Self intro / I have a long journey ahead of me...

[bigkevw]

What's up bro?  I feel your pain.  I've been on these boards now for several years and about 8 months ago I decided to quit hoping and praying and finally DO something about my condition.  My bodytype was somewhat like yours.  36 years old, 370lbs standing 5'10".  I was sick of being tired all of the time and my chest being on my mind 24/7.  I made the commitment to myself, consulted with a personal trainer/nutritionist, and haven't looked back.  I'm now 300lbs and that much closer to getting rid of this bulls#$%.  Although I still have a ways to go, I'm definitely on the right track.  I'm telling you this to hopefully inspire you.  I can't tell you how many times over the years that I "made the decision" to start getting rid of the weight to get down to an optimal weight for the surgery and ended up waisting time.  You can do it!  You just have to remember that you didn't gain the weight over a 1 year period and you will not lose it over a 1 year period either.  My target is to be around 225 - 240lbs and I'm going to get there.  Then I'm going to finally have the $#$%^ surgery and hopefully be done with this once and for all.  I even applaud you for putting your pics on here.  Although this is a forum for "us", I'm still overly sensitive about "putting myself out there".  Good luck, work hard, and let keep us in the loop on your progress.

[marffeus]

and FYI increased protein intake without carbs increases risk of heart disease because of high saturated fat. It increases calcium lost in the urine, excessive intake of meat is linked with colon cancer, and it's a burden on the kidneys. Atkins is a terrible diet, it puts your body in ketosis, that also makes your blood more acidic which can have other negative effects. Best way to lose weight is to control calories, eat balanced meals with complex carbs instead of refined carbs, eat veggies, fruits and lean meats (6-7oz!) for someone like you. Its smaller than you think. Replace EVERY beverage you drink with water, and do what i said above, and you will lose weight ina healthy way. You may not even need the surgery if your chest gets to a level that you are pleased with.

This is exactly what South Beach Diet is all about

[copious]

What's up bro?  I feel your pain.  I've been on these boards now for several years and about 8 months ago I decided to quit hoping and praying and finally DO something about my condition.  My bodytype was somewhat like yours.  36 years old, 370lbs standing 5'10".  I was sick of being tired all of the time and my chest being on my mind 24/7.  I made the commitment to myself, consulted with a personal trainer/nutritionist, and haven't looked back.  I'm now 300lbs and that much closer to getting rid of this bulls#$%.  Although I still have a ways to go, I'm definitely on the right track.  I'm telling you this to hopefully inspire you.  I can't tell you how many times over the years that I "made the decision" to start getting rid of the weight to get down to an optimal weight for the surgery and ended up waisting time.  You can do it!  You just have to remember that you didn't gain the weight over a 1 year period and you will not lose it over a 1 year period either.  My target is to be around 225 - 240lbs and I'm going to get there.  Then I'm going to finally have the $#$%^ surgery and hopefully be done with this once and for all.  I even applaud you for putting your pics on here.  Although this is a forum for "us", I'm still overly sensitive about "putting myself out there".  Good luck, work hard, and let keep us in the loop on your progress.

That is very inspiring! Thanks for sharing that. I measured my height over the weekend, and I'm actually 5' 9" - so that's a bit shorter than I thought. My BMI is also higher than I thought. So, we're actually very similar in age, height and starting weight. If you're a bit shy about posting pics now, maybe you'll feel OK about it after the weight has come off and you get the surgery done. I was a bit hesitant in putting up my pictures. In the end I compromised and covered up part of my face. Even still, at that weight, I knew it would stand out from the crowd.

Getting down to 300 lbs is a great accomplishment, and I bet it feels great! I know that's only about half the weight you want to lose, but it must be very motivating to see the progress. I'm looking forward to seeing that in myself over the next few months. I'll definitely keep you guys up to date on my weight loss, and how the gyne looks at that time. And then of course, after I get the surgery. Then I can finally start living!

[copious]

Hey guys! It's been almost 5 months and I've been working REALLY hard at losing fat. And I'm happy to say that I've gone from 371 pounds to 257 pounds. Yes, that's right, 114 pounds released in less than 5 months! I still need to lose a bit more before going for the surgery, plus I need a bit more time to save up money for it. I want to be at my goal weight (I think it should be around 180 pounds give or take 20 pounds, depending how much muscle mass I have) and get the surgery done in the next 6 to 12 months - ideally sooner so I can really enjoy next summer and spend a lot time outside without a shirt on and not be self-conscious about the weight or the man boobs.

I'm still a bit shy to put my picture up, but I will, just not with my face... I hope you understand. I've smudged my face and covered up a rather distinctive tattoo. I have photos of me at 358 lbs and 257 lbs. Of course, I'm still working on losing more weight - originally so that I could get the surgery, but have discovered so many other positive benefits!

[gotgyne]

Congratulations! Your progress in losing weight is awesome. Go on with it. BTW, you're looking much better on your last pics.

[copious]

Thanks! I feel a lot better and healthier too!

[Trycer6]

Great job man. To be honest, looking at those latest pics, it sure doesn't look to me like you have glandular gynecomastia at all. I'm no expert by any means, but if I were you, I would really work out hard and slim down to 200 pounds and see if you still have the moobs, cause I expect you wont...

[copious]

Thanks! I certainly do plan on slimming down to 200 lbs, but I suspect that I will still have the moobs... All my life, since being a teen, when I really wasn't that overweight (at least compared to the way I am now), I've always had them. They're especially visible when I bend down or lean forwards. People have noticed this for years, even when I was much slimmer. In those pictures it's not really that noticeable, but I can assure that the moobs are certainly there. I wish they weren't...

[krucial]

good luck to you man! stay motivated....damn its not a easy journey but very possible, whats hard is stayyin away from mexican food!lol ... at least thats my problem at times!!!

[wannabemassive]

Hey if gyms arn't your thing then maybe get a personal trainer that can come to ur home and train you there or down the park. At least then some one will be at your side to push you when your about to give up and remind you why you have 5 litres of sweat in that t-shirt.

BRUV PICK YOURSELVE UP AND GO FOR IT I KNOW U CAN

Wannabemassive

TRAIN HARD LIVE LONG

[copious]

I'm much better with my food choices now. Gyms aren't my thing, but I suppose if I were slimmer and didn't stand out as much, I'd be more into it. I do have a gym membership and for a while was going regularly, but not so much now. A personal trainer isn't in the budget right now though...