Failure

neugebauer52

I don't see myself as a "failure" but part of a leaning experience. And the great thing is that every day starts anew with all that I have learned yesterday. I concentrate on today's meal plan and take it meal by meal and the great support of MFP.

Dilvish

you have two options. As the wise old Jedi Master Yoda once said "Do or do not. There is no try".

You aren't a failure if you "do" so don't even opt for "do not".

It took you a long while to gain the weight and its going to take a long while to drop it.

start out slow. slow is the best way for continued, sustained weight loss.

You don't have to run marathons, just start by adding a little more activity everyday like parking a bit further away each day from work/shopping or climbing a flight of stairs (even at a snails pace) each day and work up to more every other week. Get off the couch at commercial breaks on the TV and walk around the house until the show resumes. Buy some dumbells and do a couple of reps everyday and work up to several a day.

As far as food, just cut out what you know is poor quality...snacks, fast food, desserts,candy, soda pop (including diet). It's okay to eat bacon and cheese and meat etc., just try to be conscious of how much. Swap things like pepperoni pizza for vegetarian pizza, swap white bread, crackers and pasta for whole grain alternatives. Eat flavored yogurt instead of pudding. Eat nuts or seeds instead of chips or pretzels.

Forget about counting calories in the beginning just work on increasing the amount you move and changing the types of food you eat. Once you get used to it then look at regular exercise routines and calorie deficits.

cheryldumais

Oh my friend I totally understand. That was me 3 years ago. Also I had a long history of not seeing success. I was 59 and a hundred pounds overweight. I had dieted many, many times and tried them all. I had done all the crash diets in the past even up to and including having a lapband installed which ended up creating health issues for me and being removed. I finally got sensible and started working at it very slowly. I lowered my intake and begain walking 4,000 steps a day. This time I was done with the magical thinking and it took me two years to reach my goal. You can definately do it. Take your time and find what you can live with. Get rid of the idea that you go on a diet to lose then go back to the way it was once you reach your goal. Lose slowly and find alternatives to things you are willing to give up and find room in your calorie budget for the things you won't give up. Remember this is for the rest of your "healthy" life. You can do it trust me.

tbduarte1

Thanks for all of the kind words and support. I understand I am not a failure I just have not succeeded in the past. I am taking the advice of many and keeping track of calories. I will start with that and see where I am after Christmas Break. Other than that I am not making any plans.

I made a decision to only tell my wife about any of this because in the past I felt judgment from others. Instead I am going to write on here and I have began to write a blog with 0 followers. It is for me to reflect and hopefully learn something about myself and my future life.

Again thank you for the support.

PiscesMan123

Sucks doesn't it? Been there. 80% of losing weight takes place in the kitchen. Personally, I would rather work out than become mindful in the kitchen. BUT...if you throw your list away and just log what you consume you will be blown away. So many calories. Log everything you eat. Make that your priority. Don't just go at it like it doesn't really matter and you'll get back to it later. LOG EVERY THING YOU EAT - EVERY DAY. I'M SERIOUS. If you do nothing else, this will be a most powerful wakeup call. Once you do that EVERY DAY...FOR 21 days, it will be something you WANT TO DO. You will have created this incredible sense of awareness and you will find yourself automatically making smarter choices.

AnnPT77

tbduarte1 wrote: »

Thanks for all of the kind words and support. I understand I am not a failure I just have not succeeded in the past. I am taking the advice of many and keeping track of calories. I will start with that and see where I am after Christmas Break. Other than that I am not making any plans.

I made a decision to only tell my wife about any of this because in the past I felt judgment from others. Instead I am going to write on here and I have began to write a blog with 0 followers. It is for me to reflect and hopefully learn something about myself and my future life.

Again thank you for the support.

Sounds like a really sensible plan!

Speaking only for myself, I'd appreciate it if you could come back to this thread in a few weeks, and let us know how you're doing. The holidays per se may be a bit of a sleigh ride ( ), but overall I'm betting this is the time you turn a corner in a healthier direction.

Wishing you and family all the best: Happy holidays!

tbduarte1

For 21 days I tracked everything I ate no matter what and I learned a lot. I was able to see when I was eating the most, what I was eating, and exactly how the food I was eating made me feel. WOW! You really have to eat a lot, and not just any food, you need to eat a lot of crap to not only maintain 370 lbs but gain. I had gained 20 lbs this year and it took a lot of work to do so. So after one day of making changes I have to say I am blown away. I was at a deficit of 1000 calories and all I did was make a few changes. All I have done is exchange some food for better choices, but only things I actually enjoy eating. I was full all day and felt satisfied. It was easy, I never felt starved. On to day two I am back at work (teacher day) and I went out to eat with friends. Made a good choice and I am looking good for today as well. I will come back and update soon.

nutmegoreo

tbduarte1 wrote: »

For 21 days I tracked everything I ate no matter what and I learned a lot. I was able to see when I was eating the most, what I was eating, and exactly how the food I was eating made me feel. WOW! You really have to eat a lot, and not just any food, you need to eat a lot of crap to not only maintain 370 lbs but gain. I had gained 20 lbs this year and it took a lot of work to do so. So after one day of making changes I have to say I am blown away. I was at a deficit of 1000 calories and all I did was make a few changes. All I have done is exchange some food for better choices, but only things I actually enjoy eating. I was full all day and felt satisfied. It was easy, I never felt starved. On to day two I am back at work (teacher day) and I went out to eat with friends. Made a good choice and I am looking good for today as well. I will come back and update soon.

Thank you for coming back to update.

Yes, being honest with yourself sucks (because it can really be a brutal truth), but it is a very necessary first step to opening your eyes and making those changes. Glad you stayed open to the process. Nicely done!

mummydig

Baby steps, at least commit to logging. Gonna do the same myself, been successful with MFP in past, 🤞🏻 this time around. Good luck to you

AnnPT77

tbduarte1 wrote: »

For 21 days I tracked everything I ate no matter what and I learned a lot. I was able to see when I was eating the most, what I was eating, and exactly how the food I was eating made me feel. WOW! You really have to eat a lot, and not just any food, you need to eat a lot of crap to not only maintain 370 lbs but gain. I had gained 20 lbs this year and it took a lot of work to do so. So after one day of making changes I have to say I am blown away. I was at a deficit of 1000 calories and all I did was make a few changes. All I have done is exchange some food for better choices, but only things I actually enjoy eating. I was full all day and felt satisfied. It was easy, I never felt starved. On to day two I am back at work (teacher day) and I went out to eat with friends. Made a good choice and I am looking good for today as well. I will come back and update soon.

Yay: Congratulations! It's sounds like you've found a great path; stick with it and you're bound to succeed.

Thanks for coming back to update!