First day on this site...any other guys out there?

Im new to this site and I have to say that I am loving it so far. Its nice to have a site where you can have a food journal, support system and a calorie counter all in one area.

I am 40 going on 41 (in Jan) and have decided to get myself back in the gym and eat more healthier. The last time I was in the gym was last year and was loving it until unexpected life sh** came about. I am 225 now and would love to get down to 175 - 185.

Any guys have any tips on getting (and staying) motivated so that I can reach my goal.

Thanks

I dunno about being getting/staying motivated, but I know where you're coming from.  Couple thoughts...

As a guy, weight loss USUALLY comes easier than for the ladies.  So you've got something going for you already.  And you'll get to eat more, too. :)

Keep doing weights while losing weight.  As far as I know, it's one of the ways to keep/maximize your existing muscle mass while losing fat. 

Make "lifestyle changes" that you think you'll be able to maintain after losing your weight.  Quick fixes are hard to sustain later, and the weight will just come back.  Plus if you don't enjoy the food/activity, it's much harder to make yourself stay with that.

Find an activity that you really like doing.  Swimming, cycling, running, kickboxing... The best exercise you can do is the one you'll keep on doing.

You can see my story in my profile, if you're interested.  If you've got any questions, fire away!  And good luck!

Clint

Almost the exact same story as me. I started here at 40, and 240 pounds, i had tried alot of stuff and didnt get very far. happy to say im 42 now and 200, but unhappy to say the first 40 all came off in one summer, and I have just been maintaning the last year and half. Actually gaind and lost about 5 pounds several times (not good).  My trick (if you call it that) was the old standby. I started eating 600 less calories then my stated maintain level. I watched and counted um like they where money. I then started riding bike, that first month was heck... But again did it every day. Exercise everyday of some form is very important in my mind. And the LIFESTYLE change, its just true. You have to start eating better, fruit, veggies, etc.. One thing I will add, i had a really hard time (impossible almost) sticking with it all to start. I found I made a list of all the stuff I needed to do, even made up some busy work. So after I got home from work ( the money making kind) i had my supper, and got to my list. I made sure I was kept busy for 2-3 hours ever night away from food and snacks. Did my bike ride, and soon there was a tired person, watching a little TV or doing something fun, then bed. I found it simple to not snack then. So my advice, stay busy so you wont be sitting in front of tv for 3-4 hours thining about a snack.  GOOD LUCK, its hard, but if you really stick to it for a month YOU WILL SEE BIG resaults.

Hi there,

I'm 5'6" and use to weigh 225 lbs. Today I'm down to 189-190ish and looking to get to 175 lbs by end of this year. Here are three articles that I think are really good. If you have the time, I really encourage you to read them carefully.

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sp orts_body_training_performance/the_hierarchy_ of_fat_loss

http://www.stumptuous.com/strength-without-si ze-how-to-get-stronger-without-getting-bulky

http://my.apexfitness.com/contactcommerce/ima ges/content_newsletters/May08_CC_Underreporti ng1245790355.pdf

Good luck to you.

Howdy!

Yeah it's tough making the required mental/emotional choices to start a healthy program. The good news is that it's VERY possible to do and there is definetly a pot of gold at the end of the weight loss rainbow.

I started in May at 270 (6' tall), and I'm currently at 225 with a goal of hitting 192 by Spring, 199 by Christmas. The Calorie Count system is perfect for me and I find the tools easy to work with and quite educational. I live for the little rewards like wearing waist size 36 instead of 44 (and I think I was looking at buying some 46 trousers at one point!)

Hang in there and best of luck to you!

Dave

Greetings & welcome to the site. I joined this site a few months ago to help me on my quest to lose some weight and it has been a great help not only in tips & hints but in reading other members motivational stories. I'm 37 yr, 6'3" and I started on June 1 at 237 lb and am currently at 198 lb so pretty much 40 lbs in about 5 months. My goal is 188 lb to make it an even 50 lb loss and I'll see how happy I am with things then. My hints would be several things already mentioned.

Find an exercise you enjoy and can see yourself continuing in the future. For me, running has become a great workout & stress reliever but I understand it's not for everyone.

Schedule your exercise. If you just say, 'I'll do it when I can', you can always find an excuse not to. But if you schedule it in your day, you're much more likely to get up and do it.

Find low-calorie foods you enjoy. It's much easier to make it through the day if you have food you not only enjoy but is helping you to achieve your weight loss goals.

Don't let a bad day set you back. There will be days when you eat over your calorie goal and/or days you didn't want to work out. Don't let it put you in a downward spiral! The next day is a brand new day and a perfect chance to get right back on track.

Splurge now and then. I find a 'cheat' meal once a week help keeps me on track and sane. Knowing I can have one of my old favorite meals is comforting rather than thinking I'll have to eat healthy for EVERY meal for the REST of my life.

Allow a few calories each day for an indulgence. Try to allow 100-150 calories each day for something you like. I am a chocoholic and whether it be a cup of hot chocolate, chocolate frozen yogurt, a 'fun size' candy bar, whatever, I get my chocolate fix in every day!

Try not to focus on how far you have to go. It can sometimes be daunting to think 'I have to lose 50 lb, 60 lb, etc and it's going to take forever.' Try to take it day by day and make each day count. To make this easier…

Set mini goals for yourself. It can help to try and break-up your main goal into mini goals. Instead of your total goal being to lose 50 lbs,  set a mini goal to lose 4-5 lb in month. Sometimes smaller goals seem much more attainable.

If you get off track, deal with it and get back track ASAP. We all know life happens and things we can't control come out of nowhere and blindside us. 2 months ago my cat of 15 years suddenly got sick and died all within 2 weeks. Needless to say, it devastated me and I didn't work out or really count my calories for about a week. But I knew I had to pick myself up and get back on the proverbial horse.

Good luck to you!

Hey man,

welcome to the site. My story in a nutshell - down to 195 from 270 or so about a year ago.

Advice: count every little calorie, and stick to your plan. At first, routine is the name of the game. I ate basically the same 5 or 6 meals over and over again because I knew how many calories they had, and how satisfying they were. I also stuck mostly to packaged foods because their calories are on the label, so I never had to mess with a food scale or take the time to cook. I would also recommend that you go easy with the exercise at first. Keep it light, but do it often, whatever it is. A lot of people tend to gain weight when they start doing heavy exercise. They over estimate how many calories it burns, and it just sends your appetite through the roof.

Also, keep the emphasis on diet. Exercise is by far the lesser variable when it comes to weight loss. Count those calories.

When you mess up, get right back on the wagon the next day.

I recommend going pretty low on calories at first, just for the confidence boost of seeing the scale move so quickly from week to week. - Speaking of which, don't weigh in more than once a week. Your weight will fluctuate several pounds from day to day, even during the same day. Pick one day a week, but do weigh in. It's very important that you get used to being deliberate about your weight and your food intake. I personally weigh in once every two weeks nowadays.

Good luck. It's really not that hard once you get going.