I'm 41 and I don't know where to start

[bsdesign0000]

Background:
41/m
I started getting overweight in college. And it just slowly progressed over the years and I look back now I am 41, i am 330lbs, on high blood pressure meds, and taking pills for type 2 diabetes a few months ago. I never paid much attention to diet or exercise, always ate what i wanted and as much as i wanted. at one point in life i was in shape, i always played sports in school and rowed in high school. i never was athletic but i was active. When i got into college, partying and developing bad habbits really started. eating burgers fries pizza fast food, just a bunch a **** really. always loved sweets, candy bars, cake, whatever. so as time went on i never changed any of my eating habbits or did any working out. By the time i finished college i was 225lbs. starting to get that pudgy look. and it just slowly started to accumulate more weight. so here i am now at 41, 330lbs and starting to really worry about my health. For the past 3 weeks or so, i have been trying to get my brain wired into coaxing myself, its time to do something, i been watching some popular youtubers who share their weight loss journeys and its been inspiring me more and more, again trying to get my head in the right place to really give this a serious go. I dont know if this is common or not, but I have been looking up gym clothes to buy, getting a proper water bottle, looking up getting juicers and food scales. Now that I am doing all this "research" online about getting to the gym and eating better, here I am still looking at other peoples stories and getting motivated to "do something" but I haven't done a damn thing really. So an hour ago, i said **** it, I am signing up for a membership at planet fitness which is down the street from me, which i did. And here I am with my first gym membership ever. So now tomorrow comes around and I am feeling apprehensive about whats gonna happen when I wake up tomorrow. What am I gonna do? I really have no clue. What am I gonna eat, what time am I gonna go to the gym? How many times should I go to the gym in a day? When i get to the gym, what am I gonna do there? I dont know any of the machines there. Do I jump on a treadmill and just do that for a certain amount of time? And how much time is that? I honestly feel like i am about to step into a foreign county and be a chicken with my head cut off.

[MoldyGopher]

Take a deep breath, don't psyche yourself out.

Don't buy a juicer, definitely buy a scale. Track what you eat, every bit that goes into your mouth. It'll seem like a hassle at first but - like everything else - you'll improve with practice.

If you are someone who enjoys group activity, check out Weight Watchers. I'm not joking - follow their plan and you will definitely lose weight. Most major non-gimmick diets or systems out there will work *if and only if* you follow their plan.

Buckle in for the long haul, this is a marathon and not a sprint.

Welcome! Weight loss and fitness can be done but they both require consistency/dedication.

[DCSpartan]

Buy the book Starting Strength, it will show you how to lift weights properly.

Do Starting strength 3 times a week. Do an elliptical machine or treadmill 3 other days. Do it 45 minutes, just enough to get your breath and heartrate up. You should still be able to hold a conversation.

Eat more lean protein and cut back on sugars and starches.

try this for about 6 weeks and see what happens.

best of luck.

[GoodBrotherHoot]

I just want to say good luck and you can do it!

It is intimidating going to the gym the first time (or going back after an extended period off)

Don't look at what other people can do with regard to weight but watch their form and the exercises they do.

As a new person pick some simple exercises that you know you can do and stick to those to build your confidence up yo being in the gym. First couple weeks or month maybe that means sticking to simply machines. Chest press, chest fly, shoulder press, shoulder raise, lat pull down, leg press and leg extensions. Sit down and read on the machine and follow the diagram.

Build your confidence and then get to some free weights.

Definitely don't ignore the treadmill/elliptical. I'm just starting on the weight portion

For me I like going at non peak hours. I'm not a morning person, and cant go during the day, and with kids I'm in the gym late at night. I'm actually just going to start my workout now and killing time before starting and its nearing 10pm. That's why I like anytime fitness because it is true 24/7

You can do it!

[EjnarKolinkar]

I am still looking at other peoples stories and getting motivated to "do something" but I haven't done a damn thing really. So an hour ago, i said **** it, I am signing up for a membership at planet fitness which is down the street from me, which i did.

It's a great idea when you are getting ovewhelmed to pick a simple action to get the ball rolling. From there you pick another. Take it one step at a time. At least now you did something other than think about it!

The exercise, workout program, and nutrition forums have a lot of information on this site. You could read a little each day. Set aside 20 min for example for research on training. Work on picking a simple program to do at the gym. it just keeps going from there with making changes to your diet one step at a time. Be patient, but consistent.

[70chevellegsp]

This is my approach, which worked for me. I started in 2014 and dropped around 30#. It's not THE way to do things, its the way I did them.

Research TDEE and figure out what yours is - (It's basically (in theory) the amount of calories you need to maintain your current weight, if you drop ~500 calories/day (~3500 calories/week) you'll lose approx. 1# per week). Download the Myfitnesspal app on your phone and RELIGIOUSLY log your food and drink intake (weigh your food). Download an exercise app, I use Sportstracker and track your workouts and time. Don't get wrapped up in the calories used in your workouts and definitely don't 'eat them back'. I use it simply to track and meet my weekly time goal. Once you start tracking your food, you need to set goals and track your macros - carbs, fats, and protein. Keep your protein & fats up so you don't lose too much lean body mass as you lose weight. Don't cheat or lie on your tracking. If you go over on Friday, you can try to recover on Saturday and Sunday, so don't get discouraged. And, this should have been first but, check with your Doc to get his/her blessing to workout. Finally, DON'T GET DISCOURAGED. Sometimes it takes a little time for everything to kick in and you to start seeing results visually or on the scale. If you are honest in your logging and stick to your workouts you will lose weight. It takes discipline and consistency.

Cliff notes: plan on 3-4 hours per week of exercise (cardio, weights, walking, etc). Plan on eating a lot of chicken, fish, & some beef with a lot less sides - potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. Once you start tracking your calories and macros, you'll see how this works.

Good Luck!!!

[ironwill2008]

Background:
41/m
I started getting overweight in college. And it just slowly progressed over the years and I look back now I am 41, i am 330lbs, on high blood pressure meds, and taking pills for type 2 diabetes a few months ago. I never paid much attention to diet or exercise, always ate what i wanted and as much as i wanted. at one point in life i was in shape, i always played sports in school and rowed in high school. i never was athletic but i was active. When i got into college, partying and developing bad habbits really started. eating burgers fries pizza fast food, just a bunch a **** really. always loved sweets, candy bars, cake, whatever. so as time went on i never changed any of my eating habbits or did any working out. By the time i finished college i was 225lbs. starting to get that pudgy look. and it just slowly started to accumulate more weight. so here i am now at 41, 330lbs and starting to really worry about my health. For the past 3 weeks or so, i have been trying to get my brain wired into coaxing myself, its time to do something, i been watching some popular youtubers who share their weight loss journeys and its been inspiring me more and more, again trying to get my head in the right place to really give this a serious go. I dont know if this is common or not, but I have been looking up gym clothes to buy, getting a proper water bottle, looking up getting juicers and food scales. Now that I am doing all this "research" online about getting to the gym and eating better, here I am still looking at other peoples stories and getting motivated to "do something" but I haven't done a damn thing really. So an hour ago, i said **** it, I am signing up for a membership at planet fitness which is down the street from me, which i did. And here I am with my first gym membership ever. So now tomorrow comes around and I am feeling apprehensive about whats gonna happen when I wake up tomorrow. What am I gonna do? I really have no clue. What am I gonna eat, what time am I gonna go to the gym? How many times should I go to the gym in a day? When i get to the gym, what am I gonna do there? I dont know any of the machines there. Do I jump on a treadmill and just do that for a certain amount of time? And how much time is that? I honestly feel like i am about to step into a foreign county and be a chicken with my head cut off.

No need to get sent all over the interweb for information; here's everything you need:

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=168581133

[diggo1]

If this is the first time dieting in your life, you really need to ease yourself into it. You have done the research, you might think you know what to do in theory - But reality will bite really quickly once you put it into practice. If you over do it, you will fail and give up within a week or two. I am speaking from experience here. You need to find a sustainable balance. Some may disagree with me here, but this is what I have done to lose 25 pounds in the past few months:

Firstly, are you sure you want to go to the gym every day? If you hate exercising, you may find it easier to just stay home on the couch - eat a little bit less - and get the same results.

Secondly. Please learn about the calorie deficit.

You might be surprised how much junk food you can still eat while losing weight. You don't need to live on plain chicken breast, broc**** and water. Examples:
Diet sodas - Substituting just one can of regular soda for a diet soda per day will help you lose 15 pounds per year. Imagine if you substitute 2 or 3..
Fast Food - I love burgers. You don't need to give them up, I still eat them 5+ times per week when I am dieting. The trick is to find the burgers with the lowest calories. In general, chicken burgers (aka KFC) have a lot less calories than beef burgers, but not always. Do your research on your favourite fast food websites they will give you all of the caloric details you need. When ordering fast food, try to drop the fries if you can. Or at least downsize from a large fries to a small/medium. Again, grab a diet soda with your burger.

This is just to get started and keep you sane. As the weeks advance you will be ready for the next step where you can start cutting your other meal sizes down (ie: eat 1/2 pizza instead of the a whole pizza) and/or start cutting out some sweets/cakes etc. Eventually your diet will become healthier and you can add in some exercise, however, I believe you need to stay close to your comfort zone for the first couple of months without any drastic changes in the name of sustainability.

[bsdesign0000]

Thanks everyone for your support. I just finised my first workout of the day. I think i am gonna do 2 30 mins sessions every day with sundays off (maybe). My goal was to see how long it will take me to do a mile on the treadmill. I surprised myself and I got the mile marker 20 mins into my time on the treadmill. so i upped the speed a little bit and pushed harder for the next 10 mins to see where i could end up at in 30 mins total. I got 1.5 miles in 30min12sec. Honestly i was surprised how well i think i did. I was sweating but not crazy... my lower back and legs started to ache but i put up that speed a bit and hammered it out. What was nice is I got to use the massage chair for 10 mins after my workout. I honestly felt good and left smiling. ( i work odd hours so i stay up late), so my 11am workout is done... next i am going to do the same exact thing at 11pm as workout part B.. so hopefully, that will land me 3 miles for the day.
My first goal is to do 2miles in 30 mins.

[startingat56]

When you find it hard to stay away from the fridge, do something that takes your mind off of it

On the weekend paint that room that you have been putting off

clean the shower

change your oil

pull weeds

even take a nap


watching TV is the worst thing you can do

once your body adapts to he new you, it gets easier and easier

[mtpockets]

Welcome and good luck Lots of good advice posted already.

You say the gym is just down the street, walking there and back is extra cardio, and you get two birds stoned at once. I do all my walking outside and I do a lot. The only time I treadmill it is when it's real ****ty out. the treadmill bores the living fuk outta me. Years ago, I lost 107 lbs by walking.

Be consistent, that's important

[StrongAt45]

Background:
41/m
I started getting overweight in college. And it just slowly progressed over the years and I look back now I am 41, i am 330lbs, on high blood pressure meds, and taking pills for type 2 diabetes a few months ago. I never paid much attention to diet or exercise, always ate what i wanted and as much as i wanted. at one point in life i was in shape, i always played sports in school and rowed in high school. i never was athletic but i was active. When i got into college, partying and developing bad habbits really started. eating burgers fries pizza fast food, just a bunch a **** really. always loved sweets, candy bars, cake, whatever. so as time went on i never changed any of my eating habbits or did any working out. By the time i finished college i was 225lbs. starting to get that pudgy look. and it just slowly started to accumulate more weight. so here i am now at 41, 330lbs and starting to really worry about my health. For the past 3 weeks or so, i have been trying to get my brain wired into coaxing myself, its time to do something, i been watching some popular youtubers who share their weight loss journeys and its been inspiring me more and more, again trying to get my head in the right place to really give this a serious go. I dont know if this is common or not, but I have been looking up gym clothes to buy, getting a proper water bottle, looking up getting juicers and food scales. Now that I am doing all this "research" online about getting to the gym and eating better, here I am still looking at other peoples stories and getting motivated to "do something" but I haven't done a damn thing really. So an hour ago, i said **** it, I am signing up for a membership at planet fitness which is down the street from me, which i did. And here I am with my first gym membership ever. So now tomorrow comes around and I am feeling apprehensive about whats gonna happen when I wake up tomorrow. What am I gonna do? I really have no clue. What am I gonna eat, what time am I gonna go to the gym? How many times should I go to the gym in a day? When i get to the gym, what am I gonna do there? I dont know any of the machines there. Do I jump on a treadmill and just do that for a certain amount of time? And how much time is that? I honestly feel like i am about to step into a foreign county and be a chicken with my head cut off.

I was way overweight too, but i lost a lot. I had all the problems you have - Hypertension and bad knees and all. I started doing cardio, walking to running - keeping track of time and distance and speed, trying to improve them all. When i could run 3 Km in 30 mins, i started to lift weights, stopping the cardio. I researched and choose what to eat and how much and when to eat. This is very important. What they say is true - it's 70% diet, 30% exercise.

Now, i am no longer on hypertension pills, my bloodwork is fantastic. I think it doesn't matter much what you do, The change of lifestyle is the most important thing you have to overcome. I still have to keep struggling to keep to a healthy lifestyle. I have somewhat reverted back to my bad lifestyle in recent months and my weight is ballooning again. I have to fix it. No matter how fit or muscular you are, if you have bad eating and bad lifestyle, you'd end up fat and sick.

[bsdesign0000]

Just got home from my 2nd workout of the day. 30 min on the treadmill, a bit faster than this morning. 1.59 miles. my last 5 mins i kicked it up some speed. I felt this one much more than this morning. Those last 5 mins i was almost at a jog but for sure a fast walk. my back hurt my legs were hurting, i was sweating, but just focused on the sports on the tv screen at the gym and listening to my music to distract me. the pain kinda felt good. I know its only day 1, but i have surprised myself, i know me, and i am surprised i didnt convince myself to not do my night workout. So there day 1 in the books. Looking forward to waking up, eating my yogurt and mutigrain toast with peanut butter and heading to the gym and doing the same thing. note to self: remember to swing arms more

[JeremyM07201978]

Just got home from my 2nd workout of the day. 30 min on the treadmill, a bit faster than this morning. 1.59 miles. my last 5 mins i kicked it up some speed. I felt this one much more than this morning. Those last 5 mins i was almost at a jog but for sure a fast walk. my back hurt my legs were hurting, i was sweating, but just focused on the sports on the tv screen at the gym and listening to my music to distract me. the pain kinda felt good. I know its only day 1, but i have surprised myself, i know me, and i am surprised i didnt convince myself to not do my night workout. So there day 1 in the books. Looking forward to waking up, eating my yogurt and mutigrain toast with peanut butter and heading to the gym and doing the same thing. note to self: remember to swing arms more

Good for you! Be sure to ease into though. Allow time for a warm up or maybe stretching. Don't be discouraged if you are sore from DOMS or you don't hit the same distance in the time you are on day 1. Your body will adjust to the new demands you are making.

Getting started is a huge first step. Keep it up!

[PhantomMaxx]

Congrats on making the choice to take back your health. I second getting the book Starting Strength written by Mark Rippetoe. He also has videos on Youtube that shows you correct ways to lift. I've been listen to his podcast too. Strong is the true fit. Muscle burns fat. Avoid running, you can do rowing or elliptical because they are lower impact. What you eat is more then half the battle by far. Follow a proven caloric deficit diet (look for the sticky on the forum). Good luck.

[bsdesign0000]

Thanks everyone. Finished workout A for today. Pretty much same as last night. Feeling great. As far as the Starting Strength book, i dont and never have learned anything from book, just the way i am wired. Reading isnt my thing. I like hands on or video to watch. Or audio book, does Starting Strength come in audio book?

[d2mini]

Welcome and good luck Lots of good advice posted already.

You say the gym is just down the street, walking there and back is extra cardio, and you get two birds stoned at once. I do all my walking outside and I do a lot. The only time I treadmill it is when it's real ****ty out. the treadmill bores the living fuk outta me. Years ago, I lost 107 lbs by walking.

Be consistent, that's important

This ^^^

Treadmill is a waste of a gym membership. Walk there and back or go for a walk at another time if you want.
In the gym, lift heavy stuff. If you eat properly, you will lose weight and gain muscle at the same time.
You'll see a much better transformation doing this than doing steady state cardio on a treadmill.
Buy Starting Strength and Bigger Leaner Stronger. Both great books with similar views on workouts with tried and true lifting programs you can follow, and the latter has lots of good info on diet as well.

[Relentless67]

I've done the Starting Strength routine twice in the last 12 years after long layoffs - this time at 51. I'd suggest with the info you provided you would be better suited to use the routine Ironwill linked above. Search for the Rippetoe vids to study form if you'd like.

[blue9steel]

Thanks everyone. Finished workout A for today. Pretty much same as last night. Feeling great.

I highly recommend you start a workout log here on the site, it really helps to keep you motivated and accountable.

[PhantomMaxx]

Thanks everyone. Finished workout A for today. Pretty much same as last night. Feeling great. As far as the Starting Strength book, i dont and never have learned anything from book, just the way i am wired. Reading isnt my thing. I like hands on or video to watch. Or audio book, does Starting Strength come in audio book?

Listen to Starting Strength Podcast with Mark Rippetoe Podcast. It's Free

[ChinaViaChitown]

As stated in the above posts....Take a deep breathe, get a handle on your diet (write down what you eat and how much you are eating), Starting Strength is a good place to start as well as 5x5 or Ice cream fitness, invest in some quality headphones and a kindle (if you can) download some books and walk everywhere. Lift three times a week, walk an hour a day, and after a month see how you feel.

[bsdesign0000]

About to hit the gym for my 2nd workout today. ( i normally go at 11:30pm but they close at 9). I am not lifting weights yet. I have been walking fast (almost a jog) for 30 mins which end up being about 1.4 miles. At the end of the 30 mins i am spent. Like I said I am completely outta shape. So I am forcing myself it get an hour in of fast paced walking every day. Once i feel a bit more comfortable I will progress into doing weight lifting. But for me 30 mins in the morning and 30 mins at night is giving me a good sweat and my back and legs sure can feel it. As far as eating is going, I am pretty far off from where I want to me. I am a really picky eater so changing my habbits is going to take some time (thinking of joining a food service to provide me healthy meal). I have a real problem with preparing my foods for the day. BUT... i have been doing better then previously. I stopped drinking soda and juices, only having water. I stopped snacking on junk (now i eat strawberries, kiwis, grapes, carrots, yogurt). For lunch i am usually getting a low calorie chicken wrap or turkey wrap or make a low sodium turnkey sandwich with little bit of mayo, lettuce and cucumbers on multi grain bread). For dinner has been the hardest meal to adjust. One day i was good and had grilled chicken with green beans and a couple roasted potatos, but the other day i couldnt cook and ended up getting some chinese food (generals chicken with white rice and it came with 2 crab rangoons). However i only ate half of it (and gave the other half to my neighbors dog who is completely thrilled to see me lately lol). But looking back at what i ate this week, its a huge improvement from where i was before I starting making changes and working out. I know i cant keep this up and i have to try harder, but my doctor said im taking good steps and to keep doing it. I have lost 5 lbs this week. I been feeling great, and not feeling bloated all day like i usually am when I am eating junk all day.

I know i got a long way to go but i am pretty happy i have gotten this far so far, and i am actually looking forward to going to the gym. Like i said i was 330lbs when i started and i am only 5'10, so that 30 mins 1.4 mile walks kicks my ass. I hope be able to switch over from walks being my exercise to them being just my warmup. I'll get there.

[JeremyM07201978]

You're doing great. Keep it up. Remember that it will be a long journey and enjoying it is what it's all about.

[gipper53]

Keep at it man. Nice job so far. You'll find that results will be a powerful motivator as you progress. For me, I went from eating pretty much everything (meaning bad food) and now 8 months into it I really only want to eat healthy food. It wasn't the plan, just kinda evolved that way. The results keep coming and that is motivation enough.

I also hate to miss a workout now. Again, just part of the brain reprogramming as it's gone along, but I'm glad it has. Sure I have off days every now and then where I may eat some junk or skip a workout because my body hurts, but eye on the prize.

Getting started and sticking with it for the first month is the hardest part. After that it gets easier and healthier habits will have a snowball effect.

[bsdesign0000]

still going strong and enjoying the gym. finished my midnight workout. i added 15 mins of dumbell training to my routine now. then 30 mins of cardio. doing that twice a day. eating better, down 7lbs since i started.

[OldFartTom]

Good man, keep going. But... Don't add extra like the dumbbell training. Keep it simple, quick and easy.

You are only a few days in, you are running on the initial enthusiasm. It's all too easy at this stage to get really excited and add a load of stuff extra. The problem with that is you can over reach and come crashing down in about 3 weeks from now. Hare and the tortoise story.

THE single most valuable thing you can do at this stage is to develop a long term habit, so don't make any workouts tough (yet...). Learn to relax and enjoy and just get it part of your lifestyle.

Once you are a few months in, let's re-visit the don't make it tough comments

[LordVader88]

What ever u do, get into a routine, forming the healthier habits is a huge part. I used to be a big pizza/fires/burgers eater for years.

I could still eat that stuff everyday, but now I know how many calories I need, and I rather eat a big plate of healthy food than a little plate of grease with the same calories.

Same with cardio. Some times I do a lot, other times not much. And when I get back into after slacking off, I just ease back into, so I don't get sick of it. And then it doesn't take long to be going on big walks everywhere again.

Same with the weights. Just starting back at them after 2 years. So I'm going to stick to a simple routine for a month. Just to get used to it again. And so it doesn't seem like such a chore.

[bsdesign0000]

my biggest problem is now doesnt seem to be going to the gym, but its my eating. I am not overeating (to my knowledge), but I know I am eating much healthier then usual. But i am a REALLY picky eater. I literally HATE most vegetables. (but i love fruit). What i am noticing happening to me is I will eat good in breakfast and lunch, like some yogurt, bananna, toast. and lunch maybe a turkey wrap (sometimes sandwich with multi grain bread). Its usally dinner I struggle. One day I am fine eating my usual grilled chicken with steamed green beans or broc**** and some white rice. But a day or two into doing that, I will have a burger for dinner (minus the fries), or two slices of pizza. Even tho i like grilled chicken and green beans sometimes when i am eating it im just like yuck, and even dreading have to eat it again. I really hate fish, most veggies, so i have a really limited options for foods to eat. So i know my diet isnt good. but its is sooo much better no then it was before, but i know its not great. This is a real struggle for me, especially with absolutely not liking 90% of the meals I "should" be eating. I am not sure what to do in this situation. I wonder if it would be better for myself to maybe drink some kinds of healthy shake or something? I dont know but see this as being a problem. And when I try to sit down and make sense of it all, i get so overwhelmed with info i start get flustered.

Its been 1 week now since I started and i am actually down 10-12 lbs (i dont think my scale is that accurate). I am working out twice a day, getting at least 30mins of cardio 2x a day and 3 days a week i do 15 mins of weight lifting. I feel so much better now then i was a week and a day ago, and I am enjoying the gym. I know at some point the lbs will stop shedding cuz i am not on some kind of strict diet, or that i had those 2 slices of pizza for dinner rather then another meal of grilled chicken, green beans and rice. Sometimes I think to myself, i wish i could just chug some kinds of healthy shake, get it down, be full, and not worry about what to cook, etc etc.

Rambling out loud here.

But i am happy i am going to the gym every day. And i generally am feeling so much better (altho a bit sore at times)

[Time-Man]

Great that you started . I started again in Jan was 247 lb turned 50 in April , my new years resolution ( yeah lot of people make them but don't keep them ) was to work my ass of and being 50 this year make sure that i will look the best i ever did . Well now down to 209 lb . What i found works a lot and i encourage it to do it is take pics of yourself every month at the same time and keep it as a record . Also get a tape measure and take some measurements write that down every month . 3-4 months down the line looking at your measurements and pictures you will see the change your choice is bringing about and that is one of the things that motivates me to carry on and work harder . Now 9 months after i started i'm fit lost a ton of body fat went from 30% down to 17% and i actually fit in my pants i wore in the army in 1991

Good luck with your journey becoming a better version of yourself

[GoodBrotherHoot]

What you might try to do with enjoying your meals is learn new recipes. Join a ******** group or something that posts recipes and try new things. If you don't have time then do strictly crock pot recipes. Put it on and set it and it's there when you get home hours later and ready to eat. Also I like to grill so that has helped me too.

Something I never tried until relatively recent (2 years or so) is spaghetti squash. Extremely easy to just throw in the oven. Use some Raos sauce (or even some alfredo sauce). I like adding shrimp and scallops and onions to mine but you can add chicken or anything.

Its little changes like that that have helped me the most. It's just having access to the ideas.