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Obese to FIT (22stone +)
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I know this post is quite a bit old, but I think it's worth addressing. In the nicest way possible; Everyone else knows you're overweight. They can see it. That's one the reasons you want to lose weight right, to improve your appearance?Deleted User wrote: »Can I ask ye guys though (ye guys = those overweight and trying to get fit); I go to a gym in the mornings (As above) that has a lovely big swimming pool. Usually about 6-7 people in it in the mornings swimming up and down. I like swimming and forever hearing of how good it is for you (cardio/weight loss-wise) but I find that I'm extremely self-conscious. I can't bring myself to use the pool at all.
So you need to lose any misconception that if you jump in the pool with your shirt off, people will be surprised or will stare, or will laugh. They won't, because they can see you're overweight, nothing you can do will make them think you're more overweight. So forget about "revealing" yourself with other people around; they don't care.
The key though is to remember that in the gym is the place you are least likely to be judged for your weight. You're not there to watch movies or eat food; you're there to work out, lose weight and get fit. Nobody else is thinking, "Wow, look at that fat guy". If anyone is thinking anything, they're thinking, "Fair play to that guy, I hope it works out for him". But most people aren't thinking anything, they're too busy trying to hide their own wobbly bits
Fair play vibes, and especially on recognising that you'll have good days and bad days. You'll even have good weeks and bad months. Stick with it and you'll get there. One thing to focus on is that it's not a bad thing if the numbers aren't going down, so long as they're not going back up. A week where you experience no weight change is a good week on balance; it means you haven't undone any good work.
OK, so the OP wanted stories. 8 years ago I was in my early twenties and fat. I'd been fat since I was 11. I broke my knee that year, spent six weeks sitting around and eating, and I just never really came back from that. I was a relatively active kid, played hurling and soccer like other kids, had a blue belt (red tag, in fact) in Tae Kwon Do, cycled a lot as a teenager. But I ate like an elephant. So I was always a wide guy. Always hated it, but never had a clue how to lose weight; as far as I was concerned, I did lots of exercise, so why was I still big. My parents didn't know a lot about such matters either, my mother convinced that it was "puppy fat" which would disappear when I got older and that I just needed to tone up a little bit. My Dad reckoned if I did a little but more exercise I'd be grand.
Looking back now, I know it was all diet.
Naturally as late teens and college arrived, alcohol and food intake went up and activity went down to practically zero. I joined the college gym on more than one occasion, went to a couple of sessions with various sports clubs, but always lacked the drive to keep it up - there was always something more interesting going on.
I had tried to "diet" and such in various guises. I can recognise now why they failed, mainly because of a lack of understanding - "Eat healthy foods only". A 12-inch tuna salad roll is healthy, right? "Only eat when you're hungry". Fine, but when do I stop eating?
Portion control was my downfall, but I never encountered any diet which explained that.
8 years ago, about a year after I'd left college, my girlfriend (now wife) was concerned enough about my weight to fool me into going to weightwatchers on the pretence that she didn't want to go on her own. She knew I was very sensitive about the subject of weight but also very unhappy about it, so I guess she reckoned that was the least offensive way of getting me to do something about it.
So we went to the meeting, I think I was more nervous about the room full of women than anything else, for some reason the idea of stepping on a scales didn't worry me. I was somewhere between 14 and 15 stone. Had been for years, so I was expecting no surprises.
I step on the scales; 17st 5.5lbs. It was actually like being hit with a baseball bat. That put me at a BMI of 35 and based on figures I have today, about 40-45% body fat. I knew nothing of BMI or body fat then, but that didn't really matter - the numbers were there in front of me, I wasn't just fat or a little bit overweight. I was huge.
It all changed for me in that second. I knew I was done. I couldn't look myself in the eye (in a mirror of course) knowing that I was so big. I liked the weightwatchers system, it suited me down to the ground. You can eat X points per day. Eat it and then stop. It worked for me, I was always a fan of numbers. Although my girlfriend stopped going after the first 6 weeks, I lost about 2.5 stone in the first 8 or 9 months, and kept up with WW for about another year after that, managing to drop about 3 stone in total solely on the WW programme. It was WW which gave me an initial understanding of portion control and calorie counting.
There are a few things which are great about the weight loss process;
- finding that your clothes look ridiculously big on you
- Looking at old photos and comparing them to more recent ones
- Seeing these numbers on the scales.
But by far I found the biggest, most motivating ego-boost I received was when someone would greet me by saying, "Holy crap, where's the rest of you?".
I tried to do some exercise with varying success. Managed to go to the gym a few times a week for 3 months, but didn't see any noticeable improvements in fitness or strength, and I was bored. I was probably expecting too much. Then I got a new job which wasn't next door to the gym, and that was the end of it.
Changed job again and decided I hated the bus enough that it would be worth cycling the 10km in and out of the city. I had always enjoyed cycling and here was a good opportunity to get back on the bike and get fit. So after a few false starts, I got into doing the trip practically every day. Also started experimenting with counting calories and dropped a stone-ish.
Got really into cycling then and although I got noticeably fitter and stronger, I never really lost much more weight than that initial stone over the next couple of years. In fact I managed to let it slip a little bit, back to just under 14 stone.
Late last year, looking at BMI and and the end of my twenties looming, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't be 30 and overweight. That I would enter my thirties being the healthy and active person I had wanted to be in my twenties.
So I did. A fairly concerted calorie counting effort along with a few evenings running every week and I managed to drop another 22lbs in 8 months with a week to spare before my 30th birthday. BMI of 25. A relatively meaningless number in the grand scheme, but a validation of 8 years of weight loss - I was no longer clinically "overweight". Something I had not been for nearly 20 years.
I even went and bought a new shirt for going out that night. It was a large. And it was a bit too big for me. Awesome.
I still have a few KGs to go before I'll draw and line and say I'm done. I'm aiming for 15% body fat, give or take. But that's for reasons of training, getting faster on the bike and on foot. I no longer worry that people look at me and see a fat guy, so I'm not doing it to look better.
That's probably not any kind of inspiration for the OP. Mine is a story of falling off the horse and getting back on again and then stabling the horse for a couple of years before getting back on and trying it again. It's not a story of 10 stone lost in two years followed by an ultra-marathon and climbing everest. But in 8 years of semi-committed regulating of my diet, I managed to undo ten years of very committed eating
And I'm happy with that.
You'll get there in the end, OP. It's never plain sailing, and it will never happen as fast as you want it to. I think if you can come to terms with that, then you will manage to stick with it. I believe that it's only through suffering the hard parts of losing weight that you can come to properly appreciate just what each pound is worth. And that's what will stop you from putting it back on.
As Redsunset says, it's a lifestyle change. Not short-term or medium-term. The rest of your life. Me and food still have our love-hate relationship; I love it, it hates me. But I understand the relationship well enough to keep control over it without feeling guilty for splurging and without feeling powerless when I get cravings.0 -
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I know this post is quite a bit old, but I think it's worth addressing. In the nicest way possible; Everyone else knows you're overweight. They can see it. That's one the reasons you want to lose weight right, to improve your appearance?
So you need to lose any misconception that if you jump in the pool with your shirt off, people will be surprised or will stare, or will laugh. They won't, because they can see you're overweight, nothing you can do will make them think you're more overweight. So forget about "revealing" yourself with other people around; they don't care.
The key though is to remember that in the gym is the place you are least likely to be judged for your weight. You're not there to watch movies or eat food; you're there to work out, lose weight and get fit. Nobody else is thinking, "Wow, look at that fat guy". If anyone is thinking anything, they're thinking, "Fair play to that guy, I hope it works out for him". But most people aren't thinking anything, they're too busy trying to hide their own wobbly bits
That's a fair point, I suppose. For the last two weeks or so I've been contemplating the swimming pool a little more, but everytime I think about it it becomes a tad more challenging.
I suppose it's just one of those things that's a huge deal in my head. I haven't been in a swimming pool in years, so it just kinda feels, I suppose, like I'm doing something alien to me and that I'll look like a(n overweight) fool.
I'm sure if I do it once or twice it'll be part of my regular routine and I'll have no problem doing it at all. Just that first step is the hardest.
Cheers to everyone else who took the time to reply to my question. Weight loss, despite being an entirely physical process, really is more of a mental struggle and challenge, isn't it. Can be quite tough at times.
That said, I'm quite literally sitting at the computer wearing a pair of pants I picked up in Penneys about six years ago that were worn once or twice before being too small for me and left in a wardrobe. Came across them by mistake earlier and tried them on. They currently fit quite comfortably. I'm happy about that.
Fair play vibes.
It's a pit there's not a lot of us in one area that could regularly gym together. A 'fat bastard' club would be great. I'd never join an exercise class or do a 'boot camp' thing for fear of being the only person there that can barely move. A group of people who are severely out of shape could be a great idea.
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MrStuffins wrote: »Hope you're all keeping it going lads.
I'm doing very well. Very slow but very steady progress. I'm less than a week from my Aug 31st target of trying to hit 200lbs. If I do, I'll be down 29lbs since I started and only approx 18lbs from my Ultimate Goal (Although my Ultimate Goal is getting to 13 stone and then putting on approx 1 stone of muscle and being a proper 14 stone)
But this week ive REALLY noticed the difference. It's HUGE! I got a new job a couple of weeks ago and this week I wore one of my shirts for just the second time. I bought it in April for a Christening, it fit perfectly.
When I wore it the other day I looked in the mirror in work and realised it was MASSIVE on me! I met my mate after work who said "you look like your big brother loaned you that shirt. You look like a little boy!".
Everybody has been complimenting me and its great!
So for anyone who thinks they are running in place, you're not, its just difficult to notice the difference at first. Keep it up!
Ah nothing like that feeling
Last summer, I won a belt on a golf outing... but the box was mislabelled and rather than an 'XL' belt, I got a Medium belt in an XL box... at first I was going to bring it back when I got a chance - as I could only fit the belt itself around me and could barely get the catch in the very first hole (alottt of breathing in!) but then I said "F*ck it, let's see if I can get into it in a few months, for the craic" etc etc
I now wear it on the 3rd or 4th hole and it puts a smile on my face everytime I put me trousers on! 0 -
Ah nothing like that feeling
Last summer, I won a belt on a golf outing... but the box was mislabelled and rather than an 'XL' belt, I got a Medium belt in an XL box... at first I was going to bring it back when I got a chance - as I could only fit the belt itself around me and could barely get the catch in the very first hole (alottt of breathing in!) but then I said "F*ck it, let's see if I can get into it a few months, for the craic" etc etc
I now wear it on the 3rd or 4th hole and it puts a smile on my face everytime I put me trousers on!
Something similar happened to me. I used to live in Spain and while there I went to a shop where a very very VERY nice coat, in a Large, caught my eye! Now, at this point i was an XL but it was summertime so I was just gonna wear it at night and always open so it didn't matter too much if it was a bit small.
Anyway, when I tried it on it was WAY too small. It was closer to a Medium! But i bought it anyway (even though it STILL looked small when open!
Anyway, I only wore it once because i'm an idiot who couldn't just accept that it didn't fit me!
But after I started losing weight I decided to try it on and ever since i've been using it as a measuring stick! Just yesterday I tried it on and i'm actually not too far off fitting me! Once I get down to my goal weight it's gonna fit like a glove! I'll know i've really acheived something big! 0 -
*Go to the gym, and often. You won't snack nearly as much if you've spent an hour doing relatively intense cardio exercise. You also feel much better in yourself and get a great natural high. I don't experience many sugar cravings since I started going to a gym.
I find this myself. I actually find that even a bit of casual cycling can kill off an urge to eat crap food. As little as 5 minutes of leisurely cycling tends to lift my mood and put me off the sweets that I wanted to eat just moments beforehand.
It's always just a challenge getting bothering to go out on the bike in the first place
I think my heaviest weight (that I've actually seen on a scale) was 18st 4lbs, and that was on 03/01/12. I did a bit of exercising around then but nothing that I stuck to, really.
With an impending holiday (my reason for hitting the gym again), I've started to take the weight loss seriously again and have been trying harder than before.
I started on Monday, June 18th and weighed myself that morning (17st 12lbs). My most recent weigh in was this Friday (the 24th) and I'm in at 16st 4lbs.
I'm no mathematician, now, but I think that's ten weeks with a loss of 22lbs? Nearly two stone, but not quite.
I keep letting go at weekends, and ruining it for myself. Every Monday to Friday afternoon I work hard at it and lose a decent chunk of weight. Then Friday evening to Monday I do nothing and eat crap, piling it all back on.
Do ye guys do cardio or weight training? I know cardio is the one that you should be prioritising, but I can't help but find it painfully boring a lot of the time. It's very tedious (especially in a gym, when you're practically looking at a clock for the duration of it). Much prefer weight training with a dash of cardio here and there (nothing too severe).0 -
MrStuffins wrote: »
Everybody has been complimenting me and its great!
I had a friend say the following to me last week: "I hope you don't mind me saying this, and I don't mean to insult ye, but you're looking an awful lot slimmer than before. You're looking well"
He said it as if I would deck him for saying it! I was delighted!:pac:
The only downside of the whole thing is buying new clothes...it's costing me a feckin fortune!!
On a more serious thought: I notice a lot of people here saying that they lost x amount, and then put it all back on. I did the same last year, but thankfully I now have it under control again. I think that having a goal or challenge beyond merely losing weight might be a good motivational idea. That way, if you don't lose weight in a particular week, or you hit a milestone, you don't give up in frustration or become complacent. I've decided I'm going to do the local Triathlon next summer. A few months ago I could barely break into a trot, and I can still barely sustain one, but the goal is pushing me further than I weight loss alone. I haven't told anyone either, as I hope it'll be a summer surprise!
See yiz all in RIo! :cool:;)0 -
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IS there anyone on this forum who does or in the past weight 20+ stone. I'm currently weighing about 21 stone and at my heaviest I was 23.5 stone. I'm 30 yr old male. Non smoker, very occasional drinker no more then 6 pints per month or every other month.
For past 6 weeks ive been training 3-4 days a week. workout plan is 65% weights 35% cardio. My eating has improved by 100% in terms of what i eat and when I eat but still needs some work. But after 6 weeks i don't feel like im getting anywhere, Also to point out i have given up with scales.....my reasons?
1. I wana go by my clothes
2. Go by my BMI
Also cause im lifting weights i do feel im putting on muscle so i find its not given me an accurate picture and I find when i focus on the number i lose faith.
I have alot of friends who are half my size and are very athletic, i have friends who take steroids and are huge in size and friends who wouldn't touch them and are in amazing shape and i have gotten advice from them all.
THE PROBLEM.....
Not one of the people i know has been in my position. Its very well for someone given u advice who has BMI of 15 or lower and never been classed as obese. So im dieing to talk to people who are in same both as me or were in past.
I have been on every diet in the world at least once, I aint looking for a diet im looking for help and few tips on a lifestyle change!
People who are/where clinically obese but have beaten the bulge!
Get on here and tell me your story how you do/did it, how you keep focus on the bad days and what worked for you.....
Need help, my head is wrecked at the mo feel im getting no where
Hey
20 stone at my biggest. Now 18 stone.
I do two things:
Diet: Paleo with Intermittent Fasting
Exercise: Cycle to work. Bodyweight Exercises = Convict Conditioning - download it. I do them first thing in the morning - its fantastic.
Feck the gym - its too expensive and not a sustainable lifestyle. If you haven't done it by thirty you wont. Always hated gyms.
Keep it simple - dont get bogged down by percentage cardio to weights.
Eat like you're supposed to
Move like you're supposed to.
Goals: Feel fit and in control.
Outcomes: Weight loss, feel stronger, look better, trimmer waste, stronger arms, leaner legs, compliments from colleagues, not be out of breath on the stairs, more confidence. Nothing in there about BMI or anything.
I don't buy for a second this s*** of putting on muscle but losing weight so can't tell. If you're fat you're fat. If you're ripped, you're ripped. Take pictures every two weeks and see the difference. Be honest with yourself. Accept your mistakes during the process but get up the following day and try harder. Follow the above, very simple rules.0 -
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Interesting thread.
I suffer from lower back problems which spread into consistent hamstring and calf troubles. I had to pack in football and my only sport now is golf. Since hanging up my boots the weight has REALLY pilled on. I was able to keep it down with training but now its just gone horrendous.
I was never "fit" or "lean" but my height always made it visually ok and I was always able to put in a good shift for 90 mins on the pitch.
My girlfriend has joined a gym and I've been giving it thought too. The unfortunate part is that I keep seeing people mention diets, and to be honest I know my diet is bad.I had a friend with is a PT do a food diary with me for two weeks and he was shocked and disturbed and my food intake so its something I'm going to need to address.
Personally, I don't buy into the food stuff, as it changes to a new flavour of the month. One minute its granola, then its nuts then its something else. It seems a modern thing of the last few years people saying this and that is bad. I'm not sure if its advances in technology, or if its rubbish trying to peddle new foods. I would have never heard of "brown rice" and "duck eggs" and all this bollox when I was doing football training ( which was at a high level)
I'll probably need to look into it. Tonight will be the first night I've ever stepped into a gym, so its probable I wont know what I'm doing. Its a 5 day pass to see if I'm interested in going, so figured I'd just use the bikes and treadmill for a bit, see what happens.
Be interested in being pointed to a direction for some plans/suggestions on what the hell to do in a gym for someone like me. I'm not actually sure of my weight, I dont think its 20 st but I'd say its around 17-18 maybe, I've never felt the need to weight myself. Suprisingly enough I'm actually pretty happy and not too self conscious, its just a case of Im starting to feel some physical effects lately in terms of tiredness and fatigue.
Been itneresting reading the thread and I'll definitly keep reading 0 -
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I agree
My weight gain has been literally as there is no physical activity for me for three years bar golf and the odd 5 aside game.
I dont actually eat alot or big portions. While the food I eat may be poor in terms of no greens or veg, I was fine when I was training twice a week with a game at the end of the week.
So I guess the point I was aluding to, is that most of the assistance so far has been massive focus on my diet and intake, simply put its been the same since I was like 10 and while I will make efforts to change it, I'm hunting for help for physical routines, but any PT etc. I go to wants me to overhaul my diet and simply puts its most likely not a runner. I can cut down on the coffee, the fizz and the treats, but asking me to change my meals after 20 years is a bit much when I'm not sold on the concept 0 -
So I guess the point I was aluding to, is that most of the assistance so far has been massive focus on my diet and intake, simply put its been the same since I was like 10 and while I will make efforts to change it, I'm hunting for help for physical routines, but any PT etc. I go to wants me to overhaul my diet and simply puts its most likely not a runner. I can cut down on the coffee, the fizz and the treats, but asking me to change my meals after 20 years is a bit much when I'm not sold on the concept
What do you mean by changing your meals? What kind of meals do you usually eat?0 -
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