Extra Large Indie Nerd

[Realist]

Hello. This is my first time joining a health sort of forum. It's also the first time where I'm actually trying to join a community for support in my endeavors.

 

I am a happily single 24 year old woman who weighs 333lbs (150kg) (That number looks worse when I type it.) I don't feel like I weigh that much and I'm nearly 6 feet tall so I don't always look like I weigh that much either but, I do weigh that much. I've always thought I could do it without support and alone and it's obvious I can't so, here I am. I have no support in my own world. My Grandma is the closest that believes in Paleo but...she also believes that your blood type determines how you should eat. My mom is calories in/out and if she could just eat less she's sure she would lose weight. Most people see my red meat and veggie meals and proceed to tell me how unhealthy fat is. Or, when I try to explain the way I eat people try to explain why I shouldn't eat that way. Or how hours of cardio will be so much better for me than trying to do body weight exercises. What a sad world of misinformation. 

 

My journey until now:

I gained most of my weight from a sedentary lifestyle. I packed on nearly 50lbs in a mere couple of months after getting a birth control implant in my arm. I also gained weight after losing my gall bladder in 2012. I've gone from a size 18 at 18 years old to a tight size 28. I work a night shift at a security company and have happily snacked my way through my nights for nearly four years. I truly believe in Paleo and have cut almost all bad stuff out of my shopping list. That doesn't stop me from justifying buying something extra when I do go shopping. My job has snacks everywhere. Sort of healthy snacks but, even those can become unhealthy. I also hate cooking and even though I cook a lot more now, I still hate it. I also hate salad. So much hate for salads.

 

Why the change?

I've been working towards being healthy but, I have a lot of falling down and failures. When I fail I really let myself fail and lose it. This year my roommate asked me to move out as he no longer wants a roommate. On top of that I need a job that pays more so that I can support my mother and brother. So, the year for changes. August 29th is my last day at my current job of nearly four years and I am leaving to become an over the road truck driver. Truck drivers are some really unhealthy people and I don't want to be that girl that can barely walk from the truck to the fuel stop. I want to pass my DOT physical with flying colors. And, I want to like me again.

 

Indie nerd?

Ha. This is kind of a joke. I can't discuss Star Wars with you (I fall asleep during the second movie every time), or any space things for that matter. Or Lord of the Rings. I hated the first season of Game of Thrones and read all five awful horrible books. I'm not a comic book nerd, or World of Warcraft, or a lot of the mainstream things. But, I can discuss Repo! The Genetic Opera with you in detail, I love me some Dwarf Fortress, I read Piers Anthony when I'm in a reading mood, and I watch tons of Ted Talks and documentaries, I am a happy player of a text based cyberpunk RP game called Sindome. So, a nerd of a different kind with more obscure interests I suppose. I have watched some anime like Trigun and Cowboy Bebop.

 

My weakness?

Cured meats. Jerky, sausage, salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, good ham. There is no control with these items. If I have them in my possession, they will be eaten promptly. Attempts at portion control see me justifying going to take bites or a nibble here or there and suddenly it's gone and I'm left with an empty wrapper and sadness because it's all gone.

 

So, here I am and here I will remain until I'm better at this health thing. Hello, everyone. 

 

 

[ComradeTalls]

Hey Realist -- Welcome to the Rebellion!

It sounds like you've identified where you need to focus your attention diet-wise. And having a new job and a new place to live is the perfect time to make some big life changes. Look at it as a fresh start. There's still a few weeks until the next 6-week challenge starts, so that should give you plenty of time to decide on your plan of attack.

Anyway, good to have you.

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Welcome to the rebellion. Don't worry about your nerd cred, it's legit. Even if it wasn't the fitness part is really what's important.  You have a lot going on. Here's the good news. If you become a trucker, you don't have to cook, just make good choices when you order your food at the truck stop.

 

Also, if you are 24, why on earth do you need to support your mother and brother? You are responsible for exactly one person in that world, you. You may have the desire to help your mother and brother, which is fine. What you do not have is the obligation.  If you make yourself responsible for them you will be sabotaging yourself.  Many of us have sedentary jobs and devote an hour or less per day to fitness. You can do the body weight workout wherever you are, and it doesn't take that long.

 

Glad to have you with us.

[Realist]

Thanks for the welcomes. I've never done a fitness challenge or any challenge really. I tend to start projects and stop doing them so, I don't want to start and then not keep it up. I'll take a look, maybe I'll do something small!

As far as my mom and brother, it's a complicated sob story that I won't spend time on. I will say my mom is actually a huge inspiration in strength. She's 56 and had a surprise pregnancy at 45 after being told she would never become pregnant again (not that she wanted to at 45). My brother is now a very active 10 year old with mental disabilities that she home schools while she has her own disabilities to deal with. I want to make sure they have what they need. She's never asked me to do this but, I've had to help her financially enough times to know she needs more help than she's getting. It's also pushing me to make changes towards my own life because I want to be around for them. I won't be having a family of my own so I'll just support the one I already have.

I fully plan on cooking in the truck for most meals. I love crock pot food and trucks are perfect for that! Plus, it saves a lot of money on the road towards other monetary goals.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

If you are helping your mother and brother out of love, and not obligation, that's a different story. I do want to caution you, be honest with yourself. Are you not going to have a family of your own because you don't want one or you've convinced yourself you can't have one? That may be to personal for the boards, so you might not want to answer it in a public forum, I just wanted to ask the question.

 

On the up side, good on you for planning to cook on the road. I never even thought about slow cookers in OTR trucks. Do you have to clamp down the lid to prevent spillage?

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Double post

[Realist]

I don't mind talking about it. I'm not having a family because I don't want one and I never will want one.

Newer trucks ride decently smooth but, my crockpot has built in lid clamps as well. I'll also have room for a cooler and I'll bring an electric skillet with me. The hard part I think will be finding time and a place to shop weekly. Trucks are highly regulated in regards to logging miles and hours. I figure I'll be parking in a lot of Wal-Marts and maybe renting a car or getting a cab to go pick up stuff like grass fed meat when it's available. I'm very excited for the job.