Obese to FIT (22stone +)

Beefy78

10.4 miles on the clock, my friend. 4.8 yesterday and 5.6 on Wednesday. Hoping to clock 7 miles tonight.

Maybe.

I would have done more last night but I miscalculated on how mild it actually was. Started out in shorts and a t-shirt and it was not shorts and t-shirt weather as it transpired.

MrStuffins

Ah, so i've a bit of catching up to do? Not a problem, better kick it up a notch over the weekend

MrStuffins

Right lads, how we getting on?

Last week i was 190. I spent Jan slowly getting rid of the Christmas weight.

New Year has been going very very well so far. After being hit with a bad flu at first, I picked back up on the Couch to 5k and i'm on Week 7, 2 weeks away from completeing the program

I also finally got around to it and booked swimming lessons! I'm in my 3rd week now and apparently i'm "a natural" and I really love swimming now

Not only this, but i've joined a gym. Now, it doesn't open til the end of the month, bt i plan to be swimming properly AND running a comfortable 5K before it opens.

I think i'm finished "losing weight" now. I'm not going to concentrate on getting fit. Running, swimming and weight training to transform the body. Looking forward to it

WHIP IT!

Keep 'er Lit, Lads n Lassies... always heartening to see this thread getting a Bump...

Corkdaddy

Hi Everyone,

Been following this thread for a while and decided to register especially. So here is my story.

Im a 34 year old male from cork who has struggled with weight for a long time. I was extremely sporty in my teens - played GAA and even played underage rugby with munster. Got a bad ankle injury playing hurling which took a couple of operations to fix and piled on the pounds due to no physical activity for about 12 months, went to college, women, booze etc etc etc.

I'm happily married and last year we had a beautiful little girl (after years of trying!) - i thought i had it all. Nice house, nice car, gorgeous wife and little girl. However i am stuill deeply unhappy with my weight and appearance.

5 weeks ago i decided i needed a lifestyle change. I got a fright when i weighed myself - 320lbs - just under 23st. I have changed my eating habits, reduced (not given up!) alcohol and in 3 weeks have lost 7lbs - now weighing 313.

I am thinking of joining a gym as my motivation for exercise is poor - i normally work late ans some nights its at 7.30/8 by the time i get home.

Please help! any suggestions/ideas/motivation would be greatly welcomed....

Beefy78

MrStuffins wrote: »

I also finally got around to it and booked swimming lessons! I'm in my 3rd week now and apparently i'm "a natural" and I really love swimming now

Good work buddy. I didn't even know you could get adult swimming lessons. Many people there?

That's definitely something I'll be looking into in the second half of the year.

MrStuffins

Corkdaddy wrote: »

Hi Everyone,

Been following this thread for a while and decided to register especially. So here is my story.

Im a 34 year old male from cork who has struggled with weight for a long time. I was extremely sporty in my teens - played GAA and even played underage rugby with munster. Got a bad ankle injury playing hurling which took a couple of operations to fix and piled on the pounds due to no physical activity for about 12 months, went to college, women, booze etc etc etc.

I'm happily married and last year we had a beautiful little girl (after years of trying!) - i thought i had it all. Nice house, nice car, gorgeous wife and little girl. However i am stuill deeply unhappy with my weight and appearance.

5 weeks ago i decided i needed a lifestyle change. I got a fright when i weighed myself - 320lbs - just under 23st. I have changed my eating habits, reduced (not given up!) alcohol and in 3 weeks have lost 7lbs - now weighing 313.

I am thinking of joining a gym as my motivation for exercise is poor - i normally work late ans some nights its at 7.30/8 by the time i get home.

Please help! any suggestions/ideas/motivation would be greatly welcomed....

Hi Corkdaddy,

Congrats on the little girl. Amazing

7lbs in 3 weeks is a great start! A really great start.

What I did was this, I grabbed MyFitnessPal, set it to "lose 1 lb per week" and went out walking. I know walking might not feel like it's doing much, but it really is. I found that I was burning ~300cals for every hour walking.

I'd head out in the evening for an hour. Oh, I need something in the shop...... i'll walk to a far shop, take a longer than needed route, be back an hour later with 300 cals blown off!

I got into the habit of taking my lunch hour from work and walking then. NA extra 300 cals gone.

Get some audio books or some podcasts and don't see it as exercise, see it as a chance to listen to a cool book or a good podcast, a bit of alone time.

I tell ya, they all add up. 1lb of fat is 3500 cals. Sometimes i'd be burning off 1lb extra per week just from walking. Not only that, but if I was in the house ad felt like a snack, i'd get out walking. I'm theoretically doubling the weight loss as i'm dodging the urge to consume a cheeky 300cals here and there.

I step on the scale, see the results and say "Wow, this is actually working. I'll keep it up".

Before you know it, you're 7 weeks down the line, 1 stone lighter and it doesn't feel like you'd had to kill yourself for it. It's just eating a little less and walking a bit.

I'm 190 now but was 189 a my lowest and not ONCE did I step foot in a gym or go mad exercising. Just bit by bit, little by little........ get into a routine and it'll work.

That's just what I did anyway.

Let us know how you're getting on here

MrStuffins

Beefy78 wrote: »

Good work buddy. I didn't even know you could get adult swimming lessons. Many people there?

That's definitely something I'll be looking into in the second half of the year.

I'm from Dublin so I looked up lessons in the National Aquatic Centre (which I can get to by bus) and they were €72 for an 8 week course (1 class a week).

They have different time slots. I'm in the latest one (because of work) and there are only 3 of us. When I get there the previous class is still going and there's about 12 of them. And the classes are on 5 days a week, 3 times a day. There's plenty of people learning. I'm enjoying it immensely

Beefy78

Good stuff. I'm not usually one for resolutions but starting to learn to swim was a resolution this year. I'm not quite ready to disrobe in front of people yet though...!

I said a few pages back that I had no interest in jogging or running but I think I've going to give Couch to 5K a go from next week afterall. I'd want to do it on top of the walking I'm already doing (116.4 miles down, btw) so it's just a question of working out the logistics of when I could fit it in. In the mornings, I'd guess but I'm not a morning person. Still not sure if my ankle will stand up to it but figured I'd give it a try. It's a nine week plan too and I go on holiday in ten weeks so it's perfect timing.

MrStuffins

Yeah man give it a go. It's taken me a bit longer because of 1 injury and 1 case of manflu, but i'm getting through it.

Denerick

Actually gained weight for the first time in 4 months (including christmas) last week, which was a bit of a bummer. Despite that, i'm back on track and a recent trip to the weighing scales registered 16:1... Easily the lowest weight I've been in years. So there is still progress despite it all.

I'd also like to comment on how close me and my weighing scales have become over the past four months. Every day we share that intimate moment with one another, get angry with one another... on occasion tell outright lies to one another. Like lovers. God I'm sad

MrStuffins

Denerick wrote: »

Actually gained weight for the first time in 4 months (including christmas) last week, which was a bit of a bummer.

Bummer? Only when you say "I put on weight"

But not the reality. "I only put on money once in an entire 4 month period".

Congratulations man!

greenman09

im going to follow this thread again. 310lbs and dropping. started gym in jan for 4 straight weeks. worked on diet. using myfitnesspal for calorie counting. and lost 6lbs in a matter of weeks. took the last week off for one reaon or other. back this morning. aiming realistically for 2 maybe 3 stone off by the summer.

MrStuffins

Right lads, how are we doing?

I'm on the gym part of my journey now. It's going really well. Making slow and steady changes everywhere apart form my legs. All of a sudden, I look like I have the legs of a sprinter haha. My calves have gotten huge and my upper legs are actually starting to show defined muscle (Although, too much fat up top for that to start happening just yet :P )

I actually really enjoy it, i'm going today after work and i've been sticking to my routine of Monday-Wednesday-Friday with no excuses.

Also, I finished the first round of my swimming lessons. 8 week beginner course. I can now do the front crawl and the breast-stroke. The second round starts soon and i'll be in the "improvers" course. Looking forward to it.

Weight is approx 196lbs, which is where I wanna be and stay while i'm in the gym. WHile I might get heavier, hopefully, my Bodyfat will continue to reduce.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

MrStuffins wrote: »

Right lads, how are we doing?

I'm on the gym part of my journey now. It's going really well. Making slow and steady changes everywhere apart form my legs. All of a sudden, I look like I have the legs of a sprinter haha. My calves have gotten huge and my upper legs are actually starting to show defined muscle (Although, too much fat up top for that to start happening just yet :P )

I actually really enjoy it, i'm going today after work and i've been sticking to my routine of Monday-Wednesday-Friday with no excuses.

Also, I finished the first round of my swimming lessons. 8 week beginner course. I can now do the front crawl and the breast-stroke. The second round starts soon and i'll be in the "improvers" course. Looking forward to it.

Weight is approx 196lbs, which is where I wanna be and stay while i'm in the gym. WHile I might get heavier, hopefully, my Bodyfat will continue to reduce.

Your positive attitude just oozes out of that post, with that sort of drive your a defiantly going to succeed.

Beefy78

Beefy78 wrote: »

To that end I've set myself a target of walking at least 400 miles in those 112 days on top of my normal walking to and from work. I actually think I could manage 500 miles but psychologically I think I'd be better off aiming for a target and exceeding it than aiming for a slightly higher target and falling short.

This didn't quite work out as planned. I've been stuck with a hell of a lot of responsibility at work and coupled with the ****ty weather I've not been able to do anything like as much walking as planned. I'm about 220 miles down with ten days to go. Probably not going to make it at this point!!

I ended up mixing it up and doing some jogging instead. Doing Couch To 5K (despite saying a few pages back that I definitely wouldn't do that). It has been ok but I've had to go back and repeat weeks where I've been unable to go out for week or so at a time.

All that said I'm happy with where I am. I'd aimed to walk 400 extra miles and be down to 16 stones by Sunday week and neither I'll hit but they're both nothing more than meaningless numbers. The important thing is that I know I've lost weight, I know that it's really visible and that I'm happy enough to carry on doing it. I was home at the weekend and had a load of compliments from people about how well I was looking. One guy made the point that it's not just weight but my entire body shape has changed. Plus I went shopping on Saturday and was able to buy clothes in a size that I never thought I'd be able to buy in again.

So yeah it's all good. And when I get to Vegas I'm going to spend the entire week drinking beer and eating 11,000 calorie meals at the Heartattack Grill with a completely clear conscience!

I'm still going to weigh myself next weekend as planned as I'm interested in seeing the results. Anyone know of any public scales anywhere in Dublin?

MrStuffins

Amazing work man. The compliments really are great and make you feel like it's worth it. I met a mate the other night who I hadn't seen in a few months and he said "Jesus, you've lost so much weight you actually look like a different bloke".

I'm not sure about public scales, but I know that pharmacies used to have those body analysers which took your blood pressure, you height and weight. I used to see them all the time but i'm not sure if they're still around? Most gyms have a scale too if yo have access to one at all.

Beefy78

I don't. The things in the pharmacies are what I'm talking about. You're right that they all used to have them but now I just go to Boots so don't know where I'd be able to go to get weighed.

MrStuffins

Go to a shop, say you wanna buy a scale and say "Hmmm..... but I don't know if it'll work. Let me test it first". Step on it and when you see your weight quickly write it down and say "Well I never, i've never had a piece of machinery insult me so! I shall leave this store never to return".

Then maybe hit them with the back of your glove just to add effect!