching a special on an American Pizza Festival and was ready to order a pizza and was really having a struggle, but instead ate a few pretzel sticks and came here to write an introduction to the forum. These first few weeks are going to be challenging and I need all the encouragement and tips I can get.
I have provided an honest (longwinded) and concise introduction because I would really appreciate words of encouragement, concern, and tips concerning my diet and excercise plan.
I love reading these boards and I feel as if they will be a vital and working part in this journey.
-Brian
My name is Brian, I am a 20 year old college student and I've had a problem with obesity since I was about 14 years old. I have always denied the fact that I was overweight because I have always felt in good health. In the past couple years I have encountered a reaccuring problem with my ankles and knees. The pressure I put on them on a daily basis is becoming too much and I am constantly prone to sprains and twists.
It was last week when I decided it was time to make a life change, not just go on a 'diet', I am still young and if I get in good health I feel like I can really live my life more completely.
A little about me and my eating habits:
My weight right now is somewhere around 430 lbs.
I feel like I do carry that much weight better than most that size, but that doesn't make me feel better about myself. I actually could very well weigh more than that at this point because it has been a couple months since I've weighed in and I definately have not been LOSING any.
On a daily basis I eat A LOT. And I also tend to eat foods that are easy, affordable, and greasy... As I said, I'm a student, so that's easy enough. I don't want to even START to get in to what I used to eat on daily basis because the list goes on and on... I can say though that I've estimated at times in upwards of 8000-10000 calories.
I basically get no excercise. during the school year I walk to class Monday-Thursday and between classes, but things don't get much more intense than that. I am also active in the theatre and get some random excercise when working and doing theatre.
I am ready to lose this weight. I have tried dieting before and once on Atkins I lost about 20 lbs in three weeks with no excercise. I have realized that if I can commit to this, I can probably drop the weight fairly quickly.
The hard part with me is that commitment. I use food as a tool to keep me from being bored. It's the only coping mechanism I really know for any problem I have. I most of all use it for comfort. And, I love food. Part of the challenge in this diet is for me to eat good food. If I'm eating bad food, I just won't be able to do this. Luckily I like to cook so I hope to find ways to cook healthy but great food.
My initial plan is to lose 120 lbs. I am 6'3 and at 300 lbs, I am still very much overweight, but it is a goal that I think is reasonable at this point. As I said though, this is a life change and not a diet, so I am hoping to continue to lose until I am down at a healthy maintainable weight.
I have read so many different methods for weight loss and have sort of drawn the conclusion that healthy foods, excercise, and nutrition is the key.
I know most of you will tell me to count calories and be really specific with my regiment, but I have trouble commiting to things like counting calories, so my initial plan for this diet is to eat when I'm hungry, but lower portions than usual, and only certain foods. At this point I feel like any drastic change in diet and excercise should have a positive effect considering what I do now. I feel challenged also because when it comes to fruits and vegetables there are few I REALLY enjoy.
My food list is as follows:
Only water for drink (No pop, no juice, no milk)
Bananas
Apples
Celery
Egg Whites
Low-Fat Cheese
Low-Fat Yogurt
Fat Free Turkey
99% Fat Free Ham
American Cheese
Low fat cheddar cheese
Onion
Green Pepper
Mixed Greens
Low Fat Ranch Dressing
Low Fat Mayonnaise
Healthy Choice White Bread
Salsa
Turkey Bacon
Steak fajita Pieces
Pretzels
Peanut Butter
Applesauce
Pears
Lean full chicken breasts
My Excercise plan is this:
I have already started with 100 situps and 50 pushups a night. I bought a pass today to a place to workout, and beginning tomorrow I plan to work out 4 times a week for at least an hour. This will consist of heavy cardio either biking or eliptical. I will still continue to do my pushups and situps every evening.
Obviously, when weight starts to come off I plan on mixing in weight training with my workout plan.
Yes I am in college, and yes I do occasionally drink. I have decided to only drink on Friday and Saturday nights and try to keep with clear liquors, but I know that will be a struggle. I have also thrown in the opportunity to have one cheat dinner a week, also on the weekend, provided that I worked out that day and will work out the next morning.
I am excited for the challenge to lose this weight but I am also very nervous and have already had many challenges and temptations. I love Food Network and tonight I was watching a special on an American Pizza Festival and was ready to order a pizza and was really having a struggle, but instead ate a few pretzel sticks and came here to write an introduction to the forum. These first few weeks are going to be challenging and I need all the encouragement and tips I can get.
I have provided an honest (longwinded) and concise introduction because I would really appreciate words of encouragement, concern, and tips concerning my diet and excercise plan.
I love reading these boards and I feel as if they will be a vital and working part in this journey.
-Brian
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