I never ever vented about weight to other people my whole life. I'm a 25 year old guy with a good social life. About 45 lbs overweight, just dropped 20.
I just lost my job due to the economy and had a decision to make - and that decision is to get paid to lose weight -- unemployment. I purposely avoided interviewing for the first month of my unemployment and instead of sulking used that time to go on a very low calorie diet (500-800 calories), working out cardio (treadmill), dumbell exercises, and using On Demand Ab Workouts, all from the house.
Very low calorie diets are really the only ones that seem to work for me. When I was 18 before going to college I dropped 50 pounds and got really thin. I lost more than I needed and think I took it too far.
Gained it all back and then some by the time I graduated (kegs and eggs). But I don't think it was because I crash dieted, but because I never really took the whole long-term "health" approach to it.
This time I am still doing the same low calorie approach from when I was 18, but while having more time to concentrate it on it am buying ingredients and cooking everything myself. I think educating myself is key this time.
I usually eat one meal a day in the early evening. I have never been a breakfast or lunch guy, which some people find odd. I will snack on some loose veggies randomly through the day, tons of water, and my secret is fat free reddi whip cream. Going to places like whole foods and getting recipes online are providing a good outlet for me. Also I stopped drinking for 4 weeks. This is coming from your regular party animal young professional who would have 6-9 drinks every Friday and Saturday. My hopes is stopping cold turkey for atleast a month, will help me appreciate and be able to become more of a social drinker (2-4 drinks).
Losing the first 20 in the first 4 weeks felt amazing. I haven't weighed myself in 1 year and avoided mirrors up until this point. My biggest internal embarrasment is I always avoid looking at myself in the mirror at public bathrooms in front of people. Bars/clubs/work - I walk right out and don't look left or right. I think its a mental issue I had in avoiding it. I still don't weigh myself, but now look at myself in a full length mirror every day to face reality.
Now that I am about 4+ weeks into it, I have a job offer and hope I can keep up the weight loss. Dropped back to my "mid weight" pant size and hope to do another 20 to regain my confidence.
One pet peeve I have when losing weight -- when people complement you do they have to do it in front of the opposite sex or at a party? I was at a party last week and one of my friends came up and said, you look like you are dropping weight and grabbing my face while I was talking to a girl. And while I still visibly am showing I need to lose more weight, I find this really embarrassing. I find weight loss comments derogatory when said in front of others until I look "normal." Can't people complement you in private or am I crazy?
Thanks for this forum to vent and discuss.
My next worry is transitioning from very low calorie diet to mainstream living. I am considering if I hit my goal weight to see a nutritionist about "detoxing" from the diet and getting back to mainstream life. Does anyone know any areas of this forum or other resources that assist in transition of very low cal diets to regular maintenance mode?
Thanks all for listening to my rants, your the first to hear some of them and I hope some can relate.
I just lost my job due to the economy and had a decision to make - and that decision is to get paid to lose weight -- unemployment. I purposely avoided interviewing for the first month of my unemployment and instead of sulking used that time to go on a very low calorie diet (500-800 calories), working out cardio (treadmill), dumbell exercises, and using On Demand Ab Workouts, all from the house.
Very low calorie diets are really the only ones that seem to work for me. When I was 18 before going to college I dropped 50 pounds and got really thin. I lost more than I needed and think I took it too far.
Gained it all back and then some by the time I graduated (kegs and eggs). But I don't think it was because I crash dieted, but because I never really took the whole long-term "health" approach to it.
This time I am still doing the same low calorie approach from when I was 18, but while having more time to concentrate it on it am buying ingredients and cooking everything myself. I think educating myself is key this time.
I usually eat one meal a day in the early evening. I have never been a breakfast or lunch guy, which some people find odd. I will snack on some loose veggies randomly through the day, tons of water, and my secret is fat free reddi whip cream. Going to places like whole foods and getting recipes online are providing a good outlet for me. Also I stopped drinking for 4 weeks. This is coming from your regular party animal young professional who would have 6-9 drinks every Friday and Saturday. My hopes is stopping cold turkey for atleast a month, will help me appreciate and be able to become more of a social drinker (2-4 drinks).
Losing the first 20 in the first 4 weeks felt amazing. I haven't weighed myself in 1 year and avoided mirrors up until this point. My biggest internal embarrasment is I always avoid looking at myself in the mirror at public bathrooms in front of people. Bars/clubs/work - I walk right out and don't look left or right. I think its a mental issue I had in avoiding it. I still don't weigh myself, but now look at myself in a full length mirror every day to face reality.
Now that I am about 4+ weeks into it, I have a job offer and hope I can keep up the weight loss. Dropped back to my "mid weight" pant size and hope to do another 20 to regain my confidence.
One pet peeve I have when losing weight -- when people complement you do they have to do it in front of the opposite sex or at a party? I was at a party last week and one of my friends came up and said, you look like you are dropping weight and grabbing my face while I was talking to a girl. And while I still visibly am showing I need to lose more weight, I find this really embarrassing. I find weight loss comments derogatory when said in front of others until I look "normal." Can't people complement you in private or am I crazy?
Thanks for this forum to vent and discuss.
My next worry is transitioning from very low calorie diet to mainstream living. I am considering if I hit my goal weight to see a nutritionist about "detoxing" from the diet and getting back to mainstream life. Does anyone know any areas of this forum or other resources that assist in transition of very low cal diets to regular maintenance mode?
Thanks all for listening to my rants, your the first to hear some of them and I hope some can relate.
put on your favorite music station if you have cable and dance to it before bed every night for 15 minutes!