Need help losing weight.

Certainly no expert and hopefully others will chime up on this but something I have seen work is what I'll call cyber-weight-watchers. Don't need to go feel out of place in a room of mostly women at weekly meetings etc... it's all done through the web - and the optional iphone app to track food/exercise/weight is pretty cool too and some guys commented the whole approach is more "guy-friendly" than other programs. Doesn't matter where you live as long as you have internet access you can use it. Best of all after a while you tend to "re-learn" how much and what should be part of a healthy diet and probably can do without the program (yes there are monthly fees). The toughest part, I think, is identifying why your weight went up, and finding a true and lasting motivation to bring it back down.

 

I'd love to lose weight too

 

Try new workouts? You wanna' try pushing your limits such as lasting long during a specific exercise. Instead of having a meal after your workout have a protein shake & mix some fruit in the blender so you'll digest it faster.

 

First of all, some people are looking for exactly what you describe yourself as - a chubby nerd. There's a lot to be said for the idea of learning to love yourself and the way you look. That doesn't necessarily mean you don't have to exercise and/or diet though - and in that vein, congratulations on you for losing some 40 pounds! That's quite an accomplishment, and you should be proud.

As far as working out in general - if you have a personal trainer, then I would listen to their advice. Granted, if there's something that makes a particular workout problematic (such as the trouble with your ankle you mention), then of course let them know, because ignoring that could get you hurt. But I do know that different types of exercising and dieting can plateau after a while, and if you want to lose more weight or build more muscle, then a change in the routine is sometimes necessary.

Finally, as far as the techy edge, there are a lot of workout programs that incorporate that approach, and might be interesting for you. I know some people that use a program called "fitbit" (or something to that effect) - they have a website (though I can't link to it here of course) and iphone app that you use to track eating and activity, as well as a little pedometer-type device that tracks a surprising amount of information and has something called an "activity flower" - basically, the more you do in a day, the more leaves you get, it's a cheesy rewards system but it's kind of fun. So you might check that one out if you haven't heard of it already.

But, to come back to where I started, love yourself first, and be proud of what you've accomplished already. There are plenty of people out there looking for "a bigger guy with a little meat" - you're one of them, after all. They might even want him to be a bit of a nerd too. So don't feel like you need to match the gym-bunny image if you don't want to.

 

I never go to the gym. I just try to stay active, small simple things help. Taking walks, or doing some sort of heavy lifting. I have cut down on alot of junk food, actually I usually just drink V8 or water, well and milk because I love dairy. I have actually dropped about 40lbs also, and now I am at my goal weight.

And a little side note, I don't think you should have trouble getting a date, chubby guys are attractive despite what the media says

 

What happens in dieting is that the body tends to slow metabolism to use fewer calories. The risk in dieting alone is that when you begin to eat again, the weight comes back- often more than you lost to begin with.

The trick to stopping this is doing exactly what you're doing- working out and exercising so that your body doesn't try to slow your metabolism.

The issue that you're having is that now that you've begun to shed some of the fat your body has accumulated, you need to begin to restore balance to the muscles in your body. What tends to happen in heavy people is that they develop strong legs (from carrying the weight) but they tend to have weaker upper bodies. You will also need to strengthen your abdominals and back muscles (referred to as "core muscles") so that you don't injure yourself as you push yourself in your workouts.

You can start with machines and basic free-weight exercises. It's true that machines aren't as beneficial as free weights but it's still exercise and it is a good way for an amateur to gain strength- particularly in the upper body.

Swimming, treadmill and elliptical are good options for you to increase your metabolic rate so that you continue to lose fat.

 

I think you're right - don't lose it to get a boyfriend, but if you, personally, feel like you want to and it'll make you feel proud and good about yourself, then go for it.

I don't think even health reasons are something to be concerned about - since men tend to store weight around their gut, the danger is that the extra weight will push on internal organs there. But you need a waist size of 40 or above for that to actually be a problem. Aside from that, assuming your blood pressure is fine, then health issues aren't a really big concern.

On the other hand, imagine that pleasantly awkward day where you've found a boyfriend with tastes similar to yours, and he says to you, "so...you're not going to lose any more weight, right? " :lol:

 

Haha...well, the point being, "good-looking" is subjective (to ourselves and to others). It's not supposed to be a source of dread.

 

I started walking and cut down on portions, I never changed what I ate, just how much. I lost about 50 lbs in four months. I agree that doing it get a boyfriend is probably not a good reason, if you want to lose weight do it for yourself, at least for me that mentality helped with motivation.

 

Keep to smaller portions. I use measuring cups and even use this neat calorie counting app on my phone to keep track of what I am eating. Like the above posts said, incorporate small workouts or activities into your daily routine. It helps to find activities that you enjoy. I found out that I really enjoyed kickboxing workouts. I usually workout 20 to 30 minutes a day 5-6 times a week. 20 minutes might not seem like a lot but it really does help. I have gained muscle and lost weight just by eating less and exercising a little bit every day.

 

Although I'm not an expert, I would say that manipulating what you eat is a good way to start. For example, if you choose to eat a hamburger, start with whole grain bread. Then add pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and so on.

 

I'm definitely not an expert but using something to help count calories and just getting out and moving more (walking, biking etc.) helped me lose weight. MyFitnessPal is a good place to track calories and fitbit is a great way to track activity. They really help keep me motivated to move. I lost 70lbs when I was being good at moving and tracking calories, of course when I stopped I gained it all back. Now I'm working to lose it again.

 

I've lost 58 pounds in the last three months...watching what you eat really helps! I loosely base my food intake off of weight watchers... I also go to the gym 5-6 times a week...or if I can't get to the gym, I walk or run outside. Just be patient, and it will come off!

 

I love MyFitnessPal. It is great and if you have an iPhone you can download the app and use the barcode scanner to enter food items.