Feel fat again

If you can go to a running store to get shoes. I went to one here in Bloomington and the shoes are great and my feet don't hurt while I'm running.

I will only by shoes from a running store again. Running shoes from Wal-mart are not the same.

Just hang in there and get focused on what it is YOU want to accomplish. Do not think about the reaction of others, think about your reaction to each small accomplishment that leads to a larger one. You can do this. I think most folks don't even think to laugh or make fun in person when they see someone trying hard. Online you will get all kinds of people who will hate on you, but most wouldn't do it in person. Just set your goals and make them obtainable, and work towards them. Work hard. Do Not make excuses and do not accept excuses and you will do much better than you think. Good luck and keep us updated.

-mike

[Tyburn]

Originally Posted by mikthehick

Well Dave, to those who were insensative enough to post pictures of overweight people, that was just wrong. But oh well, you don't have time for them in your life anyway.

To heck with them. I think it's great when people make a big decision to live better, for themselves. You are the one person who can control your attitude for the day, and it's also a big part, esp if you are on medication (I've been on meds too, but currently on Zyrtec for allergies, with HORRIBLE side effect of drowziness....)

So def spend yoru money on more apples, pears, corn, squash, anything like that. I drink diet soda on occassion, but try to avoid the real stuff.

Try to get 100% juice. Concentrate is that crap they put in it. OR, you could buy a juicer, and throw in whatever you want, carrots, bananas, apples, those make pretty good juices and you know that you are only eating good stuff, since you make it yourself. Maybe your parrot would even sing along....lol

I will put a juicer down for next months treat

I got some concentrate Apple Juice coz it was cheap...and I hope my trainers will be okay because I havent the money for new shoes. They were alright in the gym...sooo I hope they are alright outside...dont think I have to worry to much yet

...I wont be actually running for long before im too puffed out

Try the burpee challenge!!!!

http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=34473

I'm proud of you Dave... you can do it!!

[Bonnie]

Just be sensible in both your exercise and eating, Dave. Like one of the posters said set some obtainable goals starting out. Push yourself a little harder as it gets easier.

I'm not much of a runner, but walking can be just as effective. And, I agree with Aaron, when you can, invest in a really good pair of sneakers. I like Asics, but there are other good ones out there.

I think swimming will be great for you too. You can burn a lot of calories and it's non-impact on your knees and joints.

Keep us updated and whenever you need some encouragement, you know we're here for you.

Anything to dealing with the pool is excellent since like Bonnie said it's easy on the joints. I highly recommend water aerobics, it got me toned in 3 months (going 2-3 times a week).

Exercise is important Dave, but I would say your diet is maybe even more important. You need to make a diet you can live on for life. A lot of people make diets that they can't stick with. In my humble opinion as well as some nutrionist's opinions, taking out carbs completely is a HUGE no-no. Your body needs carbs. It's all about portions. And taking out things you love such as sweets is also a big no-no because then you're going end up craving them even more, thus consuming more. If you have a favorite candy or sweet, don't have no more than 2 of it a day.

I do advise that taking out soda is a good idea, and stick to water and tea (especially green and white since they jump start your metabolism). Make sure to watch what kinds of juice you drink because they can be loaded with sugar. Pure pineapple juice for example packs a lot of potassium, but also has a lot of sugar. Orange juice is great for vitamin C but again depending on the brand it can pack on the sugar.

And all of the above works because I've been successfully able to lose 20 lbs (went from 170 to 150), and maintain that weight for 4 years. It won't be easy Dave, but develop a good work out plan and diet, and you will definitely be on your way.

So that's my two cents, and best of luck.

[Bonnie]

Boy, Dave, you're getting a lot of excellent advice--for free!

Danelle's post reminded me of something. I agree watch out for the sugar in those juices and soda pop. What I was going to add is READ THE LABELS, nutrition info on the backs of the products. It will tell you the calories, fat from calories, sodium and sugar as well as other stuff.

Remember if you are getting something with less fat they usually increase the sodium and sugar and the same goes if they're reducing the sodium/sugar, they usually have more fat. Just something to watch for.

Like Danelle mentioned don't go on a "diet", rather make changes in what you eat that you can live with for life. Also, Nate mentioned that Matt's given him some good tips: portion control and cutting out all the "white" stuff (white bread, sugar, etc..).

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Tyburn

I feel fat again...I dont notice it during the winter, but when the weather warms, suddenly you feel the extra weight. I had to cancel my gym subscription because they put the prices up...and its made things worse.

So...I took the first steps and have booked a doctors appointment for next week, I heard on the grapevine that if you can prove your obease ( shouldnt be hard ) and if you say your depressed (well I am on medication for it ) Sometimes, they will aggree to fund your gym membership

I HAVE to looooooooooose Looooooooooooooooooooooots of lbs because...I dont wanna look like a Beer Barrel when I go on my States Tour

REALY hummm does it work that way in the US if so I better start eating.

[NateR]

Speaking of free advice, I've had a breakthrough in losing weight in the last few weeks, thanks to Matt. I've lost over 20 pounds and am actually down below 240 pounds for the first time in 2 years. Matt's been giving me a lot of advice on what to cut out of my diet and I've learned one key factor: portion control.

Whatever you normally eat for one meal, cut it in half. For instance, if I would normally make two ham sandwiches for lunch, then I will only eat one. If I get hungry again in 2 or 3 hours, then I will eat an apple or an orange.

I never realized just how much I used to eat in one meal before, especially when I was in the Army. Back then I would eat an entire can of chili beans, 2-3 hot dogs with buns and one slice of cheese on each one (there was cheese also added to the chili), 1 or 2 cans of soda and then a bag of chips and usually a desert of some kind, all for just one meal. I don't even eat that much food in one day now.

The key is to shrink your stomach down, so you always want to leave the table a little hungry. When you ball up your fists and put them together, that's how much food your stomach can hold. If you are putting more than that amount of food in your stomach in one sitting, then you are overeating.

As for foods, get rid of the "whites." No white sugar, white bread, white rice, white potatoes, or white pasta. The key one to cut out of your diet is the sugar. If you are going to have sugar in your diet, then you want it to come from fruit, honey or another natural source. So, candy, soda, snack cakes, etc. are out of the question. This is difficult, trust me I know. I'm a big fan of soda and I've gotten myself to avoid it for the most part. However, if I do feel the urge to drink a soda, then I never drink more than one 20 ounce bottle in a day and I NEVER drink diet soda. It's better to just drink the sugar loaded soda, fulfill your craving and move on. You'll find yourself drinking less and less soda if you avoid the diets. Those artificial sweeteners will probably kill you faster than the sugar.

Same with candy, if I get a real serious sweet tooth, then I will usually just walk down to the store and buy a small bag of M&Ms. Usually by the time I finish that bag, the craving is gone. And I actually haven't had a serious sugar craving in the last week and a half.

No white bread, only eat whole wheat bread. Same with rice and pasta, you only want the whole grain kinds. For potatoes, just cut them out of your diet completely, except for sweet potatoes, which are actually very good for you.

Another big thing to cut down in your diet is dairy products. You can still drink skim milk, but try to minimize stuff like cheeses, creams, ice cream, etc. Cottage cheese, however, is a really good source of protein and there are lowfat versions of that. This is a tough one for me, because I love cheese; but I'm working on cutting down on the amount of cheese I have in my diet, so I might only use one slice instead of two in a sandwich.

The goal is to have a high-protein, low-carb diet (NOT a carb free diet). And water, you can't drink too much water. Ideally you should be drinking one gallon of water per day.

The other critical element is to NOT starve yourself. In other words, don't skip meals. If your body thinks it is starving to death, then it's going to start storing more fat and burning off muscle. In fact, you want to be eating 5 or 6 small meals per day, not 3 large meals. Again, it's easy enough to split a large meal up into 2 or 3 small meals that you eat throughout the day.

When you first get up in the morning, you need to eat something (whether you feel hungry or not), because you need to condition your body to expect food first thing in the morning (preferably something healthy like eggs, whole wheat toast, or oatmeal). Also exercising is key first thing in the morning as well, because it kicks starts your metabolism and you will burn fat for the rest of the day.

Obviously exercise is critical, but good news, Dave, walking is better than running if you are trying to lose fat.