My 100 Pound Challenge!

[StainLss]

Hey Guys and Gals,

I have recently come to the conclusion that I really want to put effort into loosing some weight. I have tried before but it i had no motivation. Which is why i am posting this here. Currently I am 5'8" and weight 291 This is my heaviest weight ever. I think i eat around 3166 calories a day (according to some online thing), mainly due to poor choices rather then quantity. I don't get much exercise either which doesn't help at all.

I also have a hypoactive thyroid which means my metabolism is very low. I takes meds for that. I was just diagnosed with Sleep apnia as well which causes you to stop breathing in your sleep. (in my case it was around 6 total minutes an hour.) But weight loss can help this condition.

So here are my rules:

1. i can eat 2,200 calories a day. which is cutting 966 calories a day.
2. Friday will be my day off from dieting after i loose 10 pounds.
3. i will weigh myself every three days.
4. i will exercise 3 days a week, (at least 30 minutes for the first few times then it will be extended.)
5. make smarter choices while eating.
6. eat 6 smaller meals closer together rather then 3 meals spaced apart.
7. NO MORE SOFT DRINKS (Soda or Kool-aid) just water juice and milk.

If i stick the this i should be able to loose about 2 pounds a week. I will do a weigh in every 7 days and post results here along with a short comment about how i am doing.

Goals:
Ultimate Goal - 100 lbs. lost!!!
Monthly Goal 10-12 pounds lost!!
Weekly Goal - 2-3 lbs lost!

Weekly goal 8/16 - 8/23 lost 4 pounds my first complete weekly goal!!!!

I think thats all for now, but if anyone has any tips or sees anything i am doing wrong please let me know. thanks
-John

[pootshwan]

John, good luck with the weight loss bud. Stay motivated and you will reach your ultimate goal.

[Oxxon]

Good luck! I'm pulling for you. I'm also 5'8" and I use to weigh 255. I just cut my portions in half, stopped eating after 6pm and I dropped 15 pounds in about 2 months. I have not started to exercise buts it's in the plans.

[frizzzlecake]

Good luck buddy! cutting weight has great benefits! I wish you well,hope you lose your goal amount!

[Dabigyankeeman]

Go for it John. I am tempted to join you with a weekly weigh-in as i just started an eating program, and next week will begin to exercise lightly.

I am taller than you, but weigh more than you.

Good luck, I am gonna weigh myself every Monday morning. More than that to me doesnt take into account weight fluctuations due to water retaining, muscle building, and other things.

I started on 1500 calories this week, and to not strain my body at the start, i pushed starting an exercise program to this coming Monday to give my body a chance to adjust a little to the less eating.

Twice a week I allow myself more calories to help keep my metabolism up, but that doesnt mean to go crazy. I have been thru this before and been successful until work stress got me eating again. Now i am retired and wont have that obstacle.

[Yanks4Life92]

I am 5'9" and used to weigh 175, but now weigh 145. Eat smaller portions but more often in order to keep your metabolism up. Make sure you eat healthier too, of course. Don't eat late at night - you will not burn those calories. Stay far away from soda, drink a lot of water, and exercise. Eating better can help you get there, but exercising is a big part too. Good luck!

[NyFanCam01]

i'm like 6'1-6'2. 190 lbs i've lost 25 pounds! drink ALOT of water, cut sodas 100% OUT and you will lose alot of weight just doing that

110% props to you for doing this buddy. it's a great choice and GOOD LUCK!

[WilyWestbrook0]

Good luck! Last year, I lost the 25 lbs. I gained in graduate school back in 2007-2008 and haven't put it back on since. Your program sounds like a good gradual, healthy way to go about weight loss - cutting portion sizes, but not to ridiculous starvation, and not with risky "medications." Kudos!

Also, I'm with you on the underactive thyroid thing - I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's a couple of weeks ago, my second autoimmune disease (type 1 diabetes is the other; I'm hoping I don't develop something like celiac disease or Addison's somewhere down the line, but people who get one autoimmune disease are prone to getting others). It's in the very early stages right now, so I'm not really experiencing any symptoms, but in time I will probably have to go on thyroid hormone.

[2FarGone]

Sounds like a good challenge John, I noticed you have juice on your regiment remember juice has alot of natural sugars that dont help, remember to check the labels otherwise vegetable juices also milk drink 2 to 1/2 percent not the homoginized.Also take vitamins likea one a day tablet..lmk if you need anymore info good luck buddy we are pulling for you

[*censored*]

Good luck. I'm 5'8" too and was 230 the last time I weighed myself and have started making a lot more changes lately as well. Diabetes runs in my family, so I want to try to cut down on my chances of it setting in at an early age. My mom and grandmother both had low thyroid, so I wouldn't be surprised if I have that too. I just have to look at food and I gain 3 pounds, and I don't have the energy I used to when playing hockey or broomball (partially because I'm carrying 60 more pounds than I did when I played in college).

I've started drinking at least half a gallon of water every day (going on close to a month now; it was hard at first but after a week, it was like second nature, and I could tell if I had only had half my minimum-- headache, sticky mouth, sluggish... I should get up to a gallon a day though), cutting back to no more than one soda a day (and usually more like 1 every three days until everything I have here is gone), drinking grapefruit juice or V8, eating breakfast most mornings (a bowl of oatmeal with a splash of milk, cinnamon, and no more than a spoonful of brown sugar), upping my protein intake and really upping my fiber intake. Even some small changes will bake a big difference-- watch what oils and such you use (use olive oil over margarine or butter), buy 93/7 or better ground beef instead of 73/27, eating light instead of full fat when it comes to dairy products (I love sour cream and cream cheese, but shouldn't eat them; light versions help cut a few calories without sacrificing much flavor). I haven't weighed myself in a long time (I don't own a scale), but I do notice my clothes fitting better lately.

Check out your local library or bookstores for some books called Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko. And I'd recommend the Abs Diet, also by Zinczenko. He's the editor of Mens' Health. I lost 10 pounds on it a few years ago before gaining it all back and then some once I started a job that kept me chained to a desk all day.

Exercise is almost impossible for me right now because I no longer have a gym membership (couldn't afford it), it's impossible to exercise outdoors in the summer here without dying (we'll finally get out of the high 90's/low 100's temps in about a month), and the usual exercise I get from September to April can't happen (the rink has no ice in it for another week). The most I can do is occasionally walking a mile or doing some mild weight and ab work at home.