opinions please

amber914137

I have a ? I am a 25 yr old woman who somehow managed to get to 226 lbs ;( well I drink a ton of pop well I gave that up actually like today! I can't stand being this big anymore and I was thinking about doing a all protein diet (JumpStart) for the next 5 days to kinda kick start things while walking 20-60 min a day.... And after the 5 days bringing back whole wheat breads, low fat cheese, whole grain pastas..... Is this a good place to begin?

pebble4321

It's certainly not necessary, and I've never even heard that it's desirable to eat all protein. That sounds horrendous to me. Depriving myself of whole food groups would be a surefire way to have me feeling resentful and ready to give up after about a day and a half.
Why not just eat more moderate amounts of a variety of foods? Especially if this is the way you plan to continue.
Your plan to start walking is a good one though, stick with this!

CattOfTheGarage

Why is it everyone wants to be in a hurry to get weight off? It took a while to put it on, it's going to take a while to get it off again.

OP, start as you mean to go on. There is no effective way to quickly lose weight - not if you want to keep it off. Weight loss is a long game and you have to be in it for the long haul. That is necessary, as some of the changes you make to lose weight need to become permanent if you're going to keep it off. If you have a mindset that this is a "diet" and it's "temporary", you will only ever get temporary results.

So chuck the high protein crazy diet. Instead, start using myfitnesspal to track how many calories you are eating and how many you are burning due to exercise. Then eat less, move more, and start learning about how to lose weight and keep it off, slowly and in a healthy way. These forums have plenty of good information on them - read everything you can find.

And good luck! this is a great thing you are doing, and can change your life if you really commit. Go and read the "success stories" forum if you want some examples.

philippakate197

I agree with this^^^!

Diets don't need jump starting - that's for car batteries. Just put your stats on here, eat food you like within your calorie budget and be persistent. An all protein diet will probably make you really constipated, not to mention all the nutrients you miss out on from other foods. There's no need to eat low fat cheese either, unless you prefer it to the normal kind. Personally I think it tastes like rubber!

yarwell

Protein alone isn't necessary and might be unhealthy. Your need about 15 grams a day of fat to get the essential omega 3 and 6 oils. 30 g/day might be better for your gall bladder & bile system.

Baked goods from brown flour aren't essential items.

Hornsby

No. A good place to begin is to start something sustainable now and eat at a slight deficit. You don't need a jump start.

mumblemagic

Read this:
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

And this:
nhs.uk/Livewell/weight-loss-guide/Pages/losing-weight-getting-started.aspx

No need for a huge deficit at the beginning. Make changes that are sustainable, to prevent relapse.

PaulaWallaDingDong

32 years old, 250 lbs to 168 and counting. The only "jump start" that ever made a difference was that first half pound after learning to track calories.

KetoTeacher

The two hardest things I ever gave up were cigarettes and pop(Pepsi), so believe me if you are like me a drunk a ton my ton was 12+ cans per day then you will have enough of a challenge just doing that. That being said, if you do that you will be minus many calories so just long and stay at a deficit and you will do great. Good Luck it's hard. I'm 77 days pop free

Add me if you need a friend on MFP

crazymama2both

I say grab some friends here, log those food and exercise calories and keep coming back daily!

dlkfox

Welcome to MFP!

No need for the crazy diet. Just eat the things you like at a calorie deficit. That's all the start you need!

Since you're giving up soda, realize that you will have some side effects of giving up caffeine. Headaches, fatigue, stuff like that. If it gets really bad, you can always switch to diet to ease the symptoms and wean yourself off from there.

Mavrick_RN

See if you can stay off full-cal sugar-infused pop for a month. That is a huge change right there. Like PP said, try diet pop if you need the caffeine or carbonation.

This is not a quick fix website. We're in it for the long haul of a sustainable lifestyle. Plenty of other places that will take money from desperate people.

mommazach

I started at 217 and am down 34 lbs now. Pepsi was my once a day habit. I now drink water and coffee... and that's about it. I started on Low carb diets. I love my proteins. I was told I had Wheat belly from my Dr, and though it took me 2 years to take his advice, I finally started losing after dropping wheat. It now makes me ill, but... that is just me. Make sure you set realistic goals for yourself. Log and measure everything. Make sure you exercise and if you eat back your calories burned, only use about 1/2 of them. Find great supportive friends and keep going. You can do this.

ogtmama

You're just starting, try to remember that this is not an exercise in punishment, it's a new life where you get to feel healthier and better about yourself every day.

my guess is that giving up pop will probably create the caloric deficit you need for now which is a great buffer while you are in the learning curve.

Spend the next little while learning about portion sizes (get ready for a shock!) And try out a bunch of different kinds of exercise to find out what you enjoy. I like big long walks with the baby, I've really learned a lot about my city.

Enjoy the journey!

novio50

It's great to track your meals to see what and where you can change. Eating protein sounds good but you won't feel energized. I've done it, but my reasoning I'm sure was different. Cut the sugar, balance the diet, stay moving and you'll see the changes long term instead of short term. I believe that's the type of results that you seek.

mom22dogs

Figure out the calories you need to be at to lose a lb or so a week, and just cut back your calories to that. You don't have to go on drastic "diets" to lose. Things like what you are suggesting is why people don't keep weight off. Weird things like that are not sustainable.

MarziPanda95

novio50 wrote: »

It's great to track your meals to see what and where you can change. Eating protein sounds good but you won't feel energized. I've done it, but my reasoning I'm sure was different. Cut the sugar, balance the diet, stay moving and you'll see the changes long term instead of short term. I believe that's the type of results that you seek.

There's no need to cut out sugar to lose weight. Sugar is fine in moderation.

rhsdancer5

If I were you I would do a 5day (or however long you want) day cleanse. You don't have to buy a fancy kit. Just a fiber drink of some kind. And cut out dairy and as much sugar as you can along with soda. Try to stick to fruits, vegetables, and lean protein, and some carbs for your cleanse. It will help get your body back on track for a healthy lifestyle! I have done this and it really helps me and many people of all sizes and shapes get on track for a their health journey. (Also most people recommend only doing a cleanse every 90 days at most)!
Good luck!! Feel free to add me!:)

BiggDaddy58

This is a great site, and you'll get a lot of good sound advice. I would say, do some research on your own. Find out what your BMR and TDEE are..pick a sustainable amount of calories a day..whether that's 1200 or 1400 whatever. Learn about foods, portions, calories, carbs, fats, etc. Pick foods that are healthy and you enjoy, or you will not keep at it.

Likewise, find an exercise or a few, that you enjoy. Walking, biking, whatever it may be and incorporate that into your life. Giving up pop! Kudos to you! I did the same thing. I have had maybe 3 cans of coke since March 1st.

I would suggest you weigh yourself daily to begin. Keep a log for maybe 20-30 days..so you can see, your body will fluctuate in weight and you will not get discouraged. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet and exercise program.

You've got this!!! You can do it!!!

MarziPanda95

rhsdancer5 wrote: »

If I were you I would do a 5day (or however long you want) day cleanse. You don't have to buy a fancy kit. Just a fiber drink of some kind. And cut out dairy and as much sugar as you can along with soda. Try to stick to fruits, vegetables, and lean protein, and some carbs for your cleanse. It will help get your body back on track for a healthy lifestyle! I have done this and it really helps me and many people of all sizes and shapes get on track for a their health journey. (Also most people recommend only doing a cleanse every 90 days at most)!
Good luck!! Feel free to add me!:)

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1159755/looking-for-a-detox-cleanse/p1

A 'cleanse' is completely unnecessary and potentially dangerous.

OP, just eat normal food in a calorie deficit. That's it. That's all that anyone needs. Why do people overcomplicate things like this?

TavistockToad

Sounds fine if you don't want to poop for 5 days!

Ready2Rock206

Nope. No ridiculous fad diets. You don't need a jump start. Just start logging - work on habits you can continue for the long run. Start with a solid foundation and build from there. You wouldn't start building a house on top of legos - don't start your weighloss on top of a unnecessary and potentially dangerous foundation.