Losing Weight

[drjonz]

There is a lot of good info from some of these people. the thing that has not been mentioned to much is eat more often. If you are just starting out eat about 5-6 times a day. What a lot of people don't understand is the more often you eat the faster your metabolism has to work. Don't eat a lot at each meal just eat more often. Lots of protein and carbs are good right after you exercise. Good foods are chicken, fish (tuna and salmon are amazing for you) Drop the soda and drink lots of water. Greens are one of the greatest things you can feed yourself, spinach is another amazing thing.

Next, go move around. About 20-30 mins of cardio a few times a weeks is good. You don't need to run all the time either. Row machines, eliptical, walking on an incline will all work as long as it raising your heart rate up. Track your workouts though. Get a good app for your phone or ipod, jefit is what I use and it tracks everything. The only reason I say that is it will track your progress which is the best motivator for anything.

Another good thing to check out is bodybuilding.com there is a lot of info on there and they can set your meals up for you as well as what exercises you should do. Check it and keep us posted. Good luck, It's always rough to get started but once you do it it's worth it.

resources: been doing this a long time.

[lsmf5]

Firstly OP, well done for taking on such an adventure.

From my own experience Ive been losing weight for a year now. Overall ive lost 3 stone = 42 lbs. Admittedly it's not a fast weight loss but it's a constant one. previously i had lost huge amounts of weight from following diets, the problem is that the diets didn't change my mentality and after a month or two of each id just put the weight straight back on.

Do not rush yourself into losing weight, doing so will only put a lot of pressure on you and increase your failure rate (unless you have amazing willpower). I would recommend that you consult your doctor as to what a healthy weight loss program will look like. I would not recommend taking fat-loss pills however as not all fat is bad.

When buying food and drinks etc. look at the ingredients, i found by educating myself on food values and ingredients I made better choices when purchasing goods. It also sunk in how bad certain food was for me, whereas previously I was just oblivious and would eat whatever I fancied.

I would also recommend cutting out alcohol as much as you can (if you drink that is) as alcohol is a huge weight gainer.

You should look at joining a local gym or some exercise classes but not all in one go, you need to take little steps into a routine that feels good for you.

In regards to food, 3 meals a day many will tell you is wrong, this is true. If you eat 3 meals a day you're letting your metabolic rate decrease. Ideally you want to wake up and drink some water, do excercise then 6 meals throughout the day. With breakfast lunch and dinner being a good size varied meal, and your in between meals just something to keep you feeling full. Also aim to drink at least 2 litres of fluid a day.

Another no no is fruit juice, although the vitamins are great it has a lot of sugar, it doesn't matter that this is naturally occuring sugar it still has the same effects on you. What is better to do is to eat the fruit itself, this will still provide you with vitamins and minerals but you will also feel fuller much more quickly.

Also steer clear from fizzy drinks, they will only do you harm, especially the non-diet ones.

You should give yourself a cheat day every week too, where you can have a treat of some sort. My treat is normally a chocolate bar and I always look forward to it especially if ive worked hard that week on my weight.

Most of my knowledge comes from my part-time job at a gym while studying.

[Deleted]

Firstly OP, well done for taking on such an adventure.

From my own experience Ive been losing weight for a year now. Overall ive lost 3 stone = 42 lbs. Admittedly it's not a fast weight loss but it's a constant one. previously i had lost huge amounts of weight from following diets, the problem is that the diets didn't change my mentality and after a month or two of each id just put the weight straight back on.

Do not rush yourself into losing weight, doing so will only put a lot of pressure on you and increase your failure rate (unless you have amazing willpower). I would recommend that you consult your doctor as to what a healthy weight loss program will look like. I would not recommend taking fat-loss pills however as not all fat is bad.

When buying food and drinks etc. look at the ingredients, i found by educating myself on food values and ingredients I made better choices when purchasing goods. It also sunk in how bad certain food was for me, whereas previously I was just oblivious and would eat whatever I fancied.

I would also recommend cutting out alcohol as much as you can (if you drink that is) as alcohol is a huge weight gainer.

You should look at joining a local gym or some exercise classes but not all in one go, you need to take little steps into a routine that feels good for you.

In regards to food, 3 meals a day many will tell you is wrong, this is true. If you eat 3 meals a day you're letting your metabolic rate decrease. Ideally you want to wake up and drink some water, do excercise then 6 meals throughout the day. With breakfast lunch and dinner being a good size varied meal, and your in between meals just something to keep you feeling full. Also aim to drink at least 2 litres of fluid a day.

Another no no is fruit juice, although the vitamins are great it has a lot of sugar, it doesn't matter that this is naturally occuring sugar it still has the same effects on you. What is better to do is to eat the fruit itself, this will still provide you with vitamins and minerals but you will also feel fuller much more quickly.

Also steer clear from fizzy drinks, they will only do you harm, especially the non-diet ones.

You should give yourself a cheat day every week too, where you can have a treat of some sort. My treat is normally a chocolate bar and I always look forward to it especially if ive worked hard that week on my weight.

Most of my knowledge comes from my part-time job at a gym while studying.

Ok lets go through this.
Do not rush yourself, true.
No alcohol, true.
Gym, Semi true, id start with a brisk walk every day when starting to lose weight.
6 meals a day.... I cant believe you believe this crap..... Eating 6 times a day DOES NOT increase your metabolism, eat how many times you want, when you want. You dont even need breakfast if you dont want to eat it.
I agree with the no fruit juice.
Fizzy drinks are fine aslong as they are diet. Like Pepsi Max / Coke Light / Zero

[Deleted]

www.bodybuilding.com read everything you can, get motivated stop being lazy about food/gym and start losing weight, ive been at it for 2 months with diet change+lifting+cardio and ive lost A LOT of weight and built a small amount of muscle.

[Deleted]

Sports and gaining muscle is the key to loosing weight.
You heighten your passive energy consumption and get very healthy in no time, if you do like 3x60min sports every week. Some solid mix of stamina training and muscle training is the best.

Food is only second in importance. There are many, very healthy overweight people, because they do sports.

Your main reason to loosing weight should be to get healthy, and this you only can manage with sports, sports, sports. You can eat only broccoli and apples 24/7 for months, maybe you loose some weight, but you won't get healthier if you don't train your body.

Try to eat carb-rich food only in the morning, try to eat more potatoes than bread/rice. In the evening you can stuff yourself till you explode with good vegetables, like apples, broccoli, raw carrots etc. Just no bananas, grapes etc.

You don't need to plan your day and meals, its unnormal. You have to be normal and live and enjoy your life, only then the diet makes sense and there won't be a weight gain afterwards. Eat until you are satisfied, just eat the right stuff and -do sports- First month maybe 2 times a week, then later 3 times and finally every day.

Loosing weight can be hard, but it doesn't have to. Enjoy your life, you only got one, so make the best of it.

I'm too lazy to calculate now how many pounds are kg, but I've lost 130 kg in 16 months about 10 years ago. (230->100 and I'm 1,90m). If I can, you can do that too!

[Deleted]

Sports and gaining muscle is the key to loosing weight.
You heighten your passive energy consumption and get very healthy in no time, if you do like 3x60min sports every week. Some solid mix of stamina training and muscle training is the best.

Food is only second in importance. There are many, very healthy overweight people, because they do sports.

Your main reason to loosing weight should be to get healthy, and this you only can manage with sports, sports, sports. You can eat only broccoli and apples 24/7 for months, maybe you loose some weight, but you won't get healthier if you don't train your body.

Try to eat carb-rich food only in the morning, try to eat more potatoes than bread/rice. In the evening you can stuff yourself till you explode with good vegetables, like apples, broccoli, raw carrots etc. Just no bananas, grapes etc.

You don't need to plan your day and meals, its unnormal. You have to be normal and live and enjoy your life, only then the diet makes sense and there won't be a weight gain afterwards. Eat until you are satisfied, just eat the right stuff and -do sports- First month maybe 2 times a week, then later 3 times and finally every day.

Loosing weight can be hard, but it doesn't have to. Enjoy your life, you only got one, so make the best of it.

I'm too lazy to calculate now how many pounds are kg, but I've lost 130 kg in 16 months about 10 years ago. (230->100 and I'm 1,90m). If I can, you can do that too!

You cant exercise away a bad diet.

Eating healthy is the key, even if it is calories in / calories out.

[blabber]

Exercise does help quite a bit, but there are other ways, if you do not have the time.
Eating right, and eating more throughout your day - just 5-6 small meals (I myself eat 4-5, with as much as I can handle, don't do that) with moderate carbohydrate intake with at least 25-52 grams of protein. Eating more times throughout the day is what's going to speed up your metabolism, never miss a meal.

I never did have to lose weight, I inherited a stupid fast metabolism, which is impacting my goals to gain weight. It's kind of funny, I want to be 325 and weigh 216 atm, and you are vice versa. In the world of Powerlifting, all we do is eat big, every chance we can get, and I still can't gain much. I wouldn't practice a strict strength routine when you're at the gym, maybe circuit training/crossfit would be a good way to start. It's hard to at first, but once you get a solid routine going, you'll be at your goal in no time.

I don't know too much about weight loss, but I do sell products which have even amazed me with the results I've seen in people. The Advocare 24 day challenge is a great way to start. It's in two phases, phase 1 - the cleanse phase, it's an Herbal cleanse formula along with a few fiber drinks and probiotic restore pills, this will take place form days 1 through 10. Phase 2 - the MAX phase will include Spark energy, Meal replacement shakes, and some Metabolic boosters of your choice. In this phase, it will teach you how to be healthy, maintain it, and set you up so you can meet that goal in no time. Most people drop about 18 lb in 3 weeks just from the challenge, along with using BCAAs to retain lean muscle mass during the drop, in addition with thermogenic pills & Omega 3s to replace your bad fats with good fats. It does include from metabolic boosters as well, depending on what you are going for.
www.choosethechallenge.com (I'm not trying to push a sale, just thought I'd throw this out here.)

[Deleted]

"Food is only second in importance. There are many, very healthy overweight people, because they do sports."

this sentence shows you clearly dont have a clue about this..........................

[Deleted]

Exercise does help quite a bit, but there are other ways, if you do not have the time.
Eating right, and eating more throughout your day - just 5-6 small meals with moderate carbohydrate intake with at least 25-52 grams of protein. Eating more times throughout the day is what's going to speed up your metabolism, never miss a meal.

I never did have to lose weight, I inherited a stupid fast metabolism, which is impacting my goals to gain weight. It's kind of funny, I want to be 325 and weigh 216 atm, and you are vice versa. In the world of Powerlifting, all we do is eat big, every chance we can get, and I still can't gain much. I wouldn't practice a strict strength routine when you're at the gym, maybe circuit training/crossfit would be a good way to start. It's hard to at first, but once you get a solid routine going, you'll be at your goal in no time.

I don't know too much about weight loss, but I do sell products which have even amazed me with the results I've seen in people. The Advocare 24 day challenge is a great way to start. It's in two phases, phase 1 - the cleanse phase, it's an Herbal cleanse formula along with a few fiber drinks and probiotic restore pills, this will take place form days 1 through 10. Phase 2 - the MAX phase will include Spark energy, Meal replacement shakes, and some Metabolic boosters of your choice. In this phase, it will teach you how to be healthy, maintain it, and set you up so you can meet that goal in no time. Most people drop about 18 lb in 3 weeks just from the challenge, along with using BCAAs to retain lean muscle mass during the drop, in addition with thermogenic pills & Omega 3s to replace your bad fats with good fats. It does include from metabolic boosters as well, depending on what you are going for.
www.choosethechallenge.com (I'm not trying to push a sale, just thought I'd throw this out here.)

Just stop.
Eating 5-6 times a day DOES NOT speed up your metabolism...
To the thread starter, dont take metabolic boosters, meal replacement shakes etc... Save your money, supplements are not worth it unless you NEED it.

[Deleted]

You need to abandon the calorie in and calorie out idea. It is carbohydrates that fuck you up.

If you seriously want an insight view on things, read:

http://fourhourbody.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat.../dp/0307949435

I am not even gonna argue this. I lost 26 pounds in a month which by the theory of calories in / calories out should be impossible. I lost 50 pounds in 3 months on this. And I did only mediocre exercise like running maybe twice a week for 6 to 10 kms.

Again, wrong.
It is calorie in calorie out. Carbs dont matter.

[Jaxsz]

Well, can you lose weight eating nothing but pure sugar by tablespoons with calorie deficit? Sure. What kind of loss it is going to be? Lots of muscle mass loss, little fat. How long you'll be able to do it? Maybe a week or two. Pure sugar/rice does not provide any other nutrition - no vitamins, no minerals, so you'll end up in a severe malnutrition state, unable to continue.

It is much easier to stay on a low carb diet - the hunger simply goes away, sugar cravings go away and there's no willpower needed to eat less - you do it automatically.

Once again, yes, "calories in /calories out" balance is the gauge whether you lose or gain weight, but not all calories are the same. Some are empty junk, some bring actual nutrition your body needs, learn to separate them. It is easy to lose weight if you choose wisely. But it is really hard or impossible if you follow the whole-grain fat-phobic common wisdom.

This is the only reasonable advice in this thread so far.

All calories are not the same. "Calories in < calories out" is not a useful thing to talk about. Exercise isn't necessary, and has actually been shown to be almost a detriment to actual weight loss goals in the long term. Getting some extra walking etc in is fine, but trying to do P90X is stupid. Diet is *absolutely* at least 95% of your weight loss.

Give up the worthless carbs. This doesn't necessarily mean "low carb," as I personally eat 100-150g a day easily in the form of nuts and vegetables. You don't need "whole grains," you DEFINITELY don't need sugar. Give it up and in a few weeks your body will be back on track to actually regulating your hunger properly as your hormones will get back in balance.

Buy some non-starchy vegetables and any delicious meats you want - steak, lobster, crab, fish, chicken, whatever. Use some grass fed butter (Kerrygold is amazing). Eat fat, it's great for you - just don't eat the junk with it. This isn't a diet, it's just the healthiest diet and lifestyle for a person to have. Make it a permanent change in your life.

I lost 120 lbs in about 6 months doing this and have been great now for years.

[Tovo]

Again, wrong.
It is calorie in calorie out. Carbs dont matter.

Your old fashioned closed mindedness could hurt someone. Please don't act as an authority on this if you only have your own case study to draw from. Good day.

[Khazaad]

I lost round 75 pounds, maybe 80 since march 2012, sitting at 170-175 with below 10% bodyfat and slowly gaining on lean muscle mass for past 2 months.

*breakfast: oatmeal is loaded with more sugar than you think. Substitute it with 1/2 cup of raw oats with 1-2 dl of low fat plain yoghurt (0,5-1.0 fat%). Eat with 1/2 of sour apple or 1/2 cup of forestst fruits.
*lunch: No sandwiches! skinless chicken/turky breast/lean venison steak/fish (if using canned tuna put it into a bowl fill it with warm water, than leave for 10 min for all the oil to float to surface, than pour watter out) /eggs(limit yourself on one yolk per day, rest of the eggs separate and use only whites) with steamed or boiled broccoli/spinnich/zucchini or fresh tomatoes/lettuce or some pickles.
*dinner: same principle as with lunch, lean white meats or fish with veggies.

Avoid, absolutley, without exceptions: salt, suggars, oil, fats, pasta/rice/potatoes/bread (anything starchy in general), bannanas, grapes, beans, green beans,carrots in that order of importance.

*If you have to use oil on something use 2-3 drops of extra virgin olive oil a day max, fry on non stick fry pan.
*No mayo/ketchup or simmilar sauces. Substitute with mustard, it's tasty, and has almost no calories in it.
*If you drink coffe or tea feel free to add low fat milk, and artificial sweetener.
*Use low fat cottage cheese as sidedish or meal on its own.
*No alchohol/sodas/flavoured water. Lots of plain water otherwise.
*Allow yourself one meal a week of whatever you want, but plan it ahead, and don't overindulge. 1 meal=1serving, not as manny BigMac's as you can stuff in.
*If you use cheet day (see above) follow it with a protein only day, means no veggies/fruits.

*Big thing is: Plan ahead, alwais know what your next meal is going to be, go to grocery store daily and refresh on supplys on frequently eaten foods, empty your house of all foods you won't be eating for next few monts atleast. If you come home from work tired, and find that you don't have healthy food in fridge, you are most likely to bulk and just order a Pizza, don't allow it to yourself.
*2nd big thing: IF you bulk and mess up a day, get up and continue with original plan tomorrow! Dont fall into self decieving loop of '' I messed up this morning, so i guess i can eat wathever the whole day since it's too late anyway. Oh, yesterday was a disaster, lol, I might aswell eat this shit today, i gotta start from beggining anyway...''

*Workout. I did, and am still doing, street workout (pullups, dips, chinups, pushups, leg raises, holds etc...). It might be quite hard for an out of shape overweight person ( no offense intended, I was there too), so 30-60 min of brisk walking or bycikling a day will do just fine, and as stated before you will in time get addicted to it.

1st 10-20 days WILL be hard, but in time it becomes lifestyle. When i hit my target weight 1st time i kept loosing further, even though i started eating everything, and then i started counting calories and realised i was eating ~1250 kcal per day max, my body just got used to it and i wasn't hungry while doing so (and tbh eating ~2000kcal of chicken breast and broccoli a day is not that easy), so i tweeked it and now im doing great.

I used to be the guy who would sit last at the table and eat everything that remained, and now I'm a health food/workout freak and I anoy the hell out of everyone arround me So you can make it too, just need to decide that you will. As the saying goes : '' Stop saying 'I should', say 'I will' ''.

[Deleted]

Your old fashioned closed mindedness could hurt someone. Please don't act as an authority on this if you only have your own case study to draw from. Good day.

Its funny how you dont know anything

[Deleted]

Good grief. Why do I even dignify you witha response. I linked you literature and first hand experience. But whatever. It is the OP who needs to make up his mind and if he choses to listen to you, it is his loss. Meanwhile I know what I know and have experienced and what makes sense and that.....is all that counts.

I went to that shitsite fast and read the front page, i did.

"How Tim gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, without steroids, and in four hours of total gym time
" Thats physically impossible.
"How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested" Guess that can be true, but its not optimal.
"How to add 150+ pounds to your lifts in 6 months" yeah... no.

People actually pay 15 bucks for that? I dont want to live on this planet anymore.

[Jaxsz]

Again, wrong.
It is calorie in calorie out. Carbs dont matter.

Hilariously false. A good idea in theory (I will agree with the law of thermodynamics here) but it isn't nearly that simple. This is setting people up to fail.

The calories that go in greatly effect both the amount that go "out" and the type of body mass that goes "out" in this equation. The type of calories that go in also greatly effect a persons hunger and satiety, all crucial to any long term success with weight loss.

A person eating 1500 calories a day of meat and vegetables for a year will not look the same as that identical person eating 1500 calories a day for a year of refined carbs. Pretending that they would is just stupid and makes you look foolish, and you should stop doling out worthless advice to people.

And that's not even noting the fact that the person eating nothing but refined carbs will never have the "willpower" (not real) to resist binging / over eating due to only eating the foods that stimulate increased, relentless hunger.

[rodroy323]

If you take plenty of crystal Meth & smoke crack, you'll lose plenty of weight. The only downfall is that you'll end up dead or addicted & living off the street.
If you don't want that, then just a proper diet & exercise is needed. No trainer needed, trainers are just for the weak people that can't motivate themselves and too lazy to do their own research or pick up a magazine or two for tips. Long and short of it, eat less, exercise more.

[The William]

I got into body-building/lifting on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. I was a skinny kid who wanted to look better & become bigger, an ectomorph or (hard gainer). My "diet" consists of well over 5,500 calories a day with 1.25-1.5g/protein per body lb a day. I've been able to accomplish amazing results in a little over a year so far. Now .. your body-type called an Endomorph while, I'm sure very frustrating to deal with, is actually not a bad place to be in when you're starting your journey to a better body!

I'm stating this now, because I think, you like most people might be taking a much slower road to success in where you'll focus heavy on your calorie intake and cardio amount and steer away from an avenue that will not only let you lose weight, but increase your strength and muscle mass! So when you hit your goal of 210 (not sure how tall you are?) you'll also look great, feel great & move mountains!

I'd strongly recommend considering adding bodybuilding into your weight-loss plan. With proper "diet", supplementation, exercise & rest you'll see solid results within a year. And to be honest, you'll only have to do 1/2 of the cardio and be able to do the more enjoyable things while obtaining the same results!


Are any pills effective? Not miracle weight loss pills, but vitamins and other kinds.

There are many fat-burners that can help aid the process, but of course, there's no miracle pills. Some of them have appetite suppressors in them if you feel that's needed. Honestly, i'd steer clear of them. But in terms of other supplements there a tons! BCAAs, Creatine (YES you can lose weight and take Creatine), Proteins (Casein, Soy & Whey), Fish Oils, et cetra!


How many calories should I try to deficit every day from the calories I need to maintain my weight, how much of this should come from exercise?

Everything I know is based on the other end of the spectrum but i'd imagine it's relatively similar for the endomorphs. If you eat clean protein meals (smaller, 5-6 times/day) you will be fine. You should still be eating good amounts of food a day to supply your muscles and body with the nutrients and energy it needs throughout the day and throughout your exercises. Clean protein meals such as chicken, tuna, salmon, and the like - go as natural as you can with the foods and limit the toppings you put on.

Currently, I plan to drop over 120 pounds, I am 330 pounds and want to be 210 when I finish, how long is an acceptable goal?

Usually, you should always set shorter goals that are attainable. Like i'd really like to see 5lbs in a month, or whatever it may be. You'll usually smash your own goals and you'll feel great. But make them reasonable, this WILL take time - but it WILL work, if you put the work in. The great thing of the healthier lifestyle is ... that, unlike many things in life, if you put the work in, you WILL get results. Stick to it, keep your head up, and after awhile it's not even a chore. Going to the gym, running, whatever will be something you look FORWARD to everyday I kid you not.

I was thinking original oatmeal for breakfast most of the time, some kind of sandwich for lunch, and some kind of meal involving chicken breast for dinner. Is eating the same exact meals every day inherently bad?

Not really, no. Oatmeal's a nice breakfast and you can make it tolerable with adding some fruit and cinnamon! Egg whites can be a good way to go as well, or even some healthy pancake meals. Try to change it up every few weeks to make it tolerable haha. I did oatmeal for near 5months every morning and now I can't stand the stuff. Sandwiches are always a great choice IF you buy the correct stuff. Low sodium turkey (Boars Head makes a good one) offers a lot of protein with a small amount of fat. Some light mayonaise for flavor, and other toppings on natural bread (Arnold's bread is a good choice if ya got it). And dinner yeah, change it up! Chicken with spinach and brown rice, Tuna steaks, Salmon - be creative! There's TONS of delicious healthy recipes out there.

But honestly, don't limit yourself to 3 meals a day. You can do smaller portions of equal amounts of food and you'll still obtain your goals.
Chobani Yogurts in between meals to start until ya get a real plan! Tons of protein, most have 0 fat, and they taste pretty good!

-

I don't know if this is the avenue you're looking to take, and i'm by no means a personal trainer. But I was a skinny kid who made leaps and bounds and now I feel great about my body and myself and i'd really like to help ANYONE on the same path. If you have any other questions or want help with exercises, ideas, or whatever ... feel free to message me here.
Water flavoring packets - bad?

[Jaxsz]

I got into body-building/lifting on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. I was a skinny kid who wanted to look better & become bigger, an ectomorph or (hard gainer). My "diet" consists of well over 5,500 calories a day with 1.25-1.5g/protein per body lb a day. I've been able to accomplish amazing results in a little over a year so far. Now .. your body-type called an Endomorph while, I'm sure very frustrating to deal with, is actually not a bad place to be in when you're starting your journey to a better body!

I'm stating this now, because I think, you like most people might be taking a much slower road to success in where you'll focus heavy on your calorie intake and cardio amount and steer away from an avenue that will not only let you lose weight, but increase your strength and muscle mass! So when you hit your goal of 210 (not sure how tall you are?) you'll also look great, feel great & move mountains!

I'd strongly recommend considering adding bodybuilding into your weight-loss plan. With proper "diet", supplementation, exercise & rest you'll see solid results within a year. And to be honest, you'll only have to do 1/2 of the cardio and be able to do the more enjoyable things while obtaining the same results!


Are any pills effective? Not miracle weight loss pills, but vitamins and other kinds.

There are many fat-burners that can help aid the process, but of course, there's no miracle pills. Some of them have appetite suppressors in them if you feel that's needed. Honestly, i'd steer clear of them. But in terms of other supplements there a tons! BCAAs, Creatine (YES you can lose weight and take Creatine), Proteins (Casein, Soy & Whey), Fish Oils, et cetra!


How many calories should I try to deficit every day from the calories I need to maintain my weight, how much of this should come from exercise?

Everything I know is based on the other end of the spectrum but i'd imagine it's relatively similar for the endomorphs. If you eat clean protein meals (smaller, 5-6 times/day) you will be fine. You should still be eating good amounts of food a day to supply your muscles and body with the nutrients and energy it needs throughout the day and throughout your exercises. Clean protein meals such as chicken, tuna, salmon, and the like - go as natural as you can with the foods and limit the toppings you put on.

Currently, I plan to drop over 120 pounds, I am 330 pounds and want to be 210 when I finish, how long is an acceptable goal?

Usually, you should always set shorter goals that are attainable. Like i'd really like to see 5lbs in a month, or whatever it may be. You'll usually smash your own goals and you'll feel great. But make them reasonable, this WILL take time - but it WILL work, if you put the work in. The great thing of the healthier lifestyle is ... that, unlike many things in life, if you put the work in, you WILL get results. Stick to it, keep your head up, and after awhile it's not even a chore. Going to the gym, running, whatever will be something you look FORWARD to everyday I kid you not.

I was thinking original oatmeal for breakfast most of the time, some kind of sandwich for lunch, and some kind of meal involving chicken breast for dinner. Is eating the same exact meals every day inherently bad?

Not really, no. Oatmeal's a nice breakfast and you can make it tolerable with adding some fruit and cinnamon! Egg whites can be a good way to go as well, or even some healthy pancake meals. Try to change it up every few weeks to make it tolerable haha. I did oatmeal for near 5months every morning and now I can't stand the stuff. Sandwiches are always a great choice IF you buy the correct stuff. Low sodium turkey (Boars Head makes a good one) offers a lot of protein with a small amount of fat. Some light mayonaise for flavor, and other toppings on natural bread (Arnold's bread is a good choice if ya got it). And dinner yeah, change it up! Chicken with spinach and brown rice, Tuna steaks, Salmon - be creative! There's TONS of delicious healthy recipes out there.

But honestly, don't limit yourself to 3 meals a day. You can do smaller portions of equal amounts of food and you'll still obtain your goals.
Chobani Yogurts in between meals to start until ya get a real plan! Tons of protein, most have 0 fat, and they taste pretty good!

-

I don't know if this is the avenue you're looking to take, and i'm by no means a personal trainer. But I was a skinny kid who made leaps and bounds and now I feel great about my body and myself and i'd really like to help ANYONE on the same path. If you have any other questions or want help with exercises, ideas, or whatever ... feel free to message me here.
Water flavoring packets - bad?

He's not on the same path. He's overweight, you're genetically underweight. The things you do and the foods you eat will not work for him.

[Maoli]

Cut out high sugar/high salt foods when you can, and start walking each day. Everyone I know that tries to lose weight always worry about diet and changing up all their foods and they continuously fail at losing the weight and keeping it off. You don't need to eat special foods to lose weight and get in shape. You need to cut out the unnecessary calories you are eatting each week and get more exercise. Stop eatting fat foods, stop buying chocolate bars, stop drinking sugar rich pops. Most of all, find an area close to home that you can walk. Don't go somewhere you need to drive to for exercise, that's always a good way to fail to continue doing it.

Also, don't expect to lose it fast. Losing a lot of weight fast isn't normal, you didn't gain it all fast, you shouldn't expect to lose it all fast. I lost 45lbs over the span of about 6 months just walking almost every day and barely adjusting my diet at all. I cut out fast food and chocolate and tried not to sit around as much. I'm still lazy most of the time, i still eat pizzas and food I enjoy and I feel a lot better.