Avoiding it

helpingme103

I'm 20 years old & I know I'm overweight. Just posting this takes a lot because I never want to do anything about it. I've been blessed with very accepting and nonjudgmental people, but I know that this is something I need to do to make myself happy and truly be comfortable with my own body. It would mean a ton if people could share their tips or tricks. I plan to start to take this serious, seeing as I've been overweight basically my entire life and I've never done anything about it.

Thank you & feel free to add me and help me stay on track and hold me accountable.

lorrpb

There are lots of tips in the sticky posts at the top of each forum. Read these and also read the first page of posts in each forum. Doing so will give you a lot to think about snd do! Good luck.

PaulaWallaDingDong

It's tough even admitting that you have a weight problem, rather than being "naturally heavy," which, frankly, doesn't exist. Even when I started MFP, it was more of an experiment than anything. I hadn't admitted anything to myself at that point. Then once the weight started coming off, the denial was pretty much over and I'm down about 50 lbs since January, and another 60 to go. All I can say is, be as honest and accurate as possible, and trust the system. (Speaking of trust: Don't trust the food database entries without verifying them yourself. Even the verified ones are wrong half the time. Create your own entries if need be.)

marsinah1

Welcome. Changing ourselves and developing new lifestyle habits isn't always easy or comfortable, but it's better than choosing to do nothing and remain unhappy and uncomfortable. Coming here and announcing your intention to do better for yourself is a great first step. I've only been here for a few months, but here are a few things I've learned since joining the site. Take what's good for you and leave the rest behind.

The food log is a great tool. Keeping the most accurate possible log of everything consumed (even chewing gum and breath mints) is an eye opener and had me making better choices almost immediately. Pre-logging the foods I anticipate eating 2 or 3 days in advance and adjusting as needed makes it easier to stick to my calorie goals.

Some days we do better than other days at meeting our calorie and exercise goals. It's ok to fall off the wagon for a day, a week, or even longer (if that happens.) What's more important than falling off the wagon is leaving that episode in the past and getting back on the wagon again, and again, and again, as many times as it takes.

It's much easier to make a small change, give myself time to get used to it, and then make another small change to get used to than it is to make a bunch of big changes all at once.

Just because we get enough exercise and eat correctly, doesn't mean that the scale will obediently show us a smaller number every time we step on it. Some days the number burbles up a little, some days it refuses to budge one way or another, and some days you'll see what's referred to here at the "woosh" effect.

It's a good idea to get a tape measure, pick a few body parts, and take measurements every month. Sometimes even when it doesn't seem like we're losing weight, the measurements will prove otherwise by getting smaller.

Our weight changes throughout the day. Someone who weighs themselves nude every morning after emptying their bladder can find they weigh a few pounds more if they check themselves later in the day after having a couple of meals and bottles of water. If you're going to weigh yourself regularly, pick a consistent time of day and set of conditions to do it under.

Giving up chocolate or lemony desserts would make me a very cranky and unhappy person. Plus, my grandparents would be disappointed to come for Sunday dinner and find there's no dessert. Disappointing my grandparents is totally not an option, so I make a point of allocating some of my calorie budget for dessert and chocolate. (And if we happen to go over our calorie budgets for the day, no biggie, because a day or two of going over our calorie budget doesn't wipe out every other good thing we've done for ourselves, we get back on the wagon the next day.)

As we get closer to our goal weights, the weight loss can start to happen more slowly.

Over zealously cutting too much fat out of our diet and cause itchy skin. Lotion and body oil only helped a little. Adding a bit more fat back into my diet resolved it.

Some types of estrogen are stored in fat. Some women find that more significant episodes of weight loss can kick enough estrogen out into their system to have an effect on them, ranging from spotting to slightly increased fertility.

You'll find many wonderful and helpful people here, but that doesn't mean we're going to be coddled or told what we want to hear. Be prepared for a variety of viewpoints and ideas.