Another week. Target is around 85kg.
Positives this week - I'm now on my third belt notch on my work belt. I started the journey on the first belt hole, which was straining. One pair of work pants (trousers for the British) is very baggy. I was also able to use another belt which had been too small for me for some time.
A collegue said she noticed my stomach was smaller. I had noticed changes in my face and upper torso, but it's hard to see differences in the stomach because a large over-hang looks much the same as a large over-hang that's a bit smaller, so it was nice to get some feedback around there.
I need to lose weight, i have the time to go to the gym but lack the will, currently at 235 lbs, how did you guys got over the first hump to start?
Short answer: Increased physical activity is key for many in terms of successful and permanent weight reduction. If you think it's important in your situation, find a way of doing it by choosing something that fits you. If you don't like the gym, find something else. Commit to it for at least three times a week for three weeks and you'll find yourself getting more energy. From there, make it a sustainable habit and tweak your lifestyle where necessary. Don't be afraid to change your path and explore.
Personally, through trial and error, I've found that for me, I base my workouts on this machine below at home. I use it every second day without fail, unless replacing it with something else. I will add other activities on the in-between days, but not as rigorously as I do with this machine. It's a HIIT machine by name, but I generally do steady-state cardio on it. Yes, steady-state cardio is not as good as HIIT for losing weight by itself, but it's not about the calorie burn, it's about getting me conditioned and in the right head space (more below).
The fact that it took me probably three years to find what works for me is a little sad, but I think I've got there. The gym is a negative space for me, so there's no way I'd ever be able to make a long-term commitment to it.
Pros for me:
- I can do it at home, so no excuses
- I don't need to go to the gym - save me 15 minutes, shower at home, can pump my own music, own pace, no waiting, put my own inspirational stuff on TV, I'm a bit introverted, I don't want to make small talk
- I can do it at 4AM - I try to leave for work by 5am because I can avoid traffic.
- Not weather dependant
- I can control the environment - temp set to 23C + pedestal fan on me (I sweat a LOT)
- Low impact
- Stepping motion, works my thighs/glutes - my compression pants tell me I've lost fat but put on muscle mass on my thighs
- Combines what I liked about my previous elliptical with hill walking. I used to live in the mountains and got great legs just from walking to the local shops every other day.
Cons for me:
- The motion only simultates an ascending motion. I need to offset with at least some descending motion, so I've added hill walking on some of my days off. I don't live in the mountains any more but do have some hilly areas near me.
- Takes up room in my house.
Onto the head space thing.
Nutrition will always be the most important thing in losing weight. You can't fix bad nutrition with exercise. What exercise does for many (including myself) is to reduce the negative effects and symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. When you're in a better space, it's easier to avoid over-eating and poor food choices. It's also easier to deal with hunger when you're fit and in a good head-space. All this is most applicable if you have, like myself, been using food as a fix for stress/anxiety relief.
Eating produces dopamine. People use this hit to alleviate symptoms of stress. However, it's short lived and you crave another fix. The easiest food to get that dopamine hit from is high-calorie foods like chips, cookies, ice cream, candy, etc.
Exercise, on the other hand, can produce endorphins, which are quite nice. The other thing it does is reduce the levels of stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are fight or flight hormones, and we're not meant to have elevated levels of them as part of our daily body chemistry. So feeling less stressed, combined with the discipline of regular exercise, combined with the increased confidence we get from getting fitter/healthier, it's much easier to combat over-eating. We're rewarded by being healthy, not from downing a large bag of Doritoes.
As an aside, when you've been eating well (less processed foods) for a few weeks, your stomach fauna (bacteria) will change and you'll be craving healthier food to satisfy hunger. Whereas before you may have considered an apple boring, it becomes delicious and full of subtleties. This is obviously a personal choice, but I find it easier to eat no cookies and hence never get a craving for them than to eat 1 cookie a day and always feeling like more.