advice im fat

Hi Kevin, I totally understand your frustration. Is there any way for you to lightly jog around the neighborhood or something on a daily basis? With being overweight there are usually some underlying reasons or behaviors that are causing it, some might not be obvious. Are you eating because you're bored? Do you have a obsession with food or perhaps you don't know why you have all this weight when you don't really eat? Research has also demonstrated that lack of sleep is actually a major contribution to weight gain (especially in the United States) http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/lost-sleep-can-lead-to-weight-gain/?_r=0 , as it ages your fat cells and cause you to typically eat more carb rich foods.

Whatever the reason is, just try to opt for healthier options if you can. Maybe you and your parents can have a discussion about healthy dinner meals and snacks at the house? If you slowly work on swapping things like soda for water, chips for celery+peanut butter (or maybe crackers and hummus, nuts, fruits, plenty of options), heavy meat dishes for vegetable ones, the weight will work itself off. Be easy on yourself, your weight doesn't define you, its just something that you need to address for both yourself and your health. The transition may be a bit tough and you might have temptations to go back to your old ways but just realize thats its not a punishment (you don't have to never ever drink a soda again, just not everyday for example). Your body will thank you when it detects you are building it up with nutrients that it needs (but usually doesn't get) rather than stressing it with toxins and processed food. I hope it goes well I'd be interested to hear more but otherwise good luck :icon_wink

 

Hey man, it's something that is certainly hard to do, but it can be done! First off, I second Nord's suggestion on making food substitutions. You don't have to sacrifice everything- you should allow yourself some luxuries after all- but ensure that you're turning them into luxuries and not everyday foods. So eat better, but equally don't crash diet or starve yourself because that simply isn't sustainable. You shouldn't eat too few calories, because your body will respond by shutting down and burning less fat.

As for exercise, don't start vigorously or try doing everything at once. Just start by doing short walks each day, or if you already walk just take a slightly longer route each week. Build up to intense exercise, and just exercise so you feel worked out but not uncomfortable. In short: play the long game. It's a marathon and not a sprint, so just build up your exercise routine slowly, so that you don't get yourself too demoralised early on and you're ready for running, swimming, whatever it may be when you get round to it.

Also, to keep up your motivation, try and see if anyone could be your fitness partner, or if there's a club to join. Personally I prefer to exercise alone, but that's just me. If you feel it could benefit you, having someone else there to push you can make those excuses just a little harder to give in to, and make you exercise more. Introduce an element of competition against yourself. I've found something that drives me is the satisfaction I get when I achieve a new record when I run or swim, and I can think to myself "a few months ago that would've been inconceivable for me!". So take notes of what you're achieving when you exercise; it gives you a written target for next time, which gives you a high when you beat it. Basically just find something that motivates you or makes you view exercise as a challenge not a chore, and hold on to it.

Finally, try and make some simple habit changes. Doing things that seem passive, such as standing rather than sitting when watching TV or working, or fidgeting when you're in class, don't seem like much but they're better than nothing and they add up over time. You're burning more calories doing those things than sitting still, so while you won't get anywhere without exercising and eating well, making a habit of this can help somewhat.

Keep us updated, and ask if you need any support. I'm sure plenty of members here have gone along the same route; I have, for instance, and I was able to get my weight down to healthy levels. So it's possible! Just keep chipping away and some day you'll see results. Good luck dude!