How do you start? What steps do I take?

chocolate_owl

msfanglet wrote: »

We're all rooting for you! Give up the Diet Coke!! Its the #1 culprit behind all your other bad habits. Go get a box of headache meds with caffeine ( I think Exedrin Migraine is one). On the 3rd day, you'll be over it. Just tell yourself, if you drink this Diet Coke, your body will produce insulin, because your brain says SWEET stuff is coming. Then you don't give your body the sugar its waiting for and now the craving binges begin. I gave up soda last year and now when I buy fast food (rarely) I get the full on sugary coke. I feel much better. Hope this helps

msfanglet wrote: »

On that same thought..I found Sparkling ICE at the store. Its zero calories and fizzy and sweet. They are great slushy too! You might get satisfaction by replacing the soda with this.

Artificial sweeteners do not trigger insulin production, and many people don't experience any sort of cravings consuming them. Also, ICE contains artificial sweeteners.

goldthistime

msfanglet wrote: »

We're all rooting for you! Give up the Diet Coke!! Its the #1 culprit behind all your other bad habits. Go get a box of headache meds with caffeine ( I think Exedrin Migraine is one). On the 3rd day, you'll be over it. Just tell yourself, if you drink this Diet Coke, your body will produce insulin, because your brain says SWEET stuff is coming. Then you don't give your body the sugar its waiting for and now the craving binges begin. I gave up soda last year and now when I buy fast food (rarely) I get the full on sugary coke. I feel much better. Hope this helps

Have a look at this thread:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10488961/diet-coke-weight-loss

Adc7225

nowine4me wrote: »

1. Drink your Diet Coke, some water would be good too
2. Eat corn and potatoes, and experiment with new things like roasted vegetables or zoodles
3. replace 30 mins of gaming with a walk. Get a tracker to make it more fun
4. Portion sizes are key. This is where you should focus. Get a food scale and use it. Track everything eating just as you are eating today. Then, figure out where you can cut and still be satisfied.
5. A binge isn't a disaster. It happens to everyone. Just log it and learn from it

If it takes a year, 2 years, who cares. Tiny changes can add up to huge results.

This is really the key, now you have to find the right lock. It is hard to start and really hard to keep going but as a gamer you know when you play for the first time you won't know all the players and moves!!! Take your time, trying to do too much at one time doesn't work - you can't compete without first practicing. You have to figure out what works for YOU, not what you think should work, but what will work. Don't focus on what you don't like to eat, while thinking if you were eating something else you wouldn't be overweight - that is not true. Number 4 above is a great start, you need to learn about portions and calories and it is, sorry to say - really hard. But as you change it won't be so bad.

Some daily movement would be nice, you can get over the weather issues, try and find times that you are more comfortable with or workout some at home - even just walking in place 10 minutes at a time a few times a day.

I gave myself 2 years to lose 75 pounds along the way making changes that I felt I could live with - no one that knew me would have ever thought I would let alone walk into a gym but I became a gym-bunny 5-6 days a week!

I believe you can do this, if now is not your time that is okay as well, but don't let your health get to the place where you have to do this.

CasperNaegle

Don't give up diet coke unless you want to.. There is no scientific evidence that they impact insulin at all. I drink Coke zero and have lost 40 pounds. Count your calories and you will see a difference.

ritzvin

1. I wouldn't worry too much about the diet soda for now - I think they are all close to 0 calories now. Caffeine is an appetite suppressant, so you might not want to give it up at the same time you are revising your diet. Caffeine pills are an option if the diet coke is just used for a caffeine source (and easier to lug home from the grocery store). Logging water helps to make sure you're getting enough regularly. Note that we can also confuse thirst for hunger, so drinking enough water can help with some over-eating. I have 2 Nalgene bottle of water with ounce markings - I log on MFP when I have to refill them..this way I make sure I'm getting a decent amount every day on average.

2. Try to work veggies into food you already make. (For instance, in a batch of fried rice/casseroles/etc, you can add pretty much however many veggies you want). In addition to nutritional benefits, vegetables will add volume to whatever you are eating with only a few calories - it's a good way to 'dilute' calories out into larger portions that will leave you feeling more satisfied with the meal. Corn & potatoes don't really count as veggies (they are more in line with other calorie dense starch foods like rice, bread, etc that are ~100% carb).

3. Nix the gaming if you can - I know its addictive. There are so few free hours in the day between work and sleeping. Spending them being as active as you can makes a huge difference in fitness level/calories burned. I used to spend a lot of time on video games. Haven't touched them in years. The winter is definitely hard - try to find a winter hobby you like.. invest in cold weather athletic clothes and try snowshoeing, XC skiing, fat biking, geocaching. Drive to a more interesting walking area if you have time. Check out what indoor activities might be available near you - dancing for instance (east coast swing and salsa burn quite a few calories). Regular exercise may actually help a lot with the depression/motivation once you start.

5. Nix the calorie-dense foods as best you can. It's very easy to eat a tremendous amount of calories in just one sitting in a few bites that way. If self-control is an issue, don't bring home the pizza unless you have other people to split it with right there and then. There are a lot of food items I refuse to buy and bring home because they are calorie dense and I love them and will have no self control. Cook food dishes where more calorie dense items like meat are divided up amongst veggies. Very starchy items usually leave me (and may others) craving more despite the high calorie count, so watch those as well. Check around the boards, diaries for some recipes - you should be able to find some for meals that will have some volume to them but lower calorie content, and a decent protein/fat/carb ratio to leave you feeling satisfied. Yogurt & a bit of jam are a favorite (filling for the low number of calories); Clif bars are a favorite when in a pinch of time (not quite tasty enough that I'll lack self control and eat more than 1). I do stir-fry rice with vegetables, beans, meat a lot - you can tailor the calories/portion and protein content. Batch cooking and freezing in set portions of know calorie content can make things easier.

SeagalDeeDee

I can help/suggest the portion size but you may not like it. sorry but it woks for me. I estimate the amount of food to be about the size of my palm give or take a few things may be hard to estimate but truly anything larger is over eating now to me. That does not mean my entire meal. This works for portions as a side step.

sarah_deyoung_24

I started doing Slimfast meal replacement shakes a couple years ago - now I do them twice a day, no prob! They reduce the amount of calories I take in tremendously. I also eat healthy snacks every couple hours, whenever I feel hungry. I don't really like vegetables, but I don't despise carrots, so I snack on carrots, low calorie yogurt, etc.

A big thing that helped me start to lose weight (I'm also a major binger, just can't stop myself -- then I feel guilty..) is to slow down when you eat, drink a couple sips of water before you start eating, put your fork or your food down in between every bite and take a drink of water in between every bite too. Maybe trying to drink water with your meals could help with the Diet Coke?

Also, listen to your body's cues. There's a difference between feeling full or stuffed and when you should stop eating. Try to stop eating when you no longer feel hungry. During a meal you will hit a pause where you will no longer feel hungry and switch to eating to feel full. Eating slower, and drinking water will help you begin to realize the difference between the two. Once you switch to eating until you are no longer hungry, your stomach will shrink (took me about 2 1/2 days to notice my appetite was smaller) I did this right after high school and lost over 30 pounds in 3 months.

One last thing, it's totally plausible to lose 10 pounds a month, or 2 lbs a week. So if you think in terms of one month at a time, or 5-10 lbs at a time, your goals seem closer and you reach them faster. Good luck!!

[Edited by MFP Staff]

quiksylver296

sarah_deyoung_24 wrote: »

I started doing Slimfast meal replacement shakes a couple years ago - now I do them twice a day, no prob! They reduce the amount of calories I take in tremendously. I also eat healthy snacks every couple hours, whenever I feel hungry. I don't really like vegetables, but I don't despise carrots, so I snack on carrots, low calorie yogurt, etc.

I also sell It Works products, so I do Fat Fighters, Thermofit and Greens daily and have seen a MAJOR increase in energy, decrease in my depression and anxiety, and more weight loss! I just had a baby in May, so I had an extra 57 pounds of baby weight to lose, and I lost it ALL! You can do it! If you're ever interested in any products, I could get you my website.

OP - You don't need SlimFast, ItWorks, or any other "weight loss" product. You merely have to eat fewer calories than your body uses in a day. Don't waste your money.

ritzvin

Forgot to mention.. You can try checking Facebook, meetup.com for groups in your area that do regular walks/hikes/etc.