The New Guy Who Needs Help

[Fohammer]

Hello there, this seems to be a good place to be. Im looking to loose weight and i need help on what i need to do and how i need to go about this. I weigh about 350 pounds and i am 6'1. I install cable for a liveing and work on average 12 hours a day. Do to the type of work i do, it is hard to plan and prepare meals not to mention not a lot of free time to work-out or even go out with friends. I need help and suport from people who know and understand what im going through. please.... help me

[Maggie]

Welcome, Fohammer.

I think you'll find a lot of information and support here.

Hope you'll make yourself at home.

[Rhalvahn]

Fohammer- Welcome. Planning and preparing 'take along' meals isn't the easiest thing always - but with a bit of determination on your part - there are LOTS and LOTS of options for ready to go meals that work well from leftovers from dinner the night before.

The wisest investment I recently made was for a $2 egg poacher from Walmart - in less than 2 minutes I have sausage and eggs for breakfast. Nukable sausage... ;-)You can also make up breakfast taco (just the insides if your doing Atkins) mix and nuke it. I like convienence foods in the morning.

Lunches - cook some type of meat the night before - and if it's an option, chop it up, add stuff and make a salad out of it. I use lettuce leaf wraps (which also travel well in a ziploc bag with papertowel) to do tuna salad, or chicken salad, or egg salad. Hard boil a dozen eggs - they are always handy snacks. Or make deviled eggs (they travel well if you put them in a small container and don't mind your fingers getting a bit on them when you take them out.).

I'm sure several folks will chime in - I guess most important though - is to figure out what type of eating style have you decided upon? And have you read the book? It makes a HUGE difference.

Welcome aboard!
Dee

[QueenMama]

New Guy, welcome!

As boring as it sounds, some people use their day(s) off to cook for the week. Make every meal do double duty, making enough for 2 meals. Buy containers to store your extra, and put in the fridge or freezer (labeled!), so all you have to do is thaw and heat. Cook up extra ground beef for taco salad (buy the bagged salad, add a tomato and some onion, and there ya go!) for one meal, perhaps chili for another, adding black soybeans.

Get a wide-mouth thermos, fill with hot low carb soup or broth, pop in a couple of Nathan's hot dogs, and you'll have a great lunch. With a container of raw veggies and maybe ranch dressing for a dip, you'll have a well-rounded lunch. Keep egg or tuna or chicken salad on hand, to dip pork rinds into. And don't forget string cheese, a quick and easy snack.

[tiashanty]

Don't forget to check out the recipe section here. When I first started this woe, I think I read every recipe and printed out the ones I thought would fit my lifestyle. Having a variety of foods made a real difference to me.

Like Nita says, make foods ahead. I always have at least a half dozen hard boiled eggs in the fridge. I cook bacon by the pound and then just nuke a couple pieces to go with my eggs in the morning. Hard boiled eggs can be cut up and nuked in the morning too. Take care with the pork rinds and luncheon meats...lots of sodium in them and they can cause water weight gain.

Most important, don't forget your water. It makes such a difference in weight loss. Read the book, and come back here often to get the support that everyone is so willing to give. It's made a huge difference for me.

[edoggiee]

Don't forget there are good things to get at the fast food places. They all have salads now. I get the Wendy's chicken BLT salad at least 3 times a week. The thing you have to do is toss out the croutons and ask for Ceasar or Ranch dressing. If you eat a burger toss the buns. if you want a sandwich ask for a low carb wrap instead. If you ask the fast food places to change something they will. Their menus are not written in stone. Check out he web pages for any fast food place and you'll see the menus and you change any item to personalize it to find the best low carb choices.

Oh yeah if you have not chosen a low carb plan yet I would say get a book on one and read it.

Best wishes on your weight loss sucess.

[Lawbooks]

Welcome Fohammer!

You can do this!!! And we can help. But you have to do your part, too, so pick a plan, read the book, and post here often so that we can give you the support you need.

Have you ever done Low-Carb before?
How old are you? Are you married & if so, does your wife support you in this woe (way of eating)?
Take a minute to look over this site... there is a TON of information available for newbies and if you have any questions, we'll be happy to answer them as best we can!
Good luck!

[Fohammer]

Wow to be on a diet it sounds like your eating good.... i like that , thanks for all the info. I belive this will come in handy.
Im 23 years old and single.This is my first time trying this so im really nerves. I plain to spend a lot of time here learning as much as i can to better my self. As far as the book goes, what is it called and can i find it at the book store?

[Rob]

Welcome Fohammer! If the plan you want to follow is Atkins then I recommend Dr. Atkin's New Diet Revolution. Protein Power by Michaeal and Mary Dan EAdes is also a good book to read if you like the science behind why low carb works. Both these books are available in paperback at every bookstore.

[QueenMama]

Fohammer, I found a copy of the Atkins book at a WalMart Superstore in the book section, cost me all of $5.95, too! They also had Atkins Essentials, put out by the Atkins people, which is just an overview of the first phase of the program, induction. It also cost $5.95.

[Kimberwolf]

Hi, Fohammer! Welcome to the wonderful world of low-carb success. As for books, let me just second those listed above. If you're thinking about doing Atkins, it's imperative -- and also pretty darn interesting -- to read the book. Choose the New Diet Revolution over the Essentials books. The later is just too generic if you want to understand WHY this works.

Protein Power and the Eades' followup, The Protein Power Lifeplan, are also exceptional for giving access to some of the science behind all this. And Jonny Bowden's Living the Low-Carb Life is another great place to start. His is the most general, but all-encompassing. It gives a nice overview of lots of different low-carb plans (their strengths and weaknesses), but its real strength is its chapters of dispelling Low-Carb myths and Tips and Tricks for success. Highly recommended reading.

Good luck!

[Fohammer]

ah. Thanks, i shall see which would be better for me.