[CCO]

Went to a neighbor's pond with my family last weekend, and canoed around the lake. My wife took pics, and I was blown away to see the pics of myself. I'm a fatass! I'm 32, and while I knew I was getting a bit out of shape, it seems like it's really hit me. Went shopping for new pants last night, and I'm a 36/36...but...I wear them under my big spare tire, I measured...and I'm 44" around my belly.

Just 10 years ago, I was wearing a 31/36 with no belly. 10 years of office work, good cookin, and being lazy. I am 6'3", and...I just weighed myself on the office scale...259 fully dressed with everything in my pockets, tape measure, gun, ect.

Last year, I weighed 228 when I was doing a biggest loser challenge. I was doing crossfit, and it suited me. However I thought I'd look here for advice too. I'll have 30 to 45 mins per day in the early morning to work out, and no more. I work 11 hour days and evenings are reserved for family. My goals are to trim up, lose the belly, improve the endurance, and actually be able to play, run, ect with that little girl in the pic.

I am a member at a local gym. Nothing hardcore, it's like Golds Gym, but it's named American family fitness. I also have running trails at the park by my house. What would you guys do if you were me?

Bryan

[proactive]

My first inclination is to suggest you keep it simple and make some deliberate lifestyle changes. 30lbs gained in a year tells you you have to do things differently than you have been and now. What's going on diet wise? Have you ever written down everything you consumed in one day?

Hit those trails, mang.

[California Jack]

If I were yiou, I'd buy a copy of "Body for Life". Read it and do 2 cycles of it. Then post here again.

[proactive]

Originally Posted by California Jack

If I were yiou, I'd buy a copy of "Body for Life". Read it and do 2 cycles of it. Then post here again.

Good call. Bryan, if you're interested I have a copy I'll send you. I think I tried to pawn it off on someone about a year ago on here.

[California Jack]

CCO.

Which side of Texoma are you on?

[CCO]

Originally Posted by proactive

Good call. Bryan, if you're interested I have a copy I'll send you. I think I tried to pawn it off on someone about a year ago on here.

I'll take it and gladly. I'd be interested in trying it.

I think my intake is pretty high. I have a bowl of cereal and milk in the morning, then I snack around till lunch. This midmorning, I had 3 packages of peanut butter crackers. I ate a bologna and cheese sandwich with doritos for lunch, and 32 oz of water. Since lunch, I've consumed a hot dog and three pieces of cheese. It's 3:50 right now, and I'll probably have another pkg of peanut butter crackers before I go home. Once home, I'll eat a couple helpings of whatever my wife has cooked up, and about 9pm, I'll be hungry again so I'll eat a couple snack packs or another sandwich or something. Last night, it was two flour tortillas with honey. Wow, when I write it all down, it seems like a lot. But I've always eaten this way! It just seems that I'm always hungry.

Cali Jack - I'm on the south side, Sherman, TX.

[Eyescream]

Originally Posted by CCO

I'll take it and gladly. I'd be interested in trying it.

I think my intake is pretty high. I have a bowl of cereal and milk in the morning, then I snack around till lunch. This midmorning, I had 3 packages of peanut butter crackers. I ate a bologna and cheese sandwich with doritos for lunch, and 32 oz of water. Since lunch, I've consumed a hot dog and three pieces of cheese. It's 3:50 right now, and I'll probably have another pkg of peanut butter crackers before I go home. Once home, I'll eat a couple helpings of whatever my wife has cooked up, and about 9pm, I'll be hungry again so I'll eat a couple snack packs or another sandwich or something. Last night, it was two flour tortillas with honey. Wow, when I write it all down, it seems like a lot. But I've always eaten this way! It just seems that I'm always hungry.

Cali Jack - I'm on the south side, Sherman, TX.

Based just on this list…if you ate less garbage you'd be halfway there. Flour tortillas with honey? Seriously?

[CCO]

Originally Posted by Eyescream

Based just on this list…if you ate less garbage you'd be halfway there. Flour tortillas with honey? Seriously?

Yeah, seriously.

[proactive]

Points for honesty! PM me your mailing address and I'll get the book out to you. I can tell you that if you read this book with an open mind and put some effort into it, you will feel like a new man in a few months time.

I also KNOW that if you make some real changes in your diet, you will feel much more satisfied and will have a ton more energy. The good news is that this isn't going to be a costly endeavor. You already have a gym membership and plenty of free time (this is coming from someone who has logged several 100+ hour work weeks in the past year; I also have family responsibilities). I'm actually pretty excited for you. Make with the address.

[Eyescream]

Originally Posted by CCO

Yeah, seriously.

They do sound pretty tasty.

[Atomic Punk]

something that may help. when i was working at a lockshop a few years ago i was mostly sitting all day not doing much physically. i usually had the munchies all day, but since i was really not doing much i knew what would happen if i were eating all day eventually. i started drinking a LOT of the free coffee. black. the hot black coffee did a pretty good job of keeping me not hungry. had to use the bathroom a lot obviously, but it kept me from wanting to eat WAY more than i needed each day.

[Two_Clicks]

Insanity and eat right...Everything in moderation

[S.O.Interceptor]

Originally Posted by CCO

I'll have 30 to 45 mins per day in the early morning to work out, and no more. I work 11 hour days and evenings are reserved for family.

I know that feeling very well. I personally chose to lift weights 4 days a week and run 1-2 days a week when I can. I'm still looking for a good hill for hill sprints.

But as others have said, change the diet first and you'll see a big change. You're quite a bit taller than me, but holy hell that's a lot of junk food.

[CCO]

Thanks guys for the support.

Proactive, I sent you a PM.

Eyescream, just trying to be honest here.

I know I eat like crap, but I've always eaten this way. I think it's just finally caught up with me.

[Eyescream]

I know, man. I'm just breaking your balls a little.

[Goldendog Redux]

Originally Posted by CCO

I am a member at a local gym. Nothing hardcore, it's like Golds Gym, but it's named American family fitness. I also have running trails at the park by my house. What would you guys do if you were me?

You should exercise. More importantly you need to change what you eat, probably for the rest of your life. Your weight gain is a result of your diet. It is not rocket science and don't fall into the trap of diets, and all of the GNC et al. traps. Eat healthy food and eat less at a time. Snack on healthy stuff multiple times a day.

MF

[BobbyT]

At the end of the day, you have intake (diet) and output (exercise, metabolism).

Exercise is great, but you'll never be able to outrun what you put in. You can go have a really strenuous workout and burn a few hundred calories, and completely obliterate that in 60 seconds of eating.

So start daily cardio to get your metabolism up, then throw in some circuit training, calisthenics, or moderate weight lifting to put on some muscle which will both help you burn fat and just make you less "soft" overall.

You can't have 3 full meals a day with 4 snacks stuffed between them. I'd cut all the junk snacks out and replace the random munching with drinking water, tea, gatorade, skim milk. When you do snack, do beneficial stuff you won't scarf down ridiculous amounts of. It doesn't have to be fruits and veggies if you don't enjoy snacking on those, but think nuts vs. chips, oatmeal vs. sugary cereal, eggs vs. nachos.

[teweekley]

My wife was watching Rachael Ray this morning. I guess it was showing what stuff did in your body after eating something good and something bad. Next thing I know, I get a text from her saying I'm not allowed to eat cheeseburgers ever again. Okaaaaay?

[windplex]

I am 5'10" and 180. I am looking for a diet that will get me to 6'3". Recommendations?

[BCR]

Originally Posted by BobbyT

You can't have 3 full meals a day with 4 snacks stuffed between them. I'd cut all the junk snacks out and replace the random munching with drinking water, tea, gatorade, skim milk. When you do snack, do beneficial stuff you won't scarf down ridiculous amounts of. It doesn't have to be fruits and veggies if you don't enjoy snacking on those, but think nuts vs. chips, oatmeal vs. sugary cereal, eggs vs. nachos.

I'd skip the skim milk and gatorade. Thats a lot of sugar, unless he only has a cup of milk.

[Jeremy_K]

If you're into being outdoors, mountain biking is pretty fun and good exercise. I'm a bit fatter than you (5'11" 285) and I just went out on a 3 mile trail ride without killing myself. This was only the second time I've been out and it's a blast. I have a second set of rims with smooth road tires so I can ride on paved trails too. I found a decent bike on Craigslist and just bought some comfy riding clothes. I can't do the treadmill/cardio in a room thing, too boring for me. I'm currently looking into diet options (another tough battle). Good luck!

[Eyescream]

It's interesting the little things you can do that make a difference. I got in trouble for pointing out, at the grocery store last night, that everything my wife put in the cart was sugar and carbs. Here's an excerpt from our shopping list:

My contribution:
Peanut butter
bottled water (I like to keep some in the fridge in case I want something colder than what's in my jug)
milk (this is my one real vice. I can't get enough of it.)
protein bars
sunflower seeds
instant coffee (to go in my AM protein shakes)

Her contributions:
24 pack of Coca Cola
12 pack of ginger ale
eight pack of Gatorade
a bag of pretzels
three packs of mexican noodle-things that she likes a lot
Quaker granola bars

She stays so nauseous because of chronic pain that she doesn't really eat much. If she cut out all the bull**** she'd lose weight just from walking around the house.

[CCO]

Proactive, thanks for the book! I've read the whole thing, got my wife on board, and we're set to start October 1st for our first 12 week challenge. I'm going to make Saturday my off day, and my wife is excited about it too so that will help immensely.

I'll take before and after pics of myself and post them here....not sure the wife will participate in that though. :(

[SouthernGal]

You should buy stock in nabs it sounds like.

Just an FYI, but I've found I don't "crave" for lunch as badly when I have a complex carb and protein packed breakfast. You didn't say what kind of cereal you're eating in the morning...but they differ greatly in terms of nutrition.

This morning I had a whole wheat tortilla with 1/2 cup eggbeaters and some mild rotel tomatos in it. I sometimes add soy cheese to the mix, but not more than 1/4 cup worth. I eat it at 8 and can easily make it to noon, sometimes well past 1 without being hungry.

My cart at the store sounds a like like ES's--
Bottled Water
Planters Nut-rition Mix (almonds, cashews, macadamias with light sea salt)
Caffeine drop ins for my water
Whole wheat bread/wraps or sandwich thins
Chips--here's the kicker--I've gone to buying "Light" chips. Yep...they're made with Olean and I can remember to limit myself to ONE serving (15 or so chips) because of it. Eating too many of these is a big no-no but I can't just give up my chips all together. It only takes once of eating too many to remember!

[proactive]

Originally Posted by CCO

Proactive, thanks for the book! I've read the whole thing, got my wife on board, and we're set to start October 1st for our first 12 week challenge. I'm going to make Saturday my off day, and my wife is excited about it too so that will help immensely.

I'll take before and after pics of myself and post them here....not sure the wife will participate in that though. :(

That is so awesome, man! You and your wife will be able to support each other through the process which will help a ton. I'm genuinely excited for you both. This could be the start of a completely new life.

Way to go with the BFL suggestion, Jack!