I was a fitness freak and weight trained six or seven days a week for years. I was built like a tank and weighted about 220 lbs. I was in peak shape at that time but after I hurt my back, physical limitations and depression really hit me hard.
I’ve talked about my cholesterol in the past because it was borderline and that was concerning.
Despite that, my health is good. Currently, my cholesterol is back down and my blood pressure is within the normal range (most of the time).
I would really like to get down into the 250 lbs range. My doctor would be super happy with that and so would I. My problem is that depression still tosses me around the ragdoll at times and my life is consumed with lots and lots of stress.
I tend to stress eat and that’s a large part of my problem. I also don’t drink nearly enough water either.
My doctor wants me to lose 30 lbs by next May, which is very reasonable.
I want to lose weight very slowly and do so in a sustainable way. I want to shake up my daily routine (as much as being a Dad to three with Autism allows) and develop healthier habits.
This is something that I not only want to do for myself but also for my wife and kids.
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My advice is do not be a ‘weekend warrior’. Losing weight takes longer than gaining it. I saw your other post where you did well exercising and thats a good thing, just don’t burn out or think it will be that way every single day. Also realize when you were at your ‘fighting’ weight, you were younger, you werent married you didnt have 3 kids.
Stay positive, keep working out and say no to foods you know arent a good choice. I know thats tough, when the kids are eating stuff you might want.
You can do this, just slow and steady. You were doing well before, you can get back on track.
PS this new commenting thing is odd. I am not fond of doing it with facebook :/
That’s awesome advice. Today was one of those off days but I’m going to pick back up tomorrow. As for the comments, it’s not facebook. It works through registering with the blog. If you signed up for my site with Facebook, that would be reflected here..
I havent seen anything about exercising lately. …. make time for yourself. You were doing well before, in fact your face had even gotten thinner. Get back up on that horse- take the boys for a walk (yes I know it is cold) make snow angels, jog in place, do something. The boys loved the activities and time with you, and it probably relieved some of their pent up energy.
You can do this, you have before.
The boys go back to school in the morning and that will be a big help. They’ve worn me out and I’m struggling with energy. That said, I’m still eating healthy and using my new Ninja blender to make my healthy smoothies for breakfast and lunch. I’m still being active but haven’t had the energy to jump on the treadmill. I’m not giving up though and I will push through this block. 🙂
Good morning, Rob. Good luck on the weight loss journey and I have a couple of ideas/suggestions… Post some pictures of yourself back when you were working out all the time and in such good shape; post them next to a picture of you now. Seeing the two side by side can be a great motivator for you and will let your readers see what you’re dealing with. In regards to holding yourself accountable, stop making excuses for why you’re overweight and stop saying things like ‘I carry it well’ because no average sized man carries 318 pounds well and you’re no exception. Just say “I’m fat and I weigh 318 pounds” and leave it at that. No excuses for why you weigh that much. No saying “I’m fat, but here’s why”. If you allow yourself to make excuses then you’re not truly committing yourself. 30 pounds is a goal which can be realized in the long term (which May obviously is), but start with 5 pounds. You can see 5 pounds from now. That could be as early as next week. By saying you want to lose x number of pounds by May, you are setting yourself up to keep on eating until April and then panic and try to lose the weight quickly. But 5 pounds? That’s a nice, realistic goal and can be done by going for a couple of walks and cutting back on unhealthy foods. I think your biggest challenge will be eating healthy when you have kids who are so sensory challenged when it comes to food. It’s hard to eat lean protein and vegetables when the rest of the family is having chicken nuggets and pizza and other go-to foods. The other challenge will be healthy snacking, because let’s face it, carrot sticks just don’t taste as good as potato chips. Wouldn’t it be great if they did? 🙂
I appreciate your brutal honesty..
My goal is to lose 2 lbs a week. That is sustainable and will likely result in a weight-loss of 8-10 lbs/month. Rapid weight loss isn’t always a good thing and by moving slower and making changes that will be sustainable, I can lose the weight over time and in a healthy way.
Truthfully, part of the struggle with healthier foods is that with what the kids need, our budget just didn’t always allow for healthier foods. As things are improving, I will go back to my super awesome smoothies, chicken beast, fish and things like that. If I had those things available, I would almost always go for them first.
I’m feeling very positive about all of this…. ☺
I started making smoothies for breakfast because I have a tendency to skip breakfast and not eat until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. I try to eat fresh foods and skip prepackaged and prepared foods whenever I can and you’re right, eating healthy isn’t cheap. Good luck, and post before and after pictures along the way so we can keep up with you. Also, post a throwback pic!
I don’t know if I have any throwback pictures. That was before digital cameras were mainstream.
I’ll have to work up the courage to share before and after pictures but I’ll be taking them for sharing later, when I’m ready….
My advice is do not be a ‘weekend warrior’. Losing weight takes longer than gaining it. I saw your other post where you did well exercising and thats a good thing, just don’t burn out or think it will be that way every single day. Also realize when you were at your ‘fighting’ weight, you were younger, you werent married you didnt have 3 kids.
Stay positive, keep working out and say no to foods you know arent a good choice. I know thats tough, when the kids are eating stuff you might want.
You can do this, just slow and steady. You were doing well before, you can get back on track.
PS this new commenting thing is odd. I am not fond of doing it with facebook :/
That’s awesome advice. Today was one of those off days but I’m going to pick back up tomorrow. As for the comments, it’s not facebook. It works through registering with the blog. If you signed up for my site with Facebook, that would be reflected here..
I havent seen anything about exercising lately. …. make time for yourself. You were doing well before, in fact your face had even gotten thinner. Get back up on that horse- take the boys for a walk (yes I know it is cold) make snow angels, jog in place, do something. The boys loved the activities and time with you, and it probably relieved some of their pent up energy.
You can do this, you have before.
The boys go back to school in the morning and that will be a big help. They’ve worn me out and I’m struggling with energy. That said, I’m still eating healthy and using my new Ninja blender to make my healthy smoothies for breakfast and lunch. I’m still being active but haven’t had the energy to jump on the treadmill. I’m not giving up though and I will push through this block. 🙂
I started making smoothies for breakfast because I have a tendency to skip breakfast and not eat until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. I try to eat fresh foods and skip prepackaged and prepared foods whenever I can and you’re right, eating healthy isn’t cheap. Good luck, and post before and after pictures along the way so we can keep up with you. Also, post a throwback pic!
I don’t know if I have any throwback pictures. That was before digital cameras were mainstream.
I’ll have to work up the courage to share before and after pictures but I’ll be taking them for sharing later, when I’m ready….
Good morning, Rob. Good luck on the weight loss journey and I have a couple of ideas/suggestions… Post some pictures of yourself back when you were working out all the time and in such good shape; post them next to a picture of you now. Seeing the two side by side can be a great motivator for you and will let your readers see what you’re dealing with. In regards to holding yourself accountable, stop making excuses for why you’re overweight and stop saying things like ‘I carry it well’ because no average sized man carries 318 pounds well and you’re no exception. Just say “I’m fat and I weigh 318 pounds” and leave it at that. No excuses for why you weigh that much. No saying “I’m fat, but here’s why”. If you allow yourself to make excuses then you’re not truly committing yourself. 30 pounds is a goal which can be realized in the long term (which May obviously is), but start with 5 pounds. You can see 5 pounds from now. That could be as early as next week. By saying you want to lose x number of pounds by May, you are setting yourself up to keep on eating until April and then panic and try to lose the weight quickly. But 5 pounds? That’s a nice, realistic goal and can be done by going for a couple of walks and cutting back on unhealthy foods. I think your biggest challenge will be eating healthy when you have kids who are so sensory challenged when it comes to food. It’s hard to eat lean protein and vegetables when the rest of the family is having chicken nuggets and pizza and other go-to foods. The other challenge will be healthy snacking, because let’s face it, carrot sticks just don’t taste as good as potato chips. Wouldn’t it be great if they did? 🙂
I appreciate your brutal honesty..
My goal is to lose 2 lbs a week. That is sustainable and will likely result in a weight-loss of 8-10 lbs/month. Rapid weight loss isn’t always a good thing and by moving slower and making changes that will be sustainable, I can lose the weight over time and in a healthy way.
Truthfully, part of the struggle with healthier foods is that with what the kids need, our budget just didn’t always allow for healthier foods. As things are improving, I will go back to my super awesome smoothies, chicken beast, fish and things like that. If I had those things available, I would almost always go for them first.
I’m feeling very positive about all of this…. ☺