Motivate the fat guy, please (lift, build, working out, run)

[jambo101]

As you lost much weight in the past you know whats putting the weight on now and what you have to do to turn the ship around.
Sorry for your losses but going to negative behaviors to allay the emotions that go along with those losses only compounds the issues and now you end up with the losses and the increased weight and resultant low self esteem issues. You might want to go and get help from a life coach, read Rhonda Byrnes book "The Secret" and pay more attention to that little voice in the back of your head.
Set your sails to a more positive future, good luck..

[Ulysses61]

Weigh yourself every day and write the number on a calendar so you can track your progress

I strongly disagree with this. You do not need to weigh yourself every day. People who are very overweight will perhaps turn off their diet if they step on their scale after eating next-to-nothing the previous day and see a weight gain of a pound. Weighing yourself every day is utterly meaningless! No one gains or loses much of anything in the span of 24 hours.

A far better barometer is how your clothes fit. Eat 1400 calories a day and walk 2 miles a day -- then weigh yourself after a month. I guarantee you that you will lose weight.

[Luckyd609]

Originally Posted by Ulysses61

I strongly disagree with this. You do not need to weigh yourself every day. People who are very overweight will perhaps turn off their diet if they step on their scale after eating next-to-nothing the previous day and see a weight gain of a pound. Weighing yourself every day is utterly meaningless! No one gains or loses much of anything in the span of 24 hours.

A far better barometer is how your clothes fit. Eat 1400 calories a day and walk 2 miles a day -- then weigh yourself after a month. I guarantee you that you will lose weight.

I would say to split the difference with regards to weighing yourself. Once a week is a good motivator. You can see actual progress or if you have gained. Weighing everyday just plays with your mind. Weight fluctuates too much on a daily basis.

[Snort]

Because all chicks who go to the gym look like this.

[Crustedfilth]

I lost 80% of my vision 3 years ago, no longer could do my job as an architect etc. etc.

I was always into working out but when this happened I really got into fitness, yoga, etc. I have since become a certified PT and have my own business.

I lost 60 or so lbs and gained some more back in the right places. I'm 35 and I feel like I'm 18. I'm stronger, faster, more energetic than I have ever been. Also I am completely free from any back or joint pain.

Just keep going focusing on health and how great you feel over the course of a day.

Heres a quote to help you deal with your mental demons.

"The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back."

[Skatergirl]

Originally Posted by albion

Get yourself a DVD of a heart by-pass operation, that should do the trick.

This reminds me of when I saw Dr. Oz doing some interventions for overweight people and he said he looked at one guy who was about your age and overweight and Dr. Oz said the first thought that went though his mind was where he would be cutting him open for his open heart surgery. Ironically, a few months later the guy DID have that heart attack and Dr. Oz did operate on him. Sometimes some people need to learn the hard way. You just might be one of them? Not a slam, just a reality.

[DRGirl]

I agree with other posters about taking a picture of yourself in a swimsuit. I did that last year and boy did I get off my butt and worked out. I posted three pictures: one in my fridge so I wouldn't garbage, one in my bedroom door to make me get up in the morning and hit the gym, and the last one in my bathroom mirror to remind myself that I would never look like that again.

I went through a divorce as well so I understand how hard that can be in someone's self esteem. Add to that I am an emotional eater and that's just recipe for disaster. I am very sorry about your mom, but you should use her passing for strengh and make her proud. She's looking down at you and wouldn't want you to die young of something you could have prevented.

Plan your meals. If you don't plan, you pan to fail. I write down a menu and cook my meals for a week every Sunday. It takes the guessing out of the equation and guarantees that I'd be in track with the nutrition part of my diet. It also saves you cash to bring your lunch to work by avoiding the vending machine, or how I like to call it, "the evil machine."

Last but not least, you could use is dating. I know it sounds shallow but looks are VERY important in the dating world. If you are currently single, being overweight decreases your chances of landing a woman by A LOT, especially if the woman is attractive, so get off your butt and start walking again.

[spacelord75]

Is there any particular exercise or workouts that you like? I see you like Slayer, do you enjoy blaring metal and trying to get strong on free weights? Do you enjoy hiking? Sports? I always find that working out with a tangible goal/objective to accomplish (ie, the fitness becomes a by-product of doing the activity or training to be better) is more effective long-term than simply aesthetics or general "health." Because these things are very subjective, and we tend to lie to ourselves, like "Oh, I look pretty good now, I can slack off a bit.."

The thing is you need to find something to be passionate about. Play flag football, softball, try to run a lap as fast as possible around the track, try to bench 300lbs. If you have stuff like this that you want to be the best at, you will train at it and eating/working out becomes more a chore to accomplish this goal versus just doing it because you should for your health.

When you have something you are passionate about, you find that your whole self-esteem and confidence will go through the roof as you work towards that passion and get better at whatever it is. For the context of this discussion, that is obviously something sports related. This could be something as simple as sprinting a 40yard dash. Make it a game within yourself to try to get faster every time. If you are competitive like me, you will find that you start doing things to make this mini-goal happen, and get a rush every time you eclipse with a new time record. This is just an example.

The thing with life is that there are many people out there that feel really poorly about themselves, and they want others to be as miserable as them. To be really successful, you need to remove those people and focus on being the best you can be. At the end of the day, the only person responsible for you is you. You have to know where you're going if you ever want to get there....then you simply need to make it happen. Once you start on that path and make your own way, your self-confidence will be oozing from you. Bad things happen to good people, but you can't change the past, you can only change now and the future. You can't make excuses because the only person at fault for what happens to you is you. Go make it happen.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by Luckyd609

I would say to split the difference with regards to weighing yourself. Once a week is a good motivator. You can see actual progress or if you have gained. Weighing everyday just plays with your mind. Weight fluctuates too much on a daily basis.

I am the opposite. I weigh in daily. But I don't really "count" it until Monday/Tuesday as my weigh in day.

The reason being? I am probably going to forget a couple times a week. Also, when I stopped checking daily, I forgot for a month or 2 and ended up gaining some (~10 pounds). The number on the scale serves as motivation to stick with making good food choices. I am not going to freak out if it is up 1-2 pounds over a given day, but if there is a pattern of steady increases, I know it is time to do something.

But is also depends on your personality and motivations. For some people daily weigh-ins are demoralizing.

I know personally, since my goal isn't the "smallest number possible" and my weigh loss motivation is based on "looks" and fitting into a certain (reasonable) size, I won't care if I get there and I weigh 20 pounds more than my goal.

Don't forget to measure! Measurements are the absolute best gauge. And put some targets down for your key measurements: chest, arms, waist etc.

[gichicago]

Not sure if its mentioned, but what about signing up for a charity run, like Komen Run for the Cure in memory of your mom? Should get you motivated to train, and its a good experience.