I know I've posted things about my struggle with weight loss before and everything has been most helpful. I have a few more questions and I'm hoping you can help me. First of all, I have a lot of weight to lose and my goal weight is 180 lbs but I would be happy anywhere below 250. I want to look like a normal person. I don't want to look like a fat person. I want to be a regular person and i dont know how to get there. Is it realistic for me to aim for my goal weight of 160-180. Also, will I be able to lose weight and not have a ton of excess skin left over? I don't want to have the excess skin....
Any goal is realistic, I think. I mean you hear these stories about people who are in the 600lb and higher area losing tons of weight and getting down to the 1-200 lb area (depending on what's appropriate for their height). And based on what little I know about weight loss, you should be able to lose weight without having things like excess skin and stretch marks if you lose the weight at a rate your body can keep up with. Like if you're doing something to make you lose 15 lbs per week (I'm not sure that's possible without doing something completely unhealthy, but it's just for the sake of example) then your body probably wouldn't be able to keep up and you might have excess skin and so forth. But if you lose the weight in smaller increments then your body should be able to adjust and there shouldn't be any of those problems.
In general, it's inadvisable to lose (or gain) more than about 2-7 pounds a week. It's also really hard to change your body weight*, and to some extent, we are stuck with our overall morphology (I will never be built like a football player, my body just won't hold that much muscle nor its equivalent in fat). So, the two tricks: exercise more and eat well. Note I said "well," not "less" ("less may be appropriate, but having had eating problems and several friends with anorexia and bulimia I wouldn't advise less without knowing your current diet). That means eating whole-grain foods, lots of fruits and veggies, vegetable oil (about ten years ago a nutrition study suggested revamping the food pyramid to, among other things, make the bottom tier vegetable oil), nuts and beans, etc. Avoid white bread, white rice, potatoes, high-cholesterol foods, and sugary foods and drinks. A program of good diet and exercise will make you look more attractive and feel better to boot. This will be true even if you don't lose all that much weight. *The stats suggest that 95% of lifestyle changes and diets still result in a return to original body size within five years.
^This and all so remember that it's gonna take awhile like months before you begin seeing results so be patient and stick with your routine. The number one killer of people trying to get into shape is that they expect to be seeing huge changes in just a couple of weeks. Best of luck to you.
Trust me losing weight isn't impossible you just need to set goals and manage yourself carefully. I've lost 26 pounds so far and im very proud of that, because i didn't think that was even possible for me. All i really did was manage my self and started running and exercising more. I was actually pretty shocked when i found out i lost that much, i thought that at most i had lost maybe 10-15 pounds.
I'd say not to put the horse before the cart. Lose the weight first, and then worry about the excess skin. You don't say how heavy you are now, but I'll assume you're a fair size. I'm guessing there will be excess skin. But look at it this way. You don't like the way you look right now, and it's extremely unhealthy. If you were to get down to 200lbs or so, you'd be much healthier and you'd feel way better about how you looked - even if it was only with your clothes on. The skin might be a problem - but it might not be. I've lost 45lbs in the last 10 months and I wouldn't say I have any excess skin. Now I started out at 227 and I'm down to 182 - so I'm in a different position than you are. But at my age, having lost 45lbs, I don't have any loose or hanging skin. So - go for it. Remember that it is going to take a long time - but it will be worth it. And DO NOT buy into the theory that everyone goes back to their original size, because that will cause you to think "why bother?!?" I think that's a load of crap. People lose weight and keep it off if they do it properly. That's certainly my plan.
Well I've been big all my life, since 4th grade. I don't know what my original body type is. Before then i was a scrawny looking kid so I assume I have something like that as my body type. I mean if i do have excess skin, then there are surgeries (albeit terrifying) that will fix it, at least to some point. I've heard people have had great success with that and on most people the scars are below the waist line so Its not usually an issue. My problem is i have no one to keep me accountable, and so before I know it i'm sitting in a drive thru somewhere ordering way more food than I need and it's not even semi-healthy food. This week I am going to pre-make my lunches and take them with me, so at least I'm not going out to eat at lunch, so maybe that will help
How bad do you want it? That's what I tell myself every time I want to eat. What is more important? How you look and feel or how good that food is going to taste? Ask yourself questions before you choose not to work out or before you choose to eat unhealthy. If you do choose to eat unhealthy, what can you do to not get yourself down about it? Take a walk, ride a bike, etc. Imagine what you want to look like and make choices that will get you to that goal. The only person stopping you is you.
I put on 2 stone last year whilst at Uni, and I've been working hard for the past 4 months or so with regards to exercise and such to try and get myself into a healthier shape. I used to be really bad for snacking in the evenings on carbs. (I still am, although I have curbed it considerably). Something I tend to do is have a glass of water each time I want a snack. Then if I'm still hungry afterwards, I'll allow myself something small. (Whether it's 1 slice of toast or a carrot or something). Half the time after the water I realise I didn't really need a snack afterall. It was either boredom or thirst.
