Holiday cookies ... pants not fitting right ... damn.

[gtrsolo1]

Yes, I'm a guy and I have a body image "issue." I pretty much want to look like Jason Statham. My wife would probably like that, too. But first and foremost, I just want to fit into my work khakis and not be uncomfortable all day.

 

My story, as brief as possible (which of course means "too long"):

 

--I'm 38, 6'1", probably somewhere around 250 lbs.

--I actually love working out, and the tired, sore, but kind of triumphant feeling you get afterward

--I also really, really love food, and have engaged in some pretty elaborate denial and bargaining to justify eating so much of it (Example: "Well, it's an Egg Beaters omelet, so it's OK to fill it with bacon and gruyere cheese")

--In 2006, I was close to 300 lbs., and full of bad habits. The cherry on top was the anxiety attacks that I was having that caused me to go to the ER five times--and every time being told I was fine, except for the fact that I was drinking a pot of coffee a day and was obese

--In 2007, I lost 70 lbs., and I think I did it a pretty healthy way. I ate a ton of apples--my go-to food--and played basketball (against people a lot better than me) almost every day after work, and did strength training 3 times a week. I also stopped drinking during the week, and while I had a blast on weekends, my drink of choice was light beer.

--Between then and now, the lightest I got was 225 lbs., and now I'm back up to about 250.

--Like I said, I'm good at bargaining and denial--it's been the main reason my weight has gone up and my energy and confidence has gone down.

--Also, I'm married and a father of two daughters (one's almost 3, the other's 3 months old). Home life is great, but it can be hectic, and quick 'n' easy meals are usually the order of the day. A lot of the time, that includes pasta, tacos, hot dogs, or some sort of cheesy casserole.

--My wife has also struggled with weight issues for most of her life, and while she's sensible about her portions when she eats, she doesn't find time to exercise. I'm the opposite; I heap on the second and third helpings, but always make time to work out.

--My biggest fear is not being here for my kids (as cliche as that sounds). I want to be healthy. I also don't want to have to buy all new--bigger--clothes. That would be a crippling blow to my morale, and chop down my confidence even more

--While I've constructed my own bodyweight workouts and have been able to mix them up enough to make them interesting, I joined Nerd Fitness and bought the workout/eating plans because I know I need structure, and no wiggle room to bargain with or deny reality.

 

Thanks for reading through this--I think I wrote it mostly so I could come to terms with everything. Any tips/suggestions/stories you want to share or you think could give me a boost (or a reality check), I'm all ears (and love handles/beer gut). -Andy

[hotPretzel]

gtrsolo1- someone who knows far more than me is going to come along and give you good advice soon enough, but I though I could pass along some broad-minded tips for eating better. A lot of people on this website are big proponents of a high fat/low carb diet (using the term "diet" loosely, because diet implies temporary), and someone more educated than myself can and probably will explain the finer details, but the key is that by cutting down on carbs as a source of energy, the body is forced to metabolize your fat storages for energy, thus burning it.

 

I'm sort of new to HF/LC, but I find eating that way is actually really not hard at all, and I feel as if I could sustain it as a lifestyle change. What it means is lots of veggies, cheeses, meats (chicken thighs, sausages, burgers w/o the bun, etc), eggs, and nuts- in other words, "real" food. Unfortunately no cookies, crackers, bread, or pasta, but eventually you'll get used to that.

 

Being a student, I'm on campus a lot and really don't have time for long meals. I don't know if this directly correlates to having a family, but try making a few days worth of food at a time, and then heat it up as needed. Personally I don't mind eating the same thing a few times in a row, but if you google paleo recipes, there's so much information if you feel the need to mix things up. I don't stick to a strictly paleo diet, but if you're looking for new ideas, that's a good starting point.

 

Lastly, tracking your food with MyFitnessPal is really eye opening. I used to eat just copious amounts of food, even if it were healthy, and not even realize it.

Start to measure your meals and track your macros, I bet you'd be surprised by what you see.

[Susan1430]

Hi Andy, something that really helped me and my other half was figuring out some healthy (or even just healthier) meals that fit into the "quick 'n' easy" category, and gradually making them part of the regular rotation.

 

You mentioned that you're married -- which of you does (the majority of) the grocery shopping and cooking? Changing grocery buying habits is an important part of changing cooking/eating habits. As I constantly remind myself as I'm walking through the aisles: "if I don't buy it, I can't eat it!".

 

Susan