First Post - And totally disgusted with myself

[cyay918]

Hey everyone, I haven't done a lot of reading on the site yet because I wanted to get my topic up here but I plan on spending some time here learning for sure.

Im 28 years old, 6 feet tall, and I weigh 300 pounds. Ive been heavy for most of my life and while I have lost around 20 pounds before, it slowly creeps back up. It seems that I always weigh around 300 no matter what I do.

My wife of 9 years and I went on a small mini-vacation and I got to look at the pictures today... I about threw up. It was disgusting. Looking in the mirror is one thing but when you see yourself from different angles, it really shows.

My diet is good for the most part. I love fruits, veggies, and lean meats. I think my largest problem is portion control. Even if I eat healthy, it takes quie a bit of food to make me feel full.


Here are a few concerns I have though that I am going to try to find the answer for here by looking around at the forums, but maybe you can answer them right away.

1. For someone who weighs what I do, has never done much cardio, and doesn't have access to a gym where I can lift weights...how do I get started? Im thinking about going up to the high school and walking around the track for a mile a day. Eventually I would like to start jogging it since I hear the running is the best way to lose the weight but right now I am too heavy and my man boobs would give me black eyes! I dont think my cardio system could handle that either. So I am hoping I can walk a mile a day for a few weeks, and either increase the pace over time, or walk further distances to start to get a little weight off.

2. What is a good portion size? I know I need to measure myself and find my BF% before I can plan a real diet. As I said, I dont mind eating healthy but it takes quite a bit to fill me up. If I dont eat as much, I walk away fromt he table hungry and I wind up snacking on junk food in an hour or so. How can I....shrink my stomach without surgery, or at least get to the point where I can take in a smaller portion and feel satisfied?

3. Drinking water is also something I hear a lot of. I like water, but the problem is that Im rarely thirsty. I drink at meals but other than that, I rarely drink anything at all. Around the house we drink diet soda, crystal light, tea made with splenda, and stuff like that. No sugary drinks. I would estimate that I only take in about a half gallon of drinks per day (not counting what is in foods) and I know that isn't enough... but how much should I be drinking? Ill force myself to drink it, but I really dont have an idea on how much.


Bottom line is I want to be skinny. I am not concerned with building muscle right now. Simply because I would rather be a beanpole or "skinny fat" over what I am now. I disgust myself but when I get hungry, its hard not to eat. I wish there was some magic food that when you ate a small portion of it, it made you feel full for hours. I dont know anything like that. I dont even know what causes hunger and what element other than the actuall mass of food in your stomach that eleviates it.

I live in the country and we dont have a gym for about 30 miles so that rules that out. I do not have a big enough house to buy any equipment so I am looking for ways to lose weight using things that use my own body weight and cardio that involves running / walking / biking (on a real bike).


Anyway, this thread is long enough. Its good to find this website and I look forward to learning a lot from the people who has lost weight and that I envy.


Here are a couple pictures of my wife and I. We both need to lose weight but I am sure this is something we are going to accomplish together.

Here are a couple pictures. They are very large in size because I was in a hurry, sorry.

I think im carrying twins in this one... No, its not a beer belly, I dont drink!
http://www.fannincountyga.org/chris/fat1.JPG

The waiter took this for us and look at that lovehandle! Ugh im gonna be sick just looking at it.
http://www.fannincountyga.org/chris/fat2.JPG

[Jesse12345]

Unfortunately, the links to pics you supplied don't work.

You, like most people, seem to be making excuses as to why you don't work out. However, you do seem legitimately interested in making a change.

You say the closest gym is 30 miles away, but do you drive to that nearest town on a regular basis for work anyways? If so, simply do your weights before or after work. If not, I assure you your house is not too small for weight equipment. Just buy a few sets of dumbells and keep them under your bed.

For your nutriton plan, you should be eating every 2.5 - 3 hours. Eat a portion of carbs and a portion of protein with every meal. A portion is rougly the size of your closed fist, or your open palm. Also eat, at minimum, three portions of vegetables a day. It is also essential to take a multivitamin and fish oil supplements. Eating this frequently prevents your metabolism from slowing down.

Personally, I found the most effecitve cardio plan is to do 20-40 minutes every morning before you eat breakfast. This way, your body is burning body fat instead of recently eaten calories in order to fuel itself.

The principles of bodybuilding are actually quite simple. The hard part is adhering to them. I would HIGHLY recomend you buy a bodybuilding book or "manual" for more detailed information. "Body for Life" and "The Body-Sculpting Bible for Men" are both excellent choices.

[RobbFix]

In February 08 I saw a picture of myself at a family function, I didn't recognize the slob in the picture and I had no idea that my weight had gotten to that level. I was 331lbs and 43% body fat

Today I'm 258lbs and around 20% body fat and dropping every day. I'm not telling you this to brag, or get accolades on my so called accomplishment. I am telling you this because I have been exactly where you are now, and with complete confidence I can tell you, you can easily do this.

The most important step is the first one, recognizing you are dissatisfied with your current situation. Don't escape that feeling of hopelessness, embrace it, because in six months, when you've lost over 30lbs and you feel like the man, this feeling now will make that feeling so much sweeter.

1. For someone who weighs what I do, has never done much cardio, and doesn't have access to a gym where I can lift weights...how do I get started? I?m thinking about going up to the high school and walking around the track for a mile a day. Eventually I would like to start jogging it since I hear the running is the best way to lose the weight but right now I am too heavy and my man boobs would give me black eyes! I dont think my cardio system could handle that either. So I am hoping I can walk a mile a day for a few weeks, and either increase the pace over time, or walk further distances to start to get a little weight off.

Diet, diet, diet. You said your goal was the lose weight, diet is going to be the only way anyone will lose weight. If you are doing an hour of cardio a day and eating a box of Twinkies, you're still going to get fat.

2. What is a good portion size? I know I need to measure myself and find my BF% before I can plan a real diet. As I said, I dont mind eating healthy but it takes quite a bit to fill me up. If I dont eat as much, I walk away fromt he table hungry and I wind up snacking on junk food in an hour or so. How can I....shrink my stomach without surgery, or at least get to the point where I can take in a smaller portion and feel satisfied?

wow. Portion control isn't an issue for me because I eat all day. Eating smaller meals more often will curb a lot of that still hungry feeling.

3. Drinking water is also something I hear a lot of. I like water, but the problem is that Im rarely thirsty. I drink at meals but other than that, I rarely drink anything at all. Around the house we drink diet soda, crystal light, tea made with splenda, and stuff like that. No sugary drinks. I would estimate that I only take in about a half gallon of drinks per day (not counting what is in foods) and I know that isn't enough... but how much should I be drinking? Ill force myself to drink it, but I really dont have an idea on how much.

I was the same way, I never wanted to liked water. I went to the dollar store and got the Hawaiian Punch sugar free drink mix and made 5 20oz bottles of water and drank it like it was candy. After a while you find yourself drinking more and more plain water, until a gallon a day become easy.

The most important factor in determining what to eat is knowing your BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate. I would use an easy calculator at first to give you a rough idea where to start. Once you find the BRM number simple subtract 500 calories from that. By doing this you will lose 1.5 lbs per week as long as you count calories and track your nutritional values.

I recommend:
BMR
http://www.ketv.com/sh/idi/health/calcs/bmrcalc.html
FITday
http://fitday.com/
calorieking
http://www.calorieking.com/


here is a sample day for me at my BMR of 3300 (I chose to eat -1000 under):



As you can see I eat all day and all night, drinking a gallon of water 16.9oz bottle at a time.

[crupiea]

It is great that you want to make a change. There are really 2 parts to it.

1- Diet
2- Workout

Your diet is obviously not as good as you think because you are 300 lbs.

I used Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto as a tool for losing weight. Its an e book. Its lays everything out in an easy to follow fashion that really worked well for me.

Basically you want to figure how many calories you want to eat every day.

Eat 5-6 meals per day that equal that number.

Do some sweating everyday.

Repeat.

Yu can forgoe any sort of supplements except maybe a multi vitamin.

This new diet will require a bit of discipline and thought so get into it.

Your wife might or might not help so I would do it myself if I were you.

Get a kitchen scale and measure everything you eat. Write down everything as well. It is too easy to cheat yourself if you dont.

Set yourself some realistic goals and dont let yourself or anyone else get in your way of hitting them.

This will take you at least a year of dieting to get squared away but after the first week or so you will be used to it so its not as bad as it seems.

Its all about diet!!

Best of luck.

[cbrickhouse]

at the start of being 28, i was 6'1 330. i lost 85lbs by starting a routine and sticking with it. for breakfast i have a smoothie and a whey shake, for lunch a big salad with 6/7 different veggies+low fat dressing+tuna or turkey, and a sensible low carb dinner. i also hit the gym before dinner. 45min-1hr of hard weights followed by 40 min hard cardio.

i hate to break it to you, but the only way you'll be able to do this is if you're dedicated, and willing to make sacrifices. i still eat some of the things i like on weekends to help me stick to the plan, and on weekdays i eat so many vegatables, fruit, and protein that i'm never hungry.

if you are man enough to stick with a plan then stop delaying and get to work. the longer you wait, the harder it will be to get started. once you get a routine, after a while you will find it easy to stick to. and alittle encouragement from your wife won't hurt.

[LehighLuke]

The 1st thing you need to know:

YOU CAN DO THIS! YOU CAN BE A FIT PERSON! You have the power to control your life...you must believe it. Mental strength is a big part of it I think. Keep that picture on your desktop, and look at it often. This motivated me big time.

You need to know exactly what you are putting into your body. I built an excel program that I use for this, I think its easier than the web sites. (see attached)

Here is a good BMR calculator http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
In fact, the whole site has great info.

About Feeling Full.
In my opinion, your need for feeling sasiated is your worst enemy. You have eaten so much over the years that your body is lying to you. You are going to have to come to terms with having hunger from time to time. You can mitigate this with more frequent meals, but trust me, you will feel hungry at times. But I look at it like this. When I feel sore from working out, I know I did good and my muscles are going to get stronger and bigger. Soreness makes me happy now. When I feel hungry, I know my body is consuming my stored energy reserves to keep itself going, and it will make make the scale go down. Feeling hungry makes me happy now.

Keep in mind, this could easily turn into an eating disorder (probably?) Thats why you need to track your calories and stay grounded. But you will have to deal with the fact that losing weight is hard work, and you will have to sacrifice. But it will be the best thing you've ever done!

As for exercise. Yeah, buy some cheap dumbells or anything to start. Walk around your block, or wherever for starters. JUST START DOING SOMETHING. Soon you will see results and your motivation will avalanche. You'll figure out what you need to do from there. But no more excuses. Don't let your life be an excuse.

My last advice. Take measurements now, and record it through your transformation. (ie, belly, hips, arms, legs, chest, etc) I didn't start doing this until I lost alot of weight, and I would have really liked to know just how far I've come. Do it once a week, or so.

Good luck.

[Jake57]

I am 51 yrs. old and used to weigh 316 lbs. Now I am down to 294 and losing more all the time. While I do go to the gym 5 times a week and have a personal trainer, what I would say to you is, yes, start walking around that track, then jog. Buy a heart rate monitor and find out your target heart rate, then when you exercise, make sure you stay in that area for most of the workout.

If you really want to lose the weight, you can. Don't ever give up on yourself and don't be disgusted with how you look. One day you will be very happy with your looks, I guarantee it!

[cyay918]

Thanks everyone.


I fixed the picture links by the way.


I will look at the resoruces you have provided and hash out a plan as to what I should be eating with correct portion sizes.

Im still learning and this website is a lot of help. There are just a lot of opinions to sort though. I have a feeling a lot of this is going to be trial and error.

[LehighLuke]

Another thing about food, and denying yourself all the stuff that you like so much.

I used to be a real 'foodie'. I ate at great restaurants, I am a great cook. I loved drinking booze, cocktails. I just loved food and drink. And I did so to excess.

Give yourself like 3 months for starters. 3 Months is no time at all. For 3 month, just stop eating the crap, and you know what kind of food you need to avoid. Even though the crap tastes awesome, every time you think about wanting to eat that stuff, I always think:

"I've had this before. I know exactly what it tastes like and how good it is. In fact I've probably eaten food way better quality than this before too, and I know what that tastes like. But I've NEVER known what its like to be in awesome shape. For now...I can give up the crap food in order to do that which I have never done before."

Thats how I resist the temptation to cheat. Do this for 3 months, you'll have results, and there is know way you'll want to ruin all of your hard work from then on. It will becaome a new, better way of life for you.

[gbone74]

Diet, diet, diet. You said your goal was the lose weight, diet is going to be the only way anyone will lose weight. If you are doing an hour of cardio a day and eating a box of Twinkies, you're still going to get fat.



.

Absolutely.I have lost 80lbs in 4 months and dont do cardio at all.I weight train 5x per week and am obsessive about my calories.I still eat everything I used to(except coke and crisps,they are the reason I got fat in the first place and 1 bag leads to 10) but now I have normal portions.now when I have a curry its 200g chicken breast a bit of basmati rice and a couple of spoonfuls of curry sauce,400 calories,before it used to be a mountain of rice and curry and 2 naan breads equalling about 1500 cals.make better choices when you can keep the calories at the right level,but there is no need to be anal and live on brown rice and broccoli.

At 300+lbs its not that hard.Just do the big things right and dont sweat the minutia that pre contest bodybuilders worry about.

. Soon you will see results and your motivation will avalanche.

My last advice. Take measurements now, and record it through your transformation. (ie, belly, hips, arms, legs, chest, etc) I didn't start doing this until I lost alot of weight, and I would have really liked to know just how far I've come. Do it once a week, or so.

Good luck.

good advice . stick with it a couple of months or so and dont get disheartened in the first few weeks,because the scale will go down before your appearance changes.The first 40lbs I lost was like an illusion,my clothes sizes barely moved I looked exactly the same.it took over 70 pounds for other people to start seeing it,and even now in the mirror I see the same fat bloke who started,its only the fact I have gone from 5XL tops down to XXL,that makes me realise Im getting slimmer day by day.

[kgitaitis]

Definitly clean eating is the key and continuous workouts. But let me add to it..

1. Stay CONSISTENT. Most let the weight "creep back on" because they lose motivation, aren't seeing results quick enough, or get bored etc. and then stop! Dont stop or get sloppy with your "plan", dont compromise and allow things to creep in. Each meal is a choice.
This is your NEW LIFESTYLE, not a diet or a fix until you reach your goals. Develop clean eating habits that you can live with and stay with it. That is the ONLY way you will lose and KEEP it off. The food part is hard, as i am sure you have many foods (as we all do) that are based on habits, taste buds and even emotions. i Highly reccomend food journaling so you can see what works and isnt working and keep your self accountable.
also, weigh in weekly to make sure you are seeing results, and if you dont lose one week, then you know you need to change things up a bit. which brings me to
2. Change everything up every 4-6 weeks. Your body will adapt to the calories you are burning and gets used to things quite easy. So make sure to re-shock the body (making new changes with the food, upping the cardio or changing up the workout routine etc)

I wish you well. This will be a journey. But if you are truely committed to this new lifestyle change, you WILL get there.
Go ahead and post some "before" pics on your profile so we can see your progress.

[zakkala]

Just wanted to say hello and good luck!

As with many people here, I've been where you are and just wanted to let you know you can do it. I went from 310 lb to 150lb and running half marathons in 2.5 years (admittedly, I've taken a slight detour in the diet department since then, but hey-ho, it happens!)

Loads of good advice for you already so I guess this is probably repeating stuff, but my top tips would be:

1) Sort the diet, calories / macros
2) Try to workout a few times a week (cardio & weight - you really don't need much space for some weights at home and your lean mass keeps your metabolism going and burning fat so you want to keep as much as you can while you lose weight)
3) Don't beat yourself up when things go wrong, and be patient - it takes your mind a while to catch up with changes in your body so you might not realise how we'll you're doing at first!
4) When you've lost the weight - do not, for any reason, forget where you once were (and it's easier than you think to forget!). I lost 160lb and 70lb has crept back on - once it's gone again, I am determined it's not coming back again this time!

Best of luck.

[musky hunter]

I was once heavier than you..320 and was a fatass. It took me 2 years to lose 100 lbs and it changed my life. You need to be dedicated and need soem MOTIVATION!

1. Do the easiest cardio you can. Eliptical or Bike, don't run or jog yet. You also want to lift HEAVY and HARD. I noticed this helped me the most.

2. At your weight just eat clean and only eat carbs in the morning and afternoon. Stay off carbs after 7 or 8 pm.

3. Drink water or green tea. No diet cola or sugar water!!

Bottom line is it takes time and dedication to lose weight! You need more muscle to burn fat!

No excuses, build a home gym or drive 30 miles to the gym. You need to work to lose fat!

[kendoben]

Having been in the '300 club' my self, it's a miserable feeling and I do understand and sympathize with your frustration.

You say you've lost weight before but gained it back. I'm going to make a small assumption here...and please tell me if I'm wrong. But I think you may suffer from the yo yo dieting syndrome.
Only reason I say this is because I have done similar things, where the weight crept back up. It may take a month, two months, six...a year...but it would come back.

Goals should be your buzzword. As you will read many different things here, on this site as well as books, documentaries...you name it.

Realistic should be another word to keep at the fore front of your mind. Your not going to magically snap this down in a week or month. You have to make a decision for this to be a lifestyle change, not a diet. To echo what others have said so far, you have to be willing to stick with it. You might go on a 12 week, 4 month, 2 week etc program...but what about afterward? Do you go back to old habits and pile the weight back on again? Again, be realistic and realise just the scale of what your doing.

Go in phases, don't go for the 'all or nothing' mentality, because you will get frustrated, upset and give up. Set up benchmarks which you know you can achieve. Start with 5lbs...then 10lbs...or start with 10lbs...then 10lbs more. You can structure it how you please, but small steps will win the race on this one.

As other people have posted there are TONS of great resources online and offline for you to peruse and educate yourself further.

Go see a doctor. This I think isn't really said enough generally. It might be embarrasing, it might be a bit awkward. But make sure your not going to fall down at the gym from some condition your not aware of. Totally worth it IMHO


I agree with Jesse, Body for life is a GREAT book. Lots of good inspirational stories in there too which helps you get in the right mindset.

Don't envy people! - no no no! You need to reset that mentality right away my friend. People work, and are working VERY hard to get to their goal weight, strength, etc. It's something your completely capable of. Give yourself a bit more credit than that. You can do it too.

Talk to the instructors or trainers at your gym and get a body fat analysis and all that jazz done, along with measurements and weight. So you have more than simply the scales alone.

Anyways, good luck

[cyay918]

Again, thank you.

Ill start in the morning. I normally skip breakfast (I know I know I heard its terrible to do that) but I am just not hungry in the morning.

Maybe I can eat a serving of cheerios or some oatmeal with splenda or something. Ill work it all out, lots to think about.


First I want to get home and get my measurments that way I can track my progress. I am gonna have to find the "wide ass" lens for my camera but I got to start somewhere!

[kgitaitis]

Again, thank you.

Ill start in the morning. I normally skip breakfast (I know I know I heard its terrible to do that) but I am just not hungry in the morning.

Maybe I can eat a serving of cheerios or some oatmeal with splenda or something. Ill work it all out, lots to think about.


First I want to get home and get my measurments that way I can track my progress. I am gonna have to find the "wide ass" lens for my camera but I got to start somewhere!

eat less at night, so you ARE hungry for breakfast in the morning. Trust me this works!!
other wise, you are setting your self up for over eating later in the day if you skip breakfast.
Its just a new habit to form. I look forward to my breakfast now (and coffee) but used to not

[DorteeClan]

There has been some great advice on this thread, cyay918, and if you choose to follow it you WILL lose weight. But, this is one of the best things anyone has said so far:

This is your NEW LIFESTYLE, not a diet or a fix until you reach your goals.

Until you CHOOSE to change your eating habits and incorporate exercise into your daily routine, you are going to struggle with your weight. You are not "going on a diet", you are changing your lifestyle. If you think of your decision this way, you will have a better chance of maintaining the weight-loss long term and not bounce back after the "dieting" is over.

You can do this. Good luck!

[ComeTakeThem]

Hey man, looks like others have given a lot of great advice already, so I'll just give you some motivation.

You've already taken the first step by realizing you've got a problem and gone to look for help! That's more than MOST people do! Keep in mind that every step you take is a step further on a long journey to getting the body you really want!

It's going to take determination and drive, just keep pushing through your workouts and diet and you CAN eventually do it! I was 270 and badly out of shape just 6 months ago, and if I can drop this fast I'm sure you can too! Oh and take "Before" pictures, you'll be glad you did

GOOD LUCK! If you ever get demoralized, read this thread:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...t=after+weight

[CorruptSilence]

Trust me, I feel your pain. I too wished I had pics and measurements from the get go. Even if you take them and hide them in a folder only you know about, I suggest doing it.
The repeating phrase in my head that has probably saved me from cheating more times then I care to count is, "Eat to live, do not live to eat." I loved to cook, I loved to discover resteraunts, I loved everything revolving around food. I now love all of the same things only on a different skew. Hell, anyone can make a meal taste good using butter, crisco and sugar. Now try to do it and be healthy. Then you have something. I have transformed everything in my life into a challenge. How can I take what I love and make it directed in a healthy manner. I am not changing who I am, I am simply directing it in a more productive direction. (Granted this will indirectly change who you are, but that is a good thing. You will change out of desire to change instead of feeling you have to give something in yourself up to live healthy.)
Anyhow... I wish you the best of luck. It really is simple, so long as you stay focussed and have the patience to realize it is a lifestyle and a process. You will not loss the weight and be your utopian self next month. Patience and persistance are the keys. Everything else will fall into place. I promise you that much.

[sdw10]

"Around the house we drink diet soda, crystal light, tea made with splenda, and stuff like that. No sugary drinks."

First off I guarantee that if you'll switch to water you'll lose 10 pounds the first month. You say no sugary drinks? To be brutally honest everything you listed here is crap. You may not know it but that Crystal Light has aspartame, and that stuff is BAD NEWS when you take in a bunch of it. And diet soda's are a joke, there's nothing diet about it. Try the water, at first it's kind of blah. But eventually it becomes the only thirst quencher~you'll be surprised when you actually crave it!

Also it sounds like you've developed bad eating habits. I've lost 20 pounds thus far and a BIG part of it was not eating late at night. It's tough, and honestly I slip up every now and then, but after I realize my mistake I ask myself how much I REALLY want this, look at the dude's in a fitness magazine (or here on bb.com) and am instantly motivated to get back to being shredded. (besides I usually feel like **** the next morning after eating late) I realize you're overweight, but you've got to get out and get some exercise. Start there. And research portion sizes, and if you're going to snack get healthy snacks and don't over indulge. Eating slower has helped me realize that I'm full well before I go for seconds. Push yourself each week to exercise harder, further, and longer. Hope everyone's been helpful and good luck on your journey. Just remember~you've got to want this...no excuses, you've got to change your life to make this happen.

[sweetmelissa]

As far as losing weight and portion control, have you ever tried weight watchers?

Some people may knock it, but many people including myself have been successful and learned lifestyle changes that have stuck with me

[Jumbo Rider]

Losing weight is a marathon not a sprint. Part of that marathon is living with yourself as you are. You will constantly see yourself fatter than you want to be and that can depress you right into a bag of chips or a gallon of ice cream. You are where you are....as in " wherever you go, there you are". You are not a or the problem, the fat is.

Think of it like you were fixing up a car or a house. If you hate the car or house you won't put much effort in the work to fix it up. On the other hand, if you see the value as it stands you will work that much harder.

As for the diet and workout, you have been given great advice here. Remember that a marathon is long and the odds are good that you will fall off the wagon now and then. That is not failure. Failure is not getting back into the race and on that wagon.

Some ideas for exercise at home:

Being heavy gives us a great advantage in bodyweight workouts. Squats (watch the knees) are great. Try knocking out 10 squats every time a commercial starts on the TV as you watch a show. Trust me...it hurts if you watch a football game.

Weight Bands: You can get lifting bands that are simply rubber bands, but don't get the wimpy foo-foo bands, get the powerlifting bands that take you into the 50 - 300 pound range. You can do a ton of 'lifts' using these bands and they don't take up much room at all.

Kettle Bell: I don't own a kettle bell but I want some. These make for some great full body workouts. Just do a search on kettle bells.

Full body movement is much better than simply doing bicept curls to lose weight.

Good luck,

[Jumbo Rider]

Don't drink any calorie containing beverages - including beer. Stay away from diet soda. In my experience diet soda inhibits weight loss and leads me to eat food that is not good for weight loss. Water and Green Tea are your friends.

Supplements:
Fish Oil

[uday1583]

Hello buddy,

it seems that you are seriously intending to reduce the weight and get on to a schedule.

I feel you should emphasise on disciplining yourself so as to follow the workout schdules religiously and also concentrate on diet control.

Jogging and running should help a lot and also intake of sufficient water should help.

[Blender02]

Good luck. I know what you are going through. I just went from 6 ft. 310 pounds to 195 in the last 11 months. The most important thing I can tell you is that everyone is different and lose weight at their own pace and what works for me might not work for others. For me, it was heavy weightlifting, 45 min of cardio-5 days a week, and eating lots of protein and keeping my carbs under 50 and in ketosis. I drank tons of diet soda (my major addiction, besides food) and it never slowed my wieght loss. I know it does for some but not me. I think everyone, myself included, sometimes over-think it. It what we all really know: calories in need to be less than calories out. That simple. And, don't skimp on the protien and weight lifting. Don't become a fat skinny person w no muscle. JMO. Good luck. You can do it.