Super, Jose!

In my opinion, the addiction to food is the hardest to break. Have you ever accomplished a goal this big before?

You will need regular exercise and a healthy diet in order to achieve your goals. Are the people are you also overweight? What social support will you use? Do you have money for a personal trainer or nutritionist?

I've tried to achieve this goal, but I've never been able to be lower than 250 lbs. and that was when i was in 5th-8th grade (10-14 yrs. old) now I'm 285, give or take a couple lbs. the problem is that i don't know what type of exercise to do exactly, and how healthy the diet has to be, or what exactly to eat. yeah some of the people around me are a little overweight. i don;t know really about social support, my family and friends agree that i should lose weight, but they think that them themselves need to lose weight also. and no i don't think i hav the monet for a personal trainer or nutritionist.

OK.

I found some great sites for some basic info on eating right. I posted them below.

You have probably heard of the Food Pyramid, right? It was established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture sometime in the 1950s I think. The only problem is that the government was influenced by the dairy farmers and the MidWest bread basket to promote milk and breads as healthy. It is not true! So when you are looking at diets, think about looking at what people in other countries eat (people in SE Asia eat lots of fish instead of red meat ... and live up to 10 years longer!)

There is no perfect diet. You are going to have to do some research. Just remember to question your sources and ,ultimately, do what is right for you!
You can always replace red meat with a heart-healthy combination of fish, poultry, beans, and nuts.

UK http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/
US http://www.mypyramid.gov/
CANADA http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-al iment/index_e.html
ASIA http://www.mediterrasian.com/meda_living.h tm
HEALING http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/clinical/pyr amid/index.htm

AND here is a quiz about healthy eating:
http://nutrition.about.com/library/dietqui z/bldietquiz.htm


Also, another recommendation? Go to your local natural foods store. Is there a Whole Foods nearby? If so, I can give you some tips for asking people there what you can do.

Also, join a gym for a week for free. Are there any clubs or gyms nearby???

How tall are you? What do you do typically in a average day? What physical activities (that you do at least on a weekly basis) do you do? Is your immediate family also overweight or is it just you. And you don't have access to a gym? Any place where you can run comfortably or have a few weights to play around with?

-stops firing question bullets-

thanks to yogahoneybunny for the websites, i will look into them. and for Mikolas: im 6 feet tall, what i typically do in an average day is go to school until 3 pm (i have 45 min of Gym everyday, then i go home or i go to record (i'm a rapper/reggaeton artist) then i leave around 7. walk form the place where i record, to my house (around 15 min walk) then watch TV, or go on the computer, then go to sleep. my dad is a little chunky, so is my mom, my sisters aren't. one of them is really skinny, and th other is average. i have access to a gym around 30 minutes away walking, i was planning on signing up, but the problem is that i don't know what exercises to do exactly to lose my weight.

Listen, if you join a gym for free trial, you can ask the trainers there for help. Some are nicer than others, but do not be afraid! They will appreciate that you are trying to help yourself, and should offer you some really good starter points!

i didn't know that gym had free trials. i will definetly go and check that out, i thought you had to pay the trainers for them to help you. thanks for the info.

Jose,
If you can't afford going to a gym.. You can still do a power walk around the mall and get some cheap barbells and go home and work out with them.. sit ups etc..
Or jump rope.. there are lots of things you can do with out joining a gym.
Just a thought!

ok thanks but the problem is that the closest mall around where i live, is like 30-45 minutes away driving, and in the wintertime the weather around where i live gets really cold, (we are in wintertime right now) so that's why, but i will find stuff in my house to exercise with thank you, anyone else have any suggestions??

Yes ... check out an online aerobics course. There are many out there. One free beginners abs class I found is at:

http://www.demandfitness.com/pc-283-8-abs- on-demand.aspx


Or maybe take a dance class online. Listen, you've got access to a computer so use it!!! Many services require a monthly fee or might also have free samples. If you're interested, I can look into it for you some more. Here are some basic tips for exercise that I found, too:


* Exercise on a regular basis ... at least 3 times per week, preferably 4.
* You have to maintain a fairly intense workout for 30 - 40 minutes.
* The exercise you do must be enjoyable. If it isn't, you'll find "reasons" to skip it, and finally abandon it.
* You can overdo it. Don't go overboard - you'll set yourself up for injuries and burnout!

Exercising regularly increases metabolism in a good way. The more frequently you exercise, the more active your metabolism will become.

You can easily tell whether you are doing aerobic exercise at an appropriate rate for you. Here's how:

1. You are breathing heavily, but can carry on a conversation, saying 4 or 5 words between breaths.
2. You are not gasping for breath for each word you say.
3. You could not sing a song, if asked to do so.

Finding an enjoyable exercise form, might be the most difficult task of all. Try many different things. Get outside and walk. If the weather or climate doesn't permit that, do it in a mall or large shopping center. Some gyms are big enough to have walking/running tracks. If you'd rather, ride a bicycle. Or get a pair of inline or rink skates, and try that out, outside, or at a rink, wherever is suitable.

Swim
Run
Jog
Take an aerobics class (any kind)

The primary thing is, get out there and move!

You don't have to start in all at once. You don't have to commit to anything until you know that you like it. You do have to look yourself in the face, though, and make that decision to do it. 3 or 4 times a week. At intensity. For duration. You have the plan now, and that's all of it. It's really simple, and you can do it. But you have to start. Now.

http://www.thirdage.com/guides/health/fitn ess/workouts.html


This service also offers really great guides and tutorials to working out. You will have to give your email address, but the content is great. Check out the whole site, too! Lots of good information.

I take it your looking to burn off fat quickly, so the best way to do this is to improve your cardiovascular fitness. This involves things like running machines, rowing machines, cross trainers and the similar likes. Weights are also helpfull for certain areas, and you said most of the weight is in your legs. Try using leg weight machines, dumbells wont help much as they are more for improving arm muscular strength or endurance.

As was suggested, see if a trainer at the gym will set out a work out plan for you.
The best way to keep to these fitness regimes are by doing it frequently so not to reverse the effects of the workout and doing it for a set period of time at regular times. When you feel and see the effects, you will need to step up the game and overload your work out (train for longer or increse the intensity such as higher weights and higher levels on the treadmills etc.)

Hope this helps

alright thank you VERY VERY MUCH this has helped alot

Check back in maybe once a week and tell us how you're doing. Have you started anything yet? What is your plan? Lost any weight yet?

I've started playing basketball at a local YMCA, and in school I'm actually putting more effort in Phys. Ed. and also watching what i eat. i don't think I've lost weight just yet, but i feel more energized.

How do you measure success in fitness? Probably not by weight loss alone. It will depend upon your goals. Keep in mind these long term goals when assessing your fitness accomplishments:

* Have you adopted new healthy habits?
* Has your appearance improved?
* Have medical problems decrease?
* Have injuries and health risks decreased?
* Do you enjoy an improved quality of life, with or without weight loss.

It is just as important to recognize the shorter and medium-term changes you make that add to your healthier lifestyle, including

* Decreased reliance on medications.
* Increased ability to perform physical activity.
* Reduced intake of fat.
* Increased intake of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
* Healthier cooking and food preparation.
* A habit of reading food labels at the grocery store.
* Appreciation for new food tastes and textures.

sorry, i got back so late, I've been extremely busy. i have adopted new habits, i eat more fruits and vegetables ant i've tried to limit myself from fast food and fat. people say i look skinnier. i still play basketball or a sort whenever i can, i started to walk more, and. and for rooted: i measure fitness in health, if you are healthy you are fit, well in my perspective.

Yes! Glad to hear back from you Jose. And glad that hear that you've made those changes. Congratulations! Job well done.

My husband and I started walking --- 15 minutes at a time. But it really makes a difference if you do it every day. Check in again in another month. We're "rooting" for you!

~Rooted

Hi, Jose, what kind of food do you usually eat? Are you familiar with glycemic index? I am a nutrition consultant, and now focusing on helping people lose weight. I found there are so many wrong ideas about weight loss. I don't know if you are familar with the weight loss programs on the market. Do you know Yo-yo diet? or sugar roller coaster? If you really want to lost weight, I mean fat ,not muscle. I would recommmend you to read the book : Dare to lose written by Dr. Shari Lieberman. Educate yourself, then make a plan, then do it. I believe you can make it. here are the summaries:
1) Detoxify, especially if you eat a lot of junk food, high fat, sugar. Some people lose 10 pounds within one week and size change --represents the fat loss surprised them.
2) Eat low glycemic diet. Don't make yourself hungry. Never skip a meal.
3) Take supplements to help you lose fat faster, like fat conversion inhibitor and carbohydrate absorption inhibitor.
4) Change your body composition by exercise. Aerobic exercise is the best way to change high fat to low fat, and low muscle to high muscle.

If you need more information ,feel free to contact me.