I've joined slimming world

[Behemoth]

Just for once, a serious thread from me. Today, well this evening I joined slimming world. Around christmas I went to the doctors because I was having chest pains, after having a few blood tests and so on thankfully it was confirmed that I didn't have any heart conditions.

But my Doctor's advice was to loose some weight because at nearly 18 stone I'm a touch too heavy even though I am rather tall. Also with the fact that heart conditions among other things run in the family it would also benefit my asthma.

My Dad had joined a month or two beforehand and at the time I guess I wasn't in the right frame of mind, what with working silly hours with it being christmas time and with other things going on my head just wasn't in the right place, I think I was too stressed and too tired to really care about a few extra pounds of weight here and there.

Anyway fastfoward to a few weeks ago when I could see that him going to slimming world was doing him some good, he was less moody, less tired amd above all a much nicer person to be around, so I went and the did the same today.

I think the scary thing for me is that in a year I've put on a stone and a half in weight. I remember this time last year was just a touch over 17 stone, when I weighed in today on an accurate scales I was 18 and a half stone !!

I've always been a big chap, but what with the chest pains (although they were nothing serious, I think I had a warning) and the fact that if I carry on eating crap I'll be eating myself into an early grave.

I'm hoping to get down to 14 stone, I'd be happy at 14 and a half, which is where I was when I was 18.

It'll be nice to fit back into some of my favorite shirts that when I put them on now I pretty much burst out of them.

Not quite sure why I posted this, but meh, I guess seeing as we are all mates here I'm sure I won't be mocked, or trolled, much

[r_j_k_p]

Good Luck mate. I keep telling myself to start too! hopefully after exams, it will spur me on!

[Terbinator]

I guess seeing as we are all mates here I'm sure I won't be mocked, or trolled, much

Good on you. I'm not going to lie though, the post still had a satirical edge

[IBM]

Lots of luck fella. Lot of respect for the decision, more for sticking to it.

[mikemikemi]

One of my friends went on a diet recently (past few months), he +6ft but was clearly overweight.

I think he did a soup for lunch style diet and controlled eating and he's now literally half the man he used to be; whole new wardrobe of clothes required. But he's much better for it.

So, good for you and best of luck.

[Rave]

Well, good luck. It can work, but the cynic in me says that if these 'slimming clubs' (and I include WeightWatchers, Rosemary Conley etc.) really worked for most people, they wouldn't have a viable business model. Over the years my wife has spent several hundred, and probably £1000+ on them and I don't think she's ever been under 12 stone.

If you can, start cycling to work- you see the odd fat cyclist, but not many. And if you can't, and if you're going nowhere on the diet plan, try Stronglifts. I didn't lose any weight- in fact I went from a BMI of 23 to 26- but it works. I had to eat a lot to manage that weight gain.

Lifting rules. You have to ask yourself whether you want to be thin, or fit.

[nvening]

Im trying to work off the belly for the summer (and in general obv). I would be fine if it wasnt for alcohol (im 18, surrounded by friends back from uni - its hard!). In my mind, once you know what to do (that strong lifts link sounds pretty good, i do a similar thing to see what works for me, doing more cv atm as well as im scuba diving for a month) then cutting out alcohol is what it really takes!

[tiggerai]

Good work that man!

Half the problem is admitting that there is one...

I've been "watching what I eat" for a couple of weeks now, just starting to lose a bit. Really need to get fit though... need some motivation really.

[Phage]

Can you keep us posted ? I'd be genuinely interested to hear how they work and if it is effective.

[99Flake]

Good luck, as long as you stick to it then it will work.

My other half joined slimming world a few months after having Emma to help lose the weight put on whilst she was pregnant. It has really worked for her. Not only that but the way in which it works means you can still eat things you like and as often as you like.

Most of our meals these days come from her slimming world cook books, they are really nice and very healthy. As long as you write down what you are having and stick to the rules then it does work without being a tiresome bore.

[Baggio18]

Good luck and just keep the focus!

Gained quite a bit of weight too myself due to injuries sustained in the last few years, thinking about shifting some later when I fully recover.

[chadders]

*Welcome to the "s**t fast" plan

Red days, green days - you'll soon see the weight loss grinning at you from the porcelein.

Got a dog? Get one, one hour walk every day and it flies off - elderly neighbour with a dog? Borrow it for walkies, dog needs walk every day, there's the motivation.

*i'm on it by proxy via the missus.

[Rob_B]

Do you get one of those big cardboard cutouts of yourself to compare with in 6months time?..

These clubs are good for moral support but as mentioned, if they wprked they'd soon be out of business. A good thing to do is write down EVERYTHING you eat, and I mean everything, you'd be suprised (or maybe you wouldn't) at what goes down your gullet. I did this for a month & it really makes you cut down, simple changes and all that

[nvening]

need some motivation really.

Make yourself do a good workout for a couple of days. After that I always find myself motivated to eat better, exercise more and generally be buzzing around the place and in a good mood

[fuddam]

you want to be motivated? start adventure racing - nothing else out there quite like it, esp as is team based. You train because a) you have a goal and b) you don't want to let your team mates down. A lot of fun, and you get fit fit



lot of videos on youtube about, and all sorts of races, from a few hours to multi day expedition races. www.sleepmonsters.co.uk be a good place to find out what is happening in your neighbourhood

[G4Z]

Well, I myself have been on a bit of a fitness journey this last 12 months. Thought I might post my little story as it may offer some encouragement.

Basically 12 months ago I was a very lazy individual, I was lucky, I had a hot girlfriend and I didn't give too much of a monkeys about my appearence. Anyway, that went tits up and she moved out so I realised id have to do something about my body if I ever wanted to get any action ever again.

Just so you can see what im on about, here is me at the beginning of 2009 :



And this is me a couple of months ago and about 4 stone lighter than the previous pic :



I did it by really controlling how much I ate each day, weighing myself on digital scales daily and loads of excercise. For me squash worked great (was playing 3 times a week, now down to 2) but ive also started playing 5 a side once a week and for the first time since i was a teenager I went running this week. Really surprised myself as I was able to complete 3.5 miles no problem totally leaving my friend in the dust (and she was saying on facebook how she was gonna run me into the ground, lol). So there you go, you can do it, if I can do it, anybody can definately. I also bought some dumbells which I use to work my arms and shoulders each day and some press ups.

Tell you another thing, once you push past the first few weeks, once you start to see those results it really keeps you going, these days I really quite enjoy getting my kit off and showing off my body now its worth looking at

So yeah man, go for it and definately be sure to find some excersice you like doing because dieting on its own won't do anything (I know, id tried it before).