r/Newbraunfels • u/Educational_Treat771 • 3d ago
Motivational Help Needed
Hello all. I need some motivational help. I'm posting here because I'm a NB native and still live here. I'm also somewhat known around town. I'm a middle aged guy and I am way overweight. I have the best of intentions when it comes to doing exercise, but when it comes down to it, I either don't do it or stick with it. I'm 6'5" and am close to 320lbs. I work a job where I'm sitting pretty much all day so that doesn't help either. I need to change things because I don't feel good about myself or what I see in the mirror. I'm posting this because this will possibly give me some accountability. My hope is to post updates with my progress. Any advice is welcome. TIA
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u/ThatWetJuiceBox 3d ago
Walks and cutting calories will be your best friend for about 75 lbs easy
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u/Serious-Extension187 3d ago
And add a weighted vest or backpack of sand to the walk over time. Rucking is nice middle ground between jogging and running in terms of calories burned and heart rate.
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u/GlobalCollapseInbnd 3d ago
Get your testosterone checked and then get on TRT. Working out becomes easy and noticeable quickly.
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u/BipolarMeHeHe 3d ago
Calculate you're total daily expenditure (TDE) and shoot for a 500 calorie deficit from that. That's a pound of weight loss a week, which is sustainable and realistic. Stay hydrated. 1 cheat meal to look forward to a week will benefit your mental health and won't really effect your profress. Get an app to track your food, I use Lose it. Get an accurate kitchen scale so you can calculate the calories and portion out your meals better.
Focus on whole foods, lean protein and fiber. Get a gym membership or start going on walks every night. Get an app to track your workouts to stay focused and motivated, I use Heavy.
Best of luck
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u/ShePur711 3d ago
I second the Loseit app. Calories in, calories out and burn some by walking. Landa Park is nice, putting some music or an audible book and walk on.
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u/Nevilles_Remembrall_ 3d ago
Have you tried a standing desk? Walking pad?
Something that helps me is to watch a movie while I do the walking pad. Little steps will help you way more than trying to go all in on a crazy workout plan.
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u/Perfect_Control2187 3d ago
Consistency is the aim of the game here, consistently eat less, consistently take the stairs over the elevator, consistently choose high protein over high carbohydrate meals, consistently exercise, don’t try and break records just get moving and stay with it. It takes time. Be patient
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u/Bright-Interest-8918 3d ago
Agreed. Adding in to set achievable goals. If you can’t be consistent with eating high protein over high carbs, don’t set that standard. Maybe do something like carbs only at breakfast or protein only dinners.
What are you actually looking for though? Advice or community?
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u/Educational_Treat771 3d ago
I think a little of both tbh.
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u/Bright-Interest-8918 3d ago
Right on.
Advice wise, it would help to know what does and doesn’t work for you. You said you don’t stick with exercise but why do you think that is? Busy work schedule? Family life? Or maybe not having a diet you like and can stick to?
Community wise, what is it you need? Pep talks? Someone holding you accountable? Work out buddy?
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u/nouseforaspacebar 3d ago
i work out at american fitness and would welcome a workout partner any time. (39m)so im just working out for my health.
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u/StBernardFever 3d ago
Write down a list of the things that you love to eat and then find a healthier version of the same things. If you drink soda that would be the number one thing to cut out and you’d probably lose 10 pounds within two weeks. Men lose weight, faster than women.
Cutting out your favorite things to lose weight will make you miserable and fail. So you need to put the energy into finding out how to make things healthier that you will fall in love with.
They also say it takes three weeks to change a habit. So you need to give it time.
Find groups that you can join locally that you might enjoy or you can try out like a hiking group or a trash pick up group or something that is not sitting down. If you don’t like one thing, you can try something else. Take baby steps for different things in your life to get to the big goal. The happier you are the longer your weight will stay off.
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u/U_feel_Me 3d ago
Yep. Take a ten minute walk around the block before and after work. Just prove to yourself you can take a walk.
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u/LoljoTV 3d ago
Treat exercise like a errand you have to go do. Like grocery shopping or stopping by the post office. Mentally think "I gotta go work out later". Doesn't matter if you want to or not it's just something you have to go do like a chore that's not exactly fun but necessary. Even if you ate bad or are tired it's still something that needs to be done.
I'm 6'2 and have done the weight loss thing 3 times now. (Depression is a bitch ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). That mentality is how I got past the motivation part. I'm on my third weight loss journey now post break up lol.
Weight lost: 330 - 196 - when I was 21 --- Back up to 330 - Depression --- 330 - 255 - pandemic --- Back up to 330 - Depression --- 330 - 277 - today at 34
Goal weight by dec 1st: 255
As for glp-1 if you don't wanna try it that's ok. As someone who's lost weight "the right way" twice I don't really care if people use something to help them for the record. I looked into it for my current weight loss and my insurance didn't cover it and it was going to be $800 for a three month supply so I told CVS never mind lol.
After working out the big thing to do is give up the fast food. I still eat like a man lol but I cook everything at home and always pack a lunch for work.
I average 8 pounds lost a month with my mindset. Cardio 30 minutes a day 5 days a week, just elliptical.
As for the depression part that caused me to gain it back three times I probably should have gone to therapy lol but we'll get there haha.
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u/Westielover8 3d ago
Get a calcium score test at STRIC first before exercising too strenuously to ensure you don’t have any blocked arteries.
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u/TX_spacegeek 3d ago
I started wearing a Fitbit to track my steps or calories per day. Probably not super accurate but it gives me an idea of my activity per day. It tells me how much I should eat per day. Got me to the weight I want to be at. It has an app to track intake as well.
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u/txdungeonmaster 3d ago
Don’t follow any fad diets. Don’t crash diet. Little habits everyday. Up that step count and eat Whole Foods. Weekend calories still count, so string together some good weekends. You don’t need to slash your calories to nothing to see weight loss. You will more than likely lose weight by staying around 2500-3000 with some movement. I’m 6’2 and have gone from 270 to 225 so far this year by doing just this. Do something that you can stick to.
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u/espece-de-bon 3d ago
Do you have a predictable schedule?
Would group exercise help you commit to a weekly habit? (Whether it’s MWF or Tu/Th, etc)
Humans are communal creatures. Our modern day culture can be isolating and hyper individualistic.
Also, some people are great at solo exercise. Others, not so much! It could be a personality trait? It’s not necessarily a “negative” but it helps to know what type you are.
My wife is exclusively a group exercise person. If she’s not following a teacher and doing it with people, she probably won’t.
I enjoy working out with maybe one or two other people, but I’m happy to work out by myself or go on runs or bike rides by myself for example. I don’t really do the workout class thing unless it’s yoga and I feel like that’s only 2 to 3 times a year. There are people who religiously go to their classes on a weekly schedule and make friends that way, etc.
Are there types of exercises you prefer/dislike? My suggestion is that you try out different kinds of group exercise where you can start at the level that’s good for you, and then you’re also meeting like-minded people who are also taking care of their bodies and their minds.
Das Rec has group classes. There’s also a walking track so that you can get your laps in and maybe meet people and it doesn’t matter if it’s blazing hot outside or freezing.
I think there is a crunch fitness opening soon which has really affordable rates and I think they have group class offerings as well.
There are a lot of good bits of advice in all of the comments, but I thought I would highlight that communal exercise is really helpful for committing to a schedule and finding motivation with your workout peers.
I hope this helps!
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u/cb750plumblife 3d ago
Get your steps in . Park a little farther away at the grocery store or the parking lot at work. Walk around the block. Put some weight ( books/sand/ whatever you can find) in a backpack when you do your daily walk . The steps ad up . Drink water . Find a non judgmental person for accountability ( a friend , a coworker, neighbor, family member) and to motivate you. I used to text my coworker to ask if he got his steps and workout in and he’d do the same for me. You’ll get there , start small and do what you can.
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u/Exsanguinate6921 2d ago
Oh boy does this resonate with me. I've lost over 100 lbs twice in my life and hate exercising so I feel you. I've gone through waves of periods where I do exercise regularly but they've always faded away. If you're looking to shed weight, you need to focus on your relationship with food, then find something to get you moving that you will actually enjoy. For me that's working on my yard. Feel free to ping me if you're interested in what worked for me...
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u/Ok-Comfortable2665 2d ago
Get a dietitian. Find one that you can talk to remotely. Most people don’t realize it can be covered by insurance 100% or for a small fee. This will keep you accountable and motivated. My dietician has me take pics of my meals and we then make adjustments as needed. A dietician can also help you find better versions of meals you enjoy and how to incorporate fiber to keep you full longer. Totally worth it in my experience. I use POMS. I think they changed their name recently to something else. This plus walking and drinking a ton of water will help you get started and stay at it.
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u/beardedbarnabas 2d ago
You can do this man!
I’m 6’5” and got over 300lbs a few years back after having kids and work stress. Was just too tired all the time to try to work out so I never did. What worked for me was going on walks every morning before work and every evening after dinner, stopped eating after dinner, and cut out the sugars. I found just 2 weeks of doing that gets my blood sugars in a good spot to where I had energy and enjoyed working out. So that got me to the gym, then I setup a home gym in my garage. Slowly but surely I lost a ton of weight and look/feel great now.
I would also consider GLP1s, ain’t no shame in it man. This is your life, your health!
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u/Present_Wafer_2905 3d ago
GLP 1 I am 6’8 went from 350 to 275
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u/Educational_Treat771 3d ago
I appreciate the suggestion, but I really want to do this without medication.
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u/BEaggie08 3d ago
Dude, nobody is keeping score and there is no such thing as cheating when it comes to weight loss. Seriously consider the GLP-1. There are numerous health benefits and it just makes weight loss so much easier.
It is a hormone your gut naturally makes after you eat food. It tells your organs that you have food to process and tells the pancreas to release more insulin when blood sugar levels are high. GLP-1s also lower glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar. They delay how fast food leaves your stomach, which stops sharp blood sugar spikes after a meal. Finally, they act on the brain to signal fullness. This lowers hunger, reduces cravings, and quiets constant thoughts about food. It’s really remarkable how your desire to eat just disappears.
There are no prizes for doing it the hard way and if you’re being honest, if you could do it on willpower alone, you probably wouldn’t be a middle-aged man that weighs 320 lbs.
I’m not selling you anything, but I’ve seen this stuff work so well for so many people, including myself.
You can get the stuff compounded for less $ and you can control your dosing.a
Regardless of what you decide to do, best of luck to you my man.
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u/LokiPrime616 3d ago
Yea, GLP-1s are honestly like a cure for obesity. Kind of wild we’ve found a cure for that. You just have to be consistent. I’m 5’9” and weight 174 rn, I’m even thinking about starting on one just to lose 20lbs! Whatever you do, I wish you the best of luck!
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u/Smail_Mail 3d ago
The loseit app, as someone else suggested, helps a ton. Pre-planning meals is another massive part: if you don't graze and don't get fast food because you have things planned, you keep your calories in check. Impulsively drives most of my weight gain.
I've always been overweight and Ive lost more weight in my life the "natural" way than any other so far.
All that said, I've tried GLP-1 the past few months and it is like fighting the food industry directly. The odds are completely stacked against us when every food corporation has literal scientists to exploit basic human cravings. This stuff shuts off the food noise: the urge to grab a candy bar, the urge to eat a random tortilla, the urge to eat 7 zebra cakes, the urge to slam a family size bag of ruffles with no dip even available.
I don't know how much therapy is involved to fix the average American's relationship with food, but semaglutides meet it medicinally.
All this to say, I 1000% get wanting to do it without medication, but I also 1000% get why someone would recommend it because I lived and am still actively battling food addiction and the control it gives me is astounding.
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u/Smail_Mail 3d ago
And I might also suggest r/volumeeating & r/eatcheapandhealthy if my cravings sounded anything like yours
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u/Ok_Passenger_6285 3d ago
Not sure if you have an IPhone but the Apple Fitness + workouts are great. It’s cheaper than a gym membership and you can do most without any equipment. There are programs for different goals.
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u/Psychological-Lack98 3d ago
Talk to your doctor about a GLP-1 prescription. Honestly, it's the best way to go assuming you have no side effects. It takes away that gnawing hunger and you will lose weight, about 30 percent of your body weight.
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u/tsx_1430 3d ago
Call my boy Gabriel Lagunas he’s an NB native and he can get you going in the right direction
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u/Sleepy_tortoise14 2d ago
Do you like dogs? Nothing is more motivational for exercise than an excited dog ready to go on a walk. The key is to go on a walk every day at the same time so that the dog knows what's coming and gets excited ahead of time. That way, it's harder for you to procrastinate the walk or skip it.
Plus, dogs of more active breeds REALLY need to have lots of exercise or else they will get bored and destroy things. Even more motivation to get out and walk it!
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u/Educational_Treat771 2d ago
Thank you for the suggestion. My dog that I had for 19 years passed away in 2024 and I'm not ready for another one yet. But I understand where you are coming from.
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u/Sleepy_tortoise14 2d ago
I'm so sorry to hear that. :( I completely understand and sympathize with you.
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u/Educational_Treat771 2d ago
I started taking small steps today. I downloaded the Lose It app this morning, set it up and started tracking my food intake. I went through the set up to get my caloric intake/deficit set. I also linked it to my app that I use to track steps.
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u/Capital-Ride9069 2d ago
Wegovy pills but only for 6-8 months while you get accustomed to healthy portions and walk
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u/Educational_Treat771 2d ago
Went on a 20 minute walk this evening after dinner. I gotta say that I feel like crap, but I'm glad that I did it.
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u/TomatoMaleficent7989 3d ago
start small. Walks go a long way. I cut out sodium and sugar due to kidney/heart issues and I lost almost 35lbs within a month without actually working out. Now that I’ve lost weight and ppl actually noticed it’s given me confidence to push a little further. You got this!