I'm going to go for it

[Joe.]

For ages, I've put off losing weight but now I'm ready. I'm going to look my demons in the eye and tell them that I'm better than the fat guy who gets out of breath over tiny things. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to cut out all the crappy foods I eat and replace them with fruit. I need to do this. I'm determined. I've never done this before and I'm worried I'm going to go back to my old ways. Do any of you guys know how to stay on track?

[Jayr]

Easy does it.
Small changes add up

Here's small things I do.

-NEVER drink any soda. I haven't drank any since I was 10.
-Drink 1L of water a day, I carry a 500ml water bottle with me.
-Don't add salt to anything. That salt shaker you have, throw it away.
-What's the point of desert? I never eat desert, instead I eat a slightly bigger meal.
-Workout in the shower. I do calf raises, did 50 this morning. Trying to reach 100.
-When talking on the phone, brushing your teeth, etc walk around your house or go up and down the stairs.
-Going to the mall? Park far from the entrance.

Don't start a crazy workout routine. Trust me, you won't stick to it.
Instead walk a mile or two everyday to start. Slowly up that.

If you don't want to exercise in public, there's thousands of things you can do in your house.
You can do jumping jacks, pushups, sit ups, squats...Keep it as simple as possible.

Another good tip, keep a journal and write when and what you exercise.
Try to exercise every other day at least.

It's always nice too see people dedicated to bettering their health.
Good luck with your goal

[Joe.]

Thanks man! Those are all such simple things that I never would have thought of. I don't have salt, but soda is my worst. I'm going to try and cut down to 1 can a day but the carrying around water seems like a good idea. If I hold it in my hand I'll be more inclined to drink it just because it's there. The shower exercises is another good idea. Thank you!

[Simon]

Good luck Joey!

My gf and I are starting a diet this week. The diet soda thing is going to be hard for me. I live on diet soda. Other than that we are cutting out all processed food. Just going to eat lean meats, fresh veggies, and fruit (fruit with either granola or yogurt for breakfast). Drinks will either be the occasional diet soda, water, unsweet tea, or milk. Processed foods are just bad all around. Too much crap in them and really too much effort to try to constantly dissect the ingredients.

Exercise is the hard part for me. I may be strange but I hate to sweat. It mainly has to do with binding. I also sweat horribly so that mixed with binding is just uncomfortable. Think I'll be doing a lot of swimming at the lake this Summer. I did buy p90x but don't know if I am in good enough shape to attempt it yet. Had two surgeries last year and got lazy.

Let us know how it goes for you. 

[AdamMLP]

I'm also needing to do something, although probably more fitness.  I definitely need to stop smoking, I shouldn't keep letting my health be ruined by the stupid coping mechanisms I started when I was twelve or thirteen.  And it will make it easier for me to bind as well.  I think that for staying on track it's easiest if you've got other people on board as well, I always end up failing at things like this because I don't tell anyone -- people are telling me to eat more rather than less/better, but I don't know if that's because they're larger or if I'm just blinded by my hatred of female placed fat -- but either way I really do need to get fitter.

The myfitnesspal app for android/iPhone is also pretty good.

[charlie85]

I am undertaking the same challenge as you. I feel like it is time to completely better myself so that I can enjoy living the life that I am working on for myself.

Myfitnesspal is a great resource, the forums there are excellent and allow you to be part of different challenges for each month and the app for phones helps with calorie counting and monitoring how much of each nutrient you have.

Like it's been said replace drinks with water, that goes a long way.

I also know for me I have a fitbit-basically a step counter- and I use that to stay motivated. It is about finding what works for you. I hate "exercise" but I love walking, hiking, biking, and water activities so I do more of those when the season is right. I also am an avid gamer and as gimmicky as it is I use my kinect to play dance games. If you can't afford kinect the DDR games are great too. If that is something that appeals to you.

Accountability is huge. I let my friends know my goals, some weeks it is to not gain, others it is to lose. When my family was going through my dad's medical scare I simply was focused on not gaining back what I had lost, so I didn't gain or lose during that time.

Good luck!

[jamielikesyou]

I'm also needing to do something, although probably more fitness.  I definitely need to stop smoking, I shouldn't keep letting my health be ruined by the stupid coping mechanisms I started when I was twelve or thirteen.  And it will make it easier for me to bind as well.  I think that for staying on track it's easiest if you've got other people on board as well, I always end up failing at things like this because I don't tell anyone -- people are telling me to eat more rather than less/better, but I don't know if that's because they're larger or if I'm just blinded by my hatred of female placed fat -- but either way I really do need to get fitter.

The myfitnesspal app for android/iPhone is also pretty good.

+1 for the Myfitness app. Lots of restaurant/pre made food selections and a barcode scanner as well. I find it very useful. The advice to drink water through the day and reduce salt intake is spot on. Often thirst is mistaken as hunger signals. Watch the processed foods! Weight training will help of course, lean muscle is a metabolic booster.

If you don't mind apples, one thing I've been doing since January is trying to eat an apple before every meal. Sounds weird, but really helps with portion control. Gives you water, considerable fibre and pectin which is filling. Then I eat something sensible and I find I tend to overdo it far less. I'm down 35 lbs since mid January.

[charlie85]

If you don't mind apples, one thing I've been doing since January is trying to eat an apple before every meal. Sounds weird, but really helps with portion control. Gives you water, considerable fibre and pectin which is filling. Then I eat something sensible and I find I tend to overdo it far less. I'm down 35 lbs since mid January.

Actually that is a good idea, I know a lot of people say to drink a glass of water before eating as well. Sometimes we mistake being thirsty as hunger so it isn't a bad idea to drink a glass of water and then eat. It will also help with filling full faster too same as with the apple.

[Saison Marguerite]

Dear Joey,

(I wrote out almost my entire post and then hit 'enter' too soon!! Try again!)

This is a topic I know quite a bit about as I completed an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology department almost two years ago now. I also then worked for my university's sports and wellness centre with my degree for a period of time. I agree with a lot of what the user Jayr said. He mentioned many good habits like taking the stairs or walking farther but you don't need to begin there. I also agree with him that you cannot and should not do it all at once if you want to succeed. These are some things that I highly recommended:

- Don't over think, whatever you do! It is hard to lose weight and obtain a healthier lifestyle, and it is a lifestyle change but that doesn't mean you have to make it your life. Give yourself structure. Take your exercise times and do your best in them, and then play it by ear. If you want to take the stairs that is fine but if you want to take the elevator let yourself do that because you met your goal for the day. The same applies to food. I highly recommend structuring your meals but being realistic (I will discuss this in another point).

- Be realistic. You're not going to do something that you hate and it will not remain a part of your lifestyle if you do. Pick healthy foods you LIKE when you plan out what you want to eat. you can learn new recipes and try new things later when your healthy choices are ingrained. keep it very simple because the harder you make it the less likely you will have success.

- Exercise is the same. Pick something you like. If you don't like running as an example then you won't stick to running. See if you enjoy riding your bike, swimming, whatever it is so that you look forward to being active instead of viewing it as a chore to lose the weight.

In the end it is not a race. Everyone wants to lose the weights fast and see results but in the cases I have seen it usually doesn't work that way. If you have an unhealthy and self-hating approach even if the changes are fast you will not feel better about yourself. If you do it because you love yourself, the changes are slower, but one day you wake up and look in the mirror and you see how far you have come. Many clients I had noticed a greater sense of well-being too that slowly crept up on them as opposed to happened right away. You have to be patient and trust in your better choices to improve your life.

[spring0721]

I am so happy for you, C !! This is awesome, and I know you can do it. I always drink a glass of water (at least 8 ounces) before I eat anything. That really helps. I also use my fitnesspal & the biggest way I deal with my 'cravings' of junk food is to take an off day every week or two to eat a few treats that I wouldn't normally eat. I never completely cut anything out of my diet such as carbs or meat or all sugars because it's not something I could stick with for forever. I'm glad you're getting healthy!

[DriftingCrow]

Besides what everyone else said above, I think the most important thing and way to stay on track is to have fun and to not beat yourself up if you stray off track a little. Just say "opps" and move on.

Find a workout you enjoy like Saison said, whether it be running, machines, yoga, whatever (btw TurboFire is wicked fun!). You won't stick with it if you don't enjoy it. This might not work for everyone, but it works for me (type A personality here  ) but I think it's really helpful to have a written schedule that lists all the workout days and what needs to be done on those days. I just hate missing a day and knowing it'll throw off the pre-planned schedule. 

Eat healthy foods that you like -- your tastebuds will get used to eating healthy foods after awhile, and cut out nasty drinks like sodas and non-homemade iced coffees (well I think you said you don't like coffee  ) that's full of sugar. I find it's helpful to buy a good thermos and make my own hot or cold drinks to take to work or school with me.

Write down your goals, and keep track of your progress with "before and after" photos, logging your weight and measurements. Often people make great improvements but wouldn't notice just from looking at themselves in the mirror.

Also, for workouts, you need to switch things up every once in awhile or else your body gets used to it and you'll end up plateuing. And, if you're going to count calories, remember there's a difference between net and gross calories burned (http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/articles/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn.aspx).

[Jack_M]

Lots of good points here, I just want to reiterate a lot of what's been said because diets don't ever work, you have to make a lifestyle change.  But in order to do this you have to be realistic.  Don't cut out treats entirely.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with eating some occasional fast food, or a little bit of chocolate (actually dark chocolate in moderation IS good for you), so don't make a lifestyle change something you're going to hate.  Schedule in some treats, but not a firm day schedule idea,  just like a once a week/fortnight/month thing is when you have your chosen treats when you want or where the situation requires it, e.g. you go out with your friends and you end up in a restaurant or fast food place. This doesn't mean you keep eating nothing but crap, but don't cut out everything.  If you allow yourself some treats you'll stick to the change.  If you don't allow any treats, one day you'll cave and then you'll feel like it's all pointless now because you broke and it can just make you revert back to bad ways. 

There's loads of things you can do to keep eating things you love though on a more consistent basis.  It doesn't have to be a salad every meal!  Make homemade burgers instead of a McDs soggy mess.  Make it with turkey or chicken mince and it's even healthier!  Make home made pizzas with low fat cheese and lean meats.  I actually love a English muffin pizza which is just an English muffin with tomato sauce and some low fat mozzarella and Swiss cheese baked in the oven.  Look into ways to make your favourite foods healthier and you may find yourself enjoying them as much, or perhaps more than the unhealthy version.

Don't go for any of the healthy/diet BS.  Eat carbs and if you're not vegetarian, don't cut out meat.  Lean meats, proper steaks and fish are all fantastic parts of your diet.  Also do NOT drink soy based products - this is an absolute MUST for us especially as it increases levels of oestrogen!  We don't want that at ALL right?  So don't buy into any of that healthy soy stuff, STAY AWAY!!!!   When it comes to milk, don't drink whole, go for skimmed or 1%. 

Drink your water, and just cut out the soda.  Trust me, get past the first week and you'll find you're not even craving it at all!  If you keep to one a day, you never really lose the craving and can easy revert to bad ways.  It's just empty, useless calories and it's a sugar addiction, cut it out, suffer a week, then it's over!  Bye bye soda!  Also, if you cut it out entirely, you can go out every now and again and have a soda, and you can enjoy it (or a few) then and the craving doesn't return.  The next day you just reach for the water like nothing happened.  It's only when you drink it daily that you really get addicted to it.  And I talk from experience.  I just got fed up knowing how much money I was wasting on soda when water was free, and I was really really really low on funds at the time, so I just flat out quit cold turkey and for a week it was legit hard!  But I refused to buckle and then I very quickly found myself not even caring in the slightest!  I still don't.  I only drink it when I go out because of the pressure I get because I apparently "don't enjoy myself" enough as a non-drinker (alcohol)

[aleon515]

I have heard the soy thing is much overdone in how much it matters. But then I really hate the concentrated soy taste.

One thing I have read over and over is how bad even artificially sweetened soda is. I think that a little artificial sweetener is ok, but you can use it for coffee or tea, because odds are you use only a packet. I've heard green tea is very good for you if you are trying to lose weight.

I save a ton of money by making ice tea. I use 4 cup pyrex measuring cup and put the stuff in a jar and put in the refrigerator. It lasts a few days and tastes great.


--Jay

[Jack_M]

Soy is kinda in a per-person basis in how much of an increase it causes but it does cause at least a little increase, and sometimes a lot.  It's to the point where men are told not to drink it.  It's not going to harm women but men are advised against taking it.  It's just not worth it really unless you're entirely lactose intolerant and it's your only option.  You'd be far better off with skimmed milk than soy.  I think the number one thing to remember here is milk isn't bad for you and I don't know why soy became such a big health thing.  A healthier milk?...umm...isn't milk heavily advertised as healthy?  Lol

Green tea is definitely good for you but unfortunately you'd have to drink about 14 cups a day to get any real benefit out of it.  It's a great replacement for coffee or tea and so on though, and it tastes pretty good (I have a cup in the morning) but if you want the actual benefits of green tea, it's best to take a green tea extract supplement each day.  Personally I take a multivitamin, a pro-biotic, green tea extract and also CLA before meals.  CLA has been shown to have a modest effect on weight loss and improvement in lean muscle mass.

And you're right on artificial sugars!  I'd actually 100% avoid everything with artificial sweeteners (if it says aspartame on the label, throw it back where it came from and don't touch it again).  DON'T drink diet soda.  The best thing to do is mostly quit soda and when you do drink it, drink full stuff.  If it's only every now and again, full stuff is fine but artificial is so crap it's insane that it's legal.  It's been linked to causing cancer for crying out loud!  There's even studies that show it can lead to weight GAIN!  Total madness!  If you must have sugar in coffee, just have actual sugar, it's better for you in the long run.  But if you must have coffee/tea, either try to reduce the amount of sugar and if you can't do that, start reducing the amount of coffee/tea you have each day.

[democration]

It's just not worth it really unless you're entirely lactose intolerant and it's your only option.  You'd be far better off with skimmed milk than soy.  I think the number one thing to remember here is milk isn't bad for you and I don't know why soy became such a big health thing.  A healthier milk?...umm...isn't milk heavily advertised as healthy?  Lol

Almond milk and oat milk are also viable options! And as far as regular milk being healthy, I've always thought that, too. The non-organic stuff has been accused of containing small amounts of pus and feces due to the conditions the cows are living in. It's not really natural for them to produce as much milk as they do and it puts a strain on their udders, which sometimes get infected, and thus you get a little bit of pus in your milk. Not to gross anyone out. It's pasteurized still and safe to drink, and it's not like it tastes bad.

I'm lactose intolerant so I have to go for almond milk generally, though I never had a whole lot of dairy in my diet anyway. I've been told that milk isn't actually a great source for Calcium because your body doesn't absorb it or something, but I'm totally not sure whether or not that's true, so don't hold me to it.

[Mr.X]

Be careful about eating a lot of fruit. Fruit is healthy, yes, but it does contain a lot of sugar. And natural sugars or not, you still can gain weight from it (funny story: A long time ago people at the zoo wondered why their chimps were getting fat. They were given a lot of fruit, just like they ate in the wild. They discovered that our 'domesticated' fruits contain a lot more sugar than their wild versions.)

Also, it is rather important that you allow yourself a snack on certain days. If you do not do this, your body goes in starvation mode. This is good to lose weight, but as soon as you start eating normally again, the starved body will put on weight more easily, the so called yoyo effect. 

[Devin87]

I agree with Mr. X on the fruit-- it's delicious and good for you, but it also contains a lot of sugar.  Most people who have been overweight for a long time have insulin problems.  If your doctor has ever mentioned that to you (or go for a checkup if you can afford it-- always good to get a medical checkup  before starting something like this), concentrate on keeping your blood sugar low and the pounds will fall off almost effortlessly.  I try to stick mostly to foods my body evolved to eat-- meat, vegetables, fruits (but limited while I'm still trying to lose weight), nuts and seeds, and a small amount of full fat diary (when they take the fat out, they have to put chemicals and sugar in.  Taking fat out of foods that are naturally meant to have fat is unnatural and requires unnatural altercations to those foods).  Our bodies were meant to eat fat-- we use it as fuel very efficiently and it makes us feel full and satisfied.  Don't be afraid of it (except for trans fat-- avoid that crap like the plague).

I also agree that you've got to allow yourself those cheats.  Studies show people who are more flexible with their eating lose more in the long run because their diets are more sustainable.  I follow the 80/20 rule.  As long as I eat right about 80% of the time, I let myself enjoy life 20% of the time guilt free.  And I'm flexible with that.  Some weeks I don't feel the need to cheat at all, sometimes when I'm out with friends all weekend, I have a whole bad weekend (this weekend was ridonkulous...).  But be flexible and remember that as long as the vast majority of what you eat is good for you, you're not going to kill yourself by having a small piece of cake at your grandmother's birthday.

Good luck!  Keep posting so we can support you!

[DriftingCrow]

I agree with Mr. X on the fruit-- it's delicious and good for you, but it also contains a lot of sugar.  Most people who have been overweight for a long time have insulin problems.  If your doctor has ever mentioned that to you (or go for a checkup if you can afford it-- always good to get a medical checkup  before starting something like this), concentrate on keeping your blood sugar low and the pounds will fall off almost effortlessly.  I try to stick mostly to foods my body evolved to eat-- meat, vegetables, fruits (but limited while I'm still trying to lose weight),

An easy and healthy (and delicious!) way to get more veggies is to make a smoothie. It's really delicious if you just throw in something like one fruit that's really strong in it's flavor, like a banana, and then load up on the veggies (especially those without a strong flavor, like some spinach, brocolli (the stalks), sliced radishes/beets) and then throw in some carrot juice or almond milk and maybe a few berries if you want a sweeter flavor. You won't have too much sugar, and it's a quick and easy breakfast/lunch and requires absolutely no culinary skills.

[Andy]

This is great Joey, and everyone has given awesome advice! I too am determined--I'm not particularly overweight, but I have what Make_It_Good called that  "last 15 pounds" that are keeping me from having that nice flat stomach I want!

Here's a "dumb" idea that has been helping me: stickers!!  I got some stickers as a reward system, and I have 3 different exercise routines. I get to put the stickers on the calendar for every day that I do 1, 2 or 3 of the workouts. It's really stupid, I know, but hey, whatever works! I get so excited when I get to put the stickers on. 

I am so bound and determined to have my flat stomach!!! WE CAN DO THIS THING!!!!! Keep us posted, we're all with ya!!

[AdamMLP]

Another point on fruit, although I'm sure you'd never take it to that level, is that too much gives you one seriously bad stomach ache. I was boarding at school and the food got almost inedible for a long while (to the point that I asked a dinner lady what it was and she couldn't tell me, even after smelling it. These people were cooking the stuff. And don't get me started on reheated leftover fish fingers for breakfast...) I ended up living of vegetables, cheese, fruit and bread for days on end because I can't stand milk to put on cereal, and after one particularly fruity day (think 3 apples, 1 pear, 1 banana and some tangerines between 4 and 8 o'clock and nothing else) I was groaning I'm pain and trying not to move for the rest of the day.

That said though some vegetables make my stomach burn immediately, like cabbage and whatever they put into veggie burgers/sausages.