working out/hitting the mills

I need to lost weight and build muscle. I'm 5'11", about 310 lbs., and am fairly weak. I don't have access to a gym or workout equipment at this time, but I may in the fall if I start taking a college EMT-P course.

I've only just recently started trying to do something about my fitness problem. I've started drinking a lot of water, mainly to keep up a "full" feeling so I'll eat less. I'm trying to eat less in general and less junk in particular, but I never quantified what I ate before so I don't really know definitively how much my eating habits are improving.

I don't really pig out, but I definitely eat more than I should, which combined with a lack of any real physical activity, is the the surface cause of my problem. I believe the root cause, however, to be psychiatric in nature (depression leads to over-eating). I know I need to get some kind of help with that.

With no access to any kind of exercise equipment, I guess all I can do is walk or run, or do situps or that kind of thing. I know I need to do that stuff, I keep telling myself each night that I'm going to go out for a walk or something tomorrow, but somehow I never seem to get around to it. (This may also be related to my psychiatric depression problem, too, I suppose.)
 
Sounds like you have a good plan JJ, I never "diet" I just stop eating fast food (which I love) and cut out the snacks and junk food. I also don't check my weight I have a pair of pants that tell me when I'm going overboard. Anything you eat is ok as long as it's in moderation. And as far as exercising at home, I can't afford to join a gym or get fancy equipment. When I started I used canned tomoatoes or whatever else I had in the pantry and did things like push ups, lunges for resistance. There really is no need for the wieghts and gym unless you're trying to bulk up and even then we have to get in pretty decent shape before we can begin bulking up effectively and without hurting ourselves.

Motivation is key, even if you don't have a pantry to raid for weights a 30 minute walk every day or even every other day can make a world of difference. Good Luck and keep trying!!!
 
Holy sh*t!



I forgot the Wind Mill...
 
To get a better idea of how much you eat in a day, try writing it down. Also try writing down the amount of time you exercise, what type of exercise and that sort of thing.

I keep a journal in a spiral notebook. I write down everything I eat (that was my first step to losing weight, coming to grips with the fact that not only did I eat junk, I ate A LOT of it). I write down when I eat (eating at the same time everyday helps with feelings of hunger) and a lot of times I write down what I was feeling when I ate (happy, sad, depressed) because I am an emotional eater. I also sometimes write down my "hunger factor" on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being stuffed and 1 being famished before and after I eat. I also write in when I take my vitamins.

Here are some nutrition tips:

Try for 6 to 8 - 8oz glasses of water a day
Try to eat at least 5 servings of fruits or vegetables a day
Try to take a multi-vitamin everyday
Opt for whole grains (bread and the like), unfortunately this requires reading labels very carefully
Limit refined sugars (including alcohol, which I struggle with)
Choose lean proteins, chicken, turkey, soy protein (although meat protein is supposedly better for you than soy protein, better for your muscles, anyway)
Try for 30 minutes of activity a day (although the latest study that's been put out says 60 to 90 minutes of continuous activity)
If you cook, use healthy oils, like extra virgin olive oil, rather than lard or vegetable oil.

I have found that my journal helps me stay honest with myself. I was in denial for a long time that I had a problem with food. It's addictive, just like drugs and alcohol. It's a extremely hard habit to kick. I won't lie, it's a fight everyday for me.

JJR - there are plenty of things around your house that you can use as weights. When I was rehabing my shoulders (and didn't own weights) I would use gallon jugs of water (8.42 pounds per gallon). If you have stairs in or around your house, they are good places to workout. Walking is super beneficial to your health and easy on the joints, where running is more stressful on your knees. I started walking when I was 225 pounds and starting running after I started losing weight to prevent undue stress on my body. Sit ups and the like are good, but be careful not to hurt your back.

Hope this helps!
 
emtff376 said:
...JJR - there are plenty of things around your house that you can use as weights...
Click to expand...
Yeah, I've been using my 20 lb. one-year-old son as a weight. He enjoys it, most of the time... :)
 
sweet! I don't have any of those, but that works!
 
that pelican med case I have to lug around for my medic is heavy. The more I work out, the lighter it feels and the happier my back is the next day. My medic takes us to the gym for an hour and a half every shift. We have free use of the highschool gym. I understand how lucky I am, so you dont have to tell me. haha
 
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