Help - weightloss for dummies

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Hey guys am hoping youse can offer some advice. I've always been overweight however, the past 6 months or so have been absolutely turbulent for me and I've gained a crazy amount (like 2.5 stone I'm guessing). It's got to the stage where I can't even bring myself to look at my massive head in a mirror.

I won't lie and say I've tried everything, I havent, except for weight watchers which has worked for me in the past really well just I find I need to be in the right frame of mind for it, and the past few times I've tried it I just can't seem to get into it.

I have barely any fitness levels either, so go easy on me to start off. I seem to have a cluster of stuff wrong with me too but I'm sure the more I get used to it the easier and less problematic it would be. Recently diagnosed with an under active thyroid (in march, on 50mg eltroxin when I remember to take it) have really low iron and on top of that, have quite low blood pressure, (tends to be in the 80s over 54-56 the last few times its been checked).

However, I don't think that's why I'm overweight, they're just factors that aren't helping. I just never seem to be full, and just eat and eat and eat all sorts of the wrong food.

I guess what I'm looking at would be help with a simple diet and exercise plan that I could even just try out to get started, and I've heard good things about protein shakes and the likes and wonder if they might be beneficial to me? Also what exercises would be good and effective without making me faint? I used to love boxercise when I did it however my BP dropped in class and I fainted and was too embarrassed to go back so I'm just wondering would there be specifics I should avoid? Sorry if that's veering into medical advice as that's not my intention.

Be grateful for any insight you can offer guys thanks

SRFC

Hard work and dedication you need,stop eating junk start walkng,running jogging what ever you can do cut out all the crap food eat properly its as much the diet as exercise when it comes to weight loss

sleep proper aswell,in a nutshell thats all the advice I can give you im sure a few other will give a more detailed plan but good luck but remember thinking about exercising burns zero calories you need to want it.

GorillaRising

My advice would be not to make drastic changes that you're going to find difficult to stick to. Just cut down and make better choices...for the time being.

You sound exactly like I used to be! I LOVE food! All sorts. So I still eat bread - wholegrain (two slices a day max), rice is now brown rice, the tiny bit of pasta I might have once a month is wholewheat. Not great, but better, I eat sweet potato. I love sweet potato fries!

Do you plan on joining a gym?

If not and seeing as how you've no fitness levels at all, then I suggest couch to 5k. You can't just go shifting weights with zero fitness/flexibility. Try doing some bodyweight exercises at home - push ups, squats etc - go online and look for a beginner bodyweight program.

Check the stickies in here for how much you should be eating and use myfitnesspal to track calories and macros - DON'T use their custom calorie guide! Enter your calorie goals manually.

Also check out simplesciencefitness.com - great website, very easy to read and very informative.

Oryx

First off, protein shakes are not a magic bullet. In themselves they do nothing but give you an easy to take form of protein. But that's all it is, food. Calories. Now, it may be better than the food you are currently eating, but it will only have a benefit if you are on top of the rest of your diet. Don't add an extra source of calories if you haven't sorted everything else first.

I know you've been through weight loss before, and you know the basics of how it is done (calories in vs energy used). I presume you already know you need to cut down on carb laden foods, and eat all the 'good' stuff (chicken, fish, nuts, veg etc) so I wont labour that point. But in my experience, eating clean (unprocessed, no sweets, no takeouts and all that) can really help curb any sugar/carb cravings you have. Give it a few weeks and you just wont want junk so much!

I'm no medic, so I can't advise on exercise that's okay with low blood pressure. But a fitness instructor might. Instinct would tell me that you might need to keep the intensity low at first, so maybe check out things that don't stress your system as much as boxercise. But above all it has to be something you enjoy or you wont stick at it, so bear that in mind. Choose something motivating. Tell your instructor your issues, so they can manage your training better, and of course, get medical clearance.

And just one more thing. Never, ever, EVER be embarrassed by something like fainting. Please don't let it put you off attending classes you like (as long as you have investigated why it happened so you wont continue to have problems). Noone is at their best in training. People do embarrassing things like fart during yoga. It happens. Don't let things like that put you off.

Alf Veedersane

Oryx wrote: »

People do embarrassing things like fart during yoga. It happens. Don't let things like that put you off.

Yeah they do. 'A friend of mine' dropped one just as he locked out on a deadlift. The place had to be evacuated.

King of the Hotcups

I started out in May 2012 at 24.5 stone.
I cut out all the junk foods etc. and started walking.
To date I have lost 7 stone with another 2.5 to go until I've reached my target.
For me it was the soft drinks & takeaways. For a year I completely cut out soft drinks & found that my cravings for sugary foods completely dissapated.
About 4 months ago I started to drink diet orange and the sugar cravings came back with a vengence. I put back on 2 stone ... which I have now droppped again (stopped drinking diet drinks a month ago).
Thankfully I stayed away from the takeaways.

The best advice I can give is:
1) Stop drinking soft drinks. They are empty calories and the diet versions are the worst because you believe you are making a big change, but the sugar craving won't go;
2) Stop eating takeaways;
3) Find healthy alternatives to the snacky junk foods;
4) Track the calories you eat (I use myfitnesspal);
5) Start walking (I use mapmyrun to track the time & distance);
6) Constant vigilence; and
7) Don't give up ... if you have a bad day, forget about it and get back on the horse, as a bad day can quickly turn into a bad week, month etc. etc.

I know the above is the advice that everyone gives ... for 16 years I ignored/tried/failed, but one day it made sense & it just worked.

Best of luck with it!