Determined to lose 20 kilos minimum, support welcome

[BigAndy]

Hi,

I'm Andy, fast approaching 40, and have let my fitness and healthy eating habits go. I have been getting seriously into running past month, and the month before was doing a bit of gym and the odd run.

I am having success eliminating added sugar from my diet, and eliminating many processed foods and snacks.

I'm 5'10" and currently about 100 kg, and was shocked when I found my body mass index sent me into the obese category (it's about 32). I think I'm only about 5 kg off the overweight category but would really love to get down to 80 kg or less. There has been a history of heart problems in my family, diabetes and obesity (father), so as I age I aim to become fitter and healthier and slimmer, so I can maintain an active lifestyle, and I really love the confidence that exercise brings to me (when I let it go I'm prone to black moods and and even self pity at times).

I'm keeping a diary and hopefully I can see that I'm on the right track as I review my weight- Have only just started to be able to as I've only just found the scales- out of sight out of mind for past two years at least.

Would be awesome to make some cyber friends on here for support and maybe a few laughs.

[admin]

Welcome Andy,

Keeping a diary one for food and one for exercise is a very helpful tool. We have some free downloads, exercise and food diaries on our site .....
http://www.weightloss.com.au/weight-loss-tools.html

Don't forget you are not alone, thousands of people are going through the same as you and the first step is the hardest (well thats what they say anyway).

Good luck with your journey and look forward to reading your progress.

Sharrelle

[BigAndy]

Thanks very much Sharrelle,

By the looks of your calculator I should be have about 300cal less than I'd previously thought!

I can feel the fatty areas breaking down. The fat seems to be turning into smaller globules. Looking forward to the globules disappearing altogether!

I'm running fairly consistantly (the off days are recovery days). But during these I try to walk, or go to the gym and do some weight workouts.

[CronicBadger]

Hello BigAndy

I was where you are a couple of years ago: 40, living a terrible lifestyle and grossly obese (128 kg). I drastically improved my eating and lifestyle habits and in the process improved my overall health, social life and lost 50 kilos.

As for BMI, treat it as a guide only. Statistically, it's better to be in the lowest third band of normal weight since that's where the bulk of weight-related health benefits seem to occur. Being just under the Overweight category is good, but doesn't seem to help much, according to recent studies.

A diary is a great idea too - it makes it hard to cheat, as well as allows sensible comparisons and adjustments to a person's activities over time.

Keep up the good work.

[BigAndy]

So good to hear from you Badger,

Really encouraging to hear others stories, and triumphs. I sure have taken to using a diary for various activities in my life, specific goals, etc. and am now applying it to fitness training and exercise. Daily I record resting heart rate, weight, what is eaten and number of calories, number of k's ran, time taken, any injuries or aches I might need to keep an eye on, and how I feel after exercise, plus any other details that might come in useful trying to improve or future analyse successful training patterns. As well as listing goals that I decide on.
I have a fairly solid build so wonder if I'd be able to get into the lower third of the "healthy weight" category but I'm willing to give it a red hot go!
Hoping to break 95 kilo within the next two weeks. I'll be certain to post it of I do so!!!!

Great to hear from you please stay in touch

[Metalcharm]

Good luck to you Andy!

I was another who was approaching 40 and found it time to do something.
it was a couple years ago now and I'm 35kg lighter and in my healthy range.
You can do this and it seems you're doing all the right things!

[BigAndy]

Good luck to you Andy!

I was another who was approaching 40 and found it time to do something.
it was a couple years ago now and I'm 35kg lighter and in my healthy range.
You can do this and it seems you're doing all the right things!

Metalcharm, that's so inspiring- thankyou, I love getting new posts they are so helpful.

Great to hear others have done it. It gives me a great deal of hope.

The good news is, and I know it may just be fluids, but I weighed in at 95.7 today, after a fun run this morning and a long slow recovery run later this morning. Really very encouraging though. I don't feel dehydrated, but my quadriceps are stuffed after that fun run!Will be interesting to track my weight over the next few days/week or so and see how/if it bounces back. No doubt tonight I'll be back up to 100 again, but it will be interesting to see.

Didn't run as fast as I would've liked in the run mainly cos I ran really hard on Friday and was aching and tired from it still, and cos of nerves last night barely slept; was my first public run, but I made it. So I've got to give myself credit for a good start.

If I can aim for 1 fun run a month it should spurr me on to keep training, watching the calories, etc. Fun Runs plus the amazing recipes on this site! Wanna bloody try a few more of those!

[admin]

HI Big Andy,
Well a big congratulations in doing a fun run....People think they are all long runs but many are walks and incorporate kids as well. I think it is great to set a target of a fun run a month, even if you only do a 2 or 5 k walk, it is something to aim for. I am impressed that you are doing this. We have a list of all fun runs in each state and updating these all the time, so there really is no excuse, that is why we have put a new banner so everyone can see them....again no excuse.

Let us know how you go with your next one.....I must say feeling pain the next day does have a good feeling.

Have a great week.

Sharrelle

[BigAndy]

Thanks Sharrelle, on the fun run encouragement.

Yes there are all sorts of runner's walkers, pram pushers, elderly runners, etc. etc. I didn't run as fast as I have in training at times, but I still made 5k's in just over 25 minutes which isn't bad for 1 month of training and probably 20 kilos too heavy.
The good thing about them is once I've booked in it gives me a drive to train, and be the best I can be on the day. Something to train towards- a definite specific goal.
Tried the lemon chicken recipe last night by the way, it was really amazing!

[admin]

Thanks for the feed back on the lemon chicken.......we love to hear feed back on our recipes.

Great advice in locking in an actual fun run and working towards it.......you will find that they do get easier. Also many are for charity so that is another reason to do one.

Have a great week.

[BigAndy]

Yeah the running is very exciting and rewarding.

I'm still meticulously diarising everything I eat, and monitoring the calories. Along with the running it is the most essential part of my program. We had the Garlic Prawn Spagetti tonight- even the kids had seconds. And I'm only up to 1740 calories for the whole day so far. My maximum daily intake is 3000; I also realise I don't want to be too far under that quota either. But I'm really not all that hungry at the moment, even having ran 5 k's today.

Ah well might be able to have a little snack later.

[BigAndy]

Booked into my 2nd funrun a few days ago. This one is 12 k. Hoping to run it in under an hour. I can run 10k in 50 minutes fairly comfortably so an extra two k should be achievable under 10 mins.

I was down to 92.5 kilo today, after a big run though!

[Metalcharm]

Nice going Andy!

good luck on the fun run!
I never could get the hang on running. I did a couch to 5k and the fastest I could do that was just under 30 mins. Found I prefered other kinds of exercise lol.

[admin]

Also a big congrats from me......i couldnt do a 12 k so good on ya.....lets us know how you go.

[BigAndy]

Thanks so much for the caring and kind support, where else I'd get this kind of help I don't know.

Well to brag a little; I did the the 12 k run and came 12th out of about 76 people in a time of 57 minutes. I'm just out of the obese category now, sometimes weighing in at 91 kilos depending on when I weigh in, and my ideal BMI weight is somewhere around 75 kg. So if I make it down to 75 and keep up the running traing I'll be a serious contender for getting a place in a run eventually which is a very appealing thought for me And I owe it all to you guys on this obesity forum- such an ace forum- I LOVE IT!!!! The recipes are brilliant as well.

So next is to book in for another one in November or maybe early Dec.