# Well, time to begin!



## thunderpantz (Dec 6, 2011)

I'm not really sure why i'm posting this thread, perhaps it's so I put it out there so i need to do something or so i can get the support from others, i'm not quite sure, but here goes. Basically for the last few months, i've been looking at myself in the mirror thinking to myself 'gee, I really need to do something' as I've been slowly putting on the pounds. 

Recently hit my 25th birthday and have now said "enough's enough" and something needs to change, infact, my whole lifestyle does. Which is what i intend and need to do. Now, I'm going to be honest, I haven't ever been 'small' or 'thin' and since my teen's i have always been 'big'. Not in the sense that i was fat, in the sense that i'm just 'big'. The last 24 months have been tough for me through suffering with depression which in turn led to weight gain (and please no comments like 'you cant be depressed at such a young age' or 'you have nothing to be depressed about, you're young'. At the end of the day i had my problems, i got through them), now i'm over the worst and out the other side i need to sort myself out.

I'm around 6"4' but do not currently know my weight because A: I don't have a set of scales (to do for the morning) and B: Have refused to weigh myself due to being highly self conscious and embarrassed but at a guess, I'd have to say somewhere around the 140kg mark, maybe more, maybe less. Don't get me wrong, i'm not grotesquely fat (when i look down in the shower i can still see my feet and thunderpantz jr.), but i'm not exactly a model either. Any pointers or support you guys have will be much appreciated. Over the next few days i will put up a few updates with regards to what i'm going to do to, my exact measurements and anything else i find may help me. 

As i said, any helpful pointers or tips will be greatly appreciated


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## JAMason (Jun 11, 2012)

Hay pal. First of all let me just say congratulations on noticing you need to do something. So many people I know just trot on through life making no effort to change and can't understand why they arent loosing any weight!

Anyway, I don't know how much help this will be to you, but iv recently turned my life around and become much healthier and as a result, iv lost just over a stone in 3 months. Im the opposite to you, never been a big lad, all ways been very skinny with a fat face and beer belly! So I wanted to bulk up a bit and get te belly off for me to be happy. Weight loss has been a side effect of the things im doing. I have a long way to go an plan on gaining the stone again as muscle this time, not fat!

So basically I tackled my Diate first. Simple things like cutting down on the portions, making sure I was eating brown pasta and breads instead of white, making my own fresh dinners and not buying ready made stuff make a world of difference. Foods that are hight in protine are good of you want to build muscle where there was once fat an they also help suppress your hunger, and don't be worries about Carbs, brown pasta for example is a slow release carb, so if you have that and go the gym, or for a jog, your body can use it for energy instead of storing it up. 

Also, calorie counting might seem effort but for me it's actually been quite easy! Average male should take in around 2500 cal a day, remembering that everything you do burns them off you can have some leeway! I use a protine diplomat shake that is 800cal a shake, so I give my self a target to burn off 800-1000cal at the gym every time I go so that way of iv eaten my allowance for the day, I'm not over, and if not I can have another shake after! Now like iv said, iv been trying to build muscle, so concentrate on weights, bench press, flys, dead lifts! And all lower body with ab crunches, squats and cycling! You will be surprised how fast the fat shifts and gets used to make muscle. But to give you that extra boost, go for a run or get in a pool and go swimming, these are two of the best and quickest ways to shift weight! There is no easy quick fix, you need to work at it and set your self goals to aim for, oh and it's always good to have a gym friend, see of anyone else fancys it with you, I find my mate pushes me even harder an i do the same back, the results are really noticeable now as well. One last thing, good luck with it!
Jack


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## alipman (May 10, 2007)

thunderpantz said:


> The last 24 months have been tough for me through suffering with depression which in turn led to weight gain (and please no comments like 'you cant be depressed at such a young age' or 'you have nothing to be depressed about, you're young'. At the end of the day i had my problems, i got through them), now i'm over the worst and out the other side i need to sort myself out.


You are not alone on this. My brother in law suffered depression etc from the age of 18 and stayed with him, up and down, until age 31.

A couple of questions.
Do you want to exercise?
Or just lose weight by calorie counting/reduction?


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## thunderpantz (Dec 6, 2011)

Thanks JAMason, turns out i wasn't far off with my weight; 140.65kg, so a lot of work to do. I'm unsure of what to target for at the moment as i don't know how much will actually shift. To start though, i'm going to cut out alcohol (as i know beer/cider has a hell of a lot in it) smaller portion sizes and exercise regularly. I'm going to brush the cobwebs of the MTB and get the weights out. 

Basically, move more, eat less, see what happens in the next 7 days


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## thunderpantz (Dec 6, 2011)

alipman said:


> You are not alone on this. My brother in law suffered depression etc from the age of 18 and stayed with him, up and down, until age 31.
> 
> A couple of questions.
> Do you want to exercise?
> Or just lose weight by calorie counting/reduction?


Thats a long time! I thought i had it bad for a few years but . That aside i want to do both, I want to be physically fit as well as reducing what i eat.


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

I used to be at least 120Kgs now around 15 months later I am just under 80:thumb:
You do need to have lots of determination and willpower I am not going to lie it was hard work but I never gave up. I just cut out eating crap,cut out alcohol,did lots of walking and exercise. Take a look at this thread http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=201218&page=20

If you put you mind to it you will lose the weight and will feel much better.


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## Shinyvec (Feb 12, 2010)

I too had put loads of weight on but my biggest problem for that was some medic ation I was taking that was to help keep my Back Pain away which it didnt, but put weight on and mood swings that really affected my family. I finaly stopped taking the medication early this year as I had to stop slowly as they were addict forming but no I can't keep any of my jeans etc up and have dropped 2/3 waist sizes down and have moved from a XXL top to a XL top subject to make and fit. I have also started to watch what I eat and avoid fatty foods and Breads etc, and try to be more active during the day but this can be a bit hit or miss due to my Back problem. I am 6'2" and have always been big built and carried a bit of weight but nothing like the way I got but thats all behind me now. As I have said though my biggest problem was medication so anyone who is suffering weight problems and take strong Painkillers or Anti Depresants, just look at the small print and known after effects of them and either stop taking them or change them.


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## JAMason (Jun 11, 2012)

thunderpantz said:


> i'm going to cut out alcohol (as i know beer/cider has a hell of a lot in it)


 The weight will drop off if you stick to this! I have just started drinking beer again after cutting it out completable over the last 4 or so months, the beer gut just vanished over 3 or 4 weeks when it was combined with a health diet. Just be sure that when you do start to drink again (If you want to...I missed the occasional beer!) you dont drink loads! Just a couple, and if your going on a night out, Diet mixers with clear spirits are your friend... until the morning after, obviously!
Jack


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## thunderpantz (Dec 6, 2011)

Couple of days in and tbh i'm feeling pretty positive. Tonight I had the opportunity to go down the pub, swig loads of beer with the lads and watch the England or stay at home with the Dad and be able to watch the match in peace with out getting covered in drunken testosterone..... I've decided to choose the latter. 

I've started to make conscious decisions as to what i'm eating too. Earlier I had the urge for a chocolate bar and walked to the fridge, picked up a chocolate bar then thought, "what the? How'd i get here?" it's odd how things like that become autonomous. Instead of the chocolate bar, i opted for an orange, go me! I suppose it's all about changing my routines and habits, once i've got those cracked then i'm hopefully on to a winner. 

Anybody have any diet tips? What i should and shouldn't be eating?


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

alipman said:


> You are not alone on this. My brother in law suffered depression etc from the age of 18 and stayed with him, up and down, until age 31.
> 
> A couple of questions.
> Do you want to exercise?
> Or just lose weight by calorie counting/reduction?


That's a long time sorry to hear this, has he had treatment, and helped his self....


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## J1ODY A (Nov 28, 2008)

If you are game for a radical change then buy the guys insanity program which is posted in here & stick to it... guaranteed results.


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## alipman (May 10, 2007)

Trip tdi said:


> That's a long time sorry to hear this, has he had treatment, and helped his self....


He had lots of treatment, various courses of medication, a number of times he ended up in hospital.
Unfortunately he died earlier this year, aged 31. Died of meningitis. Complete shock and unexpected.


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

Keep your mind set on _why_ you want to lose the weight and you'll succeed. I've gone from 16 stone 4 to 14 stone 3 in the last 3 months (albeit a lot down to stress) but the main thing I've found is cutting bread out has made the weight fall off.


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## tomah (Sep 17, 2010)

thunderpantz said:


> Anybody have any diet tips? What i should and shouldn't be eating?


Cut out all your cereal, rice, pasta, bread, and refined sugars. Once you hit your target weight you can slowly reintroduce brown rice and things, but cut it out if you want fast results.

Eat more protein. If you're hungry, eat protein. Have eggs for breakfast, whole nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc) for snacks, and lean meats (fish, chicken, lean beef) with lots of veg.

Don't overdo the fruit, one to two pieces a day should be more than enough, and you may want to take one after exercise to stop energy slumps.

Try and eat vegetable based soups for lunch, and consider whey protein for times when you're feeling hungry, but can't be bothered to cook meat or eat veg.

Above all, drink lots of water 2 litres minimum, though with your height, I'd say 3 should be your target.

As for exercise, don't 'work out', but train. Workouts are aimless exercises, and while they work, 'training' is better, because you track your progress and give yourself goals.

Forget bicep curls and sit ups. Work the major muscle groups. Your upper legs particularly.

And don't overdo exercise. Work hard on Mon, Wed, Fri, train lighter/shorter on Tues/Thurs, and give yourself the weekend to recuperate.

All the best :thumb:


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

if you want to try something a bit different, but healthy and it works... maybe have a read in here.....

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/forum.php

:thumb:


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

alipman said:


> He had lots of treatment, various courses of medication, a number of times he ended up in hospital.
> Unfortunately he died earlier this year, aged 31. Died of meningitis. Complete shock and unexpected.


That's a tragic lose there, Really sorry to hear the bad news, I found this upsetting down my end as well


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## tomah (Sep 17, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> if you want to try something a bit different, but healthy and it works... maybe have a read in here.....
> 
> http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/forum.php
> 
> :thumb:


Paleo is a bit hype, though.

I mean, it's good in comparison to the way most eat, but there's some serious inconsistencies in their philosophy.

They rule out stuff like legumes, all dairy (I haven't looked into this, but I'd say the first humans drank milk from cattle), nuts, and even fruit altogether sometimes. Then they tell you to add supplements (yeah, because that's what they did 5,000 years ago :wall: ).

It's a good guide for most because it advises clean food for the most part. Just don't go preachin' paleo to everyone like some folks end up doing. They can be a bit arrogant in the paleo crowd I've found, a bit like any little diet niche, like vegetarians and vegans.

:thumb:


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

wo, wo, wo.... noone is preaching anything here.... :lol: 

there is some very good stuff, and yes, some stuff I don't agree with... like most things in life...

but, for a different take on things, and good tips for healthy living it's a great site...(IMO)....

I have found there is not 1 global solution to being fit and healthy, I prefer to pick and choose from the best of what I can find...

Hence why my cheat day was today, and I've ate loads of [email protected] and I don't feel guilty in the slightest!!!!

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

:thumb:


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## thunderpantz (Dec 6, 2011)

Well after just over a week on things are going well. Basically as i said, I need to move more, eat less. I've been watching what i eat, staying away from the sweet stuff, junk food even to the point i'm not having sugar in my drinks. 

At weigh in this morning - 134.11 KG. To say i'm amazed is an understatement! Thanks to everyone thats provided hints, tips and support. Lets see what another week brings


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## alipman (May 10, 2007)

So, thats 6.5 kg loss in about a week.
Good start.

So thats nearly 1 stone.


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

Thats a good start.


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## thunderpantz (Dec 6, 2011)

It's a bit baffling to me tbh! Not quite sure how?!


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## Paintmaster1982 (Oct 23, 2007)

I can relate so much with the OP. And in all honesty when i was 25 i was huge. I'am 6ft4 and a stocky lad and what sparked it all off for me was when i was at my sisters for a party. Someone snapped a photo of me and when i saw it something in my head clicked and i thought to myself " do i really look like that" So the next day i booked myself into the local gym, and started to eat healthy. I also did a shed load of research on foods, calories, what to eat and what not to eat and why, what you can mix etc there is litterely tons and tons of info out there and some if not all contradict each other but once you read loads of it you sort of get the idea of who is bull****ting you and who isnt. I was over 19 stone when i was 25 and within a year of healthy eating, and weight training and interval training i got down to 15 and a half stone. Also with any excersize keep a diary and up your game if you feel you can do more so intensify it within the same time frame.

Unfortunatly due to injury with my back and also family issues it has stopped me from going to the gym and 3 years on ive spiralled out of control. Ive posted a thread on here for inspiration yesterday in fact. 

You can do it, its more of a life change and what helped me is thinking of the bigger picture so 10 years down the line for example and so this isnt a quick fix which helps if your on a downer one day.

All the best 

Rob


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

Rob I lost 6 stone without even going near a gym:thumb:


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## Paintmaster1982 (Oct 23, 2007)

Ross said:


> Rob I lost 6 stone without even going near a gym:thumb:


how the hell did you do that :thumb: Iam trying to stay away from the gym this time round as funds are a bit tighter than normal this year.


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

Last year my wife and I lost 6 stone between us. 

By far and away the best thing we did was reduce our portion size. 

weight Watchers helped but only through weighing the ingredients as you cook them. 

We were eating literally HALF what we were before. We were both full and felt better for it too.And, it saved us a fortune.


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

Paintmaster1982 said:


> how the hell did you do that :thumb: Iam trying to stay away from the gym this time round as funds are a bit tighter than normal this year.


Lots of walking,cutting out bad food,cutting out alcohol and a few other things.The weight seemed to fall off and its staying off:thumb:


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

thunderpantz said:


> Well after just over a week on things are going well. Basically as i said, I need to move more, eat less. I've been watching what i eat, staying away from the sweet stuff, junk food even to the point i'm not having sugar in my drinks.
> 
> At weigh in this morning - 134.11 KG. To say i'm amazed is an understatement! Thanks to everyone thats provided hints, tips and support. Lets see what another week brings


Glad things are going so well! I had a bit of a light bulb moment 5 weeks ago and started to move more & consume less. Just make sure you strike a balance between desire to lose weight and enjoyment of life, don't stop doing things you enjoy. I've not changed my lifestyle just make better choices and it's working well, it's been surprisingly easy so far. (For me at least) this is the key to continuing and not falling by the wayside after the initial couple weeks.

Smaller portions, healthier options (calorie counting with an App is a bit of an eye opener!), more fruit, I'm still going to the pub but drinking Gin and Slimline rather than beer has made a big difference :thumb:

Setting targets and tracking the loss has helped me a lot too. A nice big excel graph that updates weight and BMI is nice and easy to do - i've got something quite smart set up if you want a copy.


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