Insert Clever Introduction Here

[Aegir]

I've been trying to come up with a clever introduction for so long that it has become apparent that unless I settle for less than witty, it'll never get done.

 

I'm here for accountability, encouragement, and support.  I'm here to (hopefully) offer the same to others.  I'm a husband and father of a rambunctious and amazing preschooler.  I'm also a fat guy.  I haven't always been a fat guy, but I've let myself go the past few years and well... here I am.  Fat.  Fluffly.  Rotund.  For awhile I was just slightly overweight, still active, felt good, just not as fit as I used to be.  In the last six months or so I have veered so far off the healthy path that even I can't deceive myself anymore.  I have to get myself under control.  I feel bad all of the time.  I can't stand to look at myself in the mirror.  I'm buying clothes to hide myself.  I'm eating to make myself feel better, but all it does is make me feel worse.

 

This isn't the guy that I want to be. More importantly, this isn't the guy I wan't my son to be.  Time to put on my big boy pants and stop talking about getting my act together.  Time to do it.

[Guzzi]

Way to go @Aegir! I admire your honesty and attitude!

 

You've said lots of thing that resonate with me from back in the days before I lost the weight.  I was fat, not huge, but still fat. I was also very unfit (not all my own fault! but still...) I ate lots of comfort foods and exercising was very difficult for me. I hated what I saw in the mirror and even though I lost a lot of weight for my wedding I still spent the last night of my honeymoon disraught because I was "fat, ugly and useless".  I eventually kicked my ass into gear and got healthy but it took a long time and I made some mistakes along the way.  Hopefully with the help of this community you can reach your goals and avoid the mistakes I made.  

 

First off, have you read This article?  If you want to lose weight then the most important thing is to work on your relationship with food.  That means eating better not just less.

 

If you like numbers and stats...

Spoiler

...then you could calculate your BMR, Base Metabolic Rate, which tells us how many calories your body needs every day if you were to do nothing, like literally, imagine being sick and not leaving your bed all day.  

 

Once you have that you could calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) [<- don't you just love when they come up with such totally unnecessary acronyms?! WTF is wrong with saying total calories needed???  /rant  ] and work out how much you should be eating to lose Xlbs per week, using a food tracker to work out your calorie intake.

 

Here's one I prepared earlier... It's advice from a member called Waldo to another member who was trying to lose a lot of weight

Quote

at 6'2" and 260, you're about the same weight I once was and slightly taller. 

You'll lose very fast at 1500 net calories

You'll lose moderate at 1750 net calories

You'll lose slow at 2000 net calories

Don't waste your time above 2000 net cals if you are actually trying to lose.  2000 will be yawn inducing slow.  A person in your shoes should have no issue with a couple months of 1500 net cals.  Little deficits are are little people.  Big guys can handle big deficits.

 

Net calories means counting exercise.  A good lifting session should burn about 600 cals an hour.  Running burns about 800 cals an hour.

 

Now even if you do decide to do it this way, you need to work on making changes to improve your diet and build healthy habits. If you don't then you will just pile the weight back on eventually because you haven't made a change to your mindset. <-very important!

 

 

 Of course you could not do any of that and just aim to eat better and work on cutting out the junk and looking at portion control.  Both are valid methods, it just depends which approach you think would work best for you.

 

Building new habits is hard, here is a post by Steve that I think you should read, or this which is almost the same thing.  Does that make it doubly true? 

 

If you are struggling to find motivation to work out, or eat right, or level up in other ways then why not join us in the upcoming 4 Week Challenge?  It starts on Sunday but don't worry about being late to the party, you can join in at any time.  The challenges make a HUGE difference to my motivation and dedication when I do them, it's amazing what the accountability of putting it out there and having other people following your progress does.  

 

Anyway, I hope I haven't scared you off! I look forward to hearing how you get on (please feel free to msg me with updates if you want a cheerleader) and let me, or anyone else, know if there's anything you want help/advice/info with.

[Aegir]

Wow! Thanks for the response,@guzzi You've given me a lot to think about. Off to read!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Altamarie]

Good luck in your goals! It sounds like you have a good starting point  

[Bookish Badger]

Welcome to the Rebellion! I second Guzzi's suggestion that you jump into a challenge. Pick two or three small goals that will have big impact (I mean, ridiculously small. So small you need an electron microscope to find. So small that you have literally no excuse for not completing them. These are the goals that are going to get you where you want to be, almost without your awareness.)

 

Something like "play tag with my child for 5 minutes a day" or "walk around the block after dinner" or "replace soda with water." You'll have all kinds of supporters cheering you on and ready with advice when you need it. 

 

Good luck on your journey!

[HappyCat]

On 15/07/2016 at 10:52 AM, Aegir said:

 I'm eating to make myself feel better, but all it does is make me feel worse.
 

 

I can really relate to that. But I know from past experience that the endorphin high can come from exercise and looking after yourself as well....and that doesnt have the awful guilt and loathing aftertaste!

 

Well done for getting here, time to be the man you WANT to be!