Complete noob to weight loss here

Total pro at gaining weight and being lazy!! :c arrot:

Hello. My name is Brian. I'm fat. I have back issues due to being so fat. I need some help with figuring all this out though. Normally, I'm a wiz at finding information on the internet; when dealing with weightloss issues, however, I have found the first 5,000 links on google are commercial weight loss plans that want you to join some crazy weight loss/money loss program full of true believers.

I'm not looking for any of that. I'm looking to find out about how the body stores fat and how it handles losing that fat. I am interested in hearing from other people that have lost weight and finding out what worked for them. I would like to know what types of food are the lowest in carbs and calories and what types of meals I can prepare that will not only keep the calories low, but may help induce fat burning, or possibly help regulate natural fat burning processes.

I need to find out fast because I have degenerative disc disease and I need to lose weight in order to stave off surgery. I put this weight on; I can take it off. It is causing all types of health issues aside from my back problems. I have high blood pressure, I am tired and lethargic, I have no motivation, I feel like I get no sleep even after a full night's rest, I have numb arms and hands, I ache all over. This is ridiculous.

My main issue is binge eating and portion control. I eat when bored or when I am watching a show or reading and I zone out and don't pay attention to what I have consumed. I eat when I am depressed. I eat a whole meal's worth of one type of food; usually something atrocious like 8 granola bars or 3cheese burgers instead of a burger and fries and a drink. Just ridiculous amounts of food.

I disgust myself. I really need some assistance. If someone could point me towards some decent information on the issues I have mentioned, I would highly appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Brian

PS- Did I mention that I am looking for some diet plan suggestions? Because I am. Thanks.

I'm no expert, but as someone who's dealt with binge eating behaviors myself, the plan I've found that has helped me best control that compulsion (and my hunger) is the paleo diet. Basically it involves eating adequate protein, healthy fats, and lots of non-starchy vegetables. There are some books out there; The Paleo Solution and Primal Blueprint both offer versions of the plan.

If getting your hands on a book isn't an option, you can check out a lot about the plan at Mark's Daily Apple; that's the blog of the guy who wrote Primal Blueprint.

Of course there are a million approaches to weight loss, and it can be pretty overwhelming. You don't have to pay anyone money to lose weight, though. This website is a great resource all on its own. Plenty of people have success with basic calorie counting. I'm really carb sensitive so I avoid grains (all of them) dairy, and sugar, and try to keep the fruit to a minimum. That's the bare bones of paleo.

You can get as many suggestions as there are people posting here, of course. My advice is to read and then read some more, and decide what you can commit to for the long-term, because that's what it takes to lose the weight and keep it off.

Welcome! You're in the right place; that's a major step.

"Instead of burger and fries and a drink" ? Is that supposed to be normal or healthy ?

Try to make small changes at a time. Try to reduce your amount of processed food (food that are far away from their natural state), switch soda to water, white bread to whole grain, red meat to chicken/fish. Reduce your potion size, take the time to eat a complete and nutritionnal meal instead of eating on-the-go or when you are bored and listen to your hunger/fullness signal.

Don't strive to lose weight fast.
Weight loss is a long, fastidious process. If you lose weight fast, you won't be able to keep it off and everything will have to be re-done. A proper weight loss rate is 1-2 lbs per week, maybe 3 if you have a lot to lose. You can expect to lose up to 10 lbs in the first weeks which is mostly water weight, it slow down after this.

A lot of people strive by calorie counting : calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) which is what your body need only to survive (breathing, heartbeats, regulate body temperature). There's a lot of calculators on internet. Then calculate your AMR (Active Metabolic Rate) : this is what your body need to survive on a normal day. If you substract 500 calories per day from this number, you will lose one pound of fat a week.

This is the strict base, you can find a lot of more detailed informations about this easily on google.

I agree that a burger, fries, and a drink is not a healthy meal, but it's a basic meal plan that seems more normal to me than three burgers.

I appreciate the input. I was overwhelmed when I searched for "weight loss plans", "diets", "Atkins diet plan", "meal plans", and other assorted general weight loss search words. It seemed like it was five pages of ads.

I need samples of meal plans so I can start to realize what is a normal amount of food for a person to eat in a day. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I seem to have no clue what a normal person should eat any longer.

I am taking the day to research these issues but I would also like the input of others.

I am about to begin recording a weight loss/ social commentary podcast about my endeavors. It's called "Obesity: The True American Dream"
I am hoping to discuss weight loss plans the first episode and also pick a plan on that show.

I'm very short, so my meal plan wouldn't work for most, but I believe very strongly in cutting out a lot of processed foods, planning ahead, and counting. I think I've had such disordered eating throughout my whole life that I don't trust my "natural" appetite because it's either too low or too high. I need to rely on numbers.

You may want to find what an appropriate number of calories would be to lose weight. There are many calculators online to find a good number for you. Invest in a food scale and pay attention to serving sizes.
I plan out my meals down to the gram. It helps me to stay accountable.

I don't know your stats, but this link gives you a pretty basic idea of what 1800 calories looks like.

is 1,200 to 1,800 calories enough for a 35 year old male that is 6'3? Does the amount of calories you take in one day differ from person to person or does it stay the same?

Thanks for all the input, folks. I really appreciate it.

I think the amount of calories you can consume varies for each individual depending on weight, height, and how active you are. You can use myfitnesspal to track your calorie intake each day.

Good luck!!!

HI BRIAN!!!!! i'm waving at you from the mirror [except i'm 45, five-foot-two, 217, and female, that is]!!!!!!

do i detect a hint of ADHD with perhaps some impulse issues?

Look into the different diets. You can find information on low carb, low calorie, etc. on the internet. You need to decide which type of plan is right for you. I have had much more success on low carb then low calorie. While many folks want to say its simply calories in, calories out, I believe research is showing that is not entirely true. If you are a 6'3" man, you are probably going to be happier on a plan that allows you to eat enough not to be hungry. I agree with THISTOO, check out the Paleo diet. I follow it with a bit of moderation (lower carb) to control blood sugar issues. Eating cleaner, less processed foods has helped me to feel much better- more energetic, plus I sleep better, and have better control of my blood sugar. And what you eat is just the first step. You should start moving more. That will help strengthen your body, and muscle needs more energy than fat, so it will help you lose. Just walking five minutes a day to start, and building slowly, will help.

For me, a typical day's menu is something like this:

Breakfast: almond meal muffin, bacon (three or four slices) coffee with heavy cream

Lunch: Large salad, chicken breast, balsamic vinaigrette

Dinner: salmon-1/4 pound portion (my husband eats 1/2 pound) 1 cup of green beans (my husband would add a sweet potato )


Good luck! You will succeed if you just always hop right back to it, no matter what. We all fail...the difference with successful dieters is that they don't give up, they just go right back to their healthy eating plan.

completely ADHD with impulse issues.

Weight Watchers is a pretty reputable program - it's not super strict and a lot of people have success with it because you're still allowed variety. I've never done it, but I know people who have found success there.

If you have a LOT of weight to lose it might be good to just cut out 1 habit or food group, e.g. sugary drinks, eating while X activity, etc, and see how just that one behavior yields weight loss - that's good for the psyche for sure.

Since you're a tall guy, you "get" to eat more calories than most 3FC posters (who are mid-height women). How about just starting out eating 3 square meals a day and not filling free/down time with food? Start small and build up. No one successfully loses all their weight by making 20 drastic and sudden changes all at the same time.