Just like
@Waiting2goback I wanted to improve myself because I was a fat, ugly loser (but no slob). I started around last Thanksgiving because I wanted to get in shape so I could stop being a loser and ask a girl out - but I needed to catch her first because she is a runner. So one from November 19th to about February 1st I ran and ran, and biked. I ran almost every day except Sunday, and I started at around only 4-5 miles per day. I've been running for about 4 years before but no more than 4-5 miles per day but somehow I could not lose weight. I had real impetus now and so the main thing that I started doing was tracking EVERY PIECE of food. I didn't weight things per se but I did spend time trying to estimate the portions correctly and I recorded it all. I also gave up ALL soda...down from 3-5 can a day to NOTHING. At first I went down to 1-2 gatorades a day and after about 2 months I went to water and now some Fresca (no calorie soda). I lowered my calorie intake to about 1500-1700 calories or less per day and my exercise usually burned off about 500+. After a while I ran more and more and so my burning of calories increased.
For the first 3 weeks I defied the laws of physics because I could not lose a single pound even though I had negative calories every one of those days. It made no sense and it pissed me off to the point that I wanted to give up...but I had a goal that was important to me than food so I persisted. After week 3 I instantly dropped like 12 pounds or more (don't recall exactly) but it was a lot. I kept going and in the first 3 months I dropped nearly 40 lbs!!! It was at about that point that I found out about Disney races and signed up for the DOPEY!!!! Holy cow, that's crazy! Yeah I know. I then signed up for the
Disneyland Dumbo because I wanted a target to get to before I do the Dopey in January. Since then I've also signed up for the Star Wars Rebel and Dark Side challenges - so be warned that, YES YOU WILL GET ADDICTED!
Btw, I never caught the girl - she is fast and someone else was faster than me. I'm still an ugly loser but I'm no longer fat. I have gained probably 10lbs back from that 40 - mostly because I stopped tracking food and gave in to eating badly again but my running has picked up to around 40-50 miles/week now so I know I can drop it. As a matter of fact I am restarting my tracking for this last 2 month stretch run before the Dopey in January - if I lose the weight it will improve my time. I'm just happy I now fit into Large t-shirts rather than needing XL. I feel healthier, and even though I'm not better looking, at least I feel better about myself. Now I just want to keep running because it gives me a high and it's a challenge - I always give it my all for a challenge (though I don't always win).
So, what's my limited advice for you? I'd say definitely track what you eat and even overestimate. If you want to lose weight then you will have to run a lot - there may be days that you don't want to but you should still try. Even if it is the worst day ever just try running or jogging or walking for 10 minutes. You can always do 10 minutes. If you get to 10 minutes and still want to completely give up then do it, but if you can try to make it longer - another 10 minutes. Don't talk yourself out of it...if you can just get started it will be easier to finish. Also, I do most of my running on a treadmill - I don't get to use weather as an excuse or being too dark as an excuse, etc. And if you feel like giving up, just come here and post or go watch a video from someone that has ran a Disney race - you'll be energized again.
GOOD LUCK, we are rooting for you!
... I wont go crazy, just a set or two to get started... Thanks agains for all the advice (keep em coming 
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