I need to lose 200+ Pounds! The time has come to lose it!

All righty people of the world! Its time for some change. I need to change. I have had a hard life. Not as bad as some peoples but it sure wasnt easy. Why do I say that well here is a small back story to my life.

So I grew up with a very abusive father. He not that I can recall ever hit me. But I constantly watched him hit my sisters and my mother. Watched him kick the crap out of his "best friends" I watched him do hard drugs and try to kill him self. I watched my sisters cry and my mother bawl her eyes out everyday. Well thankfully that came to an end. My mother and sisters and I all took a plane to Europe and lived in the small country of Belgium for 8 months. I had just turned 7 at that time.

Fast forward to age 8 and I am starting a new school in a new town back in Canada. Well I have always been a husky kid always a little chubby and then it really started to show in elementary school so I really really started to get picked on and bullied. I was getting punched and beat up every day. Verbally abused like crazy and even to the point were people would throw things like rocks at me.

After 4 horrible years of elementary school I entered high school at 230 pounds at age 13. All the teasing and bullying really died down in high school thanks to everyone finally growing up and maturing. Yah now I would get rude comment here and there but nothing I couldnt handle.

So enter age 15. I am now 250 lbs. Life was changing for me though. I was actually starting to lose weight I was getting really active and having the time of my life! One of the best and WORST summers ever. Why the worst you ask?

August 15th 2007 3:45PM (yes I remember the time I have a great memory)
My mother,sister and I are in a car accident that has forever changed my life. We are all alive and ok but all have spinal injuries and neck and shoulder injuries as well.

This is ONE of the big things that has to do with my gaining alot of weight because the pain has made me inactive for 5 years and it was and is really hard to find the ambition to get out of bed in the morning.

So car accident made me into a huge (literally) procrastinator and lazy slob. BUT like thats not enough eh?

fast forward to October 29th 2011 10pm. I was 18 and about 390 pounds.

My house catches fire and fully burns down the following morning. My family and I loose everything we own with no insurance at all. So depression from that really made me push the 400 lb mark and brings me to where I am today.

May 31st 2012 2:20am. 19 years old. 425 (not exactly) pounds. I am not sure of this weight since I dont have a scale around me that goes over 400.

So this brings me to now. I have decided that this is it. I need to lose weight NOW! I am going to die within the next few years if things dont change. I spend my days laying in bed or sitting on the couch doing nothing but browsing the internet looking at stupidly cute pictures of cats. I am slowly killing myself and it needs to stop. I need to LIVE I have been alive for 19 years now and havent even lived yet.

I want to be able to look at my self in the mirror and see the real me. The one who is trapped inside a box wanting to burst out.

So what am I going to do? Well starting tomorrow or well I guess today since its 2 30am. I am getting the ball rolling. I am changing my life. I am changing my diet. My activities. My everything needs to change.

So I am going to make a Twitter account, Facebook support page, BLOG, and a account on youtube so I can VLOG atleast a few times a week or more to do updates or whatever.

But the thing is. I have tried doing this alone so many times and have failed again and again. I NEED YOUR HELP! I need everyone's support on this. I need you all to help me with anything and everything.

Im not sure what else to type lol So yah this is starting now. I am getting on making the accounts and stuff and gunna have a good nights sleep and then get that ball rolling. Gotta change now or I will crash and burn.


Thanks for reading everyone.

With love, reptiliachnids.

First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS! for making those decisions and taking those steps! That takes incredible courage to start such and journey and I commend you for that. Please, PLEASE consult with a trained health care professional who can guide you on this journey and help you to do it in a thoughtful and healthy manner. You have lived/eaten a certain way for 19 years and to change that overnight, literally, could cause such a shock to your system as to kill you and that is the last thing any of us here would want to have happen to you. Small changes are key; you change too much at once and you won't ever stick with it. Not knocking you, just stating a generally accepted fact of human nature, lol! My wife started a program that is all-inclusive as far as weight loss, management skills to healthier eating along with weekly meetings for support groups and trainings, etc. and has had great luck with it. No judgement, because everyone there is in the program as well and it's done wonders for her. Find what works for you and good luck! I'll be pulling for you and following your posts/progress as you update it; good luck!

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Originally Posted by youbeyouibei

First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS! for making those decisions and taking those steps! That takes incredible courage to start such and journey and I commend you for that. Please, PLEASE consult with a trained health care professional who can guide you on this journey and help you to do it in a thoughtful and healthy manner. You have lived/eaten a certain way for 19 years and to change that overnight, literally, could cause such a shock to your system as to kill you and that is the last thing any of us here would want to have happen to you. Small changes are key; you change too much at once and you won't ever stick with it. Not knocking you, just stating a generally accepted fact of human nature, lol! My wife started a program that is all-inclusive as far as weight loss, management skills to healthier eating along with weekly meetings for support groups and trainings, etc. and has had great luck with it. No judgement, because everyone there is in the program as well and it's done wonders for her. Find what works for you and good luck! I'll be pulling for you and following your posts/progress as you update it; good luck!

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Thanks a lot! dont worry about it have been going to a dietitian like I said. She basically makes my meal plans and stuff on how to eat healthy. I actually kinda started this a week ago. I have been doing about an hour of cardio everyday and starting to slowly change my diet. I just finally got the courage to finally go big with it.

Congratulations for making this decision to better YOURSELF! :gj:

What am amazing story...You'll have lots of support and the best of luck to you reaching your goals!

Congrats on your decision! It's going to be hard, but I can offer some tips!

I'm a larger girl. I'm on medication, and I'm rarely hungry in the morning and EAT almost all night. :s.

Check into an app called myfitnesspal.

It is amazing and helped me lose 15 pounds FAST. It's essentially a food diary. You type in what you eat, and the food will pop up with the calorie amount (or you can add calories). Holy cow, did I ever realize I was eating WAY too much :/ and honestly, it wasn't the best choice.

When you go to the gym, try every machine. I hate running! The treadmill was my enemy ahaha, but I loved the elliptical! I could go for hours on that thing! I would turn on Netflix on my phone and watch a movie while working out. Made the time fly by!

Thanks mues and bobba!

Ok everyone. JoeyzWeightLoss as begun! You can find my twitter account @JoeyzWeightLoss . My youtube account JoeyzWeightLoss . My facebook support group https://www.facebook.com/groups/372860499440996/

and I am just about to make a blog!

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Originally Posted by Bobbafett

Check into an app called myfitnesspal.

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Thanks for that; had no idea such a thing was available. But then, I live under a rock most of the time, soooooo...hahahaha! I just started doing crossfit combined with strength training I was doing previously and while I'm hating life at the moment, it's getting me results. Thanks for the info above, that'll help a lot as far as keeping track of my calories/food intake rather than carrying a spiral bound notebook around all day, lol!

last but not least here is my blog!

http://joeyzweightloss.blogspot.ca/

Good luck on your journey. Make sure that you don't overdo it starting out. I highly recommend going to a doctor for a physical. They will be able to advise you on the best way to start out, so that you don't re-injure your back or burn yourself out. My suggestion would be to start out walking 2-3 times a day, for maybe 10-15 minutes at a time. That is how I started out. About every 2 weeks I would add a few more minutes or a little more distance to my walks. A healthy diet will be the key. No amount of exercise will work if you don't eat right. Don't try to crash diet or fad diets. Don't try to make too many changes too fast, because slow, steady, changes and progressions are more likely to develope into good habits and become permanent.

Sent from my Motorola ATRIX using Tapatalk 2.

wow that's quite a back story mate! I know you can do it. You can't change anything until that one moment in time when your absolutely 100% ready, and it sounds like your there! I believe in you, and if you need anything, to talk, or advice on something, crack me off a Pm!

Congrats on deciding to make a huge life change! As someone who has struggled with weight my entire adult life, I also recommend meeting with a professional. Not only will you have a local support system but you will be able to lose the weight safely and have a better chance of keeping it off!

Good luck and I look forward to watching you become a healthier person!

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

Congratulations on deciding to take your life back. That is a huge step, and one that will lead you to feeling great about yourself and what you can accomplish. My cousin decided to take his life back and has made it very public on facebook and other avenues. He lost 100 pounds in 97 days. He went through a doctor and everything so please don't shock your system, but reading his facebook posts, I have to admit, are pretty inspiring. He did it through a certain program that I won't mention because I have never used it but it and exercise and eating right has been a HUGE contributing factor for him. His name is Gabe Palacios.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/cgpalacios

I, too, got tired of being over weight and found Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to be a VERY good exercise routine. I lost 30 pounds in 5 weeks. The people who do BJJ are usually very nice and just want to help others succeed. But I warn you, be ready for the hardest 45 minutes of your life, 3-4 times a week. After every training session, I swore I would never be back, and every morning I woke up afterwards I had NEVER felt better.

Anyway, keep us posted man, this is awesome, keep a great attitude and you will most definitely succeed.

Pulling for ya and looking forward to seeing your progress. I decided to lose some weight myself recently. I don't have nearly the same back story as you so I won't pretend to know what it's like but I know you can do it. In the past six weeks I have lost a total of 22 pounds and the largest part of that is eating right and of course being active. The professionals you talk to will have some type of exercise for ya and you have to make sure you do it even when you don't want to. I don't snack on junk food any more or drink sodas when I'm thirsty. Instead I have increased my protein and lowered (not eliminated) my carbs. It sucks sometimes when I see a commercial of something I'm craving but it takes some will power and follow the advise of your pros. This would be a great place to get some of the support you need and we can cheer you on.
I use an app on my Android phone called Endomondo that tracks mine and my wifes workouts.

P.S. I can't find your YouTube

First if all, hugs. Hugs and hugs. Holy cow that's a lot to deal with. I too need to lose weight. Good luck, we are all here for you!

You've made it through a lot and that deserves a congratulations!

And we all will be here for you through this!

Wow. You've definitely got the first step right - and that is making the decision to change your life, and really in any case I think that's one of the hardest things to do. So good for you!

I wish you the best of luck and I am rooting for you!

Good luck! I'll be rooting for you too Joey! As chris said if you ever need someone to talk to feel free to PM about anything! Not to discourage you at all from loosing the weight but from the pics you posted you dont look anywhere near 400+ lbs. lol :gj: (not trying to be a creeper, just saying haha).

I do weight lifting every day with a buddy of mine. I'm starting to miss the P90X that I did a good while back.

It's hard. If you eat right and workout consistently, you WILL see results. Keep this thread updated with 30 day progress pics?

Take before pictures. When you workout for 30 days and then look in the mirror, you may not notice much difference and you'll get discouraged and think it's not working. You need something to compare it to.

Good luck Joey...I can relate. I have been big my whole life but very athletic. As big as 400lbs I could run, jump and get aroud as good as a guy half my size. Weight loss was no problem when I wanted to loose some. I had got down to under 300lbs and felt great. 9-16-08 at 3:05pm I got into a very bad car accident resulting in a severe right arm injury. I took so many antibiotics trying to save my arm that it destroyed my vestibular system and have no balance, kinda like having vertigo 24/7. I ended up having to have my arm amputated and between the 2 have become virtually inactive. Now dieting just don't do the job and I have slowly crept back up to 355lbs. This 355lbs don't feel near as good as 355lbs pre-accident due to the inactivity. I need to also figure out a way to overcome my disabilities and loose weight. Maybe you will be my inspiration!!!

Good for you! That is really a big step to take. Loosing weight is really hard and its awesome that you are committed to your goal!

It might sound a little weird, but I would try Yoga. I am not really into exercising in the traditional way and I find yoga to be both challenging and relaxing. Especially if you have injuries or pre existing conditions that make traditional cardio difficult. Yoga instructors will work with you and your injuries so you can get the most out of your practice. A lot of people think yoga is just meditation and stretching and relaxing stuff, but it is really tough! Lots of balance, flexibility, strength, and cardio! I especially love heated yoga. It keeps your heart rate up and keeps you sweating!

Just a suggestion if you want to ease your way into some exercise in addition to dieting.

Yoga makes me feel great. Best workout ever.

Thanks for all the support guys you are all amazing. I will be getting a introduction video up on my VLOG. Getting pictures and measurements up on my BLOG and making some tweets as the day goes by!

So yah I am going to make a appointment with my doctor do get my first ever physical and to get some blood work done and what he thinks about this. I have gone to the dietitian before some I some what know where I need to begin but the stupid fire stopped me from going to her. Same with a kinesiologist (girl who showed me how to use the equipment at the gym) but again the fire stopped me from going to her. Thankfully I do still have my gym membership with a huge amazing gym. So I will be going back there as soon as I can.

Thanks for all the tips about my diet and how I can go into shock and stuff like that. But like I said a few posts ago about 2 weeks ago I started to change my diet I am only eating 3 meals a day with no heavy snacking to no snacking at all. I quit drinking pop about a year ago now.

Also I have been walking for the last week also since there is a paved walked trail literally right behind my apartment. Surprise or not I am actually really good at cardio. Like I can walk for over an hour if I wanted to without being really tired. I usually just stick to an hour of walking a day. Its the same with riding a bike I can ride a bike for hours and not really get tired.

Ok thanks guys! I am gunna get on getting a video and pictures and stuff up!

If you have any questions feel free to message me, I'm pretty knowledgeable when it comes to fitness/weight training/diet plans.
Me at 215 cut down from 275
http://img.tapatalk.com/46bcafec-9f25-658a.jpg

Thanks Rob. Ill make sure to message you if I need anything. Thanks. I cant wait till im down around your weight!

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Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

Thanks Rob. Ill make sure to message you if I need anything. Thanks. I cant wait till im down around your weight!

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Great, the biggest thing is to stay positive. It will take time, and you will slip up on the way, but as long as you keep in mind that this is a life change and not a fad your getting into just to look good, you will be fine.

This really isnt just to look good. It is a life changing thing because seriously. I cant do anything. I have never been able to do things an average person is able to do and that kills me. I want to be able to run, go on a rollercoaster, skydive, swim, travel by plane, get naked and feel good about my self, jump, have sex, go kayaking, go rock climbing, play lazer quest, go paintballing. I am sick and tired of wanting to do all these things but not be able to.

Ok everyone. Pictures and measurements are up on my BLOG at http://joeyzweightloss.blogspot.ca/

I also finished my VLOG for youtube and am just about to edit it and put it up on my channel I will be sure to link it so everyone can get to it.

Consider 5-6 smaller meals versus 3 big meals.

You CAN snack - and should....on fruits, vegetables, mixed nuts, etc.

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Originally Posted by Nate

Consider 5-6 smaller meals versus 3 big meals.

You CAN snack - and should....on fruits, vegetables, mixed nuts, etc.

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Yah I remember being told that by someone at my gym awhile back. Said that I should have Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. But make the meals smaller portions. The snacks being something like a single chicken wrap or a salad or something like that.

I aim for every 2 to 2.5 hours getting in a meal. Every meal should include protein. A favorite of mine is a grilled chicken breast with one half avocado chopped, with a roasted red pepper on top. That would be a low carb meal. Earlier in the day would include more carbs ie half cup brown rice, with maybe a lean turkey burger patty. look into a whey protein for post work out and if you really want to go all out a casein protein for bed time, it will release slowly through out the night. Losing weight is 70% what you put in your mouth the extra icing on the cake is working out.

I love pizza, so since I've been eating healthier, I will go buy a portobello mushroom. They usually come in a pack of two or three. Remove the stem and the gills from the bottom of the mushroom. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is preheating, I like to carefully cut the mushroom thickness in half so that I can actually get two pieces out of one mushroom. Once the oven is heated, put the mushroom(s) in the oven and prebake them for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove them from the oven and then add the sauce (you can even use pesto sauce), small amount of cheese, and I like to add a few banana peppers. Bake those for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden. It is really good and the crust tastes like regular pizza crust. Plus that recipe has 18g of protein in it.

When you snack, snake on sliced apples, low fat yogurt, nuts, or even a serving size of rice cakes. I usually drink water before I eat so that I get fuller faster. Remember that the body takes about 20 minutes before it realizes it's full, so eat slow and take your time.

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Originally Posted by Rob

I aim for every 2 to 2.5 hours getting in a meal. Every meal should include protein. A favorite of mine is a grilled chicken breast with one half avocado chopped, with a roasted red pepper on top. That would be a low carb meal. Earlier in the day would include more carbs ie half cup brown rice, with maybe a lean turkey burger patty. look into a whey protein for post work out and if you really want to go all out a casein protein for bed time, it will release slowly through out the night. Losing weight is 70% what you put in your mouth the extra icing on the cake is working out.

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^^^ This.

Pre-making your food and putting portions into snackable, grab-able containers will also help you. I divid all my veggies into snack baggies or reusable containers and can just throw together as a lunch. Really simple and helps satisfy that instant 'I'm hungry' without rumaging to 'easy' stuff.

Another aspect of losing weight is going to be using weights.

Often people think that cardio is weight loss, when in fact, you lose more weight more effectively by incorporating weights into your routine. Cardio can and does burn fat. But, muscles do this far more effectively. And by working your muscles with weights, they will be more effective with cardio later. Win-win.

I would definitely consider a personal trainer, as I mentioned in my PM to you already :)! They'll be able to come up with a great routine for you to start out with and get comfortable with. Nothing is worse than walking into a gym without a plan.

And I'm going to subscribe to this thread, because I both want to follow you, be able to offer my support and do this along with you, if that's alright with you. I've got to get my act together and get back in the gym. Can't be adding to that 25lbs I've gained from switching to a desk job.

So I'd be more than happy to share some support with you :gj: You got this.

Once you get the ball rolling, it's just a matter of keeping it going. So you're already doing a bang-up job. One step at a time. Write everything down. Good thoughts, bad thoughts. Keep it honest. And through that you'll keep it going.

Thanks again guys.

Now this is going to be the hardest thing about dieting. I HATE and I mean I HATE A LOT of the fruits and vegetables out there. Like I cant stand the taste or smell without wanting to vomit.

This includes : Mushrooms, Onions, Zucchini, Cucumber, Peppers, Tomatoes I could go on for vegetables. Fruits : Pineapples, Watermelons, Avocado, Oranges, Peach, Mango I could go on.

I really only like a very few vegetables and fruits like I said most of them literally make me almost throw up by just smelling them.

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Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

Thanks again guys.

Now this is going to be the hardest thing about dieting. I HATE and I mean I HATE A LOT of the fruits and vegetables out there. Like I cant stand the taste or smell without wanting to vomit.

This includes : Mushrooms, Onions, Zucchini, Cucumber, Peppers, Tomatoes I could go on for vegetables. Fruits : Pineapples, Watermelons, Avocado, Oranges, Peach, Mango I could go on.

I really only like a very few vegetables and fruits like I said most of them literally make me almost throw up by just smelling them.

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I'm right there with you. There are a very few veggies I can eat. Remember your not going on a diet your just changing the way that you eat.

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Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

Thanks again guys.

Now this is going to be the hardest thing about dieting. I HATE and I mean I HATE A LOT of the fruits and vegetables out there. Like I cant stand the taste or smell without wanting to vomit.

This includes : Mushrooms, Onions, Zucchini, Cucumber, Peppers, Tomatoes I could go on for vegetables. Fruits : Pineapples, Watermelons, Avocado, Oranges, Peach, Mango I could go on.

I really only like a very few vegetables and fruits like I said most of them literally make me almost throw up by just smelling them.

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That being said, I suggest you don't go into this cold turkey. Incorporate some of the foods your eating now into your diet. A lot of people well most people will start a new diet going all in and will fail no matter how motivated they are at first. While you are still eating your "bad" foods find out what good foods you do enjoy, and slowly take away your bad foods over time. Eventually you will actually prefer the taste of the healthy foods over the crappy food. Eating healthy will have you feeling more energized all day and just over all better, you will hardly want to eat poorly once you body has adjusted to your new healthy life style.

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Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

Thanks again guys.

Now this is going to be the hardest thing about dieting. I HATE and I mean I HATE A LOT of the fruits and vegetables out there. Like I cant stand the taste or smell without wanting to vomit.

This includes : Mushrooms, Onions, Zucchini, Cucumber, Peppers, Tomatoes I could go on for vegetables. Fruits : Pineapples, Watermelons, Avocado, Oranges, Peach, Mango I could go on.

I really only like a very few vegetables and fruits like I said most of them literally make me almost throw up by just smelling them.

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This happens to a lot of people. I worked with a lady who had -never- touched a vegetable in her adult life. Honestly, it showed with her skin. She just looked in poor health in general. Yucky.

It's all about getting used to it. I know that sounds weird, and almost like torture. But think of it this way:

You don't like certain vegetables. Because of that, you avoid them. When you can smell them, some make you feel sick or repulsed. So you continue to avoid it.

Let's put this in terms that we might understand:

You get a snake that hasn't been handled before. It doesn't like being handled. When we try to handle the snake, it strikes and hisses and tells us it doesn't want to be handled.

What would happen if we just kept not handling it? It wouldn't learn that it's not that bad. It would just keep avoiding it and acting in such a way as to keep avoiding it.

Now let's take you and vegetables. You try it, don't like it and then avoid it. Well, that's not going to work, haha.

I used to hate water. It would make me gag. The smell of it. I just hated tap water, bottled water... Any kind of water. But I knew I had to start drinking just water. So I grabbed a really nice bottle that I liked, filled it, and chugged it while trying not to think of it. Yuck! A few hours later, I'd do it again. And then again.

It took me a month to drink water without having to 'force' it down. Now, I can't drink anything else without getting sick. Sugary drinks? Yuck!

So, even though you don't like them, I'd like you to keep trying, man! I know it sounds weird, and like torture, but sometimes there are foods we just don't like because our palettes never got a chance to get familiar with it. I used to hate carrots and cucumber too. Hated them. So I started eating a carrot, and I'd slowly chew it and try to get used to the flavour. Same with cucumbers. Now, I love both and can eat both just fresh. I'm still working on zuccini, mushrooms (Yuuuuucky mushrooms!) and avacado.... But I can eat celery now sometimes, eggplant and cauliflower.

Just takes time.

Do it a bit at a time and you'll start to change your palette over. Our palettes are usually so overwhelmed with salty foods, fatty foods and rich, processed foods that it can't appreciate subtle tastes. You just need to get rid of the foods like that and replace them with good foods. Eventually, your brain and mouth will switch over to preferring them. I promise :gj:

Thanks again everyone!

Here is my first VLOG!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKfNLNqkB4s

I'm about to re-join Weight Watchers. It's the only program that has ever consistently worked for me, without making me feel like I'm being deprived. Literally NOTHING is off limits - it's all about portion control, and making sure that you get your daily GHG's (Good Health Guidelines - 5 servings of fruit and veggies (most of them only 1/2 cup is a serving - that's not a huge amount, so it's not too much to push through with your aversion, 2 tsp of healthy oils a day, multivitamin, two servings of dairy, etc)

If you can balance a check book, you can do Weight Watcher's. That's how I approach it. I have a starting balance each day. Each thing I decide to eat, I decide if its value in points is worth what I have to "spend" out of my balance. It makes it easier to say no to some things, especially when you know that the food is not off limits, but maybe today, it's not worth it to me to have it, but I CAN have it some other time when it IS worth it to me.

I strongly recommend the weekly meetings - they keep you accountable and motivated.

Starting back up a week from today when my co-worker and I both have the money to get started!

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Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

Thanks again guys.

Now this is going to be the hardest thing about dieting. I HATE and I mean I HATE A LOT of the fruits and vegetables out there. Like I cant stand the taste or smell without wanting to vomit.

This includes : Mushrooms, Onions, Zucchini, Cucumber, Peppers, Tomatoes I could go on for vegetables. Fruits : Pineapples, Watermelons, Avocado, Oranges, Peach, Mango I could go on.

I really only like a very few vegetables and fruits like I said most of them literally make me almost throw up by just smelling them.

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I have one tip for you, that I got from my online trainer, and who is also a friend of mine (He lives In Toronto btw)

"Don't think of food as tasty, think of it as FUEL"

After he said that, it clicked. The highest I weighed was 260. I got to my lowest weight of 207 last month. Drinks tons and tons of filtered water, eat sh*t loads of greens (steamed, not boiled, or microwaved), switch up your meats, and cardio cardio cardio. Start with walks. Once you achieve your distance and time, throw on a weighted vest. I started running with 40 pound weight vest. Once you can walk your distance, and feel fine. Start jogging, without the vest. Once you hit your jogging goal, throw the vest back on. Hit your jogging with vest goal, switch to running. Continue with the vest when your running is where you need it to be. Yes you're 400 pounds, that's a fact. he other fact is, you can f*ckin do this. I follow Amer The Hammer on facebook, he lives in Toronto as well. If you want me to give you my friends number for assistants, pm me.

FOOD ISN'T SUPPOSE TO BE TASTY, IT'S YOUR FUEL!!!!

Oh, look into Myfitnesspal.com (get it on any smart phone, or pc device) it's free. You can add me, DrewSweatz (I'm actually starting back up again tomorrow) So, this thread is exciting for me.

Good luck with this. I will definately keep checking in to see progress. I also have always been heavier. Right now I would say probably 240ish or so. Years ago (maybe 15) I set a goal for myself to lose weight and think at the time I may have been 210. The only cardio I did was playng softball on a team but I lifted weights and watched what I ate. For meals I prepared myself it would involve egg whites (with veggies) or tuna with very little mayo. I never went to diet soda or anything but I think one thing helped greatly. This was a trick I learned while in a personal nutrition class. It was drinking unsweetened grapefruit juice. I would drink 1 quart before each softball game over about 2 months. I had learned that this was supposed to help break fat free from the body and use it as energy more readily. In that 2 month or so span I dropped down to 175. I didn't kill myself doing it and didn't gain it all back right away either.

Thanks again everyone :D

My sister and her Fiance and the Fiances parents have been doing this :

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog...-any-exercise/

Its called a slow carb diet. My brother in laws Dad actually lost 30 pounds in a month! His mom about the same and my sister and brother in law have lost about 10-15 each but they are kinda cheating :rolleyes:

So I am really tempted to do it. It doesnt sound to bad. What do you all think about it?

I haven't read all the comments yet, but congrats on deciding to change your lifestyle!! I've never had to lose that amount of weight, but I have struggled with weight problems since having my son almost 6 years ago. I gained over 80 pounds with him, and he only weighed 7lb 10oz lol. I let it go for about 2 years completely miserable in my marriage, and since then I've tried diets, sometimes exercising. By far, the only thing I would ever recommend is Weight Watchers. After gaining 30 lbs back AFTER getting off SLIM FAST, I realized it's a complete lifestyle change, not just crash diet and go back to whatever you want. I'm no longer on the strict Weight Watchers diet per se, but I follow it. Substitution and healthier choices really does work! Instead of white bread I ate whole wheat, etc. And then I started exercising...WOW has that changed my life! I'm running my first 5k race on Saturday for diabetes. I've recently joined the Air Force Reserves, and have been doing some strength training.

I know you mentioned the pain from the injury. I have to say that I've heard swimming is one of the best exercises for people with injuries. You have all the support in the world. You've already made the first step! Finally deciding to change for the better is HUGE. As others I'm sure have said, if you ever need anything, from advice to venting to a metaphorical kick in the butt, you can PM me anytime. I wish you all the luck in the world with this. The beginning is always the hardest, just remember once it becomes a habit (they say it takes 21 days to form a habit...) it will be easy after that! Also, allow yourself to cheat occasionally...it's like little rewards here and there. And make small goals! 200 lbs is a lot and very intimidating! Take it 10 lbs at a time, I promise it will be worth it. You can do this! :banana:

Thanks LGray!

I know it seems intemidating but once I get going it isnt hard for me to lose weight. I have tried losing weight before and I am able to get about 7 pounds off a week. I was also told by my old dietitian thats a good healthy starting point.

So mathematically speaking thats 28 pounds a month. I figure about 8 months and I can be at my goal! But this is mathematically speaking this isnt life speaking lol. I figure I should be at my goal in 10 months.

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Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

So mathematically speaking thats 28 pounds a month. I figure about 8 months and I can be at my goal! But this is mathematically speaking this isnt life speaking lol. I figure I should be at my goal in 10 months.

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Not to be negative, but you should not be looking at being at your goal in that short amount of time. Yes a guy your size is going to just shed tons of weight to start off. But that will level off after a while and your more likely going to have 2 to 4 pound weeks. I don't want to get you down at all, I just want you to know that weight loss progressively get slower as you get lighter.

Dont worry man I know! I know that this is gunna take well over a year to do.

The only crappy thing is I am most likely going to need to get surgery on certain parts of my body to remove excess skin cuz I know I will have quite a bit of it. That muscle wont grow into.

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Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

Dont worry man I know! I know that this is gunna take well over a year to do.

The only crappy thing is I am most likely going to need to get surgery on certain parts of my body to remove excess skin cuz I know I will have quite a bit of it. That muscle wont grow into.

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Good deal! Just didn't want you to beat yourself up when you didn't hit your goal in ten months.
Now the extra skin thing, yeah your going to have to get that done once you lose all that weight but hey that going to be a small price to pay for having a longer more fulfilling life.

First off, congratulations on deciding to do this! Using the internet as a way to keep yourself accountable in one of the best things you can do when doing weight loss. You're a lot more likely to stick to it knowing how many of your friends are watching and cheering you on.

Because of knee injuries, I've had to struggle to keep my weight down over the years as my other option was not being able to walk. With my family's background, that's been a lifelong process. My sister has always been heavy and had issues with her weight as has every other woman in my family. At my highest, I was 200 lbs which doesn't sound like a lot but when you have no cartilage left in your knees, you feel it. Now, I'm around 135 which is still more than I'd like to be at 5'4" but it takes life changes to keep it there.

I use MyFitnessPal.com to track my food and my exercise along with weighing myself a few times a week. If I start to slip and ignore what the website is telling me, the scale doesn't lie and gives me that extra kick to get back on track. I'm pretty sure I've done every diet on the planet and found that a gluten free, no caffeine, no drinks with calories, and basics work best for me. I don't buy much in the way of preprocessed foods because I'm more likely to eat them. If I have to get up and make the food from scratch, I think about whether or not I'm really that hungry before doing so. I also drink a lot of water (my sports bottle is attached at the hip) and we won't talk about what I go through in pickles. Like you, I don't like many veggies but I love pickles and they don't add calories which makes for a great late night snack. Though my hubby hates it, I don't keep chips or any snack foods around. If I want a snack, I grab some pickles or make an egg. I do allow myself to cheat on either Saturday or Sunday when we have friends over but even that's been cutting down as I never feel nearly as good the day after now that my body is used to simpler foods. Fiber is something that you also need to make sure to get plenty of. That along with calcium will really help your body help you. The final thing I've used to help is to tell my sister and other friends what my weight is at or if I'm planning on going to the gym because it keeps me accountable. It's easy to skip the gym or a workout if no one but you knows you skipped. However, it's a lot harder to tell people when they ask how your workout went, that you didn't go.

If you ever need some encouragement or someone to remind you to help stick to things, just shoot me a message. Like some others, I've subscribed to this thread and would request updates. If you don't remember, we'll be here to help. Once again, congrats and I'm proud of you for doing this. It takes a lot of courage to do something like this and it will benefit you and those who follow it.

Thanks Dracoluna!

I am gunna go sign up for that site.

Like I said I am going to try that slow carb thing in the link I posted. Like I said my brother in laws parents are having great success with it!

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Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

Thanks Dracoluna!

I am gunna go sign up for that site.

Like I said I am going to try that slow carb thing in the link I posted. Like I said my brother in laws parents are having great success with it!

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Sounds like a good plan. Just try it and adapt it as need be. I don't think there is any one perfect diet for anyone and it's taken me years to change my eating habits to where they suit my lifestyle and body. If it takes you the next 5 to figure out what's right for you, at least you've done it. It took me about 15 so...

Haven't had a chance to read all the replies to this thread yet - but didn't want to wait to give you a hearty congrats on decided to take charge of your weight! I know how hard it is to lose it, and have recently lost 100+lbs. I will be more than happy to support you in any way that I can! Sadly, I don't have twitter though, but I do have facebook!

I don't know you, but I am very proud of you! I look forward to following your journey! If you ever want somebody to talk to about it - my ears are always open for ya!

Not sure if anybody has linked this too you yet, but http://www.livestrong.com/ is something that I used that helped me lose most of the weight. It even offers a blog feature! You can track your weight progression, your calorie intakes, along with your exercise on it and much more. :grouphug: