280 pounds. how do I start?

[giotronics]

My name's Gio currently residing in the Philippines, I am 23 years old over 280 pounds and I need to lose weight. I am currently at an office job I am I.T admin, that's my job for a living and I work mondays to saturdays at 8am to 7pm. I do not have the time to do physical exercise nor do I have the energy however, I am very keen and committed to change my diet. but, I do not know how to start. I do not know what food to eat, schedules when eating, what to drink etc. I am not a rich man so budget ingredients would be the best for me. I prefer a lot of meat. I am currently trying to lessen my rice intake. any advice will be appreciated. Thanks for the time -Gio 

[Karma Krishok]

Hi Gio, that's a lot of hours in the office! A few thoughts on getting started:

• Losing weight means a healthy life style, that's diet but also exercise. Part of not having the energy is caused by not doing it. I feel a lot less tired after runs now, then when I just started. It also really helps me control my diet since I do not want to eat back all the kgs I just ate. I travel 50% of my time, across several countries and have my own business to run so I know how many excuses we can make :-). If it doesn't feel right to start exercising, at least try to be more active in what you do day-to-day: walk the stairs, walk the last part home after work, try to find something active to do on your day off, etc.
• Food wise: I think there is quite a bit of info on-line but limit rice, more vegetable, more chicken. Start figuring out what the right portions are. If you want to really know how much you eat, you can start calorie counting. It is not my thing but it does provide a lot of insight in how much you go over the calories you need. You can look for apps like myfitnesspall to help you with this. Keep in mind that any change requires time and effort. Improving diet takes as much or maybe more time than exercise, it is not the easy way out.
• Most importantly, for any change to be sustainable, you will need to enjoy it. So look foor food that is healthy and tasty, cook dishes you like to prepare, etc. If it feels like you have to, it will not work in the long-term and you will bounce back up in weight again.

[giotronics]

Thank you for the reply. as I was actually typing this I plan on doing 30 minute night walks which should help me be more active. thanks for the knowledge about the food. I am thinking of getting chicken breast as its known to be healthy and filling. 

[Karma Krishok]

That's a great way to get started! Good luck on your journey.

[Rogue 6]

I was 277 when I started and I've lost 18.6 pounds just from changing how I eat. I use the myfitnesspal to see how many calories I'm eating a day and try to stick close to my goal. I have only recently started exercising this week so the 18.6 pounds was only by changing what foods I eat and how much I eat.

 

I definitely say go with the chicken like you said before. Its probably the main meat that I consume at home.

[james452]

Start easy. You mention night walks, I suggest starting with just 5 minute walks, and then increasing the time later on.

 

As for diet, why not aim to drink one litre of pure water a day on top of whatever you are drinking. You might find that by adding water in, you'll naturally decrease the amount sugary drinks you consume.

 

If you want a more in depth guide, I do suggest joining the Nerd Fitness Academy. The initial price might seem a lot, but it's a great investment for improving your health.