You have to learn how to eat right and exercise. You will also have to learn how to go hungry to shrink your stomach. Head on over to the Self Defense & Fitness forum

Quoted: Quoted: A pound of fat equals approximately 360 unburnt calories. If you want to lose ten pounds a month then figure you need to burn 3600 calories in some fashion but not intake more than you body needs. The average adult male I believe needs 1600 calories a day, however you can offset some of those calories with fiber. For instance adding a high fiber breakfast will allow you to take in 1900 calories a day and still maintain current weight. My dad lost close to 125 pounds by changing his diet, cutting carbs, and exercising.   You're off by a factor of 10.  1lb of fat ~ 3500 kcal.

I'm glad someone else caught that.  At 360kcal per pound, people would be jogging fat off by the gallon.

If you cut by 3500kcal per week (~500 a day), you can lose 1 pound per week.

I'm 5'8" and went from 270 to around 190 in about two years.

-Portion control
-Cut out all fast food and any prepared food i.e.hot pockets, corn dogs and frozen burritos
-Cut out soda and any product that contains high fructose corn syrup
-Walk a mile a day, it only takes ten to fifteen minutes.
-I quit drinking beer around seven weeks ago and have lost another ten pounds.

After an all time high of 240 pounds, I am currently 180 and still losing. My secret is to eat 3 times a day but eat healthy and exercise at least 5 times a week. The most important thing is to not starve your body as this will decrease your metabolism. Also keep in mind that losing the weight over a longer period of time is the best way to go about it instead of trying to do it in a month. It took me over a year to lose it and I have no fear of putting it back on. Another thing to be aware of is that it's mostly mental and motivation is the key to losing and keeping it off. What keeps me going is that I can fit into clothes now that I couldn't fit into when I was in high school and that was almost 20 years ago. Plus I get looks from women and this is a middle aged balding male we're talking about here. Finally, once a week do reward yourself with something like pizza or a burger and fries but don't over do it.  

Lost 50 lbs in 6 Months this year Jan - Jun.  229 - 179.  XL to Medium. Tight 40" waist pants to comfortable 34" waist.

There is no easy button.  Repeat, there is no easy button.  As others have said, eat less,  exercise more.  At you current weight, If you cut down intake, and start to exercise, you will see the pound shed off.

I got motivated by signing up for a 77 mile backpacking trip in NM with my son at Philmont scout ranch.

Her's what I did.  

- Bought a backpack
- Put 20 lbs in it
- Got up at 5:00 AM. walked for 3 miles (Takes les than 1 hour)
- Every week, or so, I bummped the wieght up 4 popunds (Use 4 lb birdseed bags)
- Breakfast - Egg Beater omlet with Ham and cheese, One slice of wheat toast.
- AM snack piece of fruit (bannana/apple)
- Salad, or piece of chicken, beef.
- PM fruit snack.
- Dinner  - Beef/chicken/fish, vegetables, salad.

- NO PASTA.POTATOS, CHIPS, BEER,RICE etc.

- Weigh in every morning, and keep track of it in excel, along with goal weight.  Step goals (ie 10 lbs,  20 lbs, etc ) as you reach you intermediate goals.

After about 2 months I lost over 20 lbs, and I also realized that while my legs had great muscles due to the walking, my upper body strength dropped.  I bought a wieght bench and would do 15 minutes of lifting a day.  I am now doing pullups and pushups every day.  Yesterday, I did 140 pushups in three sessions, and 33 pullups (See Armstrong pullup program)

I'm 47 yearss old, and am in the best shape since being a teenager.

I am exercising enough now, and my metabolism is high enough that I can enjoy beer and other goodies.

After the hike i was at 170, but have since gotten back to 179-183 range, whihc is about where I want to be.  I could be at1 170, but it is too much work for me.

I pray I can keep it off, and am deathly afraid of slipping back.  I still weigh every morning, and if I see it creeping up, I adjust diet and exercise to suit.

Added benefits.  Blood pressure 115/73, Cholesterol 111.  Sex is better.  Clothes look better.  

I travel a lot too.  50K miles per year, internationally too.  Get up early and get to the gym at the hotel.  Eat right. It's tough when traveling, but you can make better choices.

Get off your ass and move.  Only you can make it happen.

Quoted: I'm 5'8" and went from 270 to around 190 in about two years. -Portion control -Cut out all fast food and any prepared food i.e.hot pockets, corn dogs and frozen burritos -Cut out soda and any product that contains high fructose corn syrup -Walk a mile a day, it only takes ten to fifteen minutes. -I quit drinking beer around seven weeks ago and have lost another ten pounds.

Excellent plan too. Slower, longer term weight management is far more likely to last rather than quick speed diets that do not.

Choosing to not be fat is a lifestyle choice....not some temporary trend. If you're predisposed to being fat now, losing weight doesn't change that. The good news is once you've lost the desired weight, you should already be involved in regular exercise, and keeping the weight off is a LOT easier than losing it in the 1st place.

Quoted: Lost 50 lbs in 6 Months this year Jan - Jun.  229 - 179.  XL to Medium. Tight 40" waist pants to comfortable 34" waist. There is no easy button.  Repeat, there is no easy button.  As others have said, eat less,  exercise more.  At you current weight, If you cut down intake, and start to exercise, you will see the pound shed off. I got motivated by signing up for a 77 mile backpacking trip in NM with my son at Philmont scout ranch. Her's what I did.   - Bought a backpack - Put 20 lbs in it - Got up at 5:00 AM. walked for 3 miles (Takes les than 1 hour) - Every week, or so, I bummped the wieght up 4 popunds (Use 4 lb birdseed bags) - Breakfast - Egg Beater omlet with Ham and cheese, One slice of wheat toast. - AM snack piece of fruit (bannana/apple) - Salad, or piece of chicken, beef. - PM fruit snack. - Dinner  - Beef/chicken/fish, vegetables, salad. - NO PASTA.POTATOS, CHIPS, BEER,RICE etc. - Weigh in every morning, and keep track of it in excel, along with goal weight.  Step goals (ie 10 lbs,  20 lbs, etc ) as you reach you intermediate goals. After about 2 months I lost over 20 lbs, and I also realized that while my legs had great muscles due to the walking, my upper body strength dropped.  I bought a wieght bench and would do 15 minutes of lifting a day.  I am now doing pullups and pushups every day.  Yesterday, I did 140 pushups in three sessions, and 33 pullups (See Armstrong pullup program) I'm 47 yearss old, and am in the best shape since being a teenager. I am exercising enough now, and my metabolism is high enough that I can enjoy beer and other goodies. After the hike i was at 170, but have since gotten back to 179-183 range, whihc is about where I want to be.  I could be at1 170, but it is too much work for me. I pray I can keep it off, and am deathly afraid of slipping back.  I still weigh every morning, and if I see it creeping up, I adjust diet and exercise to suit. Added benefits.  Blood pressure 115/73, Cholesterol 111.  Sex is better.  Clothes look better.   I travel a lot too.  50K miles per year, internationally too.  Get up early and get to the gym at the hotel.  Eat right. It's tough when traveling, but you can make better choices. Get off your ass and move.  Only you can make it happen.

I agree with most of it except the weighing in part. I think that by doing that everyday like you mention, a person has a better chance of failing because they are more likely to look at the weight not coming off fast enough and either try and starve themselves to lose it faster or just give up. In fact, I don't even have a scale and only weigh myself whenever I come across one while shopping. The key is to lose the weight over a long period of time and only then will you be able to successfully keep it off.

It takes the types of diets and exercise that others have mentioned above ........

AND stick to it ..... make it part of your life ......

I lost about 100lbs in the last five years .....

Proper diet and exercise are now part of my everyday life-style .....

I eat low-cal, low-fat, consistant meals during the week and have one "anything-goes" meal a week ....

I got an exericse bike and some wieghts and get up 45 minutes earlier every-day and doe 65-reps with 20lbs for each arm and 5-6 miles on the exercise bike .... it's now part of my life ....

Walking occasionally is also a bonus .....

Again you have to make diet and exercise PART OF YOU'RE EVERDAY LIFE for the rest of your life .................

I am 5'11" and was down to 175 or so - that was to light for me ....

I like it better at 180-185 ....................

IM sent

The directions are as follows:
1. EAT LESS
2. EXCERCISE MORE.


.....works every time!

Go to work at UPS as a driver.  You can't help buy loose weight.  I've dropped 20lb in 2 months working there, and probably lost a hell of a lot more fat and gained muscle to replace it.

You're getting a lot of good advice here so far.

I was "the fat kid" as a child, and have fought weight gain all of my life -- and stay "in the win" through constant vigilance.

Keep in mind that nowadays *most* people are way, way too fat -- and lazy.

Getting and staying lean and healthy requires the mental fortitude to simply step away from doing what most people do.  It means cheerfully and *willfully* becoming an "outsider".  So "everybody" is going out for fast food?  Sorry, I've got my protein powder in my briefcase/ desk/ satchel/ car.

People will call you stuck up, selfish and wierd.  Fine.  Revel in it.  They are jealous and want to drag you back down to *their* comfort zone of 'fat and docile'.

Excercise itself becomes "addictive" -- in a moderate, wholesome way.

Excercise doesn't need to be some extreme thing -- You can think of it as getting back to what a normal human life should include -- moving, exerting and stretching.

Do you think our ancestors sat around at a desk all day?  Did your own great-grandparents?  Probably not.  Whether our ancestors were shopkeepers, farmers or warriors -- they all did a lot of varied physical activity all day every day.

Excercise can easily become part of your daily routine.  I run a mile and half every day, weather permitting, and providing there is no "real" reason not to.  An ice storm, 100 degree heat, or getting out to work on the shed while there is daylight is a real reason.  What's on tv isn't.

The reason I run is I *want* to.  I actually sit at my desk and look forward to it.

Dealing with the discomfort of excercise kind of works itself out.  The mind learns to translate "discomfort" into mere information.  You're in charge of your body.  If something actually hurts, you stop doing it.  If the muscles are simply sending the message "hey, I'm at the limits of my endurance/ exertion", that is mere information.

And mainly excercise kind of re-calibrates the mind.  Puts things into perspective.

And it feels so good when you are done!

I salute you for taking responsibility for your situation.  Losing weight and keeping it off is "doable".

But virtually everyone who is long-term successful at it develops his *own* tactics -- Makes his own decisions about what he is or isn't willing to incorporate into his life.


[post-workout protein powder beverage]  

You can go into any grocery store in America and find Lean Couisen or similar healthy frozen dinners.  Read how many calories are in them.  When you eat them, remind yourself that one of them is a "portion designed for normal people who exercise regularly".  

If you are already exercised (in the morning so you can't "run out of time") you can eat the meal with some bread.  Since I just outside Philly, I tend to eat the frozen meals with a soft pretzel.

I only have a million pounds to get down to my goal weight.

I don't know why these threads go on-and-on...

These posts have all the answer you'll ever need:

Quoted: Cut down on your caloric intake and good ole fashioned exercise.....

Quoted: The directions are as follows: 1. EAT LESS 2. EXCERCISE MORE.

I guess if you have no motivation and self-control (to the point where you are obese) then I suppose people want a fix, that is as easy as what got them into the poor shape they are in.

The funny thing about the "Eat less, move more" plan is that it is actually quite easy to follow. Poeple just don't choose to follow it, because of self-control problems.

How about this for a start:

NEVER use a computer or watch TV while sitting.

NEVER eat, unless you are sitting at a proper table, and having a real meal (no eating on the move, in your car, at your desk......).

Quoted: Don't fight it. If your had it in you to be thin and stay thin, you would already be thin. You can try to lose weight and diet for the rest of your life but you will be miserable and never be happy with where you are at on the scale. Live how you are most comfortable and be satisfied.

Seems like I recall something from The Art of War that said:

"If you lose the battle in your mind, you are guaranteed to lose the battle on the battlefield."

In my opinion you can do anything you resolve to do, within reason.  Defeatist attitudes (like in the above quote) will get you nothing but defeat.  Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?  Hell no.  ()

To the OP:  lots of good advice here already.  The only thing I would add is to try and find a "workout buddy".  You may have a colleague (who travels with you on projects) who wants to do the same thing.  Having a workout buddy helps a lot because you won't be as likely to skip workouts when you know someone else is waiting for you!

Quoted: To the OP:  lots of good advice here already.  The only thing I would add is to try and find a "workout buddy".  You may have a colleague (who travels with you on projects) who wants to do the same thing.  Having a workout buddy helps a lot because you won't be as likely to skip workouts when you know someone else is waiting for you!

And stay away from people who do not share your commitment to health and fitness.

Surround yourself with others who are either at an active, healthy size, or who are actively *working* at losing weight (not just talking about it).

Stay away from people and situations which involve junk food.  Stick with folks who share your determination to be healthy.

A LOT of people will try to sabotage you.  They can be extremely cunning at this.  OR they may not even fully realise what they are doing.

Somebody whines when you won't go out to eat junkfood with them, or eat the special chocolate-coated lardcakes they made for you?  Forget 'em!

Move on.

Become ruthless.  

Quoted: Sweating is the key--the more you sweat, the more you lose. The two best forms of exercise, IMO, are hiking and mountain biking. But whatever you do, start out slow and work your way up.  Going for walks each day after work is a really good starting point.  Gradually increase your distance and speed, keeping you heart rate elevated.  Eventually you'll be on the trails with a pack. Just do it!  And, once you start, do not quit!

Sweating is just heated water leaving your body to regulate your temperature, water that you will re-gain when you drink water again....

That doesnt make any sense.....

Quoted: Quoted: It doesn't get much simpler than the title suggests. I am 6'6" and have let my weight creep up to 330 pounds. My wife and I just had our first child, and that is what pushed me up from "only" 300 pounds to where I am now. I travel a lot for work, and am eating out constantly. Besides the travel for work, I am also working on my MBA. Joining a gym is out of the question. There is simply no time in the day for it. My question is, what diet or plan has worked for you. I did Atkins a few years ago, lost 52 pounds, and then gained it all back. What has worked for you? Thanks. Mike F Cut down on your caloric intake and good ole fashioned exercise....It works for everyone, given they actually do it Simple, burn more than you take in, and you lose weight.

+1  It doesn't cost much and will work EVERY time and unlike all diets if you make the lifestyle change the results will last forever.  Portion control is your friend.  Don't clean you plate every mean, no seconds and you will be amazed how fast it comes off.

Throw in a little activity and you will melt away even faster.

Start walking and work up to jogging.  When you can run three miles, do it every day.  You won't be fat.  You will be artificially thin until you stop running.

Don't eat anything within 3 hours of going to bed.

Don't drink beer/ soda.

Cut your portions in half, don't go back for seconds.

DRINK A LOT OF WATER.

just my $.02

Quoted: I don't know why these threads go on-and-on... These posts have all the answer you'll ever need: Quoted: Cut down on your caloric intake and good ole fashioned exercise..... Quoted: The directions are as follows: 1. EAT LESS 2. EXCERCISE MORE. I guess if you have no motivation and self-control (to the point where you are obese) then I suppose people want a fix, that is as easy as what got them into the poor shape they are in. The funny thing about the "Eat less, move more" plan is that it is actually quite easy to follow. Poeple just don't choose to follow it, because of self-control problems.

+1

I was thin and in excellent shape until about 30 yrs old. Other than some rare exceptions for medical conditions, it is 100% a conscious lifestyle choice.  We know certain food/drink is unhealthy and we still choose it over healthier options.  We know we could be walking/jogging/doing sit-ups/push-ups/whatever instead of watching that X minutes/hours of TV or surfing the web before/after work/school.

The fundamentals are in the quotes above and I'm sure you already know them in your heart.  It's all choices and eventually you will have to decide what's more important to you.  No one can do that for you.

For me, the only exercize that really works - and I have done everything in the gym - is swimming.  But it's the hardest one for lots of people to get time for, and is not always practical when traveling.  I can do an hour of treadmill plus a 1/2 hour on the exercize bike every day for six months and hardly lose a pound, but if I swim 100 laps three times a week, I drop the weight.  But that's just me and I am not suggesting it works that way for others.  In fact, I've known guys that lost amazing weight just by walking.

My problem is I have made a choice to be overweight - it's nothing short of a death wish - and I will have no one to blame but myself in that moment of realization when I get my wish and think of my kids.

Ive got about 30-40 pounds id like to lose.

Heres what I did and I started seeing results within a week. (lost a pound and a half)

I replaced my snacks with oranges. I like using my pocket knife (CKRT M-16Z) to peel it. My assault knife scares the libs.

Quoted: It doesn't get much simpler than the title suggests. I am 6'6" and have let my weight creep up to 330 pounds. My wife and I just had our first child, and that is what pushed me up from "only" 300 pounds to where I am now. I travel a lot for work, and am eating out constantly. Besides the travel for work, I am also working on my MBA. Joining a gym is out of the question. There is simply no time in the day for it. My question is, what diet or plan has worked for you. I did Atkins a few years ago, lost 52 pounds, and then gained it all back. What has worked for you? Thanks. Mike F

No time in the day?  You're going to have to take several days' worth of time to recover from that heart attack.

Make time.

Replace soda with water or iced tea (unsweetened).

If you go out to eat, ask for a to-go container as soon as you get your food.  Put half your meal in the to-go container, then eat what's left on your plate.  

Quoted: Portion control worked for me.  I just cut my portion sizes in half and lost 35 pounds in about 3 months.  Have managed to keep it off too.

This is the answer to your question. Cut down as much as you can stand without being miserable. It will be uncomfortable but don't go so far as to be miserable/irritable. Then accept the weight you become. You can take the stairs, park away from building entrances, etc. but you will never become buff if you cannot devote the time. For those not naturally thin alotment of time is the only way to be thin. I eat little and work on my feet all day and exercise every morning and am well over what the charts show my ideal weight to be. I can outrun, outlift, and am more limber than any of my "skinny" coworkers. That will have to do, for me. I have no more time to devote to my body shape.

Quoted: It's simple: Lifestyle change. This means eat less, exercise more. No fad diet will do it for you and you won't succeed if you don't want it bad enough. I was 267lbs in March of 2006. I am now 225lbs and muscular. I did it by changing my diet (aka not eating fast food) and working out at the gym. There is no other way.

+1

Same experience - 6'2", went from 290 to a LEAN 227. Gained some back when I got off the routine. Diligence.

Quoted: Quoted: Sweating is the key--the more you sweat, the more you lose. The two best forms of exercise, IMO, are hiking and mountain biking. But whatever you do, start out slow and work your way up.  Going for walks each day after work is a really good starting point.  Gradually increase your distance and speed, keeping you heart rate elevated.  Eventually you'll be on the trails with a pack. Just do it!  And, once you start, do not quit! Sweating is just heated water leaving your body to regulate your temperature, water that you will re-gain when you drink water again.... That doesnt make any sense.....

Are you mental?

It makes perfect sense, your body has to kick in the cooling system cause (waits for the drum roll) your body is working.

Quoted: Quoted: Sweating is the key--the more you sweat, the more you lose. The two best forms of exercise, IMO, are hiking and mountain biking. But whatever you do, start out slow and work your way up.  Going for walks each day after work is a really good starting point.  Gradually increase your distance and speed, keeping you heart rate elevated.  Eventually you'll be on the trails with a pack. Just do it!  And, once you start, do not quit! Sweating is just heated water leaving your body to regulate your temperature, water that you will re-gain when you drink water again.... That doesnt make any sense.....

The energy you burn that creates the sweat is the key; exercise (i.e. 'sweat') will help tilt your caloric balance towards losing weight.

If you don't burn the calories you eat, your body stores that energy, either as fat or glycogen.  Not only does exercise help with the caloric balance, exercise also depletes your muscle glycogen, which means your body will want to use your next meal to recharge that energy source, not store it as fat.

As an added bonus, there is a window of opportunity immediately after exercise.  During this window your body has a increased ability to absorb carbohydrates to recharge your glycogen.  Recharging your glycogen is important, as you don't want to feel sluggish and weak during your next exercise session.

Here is a link that provides some useful information about what to eat post-exercise: Eating after exercise

Quoted: Quoted: same here.,,.   I have no motovation to get up... and do something..   I get off at 7 pm and get home to do nothing,,   I need motovation .   I had no motivation either. Technically speaking everything was fine, I was eating whatever I wanted (mainly fast food or take out hi-cal food) and coming home to eat a large meal cooked by my wife. I and her finally started going to the gym at a slow rate, after it became regular, I started sleeping better, feeling better in the morning when I woke up, less tired during the day and feeling better about how I looked.  That WAS my motivation, to keep feeling like that.  Now I feel guilty if I go a day without some kind of exercise when I have every chance to do so.  I've gone to the gym late in the night sometimes because I felt guilty about skipping it during the day, and there's no better sleep then after an intense workout.

Right on the mark, (pun intended).

My wife and I were in the same rut. Come home after work and get on the couch and watch tv until bed time. I'm usually pretty active during the summer, but winters and time change are killers.
We joined a local gym, and now just stop by there after work 3 or 4 days a week. It may not be a full workout, but anything helps and is better than nothing.

In just three weeks we bout have lost weight, and feel much better.

Join a gym. besides the monetary inducement of not wanting to waste your money, the "peer pressure" of having others around is helpful.

Good luck.

Do what i did. Get in a car crash, have severe head trauma, start having migraines, start taking Keppra for the migraines. It completely cut out my appetite, I have to force myself to eat a meal or two a day, with tiny tiny portions. I'm 6'2, I went from 262 to 234 in about 4 weeks, and I'm still dropping weight.

(In relality I don't recommend the migraines, they're not fun )

masturbate. A LOT

Quoted: masturbate. A LOT

Bullshit - I'd be as skinny as a piece of uncooked #9 pasta of that was true.

Diets are scams.  Learn how to eat properly and do cardio exercises.  

One option :   "Eating well for optimum health",  Andrew Weil, M.D. ( he has a website)

Also, try this technique:  Avoid eating fast.  Train yourself to consciously be aware of every detail when eating.  Every movement of the fork,  chewing, drinking, swallowing, etc.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Sweating is the key--the more you sweat, the more you lose. The two best forms of exercise, IMO, are hiking and mountain biking. But whatever you do, start out slow and work your way up.  Going for walks each day after work is a really good starting point.  Gradually increase your distance and speed, keeping you heart rate elevated.  Eventually you'll be on the trails with a pack. Just do it!  And, once you start, do not quit! Sweating is just heated water leaving your body to regulate your temperature, water that you will re-gain when you drink water again.... That doesnt make any sense..... Are you mental? It makes perfect sense, your body has to kick in the cooling system cause (waits for the drum roll) your body is working.

And if your body is working (drumroll) it's burning calories.

Inconceivable!