350+ pounds Support for Men & Women

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  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,981 Member
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    @chunkiedunker Thank you for sharing that. I think I'm going to try to be brave and use my daughter's early school finish tomorrow as an excuse to walk the dogs up to her school to meet her. It's not even a mile away but I know I'll struggle with it. I've been using the exercise bike so that's a start at least.

    I'm determined to do this one way or the other and hearing that people have done it us such a huge encouragement to just get on with it. Thank you.

    How did the walk go? Just remember you can do anything. The hardest part is getting started... Once you get moving you can't really give up, you just have to motor thru and get the task done. It's also not about how fast you finish but that you finished. Obviously you can jump in a car and make the trip in a couple mins or you can walk and take half an hour to an hour to do it. Who cares.... you did it. thats an accomplishment in its own right. Losing weight is 60% mental and 50% physical... lol

    And sometimes that 50% mental requires 90% of the work! lol I know the mental part is my biggest hurdle most times!
  • alevans4
    alevans4 Posts: 37 Member
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    ckh825 wrote: »
    Hello everybody, my name is Christy and I am 40 years old. My weight loss journey really began 5 years ago, even though I have struggled with my weight my whole life. When I first started out I was right at 400lbs. I was tired of being overweight, and there was so much I wanted to do in life that my weight held me back from. I went out bought a treadmill, signed up for MyFitnessPal and went to work. 2 years later I was down to 250lbs. Then everything changed!!! I got a divorce, moved back in with my mom, meet another man, got married, and here it is 3 years later and my weight is back. I really don’t try to “weight in” , but the last time I did I was right around 320/330. So here I am again ready to back to work. I really hope to meet some people who can help me stay motivated. So feel free to add me, maybe we can make this journey a little easier. Thanks for reading my story
    I've definitely been down that road (lost weight, gained it back). Welcome :)

  • Mellykay88
    Mellykay88 Posts: 306 Member
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    Welcome Christy!! Join our group... we’ve got some great discussions going on over there! I’ll post the link.
  • fatoldladyonamission
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    Hi all sorry I disappeared and welcome to our new folks.

    I'm sad to say I couldn't cope with the walk. Full blown panic attack trying to get out of the door with hubby panicking too. Not one of my finest moments. So to get myself to a point where I can face doing it in stepping up the indoor stuff. 15 sit ups morning and night as well as doing 15 minutes morning and after work on the exercise bike. I started with 5 sit ups and only 7 minutes on the bike so it's a bit of an improvement. I'm going to add a minute and a sit up to each day and see how I get on.

    In other news my spiraliser arrived so tonight was veggie spaghetti Bolognese with courgetti instead of spaghetti. It was yummy and under 350 calories for a huge bowl full. Also got enough made for three more dinners! Just got to figure out what else can be spiralised lol
  • drjudybrown
    drjudybrown Posts: 4 Member
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    Something i do that really can help, is dance. I HATE DANCING IN PUBLIC but will dance in my livingroom like no one is watching because well no one is. I work a desk job and to make matters worse I work from home so I don't move much in life as you can imagine. So I tend to "dance" where im going. If im getting up to let the dogs out or go to the bathroom im dancing. Dancing burns more calories than walking. I was using fitbit for a while and i had an alarm set to go off every hour to walk a couple hundred steps. then after work I would get up and dance for 15 mins or so. Dance while cooking dinner, eat dinner then work on schoolwork. After homework and what not id look and see where I was at for steps and then get up and dance around my living room as i was "tidying" up.

    That sounds great! I don't have the courage to do anything like that even in front of friends and family, but my cats are fair game lol A former roommate of mine, though, would do the same thing - she liked to dance around the house while doing housework, and she was bold enough that she didn't mind if closer friends saw her doing it.

    I did buy a Wii game this weekend - the gold's gym dance workout - to see if I can use that to get me moving while winter is here. I dried a dance workout video years ago, but it didn't work out as I couldn't keep up with it; I hope the Wii sensor will be a little more forgiving!


    Ladies...follow the mantra..,dance like no one is watching. Body Groove ...excellent videos, totally your own pace and you can skip or jump to different tracks dependin* on mood for slower or faster songs. No jumping. No floor. And instructor Misty is not ditzy....so far the only dvds I like for home that I’m not yelling at the TV to wait for me as I spend 5 mins getting down and another 5 getting up off floor. And when one is this big...jumping is dangerous to me and my home.
  • Thairen
    Thairen Posts: 5 Member
    edited February 2018
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    I started at 365 and I'm down to 301 within 5 months so far. Pace has slowed a tad due to busy schedule but not at my goal yet. I lift at the same time so I'm fine with a big number, just not the fatty part. Haha. I gained about 10 back mid ways through my journey and it nearly crushed me but I was able to knock it back off thankfully.
  • OdessaIllidasa
    OdessaIllidasa Posts: 3 Member
    edited February 2018
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    Hello! :) I'm 5'9 347.2 pounds. I have always had trouble with my weight. I'm always someone that has always fluctuated up and down, but now I am at my highest point. Biggest weight loss was from 339 to 221. I'm wanting to lose weight again and would love to have a community of other people like me trying to reach their goal! I am also considering getting the lap band surgery along side diet and exercise. Before I make that decision though I would love to have good footing again with eating and exercise as to make it successful as possible.

    Please feel free to add me! I would love to have a community around me and be a friend to others so we can motivate each other ^^! <3

    I have also started a new group if that suits you!:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/125457-300-and-above
  • cassie9393
    cassie9393 Posts: 30 Member
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    Does anyone else have crazy weeks where you drop a huge amount then the next week is a gain? Last week, I had a monster number of down 12 then this week up 3. I have to view it as down 19 overall (or as down 9 between the two weeks) so that it isn't too discouraging, but I don't know anyone else who has fluctuations like this. Also, this is why my goal is tracking instead of losing! I'll lose naturally if I track, but still... it's preferred to see that number go down.
  • khadl07
    khadl07 Posts: 42 Member
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    Hey! I'm Kat. I'm 35 and I started in October at 330 (Not quite 350+, but I was on my way there for sure.). I'm at 298-299 now. First time I've seen a number under 300 in 4 or 5 years.

    The key for me is giving up alcohol because I am an alcoholic and binge drinking 3+ nights a week. So, not only did I consume a few thousand calories a week in alcohol, but my alcohol binges were always followed by food binges.

    I am focused on instilling healthy habits in my life with weight loss as the byproduct of those habits. I eat at a sustainable deficit, try to walk 5 times a week, and I just try to get up and get out into the world more. That's about it. I've never made it this far because I was never able to admit I was an alcoholic and subsequently give up alcohol. But I really had no other choice. Alcohol or get my life back. So, I've been sober since Oct. 13th and I have no regrets about making that choice.

    That is amazing! I am doing similar things. My highest was 326 and I was headed for 350 in no time with alcohol and snacking on whatever when I was bored. I have lost 18 lbs in a month or so and I can't wait to be under 300lbs. It will definitely be celebrated! Keep up the good work!!
  • tammyfranks2
    tammyfranks2 Posts: 290 Member
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    Hi I am Tammy , I am 51 , I weigh 468 , every thrusday or friday I weigh in at the local doctors care because , they have a weigh mach that can weigh me. I have lost 5 pounds and i have only been doing this Fittnesspal thing for 9 days . I am doing the low carb / keto kinda diet . It is working . I have always been big , I had 2 children and have a loving husband . My life is pretty good , except for my weight , I hurt a lot , I am in real pain , my knees , my neck and the only help my doctors want to give me is surgery , gastric by-pass or lap band ....I will not do this. not trying to scare anyone , but I personally know of 3 woman who have died as a result of gastric by-pass. So here I am old , fat , in pain . I woke up on my birthday jan16th and said to myself , if I don't lose weight I am going to die. (no drama for real) I have lymph edema , in my legs , so they hurt and swell , I have a huge bulge on my left leg at the top , (that will have to be removed) so I am in a mess .......BUT this diet this time is working , My mind set is different , I want this for the first time ever , I am changing . MY son who is 15 said mom I don't want to see you hurt anymore. (that got me) My daughter who is disabled , she is 28 , she will need me for a long time, so I have to stick around , and only way to do that is lose weight ......I don't care how ya do it , lose it , and don't wait til you are in your 50's and in so much pain !!!! Hello everyone please add me if you want !!!!
  • Mellykay88
    Mellykay88 Posts: 306 Member
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    @tammyfranks2 welcome Tammy! I’ll post a link to our group! We’d love to have you join us!

    I’m so happy that you have found a strategy that works for you! The most important factor in being successful at losing weight and keeping it off is finding something that works for you and that you can stick to long term! I don’t know how many crash/fad diets I’ve gone on since childhood. This time is different because I’m doing this smart!

    Thank you for coming here and sharing your story! This is a great group of people and it sounds like you have a great support group at home.
  • fatoldladyonamission
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    Hey New folks! Good to have you! I always feel a little out of things in most of the community due to being twice the weight of everyone else but this is a nice safe and friendly thread to be chatting on and the group is fab too!

    My news for this week is that I’m on a little bit of an exercise high, in that I’ve now got my own mini gym collection, treadmill, bike and cross trainer as well as kettle bells and I’m using them so feeling quite positive at the moment. For the first time in possibly a year I have actually smashed the 10k steps in one day! Up until today I’d have been lucky to do 3k so I’m happy. They were treadmill and bike steps as opposed to outdoor steps but it’s a start. Once I get to 20k inside I might be brave enough to venture outside and walk. I’m a bit too anxious to do so yet. It’ll come though and MFP is working great for me. I’m already 29lbs down in a month! Cannot believe it!
  • JJaded
    JJaded Posts: 1 Member
    edited February 2018
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    Hi! I started my journey in Jan 2017 weighing in at 357 lbs by April of 2016 I was down to 324 lbs. I am an emotional eater and I live with my mother who is 84 and battling cancer.I tore a tendon in my leg and then fell right back to my old comfortable habits. I managed to get back up to 347 lbs.In Jan of this year I had a stern talk with myself and jumped back in. I am counting my calories again and Monday through Friday I wear my fitbit and I am trying to get back up to 10 K steps a day. I tried to do South Beach the last 100 times and I could never keep up the life style. So now I am watching my calories and working on cooking all meals and not ordering out. I was just feeling really alone on this journey and spotted this board. Thank you for starting it!
  • Mellykay88
    Mellykay88 Posts: 306 Member
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    @fatoldladyonamission that sounds awesome!! Getting on a healthy exercise routine is so great!

    @JJaded welcome! Check out our group! https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/124982-350-pounds-support-for-men-women this is a great place to come chat.
  • drissler1967
    drissler1967 Posts: 6 Member
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    What are different components that are involved in eating?
    1. Survival Instinct
    2. Actual hunger
    3. Reasons for eating
    4. Drinks
    5. People that I eat with
    6. Comfort Foods
    7. Choices that created my past
    8. Habits that locked in my future results that I experienced in the past
    9. Feeling full
    10. Not listening to cues from my body to stop eating
    11. Eating to celebrate
    12. Eating to numb the past
    13. Eating to achieve a different future

    When someone sets out to lose weight, they should ask themselves, "do I have a road map of someone else who has gone before me and lost a lot of weight?" If that roadmap is not available, then that person may want to consider: "How Will I Know if I'm on the right path to achieve my goal?"

    How do we break free of habits that have created our past?
    When my wife and I watch this TV show called My 600-lb Life, there are several of these people who start out their weight loss Journey at 700 pounds or 800 pounds. That person is usually put on a forced diet of 1200 calories a day with high protein and low carbs and kept in the hospital for observation. Many times a person with that much weight is bedridden. As they lose the weight over coming months, they often say I feel like I miss my friend. They no longer have the same quantity of food being fed to them and they have to adjust to that new reality.

    In my earlier weight loss attempts, I have often lost 20 or 30 lb and then abandoned the goal while returning to the foods that I had given up from the past. I usually put all the weight back on plus another 20 to 30 lb. What I have not addressed in the past was how I think about food.

    My psychologist is asking me to look at, "what are the cues in my body before I eat?"
    What emotions am I attaching to the food?
    What are the triggers that return me to eating?

    Since I passed 300 pounds, my last 3 primary doctors have all been stamping morbidly obese on every discharge paper that they gave me. I don't like seeing that phrase morbidly obese on my paperwork.
    For years, as my weight has increased and I look at my body in the mirror, I say to myself, "I'm not that big" as I was getting bigger.
    Denial.
    Self-sabotage.
    There always seems to be a good reason to justify why today's decision works. For instance the Super Bowl is on. My normal calorie goal is 2000 calories per day in my efforts to work on losing weight. So yesterday I ate 4000 calories.

    I purchased a tray of sushi at my local supermarket. I did not think that there would be a calorie count for the whole tray or per serving. I ate the entire tray of 48 pieces of sushi. Then I scanned the barcode into my fitness pal. It showed up as 1 and 22 calories. Sushi rice is carbohydrates as I understand it. Therefore I'm making the assumption that 22 calories is each sushi roll. If that is the case, then 48 pieces is 1,000 calories. I also ate chocolate chip cookies, Doritos, and half of a roast beef hoagie. The Roast beef Hoagie was the best thing that I ate and had the least amount of calories.

    I generally don't like feeling hungry. I prefer to feel full, but it's really easy for me to eat too fast and move right past the feeling of full and get to overly satiated before my body catches up with the new reality.

    I guess awareness of total calories about to be consumed is going to have to start to be on my radar before I touch anything.

    Another good question I'm going to have to start asking myself is: "will this food help or hurt reaching my weight loss goals?"

    How can I reach my 2000 calorie budget rather than how can I exceed it?

    There have to be other things that I can use to celebrate with other than high calorie, low protein sweets and fats and chocolates.

    Instead of asking what is my goal for weight loss, a better question might be, " how bumpy do I want the road to be to get to weight loss?"

    Thank you all for listening.
    My starting weight was 368 lb.
    my current weight is 346 lb.
    That is a current net loss of only 22 lb.
    Recent weight gain of 10 lb.

    I am pleased with progress. I want to get to 299 lb and then move on from there.
    47 lb now stands between me and my goal.

    any thoughts would be appreciated.
  • gin_rummy
    gin_rummy Posts: 222 Member
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    I'm really struggling at the moment. Since Christmas I have only gained weight.....10lb actually. Which is about a quarter of what I had managed to lose last year.....it happens far too easily. In fairness to myself, there have been some genuine pressures over the last month which have made it difficult - including surgery, a new job, and injury - but if I'm going to succeed I need to find a way to persist even when things are tough.

    I did some kind of soul searching yesterday. Why is it that, this time last year, I found it quite easy to stick to my target calories, and now I struggle? I've managed to identify a few reasons:


    1. Last year I was miserable; now I am happy.
    But this should make the weight loss easier, right? Less need for comfort eating, less stress.....but actually, for me not so much. My motivation last year was that I wanted to break free of the unhappy life I was living, and I felt that my weight was one of several barriers to that. In the last 4 months of the year, I managed to change everything even while I've still so much to lose. I changed career. I reunited with my husband after 18 months separated. I'm making huge strides on getting my life in order. If life can be this good while I still weigh this much, I've lost my incentive to change it. And I am struggling to find another reason that lights the same kind of fire under my fat *kitten*.


    2. Leading on from that - last year I didn't have a life!
    It's hard to truly convey just how miserable and lonely my existence was. Outside of work, I saw no one, I did nothing, I went nowhere. This meant I had all the time I needed to plan and prep meals, and to immerse myself in MFP, particularly the forums and blogs where I could surround myself with people facing the same battles. I found a lot of support here and it kept me on track. And I could come here whenever I wobbled and you guys inspired me to stay on track.
    Now - I am so insanely busy, ALL the time! I don't want to dedicate my whole Sunday to planning/shopping/cooking for the week, I want to be living life! My new job makes it difficult to come on here during work time (not that I ever did, honest! o:) ) and I always seem to be doing stuff in the evenings and weekends.
    I don't know how I can invest the necessary level of time like I used to.


    3. I love my husband very much, and he tries very hard to support me - but he will never understand.

    He is one of these blessed creatures who can eat and eat and eat, all the junk food in the world, and he's still skinny as a rake. I think it was a contributing factor to me getting as big as I did - I've never been thin or healthy, but when I met him I found myself eating SO MUCH more junk, particularly on our weekly cinema trips - because it's what you do isn't it, one of you matches the other's habits.
    When it was just me, I could restrict what was in the house. I could make meals that suited me and change them without notice. I could spend hours labouring over dishes or make do with a piece of salmon with some salad or kale.
    My husband leads an active life and *needs* to eat a lot more than me. That does make it very hard to restrict myself. And he is wonderful in so many ways, he won't eat trigger foods in front of me for example, and he's come a long way on things like not mentioning take out when I'm hungry and tired. He wants to support me in the struggle I face and lift me when I'm down about it.
    But he doesn't know how because he can't comprehend the enormity of it and how impossibly difficult it can sometimes seem. His relationship with food has never been any kind of trouble. I have tried to explain but words fail me; how do you translate what we are facing to someone who has never had to think about a single crumb they eat?
    I've tried to think of what he can do to support me more, which he really wants to do, but I'm at a loss.


    If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them!
  • CassieBinTC
    CassieBinTC Posts: 59 Member
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    Hi Everyone!!!!!!

    I wanted to touch base with everyone. I was in a pretty significant car accident on January 19th and pretty much had my whole life turned upside down, which is why I have not really been around. I have not been able to get back to the gym due to some back and shoulder injuries and other injuries. I am trying to get things back to normal as I can. But I want to let you all know I am thinking of you and thinking positive thoughts for all of you.

    I finally just started loosing again and I can say I am down 87 pounds but I sure miss getting my activity in as well.

    Good luck everyone and I will be back ASAP.