Embracing being a beginner again

jessicaallen1996
jessicaallen1996 Posts: 50 Member
in Getting Started
So I am 20( soon to be 21), and I am 307.8 pounds. The last time I lost weight in my senior year of high school, I went from 286 to 255 in about 3 months. Through the last 3-4 years I have gained nearly 60 pounds back. My ultimate goal is 180. So I have 127 pounds to lose.

It's really hard to find my motivation to work out and eat healthy/ well. I feel absolutely miserable in my current body. I feel like I'm drowning in fat. That should be motivation enough. But it hasn't been. I've let a victims mentality in without even realizing it. I've let my body and the pain I'm in control me. And I'm through. Now I have to figur out the hard stuff. Maybe I need to force myself to go to the gym with or without motivation.

I yi yi here we go.

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Just keep in mind that you can lose weight without exercise, and you don't have to eat in any particular way; all you need is to eat less than you burn. That may be hard enough, so if you find everything overwhelming, start with logging your intake and sticking to your calorie goal.
  • cchhiipp22
    cchhiipp22 Posts: 37 Member
    What do you think about this. Forget "forcing yourself to go to the gym", but instead, do one week where you track everything and stick to your net calorie goal every day. Don't have to do anything else except this. Then see where you are after that week. I don't mean see where you are as far as weight. I mean, after being successful for a week, it might not seem as daunting a task to do it for another week, etc. See how you feel about your ability to turn that week into a routine.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    Read some of the success stories on here. You aren't alone. Baby steps...figure out your calorie deficit and stick to it. Learn from others on here how to log and weigh your food correctly. Start moving. Doesn't matter the speed as long as you are moving more each time. This is a marathon not a sprint. If you want this you will make it happen. Sending FR for support.
  • micaelacookie
    micaelacookie Posts: 15 Member
    Hey, my names Micaela and I'm 21. I'll try and help if you want? I'm just starting. I gained a lot of weight after high school as well. I've been heavy all my life I totally get what you mean by drowning.
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
    Don't do too much at once. Trying to radically change everything overnight rarely works. You don't need motivation, but you do need dedication.

    A lot of people just start with logging everything they eat. It's how I started. I just logged everything honestly and truthfully for a week or so to get a good idea of how much I was eating. I set MFP for a pound a week loss and then tried to make small changes so I could stay within my calories.
  • Zarka_91
    Zarka_91 Posts: 99 Member
    Good luck Hun. your not alone, we all a big family on here. start with baby steps. change your diet to clean eating and nothing bad and then slowly incorporate some light exercise, it can just be 20 mins of walking a day to start of with and once youve lost some weight you can slowly move on to intense cardio and strength exercises. its definitely do able. remember you got to believe in yourself. your capable of amazing things !
  • Catziez
    Catziez Posts: 2 Member
    One thing I've sorted out is that you have to stop hating yourself and begin to LOVE YOURSELF. Love yourself enough to make your wants and needs a priority over all others. That's what got me through it the first time and now that I've FINALLY gotten back to that place, its paved the way towards accepting that it's time to to begin again. Today is my Day 1. Good luck in your journey. Remember, you're worth everything, especially feeling good. :wink:
  • suzesvelte
    suzesvelte Posts: 134 Member
    everher wrote: »
    Don't do too much at once. Trying to radically change everything overnight rarely works. You don't need motivation, but you do need dedication.

    A lot of people just start with logging everything they eat. It's how I started. I just logged everything honestly and truthfully for a week or so to get a good idea of how much I was eating. I set MFP for a pound a week loss and then tried to make small changes so I could stay within my calories.

    This is really good advice. Just logging what you eat, for a whole week, honestly, will reveal where your own problems are. It sounds like a delay, but it is time really well spent to get a proper insight into where the calories you currently eat are coming from. This is a good learning curve in the begininng .. and then you aim to just modify SOME of what you do, rather than trying to become a different person over-night. Then look out for tips on easy ways to reduce your calorie intake on the things you currently choose to eat.

    As for the gym. When I was grossly over-weight in the past I could not face the gym, but incereased my calorie output by walking more than usual, going up and down stairs for "exercise" in your own home, never using the escalator, etc there are little ways you can increase your exercise level to burn more calories. You might even like to do an aerobic/dance class off the internet in the privacy of your own home.

  • tahxirez
    tahxirez Posts: 270 Member
    zarkaahmed wrote: »
    Good luck Hun. your not alone, we all a big family on here. start with baby steps. change your diet to clean eating and nothing bad and then slowly incorporate some light exercise, it can just be 20 mins of walking a day to start of with and once youve lost some weight you can slowly move on to intense cardio and strength exercises. its definitely do able. remember you got to believe in yourself. your capable of amazing things !

    I would advise against labeling foods good or bad or restricting yourself if you have a history of overeating as most of us here do. Eat balanced meals, hit your calorie goal and make small changes over time. If you tend to drink your calories (soda, juice etc) that is a good one to start with. Drink water to help you stay satiated and try to get your sugar fixes from whole fruits (oranges are excellent this time of year as they are in season.) If you are a salty/crunchy person like me, carrots and celery with hummus are great. As you continue to log you'll start to see where you can skim off some extraneous calories (coffee creamer, cheese on sandwiches etc.) Get yourself a food scale and log honestly. You may find along the way that you want to exercise if only to earn more food (that's how I learned to run lol.)

  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    This stuff is easy. It really is. You have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You eat a variety of foods that give you complete proteins and balanced nutrition. You have room for some snacks. You drink water. You sleep.
    If you want to walk around some and call that exercise, it's cool.

    Be patient and persistent. Have your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Drink water often and sleep well.

    It's not hard.


    The whole journey is educational, in which you learn about nutrition, portion sizes, and self-honesty.


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