I've been lurking around this sight and many others for several months. I have started and stopped my transformation more times than I can count. I was always big ( because the football coaches wanted me to be). After school, things got out of hand. I am 6'2" tall, and at one time I weighed in at 400 pounds. I have been serious about my transformation for 2 solid months now. When I started on 1/1/04 I weighed 375 pounds. Today I weigh 338 pounds. I lift weights 3 times a week, and I ride my stationary bike 3-5 days a week. I alternate between intervals and distance on my bike. I was doing great with motivation until last week when the weight stopped coming off. I was doing Atkins and realized I was losing strength. I have been reading many articles about "clean eating" and decided thats the way to go. I will be starting that on 3/6/04. Starting this week I have added some carbs to my diet. I love to lift weights and I don't even mind cardio... kinda strange for a large person. I get discouraged when my doctor says my goals are unattainable, but I don't quit. I am looking for people to talk with and any tips that you can give.

I think this is one of the best sights I have ever seen.

My goals are to break the 300 pound barrier by the end of July, and break the 250 pound barrier by the end of the year. I know the goals are tough but so am I. I will not give up, I am doing this for me but have support from my lovely wife and my 2 daughters.

To me this is not a dream but a reality that is slowly taking shape.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

I do full body workouts.. Mon, Wed, Fri., I used to use a Crossbow, but have since switched to free weights.

I do cardio six days a week, interval training on Tue, Thurs, Sat.

Did I miss something? You sound fired up and educated. What more do you want? :)

I'll give you the high-five for the 37lbs lost, but what more do you need? I didn't see a question in that post anywhere! :)

Good job! Keep it up! :tucool:

Guidance is all over this forum man, just look for what you need.

Though I recommend the photo gallery, lots of amazing transformations in there already in progress. If that's not motivating, I don't know what is

I get discouraged when my doctor says my goals are unattainable, but I don't quit.

My goals are to break the 300 pound barrier by the end of July, and break the 250 pound barrier by the end of the year. I know the goals are tough but so am I. I will not give up, I am doing this for me but have support from my lovely wife and my 2 daughters.


First of all, congratulations on your progress to date! The first step is to want to do it and you've already done that. Having the full support of your family is an added bonus.

I can't imagine why your doctor would discourage you. Maybe he/she thinks 88 lbs in 10 months is a little quick. It only comes out to about 2 lbs per week and that's highly attainable. Besides, I don't believe in selling yourself short. Set high goals and find a plan to get there.

If you haven't already done so, the first thing to do is to take pictures and measurements of yourself. I didn't do that and it was a big mistake. The thought of it was too painful at the time but now I wish I had a "before" picture for comparison. It's too late now unless I want to regain 50 lbs!

If you've read a lot of articles, you no doubt know what a clean diet looks like. Low fat protein, low glycemic index carbohydrates, and good fats. Get rid of anything in the house that doesn't meet those requirements, or do like I do and have your wife hide them from you.

Put a diet program together and let the folks on this board critique it for you. Time flies when you're having fun. You'll be at your goals in no time.

Welcome, Seatguru. Its good to hear you've decided to stop Atkins. I have done Atkins about five times, but have now sworn off it. While I agree that it works for weightloss, I do not believe that it is healthy. After my last round of Atkins my blood pressure shot up to 135. One month after quitting and two weeks of eating clean, it has gone back down to 120.

You probably know this, but a balanced diet is more then just adding carbs. Eat clean. This means unprocessed foods, slow burning complex carbohidrates (whole wheat, brown rice, etc), and unsaturated fats. When you eat is also important. Eat like this and exercise as you have been, and you should live a long healthy life.
:gl:

I appreciate all the responses I have received. Sometimes its nice talking with people who share similar goals. Having people to share my problems with is half of my battle. Thanks again.

I'd consider finding a new doctor!? But congratulations on your losses so far man. I too am built like a football player, probably cuz I used to play, and according to my BMI and other nonscensical calculations, I'm mobidly obese! Jeah right. Anyways, keep it up, one day at a time.