HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!

plussiizeQUEEN

Hi My name's Summer I'm in desperate need to loose weight before I become in able to walk I weigh 505lbs I'm desperately seeking help. Where do I start? How do I start?

L1zardQueen

Hi and welcome! here's a good place to start.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

Baby steps!

quiksylver296

Did you do the set-up for this website and get a calorie goal?

If no, do that. I'll wait.

Now that you've done that, start logging your food in the food diary on this site. All of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Do that for a week.

Once you've done that, look back over your food diary. Where can you make small changes that you can sustain? Can you maybe switch one soda per day for water? Do that while you continue to log all your food/drink. Do that until it is normal. Look back over your log again. Where can you make another small, sustainable change? Incorporate that one. Rinse and repeat.

kimny72

Seconding to just start logging. Make it a habit and learn as you go. Read the Most Helpful Posts pinned to the top of each forum.

You can do this. There are others here that have. It will take time and patience and you'll screw up a lot. We all do. Just keep taking baby steps. Good luck :flowerforyou:

estherdragonbat

Plug your stats into MFP on your profile page (height, weight, activity level, how much per week you want to lose).

It will give you a calorie target. Stick to it. Even if you think it's a little high/low. Weight loss is a marathon not a sprint. It took you time to get to your current weight. It's going to take time for it to come off. Don't rush it. Running too aggressive a deficit (i.e. eating too little) often leads to going off the rails and binging.

The calorie target doesn't include your exercise. If you exercise, you are expected to eat back the calories burned. (Because MFP can overestimate calories burned, try eating back 50-75% to start with. If, after a month, you're not losing as much as you should be or think you're losing too fast, adjust).

Log what you eat. The first week, don't get hung up on calories, just track what you're putting into your mouth. Next week, look it over and see if there are small changes you feel able to make. (Maybe a bit less dressing on your salad. Salsa instead of butter on your baked potato. More veggies and less oil in your stir-fry.) Nothing too drastic. Just... small cuts you can make that don't make you feel deprived.

Invest in a good food scale. It's more accurate than measuring cups for solid foods. Cups are ok for liquids.

If there are foods that you know you can't be trusted around, don't keep more in the house than you're going to eat. I don't buy one-lb bags of jellybeans anymore. I might buy a 1-oz "fun-sized" pack. That being said, as long as you're in a calorie deficit, you'll lose weight. So if there are treats that you CAN moderate, or if you decide that, for example, you're not going to keep ice cream in your freezer, but you still want to go to the ice cream parlor once a week and get a single scoop in a cup? Enjoy! (A lot of people will recommend that you split your calories 80/20: 80% nutrient-dense "healthy" foods, 20% treats. I don't calculate so exactly, but I do eat a reasonably balanced diet.)

DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED!!!!!!!

Weight loss isn't linear. Some weeks you will do everything right and the scale won't show it. Some weeks you'll be sure you went completely off-track and you'll be down two pounds. And some weeks, the scale will behave as expected. We retain water at certain points in our monthly cycles. Or often when starting a new exercise program. Or during stressful times. It passes. Don't panic.

Feel free to friend me if you like.

You can do this.

(signed)

A 5'3" 149-lb woman who weighed 254lbs just over 18 months ago.

quiksylver296

I was gonna to tag you, @estherdragonbat. You must be psychic!

fitoverfortymom

Just popping in here to lend you my love and support. All the advice here so far is exactly how you get started. Just don't stop trying.

mkculs

You've already started--you've recognized the problem and reached out for help. Now incorporate the two changes already mentioned: logging your food for a week (be very honest with yourself) and making ONE small change to what you eat/drink. That's it. Come back in a week and tell us how it went, then choose your 2nd small change to make. You have lots of time to make this work. Good luck.

estherdragonbat

quiksylver296 wrote: »

I was gonna to tag you, @estherdragonbat. You must be psychic!

Or psycho...

tiavt

You did the first step! Asking for help! I am
Just starting up as well. Great tips here! We can
Do this!!

hippysprout

mkculs wrote: »

You have lots of time to make this work.

Please don't overlook this sentence. It's easily as important as every bit of good advice from @estherdragonbat and @quiksylver296 Don't try to fence your health into the unrelenting and unforgiving calendar. You have the rest of your life to strike the right balance. The key is to do a little better, every day, forever. You can do this, I'm sending a friend request so I can watch you shrink

CynthiasChoice

Hi Summer As others have said, logging is essential. You will be amazed at how much logging inspires you to change habits. When I don't log, I can really fool myself about how often and how much I eat. When I make myself keep track by logging I immediately see a huge upsurge in my motivation to make better choices.

You'll see a variety of suggestions from different people here and not all of it will be right for you. In my own experience, a low carb diet works best because I can reduce calories without getting hungry. It's not the diet I wanted, and I resisted trying it. Once I did try it, my urge to overeat subsided and I began to feel like a "normal" eater instead of an out-of-control eater. This is just one of many ideas you may want to consider.

I had trouble walking as well when I was heavier so I know what you're going through. The biggest reward for losing weight for me was being able to walk without pain. The hope of getting pain free was what kept me motivated, and I hope you will really be convinced that it can happen for you too. Keeping that hope alive is so important!

serindipte

You've been given great advice so far! I want to lend support as well and let you know that it is totally possible!!! You don't even have to starve yourself.

As others said, put your stats into MFP and eat what it tells you. Less is NOT necessarily better. MFP already includes a calorie deficit and, as you lose, you update your goals and the calories will lower as your weight does. Do not get in a big hurry and think, "Well, if it says this amount, I'll eat way under and lose faster". That is only going to backfire on you, not only because of the restriction, but you'll lose muscle mass and burn out.

I'd also add in.. Walk what you can. You've already mentioned not wanting to lose that ability. If you can walk twice around the house, do that. If you can walk five times out in the yard, do it. Get the mail. Park a little further away from the store. Every little bit will help and you'll get stronger. It will be so good for your heart health to keep moving and will aid in your weight loss venture. You can also do upper body exercises while sitting. Just moving your arms around at first, then add in some light weights. It really doesn't take a lot to get started!

Glad you're here!!

serindipte

Here are some other helpful links:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1399829/step-by-step-guide-to-losing-weight-with-myfitnesspal

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here

KeThur_18

Hey summer... I will try to help any way I can you can do it just one day at a time

KTaurusW0516

Post on here, no matter if you struggle or succeed we will be here to help support you. I'm going on my third week. It took a few bumps in the road and making mistakes but, we are human and that happens. The fact we are trying now is all that matters. YOU GOT THIS!

Jackie9003

Here's my advice, there are lots of supportive people on here start building a friend list, it really does help, make easy changes -such as drinking water instead of fizzy drinks, definitely log everything you eat, don't think of it as a diet it's a life style change, have a moderate first goal such as lose 7lb, don't deny yourself anything just be sensible. And don't give up, you can do this

100_PROOF_

I'd start by getting yourself a food scale. Then learn how to weigh all your solids, measure liquid and log here on mfp accurately.

You can do it and are worth it! It might seem overwhelming at first but don't give up.

VUA21

Well, by asking for help, you did the best thing to start. There are 100's of us on here that have lost substantial amounts of weight, personally I've lost 175lbs and I'm not even close to what some people have lost (a few have lost well over 300lbs), so you can do this.

Step 1. Get yourself a food scale. Start learning how to measure foods. Ask if you're unsure. There are little tricks people use that can be very helpful.

Step 2. Work on logging EVERYTHING!!! Do your best as we've all made logging errors, especially when first starting. After a while it gets easier. Use the first week or two as a baseline to work on your logging, look at your diary and see where you can make small tweeks. One less slice of cheese, chicken breast instead of thighs, lower calorie bread for a sandwich. This way you feel as if you're eating the same, yet are lowering calories overall.

Step 3. Set you goal to "maintenance". If you keep gaining weight, then stopping the gain, IS A SUCCESS!!! When you get comfortable eating at maintenance, start slowly reducing your calories. When you can eat just below maintenance every day and don't feel deprived, then set a weight loss goal. I would start at 1/2lb per week. Then every time you feel comfortable with what you're eating, increase the rate to lose weight. Repeat this until you find it too much, then just go back to where you're comfortable.

Changing your entire lifestyle all at once is extremely difficult and nearly impossible to sustain. Changing one thing is easy. Turning that one change into a habit, is what slowly changes your lifestyle. Every time you make a small change and it becomes your new normal, make another change. These small changes add up over time, a lot!!!!!

Don't worry about setbacks and bad days, we've all had them. Bad days just means that you are human, there are about 8 billion of us, so you're not alone. I've had more than I can count, but I never quit, and that's why I am having long term success.

Make goals. Make small doable goals, and a few big ones. What works for me is a poster board. I list 25 different goals, everything from "lose 5lbs" to "walk for 20 minutes" have been and are some of my goals. Every time you achieve one, cross it off. Having a visual of every success, no matter how small is a reminder of how good you really are doing.

Reward yourself. It doesn't have to be anything big. Everything from "socks (I have a thing for whimsical socks) to "two hours of me time" are my rewards.

Diets don't work. Now, if you need a specific diet to get you started, do that. But, unless you can keep a "diet" forever, when you get off that diet is when diets fail. Some people do vegan, some keto, some Adkins, some just follow CICO without and specific diet plan. Do what works for you, remember CICO really does work, but if you need something to help you stay under your caloric recommendations, do it.

It takes time. A lot of time. Read success stories of people that have lost a lot, then read how long it took them to lose the weight. I took 2 years to drop 170lbs. I took a year off to do a body recomp, I made so many small changes that became my habits that I didn't have to work at not gaining the weight back.

Unless you are legitimately allergic, have an intolerance to, or other medical issues regarding a food, there are no "bad" foods. Just eat the high calorie/low nutrition value stuff in moderation. Don't deny yourself, that's generally when cravings hit. I love candy, Snickers in particular. My trick: buy regular size bars, cut them in half, place them in baggies and freeze them. It takes a lot longer to gnaw through a frozen Snickers than a room temperature one. Because they are halved, I end up eating half the calories (~110 calories) while getting my sweet tooth satisfied.

Feel free to add me. And I hope this helps, you can do this!

ashxtasticness

You can do it! You have already made the most important decision; realizing you need and want to do something about your health.

Things that helped me;

Meal planning- Basically, a week at a time so that I can go grocery shopping for everything I will need.
Reading labels before buying- Sometimes "low fat" and "low carb" aren't always the best options.
Sodium- I started keeping my sodium at or below the daily 2300 recommended and, WOW! I didn't realize how much I was consuming beforehand. I don't add salt to anything, so I thought I would be fine... turns out almost anything premade or canned is loaded in sodium which makes you retain water and swell
Drink LOTS of water- I aim for 80-100 oz. a day. It make me feel fuller and helps flush my system and keep me hydrated.
Stretching- It's a good way to slowly get into exercise and very important to do before even a 15-20 minute walk.
Logging meals- Super important to know what you are consuming. I log my entire day on the night before so that I know what to eat, when to eat it, what to pack so that I have everything accessible and don't slip up.
Equipment- It sounds silly and time consuming, but in order to properly log your meals and know exactly what you are taking in, you need a food scale, dry and liquid measuring cups. I did the "eh, I'll eyeball it" for a while and realized I was way off when I started actually weighing/measuring my food.
Support- Find a friend/family member or group to turn to. This place is super helpful and there are a lot of supportive people here, but if you can find support in person, it makes it easier. Someone to help you meal plan/eat dinner with you, go on walks etc.
Walking- Start out slow, do what you can but don't overdo it. Anything is better than nothing and the more you do it, the longer/faster you'll be able to do it.
Research- If you are getting bored with your meals/feeling hungry/want to find more activities to do, look it up! The internet is a glorious place full of tons of ideas.
Don't be afraid to mess up- We all mess up here and there, if we mess up at breakfast it doesn't mean to just turn that day into a cheat day. One cheat day leads to another which leads to a week and so on. I used to be terrible about that, I'd get mad at myself, feel disappointed and say "screw it, I already ate a cupcake" and it was always a downward spiral.
Methods- When you first start, weigh yourself, measure yourself (chest, upper arms, thighs, stomach, hips, calf, neck etc), take pictures and try on something that you know doesn't quite fit. Sometimes we lose inches without losing pounds. Everyone wants to see the numbers on the scale decreasing, but let's face it, that doesn't always happen and that's where most people get discouraged. If you do these other things, you will have other ways to see your progress and stay encouraged.
Protein- Make sure you eat protein with every meal/snack. I try to get at least 25g of protein in each meal, don't eat a carb without a protein and keep my overall carb/protein ratio equal or less carb than protein. Protein and fiber help keep you fuller longer, so you are less likely to want to munch.
Don't starve yourself- If you're hungry, eat. Just make healthier choices and try to stay at or a little below your calorie goal suggested by MFP

Best of luck to you, feel free to add me if you are looking for more support.

MNTom

You've been given a lot of good advice, but at your weight I hope you will see and talk to your physician first. You may have some health issues that require you to do things a little differently than for a dieter that has much less to lose. I wish you the best! Day at a time!

dejavuohlala

Keep logging and stick with it. Move as much as you can and take each day as it comes

Nikki_Lee12

You got this! Stay motivated and take it one day at a time. It won't happen over night! I am here for support if you ever need it

cebreisch

THere’s a lot of good advice here.

My top weight was 376, and I was having a hard time walking places. I started by just logging food on MFP. I didn’t worry about what I was eating or when - I just started logging. You have to know where you’re starting to know what changes you might be wiling to make.

I worked with a nutritionist too. After getting used to logging, I changed up my breakfast from Bacon/Egg/Cheese biscuit’s (plural) to greek yogurt and water, maybe a banana. After I got used to that, I added drinking more water. Then I’d make changes to my lunches, like ordering a burger at Longhorn steakhouse without the bun - or I’d decide if I wanted the bun or if I wanted fries. If I wanted the bun, I’d get a salad. If I wanted the fries, I’d lose the bun.

I made the changes really slowly because otherwise I would have blown myself out. I found protein/fiber bars I liked - they help keep you fuller/longer and would have those for snacks in between meals.

I told someone recently, I feel like I’m building a bookcase. Today, I get the wood. TOmorrow I get the drill and the hammer. Friday, nuts and bolts, etc. THen Saturday, I actually drill one screw into 1 shelf... then One each day until it’s put together. It’s going to take a year to build it that way, but it’s going to take time to lose the weight anyway....so yeah....I have 160 pounds I want to lose, and then I’ll need surgery for excess skin. If I lose 10 pounds a month, that’s 16 months to get to where I want to be. In the meantime, will try to get healthier....build some muscles, eat better, yadda yadda yadda. BUT I WILL GET THERE.

Good luck on your path!!

duskyjewel

You've already gotten great advice, so I'm just going to give you my favorite resource:

http://www.skinnytaste.com

Gina's recipes are SO GOOD and she gives you all the nutritional info and WW points for people who use that program. If things don't taste good, I won't eat them and I'll go find something else. I cook from this site all the time and it helps keep me on track.