SOS - I don't want to hit 300 lbs! Help me to help myself, please

Ming1951

I think its just amazing reading all our stories. We can all do this by staying focused, working together. Isn't this a great world we live in when we all see how common our struggles and goals are. You all have brightened my day too.

Sigurjonsig

That is a goal you have set yourself. Print it and put it on your fridge. So you see it everyday. I would start cleaning up the diet one thing in a time. Get rid of soda and juices. Water, water and water is number one. Never skip breakfast. I always have oatmeal with few eggs it keep me full longer. skip the fries,pasta and pizzas. Take one step at time. one day at the time. I see myself in you. I stepped in before. It will not be easy but with the list on the fridge you will succeed.

snowflake954

Your goals are all worthy--keep them in mind. I'd suggest that you take your measurements once a week or once a month and keep a journal. As you go forward you'll hit times when you're not losing. It can be discouraging. I would pull out my journal and see how many inches I'd lost since I started, and feel good about myself and my progress. Then I'd come on the boards and read the success stories, and then I'd be ready to keep going. Best.

Zee48

kikisf

Lipstick_n_lunges wrote: »

Congratulations on deciding that you're ready to change! That part is hard and feels impossible. 1.5 years ago I was 262 pounds and miserable, I felt like I would never get better, but you will. Start small, cut all sofa for a month. Then fast food down to once a week. Walk 1 mile a day, then 1 and a half. It's slow, but you are ready and people here will support you!! It's work, I mean hard work. You are the biggest obstacle you'll face! It's hard to be over weight and it's hard to lose it, pick the hard you want to fight for!

Thank you for posting those incredible photos!!! I am coming from 262lbs trying to get back to my pre-baby weight and you are giving life!

gramarye

So, I started losing weight when I was 290, also a writer who was working at home. I lost about 100 pounds, stopped for a while, and gained about 10 pounds back before deciding I'm not quite done yet.

I would recommend starting small; pick out the first and easiest thing to change, and get good at that. I started by just counting calories for a few weeks to see how much I was really eating. Once I had a handle on that, I focused on no longer drinking calories, and then I started cutting back on specific foods here and there. I started moving around more after that.

Also: keep your expectations reasonable. It took me something like two years to lose those 100 pounds, and I don't ever really stop thinking about food. I still weigh my food, and I still always have to understand that deep in my heart, I have bad habits. I effin' love salty snacks while watching TV with my husband. (Hence, the regain over the last year.)

Good luck with it! It's not easy, but it's also not complicated. You can do it!

sbrandt37

Wow. What an open and moving request for help!

Lots of people have already given great advice. I will offer a little more. I have been through some of the same things you have, including illness and insane steroid-related weight gain. It is very depressing and the eating habits are hard to break. Here are some things that work for me:

1. Love yourself. Life is hard. You survived, so you must have done something right to get this far. Now you are ready to do something about your weight. Congratulations! You are off to a great start.

2. Take care of yourself physically and emotionally. Don't do it because you should. Do it because it feels good and you deserve it!

3. Log your meals carefully and honestly. Aim for modest calorie deficits daily. MFP makes it easy, as long as you keep at it.

4. Do *something* active every day. Go for walks. Take the stairs instead of an elevator. Find some workout videos you like on Youtube. Join a gym and use it. Do some calisthenics at home. Something.

5. Eat when you are hungry. Stop when you are not. Snacking prevents over-eating at meal-time. Replace simple carbs with protein and higher-fiber alternatives, whenever possible.

6. Do what you can, when you can. When you can do more, do more.

7. Don't worry about the big weight loss goal. Focus on the small successes that move you toward it and celebrate each one as gift to yourself that contributes to your long-term health and well-being.

Each step taken, each stair climbed, each french fry not eaten, each dessert skipped, each mile walked, each trip to the gym, ... they all add up. Over time, those small successes will lead to your big goal, and if you make them a habit, you will stay there.

gramarye

sbrandt37 wrote: »

Wow. What an open and moving request for help!

Lots of people have already given great advice. I will offer a little more. I have been through some of the same things you have, including illness and insane steroid-related weight gain. It is very depressing and the eating habits are hard to break. Here are some things that work for me:

1. Love yourself. Life is hard. You survived, so you must have done something right to get this far. Now you are ready to do something about your weight. Congratulations! You are off to a great start.

2. Take care of yourself physically and emotionally. Don't do it because you should. Do it because it feels good and you deserve it!

3. Log your meals carefully and honestly. Aim for modest calorie deficits daily. MFP makes it easy, as long as you keep at it.

4. Do *something* active every day. Go for walks. Take the stairs instead of an elevator. Find some workout videos you like on Youtube. Join a gym and use it. Do some calisthenics at home. Something.

5. Eat when you are hungry. Stop when you are not. Snacking prevents over-eating at meal-time. Replace simple carbs with protein and higher-fiber alternatives, whenever possible.

6. Do what you can, when you can. When you can do more, do more.

7. Don't worry about the big weight loss goal. Focus on the small successes that move you toward it and celebrate each one as gift to yourself that contributes to your long-term health and well-being.

Each step taken, each stair climbed, each french fry not eaten, each dessert skipped, each mile walked, each trip to the gym, ... they all add up. Over time, those small successes will lead to your big goal, and if you make them a habit, you will stay there.

This is all great advice.

mrsonewattle

Don't obsess about the larger number of pounds you want to lose in total, this goal can seem unachievable and depressing. Try aiming for half a stone (7lbs) first, then another half a stone once you've lost the first.
Personally I can't lose weight doing every day calorie counting + walking/jogging/running three miles three times a week (I tried and tried!), but I CAN lose weight, easily losing 2-3lbs a week, doing the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet where I eat only 500 calories in two days each week, then WHATEVER I fancy on the other five days of the week. The BBC documentary by Dr Michael Mosley introduced me to this (and its benefits on cholesterol and blood sugar levels), it might be on BBC iPlayer or YouTube.
This is the second time I've used the 5:2 diet and so far this time I've lost 21lbs in about 7 weeks (started at 222lbs).

Moby_Dick

I love all the advice you have given me.

The word diet gets me into a panic mode, I decided against it. I am not on a diet. I will cook normal, and I will eat normal. Carbs, fiber, protein, fat and a bit sugar. If I want to have a beer in the evening, then I have to cut the food calories. It's not rocket science when you start doing it. Some numbers surprise me, seeing the calories in black and white, damn it hurts. I overate all the time.

More veggies, more fruits, healthy carbs, lean protein. I learned a lot about food last week, streamed all kind of movies. Healthy eating requires healthy food. It's shocking what they can put in our food today.

The "aha moment" came when I looked in the china cabinet. An old soup bowl from 1925 got my attention. It's cute (don't know how to upload pics) it's small, much smaller than today's soup bowls. I got the measuring cups, and it floored me. Our soup bowls today hold three times the amount. Why did I never notice?

Portion control is the key to getting my overeating under control. There was a time when I ate normal; I have to find my way back to it. Moving is hard. I carry an adult person on my back. My knees hurt, my back aches and have troubles breathing.

I am not 20 anymore; my ankles are swollen, and I have some health issues. I want to lose at least 40 pounds before I start walking. Overall health and age is a factor if I like it or not. I scheduled a physical in January. I feel I need to share my plans with my doctor.


Thank you for all the friend request. Please, be patient with me.

Cylphin60

Moby_Dick wrote: »

I love all the advice you have given me.

The word diet gets me into a panic mode, I decided against it. I am not on a diet. I will cook normal, and I will eat normal. Carbs, fiber, protein, fat and a bit sugar. If I want to have a beer in the evening, then I have to cut the food calories. It's not rocket science when you start doing it. Some numbers surprise me, seeing the calories in black and white, damn it hurts. I overate all the time.

You got this

Thank you for all the friend request. Please, be patient with me.

We will if you will

vczK2t

Why I want to get into shape:

To fit into a booth seat in a restaurant.
To walk without huffing and puffing.
To paint my toenails without falling over.
To wear clothes that don't look like a tent.
To put on my socks without too much effort.
To bend down and get up without a problem.
To go grocery shopping without hanging on to the cart.
To walk a mile or two with our dog.
To dance like I did when I was younger.
To buy clothes because I like them, not because they fit.
To look in the mirror and see a face without a double chin.
To like my outside as much as I like my inside.
To feel sexy again.
To be healthier.
To have people look at me because they like what they see, not because I am so big.

Moby_Dick, this is me too.

theflyingbunny

Moby_Dick, thanks for sharing!!!! You have motivated me. Please feel free to friend me for support. We can do this! Saying a prayer for you.

snowflake954

You'll find that all you really need is consistency--just never give up.

SLLeask

Just a suggestion to add to all the great ones there have been so far... make your dog your best friend, take him / her for lots of lovely walks, long ones, short ones, whatever you have time for. Walking is great exercise and you can pick up speed and length as you feel yourself losing weight and getting fitter. I've seen lots of posts on here from people saying the only exercise they have done during their weight loss journey was walking.

Good luck, you've taken the first step, just keep on trucking, one step at a time!!