I have a confession (long post)

[dwpa]

I'm fat. I know I'm fat. I'm not just fat, I'm huge. I stand 6'1" and weigh in at just shy of 400 lbs. Now, this didn't used to bother me very much, because, honestly I never really had much use for impressing people with my studly good looks. But since I've opened my eyes (with the help of this forum) to the realities of personal protection, got my CCW, and taken upon myself the responsiblity for my loved ones' well being, I find that my weight is more of an issue than I really thought. Now for some background before I get into why I'm posting my freaking diary on CC:

I'm 24 years old and was diagnosed 2 years ago with Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, a type of non-hodgkins lymphoma, or cancer of the white blood cells. My doctors have got me on some medicines that are doing a pretty dang good job of keeping me alive, but the side effects are constant fatigue, low grade fever, and muscle aches (the medicine is actually the same stuff your body produces when you have the flu to up your immune system, so I feel as if I have the flu constantly). This is partially to blame for my physique (or lack of one). Also, I am a paramedic in Little Rock, Arkansas, and work some crazy hours (168 hours every two weeks) and the crew quarters doesn't have any weights or bowflex or anything like that to work out on.

My question is whether anyone here can give me any advice for a workout regimen that I can follow with minimal downtime at work, and no equipment to do it on. Also, can anyone give me any advice for eating a little healthier when we don't have much of a kitchen to cook in and are forced to eat out most of the time. Any help would really be appreciated. I'm going to try really hard to turn my life around, I just need some help/support.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[rocky]

Sit ups , pushups ect. Running would be ideal as well, or maybe look for a used exercise bike you can get cheap if you have room. If you can , prepare meals, more small meals will make a difference.
I imagine with having muscle aches and a fever , exercise must really suck for ya. perhaps some on line exercise routines, diets might help. Good luck to you , it isn't easy.

[Hopyard]

Given your complex and precarious medical situation, you should ask your oncologist (the doc prescribing the interferon) to send you to a dietician (or perhaps to a physician who is a weight loss specialist) to see what can be done.

It is impossible to exercise weight off. And dieting might not be right for you at this point in your fight with leukaemia.

Talk to your docs.

[P95Carry]

Dang it dude - you have a lot on your plate and I cannot imagine how you do the hours you mention.

Better eating will not be just down to kitchen facilities - it will be down to choice of what you buy and eat - even including some raw foods like veg' - quite a lot of veg when eaten with minimal cooking (stir fry) - gives good vitamin input but low calories and sometimes is anabolic - it takes more energy to digest than it yields.

If tho eating out is predicated a lot - choose subs perhaps - low fat meat and plenty of salad stuff on wheat bread. Avoid the burgers and fries.

Now re excercize - and remembering how tired you feel - you do not need ''equipment'' - you have all you need in the old body itself. You can do rep's in an aerobic manner and still burn off some weight. I am not sure what regimen to suggest right now but I remember a thread not long ago talking about getting shape - maybe it'll be findable.

You sure need to if possible get down to initially 300# and target 250# - and I can tell it will be hard but determination will help a lot.

You will get some support here - it's how we are on CC but for sure, much will be down to your efforts. Hang in there and I reckon once a few more folks come along to this thread, we'll have some ideas for you.

[QKShooter]

For sure you have taken the first step & that would be being absolutely positive that a lifestyle change is long overdue & that you're going to do something positive about it. Kudos!

A Very Important reminder that whatever you do...please run it by your family doctor before you try anything to make sure that it's OK with your Doctor and that you're not conflicting with any medication or preexisting health issues.

One very painless thing that you can start on first is simply to increase your daily fiber intake with a natural fiber supplement.
The fiber increase is always quite beneficial & as an added bonus it makes you "feel full" quicker when you do eat so...you'll just naturally eat less food.

Also just start right away doing light weight lifting since doing that builds muscle and whatever muscle you build burns existing body fat.

Make up your mind starting right now that every time you go out to eat you will automatically leave 1/3 of your food on your plate.
Get in the habit of NOT eating everything. Lie to yourself and look at your plate and just say: "I'm full & I can't eat any more."
It is not a sin to waste food if your health is at risk.

Drink more water.

Pick one place that you normally drive to every week & walk there instead if possible.

Do not drink DIET soft drinks. Never. They are a cruel trick on the human body & they throw your entire body chemistry off.
Artificial sweeteners are much deadlier than people think they are. They are absolute poison to the system. The chemists that developed them don't use them. I know that for a first hand fact.
Drink plain water or half water-half and fruit juice.

See you're already off to a painless start.

[P95Carry]

Do not drink DIET soft drinks.

Amen to that QK - I suggest anyone does a search on aspartame and come back and say it's wonderful stuff.

Dread to think what some folk's long term problems might be. Reminds me of the guy who eats two or three big Whoppers and then has a diet Coke to ''put things right''

[Rock and Glock]

Given your complex and precarious medical situation, you should ask your oncologist (the doc prescribing the interferon) to send you to a dietician (or perhaps to a physician who is a weight loss specialist) to see what can be done.

It is impossible to exercise weight off. And dieting might not be right for you at this point in your fight with leukaemia.

Talk to your docs.

Ditto to that - several sessions with a nutritionist could also be invaluable. Ask your doctor for a referral, or, better, the oncology staff at the hospital or clinic may have support staff to help you through some of these issues, as well as the American Cancer Society.

Better eating will not be just down to kitchen facilities - it will be down to choice of what you buy and eat - even including some raw foods like veg' - quite a lot of veg when eaten with minimal cooking (stir fry) - gives good vitamin input but low calories and sometimes is anabolic - it takes more energy to digest than it yields.

If tho eating out is predicated a lot - choose subs perhaps - low fat meat and plenty of salad stuff on wheat bread. Avoid the burgers and fries.

Now re excercize - and remembering how tired you feel - you do not need ''equipment'' - you have all you need in the old body itself. You can do rep's in an aerobic manner and still burn off some weight. I am not sure what regimen to suggest right now but I remember a thread not long ago talking about getting shape - maybe it'll be findable.

You sure need to if possible get down to initially 300# and target 250# - and I can tell it will be hard but determination will help a lot.

You will get some support here - it's how we are on CC but for sure, much will be down to your efforts. Hang in there and I reckon once a few more folks come along to this thread, we'll have some ideas for you.

Ditto on that too - start reading the nutrition data on the foods you buy - read hard and compare - you'll begin to realize that high fat percentages and high calorie counts go "hand-in-hand" with prepared food (either at a restaurant or at a store), so you need to focus on preparing your own (lots of fruits and veggies, low fat meats and breads and pastas; or eating out real smart - Subway! Avoid burgers & fries and pizza.

It's easy to drop calories in soft drinks - just buy diet drinks - 0 calories - the best kind! There's a dispute here, see above..... So I'll just say, skip the pop and drink a lot of water

Exercise - walk as much as you can. Walking is free, no equipment needed, and it will help you drop weight! Consider getting a small heart rate monitor to help you understand your body (heart rate, calories, etc), as well as a simple pedometer.

But - first - enlist the help of your doctor - his staff - his nurses - and the support groups in his clinic and hospital. They can help and support you immeasurably. They will also be sensitive to you therapy.

You can succeed! You've taken the first step , and we're all there to help!

[dr_cmg]

Dang it dude - you have a lot on your plate and I cannot imagine how you do the hours you mention.

Now re excercize - and remembering how tired you feel - you do not need ''equipment'' - you have all you need in the old body itself. You can do rep's in an aerobic manner and still burn off some weight. I am not sure what regimen to suggest right now but I remember a thread not long ago talking about getting shape - maybe it'll be findable.

Here is the thread that Chris (P95Carry) was talking about. It has some good info in it.

http://www.combatcarry.com/vbulletin...ad.php?t=12500

You've made the first step, just keep making them one at a time.

[P95Carry]

Thx for digging the link George

[one eyed fatman]

Walk, walk, walk and then walk some more. Keep walking till you can't walk anymore then walk somemore. Don't stop, just keep walking.

[gamboolman]

I am 47 years old, and three years ago I had a physical and found out I had high cholesterol and a hernia. So after getting cut and patched up the Dr. wanted to put me on medicines but I did not want to go that route. They sent me to a nutriionist and everything I grew up eating was bad for me, so it was a major lifetstyle change to make for me. But it was that or medicine. Here is what I did/do and still do. I work international in the oilfield offshore West Africa (hot humid and hot ) on a floating platform with lots of stairs. I had to walk to recover enough to be able to go back to work, I just kept walking. Every day at work I will walk for 45 to 50 minutes from the bottom of the facility to the top about 200 steps. This is in a hot and humid environment so I am soaked with sweat and breathing hard. When I 1st started I could only do a little bit, but I kept at it. I also started doing pushups and chinups. When I 1st started I could only do 10 pushups and only 1 chin up. But I do it every morning when I roll out of my bunk, now up to 80 pushups and 10 chins palms out and 10 chins palms in. I eat oatmeal for breakfast and fruit and not much for lunch, for dinner I eat a bowl of ramon noodles that I add tobasco sauce and red pepper and some bouillon cubes in and I eat a lot of fruit. I also drink a lot of water, and I mean a lot of water each day. I take electrolytes mixed with some gatorade as the sweat salt cakes up on our work clothes from all the sweat. I do the same on my days off in the states. I walk 6 miles each day, do pushups and chin ups when I roll out of bed, and I really don't eat a lot and my wife has me eat all low fat stuff.
Anyway I lost ~70 lbs and got my blood numbers down to good levels, but I will have to watch what I eat all my life as I have been blessed/cursed with the the genetics for high cholesterol - life can be unfair at times !! I will admit I feel better than I have in years and years. You can do it ! You do not need any gear or a gym - just walk right there at work and when at home. You will make slow and steady progress. Hang in there, and I hope you enjoy each day of the rest of your life ! Remember - you can do it.
Carry your pistola with you when walking for dogs and protection. I carry in Houston so its hot and humid all the time. I carry a PM-9 due to the sweat factor, I recommend one of the plastic guns.
Keep us posted on how you are doing !

[jarhead79]

As far as diet is concerned. The easiest way for me to get started is to portion smaller meals. The important part is to portion it before you start eating. Eat more than 3 times a day and you won't feel like you're starving. Maybe 5-6 times a day with these smaller meals. It should work wonders for your metabolism.

[ELCruisr]

Another way to begin getting into shape used to be called "dynamic tension". Charles Atlas used it to become a champion body builder, he didn't use weights. Saw a guy in the military use the same system and it really made a big difference for him. I used some of it back in my martial arts days to develop huge leg muscles for kicking. Couldn't find a pair of pants I could slide my legs into that would fit my waist. Umm, those days, like my knee joints, are gone now. Try a search on it and see what you find. A little out of favor these days 'cause it dosn't sell equipment but there's still good info out there.

[dwpa]

Thx for the words of encouragement, guys. For the last 2 days I've been doing 10 sets of 10 abdominal crunches and 10 sets of 10 leg lifts each day, as well as walking a couple laps around the parking lot of the ambulance service. I've not had much opportunity to diet so far, but I'm forming a plan. Probably a mixture of everything everyone has said in this thread (e.g.: fiber supplement, smaller portions eaten more often, low fat meats, vegetables and fruits). I'm going to keep up the exercise and implement the dieting tomorrow. I'll try to keep everyone informed of the ups and/or downs if anyone is interested. Maybe some before/during/after pics or something. Keep those suggestions coming, and thanks again.

[lowflyer]

It looks like you have a lot of good advice here and you seem to have a good start. The only thing I would add is prayer. Keep the spirit healthy and the mind and body will follow.