Fat girl starts new way of life!

[LusciousLaura]

Hi! My name is Laura and I'm from Massachusetts. I've always been a fan of bodybuilders not only for their strong physical appearance, but for the drive and dedication that it takes to maintain their figures.

I'm 24 years old and I'm fat. I am 5'3" and weigh 240 lbs. I can't afford to go to the gym but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to one day compete in these competitions or at else look good in a bikini. My goal weight is 130 lbs. Do you think I can do it? I need support!

My whole family is fat and I get NO moral support. The food is just shoved in my general direction and, like a pig, I eat it. I can't stop! I need something to help me.

If I had to pick someone that I admire, I would pick "Trish Stratus." She's got the kind of body I want. We are around the same height and she's very muscular, but not masculine. That's what I'm hoping to achieve. I'll just be happy to see my weight start with a 1 instead of a 2!

If you have any ideas or tips or exercises I can do, let me know. I'm willing to post pictures of myself, but I gotta figure out how my scanner works first (blonde moment).

I'll keep posting and let you all know how I'm doing! Maybe I'll be a success story someday! Wish me luck!

Love you all!
Laura :o)

PS -- Attached is a picture of what I look like (my face, anyway).

[NeverENuff]

Its good to hear of a person who wants to change their lifesyle for a good reason. I would have to say go to www.davedraper.com
This guy is good with his words and would make anyone pick up a gym bag. Click on weekly discussions, and check it out. These people are a real support. Good Luck to you.

Their ONLINE GROUP IS www.irononline.com
If you have any real questions regarding things these people are there for you. For Free.
Good Luck to you Laura!
Stay with it. If you can-READ --Brother Iron Sister Steel...I would ask anyone to read this book. ITS AWESOME!

[Robbie_2002]

To lose weight, all my brother ever did was run. Every morning for about a half hour and lifted a half hour in the morning and a half hour in the afternoon with light weights.
He weighed 105 kilos i think about 230lbs. And i was so surprised because after only 6 months he lost around 60 pounds. Mind you he wasnt eating a lot of junk either.
Hope if gives you some support!

[crazymike]

I just wanted to say good luck to you!
If you have the drive/motivation anything is possible.
I have a few suggestions for you that might help you on your way!
1-Use short term/realistic goals. For example don't think to yourself 'I want to look good in a bikini'. Obviously it is going to be awhile, before you feel comfortable in doing that. Instead use a time line and set lbs that you want to lose.
You started this past week. So lets say by the end of March you want to be 20 lbs. lighter. This way when you get to that weight, you will feel like you accomplished something!!
2-Focus a lot of your training on cardio. You need to incorporate weights as well, but that comes second to cardio!
3-don't get discouraged if the weight does not come off right away. Sometimes it just takes awhile, then all of a sudden it will start dropping like crazy!

Good luck in your new life!!!

[jkarpas]

Hi ..
Well you are cute... i believe u can achieve your goal but you must have this dedication and willpower to do what you must do.
First of all you need to change your diet ! (its hard , i know to see others eating like animals ... my parents are overweight too. so i dont care , i just follow my own program)..
Secondly in order to lose fat you should start doing cardio (bicycle, running , aerobics) in a medium o intence pace .
I would suggest you walked fast enough for about 30-45 minutes
4 or 5 times a week prefferably before breakfast with empty stomach ( a coffe o a grapefruit can be consumed before it)
Finaly you have to do some excersises in order to make your muscles bigger , firmer and tighter... you can buy some dumbells with variable weights, do some pushups, squats , and pull ups if a gym is not available..

There you go ... three keys to the door of success...
if you think you can follow it tell me...
i will give you a sample nutrition and training program.
my best wishes for success
john

P.S. i love Trish stratus too she is HHHHOOOOOOTTTT ;)

[Veritas]

Hmmmm…. 53 views an not one response? Well, let me be the first one to say “CONGRATULATIONS”!. You have taken the first step down a long tough road. Not having any support can be crushing. The most important thing you can remember is that you are doing this for you. You are the one that needs to see yourself in the mirror. You’re the one who has to go buy your clothes. You’re the one that has to hide in bikini weather. You have to do it for yourself. Nobody else can help you like you can help yourself.

The main thing you need to do to start (an I am no teacher) is get your diet in order. Do some searching on the net for a good amount of calories for you to stay under. You absolutely positively cannot do this without a good diet. It will not happen and don’t try to fool yourself. You need to start off with a week or three with just trying to eat right. Get that down first. While your doing this, save up about $80.

Now, go out and buy some walking shoes. Real walking shoes. These are going to be what is the beginning of your fitness gear. They will sit on the floor and look at you asking: “Hey, shouldn’t we be doing something?”.

Next, just start walking. Walk at a normal pace first to get used to walking for a long stretch of time. Go for time and not distance. Each day or so, try to tack on an extra minute. Whatever you do, don’t go down in the amount time. You owe to yourself not to shortchange yourself. If its cold, rainy, foggy, snowing, get your butt out there anyhow. These torturous walks will be what keeps you going. You’ll look back on those sunny days that you just want to sit back and relax and you’ll think “Hell no I didn’t walk in the snow for nothing!” You gotta be your own encouragement.

Keep walking until you can walk for an hour. It’s really not as long as it seems. When you reach that point, try inserting 30 seconds of a SLOW jog. Look around the net for beginner jogging plans. It’s not as easy on your joints but it gets you places that it would take you too long to walk to. Jogging is more aerobic and will burn the fat off faster.

There is soooo much to learn that I don’t know and cant teach you. I will tell you that it isn’t easy and it is a lifestyle change. Not something you are going to do to get thin, but a way you are going to live your life, for the rest of your life. You have to keep that in mind so you don’t become so focused on the goal. Instead you see that rather it being something you have to do to reach a place, you know it’s something you have to do because it’s WHO YOU ARE now.

It’s a bitch but it is possible. It is far off but it is reachable. Only one thing stands between you now and the way you want to be. You. You are the one causing you to stumble and you are the one that will help you succeed. You can do it. Nobody can NOT do it. There are many who don’t WANT to do what it takes though. You cant be that person. Resign yourself to a new way of life and take that first step to that long road. It’s a journey that won’t end until you are six feet deep. How you intend to exist during that trip is all up to you. There is nothing you cannot do, it you want it bad enough.

Best of luck. Keep us posted on your progress!

[Tete]

hey u don't look that fat!! are u sure u weight 240?

Btw of course u can reach your goal!! Never give up!!!
Hope everything goes well

[petefox]

Welcome to the forum, Laura!

You'll find all the info you need on dieting, training, nutrition, and plenty of very knowledgeable brothers and sisters who can explain things better for you.. Don't hesitate to ask!

petefox

[yon3x]

I think it is great ur posting here, guys i think we should give this gal support on working to lose some of that weight. You should 1st start cutting of coarse =P

[reFLEX]

Well, the one piece of advice I can give you is not to give up! It might take a while for you to start seeing results, but don't give up and don't let other people say you can't achieve what you want.

You took a big risk opening up on a public forum like this, and good on ya for it! A lot of people never even get to the point of wanting to change, you're already trying to start changing the way you look. You can do it!

[The_Blackstar]

You need to do lots of cardio. I was never obese, but from the time I was 13 to the time I was 17, I was packing about 20 extra pounds. The way I lost it was through the use of the stairmaster at the gym. Running can be painful for the overweight, and an equally effective method is the stair master. First, go as long as you can, not just untill you start to sweat. I started at 10 mins, and within a month, I was up to 40 mins. Trust me, after a week or two of doing this every morning, those pounds of flab will begin to melt right off. Once you see your weight drop, cardio becomes addictive; you will WANT to go work out. You can also supplement this routine with some weights, but for now, the important thing is to get your weight down to a managable level. Dont be discouraged if the results come a little slower than you expect, just eat less crap and do more cardio. Its a simple two part plan; consume less calories, (healthy food, of course), and do lots of cardio! Get out there and start now! If you are affraid of running, go to the nearest gym, and get on that stairmaster! Trust me, losing fat is easier than society would have you believe. Companies are making millions of dollars each year with gymics and fad diets that DO NOT WORK! Dont be fooled, just take in less calories, and do lots of cardio!

I would like to wish you the best of luck, and be sure to keep us updated on your progress!

[xrik8]

good luck, i'm sure you'll reach your goal if you are determined

[Kimchi604]

you are on your first step of your journey to working out and i congratulate you on that

yes its definitely possible to change your body to 130 pounds.. the sky's the limit when it comes to bodybuildingg.. i believe there is no end.. dave draper is an old man now and he's still improving his physique

just like all journeys there are going to be hardships..but my only advice and probely the BEST ADVICE IS...

dont ever give up..

good luck!~

[boy_analog]

A friend of mine is a personal trainer, and a few of her clients were very overweight. I agree with the other posters that cardio and diet is key here. But you need to incorporate a bit of resistance work in your weight-loss programme. Your skin adheres to your muscles. If you lose weight too quickly and there's not enough muscle for the skin to hold on to, you'll start getting loose folds of skin.

Keep it balanced and stay positive. Good on you!

[derekmac]

Best of luck in your journey. I have been there, and I can tell you that the rewards are definately worth the sacriface.

I think its a mindset. I fyou develop healthy habits over time, then you become a creature of those habits.

Keep positive, stay focused, expect the occasional setback, and keep your goal somewhere where you can see it- like on a calender, and track your progress. Know how many lbs. it will take to lose weekly to ultimately get to your goal.

I wish you the best of luck:)

[Quinner]

Hey, it looks like you're getting some big time support here!!! I'll try to help you out with what knoledge I have.
First of all, heres some info about your diet!! By now I don't know how much you weigh, but slowly decrease your caloric intake day by day. For example, If you eat 3,000 calories now, decrease that slowly over a period of time, say around 300 calories a week, until you hit 2,000 calories a day. Do not go below a 2,000 calorie Diet!! Unless you pm me, I'm not going to get into why, but trust me. You have to do this slowely so your metabolism gets used to the diet and dosn't slow drastically to compensate for the loss. Now, you're going to have to keep track of the foods you eat and their nutritional info, which will take a little bit of work. I suggest going to www.abcbodybuilding.com and under the nutrition and supplementation forum, print off the calorie counter. I'd suggest talking to people, and posting your story on the message boards, since there are some very intelligent people there that can help you out.
Heres a neat fact!! Every time you eat, your temperature rises, and thus your body burns more calories. So, if you eat more smaller meals a day, 6 for example, as opposed to your three main meals( breakfast, lunch, dinner), you can raise your metabolism!! Remember to keep track of your caloric intake, though. This will not work if your six meals add up to be more than what I said above.
Also, watch out for foods high in cholestorol, fats, sodium, etc. Do not eat fast food, especially McDonnalds or the like!! Fast food is full of what you should avoid, unless perhaps subway. Do not eat many foods high in fructose, such as fruits. Fruits have their place, but they should only be eaten in moderation in a weight loss diet. If you want the vitamins and minerals, buy them in pill form.
You know, you don't have to eat the same things that your family does. You get no moral support from your family because your family probably isn't really, truly enthusiastic about you achieving what they long for themselves. Do some research! If you know more about this stuff, and you learned it for yourself, you will have a higher level of confidence! Best of luck to you!

[GulfCoastAquari]

The first place I'd recommend you to check is the keto section of this forum:

Keto Forum (http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=1&forumid=61)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned a low carb keto style diet yet. While exercise is crucial for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, there is no diet that I've ever personally seen show results as quickly as a low-carb diet such as CKD, Atkin's, Protein Power, etc.
I'm sure my wife wouldn't mind me mentioning that she used to weigh over 240 lbs. She's now at around 155 and pushing for her goal of 135 by this summer. She did it by hitting the gym with me three times a week and mostly, by sticking with the Atkin's diet.

I'm not going to waste space explaining the diet. Read the sticky topics in the keto forum to get an idea of the basics (unless you're already familiar with it). But feel free to email me with specific questions. I commend you on establishing your goals. Especially considering the lack of support you recieve from those close to you. My wife faced the same battle, although I managed to support her through it by sticking to the diet along with her (and dropping from 235lbs to 175 lbs in the process!).

Just remember... Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

[Muscleheadbob]

Hey Laura,
My name's bob, im a browser of this forum and an Exercise physiologist. I want to give you a couple tips toward your goals..
Most of which will help you nutritionally.

first off,,, try to not eat any carbohydrates after 4:00pm. because these are the ones that go to your hips. additionally. try to get ona good mutlivitamin supplement. not like a centrum like a upper level brand name i.e. Twinlab, Solgar, OptiPak, or Nature's Way. This will help cleanse your body and fill it with the right building blocks to support your training. Let's take a look at an average day in a program I would set up for a person i was training with similar goals..
wake up:
coffee-fruit juice-whole grain cereal ( this can be oatmeal, raisin bran or total or something whole grain.
then 30 minutes of cardio vascular exercise. This can be best done in a way that you get into your target heart rate zone for at least 20 of those minutes. 220 minus your age..then that number x 0.65 or 65% of your max. This is the level in which your heart becomes conditioned for the demands of exercise and you reach a level where fat is your fuel.

this could follow your going into work or happen when you get home, i just like to exercise in the morning but everyone's different.

for lunch, something typically lower in carbs but rich in protein and minerals. maybe tuna in water, less than a tbsp of mayo if any, on a wheat bread, and a diet soda and a piece of fruit.... could be tuna one day, chicken breast another, and turkey another.


for dinner, try to get a lean beef source or a fish source or a poultry source,, baked, or grilled. and two servings of a green vegetable. Spinach, broccoli, kale, string beans, NO BUTTER ON TOP. and next to no carbs.

if you worked out in the morning, try to get a brisk walk in the evening after work and dinner. this will give you more moving-around burning,,, it doesnt mean pound your joints with a hardcore run. but something as simple as a daily walk for about 5-6 blocks.

I saw another person post advice that you should run. while running is a great exercise, i dont feel that an overweight person should do something like that to their hips, back and knees until theyre further conditioned because that springing pounds the joints.

If you have questions or concerns please feel free to email them to me at nopainogain@hotmail.com

Good Luck
bob

[xbrutex]

Hey laura, while taller i am about the same weight as you. My only advice is get on a good diet, do a lot of faster paced walking, and watch your calories. The way to lose fat is to burn more calories then u take in. I've already lost 20 lbs in a few months. Oh yeah, one more tip, in the morning drink a cup or orange juice before cardio. A friend told me this, and it works great. A good breakfast is egg whites. Take the yolk out and give it to someone, and scrape all that slimey **** off of it. Eat meals such as boneless, skinlesss chicken. Try to not eat crap out of boxes. Eat fat- but make it good fat, such as nuts or flax oils. And, i hope your reach your goal.

"It's a long way to the top, if you wanna... cut"

[fifTy-50]

shes 240 and wants to be 130, its not possible t lose 110 lbs

[Muscleheadbob]

I don't think it's right for you to be discouraging the goals of others on this forum. as for is it possible for her to lose 110 lbs, it isnt a fast process but it is possible. when i had epilepsy surgery i was 90lbs 5'9 1/2". the comments of most in the athletic community were along the lines of " there is no way you'll ever be a bodybuilder, you'll never be a competitive athlete bob. well 3 months after the surgery i competed in, and PLACED in a 150 mile cycling stage race. top 200 of 5000. so for all those who like to frown on the difficult and deem it impossible i have a question " what is it like to have the weakest will on the planet? would you like to borrow some will power from Laura or I?"

Muscleheadbob
5'9 1/2"
190lbs,
44"chest
31" waist,
23" quad
17" bicep,
18" calf
bodyfat 9%

[GulfCoastAquari]

Originally posted by fifTy-50
shes 240 and wants to be 130, its not possible t lose 110 lbs

Tell that to my wife. She was 240 and is 20lbs away from her goal weight of 135. You just take it in small steps. Set a goal and reach it. Then set a new goal. You'll get there.

[Alexxx]

Originally posted by fifTy-50
shes 240 and wants to be 130, its not possible t lose 110 lbs

That's a pretty stupid thing to say.

[jwensil]

I don't care how much you weigh.. You are beautiful! Although, I wish you the best of luck in reaching your goals and I believe you can do it. I haven't been coming here for very long, but I have been getting AMAZING support and advice from all of the people here... Not to mention all of the knowledge I've gained from coming here :) Definately, please keep us updated on your progress :)




24yrs
176lbs
300lb bench

[maccer101]

Dear LusciousLaura, I wish you the best of luck, listen to the advice and REMEMBER everyone can lose weight, if the weight doesn't come off you are doing something wrong and have to try harder or think smarter, don't give up!

[fifTy-50]

theres no other way to lose 110 lbs unless u do surgery :D

[GDI]

Just remember... Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

That is one of the best saying's I have ever heard. I'll have to remember that one.

I also highly recommend you check out the keto section of the forums. The CKD works wonderful for people who want to loose a lot of weight, like you do. And it will help you keep what lean body mass you have which is very important when you shed a lot of body fat. If you lose a lot of body fat on a typical high carb, low fat diet you will also lose a lot of lean body mass along with the fat. And you don't want that to happen because it will just slow your metabolism down, which will work against your goals. If you have any questions post them in the keto section and I'm sure all the experts there will be more than happy to help you out with a nutritional plan.

Good luck....and ignore the naysayer's! You can do anything you put your mind to!

[Morpheus]

Originally posted by fifTy-50
theres no other way to lose 110 lbs unless u do surgery :D

:rolleyes:

Laura, good luck & all the best to reach your goal! :)

[renzhong]

it is too hard to lose so much. 160lbs is OK.

[Ipsilon]

Laura, I'd just like to say a big YOU CAN DO IT!

When I was 14 I was around the same size as you. With discipline and concentration I was preparing for England U18 Hockey trials within eighteen months. I've lost more fat since then, and gained muscle so am now 5'8, 156lb, but getting to that goal was all important. The hardest thing was the eating, because like you I have a family who were at the time mostly fat. The temptation to shovel in butter, cream, ice cream, burgers, crisps etc. is so strong when everyone around you is eating that stuff. I managed by thinking "They're enjoying a short term sugar/fat high, I'm going to enjoy a few extra years on my life, a fabulous body, the ability to do stuff that they can't, and a huge sense of achievement". Positive thinking is so much of the battle. Think of high calorie/fatty foods as negative intake - they'll have a negative effect on the long term plan that's just not worth that momentary "mouth orgasm".....
You can also start being creative with the food you are eating - go for a banana smoothie with low fat yoghurt and strawberries instead of the full fat McDonalds option. Grill a trimmed steak and onions on a wholemeal bun instead of a fatty burger. Bake potato wedges instead of deep frying them. You get the picture - it's possible to eat damned good food even if it is low fat.
Once you've got the discipline of controlling your food intake sorted, you can re-adjust that when you're at a stage that you need to remove more unwanted fat/sugar from your diet.
Another thing that may help is cooking for the family - that way you get to eat your low fat option, and show your family that they too could eat fit and healthy which would give you more support in your plan.

I'd say "good luck" but you don't need it - with discipline and application you have every chance of success. Once again - YOU CAN DO IT!

[gentoo]

easy! just take some of the money you put on food to pay for you gym membership and voila!!!

[ituxs]

Laura. In your case, just exercise might not help. You should try taking weight-control dietry supplements (hopefully one of the safer kinds) while doing lots and lots of cardio exercises. You're trying to lose atleast a hundred pounds which is going to take a lot more than balanced diet and cardio. Ephedra (In Fat Burner supplements) will help you with the cravings and it will take less effort. Looking like Trish Stratus is gonna take a hell of a work, for she also works hard looking physically the best she could.

It's going to be really hard but stick through it, and I hope I hear a sucess story from you soon. Remember, No pain, no gain. Good luck~

[Patfan]

To the guy who said it can't be done, I'd say shove it! It may not be possible (or safe) to go from 240 to 130 in a short amount of time (3 or 4 months), but if you consistently exercise and watch your diet anything is possible. Keep at it, and don't pay attention to stupid comments like that.

[jwensil]

Originally posted by gentoo
easy! just take some of the money you put on food to pay for you gym membership and voila!!!

Hey... not to be a prick here... but screw the *F* off! sorry... Not to be flaming anyone, but that comment was just sheer ignorance. Good luck with your goals and to agree with Patfan, don't listen to stupid comments like those!

[HOTChick]

All I can say Laura is DO IT! And KEEP GOING! I had 100lbs to lose. I have lost 55lbs already so it can be done! I am doing Body for Life by Bill Phillips. I do my workouts at home with free weights 3x weekly and I walk 3x weekly and eat 6 small meals a day (all in his excellent book). GO FOR IT Laura!

[imperfectly_lou]

Best of luck to you Laura. You really are very pretty and I am sure you will look great in no time!!!!!!!!!

My sister is a similar weight to you. She is losing weight, very slowly but surely. Don't expect miracles overnight, but it can be done! Keep us updated!

[braindmg]

u can do it
where r u form?

[sculli]

You can do it. There is a chick on the boards named superbbgirl or something like that, who used to be fat and is now the hottest thing out there. You should try to find some of her posts and see what she did. Also, to the guys out there, you should try to find some of her posts and check out some of her nude pics!

[DeezGst]

I've lost 90lbs. well on my way to 100+ by the time I'm through cutting 120lbs can be lost just takes time and deidcation. Best of Luck to you Larua.

Derek

[Magic_Stick]

Bump Bump Bump it up!!

[svtchris]

good luck, hope your plans work out..

Here is what I am doing...


http://svtchris.no-ip.com/Fit/FitX.htm

http://svtchris.no-ip.com

[PopTart6]

Holy Crap.....are you guys for real??? She hasn't responded to this thread since her initial post exactly 1 full year ago!!!! Face it your poor girl has given up...and is too shameful to come back and admit it or ask for more help... its a shame, but its the truth.

[tiberius]

This is a perfect example of what this guy is trying to accomplish:

http://www.ozfitness.us/

It's some pretty good stuff that can really help you shed the weight naturally and learn how to eat right.

http://www.ozfitness.us/

[trng2bld]

Anything is possible Laura. I have lost 40 lbs. but like another user has already stated, it will take a while, then all of a sudden, poof! it's gone. The one thing I did for my cardio was Tae Bo. Great cardio workout. I did that strictly for about 5 months. Then I jumped on the weight bench. I have gone from a 38 in. waist down to a 32 and it's still falling off. I am 5'-7" and weighed in at 192, now I am down to 149. The main thing is cardio and diet. Self repression of food is the best way. My first thing to do was change my eating habbits. Then, I didn't worry about how many lbs. I lost, I would notice my clothes stopped fitting the way the used to. Don't worry so much about the lbs. think about your clothes and the way the used to fit. U'd be suprised at the difference. Good luck on your venture.

[mtnbiker]

Whatever happened here?

[ituxs]

You need drugs. Like, Stacker2... I mean, you're old enough. They're not THAT bad. It'll help you lose tremendous weight, but the hard part is not gaining back the weight you had before. Try to overcome your craving by chewing gum or eating Jell-o!

[jle]

she never posted again, did she???

[scottac]

yeah, she hasn't posted since january of 2003. that is a long time waiting on an update.

[The Kurgan]

To plagarise- great!

[billabong]

Hi there, firstly i'd like to say that i think your really beautiful and you don't look fat. I don't have much knowledge in this bodybuilding stuff either but i am very interested. I am currently on that road to losing weight, i would like to loose about 30lbs and drop my bodyfat. I beleive you can do it and i'm with you all the way! :)

Age: 15
E-mail: leemfox@hotmail.com

[Cardshark82]

If you cant afford a gym and supplements then the best thing that you can do for your self is to simply burn more calories then you consume in any given day. Its really that simple.

You need to start by changing you diet. Eliminate carbohydrates and fats. Kick up your protien to around 150grams/day. Get some good cardio activies in daily.

A good meal for example would be

Skinless chicken breasts
Skim Milk
Veggies (the greener the better!)

Maybe piece of fruit later.

This is the first step toward you new 130 lbs. body!