I wanna lose weight

[metrx]

I'm 41 years old and have been working out in some way shape or form my entire life.  The key is that once you look at diet and exercise as a lifestyle change instead of "work" or something you "have to do" the easier it becomes.  Also, dont set yourself up to fail by placing very difficult or unattainable goals on yourself...or by getting on the scale everyday.  Start slowly...you will be more inclined to continue this "change" in your life.
 
I have always eaten fairly healthy my entire life, but became a diabetic about 3 years ago.  I wondered "why me"...often.  Its somewhat of an unexplainably aquired disease, but now I really needed to change and pay attention to my eating habits even moreso.  I have vowed to get off my medication and control my diabetes with diet and exercise alone...no easy task.  
Diabetes affects 6% of Americans and over 40 million people have "high blood sugar"...putting them at risk to become "full-blown" diabetics.  Per capita, the US has one of the highest populations of diabetics worldwide and it has everything to do with our lifestyles as a whole.  There are serious complications associated with poorly managed diabetes. 
 
The formula is simple...if you take in more calories than you expend, you will gain unwanted weight.  You can easily attain goals with a sensible combination of diet and exercize.  It takes some will power, dedication and time.
 
As far as exercise...man, your 20 years old.  You can do anything you want.  I would start slowly and incorporate some type of cardio and weight-training program.  Cardio is the key to losing weight...anything that keeps your heartrate elevated for a steady, extended period of time.  Biking, running, stair-climbing, swimming, axe-chopping etc....30 minutes a day 3-5 days a week.  For crappy days outside...invest in a stairmaster, treadmill or eliptical machine.  As far as weight training...search the internet depending on what your goals are.  You can train your entire body in 3 days...2 body parts a day, once a week.  Thats 3 days.  If I had to pick one to be the healthiest and lose some weight...do cardio over the weights.
 
Proper diet is the key to losing weight.  Again, if you approach it as something that becomes part of your life and not a chore or something you have to do...you will succeed and not go up and down with weight like "dieters" do.  Start by using positive language to describe what you are trying to do.  Example...I'm eating better and its become a part of my lifestyle as opposed to "I'm on a diet".  Being on a diet implies that once you reach your goal weight...you can return to what you did in the past...and the bottom line is...you cant if you want to maintain your desired weight.
Diet...fried food, refined sugars, fats...and "white" carbohydrates should be replaced with...baked, boiled or grilled food, a generous amount of fresh fruits and veges and whole grain foods.  By white carbs I mean...white bread, white sugar, white potatoes and white pasta.  Switch to whole grain products...read the labels.  Get off the soda or "pop" as some call it.  Moderation is the key.  Have 2 slices of pizza a big salad instead of a whole pie.  The more you can break up your meals into smaller and more throughout the day...the better.  Five or six smaller meals throughout the day is better than 2 or 3 bigger ones.  Instead of having a bag of chips and soda while watching TV at night before bed...replace it with an apple and some peanut butter and a protein shake.
 
All this, like anything in life is easier said than done...but if you put aside 30 minutes a day and have the will to do it...you can accomplish your goals. 
    

[PA Big Game Hunter]

Thank you for all your advice. I will let you know how I do.

[fatbob240]

I agree with hookset6969 1000% As a drug free bodybuilder, I know that it's critical to eat every 2-3 hours, eat whole foods, drink plenty of water, lift weights and not allow your body to think you're trying to starve itself. There are so many elements involved in doing things correctly that you need to educate yourself as much as possible. I'm not saying to take classes or spend the money on a personal trainer, but even just reading a magazine like Muscle&Fitness will get you started in the right direction. Everybody is different, so be patient.

[buckhunter21]

ORIGINAL: Patriot

I've dropped from 214 to 191 (23 pounds) since November 30, 2009.  I'm 5'11"

What works for me?

Pretty simple......portion control.  No more bowls of ice cream at 10pm, no more big fast food burgers.  No more 5, 6, 7 cookies at a time.  No more pizza binges (well...maybe once per month).

I go to Subway (a lot) and get footlong subs (chicken breast) with no mayo.

I'll eat at Burger King, but get the chicken sandwhich (no mayo) and a side salad.

I still drink a ton of diet pop.  I try to drink a glass of water whenever I'm hungry between meals.

No excercise (yet), but I plan to hit the cardio soon.

 
BK lounge.  He eats there everyday!   That's the secret.

[Goose]

ORIGINAL: PA Big Game Hunter

Thank you for all your advice. I will let you know how I do.

 
Good luck! We'll be pulling for ya!

[CB on the run]

high fructose corn syrup=very bad.  Everyday Hunter is right on with that statement.  It's in far more things than we believe.  I though I was eating healthy granola bars, but the company was using the corn syrup as a binding agent.  A lot of people eat double starches at one meal.  Bread and a potato at dinner or toast and oatmeal or ceral for breakfast.  I've eliminated the soda, most of the corn syrup, almost all of the beer but I love bread and toast with meals.  If I can eliminate the double starches and desserts I'll be ok.

[JPH]

ORIGINAL: PA Big Game Hunter

I am 20 years old and I am 6'4 270 lbs. I am a naturally big guy (not big as in fat, just big) and I would like to get into the 240 range. I got real serious about 2 weeks ago and started watching what I eat and have already dropoed 2 lbs. I have cut out candy, fast food, and soda pop. I have been doing things like sit ups and crunches in the mornings. I would like to start running but it has snowed for 2 weeks. I just wanted to get some opinions and see if you had any ideas to help me. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

My first question for you would be why do you want to do this?

That may seem like a stupid question. After all, 6'4" and 270 lbs places you at a BMI of 33. That's considered "obese" so the reason for wanting to drop 40 lbs should be obvious, right? Wrong!

Losing weight, simply for the sake of losing weight is a bad idea in the long run. The question we need to answer is "what harm is my current weight causing me?" Is it limiting my hunting or athletic ability? Is is causing me to feel bad about the way I look? Is it overworking my heart or giving me diabetes? If your body is limiting you or hurting your health, then identify that problem and attack the problem, not an arbitrary thing like weight.

I mentioned your BMI above. Lts play a little game with BMI to illustrate my point. I am 5'8" and run between 170 and 178 (depending on what my training focus is at the time). At 178, when I am at my strongest, my BMI is 27 placing me high in the "overweight" category. Meanwhile, I function as a professional firefighter and personal trainer. Ever heard of Fedor Emelinanko? Well at 6' and 233 lbs, he is at the "obese" BMI of 31. He is also considered to be the greatest mixed martial artist in the world. Now get this one. At 5'9" and 174 lbs, Lance Armstrong has a BMI of 26 and is a member of the "overweight" club. Give me a break!

Please understand, I realize why you asked. I would suspect, without knowing you, that you are unhappy with more than just weight. It's just that we are conditioned to look at that factor alone and I encourage you to focus on health and performance rather than the scale. Please post again and share what you would like to be able to do once you are in better shape. Run a 5k? Reduce your blood pressure? Walk to your best tree stand without stopping to rest? Once we have that goal to work on, we can offer you some great advice and forget about the damn scale.

Feel free to PM me. I hope to hear back from you soon.

[msbadger]

Now that has to be one of the best post  of your that I've read...how true

Woman are much different in weight loss ability than men...I'm over weight and for years my Dr.s have tested and tried to figure out why...I'm active everyday eat right limit portions ...fat...salt..We are the running joke of friends with the amount of boneless skinless chicken we eat..and venison...fish

I'm on a very low does for BP...think mainly do to personality traits...and they test me every 6mos for sugar...normal...cholesterol lowest they've seen

Finally two years ago my internist said...."Ya know...this is just the wieght your body seems to need to be"...Not what I want ..but perhaps because of the amount and type of work I do...which pretty much lets me know that stopping the amount of activity I do isn't an option....Someone yesterday said...Whats wrong with"Mr.B"...letting you hand shovel a drive this big?  I told them I won't let him hire a guy and I don't want a plow...it's part of my winter lifting and aerobics... So I'm in shape for the spring and summer work

Big difference between being say... line backer heavy and some one that is of the same weight and they have no visible ankle because of fat rolls...eww...seen that too many times

[fatbob240]

I hear ya loud and clear JPH. I'm 5'9" and 240 pounds with visible abs and a 33" waist but my insurance premiums got jacked up sky high because of my BMI. According to the "insurance Gods", I am grossly obese.

[JPH]

@ msbadger, I feel for you. Women get really crappy end of our obsession with weight. Again, take a look at our female Olympic athletes. Very few fit into the "norm" re. weight yet in my opinion, very few Hollywood types can hold a candle to them in terms of health and beauty. I'm glad you have the confidence to focus on performance rather than a bathroom scale. Too few women do!

@ fatbob240, my insurance carrier says I cannot meet you in a dark alley...ever.