Help Me Lose Weight

I'm trying to lose weight too. I've just joined a plan/forum that I could PM you if you like. You basically enter all of your information (weight, height etc.) and then it gives you an amount of calories that you are personally recommended to eat each day and you are advised to use all of them in order to lose the weight. You can then search and enter each thing you eat every day and it gives you a total of how many calories, carbs, protein and fat you've eaten on that day and how many you have left. What's good is that the database has all of the exact brands of food so it can track your intake really accurately.

People on the forum have great results, it's free and if you don't like it you can try something else. I just think that's my problem, I have no structure to what I eat and how much I eat. Some people have trouble losing weight because they don't eat enough of their daily calories, which I never knew beforehand.

I've also made a decision to cut out bread and things like biscuits (cookies) from my diet as they're loaded with salt and sugar.

 

Hi there

The good news is judging by your height v/s length you seem to be a little over weight but not by much and at 24 your metabolism can easily be kicked into overdrive... The older you get the slower it gets so you definitely have an achievable goal.

Exercise and a healthy weight is a good thing, not only does exercise release endorphins that combats things like depression, it also lifts your energy levels meaning you are going to feel good and be able to do so much more in an average day the fitter you get.

It is possible to loose 1kg a week and keep it off, but its going to take commitment from your side. Here's the thing, loosing weight is 15% exercise and 85% diet, so what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat is going to play a very important role in getting back into shape.

First off, to loose weight you need to consume less calories than what you burn. It's also important to realise what kind of calories you consume, as starches like pasta, bread, rice and potatoes and sugar are much easier for your body to burn than those fat reserves that your trying to get rid of so cutting back on starches and sugar is a good start.

Protean on the other hand is an important food source, if you don't consume enough protean in your diet while trying to loose weight your body will start burning muscle tissue for energy and you don't want to loose that.

My suggestion would be to look up a balanced diet that is high in protean and vegetables and low in carbohydrates. There are many books and resources that can assist you with that, even better would be to speak to a Profesional dietician, doctor or personal trainer that will be able to help you work out a safe diet that you can follow.

Drink lots of water and eat regularly, as in 5 to 6 small meals a day. Dinner should be small and I'd have no carbs, so don't eat things like potatoes, pasta, rice or bread at night.

If you have a smartphone there's an app called "Loose it!" That can help you track calories and reach your goals.

Exercise wise, you need to get at least 45-60minutes of cardio work in 5 to 6 days a week. Some weight training would also be beneficial at least 3 times a week to build muscle tone. The more muscle you have the more calories you'll burn each day.

The best cardio work out is swimming... It might be hard to build up, but if you go swimming for an hour 3 - 4 times a week you will get fit within two to three weeks and you should drop the weight pretty quickly. If you can join a swim club, that way you will be pushed to work out hard.

I myself like to go for an hour gym session in the mornings, 5 days a week and then 5 one hour swimming sessions a week with my swim club. We do between 2 and 3 km in the pool each time and its the best way to tone your body. Diet wise I follow a high protean low carb diet when I want to loose weight which I'll have to do after this festive season!

Over weekends I like to go mountain biking with friends, so that's also a good way to get some exercise over the weekends.

The first two to three weeks will be hard, but keep at it, once you break trough that barrier you will grow to love exercising!

 

So, for those of us on the english system...

current weight 82kg = 180lb
you want to lose about 15kg = 33lb

For a guy, taking off that much weight quickly can be a challenge. And not necessarily for the reasons that you would think.

The goal for most guys is to get fit. That means trading fat for stronger (and maybe bigger) muscles. So, what you probably want is to get rid of that softness around your belly and face and trade it for a more athletic look?

To accomplish that goal, you don't want to just lose weight- you want to lose inches around your waist and gain inches in your to your legs, arms and chest. So, start by getting a tape measure and measuring the areas that you want to improve. Don't focus on the scale- focus more on your measurements, how you look in clothes and more importantly- how you feel.

There's a post in an old thread that has some very practical advice:
http://emptyclosets.com/forum/1146921-post17.html

Basically, don't be confused by "diets". They don't work. Eat a healthy meal and reasonable portions. Plan your meals- when you don't, you end up hungry at the drive through at McDonalds on an impulse. Don't feel guilty about needing to eat- just eat better things.

Any exercise is good exercise. You don't have to run 5 miles a day or do a bike marathon. Just set aside some time in your day to exercise. Walk. Jog. Bike. Swim. Do whatever you enjoy. If you find yourself sitting on the couch, then get up and go for a short walk. Turn off your phone. Invite a friend to join you.

The big hurdle that you have to deal with now is changing your patterns. Once you change your patterns, you lose a little fat, you start feeling more encouraged and energetic, then you can get into a program of weightlifting and aerobic exercise.

 

Just a few thoughts from my personal experience,

Don't worry about getting the weight off as fast as you can. Make positive changes to your daily habits that will last for the rest of your life.

An irregular job is a huge problem, especially if you skip dinner to work late and then eat whatever is convenient right before you go to bed. Get into the habit of eating balanced, nutritious meals at regular times. If you skip a meal, it is too easy to over indulge when you do finally get a chance to eat. Watch your portions, but do not starve yourself.

Whatever exercises you end up doing, be careful not injure yourself. If you've been leading a sedentary lifestyle for several years, then even small amounts of newly intense exercise can bring on an over training injury. Start slowly and over time, build yourself up to Ditz's activity level. Then keep it up even after you've lost the weight.

When I stated swimming, I couldn't even make a pool length with out stopping. That goes away real fast. You just have to take it slow, do a length then rest, do length with a different stroke then rest, then repeat. Soon enough you'll be swimming laps. Get yourself some fins and that will help take some strain off your arms and shoulders.

Depression over your sexuality my have contributed to your weight, but losing the weight will not necessarily end your depression, but it will help some. If you are depressed, then you need to address that too. For me personally, even after I went from being obese to 8% body fat, I still hated myself for being into guys. I still lost friends when I came out to them. Being thin doesn't change that.

Good luck, and don't give up - even if you have several repeated failures.