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You know what sucks? Being fat sucks. You know what sucks even more? Being super fat, losing a ton of weight, but still being considered by society as being fat. You know what sucks the most? Exercising.
I’m 6”4, male, 25.
Four years ago I was pushing 310. I was a giant blob stacked on top of another giant blog. I would get sweaty walking up the steps to my room. My favorite meal was thus: one box of cooked macaroni on a plate. Then I would crush up 2 bags of Miss Vickie Jalapeno chips and sprinkle it over top of the macaroni. Then I would add another box of macaroni over top. Then I would cover the entire thing in ketchup, salad dressing, and bbq sauce. I would eat 3 of these a day. And although it shames me to admit it, my mouth still waters when I think of it.
Then some stuff happened in my life that left me really depressed. Stuff that I don’t feel comfortable sharing with other people yet. At this point in my life I decided that I would lose weight and become a healthier person. I put a picture of my high school photo on my bathroom mirror, I was 170 back then, and started my journey.
At the beginning, I quit every week. I gave up and started over hundreds of times. I would exercise for a couple of days, and then get depressed and binge like crazy. I developed a super bad temper, and got fired from my job. I stopped hanging out with my friends, I stopped leaving my room, I stopped living like a real person.
Yet somehow I perservered. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why. I didn’t have this great reason for losing weight. It wasn’t my dad’s dying wish, and there was no big reward waiting for me at the end. But somehow, for some reason, I never gave up completely. I walked whenever I could, I cut back on the junk food, I drank only water. I lost 50 pounds.
50 pounds sounds great right? Well as great as it sounds, I was still 260 pounds at this time. In other words, I was still the fattest guy in any room. And because of my recent alienation of other people, I had no one to celebrate my weight loss with me. The worst part was eating out. Usually I ate lunch in the mall. I would order something healthy yet delicious. Like a giant thai salad or something. The thing that sucked was that people would look at me and laugh. Fat guy eating thai salad? Why don’t you try going for a run? People looked at me with pity, with disgust, with embarrassment, and there was nothing I could do to convince them that I was trying to improve. Even when I related my story to some people, it was met with disbelief and ridicule. I will say that maybe people weren’t really this bad, and I was just a big fat over sensitive guy.
Anyways, fast forward to today. I weigh 205. I’ve lost over 100 pounds. I feel great, and the amount of stuff that I can easily do now is incredible. However, I’m still overweight. That’s right. Four years of torment. Four years of giving up junk food. Four years of giving up things I love. Four years of drinking only water. Four years, and I’m still not where I need to be. I still have a gut, and my face still looks chubby. Not anywhere near to how I was before, but still.
And the thing that I don’t get among people who are fit, are their attitudes toward their lifestyles. People talk about how they don’t miss junk food anymore, or how they love running, and lifting weights. That’s never happened for me. I still crave junk food like crazy. I haven’t eaten a donut in almost four years and my mouth still waters when I pass a Tim Hortons. There are isles in the supermarket that I still will not allow myself to go down, because if I do, I’m gonna binge. I hate running. I hate hate hate hate running. The entire time I’m out there, I know exactly why I’m doing it. I just started lifting weights this past week and so far it sucks.
The only hope I have is that once I hit my weight goal I can stop doing these things and just live normally. I’m 205 now, I want to reach 180 by the end of August. If I can do that, I think I can maintain that weight just by having the right diet. Oh God, how I hate running.
 
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As someone who has lost a good amount of weight I can understand a lot of this post, godspeed with your goals man!
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And the thing that I don’t get among people who are fit, are their attitudes toward their lifestyles. People talk about how they don’t miss junk food anymore, or how they love running, and lifting weights. That’s never happened for me. I still crave junk food like crazy. I haven’t eaten a donut in almost four years and my mouth still waters when I pass a Tim Hortons. There are isles in the supermarket that I still will not allow myself to go down, because if I do, I’m gonna binge. I hate running. I hate hate hate hate running. The entire time I’m out there, I know exactly why I’m doing it. I just started lifting weights this past week and so far it sucks.
Oh man, I'm like 50/50 split on this one. I still crave junk food as much as ever, and if I am not careful I will occasionally put away 3000+ calories in one sitting. I just love food, especially the sweet stuff, but to be honest just food in general.
The exercise part on the other hand...I decided to like. When I first started running and lifting several years back because I was out of shape I despised it. Every second I was in the gym or out running was like "please just shoot me". Then I realized that it was pretty stupid for me to have this attitude and decided to stop disliking those activities. Instead of thinking about how much I hated doing them I changed the mindset to I'm going to focus on the benefits of this and enjoy and immerse myself in the process of improving.
The running especially I have to ask about: where/how intense do you run? I know for me when I ran on the treadmill I hated it cause it was boring as shit and I was always focused on what else I wanted to do. When I started running outside I didn't hate running anymore, but definitely didn't particularly love it. Now I am at the point where I can run on the treadmill and it's not that boring because I am busy focusing on my running.
Basically what I am getting at is what is it that you absolutely hate about running? Does it just bore you to death?
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On June 13 2012 04:10 L_Master wrote:Show nested quote +And the thing that I don’t get among people who are fit, are their attitudes toward their lifestyles. People talk about how they don’t miss junk food anymore, or how they love running, and lifting weights. That’s never happened for me. I still crave junk food like crazy. I haven’t eaten a donut in almost four years and my mouth still waters when I pass a Tim Hortons. There are isles in the supermarket that I still will not allow myself to go down, because if I do, I’m gonna binge. I hate running. I hate hate hate hate running. The entire time I’m out there, I know exactly why I’m doing it. I just started lifting weights this past week and so far it sucks. Oh man, I'm like 50/50 split on this one. I still crave junk food as much as ever, and if I am not careful I will occasionally put away 3000+ calories in one sitting. I just love food, especially the sweet stuff, but to be honest just food in general. The exercise part on the other hand...I decided to like. When I first started running and lifting several years back because I was out of shape I despised it. Every second I was in the gym or out running was like "please just shoot me". Then I realized that it was pretty stupid for me to have this attitude and decided to stop disliking those activities. Instead of thinking about how much I hated doing them I changed the mindset to I'm going to focus on the benefits of this and enjoy and immerse myself in the process of improving. The running especially I have to ask about: where/how intense do you run? I know for me when I ran on the treadmill I hated it cause it was boring as shit and I was always focused on what else I wanted to do. When I started running outside I didn't hate running anymore, but definitely didn't particularly love it. Now I am at the point where I can run on the treadmill and it's not that boring because I am busy focusing on my running. Basically what I am getting at is what is it that you absolutely hate about running? Does it just bore you to death?
There's a route I run outside of my gym. Someone told me about this loop that incorporates a path beside a river that is about 5k. I don't have any sort of running plan, ie: jog 2 telephone poles, run 1, walk 1, or something like that. I just run until I'm tired, then I walk until I'm ready to run again. I always make sure that I finish no matter what. I suppose you could call it boredom, it's just when my legs start burning, and my heart is pounding, and my mouth turns dry, the only thing that keeps me going is wanting to lose weight. I'm not enjoying the landscape, or the challenge of beating my best time. I am out there for one reason: to lose weight.
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Godspeed! I wish you the best of luck and willpower in your quest!
I also despise running. that is why i swim!
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I'd reccomend joining a gym with a nice community as the Muay Thai gym that I currently attend has some overweight people there to lose weight and everyone is supportive and it seems like it helps.
Good Luck with the rest of your journey!
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Well, I have some good news for you at least, since I just finished running data for a study on weight/BMI. At 6'4", 205lbs is the top edge of what is considered "normal". So congratulations! 100 lbs is great. Just get to a weight you are comfortable with. I think 180 lbs is a great goal.
Do you do core exercises? Situps and such. If your gut is still bothering you, perhaps you should focus on those. Do situps every morning or something like that. Its not fun (I certainly don't enjoy it) but it'll target that area.
As far as running goes, don't worry about not enjoying it. Running actually isn't as good for you as a brisk walk (from a purely weightloss standpoint). Running will help you with your cardio much more than walking, but walking will work all your muscles and overall will help you drop the weight equally if not better. It comes down to whether you have time to do this though, as you need to walk farther than you would run, and running obviously is faster.
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Something I've noticed is that not everybody is capable of feeling the "runners high" that I hear about a lot. I'm one of those people - exercise does jack shit to my endorphins. I am also clinically depressed, which doesn't help, but on the other hand, my girlfriend - who is also depressed - does get it. I'm guessing you don't, since you're saying you hate it. I have no idea why that is, but it's unlucky.
Honestly, I'm guessing the reason you still (and probably will forever) crave junk food is that you grew up loving it. People don't develop the habits that get them in trouble overnight - it's generally a result of how they grew up. People who tell you they don't miss junk food, or don't like junk food, or whatever, probably didn't grow up with a lot of it. That's me - there were rarely chips or soda around my house when I was a kid, so I don't really miss them. Everyone, though, has one or two things that they miss the hell out of that are absolutely awful, so don't think you're the only one who struggles with that kind of temptation. (My personal demon is a Jack's cheese pizza, the $4 gig, in a sitting.)
The thing that enabled me to exercise for long periods at a time while not hating myself was audiobooks. I load up an audiobook on my ipod and hop on the elliptical or do a round of weight lifting for half an hour, and it flies by. My body's on autopilot and I'm basically reading. (When I'm on the elliptical I'll occasionally just bring a book and use that.) Honestly, that's the only way I'm able to enjoy exercise - find something I enjoy doing and do it at the gym. I think some of it might be attitude - some people are better able to look at how good of a workout it is and enjoy themselves - but I don't know that that's something that's easy to develop (although it seems that L_Master did, and I'd love to know whether that took a lot of effort or not much.)
My girlfriend's struggling to lose weight right now too, and I think having support really helps. I don't know if you have tried this yet, but see if you can find an exercise group. Having the social aspect, as well as the support aspect, really helps.
Good luck, man!
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Do you listen to music when you run? That keeps me far more motivated than anything else, to be honest. Also, if you're 6'4", and 205, you're same height/weight as me, and I'm not really "overweight", it's possible your body is still readjusting to it's current weight, and you'll continue to slim down even without losing weight, I'd think.
That being said, I agree, I hate fitness freak attitudes. Especially because the majority of them are extremely condescending to those that don't agree. Once you hit your target weight, as long as you stay active, and eat reasonably healthy, you can continue to enjoy the things you like, as long as they're in moderation. I still eat pizza, chips, and other things that aren't good for me, but I only eat them friday/saturday, and I continue to run 3 days a week, and play basketball or some other activity a few other times a week. Just avoid going back to being extremely sedentary and you'll be cool as a cucumber :D
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Something I should have mentioned in my previous post - if you really hate running, but want the benefits of running and don't mind absolutely murdering yourself every time you go out, consider high intensity interval training as a substitute. There is a lot of information available on it, but basically it boils down to a trade of intensity (MUCH more intense workout) for time (reduced workout time) and effect (overall more calories per unit time burned). This really only applies if you hate running for long periods of time, and you want to get it over with quicker, and don't mind hating yourself more during.
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6'4'' 205 lbs seems like a pretty good weight to me O.o
I'm the opposite of you, I've always been really skinny. Was about 125 lbs, 6'0 two years or so ago. About 153 lbs now, hoping to get over 160 and stay around there.
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TL's fitness community this way!
Seriously, awesome advice and encouragement awaits you  Also, 6'4" at 205 sounds really good. You may want to look into "body recomposition", fancy way of saying gaining muscle and losing fat. You may stay at the same weight but look like a boss at that weight 
Also, 4 years, way to stay commited. Props!
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I run on a treadmill and in front of me is my laptop with a stream of White-Ra or some other awesome SC2 player.
I don't mind running now, it's not boring as fuck, and I don't even think about it when I do it. I can focus on the game for the most part.
Also: Despite you going back and forth and constantly thinking about reverting back to binging, you have more dedication than I'd ever have. Well done.
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I know how ou feel man
3 years ago.
My dinner was:
1 Hotdog, 1 Burger, 1 fries and a large drink
Or 12 chicken fingers, fries and a drink every single night.
I was psuhing my weight and I got towards 230
As long as you decide to just walk everything, treadmill it on high incline and exert yourself, the rewards arent initially there but its present, Took me basically a year and a bit to get to 170. and now I'm just working on building muscle mass.
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Grats on your weight loss. I started exercising and eating better as well, although you did a lot more. I went from 240 to 215 (still going ofc), but losing 100 lbs is amazing!
If you want an easy-to-follow running guide, I suggest this. I think the TL Running Thread also links to this. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
Also, music helps a lot. I look forward to running nowadays because it is sort of like a meditation time. I put on some music to fit my mood, and I let my mind go drifting. I do run on a treadmill in my room though...IDK if you have the same luxury in an outdoor setting. And you don't feel it at first, but eventually, you start getting addicted to running. I can't go a day without feeling like shit if I don't run. And you start feeling more active too. It's weird.
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I have found that when I wanted to exercise to lose weight, I would just go walking around my local area for about an hour to an hour and half everyday, I didn't notice any weight lose, but I felt lighter and family and friends said I looked better for it :D Best of luck to you and congratulations in what you have lost so far
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It's all in the mind. If you believe that exercise is chore, won't enjoy it and you will despise doing it. If you believe it is a challange you will want to do it more often and improve. Same goes for eating healthily.
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it's just when my legs start burning, and my heart is pounding, and my mouth turns dry, the only thing that keeps me going is wanting to lose weight.
This sounds like a major part of the problem. Your probably running WAY to hard, which most new runners do. I have a theory behind this, but that's neither here nor there: + Show Spoiler +Most people that are overweight and haven't exercised much aren't in good shape, especially not for running. However, when people that don't exercise from a cardio standpoint do run its usually for sport activities and is generally at a pretty high speed (i.e. not at all uncommon to run down a basketball court at sub 6 mile pace) so they gain muscle memory for these more intense speeds. Then when they go out to run, that's what they remember and even though they have heard "take it easy" it's a struggle because the correct paces feel awkwardly slow.
The bottom line is if your legs are burning and your heart is pounding away you are running much, much faster than you should be. Especially if your not concerned with getting fast and just want to lose weight/stay in shape then 90-100% of your runs should be EASY. And I mean easy. You should feel like you could run for hours at the pace your running at. The fact that your running until your tired, then running again after walking means the pace is crazy intense and your working inefficiently and needlessly hard.
Bottom line: learn to run EASY and I think you'll find running a lot less of a chore (may not ever love it, but I doubt you'll hate it), but when your running as hard as you are everytime, yea....that's not very pleasant.
And you don't feel it at first, but eventually, you start getting addicted to running. I can't go a day without feeling like shit if I don't run. And you start feeling more active too. It's weird.
Generally agree, but if he is running really hard all the time you won't ever enjoy that. Hard running flat out hurts and I don't think even many serious runners particularly enjoy the hard workouts, or if they do it's in the sense of the satisfaction you get from improving to new levels.
if you really hate running, but want the benefits of running and don't mind absolutely murdering yourself every time you go out, consider high intensity interval training as a substitute.
If only it worked this way. Sadly it doesn't. HIIT is a good way to "compress" workouts into a shorter time and arguably provides an even bigger calorie deficit due to increased metabolic process following the training, however, it does not provide the same benefits as running.
Running training basically incorporates HIIT from time to time during the season but usually only for 2-3 months at a time. The reason is simple, intervals provide some MAJOR benefits to running fast, and it's not uncommon to drop a respectable amount of time coming out of "base" training and getting into the serious training. However, these benefits are totally different that the ones achieved from easy/steady state/tempo running and after 6-10 weeks are usually pretty much maxed out. Only way to get faster/better shape after that is to return and continue to build that aerobic foundation.
I think some of it might be attitude - some people are better able to look at how good of a workout it is and enjoy themselves - but I don't know that that's something that's easy to develop (although it seems that L_Master did, and I'd love to know whether that took a lot of effort or not much.)
I've always had this ability to take things I dislike and either spin them into a positive or at the worst, accept them for what they are and tolerate them. It's just my belief that things like boredom, misery, etc. are a choice. If I am in a class and notice I find it "boring" I start making a point to reframe it as something valuable and then start looking for relevant connections that make the material more interesting or relevant.
Same goes with exercise. I think what happened there is after a little while doing it I started reading as much as I could about weightlifting/running/etc. and then started to want to be good at it. Obviously, with that comes training, and serious training at that. Going to the gym and doing a few sets of bench, some lat-pulls, and some curls a couple times a week is not going to make you a good lifter, just as running easy a few times a week for 30 minutes is not going to make you a good runner.
Whether because of the process and burning desire to get better or just out of realizing that it's alot easier to be motivated to train if you enjoy it I eventually began to enjoy training, and in my case especially running. Basically, the desire to be good is what motivated me, and chasing after the goals and trying to improve (especially seeing improvement) was fun and I think as a subsequent work I started actually enjoying the process itself because of my desire to get stronger/faster. The enthusiam to get better "bled over" into actually enjoying the training.
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Congrats on your progress, feel proud on it. Also Join TL & HF, great support and mb some help finding your passion. For example I was never satisfied with runing, then I got into bodybuilding stuff which I never liked either, and now (A year ago) I found my passion on powerlifting. Doing heavy squats, benches and deadlifts. Looking and more important, feeling great, is just a side effect.
Glad L_Master posted above, cause he is kinda an example of the opposite. I hate long distance runing, yet he seems to fucking love it, kinda like I can't wait to get to the gym and do my training every day. I kida miss it on rest days. Find something u like doing, will be much more enjoyable. (I used to be overweight till 13-14, and just not satisfied with myself till I got bit by the iron bug)
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running is bullshit for weight loss. I absolutely hate it. it can accelerate weight loss but if your diet is correct, there is no need for it. I've successfully achieved a bodyfat % of ~8-9% witih pure diet, no running.
base your meals off of meat and vegetables. if you go long enough without soda and other processed garbage, when you eventually try them again they will not taste appealing to you anymore.
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On June 13 2012 05:27 L_Master wrote:Show nested quote +And you don't feel it at first, but eventually, you start getting addicted to running. I can't go a day without feeling like shit if I don't run. And you start feeling more active too. It's weird. Generally agree, but if he is running really hard all the time you won't ever enjoy that. Hard running flat out hurts and I don't think even many serious runners particularly enjoy the hard workouts, or if they do it's in the sense of the satisfaction you get from improving to new levels.
Well that's why I linked the "guide" in my post too. The guide starts really easy (1 minute of jogging/90 seconds of walking cycles) and builds from there, so that's why I said that I got addicted. Because I started out slow.
Yea, OP, you definitely shouldn't push yourself and make it hurt.
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On June 13 2012 05:40 Whole wrote:Show nested quote +On June 13 2012 05:27 L_Master wrote:And you don't feel it at first, but eventually, you start getting addicted to running. I can't go a day without feeling like shit if I don't run. And you start feeling more active too. It's weird. Generally agree, but if he is running really hard all the time you won't ever enjoy that. Hard running flat out hurts and I don't think even many serious runners particularly enjoy the hard workouts, or if they do it's in the sense of the satisfaction you get from improving to new levels. Well that's why I linked the "guide" in my post too. The guide starts really easy (1 minute of jogging/90 seconds of walking cycles) and builds from there, so that's why I said that I got addicted. Because I started out slow. Yea, OP, you definitely shouldn't push yourself and make it hurt.
Oh, I definitely agree. I just wanted to emphasize the importance of learning to run easy, even if there are breaks in there. For instance 1 minute of running with 90s walk break could be done with the running portion at mile race pace, maybe faster. Or it could be done at mile race pace + 3-4 minutes. Both are doable but only one keeps the running portion truly easy, which I guess is the point I was driving at.
No doubt that using a schedule like that is a fantastic way to ease into running though, especially if your work on keeping the running portions legitimately easy.
but if your diet is correct, there is no need for it. I've successfully achieved a bodyfat % of ~8-9% witih pure diet, no running.
Obviously?
Not sure what the point is here. Of course if you have an excellent, calorie controlled diet you don't need to run or do any major exercise to lose weight.
running is bullshit for weight loss. I absolutely hate it. it can accelerate weight loss
Sure, but no more "bullshit" than any other thing. You could as easily replace running in that sentence with weightlifting, cycling, swimming, hiking, etc. in the context of your post.
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On June 13 2012 05:46 L_Master wrote:[ Show nested quote +but if your diet is correct, there is no need for it. I've successfully achieved a bodyfat % of ~8-9% witih pure diet, no running. Obviously? Not sure what the point is here. Of course if you have an excellent, calorie controlled diet you don't need to run or do any major exercise to lose weight.
My point was to inform the OP that he could achieve his weight loss goal by other means - he clearly hates running and I believe it's burning him out. I also believe that the diet aspect of his weight loss is lacking due to his rate of weight loss so far.
On June 13 2012 05:46 L_Master wrote:Show nested quote +running is bullshit for weight loss. I absolutely hate it. it can accelerate weight loss Sure, but no more "bullshit" than any other thing. You could as easily replace running in that sentence with weightlifting, cycling, swimming, hiking, etc. in the context of your post.
yes, yes you could. whats your point?
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On June 13 2012 05:59 Sinep wrote:Show nested quote +On June 13 2012 05:46 L_Master wrote:[ but if your diet is correct, there is no need for it. I've successfully achieved a bodyfat % of ~8-9% witih pure diet, no running. Obviously? Not sure what the point is here. Of course if you have an excellent, calorie controlled diet you don't need to run or do any major exercise to lose weight. My point was to inform the OP that he could achieve his weight loss goal by other means - he clearly hates running and I believe it's burning him out. I also believe that the diet aspect of his weight loss is lacking due to his rate of weight loss so far. Show nested quote +On June 13 2012 05:46 L_Master wrote:running is bullshit for weight loss. I absolutely hate it. it can accelerate weight loss Sure, but no more "bullshit" than any other thing. You could as easily replace running in that sentence with weightlifting, cycling, swimming, hiking, etc. in the context of your post. yes, yes you could. whats your point?
Gotcha. Pretty much agree with what you wrote. If you dislike running that much nothing wrong with using something you find more engaging or tolerable. There are lots of ways to be active and in shape without running.
As to the second point, it just made it seem like you were calling out running as a particularly bad method of helping weight loss, when it's really just one of a variety of viable choices.
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You might have an addiction. Food addictions are real, and horrible-- it's impossible to quit food so you can't keep the temptation away from you for your entire life. After 4 years, I might look into seeking help for food addiction, and dealing with ways to overcome your cravings.
Never the less you have lost 100 pounds, and are actively making the choice to not give into your cravings every day. That takes a lot of will power and self-discipline. Good for you man, for the good choices you've been making for so long now! It is hard work, and it's work other people don't see or don't appreciate. Keep it up!
I would suggest posting in the Health & Fitness Forum regularly because people there will be more than willing to encourage you as you struggle to lose more weight. Having someone to cheer you on can go a long way.
Proud of you! <3
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United States1719 Posts
oh god im a relatively skinny person and that macaroni box + jalapeno chips + macaroni box + ketchup bbq salad dressing sounds delicious
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Hey man good on you for losing 100 pounds, that's really impressive so don't get down on yourself too hard. If you really don't like running look for another activity to do that you like. Running really really helps out with your endurance it's pretty amazing so maybe you could try to find a way to make your running more enjoyable.
For me, when I'm on the dreadmill I like to watch SC2 matches or Anime shows. It makes the run more bearable, although it seems to me that the more fit you are the more enjoyable the run will be...
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Keep Up the great work. I used to be over weight and I will say a few things.
- Cravings never actually go away. But, the fact that you went through all that pain to lose the weight, makes you think twice before you down an XL Burrito. Another big thing about weightloss is that you learn moderation and self control.Once the weight is off the occasional indulgence is okay. However get in the habit of calculating calories. May times in eyeballing portions we over estimate. Another big thing is finding substitutes. Have you tried making your own Mac and Cheese with whole grain pasta and real cheese? I took me a while to enjoy healthier food, but you get used to all the energy that comes with eating healthy. Also I love the fact that I always feel full. Eating healthy gives you alot of liberty in eating alot. Just try to reach 2k calories on veggies and lean meats.
-In regards to excersize I did learn to love running, but that came very late. It didn't come until I got in shape. If you need cardio, but dislike running I recommend Insanity. It's a series excersize videos that come with a 60 day exercise plan and a cookbook. I found it very educational and motivational. And it really worked for me.
As for weight-lifting. It became addicting once your at a bodyfat level that allows you to see results. Also IT WILL SUCK THE FIRST 2 WEEKS. This is mainly because the first week hurts, and the second week you feel like a pussy and often will feel sore just like week 1. By week three, if you have been lifting at least 4-5 days a week, you should start feeling definition and workouts won't be as killer the next day.
But Really, consider doing Insanity or finding a running partner. Running partners are great. You don't really talk because your running, but the fact that another person is with you is motivation. Personally, when I run with a girl, I instantly want to impress her, and if I run with a guy, I want to beat him.
Keep the great work up.
P.S. Learning to cook was my saving grace for eating better. Stir-Fry is a great place to start. Also water becomes addicting. I prefer room temp rather then Ice water.
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Great accomplishment, well done! I actually feel really bad for overweight people who genuinely want to change their ways because I'm one of those people who's really slim (like 5'11 and 130 lbs) without really having to do anything, I don't excercise a whole lot and I eat junk like once a week.
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On June 13 2012 04:26 Vega62a wrote:
Something I've noticed is that not everybody is capable of feeling the "runners high" that I hear about a lot. I'm one of those people - exercise does jack shit to my endorphins.
Not to be an ass, but I just don't buy this. Endorphin's aren't something that belong to just some people. Everyone has them and I think every mammal has them too. It's a physiological response to the pain of training. So if you don't experience them, I think that perhaps you are not exercising to full exertion, exercising enough, or doing the wrong exercise. To expand on that, I don't think weight training releases endorphins. I'm no expert though, and I could be wrong.
OP,
http://www.ergo-log.com/training-caffeine-makes-exercise-more-enjoyable.html
http://www.ergo-log.com/waterfun.html
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this might sound stupid, but why dont you try one of those stationairy cycle things they have at gyms (not sure what its called in english)? If you do that on a not too high tempo (but for a slightly longer time) you could distract yourself by fooling around on your ipad or something (maybe watch a movie w/e).. I see a lot of people just sitting on those things for like 1.5 hours and just watching a movie...
Also, lifting weights benefits your digestion. In my case, I started craving healthy food more and more because it started to feel like it was really the only thing that could properly nurture my body (which is actually the case I suppose). Anyways man your a baller for doing this and if you reach your goal you will mentally suck your own dick (by which I mean you will be uber happy with yourself) for the rest of your life because you did something really awesome.
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On June 13 2012 08:08 B.I.G. wrote:
this might sound stupid, but why dont you try one of those stationairy cycle things they have at gyms (not sure what its called in english)? If you do that on a not too high tempo (but for a slightly longer time) you could distract yourself by fooling around on your ipad or something (maybe watch a movie w/e).. I see a lot of people just sitting on those things for like 1.5 hours and just watching a movie...
Those people are at the gym to feel better about themselves, because "Hey look at me guys, I exercise all the time!" - they're not there to get in shape, or to actually be healthy. If you actually go cycling for 1.5 hours at a good pace, you're going to be exhausted for the rest of the day - and FORGET being able to focus on a movie while you're doing it.
On June 13 2012 08:08 B.I.G. wrote:
Also, lifting weights benefits your digestion. In my case, I started craving healthy food more and more because it started to feel like it was really the only thing that could properly nurture my body (which is actually the case I suppose). Anyways man your a baller for doing this and if you reach your goal you will mentally suck your own dick (by which I mean you will be uber happy with yourself) for the rest of your life because you did something really awesome.
Lifting weights is awesome, but it leading you to prefer one type of food is probably all just in your head. Sure, if you're already a skinny guy and you start lifting, it'll make you want to eat "more" but to eat "healthy".... it's gotta be placebo.
@OP - join the TL health & fitness subforum. Always helps to have "partners" or to just be able to talk to other people who are trying to live a healthy life style. Sure, it too often devolves into "I lifted x, z, and r big weight in a, g, and m lifts today guys, I'm awesome!" but... that IS awesome. I can't relate to your journey so far myself - I'm 6'4 as well, but I really just don't like to eat. When I was 19, I decided that I wanted to be bigger, so now I count my calories and fix my diet to gain weight. I'm ~190 lbs right now, and probably the low teens in bodyfat %. I lift weights 4 times a week, work three physical jobs, play rugby, and swim, run sprints or do other cardio in my free time.
I don't enjoy the actual activities either though - I don't like to step into a rack and do a squat. I get scared of the weight, I get angry at the weight, I get tired of being there. I get a tight feeling in my chest when I run my sprints, my knees ache, I think of all the things I could be doing otherwise. But I love the feeling of progressing, and I love to be able to say "I am capable of X." where X is some feat that seems so far out of reach for my friends that it might as well be among the clouds. So I make myself go back on schedule, each time, and I have yet to regret it afterwards.
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Weight lifting is about getting into a routine I find and I suppose running is to. Do I necessarily want to do it all the time I go? No, but when you get started and start moving your first weights around then you get in the zone. Though the thing with weight lifting is that its a lot less boring than running (on a treadmill or something) because your doing the same thing for 30-40 min where as with lifting your doing different exercises every 10min or so and its pretty intense.
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Wow! I just got home from work, didn't really expect all this. Thanks to everyone who took the time to either encourage me or give me some helpful tips. I'm definitely going to try this running easy thing. Currently I am doing the P90X ab ripper routine every second day. I know you can't target weight loss by working specific areas but it seems to help. As of last week I have started a diet of chicken, broccoli, brown rice, yams, and salsa. It's all I've been eating. I know sooner or later I'm going to come to hate this food, but so far it's been pretty good. Cheap too. And yes, I know of the health and fitness sub forum, and I enjoy reading the posts in there. However, I wrote this blog mainly as a reminder to myself. So if I ever start slipping, I can come back here and look and see that I personally said that I hated being overweight. Just in case I later try to rationalize my weight as being not that big a deal. Once again, thx to everyone who posted. In a month or two I'll be giving an update. No photos though, I don't want any of my RL friends knowing what my sig is.
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Wow very nicely done, I definitely don't have that discipline for eating healthy (lucky for me i'm underweight instead of over and can't seem to gain it xD).
I do have to question if you weigh 205 and you are 6 4" and you think you still look fat? That's interesting because my dad is 6 1", about 215-220 and he doesn't look fat, not super skinny but definitely doesn't look fat.
But keep it up man and I don't think I could ever give up junk food and I wonder what will happen when I hit 30 or so when my metabolism slows down and tells me it's time to become fat! 
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I would recommend you P90X! Do your research! Sweat it out and stick to it, the results are breathtaking!
Good luck and start NOW!
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On June 13 2012 05:27 L_Master wrote:Show nested quote +if you really hate running, but want the benefits of running and don't mind absolutely murdering yourself every time you go out, consider high intensity interval training as a substitute. If only it worked this way. Sadly it doesn't. HIIT is a good way to "compress" workouts into a shorter time and arguably provides an even bigger calorie deficit due to increased metabolic process following the training, however, it does not provide the same benefits as running. Running training basically incorporates HIIT from time to time during the season but usually only for 2-3 months at a time. The reason is simple, intervals provide some MAJOR benefits to running fast, and it's not uncommon to drop a respectable amount of time coming out of "base" training and getting into the serious training. However, these benefits are totally different that the ones achieved from easy/steady state/tempo running and after 6-10 weeks are usually pretty much maxed out. Only way to get faster/better shape after that is to return and continue to build that aerobic foundation. Show nested quote +I think some of it might be attitude - some people are better able to look at how good of a workout it is and enjoy themselves - but I don't know that that's something that's easy to develop (although it seems that L_Master did, and I'd love to know whether that took a lot of effort or not much.) I've always had this ability to take things I dislike and either spin them into a positive or at the worst, accept them for what they are and tolerate them. It's just my belief that things like boredom, misery, etc. are a choice. If I am in a class and notice I find it "boring" I start making a point to reframe it as something valuable and then start looking for relevant connections that make the material more interesting or relevant.
In terms of benefits, I mean increased aerobic capacity, increased muscular endurance, and a calorie deficit. Both HIIT and running provide these things. I'd be curious to know what running provides that HIIT doesn't.
As for your ability to spin to a positive outlook, that's extremely fortunate, and I think it's a skill everyone can develop, but it ain't easy. I hope the OP can do it. Hell, I hope I can do it.
On June 13 2012 07:15 guN-viCe wrote:Show nested quote +On June 13 2012 04:26 Vega62a wrote:
Something I've noticed is that not everybody is capable of feeling the "runners high" that I hear about a lot. I'm one of those people - exercise does jack shit to my endorphins. Not to be an ass, but I just don't buy this. Endorphin's aren't something that belong to just some people. Everyone has them and I think every mammal has them too. It's a physiological response to the pain of training. So if you don't experience them, I think that perhaps you are not exercising to full exertion, exercising enough, or doing the wrong exercise. To expand on that, I don't think weight training releases endorphins. I'm no expert though, and I could be wrong.
Dunno what to tell you. All I can say is that I personally know two people (myself and my ex) who don't get a drop of happy off of running, and every time I run, I run until I can't.
Everybody's brain releases and controls its chemicals differently. What works for you and most people might not work for somebody else. That's why we have psychiatric disorders like depression.
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Keep it up man. I lost 50kg last year and I share most of your feelings (I actually enjoy the treadmill after a hard day at work). I still crave all the bad stuff too, but I've learnt to control it. I think the fear of going back to my prev. weight does that. In my head, I always have the quote "The end of craving is the end of suffering." floating around. It's true. I get a high from controlling my cravings and beating them.
I'm 71kg now and I eat fried chicken and pizza from time to time, but I always go for a big workout first. Kills the shame kkkk
Just think man, when you've lost that last bit of weight, if you go for a big run beforehand, you can eat whatever you like afterwards, and you still look great the next day.
Not long to go :D
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Keep it up!
I do have a suggestion though. Try doing a work out video like Insanity and I'll explain why. I used to play soccer competitively for about 15 years so I would run a lot. The only real reason I ran was because of my love for the sport. About a year ago I wanted to get back in shape and lose a little weight so I started running. Man, was it difficult to get the drive to run; I absolutely hate running. Now fast forward to today...
I've been doing Insanity for over a year now and I love it. It's a lot of cardio and plyometrics but no running. I've been doing it with my older brother who started at 250 pounds. He now weighs 170 pounds. He tried running in the past and it was extremely hard to get the motivation to go for a run. So he tried Insanity and he loves it. It's extremely difficult but very satisfying. You should try it out. Just my thoughts.
Congratulations though! Keep it up!
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On June 13 2012 06:13 rotinegg wrote:
oh god im a relatively skinny person and that macaroni box + jalapeno chips + macaroni box + ketchup bbq salad dressing sounds delicious
I was with him up to the mac + jalepeño chips. But mixing ketchup, bbq, and salad dressing with the cheese from the mac is just completely disgusting lol. Eating that for 3 meals a day is extremely crazy.
But in some strange way, I do sort of understand. Sometimes you just get into weird eating habbits and certain foods can really get associated with certain emotional states within your mind. Combined with the fact that our brains are hard-wired to crave fat, calories, and salt; I can totally understand this wierd craving.
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First wanted to say not trying to be offensive honestly curious about what it's like from a big person's perspective.
So for me, I'm pretty skinny guy 5'8" 120-130 but I love to eat large amounts of junk food occasionally too and I'm not immune to gaining weight. However when I do see I'm putting on pounds,I diet by, during meals I just eat until I no longer feel "hungry" anymore. As in that sort feeling in your stomach of hunger is when you eat. As soon as you don't feel that anymore you pack up what you have left and save it for later when you do feel hungry. In this way you end up eating a bunch of smaller meals throughout the day. I guess basically just eat only when you are hungry and until you no longer feel hungry instead of until you are "full" or "stuffed".
Now my question is since obviously this isn't that simple for a lot of people is it just that bigger people keep feeling hungry longer while eating? If so is it because you are used to eating larger portions and therefore still feel hungry? Or is it just a control issue with being able to stop when you no longer feel hungry? Also make sure you are making the distinction between no longer having the pang in your stomach of hunger vs being physically able to eat more/ not being quite satisfied yet.
Since I'm pretty small it doesn't take that much before I no longer feel that feeling of hunger, and I just think to myself "the food will taste better later when I'm actually hungry again" to stop myself from over eating. Which makes it pretty easy for me to maintain my weight. (I wasn't always skinny either, middle school and early high school I was pretty fat,mostly from soda)
I realize you mentioned that control was an issue but do you think if you were able to get over that hurdle this way of dieting would be realistic for you or does it just not work that way? In my experience if you stick with it over time you'll find even when you do binge you feel stuffed more sooner. I'm just wondering how different it is, if at all, for bigger people.
I think part of why NA is so obese in comparison to a lot of other parts of the world, is that in NA a lot people eat till they are "stuffed" and outside NA a lot of people just eat till they are no longer hungry(smaller portions) barring special occasions.
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United States1719 Posts
^^ i used to be a bit overweight so i think i may be able to offer some insight, although i may be completely off base cuz i was never actually that big... 5'11" 190 ish? small bones so quite a bit of weight for me. anyway, what you said about control is right i guess, when i saw unfinished food i was like 'im not hungry anymore but eating that tasty food now will make me sooo satisfied' and it did, so i ate til i was so stuffed i couldnt eat anymore. i stopped doing that when i graduated college and started living alone. i cooked most of my meals and after months of eating small portions, i no longer can eat that much. ill still get binge cravings when im out eating with my friends but itll take me less to feel 'satisfied' compared to back then.
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Holy shit dude you were huge. Good luck. I've never known what that's like. I've always been skinny as hell even when I took working out more seriously than I do now. You've come a long way. All I can say is that you've done an amazing job considering the circumstances.
TLDR I used to do a lot of drugs. What helped me go from blissfully high to sober in 24 hours was completely cutting myself off from that world. The friends, the lifestyle- everything into a card board box and tossed to the street. You can't have it that easy. Every time you buy a pack of gum or drive down the road there's giant fucking signs that say BUY ME I'M DELICIOUS! ONLY 1400 CALORIES PER SERVING!
That's gotta be rough. That's how I'm going to feel when I finally smoke my last cigarette and kick this gross addiction.
I don't know how this post is supposed to help. I want you to understand though that I think you've done a hell of a lot for yourself and not everyone can do what you've done. You've actually earned a part of the special label of fortitude and determination everyone slaps around on failures and average people.
Good work. Keep it up. You should be fucking proud of yourself.
Edit: Oh yeah spoiler alert- yeah life sucks get over it. eventually you actually will get over it and not miss things as much. Who knows when but it's partly like storming away from your girlfriend when you're pissed over something stupid then laughing at yourself and letting it go. Sometimes the only thing holding you back with want of a thing is yourself.
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BTW I hate running and about a year i was slightly overweight (180 pounds) and i coudlnt do running but when i tried bike running i was actually ok with it. you can maintian it much longer with a lot less pain and its still a great workout, give it a try
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