In 160 days I'm attending a wedding where I'll see a bunch of friends for the first time in ages. I want to look good in Facebook shared photos that I'll look back on years from now. I need to lose a ton of weight to do it.

One year and 3 days ago I weighed myself on the morning of an operation and discovered I was 260 lbs. I knew I was heavy, but didn't realise it was that bad. I lost about 15 lbs in the next month but have now put it back on and probably more (I don't have a scale).

- A pair of jeans that used to fall off without a belt now takes muscle & gut-sucking to button. It is one of the few pairs that fits me.

- A friend I hadn't seen since October sent me an email after meeting a couple of weeks ago inquiring after my well-being and asking if I was 'eating healthily and exercising'. Subtle.

- Previously I looked in the mirror and saw someone who wasn't *that* fat. Only getting on the scale or seeing photo would make me realise I had a problem. Now I look in the mirror, or a shop window once I'm passing it, and I see a fat guy. I have a large protruding gut. Wearing black will not hide this bad boy.

- When I'm lying on my side in bed I have so much fat that it sort of makes my arm go a circuitous root to cross my chest. It feels really gross.

I haven't exercised much partially due to bad health. It may not be possible for me to exercise much going forward. I will try to get some upper body and core work in to add some muscle before the wedding. Want to look good!

I'm this heavy because I eat too many calories. I need to eat less mass, and more veggies. I need to start logging my daily calories again.

Having lost weight a bunch of times I know it is doable. When you're this heavy the first couple of months are actually kind of fun, the weight just drops off.

I have 23 weeks (-1 day). 2 lbs a week is 46 lbs, 2.5 lbs a week is 57.5 lbs. I'm aiming for 50 lbs which I guess would get me to ~215 lbs. It would definitely make me feel a hell of a lot better. And fit in many more of my clothes.

I have a family wedding on Mar 27 next year. It's too far away to spend too much mentally energy on but if I get down to the ~215 lbs for the November wedding it would give a shot at legitimately being in shape (rather than 'better than normal') for the family do. It's an added incentive.

First aim is for the gut-sucking jeans to easily slip on by the end of June. No reason why I can not do it.

My biggest leak is crisps, or chips in America. I'm sort of addicted to them. Plan is to go all of June without them. That's probably 2lbs weight loss I'm ashamed to admit. Craving some pringles right now. Maybe I'll allow myself some on the 30th.

Diet yesterday was real solid. Little chest infection I've had for a couple of days is much reduced today am planning a walk tomorrow, weather permitting.

I wouldn't go one month cold turkey on the chips if you are addicted to them. I had the same issue with pizza.

Here's how I handled that problem:

Firstly, try finding some 'healthier' low calorie versions of the chips you like or if you can't, try some new product that has better macros than the ones you usually get. Secondly, eat a small serving or two 1-3 times a week while still hitting your targeted calories. If you like a cheat meal once a month, include a lot of your favorite chips in that meal. I used to hit 2-3 cheat meals in a month but they weren't absurdly big.

I think we're at crossroads. I'm referring to these:



While I certainly do love them it's not like Cola zero which I think I would have trouble going cold turkey on. I just need willpower. Although I'm craving some right now.

And the pizza I was referring to weighs upwards of 600g.

I don't think you'll be able to successfully diet going cold turkey on things you like.
I had about 2-3 attempts at losing weight that failed and my diet during those attempts was impeccable. I just couldn't sustain them. However, the diet on which I did lose the max weight (nearly 40kg I think) was the dirtiest of the bunch. Just my 2c.

and you seem to have a history of putting weight back on. That's classic for someone who loses it by giving up things they like instead of adapting to a more controlled regimen in terms of how much and how often they consume it, and better alternatives.

Switch to jerky. Same salty satisfaction, better macros and requires you to slow down and chew. Jerky is the GOAT mindless snack food.

Get a scale that you can use to weigh your food so you get accurate caloric intake information.

Go on daily walks, just to get moving.

But mostly, get to work.

lol i kept misreading the title of this log as 'blueberry mess'

attending a wedding where friends will also be coming is a strong motivating factor. It's why i started and finally succeeded in my last attempt to not be fat.

Backstory?

Another real solid day. Very happy with what I ate. I'd forgotten what it felt like to be slightly hungry. It feels so great to go to bed not feeling bloated. And to go to bed knowing you've ate at a calorific deficit and hence lost blubber. Wonderful.

This was my dinner, going to be lots of stuff like this.



Days without crisps: Two.

Good luck OP.

Have you gotten a food scale yet?

I'm a big fan of eating crap in moderation. I'm dieting right now and still eat hamburgers and pizza all the time since I love it. I also have a huge sweet tooth so I eat candy or ice cream a couple of times a week. I just make sure it fits into my macros and that I'm not eating so much of it that I'll have to starve myself for the rest of the day.

I guess it's all personal preferences though.

Good luck with your goals. I'm sure you'll make it. Just keep your eyes on the price

Another good day.

Ate some more salmon/courgette/brown rice/coconut oil/onions for breakast/lunch.
Ate two chicken thighs along with a red bell pepper, a medium sized sweet potato, an onion and some goose fat for dinner.
Ate two oranges during the day.
Went pretty easy on the fats.

Treated myself to a pint to celebrate Blatter resigning.

Felt full despite eating way less than I have for the past numerous months and that's a good sign.

Bought some fruit which I intend to devour tomorrow.

Chest infection is persistent but it's not too impairing.

What will I eat tomorrow? There's a chicken tikka wrap that needs eating. Some low fat peach yoghurt i've had in my fridge for a while that is really tempting me. The fruit. Some spinach which still looks lively but is a little old that I want to eat before it goes off. I'll probably mix that with goat's cheese and beetroot. Maybe some croutons or nuts as a treat. All of that sounds good and seems close to my calorific goal for the day but it's lacking some protein. I bought some quorn mince today so I'll try to work that in. Maybe quorn mince sliders.

I feel so much better already (although eating better is probably related to feeling better too). I have much more energy. I don't go to bed feeling disgusted with myself. I know if I stick this out for the rest of the month I'll easily feel the difference when putting my jeans on. And I'm looking forward to that, very much.

When I was food shopping today I walked past the crisps isle. Instinctively I went to check it out, which items were on special offer, whats flavours looked good etc. Standard part of my shop. Then I remembered I was dieting. It wasn't *that* tough. I hope in a week or two I won't even be tempted to buy those cursed temptations.

I reckon I've averaged 300 calories a day in crisps for the past couple of years. That's 31lbs of fat a year. And not even filling calories, I could have forgone those without any discernible increase in hunger. Even if you assume 180 calories a day which I'm pretty sure is lowball it's 18lbs a year which over 3 years is the difference between being obese enough to have doctors query me about it, and being in average shape. Pretty sickening.

If I eat well for the next week I'm going to treat myself to a big delicious cigar on the 10th. Really craving one but I do not deserve it. 7 more days of eating well and I will. And I will ****ing enjoy the ****ing **** out of it.

Days without crisps: Three.

some

Are you counting calories or just eating less than before and guesstimating?
Any exercise?
Be careful with nuts

I'm eating way less than before, only eating when I'm hungry, eating more fruit and vegetables, and avoiding junk like crisps. Not counting calories but I do intend to.

No exercise yet since I have a persistent chest infection. It should be gone in a few days. Other health issues will prevent me exercising as much as I'd like to but I do intend to walk and do some core exercises.

Nuts are super calorific I know. I generally avoid buying them since they're delicious and I'll down a 100g bag in a day rather than portioning it out over a week.

chips and coke? seriously?

get into a gym every day, just walk on the treadmill, just do something every day. thats it. you don't need a special program. just go in every day, and do what you can. some days you will feel better and want to challenge yourself. other days you will only do some random stuff for 20 minutes and leave. thats fine. the reason people quit is because they go too hard. just get in there and do something little. every day. the consistency after 6 months, along with diet changes, and you'll be near your goal

Diet coke. Not saying it's healthy and I wish I drunk less but it's not (directly at least) contributing calories.

I walked ~3 miles today. And I feel amazing.

If you're aiming for 2 pounds a week, you're going to have to eat at a 1000 calorie deficit per day...that's really tough unless you're logging hard. Good luck, but maybe lower the bar to 1.5 pounds a week to make it easier for yourself. Cut out/minimize the fats and oils used for cooking whenever you can and use more spices, the extra 200-300 calories are almost like the chips.

Ugh, accidentally deleted a long post.

Good news and bad news.

The jeans don't fit me. Not even close. They shrunk in the wash which is odd since I've washed them multiple times before.

I checked myself out in the shop windows and I'm even fatter than I thought. I look like I'm pregnant. I've been very fat before but never like this. It's like I walk down the street and there's a belly that's always one step ahead of me. I'm probably 270 to 280 lbs.

If I am 280 I can drop 20 lbs in 6 weeks. and then 15 in the next 6 wks. And 20 in the next 10 weeks. This gets me to ~225 by the wedding. Not great but I'd look 'normal' to my friends. Meeting up with someone you haven't seen for ages and knowing the first they'll notice is how fat you are is an awful feeling. I've another friend in town in 8 weeks which is an incentive to crack on until then.

Infection was persistent but it finally feels like I'm beating it. Very mild right now.

Yesterday was a good diet day. Small chicken tikka wrap for breakfast. 3 mile walk. 73 calorie shandy and 94 calorie ice cream treat. 6 inch low fat turkey breast and ham sub on 9 grain wheat bread. Double meat, toasted with green peppers, pickles and cucumbers. Fruit. 360 kcal shepherd's pie.

Stopping at one ice cream was really tough. I bought a box of 8 and my standard is definitely to eat more than 1. I went as far as taking a second out of the freezer. Also, I'm yearning crisps. It was harder to walk past them in the shop. And even thinking about them has me wanting to go and buy a pack. One of the small 100kcal ones. What's the harm...? But I will resist. 6 more good days and I can enjoy that cuban cigar. mmm.

The walk gave me a big endorphin rush. I haven't had that for ages. It felt so good.

Jun 4

2 * shepherd's pie = 720 kcal
100g kale + 1 tbsp olive oil = 150 kcal
1.5 * heinz macaroni cheese can = 510 kcal
Bread = 300 kcal
Shandy = 70 kcal
Ice cream = 90 kcal
3 skin on chicken thighs = 600kcal
Spinach, beetroot, goat's cheese = 100kcal

Total = 2540 kcal

Walk = 1 hour 10 minutes = 590 kcal

Kcal ate = Kcal walked = 1950.

Pretty happy with this. Damn packet said chicken thighs were 150kcal each w/o skin but I ate the skin. WTF. Added 50 kcal per thigh (some of the oil is left in the pan). Apparently my basal metabolic rate w the walking is 3718 and I ate 2540 so that's pretty decent. I am hungry though. Might eat a grapefruit.

While my calorie level is fine there's too much crap in there. Shandies and soleros are nice but 160 kcal a day on them is a leak. 4 lbs in 3 months. I can keep eating them and still lose weight but I'd rather try to cut them out 5 days of the week. Heinz mac n cheese while having 86 kcal per 100g is not good calories. And 300 kcal from bread is a lot. I normally don't eat bread but when I tend to crave it when I diet ... I think this is part of a carb craving - any suggestions? I got plenty of veg with the kale, spinach, a bit of beetroot + some veggies in the shepherd's pies. And the potential grapefruit.

5 more solid days and I'll smoke that beautiful cigar. Looking forward to it. Walked in to the store to buy the shandy and I literally went to pick up crisps a couple of times. It's so instinctive. This was just after the long walk so I was tired. Shortly thereafter walked past a fish and chip shop which had a £4 lunchtime offer along with a very appetising picture of the world's greatest food. mmm. Didn't buy it but I think I might treat myself on cigar day.

Tomorrow I'm going to finish off the half tin of mac n cheese. I have a couple of soups, will heat one of them up and eat with 150 kcal of bread. Will wolf down a bunch of spinach with beetroot and goat's cheese. And cook salmon at some point.

Days without crisps: five.

Re: carb cravings: Eat more vegetables. Then eat some more. It's almost literally physically impossible to eat too many.

The problem is when I have a carb craving, broccoli just won't do it. I probably need to wolf down some greens before the craving.

The trick is to really load up on veggies before a carb craving hits you.

I would go ahead and fulfill that craving as soon as possible and from then on include a ton of veggies in every meal and fill your stomach with them. You'll be much less likely to get major cravings.