[jdhart]

OK, first:

Do this:

Drink only water
Eliminate all fried and deep-fried foods
Eliminate all pre-packaged snacks
Eliminate all dairy
Eliminate sauces

This will work, guaranteed. I did it to start my weight loss and I dropped from 255 to 235 before I could blink. But I had a terrible time maintaining that level of discipline. But just dropping calories from drinks (pop, beer etc) and from ranch dressing will help. If you gotta have ranch ... no fat sour cream + ranch mix works wonders.

I am 33 years old and 6'4" tall. About 1.5 years ago I was 255. I am now 185 with a final goal of 180. My weight loss wasn't as fast as some. But, studies show the faster you lose, the more likely you are too put it back on. If your true goal is a healthier, happier self, then the best way is to change habits, not force yourself to binge under-eat.

DO NOT go below 1200 calories a day. At that level every single thing you eat needs to be very high in nutrition or you can do damage to your body. Plus, at 280, regardless of your height, it's not necessary.

Before I was eating a 12" subway sandwich as my only meal with any real nutrition. Unfortunately I was having a large soda and 2 cookies with it. After work I would drink 2-4 cans of Mt Dew and eat half a box of cookies. Snacking on other junk the whole time and going 2-4 times every weekend to consume monster 1500 calorie meals.

Now, Clif Bar, greek yogurt in the morning. Sandwich with 1 slice of cheese, whole wheat bread and ~6 pieces of lunch meat at first break. ~350 calorie salad for lunch. Builder bar for last break. Beer and something light (apple) when I get home. Comes out around 1700 calories. Then, I add a little more if I have a particularly active day. When I strictly stick to this, 1.5 lbs a week like clockwork.

The simple fact is that weight is dependent entirely on calories in vs out. Period. Well ... or surgery. Body composition (amount of muscle vs fat etc) is dependent on working out and what kind of calories you eat.

Body composition also effects your basal metabolic rate (BSM: the rate at which your body innately burns calories). The more muscle, the more calories burnt while sitting. However, I knew that there was no way I was going to be able to maintain a workout routine until I dropped a bunch of weight. It was too tiring and I'm too much of a wuss. So I dropped the lbs first. Easier to lose weight by doing less (eating less) than by doing more (working out). If you walk at 3 mph for 2 hours you will burn ~500 calories ... aka a Big Mac. So, eat 1 less Big Mac, or walk briskly for 2 hours.

One of the most important things for me has been cheat days. I go out with my girl and get a beer and a burger or something on the weekends. But, because my habits have changed, that beer and burger basically puts me at my maintain calories for that day. Not losing any ground. If you do this, make it a GOOD beer and burger, not McDonalds and a Budweiser. If you slip up, scold yourself and go back at it. Become stronger, be stubborn, and be sick of being an overweight lazy burden on your body. Don't be afraid to be hard on yourself, but turn that into drive to do better.

Now I gotta figure out how to get some muscles on my scrawny ass ...

[EvosM3]

If you don't eat out and cook and prepare all of your meals, you're guaranteed to lose weight. Couple that with moderate exercise and your goal is definitely attainable within the year!

[SyL3nTFoRcE]

sorry for the late update.....


so it has been almost 1 week since i quit smoking feeling pretty great about it, my calorie intake is averaged at 1300 im not going to lie i ate some mcdonalds on thursday but it was a salad with dressing, it isnt easy honestly. im trying to commit to just water but temptation kills sometimes. im mainly at work sitting behind a computer sometimes carrying servers and walking from one office to the other but im trying to go to workout more, work just kills my time during weekdays, im going to do a weigh in next week and see how i am doing


thanks for your support and advice also

[Quick6EF]

This topic is full of terrible advice and consuming that few calories at your size is dangerous. Please do some research and avoid this sub-section.

[ZJP]

Incorporate some racquetball into your exercise routine if possible.

I just started playing with a friend and it's definitely more fun than running on a treadmill or elliptical, plus you will burn WAY more calories.

[Xzach92X]

Smoking actually it's the nicotine and other stuff in it is an appetite suppressant so if you quit smoking your going to want to eat more smoking also increases your metabolism if I were you I'd quit smoking but I'd dip or use those e cigarette things or patch but if you already quit then don't go back to it and always remember save the lungs and rot the gums

[MikeyV]

Originally Posted by SyL3nTFoRcE

sorry for the late update.....


so it has been almost 1 week since i quit smoking feeling pretty great about it, my calorie intake is averaged at 1300 im not going to lie i ate some mcdonalds on thursday but it was a salad with dressing, it isnt easy honestly. im trying to commit to just water but temptation kills sometimes.

1300 calories is way to little you should be knocking back 2500, eating too little is just as bad as eating too much. Anyway I lost 50 pounds a few years back from walking, I weighed in at 250lbs and dropped to 200lbs in 6 months just from walking, I didn't change my diet, although I eat reasonably well, very little carbonated drinks, fast food or sweets. When I stopped walking after changing jobs and running out of time to walk the weight came back, I still don't have enough time to walk but do go to the gym 3 times a week, the weight is coming off slowly and I'm packing on the muscle.

[blender]

[1] Watch "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead."
[2] Buy a juicer.
[3] Use the juicer.
[4] Lots of juice, no junk food, moderate exercise.

[Transcon]

Some great advice already given on this thread but I thought I would add my two cents. Just 2 years ago I found myself in almost the exact same position you are. I had let my weight creep up to almost 320lbs (6' tall) and felt miserable and tired most all the time. Played sports throughout high school and college an always was able to eat what I wanted and still weighed 185 lbs, how things change with age

Fast forward 10 years and then combine that with a very sedentary career filled with airport fast food, inflight meals, and beers every night and it was a recipe for disaster. My "come to Jesus" moment was when my doctor had to put me on blood pressure medication at 30 years old and told me if I didn't make a change I wouldn't live to see 40. Combine that with the fact that I could potentially loose my medical over this and not be able to continue my career and my choice was pretty clear, I needed to make a change.

Not saying it was easy and its taken time but I have managed to drop 90 of those pounds and am 30 away from my goal of 200 lbs. I am NOT a diet person at all so I knew I had to do something that would be sustainable in the long run. First thing I gave up was soda...for me this was HUGE. I used to pack down 6-10 Pepsi's a day which alone added up to almost a normal caloric intake for a full day. I limited the processed fast foods to very occasional and can honestly say I really don't miss them at all. My one weakness is the occasional In-N-Out when I'm back in my home state of Cali but that's just one thing I refuse to give up and I keep those visits limited. I still do eat out (especially when I'm out on a trip with work) but try to make smarter choices in what I am ordering. The key thing for me is not getting down on myself if I want to have something which might not be the "best" for me. If I want something I will have it, I just remember to enjoy things in moderation. The above mentioned goes for the booze as well, I still drink but not nearly as much as I used to.

The other major factor for me is maintaining an active lifestyle. I had gotten so lazy that the thought of a gym or even a bike ride would be something I wouldn't have even considered. When I started this lifestyle shift I got into the gym and was going on average 5-6 days a week. I wore a heart rate monitor and would use that to do heart zone interval training (do a google search and you will find a great deal of info on it) Basically, it all came down to a simple formula for me of calories in being equal to or less that calories out. After a year in the gym I found myself getting bored with being cooped up indoors so I got back on my bicycle and started riding again...this for me was the turning point in my weight loss. I started riding 5 miles a day, then 10, eventually got up to 20...I just took it slow. Ended up enjoying it so much that I bought myself a gift and invested in a new road bike. I now am averaging 20-30 a day or about 100-200 miles a week and am loving every minute of it. No doubt I am not the best looking guy in spandex out there but I have found the one thing that I really enjoy doing long term, I hope to keep it as a lifelong passion.

Sorry for the long, rambling story but I know where the OP is coming from...been there and it is not easy. Just wanted to share my own ongoing lifestyle change and give some words of encouragement. Keep it up brother, its up to you to make it happen and there are plenty of us out here willing to lend support to assist you in reaching your goals

[Bronze]

I'll chime in with some additions. Lots of good advice here, and I can't really add to it much. Personally I've made some changes myself to get healthier and have started seeing the results. I've just made some adjustments in that I don't eat any empty calories anymore. When I go to lunch I eat a healthy option, and I don't buy the chips+soda meal option, I just ask for a cup for water. I've taken some items I may have eaten at meals, and made those my between meal snacks (always healthy, like greek yogurt, protein shake or bar, sunflower seeds or nuts). For exercise, I've started some high intensity interval training just three times a week for 20-25 minutes, and then I play soccer once a week.

After 8 weeks, I've not really lost weight on the scale, but I'm tracking measurements on my arms, waist, chest and legs, and all are the same or smaller, with my waist being three inches smaller! Obviously my body is reorganising things, and I feel better. More to come, and this is a change for life.

OK, my two things to add: see a physician ASAP. He or she needs to know what you're doing and can recommend a pace of weight loss. He can also plan to do periodic blood work to make sure you are doing these properly. Consider the blood work as your oil analysis equivalent on your car. Second, find a community of people who have similar goals as you to talk with regularly. They will be your support, and you can support them. This is the mental part of it, because it will challenge you.

A great book I read on setting goals and getting the right thinking is "The SLight Edge" by Jeff Olson. A life changer.

Keep us posted and good luck!

[Enjoiyourlife]

Originally Posted by Quick6EF

This topic is full of terrible advice and consuming that few calories at your size is dangerous. Please do some research and avoid this sub-section.

+1

[mariajames]

You have to find a time that's best for you. In fact even with a little exercise and less eating out you'll see results in a few weeks. That'll motivate you to choose the right foods and exercise even more...if you like any sport, get involved---you'll lose the most when you're having fun!

[dmv328]

Originally Posted by rclem05

[1] Watch "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead."
[2] Buy a juicer.
[3] Use the juicer.
[4] Lots of juice, no junk food, moderate exercise.

Also watch "Forks over Knives" and consider moving to a whole-foods, plant-based diet, which can be both healthy and support your weight loss goals. You may have seen this in the news: "Houston Texans running back Arian Foster is the latest pro athlete to begin eating vegan – eating only plant-based food to the exclusion of meat and dairy."

[Lester]

Here is a two week diet that is very popular in Europe. You will lose up to 20 lbs in two weeks and it allows for plenty of meat so you never really feel hungry. You cannot have any alcohol whatsoever.


Day1 Sunday
Morning: Coffee without sugar as much as You want
Lunch: 2 boiled eggs, spinach (no salt) as much as you want
Dinner: large grilled steak, lettuce and celery

Day 2 Monday
Morning: coffee without sugar and 1 small bread
Lunch: large grilled steak, lettuce, fruit as much as you want
Dinner: ham as much as you want

Day 3 Tuesday
Morning: same as day 2
Lunch: 2 boiled eggs, lettuce and tomatoes as much as you want
Dinner: ham, lettuce as much as you want

Day 4 Wednesday
Morning: same as day 2
Lunch: 1 boiled egg with carrots (boiled or raw), small piece soft cheese
Dinner: fruit as much as you want and I plain yogurt

Day 5 Thursday
Morning: carrots (grated) and lemon juice (important), coffee
Lunch. broiled Fish and 2 tomatoes
Dinner: normal size steak and lettuce as much as you want

Day 6 Friday
Morning: same as day 2
Lunch. grilled chicken brest as much as you want
Dinner: 2 boiled eggs and carrots (raw or steamed) as much as you want

Day 7 Saturday
Morning: lemon tea or herbal tea
Lunch: large Steak and fruits as much as You want
Dinner: what you want (but not too much) and NO alcohol

After 2 weeks, you should lose max 20 pounds. You might lose less.,
Strictly no alcohol during the diet as this would stop the chemical reaction

Stevia or similar is ok in coffee
Try to reduce salt as much as you can
No oil with lettuce but dill or chives is ok

[Alex Lipowich]

It is simple, but not necessarily easy.

Most Americans do not understand the difference between healthy foods, and foods that will help you lose weight. Example: Whole grain bread, brown rice..... Surely better nutrition than Wonder or Uncle Ben's white....but poor choices for weight loss. Within 30 minutes sugar levels rise with no difference for weight loss vs ice cream and a snickers.

I've helped many of my patients lose weight.

Boiled down to the simplest concept:

Your body will happily burn fat for you.....

If your blood sugar is dropping, and you've not stored sugar in the form of glycogen in your liver during the last few meals.

So basically, ANY food you eat that contains sugar, or can be converted to sugar stands in the way of burning fat.

Avoid obvious sugars (candy, cake, cookies), bread, pasta, rice, corn, potatoes
Eat proteins and veggies: meat fish, chicken, turkey salads, eggs, cheese

Keep in mind the subtle issues, ie some veggies do have sugars, carrots, beats.

Fruit is tricky. Truth is, fruit is almost always packaged with a lot of fiber, so, it tends to be hard to take in huge and damaging levels of sugar by eating fruit. Use it for your deserts, but be aware, it does have sugar of course.

Highly recommend watching "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" on You Tube. It will change your life if you are serious about losing weight.

Personally, I do not think exercise is mandatory. Exercise that increases your appetite and is not accompanied by proper eating could set you backwards.

Eating less is not the answer. Eating differently is the solution.

Exercise and eating less are not sustainable for the majority of people. It reeks of punishment, and the goal is not a correction for moral transgressions, rather improving your health.

Ie, it is against human nature to push away from the table when you are hungry. Don't fight it, have two bowls of salad, two steaks etc.....don't sweat the dressing or croutons, the salad is such a better choice than potatoes or bread, you'll come out ahead.

Anyway, good luck, I'm sure some people will take issue with my message, but over 20 years in practice, I've seen many excellent results.

[duk]

it's almost all in the diet:

- very few carbs
- no fatty foods
- low sugar foods
- low calories
- much more protein

work out and burn more calories than you take in

[z-nigma]

Originally Posted by mousitch

Try this. Very helpful and will motivate.Free plus theres a phone app too. Good luck!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

I honestly didn't read the rest of this thread, but this is exactly what I was going to post.

About a year ago, I was 230 lbs. Today, I am 168 lbs and still losing weight.

My main contributors were:

1. MyFitnessPal. Love this app. It really makes you think twice about what you're about to eat. I didn't revolutionize my diet. I was a fat guy that liked to eat fat guy stuff. However, I started buying the healthy versions of *everything* that I enjoyed. 200 calorie pizzas, ground turkey instead of ground beef, low fat versions of this and that, stopped drinking pop and started drinking a lot more water. MyFitnessPal basically forced me to think twice about what I ate. When I'd go out to a restaurant, I'd use the database to look up the nutrition facts on a meal and would be shocked to find that something I've eaten for years was 1500+ calories in one sitting. No bueno.

2. P90X. To be 100% honest, I've yet to finish a complete 90 days of P90X. However, it got me into the habit of working out on a regular basis and when I stopped my first round, I was a good 60 days in. Circumstances at the time left me without the time to complete the program fully, but I still do it on a semi-regular basis and it's been awesome. Love love love it.


Kudos to you for taking the first step in losing the weight man. Once you start seeing results and start hearing from all your friends and family how awesome you look, you'll never want to stop. Being healthy and fit won't be a choice, it'll be a change in your actual lifestyle.

[Sharon535]

Buy yourself the book: "Good Calories. Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes, it will change your life.

[Beemw335]

Ive been workin out for 3 years, learned alot about losing and gaining weight.
And through my experience, all calories are the same, just focus on calories in vs. calories out.
Go online and find out your bmr( basic metabolic rate) and then cut calories by 500-700 per day and stay consistent and you will lose fat.
Dont forget to loft weights, its the best thing for you! Good luck!

[epbrown]

One of the best posts I've seen on this forum. One of the best recipes for fat removal I've encountered is cardio (just walking) combined with this - dropping sugary drinks and sugary food, potatoes, rice, and anything made with white flour, your body will learn to burn fat again.

There's also the simple mathematics of weight loss - increase your calorie burn, drop your calorie intake. The rule of thumb is to burn 500 more calories a day and ingest 500 fewer, for a net deficit of 1000 calories/day. Combined with the advice below, the pounds will come off. If you want to get really aggressive, reduce your calories to 10 calories/lb of your goal weight.

Some posters here squawk that severely reducing your calories can lead to health problems related to poor nutrition. Unless you're getting your 2000 calories a day solely from ice cream that's very unlikely, but if that's a concern a multivitamin will help. A low carb, low sugar diet with no nutritional value is pretty tricky to achieve, though.

Originally Posted by Alex Lipowich

It is simple, but not necessarily easy.

Most Americans do not understand the difference between healthy foods, and foods that will help you lose weight. Example: Whole grain bread, brown rice..... Surely better nutrition than Wonder or Uncle Ben's white....but poor choices for weight loss. Within 30 minutes sugar levels rise with no difference for weight loss vs ice cream and a snickers.

I've helped many of my patients lose weight.

Boiled down to the simplest concept:

Your body will happily burn fat for you.....

If your blood sugar is dropping, and you've not stored sugar in the form of glycogen in your liver during the last few meals.

So basically, ANY food you eat that contains sugar, or can be converted to sugar stands in the way of burning fat.

[loveskiing]

I know this post is ten days old but wanted to post nonetheless...
First off...before undertaking ANY severe weight loss program, I would HIGHLY recommend you consult with your primary care practitioner...get a complete physical including blood work to see if you have any abnormal issues...make sure that they test your thyroid too...
Secondly, you didn't put the weight on overnight...attempting to lose it rapidly could have adverse long term effects on your heart and other organs...ignore all those that claim to have lost 100 pounds in 5-6 months...that is so bad for your body and almost all who have had that rapid loss gain it back plus more.
Thirdly, weight is a simple reflection of caloric intake vs caloric expenditure. To lose weight in a healthy fashion, simply reduce the intake to a healthy level and S-L-O-W-L-Y increase the caloric output (walking, weight bearing exercise, cardios, etc)...
Fourthly, the word D-I-E-T spells disaster. Almost everyone you talk with has done the diet thing, lost hundreds of pounds over their lifetime and put it back on only to "try" a new fad diet and repeat the process. Instead of "trying" a new diet, change your lifestyle. Consult a nutritionist and get with lower fats, lower animal proteins, more fresh veggies, fruits, grains and nuts. Eat more fresh fish.
Finally, have fun doing it...see it more as a journey than a destination...and celebrate the process!

[blackrabbit]

Great goal, and I wish you luck.

I recently did the Dukan diet. I dropped from 220lbs to my current 150lbs in 4 months. Its quite a tough diet, but i was never hungry and seeing the daily drop in weight helped me keep my motivation (i have a short attention span and like instant rewards!)

The diet is restrictive, but the old adage of getting out what you put in works.

I have to say im happier with myself and feel so much better for the weight loss. I didn't realize how the weight was affecting me.

Again, good luck and I really hope you succeed