Not sure where to start...

[Hambino2]

Hello, my name is Tyler and I'm looking to get some ideas for working out.

I guess I should start by saying I'm probably about 270 lbs overweight. It's a real struggle to even walk on the treadmill and I don't feel I ever get enough exercise in the pool. My end goal really isn't to compete or anything I don't think, I just want to feel better about msyelf, I don't care if I get really ripped or strong, I want to feel good and not that everyone is disgusted by me. To provide some background, I have been overweight all my life almost. I was a chunky but active kid, I played sports and genuinely enjoyed it and think I still would if I felt ok enough doing them. This didn't become a big problem until I was in High School, in Middle School I was slightly overweight, but not morbidly obese like today. My troubles with my weight really started when I had severe vertigo for all of my years in High School, I did not attend school and I would stay home not feeling well lay on the couch, drink soda, eat junk, and play video games 12-14 hours a day, I was physically unable to get up and walk around for fear I would fall...it caused me enough anxiety the sensation of being dizzy that I couldn't walk around alone. But this is when I began to develop health problems other than vertigo, I started having mental health and weight related issues as I hit around 275 lbs.

After High School I still struggled with dizziness for about 3-4 more years, we found a doctor that explained that sometimes doctors cannot find a solution to why someone is dizzy and is most likely due to brain growth in men...It's usually outgrown by around 25-26 years old. I started to feel better around 22-23. This is when I started college and my first real successful weight loss began. I struggled to get around campus, at this point I was around 330-340 lbs. At this point I felt so bad about myself and thought no one would ever like me as far as relationships go, or even as a friend. So I decided to change myself. Over the next year I started to work out 5-6 days a week, drank only water, healthier meals that were smaller but more of them to keep my metabolism going. Long story short after picking up lifting and cardio the weight fell off. In about 8 months I lost over 100 lbs. I felt so great about myself, even if I still was overweight a little bit. This was the point I moved away from home for college in another town. When I got on my own, reality hit me a bit and I felt like everything came crashing down. I started to slack off on my school and not go to class, I quit going to the gym and just walked as much as I did around campus, and eventually just left the school after a semester to go to another school that was away from home, it was a religious university. So at this point, leaving to a religious university (Brigham Young University) and the culture in Provo, UT is very much centered around getting married, having a family, and serving an LDS mission. This is the point I grew severely depressed. To explain why, I never served an LDS mission and for a large large majority in the LDS religion this is a deal breaker in relationships, I felt most women would be interested in me until they heard this. So to cope with the depression and feeling alone I began to eat, and it was the worst I've ever eaten in my life. two tubs off ice cream, donuts, containers full of cookies, fast food, and any other unhealthy food you could imagine. From this point, I had consistently done this for years. I hit about 400 lbs and stayed there for several years until this year.

Until this last year I could still walk around and be mobile without struggling, the motivation is just was not there. But it has peaked at it's worst now and it's time for me to draw the line, it took a long time, but it's now. The reason my weight has hit an all-time high is I went back to depression eating after I lost my mom back in December to liver failure from a fatty liver and three weeks later lost my father due to post covid pnuemonia. For the last 6 months I just have not cared, and many days, don't want to be here anymore. After having a discussion with my doctors and counselors I have decided I need to make the change again, this time for me. I have had a gym membership and ocassionally go. But I want to see serious weight loss. Speaking with both my familly doctor and my counselor we both agree that being healthier is absolutely something my parents would want for me, and to not die at 40-45. I know this is going to be tough and a lot of struggles to change my lifestyle permanently. I know I can do it, I've done it before. At that point I drank nothing but water and ate clean everyday.

The point of the post I've come to, is I don't know where to start again. Before I would lift weights 3 times a week mixed with cardio and then the other 2-3 days just cardio, but right now I struggle to walk for more than 10 minutes on the treadmill. I gues what I'm looking for suggestions on lifts, exercises, and clean foods to eat, because I don't know where to start over at. But my end goal is hit a healthy weight and feel more confident about myself. Not for anyone else, for me.

Thanks for reading if you did, any suggestions help me.

TLDR: I'm 450+ lbs and want to lose about 250-270 lbs. doesn't matter the time frame.

[SuffolkPunch]

A good way to start would be to eat 2 meals a day at fixed time with no snacking in between.

Restrict what you eat to meat, eggs and vegetables. You can eat to appetite with these foods without worrying about calorie intake. Try this for a month and see how you get on.

As for exercise, do whatever you can to stay active, even walking is perfectly good. Swimming or weight training will be fine too. Anything really - as long as it is low impact on your joints.