I need help!
Hey guys-
This is a first post in a forum, so bear with me.
Back in January of 2009, I decided once and for all that I was going to lose weight. I have tried so many different things. My highest weight was 260 lbs and I was only 20 years old (now I'm 23). By January of 2009 I was 243. I started going to the gym 5 and 6 times a week. My routine would be 30 minutes of cardio, switching between a high and low resistance, and then 4 or 5 weight machines to tone. Everytime I went I worked on a different body part with the weight machines. I cut back tremendously on my food intake as well. By October of 2009 I was down 182 and hit my lowest in December of 2009 at 179. I have been stuck since.
I've lost the motivation to go 6 days a week. In April, I started dating someone and I lost even more motivation. We're still together and he joined the gym with me recently. I am up to 191 lbs. The problem is, I now work a full-time job Monday-Friday 9 to 5 (which I didn't before because I was in school full-time). When I'm off work I just don't feel up to it. I know it'll make me feel better. I go sporadically (maybe 2 or 3 times a week if that) and the workouts aren't as intense.
I just need some motivation or tips. Please help!!
You have to want to do this, really want it...Cut out a picture of someone at the ideal weight you want to be and paste it on a mirror or wall where you will see it all the time...
Lunch hour, go for a walk, 20 minutes.
Try doing your gym in the morning...it wil give you energy for work and time out when you finish work.
What ever the reason is that you WANT to do this, write it also on a post it sticker and place it everywhere so you can't help but constantly see it...
CW
Do we not realise that in order to find a soul
It doesn't happen over night
if truth were to be told.
Like everything in life that's hard to achieve
you must believe!
Hellooo,
OK your story sounds pretty much similar to mines or maybe most of us who's motivation goes down the drain after such hard work and having seen & done it all. I can understand how difficult it can be especially if youre working full time, by the end of work you just want to go home or do anything which doesnt have to involve more work! Heres a few things i tried out on myself & it really has helped me so i'll share it with you...
Do try planning your workout days, for example how often will you go in a week ? not 2 or 3 times or just random days, make it definite eg: 3 times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays after work. If youre off on a particular day, you can just fit in gym time according to your plans unless its impossible to attend the gym due to other commitments.
Sit down and think about your eating habits. What food types have you been consuming mostly ? How often do you eat in a day ? and dare i say it ( because im a massive culprit of this) ... SNACKING in a day ??!! If you relaise you snack too often or youve been eating too much quick ready made meals or simply including too much fatty foods in your diet then these typically arethe things you should be trying to work on . Its not easy following a strict eating plan which of course involves having to go shopping for all the foods even if that means visiting teh supermarket 10 times a week because u seem to be running out of carrots or yoghurt often !! its time consuming and can become boring. So, think of all the food groups you know if you avoid it will help you loose weight quicker... Butter, Sugar, Vegetable/Sunflower/Peanut Oil, Cheese, Chips, Refined flour (ready made pastas) Fizzy Drinks. ANY food which carries these basic ingredients are the ones you want to avoid. However having said that, you might find a carton of ready made vegetable soup healthy but the ingredients may contain butter.... it all then comes down to QUANTITY. Only warm up half the contents of the carton and drink it, save the other half for your partner or just eat it the next day. A little olive oil for cooking isnt harmful but again its how much you consume, if youre cooking for yourself only, use as little as 1 tsp. Include as much fruits & veg in your diet, smoothies are great way of getting fruit inside you.
Again, i cant stress how effective excercise is, not only does it help you loose weight but makes you feel good and gives you plenty of energy to keep going & motivates you. Take on a new activity ! Like Zumba classes for fitness and fun, long walks with your partner, bowling i mean anything anything which gets you out and about & active. It may seem difficult tying to fit it all in your routine but once you work on it you'll find yourself motivated enough to make the effort and you will enjoy it. It might seem a drag the first few days but really u'll get the hang of it . Hope some of this helped !
Hi asteph220,
I'll let you in on some things the drastically worked for me the first time. The way I lost the weight was purely due to what I ate. I didn't exercise(by no means am I saying you don't need to, just that the effects of what you eat can definitely change things.), I actually went on the South Beach diet.
Most people don't really know how the South Beach diet works. From reading the book (highly recommended) you'll find that the inventor of the diet is a cardiologist. He developed the diet to help his cardio patients clean out their blood for a healthier heart and body, but while on the diet he also saw most of his overweight patients lose weight as well.
The way it starts out is for the first two weeks you remove ALL sugar(including fruit--hear me out here), starch(bread, pasta, corn, carrots, etc.), and filling that gap with green veggies. This is basically a detoxification process to let your body cleanse itself from all the sugars (starch is another form of sugar) so your body no longer craves them and starts to crave things like veggies, lean meats, and good things. Trust me, if you can keep yourself strict to it, it WORKS. I hated the thought of drinking pop after. The first 4-5 days are definitely killer, but it does get easier as you go on. Also it's a fairly forgiving diet. If you mess up a little, just continue on the first stage a few more days. If you mess up a lot, just continue on the first stage the extra days.
The second stage is when you get back your fresh fruits, whole grain breads, and whole grain pasta (unfortunately no white rice, or bread/pasta that isn't whole grain), and you'll most likely find that you don't crave those simple sugars anymore, and you'll definitely be feeling great.
The third stage is when you're back to eating whatever you want, in high moderation. You can have cake, but just that tiny sliver, and only on the weekends, or certain days you set for yourself. Definitely, DEFINITELY buy the South Beach Diet book, even if you don't plan on following it. It has a ton of knowledge about nutrition, and really helps.
---
This is how I lost 15lbs in three months at a desk job. I would take walks in the parking lot on my two 15-minute breaks, and would have Subway for lunch. If I were to couple that with more intense cardio exercise for longer, I'd probably be skinny by now...
Ok so typing all of this has really made me realise that I have no excuse for not getting back to it! I've definitely slacked off. If you want a few more tips I found feel free to ask. The board won't let us post personal emails, but if you have a Facebook account I could tell you my name (if it's allowed here. Mods let me know?)
---
Ps. I don't want to be contradictory Orange, but you actually don't want to cut those things from your everyday diet completely. Natural oils are essential in a person's diet, you just don't want to overdo them. A great butter-substitute is "Smart Balance" butter spread. Unlike margarine--which scientifically is only one molecule away from being plastic--it uses real oils. Here are the benefits listed on their website:
* Supports healthy cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range1
* Made with a unique blend of natural oils that improves the ratio of “good” HDL to “bad” LDL1
* Delicious, creamy buttery taste
* No hydrogenated oils
* No partially hydrogenated oils
* 0g trans fat
* No palm kernel oil
* Excellent source of Omega-3 ALA (320mg per serving, 20% of 1,600mg daily value)
* Excellent source of Vitamins D (50% daily value), B-6 and B-12
* Gluten-Free
* Gelatin-Free
I love the taste too. Alright I'm going to stop typing now, since I'm pretty sure this is already a huuge post.
--Edit--
Also these days doctors and nutritionists are suggesting eating 5 meals a day, instead of three. Not full meals, mind you, but in between eating smaller versions of your basic three, eat a nice salad, or some fruit and cheese. Think semi-large snacks.
Last edited by Moo~♥; 01-25-2011 at 12:09 AM.
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