Quoted: Quoted: roboman, you should really consider changing your line from angry motherfucker to arfcom health nut.  Seriously, out of all of the healthcare threads started I think you start 75% from "is this drug ok" to "how do I clean out my colon" As for your weight, are your parents "big" sounds like you might just be built to be big.  My old college roommate was 6-5 300# in college, now he weights 270 and he has always wanted to get down to 240, but some people, like it or not are going to be bigger than others.  I would suggest that instead of working to loose weight, work to loose fat.  Convert that fat to lean muscle. I'm far from a health nut, more like an unhealthy bastard. My parents aren't big either. Just normal-sized folk.

Make that health concious then  Seriously, just start a weight lifting program, cut out the fast food and carbs and you should be fine.  It is all up to you as to how much you want it.

Quoted: Amen to the iron!  She-it.  I used to work as a fitness trainer (would still love to but it doesn't pay jack)  and nowadays the machines are so sanitized and injury-proof (for the gym owner's protection) that you really can't accomplish much on them.    It is bad news when a small to medium sized female like me can max out the modern lower body machines. Good old iron is GREAT... but there are other ways to build muscle.  I trained in classical yoga witha bunch of Hindu friends, and over in Asia fully as many men as women practice hatha (physical) yoga.  Someone who regularly does hatha yoga will have muscles that are fully 1/3 longer than someone who doesn't.  That is increased muscle mass indeed.  (lengthy muscles developed in yoga, when not extended,  tend to be evenly distributed about the body as compared to, say,  "bulked biceps") Spare me pah-leeze from Americanised trendy yoga.  Hatha yoga is quite an excellent strength and muscle-mass-building , fat reducing physical discipline in the *original* (Asian) tradition

i'm new to yoga, it seemed really weird at first, but i seem to 'get it' now.

hey Roboman, i'm 6' and fairly thin.  my lifelong secret (unbeknownst to me) has been to eat plenty of protein, eat veggies, avoid bread/rice/pasta and stay active (as in, walk/move about/mow lawn/play w/ kids/etc.).  i was doing this long before that Atkins guy became popular.  keep it fun and don't let it be work.  

Stop eating all that starchy dining hall food.  Start swimming daily - at least 25 laps.

Quoted: I honestly believe I can do this. I just kicked a psychological addiction to medicine and made it through the physical withdrawal when many said I wouldn't be able to do it. This will certainly be a challenege..... Sadly there's also a small part of me saying "Fuck it" and just be a fat shit for the rest of my life....

You asked for brutally honest...You have self destructive/self loathing tendencies.  If you don't want to go extreme right now with your diet (like Atkins), cut out soda, fries, and potato chips first.  Drink lots of water.  Then cut out cookies, cake, and candy.  Drink lots of water.  Get your ass out of bed every morning and get some exercise.  Drink lots of water.  Hopefully your improvements will be visible rapidly enough to motivate you past your tendencies.  

Blake  

You can do it, roboman.

I've lost 25 lbs since August 2005.  

Had a 30 lb weight gain over 1.5 years, saw the doc, logged all food, etc.  He said my metabolism changed and I wasn't eating nearly enough - said I needed to eat more: archive.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=318569

I tried eating more, and spent more time in the bathroom, and gained weight.

I removed ALL junk food from my diet.  Yuell Gibbons would be proud now.  I went back to eating like I did when I was 16-17 years old.  And added more exercise, also.

I'm big boned, 5'11', and no one believed I weighed 240 - even had to step on the scale in front of my dad for him to believe it.

Good luck.

It really is pretty simple.  Eat right and exercise.  If you need something more "systemized", the Body For Life program is great.  It suggests 6 small, balanced meals per day, with a "free" day.  It isn't as radical as the Atkins diet.  Carbs are not eliminated or reduced to a ridiculous level.  Instead, it focuses on whole grains, qulity protien and fruits and vegetables in the proper portions.  The exercise program consists of 3 days of weight training and three days of cardio.  Many will disagree with the 20 minute cardio workout, thinking it should be longer, but it seems to work for some.  Certainly better than nothing.  If you can get past the advertising hype that you will look like a body builder in 12 weeks,  there is a lot of good, common sense information in there.  I'm going in to week 4 of the program, and have lost 8 pounds.  My plan is to use the BFL workouts through the rest of the winter, then get back in to my normal weights/cycling program over the summer.  Most of the published diet plans work.  Some are difficult to stick with.  Incorporate some type of exercise program with a proper diet, and you'll lose weight.  The secret is in changing your lifestyle, and avoiding a fad.  Don't look for a magic overnight solution, look for a lifetime of healthy behavior.  

Quoted: the only thing that will "kick" the metabolism is stuff that will make you jittery and keep you from sleeping.  I've found that the dont help enough to put up with the side effects. and yes the water is to help fill you up

I don't believe this....Look into the Zone Diet.  Get the book written by Barry Sears.  The way the diet is fomulated puts you, natually, into the zone of food combination to most effectively metabolize what you have eaten and your excess fat.

It basically boils down to this...when you eat, everything you eat should be in the following ratio.
2 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein, and 9 grams of carbs.

In college, using this diet and a consistent exercise regimine, I was down to 179 at 4%-5% messured hydrostatically, not with the calipers.

The think I recognized right off is a few days after you are on this diet you realize how much more energy you have.  And once you are on it for a while and you start eating out of the zone, you know it because you feel your energy fall from where it should be.

This may be what you need.  

Good luck.

Quoted: 2) Running is great... but my ' significant other' guy is super lean and combines strength training of the 'iron' variety with 5k runs.  He tells me (expletives and ethnic language modified/deleted) "You can't buy a decent pair of running shoes these days... they're all made for show, not function.  They aren't made for runners anymore but for a bunch of ******s who spend their $ for that (logo) and the shoes all come in nothing but gang colors and gimmicky #*%$@ plus you are guaranteed to pronate, twist, strain or sprain something if you try to actually run in modern new-issue running shoes blah blah profanity blah" (he buys vintage 1980s shoes off ebay)

I don't want to get into a fight over technicalities, but since roboman mentioned running I wanted to weigh in here - because I don't really think you SO knows what he is talking about wrt shoes.

I used to run quite a bit, and I ran with marathon runners and triathletes (of the full triathlon variety), and they were VERY knowledgable about running shoes.  Running shoes have gotten better and better, and you can get really good shoes these days.  

However, there are two caveats - one is that you need to spend about $100 for a decent pair of running shoes, and the other is that you need to replace them as they get worn or old.  Most of my running buddies logged the number of miles on their shoes, and threw their shoes away after about 300-400 miles.  Many of them also believed that time alone would deteriorate the cushioning ability of running shoes, so the very idea of buying shoes manufactured in the 1980s would seem very odd to them.

Anyway - the point I want to make is that you can get VERY GOOD running shoes these days - but you need to pay about $100 for a good pair.  (If your SO is talking about cheap sneakers, then he may very well be correct - that they may be for "show" and not good shoes in terms of support and cushioning - but nobody should be buying cheap shoes for running anyway.)

Roboman - if you are looking to start running again, DEFNINITELY buy new shoes - at 260 lbs, you need high quality shoes with good cushioning to protect your knees and joints.  I'd suggest Asics or New Balance.

Quoted: Roboman - if you are looking to start running again, DEFNINITELY buy new shoes - at 260 lbs, you need high quality shoes with good cushioning to protect your knees and joints.  I'd suggest Asics or New Balance.

Can't be repeated enough.

I'm what they call a 'heel pounder' and being the size I am, need the proper heel cushioning.

Currently using Nike Trail Pegasus with good results - I don't run on pavement.  Bought at a running
store.

EDIT:  they feel most strange for normal walking, the heel is so thick.

Truffle shuffle

Shit I went for a blood test the other day and the lab tech was pissed!!!  He said they didn't have the equiptment to test 'gravy'......

take a health crap that should shed 10 or so lbs, repeat as neccessary

Buy a bike! I lost 50 lbs by bicycling. I'm 47 6' 2" and weigh 200 lbs. My pulse at rest is 54 and my cholesterol, last time checked, was 117. Plus bicycling is an excelent way to check out jogging pony tails, if you know what I mean...

Carbs, 4 calories/gram
Protien, 4 calories/gram
Fat, 12 calories/gram!

Eliminate as much fat from your diet as possible!

So you're a college student?

You could try to transfer over to where I am. We've got a staff of people here that will MAKE SURE you get down to a more healthy weight.

I went from being a stickboy who couldn't pt well at all to near maxing the army PFT in about 2 months.

Tai Chi and stretching  OR  at your age .....Parris Island .

Quoted: Tai Chi and stretching  OR  at your age .....Parris Island .

I'd love to join the Corps, but I can't pass the weight requirements to get in for starters......

High Protein -- Low Carb Diet.

Nice thing, you get to eat all of the steak that you want.

Just no ice cream or Soda

Like you and many others here I'm trying to drop some weight myself.
Check out Stormsurge's link in the Fitness forum here:
www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=113&t=423471
Good luck!

Quoted: [ I forgot to add, I don't want to really go the novelty diet plan route, but is there any food/drink/vitamin that will kick my metabolism a few notches?

If there was a magic pill there wouldn't be any fat people.

I am a believer in the basics:

Drink more water instead of soda, fruit juice, etc.

Eat a lot more vegetables, green ones, corn and potatoes don't count.

Eat one or two pieces of fruit per day.  A box of yogurt covered rasins doesn't count as fruit.

Eat some lean protein with every meal.  2-3 eggs or 6 oz of meat is some.  A side of bacon is more than some and not lean.

Eat a whole lot less processed, fried, fatty, and fast food.  This means bread, muffins, fast food, pretzels, pork rinds, etc.

Make one change per week such as:

Switch to eggbeaters (2-3 egg equivalent) and 2 cups of veggies sauteed in Pam for breakfast 3-4 days per week.  On the other days, eat a small bowl of nutritious cereal mixed with oats or bran.  Lucky Charms may be magically delicious, but are not truly nutritious.

Eat a small salad and low carb wrap (w/ 3-4 oz of meat) for lunch instead of fast food or a Subway 12".

Eat a second salad with dinner or some grilled or steamed veggies and a small piece of salmon, tuna, chicken, or lean beef/pork.

It is really hard to make drastic changes and stick to it.  If you make small changes and when you get the positive reinforcement of your clothes getting looser it will spur you on.  If you use some rigorous plan, it will probably work, but not be sustainable in the long haul.

Get some exercise.  Especially at night or whenever you tend to get the munchies.  Get up and go walk for 30 minutes instead.  Reward yourself from once every week or two, but make that Blizzard a small.  Good luck.

Quoted: 2) Running is great... but my ' significant other' guy is super lean and combines strength training of the 'iron' variety with 5k runs.  He tells me (expletives and ethnic language modified/deleted) "You can't buy a decent pair of running shoes these days... they're all made for show, not function.  They aren't made for runners anymore but for a bunch of ******s who spend their $ for that (logo) and the shoes all come in nothing but gang colors and gimmicky #*%$@ plus you are guaranteed to pronate, twist, strain or sprain something if you try to actually run in modern new-issue running shoes blah blah profanity blah" (he buys vintage 1980s shoes off ebay)

Your SO doesn't know wtf he speaks of .  Sure, it's tough to buy a decent pair of running shoes at Kohls, Foot Locker, etc, but there are plenty of great shoes at specialty running stores or a road runner sports.

I log a lot of miles, am a larger runner, and sure wouldn't be able to do that in a shoe made for "show not function".  Maybe he needs to try a better shop.

Quoted: Quoted: Tai Chi and stretching  OR  at your age .....Parris Island . I'd love to join the Corps, but I can't pass the weight requirements to get in for starters......

I have heard that some recruiters will undertake to slim you down to inductable size - no shit. It'd be worth asking.

"(woody) hey mister peterson what are you up too? (norm) my ideal body weight if i was 7 feet tall?"

You should consider lap swimming. Definately less painful than running, and its great overall exercise.

I dont know what I weight really

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: How tall are you? 6' 3". 20 years old. at 6'3" you arent THAAAAT bad, just start doing some more cardio and get rid of the sweets, drink a big glass of water prior to eating meals and reduce portion size True, I could be a lot worse off and be 5' 3", but I'm still in shitastic shape. So the goal of a few big glasses of water is to give the sensation of being more full, as to avoid eating a fuckton load? I forgot to add, I don't want to really go the novelty diet plan route, but is there any food/drink/vitamin that will kick my metabolism a few notches?

Cool, I thought I was the only one who said that word.

take pooping pills.   works  for cheerleaders.

Hey guys re those running shoes... no offense taken, as I am sure none was meant.  I am all ears so far a brands, models to reccommend to my man.  He does have *atypically* long, narrow feet (double or trible A width) and prefers a thinner than a thicker sole (more flex, less width,  less hard heel strike configuration) .  He's actually done a lot of web research on various brands, styles into the multi-hundred dollar bracket and is more than willing to pay good money for good functional running shoes.

Some folks run with hard heel strike.  Some of us (watachi wa) runs on the balls of her feet (barefoot configuration).  My guy's stride/ style is somewhere in between.... but decades of running in non-flexible, thick sole modern running shoes have taken a toll in form of shin splints and knee impact.

Yep I know I am but a frail flower intruding into 'guy' territory, but I would thank the gentlemen present to refrain from such things as 'WTF' when uttered *at* me, and moderate the ad feminam profanity.  I've got no problem whatsoever with such language ...except when it is directed at me.  

Your weight is just a number. How you look and how you feel is what matters.

Don't view it as losing weight, that will never work. If you're serious about getting in good shape, you have to change your lifestyle and priorities FOREVER, not just while you're trying to lose weight. Also, remember to look in the mirror instead of at the scale to judge your progress.

That said, some things I did to lose weight (245 down to 195, with much more muscle) in order of importance:

-Lift weights. The easiest way to lose excess fat is by building muscle.
-Eat lots of smaller meals, high in protein, low in carbs and fat.
-Drink either water or diet sodas.
-Find some friends and play basketball regularly for some cardio.

BTW, try out this Whey Protein. I get it at the Vitamin Shoppe. Get the double rich chocolate and mix it with milk. Its so good its like crack. I use it for a quick breakfast or lunch or late night snack. I don't think I would have lost the weight if I had not used it.

Quoted: Hey guys re those running shoes... no offense taken, as I am sure none was meant.  I am all ears so far a brands, models to reccommend to my man.  He does have *atypically* long, narrow feet (double or trible A width) and prefers a thinner than a thicker sole (more flex, less width,  less hard heel strike configuration) .  He's actually done a lot of web research on various brands, styles into the multi-hundred dollar bracket and is more than willing to pay good money for good functional running shoes. Some folks run with hard heel strike.  Some of us (watachi wa) runs on the balls of her feet (barefoot configuration).  My guy's stride/ style is somewhere in between.... but decades of running in non-flexible, thick sole modern running shoes have taken a toll in form of shin splints and knee impact. Yep I know I am but a frail flower intruding into 'guy' territory, but I would thank the gentlemen present to refrain from such things as 'WTF' when uttered *at* me, and moderate the ad feminam profanity.  I've got no problem whatsoever with such language ...except when it is directed at me.

My apologies if you took offense.  It really bothers me though, when folks, albeit with noble intentions, discourage those seeking to undertake an activity that is perfectly safe and healthy if the proper gear is used.

I have discussed running and injury with several flight surgeons who have examined me and the overwhelming consensus has been that running, in and of itself, is healthy and will not cause injuries at a rate greater than any other athletic activity, even for those carrying a few (not 50+) extra pounds, as long as they approach it sensibly.  This, of course, does not apply to those with some type of degenerative disorder that causes the body to attack cartilage - that would happen with or without running though.

The most recent issue of Runner's World reports on a study that shows that regular runners report a much smaller increase in pain as they age than do sedentary people.

As far as your SO goes, my recommendation would be to find a reputable running store to get fitted.  A good store will put him on a treadmill and the salesperson will watch him run in several pairs of shoes.  If he has tried and failed at that, having a gait analysis (video) done may be called for.  I had one done after a bout with shin splints last year that kept me from competing in 2 x 1/2 IMs and my first marathon (I ate about $350 in entry fees).  Cost of the analysis from a physical therapist was about $100, but well worth it for me.  I was running in the wrong shoes and had added too much training volume and intensity in a short time.

I don't know Oklahoma so I can't give you a recommendation for a place to go and a quick survey of my favorite triathlon site doesn't show a recommended store in your state.

I've lost 10lbs. in my 4.5 years of college, all of it muscle, and I can't seem to do anything to get it back