20 kg over weight - where to start...

makeorbrake

As per thread title, have been ignoring this problem for the last ten years. Need some sort of plan - but it will have to be two pronged - exercise and diet. Anyone been in a similar scenario? Any plans out there to follow for both?

Hollister11

Diet first - cut out processed cereals.
If you fry your food try and use a spray called Fry Light instead of cooking oil. Your food will be a lot less fatty. Try skimmed milk and sweetener in your tea/coffee. None of this coleslaw,Mayo, sand which fillers. Full of crap.
Start eating loads of fruit and vegetables

I recommend slimming world. I lost 1st in 6 weeks by just changing my diet. And you can still eat your treats.

Johnnio13

Like Hollister says diet and exercise.
Start to cut down on portion size. What's your alcohol intake during the week? That can also be cut down.
You could do worse that looking at the operation transformation site for tips etc. some of the recipes are very good.
And the exercising should build gradually

jive

eat only unprocessed foods e.g. fruit, fish, eggs, chicken, red meat, oats, nuts, lots of vegetables
only drink water/tea/coffee

go for a casual 1 hour walk every evening, fine stretch in the evening no excuse

If you can do the above for a month then report back a lighter and happier human being ready to take the next step.

Bigus

Did you like any sport or excercise in your youth, try go with something you enjoy and that maybe involves at least one more person to drag you along. Cycling for me has been great.

dinorebel

Lift/do more eat less it really is that simple I'm down 60lbswith 15/20 to go and it works for me.

makeorbrake

Hollister11 wrote: »

Diet first - cut out processed cereals.

Don't eat cereals full stop - so no issue there.

Hollister11 wrote: »

If you fry your food try and use a spray called Fry Light instead of cooking oil. Your food will be a lot less fatty.

I use olive oil or rapeseed oil - is frylight still better?

johnnio13 wrote:

Start to cut down on portion size.

Yeah, this is one thing I'm getting wrong for sure.

johnnio13 wrote:

What's your alcohol intake during the week? That can also be cut down.

2 - 2 1/2 bottles of red wine/week. Is this really a big deal calorie wise?

johnnio13 wrote:

You could do worse that looking at the operation transformation site for tips etc. some of the recipes are very good.

Thanks - will do.

biggus wrote:

Did you like any sport or exercise in your youth

Ironically, ran a couple of marathons but that's ancient history now. I guess I need to start with the following first - and change my routine =>

johnnio13 wrote:

And the exercising should build gradually

jive wrote:

go for a casual 1 hour walk every evening, fine stretch in the evening no excuse

Belfunk

Hi op,

I was in a similar situation to yourself last year so i decided to make some changes to my life and between January and May i lost 15KG. I've gone from 36 waist in jeans to 32, had to throw out all my old clothes but that was a great feeling.

I bought a fitbit flex and fitbit aria scales, these devices won't work for everyone but they really helped motivate me. With the flex i could login on my phone and guilt myself into not meeting my daily goal and the scales tracked and logged each time i weighed myself so i couldn't lie to myself that i was the same weight or lower than i was last week, i was great at doing this over the years.

My diet consists of low carb in and around 50g a day Monday to Friday and then at the weekend i'd have a wrap or a sandwich for lunch (weight watchers bread) and a sneaky chinese on a Sunday evening. I cut out as much sugar as i could from my diet which for the first few weeks nearly killed me, i used to enjoy a can of coke daily, still have a few pints at the weekend (you only live once)

I decided to get on my bike and instead of driving the 4K to work each day i would cycle instead. Lunch time i go for around a 30minute walk and then in the evening i try to get out for around an hour 8/10k walk 3/4 times a week.

Best of luck.
B

roast222

Cut out all sugary processed foods and opt for more wholesome natural food types like, lots of vegetables, meat (unprocessed). Diet is about 75% of it, the other 25% is exercise. Resistance training 2-3 times a week for 30-40 minutes is best if you are able to do it, walking is fine and healthy but will not shift much in terms of fat loss. If you have access to a gym then weights training, circuit classes, boxercise etc etc or other types of resistance training are much better for weight loss than long slow cardio exercises like walking. Best of luck.

granturismo

Eat less, move more.

I had about 12 kg to lose. I lost 7 kg last year roughly as follows;

I cut out snacks after evening meal and went for a walk at lunchtime - lost 2 kg in two months.

Weight loss started to plateau so I cut out processed food for lunch and started couch to 5k - lost 5 kg between April and Nov.

Christmas happened and am now back at November weight and getting back into routine but have started eating crap at night again.

I found when I plateaued, it was time eat less/better or move some more.

myfitnesspal.com helped me a lot. It was my second time to try it. Once I got used to finding the foods I'd eaten on the site database, logging is so much quicker for me now. There are lots of users giving bad advice on that site but it did help me realise how much higher my calorie intake was and it also shows the fat, sugar and salt contents of each meal.

Wood

makeorbrake wrote: »

2 - 2 1/2 bottles of red wine/week. Is this really a big deal calorie wise?

Depending on the wine it's between 1300 and 1500 calories per week, which is an extra 30 days worth of food you're eating per year with no nutritional benefit.


It won't kill you, but just bear it in mind if you're not regularly exercising. Of course everyone needs something to unwind but even halving the intake alone could see a stone drop off you in a few months.

Find out your BMR, this will give you the amount of calories you require per day to maintain your weight then drop it by 5-600 calories per day.

Join a gym, use a basic introductory strength programme such as stronglifts to get yourself back in action.

Lifting weights will not make you put on loads of muscle while on a calorie deficit. You will not get "too big" either

Diet wise, as has already been said. No processed foods. i.e If it comes in a box don't eat it. Eat good meat and veg, and a good healthy portion of fats.

Jawgap

Good luck OP.

My advice would be to change your routine and starting looking for opportunities to up your level of physical activity. Walk up stairs, get off the bus (if you use it) a stop earlier, cycle to work (depending on how close you live) etc

Diet, as everyone has said, is critical. Alcohol is useless calories and don't discount all cereals - porridge is a great filler.

I do a lot of cycling, but one activity I'd recommend is swimming. You won't lose a whole lot of weight through swimming, but I find it helps get you fit for losing weight through other activities - plus, it's easier on the joints.

DulchieLaois

Makeorbrake, i will help along with you if you wish - I am hoping to lose 7 kgs over the next 5 weeks, in doing so, I am cutting out coke / Crisps / Alochol / All Sweets and as well, I hope to do some form of exercise every day.

If it helps, you and I both exchanged what one has done that morning etc etc if you wish

dinorebel

DulchieLaois wrote: »

Makeorbrake, i will help along with you if you wish - I am hoping to lose 7 kgs over the next 5 weeks, in doing so, I am cutting out coke / Crisps / Alochol / All Sweets and as well, I hope to do some form of exercise every day.

If it helps, you and I both exchanged what one has done that morning etc etc if you wish

7 kg in 5 weeks is pretty ambitious for someone that's not clinically obese.

Jawgap

Btw - another thing I'd do is pay cash for the wine.

Then if you don't buy a bottle of wine (or drink one from your cellar ) put a tenner in a jar each week (or 20, if you drink two and go without both).

The jar is now your 'treat' fund. For every 5kg you lose, treat yourself - a nice bottle of wine you wouldn't normally buy, some clothes, a gadget whatever.

About 7 years ago I lost nearly 30 kg and for every 5 kilos I lost I bought myself something - usually something tangible like a jersey, a book etc so I'd have something to remind me of the achievement. When I was done I bought myself a reasonably decent watch that I wear most days to remind me not to put (all) the weight back on!

wretcheddomain

You should post up your typical day's/weeks diet to give us some idea of your caloric intake, as well as where you could make easy, quick changes.