Hey it's not often your out of the country or back to your hometown. Don't regret it.

If you're feeling sore and you want immediate relief take a super hot shower and put on some lotion after you get out, then drink some nice herbal tea with honey as a sweetener. That'll take all the aches and pain away!

Also, if you're planning on doing a lot of weight training then I recommend you pick up some Glucosamine, and Glutamine suppliments. They're supposed to be good for muscle restoration and aches during the time after your work out when your muscle repair themselves and help speed up the process. This is what I've been told at least.

I'm clearing out the junk food in my house by eating it all, lol! Once Monday rolls around, i'm going to start watching what i eat and start my exercise plan. But until then, game on!

Crap I gained more weight . I shot up to 274! Well in the morning I have a doctors appointment so I'll get weighed by their better scale, mine is a bit off. Plus I might be able to sneak in a referral to a nutritionist while I'm there...

Story wise...eh I guess I have a story like a lot of people. My mom is big like me and we both love food, both been on diets and both are unhappy about our bodies. Her unhappiness stops at being big, mine keeps going since I have a gender identity issue but thats another story for another thread. I've never watched what I ate (save for when I was on a diet) and once I hit 15 or so I was free to finally eat what I wanted (my mom and dad tried to force me to eat healthy crap when I was a kid), like with my money...I had always been limited, now I was free...I went overboard. I ate anything I wanted and got addicted to Mt Dew...still am.

Diets don't work...at least those fad ones don't. I believe theres something out there for me that will work, which is why I want to see a nutritionist to get a diet made for me and my body. But at the same time I don't want to put limits on myself. Part of being human is being free to do what you want, so I'm against limits. Stuff in moderation...ok. Like sweets...I could cut back, but I can't drop them all together. Same with pop...that's going to be a big issue for me. I really can't give it up even though I know that's the worst thing I have in my diet right now.

Anyways it never helped that I suffer from some mental issues, mainly depression...made me take eating as a crutch for the pain. If I ate I felt happy...for a short time. I still suffer from depression but I'm getting help.

My big end goal is to drop down to 175 or to where I can actually see my feet, don't have a big belly, don't have aches and pains and don't feel like I'm 80 years old.

But like I said, starting out is the hardest...so if I can lose any weight within 90 days, that'll be a big thing for me.

I don't plan on joining a gym, mainly since I can't afford one and I have some problems with my feet (which I plan on taking care of soon) that make it hard to get around and do things. What I'd like to do is see if Wii Fit has actually helped any of you guys before or is it just a bunch of BS?

I'm not a fit person at all, I can lift maybe 80 - 100 pounds depending on the item and how long I have to carry it/hold it but other then that I am not fit. So anything slow going, easy/fun and can be done without a lot of stress on the feet (like walking, other wise I'd do mall walking)...which is why I wondered about Wii Fit. Also DDR? I remember playing it when I was a teen and sweating...not much of a work out but has anyone had any luck with it? And this sounds stupid but Guitar Hero...I did sweat then too. But does sweat = workout? I heard it does...

Any tips you guys have for getting fit would help and anything that helps get me over my plateau's too!

I was very successful in last years effort on here that JD ran and will try to offer some advice here.

The toughest part is getting a new regime going, after 2-3 weeks of doing it you become accustomed and it gets easier.

In a nutshell I started exercising 4-5 times a week and severely reduced carbs, sugars and fats. I eat a ton of fresh fruits and veggies and also can splurge as my body seems to metabolize better than before.

Went from 6'1 and 213 to mid 160's in about 4 months. and have kept it off as of now which is 8 or 9 months in.

Also Peanut Butter and smoothie lovers buy PB2 as a replacement! Its at GNC, Target and other stores and its awesome.

I'm in! My new years resolution is to give up soda, and I want to get back into a workout schedule. I did well earlier last year but gave up on it after going through a tough breakup, lost a bunch of weight then put it all back on a few months later.

My story. Ive always been a big dude. Im 6'5 and at my peak I weighed 330 lbs. That is when I drank though and ive been sober for 7 years. When I quit drinking I dropped down to the 310-315 range. I was in that range for a number of years. A year and a half ago my brother who was only 40 years old basically had a severe heart issue and passed away. Ive had minor heart related issues through the years and it shook me a little. I began to diet and exercise and was down to 275 in about 2 months. I started lifting weights after that and my weight was in the 280-285 range. Of course this holiday season ive put on a few more pounds and I am back up to 299. So im ready to get back on the healthy horse so to speak.

Dieting honestly isn't hard for me. I actually feel better when I eat better. And people always think diets mean eating boring food and that simply just isn't the case. Don't get me wrong, the crappy food taste good going down, but once you see how good you feel eating better food you will actually get mad at yourself for eating junk. My biggest weakness is dessert. I do not drink soda at all, so I usually don't feel bad for having dessert even when on a diet. All I drink is water. That isn't really a diet thing, just how ive always been. I drink maybe 1-2 sodas per month.

My advice to those that struggle with dieting, remember that if you just make it through those first few weeks it will pay off. It will be come a good habit and not a chore. Ease into it if you have too. Maybe just pick one meal to eat healthy on. Also, even if you don't "diet" portion control can have results too. Eat 3 slices of pizza instead of 4. I also believe cheat days are very important as well I always give myself 1 cheat day a week. As far as exercise, its the same as dieting.. Ease into it if you have too. Go out and walk for 10 mins 3 times a week. Even if you eat junk, if you eat a little less and are a little more active I promise you will start to lose weight. Good luck everyone!

First off, congrats on your accomplishment of being sober for 7 years!

I wanted to focus on this particular line in your post because you are absolutely right. A diet is also a bad term as people see it as holding a negative connotation, but if they understand that it's a lifestyle alteration, it tends to hold more weight (no pun intended )

It's all about eating healthier choices, and splurg once in a while. I kept my caloric intake at around 1400 calories throughout the week, and on Friday's I'd eat some KFC and Saturday's I'd eat pizza or Chinese food (or whatever I fancied for a meal), and in the last year, I lost 85 lbs, which is about 30% of my starting weight.

Good luck to everyone! Just be mindful of what you're putting into your body, as exercise/working out won't have much of an affect on your body if you're inhaling the sugary and fatty foods.

Towards the end of last year I was getting drunk way too often in the evenings, probably to help cope with some personal issues and some health issues my mom was (is) having. I always ended up in a vicious cycle in the evening: I would stop off at the small shop near my house after work and grab a beer or two to drink with my dinner. Then somehow I would end up deciding to go to the grocery store across the street and grab a few more beers, and I would spend the rest of the evening drinking beer and playing guitar, with a short pause to talk (or fight, depending) with my girlfriend. Afterwards, I would start to sober up, get the munchies, and go down to the convenience store to buy some fried chicken and chicken nuggets, only to wake up the next morning a slave to the supau (a sports drink like Gatorade) and energy drinks, cursing the behavior and irresponsibilities from the night before. But then a few days later, I would fall into the same trap again. And again. And again. I easily put on 15 pounds to an already overweight body due to this behavior.

During my three week vacation, I have been drinking a lot less and also have been eating much healthier, and as for the past two or three days, I have been working out daily as well. It feels good to get back into this stuff, and I really need to train hard for a half marathon I have coming up later this spring.

Truth be told, I don't mind exercising too much, and always want to lead a more active lifestyle. I actually envy people that do lead an active lifestyle, as that is the type of life I would like to have. But when your partner and friends are often not into that sort of thing, and you work all the time and have limited free time, it just makes it so easy to fall into the trap of sitting and doing nothing.

Betting money?

Either way, I'm gonna lose pounds.

I'm in. I dropped around 60 pounds 2 years ago, this last summer I tore my quad playing softball and did a lot of sitting around and eating and drinking, haven't been on a scale in ages but I bet I'm pushing 290.

Will sign up as soon as I find a scale to weigh my fat ass.

This is great. I'm in. I'm generally pretty healthy, but my biggest problem has to do with work-life balance. On par with my weight loss goal this year is the need to manage this work-life balance and create some consistency. At its worst when I'm at my busiest, I tend to not sleep, which affects motivation to maintain a workout routine. Regular diet is last to go, and it sucks when it does. For me, a lack of consistent balance is the biggest hurdle I need to get over.

I'll be working out four days a week for about 30 minutes each session. Chest, Back and Biceps one day, Shoulders, Triceps and Legs the second day. A mix of cardio both days, and ab work on alternating days. Eager to read what you guys are doing also.

Best of luck everyone!

in.

fat.

Just got done with an hour workout, of weights and cardio. Yay!

Sweet! an hour is really good if you're just starting out

Thanks!  The secret with my weight is that a nice portion of the excess comes from drinking beer.  But I go in spells, one month not working out at all, then going in the next month and running around three miles to start, etc.  My one student didn't believe that I did that, until he witnessed it the one day. 

Well it's off for bed, and if the weather is nice tomorrow, I might go for a nice jog of sorts.

 

Awesome guys, we're getting close to really starting this thing.

I'm really pumped about this and I'm getting a lot of things lined up for you all. I'm gonna make some achievement badges and put them next to all your guys' names up there. Everytime you achieve something you get that badge next to your name.

Every week I'm also going to give out three missions. These missions are going to be three categories, Food, Exercise, and Victory Challenge.

If you don't come in, expect an angry PM!

Here's the achievements guys!

Title	Points	Repeatable
Weigh in at 4 weeks	25	No
Weigh in at 8 weeks	50	No
Weigh in at 12 weeks	100	No
Join a gym	100	No
Lose 5 pounds	10	No
Lose 10 pounds	25	No
Lose 15 pounds	50	No
Lose 20 pounds	100	No
Lose 25 pounds	250	No
Post a progress picture before and after at 4 weeks	50	No
Post a progress picture before and after at 8 weeks	50	No
Post a progress picture before and after at 12 weeks	50	No
Post all three progress pictures before and after	100	No
Reach your goal weight	500	No
Weigh in at any week	10	Yes
Go to the gym 3 times in one week	25	Yes
Get a compliment from a stranger	25	Yes

I joined World Gym and went three times last week. So with the weigh in I'm at 135 right?

Well I'm not joining a gym and no way in hell am I posting pictures of myself so...

Signed up.
This is something I have to do every year anyways.
Some people posted some delicious looking recipies on JDs weight loss contest last year (ship, guillavoie).

Start Weight: 205lbs.

Goal Weight: 190lbs.

Yep!

I cancled my gym membership last month after not using it for 2 yrs :/ I work out in my home tho. Just a little running in pace, shadow boxing/kicking, push ups and sissy squats

It's not a requirement to join a gym, I just put so many points in it to encourage it, and then more points to encourage going!

Hmm.. No need for me to join a gym. I have a weight machine, free weights and a treadmill in my garage. But good idea on the points system. People like to compete and "level up" Haha.

Do I have to join a different gym if I already have one?