30 year old female, 297 lbs, ready to make a change.

mnvicke

Hello everyone.

My name is Melissa. I'm 30 years old, I live in Massachusetts with my husband, and I am ready to make a positive change in my life. I used MFP for a little while in the past, just to track food. It was helpful in terms of making me think about what I was eating more than I previously had, but at that point in time, I did not have the motivation to stick with it.

I currently weigh 297 lbs, although earlier this year I topped out at my heaviest weight ever - 315 lbs.

Recently, a few things have happened that really brought my weight - and the problems I face associated with it - into full view.

First, my husband travels occasionally for business. He had to travel to Germany for a week, and I had really wanted to go with him. We discussed going for an extra week, taking a vacation after his work was concluded. Being aware that I am not a small person, I looked up the airlines and checked out how wide the seats were for economy - 17". At 17", I would be stuffed in the seat like a ready-to-burst sausage, the arms of the seat gouging into my thighs, and my shoulders rubbing up against my husband AND some poor stranger........for a fantastic 7-hour plane ride. Round trip.

In the end, I decided not to go with him. That was a real eye-opener.

Also, I am a historical interpreter. This means I wear period costume, at a historical museum, and interact with thousands of people each week. Lots of those people take photos, and some of them end up on the internet - because people love sharing photos from vacations and travels. I see some of these photos from time to time, and can only think "OMG - is that really what I look like?!?" None of these photos ever have snide comments or even allude to my weight, and I honestly doubt that they felt my size impacted their experience in any way, shape, or form.......but I want to see photos of myself and feel GOOD. I want to feel proud when sharing photos of myself - especially when it's of me, doing something I love.

So, I'm trying to get involved in the MFP community, as well as tracking activity and food, as a way of keeping myself motivated and honest.

My husband and I recently purchased a treadmill, which I will be hopefully getting back into the habit of using - even if it's just walking a mile a couple times a week.

I am also trying to change the things I cook. Cleaner foods - lean meats, more veggies & fruits, whole grains, moderate dairy, and less fats and sugars. Also, drinking plenty of water.

I plan to log in here frequently, posting updates, and would love to chat with anybody who is in the same situation as I am, or who has been and is making progress!

Thank you all!

2snakeswoman

I have been having a hard time sticking with the goal of losing some of my weight, so I'm 0 for inspiration and a positive example. However, I have not given up, which is one of the keys to success. Every time you find yourself awash in a sea of food you shouldn't have eaten, pull yourself together and make the very next meal as nutritious as you can and write it down. I'm using an exchange diet diary which counts servings instead of calories because I find it far easier to carry the diary everywhere with me and keep track of what I'm eating. MFP glitches on me, and sometimes it takes far longer to record a meal than I'm willing to spend.

jayv85

Welcome and I'm cheering for you.

You mentioned a treadmill. Do you have an iphone by chance? There's an app called beatburn (I think the company is lolo, or vice versa with those) and they make a bunch of apps for different machines. I've used the treadmill one for a few years now and it's great, if I didn't have that I wouldn't pass my run for the army most likely because I get bored easily on the treadmill and this app makes it better. It's definitely worth looking into (I think it costs less than $4 for the app, I don't remember if there's a free version. I got rid of my iphone but I use it on my ipad now).

I used MFP the first time after I had my first baby and lost all 40lbs within 4 months. My second I didn't and I'm still about 15lbs over what I normally am, so I'm working on it again now, 2 years later.

Let's motivate each other!

SueInAz

You can definitely do it! It sounds like you're in the right place to make it happen.

A few words of advice:

Don't try to make sweeping changes. I usually suggest people start slowly, making baby steps in the right direction. Making the decision to lose weight can be a bit scary because it's often visualized as a 180° from the way one has been living. It doesn't have to be that way. Right now the most important thing you can do for your health is lose pounds, not eat "clean" (whatever that means to you) or anything else. If changing the things you're eating starts to become demotivating, focus solely on meeting your calorie goal. Drinking lots of water doesn't have an effect on weight loss and neither does a specific combination or avoidance of foods. Don't let those things make it more complicated than it needs to be if you find it becoming overwhelming.

You will slip up at some point. We all do. When it happens, recognize what went wrong, try to develop a strategy to overcome it the next time, forgive yourself and move on. Don't let one bad meal become a bad day or a bad day become a bad week. Pick up right where you are and keep moving forward.

If you don't own a kitchen scale buy one and use it religiously. Understanding portion sizes and how many calories are in the things we eat is a big key to weight loss and maintaining it later.

Consider adding strength training sooner rather than later because it has huge benefits. You'll not only lose more fat but your metabolism will be higher. Maintaining muscle is much easier than building new muscle and your body has built up extra muscle to carry your excess weight. If you can keep most of the muscle you already have while losing the fat, you're going to look amazing when you get to your goal weight!

Take "before" pictures so you can better judge your progress visually.

Results on the measuring tape are more important than those on the bathroom scale. Measure your chest, waist, hips, thighs and any other body part you want to track and start recording them in MFP now. When the scale isn't moving your body might still be shrinking especially if you're lifting weights.

The most important thing right now is that what you're doing is sustainable. You shouldn't be trying to reach an end goal weight but changing your eating habits for life so you don't gain the weight back. That means that whichever way you're eating while you lose weight should be the way you plan to eat once you reach your goal, you'll just be able to eat a little more at that point.

Best wishes!

mnvicke

Thank you guys! You all shared great information, and I appreciate your support.

Today was a good day, food wise. I ate three meals today, and never really got hungry throughout the day - no snacking. Even after a very hearty dinner, I came in under on all my food goals. The only two I went over on a little was protein and fiber - neither of which I consider a "negative".

Last night, I REALLY wanted some chocolate. I even walked all the way into the kitchen, opened up the fridge, and stared at the chocolate bars. But, instead, I shut the door, drank a glass of water, and busied myself with other activities.

Baby steps.

gettingmarried817

I'd love to be supportive of you on your journey. Feel free to add me :-) And keep up the good work!

mnvicke

gettingmarried817 wrote: »

I'd love to be supportive of you on your journey. Feel free to add me :-) And keep up the good work!

Thank you so much! I will add you!

lzap27

I will support you too - feel free to add me. Started at 225 and have lost 21 pounds since February. I have found the community portion of the site very helpful. I log every day. A food scale is very important- I was stuck and found out my meat portions were way too big. You can do this!

mnvicke

lzap27 wrote: »

I have found the community portion of the site very helpful. I log every day. A food scale is very important- I was stuck and found out my meat portions were way too big.

Thank you! My goal is to log in at least once a day. I'm hoping that with the support of such a diverse, supportive community, I can make the lifestyle changes necessary to become healthy. I do have a food scale, and I actually have gotten into the habit of using it frequently. It's quite the handy kitchen tool!

StartEveryDayNew

I'm here. Just lost 160 pounds myself looking to lose 30 more. Feel free to add me

The_Original_Beauty

I'd love a new friend, if you want some support feel free to add me!

mnvicke

heatherlremaley wrote: »

I'm here. Just lost 160 pounds myself looking to lose 30 more. Feel free to add me

That's fantastic!!! I just sent a friend request. Thank you!!

mnvicke

The_Original_Beauty wrote: »

I'd love a new friend, if you want some support feel free to add me!

Thank you. I can use all the support I can get! I just sent a request.

LauraPAlvarez

I have faith in you! I've been on my weight loss journey for 3 months now and I'm really starting to feel great! I started at 254lbs on June 10th and I'm down to 228 as of this morning. I agree with what a lot of the previous comments and there is definitely some terrific advice in this thread. One thing that was recommended to me was to make sure that when you exercise, you don't only do cardio. The treadmill is a great way to start easing in to exercise, but starting to do some kind of strength training will really help burn more calories and help build muscle mass. I've REALLY enjoyed reading the blog "eat more 2 weigh less". They are major advocates of eating larger quantities of healthy food to help rev up your metabolism and lifting weights (or doing some kind of strength training regiment). My goal this time around is to loose weight the healthy way and to ensure that I won't do anything drastic that I can't sustain.

I'd love to help cheer you on in your journey!

sakat726

Hi! I'm 30 too I'm also here to lose weight, starting with 20 lb but ultimately hoping to lose more like 30. I have found that I tend to be pretty bad if I don't log things (I *need* something to keep me accountable), so here I am. So far I've lost a few lbs being careful and logging. I don't really "diet" in the sense of eliminating any particular foods, because, hey life is short (and I love cheese and chocolate). But I do count calories, and it seems to be working pretty well. Welcome to the community! I think with each others' support, we can do better than on our own alone. Go us for striving to make a difference in our lives!

mnvicke

LauraPAlvarez wrote: »

I have faith in you! I've been on my weight loss journey for 3 months now and I'm really starting to feel great! I started at 254lbs on June 10th and I'm down to 228 as of this morning. I agree with what a lot of the previous comments and there is definitely some terrific advice in this thread. One thing that was recommended to me was to make sure that when you exercise, you don't only do cardio. The treadmill is a great way to start easing in to exercise, but starting to do some kind of strength training will really help burn more calories and help build muscle mass. I've REALLY enjoyed reading the blog "eat more 2 weigh less". They are major advocates of eating larger quantities of healthy food to help rev up your metabolism and lifting weights (or doing some kind of strength training regiment). My goal this time around is to loose weight the healthy way and to ensure that I won't do anything drastic that I can't sustain.

I'd love to help cheer you on in your journey!

Thanks, I'll check that blog out. Congrats on your weight loss! I'm so glad you are feeling great!

mnvicke

sakat726 wrote: »

Hi! I'm 30 too I'm also here to lose weight, starting with 20 lb but ultimately hoping to lose more like 30. I have found that I tend to be pretty bad if I don't log things (I *need* something to keep me accountable), so here I am. So far I've lost a few lbs being careful and logging. I don't really "diet" in the sense of eliminating any particular foods, because, hey life is short (and I love cheese and chocolate). But I do count calories, and it seems to be working pretty well. Welcome to the community! I think with each others' support, we can do better than on our own alone. Go us for striving to make a difference in our lives!

I'm the same way. I like to have other people that can call me out when I start straying from what I need to be doing.

I'm not working on cutting anything out, but rather making healthier choices and indulging my carb cravings (pasta & rice) and sweet tooth (chocolate & ice cream) less often, and in moderation. I actually talked it over with my husband, and we agreed to limit sweet treats to weekends only, and then, only in more reasonable serving sizes. No way I could cut those things out completely - like you said, "life is short".

Thank you so much!

StephiHardy

Hey! Im in the same situation. Im around the 300 range and its just so hard!! I always end up going off my diet for some reason Im trying to get back on it now again! I added you if you want some extra support!!

RTCfarms

Hey! I was up close to the 300 at one point. I had lost about 25 pounds, got pregnant and had the baby, lost about 30-35 pounds after he was born and felt amazing! I got pregnant again, gained 25-30 pounds back and haven't lost any of it.

I have to make a change as well! I did such an amazing job of tracking and keeping on top of my eating and lost all that weight and now it's all out the window. I need to seriously get back on track, back to motivation, and back to being me! My family deserves a better me, a better mom, and a happier me!

Add me if you would like! I would love some support and motivation help as well!!

Good luck!

lorrpb

hello. You seem to have great positive attitude. I am twice your age and started at 301 more than 2 years ago. I've lost `47 with only 4 lbs left to my maintenance goal. It is a long challenging journey but definitely can be done if you can be comiitted and do the hard work. There is lots of good advice above, so I won't repeat it.Start small and progress as you are able is the best advice. The key for me was coming to grips with the realization that I would need to change my eating and exercises habits forever.I figured I could develop better eating habits and commit time to fitness, or I could develop diseases that would require me to eat or avoid certain foods and spend more time in doctors offices than I do in the gym. It sounds grim, but its reality. I love my new life and the new me.

tomteboda

You can do this! I think your head sounds like its in the right place; the place where you say "that's it, no more." and take action.

It doesn't really take "motivation" or "inspiration", to be honest. It takes grit and determination. It takes keeping your eye on the long-term goal instead of the short-term joy (yes, eating is a joy, for sure). As you develop healthier habits, it DOES get easier; a lot easier. Which isn't to say tough days wont' happen, they will, but you build on success, a little at a time.

I've celebrated (privately) every 5 lbs. Because every 5 lbs was (is) a victory. It's 5 less pounds on my knees, 5 fewer on my heart. It's 5 less stuffed into my pants. Even if I couldn't see it (and I couldn't) I accepted and celebrated that progress. For me, that was roughly once a month. I started at 270 in November 2014, and I set my goal to 1 lb/week. People said "you can safely lose 2 lbs/week" but you know, it was too aggressive a calorie slash for me. I was already feeling sorry enough for myself, and I definitely struggled with hunger. 1lb/week worked out to be more manageable. I figured I had time; I was doing this for the rest of my life, not for some specific event. And like you, I was tired of making decisions to let life pass me by because of my weight.

Instead of focusing on any specific day, I made sure my weekly goals were on target. That helped, because I could eat a little more if I was really hungry one day, or if there was a social thing going on, then cut back the days before or after a little (not too much!). I also got into the habit of weighing daily. It was terrifying at first, but now I can emotionally cope with the natural fluctuations all women have without panicking or thinking I've derailed my diet (like, I KNOW that I won't ever lose weight the week before my flow, and I will always gain some when it comes).

I started small on exercise; like you with the treadmill a couple times a week, I started by walking my dogs for a measly 15 minutes two to three times a week. The dogs, of course, were happy to make this a daily routine, and within a few months we were getting at least 30 minutes a day. This turned out to be great for all of us. I'm currently up to 70 minutes/day with the dogs (approximately, split over two walks) and they've never been in better shape.

It sounds like you have a supportive husband, and with your great attitude, I am 100% confidant that you'll experience success as well.

mnvicke

Thank you everyone! I am so glad I chose to join MFP - the love and support I am already getting is amazing! I appreciate it so much, and feel more confident every day that I CAN and WILL do this!

tayrae0323

I think it is great you are starting this amazing, hard and totally worth it journey of getting healthy. I have started it many times but always stray once I see some real success. Then I end up back where I started. Your story really struck me as I am again starting out trying to get healthy. I am in the same range of weight and am 31. We just recently flew to Oregon as a family and on the way there I had to get a seat belt extender! My worst fear came true! Needless to say I was mortified. Luckilly, my amazing husbund asked for it discreetly so only he and I knew my internal shame. On the way back I didn't need an extender but the seat belt was tight and not so comfortable. It was also very eye opening and I vowed to never be in that situation again. I love being outdoors and being adventurous but at this size I am often limited, either physically, or as you did with your trip I just opt out for fear of being uncomfortable. Anyways, your story really touched me and it really does help to know someone out there is going through it with you! I will add you and hope you add me.

mnvicke

tayrae0323 wrote: »

I think it is great you are starting this amazing, hard and totally worth it journey of getting healthy. I have started it many times but always stray once I see some real success. Then I end up back where I started. Your story really struck me as I am again starting out trying to get healthy. I am in the same range of weight and am 31. We just recently flew to Oregon as a family and on the way there I had to get a seat belt extender! My worst fear came true! Needless to say I was mortified. Luckilly, my amazing husbund asked for it discreetly so only he and I knew my internal shame. On the way back I didn't need an extender but the seat belt was tight and not so comfortable. It was also very eye opening and I vowed to never be in that situation again. I love being outdoors and being adventurous but at this size I am often limited, either physically, or as you did with your trip I just opt out for fear of being uncomfortable. Anyways, your story really touched me and it really does help to know someone out there is going through it with you! I will add you and hope you add me.

Thank you! I have tried losing weight for most of my adult life. It's always nice having others who can relate to your situation! I think we can motivate each other to become healthier, happier people!

angeleyes4643

Hi ! I am working my way through the third round of weight loss and hopefully I can learn and this be the final time. This time was my heaviest. 279 lbs. I found out 2 months ago that I am prediabetic - this is new. And it got me motivated to do something. So I have been really paying attention to what I'm eating and have recently started walking. I have lost 28 lbs in 67 days and have to say I feel pretty good. I am always looking for friends to take this journey and I love all the comments here.

mnvicke

angeleyes4643 wrote: »

Hi ! I am working my way through the third round of weight loss and hopefully I can learn and this be the final time. This time was my heaviest. 279 lbs. I found out 2 months ago that I am prediabetic - this is new. And it got me motivated to do something. So I have been really paying attention to what I'm eating and have recently started walking. I have lost 28 lbs in 67 days and have to say I feel pretty good. I am always looking for friends to take this journey and I love all the comments here.

Hi there! Have you seen the doctor since losing the 28 lbs? (Fantastic job, by the way!!) Just wondering if you are still "pre-diabetic"? I know weight loss can have a dramatic and positive impact on health problems. Keep up the wonderful work!

NMSever

Hey, just wanted to wish you well from someone who has lost 102lbs and been maintaining for 5 months now! Start with small goals and celebrate those victories! Know you will make mistakes but don't beat yourself up, just get back on track and keep at it! Good luck with everything!

bemyyfriend0918

Hey! You can absolutely add me as a friend if you want, as our stats are pretty close. I started in February at 298lbs, and as of today I weigh 202 - so I lost about 96lbs in 7 months! I still have 30lbs to go to my goal weight and hope to reach it by the first of the new year. You can totally do this

mnvicke

NMSever wrote: »

Hey, just wanted to wish you well from someone who has lost 102lbs and been maintaining for 5 months now! Start with small goals and celebrate those victories! Know you will make mistakes but don't beat yourself up, just get back on track and keep at it! Good luck with everything!

That's fantastic! You look great! Thank you for your kind words.

mnvicke

bemyyfriend0918 wrote: »

Hey! You can absolutely add me as a friend if you want, as our stats are pretty close. I started in February at 298lbs, and as of today I weigh 202 - so I lost about 96lbs in 7 months! I still have 30lbs to go to my goal weight and hope to reach it by the first of the new year. You can totally do this

Wow - Great job!!! I added you. Thanks!